Welcome to Flavour of the Week

October 28 - Dia de Muertos

Mexicans celebrate Day of the Dead with lots of food and festivities, to honour their loved ones who have died.

Chef Tanya Shklanka from Zocalo is cooking up a special menu on November 1. www.zocalorestaurant.ca

She'll be whipping up lots of salsa verde and mole. And to satisfy the sweet tooth - a bread pudding using local ingredients - her own twist on the capirotada, a traditional Mexican dessert.

Salsa Verde
Bread pudding

October 14 - Gourmet Hot Chocolate

When the days begin to lengthen and the cold begins to strengthen, hot chocolate is the drink of choice of many to warm up. We thought we would check out what new flavours are frothing up the world of gourmet cocoa.

We got a little help from Mink a Chocolate Cafe at 853 W. Hastings in Vancouver.

We taste-tested spicy hot chocolate with chipotle and Arbol peppers ("CinnaMink"), chai hot chocolate, lavender and Grand Marnier hot chocolate, even cocoa with burnt caramel, rosemary, and fleur de sel. Rick decided mint and dark chocolate ("PepperMink") was his favourite.

If you want to experiment at home, Mink Chocolates owner Marc Lieberman recommends melting 25 grams of chocolate in eight ounces of milk. Don't scald the milk!

October 7 - Brussel Sprouts
A great side dish for Thanksgiving dinner!

Braised Brussel Sprouts with Double Smoked Bacon and Pine Nuts
Ingredients
15-20 brussel sprouts, bottoms cut, and leaves peeled off
1 cup of double smoked bacon, diced
2 tblspoons butter
1/2 cup of Reisling white wine
half tblspoon firewood honey
sprinkle of Malden or Kosher salt
small handful toasted pine nuts
Instructions
Cook bacon in a pan over moderate heat. Once it's about half done, add the leaves of the brussel sprouts, and 2 tblspoons butter. Soon you'll see the bottom of the pan getting brown, with the bacon becoming caramelized. Add the wine and continually scratch the bottom of pan to get all that delicious flavour out. Then drizzle in the honey. Toss in a little salt, pine nuts, cover the pan and throw it in the oven for 10 minutes, at 350 degrees. Your turkey is probably in there at the same temperature so this is a good dish to make right before serving time.
Recipe courtesy of Erik Smith, executive chef of The Regional Tasting Lounge in Yaletown, 1130 Mainland Street.


September 23 - Sauteed Chanterelle a la Provencale
courtesy of Jean-Francis Quaglia, chef/owner of Provence Marinaside Restaurant

2 small handfuls of chanterelle mushrooms
1 tbsp butter
drizzle organic olive oil
1/2 tbsp garlic
sprinkle of salt and pepper
sprinkle of parsley

Melt butter and drizzle organic olive oil in a saucepan over high heat. (The oil allows you to bring the butter to a higher temperature without burning.)
Add the chanterelle mushrooms.
Throw in the garlic, sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Gently sauté for 2-3 minutes.
Sprinkle with parsley at the very end.

Enjoy!



September 9 - Back to School Lunch
This week we got some nutritional advice on how to pack a healthy lunch for all those children heading back to the classroom. Homemade power bars were featured as an economical and healthy alternative to store-bought snacks.

Rosie's Power Bars

As of August 28, Margaret is on maternity leave.  She'll be back with new flavours in the new year!

August 26 - Ah Shucks! We're Feeling Corny...

We grow some of the world's best corn in this part of the world (and I should know, as someone who grew up in Chilliwack).

Fuel Restaurant has been showcasing Chilliwack corn all month long with a few special dishes that celebrate our local bounty. Award-winning chef and owner Robert Belcham shared his recipe for chilled corn soup. Basically you juice the freshest corn ears you can find over a box grater or with juicer (you need 5 ears of corn per serving). Strain the juice with a cheesecloth to remove the pulp, then gently heat the juice in a pan over the stove until it thickens. Stir in 1 tbsp of butter per 5 ears of corn. Season with salt and white pepper and garnish with fine bread crumbs and chopped scallions. Serve chilled. Simple and sinful!

Of course, it's hard to beat corn on the cob. You can boil it (as my family does); remove the silk but not the husk, then brine it and throw it on the bbq (as Rick likes to do); or skip the brining and put the corn in a very hot oven with the husk still on but silks removed (Robert Belcham's favourite way to have corn on the cob). Don't forget the butter!

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August 19 - A Chinatown Icon

Chef Sam was a Chinatown legend. He cooked in some of Chinatown's most famous establishments, such as the Marco Polo Club, WK Gardens, and finally, taking over Foo's Ho Ho.

