Fish broth is simmering slowly and the pork belly is in the oven with the Maple syrup braising.

 

Tonight’s highlight is the WILD venison. I only have a few pounds, so I expect to sell out early. I just finished cleaning it and am lightly marinating it in juniper, roasted garlic, shallot and extra virgin olive oil.

 

The potatoes from Klipper’s farm are naturally creamy and have a super sweet taste – lending well to mashing with a little buttermilk and chopped herbs.

 

Full menu(s) posted online at www.kitsdaily.com

 

A very good day at the markets...

 

·         First of the season chanterelle mushrooms – to be served with the bison tenderloin

·         Beautiful Petrale sole – caught less than 24 hours ago. Fresh, sweet and tasting of the pure ocean waters

·         Escargot in from France – simple presentation of butter and garlic

·         First of the season organic beets – just out of the ground. Super sweetness

·         Lobster – poached in a court bouillon and served chilled like a shrimp cocktail

·         I found a couple pieces of Bavette. It is in the marinate and ready for a rare-sear

 

If you have any questions – or need help with a reservation, please do not hesitate to contact me directly.

 

Click Here to Make a Reservation

Epicurious's Top 10 Food Trends for 2010

by Epicurious.com, on Mon Nov 30, 2009 3:35pm PST

 

 

I have always wondered how many people are reading this blog...

...I know the number of original hits on the main website are huge.

 

Send me an email with 'I read your blog' in the subject line before the end of day June 15th and I will share Prosecco, chat about the Market & Daily and introduce you to a Daily appetizer platter for your table - valid until the end of this week.

 

Testing, testing, testing - this is just a test.

(is this thing online?)

Fraser Valley Rabbit – I do not have a lot of detail on this product. I tasted a leg, simply cooked in olive oil with purple garlic, thyme and Maldon salt. The meat had flavour and texture. Definitely not a farmed animal. I bought three animals and will be serving it 3 – 4 different ways this week. Please check www.dailykitchen.com to see the Daily preparation.

Bison Tenderloin – I imagine this is what beef is supposed to taste like. Rich, clean and you can taste the ‘prairie air and plains’ in every bite. I am serving tenderloin with a ton of age on it – and it cuts with a spoon, with still having great texture and a fine chew. The fat cap has a silky texture that is very pleasant when it coats your mouth.

Carmen Creek – the animals are: always free from hormones, raised on a natural diet of grass, always have access to fresh, natural water and roam free their entire lives.

Sloping Hill Pork Rack – incredible fat cap of pure, clean and silky fat. An initial slow cooking helps to ‘render’ and sweeten the fat with a final high heat to add crispness leads to the best flavours and texture. Can be eaten medium – rare; I prefer a medium doneness so the fat is complete hot and cooked

Home of Happy Island Pigs - Since five years now we are passionate about giving all of our animals the life they deserve. All breeding animals live in social groups, even the boars are together with the sows all the time. None of our animals knows crates, not for breeding, gestation nor farrowing. There is no teeth clipping, tail docking or ear marking. We practice group farrowing where 3 or more sows give birth together in open space where all mix naturally. All animals, breeding stock and growers have free choice access to outdoors anytime. We don't use any antibiotics, medication, hormones or steroids. Our feed is 100% vegetarian without GM (written statement from our mill). We grow everything on the farm that makes our pork exceptional in quality, texture and flavour. Our breeding stock consists out of Landrace, Duroc, Berkshire pigs (heritage breed, on the list of rare breeds of Canada) which we pure and cross breed.

350 Parker Road
Qualicum Beach, Qualicum Beach

Web Site: Click here to visit.
E-mail: slopinghill@shaw.ca
Phone: (250) 752-0570

Veal Tongue – with a slight pickling the tongue takes on a texture and flavour of pastrami... it is full of flavour and lends well to a final few minutes on a charcoal BBQ

Veal tongue is the tongue of young male cattle. Veal has a delicate taste and tender texture and veal tongue is much more tender compared to regular beef tongue.

Tongue is almost always cooked by simmering. After simmering, the "skin" of the tongue is removed, and the gristle at the base of the tongue is trimmed before slicing

Wild Baja Prawns – Perfect for that old school shrimp cocktail or garlic sautéed prawn with lemon. The guage is huge on these shrimps – with a firm, sweet flesh that holds up to the BBQ.

Wild Mexican White Prawns that are caught in small artisanal fisheries from the Northern Sea of Cortez. This is a very limited fishery. These prawns are sustainable with only small amounts of bi catch and no environmental damage. The flavor and texture of these prawns is amazing and they are versatile to many cooking techniques. No chemicals added.

Not much on the internet about this family and their farm in Abbotsford.

Just pre-shifted with a plate of pheasant - very delicate meat with a good fat content.

Pairing it tonight with the Signorello.

 

I like to write my recipes at night - and create new dishes with the note I have taken during the day.

 

I need to thank CBC radio - they have entertained me for years. Now I have figured out their online service. Best Radio to work by: http://www.cbc.ca/video/radio-popup.html#/networkKey=cbc_radio_one&programKey=vancouver

 

...without prejudice (lol @ Derek) - this is what I have sourced, but not secured for Wednesday dinner:

·         Fresh white asparagus

·         Berkshire pork belly

·         Qualicum beach scallops

·         FRESH/LIVE spot prawns

·         40 day – dry aged Pemberton Beef ribeye

·         Wild pheasant (2lbs hens)

·         Veal sweetbreads

·         Marquez sausage (arctic lamb)

 

Wednesday’s am trip is to Commercial Drive – expect a more Mediterranean flare tonight.

 

Saturday should be fun - going to fill my pockets with money and hit the farmer's markets and government wharf.

Will post the nightly menu by 4pm.

Sorry if I missed sending you an invitation - the opening of Daily has been very 'organic'...

I will be doing very little marketing, except through friends and family. I want to build the room 'one customer at a time' - BUT with that said, if I missed a call out to you; please drop in and lets share a glass of wine.

 

I am always up for a good conversation and a better glass of wine. The kitchen door is ALWAYS open to my friends.

Great Tuesday - perfect tables and I made new friends. Sweetbreads & Lobster the #1 selling item.

Wednesday was a hockey night - happy to see 'The Dog' with some tables inside. I am content with the walk-ins I had - and the time I got to spend at the tables. A Chef's life is great.

 

Tomorrow - I am going to tour T&T. It has been years. I do not know what I will find....

....just in case, I have Bosa Foods on my agenda - need water BUT will grab some goods if T&T turns out to be scary.

 

Friday is Commercial Drive and Saturday will be the farmer's Market.

 

Next week starts with Steveston and the farmer's market, butcher shop and dock.

 

I will keep posting the hours - again next week we will run Tuesday thru Saturday. I hope to be open on Mondays within 4 - 6 weeks.

 

Same location with Chef Fowke as the proprietor - Mike & Derek as friends of Kits & equity partners.

