FFWD – Two Tartines from La Croix Rouge

March 7, 2014 ~ Teresa ~ 19 Comments

When I tell people I’m part of a group that’s cooking through a French cookbook together, I think they imagine the classic dishes set forth by Julia Child or the regional comprehensiveness of Elizabeth David. There are plenty of classic dishes and regional favourites, it’s true, but the book also reflects the diversity of modern France. It’s further inflected by a sort of translation wrought by its American author, who wrote the book with North American kitchens and pantries in mind.

The recipes are transformed, once again, by the time we post our versions each Friday. Each take on the recipe can’t help but be inflected by the individuals who make them, in kitchens across the world – the United States and Canada, yes, but also Argentina, Germany, Malaysia, Australia, and more.

So, when I tackled this week’s recipes, two tartines from a popular café in Dorie Greenspan’s Paris neighbourhood, it’s not surprising that they ended up with a faint Italian accent. Commercial Drive is still (symbolically, at least) the heart of Vancouver’s Italian community. Many of the cafés, bakeries, and delis have a long family history here, even though the children and grandchildren of their founders have had to move out of the area as housing costs increased.

I made two stops in my quest for ingredients for the tartines. First, I went to The Daily Catch to pick up some smoked Sockeye salmon. Then, I headed over to Bosa for the roast beef and bread. Bosa has opened up an enormous Italian grocery store and deli in the furthest eastern regions of the city, but their original location is just a few blocks away and has a great selection in their deli case.

When I got home, I sliced the whole wheat and millet bread into strips, then toasted them under the broiler.

For the tartine norvégienne, I spread the toast with a bit of mayonnaise, instead of butter, and freshly ground pepper, before layering the salmon and capers on top. I finished them with a squeeze of lemon.

The toast for the tartine saint-germain was spread with a mixture of mayonnaise and Dijon mustard (in hopes the mustard would impart a hint of Paris), then a layer of thinly sliced cornichons, and a generous layer of garlic roast beef.

The tartines in Around My French Table are a reminder that sandwiches, open-faced or not, can be richly flavoured and sophisticated. I would serve these tartines at a cocktail party or as part of a first course. I’m also counting the days until I can have another Goat Cheese and Strawberry Tartine with local berries.

In the meantime, I’m going to read through the rest of the Doristas’ versions of this week’s tartines, so their personal and regional inflections can inspire my own cooking experiments to come.

You can find many other blogged descriptions of this FFWD recipe here: Two Tartines from La Croix Rouge

New Westminster’s Downtown Renaissance

February 4, 2014February 5, 2014 ~ Teresa ~ Leave a comment

The trajectory of New Westminster’s historic downtown has embodied a lot of the conversations around downtown renewal over the last few decades. For years, Columbia Street struggled to compete with newer shopping centres, while the surrounding area declined. In the mid-eighties, the construction of the Skytrain and Westminster Quay shopping centre were promised to bring new life to the area, but that didn’t last. After its novelty wore off, Westminster Quay languished through several reincarnations and was largely empty for a long while, while Columbia Street relied on wedding shops for its primary retail strength.

It’s been said that the real estate boom in Vancouver is responsible for New West’s downtown renaissance, along with the construction of many residential towers on redeveloped industrial lands. Independent small businesses are now thriving alongside the wedding shops on Columbia Street and Sixth Avenue, while Westminster Quay has rebranded itself as the River Market at Westminster Quay and focused on food and the creative sector to allow it to become a community hub.

I spent the day in the area today, exploring the River Market with my Mom. The cold snap didn’t allow us to wander as far as we’d have liked, but we found more than enough to keep us busy at the Quay and in the surrounding area. The Quay is divided into the “Hungry Floor” (which is just as you’d expect) and the “Curious Floor” (which is dominated by arts organizations and creative sector businesses). We predictably spent most of our time in the food zone. There are a number of Vancouver transplants, anchored by a branch of Donald’s Market and including La Grotta Del Formaggio, Wild Rice, Re-Up BBQ, Longtail Restaurant, and Wally’s Burgers. When you include Fratelli Bakery’s branch farther up Columbia, it’s no wonder people have taken to calling New Westminster East Van East.

