May 22, 2013: The Chapters (Indigo Books) Cheat! Spectacular Sancocho!

I was at my local bookstore, Chapters/Indigo Books, the other night and had just lugged a stack up to the checkout counter.  Some ten books, they were all research materials for an upcoming project.  The cashier rang up the sale and, as I swiped my credit card, I asked how much I was saving on the purchase.  ”Nothing,”she said.  ”But you have a twenty dollar gift certificate.  Would you like to redeem it?”

A twenty dollar gift certificate?  Surely, she was mistaken.  I’ve had a Chapters/Indigo irewards card that has allowed me to save on my purchases for years – a not insignificant amount since I’m one of those individuals who still prefers the feel of a real book over the ethereal tidiness of a digital copy.  Not only that but I’m a spontaneous shopper when it comes to books, often picking up anywhere from six to a dozen titles a visit based solely on what captures my interest on the day: the cover, the write-up on the book jacket, the recommendation of some passerby.

“You DID have a reward card that let you save on purchases,”the cashier informed me after checking on her computer, “but it expired last year.  Your new card lets you earn points toward certificates up to a $100.”

WTF?  Why the hell would I switch to an obviously far less advantageous card? Well, the simple answer is: “I wouldn’t”!  Who knows how much money I could have saved over the last year if the store had done me the service, as a long-standing loyal customer, of NOT CHEATING ME.

“We can switch you back to your original membership card,”offered the cashier.  ”For a thirty-five dollar annual fee.”

Really?  So let me get this straight: They expect ME to PAY THEM for the privilege of giving them my business?

Yeah.

No.

Hey, I’ve got an even better idea.  Do you know what would save me even more money than purchasing an ireward membership card with a thirty-five dollar annual fee?

Doing all my shopping online through Amazon.com from here on in.

Apologies to those who have joined me on this blog-sponsored culinary odyssey.  We’ve been working our way through some inspired recipes provided by blog regulars and, to date, have prepared Puerco Pibil and Chicken Breast with Brown Butter and Sage Leaves without burning down the kitchen.  Last week, we were supposed to tackle Shiny’s sancocho (I’ll step in preemptively here to say – Das, get your mind out of the gutter!) but I didn’t get around to it until yesterday. Apologies!

So, how was it?  Well, to be honest, I wasn’t expecting much beyond “good”.  The ingredients sounded weirdly uncomplimentary.  Sausage and plantain?  Gnocci and shrimp?  Beans and cabbage?  I was, admittedly, dubious.  But, boy, did this dish deliver.  It was nothing short of fabulous!  The myriad ingredients worked incredibly well together, offering layers of flavor and texture.  Akemi loved it too and we both ended up eating waaaay too much.  This is a dish we’ll definitely be adding to the rotation!

Looking ahead to next week, let’s try a little dessert…

Jeff and Barb’s White Chocolate Cheesecake recipe:

CRUST INGREDIENTS:

1-1/2 cups Keebler Graham cracker crumbs
½-Cup White Chocolate Morsels
2/3 cup melted butter
1/2 cup sugar

Mix the crumbs, morsels and sugar and then add the melted butter. Mix thoroughly and then let sit. After a couple of minutes, mix again. Spray the sides of your 10” springform pan with cooking spray and crimp parchment paper over the bottom of the pan (trim excess paper from the bottom side of the pan). Dump the mixture into the pan and press it down into a level, flat disc that covers the bottom. Put the pan with crust into a freezer to prepare for the next step (this will harden the crust and create a nicely defined boundary between the crust and cream-cheese filling). You will end up with a crust around 1/3 inch thick.

The cheesecake batter will be made in two batches; one batch of regular cheesecake batter and one batch of white chocolate cheesecake batter. We’ll start with the regular first:

2 warm packages cream cheese
¼-cup sour cream
¼-stick butter (2 Tbsp)
2 eggs
1-1/2 Tbsp Lemon Juice
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. almond extract
3/4 cups sugar

Preheat oven to 350.

Start by melting in a micro-wave a 1/4 stick of butter (use a 20 or 30% power setting at 30 second increments to avoid boiling the butter). Then add the result to your mixing bowl. Combine the ingredients and use a mixer to blend them until free from lumps.

n.b. – some cream cheeses will produce small, BB-sized pellets of cream cheese when mixed (most notably, Lucerne Cream Cheese seems to behave this way). This is not necessarily a problem and can add texture and flavor to your cake so don’t be concerned if this happens to your batter. These cream cheeses also seem to have less of a tendency to crack while cooling.

Now, dump the batter into your pan on top of the crust. Try to level it with a spatula. It doesn’t have to be perfect; some leveling will occur during baking.

Now we’ll make the White Chocolate Batter.

2 warm packages cream cheese
¼-cup sour cream
¼-stick butter
1/2 cup of white chocolate morsels
2 eggs
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 tsp. almond extract
¾-cups sugar

Same as you did for the regular batter, start by micro-waving the 1/4 stick of butter. After the butter is melted, add in the White Chocolate Morsels (stir) and then micro-wave in 30 second increments at 20 or 30% power until you achieve a pudding like consistency. Remember to stir the mixture in between heating sessions. When thoroughly melted, add the resulting mixture to your mixing bowl. Combine the rest of the ingredients and use a mixer to blend them until free from lumps (see note above about lumps).

Now, dump the batter into your pan on top of the regular batter, leveling it with a spatula.

Bake for 15 minutes at 350, and then reduce the heat to 250 and bake for another 90 minutes. Be sure to place a catch pan under the cheesecake to catch any butter that may leak out.