When Chef Sam passed away last month, his wife Joanne decided to carry on his tradition of serving up old school Chinese-Canadian cuisine at Foo's Ho Ho, after nearly shutting down. It's the last of it's kind in the Chinatown, and a defacto clubhouse for the Chinatown community. You may recall its iconic neon sign, which hung at the corner of Pender and Columbia until the mid-1990's

A Wok Around Chinatown's Robert Sung and Larry Wong of the Chinese Canadian Historical Society of BC shared the story of Chef Sam, Joanne and Foo's Ho Ho on today's Flavour of the Week. They're part of an extended Chinatown family who would like to see Foo's Ho Ho stay open, keeping an important part of Chinese-Canadian history alive.

Rick sampled the Chicken Sticky Rice, Dry Garlic Spareribs, BBQ Pork Egg Foo Yung, and Minced Pork Pie.

The restaurant is open Wednesday - Sunday, sometimes for lunch, always for dinner.

Foo's Ho Ho, 102 E Pender Street, 604-609-2889



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August 12 - Back to School at the Dirty Apron

All this talk of Julia Child has got plenty of folks (including me) thinking of heading to cooking school. Which brought me to The Dirty Apron. It's a new cooking school for the curious amateur, the passionate foodie, or the aspiring chef, brought to you by the folk who run Chambar.

Courses range from classic French and Italian cuisine to knife skills to contemporary West Coast to chocolate. Students cook up three different courses at their deluxe workstations, then enjoy a communal dinner of the fruits of their labour, complete with wine, in a remodelled heritage building.

I attended the West Coast course and devoured what I made (hey, it was delicious!), so Head Chef and Tutor David Robertson whipped up sample dishes from three different courses for us to try.

Recipes
Apple Tarte Tatin  (from Oh La La, The French Class)
Orange Balsamic Roasted Salmon with Shaved Fennel and Asparagus Salad (from There's No Place Like Home, Contemporary West Coast Class)
Oven Roasted Squash and Apple Soup (from Frugal Feast - The Cash Poor/Taste Rich Class)
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August 5 - Pickling

This week we took a look at pickling and whether guest host Kathryn Gretsinger could detect homemade versus storebought pickles. A taste test around the Early Edition office revealed an overwhelming preference for the homemade pickles. They came from Claudia Kwan's mother in law Rose.

Rose's Pickles

July 22 - Gelato

There is no better way to cool of than a scoop of Italian Gelato. This week we went behind the scenes at Mario's Gelati to find out how the frozen treat is made. www.mariosgelati.com


July 8 - Flavour of Brazil

Lucia Azevedo is better know as the "Queen of Samba", dancing her way through parade routes and parties all over Vancouver. But she also loves cooking. This is her recipe for Brazil's national dish -- feijoada (pronounced fay-joe-AH-dah). It's traditionally served on weekends because it takes all day to make.

This recipe makes enough for at least ten people so feel free to scale down the recipe. Also feel free to add whatever cuts of pork you want. You'll get a better flavour from a cut that's smoked.

Lucia's Feijoada


July 2 - Pump Up the Jam

What to do with all the amazing (but short-lived) fresh summer fruit? Make jam!

I have to confess that in all my culinary adventures, I have yet to make jam. So I called on the expert advice of Lee Murphy. She owns Langley's Vista D'Oro Farms, where she cooks up over 20 kinds of artisanal, seasonal preserves each year. She suggests leaving out the pectin, and looking to your spice cupboard, herb garden or liquor cabinet for further inspiration.

We sampled Strawberry with Balsamic Vinegar and Pink Peppercorns, Strawberry with Grand Marnier, Rhubarb with Vanilla and Green Walnut with Grappa. Lee shared a recipe below, or you can contact the farm to find out where to purchase Vista D'Oro preserves. (The farm itself is a lovely place to visit.)

Vista D'oro Farms - Strawberry & Rhubarb with Brandy Preserves

1 kg strawberries
1 kg rhubarb
2 kg sugar
4 lemons - juiced
½ cup brandy

Clean and chop fruit into equal size pieces. Combine prepared fruit with sugar and lemon juice, stir to coat fruit. Macerate the mixture overnight. The next day, strain accumulated juices into saucepan, reserve fruit. Boil liquid until it reaches 221 F. Add fruit to pot and bring back to a boil, skim frequently and cook to set at 221 degrees and check set on cold plate. Remove from heat and stir in brandy.
Let sit 5-10 minutes then ladle into hot sterilized jars, wipe rims, place hot sterilized lids on and process 10-20 minutes.

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June 24 - Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day Picnic

Today is Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day, Quebec's National Holiday. A great way to celebrate is with a bonfire...or a picnic. Stephan Gagnon, co-owner of Les Faux Bourgeois bistro, is originally from Quebec, so I enlisted him to help me put together a simple, tasty picnic. We headed to Granville Island, where he suggested

Saucisson Sec from Oyama Sausage
Le Puant "The Stinker" cheese (also available at Oyama)
La Sauvagine cheese
a nice baguette
local strawberries
chocolate
wine

Quebec has a great tradition of making beer, so I also brought along a light, fruity apricot wheat ale from St. Ambroise.

