Actual Hot Weather and Camera Death

dents and deformities

TS:
Well, the weather gods have punished me for complaining about the @^%$#!!@!$$# hot weather here in Vancouver.

I complained about 25-30 C (75-85 F) weather, so they subjected me to 30-35 C (86-95 F) heat!

That's right, JS and I were out gallavanting about in Los Angeles. Apparently, locals have told us that it had been hotter than usual the past week. Just my luck.

Another unfortunate incident: my camera finally died. It was pretty banged up already -- those dents and deformities pictured above existed long before death, but perhaps the heat was also too much for it to bear and it decided to end its misery.

Ah well, camera death is not something a little quickie trip to Costco can't fix.

I bought another point-and-shoot, the Panasonic Lumix FH20, for those who are curious. In an all's-well-that-ends-well turn of events, I think the camera was cheaper to buy in the US than in Canada. So there.

And that's what JS and I have been up to. Back to semi-regular posting soon.

WINNER of Le Creuset Giveaway!

[ts]
It seems like it's been ages since we announced our giveaway. But, finally, it was time to randomly select the winner.




Congratulations, JONNEK!

Please contact us at email [at] eatingclubvancouver [dot] com with your name, mailing address and phone number (for shipping purposes), and we'll forward the information to the kind folks at Cookware.com. They'll be sending you your Le Creuset 3-Quart Square Casserole with Lid in "Carribean" blue directly!

Thank you to everybody who entered! JS and I were rooting for all of you to win! =)

Le Creuset GIVEAWAY!

image courtesy of Cookware.com (part of CSNstores.com)

[ts]
Don't fall off your bar stools, but we at [eatingclub] vancouver have EXCITING NEWS!

JS and I are conducting our first-ever giveaway! And what a sweet prize.

Look at that beautiful item up there!
Le Creuset 3-Quart Square Casserole with Lid in magnificent "Carribean" blue.

The kind folks at Cookware.com are generously providing this item for a lucky [eatingclub] vancouver reader.

Cookware.com is part of CSNstores.com. Browse their site to find almost everything, from furniture, home decor, health/fitness equipment, kid-related items, pet-related items, etc. etc. etc. As I said, almost everything! =) But, of course, kitchen products are what's near and dear to our hearts.

HOW TO ENTER
To enter, simply leave a comment on this post telling us what [eatingclub] dish you would most wish to eat or make.

For an extra entry, simply "share" this post by tweeting, blogging, "Facebook"-ing, StumbleUpon-ing, or whatever else is out there, then come back and leave a comment telling us which medium you used.

The more you share, the more entries you have!

DETAILS
Unfortunately, this giveaway is only open to residents of Canada and the United States.

We will be accepting entries until April 10, 2010 and will post the winner soon after. Be sure to check back as we will be waiting for the winner to contact us.

We at [eatingclub] vancouver are not compensated in any way, either monetarily or in kind, by CSNstores.com.The prize will be sent directly to the winner from CSNstores.com.

Good luck, everyone!
JS and I are looking forward to reading your entries. =)

Momofuku Ssäm Bar (New York, NY) ...and XLERATOR

fuzzy

[ts]
As you may have guessed from that fuzzy peach (haha!) -- well, and from the title of the post, duh -- we ate at Momofuku Ssäm Bar while in New York.


"we do not serve vegetarian friendly items"



[ts]
We sat at the counter. There's another blurry photo; this time, of the interior.

I apologize in advance because every photo we have is blurry. I blame the descending darkness while we were eating.


American Wagyu - cucumber, ponzu



[ts]
I've never had wagyu previous to this. Not bad. The accompaniments to the beef were nice, but I don't think my unsophisticated palate detected anything too special about the beef itself.




Crispy Pig's Head - lime pickle, peach


Grilled Baby Octopus - chorizo, pickled fennel, Piperade oil

[ts]
Both of the above dishes were also nice.



[ts]
Of course, we had to order "the" pork belly bun.


Steamed Buns - pork belly, hoisin, cucumbers, scallions





[ts]
Supposedly, one is to eat this with hot sauce. So that's what we did.

So how was it? Not bad. But nothing spectacular.

Of course, how could it be spectacular compared to our Taiwanese Gua Bao 刮包 (Pork Belly Bun)?!?!?


Ice Cream Pie - sweet corn cereal milk, tristar strawberries



[ts]
Dessert was OK. I was drawn in by the promise of sweet corn ice cream... but I don't recall it being too corn-y at all.

