Cream and Sugar, yes please!

April 3, 2011April 3, 20113 Comments

Cream and Sugar

Here is a sweet new blog I recently discovered, called CreamandSugar.ca. They have a creative concept, not to mention a fabulous title, where two bloggers, with two different lifestyles, from two different cities collide under one URL sharing their love of food. One blogger is from Edmonton, who brings the sugar, and the other is from Vancouver, and brings the cream. Sweet.

I just saw the heavenly looking post titled salted white chocolate oatmeal cookies – I know what I’m baking next!

And I particularly love Cream’s “solo suppers beyond cereal” series, and Sugar’s “dinner for two and a half” series. Brilliant posts, and their titles are catchy. The fun dual content, great photos and array of recipe ideas makes this food blogging tale of two cities worth bookmarking…

PS. These ladies Facebook and Tweet too!

OK, Kraft know’s what’s cooking

March 30, 20113 Comments

Kraft Foods has a free quarterly cooking magazine called What’s Cooking that features their products in an array of seasonal recipes for every meal of the day.

If you are looking for some extra food inspiration in your mailbox every few months, then check out this magazine. I have been on their mailing list for years, so I can say with honesty that it is a good freebie – especially if you already like Kraft products.

I love it when What’s Cooking arrives in the mail each season, and although it is a fun read I dont always make the recipes. But this latest issue has some rocking salad recipes and hit the mark for me. This one I am having for lunch tomorrow: Bulgar & Beans.

Beans & Bulgar salad: I made this earlier tonight, easy-peasy on American Idol commercial breaks. Yup.

What's Cooking magazine

Beans & Bulgar salad, page 35

Here is the recipe link: click here. Note: I swapped chickpeas for extra kidney beans, which is the great thing about these recipes – their flexibility.

Let me know if you try any other recipes from this issue?!

WHET is Set on Granville Island!

March 27, 2011March 27, 20117 Comments

WHET Kitchen.Bar.Patio is NOW OPEN! 1517 Anderson Road, Granville Island

WHET Kitchen patio on the right, overlooks Granville Island harbour.

A fresh new addition to the Granville Island scene: WHET Kitchen.Bar.Patio! Formerly Sammy J Pepper’s location, the owners have switched things up and shed the pepper scene to go for a more fresh locally sourced menu concept.

With one of the largest patios in Vancouver, overlooking the Granville Island harbour, this will surely be a hot spot in the sun!

WHET opened just a few days ago, and already were hopping with weekend business for their debut weekend. Our table enjoyed a variety of the menu items, and we all left full and happy. The service was friendly, the food was fresh, and that is what I will return for – especially their to-die-for seafood chowder, and these delicious dishes:

Classic fish and chips... The British guests I dined with said the fish passed with flying colours.

Flatbreads too...

Open faced fish sandwich, reportedly is amazing!

Oscar Moment Snacking: Ready in one commercial break!

February 26, 2011February 26, 20114 Comments

So, the OSCARS are back, airing tomorrow night and some of you may be planning parties for many or simply a few. Here is another EASY snack idea to add to your menu, and its healthy too.

This is the quickest and most healthy way I know to make popcorn at home, and it like air popped and cheaper than standard microwave popcorn products. Other than this method, I enjoy stove-top method, but that can be tricky sometimes so I recommend my Microwave @ Home Personalized Popcorn Recipe!

Three ingredients: popcorn seeds, brown paper lunch bag, and seasoning of choice.

Line the bottom of the paper bag with a single layer of popcorn seeds

Fold the bag closed and pop in the microwave for 2:00 minutes, or until popping slows down.

Season as you like! I'm using Epicure Selections' White Chedder popcorn seasoning, low sodium and tasty!

Season as you like, close the bag and give it a good shake! I'm using Epicure Selections' White Chedder popcorn seasoning, low sodium and tasty!

But if the white cheddar doesn’t float your boat, you can season with ANYTHING you want really! Because these are individual serving sizes, each guest can choose their preferred flavour, maybe they would like to try:

Salt and butter is clearly a classic, but add in a little Parmesan or
Rosemary and salt (this one is yummy) or maybe
Chili powder (for the spicy folks)
Curry flavours
Salt & Pepper even…
What do you like on your popcorn?

Some of my spice selection... This site above my stove and adds colour to my kitchen all the time!

Endless spice possibilities!

