# Any foodies/homecooks/food lovers in general here?



## er201 (Apr 21, 2010)

Just thought I'd start a thread for us foodies to share favorite spots for amazing food. Share some home cook recipes and takes on different foods.

Here's my take on grilled porchetta on freshly baked ciabatta bread.










Also inspired by a restaurant downtown called "meat on bread"


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## Reckon (Jul 25, 2012)

I just tried making pumpkin pie for dinner tonight. The filling is a easy but I failed on the crust. I can't keep it from falling apart as I try to take it off the counter after being rolled flat.
The previous blueberry and goatcheese pie crust held together alright though it didn't look that great. I guess I'm not cut out to be a pie baker.


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## aquafunlover (Jul 8, 2012)

2001 Flavours Pizza on Seymor & Pender. Try the specialty pizzas, pesto or even the regular pepperoni. Most amazing pizza ever for $1.75 a slice. 

The Donair place in Crystal Mall (Burnaby). Most amazing shawarma and donairs ever.

Pork and rice /w ginger and green onion at 5 Road and Cambie in Richmond (same strip mall as Shoppers).

Just a few of my faves.


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## Elle (Oct 25, 2010)

Ah, food....I love to cook. I make killer homemade tomato sauce and spaghetti with meatballs.

With the pie crust, what recipe did you use and was it too dry? If it's rolled too thin it can also break apart.


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## Elle (Oct 25, 2010)

I'm going to add to this in hope of more people posting recipes...I just created the most awesome tandoori squash soup last night. It can be adjusted to be vegetarian or vegan by using vegetable stock and omitting the dairy if you prefer.

Ingredients:

1 large butternut or acorn squash (or basically any orange squash; this would work for pumpkin as well)
8 tbs (1 stick) butter
1 large white onion, diced
2tbs Tandoori spice powder
1 cup milk or cream
6 cups chicken or vegetable stock
salt/pepper to taste

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 425F.

Melt 1 tbs of the butter. Split the squash and remove seeds and pulp. Cut into 4-6 large pieces and place in greased baking dish, interior side up. Brush surface of squash lightly with melted butter. Roast in oven for 40 minutes or until surface is browned and squash is fork tender. Remove from oven, set aside to cool. When squash is cool enough to handle, cut off the rind and cut the remaining squash into 1" cubes.

In a large stock pot, melt remaining butter. Add onion, cook until softened (about 4 minutes). Add cubed squash and tandoori powder, stir to coat all vegetables well.

Add chicken or vegetable stock, bring pot to a rolling boil. Turn down to a simmer, cover and cook for a further 30 minutes until squash is very soft.

Puree soup using immersion blender until texture is smooth and velvety. While blending, slowly add milk or cream. Season with salt/pepper to taste.

Serve garnished with homemade croutons and chopped fresh parsley.


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## SeaHorse_Fanatic (Apr 22, 2010)

My favourite restaurants are:

Oyama Sushi (Jap.)
Red Pagoda & Vancouver Vietnamese (Viet.)
Au Wing (Chin.)
Panos Taverna (Greek)

For you, Elle, here's a recipe for one of my signature dishes (Malaysian curry chicken and potatoes):

cut up 2 or 3 onions and puree in food processor (I use a Ninja)
brown onion puree with a bit of oil in wok
add several lbs of cut up, defatted chicken (I usually use one whole fryer and a couple of extra legs/thighs)
add some soya sauce and brown chicken a bit
boil water and add potatoes & boil till half cooked (not falling apart)
boil water for 6+ hardboiled eggs
add A-1 curry chicken paste & other curry powders and spices
keep stirring the chicken/onion so nothing burns
add some water from the potatoes to make some sauce
add the potatoes, and peeled hardboiled eggs
cut up and add cauliflower if you wish
keep stirring and add soya sauce to taste
when its almost finished, add a small amount of coconut milk (half can if using reg. sized can is plenty)
cover and lower heat to simmer
makes one big wok-full of curry chicken so you can adjust to suit how much you need

Even better the next day.

Serve with coconut milk rice (add a tablespoon of coconut milk in the rice cooker when you start making the rice).

I'll be making this tomorrow btw.