Overcooking or fast cooling can cause cracking of the cheesecake. Proper cooking time and cooling is essential to avoiding this. Some experimentation may be necessary to “dial-in” how your oven cooks at these low temperatures. Start with proper cooling; once the cooking time is done, turn off the oven and prop the oven door open a few inches and allow it to cool for three hours (overnight is preferred). If cracking occurs, then on the next cheesecake, reduce the cooking time by 10 minutes (up to a maximum of 15 minutes). If cracking still occurs, try changing cream cheese brands. Baking multiple cheesecakes can also affect this (more cheesecakes means more cooking time), so you could find that two cheesecakes baked together will not crack, while one by itself will. In this case, reduce the cooking time by 10 or 15 minutes for the single cheesecake.

After cooling, use a butter-knife to separate the side of the cheesecake from the side of the springform-pan and then pop the side of the pan (if you don’t separate it first, some of the cheesecake will inevitably stick to the side of the pan and crack the cake when released). Cover and refrigerate at least three hours or better yet, overnight (you may want to wait until after refrigerating to separate the cake from the pan as the cake will be “harder” and separate more cleanly at this stage).

STRAWBERRY SAUCE INGREDIENTS

1 16-oz. Package of fresh strawberries
5 tbsp. sugar

Note, the best time to prepare the strawberry sauce is while the cheesecake is baking. The great thing about making this strawberry sauce is that it requires no cooking! Strawberries will make their own syrup if sliced, sprinkled with sugar, and then refrigerated. You can either dice or slice (I prefer pencil-thick slices). Layer the strawberries in a bowl and sprinkle a tablespoon of sugar with each layer. Make sure to use a dish that can be covered with an air-tight lid; you’re going to leave this in the refrigerator a day or two and you don’t want it picking up other food flavors.

When the cheesecake is chilled, pour the strawberry sauce on top (holding back the strawberries). Next, Arrange the remaining strawberries on the top of the cake. For a bit of color (or if your making it for Christmas), garnish with mint leaves.

Keep the cheesecake chilled until your ready to serve it.

Today’s entry is dedicated to blog regular Sparrow_hawk.  And her noggin.  Speedy recovery!

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May 9, 2013: Kickstarter round-up! Recipe round-up!

Paul and I have been in a holding pattern for months now, waiting to hear word on not one, not two, not three, but FOUR different projects – three pilots and a feature. What’s interesting is that, in all four cases, the scripts are with someone(s) who likes them and has expressed interest in seeing them produced.  We’ve received very positive word and been told that a decision is imminent.  That was months ago and we’re still waiting.

We can’t be too upset because no one has passed.  And we can’t be too happy because we’ve yet to be given a green light.  We CAN, however, be cautiously optimistic.  The network loved the changes we made to the urban fantasy pilot and it has been bumped up the chain of command.  The other network loves the Dark Matter pilot, we have the other players in place, and word is imminent (yesterday according to one source).  Yet another network loves that non-genre pilot, loved the game plan I talked them through a couple of weeks ago, and just (today) requested a written document outlining our plans for the show’s first two seasons.  And a production company loves the premise of the horror script and have been looking do something very similar for a while now.  It seems as though we’re close…

Of course, that’s how I felt in January.  Yep.  I remember thinking: “Any day now…”.

Realistically, it SHOULD be any day now.  But if it’s not, Paul and I have travel plans to L.A. for some meet and greets, while Ivon and I have plans to go the Kickstarter route and simply shoot the horror film ourselves with some old Stargate friends.  In an ideal scenario, we could fund the movie through crowd sourcing and deferred payments, produce it, land a distributor, then pay everyone back with the profits. However, according to Ivon, I think this runs counter to Kickstarter rules.  If we want to go through Kickstarter, we should instead be offering investors alternate rewards like signed scripts, set visits, perhaps a cameo as a colorful victim (Disembowelment or defenestration?  YOU decide!).

Anyway, Ivon have discussed the possibility off and on over the past couple of months.  And, the other day, my buddy Cas mentioned a Kickstarter project he’s involved with – an SF web series its creators have dubbed “The Office in space”. Intrigued, I headed over to Kickstarter and checked out their project – along with several others that I thought I’d bring to your attention…

NOBILITY

An SF web series – “The Office in space” – headlined by Babylon 5′s Claudia Christian and my friend, Cas Anvar.

NobilityTheSeries.com

Kickstarter: http://goo.gl/rLERO

KILL ALL MONSTERS

Kill All Monsters: Ruins of Paris is the printed first volume of the hit webcomic about monsters and the giant robots that kill them.

Kickstarter: kill-all-monsters-volume-1-ruins-of-paris

THE VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR

Cthulhu eats your childhood in this Lovecraftian spin on classic children’s literature. What can a cthulhupillar eat in a week?

Kickstarter: the-very-hungry-cthulhupillar

BENSON BYE

Benson Bye is a heart warming short film about a man with autism who must transfer to a new facility leaving his younger sister behind.

Kickstarter: benson-bye

PRETTY GOOD NUMBER ONE: AN AMERICAN FAMILY EATS TOKYO

An American family spends a month in a 260-square-foot Tokyo apartment in this humorous food and travel memoir.

Kickstarter: Pretty Good Number One: An American Family Eats Tokyo

THE HOGBEN CHRONICLES OF HAROLD KUTTNER

This project is a labor of love to bring the unique work of Henry Kuttner to a new generation of readers.

Kickstarter: The Hogben Chronicles of Henry Kuttner

So, hey, how did you all do with the Puerco Pibil recipe?  Mine was a resounding success…

Big, bold, delicious flavors.  I wonder how it would work using an even more marbled cut like, say, the pork belly?