..."we all believe in this location & are working towards a pure, organic growth for this project; this is about culture, good business & a healthy environment - plus focusing on making this fun for both us and our guests"

Thank you everyone for a great Thursday dinner service.

...only a few tables available for Friday

...three tables are now available for the Opening Night Dinner on Saturday. Come and celebrate our opening with a culinary adventure created in the Daily Kitchen:

• Champagne and wine reception with introduction to DAILY by Chef Fowke
• Canapés - sampling the DAILY find at the local markets
• Multi-course introduction to the food at DAILY (wine pairings available)
• Dessert and local cheese buffet with dessert wine
• $50 per person ++

 Please call 604.569.2742 or email brian@cheffowke.com to reserve your spot --- reservations limited to 30.

---

 

Dear Friends & Family,

It was a sad day in late October that I closed a very popular restaurant in Kitsilano. Good news, I am pleased to announce that we have just completed two weeks of ‘soft openings’ and training. The official opening day is May 1^st 2010.

The new business is very simple – I am opening a fresh, airy room in the heart of Kitsilano – two blocks from both the beach and Granville Island. The room is open, clean and minimalist; while still showing a Kitsilano charm.

The food is fine, but the room is not fine dining, rather comfortable and simple elegant. The same can be said for the service – details are important, but never stuffy or unapproachable.

But the Life to the project is the menu. It will be created daily...

I will be purchasing, prepping and cooking every dish DAILY. No sous chef, line cook or pastry cook – I will be preparing a dining experience for 30 people each night.  My wife and two of my favourite people will be hosting the tables.

All my food is sourced locally – with an international flavouring of accoutrements. The menu is very personal, passion driven and I plan to have fun.

I might be 6 – 12 months ahead of the economy, but I can not open a ‘recession driven’ restaurant. My food, service and wine are all leading edge and top quality with strong traditional values – I will never discount the experience or the quality and am happy to stand behind my pricing. I believe with my niche I can pass on great value in the fine food segment, while still delivering a room that is fun and lively.

This is the last week of training – and I hope to see all my friends and family down to taste and experience the restaurant. I will supply a champagne toast to get the evening started – and if you can critic your experience (via email directly to me) I will reciprocate with a bottle of wine on your next visit.

Please email me ASAP if you are available to help develop this restaurant – we have spots available this Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.

For more information about the restaurant please visit www.kitsdaily.com

For reservation, please email me directly at brian@cheffowke.com

 

This is going to be fun! Both Kathy and I are excited to host you at our new restaurant.

 

Brian.

 

Creating a daily menu is important – but that is only a small part of what Kits Daily is about:

·         Shopping the farmer’s markets, commercial drive, Granville Island, etc for small quantities of the finest products available daily

·         10 - 15 portions of each menu item produced daily – I intend to run out every night and start fresh the following day – especially seafood

·         30 – 40 covers a night, I will be shopping for the product, writing the menu, prepping the menu and cooking the menu --- by myself (help will be a dishwasher, pastry chef plus the servers).

 

Traditional Values

Full Plates

Modern Techniques

 

Look forward to sharing this with you soon.

Sincerely - Chef Fowke.

May 1st, 2010 is the big day...

Kits DAILY Kitchen opens to general public.

 

Think - traditional values, full plates and modern techniques.

 

Simple, with our small size, and Chef Fowke purchasing, prepping and cooking each and every meal --- with a menu that changes DAILY; its time to get back to the basics of fine food (not fine dining).

 

 Please call 604.569.2742 or email brian@cheffowke.com to reserve your spot --- reservations limited to 30 per night.

1809 West 1st Avenue
Vancouver, BC V6J 5B8
(604) 569-2741

 

 

In the end a restaurant is a business; an experiment called Mon Bella Bistoria.

The last six months has seen intense seven day work weeks with everyone involved throwing everything at the project, yet the catchment area was not consistently producing busy nights. Every week would see two, three maybe four busy services – then the rest would tank. The busy times were great, the room would buzz with excitement and we would receive great feedback, comment cards and gratuities for the servers. The room was successful and well received. Unfortunately the slow nights wiped out the momentum and any chance of breaking even.

When we did the math on our fingers – November is a notoriously slow restaurant month, hockey produces slow nights, snow/rain hurt business, closed at Christmas, slow weeks to start January, no ‘Dine Out Vancouver’ and the uncertainty about the Olympics. It became clear that this restaurant was not going to get the needed momentum until well into 2010. The decision was made to thank the customers for a great year – and MonBella had some great customers, and close properly. The last two week has been spent making sure all suppliers were paid and the staff received their final pay including vacation and a severance package. We all worked on the closure – and the room is ready either to be sold or re-opened under a new model.

It’s sad to see this room close; it was a good room in a great neighbourhood. With that said, it’s better to be at the end of a project on your own terms – no long, drawn out death with debt and unpaid employees.

Hind-site is twenty-twenty; but I would not have changed anything we did over the last six months, with the exception of differentiating ourselves more at the re-launch in July. I now know why people put up tacky ‘under new management’ signs.

I do not think 1809 West 1^st Ave is a cursed location. We have spent the last week looking at what the re-opening would look like. Following are a few of the scribbling we have discussed:

·         A new name that connects with the Kitsilano/Vancouver

·         Street appeal – work on lighting and signage

·         Move the bar to the front of the room – West 1^st Ave is a great people watching neighbourhood

·         Seven days a week plus lunch – lunch being coffee driven with ‘antipasto’, pastas and roasted fish/meats (Sunday with brunch)

·         Simple, clean and clear food/wine program – I like shared platters/bottles over small plates/glasses

·         Wine forward beverage program with the availability of beer on tap

·         Kitchen is too large (the dining room was originally twice the size) – make it into private dining

·         Tell everyone about the 200 parking spots in the rear

·         Or a completely different angle and compliment the neighbourhood with a Ramsey’s styled Nonna’s Deli with Wine Bar.

Time will tell – it is a great neighbourhood with fun customers.

Best wishes to everyone who enjoyed, prepared and served the food! It was a fun year.

Sincerely,

Chef Fowke.

Welcome to MonBella, Wednesday August 5^th, 2009

 

Organic Tomato & Balsamic Salad
crusty baguette, extra virgin oil, lemon, olives

8

 

Toasted Pumpkin Seed & Arugula Salad

dijon, banyuls vinegar, white truffle oil, apple

9

 

King Crab & Comox Camembert
organic tomatoes, basil, olio supremo, wild cranberry
10

 

King Crab Pappardelle
cognac & tomato aioli, fennel, snipped chives, lavender
14

 

Butter Poached King Crab & Pemberton Meadow Flat Iron Steak
tarragon butter, roasted red pepper barley, tart cherry
21

 

Wild BC Blueberries & Cream
chantilly cream, raw sugar caramel, shortbread

8

The food and beverage that appears on this menu are contemporary favourites found in bistros and trattorias around the world. The dishes are simple, pure and clean;

...this is what we love about bistros and trattorias.