My mother and I limited our tasting today to Dim Sum at Wild Rice and sweet crêpes at Crêpe Des Amis (expertly made by its Parisian proprietor). Unfortunately, after that we had room for no more. It would be fun to go back with a larger group and do a proper tasting tour of all the River Market has to offer.

The management has also done a good job of making the Quay a community magnet, with lots of seating, family-friendly events, and initiatives like a book-sharing station. It creates a city square sensibility, provides indoor amenities that connect with the riverside boardwalk and Quayside Park, as well as providing incentive for walkers to move beyond the Quay into the revitalized Columbia Street shopping district. I’m looking forward to going back on a warmer day and exploring further.

Deeply Local: Grandview-Woodland’s Citizens’ Assembly

January 28, 2014January 29, 2014 ~ Teresa ~ 7 Comments

These are some of the things I love most about my neighbourhood: I can walk the length of the shopping street as quickly (or sometimes more quickly) than the time it takes for the bus to arrive and carry me from one end to the other; the variety of foodstuffs and staples available within walking distance; the wealth of restaurants and coffee shops; brick and mortar bookstores, record shops, and even a video store; the mix of heritage homes, 1950s walk ups, and affordable apartment buildings, many with room for vegetable gardens; a feeling of engagement with one’s neighbours across the district. The things that I don’t love include the increasing unaffordability of the neighbourhood for both residents and small business owners, the proliferation of condos designed to last little longer than a mortgage cycle, and the increasing feeling that our neighbourhood is destined for suburbification and its attendant disconnection from the deep feelings of community that have been built here.

With all this in mind, I found myself inside on a sunny Saturday along with almost seventy other Grandview-Woodlanders, debating the questions around the construction of a Citizens’ Assembly and the part it will play in crafting the plan that will guide our neighbourhood’s future. The City hired a facilitator who specializes in forms of deliberative democracy like Citizens’ Assemblies and over the course of the afternoon, participants had an opportunity to tackle at least two of the structural questions the City put before us. We met in small groups for half-hour periods, then at the end of the day, there was a summary from each of the tables about the most important ideas that had emerged. All ideas were written up on tear sheets that were taped up around the room and at the end of each session, participants marked their priorities dotmocracy-style.

We were encouraged to choose the discussions we felt most passionate about, but a more accurate assessment for me would be that I chose the discussions I was most worried about. My choices were Composition of the Assembly and Community Engagement. Some of the ideas that came out of the first group included: representing three kinds of tenure – owners, renters, and housing co-op members; reserving seats for aboriginal members, whether or not candidates are identified through the initial call out; using a multi-pronged strategy for recruiting candidates that includes outreach to community groups as well as more passive strategies like mailouts; that twenty Assembly members was probably too few and fifty probably too many; and making sure that there’s representation across the district. The ideas that came out of the second group drilled down a little deeper. Outreach by Assembly members to community groups to capture viewpoints that might not be represented by the Assembly, especially those of vulnerable populations. The three levels of the process (City-led, Assembly, and Community) should not be separate, but should inform each other – community consultation should happen in conjunction with the Assembly and the City, rather than separately; the Assembly’s report should be brought to the public for critique and comment on a regular basis; the City’s plan should be both informed by the Assembly’s proceedings and incorporate the Assembly’s critiques and comments.

I hope that when the City finishes gathering the suggestions from the two sessions and the online consultation, that the information is presented in an unabridged form and that the Assembly is constructed on the most representative basis, not just on the basis of demographic diversity, but also with a socially just distribution that accounts for differences in privilege.