How’d you all do?

Next up = Shiny’s sancocho!

Mince a little garlic (2 cloves), onions (1/4 cup chopped), parsley and devil weed aka cilantro and roast in a sauce pan with a little olive oil; toss in slices of polska kielbasa (enough for 2 servings) and add some white pepper and paprika. If you have shrimp, toss them in now.

Once the bold sausage oils have mingled with the gentle olive oils and the onions are sweated you can pour in a can of plain ol’ Campbell’s chicken soup (low salt) and yes, a can of water (see? I know it’s low rent but it is tasty).

Stir that up and let it simmer for a few minutes, then add: 1/2 cup of gnocchi, 1/2 cup of cabbage, and a firm ripe plantain cut into medallions; the plaintain should be a nice yellow color, not too dry but not so ripe that it’s mushy. Toss in a 1/2 cup of chickpeas or sweet peas if you prefer; the bean of your choice.

Let it simmer until the plantain turns a bright pretty deep yellow and the gnocchi are nice and fat, prolly another 5 to 10 minutes.

Serve with Whole Wheat Grilled Cheese sandwiches, made with lots of butter and Gouda cheese.

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May 2, 2013: I Make the Best Whatever! Chicken Breast with Brown Butter and Fried Sage Leaves! Dog Party!!!

Apologies.  I was supposed to do this on Tuesday but between dealing with the dogs, all the hardcore waiting for word on those projects, and working my way through The Mammoth Book of Gangs, I – well – didn’t.  But better late than never and so, with further ado, here are MY results of Sparrow_hawk’s Chicken Breast with Brown Butter and Fried Sage Leaves from our I Make the Best Whatever entries:

As per instructions, I toasted the pine nuts, fried the sage leaves (doing my best not to snack on too many of them in the process), breaded and fried the chicken…and served!  Great flavors with some very nice textural contrasts – the crispness of the chicken coating and sage leaves, the tenderness of the chicken, the crunch of the pine nuts. This dish has made me even more of a sage fan.  My only criticism is that the recipe didn’t call for salt.  I assumed this was because of the presence of parmesan and the seasoned breadcrumbs but, in the end, I felt like I still needed a touch.  Otherwise, a very good dish that, while a little time consuming, isn’t that hard to make.  What did you all think?

Next week’s dish will be dasNdanger’s Puerco Pibil:

Puerco (Cochinita) Pibil5 tablespoons Annatto seeds [achiote seeds] 2 teaspoons Cumin seeds 1 tablespoon Peppercorns 1/2 teaspoon Whole cloves 8 Whole allspiceGrind spices in a coffee grinder [one used ONLY for spices] until VERY, VERY fine. this may take awhile, but be sure to get them as fine as possible. Next, combine in a blender: 2 Habanero peppers, chopped [remove seeds to reduce heat, or leave in to keep the heat] 1/2 cup Orange juice 1/2 cup White vinegar 2 tablespoons Salt 8 cloves Garlic, chopped Juice of 5 Limes (DVD calls for lemon, I prefer lime) Splash of top quality tequila [clear tequila - avoid the ones with a carmel color as it might alter the flavor] Add in the spice mixture and blend well. 5 pounds Pork Butt [or Pork Loin for less fat, but using loin will make the dish drier] Banana Leaves Cut the pork into 2 inch cubes…put in a large plastic bag and pour in the sauce…mix and let sit while lining a baking dish with banana leaves. Add pork and sauce, cover/wrap with more banana leaves and seal the whole thing well with tin foil. Then slow roast at 325 degrees for 4 hours.

Off you go.  Start cookin’!  And let’s reconvene next Thursday with the results.

Hey, who doesn’t like dogs in party hats?  Certainly not me, so when my sister sent the following pics from her dog Roxy’s birthday party, I knew I had to share…

Mom’s pooch, Felix (left), Fernando (back), and the birthday gal (right).

Felix has clearly had too much to drink.

Fernando = the life of the party.

Roxy clowns around as she prepares to feast on her birthday cake.

Fernando may be blind, but I’m sure he can smell that mashed potato icing.

Sis with mom’s other dog, Caramel who, apparently, is “too cantankerous” to wear a hat.  Boo!

The party in full swing.  I think the rottweiler is the designated driver.

I’m going to do a mailbag in the next couple of days so if you’ve got  a question, post it!

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April 7, 2013: Foodly Matters! And a Supermovie of the Week Club reminder!

The other night, Akemi and I checked out one of the buzziest Taiwanese restaurants in Vancouver, the well-reviewed, foodie favorite: Kalvin’s Szechuan Restaurant.  Akemi has a couple of Taiwanese friends who swear by the place and so, more than a little intrigued, we headed out to Victoria Street to see (and taste) for ourselves.

The restaurant is notoriously busy.  Reservations are recommended. And arriving promptly for your reservations is also strongly advised. Not wishing to take any chances, we booked a table for 5:30 p.m. and arrived early – only to realize it doesn’t open until 5:30 p.m.  And so, after a stroll through the neighborhood, we were at the door – then at our table – on time for our reservations.

It didn’t get busy until 6:00 p.m. or so at which point the tiny room was packed, mostly with – from what I could tell – regulars.  Prior to that, however, we had the place – and the staff – more or less to ourselves.  The service was attentive, friendly, and downright warm. We placed our orders and our dishes arrived sooner after, all bold, wonderfully balanced flavors.  Some of the highlights included…

Spicy pig’s ear.