JS and I were also not that full from the meal. Did we not order enough?

All in all, the food was not bad, pretty good. I don't know about all the hype. It was pleasant enough. Did we not order the correct items? Did we go to the wrong Momofuku?

The Most Memorable Part of the Evening


[ts]
I went to the bathroom and chuckled out loud when I saw that their hand dryers were of the XLERATOR brand. Why?

Back in 2006, while at the airport in London, I went to the bathroom and experienced the XLERATOR experience.

See there near the nozzle, it says: "FEEL THE POWER".



[ts]
I placed my hands under and WHOA!



[ts]
"FEEL THE POWER" is right!

It was the same XLERATOR experience at Momofuku Ssäm Bar.




Momofuku Ssäm Bar
New York, NY
http://momofuku.com/ssam/default.asp
Visited in August 2009

We ate all the food below -- and more -- in 4 days! Insane. See how: NYC Eating Extravaganza (August 2009)

[eatingclub] vancouver in New York
Rice to Riches
Shake Shack
Grom Gelato
Bleecker Street Pizza
New York Burger Co.
Ess-a-Bagel
Artichoke Basille's Pizza
Katz's Deli
Lombardi's Pizza
Hummus Place
Max Brenner, Chocolate by the Bald Man
Anthos
Momofuku Ssäm Bar
Amy Ruth's
wd-50
Taïm Falafel and Smoothie Bar
A Tale of Two Dogs: Gray's Papaya & Papaya King

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Favorite Posts of 2008

[ts]
"Wait," you ask, "don't you mean 2009?"

Well, since we didn't make such a list for 2008, we decided that it's better late than never. Everybody loves lists, right?

Here are some of our favorite posts in 2008, in no particular order.
(Click on the images to go to each post.)


Duck Breast with Pomegranate-Chipotle Glaze and Guava-Jalapeño Salad


The first time we cooked duck at home. This was one of the four dishes we made with a $5 utility duck! http://www.eatingclubvancouver.com/2008/08/duck-breast-with-pomegranate-chipotle.html


Dimsum Seafood Trio:
Black Pearl Prawn Toast, Scallop in Nest, Jewelled Rice Cup


This is quite a memorable post for us since it was our first entry into the Royal Food Joust! Our trio consisted of:


Black Sesame-crusted Prawn Toast
Seared Scallop with Sizzling Sesame Oil, on Chow Mein Nest
Masago with Lap Cheung-Cilantro Rice, in Wonton Cup
http://www.eatingclubvancouver.com/2008/07/dimsum-seafood-trio-prawn-scallop.html


Squash Churros with Orange-Sage Hot Chocolate

Woohoo, this was a Royal Food Joust winner!

But really, how can one go wrong with churros (flavored with puréed squash and covered with cinnamon sugar) dipped in thick, rich hot chocolate (infused with orange zest and sage)? http://www.eatingclubvancouver.com/2008/10/squash-churro-with-orange-sage-hot.html


Ravioli "Caprese": Tomato, Basil, Bocconcini

Our first Weekend Wokking entry.

We made fresh pasta, adding tomato to the dough, and stuffed the ravioli with roast tomatoes, basil and bocconcini. We pan-fried the ravioli, then served them with balsamic reduction and a basil & parsley oil. http://www.eatingclubvancouver.com/2008/07/ravioli-caprese-tomato-basil-bocconcini.html


Chimichurri with Flank Steak
Chimichurri Burger

Chimichurri Burger with Duck Fat Potato Chips

Chimichurri sauce is insanely good! We have labelled it a super-appetite-stoker. It's even better when your beef with chimichurri meal is rounded out with duck fat potatoes!


Chimichurri wth Flank Steak; Duck Fat Potatoes
http://www.eatingclubvancouver.com/2008/09/chimichurri-with-flank-steak.html
http://www.eatingclubvancouver.com/2008/10/chimichurri-burger.html


Bibingka


A dessert (or snack!) that transported us back to our childhoods.



