ALASKA KING CRAB – THE TRUE KING OF SEAFOOD – by Stephanie Yuen
Chef Dan Yan of Yan's Garden Restaurant is ready to turn this 10-lb. King Crab into a three course dinner
Besides savouring those big claws at a buffet, nobody paid much attention to Alaska King Crabs, at least not until Chinese restaurants display them in their live seafood tanks and turn out three or more courses from each single giant crab. Bravos to the Chinese chefs for introducing our palates to the wonderful taste of this magical seafood!
Another short Alaska King Crab season has just begun in Metro Vancouver. My family went out for our first 4-course King Crab dinner last weekend: Deep-fried Salt & Pepper Knuckles; Garlic-steamed open-faced claws; Baked Coconut-curried rice in the shell and Sauteed San-mein noodle with crab juice. The one we had was a 12 lb. crab which looked monstrous when the waiter showed it to us before taking it into the kitchen to be cooked. We added a couple of vegetable dishes, a wok-baked filet of Sable fish; an order of Chinese-style Pork Chop plus some Imen Noodle. At $25 each (Ongoing rate of Alaska King Crab is $13.88 per lb.), the 4-course live King crab dinner was a delicious bargain. And the amazing thing is, no matter how many King crab dinners we have, the satisfaction never diminishes.
Most Chinese Seafood Restaurants are putting Alaska King Crab on their menu these days. The huge crabs are meant for sharing with a group of 10 to 12 people. Unless you are a vegan, you have to try it at least once. Each King crab course presents a different flavour and texture while each bite brings new sensation to the palate. Once you try it, you’ll agree Alaska King Crab not only worth the price, it is also a divine gourmet experience..
Golden King Crab knuckles deep-fried with chilli-pepper
My favourite restaurants for King Crab dinner:
Vancouver:
Ken’s Chinese Restaurant: 1097 Kingsway (near Glen). 604-873-6338
Burnaby:
Yan’s Garden Restaurant: 9948 Lougheed Highway (at North Road). 604-421-8823
Richmond:
Excelsior Restaurant: #6 – 6340 No. 3 Road. 604-278-2616
WINESPEAK: ROAD 13 VINEYARDS ZINFANDEL 2007
Who – Road 13 Vineyards
What – Zinfandel 2007
Where – Golden Mile, Oliver, Okanagan Valley
Why – Next week’s California Wine Fair twigged my selection today. And while this wine isn’t easy to find (only 47 cases were released last December), it’s worth seeking out – and not only for the novelty factor of drinking a BC Zin. It’s finicky and labour-intensive to produce – from taming the overzealous vines, to stealing berries from botrytis – but all the hard work has certainly paid off. Focused boysenberry and brambleberry on the nose continues on the warm palate, along with juicy raspberry jam, peppery spice and vanillan sweetness.
When – This Zin’s aggressive tannins call out for beef. If your BBQ is covered in snow, heat up the broiler, throw on a steak, sit back, imagine summer, and enjoy.
How (much) – $29.99 at winery and select specialty stores
Winespeak of the Week – Zinfandel has been said to be the American wine grape, because it reaches its highest level in California. It’s now been shown to be the same as Southern Italy’s Primativo, and outside of those two areas, there are only isolated plantings of this grape worldwide. Zinfandel can be vinified in many styles. One super popular style is White Zinfandel, a fruity-flavored white wine that’s usually slightly sweet and ranges in color from light to dark pink. The Zinfandel grape is also used as a base for California sparkling wines. When made into red wine, Zinfandel can produce wines ranging from light and fruity to hearty, robust reds. Zinfandel, with its high alcohol levels and residual sugar, is also used in the creation of some late harvest and fortified wines.
CALIFORNIA COMES TO VANCOUVER
Now in its 29th year of touring across Canada, the 2009 California Wine Fair arrives again in Vancouver next week, boasting 350 wines from 100 wineries throughout the Golden State. Wines include products currently available in the market as well as new vintages and varietals that have yet to be released here (yahoo!).
Come sip and sample, and bid on silent auction items including many of the hard-to-find wines featured at the tasting.
TUESDAY MARCH 3, 2009
Vancouver Trade and Convention Centre. 7PM. Tickets $60
$50 each for groups of six or more (must be booked at one time).
