The Sardine Can

This past weekend I got to do one of my favorite things, try out a new and fabulous restaurant! Maybe because my two fellow amis are currently gallivanting around Spain as I type but I needed to get my own fix.

I have a soft spot for authentic Spanish Tapas and it has been something that Vancouver has been sorely lacking but now we have TheSardineCan. Located in a little spot on Powell Street in Gastown The Sardine Can literally did feel like I was walking in to a little tapas joint on some side street in some bustling Spanish city.

I really need to get better at taking pictures of food before greedily stuffing it into my mouth so this is the best picture I have, but I can tell you it wal all delicious. We ordered quite a selection from the little menu but they were all the perfect tapas size and washed down with a crisp, cool Spanish white wine was perfection.

 My personal favorites were the duo of hams, Pata Negra and Serrano, cut so thin they melt in your mouth, the Gambas al Ajillo (prawns in garlic), with all that leftover oil with garlic and chili just perfect for dunking bread into, and the Patatas Bravas, little fingerling potatoes doused in tomatoes and garlic aoili.

The place, as the name suggests, is small, best for a date night of a small group of 5 and under, and it fills up. However, if you are not in a rush it is perfectly situated to have a stroll around and grab a pre-dinner cocktail while you wait for your table. The space is great and the staff incredibly friendly!

xo J

Triple Berry

Last weekend I offered to make dessert for a BBQ and then the event day rolled around and I thought, ugh...what am I going to make?...and then laziness started setting in...but...then I remembered I saw this over at cupcakesandcashmere and voila! Easy berry deliciousness!

xo J

PDX

Usually for the May long weekend the Amis rough it up with a bit of camping but this year there was only a few of us available so decided to switch it up and head south to Portland.

I have really fond memories of Portland from my childhood so I was beyond excited to revisit this fun, quirky city. Here are just a few highlights:

We stayed at TheAce which I would highly recommend, full of fun corners to lounge in, the lobby was always bustling with people flowing through from the adjoining StumptownCoffee and ClydeCommon and the retro music was always playing. Perfectly situated in the Pearl District close to oodles of shops, restaurants and the always magical Powells.

Portland is known for its abundance of micro breweries and what better way to see them then on a 15 person 100% green party machine! The young couple that runs Brewcycle are great fun and definitely know how to have a good time.

The food cart experience in Portland is truly something to behold, the fact that they had blocks fully dedicated to food carts bogled my mind, but I knew right away which one I wanted to hit up. The EuroTrash food cart was featured on one of my favorite food network shows so I veered straight to it and got myself one of their Squid Fana sandwiches, messiest, most delicious thing!

Ending the trip with a visit to Pastaworks on Hawthorne St. truly brings me back to my childhood, owned by family friends I have been visiting this place since before I could walk. Thought to be one of the pioneers of the slow food movement, here you can find all sorts of Mediterranean treats and not to mention all that freshly made pasta!

xo J

orzo with proscuitto + asparagus

If it wasn't detrimental to my petite frame I could eat pasta everyday of the week! The combinations are endless. By far one of my favorite pastas is Orzo, especially if I am lucky enough to hunt down some Greek orzo. For the most part, Italians do it better but when it comes to Orzo those Greeks know how to do it right!

I came across this recipe and knew I had to give it a try...asparagus...check!...Proscuitto...check check!.....taste?....Amazeballs!

Cooking the orzo slowly with the broth is ultimate punch of savoury flavour!

And with a glass of wine on the side it was absolutely delicious! I had to stop myself from eating what I had put aside for the next days lunch.

xo J

Best Bite #9 - Nicli's Bianca Pizza

Yes, I know! It's been awhile! It has been a busy month, work is crazy and I have been somewhat pre-occupied with getting my apartment in order, which it has by leaps and bounds, I am so in love with my apartment! (is that sad?).

Anywhoodle, what better way to start monday with a brand spanking new best bite review. I've written about Nicli before so we were pretty happy to see that one of their pizza's made the list.

We started with the Burrata appetizer because the waiter said they only had one left so we figured it had to be good and it was! I have no idea how often they get this burrata cheese in (fresh off the plane from Italy according to our waiter) but if you ever happen to be there when they do then don't think, just order. If you are a fan of fresh mozzarella then you won't be disappointed.

