eG Foodblog: Mooshmouse - Back-to-school Dining on the Left Coast

[Mooshmouse]

Now. Where was I. Sunday afternoon.

Wait. Saturday night first. We didn't have any dessert at Bouzyos, so Ian and I went foraging for something else to eat after Noah had gone to bed. A bottle each of Sleeman's Honey Brown Lager and some finger food to accompany it.

I had the last of the rice crackers and a handful of mango gummies.

Ian demolished all of these without saving even one for me: the kutsinta that I had picked up earlier in the week. They're made with rice flour and brown sugar, traditionally topped with fresh grated coconut.

Okay. Now back to Sunday.

The treats from Prado Cafe kept us going until lunchtime when Noah, Ian and I made short work of all the leftovers in the fridge: japchae, two Gook Mahn Doo (the dumplings) and a couple of pieces of kalbi from Friday as well as the last of the Mu Shu Pork Wraps. Over the course of the afternoon, we also mowed through a few snacks to fill in any empty spaces.

Edited September 13, 2005 by Mooshmouse (log)

[Mooshmouse]

Oh yeah. One more bag of snacks. Noah had a few of these.

He loves almost anything that's ketchup flavoured. Not as extreme as his Dad, though: as a kid, Ian used to put ketchup on his rice and his salad.

Chicken Adobo was on deck for Sunday night. I had invited my Mom over for dinner too and figured that some Filipino comfort food was in order.

There are lots of different recipes for Chicken Adobo. Some involve marinating the chicken overnight so that it soaks up more vinegar... I prefer this method. Some involve frying the chicken before simmering. When I'm pressed for time, however, I use this recipe from PinoyCook.net. Damn, I love a recipe that calls for an entire head of garlic!

The key to good adobo is good vinegar. None of this generic white supermarket crap: I find that cane vinegar works well. You may be wondering about the China Lily soy sauce. It's not very authentic, but it's a lot sweeter than most dark soy on the market which means that I don't have to dial back on the soy sauce measurement that's called for in any particular recipe. And it does add a nice flavour rather than just pure saltiness.

After placing the chicken in my trusty Le Creuset dutch oven, add the vinegar, garlic and peppercorns and bring everything to a simmer over medium-high heat. Alas, our neighbourhood butcher had run out of chicken thighs, so I settled for some chicken breast to go with the drumsticks.

Once the vinegar has come to a simmer, turn the chicken over. Add the onions (I had forgotten the bay leaf from the previous step) and cook uncovered until the vinegar is completely absorbed by the chicken. When it's quite dry, turn the heat down to medium and give it a good stir, waiting until the chicken starts to render fat. Then turn the heat back up to medium-high and fry the chicken until it's golden brown.

After removing any extra fat, add the soy sauce (I skipped the potatoes called for in this recipe), turn the heat down to medium/medium-low and simmer for at least 20 minutes. Check the liquid level now and again while the chicken is simmering and add a little water (1/4 c or less) if it dries up before the cooking time has elapsed. Although adobo is traditionally quite dry once it's cooked, I prefer to have a little more sauce for spooning atop my rice.

Edited September 13, 2005 by Mooshmouse (log)

[*Deborah*]

You're power-blogging now, Moosh!

Only 24 hours to go!

[Mooshmouse]

I cooked up a batch of Sesame Garlic Beans to go with the adobo.

After quickly steaming the beans, throw in a few splashes of sesame oil, canola oil, a whole whack of minced garlic, sesame seeds and some chili flakes (unfortunately, I didn't have any chili peppers in the house or I would have used those instead). This is only one fraction of the chili flakes that I normally use as I knew that Noah would be eating the beans too.

Et voila! Sunday night's dinner: Chicken Adobo over fragrant jasmine rice with Sesame Garlic Beans.

Served with a bottle of Lang 2004 Farm Winery Reserve Riesling that we bought on our anniversary trip to the Okanagan in August.

Edited September 13, 2005 by Mooshmouse (log)

[Mooshmouse]

You're power-blogging now, Moosh!

Only 24 hours to go!

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Woot! You know it girl!

[Smithy]

Wow, that chicken adobo looks and sounds wonderful. It happens I have some cane vinegar in my cupboard. I think I'll have to arrange a certain vinegar and chicken rendezvous in my LC before long.

[Mooshmouse]

Any chance you will be strolling over from The Drive for GELATI?

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Ask, and ye shall receive! Not such a tall order in our house, really. We usually go for gelato once every other week, more frequently than that in the summer.

Vancouver is blessed with a plethora of excellent gelaterias: Mondo Gelato, Mario's Gelato, BC Gelato L'Arte de Gelato in West Vancouver to name a few of the best. We're lucky enough to have this one within walking distance on Commercial Drive.

Noah had a kid-sized scoop of Raspberry.

My Mom, the purist, had a split single scoop with Coffee and Chocolate. Ian, the Gelato Monster, had a double scoop with passionfruit on top and Reese's on the bottom. Scoop order is very important, you know.

