Le Tigre...

Ladies and gentlemen, it's officially spring...and you know what that means...it's food truck season!!!!  Dum.....dum....dum..dum..dum....dum...dum..dum....dum...dum..dum...dum everybody dance now!  And if you just got that reference, you so owned a copy of Much Dance Mix 95.

Okay, so for my inaugural food truck outing of the season I decided to check out Le Tigre...partially because I'd been wanting to try them forever...and partially because I had a voucher that was expiring that day. 

There are no doubts about it, this food truck rocks!  Their menu is very unique and is unlike anything I've ever tasted, the prices are reasonable, the quality is unreal for the price you pay, the flavours are out of control, the names of the dishes are so much fun, and all of the fellows working there have the funkiest glasses ever.  So, needless to say, I would highly recommend checking this food truck out this summer.

Things to note: (1) Le Tigre is currently only downtown at Alberni and Bute on Thursdays from 11:30-14:00, (2) you can find their other locations by visiting the Vancouver food truck app/website (http://streetfoodapp.com/vancouver), (3) they accept VISA and mastercard, and (4) all of their containers and utensils are recyclable.

The truck, the geniuses behind the food, and the oh so fabulous glasses!

The menu!  The kumquat and basil seed juice looked very intriguing.

Lunch!  Clockwise from the top: Warm Brussel Sprout and Cauliflower Salad, Angry Kitty Cat Squares, Famous Beet Fries, and the Kickass Rice with Popcorn Chicken.  This assortment worked very well for two people for lunch...albeit one person was very famished...it may have been me.

The Famous Beet Fries: roasted beets, plum powder and spicy mayo.  ($4)  These were good, but not quite as mind-blowing as the other dishes.  Other thing to note: if you're like me and don't incorporate beets into your diet as much as you should, remember that beets affect your body.  I.e. if you happen to notice something a bit odd when you visit the restroom for the 3-12 hours after you eat the beet fries...chances are there is no need to take an emergency trip to the walk-in clinic. 

Angry Kitty Cat Squares: crispy kimchee fried rice, bacon, spicy mayo and nori.  ($4)  These rocked!  Warning you will discover why they're called Angry Kitty Cat Squares quite quickly, and some are angrier than others, but your taste buds will still thank you.

Warm Brussel Sprout and Cauliflower Salad: brussel sprouts, cauliflower, capers, chili, lemon and parm.  ($4)  Hands down my favourite dish.  If you're only going to get one dish, make it this one.  I could have eaten it all day long.

Kick Ass Rice with Popcorn Chicken: cooked in sake, butter, dashi and topped with a perfect poached egg, fresh herbs and thai chillies.  ($8)  Delicious!  For those of you looking for a one dish lunch from Le Tigre, this should do the trick (unless you're absolutely famished).  I was very impressed with the flavours and the amount of popcorn chicken.

A better look at the kick ass rice with popcorn chicken.  Note that the container lids double very nicely as plates.

As you may have guessed, this dish did not come from Le Tigre.  My very dear, pregnant friend opted for a beef dip from The Deli for lunch and I couldn't resist including a picture of it, because can you get a more pregnant meal than a beef dip with pickles?

 

http://www.letigrecuisine.ca/

Tap & Barrel...finally!

Well, it finally happened...I made it to Tap & Barrel!!!  I have been dying to get here since the day it opened and I'm glad I finally did...it definitely lived up to expectations.  23 beer on tap, 14 wines on barrel, a very fun and funky atmosphere, tonnes of TV's to watch the game but they didn't encroach on visiting time...I was very much a happy camper!  Mind you, that probably had something to do with the fabulous company I got to enjoy it all with. 

Now, for those of you wondering what I meant when I said "14 wines on barrel" this is one of the neatest parts of Tap & Barrel.  They have a special system where they actually tap a barrel of wine and are able to pour individual glasses without oxygen sneaking in and ruining the wine.  So, each and every glass is like it has been poured from a freshly opened bottle of wine.  How awesome is that?! 

Overall, I loved Tap & Barrel and definitely see myself making my way back plenty this summer...whether it be for hockey playoffs in July (you know it's going to happen), or for a caesar on the patio.  I was there in the evening, but you can tell from a glance that they have one of the best patios in Vancouver...with a view of Science World and BC Place to boot!  So, if you're looking for a new place to grab a wobbly pop, make your way to Tap & Barrel...you won't regret it.

My Red Roof Cider from Orchard Hill.  ($7.50)  I loved the way that all of the tables had been branded with the Tap & Barrel logo.

Hummus: extra virgin olive oil, paprika, pine nuts, wood stone oven flatbread.  ($11)  There was also some lemon juice or something of the like squeezed on top that took this hummus to a whole other level...delicious!

