Vancouver

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A Finnish Bhangra band called Shava photo credit: HSBC City of Bhangra/VIBC One of Vancouver’s telltale signs of spring is back. The 9th annual HSBC City of Bhangra Festival runs from May 30 – June 8. Punctuated by colour and rhythm the festival attracts bhangra groups from as far as Brazil, India and Finland to our fair city.   “We’re trying to feature new acts like young Canadian singer Inder Kooner. By supporting acts like Inder, the Vancouver International Bhangra Celebration Society builds community for everyone through the celebration of bhangra,” says Sukhi Ghuman, a member of the festival organizing committee. “We really want all cultures and communities to feel welcome at the festival.” Originating about 500 years ago, Bhangra was invented by wheat farmers in India’s Punjab province. Toiling in the hot, golden fields Punjabi farmers would dance and sing about village life to fight the monotony of working all day during harvest season. In the last 40 years or so Bhangra has surged in popularity, attracting fans in the global south and north, becoming the dance brand of India. Starting in 2005, the HSBC City of Bhangra was so successful it now includes events in both Vancouver and Surrey. Photo credit: VIBC/HSBC City of Bhangra  “During this year’s festival, there will be over 20 hours of free programming to enjoy. We’re expecting about 10,000 people to attend the different events throughout the 10 days. There are about 200 performers,” explains Guhman who used to be part of the UBC bhangra team. Vancouver highlights for the 2013 HSBC City of Bhangra include: rePercussion -  a drum-filled reception featuring the percussion talents of artists from Zimbabwe, Cuba, the UK and Surrey’s Dhol Nation Academy. rePercussion kicks the festival off at the Fei and Milton Wong Experimental Theatre May 30 from 7:30 – 9:00 p.m. Lunchtime Bhangra – the downtown lunch crowd can take a dance break and observe dance shows on Robson between Howe and Hornby Streets June 3 from noon – 1:00 p.m. Downtown Bhangra – (my personal favourite) gather after work on Friday June 7 for an evening of bhangra moves like the Jhummer and Chutki Lehria. Dance troupes and musical performances go from 6:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. on the West Georgia side of the Vancouver Art Gallery between Hornby and Howe Streets.  Non-stop Bhangra – after the outdoor performances June 7 put on your dance pants to catch Dj Harpz, Dj Anjali and The Incredible Kid at the Vancouver FanClub from 10:00 p.m. until late. For a full list of HSBC City of Bhangra events visit here. Who is your favourite local bhangra dance team? Let us know in the comments section below.

Thirty-three years ago today, early on a Sunday morning, I was in North Vancouver at a frend’s house with a bunch of other folks recovering from what had been a major party the night before.  My eyes hurt, my head hurt, and I was sure that the big bang I heard, and the small tremors that swept up my legs, were all part of the painful recovery process.  But I wasn’t the only one to hear and feel those things, and we began to wonder. There was no internet or 24-hour news stations then, and it was probably a while before we learned what had gone on south of us. Mount St. Helens had blown its head off, and for hours we sat around watching KOMO or KING, gazing in awe as dust settled on towns for miles around, gazing in awe at the power of the mountain. This was not a day to easily forget.

