February 2020 - West Coast Food
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February 2020

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By Gail Johnson Meet Shiva Reddy, the executive wine director of Osteria Savio Volpe, Pepino’s Spaghetti House, and Caffè La Tana. She doesn’t go by the title of “sommelier” by choice, and if there’s a stereotypical image of the person who comes to your table to recommend wine—say, a white male in a suit—she’s smashing it. Here, Reddy dishes on her career path and what she loves about working with wine. How did you end up working in the food and wine industry? It was not natural and unplanned. My mom was a single mom, so I had to start working young. I worked at the Point Grey Golf and Country Club at 18. I took it so seriously, and I really enjoyed it. I met a sommelier there. He was very dapper, he knew his stuff, and he was able to romance history and geography. There’s a magical side…

By Caren McSherry, Founder/President of  The Gourmet Warehouse It’s that time of year again when the temperatures are still low, the weather can be on the gloomy side and a bowl of soup is the perfect thing to warm your body and soul. This soup is full of hearty, delicious (and easy to find) ingredients and is guaranteed to take the chill off any West Coast winter evening. INGREDIENTS Yellow onion, diced (1 large) Carrot, peeled and diced, about 1 cup Celery diced (2 stalks) Garlic cloves, minced (2) Leek, sliced, white part only (1 large) Olive oil (¼ cup) Anchovy fillets (optional) (3) Cauliflower, cut into small florets (2 cups) Broccoli cut into small pieces (1 cup) White or brown mushrooms cut into quarters (2 cups) Napa cabbage shredded (3 cups) Lentils (1 cup) Cannellini beans, drained (1 – 14-ounce can) Black beans (1 – 14-ounce can) Zucchini, diced (1…

By Tuc Craft Kitchen Fruity, floral and a vibrant shade of pink, Tuc’s “Heartbreak Hotel” cocktail is a sweet sipper for lovers and lonely hearts alike. The amorous Valentine’s Day feature cocktail mingles rose, raspberry gin and white crème de cacao and is served in a ‘Nick and Nora’ glass (named after a husband and wife who created the style of glassware). INGREDIENTS Odd Society Wallflower gin (1-½ oz) Raspberry liqueur (¾ oz) Lemon juice (¾ oz) White crème de cacao (¼ oz) Rose water (3 drops) Raspberry rose syrup* (¾ oz) For the Raspberry rose syrup: Raspberries (1 pint) Sugar (1 cup) Water (1 cup) Dried rose hip (1 cup) Over medium heat, combine water and sugar and bring to a boil.  Add raspberries and rosehip and infuse until syrup is cool.  Strain into a mason jar and refrigerate for up to one month. INSTRUCTIONS Combine all ingredients into…

By Sabrine Dhaliwal, Bar Manager, UVA Wine & Cocktail Bar Sweetly spiced and with a dreamy pink hue, UVA’s “In Between Cupid” cocktail will have you falling for bar manager Sabrine Dhaliwal this Valentine’s Day. The bright, citrusy cocktail features gin, Campari, lemon juice, homemade spiced pineapple syrup and Bittered Sling Denman bitters which add complexity and an aromatic kick to this swoon-worthy sipper. INGREDIENTS Tanqueray  (1.5 oz) Campari (0.5 oz) Spiced Pineapple Syrup (0.5 oz) (The syrup is a blend of vanilla, cinnamon, green cardamom, star anise, peppercorns, pineapple juice and sugar) Lemon Juice (0.5 oz) Bittered Sling Denman Bitters (two dashes) INSTRUCTIONS Combine all ingredients into a cocktail tin, add ice and shake vigorously for 7 to 10 seconds. Strain into a chilled coupe glass. Garnish with a lemon twist with a heart cutout.

By Brittany Tiplady “Born from opportunity, in the year of the monkey,” the folks at Monkey 9 Brewing are eager to show their community a good time, preferably with a beer in hand. Tucked away on Entertainment Boulevard, just a stones throw from the SilverCity Cinemas, Watermania and the Richmond Ice Centre, Monkey 9 Brewing offers their guests a robust menu, a generous happy hour, award winning beer, and on the premises, Lucky9 lanes bowling alley. If you’re wondering why the number nine, “nine represents positivity, gratification, togetherness, magic and wisdom.” “Everything is very superstitious. We opened up during the year of the Monkey [2016] and 9s are very, very lucky. With Lucky 9, Monkey 9 (monkeys are very lucky as well) it’s lucky right across the board. We work hand-in hand, which is really fun in my opinion,” says Monkey9 general manager, Martin O’Hara. The brewery is helmed by…

By Chef Alessandro Fairmont Hotel Waterfront This soup has been a favorite with guests in ARC since Chef Alessandro put it on the menu – with its rich creamy texture it isn’t hard to see (or taste) why. The mushrooms are foraged on Vancouver Island while their culinary apprentices hand-picked the hazelnuts in nearby Agassiz. INGREDIENTS Portobello mushrooms (500g) White button mushrooms (1kg) Garlic (30g) Carrots (250g) White Onion (500g) Rosemary (2g) Tarragon (2g) Lemon juice Miso paste (60g) Dried Porcini mushroom, in hot water (60g) Vegetable stock (2L) Salt and pepper to taste Sherry vinegar (15mL) Butter (60g) Cream (250mL) Hazelnuts (200g) DIRECTIONS 1. Sweat the onions, carrots, garlic and the rosemary in the butter. 2. Once translucent, add the button and porcini mushrooms, and sweat for about 10 minutes. 3. Add the miso, vegetable stock, cream, porcini mushrooms and the soaking water. 4. Add the hazelnuts and simmer…