Fresh ingredients with clear and careful execution – local and organic wherever possible.

It has been an interesting ride - and I have met a lot of great people the last 6 months. I feel young and excited about the restaurant industry - it’s changed back to old school values. You need to work HARD, be creative and really concentrate on the true meaning of hospitality.

The last ten years have been lazy - people have flocked to us. Time to hone Hospitality again.

The new chapter starts with Brad having a conversation with his friend and investor in MonBella. The official party line is: 'the two investor/owners have decided to take a different route without Brad'.

Since that date I have had many serious meetings with these guys - they are smart, passionate and full of energy. Both are young and successful.

My plate is full - I get it, they get it...hospitality is not a given PLUS restaurants are a business. I have a lot to do.

I have held back posting - I have held back on a database blast. I need to get the business to the level my mandate has outlined. I am 90% there.

I am excited --- past all the financial systems I am importing into this business --- this is going to be fun. I walk to Granville Island everyday to purchase my fish/shellfish for my Plateau Fruits de Mer. I am picking up local berries, and first of the season produce; and the vendors are being very good to me on pricing.

The new menu and wine list will be launched a week Tuesday. I will start to post photos and info as it happens - watch my twitter at cheffowke for instant updates.

It is good to have a kitchen, room, food and philosophy again! I look forward to re-connecting both online and in person.

Brian

aka Chef Fowke

MON BELLA BISTORIA NOW GIVES YOU A REASON TO COME DOWN EVERY NITE OF THE WEEK

Tuesdays have been a huge success with our 3 courses matched with 3 wines for $20.00.  Each Thursday the menu for the following Tuesday is posted.

Wednesdays are Grilled Cheese Sandwich and Tomato Soup Nite.  Diners can choose between a variety of different cheeses to have with their soup.

Thursdays are Meatball Nite.  Each week we come up with different recipes for our $10.00 plate of Meatballs.

Fridays and Saturdays are Oyster Nite.  All oysters are a dollar per piece.

Sundays is comfort food nite - Beef Bourgignon on mashed potatoes.

Mon Bella Bistoria
1809 West 1st Ave | Vancouver
Tel: 604 569 2741
www.monbella.com

I read this on Incanto's website...does not matter which side of the fence you sit on in regards to foie gras, it is very well written and to the point.

Shock & Foie

Part of Incanto's mission is to offer our diners an opportunity to connect with the food we serve: who raised it, where it comes from, how it is cultivated, distributed, prepared, and consumed.  One such opportunity comes with our annual Farmers' Dinner. 2009 marked the sixth year we have hosted this celebratory event, at which we seat the dining public at communal tables with the farmers and ranchers whose products are featured throughout Incanto's menu every day.  This is always an occasion for discussion and debate about the future of farming, cooking, and the role of food in our lives.

Many who attend this dinner each year have shared the thought that they are trying to live their lives more sustainably. Sustainability has been the buzzword in food (and many other circles) for years.  What does is really mean? For many, the word conjures up bucolic images: a cow standing in a pasture, a red barn, a farmer tending to an idyllic field of plants, leaves glimmering in the breeze. Sustainability engenders warm and fuzzy feelings.  I have had guests ask pointedly whether or not a product we serve is "sustainable" - ready to pounce on the slightest stutter in our response. To which I usually respond (only half-jokingly) "I don't know, that depends on what you do after you eat it." This brandishment of the concept of sustainability partly explains what has transformed it into a powerful word for marketers, to be approached with care.

The reality is that bringing a forkful of food to the mouth of a human in our world, be it meat or plant, is usually as much about destruction as it as about creation; sustainability merely speaks to whether there is a balance between the two. Animals are raised for human consumption, then unceremoniously slaughtered, butchered, and packaged into sometimes unrecognizable forms.  Vegetables are ripped from the soil or cut from the stalk at harvest, sometimes by machines that unintentionally claim the lives of innocent wild animals along the way. Remnants are tilled under to make way for new crops. The cook takes ingredients and submits them to knife, fire, and all manner of further manipulation to transform them into something that is chewed, digested, and passed into oblivion, usually with little thought of the significance.

Make no mistake: with the possible exception of the small number of practicing fruitarians - bonus points if you know what that is - some amount of destruction is inherent to the process through which most of us derive our nourishment. If we can manage our journey through the food cycle without leaving the planet worse off, we pat ourselves on the back, give ourselves a cookie, and call ourselves sustainable.

But sustainability does not change a fundamental fact: that the food system almost all of us are a part of not only tolerates violence - and yes, sometimes even cruelty and death - it anticipates and embraces it. Though one can appreciate the argument that a vegetarian diet imposes a smaller footprint on the world, the responsibility for this relationship rests not solely with carnivores, but with all of us who feed at the trough. Even the farming of grains and vegetables is undeniably responsible for the loss of animal life: farms displace natural habitats, farm equipment unavoidably intersects with wildlife, and even organic fertilizers may contain animal products (blood, bone meal).  Food morality is not as black and white as we like to believe: it's possible to raise animals sustainably and it's possible to raise vegetables unsustainably.  Neither side has a monopoly.

The notion of a society accepting an unpleasant trade-off between something valued within that society and death of innocents is not exclusive to food production. It is virtually a defining characteristic of collective social order, whether among humans or other animals. Each year in the United States, for example, more than forty thousand people are killed and more than two million injured in transportation-related accidents. Yet we accept the level of violence and suffering wrought by this human activity, with little or no ongoing debate. Why? First, because vehicular travel is convenient and interwoven with our way of life. But also because our country is founded upon the notion of personal liberty, which includes freedom of movement and freedom to choose how one travels. Even when that activity carries with it the certainty that thousands of people, including innocent by-standers, will die each year directly as a result, we implicitly accept this terrible cost in exchange for the opportunity to move around fast with relatively little hindrance.  I have searched for an association of human rights activists that is protesting this senseless violence and calling for a ban on all mechanized travel.  I have not yet found one.

This brings us to an issue - on the philosophical basis of pragmatism, at least  - of less significance: the debate over whether our society should permit the force-feeding of ducks and geese, for the purpose of enlarging their liver for human consumption. In short: the debate over foie gras.

Few debates within the world of food are more controversial, emotional, and fraught with moral peril.   The amount of money, time, and attention devoted to something that 99% of Americans did not eat last year is astounding. Just as veal was in the 1980s, foie gras has become the current litmus test for culinary political correctness. High-profile celebrity chef/businessmen such as Charlie Trotter and Wolfgang Puck gained national attention for publicly disavowing it.  Even those who've never had any direct experience with foie gras voice strong opinions. Roger Moore is on the record against it; Sean Connery has not yet commented publicly (but is presumably pro-foie gras). And, in one of many uncanny parallels with the debate over a woman's right to choose to have an abortion, these opinions are often expressed forcefully, using graphic visual aids, personal condemnation, and at times vandalism and the threat of violence as tactics. Altogether, a puzzling way of demonstrating one's moral superiority over someone who happens to hold a divergent belief.