Next we moved on to the pizza's, we of course ordered the Bianca as that is on the list, but we also got the Margarita, Proscuitto + Arugula and the Capicolla. Now let's get the painful bit out of the way first, the Bianca, carmalized onions, potatoe and gorgonzola, was....ok. I would say that a few of us are not the biggest fans of gorgonzola to begin with but we were open minded, but there was just something missing from this pizza (I thought it needed a good dose of rosemary) it didn't have the wow factor that we think should warrant being one of the best bites in town.

The other pizza's however blew our tastebuds away with deliciousness! It really made us wonder how the Bianca got chosen for the list instead of any of these other ones, the Proscuitto + Arugula was particularly on point, with perfectly silky thin pieces of proscuitto topped with fresh young arugula.

Consensus being that yes they got it right when they put Nicli Antica on the list for best bites in vancouver, but they got it wrong when the chose the Bianca.

xo J

Best Bite #8: Macarons from Thierry

From L to R: Pumpkin, Chestnut, Lime, Apple Spice and Lemon

Disclaimer: this is one of those cheats I forewarned you about. Now technically on the Best Bite list it is the pistachio flavoured macaron at Thierry that they recommend, however after three consecutive visits where they were sold out of the pistachio, I made the executive decision that trying five different flavours would compensate for not trying the pistachio.

I love macarons, I love the chewy meringue with the cool creamy centre, these macarons had that texture experience down pat, I was however I bit disapointed in the flavour. Now don't get me wrong, they were good, but they didn't quite have the intense kick of flavour that I have experienced in other macarons. I was particularly excited for the pumpkin but it was so mild that if you didn't know it was pumkin, I don't think you could have guessed. The two citrus macarons were closer to what I expected in terms of getting that kick, and I would say everyone at the table agreed with the overall assesment.

So I would say this bite fell in the middle of the road, nailing it in one category but missing the boat in another.

xo J

It's a feast!

I'm sure if you reside in Vancouver you are very familiar with the annual Dine-Out program that happens every winter, well this year at the same time you can take part in FeastVan !

From January 20th to February 5th some of my favorite restaurants in East Vancouver are taking part in this great event where $1 of every prix fixe menu goes here. Good food for a good cause, I say that is the perfect excuse to splurge.

I'm fixing to make a reservation for LesFauxBourgeois , my personal fav!

xo J

Best Bites #7: Buddha's Hand Citron aka Lemon Gone Wild

Buddha's Hand Lemon - your key to victory in any shadow puppet contest 

Behold the Buddha's Hand Citron or Buddha's Hand Lemon. By far it's the freakiest lemon I've ever seen! Traditionally used in Asia as aromatic offerings at temples, this monstrous looking fruit was on the list of the 101 best bites in Vancouver, so we slayed the freaky dragon lemon and had a go.

Interestingly, the lemon has no juice! It's all pith inside, so basically you have the peel to work with and that's it! Gotta admit, this lemon gets even freakier looking when you cut it in half. C'mon if that's not a monster hand I don't know what is!

Anyway, being determined to take advantage of ol' monstery, I zested it, thinly sliced it and steeped it in warm water. Then from the spoils I made a lemon tart, lemon pasta with a lemon, white wine sauce, lemon shrimp, salad with thin slices of Buddha's hand, and had the option of Buddha's hand "tea" with the steeped lemon water.

The Buddha's hand lemon has a very perfumy aroma, and is much more subtle than a regular lemon. If you're the type of person that enjoys rose ice cream for example, you'd probably like the Buddha's hand lemon.

Without juice and that traditional lemon punch, I actually had to boost most of my recipes with good old fashioned 99 cent lemons. The aroma of the Buddha's hand was still there, but honestly it didn't add so much that I would buy it again.

Also note if you want to make the "tea", I suggest just using the lemon peel. If you steep the water with chunks of the pithy Buddha's hand like I did, you're going to be left with a very bitter drink. Blech!

To summarize - this lemon is good for Halloween as a way to scare any children you know. Also, if you are a trust fund baby that has a taste for perfume and money to burn - go right ahead. Mostly though, I suggest smelling this weird looking fruit in the produce section and then bagging up some tried and true lemon lemons.

