In Monday night’s Elimination Challenge, the chefs must create an Indian feast for the judges and guests, including international comedy superstar Russell Peters. To prepare and inspire them for this feast, the chefs are invited to sample the many flavours of Indian cuisine featured in Vij’s at Home, Chef Vikram Vij’s own line of ready to eat Indian curries.

“I was really honoured to be asked to participate as a judge once again this year on Top Chef Canada,” says Vij, who also appeared on last season’s final episode. “I’m delighted that Top Chef Canada has chosen to highlight Indian cuisine on the show, and put it up there with Italian or French cooking for these chefs as well as future chefs watching the show.”

On working with special guest Russell Peters, he says: “He brought a lot of fun and energy, to a high-pressure situation. Along with hard work and passion, you must always remember not take yourself too seriously, and he definitely reminded us all of that.”

So what will it take to win the Elimination Challenge? Vij says there is a lot of talent on display: “It’s great to see so many aspiring chefs utilizing fresh, local ingredients in unique and interesting ways on the show. There is so much talent in the culinary community in Canada and I am so pleased to be involved in a program that showcases that talent so well.”

ABOUT VIKRAM VIJ
Vikram Vij was born in India and grew up in Amritsar and Bombay.  His most vivid childhood memories revolve around food and family and he pursued this further when he moved to Europe and later when he came to live in Canada.
He opened the first 14-seat Vij’s Restaurant in Vancouver in 1994 and, later that same year, married Meeru Dhalwala who would later take over managing the kitchens of both Vij’s and Rangoli restaurants.  They will open a larger Vij’s restaurant in Vancouver within the next 12 months.
Vij has published two award-winning cookbooks with Dhalwala – Vij’s: Elegant and Inspired Indian Cuisine and Vij’s at Home: Relax, Honey.
As well as his appearance as a judge on the first season of Top Chef Canada, he is a regular guest on many TV shows across the country and recently hosted Canada’s first ever live webstreamed cookalong.

After the beach party in 2008, the pool party in 2009, the Canvas Lounge party in 2010 and the fun sassy Society party in 2012, Sophisticated Adventure Consulting & InspirationALL Talent & Modeling Group are thrilled to host a Garden Tea Party in 2013 for the PINK in the City fundraiser to raise money for Women’s Cancers & the BC Cancer Foundation.
Just like previous years, ladies can expect to be pampered by the male volunteers and gentlemen are always welcome to come out and support a good cause. This year’s delightful fundraiser will be held at the 5000 sq-ft backyard of a private home in Shaughnessy. This century-old mansion will provide a beautiful backdrop to a fun and whimsical afternoon of wine, tea, treats, music, games and prizes!

Date: Saturday June 15, 2013
Time: 2pm to 6pm
Venue: Address will be sent to ticket holders

Be sure to mark Saturday, June 15th on your calendar!

For more information, please visit:
Website: http://bcpinkinthecity.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bcpinkinthecity
Tickets are on sale now! https://kiosk.eztix.co/kiosk/14242

Le Gavroche - FRESH, LOCAL, SEASONAL UNTIL MAY 30TH

Spot Prawn Ceviche & Prawn Cracker
Sous Vide Chicken Breast stuffed with Spot Prawns & Citrus Vinaigrette
Green Apple Souffle

LE GAVROCHE MODERNE – 1616 ALBERNI STREET – 604 685 3924
INFO@LEGAVROCHE.CA – LEGAVROCHE.CA

Vancouver Spot Prawn Boil Fishermen’s Wharf

Cibo – Spot Prawn Fritti

Tableau – Tete a Tete Party – Washington Spot Prawn Boil – BC Season was late.

Spot Prawn Dinner Rocky Creek Winery paired with their Pinot Gris

Spot Prawns Raw from Chef Ned Bell Yew and Thai-style from Chef Robert Clark courtesy @nikkibayley http://blog.hellomagazine.com/the-maple-life/

Refuel spot prawn boil – Now at Campagnolo

Prontissima Pasta Squid Ink Pasta and Spot Prawn – Alpine Festival Comox Mt. Washington

Spot Prawn Toast at Wild Rice

Battered spot prawns Tableau

Arts Club Theatre Dirty Apron Cooking Class – crab cakes with spot prans

Fiddlehead and spot prawn soup – Kits Daily Kitchen

heritage angus rib eye, spot prawn, rhubarb butter, creamed spinach w/ goat cheese, fingerling potatoes – Kits Daily Kitchen

spot prawns Szechuan Chongquing

C Restaurant Sautéed Spot Prawns with Kale, Lime, Chili and Romesco Sauce

Degan Walters and Sophia Cheng particularly liked the prawns boiled up simply by Chef Marc-Andre Choquette.