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## Foxtail (Mar 14, 2012)

I prefer the bbq when cooking at home... Pork steaks are my fav. That's not always possible tho, so go to dishes are roasted chicked, spagetti with spicy italian sausage meatballs, spinnach salad with berries and grilled chicken.... My specialty tho is waffles with blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, and strawberries baked in.

"I stopped believing for a while... Journey is gonna be psst!"


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## Foxtail (Mar 14, 2012)

For resteraunts, Jako sushi on davie and granville, Conie island fish and chips which is right next to mobydicks in whiterock but way better, the mexican place with the wooden deck on the one way part of fraser hwy in langley. There are more I cant think of...

"I stopped believing for a while... Journey is gonna be psst!"


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## mcrocker (May 29, 2010)

Reckon said:


> I just tried making pumpkin pie for dinner tonight. The filling is a easy but I failed on the crust. I can't keep it from falling apart as I try to take it off the counter after being rolled flat.
> The previous blueberry and goatcheese pie crust held together alright though it didn't look that great. I guess I'm not cut out to be a pie baker.


Try putting the crust onto something you can move, either a cutting board if you have one big enough or some plastic wrap. Then you can put the pan upside down on the crust and flip the pan, crust, and cutting board upside down.

Alternatively some people use pie bags that simplify the rolling too: Amazon.com: Harold Pie Crust Maker 14" (for 10-14" Pies): Home & Kitchen


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## mcrocker (May 29, 2010)

Yes, dim sum at the place by No. 5 and Cambie is awesome. (Continental Seafood is the name)

If you are ever in the area and like Indian food I strongly recommend Tandoori Kona a few doors down in the same complex. It's some of the best Indian food I have ever had, their butter chicken is amazing! (I know butter chicken is not really traditional Indian food, but it will blow your mind!) They also have a good deal on a lunch special, 7.95 for butter chicken and another curry, dahl, rice, naan, and raita.


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## Lamplighter (Aug 3, 2012)

You want a food recipe?

My favorite is Spanakopita. As a matter of fact I made one tonight that I'll put in the oven tomorrow. It takes me about 20 min to prep.

I throw a large bag of spinach into a bowl. Soak it in boiling water until it goes limp. I cool it down and wring it out like a wet dishrag and place it in a bowl. Add feta cheese 1-1/2 cups you can also add a cup of ricotta cheese. Mix it up.

I line a 9' with phyllo dough. I use 4 sheets crisscrossed. Spray the pie plate with Pam and each layer as you line the pan. Put in the phyllo sheets and spray each sheet with Pam. Fill the pie with the spinach mixture. Fold the sheets over the mixture and spray with Pam, continue until your finished. I bake it at 350*F until it's golden brown

Save a piece for me. 

I buy my cheese at Superstore and also the phyllo dough.


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## Vman (Jan 20, 2011)

I can't believe no one has mentioned Japadog. I come from the land of Kielbasa and those damn dogs taste just like a high quality,European,sausage. I've tried a few different ones there but my favorite is kurobuta. You have to try these hot dogs. Absolutely awesome.I used to cook and went to Belgium to learn some cooking.Fell in love with the Belgian kitchen. There's a Belgian place called Chambar that is great. Also my other half took me to Miku ,downtown,and I'll tell you that I haven't had better Japanese food even during my 1 year stay in Japan.Too many places and not enough stomach,especially ath the Richmond night market.


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## bonsai dave (Apr 21, 2010)

My favorite restaurant Is tropika on 12 and cambie in Vancouver .


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## Lamplighter (Aug 3, 2012)

bonsai dave said:


> My favorite restaurant Is tropika on 12 and cambie in Vancouver .


 

_Isn't it at 14th and Cambie?_


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## cpool (Apr 30, 2010)

I love, love, love to cook. I do all kinds of foods, a little bit of Indian, Southern (I love Gumbo), Thai, mexican and do lots of BBQ and grilling. I just love to cook. I make all kinds of spice rubs and hate buying anything pre-cooked, pre-mixed, pre-cut, basically love making anything and everything scratch. I make a different kind of soup every few weeks as well for my wife and I's lunches for work. I made a pulled pork, tomato soup this week, just for something different. 

Oh also I love to make pies. I make all kinds of pies on a fairly regular basis. My favorite is Blackberry, and I also love apple. But make tons of other types as well. Anyway if anything is looking for any good recipes, I have lots of great recipes.