Best Bites summary: 101 bites, 7 tasted, 5 loved, 2 cringed at

Happy Eating!
xo
Jenny C

Best Bites #6: Red Truck India Pale Ale

Happy New Year to you all! I hope you had a great holiday week!

What better way to return from the Holidays but with a beverage, I'm sure you had plenty of those over the last month. This Best Bite (or Best Sip) was actually tasted at the beginning of December. Now maybe I am not enough of a beer connoisseur to appreciate Red Truck's India Pale Ale but I wasn't alone at the table on this one.

While there are some inviting fruity hints in the smell, the flavour is all bitter. Bitter, bitter, bitter! I bought a six pack and four of us couldn't even make it through one can. To be fair, all of us lean to the lighter beers so we were probably doomed from the start not to like this one.

xo J

P.S. I have somehow misplaced the photo we took of our own Red Truck so image is via here

Best Bites #5: Purdy's Himalayan Pink Salt Caramels

Do you think anything named "Himalayan Pink Salt Caramels" could taste bad?

No don't think about it - the answer is clearly Heck No!

And you'd be right - Purdy's Himalyan Pink Salt Caramels - though their name be a little fancy dancy are yummy in my tummy. And will be in yours too. These chocolates have a perfectly balanced ratio of salt to chocolate to caramel. You can taste and savour each component but no one ingredient tries to shove the others off stage and hog all your taste buds.

If you have a chocolate lover in your life (and yes, I accept gifts wink-wink) Purdy's sells boxes of these precious little flavour gems for around $20 bucks. And while you're there if you happen to pick up a few for yourself - I say Huzzah! Enjoy!

xo
Jenny C

101 Best Bites
5 eaten, 5 liked (majority rules, Jessy dissents on the olives)
More about the Amis Best Bite Challenge

Best Bites #3 & 4: Heirloom Tomatoes & Castelvetrano Olives

Here are a couple notes before I begin:


1. I am not a picky eater but I really hate olives, this was the first time I willingly put an olive in my mouth in maybe 20 years.

2. This is a pretty lofty task we have taken on, completing this list of 101 best bites, so we may cut some corners here or there.

With that being said last week we knocked a whole group of items off the list (I'll be back later this week with a review of on of the beverages on the list and Jenny has a few items stockpiled to review). One meal alone we were able to taste 4 items! Two of which were the Castelvetrano Olives and the heirloom tomatoes.

So basically my teeth punctured the skin of the olive and a had to cleanse my mouth with a good swig of wine, that is how far my dislike for olives go, and what is it about them you ask? Good question and one that took me a few minutes to formulate, it is the brine-y-ness! And according to the 4 olive lovers around the table these were low on the brine quotient and got two thumbs up all around. So basically, I wouldn't put any olive any "best" list but if you are an olive fan don't listen to me and give these guys a try.

Second was the heirloom tomatoe, and this is where we cheated slightly, as these were from California and I suppose the best bites of Vancouver should probably include tomatoes actually grown in this province, but we figured we got the gist of it. While the red heirlooms tasted just like regular tomotoes that were slightly past their best before date, the purple ones were the perfect firmness with great flavor, and really were at their best with just a sprinkle of salt and good quality extra virgin olive oil drizzled on top.

Stay tuned for more bites!

xo J

Both items can be found at WholeFoods

Best Bites #2: Jethro's Fine Grub - Frosted Flake Pancakes

Yes you did read that right.

Frosted Flake Pancakes

Are you ready to behold it's greatness?

Voila!!

Frosted Flake Pancakes from Jethro's Fine Grub. Fluffy and flopping over the edges of the plate like a beautifully rotund manatee. Oh so abundant! This was the second item that the amis and I devoured from Vancouver Magazine's 101 Best Bites in Vancouver list. No, we're not getting paid to do this... we just like food and trying new places about town.

So how did this stack stack up? (yeah, I made that pun, and I'm standing behind it)

In a word: awesome

The pancakes were delightfully light. They were the perfect level of sweetness and tartness - the tartness coming from buttermilk and the blueberries. The frosted flakes functioned mostly as a textural add-on. I thought they would add a lot of sweetness, but no, once buried within and on top of the pancake batter, and then covered in whipped cream and maple syrup - sweetness wasn't a factor. The crunch was nice though, and unexpected in a pancake. These were definitely some of the best pancakes I've enjoyed in a long while. And one plate was more than enough for 3 of us to share!

