Amuse Bouche
Defn: to tickle your palate, whet your appetite, make your mouth happy
Amuse Bouche is where we share with you the things that make our mouths happy. From recipes to wine reviews, from producer profiles to our culinary journeys - this is sightseeing for your tastebuds.
There are so many amazing food and wine events across this province. We recommend visiting Wine & Dine BC News - an excellent resource for keeping track of these events so you can plan your calendar and don't miss out. And Cityfood Magazine is a terrific site for keeping track of Vancouver's food & beverage related press releases, restaurant news, promotions and more.
Visit often - we'll be tasting, travelling and posting for you.
Cheers,
Treve Ring
Amuse Bouche Editor
Recipe: Saganaki Schramm Vodka Martini – by Chef Dana Reinhardt
Chef Dana Reinhardt has long been an EBC friend. She was our lead chef back when we began our Commercial Drive Market Tours, and she’s graced our BC’s Best Market Dinners before. We were fortunate to have Chef Reinhardt join us again last month – and here is her original summer starter, featuring Pemberton Distillery’s Schramm Vodka (another EBC fave!)
Saganaki Schramm Vodka Martini
A fun first course; a cross between a martini and a soup!
Serves 4 as a starter.
- 12 Windset Allegro tomatoes, chopped
- 2 Windset Allegro tomatoes, finely chopped
- pinch chili flakes
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 5 leaves fresh basil
- 2 leaves fresh mint
- 1 clove garlic, finely minced
- 4 oz vodka
- 2 Fresco mini cucumbers, seeded and finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh chives, finely chopped
- 3 oz pitted Kalamata olives, chopped
- 8 oz Haloumi cheese, cut into 12 cubes
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
In a blender, combine the 10 chopped tomatoes, chili flakes, salt, basil, mint and garlic. Puree until smooth. Place the tomato mixture in a fine mesh sieve over a large bowl and place in the refrigerator for 2 -3 hours.
Discard the solids remaining in the sieve and add the gin or vodka to the tomato water. Mix the cucumbers, remaining chopped tomatoes and olives together and divide into 4 martini glasses.
Divide the cubes of Haloumi cheese onto 4 small skewers. Heat the olive oil in a 10 inch skillet over medium heat and fry the cheese until golden on all sides. Drain on a paper towel.
Pour the tomato water into the martini glasses and garnish with the chives and a cheese skewer each.
Dining out for Life
One week from today, your restaurant cheque will benefit much more than just the restaurant.
Thursday, March 25th is DINING OUT FOR LIFE. Dining out for Life is an annual fundraiser, involving restaurants and corporate sponsors to support people living with HIV/AIDS. 25% of your food bill will benefit organizers and beneficiaries of the event in Vancouver/Whistler: A Loving Spoonful and Friends For Life. In Vancouver, proceeds benefit AIDS Vancouver Island and in the Okanagan, Living Positive Resource Centre.
Formed in 1991, DINING OUT FOR LIFE is organized in 55 cities throughout Canada and the United States.
You can view the list of participating restaurants in each region through the main website.
An EBC Thanks! for Olympic Staff, Athletes & Volunteers
All of us at Edible BC would like to say thank you to all of the extraordinary people who have helped to make the Vancouver 2010 Olympics so memorable. For all of the Olympic Staff, Athletes & Volunteers, we are offering a 15% discount on everything in the Edible BC retail store at Granville Island as well as on our popular Granville Island Market Tours. The discount is valid from February 28 – March 6th.
Just show your VANOC credentials to our sales staff and they will automatically deduct 15% from your bill. This is the perfect opportunity to stock up or pick up those last minute gifts.
*Please pass on this info to anyone who has worked or volunteered during the Games.
Go Canada Go!!
And Top Table Restaurants Toast ALL Medallists with Champagne
Top Table Group also recognizes Olympic achievement and wants to toast all podium-worthy achievements. Winning an Olympic medal is no easy feat. The road is long, the sacrifices many, and the support structures that enable athletes to reach the podium are elaborate. But ask an Olympic athlete the key to their success, and the reply is almost always, “My family and friends.”
Araxi in Whistler, and Blue Water Cafe, CinCin, and West in Vancouver, will salute winning athletes during the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics by helping them toast family and friends at the restaurants’ bars with a complimentary bottle of Nicolas Feuillatte champagne.
“We want to congratulate the bronze, silver and gold medalists from all countries, and give them the opportunity to toast those closest to them, that took them to the pinnacle of their sport,” said Jack Evrensel, proprietor of Top Table. “Top Table is all about teamwork, and so are the endeavours of Olympic athletes – this is a simple way to show our appreciation.”
*Medalists: Reserve in advance through Top Table’s restaurant directors, bring your medal, and the bubbles will begin to flow.
| RESTAURANT | LOCATION | CONTACT | ||
| Araxi Blue Water Cafe CinCin West |
4222 Whistler Village Square 1095 Hamilton Street, Yaletown 1154 Robson Street 2881 Granville Street @ 13th |
Steve Edwards, 604 932 4540 Stephan Cachard, 604 688 8078 Ricardo Ferreira, 604 688 7338 Brian Hopkins, 604 738 8938 |
Bearfoot Bistro Makes Champagne Wishes Come Through for Medallists
Bearfoot owner Andre St-Jacques
From the podium to the party: Winning the very first medal for your country is an athlete’s dream. Paying tribute to the first Olympic Medalist from each country, Bearfoot Bistro has invited medalists and their entourage – friends, family, coaches – to pop an Olympic-sized jeroboam bottle of the prized French bubbly, Moët et Chandon Brut Impérial, on the house.
After the ceremonial champagne sabering with world-record-holder and Bearfoot owner André Saint-Jacques, Olympians’ competitive spirit may urge them to challenge his record of 21 lopped-off bottlenecks in one minute. I think it safe to say that a different training regime would be necessary 
*Medalists please contact Marc DesRosiers at 1 (604) 902-2622 and the Bearfoot Bistro at 1 (604) 932-3433.
And new at Bearfoot for the rest of us non-medallists: Belvedere Ice Room
Guests can step into Canada’s first sub-zero vodka lounge to sample a range of 50 vodkas from around the world. Connoisseurs enter the -25C temperature wearing Canada Goose down parkas and furry winter hats. The Belvedere Ice Room menu features partner plates of gravadlax, oysters and caviar, with vodkas from Russia, Poland, France, Sweden, the Czech Republic, United States, and neighbouring Pemberton.
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