Plates of antipasto, grilled Asparagus and plenty of other snacks.

Oysters on the half shell freshly shucked and lots of great wine, cocktails and beer completed the evening.

Suika means watermelon so when faced with the decision on the Magical Mojito Pitcher that comes with the package we choose watermelon instead of pomegranate or aloe.  The bartender added a generous amount of alcohol; this wasn’t any watery attempt at skimping on booze that I often find in pitchers of drinks.  I rarely order my drink in a pitcher in fact, but here I recommend you go for it and throw caution to the wind.  Just don’t try this with Wolowidnyk at West; it may not go over so well. 

First up was the Steak Salad, marinated AAA beef filet steaks grilled to perfection and served atop organic greens with watercress, shaved beets and radish.  A nice zippy citrus dressing brought the salad together.

Next up Salmon Battera, a salmon sushi with sockeye salmon, salmon caviar, spicy cod roe mayo, Japanese basil, avocado and shiso appeared and was quickly gobbled up by myself and my two dinner companions.

The Ma-Po Rice Cake completed the package.  A deep friend rice cake with spicy ground pork sauce, this dish has an interestingly chewy texture, but one I approved of and then afterwards crave.  The sauce is delicious, full of pork and just the right amount of spice.

Birthday party dinner theatre.

Since there was three of us we were still a bit peckish and therefore went for the tasty miso-glazed cod, some melting good and uber fresh tuna sahima and a bowl of their intensely flavoured oxtail ramen noodle soup with soya broth and fish powder and scallions on top.  I could eat this daily and not get tired of it.  A must try for any noodle-soup fan.

 

TO WIN ALL 3 PLEASE!

1.  Tweet “#Giveaway #win #teaparty #cookbook @SALONTEAcanada @goodlifevan http://ow.ly/kWjso”

I have a thing for the ritual of afternoon tea.  Something about taking a break and snacking on mini this and thats alongside a good pot or two of tea just does it for me.  It’s an especially good time to catch up on friends happenings, spill a little gossip and all this comes without a hangover.  This spring when Tracy Stern SALONTEA  opened South Granville, I and other tea lovers had another spot to enjoy the process at 3010 Granville Street.

Sarah Ambrose is the woman behind this boutique.  She saw SALONTEA President, Tracy Stern on Bravo Television and was drawn to the story of the tea and tea parties. She contacted Stern, they formed a partnership and she now distributes the extensive selection of teas, accessories and tea beauty care throughout Canada as well as running the tea boutique.

The tea house has more than a dozen estate blended teas and customers can enjoy daily tea service alongside baked goods sweets, salads and sandwiches.  Also available at the boutique: signed-copies of Tracy Stern’s popular book, ‘Tea Party: 20 Themed Tea Parties with Recipes for Every Occasion, from Fabulous Showers to Intimate Gatherings’.

Vancouver SALONTEA hours are 10am to 7pm Monday to Friday and 10am to 5pm weekends & holidays.

The room is bright and airy, filled with brilliant orange and pink and balanced out with a good slap of white.  I sampled a number of items they put together for me.

Scone selection (changes seasonally)- house made cheddar cheese, raspberry and white chocolate or raisin scones served are all served with with Devon Cream and jam

Sandwiches include:

Vegetarian on Multi Grain – lettuce, Swiss cheese, avocado, tomato, cucumber, red onion and salt and pepper with light mayonnaise as a base

Ham and Swiss on Multi Grain – thin sliced black forest ham layered with slices of Swiss cheese served with a grainy mustard spread, lettuce, tomato and cucumber

Steveston Blend on Croissant – Grilled chicken, artichoke, chopped gherkins, red onion and tangy, grainy mustard vinaigrette

 Salmon Salad Wrap – Sockeye salmon, green onion, freshly chopped dill, thin sliced red onion, light mayonnaise, lemon zest and lemon juice

Curry Chicken Salad on Croissant – grilled chicken, green onion, freshly grated ginger, red onion, light mayonnaise, curry spices and fresh cilantro

Salads on the menu:

Quinoa Greek Salad – the perfect, healthy take on a classic Greek dish

Coconut Mango Chick Pea Salad – an Ambrose family favourite that is surprisingly filling, fresh and tasty!

Sarah’s Spring Mix – spinach, goat cheese, almond slivers, seasonal fruit slices tossed in our house vinaigrette

Great selection of teas served up in modern glasses.

