Crispy Skin Salmon in the Oven!

 This is a quick post because I forgot to write it up and I had to figure out how to do it again.  Apologies, there are no photos.  I will upload the next time I make this.  We make it at least once a week.  For years, hubby would make the Salmon on the BBQ and occasionally me but I cannot manage the flip without destroying the fish.  Also, I tend to turn the fire too high and I burn it because of the sugar in the rub.  I bought a gadget for flipping but it tends to stick to it and definitely not big enough for salmon for 4-5 people.  

This way is easy and the skin is crispy.  Albeit, not as crispy as on the BBQ toward the middle but still tasty.  We always buy Salmon to serve about 200-220 g per person.  This is why the meal kits were not for us.  The protein was normally weighed out to about 125g.  We have a supermarket that has Coho regularly and it is basically the only protein I make at home.  I will not buy farmed Atlantic.  The market sells both but you can see it is paler and fattier.  And the one time I bought, I can tell you, it does not taste as nice and the flesh was a bit mushy.  The portions at our market are preweighed so we always have at least a portion to a portion and a half left over that we make Creamy Salmon Pasta with that the kids love, even the kid who does not like cream sauces.

CRISPY SKIN SALMON in the OVEN

2 500-600 g filets (about 2 cm thick at the thickest)

1/2 c of rub of your choice or Soy Miso or just oil

(if you are going to do a rub, I highly recommend cutting the sugar in half or even more because it will not get cooked and caramelized the way it does on the grill)

On a large, baking sheet generously oil a parchment sheet.  

Place the Salmon, rubbed or marinated on the oil.  Drizzle a tiny bit of oil over top to help cook the rub.  If you are just doing 'plain', then just rub on some neutral oil and salt and pepper.

Place the rack at the very bottom of the oven and one at the top.  You could preheat before cleaning and prepping but Im slow so I do it now and it also allows the rub to soak in.

Preheat to 475 

The Salmon will not take long so you may want to par cook sides like corn or potatoes before they go in with the fish.  I cut cobs of corn in to 4 and microwave for 2 minutes then lightly oil and place on the sheet with the salmon.  

Place the Salmon in the oven on the lowest rack.  Close and let cook for 15 minutes (I find this to cook just to opaque but not dry.  If you want it a bit ruby, cook 12-13 minutes.  

Turn off oven immediately and turn on Broiler on high.  Move the baking sheet to the top rack for 2 minutes.  (You could skip this, I just wanted to caramelize my rub a bit more).

The skin is crispy most of the way through without being burned except where there was a clump of rub.  

I highly recommend this method as BBQ season winds down.  

Househunting in Roncey - Barque Smokehouse

Barque Smokehouse - Salmon Wrap

I have friends moving to Toronto from Cancun.  Actually, they're from Mallorca.  They did a whirlwind tour of Toronto in 4 short days.  I took them to Roncey on Thursday and they fell in love.  I knew they would.  The homes have character and you don't have to get into the car to buy a carton of milk.  That was what I had asked him they wanted in a lifestyle.  Did they want the big yard but then have to get in a car to pick up necessities.  After visiting a house, we went for lunch at the Barque.

It's funny what you take for granted in culture.  I told them that one of the features that was nice about Roncey was that many of the restaurants, if not all, are family friendly.  I knew it was important to point this out because they have 4 small kids and in Spain you take your kids with you.  It's not unusual to be on a terrace at 10pm and see a kid sleeping in his stroller.  They're immediate reaction was of course, 'What do you mean family-friendly?'  I replied, 'I mean, it's okay if you bring your kids for dinner.... or other meals.'  they replied, astonished, 'What?! you mean? you can't bring them everywhere?'

D and I have been to Barque for brunch before.  They have decent on theme brunch.  I'd never been there for lunch before.  I will say, for people with diet restrictions, there are not many alternatives to cow.  Yeah yeah, I go to a smokehouse and I'm surprised? No, don't get me wrong, I knew and it was their choice.  Actually for lunch, there's only 1 option, the Salmon Wrap, which I had.  My friends, opted for the highly recommended Burger.

The Salmon was nicely cooked, a tad ruby in the middle with a nice crust on the outside.  Some might actually have considered it a bit underdone but that's the way I like it.  The fries, as I have had before, are seasoned, and VERY SALTY, TOO SALTY.  My friends both had the burger and loved them. He had the soup of the day, perfect given the drizzly weather we had.  It was Red Bell Pepper.  She was worried that it would be spicy and Spanish, contrary to popular belief, do not like spicy food, not even liberal use of black pepper.

For families, they have lots of boosters and offer crayons for the kids.  Everyone there is used to having kids so no one blinks if you have them.  The staff are super cool about kids too.  I think next time I'll skip the fries.

Cost: $$$
Ambiance: comfortable, bright but cozy mercantile feel
Staff: helpful and friendly
Family friendly but tight for strollers

Barque Smokehouse
299 Roncesvalles Ave
Toronto, ON M6R2M3
 

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Memphis Blues (Commercial) - Sooooo Meaty!

Memphis Blues Pulled Pork and Sausage Double Meat Sandwich

We like to buy our groceries on Commercial when we have the time and a big shop to do.  The prices are significantly better than Granville Island and more diverse.  That said, the quality (like on Granville Island) can be spotty.  Alot of the shops buy what I believe are 'seconds' from the supermarkets.  Some, I suspect, get 'fourths'.  Those are the ones to avoid like Triple A.  Blech.  But we tend to eat our veg right away and we know which shops get the better end of the range like Stanley's and  Santa Barbara.  We were picking up a few things at Santa Barbara when D noticed a sign for a Double Meat Special on the sandwich board of the Memphis Blues next door.

After sidestepping the drool on the sidewalk, D lured me in with promises of their fries which are yum.  Memphis Blues is an institution here in Vancouver.  When I first moved here, I met some new friends playing Ultimate Frisbee and they were obsessed with the place.  I had originally thought it was a guy thing.  Not so.  I even had to attend a work BBQ catered by Memphis Blues.  Alas, I only partook of the awesome Slaw, Fries and Cornbread.  There isn't much to the restaurant.  It looks like a cottage town shack.  The tables are wooden picnic tables and the sauces and brown paper towels are on all the tables already.  You serve yourself your beverage and the people are friendly.  I guess it's easy to be when everyone is happy to be there.

There isn't much more to the sandwich than the title would suggest.  It was a heaping portion of their famous, moist (as attested to by D, not I) Pulled Pork and joined by a large Smoked Sausage.  D thoroughly enjoyed it and after posting photos to my family, my sister O and dad wanted to hop on a plane.  Actually, I believe we were there on a Monday.  Monday is there all you can eat Rib day.  I asked D if it were worth it because it seemed like an awesome deal  to me but I don't partake.  D reckoned that it worked out to about a full back so not  really.  He happily had his double meat instead.

Memphis Blues Fries

The fries are fresh though a tad salty. 