But did we just order pancakes? Hahahahha no, why would we do that?


We also enjoyed a Baked Potato Omelet and Nutella French Toast

Ready.... Set...

Attack!!

The Baked Potato Omelet was a revelation. Again - the fluffy factor was off the charts! And I mean really, an omelet stuffed with all the goodness you'd find in a baked potato? You know that's gonna be great!

The Nutella French Toast was also tasty. Think 3 inch-thick slabs of challah bread slathered with a nutella cinnamon spread. Very good. Full disclosure though - as a hard core Nutella lover, and given the ratio of bread to Nutella - this could have done with a bit more Nutella. Yup I just said that. Even though you can see the craziness that is this dish in the pictures. But if you're going to have a crazy over-the-top dish as this is - then go all the way! Make that mother the craziest, chocolatiest french toast that ever was!!

Besides that clearly gluttonous last remark, Jethro's was a great breakfast experience. You can tell they make their food with love and care. It isn't about ritz at all - it's just about great breakfast done right. I'd say if you're in the neighbourhood - it's definitely worth popping in for a bite.

What's been your best pancake experience? Have you hit up Jethro's already? What'd you think?

101 foods, 2 eaten, 2 loved, 99 to go!

xo
Jenny C

Au Petit Chavignol and a Food Game

Hi Mes Amis!

Jenny C here - I'm baaaaack! It's been a whirlwindy last 6 months and I'm sorry that I've been away so long. Jessy has been a workhorse keeping Amis alive, thank you Jessy!

Please let me begin to make up for my absence by tempting you with cheesy, gooey, deliciousness.

Enter - Au Petit Chavignol, or as some peeps I know like to call it "Cheese"

Au Petit is a cozy bistro where all your cheesy fantasies come true. Attached to a giant cheese shop next door, Au Petit offers casual comfort fare made from lovely ingredients and the best of cheeses.

After a well needed foamy latte, my friends and I all ordered the Croque Madam: think grilled ham and cheese sandwich - filled AND encased in melty Gruyere cheese, topped with a runny free-range fried egg.

Did you just die a little?

Yeah, us too. It was good. Really flippin' good. And paired with a cup of their luscious tomato soup, it was the perfect brunch treat for a cold, rainy day.

Also, this was a perfect way to kick off a food challenge that a group of food lovers and I are taking on.

Vancouver Magazine recently published their 101 best bites in Vancouver list. Au Petit's Croque Madam is on the list - and we're going to try at least one item off this list every week as we explore new hot spots and tasty treats around our town.

Wanna Play?

When we post about another list item - go try it too and weigh in with your review! Or if you live in another fabulous place - tell us about one of the best bites in your town. Include a picture and tell us what you love about it.

Let's spread the best bite love!

If you're in Vancouver - here's the link to 2011's 101 Best Bites in Vancouver

Happy Noshing!

xo Jenny C

Food for Comfort

It is that time of year that whether it is grey and wet outside or clear and crisp the warmth of comfort food calls to me. One of the best places for a good dose of comfort has got to be Burgoo.

I was there last week and as usual had such a hard time making my decision, always so hard to choose from their assortment of soul warming soups, goey grilled cheese or hearty one stop pot meals. I eventually settled on the butternut squash soup with the chicken and brie sandwich. The soup had the right amount of spice with a lovely crunch of hazelnut on top and the sandwich had a great balance of chicken, brie, crisp apples and cucumbers. My two Amis had the mac and cheese which I stole a couple bites of. The Mac n' more with peas, bacon and shallots might have to be my choice next time we go.

I apologize that the pictures are a bit dark, we were seated at the patio which was lovely on a crisp fall evening, cozy underneath a powerful heater, frosty pint of strongbow cider and piping hot meal was the perfect end note to our saturday excursions.

Happy Friday everyone

xo J

Good Morning World!

Yes, it is Friday and I am in a cheery mood! Wish I could start every morning this way...I also wish I could start every morning with maybe my most favorite breakfast:

A perfectly poached egg on top of avocado toast with sweet little cherry tomatoes with a most satisfying cup of coffee on the side. When my Dad's cherry tomatoes were in full force a few weeks back this was my meal of choice.