Restaurant: Aziza Cuisine: Moroccan/New American/Mediterranean Last visited: May 6, 2013 Location: San Francisco, CA (Outer Richmond) Address: 5800 Geary Blvd Phone: (415) 752-2222 Transit: Geary Blvd & 22nd Ave Price Range: $30-50+ ($25-35 mains) 1: Poor 2: OK 3: Good 4: Very good 5: Excellent 6: FMF Must Try! Food: 4.5 (based on what I tried) Service: n/a Ambiance: 3 Overall: 4.5 Additional comments: Chef/Owner Mourad Lahlou Innovative New Moroccan cuisine 1 Michelin Star Critically acclaimed Local and global ingredients Seasonal menus Chef Tasting Menus Cocktail/wine program Reservations recommended Wed-Mon 5:30–10:30 pm Closed Tuesday **Recommendations: The 13 course Chef’s Tasting Menu ($95/person) was more impressive than the a la carte, although the a la carte was still very good. The cocktails and dessert menu should not be missed. If you’re ordering a la carte try the Lentil Soup, Sardines, and Duck Confit Basteeya. The desserts change often and according to season, but on the current menu I recommend the Almond-Honey Semifreddo. No, this couldn’t be it. Just let me double check the address. I’m sure it’s called Aziza, or was it Laziza? No, Laziza is the one in Vancouver, I was looking for Aziza in San Francisco. It’s a 1 Michelin Star upscale restaurant featuring new Moroccan cuisine, and it was unexpected to find it on this street corner. The sign didn’t really shout “upscale” and from the outside it looked a bit shady, but I knew what I was getting myself in to. I knew well in advance too, as to why I even made reservations a week early. It is not a restaurant you just happen to walk by, it is restaurant you make plans to visit. The Richmond District is populated with Chinese and Russian immigrants and mom and pop type ethnic eateries (mostly Asian) which dominate the area. Aziza is located in Outer Richmond which is the up and coming part of the Richmond District, as opposed to the inner part which is already full of restaurants. It opened in 2001 and the love for it has only grown stronger. It won reviews from local media early on and has been on the James Beard Award radar most recently. It received James Beard Award nominations for Aziza, Mourad, and his Pastry Chef Melissa Chou, and the restaurant and team is still on the rise. It is not easy to stay in the spotlight after opening for over 10 years (especially for modern restaurants like this), but Aziza must be doing something right or the hype would have died a long time ago. It still remains a neighbourhood gem and attracts locals and traveling food enthusiasts alike. Follow Me Foodie to San Francisco started at Aziza and I was off to a good start. The restaurant was more pleasant once inside and it was a lot bigger than expected. There are 3 separate rooms, each uniquely themed, but still Moroccan inspired. It had the white tablecloths and the service was formal, but the room was trendy and not as committed to traditional fine dining quality. It was stylish and sophisticated, but not ritzy or rich. Before I dwell into the food, I have to state my biases. I actually met Mourad last year at West Restaurant when he was invited as a guest chef. He prepared a New Moroccan Menu and I wrote about the experience here. It can be tricky writing about food when you become friends with the chef, but there is a mutual understanding and respect. Regardless it is not the first time I’ve done it, and if you’re familiar with this blog then you already trust it or you don’t. I can’t say I’ve had much experience with Moroccan cuisine let alone “New Moroccan” cuisine. I refuse to put it under the umbrella categories of Middle Eastern or African food just because it isn’t specific enough. I find it deserving of its own category. Nonetheless I don’t have many point of references for how Mourad’s dishes came to be, but based on reading his book and trying his food

Last weekend, we grilled up some beef short ribs, Korean galbi style.  On the side, we also grilled some sugar snap peas, okra, and mushrooms.  A peanut sauce accompanied the snap peas, while I tossed the mushrooms and okra in two chili dressings. The juicy juicy meat was served with steamed rice, a quick cucumber pickle, kimichi, and lettuces for wrapping.  Needless to say, everything was polished off by our hungry friends. Homemade Korean galbi short ribs with sugar snap peas, mushrooms, and okra To kick everyone’s appetite off, I whipped this simple chilled tofu appetizer up.  It was inspired by an amazing meal at a Tofu restaurant in Tokyo.  It’s creamy, savory, with just a touch of acidity. It’s so utterly easy to make, especially if you’re serving a crowd. It just so happens to be vegan too… Simple chilled miso tofu appetizer – perfect for hot summer nights Chilled Japanese Miso Tofu Appetizer Ingredients1 package soft or silky tofu3 tablespoons miso paste2 tablespoons rice vinegar2 tablespoons mirin1 teaspoon brown sugar1 tablespoon sesame seedsDirectionsDrain the tofu and cut into cubes. The size is up to you. Place on chilled plates. Whisk the miso paste, vinegar, mirin, and brown sugar together until smooth. Slather the tofu cubes with the dressing. Sprinkle sesame seeds on top. Serve chilled.

