Sitar For Lunch

With all the hyped up restaurants popping up almost weekly in Gastown, it was refreshing to lunch at a reliable, consistent, long term (since 1983) standing Gastown fixture - Sitar Restaurant.

Always a table available, friendly service, fast food delivery and reasonable prices.

The food taste is mediocre, but I am spoiled living across the street of my dear lovely neighbour. 

Vegetarian Platter to share was the choice - nicely presented, average tasting.

Sitar Indian Restaurant

8 Power Street

Vancouver, BC

www.sitarrestaurant.net

Rain Barrels Growing at The World In A Garden

Look at those beautiful rain barrels - two of half a dozen designs available to your jardins from The World in A Garden. 

A joint project between The World in A Garden (brains behind the concept), Lush (providers of the barrels) and Emily Carr students (designers).

Those barrels, made of non-toxic material, can hold up to 54 gallons of water and save 200 gallons of water a season.

Just position them on a high surface and let our rainy weather do the rest. Then hook up a hose to it and water your jardin from fresh sky water - what more can one ask for.

And if you are keen on speeding up your water harvesting project, check out this Emily Carr's industrial design graduate's project.

Those 'wings' speed up the collection of water. They are connected to a hand made pump within the barrel, closing the 'wings' as the barrel fills up. Ingenious, I thought, after attending a demonstration.

And if you don't have a jardin, check out the patio size barrel. The idea is any water we save is a contribution to a better world we live in and this will most likely water your patio plants all season.

The best thing I heard at the rain barrels' launch event at The World in A Garden is how can you call your garden organic when you are not using natural water? Well, here's your chance to make a jardin 100% organic.

For more information on those beautiful rain barrels and how well they'd fit in your garden, contact:

Tricia Sedgwich, RHN, Founder of The World In A Garden at Tricia@theworldinagarden.com

Sweet Cookbook Book Club Meeting

Half a year already and the somerville kitchen cookbook club meetings are becoming more fun, more educational and, as if in celebration of half a year, this meeting was heavy on the sweets.

somerville kitchen was the host this month and it featured my newest cookbook - Saskatchewan Homemakers' Kitchens purchased on my last trip to Rumour Handcraft store at Regina Airport (Read My Favourite Shopping).

It is a new print off the original hand written recipes with 300 pages of recipes that are authentic, simple and will most likely turn out delicious.

And I thoroughly enjoyed making a Devil's Cake with chocolate squares melted in hot water and baking soda in butter milk. Very exciting baking experience.

All the other cookbooks featured this time had similar personal connections and simplicity of recipes written by local cooks.

We are looking forward to at least two meetings before the end of the year. 

As Christmas approaches, we now have an extensive database of the cookbooks featured. If you are looking for ideas or recommendations on cookbooks, happy to forward the list. 

Vancouver Welcomes Beirut

A young energetic Lebanese entrepreneur brought Vancouver, at last, a most authentic Beirut Experience.

Beirut Bistro is all about authenticity, freshness and hospitality.

Focusing on small menu and mainly baked goodies, savoury and sweet, Beirut Bistro makes everything, including pita bread, on site.

Using only fresh lemon juice and Lebanese olive oil, I cannot wait to taste their Tabouleh.

But I was distracted by those most authentic Lebanese sweets.

 Maamoul, Namoura and Knefeh - never found in Vancouver prior to Beirut Bistro.

And the real surprise is, at last, someone bringing Manakeesh to Vancouver.

I cannot wait for my next morning business meeting in downtown Vancouver to drop by Beirut Bistro and try their Manakeesh 

If you are looking for a recommendation, I say go for the Za'atar and Akawi cheese. It will be a taste experience you will never forget.

And let's not forget Fatayer.

The selection is exhaustive - labneh, meat, spinach and cheese.

I tried one of each and I'll be back for a dozen each next time (yes, Beirut Bistro does catering).

If you are into good authentic Lebanese food or simply a coffee break during the day, don't look any further, Beirut Bistro is the place to go.

Beirut Bistro

812 Homer Street

Vancouver, BC

www.beirutbistro.ca

My Beatiful Wacky New Shoes

I am the proud owner of those beautiful new hand made wool shoes delivered for free all the way from Saskatchewan's best shopping - Rumours Handcraft Inc. (Read My Favourite Shopping on Wacky Thursday).

Those beautiful hand made shoes (more like slippers equipped for the outside world) are made by Sonia Pillipow and her daughter, two very talented Saskatchewan knitters. Just check the perfect finishing.

You don't have to go all the way to Sasktachewan to buy them, just contact Rumours at rumour@sasktel.net and the lovely owner will ship them to you anywhere in Canada at no charge. And you may end up getting a lovely packet of Saskatoon Berry green tea as a thank you (this is a food blog after all).

Thank you Sonia and daughter for the lovely slippers. They look good on me, don't they?

Rumour Handcraft Inc.

#15- 5201 Regina Avenue (Inside the airport before security)

Regina, SK

rumour@sasktel.net

 

Follow Sonia on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/sonia.pillipow

Alligator Leftovers

I guess when you invite people for alligator gumbo (Read Alligator Dinner), not many will show up and you end up with lots of leftovers.

Simple solution: add rice and turn it into a piquante alligator rice pilaf. 

Another container of leftovers in the fridge - lentil kale rice soup.

A quick trip to the internet and I ended up adding 1 cup bread crumbs and 1 egg turning them into patties ready to deep fry.

And a fancy piquante alligator rice pilaf with lentil patties dinner was served.

Alligator Dinner

This is the recipe I set out to make.

I made the roux. All good so far.
 

I replaced green bell peppers with those cutest looking local red peppers.

But when I went to the freezer, I was shocked that I ran out of alligator meat. Oh well, chicken will do.

With chilli peppers, local green chilli and tabasco sauce, piquante it sure was.

In the spirit of New Orleans' gumbo, a ball or rice was added.

Wonder where I can go to stock up on alligator meat.

 

A Letter to Peaceful Restaurant

Dear Peaceful Restaurant:

You have been the talk of the town since you were featured by that Fieri guy. 

You now have three locations in the city.

I'm glad one of them is near by.

It was great to try you out on a Monday night.

You were quiet, your waitress was chill and friendly and the food warming.

The General Tsao's Chicken was good, almost sweet and sour tasting.

It was great to see dim sum items at night, what a great idea.

The Peaceful Beef Roll was excellent; definitely the best in the city.

But maybe go lighter on the hoisin sauce.

I wish I could say the same about the Steamed Soft Pork Buns.

Those were, and excuse my bluntness, simply boring.

I know you're going to say I should have went for the Xioa-Long Bao ones.

And I am so glad you have Dan Dan Noodles.

It was good, probably the second best I have tried, but you should check out the one Chen's Shanghai in Richmond makes.

But the quality of the noodles themselves is just excellent, one could tell you worked hard on them by hand.

I will come back, but please, use less soy and salt, the food, while very tasty, was extremely salty.

Peaceful Restaurant

43 East 5th

Vancouver, BC

www.peacefulrestaurant.com

Pride of Jardin

A picture is worth thousand words - the pride of my jardin.

 

It met up with those excellent local chili peppers I am finding at Buy Low these days.

And a simple stir fry was produced.

Those local red chili peppers are really hot; why did I add more hot chili, I don't know.

But all balanced itself out with the sweetness of the pride of my jardin pepper.

And a beautiful meal was served.