Joe Fortes Seafood and Chop House hosted its Annual International Oyster Shucking Competition last week. These delicate little beauties are one of my favorite foods: high in protien, iron and zinc and low in fat.  Add a little fresh horseradish, lemon or hot sause and you have a meal.  

 

I’ve been a judge at this very serious (I’m not kidding) competition for five years. This year, the event determined which oyster shucker will compete in New York. It also raises much needed money for the BC Professional Firefighters' Burn Fund.

 

Competitors came from as far away as Florida, but the crowd was cheering loudest for local favorites -- Oyster Bob of Joe Fortes and Ian Peck of Rodney’s Oyster Bar.

 

Each competitor is given 5 minutes to shuck 18 oysters…no more, no less. It usually takes me about 5 minutes just to get the hang of popping open the obstinent shellfish. This is a competition of strength and skill and these guys, and gals, are at the top of their game. And it can be a dangerous game at that. Last year, we pretty much disqualified a plate because there was blood in every oyster – the sucker’s blood. Not good. A plate of competition oysters is judged on the following criteria:

 

Accurate number of oysters – 18

Presentation – upright in their shells and aesthetically arranged

No shell fragments in the meat

No mangled oyster meat

Oysters must be detached from their shell

No blood – human or otherwise

No broken shells

 

The four of us judges sat for several hours judging no less than 22 plates of oysters. We ate a few of them too. Eamon Clark of Rodney’s in Toronto was crowned winner. Not a big surprise as he’s the current Canadian and Ontario champ.

 

The BC Professional Firefighter’s Burn Fund also won, raising some $35-thousand dollars. A big thanks to Joe Fortes – and my fellow judges, Andrew Morrison of Scoutmagazine.ca, Diva at the Met executive chef Dino Renheirts and Toronto caterer and oyster expert, John Baby from whom we all learned a great deal about oysters shucking. Here are some pictures for you.

 

WORD'S OUT ABOUT VANCOUVER'S OWN THOMAS HAAS  CHOCOLATES    Vancouver, BC - One of America's trade industry publications, Dessert Professional*, honours a distinguished group of chocolatiers from the New World in its inaugural list of Top Ten Chocolatiers. Canada's one and only recipient includes Vancouver's Thomas Haas of Thomas Haas Fine Chocolates & Patisserie whose signature handmade confections are renowned for their artisanry and uncompromising quality. Fellow top ten chocolatiers include: Jacques Torres, Jacques Torres Chocolate (New York, NY), Michael Recchiuti, Recchiuti Confections (San Francisco, CA), Andrew Shotts, Garrison Confections (Providence, RI), Jeff Shepherd, Lillie Belle Farms (Central Point, OR), Julian Rose, Moonstruck Chocolate (Portland, OR), Norman Love, Norman Love Confections (Ft. Meyers, FL), Patrick Coston, 2 Chicks With Chocolate (Parlin, NJ), Markus Candinas, Candinas Chocolatier (Verona, WI) and Jin Caldwell, Mars Retail Group (Las Vegas, NV). These talented artisans were recently recognized at an awards ceremony held during the 12th Annual New York Chocolate Show and will be featured in the December 2009 issue of Dessert Professional magazine. *Dessert Professional is the new and combined face of the former Chocolatier, Pastry Art & Design and Frozen Dessert magazines.

 

Dessert Professional magazine's Top Ten Chocolatiers come from a myriad of successful paths. With roots stemming from classical training at culinary academies, self taught backgrounds or affiliations with small to large companies, these chocolatiers are honoured for their "confectionery craft" and contributions that "have elevated the chocolate industry." - Matthew Stevens, Dessert Professional "We're very grateful to be recognized for our passion for chocolate," says Thomas Haas. "These accolades would not be possible without a dedicated team of professionals who have contributed to our success throughout the years. I share this award with my very own top team." Media interviews, kitchen tours and photo opportunities with Thomas can be arranged upon request.

