Happy Canada Day Eh?

Every patriot loves his home land. I lived abroad for 20 years and every July 1st a bell would go off in my mental files. Bling. Canada. This year MrD and I are celebrating the big day in Vancouver with guests. My much older and wiser brother, MrR and his charming wife, MsA, are visiting for 5 days from their frontier homeland estate back east in the northern wilds of Ontario.
Local artisan cheeses and breads served us as our breakfast celebration. Then we were off to the docks on Hornby Street to catch a ferry to Grandville Island for a quick shop before the crush of tourists arrives. It is perfect July 1 weather, too cold for a mass of tourists. It doesn’t take me long to get what I need from the market. I have a mental list of what I want and where to get it and the crowds tend to part and give me room. Today I was shopping for the last of the fresh wild morels in season. I imagine you are tired, my silent reader, of my morels as much as you might be tired of my morals. MrD will not be sorry when I stop feeding him these tasty fungus treats. But MrR and MsA love morels as much as I do, so they are getting them at every meal.
Tonight I am serving wild cold smoked salmon rolled up with goat cheese and morel puree for the appetizer. MrD is a teeny bit tired of salmon, goat cheese or morels so he is getting wild boar pancetta with some pecorino cheese. MrR and MsA don’t eat pork so things all work out balance wise. To go with my Trophy H Canadian theme menu for tonight’s meal the main course will be braised Alberta beef short ribs in a maple syrup adobo sauce. The sides to serve nestled beside my ribs will be snow peas, smashed fireworks red potatoes and of course morels. Desert will be some of my Trophy H hand baked fig and maple baklava. Then we all head down to the sea shore to watch the fireworks.
We all have an early flight to the Yukon in the morning to continue the festivities. I will update next time with news of our northern journey but in the mean time here are today’s recipes.
Smoked Salmon Rolls.
Layer 8 - 10 smoked salmon slices on plastic wrap.
Spread an even mixture of goat cheese and morel mushroom pate over the salmon layer leaving a half inch of salmon on the long side. Roll up the salmon into a tight roll and refrigerate for at least 4 hours before slicing.
Beef Short Ribs.
Coat generous sized cuts of beef short ribs with a morel BBQ sauce and put them in a slow cooker. Cover with a splash each of Soy sauce, Worcestershire, apple cider vinegar and about ¼ cup of maple syrup. Cook on low for 4 hours.
Cut small stars on opposite sides of some small new red potatoes and boil until fork tender. Cool and then gently smash into flattened ovals with the stars on each of the flat sides. Fry these in hot olive oil or duck fat until brown and crispy.
Saute some sliced morel mushrooms in a little butter with salt and pepper.
Steam snow peas in their shell. Serve the potatoes, mushrooms and peas as the sides for the ribs.
I made my Trophy H secret recipe fig and maple baklava for desert because I am the Trophy H. You, my silent reader, don’t have to go to all that much work.

It's burger time.

OK I have good news and bad news about this month’s burger. You, my silent reader, will remember my blog about a month ago when I reviewed my once a month burger fix. I gave Vancouver’s “The Two Parrots” four out of five stars for a tasty slab of the red stuff.
Well, as you know, I only allow myself one burger a month, so here is the good news. I have discovered the best burger in Vancouver. The bad news is I am not going to tell you where you can find it. If I do that the restaurant might become just too popular if my fans find out I eat there. It’s only a small ‘brassiere’ on Davie Street. I want to be sure to always get a table. I don’t like to wait on tables. That’s what a waiter does. Did that. Done that. My therapist helps me forget all about it.
About a week ago I stopped to read their menu posted outside their kitchen window. (I actually stopped to watch them cook but pretended to read the menu.) I saw ‘Burger’ and my once a month burger alarm went off. I read about white cheddar, bacon and truffle aioli and my heart rate went up with anticipation.
So I convinced MrD I should take him there so he could buy me lunch. We went at an early hour to get seated before the rush and were greeted by a very helpful and equally charming Megan. She welcomed us and updated us on the specials of the day. The lobster bisque with spot prawns set off my taste bud alerts and at only 6 loonies but I was a trophy husband on a mission and that was to eat my monthly burger. I begged Megan to bring me one forthwith and put me out of my craving misery.
MrD went for the moules et frites because he can speak French.
Megan soon enough returned with generous pots of frites for MrD and fries for moi. I know I said I can’t find a decent French fry in Vancouver but I promise I will no longer say that. The fries at this place, that I am not going to mention, are nearly as good as my own. Close enough to have made me want to eat them all.
Now it’s on to the real deal. The burger was actually better than my own because I did not have to do the work that went into this perfect big bite of burger bliss. The soft bun was toasted. The generous meat patty was grilled perfectly to my taste. On top of that was some truffle aioli hidden under bacon so tender, but crisp at the same time. Working my way up this mountain of meat joy were some of the best deep fried onions that ever slipped by my taste buds. Just under the top of the bun I found a tasteful garnish of some fresh salad greens.
Served on the side were tiny ramekins of house made mayonnaise and ketchup. When was the last time you ordered a burger and it came with ketchup the chef made? I hate ketchup. I never eat it. You know that, my silent reader, from a previous blog. No longer true. This tomato treat had just a hint of anise and was not too sweet like our pal the red muck in a bottle. Perfect ketchup with those fries but the burger was good to go as it was. And I ate the whole thing. I won’t bother you with all the details of how juicy and fabulous this five star burger tasted but I don’t imagine I will look elsewhere again next month if I am in Vancouver for my next burger fix. I will just return to Megan and this nameless small brassiere on Davie Street in Vancouver.

