Archive for March, 2007
the foundation
By Karen | Friday, March 30th, 2007 | No Comments »
- Name: The Foundation
- Type: Vegetarian
- Locations: Main Street at 7th Avenue
- Website: None I could find, but here’s a review site
- Eating Options: sit-in, take-out
- Reservations: not accepted, so get here early or prepare to wait
- Accepts: cash, debit, all major credit cards
- Photos: see Flickr photoset or click on the links below
Review
Jason’s been raving about this vegetarian place on Main Street for almost a year now, so we finally went together last night. As carnivorous as I usually am, I try to stay open-minded about cuisine, so call this my night of culinary adventure.
First, the ambience: Ironically, the open-kitchen concept inside the Foundation reminded me of Memphis Blues and their open kitchen (of meat). The walls are simply but artfully framed with quotes from Einstein to Rachel Carson to Lord Action. All the quotes referred to power; not sure why. It made for interesting scenery while we were waiting for a table.
The menu items we arranged by ingredient type: bean-laden stuff at the top, followed by the salad selection, followed by miscellany (curries, rice / quinoa dishes, etc.). Jason had his “usual” fare while I tried to find something that would not set my digestive system up for disaster considering our social dancing plans that evening. The only items without beans or curry and with tofu was something called Sesame Society. Also could not resist trying a soup that included papaya, one of my favourite fruits.
I wound up inhaling the soup, which was fantastic, but barely touching the Sesame Society. More on that below. Jason was nice enough to donate a piece of his burger and allow me to pick on his side dish. While I wasn’t thrilled by what I chose, Jason’s food was pretty good–enough to give this place a second chance. I’ll pluck up the courage one more time and hopefully I’ll have a better review of the food for next time.
Tried:
Blue Sky Cola
Tasted like old-fashioned cola, of the sarsparilla and molasses days. I suspect it’s organic or fairly-traded or made by some sort of socially responsible company. It was no Coke, which is my addiction, but nonetheless it was quite enjoyable.
Upper East Side
Black bean dish with fresh mango and salsa, served on a bed of white rice. Jason’s pick. Tasted great and was pretty filling–if only my digestive tract had a better resistance to beans…
Papaya and Veggie Soup
Love-love-loved this soup! Could make out the papaya (of course), plus cauliflower, zucchini, carrots, black beans, and chick peas. It reminded me of minestrone, but it had a darker, less-tomatoey flavour, with a slightly thicker, near-stewy texture. Served with this toasted flatbread that reminded me of nougat.
Foundation Burger
Jason’s pick. Veggie patty containing tofu, flax, and other highly nutritious grains. Jason had smothered it with ketchup and dijon mustard so it was very tasty. Without all the sauce, I might have found it a little dry.
Sesame Society
I was looking for something with tofu that had neither beans nor curry (both of which could be bad when salsa dancing afterwards…). I had also never tried quinoa, so this was the dish that resulted out of the process of elimination. Unfortunately, I could barely take in more than a few bites. The sesame sauce overpowered everything; the vegetables were unbearably bitter, and the sauce tasted a little burnt. On the plus side, I enjoyed discovering quinoa, which I would love to try again or cook with in the near future. It also gave me an excuse to sample Jason’s food, poor guy.
lawrence sings “hold on to me”.
By Karen | Thursday, March 29th, 2007 | 1 Comment »
Lawrence has joined the ranks of YouTube! He and a friend perform their original song, “Hold On to Me,” in the clip below.
Lawrence’s clip description:
This is the only known recording of this song by Jon and I. Maybe we’ll one day get around to doing it properly. But until that time, those of you who liked it can enjoy it online in all its imperfect glory.
halibut with grill-roasted lemon and caper dressing
By Karen | Tuesday, March 27th, 2007 | No Comments »
- Dish: Halibut with Grill-Roasted Lemon and Caper Dressing
- Serving Size: 4
- Cookbook: Weber’s Real Grilling
- Photos: see Flickr photoset
Review:
Since our culinary adventure that was our honeymoon in France, Kurt and I have been seeking out a local rose wine that could be even 1/10th of the quality that we experienced in Paris and Provence. The sommelier at Taylorwood Wines recommended a white merlot by Jackson Triggs, so we decided to try out a new seafood recipe to pair with it.
We were unfortunately disappointed by the wine, but pleasantly surprised by the halibut that Kurt whipped up on our Weber grill. The steaks were perfectly done: cooked through but still very tender and moist. The lemon and caper butter was wonderful as a dressing. My favourite part of the presentation were the gorgeous sear marks on the white fish. Yum!
