Meok Ja Gol Korean

The best Korean dinner we’ve ever had! Charcoal tubes are lowered into their grill and skewers automatically rotate, making a smokeless environment and the juices sealed in. The marination is lighter than most restaurants, so I taste the meat more.  The waiter had our meal timed to perfection, removing the meat from the skewers and cutting, then placing on the grill top to continue cooking if you wanted your beef well done. It was certainly more relaxing than having to be concerned about it yourself.

Dumplings were gone in a NY second. Grilled mackeral was crispy all the way to edges. Eel was tender.

Fried noodles were a little sweeter than I’ve usually had, but was still tastier than most places. Still won’t come close to my friend’s mom’s homemade version, but it’ll do nicely. The pancake was loaded with seafood and the texture was fluffy, not dense like all others we’ve tried.

Seating was very roomy – so much more comfortable and all the better to reach for that last rib! The charcoal takes about 1/2 hour to prepare, so it was a good thing we called ahead and had them start. The “MJG Dinner BBQ Combination B” feeds 4-5 people for $100. In our case, it fed 2 couples and 2 boys, and everything was polished off except for one slice of pancake. It was very filling and extremely satisfying. Even if you don’t have enough mouths to experience the self-rotating charcoal dinner, the flavors and quality of the other dishes alone will have us coming back for more.

Meok Ja Gol: 4992 Newton Street (and Kingsway), Burnaby, BC (604) 436-5005

Make Cookies in 90 Seconds with Your Waffle Iron

Martha’s version:
http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/chocolate-waffle-cookies?autonomy_kw=cookies%20waffle%20iron

Fine Cooking’s version:
http://www.finecooking.com/recipes/oatmeal-chocolate-chip-waffle.aspx

Karen’s Beans

I admit I use the word “cute” a bit too often, but just look at how the pink and prussian blue variegation go so well together. This is from Karen’s garden, which we’ve been plucking from and saying “THANKS” to before our meals.

The Galley

The Galley Patio & Grill

1300 Discovery Street
Vancouver, BC V6R 4L9
(604) 222-1331

Fries are nothing to write home about, but the $10 burger was very tasty with a view we take for granted here.

Sponge Pizza Dough

Book: Pizza Doughs and Crusts

This savory crust has an intriguing light texture that works with almost any topping.

Yields 4 large 8-inch pizzas.

Greek Garlic Pizza Dough

Book: Pizza Doughs and Crusts

Flavorful garlic and Greek Kasseri cheese lend a tantalizing taste and aroma to this matchless pizza dough. If Kasseri is not available, substitute it with freshly grated Kefalotiri, Bitto, Grana Padano, or Sardo.

Speedy Pizza Dough

Book: Pizza Doughs and Crusts

The fastest of my pizza doughs, Speedy Dough can be prepared from start to finish during the 30 minutes it takes for the oven to preheat. The recipe calls for rapid-rise yeast, and the dough is kneaded for leass than a minute and rises only briefly. The result, surprisingly is a wonderful crisp, light crust.

Roscan’s Pizza Baking Stone

You can now achieve at home the same great pizza you enjoy at your favorite pizzeria. The Roscan pizza baking stone is made of natural stoneware providing even heat distribution and moisture absorption to make lighter, crispier crust on your pizza.

Olive Oil Pizza Dough

Book: Pizza Doughs and Crusts

Adding olive oil to pizza dough, creates a thick, hard crust with a cake-like texture. This dough is ideal/or toppings that are very moist.

Thick & Creamy Yogurt

If you like super thick yogurt (almost sour cream consistency), this one is awesome. I first tried the Black Cherry flavour and it reminded me of ice cream. It’s not super sweet, but super creamy.

Liberte Mediterranee (greek style thick yogurt)

Available at Whole Foods and IGA. I recently discovered coconut flavour (has bits of shredded coconut in it) as well as hazelnut (which I haven’t tried yet). Aprox $4.50 at Whole Foods (sometimes on sale for $3.69) (Cdn) 500 g.

Burnaby Farmer’s Market

Burnaby Farmer’s Market

Every Saturday 9 am – 1pm, June 13th – Oct 24th
North Parking Lot at Burnaby City Hall, 4949 Canada Way at Deer Lake Parkway

We’ve tried the Italian and Garlic Sausage – both very full of flavour. 4 links of sausage for $12. While frying the ground beef for fried rice, it had none of that metallic “je ne sais quoi” smell found in other mass produced meats. It was also ground into textured pieces, not mushed-ground. Haven’t tried the lamb or pork yet (below).