Father's Day Suggestions.

Who is your MrD? Who’s your daddy? Big D Day is only a week away. That means only 168 more shopping hours before you get to give your own special Daddy that extra fabulous something. Let’s all make more of an effort this year to show that someone we care about that they are practically as important as you are yourself.
Here are a few of my Trophy H tips to help you, my silent reader, to make your special someone so happy he might even put you back in his will.
Go big, go bling is my word on the fashion news stand this summer. Outfit your man from head to toe in comfort without sacrificing gorgeous style. I suggest a French burka with mosquito netting in a tasteful black and bling contrast. For that out doors man of the house, my button camouflage hunting jacket. Sulphur is the new black. Buy Daddy anything in this hot summer colour and stand back because Daddy’s going to be on fire. Giving Daddy socks for Father’s Day is usually a sign that you have no imagination, or money, or both. But with just a lot of money and my imagination you too can have the ultimate gift this season. Try my simple new Trophy H sock redesign idea at home. It even works on those grey work socks from Canadian Tire like you gave him last year for F Day and for Christmas and his birthday. You, my silent reader, have only one choice for socks this holiday. “Neil’s Treholefree H” socks. Go for it. Show the big boss just how much you care.
If it is going to be just socks again this year for Pappy, please jazz up the offer a little, with a surprise hidden in the toe. It depends on your budget, but you can hide a treat like a chocolate, or an orange, or the keys to a new Porsche to perk up any man’s day.
How about purchasing the big guy season tickets to the opera or hockey if he’s one of those? This year, how about giving your own special Daddy a new thong or even one of your old ones if you don’t have the big bucks? Of course, then you might have to throw in a gift certificate at a waxing salon for a Brazilian and/or anal bleach, but, “Hey its Daddy”. A new thong for the summer BBQ season might not suit every father, but the daddies it would suit, would be worth the shop.
If you are going for salon gift certificates then a coupon for a facial is something I am sure any Dad can use. I mean which would your Pop rather have, a scalp treatment and pedicure or one more boring gift certificate from Home Hardware?
Or go out of your way to make reservations at an expensive dining establishment like Tim Horton’s or even the Old Spaghetti Factory instead of the lunch counter at Costco. It’s really up to you how you chose to celebrate and pamper the man who gave you everything.
I trust these simple Trophy H hints will help make your shopping easier this week. My final word on Father’s Day gifts is this, my silent reader. Don’t go out and buy Daddy a cute pet like a puppy. Save that for Thanksgiving.
For about 10 years now I have invited my Father out for lunch on Father’s Day to talk about the old days to share memories of growing up together; the good, bad and the ugly like all “boys and their dads” relationships. The jealous tug to win “Mother’s” attention might have gotten in our way. Who had the bigger womb experience on that ride? 15 minutes for him according to Maw. Nine months and 4 days of labour for Sonny boy.
Dad always prayed I’d someday stop pirouetting and join the hockey team. That never happened. I never learned how to fix the tractor. I wouldn’t know where to look to even find the oil let alone change it. I could never operate the chain saw although I grew adapt at arranging the course saw dust into Zen gardens. We agreed to disagree on almost everything. We were far too much alike. A portrait of my father sits in my office in Asia along with candid shots of some of my other relatives. Everyone who sees the hand tinted exposure thinks it’s me. It’s hot. Boys and their Dad’s. We are just special. In the past 10 years on Father’s Day the only thing missing has been my Father. Dad died all those years ago. 10 or so years of Father’s Day socks he has missed. Ten or so years of early morning phone calls asking about the weather or who has died and how the crops are doing. It’s a bit easier each new Father’s Day. It’s just not been any simpler.

