New Cookbook Featuring 70 BC Chefs To Be Released Oct 17th

I am very excited to say that the Chefs’ Table Society’s new cookbook, Vancouver Cooks 2, is at the printers with a release date set for October 17th. Edited by Joan Cross, Jamie Maw, and myself (with a great foreword by Vicki Gabereau), it features recipes from over 70 of British Columbia’s very best chefs. This project has been a year in the making, and we’re thrilled that it’s now out of our hands. Check after the jump for a full view of the cover and more information. Read more

Name That Restaurant: “Only Nerds Will Get This One” Edition

This was sent over by a regular reader. Do you know which Vancouver restaurant this is? Submit your guesses and check for the answer in the Name That Restaurant thread over at Chef’sTableTalk.com.

Vancouver’s Best Chefs Dish Their Spot Prawn Recipes Online

John Bishop's spot prawn recipe, just one of many now available online...

One of the coolest things about the Chefs’ Table Society’s annual Spot Prawn Festival is the always excellent little recipe book sold at the Granville Island cooking demonstrations and at the official festival launch on Fisherman’s Wharf. Inside are instructions from the top chefs in the city on how to best prep the sweet and juicy critters, and they are now being made available at no charge. Read more

Hitting Howe Sound Early On The Hunt For Sweet Spot Prawns

I woke up at just before 5am to meet up with “C” Restaurant executive chef Rob Clark to go fishing for the first spot prawns of the season. We climbed aboard the Organic Ocean with fishermen Frank and Steve, and raced out to pull up the 300 traps they’d set the night before. After six hours on the Read more

The BC Restaurant Scene Moves Online With Chefs Table Talk

The Chefs Table Society went Web 2.0 this morning with the redux of their website and the launch of ChefsTableTalk.com, a collaborative forum specifically designed for Vancouver’s professional chef and restaurant community and to further the society’s mission, which is to create “a foundation for the exchange of information between culinary professionals.”

As you know, the society supports “innovative and sustainable programs that will inspire, educate and nurture our chefs, our producers and our local food industry, all the while promoting standards of excellence with the aim of enhancing the reputation of our regional cuisine.” You can meet the board of directors here.

In addition to being a venue for the Board to keep everyone abreast of society events and news, Chefs Table Talk will be Vancouver’s primary conduit of information for those wanting to keep up to date with BC’s restaurant scene.

It is split into three forums. The first, dubbed “The Restaurant Scene”, is for industry news, while the second, called “In The Kitchen”, is specifically for cooking, and will be monitored by the best chefs in the province. The third is for technical assistance, should you ever require it.

Chefs Table Talk is designed to encourage its users to meet and stay in touch with friends, mentors, and colleagues from the trade. It is a social media platform, allowing members to create their own profiles with personal photos, web addresses, Twitter names, and all manner of contact information (you can also get society updates on Twitter by following us at VancouverCooks)

Moderating the website will be Jamie Maw, food writer, raconteur, and co-founder of the society; Neil Wyles, owner/chef of the Hamilton Street Grill and society treasurer; Owen Lightly, a cook at Au Petit Chauvignol and the blogger behind ButterOnTheEndive.com; Karen Hamilton, the new website’s chief architect and founder of TinyBites.ca; the team of gourmands at Foodists.ca; and little old me.

As of today, you can enter the forum here at Scout, at TinyBites.ca, or at ChefsTableSociety.ca. More sites are going to be joining this collaborative hosting project in the coming days and weeks. If you’d like to support the society by inserting a link button to Chefs Table Talk on your website or on your personal blog, email me at scoutmagazine [at] gmail [dot com] with the preferred dimensions and we’ll build one for you. Short of that, please add it to your blog roll.

The site officially launched at noon today, but we started letting some folks in yesterday. Whether or not you are a member of the society, please go on in, introduce yourself, and help us get started.

See you in there!

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PS. I’ve shut down Scout’s own food forum, Tablespotting, to accommodate the coming of Chefs Table Talk. Thanks to all who signed up and participated. Once you’ve taken the new site for a spin, I’m sure you’ll agree that this is a major step up.

BC To Host 2010 Canadian Chefs’ Congress

Chefs Robert Clark and Vikram Vij of the Chefs’ Table Society have landed our region hosting rights for the 2010 Canadian Chefs’ Congress, an issue-driven national jamboree for conscientious men and women in whites. It’s great news, and a big deal.