Evaporated Cane Juice

We prefer the taste of natural sugar over white sugar, because it’s not as sweet and has a lighter taste. We saw this first in Costco USA and bought it try. The equivalent is so expensive in Canada. It took us over a year to see it again in Costco – so this time we bought 4 bags for $8 each.

Fish Ice Cream

First time I saw this in Uwajimaya, Seattle, it was so soothing after our long ride down from Vancouver on a hot day. Vanilla ice cream sidled next to red bean and covered with a soft waffle shell protect your teeth from freezing – what can be more blissful? Now I’ve found it at Great Two Supermarket 2760 Kingsway, Vancouver, BC V5R 5H5‎ – (604) 433-8132

Pita Factory

Do not re-adjust your monitor. This really is how much pita you get for $1. Blueberry bagels for $2.25 (I think they were previously frozen tho). Don’t forget they also sell fajitas.

Finally went there myself yesterday and couldn’t believe how many people came and went like a turnstile at PNE opening day.

PBF Pita Bread Factory Ltd.

7070 14th Ave. Burnaby
(604) 528-6111
www.pbf.bc.ca

Open 8-4 daily, closed Saturdays.

Google Map

Veggie Crisp from Costco

Got these in US Costco ($5.50 I think), but survey says they prefer IGA’s version more.

Boomer’s Drive In

Our first “drive-in” experience came with waffle fries from www.boomersdrivein.com

Stuffed Pork Tenderloin

I found a recipe at Canadian Living the other day and meant to test it out. But their website was down. So from what I remembered in the ingredients, I improvised and I think I did pretty good, if not better then the original.

Serves 2 to 4

Ingredients:

one pork tenderloin (approx. 1 lb)
1/2 jar (approx. 1/2 cup) of olive oil soaked sundried tomatoes with capers
1 tbsp. of capers
1/2 cup of black olives
1/2 cup of flat leaf parsley
1 head of garlic
1/2 cup of olive oil from the sundried tomatoes
salt and pepper to taste

1. Combine all the ingredients except the pork tenderloin into a food processor. Puree until it looks like a paste.

2. Butterfly the pork tenderloin lenghwise, be careful not to cut through the meat.

3. Spread about 4 tablespoons worth of the paste on the tenderloin.

4. Secure the pork with butcher twine (or toothpick)

5. Place on greased grill over medium heat (approx. 350′c) and cook for about 15-18 mins, turning occasionally. Remove from heat and let meat rest for about 5 mins. before serving.

Helen’s Food Finds

City Fresh Market
128-8171 Ackroyd Road
Richmond, BC V6X 3K1
(604) 244-8300

• Fresh CRABS cheap (staff speaks limited English)

Name Unknown
South West corner of Kingsway and Fraser
small corner grocery store next to it

• Fresh SPOT PRAWNS

Famous Food
1595 Kingsway (near Rona across from White Spot)
Vancouver, BC V5N 2R8
(604) 872-3019

• Frozen whole CHICKEN (non-medicated, natural feed) on sale for $1.99/lb

Kadoya Sesame Oil

H Mart carries Kadoya sesame oil, and it’s got an ingenious spout that prevents the backsplash glug glugging drama.

Simon’s Fruit Drink

2 cans Lychee, sliced (save 1 can of the juice)
1 can Jackfruit, sliced
1 can Palm’s Seed, sliced
1 can Arroy-D Coconut Milk
1/2 jar Buenas Sugar Palm Fruit, sliced
1/2 tsp salt
12 ice cubes

Mix all ingredients, add ice cubes, and enjoy cold.

Blueberry Pie

Tried the “Rita’s Simply Blueberry Pie” recipe and it worked very nicely. I was surprised by how wet the dough was, but it worked well. However, I’d double the salt to 1 tsp next time instead.

Tamako’s Tandoori Chicken

• Chicken Thigh         1lb (500g)
• Plain Yogurt            60cc
• Honey                     1tbsp
• Curry Powder            1tbsp
• Ketchup                  1tbsp
• Cooking Oil              1tbsp
• Soy Source               1/2 tbsp
• Garlic minced or grounded    1/2 tsp
• Salt                         1/4 tsp
• Black pepper              pinch
• Nutmeg                    pinch

Remove fat from chicken and cut into small size.

Mixed all the ingredients.

Marinate the chicken about 2 to 3 hours.

Bake in the oven (400˚F) or BBQ them.

Sprinkle salt over for the taste if you desire.

Blueberries

Cherries 2009

This cherry pitter was purchased in Rome in a kitchen supply store, after hunting and testing numerous ones. The handle is secure, not wobbly, and the spring felt very smooth. It can also be used to pit olives. It makes eating a mouthful of cherry true joy because you don’t need to fuss with the pit. Also found a twin cherry, which my cat enjoying smelling.

