Campagnolo Roma

This evening Andrea took me to the old Italian district of Vancouver along east hastings and victoria for dinner at the newly opened Campagnolo Roma, (where her fabulous boyfriend works).  We were wined and dined and left feeling inspired by the amazing meal we shared.  We started off with some Proscesco and toasted the beginning of a magical story told through food.  We ordered and shortly after we were lost in the twisted forks full of spaghetti and clams and the Biancoverde pizza covered in fresh arugula from a local bio-diverse garden.  In a state of bliss we thought only wise to finish off this lavish, decadent meal with the signature hands down best tiramisu I've ever had!  I was hands down thrilled by the service, food, atmosphere and the invite from Andrea.   If you are asked to go for dinner and are twiddling your thumbs deciding where to go... this is the place!

home grown - Rhubarb Icecream

When someone brings you a bundle of Rhubarb what do you make?  Pie, crumble, compote... ice-cream!  Being an ice-cream fiend I thought this was only logical.  It's fun to see how you can use these common local ingredients in a new fresh way... I may have been inspired by a certain icecream place with a couple interesting flavours.

 The last couple days the weather has been raining down hard but I am still optimistic that summer is here and so with grey cloud lumming over head I made rhubarb ice-cream.   If you have some stalks in your garden and an icecream maker make this and enjoy it inside as you look out on the rain or invite some friends over and have a summer picnic inside.  

In a sauce pan 

6 stalks cut up

1/2 cup sugar/or agave syrup

1tsp vanilla

1tsp lemon juice

1/2 water

let simmer till it gets sweet and the rhubarb gets soft and stringy

set aside and let cool this may be about 2 hrs.  

Mix

the rhubarb compote 

cream

 (I did 1/2 light cream 1/2 skim milk)

machine

Mix it all together and then it all to the ice-cream machine for 20minutes. ENjoy!

(It would also be fun to have some almond crumble to top it with.) 

Hey Frenchy!

With one egg left in the house I made Saturday morning French Toast.  Something I highly recommend when making such a breakfast is using stale bread, for some reason it always makes it taste way better and absorb the egg and milk like a sponge.  So to begin if you have no clue on how to make this I highly suggest you spend more time getting you know your kitchen.  For this is the easiest thing in the world to make.  I'll keep it short and sweat, the images will explain the process.  

In a bowl mix: egg+milk+splash of vanilla+ cinnamon 

(i had a brilliant idea after that some cardamon, ginger and cinnamon would taste brilliant mixed in).  This is your wet mixture.  All you gotta do now is let that bread take a bath in it and then they are ready to go. 

I am in love with berries so give me any excuse and I'll add them to the order. 

Canadian Maple Syrup is the best, none of that Aunt Jemima stuff.. but max would strongly disagree. 

oh you devil you

The other day Maxine and I went over to help Nanny with a couple little things she needed assistance with.  When we stopped for a lunch break  look what she made.  Known for her Devilled eggs I am always happy see them!  It's a very simple thing to do but in my mind I always think they will never be as good, so I wait for a patio lunch with her to have them.

Devilish eggs by Nanny:

dont boil violently... but place half a dozen in boiling water cook for 8-10mins

cool them and once cool then take yolks out sideways.

In a bowl mix:

yolks, salt and pepper

curry powder

miracle whip (traditional flavour)

Spoon the mixture into the egg whites and ta da

* parsley to garnish to make it look all fancy

listen up Buster

The other day my roommate and I were casually talking about how hot it was and I concluded that a Dilly Bar from Dairy Queen would do the trick.... then she told me she had never been to Dairy Queen.  Never experienced a dipped cone, a buster bar, a blizzard.   I became sad with the thought of what kind of childhood she had having had no such treats.  So I thought the only way to fix this would be to introduce her to the place I went when I was little for Dilly Bars with Nanny.   The rest of the day was great hanging with her eating ice cream and hitting the park!