I also had a split single scoop... can you believe that this is the size of a single scoop?! Reese's on the bottom was a lock, but what to have with it? It was a toss-up between Mascarpone and Panna Cotta, with Panna Cotta winning out in the end.

Edited September 13, 2005 by Mooshmouse (log)

[butter]

Spanakopita, Keftedes (Greek meatballs) hiding in the background, Dolmathes and Kalamari.

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Joie, I was shocked and pleased to see you blogging. Especially enjoying the explananations on the Filipino food even though I'm skimming through it right now (will take more time later). What did you think of the Kalamari? Hiro is hooked on it and won't order anything else when we go there. While putting my mise en place away last night at work, I was thinking of all of you at Aurora Bistro. If I didn't smell so bad (kitchen odours) I would have dropped by. Hmmm, were you still there at 11:30? Looking forward to the Aurora photos. I miss you guys.

[saskanuck]

Mooshmouse, I have thoroughly enjoyed reading this blog. Noah is a real sweetie, and he'd be fun to have around the kitchen.

All of the food pictures are delicious, but the gelato at the end just got me. God, I could just dive into that display case.

I haven't been to Vancouver for a long time, and it was nice to see the pictures of the city, and of your kiwi vine! Oh, to have one of those.

Edited September 13, 2005 by saskanuck (log)

[Mooshmouse]

Joie, I was shocked and pleased to see you blogging. Especially enjoying the explananations on the Filipino food even though I'm skimming through it right now (will take more time later). What did you think of the Kalamari? Hiro is hooked on it and won't order anything else when we go there. While putting my mise en place away last night at work, I was thinking of all of you at Aurora Bistro. If I didn't smell so bad (kitchen odours) I would have dropped by. Hmmm, were you still there at 11:30? Looking forward to the Aurora photos. I miss you guys.

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Haven't seen you in forever and a day... we miss you too, girl! Kitchen odours notwithstanding, you should've dropped by as there were still a few of us there.

The kalamari at Bouzyos is pretty damn good, I must admit. Hiro knows what he's talking about!

Aurora dinner shots are next on deck.

[Mooshmouse]

We're in the home stretch!

Monday morning started out a little iffy, weatherwise. However, the sun didn't disappoint and blessed us with a beautiful evening for the Aurora dinner... you can just make out a few rays filtering through the clouds.

Noah asked for toast, so toast it was. He buttered the bread and I took care of everything else.

For my not-so-little guy, there was Saskatoon-berry jam on Oat and Honey bread, organic applesauce and smoked gouda cheese. I snuck some of Ian's Cinnamon-Raisin bread for my breakfast, along with some smoked gouda and a few grapes (of which Noah promptly ate half).

Noah attends preschool three days a week, so we make his breakfasts together for the other four. As an aside, his school food program is pretty darn good. Breakfast fare can be anything from freshly baked muffins to french toast or cheesy scrambled eggs, always accompanied by a selection of fresh fruit. And lunches are quite varied: chicken vegetable stirfry with rice, vegetarian lasagna and beef stroganoff are among the items that are offered to the kids. No need for an intervention from Jamie Oliver!

[Vancitygirl]

GOGOGOGO!!!

[Daddy-A]

We're in the home stretch!

Monday morning started out a little iffy, weatherwise.  However, the sun didn't disappoint and blessed us with a beautiful evening for the Aurora dinner... you can just make out a few rays filtering through the clouds.

You mean filtering through the SMOKE! You have to let people know about the huge smokehouse this city has become. I'm hanging 4 sides of bacon on my back patio right now ... should be done by Friday

Looking forward to the Aurora pictures ... hope they're in focus.

A.

[Mooshmouse]

You mean filtering through the SMOKE!  You have to let people know about the huge smokehouse this city has become.  I'm hanging 4 sides of bacon on my back patio right now ... should be done by Friday

Looking forward to the Aurora pictures ... hope they're in focus. 

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Out of focus?! After all the alcohol-fuelled misadventures we've shared, you still underestimate my drinking prowess?!

You are right about the smoke, however. Firefighters have been battling an out-of-control wildfire in Burns Bog since Sunday afternoon, a 4,000 hectare wildlife sanctuary located in North Delta (a suburb of Vancouver). The fire is being fuelled by a thick layer of highly flammable peat that makes up the bog's surface; as a result, clouds of smoke are billowing from the fire and spreading over the Greater Vancouver area. This morning's Vancouver Sun newspaper reports:

The fire raging in the environmentally sensitive Burns Bog wetlands is as much as nine times larger than originally estimated by fire crews battling the blaze... about 170 hectares has been eaten up by flames since fire broke out in the peat bog Sunday afternoon.  Initial estimates had pegged the total burn area at 20 hectares...

As night fell Monday, 80 percent of the fire had been contained... the fire can't be controlled until it has cooled down enough to allow ground crews to come in and start flooding under the surface by sinking hoses into the ground... Once the subsurface fire is extinguished, Lower Mainland residents may finally get relief from the thick aromatic peat smoke that has blanketed the area as far as the North Shore over the last two days.