 

KITSILANO LOCATION OPENS! Thomas Haas Fine Chocolates & Patisserie unveils its newest location in Vancouver's Kitsilano neighbourhood. The second storefront on West Broadway is another jewel box created by designer, Marc Bricault and Thomas Haas. Drop by either location for breakfast, lunch or just a cappuccino or two.

 

Ok, Halloween is over so I can officially mention the “C” word. Yes, let the Christmas shopping season begin! You can run around and wrack your brain for the perfect gift, or you could buy the foodie, hobbie chef or armchair chef on your list one of the fabulous new cookbook produced by local restaurants and chefs.

 

There are a lot to choose from, and in Vancouver, Barbara-Jo’s Books to Cooks is a great place to start, but even Chapters has some good local publications. Here are three of my favorites right now. I’ve posted some photos of the books and their launch parties. 

            

 

C Food

 

This is the first cookbook by C Restaurant, Raincity Grill and nu restaurant + lounge owner Harry Kambolis and his executive chef Robert Clark and it is a work of art on many levels. The recipes in C Food run from complex to dead simple. When I got it, I read it cover-to-cover, poring over the short, descriptive passages conveying Chef Clark’s personality, love of food and deep respect for the environment.

 

Kambolis and his restaurants are at the forefront of the sustainable eating movement. For example, C Restaurant is the only restaurant in North America to serve farmed abalone.  If you eat the threaten shellfish it anywhere else, it’s poached…and I don’t mean in stock. It’s easy to support a restauranteur and chef who really care. They walk the talk.

 

Still, if you don’t read it, and you don’t cook from it...just look at it. Vancouver photographer Hamid Atti has turned food into portraiture. In fact, the photos where shot before anything else was done, which is highly unusual. C Food is unlike any cookbook you’re likely to encounter anytime soon. You’ll be a hero if you place this one under the tree.  Here's a link to video of the C Food launch at the Vancouver Aquarium. 

 

Araxi

 

If you’ve never dined at Araxi, you may have heard of it. It’s where this year’s Hell’s Kitchen winner will work for the next year. It’s not surprising then that Gordon Ramsay wrote the forward for Araxi the cookbook -- the third by Top Table restaurateur Jack Evrensel – West and The Bluewater Café and Raw Bar being one and two respectively. This is perhaps my favorite of the three.

 

Araxi Executive Chef James Walt is one of my favorite chefs. I have never had even a remotely average bite at his award winning Whistler restaurant. His combines complexity and elegance without pretense -- which pretty much describes Walt's personality. The book, like Walt, focuses on seasonal, local food and uses the four seasons as a menu guide. It’s beautifully laid-out, easy to follow and the photography is enticing. I can’t imagine anyone who likes to cook or just look who would be disappointed to receive this book.

 

Vancouver Cooks 2

 

Seventy of Vancouver’s hot, new most respected chefs share some of their favorite recipes in this second volume. From John Bishop, Pino Posteraro and Vikram Vij to Ned Bell, Angus An and David Hawksworth, looking through this book is a veritable who’s who of the Canadian Pacific Northwest culinary scene.

 

The recipes are broken down in to four categories: Local, Seasonal and Sustainable; Innovative and International; The Rising Stars; and The culinary Vanguard.

 

Whether you love classic or more innovative food – I think you’ll love this book. And all proceeds from the sale of  Vancouver Cooks 2 will be invested in the Chef’s Table Society’s Chef’s Table Bursary and Scholarship Fund to help young chefs committed to the development of regional cuisine.

 

Air Canada's enRoute magazine has named Vancouver's Cibo Trattoria -- "Best New Restaurant of 2009."  enRoute magazine's contributing food writer Chris Nuttall-Smith had the arduous job of eating his way across the country, sampling dishes from restaurants which opened between summer 2008 and summer 2009.  I'm disappointed though not surprised that only one restaurant from BC made the list, albeit the winner.  Congratulations to the talented folks at Cibo.  Last year Vancouver's Bonita and Fraiche made the top ten, as did Stage in Victoria.  In the survey's eight-year history, only one other Vancouver restaurant has placed first. That was nu restaurant + lounge in 2006.  Here's the rest of this year's list aong with Chris's comments.