Portuguese Joe Silvey on his wedding day Harry Jerome is about to get some company. The statue of the famous Canadian runner, which stands at Brockton Point in Stanley Park, will soon be joined by a statue of a very different Canadian icon, a 19th-century whaler named Portuguese Joe Silvey. Silvey, a little known but colourful figure from B.C.’s past, opened a saloon opposite Gassy Jack Deighton’s in the late 1800s in what is now Gastown. He earned a reputation as a cultural bridgemaker, marrying into the local Coast Salish First Nations community and having 11 children with two wives, according to a great article in the Vancouver Sun. The new sculpture, which has just received park board approval and will be unveiled in late September, will rise at the site where Silvey once lived with his family in Stanley Park.  In a fitting twist, the statue is being carved by Silvey’s great grandson, native artist Luke Marston.  It stands 14-feet tall and features Portuguese Joe, along with his first and second wives and a host of symbols representing stages in his eventful life, from giant grey whales to grapevines imported from Portugal. Silvey emigrated from Portugal’s Azores archipelago at age 12, determined to make his fortunes in whaling, according to the biography The Remarkable Adventures of Portuguese Joe Silvey by historian Jean Barman.  Travels took him to the Lower Mainland, where he opened his saloon called Hole in the Wall. Silvey later moved his family to Reid Island, one of the southern Gulf Islands, where he became a fisherman, hauling in mud sharks whose oil was used to light lanterns used by early miners. The statue, which is being carved in cedar now and will ultimately be cast in bronze, is paid for by donations from the Portuguese community and provincial and federal grant programs.  Marston, its creator, has already earned renown for his 14-foot-high Healing Pole outside of Government House In Victoria, and his Medicine Box, a bentwood box representing First Nations residential school survivors. For more updates on Vancouver and beyond, follow me on Twitter @RemyScalza.

Nie by?o potrzaskanych k?ami, ogryzionych ko?ci za? ?ladów rozlanej farby niewinnej. Owszem, wiedzia?, i? poga?stwo tli si? coraz, zepchni?te w g?uche ost?py nieprzebytej puszczy. Wiedzia?, ?e lud miejscowy ch?tnie rozmieszcza diab?u ogarki. Ale teraz, tyle lat po m?cze?skiej ofierze biskupa Wojciecha, przy zbo?nej pracy Zakonu, poga?stwo mog?o si? tylko tli? jak na przyk?ad pe?gaj?cego p?omyka. Gdy teraz stan?? z tym poga?stwem twarz? w twarz, nie obawia? si?. By? tylko wdzi?czny za uratowanie ?ycia. Tym bardziej, ?e przedstawiciel tego poga?stwa nie by? tak plugawy, jak zwykle przedstawiano owo z ambon. Za? racjonalna cz??? umys?u Zaji?ka by?a dziwnie pewna, ?e nie sta?o si? wi?kszego sensu w ratowaniu kogo? od czasu ?mierci, by nast?pnie uci?? mu g?owa w ofierze takiemu Perkunowi jednakowo? Svautevitowi. Przedstawiciel plugawego poga?stwa nie zion?? siark? piekieln?. Oczy nie ?wieci?y mu w ciemno?ci. Przeciwnie, wygl?da? na ulicznego, ra?nego staruszka, odzianego w lniane spodnie i koszul?, z narzuconym na wieko skórzanym kubrakiem bez r?kawów. w jego sadybie nie sta?o si? ?ladów krwawych fajt?ap, wi?cej na ten temat tutajludzkich ko?ci, ani pl?saj?cych ku zgorszeniu nagich dziewic. w ogóle, czystej izbie o wysypanej zeschni?tymi skrzypami polepie z trudem by?o co? zarzuci?. Mo?e poza nadmiarem kotów, pomy?la? Zaji?ek poci?gaj?c nosem. - z myszami, powiadasz… – przedstawiciel schy?kowego poga?stwa powtórzy? spo?ród zastanowieniem. – Nie mam, jak mówi?em. Ale…