Ironically, were it not for the streak of deeply destructive vigilantism present within the anti-foie gras movement, Incanto and many other restaurants may not have actively chosen a side on this issue.  After all, Incanto is an Italian restaurant, not French.  And the brand of carnivorism we espouse at Incanto tends toward championing the lesser-appreciated offal cuts, rather than the few like foie gras that are already regarded as being worthy of alta cucina.  In the past, foie gras never really fit in at Incanto.  Even if it had, with Incanto's daily-changing menu, it would hardly last for more than a few days.

Nonetheless, after San Francisco chef Laurent Manrique was targeted in 2003 by anti-foie gras protestors, this equation changed.  Unknown persons vandalized Chef Manrique's home and shop and sent threatening letters, along with a videotape taken of him with his wife and child at their home, directly threatening their safety. The sheer depravity and hypocrisy of this attack served as the catalyst for first considering foie gras for Incanto's menu.  It did the same for other restaurants around the country, raising the other side of the issue: whether or not as a society we will permit the views of a vocal minority to trample our personal right to choose what we will and will not eat.

Reasonable people can disagree over the ethics of one's chosen diet and the various practices of farmers, whether those farmers produce meat, fruits, or vegetables. Fundamentally, we believe that individuals ought to be free to determine how to live their lives, including their diet. If we live in a society that tolerates the death of 40,000 people to die each year for the right to convenient travel, how can we sacrifice our right to taste, to choice, and to dietary self-determinism?

We respect the right to oppose the production and consumption of foie gras.  We relate to many of the reasons that some choose to do so. However, we no more cede control over our morality than we would presume to compel someone else to conform to our notions of how they ought to live their life. We do not grant permission to someone who has no legal, moral, or spiritual authority to impose their beliefs upon us, whether that person is demanding we adopt their point of view regarding foie gras, abortion, or what books we should read. These are all personal choices and should remain so.

In recent years, the attention focused on this issue has caused many of those who enjoy eating foie gras to regard it as a guilty pleasure.  We do not. We believe that dispassionate examination of the practices of the handful of small American foie gras producers supports the conclusion that their methods are neither cruel nor inhumane.

Much of the outrage being stirred up over foie gras production centers around the practice of gavage, the use of a funnel inserted into the duck's esophagus to force-feed grain to the duck over the final 15-21 days of its life.  Those who oppose gavage assert that the ducks choke, vomit, and suffer greatly because of this process.  This sounds reasonable. After all, how would you like to have a tube stuffed down your throat three times a day?

However, this approach is the crux of the problem with an argument meant to play upon human empathy: it anthropomorphizes an animal whose physiology is fundamentally different than ours. Ducks and geese are waterfowl. Their digestive tracts evolved to accommodate swallowing of whole fish, the occasional amphibian, and rocks for the gizzard to assist in digestion. They lack a gag reflex and their esophagus is lined not with the delicate mucus membrane found in humans, but a thick cuticle. Their windpipe opens in the middle of their tongue and they do not breathe using an abdominal diaphragm as humans do. Air passes through air sacs located in the upper torso, prior to entering the lungs. Ducks are able to breathe, even during the brief 10-15-second process of gavage.

Dr. Jeanne Smith, an avian veterinarian who investigated Incanto's foie gras supplier, Sonoma Foie Gras, in 2004 testified before the California legislature that tube feeding is the medically accepted way of feeding ill or injured ducks and geese, a practice she regularly teaches her clients to perform for home care of their birds. The principal difference between the feeding she saw at Sonoma Foie Gras - compared to her clients' injured tube-fed birds - was that the foie gras ducks were unstressed by the process.  This is inconsistent with the picture of tortured, abused birds enduring an inhumane feeding procedure. Similarly, a delegate from the American Veterinary Association who visited Hudson Valley Foie Gras in 2005 announced that his personal position on the foie gras issue changed to the positive as a result of his visit, indicating that "tube feeding is less distressing than taking the rectal temperature of a cat." As recently as last month, a journalist from the Village Voice ran a lengthy expose on American foie gras and concluded there is little evidence to support the argument of cruelty and suffering among the ducks.

The key to understanding the foie gras debate is to recognize that the issue has less to do with science, fact, or finding the truth about whether the treatment of these animals is humane, inhumane, or somewhere in between. Quite frankly, all of that is distraction. The only way to understand this issue is to regard it for what it truly is: naked political opportunism.

On a per-capita basis, the average American eats approximately 220 pounds of meat each year. Of that total, foie gras represents approximately four one-hundredths of an ounce per person. This is less than a smudge.  On that basis, eliminating all foie gras consumption in the United States would be the equivalent of converting a paltry 3,800 meat-eaters into vegetarians. Put into context, auto fatalities already eliminate - every year - the equivalent in meat consumption of more than ten times the entire U.S. market for foie gras. This may explain why the anti-foie camp is noticeably silent on the issue of traffic fatalities. Car crashes are actually working in their favor.

Foie gras serves as a spearpoint issue for anti-meat activists not because the practices of foie gras producers approach anything close to the worst within the world of animal husbandry, or because the industry itself is significant in size or growth. By comparison, Americans ate more than ten times more bison meat last year than foie gras.  Really, it's that small.

Foie gras farmers - and those who serve it - are targeted for simple and eminently practical reasons: This is quite literally the smallest and most defenseless segment of the U.S. meat industry.  There are only three producers in the U.S.  Fewer than one in a hundred persons ever eat foie gras, and when they do, it is infrequently and in small amounts. Thanks in part to Walt Disney, the lovable duck serves as a great mascot for a publicity campaign.  And, while it is of dubious validity as a physiological comparison, it's easily within the grasp for most of us to empathize with the horror of being force-fed through a tube.

Working to ban something that 99% of people never eat is not an act requiring great moral or physical courage in the same vein as was, say, the fight for civil rights in the U.S. or the fight for self rule in India. By comparison, the anti-foie gras movement is - at best - founded upon a shrewd political calculation in which the professed indignation of a few is used to harness the indifference of the many to the inherent political cowardice of elected officials, in order to achieve a desired political outcome.  In essence, it's a confidence game in which participating meat-eaters, by agreeing to condemn something that they don't care about, receive the equivalent of a get-out-of-jail card, i.e., the right to feel slightly less guilty as they bite into that factory-farmed McNugget.  Guilt and moral superiority are tradable currencies; the anti-foie gras camp exploits this to the hilt. And we let them.