If you'd rather dine indoors, head to Les Faux Bourgeois where they have a cheese and charcuterie plate called the Mount Pleasant Picnic.

Happy Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day!

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June 17 - Hail the King of the Barbeque!

As the leader of the winningest competitive BBQ team in Canadian history, Rockin' Ronnie Shewchuk knows his way around the grill. He's got a hot-off-the-grill book of tips, tricks and recipes entitled Barbeque Secrets Deluxe (Whitecap), and plenty of stories and passion to boot. So he seemed like the perfect guy to help plan a BBQ menu for Father's Day.

He suggests letting the family take care of all the prep work (and clean-up) and give Dad the glory of tending the grill.

We sampled the Classic North Carolina Barbequed Pulled Pork Sandwiches. You make the BBQ sauce and coleslaw, and let Dad take care of the meat. (I also highly recommend Ronnie's Ultimate Triple Chocolate Brownies to round out the meal.)

If you want to meet Rockin' Ronnie in person, and sample a few treats from the book, he's giving free demos at Lynn Valley Centre this Saturday at 11, 1 and 2 pm.

Classic North Carolina Barbequed Pulled Pork Sandwiches with Tidewater Coleslaw

Enter Our Father's Day Contest!
You can win a deluxe bbq package for the Dad in your life. Just send us your best (or worst) "Dad at the barbie" story to earlyed@cbc.ca or call our Talkback line at 604-662-6690 by Thursday noon. If you win, you'll get a copy of Barbeque Secrets Deluxe, a bottle of Natural Champions sauce AND Rockin' Ronnie himself will pay a visit to your next barbeque.




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June 10 - The Farmer in the Park

'Tis the season for farmers' markets, and the newest one in the city is right next to the Main Street Skytrain Station. Vancouver Farmers Markets opens their midweek market today, on Station Street, right by the train/bus station at Main and Terminal.

Chef Robert Belcham of nearby Campagnolo Restaurant shared a few tips for making the most of the rhubarb and greens currently in abundance. He and his chefs will be shopping the market every Wednesday to create of-the-moment specials each week.

Chef Belcham's recipe for lemon-rhubarb pound cake

The Main Street Station Market is open every Wednesday from 3 - 7 until October 21. www.eatlocal.org for more info on farmers' markets around the city.

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May 27 - Last Stop, Vietnam

We wrap up our Asian Heritage Month special by exploring Vietnamese cuisine. No survey of Asian food on Kingsway would be complete without a look a Vietnamese cooking.

Pho Thai Hoa is a family-run restaurant (it means "peaceful") that's picked up awards from Vancouver Magazine and the Georgia Straight.

Owners Mike and Kim Thach cooked up some early morning Pho (spicy beef soup) and bun (vermicelli with grilled chicken and spring rolls) for us. Also popular are the iced drinks, such is iced Vietnamese coffee and avocado shake. Other fresh fruit shakes, such as durian and jackfruit are available as well.

(By the way, an avocado shake is also excellent with the addition of iced coffee, something my mother taught me. It's an Indonesian treat.)

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May 20 - Hello to Hi Genki

We continue up Kingsway for some authentic homestyle Japanese food. Hi Genki is part of the Nikkei Centre complex in Burnaby.

It's actually located in a seniors home, where it serves as the cafeteria. But the general public is more than welcome to enjoy lunch and dinner, which focuses on simple, homestyle dishes such as grilled fish, noodles, curries, donburi and an assortment of appetizers.

Chef Yamamoto also comes up with an assortment of ever-changing specials, according to the season. This morning we sampled takoyaki, chicken karaage, and an assortment of Japanese pickles.

Hi Genki is not high-priced, so it can get very busy there. If you want to try Chef Yamamoto's favourite meal at home, take a bowl of steamed rice, pour some hot sencha tea over it and top with an egg scrambled with soy sauce. Serve with pickled daikon on the side.

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May 14 - Secret Soup Dumplings

One of the great culinary delights to come from Shanghai are xiao long bao (xlb)--juicy pork dumplings, and I do mean juicy.

XLB are steamed rice dumplings stuffed with savoury pork fillings and "secret soup." Bite into one of this pretty packages and the delicious broth comes pouring out.

Legend has it the xlb were invented back in the 1870's in the the Nanxiang district of Shanghai. The original bakery is still in business, serving up to 3000 baskets of dumplings a day.

In this city, some of the best xlb are said to be be at Wang's Shanghai Cuisine in Burnaby's Crystal Mall. It's a small family-run food court stall where mom makes every singling dumpling to order. Well worth the Skytrain trip (get off a Metrotown), and the small wait (8-10 minutes) for a handmade treat.