The Fish:
- 4 halibut fillets, 6-8 oz each and ~1 inch thick
- extra virgin olive oil
The Rub:
- 1 teaspoon granulated onion
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh dill
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
The Dressing:
- 2 medium lemons
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 tablespoon capers, drained
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh chives
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
- To make the dressing, cut a 1/2″ slice off both ends of each lemon. Cut each lemon in half lengthwise. Lightly brush the cut sides of the lemons with 1 tablespoon of the oil. Grill the lemons over direct high heat until nicely browned, 4-6 minutes, turning once. Remove the lemons from the grill and allow to cool. Squeeze the lemons through a sieve into a small bowl. Discard the rinds and seeds. You should have about 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. Add the capers, then whisk in the remaining 3 tablespoons oil to form a dressing. Whisk in the rest of the dressing ingredients and adjust the seasonings if necessary.
- To make the rub, mix the rub ingredients in a small bowl.
- Generously brush or spray the halibut on both sides with oil and season with the rub. Grill over direct high heat until the halibut just begins to flake when you poke it with the tip of a knife, 6-8 minutes, turning once. Whisk the dressing one last time. Serve the fish warm with the dressing poured on top.
soft sticky cinnamon buns
By Karen | Tuesday, March 27th, 2007 | No Comments »
- Dish: Soft Sticky Cinnamon Buns
- Serving Size: 12 buns
- Cookbook: Fearless in the Kitchen: Innovative Recipes for the Uninhibited Cook (Christine Cushing)
- Photos: see Flickr photoset
Review:
I am not a fan of your typical store-bought cinnamon bun. They’re generally dry and brittle, far too over-sized, and so sweet that it ruins your appetite for a few hours.
Then I saw a very interesting recipe in one of our cookbooks where potato is used to keep the dough tender. The focus of the recipe is more on texture and less on a sugar overdose, so it was worth trying out.
Word of warning: make sure the “warm milk” is warm enough, or the yeast won’t foam. I had to toss out my first attempt at activating the yeast as the milk was under 100 F. 1 minute in the microwave at full power did the trick.
I’m fairly pleased with the results of this recipe, and based on the feedback I’ve gotten thus far, a repeat bake is in order. For next time: cutting the jelly roll into thicker slices (as stated in recipe, even if it doesn’t make 12 buns), and making a double batch for the masses.
Christine Cushing’s Recipe Preamble:
“It seems as if I’ve spent years trying to make the perfect cinnamon bun, a bun this soft and tender in the middle and not too sweet. The potato makes the dough tender, but it’s a little unpredictable: how much moisture the potato contains will dictate how much flour you need. I suggest you keep adding flour until the dough is satiny and smooth. I bake the potato instead of boiling it because it absorbs way too much water when it’s boiled.”
For the Dough:
- 8 oz. Yukon Gold potato (250 g)
- 1/3 cup + 1/4 cup sugar (75 ml + 60 ml)
- 3 tablespoons + 2 tablespoons melted butter (45 ml + 25 ml)
- 1 package active dry yeast
- 1/2 cup warm milk (125 ml)
- 1 egg, beaten
- 3/4 teaspoon salt (4 ml)
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (625 ml)
- 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans (125 ml)
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon (10 ml)
- pinch of ground allspice
For the Glaze:
- 1/2 cup icing sugar (125 ml)
- 1/4 cup maple syrup (60 ml)
- 2 tablespoons orange juice (25 ml)
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (2 ml)
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 400 F. Poke holes all over potato and bake until tender, about 50 minutes. Peel immediately and mash. Spread out on a plate to cool and set aside.
- Meanwhile, in a large bowl stir together 1/4 cup of the sugar and 3 tablespoons of the melted butter. In a small bowl, stir the yeast into the warm milk; let stand until foaming, about 5 minutes.
- Add the yeast and mashed potato to the butter mixture. Stir with a wooden spoon to blend. Add egg and salt; stir until well blended. Add 2 cups of the flour and stir with a wooden spoon until dough comes together.
- Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 8-10 minutes, adding more flour as needed. Dough shoud be smooth and satiny, and slightly tacky but not sticky to the touch.
- Transfer dough to a large oiled bowl. Cover and let sit in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
- Punch down dough. On a lightly floured piece of parchment paper, roll dough out to a 10.5″ x 15″ (26cm x 38cm) rectangle. Turn rectangle so long side faces you. Brush dough with remaining 2 tablespoons of melted butter.
- In a small bowl, stir together remaining 1/3 cup sugar, the pecans, cinnamon, and allspice. Sprinkle mixture evenly over dough. Roll dough tightly away from you like a jelly roll.
- Line a jelly roll pan with parchment paper.