I'll just have to pretend that is what I had this morning.

Besides it being Friday (and pay day I may add, always a plus) I am really excited to be heading to Anthropologie tomorrow (Can you believe I have not gone to check out their new store since they opened in May!) to attend the DesignSponge Book Signing event and celebration.

Being that Design Sponge is a must read for me on a daily basis I was thrilled that a spot on the waitlist came up. Expect a post on all the details next week!

Happy Friday! xo J

P.S. Playing silly pranks on co-workers always makes Friday awesome, lets just say desktop screensavers have been tampered with.

Meat & Bread

It has been around for over a year now and I have finally got myself over to Meat & Bread. I had to go for what they are known for, the Porchetta sandwich, literally a really good bread overflowing with their juicy porchetta that was sliced right in front of you, meat and bread, what more do you need (well the chopped up uber-crispy skin and salsa verde drizzled on top doesn’t hurt).

Not only is the food good but the whole concept and execution of said concept is what makes this place a success, from the simple branding, clean décor and the friendly hipster staff, these guys know what they are doing!

xo J

Let my garden grow...

...or actually my Dad's garden! As I patiently wait for my lovely sparkly new apartment to be completed my parent's have generously let me take over their basement, while there are some cons to being back with the 'rents there are definitely some perks as well. Such as having the ability to plunder my Dad's very productive veggie garden.

Can you believe this little veggie oasis in the city!

My Spoils for the day: 2 cucumbers, 2 zucchinis, a mini mountain of cherry tomatoes, 1 paddy-pan squash, a good handful of green beans, and just a sample of the field of basil growing out there. Really looking forward to the corn being ready. There is probably another 15 different types of veggies growing out there, it is really quite impressive, the possibilities are endless!

Since my parent were out of town it was up to me to polish off all these veggies so night one I chopped up a bit of everything and tossed it in some barley with crumbled feta and just some olive oil and balsamic, it was delicious, hearty and healthy. You could also do this with couscous or a small pasta. I left all the veggies raw, including the zucchini and paddy-pan because I like the crunch.

Night two I tried to finish off the cherry tomatoes by saunteing them with some onion and garlic and tossed in the blanched green beans, added some chicken broth to make a bit of a sauce and threw in some nice prawns and soaked it all up with some crusty bread. This would have been perfect tossed with some penne but I was trying to be good since I had scarfed down all that barley already.

xo J

Punchfork aka Recipe Heaven

Hi Mes Amis!

Jenny C here - it's been a long time! How's your summer treating you? Vancouver finally got some sunshine, so you know it's time to take it in!

I would be outside right this moment, but I found this website I knew you'd love - it's called "Punchfork" and it gathers recipes from the greatest food sites and blogs on the web. All in one place! Did your head just explode? Trust me, it will when you click on the link. Be prepared to witness some awesomness!

And if you ever need ideas for dinner - bingo!

Anyhoodle, here's the link: Punchfork

Eat drink and be merry!!
xo
Jenny C

Tickled Pink

There has been a lot of buzz over the new Pinkberry location at Park Royal and now I can join in…bzzzzzzzzzzz it is delicious!

I never really thought of myself as much of a frozen yogurt fan, having only old memories of bland Yogen-Fruz as a reference, but Pinkberry does not disappoint. I stuck with the original flavor which has the perfect blend of sweetness with a nice punch of tangy with a lovely creamy texture, without being too heavy. It was decorated liberally with fresh strawberries, Oreo cookie crumbs, caramel drizzle and my personal fav Captain Crunch (genius!)with a piece of Pizzelle cookie plunked on top. For a bad decision maker like me, the fact that you can get a lot of toppings for a flat price is heaven!

My new addiction

Jenny's delectable creation

Pinkberry on a sunny summer evening...perfection!

xo J

Summertime Slaw and a whole lotta pig!

This past weekend the Amis took part in an epic day of Pig! Yes the first annual Pigfest was a raging success. ..a spit roasted pig, four full racks of ribs, a pile of sausage and a keg of course! Thanks to Jenny and her guy for hosting an unforgettable day!

mmmmmmm....Pig!!!

Beer me!

My contribution was this really delicious slaw! Smitten Kitchen has become my go-to whenever I need a recipe, she has it all!

Crunchy slaw goodness!

xo J