Cost: $
Ambiance: Roadside shack
Baby friendly: didn't change T but area is tight for a stroller but easy for baby to hang out.

Memphis Blues Barbeque House (Commercial)

(604) 215-2599
1342 Commercial Dr
Vancouver, BC V5L
http://memphisbluesbbq.com

Monday, May 30th - Spot Prawn Grill Fest

Spot Prawn Grill Fest

Spot Prawns are peculiar specialty for this area.  The first time I had them was at work, oddly enough.  A lovely girl on my team, shrimps (as in the verb) as a hobby on the weekend from their speedboat.  They catch nearly a thousand and freeze them.  We, non-shrimpers, were facinated with the whole deal.  So as a treat and to demistify the Spot Prawn for us new to the area, she brought in a large container of lightly poached with some cocktail sauce.  They were spectacular.  They were big, bigger than most shrimp of that size in girth.  The meat was quite sweet and didn't need the sauce at all to show it off.  Very cool. 

I was very surprised to find out that they are also pink when they are uncooked.  They are an extremely sustainable seafood.  In fact, when I was down on the Pier at the Granville Fisherman's Wharf  buying some from a boat, the purveyor dared me to eat one raw like David Suzuki had the other day when he went out catching with him.  They are only available for a few months a year and sell for a premium in Vancouver.  And like alot of rarer and specialty foods, alot of the catch is sold to Japan.   So our philosophy is, try to find them as often as we can and we must have them at least once a year.

I made a Paella a couple weeks ago that I have not yet posted but was fab!  It is similar to this Spot Prawn Paella I posted last summer.  Today, though, with my sister visiting, we just cleanly grilled them. 

Spot Prawn Grill Fest

Serves 3-4
2 lbs Live Spot Prawn (Not for the squeemish. Hence, D did this grilling.)
2-3 T Olive Oil
Lemon
Coarse Salt and Pepper
Fresh Parsley (optional)


Rinse the Live Prawn under water to wash any tank water off and drain.  Drizzle with Olive Oil. 

Place directly on a hot grill.  Turning once, cook for 6 minutes total. 

Remove from grill on to a serving platter or cutting board.  Squeeze the Lemon on top and sprinkle with Coarse Sea Salt and Pepper.  Add some fresh Parsley if you have it.  Remember to get the goodness in the head.

We served this with BBQ'd Baked Potatoes, Corn on the Cob and a simple Spinach Salad.  Wonderful!

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Saturday, April 30th - BBQ Whole Herb Stuffed Wild Sockeye Salmon with Orange Butter

The folks are in town from the East coast so it was a perfect time to break out our last Whole Wild Sockeye from the freezer from last year's run.  I do hope this year's run is as generous as last.  We had bought half a dozen and froze most of them.  We've done this before with a herb butter but the Orange butter this time was awesome.  It's always impressive to serve a whole fish and my parents were well taken aback.  We served it with some BBQ Potatoes and Asparagus.  MMMMM

BBQ Whole Herb Stuffed Wild Sockeye Salmon with Orange Butter

Whole BBQ Herb Stuffed Salmon with Orange Butter

1 large (4-5lbs) Salmon, cleaned
2 Lemons, washed and sliced
1 c Fresh Basil (about half a bunch)
1/2 c or 2 fluffy sprigs of Fresh Dill, whole
1/4 c Fresh Chives, whole 
4-5 sprigs of fresh Thyme (optional - we had it kicking around in the fridge)
Cooking Twine
1 Navel Orange, zested + 2 T juiced
1/2 c Butter, room temperature

In a bowl, mix the slightly softened butter thoroughly with a rubber spatula as you would fold cake batter but perhaps with a bit more gusto as it will be stiffer of course.  Incorporate the Zest of the Orange and the Juice.  Set aside

Cut a few slits down the sides, on both sides of the outside of the Salmon. Stuff a slices of Lemon and Basil in each of the slits with the handle of a butter knife or other dull wide implement.

Whole Herb Stuffed Wild Sockeye Salmon with Orange Butter

Place all the other herbs and remaing Lemon inside of the fish and head. Smear the entire fish with the Herbed Butter. Reserve 1/3 of the Butter for serving. Tie the Salmon closed at four points along the length like you are wrapping a butcher's package. You MUST use cooking twine.  Do not use regular twine or certainly not synthetic!!!! I suggested to D that we buy one of those Grill Baskets in the shape of a fish that hold a whole fish together and allow for easy flipping. He would not hear of it. I am going to buy it anyway. We always make a mess on the flip which costs me crispy BBQ Salmon Skin.  I'm not ashamed to pick it off others' plates who are silly enough to leave it behind. :^D

Carefully place the fish on the grill and grill for 10 to 15 minutes. Do not touch it or move it slightly as tempted as you may be. It will tear the skin if you do. It will be easier to move once it has cooked. Use a large wide Fish spatula or two spatulas to turn the Salmon. Turn over for 15 minutes more. Ours was still quite ruby in the middle but that is the way we like it. You may want to go the full 15 and 15. We also checked with a thermometer before pulling it off. 130F can be acceptable if you are confident in the source. 135-140 is normal by most fish monger standards. Over 150 you are getting close to catfood.

Serve with grilled Veggies and the remaining Orange Butter on the table.

Yummo!

Wednesday, Jan 12th - Brown Sugar and Chipotle Rubbed vBBQ Wild Sockeye Salmon

Brown Sugar and Chipotle BBQ Wild Sockeye Salmon

D loves his Dean & Deluca Chipotle Rub.  I can't remember if he got the last one from Seattle or San Fran.  But after much effort in trying to use it at every opportunity we are out after tonight.  What shall he do?  Well, we're off to the Bay Area in a few.  I'm sure he'll hunt down a refill.

We're quite happy about our 'Ant' ways and our store of Wild Sockeye Salmon from the Summer.  D took the advice of the fisherwoman from whom we bought the fish right off the boat and froze the individual filets in salt water.  They were immaculately preserved.  We thaw in in the bags in a bowl in the fridge from the night before.

Brown Sugar and Chipotle Rubbed Wild Sockeye Salmon

2 200 g Salmon Filets
1-2 T Chipotle Spice Rub
1 T Brown Sugar
1 t fresh Savory, chopped
Coarse Salt and Pepper
1 T Olive Oil

About an hour to half an hour before BBQing, rinse off the fish and pat dry. 

Rub the Filets with Olive Oil on both sides.  Mix the Spice Rub, Sugar, Salt and Pepper.  Rub mixture on both sides.  Let stand for 20 minutes.

BBQ skin side down on a lubed grill for 6-10 minutes.  6 minutes will leave it slightly Ruby in the middle. 

Serve with Rice or a Potato.  MMMMMM

It was raining but D was on a BBQ mission.  He popped in and out of our deck with a hat on.  What a trooper!