I came away from Saturday’s session with a cautious optimism, not because I believe that this process will be the salvation of my neighbourhood, but because I was engaged with so many people who care about the district as much as I do. I know that a number of people felt the session was too constrained and directed by the City – you can find out more about that here and here. My hope is that the Assembly might help shift the focus of Grandview-Woodland’s future away from developers and toward residents and that through this process, the City will come to value the area as the model of liveability (mixed-income, walkable, diverse, lovely) that it is already.

It’s not too late to comment on the Assembly composition debates. You can find the Discussion Paper here and the link to the City’s questionnaire is here.

A FlyOver Canada Christmas

December 4, 2013March 12, 2016 ~ Teresa ~ 1 Comment

I attended an event preview of FlyOver Canada’s Christmas Plaza and presentation as a media guest. Nevertheless, all opinions in the following post are my own.

No matter how much you love the place you live in, there will always be parts of it that visitors are better informed about than you. I was reminded of that one summer several years ago, when my Ontario-born partner and I decided to take a touristy staycation, and then again in 2011, when Tourism Vancouver ran a promotion for locals in celebration of Vancouver’s 125th anniversary.

Canada Place is one of the parts of Vancouver where locals are far outnumbered by visitors. So it’s nice that the businesses in the district are working together this Christmas to get the locals down there. The Winter Waterfront District includes a tree lighting celebration on December 6th, holiday lights, Christmas at Canada Place, and Christmas at FlyOver Canada.

Though FlyOver Canada has been open since June of this year, I’ve only had a vague awareness of what it’s all about. So, when I actually experienced it, I was going in without any preconceptions. The pre-show reminded me of the pavilions at Expo ’86 (yes, I was there), four walls of beautifully shot scenes meant to gear up the audience for the main event. In between, we were led into a staging area, where the safety video introduced the holiday theme. The ride itself isn’t jarring, but I don’t think I was the only one who felt like they were suspended in mid-air, cruising over mountains and valleys. Even though I knew that in reality we were on a platform in front of an enormous concave screen, I found myself hanging onto the seat grips at some points as though I was really flying. The multi-sensory aspects of the experience are mostly successful, especially when the audience is spritzed with a little mist as the film takes us through areas of high cloud. And the holiday add-on, which asks the audience to help Santa find his missing reindeer, thrilled the kids at the performance I attended.

Overall, I was impressed by the experience and a little embarrassed that I didn’t know more about it before. They’ve also made the most of their setting atop Canada Place, creating an outdoor festival area with food stands, performances, and ice sculpture displays. It’s a great way to cap off a visit to Christmas at Canada Place, but be sure to buy your tickets online – there’s a discount, which adds up for families. There’s also a holiday deal that’s worth checking out, which includes treats from the outdoor vendors. And be sure to enjoy the views – they’re some of the best downtown.

FFWD – Boulevard Raspail Corn on the Cob

August 23, 2013August 23, 2013 ~ Teresa ~ 27 Comments

This is the season when I find myself making meals out of whatever comes from the garden, no recipes needed. Steamed chard or runner beans, slices of cucumber and yellow zucchini, whole radishes – mostly topped with nothing more than salt and pepper and perhaps a little olive oil or butter. Why muddy the flavours of such fresh produce with anything more? This week’s dish fits right into my late summer eating habits. The corn is roasted in its husk in the oven (or on the barbeque, for those who live in hotter climes), then dressed sparingly. We opted for a butter, salt, and pepper. I’ll use this method again, especially when the weather is as mild as it will be this week. I’ve got more of the sweet Chilliwack corn my mother dropped off for us just waiting in the fridge.

All that vegetable goodness doesn’t mean I’ve forgotten about other treats, though, and yesterday I got to sample some lovely pastries at Beaucoup Bakery with Mardi of eat. live. travel. write. We’re the only two active Canadian participants in French Fridays, so I was glad she was able to fit me in during a very brief visit to Vancouver. I enjoyed our visit.