My view during the game.  How often do you see a bunch of TV's surrounded by that many kegs?  Not to mention that many taps all in a row!  And just to clarify, this was the one and only 3 second time frame that I saw these chairs empty.  We got there at 8pm and they barely had room for two!

Yam fries with house mayo...scrumptious!  ($5)

 

http://www.tapandbarrel.com/

Matsuyama

This past weekend I had a long overdue catch up with a friend.  She lives in Richmond, so when she suggested the sushi place around the corner from her house, I was expecting decent sushi but was pleasantly surprised by how delicious Matsuyama was!  After the fact, I did a little research and discovered that it's touted as one of the best sushi restaurants in Richmond and I can understand why.  So, if you're in the neighbourhood and craving sushi, you can't go wrong with Matsuyama.

 

Goma-ae.

Gyoza.  ($4.95)

 

Rock N Roll roll ($6.95), Titanic roll ($4.50) and I can't remember the name of the last one but it had prawn tempura on the inside and was wrapped with spicy tuna on the outside...delicious!

Our very own pot of tea!  How awesome is that?

The X that marks the spot.

A taste of Italy at home...

Have you ever had one of those recipes that you absolutely love, but have altered so much from the first time you tried it that you're not even sure if it even resembles the original recipe anymore?  That's Spaghetti alla Puttanesca from the January 2008 edition of Bon Appétit for me.  So, this past weekend when I started getting things together to make it, I decided to try it verbatim again, to see if my taste buds had changed at all.  This is one of my all time favourite sauces to make...you'd be crazy not to try some version of it!

 

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 4 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 796mL can of peeled tomatoes in puree with basil (I couldn't find a can with basil, so I chopped up a fresh bunch of basil and added that instead)
• 1/2 cup kalamata olives, halved and pitted (I bought the pre-sliced type...slacker, I know)
• 3 anchovy fillets, chopped
• 1 1/2 tbsp drained capers
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp dried crushed red pepper
• 3/4 pound spaghetti
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh Italian parsley
• Grated parmesan cheese

Heat oil in large sauce pan over medium heat.  Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute (I found this was less than 30 seconds.  I find if you leave it for a full minute your garlic is on the verge of burning).  Add remaining ingredients, excluding pasta, parsley and cheese.  Simmer over medium-low heat until thickened, breaking up the tomatoes with a spoon for about 8 minutes (I left this close to 20 minutes as I was getting the rest of dinner ready).  Season with salt and pepper (I didn't add any...didn't think it needed it).

 

Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until it's tender but still firm to bite.  Drain the pasta and return it to the sauce pan.  Add the parsley and toss the pasta until it's coated with the puttanesca sauce.  Let meld for a couple of minutes and then serve with cheese.  Serves 4.

 

My conclusion?  This is an absolutely lovely recipe that is good no matter how you make it.  However, I do plan on reverting to my version of the recipe in the future...changes included below:

1. Instead of using a can of tomatoes, I like to use fresh tomatoes when they're ripe and in season.  I'd normally use 5-6 roma tomatoes, diced small.  It increases the simmering time, but tastes oh so fresh.
2. I generally don't add the anchovy fillets.  It helps cut down the cost of the sauce, plus I prefer the saltyness of the olives and capers on their own moreso than with the anchovy fillets.
3. I normally only add a pinch of crushed red pepper rather than a half a teaspoon.  The half a teaspoon isn't too much heat, but I find it overpowers the flavours of the rest of the ingredients.  So, I prefer to add just a bit so there's a kick but you enjoy the other flavours more.
4. I tend to add less pasta because I like there to be a little extra sauce to spoon on top of the pasta when you put it on your plate.
5. I generally don't add cheese to this pasta dish.  I have a hard time believing this myself, because I normally like to slather my pasta in parmesan cheese, but I definitely like this sauce naked!

Enjoy! 



 

Now that's one heck of a puttanesca sauce, if I do say so myself!

Dinner...Spaghetti alla Puttanesca, halibut grilled and seasoned with sea salt, and grilled peppers and asparagus.  After this photo, I tried adding some of the puttanesca sauce to the halibut...delicious!  Would have worked very nice with sole or tilapia as well.

Super frog!

This past Friday night, instead of going out for dinner or drinks, I went to a fundraiser called Train the Trainer at Groundwork Athletics.  It was a blast!  It's an annual fundraiser where the trainers at the gym auction themselves off to the highest bidder for 10 minutes of training payback in support of a charity that encourages kids involvement in sports (this year it was Athletics for Kids).  Kegs of beer, tonnes of wine, yummy snacks, trainers dressed up in funny costumes, fabulous people, and a lot of laughs all led to approximately $5,000 being raised for Athletics for Kids (http://www.a4k.ca/).  Amazing!!