Today's Trophy H Pasta.

I feel its best not to get carried away with too many flavours when creating a decent, quick pasta sauce, unless, of course, it’s a Mexican mole sauce which requires about 45 ingredients.
Today’s pasta I used penne. My sauce I made from bacon, smoked salmon, black olives and a pesto cream. I wanted a creamy sauce to smother inside and around those perfect tubes of joy.
The plate of pasta heaven I garnished with some baby fresh oregano leaves and crumbled goat cheese, not the usual Parmesan.
I say, my silent reader, keep it simple and watch them lick their plates.
If you are lucky enough to live near some organic markets you might try this elk pasta treat. I found fresh elk sausage with huckleberries and also some elk pepperoni. I used these two main ingredients as the star for this orcheitto pasta paired with still more of my craving for wild morel mushrooms. I added some green peas and sweet red peppers for some colour and added texture. A good swirl of olive oil and some freshly grated Parmasean finshes off the dish.

Some Trophy H thoughts for today from my desk to yours, my silent reader.

We are all affected by the recent recession and we must be prepared for a few cutbacks.
Even MrD and me,myself and I, the Trophy H, are not above making some major changes in our everyday lifestyle, if it’s for the good of society.
I have already cutback on maids.
I no longer have a maid cleaning our condo 5 mornings a week.
Now she comes only once a week.
She still must do the same work.
I don’t put my Thursday, Porches Carrera 4 through the car wash. That is another thing the maid gets to do.
Cutbacks?
Last Sunday I took clients out for dinner at the biggest hotel here in Vancouver. None of us ordered the appetizers to go with our martinis.
We even ordered bottles of the house wine to go with the plats du jour.
I noticed the over worked and under paid staff at the hotel had also suffered a few cutbacks.
So my service was cutback, a bit.
So their tip was cutback, a lot.
I recently shopped at the local organic farmer’s market and bought regular olive oil and not the extra virgin pressed between the thighs of young Greek gods.
I cut back on a full wheel of French Brie cheese.
A half a wheel does not taste the same as a full wheel.
But I can learn to live with cutbacks.
MrD and I flew business class and not first class home from Asia the second last trip.
I have reduced my botox injections by 10 %.
I have not had my natural blond hair roots touched up in a noticeable amount of time.
I do not shop for shoes before 2 pm. on Mondays.
MrD only allows me to shop at Holt's on days that end in “Y”
See we can all make a difference.
Keep a stiff upper lip and don’t be hesitant to make sacrifices my silent reader.

Two easy slow cooker recipes.

Here are three easy but not quick trophy H recipes to add some zip to your cooking life. They also make great gifts to give to other food fans. Slow cookers or crock pots as they used to be called are not just for pot roast anymore. Here are two simple ideas even a new cook can master.
Mushroom pate. Puree a kilo of fresh mushrooms in a food processor or a blender with a bit of red wine or vegetable stock. If you don’t have a machine, get someone who loves you or works for you to chop the mushrooms as finely as possible. I used morel mushrooms for this the last time because they were in season but you can use any kind of mushrooms. This is actually a time where even those tasteless white button mushrooms can be utilized or try a combo of mushrooms. Put the mushroom blend in a slow cooker and add some salt and a good amount of black pepper. I sometimes add a teaspoon of fresh chopped rosemary but you can leave out the herbs and just go with the mushrooms and salt and pepper.
Turn the cooker on low and leave the lid off to allow the liquid to evaporate. Scrape down the sides with a spatula every half hour or so and give the mix a stir. When most of the liquid is gone, after about 4 hours, you are left with a mushroom concentrate perfect for adding to sauces, marinades or just eating as a spread on your favorite toast.
I used this pate to stuff chicken breast two ways. I put a layer under the skin and I made a pocket incision in the side and filled that with a mixture of the mushrooms, chopped black olives and capers. I served this with a side of fried polenta with herbs to MrD.
The extra pate freezes well or you can store it in the fridge for about a week before a blue mold starts and you have a whole new fungus food group but you are likely to eat it all before either of those things are required.
My second trophy H recipe is even easier and just as useful. Blend together equal amounts of maple syrup and regular, not your 25 year old 150 dollar balsamic vinegar, in a slow cooker and let cook on the low temperature with the lid off. I usually make this at night time and just leave it simmer away until the morning. You don’t even have to stir this. You are left with a truly trophy glaze that works on everything from chicken to ice cream and lasts for months in your refrigerator. Store the maple balsamic glaze in one of those squeeze bottles so handy for plate decorating.