I don’t make it out to the Fairview neighbourhood very often, perhaps because there are too many tempting shops there. I managed to avoid Books to Cooks this time, for which my groaning cookbook shelves will thank me. I missed my bus, though, so ended up doing a little shopping at Murchie’s and Cookworks while I waited for the next one to show up. There are a lot more shops and restaurants worth visiting in this district, and I’m adding Beaucoup Bakery to the list. Their croissants alone seem worth another trip.

The Fairview district also includes Granville Island and Gallery Row, so there’s a lot to see. Perhaps I’ll spend a day there soon and make a full post of it.

You can find many other blogged descriptions of this week’s FFWD recipe here: Boulevard Raspail Corn on the Cob

Kerrisdale

August 6, 2013May 4, 2014 ~ Teresa ~ 2 Comments

I’m an Eastside girl, so my forays west of Main aren’t frequent, but this past Saturday, I made the the trek out to Kerrisdale for A Very Special Occasion, which I’ll share with you soon. Kerrisdale is a generally affluent neighbourhood, with something of a reputation for being staid and British, though that’s not as true as it once was. One of the holdovers of that reputation is the Secret Garden Tea Company, which is a favourite of mine. A bag of their signature tea or Creamy Earl Grey doesn’t last very long in my kitchen.

West 41st is the main shopping street, with a mixture of mid-to-high-end chain stores and independent businesses. Some of the highlights include Benton Brothers Fine Cheese, which could give les amis du FROMAGE a run for its money, the macarons at Faubourg, and the excellent espresso at Caffè Artigiano. If you want to explore a little more, there’s a full listing of shops and services at Kerrisdale Village.

The way that neighbourhoods have developed in Vancouver, for the most part, is that there’s a similar range of independent shops in each, with the balance reflecting the character of the neighbourhood. So, Kerrisdale has Moore’s Bakery and The Drive has Fratelli, each of which offer beautiful bread and pastries. But, the Secret Garden has Kerrisdale written all over it, while Storm Crow Tavern couldn’t really be anywhere else but Commercial Drive. It makes for fun explorations and comparisons across the city.

I think on my next foray west, I want to do an Eastside/Westside photo essay. The manicured gardens of Kerrisdale versus the front yard veggie explosions in Hastings-Sunrise. As a for instance. I think I could get some interesting contrasts.

FFWD – Tzatziki

August 2, 2013May 4, 2014 ~ Teresa ~ 14 Comments

The neighbourhood next to mine is called Hastings-Sunrise, though it’s also been branded The East Village by its business association. It’s only a few blocks away, but it’s in the opposite direction from my regular shopping route, so I don’t get over there as often as I’d like. This afternoon, I decided to get out of my usual routine and head east rather than south. My first stop was Black Rook Bakehouse, which I’ve been meaning to check out since it opened. They’ve got gorgeous pies, cakes, and cookies, along with breads and savoury pot pies, but I settled on a slice of chocolate-threaded banana bread, for an after-errands treat. The lovely shopkeeper threw in a loaf of potato bread, since they were about to close for the long weekend. I’ll be back for some more of that, on my own dime next time. Next, I stopped in at Donald’s Market, for some late-season strawberries and some gluten-free oatmeal. (There are going to be basil-blackberry crumbles all summer long, I think, so I need to be well-stocked with oatmeal.)

You’re probably wondering right about now what all this has to do with this week’s recipe, aren’t you? My next stop is the segueway. Rio Friendly Meats lives up to its name, or rather, its staff does. They stock an array of house-made sausages, along with great cuts of meat. It was the chicken breasts marinating in Greek spices that I came for, though. I thought they’d go perfectly with this week’s Tzatziki, and I was right.

We ate quite late tonight, so I don’t have any photos for you, but I served the oven-roasted chicken with a dollop of tzatziki and a salad on the side (which included the first of the yellow zucchinis from my garden). The tzatziki was also wonderful as a dip for vegetables and rice crackers this afternoon. Tomorrow, the leftovers are going to stand in for cottage cheese in a Greek-style version of last week’s Dieter’s Tartine on that amazing potato bread (for me) and some Udi’s gluten-free bread (for Kevin).