This will be the second Congress, the first being a three day spectacular held at Michael Statdlander’s famed Eigensinn Farm in Ontario last summer, which was attended by chefs from across the nation, including Clark and Vij. The pair are now looking to build a team of dedicated, like-minded individuals to help them execute their exciting mandate of showing the country’s chefs BC’s best foot forward.

The following “help wanted” letter will go out to members of the Chefs’ Table Society this afternoon:

March 6th, 2009

Dear CTS members:

We are pleased to announce that with the unwavering support of the Chefs Table Society we have been able to secure the right to host the 2010 Canadian Chefs’ Congress here in British Columbia. The mission statement of the congress is parallel to our own and is as follows:

“The Canadian Chefs’ Congress connects chefs to our land, in solidarity with farmers, fishers, gardeners, foragers and all artisanal food producers. It is a biennial gathering of chefs from across our country that reinforces the passion and integrity of the Canadian food culture.”

Convening at the home of the president and founder of the Canadian Chefs Congress, Michael Stadtlander, the overall theme at the first Congress held at Eigensinn Farm was GMO’s (genetically modified organisms).

In our initial bid for the right to host the 2010 congress, we felt that for British Columbia the health of our oceans would be the appropriate theme.

This letter is an open invitation to anyone who wishes to participate and contribute in any way to the successful execution of this once-in-a-career event. We are looking for individuals who are highly motivated in helping to find solutions, not only to the plight of our oceans, but also in fulfilling the mission statement of the Chef’s Table Society, as well as of the Canadian Chefs’ Congress.

There are 5 to 7 steering committee positions open to individuals who have the time and desire to take a leadership role in helping to shape and execute this event. Working closely with the national steering committee and its guidelines, our committee members will coordinate and manage all aspects of the 2 to 3 day congress that will take place in southern British Columbia on one of the last two weekends in September 2010.

For more information about the first Canadian Chefs’ Congress, click here.

If you would like to contribute in any way, no matter how big or small, or if you have any questions please contact us at oceanclark64@gmail.com or call Robert Clark at 778.228.6517

Thank you for considering our future.

Sincerely,

Robert Clark and Vikram Vij

The boys would appreciate it if you’d link this page on your blogs; post it to your Facebook page; Tweet it (tinyurl: http://tinyurl.com/co7z4y); or otherwise distribute it by whatever means you have at your disposal. If you specifically know of anyone who might be a good fit for the steering committee – especially someone who has shown past prowess in administration – please bring this page to their attention via email.

We are in the process of building a new, highly collaborative and interactive Chefs’ Table Society website, so more information on the Congress will be released to time with its March 30 launch.

Q&A: The Chef of the Year, Pino Posteraro

One or twice a week Scout poses 60 questions to a local who has made life in BC that much more interesting. They pick and choose which ones they’d prefer to answer, with a minimum response rate of 20. A Rorschach test, for sure…

Pino Posteraro is the current President of The Chef’s Table Society of BC, the 2008 Vancouver Magazine Chef of the Year, and the owner/chef of Cioppino’s Mediterranean Grill in Yaletown.

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Scout Q&A

Three things about your neighbourhood that make you want to live there: Grand Boulevard area In North Vancouver: down to earth; friendly environment; still small reality; almost a village, like where I come from.

The thing that you eat that is bad for you that you will never stop eating: Pasta, Pasta, Pasta.

Default drink of choice: Champagne.

Drink you’ll never have again: Never say never.

The one place you’d move to without any regrets: My home town in the south of Italy.

Favourite wine varietal: Pinot Noir (old Burgundy to be more precise).

The person you can imitate: Depends on how much I had to drink (the only time I shall attempt).

One thing you’d like to change about Vancouver: The rain.

Bartender who could sell you anything: Stefano, an old school bartender from Toronto who has a “special gift”.

Cheap place for dinner: Pasparos Taverna on the North Shore, even if now the prices are up.

Book you’re reading: Cresci: The Art of Leavened Dough.

Last place traveled: New York.

Biggest fear: Dying young.

Cliche that you use too often: I do not have one.

Dead film actor you wish was still making pictures: Massimo Troisi.

Best sneaker in the world: The most comfortable ones (no particular brand).

Place in BC that you love escaping to: Ruby lake

Under what circumstances would you join the army: No circumstances.

Your paternal grandfather’s personal story: He died the same year I was born.

Best bar stool in the city: I do not have one.

Dumbest purchase ever: Must be one of my sports cars.

What are you proud of: My family.