Morel Mushroom BBQ Sauce

1/3 cup smooth Dijon mustard
1/3 cup tomato paste
½ cup banana or regular ketchup
1/3 cup maple syrup
1/3 cup equal parts Balsamic and malt vinegars
¼ teaspoon ancho chili powder
½ cup precooked morel mushroom paste
½ cup precooked chopped morels

Stir all ingredients together and cook uncovered in your slow cooker on the low temperature setting for about 2 hours. Excellent for grilled leather, feather, fin or even veggies.

MrD and trophy H fly upfront.

Every so often when MrD and I have to do the shuttle run back and forth to Manila from Vancouver we use our mileage points to upgrade from our business class seats to first class. We have both put more than enough time sitting in monkey class and there is nothing wrong with that but when you are old and cranky its best to have a bit of leg room and a flat bed or just stay home.
Friends and family have asked me many times what it is like up there past the curtains. Most people really don’t like to hear about others having a good time as much as the bad side of things. Fair enough. Those people can now click the close button and get on with the real world. For the rest who want to hear about my trip in 2D then read on my silent readers. Here is an excerpt from my diary.
I settle into seat 2D for the 13 hour and 22 minute flight to Hong Kong from Vancouver. It’s already nearly 3 am. There are only six seats in first class and 2 attendants, Valerie and Clarisse to take care of us. Valerie, one of our two flight attendants brings my complimentary Shanghai Tang pajamas and a Bally amenity kit. I take time to peak inside the Bally double zippered black bag and find a tooth brush, Colgate mouth wash and tooth paste, all standard, a shoe horn, Acca Kappa amenities consisting of a lip balm, anti aging moisturizer, white moss facial mist, ear plugs and a wooden comb. All in all no surprises there. Tonight’s soft cotton PJ’s have a rusty brown trim. I quickly change into an older pair of PJ’s I brought with me, saving the new ones for future house guests to snuggle up in some day. I am wearing a blue trimmed pair from an earlier flight so I don’t look part of the “tour” plus the crew will know I’ve been here before.
MrD is seated just in front and is already flipping through the foreign language movie channels. A New York Hasidim Jewish couple have seats to our right. He is standing up in his prayer shawl rocking back and forth in mid prayers. The high walls or our first class suites hide whoever the two to our left are. I notice there are no fresh orchids in our wall mounted flower vases. Cut backs on Cathay?
I have given our head flight attendant a large bar of Lindt 85% dark chocolate. It’s a good travel tip to bring small gifts for the cabin staff no matter where they seat you on the plane.
It’s 2:35 am. The big bird leaves the docking area. Our welcome bubbles have been sipped and flutes collected. Up, up and away. Our monkeys are travelling with us tonight. I hope they don’t snore. I hope I do. I managed to get a couple of hours sleep before we left so I can stay awake and enjoy some of the luxurious service. In first you order your food ala carte from the menu and eat when you want. I want to watch a movie or two.
Clarisse just brought the dinner menu and said she’d checked on the where abouts of the missing orchids. Tonight’s food fare starts with caviar and smoked salmon, asparagus soup to follow before a salad of greens with grilled prawns, dried cranberries, pecans dressed in a dilled lemon dressing. To follow will be pan fried beef tenderloin and portabello mushrooms with Cabernet sauce, served along seasonal roasted veggies and red skin potato mash. There is also ricotta ravioli with tomato basil sauce if I want but pasta on planes never works out to be a good choice. It is always comes partially dried out. I take that back. The 2 dollar instant noodles you have to buy on Air Canada is a delightful meal choice considering their options.
There is also a Chinese menu. We are after all on the way to Hong Kong. Cathay offers a chicken and young coconut soup, followed by a cold plate of marinated bean curd and carrots with the main of stir fried sea food with X.O. sauce, steamed rice and stir fried veggies. Its first so we can pick and choose or go for the works.
But first before I order any food,Clarisse returns and drops off a dish of warm smoked almonds and offers me a flute of the Krug Grand Cuvee Champagne. The wine list reads like the who’s who of what wine connoisseurs drool over. Like the Vintage Chardonnay and nose in the glass Malbecs. Chateau stars from 2003. No 4 star entries here. They are back in business class. This flight features the 2009 Morgon. A French Bordeaux Burgundy, old old vines of Gamay. 2009 was an exceptional vintage with a dense crimson dark cherry hint laced with velvet tannins. It promises a persistent length still fragrant at 15 thousand feet in a pressurized tin can.