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## cpool (Apr 30, 2010)

I made a Turkey last night (with most of the trimmings) it was good. I have started brining my turkey's lately and I will never go back to anything else. If you want a moist and flavourful turkey, brining is a must. That and the gravy you get with a brined bird, is the best gravy you will ever have. Tonight I make turkey and sausage gumbo with the leftovers, and the carcas made stock out of last night. MMMMmm Gumbo, life is good.


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## Elle (Oct 25, 2010)

What formula do you use for brining?


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## SeaHorse_Fanatic (Apr 22, 2010)

Elle said:


> What formula do you use for brining?


I save him a barrel of my water change water out of my 165g reef tank

Ooops was that a secret? Sorry.


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## cpool (Apr 30, 2010)

Shhh stop telling everyone my secret. The poopier the water the better.


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## cpool (Apr 30, 2010)

I use a mix of 1 gallon of water or so and I boil it and add 1 cup of pickling salt to it and 1 cup of brown sugar to dissolve it. Then I usually add some celery seeds and some fresh herbs like rosemary, oranano, a bay leaf or 2, some thyme, that sort of thing. Then I finish it off with a few cut up apples. Let it cool in the fridge then add the turkey for 24 hours before cooking. I find that a brined turkey cooks way faster than a non- brined so use a meat thermometer rather than the time rules or 15 or 20 minutes a pound, I forget which one it is.


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## SeaHorse_Fanatic (Apr 22, 2010)

cpool said:


> I use a mix of 1 gallon of water or so and I boil it and add 1 cup of pickling salt to it and 1 cup of brown sugar to dissolve it. Then I usually add some celery seeds and some fresh herbs like rosemary, oranano, a bay leaf or 2, some thyme, that sort of thing. Then I finish it off with a few cut up apples. Let it cool in the fridge then add the turkey for 24 hours before cooking. I find that a brined turkey cooks way faster than a non- brined so use a meat thermometer rather than the time rules or 15 or 20 minutes a pound, I forget which one it is.


He's just writing this so you won't barf if he serves you turkey for dinner:bigsmile:

Doing a water change soon so if anyone's wanting to brine turkey, let me know, okay?


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## rich16 (Mar 25, 2011)

Dagnabit, I'm drooling on my keyboard...not at the thought of Anthony's fish poop turkey, though...

Definite foodie here. Love eating, hate eating out of a box or can. Taught myself how to cook when I moved out *many* years ago...Mediterranean (Greek, Italian, Northern African) is my absolute favourite - did a Moroccan lamb stew on the weekend in the slow cooker - the house smelled fantastic! BBQ year round, even in the rain...that's why umbrellas were invented, right?? Always up for trying new things. 

Getting a smoker for Christmas...and some bigger pants, probably   mmm...ribs...pulled pork...turkey...*drool*snort*drool*


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## deepRED (May 22, 2010)

A good alternative to a brine is a salt rub. It's also known as a "dry brine". Basically take coarse sea salt ( the coarsest you can find), peppercorns, dried herbs of your choice ( rosemary, thyme, sage, savory, tarragon are what I use for turkey), and fresh lemon zest and rub the mix together to release some of the oils in the herbs. 

Take this mixture, and rub liberally into the cavity of the bird and under the skin. Use a generous amount of the salt mixture, as you are not simply seasoning the turkey, you need the salt to penetrate the meat. 

Cover with cling wrap and put it in the fridge for 8-12 hours. 

When you are ready to roast the bird, take it out and rinse all the salt off. Make sure to rinse it well or it will be excessively salty. 

Pat dry, and rub well with vegetable oil. Re-season with just the herbs and pepper to taste. 

Roast as usual. 

This method is good especially if you are doing a large bird and don't have the space for a brining container in your fridge. 

Essentially what is happening is that the salt is drawing out the moisture in the turkey. As it sits, the moisture is drawn back into the meat of the bird. However, that moisture going back in is now seasoned and flavoured. 
Essentially, you are infusing the meat with the flavour of the herbs and salt. The newly hydrated cells also hold on to the moisture better, resulting in a juicier and tastier end result. 
If you're ever eaten the roast chicken from US Costco and compared it to the Canadian counterpart you'll know what I'm talking about. They use a different technique, but essentially the same result.


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