"In the cuisine of modern Rome quinto quarto (literally the "fifth quarter") is the offal of butchered animals. The name makes sense on more than one level: because offal amounts to about a fourth of the weight of the carcass; because the importance of offal in Roman cooking is at least as great as any of the outer quarters, fore…
September 22, 2012: Heart of Duckness
I'm sure it's happened to you before. You're sitting back, watching a show on Food Network or the Travel Channel, when a dish catches your eye. You track down the recipe, study it, then jot down the ingredients, determined to recreate it at home. The next day, you go to the grocery store and pick…
September 14, 2012: Feasting at Campagnola! Days of Stargate Atlantis Past! This Mortal Coil!
The other day, I received an email from my buddy, Rob, informing me that this was Passion for Pork Week in Vancouver. What, exactly, that meant I had no idea, but I knew that if pork was the central theme, then the gang at Campagnolo Restaurant were the people to see. I texted owner, Tom…
September 6, 2012: The Great Philly Cheesesteak Debate! Days of Stargate Atlantis Past! Reunion!
Well damn. Little did I realize the firestorm reaction I would elicit when I mentioned that I would be making Philly Cheesesteaks this weekend and serving them in focaccia. Apparently, there are some Philly Cheesesteak purists among this blog's readership who would sooner smack me upside the head than eat a Philly Cheesesteak with focaccia.…
September 2, 2012: YOUR sure-fire recipe for the perfect steak!
Last night, Ivon came over with fifteen pounds of meat. Now, normally, the writer in me would be instantly suspicious of a friend who just happened to show up on my doorstep with a bag full of red meat that needed eating, but in this case Ivon paved the way with a (suspicious?) story about…
August 29, 2012: My sister’s dog is high as a kite! A souffle-less souffle outing! What was The Most Heartbreaking Moment in Stargate History?
My sister's dog is high: Aspen apparently feeling uber-relaxed following his latest chemo treatment. Fingers crossed it helps! It never fails. Every night, Akemi and I work out while watching one of the food shows, be it Hell's Kitchen, Master Chef, Top Chef, Top Chef Masters, Chuck's Day Off, Chef Academy, or Around the World…
August 25, 2012: The Perfect Meal! Cos & Effect Kicks Off!
Last night, I had THE perfect meal. And, by "perfect", I mean perfect for me. And no wonder given that my dinner was planned and prepared by Chef Rob Belcham. No one knows my culinary likes and dislikes, leanings and particulars better than Rob and the gang from Campagnolo/Campagnolo Roma/Fat Dragon. Fellow owner Tom Doughty…
August 21, 2012: The Curious Case of the Unapproved Comment! News of Note! Days of Stargate Atlantis Past! Sunday!
Don't you just hate it? You write up a comment and hit "post" only to be informed your comment is awaiting moderation. Now, provided you weren't rude or disrespectful (or redirected to the spam bin) your comment will eventually appear. But sometimes it doesn't. Sometimes, you'll comment, hit "post", be informed your content is awaiting…
August 18, 2012: Dinner with Remi! Days of Stargate Atlantis Past! The Game!
Back when I was in San Diego for Comic Con, I ran into former Stargate: Universe writer-consulting producer Remi Aubuchon who was in town promoting Falling Skies, a scifi series he is showrunning for Dreamworks Television and TNT. He informed me that he would be back in Vancouver to start production on the show's third…
August 17, 2012: Vancouver Olive Oil Company! The Weird Food Purchase of the Week returns! Days of Stargate Atlantis Past! The Tao of Rodney!
Akemi and I were out and about today, running errands, when we happened across The Vancouver Olive Oil Company, a delightful little shop on West Broadway (2571 W. Broadway to be exact). Having recently read an article on the poor quality of the olive oil sold in most supermarkets (ranging from old stock to adulterated…
August 15, 2012: Our live fan Q&A!
Joseph Mallozzi Yep. Dis be de place. August 15, 2012 at 2:47 pmdasndanger I think I’ma gonna need a drink…or three. (Joey, make sure to bring some chocolate!! ) das on August 15, 2012 at 2:51 pmPBMom I might be out with a friend, Stargate fan Tiffanie. I have some serious catch-up to do. Went to high school…
August 14, 2012: Damnit! Sushi! Food Trucks! Days of Stargate Atlantis Past!
Damnit! I forgot about the live chat we were supposed to do. I'd like to give everyone a 24 hour reminder. How's tomorrow night for you guys? 9:00 p.m. EST, 6:00 PST? [correction] Akemi and I went out with Rob and Hillary last night. We discussed a lot of strategy - and ate a fair…
August 12, 2012: Food Truck Fest! Earnest Ice Cream! Days of Stargate Atlantis Past! The Return II!
Today, after hitting the Sunday farmer's market (not to be confused with the Saturday farmer's market which we also make a point of attending), we headed on over to the Waldorf Hotel for Food Cart Fest. The weekly event started on July 29th and is continuing, every Sunday, until September 2nd. It's a chance to…
August 11, 2012: Bao Bei! Days of Stargate Atlantis Past! The Return I!
The other day, our friend and fellow foodie (oh, and culinary apprentice) Simon invited Akemi and I out for dinner. We ended up meeting him (and his friend Sean) at Bao Bei in Chinatown for inspired modern Chinese cuisine. It's a tapas-style menu offering a plates of varying sizes, from the tiny couple-of-bites appetizers to…
August 5, 2012: Make your own Beef Wellington! Days of Stargate: Atlantis Past! Progeny!
Anybody who has watched Hell's Kitchen knows that making a perfect Beef Wellington can be tricky. Well, yesterday, Akemi succeeded in executing the dish to perfection. What follows are Akemi's steps to a terrific Beef Wellington (channeling Gordon Ramsay minus the expletives). Days of Stargate: Atlantis past continues with our look at - PROGENY (305)…