Not for everyone but I love the texture – crunchy and chewy – and Kalvin’s version is, by far, the best I’ve ever had.  We were asked to specify a spice level and we elected to go medium, which packed a nice little kick.  Next time, I think I might hazard the hot.

Diced chicken and peanuts with chili peppers

The restaurant offers many traditional Taiwanese dishes but, as the name implies, some Szechuan fare as well – like the above dish, Akemi’s favorite.  A robust and, yes, fiery dish.  Despite their size, the chicken morsels are moist and tender, a step above the tougher, drier versions I’ve had elsewhere.

Shredded pork with garlic and chili sauce

This one came highly recommended on a couple of the foodie blogs and I wasn’t disappointed.  Also spicy but possessed of an aromatic spice I couldn’t quite place that simply wowed.

We rounded things out with a hearty, slightly sweet corn soup, 5-spice beef rolls, and a spring roll.  Throughout our meal, Chef and Owner Kalvin himself popped out of the kitchen – when it wasn’t too busy – to see how we were enjoying what we’d ordered.  And then, as more customers filed in, he broke off to greet them – most by name.  I felt like I was in the Cheers of Taiwanese restaurants.

According to Kalvin, his restaurant will celebrate 30 years in business this year.  30 years!  Given my first-time experience – and the obvious loyalty of his cliente – I’m not at all surprised.

Chef Kalvin and (I believe) his wife.

Kalvin’s Szechuan Restaurant (604-321-2888)

Open for lunch and dinner daily (except Wednesdays)

5225 Victoria Dr
Vancouver

Then, on Saturday, Akemi and I paid a return visit to the Bakers Market.  This time, Bubba stayed home so Akemi was free to take her time and roam the aisles.  Like last weekend, we loaded up on a variety of treats -

First stop was Mamaz Sweetz N’ Treatz where I picked up -

Red velvet white chocolate chip cookies.  Surprisingly, this was the first time I’d had red velvet in cookie form.  A winner.

Last week, I picked up chocolate biscotti from home baker Giada Vacca’s Treats and Blossoms.  On this visit, these caught my eye -

Amaretti – crunchy AND chewy, a tough balance to pull off.

A return visit to my friend at Life’s Lemons…

Last weekend, I was their first sale ever.  This weekend, they apparently sold out.  I’m clearly a trendsetter.

This time out, it was the Apple Pie shortbread cookies that tasted…yes, amazingly like apple pie!

[in the oven] offers assorted caramels and a killer salted caramel sauce.

The owner recognized me from last weekend and asked how I enjoyed the caramel sauce.  I admitted that I hadn’t tried it yet because I’d run out of ice cream.  ”You can eat it right out of the jar,”she assured me. “I won’t judge you.”  Well, I forgot to pick up ice cream on the way back home so I did end up trying it right of out of the jar after all.  And it was unbelievable.

Don’t judge me!

The gals from Sweet Talk, bakers of my surprise favorite on last weekend’s visit: the lemon poppyseed cake.  And, this weekend, I discovered they bake a pretty mean chocolate salted caramel tart.

And a return visit to Sweet Lily, this time for -

Chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin, and lime cornmeal cookies.

Maple bourbon pecan brioche.

The ladies of (my favorite cupcakes) Vivi’s cupcakes, sweets and treats

Chocolate cupcake, red velvet cupcake, and cheesecake brownie.

The plan was to just sample a bit (so we could try a bit of everything) and have the rest after dinner.  Well, that WAS the plan.

Baker’s Market – Bakers Market – The Sweetest Event in Vancouver

Treats and Blossoms | Facebook

Life’s Lemons- sweet treats baking co. – Vancouver, BC – Community …

[in the oven]

http://wangamylee.wix.com/sweettalk

Sweet Lily Bakery – Vancouver, BC – Food & Grocery | Facebook

Vivi’s cupcakes, sweets & treats – Vancouver, BC … – Facebook

Finally, what sweet Saturday would be complete without a visit to Vancouver’s premiere chocolate shop: Beta 5.  Their selection changes monthly and, this weekend, they kicked off their April Union Pack with an outdoor theme: “On the Forest Floor”.  Among the offerings are “deer droppings” (a mix of 63% dark chocolate covered raisins, and 39% milk chocolate covered peanuts), melt-in-your-mouth “candy cap caramels” (earthy, sweet Candy Cap mushrooms captured in a buttery, caramel bite with a flavor reminiscent of maple syrup)…

French Toast Toadstools: house made brioche soaked in a ganache of “blonde” chocolate maple syrup, cinnamon and rum, then paired with a dollop of spiced apple butter.  Unbelievable.

Chocolate twigs: 45% milk chocolate and 63%, 72% and 85% dark chocolate sticks dusted with cocoa powder and presented on a bed of matcha white chocolate.  Akemi’s favorite!

Bark: olive oil and salt roasted Marcona almond, blended with 50% milk chocolate from Madagascar, and finished with a touch of flaked sea salt.  Nearly impossible to stop eating once you start.

They ship!  http://beta-5.com/

Our Supermovie of the Week Club reconvenes tomorrow with guest film reviewer, Cookie Monster, weighing in on his latest superhero-themed screening: Super Capers.  If you haven’t already seen it in preparation for tomorrow’s discussion – spoiler alert! – it’s beyond awful.  Don’t bother.  But do stop in to check out monster’s thoughts on what could arguable be the worst superhero movie yet.

For Cookie’s previous supermovie reviews (as well as his opinion on Snakes on a Plane and There Will Be Blood), head on over here: http://cookiemonstermovereviews.wordpress.com/ 

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March 30, 2013: Support your local bakers! And umbrella dancers!

