Last weekend Vancouver’s spiffy new convention center played host to a veritable pantheon of celebrity chefs, food product artisans and industry professionals. For a couple bucks you could spend a couple days nibbling handmade cheeses, haggling over sous-vide machines, watching local chefs out-garnish each other and wander around tastefully buzzed on local wines. The CRFA Foodservice Hospitality Expo was in town and my chef Hiro-san decided that we should, neigh, MUST be in attendance to represent Vancouver Island at this most prestigious (and network-able) of gatherings. It wasn’t hard to convince our mob of Kamikaze cooks to hit the mainland when “free booze” was mentioned. Read More
“Syunkon” Salmon with Mushroom Orzotto and Carrot Salad
This is a recipe that Hiro and I dreamed up way back in October during preparation for my Red Seal exam. I knew that I had to cook a salmon fillet in a short period of time, showcase seasonal and traditional Westcoast ingredients ‘n flavours while remaining true to my Japanese training. Nothing says Westcoast like smoked salmon, but there didn’t seem to be enough time… “Syunkon” said Hiro, meaning “moment”, “flash” or “instant” in Japanese. What if the salmon was seared first, then given a moment’s rest in a smoker? Well I’ve got a bombed-out old wok I never use, let’s see… Read More
Industrial Rustic
Back in October (A year ago, incredible! I’m still writing “2012”) Macleans magazine released their 50 Best Restaurants in Canada guide. My Chef, Hiro and I flipped through it one night after clean-up and immediately nerded all over the “Westcoast” chapter.
Vancouver’s own Hawksworth Restaurant got number one in all of Canada! Nice! Bao Bei and Whistler’s Araxi also represented. And, just a couple pages later we were treated to a beautiful two-page layout of Gastown’s gastronomic bleeding heart: L’Abattoir. My eyes were immediately drawn not to the perfectly prepared, meticulously arranged plates of food, but to the restaurant’s gorgeous interior. The sun-dappled dining section with the driftwood/antler chandelier and exposed brick walls really got my art school dropout soul singing. Read More
Split Pea and Ham Soup
Taking center stage at this year’s Yule festivities was a very Germanic looking baked ham. The roast beast has been drawn and quartered, the plates licked clean, and there is still enough meat left to fill a thousand ham ‘n marmalade sandwiches.
Also still loitering on the Christmas platter is the bone de le jambon, and from this discarded piece of porcine posterior I got an idea… The Grinch got a wonderful, awful idea. Read More
Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Prosciutto and Pine Nuts
There is one piece of culinary wisdom that I feel it is my sacred duty to pass on to anyone I know. Something that every professional, amateur and aspiring-to-someday-be home cook needs to know and pass on to their children, and their children’s children. This little piece of knowledge can transform the mind, body and soul of cook and diner alike. It can save the world! Read More