Oscar Moment Popcorn! Voila! Ready in 2:00 minutes or one commercial break!

AVAILABLE AT A TV NEAR YOU – ENJOY!

HAVE Cafe’s 2nd Annual Cupcake Throwdown!

February 17, 2011February 26, 2011Leave a comment

In January 2011, HAVE Cafe hosted their second annual cupcake throwdown at Cafe Deux Soleils on Commercial Drive. It was a SWEET event to say the least and raised over $2600 from ticket sales and donations. Funds support HAVE Cafe, a culinary training school and restaurant in the downtown Vancouver’s eastside. Their mission is “To develop a program that will train “employment barriered” people from the downtown eastside and surrounding neighbourhoods, and to place them in entry level jobs in restaurant kitchens of the BC Restaurant and Food Services Association”. A cause that melts my heart, and reminds me of Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen Foundation program. The idea of inspiring people and teaching life skills in the kitchen is amazing to me. If you have the chance, visit the Cafe – it is the best value eats in more ways than one…

So when an organization like this hosts a cupcake fundraiser it’s an instant sell to me! Cupcake bakers contended with their cupcake displays throughout the night, while patrons tasted all the entries and voted on the winners or presentation and taste.

I honestly had a hard time choosing, they all were good in their own way. I feel like a mom saying that, but it is true. How can you go wrong with a cupcake!?!?

Here are some photo highlights of the sweetest dinner I’ve had so far this year! I can’t wait for the 3rd annual throwdown!!!

Third place winner - sweet potato carrot cupcakes!!!

Rainbow cupcakes - I was SERIOUSLY impressed by these ones!

S'more Cupcakes with camping Ken & Barbie

The pinkest ones of all, and flavour was to die for!

Bite-size & flavour packed: Mexican Vanilla cupcake filled with blackcurrent cream and a swirl of cassis flavoured Italian meringue buttercream - topped with a mini french macaron.

YES thats an ice cream cone filled with brownie, vanilla cake, and topped with buttercream frosting!

There were a few French displays too...

Paris too!

Classic chocolate.... enough said. This was my final stop of the night.

The winners of the night were a first place Red Velvet cake, second place coco lime, and third place sweet potato carrot. The pink pink cassis cake won for best presentation.

It was sincerely sweet success!

Hello 2011 – just let me eat CAKE!

February 17, 20112 Comments

I can’t believe how fast 2011 is flying by already, outside my blogging efforts I’m about to start a new job and I’m starting to feel the success of my first food blogging year. Referrals continue to come in and I’m inspired by the food scene in Vancouver everyday, I wish I could write stories as often as I am inspired… One day maybe!

For now, I wanted to share a few foodie highlights from 2011. My first adventure this year was learning about urban composting from the folks at CityFarmer.org. They have such an amazing organization in the core of Vancouver in the West 4th area. Their passionate gardeners truly care about nature – and even though I visited in the midst of winter, the garden was still a fascinating place to visit.

Sharron, head gardener, and Michael Levenston, Executive Director, shared their stories with me and Sharron toured me around the garden. It is the coolest and greenest place I’ve seen in months, despite lack of green in January. I’ll be back in the spring for sure. Full story to follow soon.

A gateway to greener living in Vancouver, CityFarmer.org

After my gardening experience, I headed to the Second Annual Cupcake Throwdown H.A.V.E Cafe fundraiser, at Cafe Deux Soleils on Commercial Drive in Vancouver. HAVE Cafe is a culinary training school in downtown Vancouver’s eastside, and is as inspirational as Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen Foundation.

So when I received an invitation with the words “Cupcake Throw-down”, it was not an RSVP to decline – a guaranteed sweet event. It was certainly sweet success raising over $2600 for HAVE Cafe. Full photo story to follow next!

HAVE Cafe cupcake throw down fundraiser was a hit!

A couple cupcake contenders and voters...

The food train continued a couple weekends later when my own brother hosted a sushi potluck dinner party. A great idea for you folks looking for some fund ways to host dinner with friends! Host makes the sushi rice and nori paper; and provides the basics including soy sauce, wasabi, rolling mats, chopsticks and maybe some Japanese green tea! Then your guests each bring an ingredient prepared to roll inside your sushi! EASY PEASY AWESOME!

Potluck ingredients may include bell peppers, yams, prawns, salmon, lettuce, cucumber, cooked egg, avocado, shrimp, carrot, and whatever your heart desires.