Every Saturday morning (and Sunday morning during the summer), Akemi and I head down to the farmers market to support our local growers.  Starting this weekend, we can now head down to the bakers market and support our local bakers as well.  And so, today, after swinging by Nat Bailey stadium, we headed over to the Moberly Arts & Cultural Centre to check out the sweets.

Sadly, because it was held indoors, Bubba – who had joined us for the trip – had to wait outside…which meant that Akemi and I had to take turns browsing.  She was a quick in and out, spending all of five minutes inside before returning empty handed.  I, on the other, went a little crazy.  Like I said, I was there to support my local bakers/entrepreneurs.  Their kids gotta eat!

And so do I!

Today’s haul…

My first purchase was from this animated entrepreneur who informed me that I was her first sale.  Ever.  It was maybe five minutes after the market opened, so I have no doubt she did a brisk business.

I had a choice between chocolate and orange but elected to go with orange for Akemi.

Chocolate-dipped orange shortbread cookies.

A trio from Sweet Lily: super buttery crisp palmiers, brown butter blondies, and soft chocolate chunk cookies.

Speaking of buttery, these lemon poppyseed friands from Yummy Workshop were that – and moist, and delicious.

Akemi is a big fan of marshmallow desserts, so I picked up a bag of these matcha gimauve. She eyed them suspiciously, took a small bite, slowly chewed – then popped the rest into her mouth. And then another.

Akemi is also a big fan of biscotti.  I figure you can’t go wrong with chocolate.

This place offered a selection of ice cream sandwiches – and samples!

I went with the Affogato.  I’m not a huge coffee guy but the espresso flavor was great and the soft cookie was a perfect accompaniment.

I only picked up one cupcake from Vivi Cupcakes and Treats and ended up regretting the fact I didn’t get more.

They specialize in caramels, but I picked up the salted caramel sauce.  Looking forward to trying it with a scoop of vanilla.

Yuzu biscuits.  Subtle in citrus flavor yet no less tasty.

A foursome from Geek Sweets.  Clockwise from upper left: the Hello Kitty, the Easter Cream Egg, PB&J, and Red Velvet.  The owner strongly recommends I check out Battlestar Galactica.

And Akemi’s favorite – the red velvet cheesecake.  She prefers the corner piece.  I’m more of a middle kind of guy.

We returned home, dropped off Bubba, took Jelly for a walk, then headed downtown for a walk with Lulu.  Akemi was eager to check out the cherry blossoms.

Lulu too, but for completely different reasons.

I never realized the number of cherry blossom trees in Vancouver. They line almost every suburban street.

Akemi – along with most of the city’s Japanese population – are anxiously looking forward to Vancouver’s annual Cherry Blossom Festival that kicks off next week and runs through most of April. Highlights will include umbrella dances, haiku, and blossom viewing. My buddy Carl has, I’m sure, already made plans to attend.  No one appreciates a good haiku like Carl.

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March 24, 2013: Pasta-making 101!

A little over a week ago, Akemi and I attended a gelato-making class. Today, we took part part in a pasta-making class.  Yes, we’re working our way backwards.  Next week, who knows?  Deviled eggs and pigs-in-a-blanket?

Being huge fans of Pasta Famiglia artisan pasta (available only at our local winter farmer’s market), we were thrilled to hear that owner Peter Ciuffa was offering a course in fresh pasta making.  Given Peter’s passion for food, and pasta in particular, Akemi and I knew we were in for a treat.

Akemi, as always, travels apron-ready.

For $45/person, we were given a hands-on demonstration of the pasta-making process that culminated in a sampling of our hard work, and enough take-home fettuccine and spaghettini for a couple of meals.  I know, I know.  Being Italian, I should know all about making pasta – and I do, up to a certain point. My mother used to make pasta all the time growing up – and still does.  Unfortunately, as interesting as it looked, I was ultimately more focused in the end-product and so, never really pay that much attention to lead-up.

Today, I paid attention.  Our instructors, Peter and his sister, Daniela, regaled us with stories of childhood kitchen adventures with their mother as part of a fun and informative afternoon.

Peter and Daniela

We started with 200 grams of Type 00 Italian flour.  After making a little well at the center of the flour, we add two farm fresh eggs, a pinch of salt, and started mixing with a fork – breaking the eggs and then, slowly but surely, incorporating the surrounding flour.

Eggs in the well

We mixed.  And mixed.  And mixed some more until our dough began to take shape – at which point we dusted our table top with flour, transferred the dough, and started the kneading process.

Akemi, building those triceps.

We kneaded.  And kneaded.  And kneaded some more.  Eventually, my dough began to assume the smooth, silky texture we were looking for. Done! It was at this point that Akemi switched doughs on me.  So I kneaded.  And kneaded.  And kneaded some more!

A beautiful baby dough

With our dough done, we allowed it to rest, covered, for 20-30 minutes while Peter and Daniela taught us one of their mother’s favorite pasta sauce recipes.  Olive oil, garlic, parsley, and a tomato base were slowly cooked down while we redirected focus to the dough – cutting, shaping, and then feeding our pasta through the pasta machine’s rollers, working our way through the various settings which yielded an increasingly longer, increasingly thinner sheet.

Akemi and I were a well-oiled machine (much like the well-oiled pasta machine we were using).  One of us fed the pasta into the rollers while the other cranked.  Then, we switched.  In no time, we had our sheets and then, it was onto the cutting.  We had a choice of two settings – fettuccine or spaghettini – and elected to go with both.  After dusting the freshly cut pasta, Akemi immediately went to work, laying it out so that the individual strands wouldn’t stick together -

Painstaking work. I refer, of course, to my picture-taking while Akemi sorts out the spaghettini.