If you want to try your hand at these at home, Saveur magazine has an interesting article and recipe online.

Wang's Shanghai Cuisine, Crystal Mall Food Court (back corner), open 11 - 7:30 everyday except Wednesday.

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May 5 - Hop to It on Kingsway

May is Asian Heritage Month, so I've decided to devote the entire month to Asian cuisine. And mighty Kingway is dotted with hundreds of restaurants from all over Asia. We'll head up Kingsway this month and stop in at a different place each week in "From Kerala to Cambodia: Cooking on Kingsway."

We started off at one of my favourite spots--House of Dosas at Knight and Kingway. They're famous for their dosas (giant crepes filled with curries), but on Wednesday nights only, they serve hoppers. Hoppers are bowl shaped coconut and rice flour crepe that are popular in owner Raj's home state of Kerala.

Raj cooked up some especially for us this morning, with a cricket match going on in the background on his special satellite feed. The restaurant is open for lunch and dinner, you can often find Raj and other cricket fans hanging out at all hours of the day if there's a big cricket match on (especially for his hometown team, the Chennai Superkings).

p.s. If you've got a Kingsway hotspot you'd like to see on Flavour of the Week, send your suggestions to earlyed@vancouver.bc.ca.

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April 28 - Making the Scene with Melissa Craig

Whistler's Bearfoot Bistro Executive Chef Melissa Craig is one of two British Columbian chefs chosen to head to Ottawa for represent the province at BC Scene. (The other is Robert Clarke of C).

Melissa is cooking up a multi-course feast tonight at the NAC to showcase BC bounty. If you can't get to Ottawa, you can always check out the Gold Medal Plates Canadian Culinary Champion's new Tastes Like Spring menu at Whitespot.

We devoured the Amorosa Pizza, Champagne Risotto and Santorini Salad this morning.

And it's easy to make Melissa's favourite food at home--a simple grilled cheese sandwich with white bread and those orange cheese slices that come wrapped in plastic. Cold ketchup is a must. (I had two last night.)

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April 22 - Raw Food on Earth Day

A raw food diet is easy on the environment - and good for the body, according to raw vegan chef Patricia Ganswind. You can find her at the Radha Eatery, or learn more about her raw vegan classes and catering at www.gourmetveganchef.com

Here are Patricia's recipes for raw vegan Dolmades with Tzatziki and Chocolate Mousse Tart.





If you're looking to try raw vegan food out on the town, you could head to the Radha Eatery, Gorilla Food, or The Truffle Cafe on Commercial Drive.

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April 15 - Bike the Blossoms, Grow the Gold

This Saturday, you can put three excellenments together--bikes, cherry blossoms, and food. Slow Food Vancouver, the Vancouver Area Cycling Coalition and the Cherry Blossom Festival are organizing "Bike the Blossoms," a self-guided tour of delicious destinations throughout the city.

We got a preview of what's happening at Terra Breads (5th and Ontario) on Saturday with Robert Giordino of the Heritage Grains Foundation and artisan baker Mary McKay. HGF will be launching Grow the Gold, a campaign to bring preserve and cultivate heritage wheat. The initial focus is on Red Fife Wheat, once the most widely grown wheat in Canada. It fell by the wayside, but is enjoying a recent hard-won renaissance.

Mary will be baking up fresh Red Fife flatbread throughout the day, and Pedal Power will be grinding grain with a mill made from a converted bicycle. Plus, for a donation, you can have your own heritage wheat "mother seed."

If you're curious about heritage grains, you can check out a special event on Friday night called Weaving the Chains. Find out about Metro Vancouver's new Urban Grain CSA and enjoy drinks, dinner, and demos. www.farmfolkcityfolk.ca for more.

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April 8 - Hop to It

What's Easter without a chocolate bunny? Even better is one you make yourself. Edward Suter of Schokolade Artisan Chocolate Cafe shared the secret to making a great chocolate Easter bunny. I put it to use by creating a customized one for Rick.

If you want to try one for yourself, Schokolade is offering drop-in bunny classes for kids on April 10th from 4 - 5. Or you can call ahead to book. 604-254-9411.

They teach many other chocolate themed classes throughout the year for all ages. While you there, you can try some of the exotic, Asian-inspired handmade chocolates, or indulge in other creations made with local ingredients.

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April 1 - A Real Fungi

We went wild for BC mushrooms. Louies Lesosky and his sons harvest up to 50 different types of wild mushrooms all over the province. You can sample his bounty at Granville Island Public Market, where they set up a their Wild Products booth on a regular basis. Thursdays a good bet to find them there.

If you don't find Louies at the market, his mushrooms are often available at Edible British Columbia's shop in the market.

You can also contact Wild Products by email at sequoia.lesosky@gmail.com