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Sunday, Sep 12th - Salmon with Mango Avocado Salsa and Beet and Potato Rosti (Korean Fritter)

D bought a fresh, not frozen Wild Sockeye at the Fisherman's Wharf at Granville Island yesterday morning and then when I went out for some bits and pieces, he asked me to pick some more up to cut up and store.  I know we had just bought a few at Steveston a couple of weeks ago but they were flash frozen out on the water so we could not portion those out.  Well, not easily anyway.  The lady on the boat suggested freezing the cleaned portions in a saturated salt solution in freezer bags.  She said it was the best way to avoid freezer burn and that we could keep them that way for up to a year. 

As D cut out portions, he realised that his estimation of the weight was not where it used to be.  So on my plate above you'll see two pieces but they were actually quite small.  Well, at least he was willing to do the cleaning.  Oddly enough, he likes to clean fish.  I do not.  Scales get everywhere. 

We did a very simple BBQ of Salmon with D's Dean & Deluca Chipotle Spice Rub.  They have alot of the Dean and Deluca spices on Amazon but not this one.  We picked it up in the states.  We served a super tasty Mango and Avocado Salsa on top.

Mango and Avocado Salsa 

1 Mango, cubed
1 Avocado, cubed
1/4 c Red Onion, diced
1 Jalapeno Chili, minced
1 1/2 Limes, juiced
1/4 t Cumin
1/4 c Cilantro, chopped
Pinch of Salt
Ground Pepper

Mix all the ingredients together and let souse (soak) for at least 15 minutes but a half hour would be better.  It will mix all the flavours and take the edge off the Onion.  Serve on top of Fish or as a condiment on, Oh, I don't know, Salmon Tacos or something ;^)

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I did an addition side because I had some Beets from the Farmers' Market that I really needed to get to.  It was generally a good idea.  I was generally going for something similar to a Cast Iron Hash like I've done before with Potatoes alone and a cross between a Korean Root Veg Fritter that Mom makes. I used 1 Egg, Thyme,  1/4 c Korean Pancake flour mix, Salt and Pepper.   Of course, I wasn't deep frying the giant fritter like mom does though.  And from a Beet Hash/Roesti, I used way way too much Beet.  I used two Baseball sized Beets and a medium Potato.  It was too much to really get the Hash very crispy.  It was rather soft in the middle.   It tasted alright but it didn't have the texture I had hoped for.  Oh well, can't win them all.  Next time I'll just use 1 small Beet and 1 small Potato. 

Sunday, August 29th - Ginger and Chive BBQ Salmon with Sweet Potatoes and Green Beans

This was the first time we BBQd Green Beans.  I think I assumed it would work as all our other Vegetable grilling does.  It did not.  Strange and useful learning experience.  Most other Vegetables do not take long on a hot grill particularly aided with the lubrication of Olive Oil as a conductor.  I am sure it has something to do with the water content or the stiffness of the cell walls but those darn Green Beans took nearly 15 minutes.  Most podded veg are very high in water content so steaming and microwaving work great.  I simply hadn't anticipated it's resistance to direct heat.  They tasted fantastic in the end.  A really nice nutty flavour.  I will try it again at some point but will probably par-steam or nuke them before grilling to save time and fuel. 

Ginger and Chive BBQ Salmon

2 x 150-200 g Salmon Steaks
1 T Low Sodium Soy Sauce
1 T Rice Wine Vinegar
2 T Sesame Oil
2 cloves Garlic, crushed
1-2 T (1/2 inch) fresh Ginger, grated
1-2 T Chives

In a container or dish, whisk the ingredients and place the steaks in the marinade and coat thoroughly.  Set a side for at least 1/2 hour.  You can leave out for the 1/2 hour before grilling as long as it is not too hot in your house and the Salmon is fresh. 

Grill for 4-5 minutes a side.

We par cooked the Sweet Potatoes for 6-7 minutes until there was a bit of give when pressed.   Then cooked them along with the Fish and Beans.

Saturday, Aug 28th - Bounty of the Pacific Ocean! - Fresh off the Boat Sea Urchin Ceviche and BBQ Lobster

Live Sea Urchin Fresh off the Boat

We had been planning on stocking up on fresh caught fish in Steveston for some time.  We discovered that today was a slapstick comedy of bad timing and poor planning on our end.  Our first stop for the day was a Blueberry farm, as I mentioned and when we moved on to Steveston, we hit the Massey Tunnel just after an accident that backed up to Delta.  We sat in that traffic for over half an hour.  We were going to meet some friends in Steveston but they were overwhelmed by the crowds and had some food and fled.  They just moved to Vancouver from Quebec, bless them and the Sockeye Salmon Festival in Steveston was definitely a 'Toto, we're not in Kansas anymore' experience.

It was a mad house.  There were droves and droves of people walking around with bags of whole Tuna, the biggest Sea Urchin I have ever seen and most of all, Sockeye Salmon.  To add fuel to the fire, it was a gorgeous sunny day, blue skies and a bit of a breeze.  We have been down there in the summer before and there are maybe 30 people on the docks picking up fish at any one snapshot of a moment from the boats with the other visitors milling around the restaurants and shops.  There were probably close to 300 people on the docks today.  As the dock gently swayed while I stood in an epic line up at the Sablefish and Salmon boat, the over cautious structural engineer in me was wondering why no one was controlling access on the ramp as they were doing down at Pajo's fish shop.  Actually, the line up for that boat was not as bad as the other at the bottom of the ramp.  I reckon it is because they had non-frozen Salmon.  Generally speaking, the frozen fish off these boats is as good as fresh because they are flash frozen out on the water.  It preserves them.  Though in the case of BC Sockeye, I do not know how far they came from?  The only advantage to the non frozen variety is the ability to cut it up before freezing. 

I bought a Sablefish as well which is the Canadian branding for Black Cod.  Though, really, I did not think it was that good a price at $8/lb.  But there I was at the front of the line after a long wait, before I could see the price.  D was over by the Sea Urchin boat waiting in line so neither of us had gone ahead to check the price.  No matter.  It is a nice fish and part of a nice day despite the setbacks.  Actually, I had seen the Sockeye on sale at TnT Supermarket last week for the same price as the boats.  It is a monumental year for the Salmon.  One they have not seen in decades.  I anticipate there will be more opportunities to get some more at this range of $4/lb.  The Tuna was a pretty good price as well but we were pretty loaded up and did not think we had room in the freezer for anymore. 

We did stop at the TnT on the way home since we still needed non-frozen something for dinner.  The Sockeye, as it turns out, was gone anyway.  The 1-2 lb lobsters were on sale for $7/lb so I bought two for the BBQ.   TnT has a fabulous selection of fresh seafood and there is significant turnover so it is good quality.  I do know some local chefs that buy their fish there.  They will also chop up some of the more intimidating fayre as well like Dungeness.  It was like one of those 'Ahhhh' moments, when we found that out!  Of course you still have to pick the live critters out be it Mussels or Crab or Lobster. Sometimes they just don't want to go in the little weighing basket and the tongs they give you are useless for the bigger stuff.