The thing that makes you the angriest: Stupidity

Saddest thing about Vancouver: Hastings and Main.

Most challenging part of owning a business: Keeping the staff focused.

Best fine dining restaurant in the city: Tojo’s.

Your nickname growing up: Pino, which is short for Giuseppe.

Talent you wish you possessed: Be a great soccer player.

The trend you wish you never followed, but did: Fusion, when I was back from working in Asia.

Musical instrument you long to play: Guitar.

Sport you gave up: Soccer.

Foreign politician you most admire: Bill Clinton.

The game you’re best at: Cooking.

Best gallery in the city: Petley-Jones.

Somewhere within an hour of Vancouver that is worth checking out: Bearfoot Bistro (Whistler).

The number of fist fights you’ve been in: One that I can remember (his name was Pino as well).

The scariest situation you’ve ever been in: Losing my mother and my brother within 9 months of eachother.

Three things of no value that you will keep until you die: My old track pants; my old soccer shoes; my old guitar.

Local person you admire most: John Bishop; Hidekazu Tojo; Robert Clark.

The thing you’re ashamed of: Not spending enough time with my wife and kids.

Best concert experience ever: Avril Lavigne with my daughter.

Aspect of your personality you wish you could change: Being more patient.

How you waste time at work: Repeating myself.

The thing you wished people cared more about: Other people.

The dish you’re most proud of: The last one I’ve created.

The thing that makes you the most nervous: Flying and hospitals.

Town you were born in: Lago in the province of Cosenza in Calabria, Italy.

Old television shows you can tolerate re-runs of: Friends.

First memory: My mom.

Quality you admire most in yourself: Perseverance.

Album that first made you love music: My love for music came as a consequence of the Catholic study I attended.

Default junk food of choice: Chocolate chip cookies.

The career path you considered but never followed: Heart surgeon.

The one country that you have no interest in ever visiting: Kazakhstan.

Your top 3 films of all time: Cinema Paradiso, Il Postino, La Vita e’ Bella.

The first three things you do every morning: Espresso; soccer news online; respond to my emails.

The thing you’re addicted to: Pasta.

Biggest hope: A healthy life for my family and for all the kids of the world.

Luckiest part of your life: Being born into a family of six children. You really learn about life and love.

Favourite book as a child: The stories narrated by my mom. We could not afford many books.

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READ ALL SCOUT INTERVIEWS

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Related Video:

Senza Frontiere at Cioppino’s

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Related Photos:

Senza Frontiere at Cioppino’s

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The Greatest Meal Ever Served In Vancouver

The Senza Frontiere dinner (“Without Borders”) went down last night and it was a meal and an evening like few others I’d ever experienced. It’s not every shift that a dozen of our best chefs come together to prepare a feast, but they most certainly did. They gathered at Cioppino’s in Yaletown to put on an incomparable show for 90+ lucky guests who’d parted with precious ducats in support of the Chef’s Table Society of BC.

The line up of chefs: David Hawksworth (Hawksworth at the Hotel Georgia); Vikram Vij (Vij’s & Rangoli); Mary Mackay (Terra Breads); Thomas Haas (Thoma Haas Fine Chocolates); Rob Feenie (The Cactus Club); Hidekazu Tojo (Tojo’s); Michel Jacob (Le Crocodile); Rob Clark (C Restaurant); Nico Schuermans (Chambar); Dale Mackay and Daniel Boulud (Lumiere & DB Bistro Moderne); Scott Jaeger (The Pear Tree); and our host, Pino Posteraro (Cioppino’s).

To have that much talent working together in the same room for the same good cause – the support of emerging chefs – is a genuine testament to how much Vancouver has matured as a food town in a very short time (not to mention a logistical feat comparable to landing a herd of gazelles on the moon and returning them to the Serengeti none the worse for wear). Competition among them was of the jocular and celebratory kind, and ego was completely absent (not even a whiff of the stuff). A big thank you to all of the participating chefs for the inspired night, and especially to Pino, Celestino, Massimo, Christiano, and their staff for hosting what will likely go down as the top Vancouver food event of 2009 (and just 12 days in). Seriously, how could a single restaurant top this?

It was a meal I won’t soon forget, but since the wine pairings and I were especially big buddies last night and the after-party at Republic took a predictably bruising toll, I slapped together a little home movie (above) and Michelle and I both took plenty of shots (below) so as to guarantee the memories weren’t lost in violent 3am stagger down Granville. The menu – oh, the menu – can be read in full at the bottom.