Simon’s Korean Beef Skewers

Requested by popular demand, Simon has finally measured his marinade for striploin beef skewers. Marinate 6 hours or overnight.

• 2 Costco striploin steaks, sliced against the grain, 4-5 strips, 1/8″ thick
• 1/4 cup sesame oil
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 3 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp ginger, minced
• 2 stalks green onion, minced
• 1 pinch sesame seeds
• 1/2 tsp salt

Thomas Haas for brunch

Good thing they’re so far away from us.

• Moroccan Chicken Panini: Moroccan spiced chicken breast, Fuji apples, toasted almonds, watercress, havarti cheese and mayonnaise on organic ciabatta
• Double Baked Almond Croissant
• Café Mocha

Edamame Dip by Alton Brown

Prep Time: 15 min
Level: Easy
Yield: about 2 cups

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Michele’s modifications: 1 packet Vanilla Sugar, 1 cup pecans, substitute with cane sugar (Panella), and extra large raisins (pre-soaked). Warning: they disappear in a day. Crispy yet chewy.

36 cookies

Cookie science

What makes a cookie chewy, soft, crunchy, cakey or crispy? This article helps explain. – Michele.

Memphis Blues Dry Rub

Well, the BBQ weather is here and time to fire up the grill!! I found this in Memphis Blues cookbook by George Siu and Park Heffelfinger. Lots of fantastic recipes in this book. You must pick one up for summertime cooking!

From the cookbook:

A dry rub is a mix of herbs and spices rubbed on a cut of meat before it’s barbecued. Some people rub the night before and refrigerate, while others rub just before they put the meat in the pit. The choice is yours.

Pear Tree

More of a visual diary: Lamb (tender, not gamey, but still heavy meaty taste) with grilled scallops (a tad dry). Halibut brioche (yes you can taste all that butter), beans (very young and tender), and tomato jam. Dessert: Ganache with oranges and chocolate orange sorbet. I’m not a huge fan of mixing chocolate and orange, but was convinced they know how to do it right here.

Pita Factory

$1.75 for 3 stacks of fajitas!!! Can’t beat this deal. Just freeze the rest.

PBF Pita Bread Factory Ltd.

7070 14th Ave. Burnaby
(604) 528-6111
www.pbf.bc.ca

Open 8-4 daily, closed Saturdays.

Prawns, Spotted in Vancouver

What the stickers on your fruit tell you

This website, http://www.earthyfamily.com/A-GMO.htm, shows you how to tell whether the fruit you’re buying is organic, genetically modified or is grown conventionally.

Basically, the first number on the stickers of the fruit tells you the following:

4 = conventionally grown

8 = genetically modified

9 =  organically grown

Chocolate Caramel Crack(ers)

From SmittenKitchen.com

My friend made these and posted in her Facebook. They look so incredibly delicious, I’m scared to make them for fear I will eat them all…

Chocolate Caramel Crack(ers)
Adapted from David Lebovitz, who adapted it from Marcy Goldman who is the genius that first applied this to matzo.

Nature’s Path Flax Plus Cereal

This cereal, I found at Costco for $7.99, giant box. Probably twice as much as the size that’s sold in the regular supermarket ($8 at supermarket). It’s all organic, has tons of raisins, and I don’t usually like cereal, I love this stuff and eat it when I’m rushed for breakfast! Yummm!!

Pumpkin Seed Cookies

Pumpkin seeds with a citrus twist – what a treat from my sister-in-law. She only uses 1/2 cup of sugar and didn’t bother grinding the tea leaves, since they’re so fine anyway.

Makes 30 cookies

1 Tbsp. (15 ml) Overwaitea Pure Ceylon Tea
1 3/4 cup (425 mL) all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. (3 ml) baking soda
1/2 tsp. (3 ml) salt
1/4 cup (60 ml) shelled pumpkin seeds or almonds, toasted, roughly chopped
1/3 cup (75 ml) unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup (150 ml) granulated sugar (use 1/2 cup if you prefer less sweet)
Finely grated peel of 1 lemon
Finely grated peel of 1 lime
1 egg
2 Tbsp. (30 ml) fresh lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 350′F (180′C). In a spice or coffee grinder, grind the tea leaves to a fine powder. In a bowl, combine the ground tea leaves, flour, baking soda, salt and chopped pumpkin seeds.or almonds. Set aside. In a mixing bowl, cream together the butter, sugar and lemon and lime peel. Add the egg and lemon juice and mix well. Add the flour mixture in 3 batches, mixing after each addition until a dough forms. Roll about 1 Tbsp. (15 ml) of the cookie dough into a round ball. Place on an ungreased baking sheet and slightly flatten. Repeat with remaining dough, spacing cookies about 2″ (5 cm) apart. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes. Remove cookies from baking sheet to wire rack to cool.