Back in Steveston, the boat originally ran out of Urchin just before D's place in line.  They ran over to their storage area where the boats that actually go out daily drop containers off.  They had 1 and only 1 left.  The guy had to talk one grabby Asian woman out of asking for nearly half the container given there was still a long line up behind us.   While D was waiting though, the lady on the boat prepared a Ceviche out of one of the cracked Urchin and D decided to give it a go at home with some adjustments.  1 adjustment being that she ate it on the spot and she was also a bit more skilled at the cleaning while we had to do it over a sink and had to rinse off some of the less appetising bits.

Fresh off the Boat Sea Urchin Ceviche

Fresh off the Boat Sea Urchin Ceviche

1 large Sea Urchin
2 T Red Onion, diced fine
1 Serrano Chili, sliced lengthwise (optional)
1 Lime juiced
1/2 Lemon, juiced
1 T Rice Wine Vinegar
2 T Olive Oil
1 T fresh Cilantro
2 leaves Lemon Grass
Salt and Pepper

Cut open the Sea Urchin through the underside that looks like a button.  Find the soft spot in the middle and cut outward to start a circular hole.  Drain out the liquid and the 'Green Innards'.  D had to do this.

The flesh you want looks like segments of a Grapefruit inside.  Carefully remove and try to keep whole.  They are very delicate.  Rinse away any green stuff. 

Set the Sea Urchin flesh in a bowl of Water and Sea Salt.  It should be quite salty.  As salty as the sea, you might say.  Let stand for 10 minutes and drain and place in the Ceviche brine below.

In a bowl or container, mix all the ingredients.  You can leave out the Chili if you do not want to mask the Sea Urchin taste.

Place the Sea Urchin so they are nearly covered.  Let stand for at least half an hour in the fridge. 

Sea Urchin melt like Fois Gras in your mouth.  There is no 'give' like Oysters.  It's more like room temperature Sorbet that dissolves as you eat it.  It tastes of the sea.  Really, it is the only way to describe it.  It is not fishy in the nasty sense but there is some of that.

I am a moderate fan. D loves them!  Also very popular as Uni (Ooni) Sushi Nigiri. 

BBQ Lobster with Corn and Potatoes

BBQ Lobster Dinner

2 x 1 1/2 lb Lobsters
2-3 T Old Bay Seasoning
3 Cloves Garlic
1/4-2/3 c Butter, melted
2 T fresh Parsley

In a large pasta pot, fill with Water.  Add the Old Bay Seasoning and bring to a boil.  You can buy Old Bay everywhere.  If you cannot find it, you can leave it out or look up the components on the web.  It is a traditional southern American Crab Boil mix.  We thought after the fact that we could have done our Corn and Potatoes in there too but it was too late by the time we thought of it, particularly since I love the roasty goodness of Corn on the Q.

Melt the Butter and mix with the minced Garlic and chopped Parsley.  Separate into 2/3 the butter you use on the parcooked Lobster to the dipping at the table 1/3.  Upto you, you could go half half and use less on the grill.
When the water is vigorously boiling, place the Lobsters in.  D had to do this too.  Cover and let boil.

Boil for 2-3 minutes.  Remove and place on a cutting board.  With a large sharp chef knife, cut down the centre.  Spread open, drizzle with the Garlic Butter and place on the grill for 10-13 minutes.  Baste again as needed.  Baste the Potatoes too.

Yummo!

Saturday, Aug 21st - BBQ Spicy Black Bean Ling Cod and wedding crafts

Boiled fresh Sweet Corn and Salad

Friends are having a BBQ / wedding decoration gathering at their new house.  I brought some Cod for the grill but P & E probably could have fed us three times over.  They recently bought a house with a yard which is a hard won victory in Vancouver.  I came away sated and full of yard-envy :^D
 
BBQ Spicy Black Bean Ling Cod

2 200 g Ling Cod Steaks, cleaned
1 T Black Bean Sauce
1 T Spicy Soy Chili Sauce (not like Soy Sauce but Soy paste)
1/2 T Oyster Sauce
1-2 cloves Garlic
1/2 T fresh Ginger, minced
1 T Sesame Oil

Mix all the sauce ingredients together.

I am all about the tray for grilling now.  I know it might be my grill or temperature but my fish has been sticking so after my friend's BBQ a couple of weeks ago where he had the Salmon-a-thon, I have starting using foil trays in the grill for more delicate fish, particularly with a marinade.

I am taking this to a BBQ so I formed the tray that would fit neatly into a plastic container with a lid.  Lightly oil the foil.  Place the fish inside.  Spoon on the sauce and let sit until you're ready to grill.  Simply lift the foil tray out of the container and place on the grill.

Place on the hot grill for 10 minutes with lid down.  Sooooo good. It was on the spicy side so you could cut the Soy Chili in half if you want.

Our friends were having a craft making session for their wedding. It was fun!  I used to love watching Martha Stewart years and years ago so it was like a real life session with that squeaky voiced girl who does all the wedding crafts.  She's slightly annoying but a wedding craft genious. I think she's still with the show.

Anyhoo, P did all the grilling and prep work.  To nosh on while we rested post, crafting, he made us some nibbles of Heirloom Tomatoes, Blue Cheese and Basil.  I have never tried that before.  You normally think of using fresh Mozzarella or so I was more pleasantly surprised.  I am definitely trying this again at home!

Heirloom Tomatoes and Blue Cheese and Basil

He made some wonderful Salads from garden Veg from the neighbour.  I don't have such generous neighbours.... but we don't have back yards either :^P. We roasted some AMAZING potatoes they bought at the Trout Lake Farmer's market that advertised that they tasted like they were already buttered.  No lie.  They were YUMMO!  and of course, 'tis that time of year that the corn from the 'Wack' starts coming in.  My Asian themed fish I brought did not go as well as the burgers but I don't care.  Everything was delicious!

Sunday, July 18th - Kimchee Chigae and Brunch - catch up

Mom's Kimchee Chigae

My cousin's wedding was last night.  It was a beautiful ceremony in an enviablie location.  We were taking in the nuptials with the breathtaking background of the Toronto skyline.  Yet despite the late night we returned home, mom was still up bright and early waiting for us to wake up so she could make us breakfast.

If you have ever seen the movie Joy Luck Club, you will already know that the best way to win over an Asian mother in law is through excessive, unnecessarily obsequious praise of her food.  It does not matter which part of Asia or South East Asia, it is true.  Equally, the easiest way to alienate yourself from an Asian mother in law is to insult her food or not eat enough of it.  D easily eats twice his usual portion when we're visiting my parents.  He is subtle about it and has never told me he planned on it until well after the fact back at home on his post-Toronto regime.  Remember when I told you that the best portion size for freezing Kalbi is 4 pieces per bag?  Well, when we're in Toronto, D normally takes in 6-8.  He even falls for the 'who want's the last one' nudge, which he never otherwise does. :^D

Mom's Asparagus and Eggwhite Avocado and Gochu Omelette

Mom made us Asparagus and Cheese Omlettes for breakfast with fresh Fruit Yogurt smoothies which could easily have been a meal unto itself.  Mom loves Asparagus and Brussel Sprouts.  She buys them buy the bushel when they are sale.  My Omlette is an Egg White Omlette.  Mom always makes me Egg White Omlettes because about 5 years ago I was on a Yolk embargo.  Actually, I still have Egg White only Omlettes but do not always remember.  Nothing is wasted though.  She makes this weird hair treatment with the leftover Yolks

Egg White Avocado and Gochu Omlette

3-4 Egg Whites
1/2 c Mozzarella Cheese or White Cheddar (Mom uses WAY TOO much cheese)
1-2 non spicy Fresh Gochu (Korean Peppers), chopped
1/2 Avocado
1/4 c Zucchini, chopped
1/8 c Onion, chopped

Separate the Egg Whites.  Beat briefly only to bring some uniformity to the mix.