Ah, the sweet cake delicious with coconut and butter, the rich saltiness of the duck eggs and cheese interpersed with the rich sweetness of the freshly grated coconut on top, the fragrance of the banana leaves, and the aroma and flavour of the fire and smoke enveloping the rest of your senses. http://www.eatingclubvancouver.com/2008/09/bibingka.html


Pho Bo (Vietnamese Beef Noodle Soup)


It's pho! Need we say more?
http://www.eatingclubvancouver.com/2008/12/pho-bo-vietnamese-beef-noodle-soup.html


CSC's Chinese Dumplings:
Shanghai Potstickers, Faux Siu Mai, and"Huo Tyeh"



CSC dazzled us with three differently-shaped Chinese dumplings. http://www.eatingclubvancouver.com/2008/09/shanghai-potstickers-faux-siu-mai-and.html


Mango Crêpes with Creamy Avocado Filling and Lime-Caramelized Mangoes


We don't usually make dessert here, so here is one of the few: our tropical twist on crêpes.

I added mango pulp to crêpe batter. Then, for the filling, it was simply mixing together avocadoes with condensed milk. But, what made the dish were the lime-caramelized mangoes.

http://www.eatingclubvancouver.com/2008/07/mango-crpes-with-creamy-avocado-filling.html


Mama's Giniling
(Mama's Soy-braised Ground Pork with Carrots & Potatoes)


A staple in our home. This is the classic giniling. Mama has taught this dish to many a newlywed just starting out on the journey of life. http://www.eatingclubvancouver.com/2008/07/mamas-giniling-ground-pork.html


Tea-smoked Salmon Sandwich with Sweet Dijon


We had a kitchen disaster trying to smoke salmon, but managed to salvage it and came up with this sandwich. http://www.eatingclubvancouver.com/2008/11/tea-smoked-salmon-sandwich-with-sweet.html


Braised Beef Shin with Cilantro,
aka The Unbearable Lightness of Being Beef, aka "Dancing Cilantro Beef"


Another one of Mama's signature dishes. There are only five ingredients to this dish, and everything is merely thrown into a pot to cook. The result: a dish with the essence of beef without its brute strength.
http://www.eatingclubvancouver.com/2008/04/beef-shin-with-cilantro-aka-unbearable.html


Cookies:
Macha (Japanese Green Tea) Shortbread
Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies with Earl Grey-White Chocolate Ganache


Wow, we baked! We made these cookies for our first ever cookie exchange.
http://www.eatingclubvancouver.com/2008/12/macha-japanese-green-tea-shortbread.html
http://www.eatingclubvancouver.com/2008/12/chocolate-thumbprint-cookies-with-earl.html


Pan-roasted Halibut with Fava Beans, Potato-Onion Cakes and Bagoong Butter Sauce


A West Coast-style dish with a little oomph courtesy of a bagoong butter sauce. http://www.eatingclubvancouver.com/2008/06/title-mmm-canada-entry-pan-seared.html


Stuffed Savoy Cabbage with Pork


The dish that was as much fun to cook as to eat. Giggles abounded during the making of this brain-looking stuffed cabbage dish.


http://www.eatingclubvancouver.com/2008/10/stuffed-savoy-cabbage-with-pork.html


Pumpkin Congee with Pumpkin "Beignets" and Sesame-roasted Pumpkin Seeds


We certainly tried to use pumpkin in various ways for this dish

-- in small pieces in the congee, puréed and added to the "beignet" batter, its seeds roasted wit sesame oil,

as well as use traditional condiments for congee (such as pork floss and preserved eggs).

http://www.eatingclubvancouver.com/2008/10/pumpkin-congee-with-pumpkin-beignets.html


Creamy Chanterelle & Roasted Garlic Pasta


For this pasta, we sautéed chanterelles and added some leftover Cream of Fennel with Parsley Oil Soup and roasted garlic. http://www.eatingclubvancouver.com/2008/11/creamy-chanterelle-roasted-garlic-pasta.html


Mama's Fish Head Soup


We're a little surprised, but apparently, the most-oft used search term for or blog is "fish head soup" (and its derivations). Our post had step-by-step instruction, as well as images and descriptions of each ingredient. Plus, a story about me having tantrum! ;)


Mr. Ling Cod Head
http://www.eatingclubvancouver.com/2008/08/mamas-fish-head-soup-hee-tao-tung.html


Philippine-style Chicken "BBQ"


Finally, one of the most popular posts on our blog even without a decent photograph! Well, it is the "best recipe in the world", after all. ;)
http://www.eatingclubvancouver.com/2008/08/philippine-style-chicken-bbq.html

[ts]
We hope all of you enjoyed looking at these dishes -- either for the first time, or as a refresher.