Black Bean Sauce

I like cooking with black bean sauce but never enough to finish using a jar before it looks dubious. I hope this package will solve my blue moon craving without the guilt pang of tossing unused sauce.

Got it at Donald’s Market for $1.49.

Easy Peasy Chili

Great tasting organic chili seasoning from Donald’s Market at just $1.29.

Which came first? Chicken or Fish?

I roasted chicken last night and this piece caught my eye when I set it on my puffer fish shaped plate. I swear the peppercorn was already there and I didn’t place it for the photo. Think I’d get any buyers on Ebay?

Grateful Grape

A cool tool from China skins bitter grape peels. Yes, it’s a little anal, but so gratifying to see the mound of easy-to-eat gems.

Baskin Robbins

Mythical Mushrooms

Whenever I draw mushrooms, this is the fairy tale kind I seem to draw. It dawned on me after photographing them outside the BC Cancer Agency that I’ve never actually seen them in real life before.

Kale and Potato soup

This recipe is super easy and quick. I use store bought organic vegetable stock. If you have time, go ahead and make the stock with beef bone for extra flavor.

1 bunch kale (black tuscan or green variety), remove rib and chopped coarsely
1 medium leek, sliced white and light green parts only
2 cloves of garlic, minced
3 medium potato, cut into chunks
1 lb. of sausage, I used farmer’s breakfast patties, you can try different types to your liking
1.5 liters of low sodium organic vegetable or beef stock
splash of Madeira or sweet wine such as sherry or port (optional)
1 carrot, diced (optional)
parmesan cheese, grated

Direction

1. In your soup pot, brown the sausages on both side.
2. Add in garlic and leeks. Cook until slightly soften. Add a splash of wine and scrape the browned pieces of meat from the pot.
3. Throw in the rest of the vegetables and stock. Bring to a boil and lower to simmer. Cook until potato is cooked, about 30 minutes.
4. Serve soup hot with some grated parmesan cheese

Turkey Meatballs

I got this off of Gweneth Paltrow’s blog (goop.com). It’s her friend Julia’s recipe. I just made it and it is awesome. I didn’t follow it exactly but it turned out great nonetheless. Marlene

Chocolate Chip Cookies (Donna Hay)

Can’t have enough chocolate chip cookie recipes! This one is nice, it has a touch of coconut in it, and it isn’t too sweet. (Makes aprox 20-30  cookies, not enough if you ask me…) Marlene

Braised Oxtail

If you like gnawing and sucking on bones this recipe is for you!

A very simple and rustic dish I love to make. Just so long as you have about 3 hours to spare, that is.

Magic Mushrooms

Feb 27, 2009: It snowed yesterday and even though the mushrooms were under cover, frost still managed to find their fragile petals. It’s a good thing we planned on eating them right away. It was an amazing harvest! Stir fried on their own and in scrambled eggs. Very delicate light taste, lots of moisture.

Feb 24, 2009: Update on the oyster mushroom! After bringing the mushroom bag indoors, mosquito larvae hatched. Brought it outside and waited for them to die. This time I stored it under the bathroom sink cupboard hoping a dark place might rejuvenate the young growth damaged by being out in the cold again. The next time I peeked, I was growing healthy musty mold. I almost gave up all hope, but still didn’t want to toss it. This time I put it next to our BBQ in the back patio where dim sun reaches. I’d forgotten all about it during the hard snow we’ve had. Yesterday I fed my worm compost bin for the first time this year and glanced at my oyster bag, not having much hope and was astounded to see this!

Dec 13, 2008: A neighbour didn’t want her mushrooms anymore (purchased at VanDusen Garden), so Christmas came early for me!!! As I was talking with her, I accidentally knocked over the beautiful oyster mushrooms and felt SO terrible! But she assured me they would grow back because the roots were well entrenched, and magically they are! The first ones were immediately eaten up in an omelet that night. More info can be found here: Vancouver Mycological Society

http://www.mycosource.com/oyster_kit.htm

revisit! the best chocolate chip cookies, ever

http://www.shelterrific.com/2007/09/03/real-life-test-kitchen-chocolate-chip-perfection/

Vietnamese Subs (home-made)

Well, if you can’t make it out to buy Vietnamese subs (Au Petit Cafe has my fave chicken sub), then you could make your own at home. It’s not exactly the same, but it’s not bad.