With the sauce done, we all got to sample the fruits of our labor…

“Yammy!” as Akemi would say.

Wow.  What a world of difference.  From now on, I’m only eating home made pasta.

Provided Akemi has the time to make it.

 Like tonight for instance:

Our pasta haul

Dinner:

Spaghettini with Italian sausage, broccolini, garlic, basil, and olive oil.

Thanks to Peter and Daniela for a great afternoon (and even greater dinner!).  My mother is already planning my Level 2 class: orecchiette and capundi!

http://www.pastafamiglia.ca/

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March 21, 2013: A Feast of Foie!

Last night was just like old times: me, Chef Rob Belcham, Chef Ted Anderson, and whole bunch of foie gras.  The occasion was – well, there was no occasion really.  The guys decided they wanted to do a foie gras dinner, so they brainstormed  a menu and put the word out.  My friends, Steve and Jodi, asked me if I wanted to go with them.  I said “Sure!”, went online to get tickets – and discovered the dinner had sold out!

I was, of course, bummed.  But fortune smiled down on me – and frowned down on Jodi – when the babysitter canceled.  As result, Jodi had to stay home, freeing up a seat for yours truly.  I felt bad for her. But pretty good for me.  And even better once dinner got underway…

Chef Robert Belcham welcomes us to Campagnolo, then retreats to the shadows.

The meal was served family style at a long banquette table.  Once the plates were set down, it was every man and woman for themselves!  I think someone may have lost a finger.

Four types of bread including tasty toast points the woman seated across from me used to “build a dam” around the foie gras, soaking up the rendered fat.  Top with truffle gastrique and Bon Appetit!

Apple slices tossed with foie fat.  For the (sort of) health conscious participants.

Cherries given the same treatment: sweet, slightly sour, and delightfully savory.

And the star of the evening: mouth-meltingly sublime seared foie gras.  At the end of the day, it worked out to about a lobe per diner.

My first plate included a slice of the foie, bread, gastrique, various jams, and the apple (for show).

We were also served side salads that, I suspect, received some sort of foie treatment as well.  I have to admit, I’m not a huge salad guy but I loved this one.

And then, for dessert:

Caramelized Chocolate Tart with strawberry preserve and crisp Italian meringue.

Almond Cake with cream cheese mousse, preserved peaches, and brown butter.  Damn, that cream cheese mousse is crazy good.

What?  No foie gras dessert?  Well, maybe it was for the best.  The two desserts we did get were terrific nevertheless.

Chef Ted Anderson – kitchen maestro and Japanese at heart.

A delicious time was had by all.  The next feast has already been scheduled: Get Cracklin: whole roasted pig served family style.

Book now to avoid disappointment!  Buy Tickets Now

Campagnolo

1020 Main Street
Vancouver, BC
604.484.6018

Open for lunch 11:30-2:30.
And 5pm until late,
seven days a week

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March 16, 2013: Gelato 101!

The other night, Akemi and a few of our closest friends were fortunate enough to attend a Gelato 101 class hosted by the award-winning James Coleridge (winner of the 1^st “Maestro Gelatiere Award” at the Florence Gelato Festival, and considered one of the world’s top artisan gelato makers) at his Bella Gelateria in downtown Vancouver.

Rob and Steve

Jodi, Akemi (brought her own apron), and Hillary.

The Master of Ceremonies: James Coleridge.

James, a graduate of Carpigiani Gelato University, started off by giving us an overview of the world of gelato, pointing out the differences between gelato and the more readily available ice cream (gelato has roughly half the amount of fat and air, and is actually served at warmer temperatures).  He talked about his education in Italy and a reprimand he received for daring to question the prevalent use of chemicals in the gelato-making process.  To his credit, James doesn’t criticize those who make use of the chemical mix, instead lauding them for trailblazing the gelato movement in North America.  All the same, he eschews the mixes and chemicals in favor of premium, all-natural ingredients.  It’s something he feels he owes to not only his customers, but his family as well.

The Bella Gelateria selection.

Following the preliminary introduction, we were ushered into the laboratorio (Italian for “laboratory”, natch).  Apparently, most gelato shops maintain an air of secrecy surrounding their products and recipes, so no photography is ever permitted within their walls.  He, on the other hand, has a more open approach and invited us to snap as many pics and videos as we wished.  Which was great because it meant I didn’t have to rely on my hidden button cam.

Once we were in the kitchen, the real hands-on instruction (and tasting) began!

My fellow students

James talked about his education in Italy and winning first prize at last year’s Florence Gelato Festival for his toasted pecans, sea salt and maple syrup gelato.  He started us off by allowing us to sample an unbelievable caramel base.   We then moved onto a base for one of his chocolate ice creams…

Steve “The Cleaner” Boska polishes off the chocolate base.

We were then offered a taste of the various chocolates that go into the different gelatos – only the best of the best, Michel Cluizel, ranging from creamy 45% milk to darker than dark 99%.

Let the sampling begin!

The Cluizel collection

We melted some dark chocolate, heated it in a pot, then blasted it with this industrial mixer…

Rob takes her out for a spin.

Akemi at the wheel.

After which the whipped mixture was poured in here -

- to complete the process.  The mixture gradually set and cooled, growing denser as it spun.  The process was downright hypnotic.

Rob checks out a piece of equipment for checking out sugar levels.  Oh, steering clear of sugar?  Well, you can go sugar-free – but you’ll need roughly 9-10 times more of whatever chemical sugar substitute you use to achieve the same melting point.

Then, it was paddling time!

Once around the lake, James – then home.