The attack on foie gras consumption in the United States is therefore a tactic, similar to the bombing of Baghdad.  This is a relatively easy target, intended to shock the American public into putting animal rights at the forefront of public policy. Don't start with a full frontal assault on a food that everyone eats - that would be futile. Better to pick off an easy target first and to make a public example of it.

As a political tactic, it has proven very successful.  Here in California, it exploited our elected officials' abundant willingness to waste precious time and resources on the issues least relevant to the future of our state. In 2004, when our elected representatives could have been making progress toward political reform and improving the financial security of California, they instead spent thousands upon thousands of hours addressing the scourge represented by one small business, located in one corner of the state. Instead of saying, "This is a waste of our time, we have more important problems to solve" our brave politicians instead made the heroic choice to burnish their legislative record by knocking down a straw man.  Fast forward to 2009: Rome/Sacramento is burning, Californians suffer, and these brave champions of duck rights have offered no solutions to the real problems we confront on a daily basis.

The great success of the anti-foie gras movement has been based its ability to carve foie gras off as a distinct and separate issue from the rest of food production. Regarded in isolation, with no personal experience and without a balanced representation of the facts, of course most people oppose it. But lump it in with hamburger, chicken, and the rest of agribusiness, shine a light on all the discomforting practices within our food world and it would be an entirely different debate. Foie gras would be seen for what it is: less than a blip. Small groups of people dissecting the food world into socially acceptable vs. unacceptable categories is a recipe for terrible public policy and the worst in relativist ethics.

We do not purport to have all the answers about foie gras. Incanto continues to serve it  because we believe both that individuals ought to decide their own morality and that those who dedicate so much energy and animosity toward fighting it simply have their priorities wrong. If someone really wants to make a difference in the world, we can easily suggest a list of 10 other food-related issues each of which are at least an order of magnitude more significant than foie gras. A small amount of progress in any of which would improve more lives than will wiping the scourge of foie gras off the planet.  Let's start with the fact that more than 12 million children here in the United States live in households where there is risk of hunger or malnutrition every day.  How about tackling that one?

Our (naïve) hope is that someday our country will have a constructive dialogue about food, in a calm adult voice and considering our food systems in their full context.  We hope that more people will be in a position to consider the impact their food choices have on the world. We recognize that the cynical political choice to use a wedge issue like foie gras to divide and conquer public opinion is easier, faster, and more effective at promoting a bigger cause.  But it's a mistake to confuse success in a political campaign with being on the right side of an issue. If the argument against foie gras and against the consumption of meat in general boils down to "the ends don't justify the means," then for goodness sake don't prove your point by the backwards manner in which you achieve your political victory.

How to make Holy water.

Ingredients: water

Directions:
Turn the burner on high.
Put water in a pot, but not more water than the pot can hold. A tea kettle will work as well.
Put the pot with water on the fire.

Boil the hell out of it.

Oysters on the Half Shell  $12
shallot mignonette, fresh horseradish ice, espelette pickled tomato

Crispy Sweetbreads & Lobster Tartare  $12
tarragon butter, citrus crème friache, asparagus

Roasted Veal Marrow  $14
shallot, parsley & caper salad, garlic toast points, extra virgin olive oil, preserved lemon

Sautéed Breast of Aldergrove Pheasant  $26
pheasant rillette, potato pancake ‘George Blanc’, creamed baby leek, buttered baby carrots

Dijon Grilled Lamb Tenderloin  $22
artichoke, cassoulet d’ merquez, minted peas, nicoise olives

Crème Caramel  $9
burnt orange, butter cookies, fresh berries

 

Brew Hog Day
National Heavenly Hash Day
California Kiwifruit Day

1659 Jan van Riebeeck, the first governor of the Cape of Good Hope, South Africa, planted a vineyard in 1655. On February 2, 1659 he made the first wine from grapes grown at the Cape.

1754 Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Perigord was born. Known simply as Talleyrand, French statesman, diplomat and grand gourmet, called the 'first fork of France.' He served at the top levels of French governments for almost 50 years. During this time his chefs included Bouchee, Careme, and Avice. Many culinary preparations have been created or named for him.

1795 The French government offers a prize of 12,000 francs for a method of preserving food for transport to the French army. It was eventually won by Nicholas Appert who invented a successful method to can food.

1820 Jean Etienne Bore, died. Inventor of the sugar granulating process (1794 or 1795), founder of the sugar industry in Louisiana.

1826 Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin died. A French lawyer and politician, author of La Physiologie du gout (The Physiology of Taste) (1825). He was probably the greatest food critic that ever lived.

1852 The first public lavatory opened in London.

1869 The removable steel plow blade is invented by James Oliver.

1880 The first successful shipment of frozen mutton made it to London from Australia, aboard the SS Strathleven.

1887 The first Groundhog day is observed in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania.

1892 William Painter received a patent for the crown-cork bottle cap with a cork seal. It was used up until the 1970s, when the cork liner was replaced with a plastic liner.

1897 Alfred L. Cralle of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, patented an ice cream scooper. His basic design is still used today.

1913 Carl Gustaf Patrik de Laval died. A Swedish scientist and inventor. Among his inventions was the centrifugal cream separator and a vacuum milking machine.

1996 Ray McIntire died. A chemical engineer who worked for Dow Chemical Company, he invented Styrofoam.

So, my laptop had a 'fatal' crash 60 days ago - and I used the HP recovery disk to 'rebuild' it. Had to wipe the system and start fresh. HP recovery was 80% successful, only losing my customer database and and all emails.

BETTER - Microsoft Office stopped working today...because it thought it was a demo. Right in the middle of a menu/recipe building session. How to piss off a Chef.

I hope I can find the code to re-activate Office - who actually keeps all that stuff?

I am screwed.

I have marked this day...

...Mon Bella has turned. Busy, busy, busy!

Nice cross selection of people. Mostly food forward. An even mix of 'samplers' and 'tasters' (as per previous definitions - ping me if you want me to link you). The room is suited nicely for both.

Again, I forgot my camera - tried using the blackberry but the rez was aweful. Tomorrow I will try to pack up the gear and bring it.

I am off brunch, but back in for the evening - a private party. I will try and start snapping pictures and writting recipes starting at Tuesday's $20 three tasters, three wine event (every week) - plus photos of the weekly special menu.

Must remember to bring my camera with me, must remember, must remember...

I need more food shots! I need to create more recipes!

Brad and I talked about doing a rare/'best of' product tasting on Thursday nights. This is what I need to do!!

Monday - closed
Tuesday - $20 three course tasting paired with wines
Tuesday - Sunday 4pm until 7pm - $8 glass of wine and a unique taster (this week I used 'grilled cheese' as my vehicle)
Saturday & Sunday 10:30am until 3:30pm - brunch. (Vancouver is breakfast quality starved)

So...Thursday would be cool.

Had two different tables come up to the pass tonight and say hello! GREAT!
...one couple were long time fans of my site and blog - and had eatten in my last four reincarnations.