Lots of sweets including:Mini Cupcakes (assorted flavours)Macarons by Kitchening With Carly (assorted fresh seasonal flavours and monthly special tea-infused Macarons exclusive to SALONTEA made using loose tea)Cheesecake bites (change daily) Delicious bite-size morsels of cheesecake goodnessLemon Bars – lemon bars topped with fresh seasonal berries

Brownies – chocolate caramel brownies to satisfy your sweet tooth ($3.50 each)

Mini Mousse (currently featuring a mango and white chocolate mousse with fresh mint and raspberries in an individual cup)

Salontea also hosts tea parties and has special Tea Party-only menu ideas 

• Smoked Salmon Pinwheel with fresh dill and cream cheese
• Pickled Ginger, Cucumber and watercress, sour cream
• Mini curried chicken croissants
• Mini ham and Swiss cheese sandwiches on ciabatta

Written By Vincenzo D’Antonio

Gorgonzola is one of the most renowned Italian cheeses in the world. It is a blue veined DOP cheese produced exclusively in Italy from whole cow milk. As it often happens for many specialties of the traditional Italian cuisine, its origins are halfway between legend and reality. According to the historians, the first Gorgonzola ever to be produced dates back somewhere between the 9^th and the 12^th century in a small village nearby Milan called Gorgonzola; this cheese was then named after this same village.

Back then, people did not use to pay much attention to the classification of cheeses as they were all referred to as “caseus”, a Latin word. Not even this special blue veined and moldy cheese was an exception to that rule. At that time, no one could explain exactly how Gorgonzola could be made, thus, it was regarded somewhat as the result of a plant process halfway between alchemy and magic, a sort of miracle of nature giving raise to that particular greenish nuance and unmatched flavor.

Subsequently, in the 16^th century, Gorgonzola was also given the name stracchino. It referred to the cheese from the milk of weary cows recovering from the long descent from the high mountain pastures to the valley.

In the lowlands of Lombardy the stracchino was also known as erborin that meant parsley in the ancient dialect and thus, best described that greenish veining inside the cheese. Later on, the know-how of Gorgonzola was brought to the Piedmont region due to the migrations of Lombard dairymen’s families across the Ticino River, which separates the two regions.

Once passed the river, these dairymen decided to settle in the Novara area because they found it rich in water, pastures, cattle and, therefore, milk.

Gorgonzola must be made in the area of origin, with milk from the consortium territory and, in the same area, must be produced, seasoned and packaged for sale. If that does not occur, the cheese shouldn’t be regarded as Gorgonzola.

Gorgonzola DOP was lawfully recognized by the UE in the year 1996.

Each and every cheese round weighing about 12kg is labeled at the origin, displays information about the cheese maker. In order to be sold as such, each round should be wrapped in aluminum foil displaying small embossed “g” printed all over the wrapping foil: without this trademark of the Consortium, the cheese shouldn’t be regarded as Gorgonzola.

Gorgonzola is made in part of the regions of Piedmont and Lombardy.

Gorgonzola cheese is produced with milk of the highest quality, free of disinfectants, pesticides and antibiotics. Otherwise the molds and lactic acid bacteria wouldn’t be able to grow as they are very delicate and susceptible to the surrounding environment; they are the key components of the taste qualities of the Gorgonzola DOP.

From a nutritional stand point, Gorgonzola is a wholesome food, containing all the essential nutritional elements to ensure a homogeneous psychophysical development and a balanced intake of healthy daily energy. It is very rich in minerals and vitamins and is a unique food due to its nutritional and antioxidant properties; the ideal ingredient for the preparation of many tasty recipes.

RECIPES

Happy Hour recipe: TRITTICO DI VOL AU VENT AL GORGONZOLA

Ingredients:
1 pack of frozen vol au vents
Sweet gorgonzola
Spicy gorgonzola
Asparagus
Shrimps
Pears

Bake frozen vol au vents in pre-heated oven at 180°. When almost baked take out of oven and fill in the following ways:

-       Sweet gorgonzola with asparagus

-       Sweet gorgonzola with shrimps

-       Spicy gorgonzola with pears

Bake in oven for about 2 minutes

The best wines: Bonarda and Lambrusco

Primo piatto recipe PENNETTE GRATINATE AL GORGONZOLA

Ingredients:
150g sweet gorgonzola
50g spicy gorgonzola
350g di penne
Milk
Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano DOP

Melt both types of gorgonzola in a pan and add 3 spoons of milk without bringing to the boil. In the meantime cook the penne so that it is “al dente”. Put everything into a pyrex dish, sprinkle with grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and grill for 5 minutes.