In a non stick pan on Medium Low Heat, heat some Olive Oil or Butter.  Sautee the Vegetables for 3-5 minutes until softened.  Set aside.

In the same pan, add some more Oil or Butter,  Add the Egg Whites.  Move around like you're straightening out a Table Cloth.  When it is mostly solidified and less jiggly, flip.  Add the Vegetables and Cheese.  Let heat through for 1 minute.

Fold out on to a plate and serve.

Bacon and Asparagus are a weekend staple.  There is no bacon on my plate but Mom does have the technique for flat, crispy Bacon down to a science.  She lays them out on a rack with a pan underneath and puts on the low broiler.  She used to also microwave them wrapped in layers of paper towels.  She's decided they become much crispier under the broiler.

MMMMM

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We are flying home after three weeks today.  Well 1 weekend in Toronto and the rest in the Galapagos.  Mom made us Kimchee Chigae for Dinner.  It is traditionally a Winter dish but she knows it to be one of my favourite so she made it specially for me.  Plus, generally nowadays, most households have the 'Mature Kimchee' you need to make Kimchee Chigae.  Mature Kimchee means that it has picked and become quite sour.  Afterall, before the arrival of Columbus and he Chili from the New World, Kimchee was probably alot more similar to Sauerkraut than it is to its present form.

Back in the day, before the common availability of refridgerators and NOW Kimchee refridgerators, people fermented or stored their Kimchee in earthen pots buried in then ground.  You would normally make loads during the summer when the Cabbage was in season so by the Winter, the Kimchee was quite ripe.  As well, Korean like many cultures derived many of their signature dishes through peasantry and necessity.  You stretch what you have.  Now, with the addition of Tofu and Pork ribs, it's not quite the Peasant stew it used to be.

One thing you should be aware of is that Store Bought Kimchee will not age like the homemade stuff.  It lacks some pretty key ingredients so it will spoil rather quickly too.  That is why your fridge smells after a week whereas my Mom's fridge never ever smells.

Traditionally, Kimchee Chigae is made from a Pork broth with simple Aromatics, loads of Kimchee, Gochu-Cadroo (Korean Chili Powder) and Dubu (Tofu).  Mom has made adjustments over the years, because V, my sister and I became Vegetarian nearly 20 years ago.  Now, Mom's Kimchee Chigae uses Milchee Mul (Korean Fish Broth) which is somewhat similar to Dashi.  It is a light broth based in dried Anchovies and sometimes, Kombu.  As well, she adds Mushrooms for some girth.  She tried a less successful Enoki Mushroom experiment which does NOT work well in Kimchee Chigae.

Mom's Kimchee Chigae served. There is no heat source!

She still uses Dubu but now and for several years, she uses Organic Fresh Dubu.  A friend of hers has a Dubu House.  They make fresh Tofu daily.  It is incredibly delicate and similar to 'Silken' Tofu and only keeps in the fridge for a few days.    And of course, quite alot of Mature Kimchee is essential.

This Christmas, I will watch Mom end to end.  She normally starts the Milchee Mul 3 hours in advance so I have not done it yet.  But that said I wanted to share this video.  Kimchee Chigae is cooked and broth to the table bubbling.

Mom also made Sam Yup Sal or Pork Belly with Korean BBQ Sauce for D.  I'd been bragging about it for sometime so Mom went out to buy some for D specially.  I will post the recipe soon but it is not too different from my post on the BBQ Korean Halibut Steak on the link here  but a bit more Sugar.  The name Sam Yup Sal comes from the 'Three' visible layers in the Pork Belly. 'Sam' is Korean for Three. MMMMM Even as a nearly 20 year Vegetarian, I must admit I miss this dish.  I did not taste after the celebration at the wedding, I did not want to see more of the West Jet facilities than I needed to. :^P

Mom's Korean BBQ Sam Yup Sal - Korean Pork Belly

Friday, Aug 13th Wooooo! - Korean BBQ Halibut and Roasted Potatoes

BBQ Roasted Potatoes

D fancied Kalbi tonight so that was my cue to find something to put on the grill.  The Kalbi is already made in the freezer from Mom.  She packed 1 portion per bag after we told her we normally don't do a big cook up like she does.  If you plan to make or buy Kalbi, a good rule of thumb is 4 pieces per Ziplock.  It works out perfect for D. 

I wanted to Tuna but could not find Tuna reasonably priced or appealing in the few shops I popped into.  I went with Halibut in the last shop, unfortunately not the best price but that's what you get when you insist on biking around looking for fish. :^).  This would work with Salmon or Skate as well.  Mom usually makes this with Skate but she does it Fricasee style in a shallow pan.  I don't do Skate enough.  It's so good.  Hmmm, I'll have to buy Skate soon.

Korean BBQ Halibut

Korean BBQ Halibut

150-200g Halibut Steak (per person)
(Sauce for 1 steak)
3 T Gochujang - Korean Chili Paste
1 T Sesame Oil
1/2 T Low Sodium Soy Sauce
1 T Brown Sugar
1-2 cloves Garlic
1 cm Fresh Ginger, minced
1/4 small Onion, sliced
1 Chili, chopped (optional)

Wash and dry the Halibut steak. 

Whisk the ingredients together.  Spread evenly on both sides of the fish and set aside in the fridge until you are ready to cook.  I like to say 30 minutes at least but really Fish does not 'soak up' flavour the way meat does so do not worry about marinading for a long time.  You should bring the fish out about 30 minutes before cooking so it is not ice cold.


I made a little Foil tray to put on the grill after DL's 100 Mile BBQ.  I liked how his fish turned out.  That and I did not want all my yummo sauce to fall through and scorch on the BBQ. 

Cook in the Foil tray for 8-10 minutes with the lid down.  No need to turn over.  Check the middle near the bone for doneness.

MMMMM roasted some chopped Potatoes in the BBQ Vegetable Basket with some Olive Oil and Rosemary.

Monday, Aug 9th - BBQ Halibut Steak with Herbed Israeli Cous Cous

BBQ Halibut Steak with Herbed Israeli Cous Cous and Beet

D loves Israeli Cous Cous.  Every chance he gets, he is pushing me to make it.  I suspect it's because he know's I'll default to Rice.  I adore the texture of the tapioca sized Cous Cous bubbles.  It is not as quick as regular Cous Cous but it is worth it. 