Don't be shy - say hello. It is why I do what I do.

 

As I slowly enter 2009 - Facebook.

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?gid=58465020843&ref=nf

 

...long day at work - short on velocity but long on cleaning (...and eatting baby octopus).

• Went to DB Bistro and tried the $28 burger. Wow.
• Chatted with the new GM (from Danny Meyer's). Wow.
• Toured the room. Wow.

But more importantly - got home, tired and ready for sleep...but needed my fix of good, quality, unpasturized cheese.

The horror, the horror...

It slipped out of my hand and hit the floor, one bounce, and I caught it. I tried washing it quickly under cold running water - no use. I took a bite and gaged.

Cheese hitting the floor is cheese destined for the rubbish bin. End of story, good night - nothing else to read. Good cheese gone bad.

12 - 14 hour days/6 days a week - and the first good review on a local website....followed by a glowing email and post on eGullet.

Pushing a rope up a hill - one good review and it is all worth it.

Out of commission for 48 hours - bad stomach virus.

Had time to work on the laptop - getting ready for BRUNCH this weekend. Looking forward to this new menu. I appreciate brunch - no grey areas. Great or bad.

 

The Buñuel martini Luis Buñuel, the late Spanish surrealist director, made many of my favorite movies: Un Chien Andalou, L'Age D'or, Los Olvidados, The Exterminating Angel,  Simon of the Desert, The Criminal Life of Archibaldo de la Cruz, Nazarin, The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie, That Obscure Object of Desire, and so on.  He also made my favorite martini. The Buñuel martini in 7 easy steps: 1.  Chill glasses, gin, and shaker the day before. 2.  Make sure ice is cold (at least minus-20 degrees centigrade). 3.  Fill shaker with ice and pour in a few drops of Noilly Prat vermouth and  half a demitasse spoon of Angustora Bitters. 4.  Shake and drain, so that the only vermouth and bitters remaining is what coats the inside of the shaker and the ice. 5.  Add gin.  Any English gin will do, but I recommend Bombay or Tanqueray, depending on your taste. 6.  Shake and pour into glass.  Don't forget the olive. 7.  Sip carefully.  Buñuel martinis have been known to cause hallucinations and fits of manic well-being. NOTES:  A true Buñuel martini must have an olive.   (He's Spanish, after all.)  If you add a cocktail onion, then I guess it's a Buñuel Gibson.  A twist of lemon makes it... well, it's still a martini, just not a Buñuel.  And always remember:  There is no such thing as a "vodka martini."  Substituting vodka for gin makes your drink a "Vodkatini." It is not a martini, any more than vodka and sweet vermouth can be called a Manhattan.   "To provoke, or sustain, a reverie in a bar, you have to drink English gin, especially in the form of a martini. To be frank, given the primordial role played in my life by the dry martini, I really think I ought to give it at least a page. Like all cocktails, the martini, composed essentially of gin and a few drops of Noilly Prat, seems to have been an American invention. Connoisseurs who like their martinis very dry suggest simply allowing a ray of sunlight to shine through a bottle of Noilly Prat before it hits the bottle of gin. At a certain period in America it was said that the making of a dry martini should resemble the Immaculate Conception, for, as Saint Thomas Aquinas once noted, the generative powers of the Holy Ghost pierced the virgin’s hymen 'like a ray of sunlight through a window – leaving it unbroken.' "Another crucial recommendation is that the ice be so cold and hard that it won’t melt, since nothing’s worse than a watery martini. For those who are still with me, let me give you my personal recipe, the fruit of long experimentation and guaranteed to produce perfect results. The day before your guests arrive, put all the ingredients – glasses, gin, and shaker – in the refrigerator. Use a thermometer to make sure the ice is about twenty degrees below zero (centigrade). Don’t take anything out until your friends arrive; then pour a few drops of Noilly Prat and half a demitasse spoon of Angostura bitters over the ice. Shake it, then pour it out, leaving only the ice, which retains a faint taste of both. Then pour straight gin over the ice, shake it again, and serve. "(During the 1940s, the director of the Museum of Modern Art in New York taught me a curious variation. Instead of Angostura, he used a dash of Pernod. Frankly, it seemed heretical to me, but apparently it was only a fad.)" --  Luis Buñuel from My Last Sigh (1983) Translation © 1983 by Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.

My wife made chicken devine and brown rice for dinner - and a glass of Cono Sur Chard. Perfect after a long, busy week.
Time for bed, the restaurant is dark tomorrow - time to expore with the kids. Hopefully a walk along Commercial if the weather breaks.

Of course, how do you predict? We have a party tonight and the room is fully sold out - and we have had calls for another 40 plus reservations.
...Thursday I cooked for two tables.

2009 is starting off well - I hope to see everyone I know down here soon. The room is small, so please have an alternative date to book.

Finally!!! it has become reality and describing a dish on a Vancouver menu as ‘organic’ is tacky.
Organic is now in the same class as ‘fresh’, ‘new and improved’, etc!

I will continue to purchase using my beliefs:

1.       Organic and local whenever possible. BC is filled with 1000’s of great, small independent producers creating product at a world class level.

2.       If organic is not available – support the local producer. Getting certified organic is very cost prohibitive. Lots of great local suppliers are producing great products without the organic designation.

3.       In the winter – support the BC hothouse business...I try to support the hothouse producers who grow in soil year round.

4.       Last case, and only when absolutely required by a guest – foreign organic. 99% of the time if the only product available is a foreign organic product it is not going on the menu.

Maybe this worked - The time is 12:39am

I have reset the time in the control panel, but it still shows Toronto time - not Vancouver.

Anyone use this software before and can help? Email me at brian@cheffowke.com

Thanks.

First busy night, that was not a buy-out or Christmas party since I arrived.
Very good night - and the staff and room handled it well. Sold out tomorrow and very busy on Sunday so it will be fun weekend!

Next week is Dine-Out - and we are not a part of it...hopefully the hotels and locals will embrace our menu and value and fill the room.

Mole Salumi - wow.
...on the menu at MonBella Bistoria.

Qualicum Bay Scallop Ceviche
Lobster oil, sea asparagus , meyer lemon chutney

Recipe: Scallop Ceviche

• 12pc Qualicum Beach scallops
• 2/3 cup fresh lime juice (from 4-5 limes)
• 2/3 cup fresh orange juice (from 1-2 oranges)
• 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded, and very finely minced
• 1/2 large red onion, very thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup minced tarragon
• 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt

Method:

Remove the tough muscle from the sides of the scallops. Slice scallops horizontally into 1/3 inch thick circles. In a large non-reactive (glass or stainless steel) bowl, combine scallops, lime juice, orange juice, jalapeño, onions, tarragon, and salt. Mix well. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours stirring half way through. Taste and add more salt if needed. Serve within 24 hours.