The best wines: Erbaluce – Arneis – Sauvignon

Secondo piatto  Scaloppine al gorgonzola

Ingredients:
4 veal escalopes
150g sweet gorgonzola
40g butter
1 glass dry white wine
Flour
Salt

Remove the crust from the gorgonzola and cut it into four slices. Flour the veal cutlets. Melt the butter in a frying pan, cook the meat on both sides until golden and douse with the white wine. Place the gorgonzola over the slices of veal, cover with a lid and cook for one minute on slow heat. Serve immediately on warm plates.

The best wines: Erbaluce – Sauvignon

SALUTING THE BEST OF BC

The Arts Club Theatre Company announces a new partnership with the BC Wine Institute to present the popular ChefmeetsBCGrape event along with two companion dinners in June. Not only does this fundraising series pay tribute to the top echelon of BC VQA wine and food produced in the province, but it also benefits the not-for-profit theatre company.

ChefmeetsBCGrape, Wednesday, June 5            

Best of BC Dinner, Thursday, June 6

Mission Hill Family Estate Dinner, Monday, June 10

The 9th annual ChefmeetsBCGrape will be held on Wednesday, June 5, at 7 PM, at the Vancouver Trade and Convention Centre East (999 Canada Place), and offers the largest selection of BC VQA wines in Vancouver to swirl, sip, and sample in a single event. Wine devotees have the opportunity to explore 95 wineries, which will pour more than 350 wines, while highly skilled winemakers explain the craft behind creating local wines with international appeal. Sixteen top restaurants will compete onsite for Best Pairing Plate and Best Overall Dish awards by preparing appetizer-size plates that incorporate the freshest BC ingredients to partner with select BC VQA wines. A silent auction features top entertainment packages, luxury hotel stays, and wine lots. Tickets are $80, or $75 per person for groups of six or more.

Two exclusive companion dinners, designed to expand on ChefmeetsBCGrape, highlight top-ranked BC VQA wines paired with multi-course menus at fine-dining restaurants.

The Best of BC wine-paired dinner will be held at MARKET by Jean-Georges (1128 West Georgia Street), Shangri-La Hotel’s signature restaurant, on Thursday, June 6, at 6 PM. Hosted by Master of Wine Rhys Pender, this dinner showcases a selection of the BC VQA wines featured in Maclean’s Wine in Canada guide, to be published May 13. MARKET’s Executive Chef Wayne Harris will create the dishes that perfectly accent the first-class collection of wines.

On Monday, June 10, at 6 PM, the evening is dedicated to the premium labels of Mission Hill Family Estate. The dinner, held at Provence Mediterranean Grill (4473 West 10th Avenue), will include a menu of inspired coastal French cuisine by chef and owner Jean-Francis Quaglia. Mission Hill Family Estate produces award-winning wines in the heart of British Columbia’s pristine Okanagan Valley, one of the world’s most exciting wine regions. Wine expert Andrew Doyle brings his knowledge of the art and science of viticulture to the event.

Tickets to each dinner are available for $165 per person (includes a $85 charitable tax receipt). Attend both dinners for the special price of only $300 per person (includes a $145 charitable tax receipt). For more information and ticketing options, call the Arts Club box office at 604.687.1644 or visit artsclub.com.

Photos are available at http://www.artsclub.com/photos/ChefmeetsBCGrape-2013.htm. The username is journalist and the password in photos4media.

ABOUT THE ARTS CLUB
The Arts Club Theatre Company, now in its 49th season, is the largest not-for-profit organization of its kind in Western Canada. Led by Artistic Managing Director Bill Millerd and Executive Director Howard R. Jang, it offers professional theatre at three venues—the Stanley Industrial Alliance Stage, Granville Island Stage, and Revue Stage—as well as on tour throughout the province.

Website: artsclub.com

Blog: blog.artsclub.com

Twitter: @theArtsClub

Facebook: facebook.com/ArtsClub
ABOUT THE BRITISH COLUMBIA WINE INSTITUTE
Since 1990, the British Columbia Wine Institute (BCWI) has played a pivotal role in taking BC’s wine industry from a vision to an internationally recognized niche region producing premium wines and providing quality wine tourism experiences. Representing 133 member wineries throughout the province, the BCWI supports and markets the wines of British Columbia (BC VQA), which gives consumers assurance they are buying a wine that is 100% from BC.

Website: winebc.com
Twitter: @winebcdotcom
Facebook: facebook.com/WineBCdotcom