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Food and Drink

Funny how one little lunch

Can convince you that you might have missed your calling.

vineyard-in-rioja

kd-mm

That really, you should be the apprentice of a winemaker in Rioja, Spain. That you should spend your days strolling through vineyards, harvesting grapes and doing all those romantic-sounding things that vintners do.

I had lunch with the delightful Maria Martinez of Bodegas Montecillo Rioja recently and sampled seven vintages from her winery that date all the way back to 1975. (Quite a way to spend an afternoon.)

So if the winemaking life is calling to you too, head to Spain and try a bottle of Ms. Martinez’s first vintage: Montecillo Gran Reserva Seleccion Especial (1975). Or if you just want to pick up a bottle to take to your next dinner party, opt for her Montecillo Reserva (2006) which is a modest $23.99 and available in BC.

[First photo found here.]

April 22, 2011 by

Why is this not more common?

Too few restaurants clear away the tables once you’ve finished eating to open up room for a dance floor. In fact, I can’t think of any in Vancouver that do this. Aside from Calabash.

calabash-bistro-skylight2

Went there for a birthday party this weekend (happy 20-something, Ashley!) and ate delicious, delicious Caribbean food while the DJ blasted Sean Paul from a booth set up in front of a 100-year-old now defunct elevator. (All you Europeans, please don’t laugh. That’s about as old as the architecture gets over here in Vancouver.)

The food was amazing (even the salads are something to write home about) but my highlight would have to be the chef’s own hot sauce, which owner Roger Collins says they plan to bottle and sell. Do it soon, Roger, will you? I would put that stuff on everything.

silver-shirt-vintage

My silver, straight-out-of-the-eighties shirt is from F as in Frank. (I bought it after I shot my segment for The Express.)

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My coat? Same story. Just because we’re eating food from the beautiful, sunny Caribbean doesn’t mean we don’t have to bundle up for rainy Vancouver.

[Skylight photo found here.]

P.S. Tweet while you eat.

January 16, 2011 by

A Canadian in Paris

Wendy writes:

I stumbled upon your blog and I love perusing it! I’m in Paris just now and am staying for two months, and since you’ve been, I wanted to know some of your favourite places to shop (Printemps being one of them bien sur)?  Any good open markets for trinkets that are not overly touristy?

oneandonlyparis

Wendy, you lucky ducky! I am so envious of your two-month Parisian adventure. Now, I was there five long years ago so my shopping memories are limited — we did frequently frequent Printemps and the gorgeous Galeries Lafayette (our little atelier was near the Grand Magasins). I also remember loving the boutiques in le Marais.

But where do I dream of going in Paris? That, I can tell you:

There’s Colette, of course, whose artsy-fartsy funkiness is so irresistible, it would be my first stop.

 colette-interior-paris

Then there’s the shop by Canadian designer Tara Jarmon, who Haute World introduced me to in a guest post she wrote for the Anthology.

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And there’s the brilliant Merci, where you can feel good about stocking up on everything from books to fine jewelry — profits benefit impoverished children in Madagascar.imgmerci1

And finalement, there is Laduree, whose macarons are so beautifully pastel-y, they inspired the colour palette for Sophia Copola’s gorgeous film Marie Antoinette.

Laduree Paris shop window

Hope this helps, Wendy!

So, mes amis, do you have any tips for a gal embarking on a Parisian adventure? Any Paris wishes? Share, please!

Paris image found here. Tara Jarmon photo by Haute World. Merci illustration found here. Colette image found here. Laduree image found here.

P.S. Add the Anthology on Facebook, mes chéris.

April 8, 2010 by

If you’re a foodie en route to Spain this year

Then my friend Surina has a plea for you: submit a reservation request to El Bulli. Now.

elbulli_olive-oil-cylinder

The world’s best restaurant only takes reservations in January for the entire year. And these reservations are very, very hard to get.

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Which means even if you submitted your request on New Year’s Day there’s no guarantee you’d be eating there in mid-November.

el-bulli

Chef Ferran Adria’s creations are that good. Otherworldly, apparently. Or “alien food” as the amateur gourmet calls them.

Thanks for the heads up, Surina! Images from here and here and here.

January 9, 2010 by

My favourite tabouli recipe

Requires lots of chopping, but little of anything else.

tabouli recipe

Each of my friends makes it slightly differently, some add feta, others add much more cous cous. I do it like this:

3 bunches finely chopped parsley
1 1/2 cups chopped fresh mint
1 cup prepped cous cous
1 chopped firm tomato
½ chopped cucumber
1 red pepper
1 yellow pepper
1/3 finely chopped red onion
1/2 cup extra Virgin olive oil
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste

Prep the parsley and mint and set aside. In a large bowl, mix cous cous, tomatoes, onion, peppers and cucumber with lemon juice, salt and pepper. Mix in the parsley and mint and pour in the olive oil.

Et voila. I found the photo here.

November 10, 2009 by

Dessert first

Served homemade ice cream sandwiches for dessert last night.

ice-cream-sandwiches-homemade

And when I say homemade, I really mean “home assembled” because I bought the cookies, put a scoop of store-bought ice cream between them and then shoved them in the freezer for an hour or so. It’s the kind of dessert I love (thank you, Elisa, for introducing me).

flower-vase

Dressed the table cheaply and cheerfully.

urchin-vases

With sea urchin bud vases I found at The Cross.

caprese-balsamic-reduction

But the biggest hit? The caprese salad — the easiest, delicious-est salad in the world. If you want a recipe for the balsamic reduction you can drizzle on it, you can find it here.

August 23, 2009 by

Summer summer summertime

There is nothing — absolutely nothing — that reminds me of summertime as a child quite like freezies do. Fighting over the red ones, trying desperately to suck all the colour right out of the ice, cutting the corners of your mouth on the plastic edges. That’s summer to me.

graeme-freezies

This gorgeous photo was taken by Graeme, an art director I work with (you can find more of his photos on Flickr under Grrambo — a nickname I take full credit for). He took this photo of freezies in his backyard. “And then I ate them all,” he says.

Speaking of happy things, I’ve compiled my own happy list which you can find at the beeeautiful .v.

June 5, 2009 by

Playing tourist in my pretty city

I’ve heard many Vancouverites say they love coming home after traveling because this little city is so pretty. Though I prefer Departures to Arrivals, I do see the appeal.

granville-island-vancouver

Of all the tourist destinations in Vancouver, Granville Island has to be my favourite. I practically grew up there — taking dance lessons, playing in the water park, and more recently: eating.

vancouver-granville-island

The other day we went to Go Fish, a tiny little Fish and Chips shack that’s so out of the way, my Ma has never even managed to find it (it’s on the False Creek seawall across from Granville Island).

go-fish-sign

While I took photos like an out-of-towner, a very nice man gave my husband advice on what to order (the cod).

go-fish-vancouver

It’s the perfect spot to dangle your feet over the edge of the seawall with a basket of fresh fish and chips in your lap. Like you’re on vacation.

May 31, 2009 by

Nothing’s quicker, easier or delicious-er

than a caprese salad.

caprese-balsamic-reduction

If you use baby bocconcini, whole leaves of fresh basil and cherry tomatoes, you don’t have to chop a thing. My sister’s served it shish kabob-style on a toothpick but I didn’t have any so I opted for a shot glass — something I do have plenty of.

caprese-salad

If you drizzle it in balsamic reduction, it’s probably the best, most summery salad in the world — I’ve included a recipe after the jump.

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May 12, 2009 by