We each took turns using the ice cream paddle to scoop the finished gelato out without breaking the machine, paddle, or our jaws.

Jodi shows us how it’s done.

Further tasting ensued.  James demonstrated the correct way to spoon a sample, using a sideways swipe that yielded roughly 3-4 times more gelato than the the more traditional straightforward scoop.  We sampled one of his newest, a Limoncello Cheesecake gelato that was so good I ended up buying myself another scoop after the class ended.

We also sampled the greatest pistachio gelato I’ve ever had made from the world’s greatest pistachio’s (Bronte pistachios that are the most expensive of expensive Sicilian pistachio’s which are, in turn, the most expensive of Italian pistachio’s which are, in turn, the most expensive of the world’s pistachios).

Akemi is rewarded for her learning skills.  And cute apron.

Fun, informative and, above all, delicious!

Screw television.  I’m going to Gelato University!

Welcome to Bella Gelateria – Home of Old-World Handcrafted Gelato

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February 17, 2013: The Hot Chocolate Festival Wrap-up! And the Winners are…!

Akemi and I tried to make the most of the last few days of the Vancouver Hot Chocolate Festival by checking out some of the more intriguing offerings we had yet to sample…

Canadian Classic: 100% pure hazelnut with 38% milk chocolate served with four pieces of artisan chocolate.

At: Schokolade 2263 East Hastings Street, Vancouver

http://www.schokoladecafe.com/

Sweeter than most of the more bitter dark chocolate varieties we sampled and more straightforward than the sweeter, but layered, white chocolate entries.  Simply a nice, rich roasted favor.

The Gold Medal: Salted Pecan & Maple Syrup (the gold medal winner from the 2012 Gelato Competition in Italy), served with Erin Ireland’s “To Die For” Banana Bread.

At: Bella Gelateria 1001 West Cordova Street.

www.bellagelateria.com

An enormous serving of rich, premium dark chocolate served with fantastic banana bread for half the price of some of the festival’s high-end entries.  Bitter, sweet, salty, and incredibly satisfying.

The Lumberjack: Bourbon barrel-aged maple syrup hot chocolate served with a Douglas fir-infused chantilly, maple & vanilla shortbread. 

At: Thomas Haas 2539 West Broadway, Vancouver.

http://www.thomashaas.com/

I wasn’t sure about the Douglas fir-infused chantilly but, like other delicious instances during this hot chocolate festival, I was pleasantly surprised.  Also something else I discovered over the last few weeks: chocolate + maple syrup = killer combination.

The King’s Cup – Ode to Elvis: Hot chocolate with peanut butter and banana served with a macaron or cookie.

At: Soirette Macarons & Tea 1433 West Pender Street, Vancouver. (Coal Harbour)

www.soirette.com

Inspired by what was purportedly Elvis’s favorite treat (fried peanut butter and banana sandwiches), this delectable drink combines all three ingredients to tasty effect.  The peanut crumble rim was genius.

The Scandal of Singapore: Spicy dark chocolate with rice milk.

At: Beta 5 (http://shop.beta5chocolates.com/) and The Juice Truck (usually found on the corner of Abbott and Water in Gastown).

I actually had it with almond milk instead and it was quite good, with just enough spice to catch the back of your throat but not linger too long.

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My final tally: 36 out of 60 flavors sampled.  Given that the festival was only 27 days long, I consider that a pretty respectable score.  And, now that it’s finally over, it’s time to pick my Top 5 Vancouver Hot Chocolate Festival 2013 Favorites.  Drum roll, please…

Coming in at #5:

Malteaser: Barley malt-infused hot chocolate served with salt caramel malt truffles.

Available: At Thomas Haas 2539 West Broadway, Vancouver.

http://www.thomashaas.com/

Terrific!  I could have had two but I’m sure the sugar rush would’ve killed me.

A pleasantly surprising top five finisher – in the #4 spot:

The Josiah: Basil drinking chocolate topped with housemade strawberry marshmallows.

Available: At Cocoa Nymph 3739 W. 10th Ave (at Alma), Vancouver
www.cocoanymph.co

Basil drinking chocolate?  Really?  Oh, yeah.  Really!  I was admittedly dubious but one taste thoroughly won me over.  The best hot chocolate I had that week.

A pleasantly unsurprising top-five finisher – at #3:

Italian Honey Moon: Honey nougat and hazelnut made with Avalon Organic milk and Michel Cluizel chocolate served with Erin Ireland’s “To Die For” Banana Bread.

Available: At Bella Gelateria 1001 West Cordova Street.

www.bellagelateria.com

I was leery at first.  Hot chocolate topped with shards of honey nougat? I love particulates (that’s what they call ‘em) in my ice cream, but in my drinking chocolate?  Well, they turned out to be a wonderful little textural addition to the drink.  I am now a hot chocolate particulate convert!

As a personal rule, fruit and chocolate don’t mix – and yet, inexplicably, defying all logic, it works perfectly here.  Coming in at #2 (and, incidentally, Akemi’s #1):

Armoury Amour: Cocoa Barry  “Madirofolo”– a single plantation chocolate, kissed with raspberry and served with a mini lemon and basil ice cream sandwich.

Available: At Chocolate Arts 1620 West 3rd Ave., Vancouver (Kitsilano).

http://www.chocolatearts.com/

Well, damn, this was a surprise!  I’m not a fan of the fruit-chocolate combo and find raspberry a particularly reprehensible partner but this heavenly creation sang.  Akemi’s overall favorite so far and a definite Top 3 finisher for yours truly.  Loved the raspberry sugar rim.