 

2.  The Black Hoof Toronto. “…known almost entirely for its excellent cured meats… And unlike at most other charcuterie bars around North America, the 28-year-old chef at The Black Hoof, Grant van Gameren, makes nearly all of the 40-odd meats on rotation here in-house.”

 

3.  Rush Calgary. “Chef Justin Leboe’s local-inspired menu is smart, cosmopolitan and completely delicious.”

 

4.  Atelier Ottawa. “Chef Marc Lépine’s labour of love is one of those rare science-inspired kitchens where the food isn’t a chore to eat – it’s maddeningly good.”

 

5.  Murray Street Ottawa. “Steve Mitton’s accomplished kitchen does Upper Canadian farmhouse cooking at its exuberant best…”

 

6.  Cabane à sucre Au pied de cochon Saint-Benoît de Mirabel. “This backwoods outpost of Martin Picard’s Au pied de cochon reimagines a beloved Quebecois custom into something more finely wrought than tradition ever could have dreamed.”

 

7.  Ship to Shore Malpeque Bay, PEI. “…a 1970s roadhouse was rescued from oblivion last spring and refurbished by a shellfish fisherman, Stephen Stewart, and a champion oyster shucker, John Bil.

 

8.   Pizzeria Libretto Toronto. “This is the only place in Canada to bear the pizza police’s stamp of approval.”

 

9.  Culina Highlands Edmonton. “Modern Ukrainian? This deeply charming Edmonton room (picture Grandma’s farmhouse kitchen with Nelson bubble lamps), does it with a silky reduction of beet juice and local honey, which is drizzled over whipped goat cheese and poppy-seed custard and crispy bread.”

 

10. La Salle à manger Montréal. “Can a bistro be a bistro and still feel exciting? At Montreal’s La Salle à Manger, the answer is an emphatic yes.”

RELEASE: Dining in the dark: Restaurants get romantic to spark conservation

 

VANCOUVER (Oct. 26, 2009) – Close to 40 restaurants in Vancouver, Richmond and North Vancouver will dim their lights and dial up the ambiance on Oct. 28 to show support for electricity conservation. A new initiative by BC Hydro, in partnership with Tourism Vancouver, will see restaurants like downtown’s C Restaurant and Kitsilano’s Trattoria Italian Kitchen, serving dinner by candlelight.

 

“We often find that one of the biggest barriers to electricity conservation is a lack of awareness – people don’t know what to do or where to start,” said BC Hydro president and CEO Bob Elton. “We are pleased to host this initiative with Tourism Vancouver and its member restaurants to demonstrate to the public that simply turning off your lights can help.” Tourism Vancouver’s chair, Rick Baxter, echoed the sentiments. “Conservation is such an important issue for the tourism industry,” said Baxter. “We hope that by getting our restaurant members involved in events like the Candlelight Conservation Dinner, our industry can lead the way in showing how important small changes are in making a big difference for the environment.”

 

As a part of the initiative, participating restaurants are offering patrons who are members of BC Hydro’s Team Power Smart special deals on dining, including two entrées for the price of one, a $5 gift certificate per person or a complimentary appetizer or dessert with the purchase of an entrée. Team members can download the coupons from the Team Power Smart section of BC Hydro’s web site. Team Power Smart is open to all British Columbians. By joining the team at bchydro.com individuals can set an electricity conservation target of 10 per cent and get access to tools and resources to help them meet their target.

 

Harry Kambolis, owner of Vancouver’s Raincity Grill, is not only a Team Power Smart member, but his restaurant has also recently made energy efficiency upgrades. “It’s important for the business community to lead by example,” said Kambolis. “We are doing that not only by participating in this initiative but also through the conservation retrofits we have made recently.

 

” For British Columbians looking to make the switch to energy efficient lighting, BC Hydro is reminding the public that October is Power Smart month and customers can get rebates on energy efficient lighting products. Tourism Vancouver first partnered with BC Hydro in 2008 to elevate green practices within the association’s membership of more than 1,000 businesses. The focus of the partnership is to help businesses demonstrate leadership in energy conservation and encourage all member organizations to participate in Power Smart programs.