[lexy]

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Is that a coffee mug stuck into the gelato on the upper left?

[*Deborah*]

I have to say, it's really a shame about the bog, but at least the smoke smells better than a tire fire or something. It's very reminiscent of whiskey!

[Mooshmouse]

Rather than going to the Aquarium as originally intended, Noah asked that we have a stay-at-home day instead. So, we kept ourselves more than busy around the Mouse house all morning: doing homework, painting, drag racing Noah's Hot Wheels, reading, going for a bike ride around the neighbourhood. Our cat, on the other hand, was not so busy.

By the time we got back from our bike ride, Noah's stomach was demanding food. Lunch, therefore, was fast and simple.

A bowl of pork and vegetable potstickers each. I buy frozen ones from Hon's Wun Tun House together with their dipping sauce.

They're great for quick meals. The fact that Noah can eat his weight in potstickers makes my life that much easier.

After his lunch, Noah polished off a snack-sized container of mandarin oranges. What is it with kids and these syrup-packed mandarin oranges anyway? I remember loving them too as a child.

In deference to the evening meal that lay ahead of me, I passed on the oranges. But I couldn't resist sharing these with Noah later in the afternoon.

At Thursday night's Cantonese dinner, eGulleter Yummy asked me to pass these on to Noah. At least he was generous enough to share them with Mommy. Everyone needs a little chocolate in their life!

[Mooshmouse]

Is that a coffee mug stuck into the gelato on the upper left?

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That it is, stuck into the coffee gelato. Chalk it up to decorative artistic license perhaps?

[jackal10]

Served with a bottle of Lang 2004 Farm Winery Reserve Riesling that we bought on our anniversary trip to the Okanagan in August.

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I wonder if they are any relation?

[Mooshmouse]

Ta ta ta taaaaaaaaaaaaa... ladies and gentlemen... we now present you with the much anticipated photos from Monday evening's A Taste of British Columbia! dinner at Aurora Bistro. The evening was hosted by Vancouver eGulleters chef jeff (Chef Jeff Van Geest) and kurtisk (Manager/Sommelier Kurtis Kolt), and they certainly did British Columbia proud.

Editor@waiterblog, fellow eGulleter and Westender food columnist Andrew Morrison, organizes monthly dinners at various restaurants around town that are well-attended by the local eGullet crew. Monday night was no exception. True to form, it was almost like a big family gathering... the hellos and how-are-yous started as soon as Ian and I walked through the door. But we figured that we needed some libationary goodness to start the evening off right.

All of Aurora's cocktails are named after neighbourhoods in Vancouver. This particular one is a Little India with white rum, triple sec and mango puree. Ian ordered it first, rather uncharacteristically so since he's usually not a fruity cocktail kind of guy, and I quickly followed suit after having a taste of his.

*Deborah*'s drink was so pretty that we had to take a picture of it. A Chinatown with vodka, ginger beer, lime juice and a floating star anise. Very refreshing.

[Mooshmouse]

Here are a few shots of the local peanut gallery.

From left to right: Canucklehead, Zucchini Mama and Mr. Zucchini Mama.

Starting at the left and working clockwise: Yummy, Yummy & PaoPao's non-eG Friend #1, Chocoholic, Yummy & PaoPao's non-eG Friend #2, PaoPao and Pez.

Mr. and Mrs. Foodie in Vancouver

Starting at the left and working clockwise: Canucklehead, *Deborah*, Vancitygirl, barolo, Ian and me.

Starting at the left and working clockwise: Ling's non-eG best friend, Gary King of Hazelmere Farms, Mrs. editor@waiterblog, editor@waiterblog, gerald, lauraf and Ling.

We're all just one big happy food-crazy family!

[Mooshmouse]

Before dinner began, chef jeff graciously invited me into the kitchen to take a few photos of some of their exquisitely plated courses.

Thanks so much to you, Chef, and the rest of your rockstar BOH crew for your kindness. I was, indeed, honoured.

[Pan]

[...]After his lunch, Noah polished off a snack-sized container of mandarin oranges.  What is it with kids and these syrup-packed mandarin oranges anyway?  I remember loving them too as a child.[...]

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I did too. I also loved what I called "fruit coptail" (the mixed fruit cocktail in syrup in a can, of course). I probably haven't eaten either for decades now and don't miss 'em.

I'm looking forward to the balance of your photos from Aurora.

I'm just awed by the number and consistently high quality of your photos, and also the amount of time you've put into this blog during a busy week! Thank you for one of the best blogs ever.

[Mooshmouse]

Bring on the first course!

Smoked Sablefish Gougeres

Delicately flavoured crème fraîche, not overpowered by the sablefish at all. Perfectly light pastry. What a treat.

[Mooshmouse]

A few words from the evening's key players as an intermezzo.

editor@waiterblog – Andrew Morrison

Chef Jeff Van Geest

Farmer Gary King of Hazelmere Organic Farms

Edited September 13, 2005 by Mooshmouse (log)