Sunday, April 18, 2010

In search of the once a month perfect burger.


It’s one burger a month for the Trophy Husband. This better be good I silently implore Mandy the bartender at “The Two Parrots” on the corner of Granville and Davie Streets in downtown Vancouver. My “Beef Canuck Burger” arrives nearly hidden under a side of fries that look not too greasy and show good colour. I hate pale fries. The charred champion’s nestled on a multi-grain bun. I don’t enjoy chewing on white buns. His big thick meaty patty hides beneath a glistening blanket of melted Canadian cheddar. Two strips of crispy bacon snuggle topside on my precious. I see some dill pickle and a generous - maybe too generous - slice of uncooked red onion, two pieces of real tomato and a leaf of fresh curly lettuce.
This Canuck is too big for my Trophy H mouth. I rip into his side as he drips his warm juice down the back of my hand. My second attack goes for his top. I bite down hard enough to rip a hunk of this warm flesh and chew. My teeth discover grilled mushrooms with their perfect, nipple-like texture. A dollop of flavoured mayo squirts around my tongue. I douse the fries with black pepper, cider vinegar and lovely tears of yellow hot dog mustard. No salt. Never ketchup! I can easily leave a lot of the fries, but all this tasty Canuck is going home in my gut.
This is my once a month burger fling. The bun could have been a bit more toasted.
A five star burger? Not quite, but better than most bar burgers. The fries get three stars only. But fries don’t really count to a trophy H. It’s the meat. Good meat between excellent bits of buns. The rest is not important in my once a monthly.
“The four star burger and a glass of house red, taxes and Mandy’s tip comes in at $20.
Let me know where to try next month’s burger. I think I will be in Hong Kong or Manila.
Stay tuned for next week’s update, my silent reader.

Monday, April 12, 2010

Easy pleasing spring pasta.


Sorry my faithful silent reader to have left you hanging in cyber blog land for such a very long time. A lot of what has been happening in my life lately is best left unrecorded. I am back and will be sticking to writing about food this week.
There is a new restaurant called “Basil Pasta Bar” that opened here in Vancouver on Davie Street, just around the corner from where our home is located. They have a great selection of ingredients, several choices of pasta and excellent sauces. You just put together which ever combo suits your fancy. It makes for an excellent test kitchen for my trophy H pasta suppers loved by MrD and crowds of lucky dining guests.
Here is a great recipe for an easy pleasing pasta dish that you can make in your own kitchen.
I used fussily but any pasta you want will work just “bene”. Chop up a couple of anchovies, a strip of crunchy grilled bacon, a slice or two of smoked salmon and a couple of spears of grilled asparagus and add these all to the pasta with a spoon of pesto. Stir well and serve garnished with some crumpled goat cheese and fresh oregano.
Buon Appetito