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The Menu

Daniel Boulud, Lumiere and DB Bistro Moderne

Alsatian Tarte Flambe’ of caramelized onions, cheese and pancetta

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Vikram Vij, Vij’s and Rangoli

Coriander and Chilly marinated Mutton served with Chutney
Moet & Chandon Brut Imperial Nonvintage
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Naturally Fermented Bread from Mary Mackay’s Terra Breads

~

1st Course- Hidekazu Tojo, Tojo’s
Tojo’s Pacific dungeness crab cake, white fish and yam potato mousse, panko crust, yuzu, apple and mango sauce
Riesling Schlossberg 2006 Weinbach, Alsace
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2nd Course – Michel Jacob, Le Crocodile
Terrine of duck foie gras served with ice wine gelee and toasted brioche
Chateau Lafaurie-Peyraguey 2003 Sauternes
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3rd Course: Dino Renaerts, Diva at the Met
Chicken Consommé with Madeira, winter mushrooms & herb dumpling
Gewurztraminer Cuvee’ Theo 2006 Weinbach, Alsace
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4th Course: Robert Feenie, Cactus Club Café
Butternut Squash and Mascarpone ravioli, seared Qualicum bay scallops, truffle and lemon butter, shaved black truffles
Bourgogne Blanc 1999 Leroy, Burgundy
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5th Course: Robert Clark, C Restaurant
Baked British Columbia Sablefish preserved summer tomatoes, “Frank and Steve’s” spot prawn bisque
Riesling Jubilee 2004 Hugel, Alsace
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6th Course: Scott Jaeger, The Peartree
Butter braised “Campbell’s Pheasant” with confit eggplant and braised onion heart
Bourgogne Rouge 2001 Leroy, Burgundy
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7th Course: Daniel Boulud, Lumiere and DB Bistro
Trilogy of Milk Fed Veal: Crispy Head and Cheeks with Sauce Gribiche, Stuffed Endive with Smoked Tongue, Sweetbread with Salsify and Chanterelles
Chateau Cheval Blanc 1996 Saint-Emilion Premier Grand Cru, Bordeaux
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8th Course: David Hawksworth
Double Smoked Bacon Wrapped Squab, Tarte Fine of Wild Mushrooms and Golden Sultana Puree
Saint Joseph Les Granits Rouge Organic 2003 Chapoutier, Rhone
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9th Course: Nico Schuermans
Sumac rubbed lamb sirloin, smoked eggplant caviar, Israeli cous- cous, Tabouleh
Chateau La Louviere 2000 Pessac-Leognan, Bordeaux
~
Desserts: Thomas Haas, Thomas Haas Fine Chocolates
Passion fruit meringue,crispy coconut wafers and exotic fruits
Course:Warm chocolate cake, caramel-fleur de sel macaron, almond ice cream
Muscat de Beaumes de Venise 2003 Perrin, Rhone

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Andrew Morrison is a west coast boy who studied history and classics at the Universities of Cape Town and Toronto after an adolescence spent riding skateboards and working in restaurants. He is the editor of Scout Magazine, the weekly food and restaurant columnist for the Westender newspaper, a contributor to Vancouver and Western Living magazines, and a proud board member of the Chef’s Table Society of BC. He lives and works by the beach in Vancouver.

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The Dinner Of The Decade?

Over at The Chef’s Table Society of BC, we’ve been busy setting up what will likely go down as the dinner of the decade. Our current president, Pino Posteraro (of Cioppino’s), has put together a line-up of some of British Columbia’s most talented chefs, and is relinquishing the run of his kitchen to them on the night of January 12th. There are 12 courses, all with a French Mediterranean theme, and all paired with some truly magnificent wines.

Each chef has been given a small stack of special tickets to hand-sell to their favourite guests, but it is open to all. We’re anticipating that it will sell out quickly. Playbill below, plus the menu.

