Pacific Palate – Dinnerworks

Posted on April 11, 2006 by Don Genova

On Tuesday’s show I talked about Dinnerworks, a brand new concept (for Vancouver, that is) where you go to make-ahead meals for home.  They do all the chopping and dicing, you do the assembly, no muss, no fuss. Eash work station is spotless, and looks just like a commercial restaurant prep counter.  You consult the menu online before you make an appointment and let the staff know which dishes you want to create.

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You follow the recipes posted at the station, and pack them into oven-ready containers.

Dinnerworks8 The Dinnerworks decor is quite modern, a combo of trendy pastels and stainless steel.  Owner-operator Chris Roscoe encourages people to come in for a private party…chat and listen to music while making meals for days down the road when you just don’t have the time to spend in the kitchen.

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So Much On My Plate – Chocolate Appreciation 101

Posted on April 7, 2006 by Don Genova

Img_1457_1 Today featured an on-air taste testing of different chocolates from around the world and I told folks how they can make their own chocolate right from the cocoa beans. 

I talked about Poulain chocolate bars, imported from France by the Cadbury corporation, and now distributed in easy to find places such as Shoppers Drug Marts, Save-On Foods and IGA’s.  For tasting notes pairing Poulain chocolate with other foods and beverages, click here.

Img_1529_1 To find out more about making chocolate from cocoa beans to your very own specifications at home, with the cool device pictured here, visit Alchemist John’s website, Chocolate Alchemy.

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The Devil’s Picnic – Winners Announced!

Posted on April 6, 2006 by Don Genova

Thanks to everyone who entered this contest, there were certainly some strange foods and customs described, and I enjoyed reading them all!

The three winners of a copy of The Devil’s Picnic are:

Herb Srolovitz, Shirley Choo and Debora Miscione.  Congratulations!

To read all the entries, click here.

If you didn’t win but are still dying to read about Taras Grescoe’s adventures with bull’s testicles, absinthe and stinky cheese, you can save 34% off retail price by buying the book through amazon.ca.  Just follow this link.

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Food For Thought – Chocolate Part 2

Posted on April 5, 2006 by Don Genova

To learn more about the Yaletown shop Chocoatl and pairing beverages and other foods with chocolate, click here for a previous entry.

Img_1529 The most fascinating gadget I saw at the recent IACP convention in Seattle was a device used to make chocolate from ground-up cocoa beans.  This is meant to be a home-based system, invented by John Nanci of Yoncalla, Oregon.  Also known as ‘Alchemist John’, he’s a chemist who decided to try making his own chocolate from cocoa beans after tasting some that Img_1532 was hand-made by a woman in Oaxaca, Mexico.  If you want to learn more about John’s starter kits, visit his Chocolate Alchemy website.

Img_1530 To listen to this week’s edition of Food For Thought in streaming Real Audio, click here.

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Pacific Palate – Chocolate!

Posted on April 3, 2006 by Don Genova

Img_1471Tuesday, April 4th on Pacific Palate, I introduced two young entreprenurial chocolatiers who have a great new chocolate shop in Vancouver’s Yaletown. Brandon Tam and Themis Velgis have opened Chocoatl at 1127 Mainland Street to great acclaim, and I know why.  Their hot chocolates are to swoon for.  Made from chocolate from one of 15 different countries, they Img_1469 also can infuse the hot chocolate with natural flavourings from choices such as lavender, hazelnut and rose.  I also spoke with Dr. Jordan LeBel about the health benefits now being attributed to dark chocolate.  He was speaking on behalf of Poulain chocolate.  Poulain chocolate bars, imported from France, are now available in mainstream retailers such as IGA, Shoppers Drug Mart and Save-On Foods.  For chocolate pairing information from Dr. Jordan LeBel, click here  to download a Word document with the details.

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IACP – Seattle, Day Two

Posted on March 31, 2006 by Don Genova

March 31st, 9:30am – Just off to Day Two of the IACP convention in Seattle.  Attended 3 great workshops yesterday:

1.  How our genes can affect our health and the way we eat

2.  What editors are looking for in magazine submissions and how to think ‘outside the box’ when it comes to story ideas.

3. A celebration of pork in three different cultures.

I’ll feature podcast and radio programming from yesterday’s workshops, and I’m looking forward to attending more workshops today and a Culinary Showcase where I’m going to learn how to make chocolate from cocoa beans…at home!

Dinner last night was at the W Hotel’s Earth and Ocean restaurant, where executive chef Maria Hines and executive pastry chef Sue McCown wowed a large group of IACP’ers with a delightful tasting menu of porcini creme brulee, sablefish cooked sous vide with fennel and preserved lemon foam and grilled Oregon pork loin with smoke white bean puree.  Then there was Sue’s "Parade of Desserts", and I love a parade!  Here’s some pics:

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