It’s a classic Vancouver traveler’s dilemma: You’ve just got to experience the iconic Capilano Suspension Bridge, 460 feet of knee-quaking adventure. And you’ve just got to see Stanley Park, the 1,000-acre oceanside forest in the heart of the city. And you’ve just got to check out the inspired Emily Carr canvasses inside the Vancouver Art Gallery. And that doesn’t even put a dent in your Vancouver bucket list. Fortunately, doing it all just got a little easier. Travelers to Vancouver who make a hotel reservation before June 30 (for a stay anytime before the end of the year) get deep discounts on the city’s top attractions. Book this special offer, available only on tourismvancouver.com, and receive 25 percent off of a choice of one of 10 attractions, 30 percent off of two attractions and 35 percent off of three attractions. Options include some of Vancouver’s signature experiences: Brave the Capilano Suspension Bridge, swaying 230-feet above a raging river. Explore the best of Stanley Park in a historic, horse-drawn carriage. Take to the seas on a luxury dinner or lunch onboard Harbour Cruises. Get a new perspective on the city from the 551-foot-high Vancouver Lookout. See Canadian and international masterpieces at the Vancouver Art Gallery. Wander a traditional Chinese scholar’s garden at Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden. Experience live science demos and OMNIMAX at Telus World of Science. Step back to simpler times at the 1920s-inspired Burnaby Village Museum. Cross the treacherous Fraser River in a Hell’s Gate Airtram. Admire one of the world’s finest botanical gardens at Minter Gardens.

© 2004-2013 Rebecca Bollwitt - Miss604. The Osoyoos Oyster Festival has come and gone but it’s one of many events that this wine country destination hosts throughout the year. The communities of Osoyoos and Oliver have almost 30 wineries and when at least a handful of them get together to host pairing dinners and receptions, you’re always in for a treat. View from our deck at the Walnut Beach Resort My aunt (who owns a condo in Osoyoos) and I took in the first few days of the Osoyoos Oyster Festival in April and got a jump on stocking up on BC wines for the year. Here were some of the highlights of the festival for us which took place in the heart of the South Okanagan: Miradoro Longtable Thanks to OK Wine Shuttle we were whisked away from our spacious lake-view room at Walnut Beach Resort and over to Miradoro Restaurant at Tinhorn Creek Winery for a longtable dinner. Oysters were served up on the half shell by Jon and Anne Marie Crofts of Codfathers Seafood, suppliers of sustainable seafood to the Okanagan’s best restaurants. Guests were given the rundown on the source of the oysters and how best to eat them. I have to give Jon and Anne Marie a lot of credit because my aunt, who is best described as a “meat and potatoes” kind of person, tried her first-ever oysters at this event — and enjoyed them, thanks to the duo. Oysters were the star ingredient in the multi-course, family-style meal that followed at the longtable. Uniquely prepared, either wrapped in speck or cooked up in a simmering paella, the oysters were devoured alongside some beautiful and crisp Tinhorn Creek wines. Under the Tuscan Sea at Terrafina Taking the shuttle once more from Walnut Beach Resort we climbed up the hill to Hester Creek Winery to enjoy a night of seafood-themed pizzas and bubbly. Terrafina Restaurant‘s signature wood-fired oven delivered crispy thin crust pizzas with different toppings to each sparkling wine station which each featured a local winery and a unique pizza topping. Sirloin and blue cheese, shrimp and oyster, truffle and potato. We crunched into fire-grilled flavours and sipped effervescent bruts all evening. The Stoneboat Vineyards Piano Brut was our favourite along with the rose from our host that evening, Hester Creek. Unfortunately we had to return to Vancouver before the weekend’s festivities began so we missed out on the main event — and every winery we visited (which was nine of them in one day) all expressed their sympathies because they knew it was going to be awesome. The next time you visit Osoyoos and Oliver be sure to pick up a wine passport either from the visitor centre along the highway or at any participating winery. You can collect a stamp from each then drop it off at your last winery, when your card is full, to be entered to win some great prizes. Coming up next in Osoyoos is the 1st Annual SUP Festival in June and the Okanagan Summer Wine Festival in July on top of special events, activities, and festivals hosted by individual wineries. © 2004-2012 Rebecca Bollwitt - Miss604.com. If you are not reading this via official Miss604 channels, this content is being reproduced without permission. The post Osoyoos Oyster Festival 2013 appeared first on Vancouver Blog Miss604.

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