 

For more information on the candlelight conservation dinner, including a list of participating restaurants, visit www.bchydro.com or www.tourismvancouver.com/candlelight.

 

 -30-

 

Visit BC Hydro’s Press Centre www.bchydro.com/media Contact: Simi Heer BC Hydro p. 604.623.3963 simi.heer@bchydro.com

Wendy Underwood Tourism Vancouver p. 604.631.2859 wunderwood@tourismvancouver.com

 

 

Participating restaurants

 

Araxi Restaurant + Bar

 

American Grille Restaurant

 

Aria Restaurant & Lounge

 

Blue Water Cafe + Raw Bar

 

C Restaurant

 

Carver's Steakhouse & Lounge

 

CinCin Ristorante + Bar

 

Diva at the Met - The Metropolitan Hotel

 

Gramercy Grill

 

Hermitage Restaurant

 

Italian Kitchen

 

Las Margaritas

 

Le Gavroche Restaurant

 

Moustache Cafe

 

Northlands Bar and Grill

 

nu restaurant + lounge

 

Nyala African Cuisine

 

O'Doul's Restaurant & Bar

 

Prospect Point Cafe

 

Provence Marinaside

 

Raincity Grill

 

Rocky Mountain Flatbread

 

Sanafir

 

section (3)

 

Shaughnessy Restaurant

 

So.Cial Le Magasin

 

STONEGRILL

 

The Brasserie

 

Restaurant at the Coast Plaza Hotel & Suites

 

The New Bohemian

 

The Ocean Club

 

The Old Spaghetti Factory

 

The Point Restaurant & Tapas

 

The Refinery market.style.eatery

 

The Sunset Grill

 

Trattoria Italian Kitchen

 

West Restaurant + Bar

 

Westward Ho

 

Public House & Grill Room at The University Golf Club

 

 

 

 

I had the pleasure of having dinner with my friend Steve Podborski the other night. Yes…the Crazy Canuck. He’s busy these days as Assistant Chef de Mission for the 2010 Olympic Games, Director of Community Sport for Telus, and too many other things to mention.

 

We went to C Restaurant for what was going to be a simple snack and a glass of wine. The view is so pretty there. It ended up being four courses including one that was particularly surprising for me. That’s what can happen when you agree to let C’s Chef de Cuisine, Quang Dang, “Bring you a few things.”  We were treated to a parade of delicious and creatively prepared scallops, prawns, and other seafood delights.

 

I knew going in that Chef Dang might offer us some fresh-off-the-boat, caught-three-hours-ago green sea urchin. Uni is at its peak this month and Quang along with Executive Chef  Robert Clark and owner Harry Kambolis are all excited to feature it.  I’ve eaten urchin several times in the past and the experience has not left me wanting more. Its texture is too limp and its taste -- too oceany. But since Steve Podborski’s adventurous nature isn’t all left on the ski hill, he was more than happy to dive in, so I agreed to a serving.

 

Quang prepared a dish of fresh green goo with cucumber and crispy lardo (anything's good with bacon) along with Dungeness crab and apple salad.  But it wasn’t the dish, served appropriately in an urchin shell that did it for me.

 

Steve and I went to the open kitchen so that I could get enough light to take a photo of the urchin dish. While there, Quang showed me the tiny, pearl-like texture of the raw sea creature. If you’ve never eaten it, it resembles salty, green pudding. He scooped some onto a plate and offered me a spoon. “Taste it. Go ahead!” he goaded me.  I kept thinking, "How could it be bad if these guys like it so much?"  So…I plunged a spoonful in my mouth. The urchin almost burst on my tongue.  A gentle texture, creamy but more than that and a delicate sweet taste…not at all like I’d had before.  I went back to my seat humbled.  I'm now a green sea urchin fan, but only if it’s fresh -- which is a given at C Restaurant. 

 

The folks at C are proud to help promote the work of the Pacific Urchin Harvesters' Association. Together they’re helping to make a delicious and sustainable product a little more popular. I highly recommend it.  Have a look.