Okay, so what does this have to do with food?  In addition to the trainer auction, they also have a raffle and I won food!!!!  What are the odds of the food blogger winning food?  I was so excited!  I was a little disappointed that I didn't win the Pie Hole pumpkin pie (http://www.vancouverpiehole.com/), but I'm very excited to have some new workout snacks and to try some raw chocolate.

The other relation to food?  Without the trainers at this gym, there's no way I could justify all the yummy goodness that I eat for my blog.  Have no fear, I would still do it, but it would be a lot harder to justify!  The owners and trainers at Groundwork Athletics are good people with kind hearts who know their stuff inside out and will go more than out of their way to help you accomplish whatever goal you have in mind.  So, if you're looking for a change in your workout routine, I highly recommend checking them out...just don't steal my seat in spin! 

http://groundworkathletics.ca/

My winnings!!!  Protein crunch, Vega endurance gel, Chialicious drink mix, Giddy Yo Yo 89% raw dark chocolate and a $20 giftcard to The Buzz Café.  Look out Buzz Café, I feel a chai and scrabble challenge coming your way!!

Super frog doing some burpees and push ups on Granville!

The GWA crew!



Handy dandy veggies...

Why in the world would I ever want fake veggies hanging around?  Because they make the best storage system ever!!!  When Santa first introduced me to these contraptions, I thought they were cute but wasn't sure if they would be very useful.  Boy was I wrong.  They keep your veggies just as fresh as tupperware, they take up less space than tupperware, and they're in the shape of the veggie that you store, so you always know what you have in the fridge!  Brilliant!

I absolutely love these contraptions and use them non-stop.  So, if you're ever out and about and considering grabbing one of these hand-dandy contraptions, don't even think about it...just do it.  Especially since I hear Santa's workshop only produces a limited amount throughout the year.

Easter in Kelowna - an early Harvest

I spent this past weekend in Kelowna visiting family and friends, eating to my heart's content and basking in the sun...which led to a high of 24C!  Seriously, how often do you get to sit out on the deck pre-Easter dinner?  Needless to say, I was a happy camper.

On Easter Sunday, we decided to go to The Harvest for brunch.  It was great!  Didn't come close to comparing to my Mom's cooking over the weekend, but it hit the spot nonetheless.  For those of you who haven't been to The Harvest, it's lovely.  18 hole golf course, beautiful views of the city, very nice restaurant and a great patio in the summer.  You really can't go wrong!  I'll let the food do the rest of the talking.

Grandpa's Lobster Grilled Cheese: Atlantic lobster, onion marmalade, double cream brie, tomatillo chili jam, French loaf.  ($14.50)  There wasn't a crumb left on his plate when he was done, so I'm pretty sure he thoroughly enjoyed it, but he did say that the lobster got a little lost in amongst the rest of the flavours.

Grandma's half order Traditional Eggs Benny with tomato and avocado, served with home fried potatoes.  ($9)  I definitely didn't hear any complaints coming from that side of the table!

Dad's Harvest Par Breakfast: two eggs over medium, sausage butterflied, served with home fried potatoes, toast and preserves.  ($9.75)  Thoroughly enjoyed!

Mom's Tomato and Basil Scramble: two eggs scrambled, local field and heirloom tomatoes, fresh torn basil from the garden, mozzarella, served with home fried potatoes, toast and preserves.  ($11)  This looked amazing and Mom definitely enjoyed it.

My sister and her Three Egg Omelet: ham, mixed mushrooms, red and green peppers, field tomato and aged cheddar cheese, served with home fried potatoes, and a fruit cup instead of toast and preserves.  ($12)  Definitely no complaints here.  And, for all of you wondering, yes, it's hereditary. 

My Prime Rib Hash: smoked corn, red and green peppers, onion and home fried potatoes topped with two poached eggs and hollandaise sauce, served with toast and preserves.  ($15).  Very nice.

One of the highlights of the meal?  They brought easter egg chocolates for us with our bill!  For all hand model recruiters, please take note of my sister's unbelievable skill in this department.

 

(http://harvestgolf.com/ )

 

On our way home from brunch, we stopped off at Father Pandosy Mission.  I hadn't been here in years and it was neat to meander again.  So, if you're ever in Kelowna and are looking for something historic to check out, I highly recommend it.  It's pretty much at Benvoulin and Casorso. 

 

(http://www.okanaganhistoricalsociety.org/pandosy_mission.html)

Yet another gorgeous sunset in the Okanagan.  Location: a secret...mwah ha ha ha!