We bought a Halibut Steak at TnT.  It was on sale but the steaks where cut so thick that we had to get 1 slightly smaller than a lb to share between the two of us.  D washed, oiled with Olive Oil and then rubbed it with a combination of two of our Dry Rubs: his favourite, Dean and Deluca's Chipotle and this other Mermaid's Fish Rub.  We bought the latter in Walla Walla but it is SO SALTY, that we have grown accustomed to cutting it with other herbs or spices or using VERY little.  Rub both sides and then drizzle a little more Olive Oil and press down.  Set aside for a few minutes or longer in the fridge.

Place on a hot Grill for 3-4 minutes a side based on a 3/4" thick steak.  Check the middle, particularly near the bone, for doneness.  It just be just a barely translucent in the middle a minute before you take it off because not long after that it will dry out.

Herbed Iraeli Cous Cous
(Serves 2-3)

1 c Israeli Cous Cous
1 1/2 c Water or Vegetable Broth
(or 1 1/4 c depending on how much steam your pot leaks out, mine leaks a lot)
1/4 c Fresh Basil Chopped
1/4 c Fresh Parsley Chopped
1 spring Lemon Grass (fresh from so not the big dry stem, leave out if you want)
1 Lemon or Lime, juiced
1-2 T Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper

Heat 1 T of the Olive Oil in a small sauce pan.  Add the Cous Cous.  Let sautee a bit until slightly browned.  Add the Vegetable Broth.  Let simmer gently (small even bubbles that look like ginger ale) for 10-15 minutes.  Turn the heat off and set aside covered for 15 minutes or more.  If you have a regular element stove or gas stove, you can let it sit where it is.  If you have a halogen stove, move it because it will over cook. 

You can do other stuff or prep the fish in this time. 

Fluff the Cous Cous so they are separated bubbles.   Serving or Salad bowl.  Drizzle over the other 1T of Olive Oil and Toss.  Add the Herbs and Juice and Toss.  Season to Taste.  Set aside and serve at room temperature or slightly cool.

I also had a Beet roasted on the Q as well. MMMMMM

Aug 8th - 100 Mile Birthday BBQ - Super Slaw

Super Fennel Slaw with BBQ Spring Salmon with Sundried Tomato Relish

Our friend DL is celebrating a milestone though he played it in key that was super low.  He originally planned a big BBQ down by the Spanish Banks beach on this Sunday but it rained all weekend and did not let up until an hour before the fete.  Even then, it was still sprinkling.  DL decided to call a mid afternoon audible and moved the Q to his loft.  The building has a common events room with a deck.  So D and I donned our Beachware anyway and brought our Super Slaw.

DL was providing the main, which was an endless supply of freshly caught Spring Salmon from Granville Island's Fisherman's Wharf.  He topped them with two relishes: Sundried Tomatoes, Garlic and Herbs and the other was a Blueberry Relish.  They were wonderful!  He grilled the filets on little foil trays and the skin crisped up nicely.  We normally place the fish right on the grill but I might do it differently the next time.  Our skin often sticks to the grill.  The Salmon was so delicate and beautifully cooked.  He also had a whole Wild Sockeye Salmon, 'tis the season. 

DL requested that his guests bring the sides and desserts with the request that we follow (or try to follow) the 100 Mile Rule.  That means we were to attempt to keep ALL our ingredients sourced from within 100 Miles of home.  Normally, when you go to the customary and very frequent Vancouver Potlucks, you see alot of Salads, Fruit Trays, Chips (Boo! I even saw a guy take his cheesies home with him because they weren't opened.  Nice!)  The thing you'll rarely see is desserts.  They a lot more effort and therefore get the biggest kudos.  This time however, with the 100 Mile Limitation, people found desserts easier to do.  There were Cakes, Pies, Pavlovas and Berry Bowls.  Amazing. 

My little dig about the over done Vancouver Potluck is about the fact that you see more Potlucks where the host is just the 'venue'. Not everyone but very often. Maybe it's because of where D and I are from or he time we spent in other places... but we are just used to having people over or going over to a friends for a meal or a hosted party. We like to host quite a lot. It took some getting used to, being invited to a Christmas party with instructions to make the dessert.  That order came from the guy who took his Cheese Puffs home from our fully equipped party, bar and all.  We don't have that guy, G, over anymore.  No tears here.  ;^P DL is a great host and his lovely Salmon was neverending.  A friend of his even brought live Spot Prawns which reluctantly went on the Grill too.  MMMMM

Anyhoo, we made Super Slaw for the BBQ. We were pretty good but we did not strictly fit the 100 Mile guidlines so please do not use this as an example of the 100 Mile meal and just a delicious Slaw.  We made it for Super Bowl and the photo is here but I made the full recipe, accidentally, and made some adjustments. The proportions are below...... it is A LOT.  Easily serves 15-20 people.

Super Cabbage and Fennel Slaw
1 head Savoy Cabbage (9-10" in diameter)
1 head Red/purple Cabbage
4 Green Onions
4-5 Carrots (1 c Grated Carrots)
1 Fennel, large bulb, sliced
2 T fresh Parsley chopped
2 T fresh Basil, chopped
2 T whole Dijon Mustard
1/2 c Sour Cream (use low fat if you want)
1 Lemon, juiced
4 T Malt Vinegar
1 1/2 - 2 c Mayonnaise, low fat!!!
1 T Sugar
Salt and Pepper to taste

Shred the Cabbage, Carrots and Fennel with a Mandolin Slicer, it will save you so much time; or you can shred the Cabbage with a chef's knife cross the grain with a large knife after halving and decoring it. Finely slice everything.  I did the Fennel as thin as I could and the Cabbage about 1/4 inch. I don't like large chunks in Slaw of anything. You can use a Box Grater for the Carrots if you are afraid for your fingers. If you don't like anise flavour, simply leave the Fennel out but try it first.  It is not a bullying flavour in this slaw in this proportion. Slice slice the Green Onions and Chiffonade the Herbs. Toss together.

Whisk the Mustard, Sourcream, Sugar, Lemon juice, Mayonnaise, Vinegar together.Season to taste with Salt and Pepper.   NOW this is a DEVIATION from my last instruction and I lived and learned this lesson because of doing a full recipe as well as having slightly smaller Cabbage, I think.  BRING the DRESSING TO the VEG. For Superbowl, I brought the Vegetables to the Dressing but this time, I had to adjust because the proportions looked wet. This way you can be sure you get the Creaminess you prefer.   You can do this just before serving as a fresh salad or overnight for more of a pickled and mingled flavour. You may use all the dressing, you may not but this is safer to avoid gloopiness. 