There are lots of good cheeses on the menu for desert like Cambozola, Cheddar, Oka or goat cheese to go with the fresh berries and custard or the triple chocolate cake with vanilla cream and raspberry coulis. (But haven’t we just about had about enough raspberry coulis?) There is also a choice of black sesame desert for our Chinese fans and a full supply of chocolate pralines in case we are still feeling peckish.
If I find myself getting hungry later on there are snacks of grilled pork quesadillas, chicken, cheddar, tomato and bacon baguettes or braised beef brisket with noodles in soup. There is also a hot pot of rice with a minced pork patty and mushrooms in chicken broth or several flavours of Haagan Dass ice cream.
All this should keep me going until breakfast arrives two hours before landing in Hong Kong. My menu promises fresh squeezed juices or papaya kiwi smoothies, fresh fruits and yoghurt with or without cereal. Eggs served which ever way I fancy, like, boiled, fried sunny side up or scrambled and served with grilled Canadian ham, Cajun sausage, potato rosti, grilled Roma tomatoes and asparagus. There is a basket of warm croissant, muffins and toast to go with all that.
There is also a breakfast tray of dim sum for our Chinese lover’s morning menu and of course Kosher meals for my neighbours.
All this with a cappuccino, latte or espresso?
I fasten my seat belt for the long flight ahead and prepare to stuff my face.
Tonight we have four choices in our own bread baskets. Cathay’s signature garlic bread is not toasted as well as I like it. Besides, who eats garlic bread with caviar? The Melba toast will do just fine. Clarisse offers second helpings of caviar and salmon but I decline and move on to the soup course. A warm crusty rosemary bun keeps me amused while I wait and shuffle the over abundance of silver and crystal around on my linen covered over sized table.
The asparagus soup arrives with floating bits of al dente spring spears. I order a glass of French 2006 Meursault Les Clous from Bouchard Pere & Fils. It is crisp and clean as the asparagus floating in the pottage.
The soup is a little thin but the asparagus shines through. The wine proves a perfect compliment and reminds me of spring mountain meadows on a cool morning. All this at 15,000 feet and 4am remember. I’m glad I had a long nap before all this indulgence. I have to pace myself so I leave some soup for Clarisse to clear. Moments later Valerie arrives with tonight’s salad of huge jumbo prawns and roasted pecans. The prawns are a little too dry but the greens are crisp and abundant. The dried cranberries are complimented by the subtle lemon dill dressing.
I keep going back for crumbs and nibbles of the soft rosemary bun. I am not a big bread eater but this has a punch I enjoy. Valerie clears my left over shrimp salad. I am still attempting to pace myself. The beef and a glass of 2009 Morgon will follow. It shows up looking just like the steaks served in business class but on a bigger plate and swimming in more gravy but in first class we don’t call it gravy. The Morgon I send back because it’s too floral and almost sweet. Clarrisse offers a snifter of the 2003 Lynch Bages. It matches well with the beef, green and yellow grilled zucchini, carrot cornels and my lovely smashed red potatoes.
I have been eating for two hours and I still have dessert and coffee to work my way through. I leave a lot of the steak and veggies. I choose 2 of the 4 cheese selections although they all look tempting. Clarisse offers the vintage Ramos Pinto 10 year old Port to go with the cheese but I decline and sip a tiny bit more of the Bages. I decide to pass on the three other desert choices or I will have to go jogging into the back monkey section or do a trophy H Roman diet number in the toilet.
Besides it is time to sleep so while I go freshen up and give my good nights to MrD who is still munching away and watching films in foreign languages, Clarrisse and Valerie make up my 81 inch flat bed with its own mattress, over stuffed pillows and thick white duvet. Our fellow travelers are already off to dreamland.
I won’t bore you with breakfast details other than to let you know that the smoothie was a good choice and the fried egg sunny side up was not.
And then poof, all too soon the 14 hours had passed and the captain had turned on the seat belt signs for landing.
I don’t know how I managed to waddle off the plane and through immigration but MrD and I were soon settled into our suite at the Marriott in Hong Kong Central just in time for another breakfast in the business lounge.