Sandbar Views

On Granville Island, most restaurants are 75% view and 25% decent food. It can be difficult to find a place to eat that is both delicious and beautiful. Luckily there is the Sandbar to provide both excellent food and atmosphere. Recently a friend and I had a lovely simple meal at the Sandbar that ended with fireworks over English Bay. I was in the mood for a simple meal and settled on the fresh mussels in a coconut curry sauce. Now any true mussel lover knows that the sauce is the best part, and luckily the Sandbar provides plenty of bread for dipping. The food itself was perfection. The mussels were juicy, the sauce was delicious, and at the end of the meal I felt like I had received my money’s worth.

My only complaint about the whole night would be the service. It is rare for me to feel wholly uncomfortable in a server’s presence, but the young man who waited our table would simply not stop staring. Apparently I reminded him of his cousin and he called me by her name for the rest of the night. In addition to calling me his cousin, he was difficult to find, frustrating to communicate with, and very slow to respond to simple requests such as water with no ice, and a bowl for mussel shells.

Despite the poor service, both the food and the view at the Sandbar make me certain that I will return.

Please forgive the poor quality photos. The lighting was not great and this was before I received my fantastic birthday camera!

Birthday Pie??

I have to be completely honest and say that I am not a huge fan of cake. It is delicious, but only when you have the perfect piece from the corner with the frosted pink rose. There are always the "best" pieces and then there are the pieces that get lost in the cracks. In fact, unless it is a chocolate hazelnut mousse cake from Chocolate Maven in Santa Fe, I could do without it completely.

And so in lieu of a real post today, I will simply say that it is my birthday. It is my birthday and I had pie. Delicious, fresh, strawberry rhubarb pie! With the rhubarb fresh from the garden and the strawberries summer-sweet. Pie is an equalizer. Every piece is amazing and there are no frosting roses to argue over. Can anyone think of something better than a slightly warm slice of pie with homemade melty vanilla ice cream on top? I think not. Happy birthday to me!

A Tea-licious Summer Picnic

Yesterday was a spectacularly sunny day. The sky was blue, the temperature was high, and the market was hopping. Since I had an overload of vegetables taunting me from my refrigerator, my friend Naomi and I decided to make this Saturday a summer teatime picnic. We searched the market for fresh berries and a delicious looking lavender earl grey scone, made iced tea, boiled water for hot tea, and hauled everything out to the park in a collection of baskets. And because we refuse to do anything half-assed, we also dressed up! In other words, this is not my usual market day review.

I started out the day by brewing a fresh batch of Bengal Spice iced tea before Naomi arrived and we went skipping off to the market. After picking up raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries from the Sandhu Produce Growers, Naomi and I waited in line at PureBread and managed to snag the last delectable lavender earl grey scone (what better for a tea party?).  Upon finding the perfect park location (dappled sunshine, green grass, flower gardens) and ooohing and ahhhing over Naomi’s new picnic basket, we settled down for some serious eats.

The raspberries were perfect. I am generally not a huge fan of raspberries as I find that there is a fine line between ripe and rotten, but these were excellent! The blueberries were less inspiring, but since it is the first week of the season, I will cut the farmers some slack. The same was true for the blackberries. With any luck they will be much better in the coming weeks. I have only one word to describe the scone; scrumptious. I honestly cannot think of eating a better scone. The flavors were perfectly mixed and the light lemon glaze just added to the flavor. Excellent both on its own and when dipped in the hot white tea we enjoyed.

In the end it was a perfect summer’s day picnic. With any luck, there will be many more to enjoy!

Achin' For Bacon

 

I have previously mentioned that I find bacon to be one of the true joys of life. Breakfast, lunch, dinner? Anytime! Luckily there is a new food cart in the great city of Vancouver that is designed to serve bacon addicts like myself. While leaving the Farmer’s Market on Saturday I saw a pink-painted van that smelled enticingly like everyone’s favorite food. How could I possibly resist? I ordered a Pig LT and was given a pork themed pseudonym to listen for. While I waited for someone to call “Harry Trotter” I chatted with the woman next to me, aka “Ham Solo”, and watched as “Kevin Bacon” dug into his meal. 

At long last I was called up to fetch my flatbread wrap, which was full to bursting with arugula, bacon, and avocado. I honestly cannot think of a time when I have tasted a better bacon sandwich and at only $9 it was well worth the cost. Despite the knowledge that it may cause a heart attack, I look forward to trying every item on the menu. I wholeheartedly recommend that tourists and locals alike keep an eye out for a pink van that is jam packed with flavor.

Summer Salsas

With my home state currently in flames and my adopted province being drizzled in rain, I haven’t had many opportunities for summer enjoyment this week. Luckily, I am always just one grocery trip away from New Mexican summer fun in the kitchen.  My food addictions are vast and delicious, but there is nothing better than a fresh batch of guacamole and pico de gallo. Since moving to Vancouver most of my salsas have been fairly mild, but Urban Fare finally came through with some amazingly spicy jalapenos! I learned this pico de gallo recipe from the wonderful Chef Michelle at Santa Fe Community College. It is an adaptable ratio that can be used for large groups as well as small gatherings.

Pico de Gallo

2 tomatoes

1 jalapeno

¼ bunch cilantro

¼ onion

1 lime (juiced)

salt

pepper

• Mince jalapenos and chop tomatoes, cilantro, and onion to desired size. 
• Add the lime juice, salt and pepper.

Guacamole

3 avocados

3 large spoonfuls of pico de gallo (above)

½ tsp cumin

salt

pepper

• Mash the avocados using a fork. 
• Combine with pico de gallo and cumin. Check seasoning and add salt and pepper as desired.

Magic at the Night Market

BBQ at night

Being an introvert in Vancouver can be a bit difficult given the huge variety of things to do. On any given weekend there are parades, races, parties, festivals, and more. One of my favorite summer activities is the summer night market in Richmond. Imagine going from Canada to China and back one evening. There are so many wonderful things to see and do that everything becomes magical. With over 200 vendors and 70 food stalls, there is an amazing experience for everyone. Need socks? How about some crazy Korean ones at 5 pairs for $10? Jewelry? Sometimes tough to find the classy amongst the tacky, but I managed. What about bedding? Or iphone covers? Have a burning desire for everything Hello Kitty? And this only covers a small portion of the non-food vendors!

Why yes, my socks do say "I am a sheep and a strawberry"

But let’s talk about the food for a second. Imagine traveling across Asia for months trying to sample delicacies from every region. Now imagine condensing those months into a few nights in Richmond. I wish I could say that I have tried every stand, but the thought makes my stomach hurt. Plus there are way too many squid stands. I can assertively say that the Xin Jiang Style BBQ is to-die for! New coconuts are always delicious as well, although at $5/each, I would rather get something else next time. I would recommend trying a potato hurricane as well as the bbq. Sadly, I was absorbed in eating the hurricane and failed to take a photo, but I promise to rectify this next time.

Abalone shell jewelery

In the end, all I can say is that the night market really does deserve the highest praise.

Summer Night Market