Call 604.687.1644 for tickets
EBC PRODUCT PROFILE: AJI PICANTE SAUCE – By Kim Peterson
After a conspicuously long absence from our shelves here at Edible BC, a guacamole lovers’ best kept secret is back. Aji (pronounced ah-HEE) picante sauce is a perfectly peppered combination of tomatoes, onions and cilantro, used as an all-purpose addition to dips, meat dishes and marinades. There are dozens of ways to use Aji, but its greatest contribution to your kitchen will be its ability to make a rock-star guacamole almost effortlessly. To buy a tub of guacamole from the grocery store is blasphemy-in my books anyway-you don’t get those satisfying chunks of veggies, and the taste is never as good is if it would be fresh. Plus, for something so easy to make, people will be wildly appreciative of a good guac…so, no excuses! Add a little, or a lot of Aji (depending on how lemony you like it) to ripe, mashed avocadoes, and the result is a delicious dip that normally would have taken tens of minutes of chopping and seasoning to create.
You can also mix Aji in with mayo or sour cream for another kind of dip. I like to put a spoonful in my tuna or chicken salad sandwich, to give it that extra little tang, and it works great as a substitute for salsa in scrambled eggs or omelets. Check out the product website for more recipe ideas. And for the ultimate EBC nacho night, pair your Aji guacamole with Fresh is Best tortilla chips, the most authentic-tasting tortilla chips in Vancouver coming to you from Kamloops.
Check our online retail store for these items.
150 DAYS OF WINE IN THE WILLAMETTE
Oregon celebrates its 150th birthday in 2009 and the Willamette Valley is ready to pop a few corks!
A 3 hour journey straight down I-5 leads you to Portland, a gorgeous city full of independent, creative, locally-minded food and wine folk. The city is central to the Willamette Valley – home to more than 200 wineries and tasting rooms celebrating Oregon’s illustrious grape – Pinot Noir. The Willamette Valley Wineries Association (WVWA) joins the Oregon 150 celebration as an official partner to promote 150 Days of Wine in the Willamette Valley, a series of wine events and activities taking place between February 14th and Labor Day weekend in all Agricultural Viticulture Areas (AVA’s). 150 Days of Wine in the Willamette Valley joins the Oregon 150 Celebration to honor Oregon’s 150 years of statehood and celebrate the proud history and bright future of Oregon wines.
Kicked off on Valentine’s Day weekend, 150 Days of Wine in the Willamette Valley will include wine events in the region through Labor Day weekend. Currently scheduled events from each association include:
o March 7-8, 2009 – Spring on Sip 47. Join 35 wineries and businesses along Highway 47 for a Spring Weekend filled with tastings of new releases, food pairings, sake tastings, live music and more! Sip 47 is a collection of wineries and businesses located along Highway 47, or the Old Newberg Highway, between Carlton and Forest Grove. For a list of participating wineries visit www.sip47.com.
o April 18-19, 2009 – Dundee Hills Passport Tour will include winery, vineyard, B&B’s and restaurant members of the Dundee Hills Winegrowers Association. Weekend events include benchmark pinot noir tastings and free vineyard seminars. For a passport, list of participants and further information (posted in March), visit www.dundeehills.org.
o May 23-25, 2009 – Memorial Weekend in Wine Country. The 19th annual open house event includes more than 150 member wineries for one of the oldest wine events in Oregon. Many wineries are only open a few times a year and this is a good opportunity to meet the winemaker and explore the Willamette Valley. For more information, visit www.willamettewines.com.
o July 4-5, 2009 – Red, White and True Oregon Wines. July 4th weekend in Wine Country is a chance to show your patriotic spirit and support locally crafted Oregon wines. Special tastings and festivities will take place throughout the holiday weekend. For more information, visit www.willamettewines.com.
o September 5-7, 2009 – Explore, Tour & Taste! Visit the Chehalem Mountains located on Portland’s doorstep over Labor Day Weekend for winery and vineyard open houses as harvest nears. Discover locations rarely open to the public, taste the wines, and meet the winemakers and growers. For a map and list of participants/dates/hours (posted in July), visit www.chehalemmountains.org.
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