Guests take turn making their sushi roll of choice, so yummy and fun!

Homemade sushi can be so colourful!

Make your own veggie rolls too!

Classic cucumber!

Have you ever hosted a sushi potluck? Or another culinary-themed potluck dinner? Tell me about it!

Happy Holidays with Vancouver’s Largest Gingerbread House!

December 23, 2010Leave a comment

Largest Gingerbread House in Vancouver

A SWEET and HAPPY HOLIDAY WISH TO ALL! May you feast well with loved ones!

Here is a treat I saw recently, Vancouver’s largest gingerbread house, found in Gingerbread Lane at the Hyatt Vancouver (open until December 27, 2010). The house is made with 1400 egg whites (yes as in well over 100 dozen!)) , 400 pounds of icing sugar, and 500 pounds of gingerbread dough. It is life size, 11 feet tall, 16 feet wide and is difficult to photograph all in one frame! If you can make it there in the next few days it is worth a trip, and to see all the other gingerbread houses on display. Either way….

Happy Holidays and Happy New Year to everyone!

Stay tuned for new adventures from Beyond The Dough in 2011…

Movember ends in Stachoff @thecornersuite!

December 2, 20102 Comments

Live twitter feed shown throughout the event

Live tweets shown throughout the event

Movember ended earlier this week, and I attended my first Tweetup! Hosted by The CornerSuite Bistro in downtown Vancouver, known for their signature blue chairs, it was a fun post-work event to check out the 30-day-upper-lip-mogression! Ladies attending had the option to buy fake-stache by donation, and some of them began to fall off throughout the event which added to the entertainment.

Some of CornerSuite Bistro's signature blue chairs

Here is a clip of a couple of the contests who competed in the stachoff where the top three winners received gift cards to a barber shop.

Have you been to a tweetup before, if so, where was it?

Home for the Holidays!

November 29, 20101 Comment

With December less than 48 hours away, here is the holiday segment from The Express Vancouver at the Dirty Apron Cooking School (the clip begins 7mins in).

Let me know what you think in the comments below! Happy Holidays!

Dirty Apron: a Vancouver Foodie Bucket List Must!

November 29, 2010November 29, 20104 Comments

Dirty Apron Cooking School: 540 Beatty Street, Crosstown, Vancouver BC

I joined a mini-class at Vancouver’s Dirty Apron Cooking School for an upcoming SHAW TV holiday segment, and I certainly felt like a culinary pro! Their cooking school is designed to make everyone feel that way – be a kitchen pro for a day.

First we received a lesson from the Chef on how to make a fun holiday-entertaining appetizer – then we made the same recipe ourselves using their kitchen stations.

My experience was incredibly fun and I dub this a Vancouver Foodie Bucket List must!

The classroom set up reminded me of being in highschool home-ec class, with the demonstration mirrors above the Chef station, and the personal instruction provided to us as we made the recipe on our own.

Learning new things in the kitchen is a top pass-time of mine, and here I learned some new basic knife skills and techniques for preparing the recipe ingredients – I loved every minute of the class. The surroundings were professional and it felt like we were on a food tv set: I was giddy over the gourmet kitchen experience!

Kitchen classroom work stations

Once the Chef’s interactive cooking demonstration was complete, we manned our stations to find everything portioned out for the recipe – just like on tv! Each station is equipped with all necessary tools, pans, and fun kitchen accessories.

My heart raced with excitement as we began by cutting our onions for caramelization. I’ve chopped an onion dozens of times before, at home, but here it became an adrenalin rush for me – I am an foodie-anomaly though! I was excited to be in the kitchen setting, fitted with my apron and hand towel tucked into my side – we cooked up a storm! And then we feasted!

My first puffed pastry tart, after the first bite:

Savoury goats cheese pesto puff pastry tart - garnished with rocket, tomatoes, cheese, walnuts, and drizzle of olive oil.

A tasty tart - perfect for holiday entertaining with rich colours of green and red...

At the Dirty Apron Cooking School you’ll WATCH, LEARN, COOK, EAT, and really HAVE FUN! I recommend their classes are for everyone, and they make great gifts too because anyone can participate : from amateurs to culinary-enthusiasts!

Stay tuned at Shaw Express for their holiday entertaining segment from the Dirty Apron Cooking School.