Let sit for a good hour or more for a nice mingling of flavours or serve right away.  It will keep in the fridge for a week.  (Goes great on Pulled Pork Sandwiches)

July 31st - BBQ Pizzas - BBQ Roasted Beet and Feta Salad

Woah...looked at my recent posts and noticed I wrote this and then forgot to publish it. Bad blogger :^/

BBQ Marguerita Pizza

When it is fit for BBQing in rainy Vancouver we try to do as much as possible and that includes things that you might traditionally think of being oven work. Once you have the right sort of dough that can withstand the BBQ, you need to prep the toppings at hand and ready to go because it will all go fast!

BBQ Pizza Dough

1 c Water, warm
1 t Sugar
1 pkg or 8 g or 2 1/4 t Dry Active Yeast
t T Salt
1/4 c Olive Oil
3 c (+/- 1/2 c) Flour

In a stand mixer or large mixing bowl, add the Water, Yeast and Sugar. Set aside for 5-10 minutes until it appears foamy like a mousse.  If you are doing this by hand, assume you are using a wooden spoon to mix until a ball forms and then you're rolling up your sleaves and washing your hands because you need to dive in manually.  Now, I am a full convert on the stand mixer.

Add the Salt and 1 c of Flour and mix on low for a couple of minutes.  Continue to add the flour 1/2 c at a time.  When the dough starts to gather into a ball and pull away from the bowl, start adding in 1/4 c's  You can turn the speed occasionally.  I do most of the kneading on 2 or 4 on a Kitchen Aid.  When the dough starts  climb the hook, stop the machine and peel it off and keep going.  You want the dough tender and slightly sticky, only slightly.  You do not want to over add flour and it will depend on relative humidity for where you are.  Let it knead for another 5-8 minutes.

In the same bowl or in another bowl, lift the dough out and shape into a ball.  Add 1 t of Olive oil to the bowl.  Holding the ball in one hand, swirl around the grease the bowl.  Place the Dough in and turn over so you have the greased side up.  Cover with a clean damp kitchen towel and set aside somewhere warm for 1 1/2 hours.

Gently press the risen dough down, no violence necessary. Punch if you must release some tension.  Divide the dough into thirds. Knead briefly and form into a ball by continously folding in on itself for a few minutes.  Cover and set aside to rest for 15-30 minutes.  This will make the rolling easier.  It's really tense after a knead.

On a clean floured surface, roll out each ball into a pizza about 12 x 6 inches.  You can roll however you like but you want it about a half cm thick.

You want your BBQ Hot.  You're not roasting a pig here so you do not need it nuclear so adjust your settings to see about 550-600 degrees F.

Carry the toppings for the pizza out with the dough.  We did each pizza separately.

Place the dough directly on the grill with no wrinkles.  Do not touch it once it goes down.  Close the lid for 2 minutes.  Turn over with thongs and dress with your toppings quickly.

Cover for another 3-5.  You do not want to burn the bottom so check at 3.

Slice and eat!

Marguerita Pizza Toppings:

Buffalo Mozzarella sliced
Tomatoes, sliced
Fresh Basil

BBQ Potato Pesto Pizza

Potato Pesto Pizza:

1 Potato, sliced thin, par cooked on the Grill or Microwave
2 sprigs Rosemary
1/2 c Mozzarella (now that was the plan and I accidentally used some of the cheese meant for the Pizza below, do not use as much cheese as you see in the photo!)
1/4 c Cashew Basil Pesto (I spread this one with a spatula)

BBQ Anti Pasti Pizza

Anti Pasti Pizza:

1/4 c Marinated Eggplant
2-3 c Roasted Red Bell Peppers
4 Marinated Artichokes, halved
6-8 Fresh Basil Leaves
1/2 c Mozzarella or 1 Fresh Buffalo Mozzarella sliced
Fresh Parmesan

BBQ Roasted Beet and Feta Pizza

BBQ Roasted Beet Feta Salad

4 tennis ball sized Beets, trimmed and cleaned
50-100 g Feta, crumbled
1 Lemon, juiced
2 T Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper
1 c Beet Greens, optional

Clean your Beets thoroughly.  Trim the greens off but leave about 1 cm because you do not want them too bleed too soon or you will be explaining purple fingers for a week.  Rinse thoroughly and then with a abrasive sponge (not steel wool) or a vegetable brush, scrub each one.

Now carefully cut the head off just below the greens.  You can leave them if you really want until later.  Place on a microwave safe plate.  Poke with a knife a few times. Microwave on high for 8 minutes.

Take out and drizzle with oil and rub.  Careful! They are hot!  Place directly on the Grill as it is heating up for the Pizzas.  Roast covered for 10-15 minutes until fork tender.  At the same time, I quickly grill my Potato slices for the Potato Pesto Pizza for 3-5 minutes.

Now you could just do them the whole time in the BBQ but you're looking at 35-40 minutes.  That is alot of Propane or Oven time.  No thanks!  I have tried a few different methods including BBQing them sliced already but I am pretty pleased with this method.  The BBQ sliced for 30 minutes left them a very al dente which were good if that is what you want.

On a large serving plate, spread out some trimmed, washed Beet Greens (optional). Once the Beets are slightly cooled, slice thin.  D sliced while I had a glass of wine and he sliced them a bit thick.  :^D (this is called a test to see if he is reading my blog).  Anyhoo, sprinkle the Feta over.

Whisk the Lemon Juice and the Olive Oil.  Season to taste.  Add slightly less Salt than you normally would because the Feta is already salty.  I added some of the Beet Juice from when I microwaved the Beets.  You do not have to do this and I do think I'll bother next time.  It did not do what I had hoped for from an aesthetic perspective.

MMMM I love roasted Beets.  If you hate canned Beets you will change your mind, I know it.  That said, I love jarred picked Beets too.  MMMM

Aug 2nd - Sourcream Marinated Curried Jumbo Prawn and BBQ Naan



Sourcream Marinated Tumeric and Curry Jumbo Prawn Skewers

 I made Pappadum for fun to go with our Indian inspired dinner.  I found them in the grocery section of the Shopper's Drugmart.  Okay.  So I bought them.  They looked like the real thing as other than some keep translation on storage, all the writing was not in English.  There were not instructions so I had to search for some on the internet.  D said I should pan fry them.  I said no.  I said that restaurants do that for efficiency but real housewives roast them over flames so I wanted to BBQ them.  I once heard that a good wife does not burn her pappadum.  Well, then, I am only a pretty good wife then because I burned the first one while learning.  I got the hang of it really fast though.

You have to watch them.  Place the disc on the Grill.  The lid never goes down.  The Pappadum will go from a dark, semi-tranlucent to an opaque, beige colour.  Move it around a bit like you're nudging it until it is all beige.  Flip and let it brown for a few seconds.  In total, it will take less than a minute.  Yummo!  We only made 2 for fun but we had way to much other food.