- Cut roll with a serrated knife into slices about 1 1/4″ (3 cm) thick. Transfer to jelly roll pan, leaving about 1/2 inch (1cm) between buns. Cover loosely with tea towel and let rise in a warm place until nearly doubled, about 45 minutes.
- Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375 F.
- Brush buns with a little melted butter. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until buns are golden on top and bottoms are browned. Let cool in the pan.
- To make the glaze, in a small saucepan, combine all ingredients. Heat, without stirring, until just boiling. Let cool slightly.
- Brush cooled buns with glaze.
spaghetti alla carbonara recipe on food blog.
By Karen | Sunday, March 25th, 2007 | 2 Comments »
Finally got around to putting together the video for a recipe we tried out in January. The recipe and review are on my food blog. Here’s the video (click it twice–I’ve had to up my privacy settings):
observations while driving.
By Karen | Sunday, March 25th, 2007 | No Comments »
- It’s surreal when random pedestrians move in synch with the song on the radio.
- Little red hatchbacks shouldn’t pimp out their mufflers to sound like Mustangs. That’s quite a stretch of the imagination, and a little sad, really.
- There should be more curvy-fast roads like Expo Blvd. Wheee!
peer pressure sucks.
By Karen | Saturday, March 24th, 2007 | No Comments »
I only ever join social networking sites whenever my family bugs me about it. My brother is now pestering me to join Facebook, which looks to me like some sort of Friendster 2.0. Fine; I’m registered–so there.
spicy oven-baked chicken wings
By Karen | Thursday, March 22nd, 2007 | No Comments »
- Dish: Spicy Oven-baked Chicken Wings
- Serving Size: 16 chicken wings or wingettes
- Cookbook: Fearless in the Kitchen: Innovative Recipes for the Uninhibited Cook (Christine Cushing)
Review:
This has been our typical Monday Night Football fare this year, so we decided to try it out last night along with the Canucks game on TV. Very easy to throw together, and easy on the shopping list, since once you buy the pantry items, the only fresh things you need are garlic, chicken, coriander, and chicken.
The recipe is meant to be a starting point and not an exact science. We personally add twice the amount of garlic, ginger, and heat than what is called for. We also use wingettes instead of full-sized wings, as more flavour seeps in. Our hot sauce of choice is a dark jamaican jerk sauce, which should be available in any supermarket.
For best results, taste the marinade before coating the chicken and adjust the levels of each ingredient to your satisfaction. And make sure to factor in the spicyness of your chosen hot sauce that you will be adding at the end.
Because of the Asian slant to the marinade, we typically pair this dish with steamed rice and salad. Drink of choice is beer, since it still is a game night, after all.
Ingredients:
- 16 chicken wings
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup soy sauce (60 ml)
- 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce (25 ml)
- 1 tablespoon minced or grated fresh ginger (15 ml)
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika (2 ml)
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne (1 ml)
- 2 tablespoons hot sauce (preferably Jamaican) (25 ml)
- chopped fresh coriander to taste [also known as cilantro]
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. If you don’t have parchment paper, well-oiled foil will do.
- With a knife, remove wing tips from chicken wings and cut through the joint to separate into drumsticks and wing ends (wingettes). Combine the garlic, soy sauce, hoisin, ginger, paprika, and cayenne in a large bowl. Add the chicken wings and toss to coat well.
- Arrange wings in a single layer on the baking sheet, reserving leftover sauce in the bowl. If they do not look not well-coated in marinade, baste once before placing in oven. Bake for about 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through, brushing with reserved sauce every 10 minutes if wings seem to be drying out. Turn the wings over during one of the basting cycles.
- Combine hot sauce and coriander in a large bowl. Add wings straight from the oven and toss to coat well. Serve immediately.
makes me wish we owned our home.
By Karen | Thursday, March 22nd, 2007 | 1 Comment »
We could so bake to our heart’s content with this baby.
Drool.
PS: Sorry to those of you that have difficulty posting comments. They often get junked by my software and I have to manually pick yours out. So don’t worry if they don’t appear immediately. I get at least 50 “nice site! [insert sex URL here]” a day. Not that you folks keep it clean… =P
Savary Island Pie Company
By Karen | Monday, March 19th, 2007 | No Comments »
Savary Island Pie Company
1533 Marine Dr.
West Vancouver, BC
Phone: 604.926.4021
Website: http://www3.telus.net/sipco/Pies.html
Tried:
Tortiere Slice with Soup or Salad: $12.00
Chicken and Basil Sandwich: $10.95
Want to try:
- Blueberry pie: $22.00 whole; available per slice if eating in.
- Morning Glory muffins