Which brings us to my favorite hot chocolate of the festival.  At #1:

Jasmine: 64% dark chocolate – origin: Ecuador. Infused with jasmine and served with choice of chocolate square.

Available: At Chocolaterie de la Nouvelle France 198 East 21st Ave., Vancouver, B.C.

www.chocolaterienouvellefrance.ca

Surprisingly spectacular.  Just the right chocolate married with the perfect balance of jasmine yields the most exquisite hot chocolate of the festival so far.

*

And rounding out my Vancouver Hot Chocolate Festival 2013 Top Ten: The King’s Cup – Ode to Elvis (Soirette), Pretty in Pink (Bel Cafe), Ohhh Canada (Thierry Chocolaterie Patisserie Cafe), Blond Mystique (Secret Location), One in a Million (Thierry Chocolaterie Patisserie, Cafe).

 

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February 16, 2013: Beta 5′s Valentine Dessert Tasting!

Last night, Akemi and I attended a Valentine Dessert Tasting at Beta 5, Vancouver’s premiere chocolate (and cream puff!) shop.  I know, I know.  It was actually the day after Valentine’s Day – but we were out for dinner the previous night and would have had to cut it kind of tight. And so, instead, we made the reservations for the the 15th, thus enabling us to head over with plenty of time to spare following a leisurely and light fish and salad dinner.

Beta 5 is located on Industrial Avenue just a ways off Main Street.  Not exactly easy to get to, but always worth the effort.  Akemi and I are huge fans of their chocolates (their award-winning banana chocolates are the best I’ve ever had and we never fail to pick up a couple of packages of their aerated dark chocolate “rocks” whenever we drop by) as well as the aforementioned cream puffs (also the best I’ve ever had). And, in addition to their regular offerings, owner Adam Chandler and his partner Jess Rosinski always surprise with ever-changing monthly specials: gelees, polygon bars, and chocolate-covered fruit and nuts.

Akemi and I arrived early and joined another couple on a tour of the Beta 5 kitchen…

Where the chocolate magic happens.

Chocolate tempering machine

Coating pan used to make chocolate-covered fruit and nuts.

Hmmm.  Don’t recall.  Used for heating?  Cooling?  Storing the oompah loompahs?

Chocolate art.

A sneak peek of the Easter offerings.

Chocolate centerpiece

We ended up sitting with a couple (Dana and Matt) who took two buses to get there from the UBC campus (didn’t I say it was worth the effort?).  As it turned out, they had both studied Japanese and spent some time in Japan.  What are the chances?

Akemi, Dana, and Matt

Our dessert tasting was made up of six courses paired with various wines – champagne, sake, whites, and ending with a port.  Up first…

Strawberries and Champagne: carbonated strawberries, champagne granite, strawberry jello

I passed on the first glass because I’m not fan of champagne, preferring the sparkling sweetness of an Italian muscat.  The strawberries were lightly carbonated and the jello very subtle, but the champagne granite possessed a borderline bitter dryness that made this one my least favorite plate.

Blood Orange Rice Pudding: vanilla-scented carnaroli rice pudding, blood orange, biscotti.

Akemi’s favorite – and this is saying something since, prior to last night, she had never met a rice pudding she’d liked.  The blood orange pearls were a nice bittersweet touch.

Akemi pacing herself.

Red Velvet Cake: goat’s cheese parfait, beet sponge, honey-poached pear, cocoa nib.

Great.  The goat’s cheese parfait was reminiscent of the airy cheesecake my father used to make.

Creme Brulee: vanilla custard, caramel, raspberry, cacao fruit snow.

Gorgeous.  The sugar globe was incredibly delicate, cracking at the lightest tap.

The liquid nitrogen ice cream-making process…

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Chocolate Tart: chocolate ganache, passionfruit curd, coconut sorbet, caramelized puff.

I was waiting for the chocolate course and, boy, did it deliver. Incredibly rich.  Incredibly decadent.  Utterly delicious.  Akemi couldn’t finish hers – so I did the honors.

Chocolate, Chocolate, Chocolate: frozen milk chocolate mousse, dark chocolate pudding, blackout cake, cocoa nib sable.

Now this one was my favorite course – the chocolate no-doubt frozen in liquid nitrogen as well and served Alinea-style with an assortment of other chocolate goodies, reminiscent of the fabulous dessert I enjoyed for my Meal to End all Meals back in 2011: March 18, 2011: The Meal To End All Meals!

Our hosts for this sweet, sweet evening…

Jess Rosinski

Adam Chandler

And, just in case we wanted something to snack on for the drive home, we were gifted this lovely Valentine assortment:

Our dining companions – Dana and Matt

Our new friends, Dana and Matt, were wonderful company.  Over the course of our six course dessert extravaganza, the discussion ranged over many topics.  The subject of the Japanese language segued to a chat about Japanese culture which, in turn, moved on to an appreciation of anime that, eventually, transitioned to an animated discussion of SF literature (Matt is a big fan of the classics – Asimov, Clarke, etc.).  From SF lit to scifi television as Dana informed us she was a huge fan of SG-1.  ”Really?”I said.  ”What was your favorite episode.”  ”Window of Opportunity,”she said.  And that guaranteed them a ride home.  If she’d answered Emancipation or Broca Divide, who knows how long it would have taken them to get back home.

Apparently, this will be the first in a series of dessert-themed evenings Beta 5 will be hosting.

Look into it!

BETA 5 CHOCOLATES LTD. 413 INDUSTRIAL AVENUE, VANCOUVER, BC, V6B 2P8
INFO@BETA5CHOCOLATES.COM - 604.669.3336 - BETA-5.COM

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