Cucumber and Mint Raita

1 c Cucumber, julienned or grated
2 T fresh Mint, chiffonade
1 c Plain Yogurt
Salt and Pepper
1 clove Garlic, minced (optional) (yes I know, this is Greek)

Place ingredients in a bowl and mix thoroughly.  Season to taste.  Refridgerate and serve cold as a condiment.MMMMM

Roasted Bell Peppers

4-5 Red Bell Peppers, washed but whole!
3 cloves Garlic
2 T - 1/4 c fresh Basil, chiffonade
1/4 c Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper

This was over kill but D thought since we had the BBQ on anyway and all these peppers from the Farmer's Market, why not.

Place the Peppers on the Hot Grill.  Close the lid.  Turn occasionally.  You want to char them.  This will take about 5 minutes.  Take them off and place them in a large bowl as they finish. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or any firm cover. Let sit for 10-15 minutes.

Over a sink, peel off the skin and clean out the seeds and stems. 

Slice and place on a serving plate.  Sprinkle the Garlic and Basil over evenly.

Drizzle Olive Oil over and serve.  This is alot of Roasted Peppers.  You can keep them in the fridge for a week.  D likes to add them to the jar of store bought Marinaded ones and the marinade in the jar does prolong their life a bit.  They really only lasted a couple of days.  They work well as a side or in sandwiches.  Very easy and very delicious!

BBQ Naan Dough

BBQ Naan (this is a link)
Now there is another Naan recipe with the original Prawn post below but I prefer this one.  On the BBQ, spread the hand stretched dough out and place directly on the grill. Close the lid. Check after 1-2 minutes and turn, similar to the pizza from a few days earlier.  Cover and let finish.  Unlike the pizza you can fit 3 on the grill at the same time.  Brush with butter and cover with foil and set aside to eat.

BBQ Naan

BBQ Sourcream Tumeric and Curry Jumbo Prawn (this is a link)
This will take two days of marinating in the fridge if you leave the shells on.  So when D started the marinade we were out of Tumeric so he substituted the Tumeric on the recipe on this link with a good Curry Powder he bought in Zanzibar.  Then he added some of the Tumeric the next day after we bought it at the market.

Sourcream Marinaded Tumeric Curry Jumbo Prawn Skewers ready to go

We had an Isabel Sauvignon Blanc. The NZ whites are known for their pronounced minerality. This one was quite subtle. Full of Grapefruit and light summer aromas. Great!

July 9th - la Garrapata - Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz, Galapagos - Parilla Paradise after Gordon's Rock

Crazy Big Manta Ray with Fish Riders

It's our last night in the Galapagos.  We had a glorious last day of diving.  Yes we dived the last day.  I was not sure I was upto it but D was set on doing Gordon's Rock.  Yesterday, evening we were strolling on Darwin and there was a big sign outside one of the dive shops offering a special on Gordon's Rock.  D asked a few questions and we were pretty doubtful because they weren't absolutely certain they would do 1 or 2 dives there or at Seymour.  He said that he would only go if they would absolutely do 2 at Gordon's as did another rather crabby gentleman in the shop at the same time.  Actually, it worked out because we did not have to fuss at all, he did all the complaining because he had already paid. 

They had enticed D with the photos of their Gordon's dive that day with schools of Hammerhead Sharks.  One thing that I am a sucker for is missing out on excitement.  The agent promised to have extra dramamine for me on the boat.  So I signed up.

In the end, we did see quite a few Hammerhead Sharks but no schools that day.  I did say glorious because we did see some amazing things but 1 thing in particular.  As we were rounding a corner, a gigantic Manta Ray with a 6 m wing span was turning the other way.  He caught us all off guard.  I wasn't even sure what I was seeing.  I thought it was a whale at first.  It was enormous.  There were four seasoned divers with us including D.  Everyone on that dive, except me, had nearly a hundred dives.  They were all awestruck.  I was petrified.  I filmed him for a bit but when it looked like he was turning back, I swam away.  He was just changing direction.  The one crabby man, followed him for a while.  As it turns out he was a marine biologist.  Had I known that, I would have followed as well.
 

That all said and done, I would NOT RECOMMEND Shark Friends Diveshop.  I really would strongly advise against it.  They have Padi Certified Dive Masters but they are not a Padi shop.  There is a key difference.  They are not held accountable to any standards.  Myself and another diver had stale air.  It tasted like a musty closet.  I had remembered in my lessons that that was not a safe thing and you should NOT dive with stale air.  But since I had not dived that much, I did not know what 'bad' tasted like.  I looked around and all the other experienced divers did not seem fussed.  I knew we had a limited amount of tanks so I did not say anything.  I had a headache after the first dive which subsided over lunch but then it came back with a vengeance on the second dive.  I was not the only one.  D said that happens when people refill tanks without bleeding out the remaining air.  As well, they had a disovery diver on the boat with us that was obviously not instructed properly and did not even know that he should have cleared his ears the whole time.  Poor kid asked me at lunch "J, if I can't clear my ears but I can still breathe, is it safe?"  I said NO!  You need to keep trying until you clear your ears.  Rise a bit and keep trying.  You can severly injure your ears if you do not.  That Discovery Diver should not have been at Gordon's Rock.  I wrote Padi but they said as they were not a Padi Certified shop they could not sanction them, that is, unless the shop had advertised themselves as a Padi shop or if the Discovery course was advertised as a Padi course.  Anyway, be cautious, read reviews, check with Padi.com and do not dive with shops like "Shark Friends" that are not held to any standards or quality levels!

We were exhausted and famished after that day.  D was down way too long on the second dive.  He was just so thrilled ot be at Gordon's Rock he pushed too far considering we had a flight the next day.  Even the Primary Divemaster was muttering under his breath that D and the other Master should have not stayed so long.  The watches are conservative but we were down to the last minute on safety for flying after a dive. 

We went down the road to Garrapata for dinner.  We noticed it had seen a decent crowd every night and during days.  That could be on account of the listing in every guide book and the free working Wifi.  It is an open patio Grill Restaurant next to a Disco and a Church.  Yes, I am serious.  There was a loud raucous bar next to a small church advertising temperance. Awesome.  We sat in view of the grill so we had what the Galapagos should be best at, grilled seafood.

Mixed Seafood Grill Special

D had the Mixed Seafood Special on a mini chafing dish with coals inside.  I had the Ecuadorian Grilled Tuna.  It is absolutely confirmed in my mind that Ecuadorians simply like to thoroughly cook their fish.  The tuna was very over done.  If it were not for the sauce, it would have been very dry.  The same for D's grilled mix.  Still, it was a lovely evening, we had a bit of wine called Sunshine and the service was friendly and attentive.  I might have thought after a while not to over cook our fish but each evening we seemed to tired to be that aware as well did not want to be rude in another country.  Particularly when the dish is called Ecuadorian style fish, who am I to say how it should be cooked? Well, I think I would have enjoyed it more a bit pink in the middle.  2c.

Ecuadorian Style Tuna with Plaintains

Cost: $$ (relative to area)
Service: warm and attentive
Ambience: Open Air
Wine: Decent glass and half bottle selection
Free working Wifi

La Garrapata

Av. Charles Darwin, Puerto Ayora
Santa Cruz, Galapagos
Phone: 05/252-6264