The Pop Cooperative has opened!  Yippee first week was a success can't wait to see what unfolds... its just for a month but it felt like a year of work putting it all together!  

another hats off to what kate ate. I literally drooled over how good this cake looks!  I shall make this next week for a friends birthday because a cake like this should be shared or else people like me will eat the whole thing!

iced coffee

It's summer and so it's time to switch to ice coffees!  here is how it should be done! YUM!

Happy Fathers Day

When it comes to our Dad Norbert he is hands down the best! So for brunch we had to choose Vancouver's best and so it was obvious Cafe Medina was were we were going.  Here is a place that takes brunch to a whole new level and a place where one must do two things; order a lavender mocha and try the belgian waffles!  Max was stellar and arrived early for the anticipated hour wait (totally worth it).  I am so lucky to have a great father like my Dad who I see as a mentor and a true idol in my eyes.  He is a someone who seeing the big picture and lives for the joy and the everyday happiness found in the simple things like good company, good adventures and good food like Cafe Medina!  Happy Fathers day!  

Nanny

After our amazing fathers day brunch at Cafe Medina we went to visit our Nanny.  She is hands down the cutest and makes the best mini cupcakes in town.  We went over there with the intension of helping save her magnolia tree from the vine that was strangling it but got lost in chit chat and cupcakes. haha I hope to collect her recipies but she is very secretive about her culinary wizardry!  xo Nanny your the best!

Last week I went to sushi with Max and our good friend Andrea.  Hands down this is my favourite sushi place in Vancouver... and i've tried alot!  Did you know there are more sushi places in Vancouver then coffee shops... thats a whole lotta fish in this town!   I saw the couple next to me order the crab karagi and I looks amazing! Here is what we ordered.  I was in love with the salmon + mango roll wrapped in rice paper.  And the scallop roll is always a win!  (i will hunt down the name of the place but its just off of 17th and main... and please note that the line is always long).

Happy Birthday Ilona

 To celebrate Ilona's birthday dinner we went to Las Margaritas on west 4th.  With a surprisingly quick 15 minute wait we were seating on the patio as the sun was still high in the sky.  Totally loving these long nights but just wish it would turn warm... I can still see snow on the mountains!  We ordered a round of Margaritas (Papa, Ilona and I got the Lime and Max tested the Apricot... which was super sweet!... stick with lime why mess with a good thing).  Its always a lively place with great vibes and amazing food.  So I of course had to order the fajitas, Max got the Taco salad, Dad the chimichanga and Ilona ordered the enchilada verde!  We were all pleased with our choices... however I must be honest it was great food but it lacked that edge and was a bit pricey.

Wicked chips and salsa. YUM!

After we finished our mammoth meals of baked beans, rice and meats we went for none other then desert (you can't pass up a birthday without desert!).  So we hit our favourite go to icecream palace as mentioned here.  In the end we all laughed, ate and smiled for a truly wonderful person who makes us all happy to have in the family! Happy Birthday Ilona.

EAT LOVE Food concepts by eating designer Marije Vogelzang

I am giddy because I have just ordered the book Eat love!  I am so thrilled by the thought process around this book circling around eating.  How we eat, who we share it with, what it is, where does it come from, how do we digest it. Here is the description and it just sounds brilliant!  Cannot wait!  check out here site here

After her graduation from the Design Academy in Eindhoven in 2000 Marije Vogelzang has been designing eating concepts. Her interest is in the verb ‘to eat’. Not only does she think deeply about what is on the plate (if there is a plate at all), but she also thinks about everything that surrounds the act of eating. The atmosphere, the people involved, the stories behind the ingredients, the taste and texture, sound, smell and colour of food and the way it is prepared and served. She explores the intimacy of design that actually goes inside your body and follows the journey of food from seed all the way to poop.

Thinking about all this and working and experimenting in her studio and restaurant and by creating eating experiences for her clients she has developed her own unique way of looking at eating from a psychological, cultural and design point of view. 

This book makes her vision and spectacular eating concepts available for the first time for a large group of people who are interested in food and the culture and experience of eating.

The introduction is written by design critic Louise Schouwenberg and places Marije Vogelzang’s work in context of Dutch design, international design and trends in food, eating culture and society.