Plating:

• Place 10 strands of sea asparagus in a chilled bowl and drizzle lightly with lobster oil
• Place 2 sliced scallops PLUS a teaspoon of marinate (including jalapeños and onions) on the sea asparagus
• Top the scallops with 1tsp Meyer Chutney (available at Edible BC)

Side Stripe Prawn
Salt roasted pineapple carpaccio, sugar cane skewer, cranberry port sauce

Recipe: Salt Roasted Prawns

• 3 prawns/appetizer, 7 prawns entrée – in the shell, head on.
• 8oz Course sea salt with rosemary and garlic (available at Edible BC)
• 6oz fresh sugar cane – cut into 8 inch skewers

Method:

Evenly spread out the salt on a baking sheet. Skewer 3 or 7 prawns with a skewer of sugar cane. Place the prawns on the salt and cook in a 400f oven for 3 minutes.

Recipe: Pineapple Carpaccio

• 1 pineapple
• 2 tbs sugar
• ½ tsp salt

Method:

Slice the pineapple extremely thin with sharp knife. Sprinkle pineapple with salt and sugar and allow curing for 45 minutes. Drain excess water before using.

Recipe: Cranberry Port Sauce

• 1 cup port wine
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 cup fresh cranberries
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 lemon – zest only
• 1 vanilla bean
• 1 bay leave
• 1 500mg citrus acid (vitamin C, unflavoured)

Method:

Combine all ingredients into a 4qt (minimum) pot and bring to the boil. Simmer over medium-low heat for 2 hours. Allow to cool and set for 24 hours before using.

Plating:

• Arrange pineapple carpaccio (to cover) on a chilled plate, one layer thick.
• Spoon one tablespoon of cold cranberry port sauce in the middle of the plate.
• (the whimsy of this dish is the contrast of the sweet and sour and the hot and cold – make sure the pineapple and sauce are extremely cold and the prawn skewer extremely hot)
• Place the cooked prawn skewer on the cranberry port sauce.

Tenderloin of Prime Canada Beef
Slow roasted leeks, fondant potato, pine mushroom ragout

Recipe: Slow Roasted Leeks

• 1lbs leeks – cut into fine circles
• ¼ lbs butter
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp tarragon vinegar

Method:

In a large cast iron pan slowly melt the butter over very low heat. Add the leeks, salt and vinegar. Continue to cook over a low heat for 2 hours. Stir every 2 – 3 minutes.

Recipe: Fondant Potatoes

• 4 medium potatoes
• 2 Cups of chick stock (broth)
• 3 Tbl unsalted butter

Method:

Peheat oven to 350. Peel the potatoes, then using a small knife; turn/cut each potato into a uniform shape. Place the potatoes in a shallow baking dish and pour chicken stock halfway up the potatoes. Brush the tops of the potatoes with the melted butter, sprinkle lightly with salt, then bake 30-40 minutes or until golden and they test done with a sharp knife

Recipe: Mushroom Ragout

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 lb pine mushrooms, in large dice
• 1 bottle red wine
• 2 tablespoons chopped thyme
• kosher salt & fresh ground black pepper, to taste

Method:

In a large heavy bottomed pot over high temperature heat the oil until very hot.

Add the mushrooms and sauté on high until they release their liquid, stirring occasionally. When the liquid has evaporated from the bottom of the pot, add the wine and chopped thyme, stir, and sauté until the wine and liquid is almost completely reduced. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper.

Plating:

• On a hot plate, place 2oz of leeks in the center of the plate
• Place two potatoes above and below the leeks
• Place the tenderloin on top of the leeks and top the tenderloin with 2oz mushroom ragout

Vancouver Island Wild Mushroom Ravioli
Truffle foam, red wine reduction, lobster mushroom dust

Recipe: Mushroom Ravioli Filling

• 2 cups chantrelle mushrooms, minced fine 2 cups black trumpet mushrooms, minced fine
• 2 tbsp. fresh chopped basil 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil 2 shallots, finely minced 2 lg. cloves garlic, finely minced 1 bottle white wine 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan

Method:

Sauté shallots until clear; add garlic, mushrooms and 1 tbsp. basil. Sauté until mushrooms lose most of their water, and keep stirring to evaporate juices, approximately 5 minutes total. When mushrooms are about 1/2 the volume they were, add wine and cook down until dry. Remove from pan and allow to cool. Toss with parmesan and the remaining fresh basil.

Recipe: Pasta Dough

• ¾ cup durum semolina flour
• 2 teaspoon olive oil
• 2 egg yolk
• ¼ cup water

Method:

Combine the above ingredients in a food processor with a bread hook and form a ball. Knead for an additional 3 minutes. Wrap in a towel and let sit for 30 minutes.

Recipe: Truffle Foam

• 3 tbls butter
• 1 tbls white truffle oil

Method:

In saucepan over low-medium heat, melt butter. Whisk vigorously and continuously as if you were preparing a browned butter. At the first sign of browning, remove from heat and add truffle oil. Keep whisking until oil is blended completely. Immediately spoon foam over ravioli.

Recipe: Red Wine Reduction

• 1 shallot, peeled and chopped
• 1 stalk celery, peeled and chopped
• 6 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
• 1 small red bell pepper, peeled and chopped
• 1 tablespoon of bacon fat
• 2 small tomatoes, chopped
• 2 tablespoons port wine
• 1 bottle Cabernet Sauvignon

Method:

Sweat the onions, celery, garlic, and red bell pepper in bacon fat over low heat until thoroughly softened. Add the tomatoes and port and reduce to a glaze. Add the wine and slowly reduce by half, skimming fat and residue along the way. Strain through cheesecloth and continue to reduce slowly to about 1/2 cup

Plating:

• Rub a 1oz smear of red wine reduction across a warm plate
• Place 2 – 3 raviolis in the center of the plate
• Spoon 1 tbls of truffle foam on the raviolis
• Dust the top of the foam with mushroom powder (available at Edible BC)

Roasted Figs w/ Spicy Fig & Caramel Sauce
Whisky& Goat Cheese Ice Cream

Recipe: Whisky & Goat’s Cheese Ice Cream – made by Eric Pateman.

Recipe: Roasted Fig and Caramel Sauce

• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup cold water
• 1/4 cup corn syrup
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 3/4 cups heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 cup oven dried figs

Method:

Combine the brown and granulated sugars with 1 cup cold water in a heavy medium saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil. Boil for 12 minutes, or until the syrup is a rich caramel color, brushing down the sides of the pan with a wet pastry brush from time to time to dissolve any sugar crystals that form. Taking care as the syrup may bubble over, whisk in the corn syrup, lemon juice, and vanilla and bring to a simmer. Carefully whisk in the cream, bring to a boil, and boil gently for 10 minutes, or until the sauce is thick. Whisk in the butter and add the figs.