The Menu

Daniel Boulud, Lumiere and DB Bistro Moderne

Alsatian Tarte Flambe’ of caramelized onions, cheese and pancetta

~

Vikram Vij, Vij’s and Rangoli

Coriander and Chilly marinated Mutton served with Chutney
Moet & Chandon Brut Imperial Nonvintage
~
Naturally Fermented Bread from Mary Mackay’s Terra Breads

~

1st Course- Hidekazu Tojo, Tojo’s
Tojo’s Pacific dungeness crab cake, white fish and yam potato mousse, panko crust, yuzu, apple and mango sauce
Riesling Schlossberg 2006 Weinbach, Alsace
~
2nd Course – Michel Jacob, Le Crocodile
Terrine of duck foie gras served with ice wine gelee and toasted brioche
Chateau Lafaurie-Peyraguey 2003 Sauternes
~
3rd Course: Dino Renaerts, Diva at the Met
Chicken Consommé with Madeira, winter mushrooms & herb dumpling
Gewurztraminer Cuvee’ Theo 2006 Weinbach, Alsace
~
4th Course: Robert Feenie, Cactus Club Café
Butternut Squash and Mascarpone ravioli, seared Qualicum bay scallops, truffle and lemon butter, shaved black truffles
Bourgogne Blanc 1999 Leroy, Burgundy
~
5th Course: Robert Clark, C Restaurant
Baked British Columbia Sablefish preserved summer tomatoes, “Frank and Steve’s” spot prawn bisque
Riesling Jubilee 2004 Hugel, Alsace
~
6th Course: Scott Jaeger, The Peartree
Butter braised “Campbell’s Pheasant” with confit eggplant and braised onion heart
Bourgogne Rouge 2001 Leroy, Burgundy
~
7th Course: Daniel Boulud, Lumiere and DB Bistro
Trilogy of Milk Fed Veal: Crispy Head and Cheeks with Sauce Gribiche, Stuffed Endive with Smoked Tongue, Sweetbread with Salsify and Chanterelles
Chateau Cheval Blanc 1996 Saint-Emilion Premier Grand Cru, Bordeaux
~
8th Course: David Hawksworth
Double Smoked Bacon Wrapped Squab, Tarte Fine of Wild Mushrooms and Golden Sultana Puree
Saint Joseph Les Granits Rouge Organic 2003 Chapoutier, Rhone
~
9th Course: Nico Schuermans
Sumac rubbed lamb sirloin, smoked eggplant caviar, Israeli cous- cous, Tabouleh
Chateau La Louviere 2000 Pessac-Leognan, Bordeaux
~
Desserts: Thomas Haas, Thomas Haas Fine Chocolates
Passion fruit meringue,crispy coconut wafers and exotic fruits
Course:Warm chocolate cake, caramel-fleur de sel macaron, almond ice cream
Muscat de Beaumes de Venise 2003 Perrin, Rhone

Vancouver Cooks & The Very Big Dinner

We had a productive board meeting of the Chef’s Table Society today at Nu today (thanks for hosting us again Harry), and we’ll soon have some exciting news about an upcoming dinner that the Society is hosting this coming January. It’s hard to imagine Hidekazu Tojo, Vikram Vij, Scott jaeger, Dino Renaerts, David Hawksworth, Michel Jacob, Robert Clark, Mary Mackay, Nico Schuermans, Thomas Haas, Rob Feenie, and Daniel Boulud joining forces to prepare a meal, but they are.

Thomas Haas and David Hawksworth in the Elixir kitchen at the last CTS dinner - photo: Hamid Attie

I will likely be bussing tables. But more on that when we have everything finalised.

The meeting also touched on the moon that has been in constant orbit of my brain for the last couple of months: the book. I have about a week to finish the editorial content of the Chefs Table Society’s new cookbook, the working title of which is Vancouver Cooks 2.0. The recipes are being proofed by Julian Bond and his crew at the Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts, and edited by Joan Cross.

This has been my first “book” experience as a writer. I gotta say I used to think it would be a languid process involving a summer on Savary Island with a typewriter and cases of wine and cigarettes. Apparently not. It happens fast, and is a process that is shockingly and rather unromantically entangled in a web of emailed correspondence, pdf files, google docs, and other equally un-Fitzgeraldish modes of tappity tap tap. The folks at the publishing house of Douglas & MacIntyre have been very patient with us, perhaps owing to the volatility inherent to the task of compiling 120 recipes from 60 chefs (who’ve been wonderfully productive and patient as well). It’s going to be a good cookbook, I think, and something that all of the contributors and the Society can be proud of. My contributions on Scout might be light for the next two or three days as I go through the final biographical edits. I hope to sneak in some small posts here and there, but I’m glad I’m not the only one with keys.

After that, on with the beta build. Scout will be finished by January 1st and we’ll have a drink to celebrate.

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(front page carousel photo of chefs Don Letendre, Pino Posteraro, and John Bishop at our meeting today)

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