I’m not sure why I haven’t been making my own tzatziki up until now, but I’ll be making up for that omission in future. At a quarter of the recipe, it’s just right for us for two or three days of Greek-inspired eating.

And as for Hastings-Sunrise, I hardly did it justice with my three paltry stops today. If you’re interested in what the neighbourhood has to offer, the folks at Vancouver East Village have done a wonderful job of covering all its businesses and amenities.

You can find many other blogged descriptions of this week’s FFWD recipe here: Tzatziki

Fort Langley, Again

April 2, 2013April 2, 2013 ~ Teresa ~ 4 Comments

Last week, I wandered around Fort Langley for an afternoon, while waiting for my mother to get her hair done. I took Roxy to Brae Island Park, then met my mother for lunch. It wasn’t as leisurely a stroll as we’d been expecting – there was a new television program filming up and down the main street. I’m pretty sure that Roxy’s barking ruined at least one of their takes…

What we thought was a new ice cream shop turned out to be a set for a new series called Cedar Cove, which was filming all around us as we looked for a place to have lunch.

I think I may have offended one of the actors, who was leaning against the glass of this sandwich shop, when I asked her to move a little out of the frame. You can see the crew in the reflection. It was a busy day in Fort Langley.

Say Cheese is tiny, but their sandwiches are good – we opted for the Butter Chicken, which wasn’t as Indian-spiced as we’d hoped, but enjoyable all the same.

The sandwiches, in all their glory.

We took a look down Gasoline Alley, which has small shops, including Cranberries, Naturally (famous for being included in the Oscars gift extravaganza last year). We stopped in at a new store, Mangia e Scappa, then popped in to watch the beans pour out of the roaster at Republica Coffee.

We walked away with two pizzas (one was a gluten-free treat for my partner) and a small sample of bread. Giulia, the owner, makes everything herself, even growing the herbs she uses.

There’s nothing like the smell of freshly roasted coffee beans.

The main drag.

The view from Brae Island Park

Aural Atmosphere

March 5, 2013March 7, 2013 ~ Teresa ~ 1 Comment

When we think of the soundscape of a city, we think of engines and sirens, footsteps and voices, and car alarms, always car alarms. But each city has its own catalogue of sounds that help to define it.

I was reminded of this a few weeks ago, when we went through a period of unusually heavy fog. Fog horns sounded through the night, confusing some. Vancouver is touted as a recreational paradise of mountains and seaside, but it’s also a working port.

Those fog horns are a fickle, seasonal addition to our soundscape, but we have a few more reliable components. There are two, in particular, that define Vancouver’s soundscape. The Nine O’clock Gun can still startle me after all these years of living in the city, if I happen to lose track of time. It can be heard across the city and beyond its borders into the surrounding municipalities. The Noon Whistle, which you can hear in the video at the top of this post, brings daily relief to office workers downtown and serves as a rallying cry to weekend late sleepers. They aren’t as famous as Gastown’s Steam Clock, but they pace out life in this city for its residents.

Other Vancouver sounds that come to mind for me: the beeps and whirrs of our trolley buses, the sound of trains moving, the Carnival Band, and the roaring of the cranes at the Port of Vancouver. Oh, and I can’t forget crows. There are so many here that they’ve become a sort of emblem in art and music.

I’ll leave you with a video that uses more Vancouver sounds and a question: What are the sounds that define the place you live?

A Tuesday Afternoon

March 20, 2012 ~ Teresa ~ 7 Comments

I have a confession to make. I got so caught up in reading everyone’s posts at Tuesdays with Dorie that I forgot all about the post I was supposed to be writing here. So, today I present you with a few photos I took around the neighbourhood this afternoon, along with one I took a couple of weeks ago (and that I think is pretty cool).