Plating:

• Place 3oz of the fig/caramel sauce into a warm bowl
• Top with ice cream

BC Goat Cheese Cheesecake Mousse
Rhubarb preserve, sunflower seed butter

Recipe: Rhubarb preserve – Available at Edible BC

Recipe: Sunflower seed butter – Available at Edible BC

Recipe: Goat Cheese Cheesecake Mousse

• ¼ lb cream cheese, at room temperature
• ¼ lb goat cheese, at room temperature ½ cup granulated sugar 1 tsp all-purpose flour 1 egg ½ tsp vanilla bean extract 1 tbsp grated lemon rind 3 tbsp lemon juice ½ cup sour cream

Method:

In bowl use an electric mixer and beat the cheeses with sugar for 2 to 3 minutes and fluffy. Beat in flour and egg, scraping down side of bowl. Beat in vanilla, lemon rind and juice. Beat in sour cream. Pour into an 8-inch round cake pan. Place the round cake pan in an 8-inch square baking dish; add enough hot water to square baking dish to come 1 inch up the side of pan. Bake in 350°F (180°C) oven for 40 to 45 minutes or until set. Turn off oven; let cake cool in oven for 1 hour. Remove from oven and let cool to room temperature. Whip for two minutes on high with an electric mixer.

Plating:

• On a cold plate, smear 1oz of preserve and 1oz of butter across the plate
• Scoop 3oz of cheesecake mousse into the center of the plate

Welcome to MonBella Bistoria's Dining In Vancouver 2009
Jan 13th - Feb 1st, 2009

First Week; French - al a carte $10 appetizer, $18 entrée. 5 Courses; $38

Chestnut Soup
Crème friache, duck confit, snipped chives

Pissaladière
Anchovies, black olives, thyme, olive oil pizza

Spot Prawn Nicoise
Pemberton potatoes, coddled egg, haricot vert, lemon/moutarde de Meaux vinaigrette, tarragon

'Gigot a la Cuillère'
36 hour braised lamb, armagnac, garlic, gratin Dauphinoise

Sachertorte
Bittersweet chocolate, apricot, vanilla whipped cream

Second Week; Italy - al a carte $10 appetizer, $18 entrée. 5 Courses; $38

Ribollita Soup
Cannellini beans, chorizo sausage, cabbage, olive oil

Polpo alla Griglia con Limone
Grilled octopus, parsley, roasted garlic, lemon

Vongole al Forno con Oregano
Baked, cherrystone clams, garlic, Italian bread crumb, EVOO

Lingua Brasata
Braised beef tongue, cucumber, tomato, rosemary, Aglianico del Taburno

Classico Italiano Affogato
Chocolate, hot espresso, double vanilla bean ice cream

---

10 Things Chef Fowke was asked in 2008.

 

1.       Where do you eat when you go out for dinner?

With two young children I do not get out to dinner as much as I used to. I always try to eat at the new restaurants opening in Vancouver. But for my go-to restaurants I go for sushi; Yoshi, pub food; Irish Heather, Steak; Hamilton Street Grill, ethnic; Kintaro or Goo and for a boys night out; the bar at Gotham.

2.       Do you cook for your family, at home, on your days off?

My family are my guinea pigs. Every Saturday, Sunday and Monday I spend time at the local farmers markets, Steveston Markets, Granville Island and the Drive. I try to sample a dozen new food items and cooking techniques each week. Every Sunday and Monday afternoon I start cooking between 2pm and 3pm and make my family critic my finds over dinner.

3.       What's going on with your involvement at Metro and Rare Restaurant?

Currently I have resigned as Director and President of Metro and Rare Restaurants and their parent company. I am also no longer the Executive Chef for either restaurant. Rare was closed for a mishap with the renewal of its liquor license and has had much internal infrastructure work done on it throughout the summer. A major flood in the building has hampered the progress of Rare's reopening. Metro needs a breath of new life. Opening day saw it with huge overruns in the construction that it never recovered from. It snowballed into one failure after another; not allowing the management team to focus on creating the culture the new restaurant needed. With the past cleared up, it was clear that Metro needed a fresh start, new management team and direction and my involvement was not needed.

I have submitted a letter of Intent for Rare Restaurant and would like to take it solo. I look forward to working in an intimate room serving Market (Granville and local) cuisine with a daily menu of seven items and a BC/West Coast forward wine list. Expect to see daily cooking classes and tours. I hope to post a launch date soon.

4.       What type of oil do you use to cook with?

I get asked this question every day. I use grapeseed oil for cooking, olive oil for dressings and marinating raw food. I do use mycryo (dehydrated coconut oil) for specialty cooking - especially searing ‘wet food' such as Quallicum Beach scallops. Recently I have purchased a lot of different nut oils that I am using to ‘finish' foods. I really enjoy hazelnut oil over grilled salmon.

5.       Where do you buy fresh seafood in Vancouver?

I try to drive to Steveston every Monday in the summer to buy my seafood directly off the boat and at the local fishmonger. Locally I shop at Seafood City at Granville Island and Finest at Sea. Both companies are premium and you can trust the fishmongers. They are all about fresh and quality.

6.       Are you still going to be doing his Granville Island Tours, cooking classes, catering and cooking appearances?

Yes, I have been busier than ever.  Edible BC is handling all my ‘Chef for a day' and market tours. Please feel free to browse his website.  Contact me at brian@cheffowke.com if you are looking for custom catering, cooking classes or events. My calendar is filling up quickly into Jan 2009, but I am happy to share my passion for food and wine.

7.       What is the best meal you have had in the last ten days?

Simple, it was lunch on the Drive at Grotto de Formagio; on foccacia - spicy cappicoli, roasted peppers, basil aioli, marinated artichokes, provolone cheese and black olives. The best sandwich I have ever had.

8.       Where do you shop for food?

I am spending more and more time shopping on Granville Island. Every month the island seems to get better and more food focused. Fish, meats, produce, diary and bakery are all covered at the top level. To pick one shop, I think Oyama would be the most fun. I try three or four new cured meats each week and they have become a very important part of my new cuisine. I find myself using less and less regular salt - and incorporating different cured meats into my recipes as a salt substitute - plus other flavour factors.

9.       What is your favourite food store in Vancouver?

This week:  Edible BC - hundreds of local BC products to eat and taste. There drive and passion for everything BC and local has inspired me to work harder at what I do. I think every chef would use local product if it was easier to source. We all need to support companies like Edible BC so the scale of economy comes into line and we can all use local products every day.

10.   Are you available?

I was asked this question at the end of my last tour!! I am assuming the question is; am I available for catering and contract work. The answer is yes, and it is my favourite part of this industry. I like cooking for private parties of 12 - 30 people. I can really explore my craft and enjoy the response of the participants on a personal level.

If the question is about my marital status - I am happily married with children. Sorry - but I will still cook for you.

Good to be back! Adventures and food in the BC restaurant community. It is a great time to live in BC.

Look forward to daily posts starting mid-Jan 2009