les amis du FROMAGE

Favorite cheeses

2010-12-03T23:41:00.000-08:00

People often ask any one of us at les amis "What's your favorite cheese". It's a tough question to answer. I personally don't have just one. It also depends what day it is, and what' I'm in the mood for. Sometimes if we haven't had a cheese for a while, and then I see it...Bam...that's the one.

This cheese is one of Allison's favorites. It's like a fermier style of St. Felicien. Unpasteurized for flavour, and hand ladled curd for tenderness.

Port soaked stilton

2010-12-03T23:36:00.001-08:00

Alice's port soaked stilton is marinating as we speak. She gives it a drink almost every day. This year we have the following cheeese soaking in Taylor Fladgate LBV.

Long Clawson
Colston Bassett
Thomas Hoe
Stichelton's

They should be ready in a couple of weeks. I can't wait.

Alice also made some of her Xmas cookies again this year. She made them herself (with some help from Allison). They need time to rest and soften up, and also the flavors meld together. Some old school recipes just need love...and time.

Taste of April Point

2010-09-12T22:52:00.000-07:00

Allison and I recently spent a weekend at April Point Resort on Quadra Island with Anthony Gismondi of the Vancouver Sun. The reason for our stay? We were participating in the "Taste of April Point". This sold out event was a great getaway for everyone who attended. Personally, I think the whole package was way undervalued. The food and beverage alone was worth the price of admission. The event started off on Friday evening with a cheese and wine tasting hosted by Anthony and Allison. The next day saw us tasting more wines in the lodge during the afternoon, followed by a sensational dinner. All of the staff did a sensational job, with a big round of applause for Executive Chef Stephanie Dykes and her crew. Saturday's meal exceeded our expecations. The highlite for me was a mushroom consomme that paired perfectly with La Crema Pinot Noir. A big thanks also to sponsor Everything Wine. If you get the chance to attend next year, you should.

Both of us have never been to Quadra Island. What a beautiful place. It's certainly a lot quieter than where we live. The air is fresh, and the water is clear. The big thing for me? No sirens. They go past our home at all hours. I don't miss them. We went for a drive during the day to explore the island. We were surprised to see not one, but two young deer eating lunch. The noise from a nearby flock of crazy ducks quacking while trying to escape a focused sheep herding dog did not phase the deer at all. Their only focus was lunch.

We stopped along the way in Parksville to visit our friends at Little Qualicum Cheeseworks. There were lots of happy farm animals to visit with including ducks, rabbits, cows and goats. Let's not forget the main focus of our visit: delicious cheeses. We had tried to visit Natural Pastures, but a scheduling miscommunication left us with closed doors. Perhaps next time.

Acs 2010 farm tour

2010-09-01T03:02:00.001-07:00

I'm trying out a new phone that does mobile uploads to this blog. Hope you like the wagon pic from gothberg farms in washington. The Samsung phone takes great pictures. Hopefully it will inspire me to start posting more often.

Test pic

2010-09-01T02:57:00.001-07:00

Vancouver Playhouse Wine Fest Award

2010-04-24T01:51:00.000-07:00

Au Petit Chavignol was awarded a "Silver Glass" award for our wine list at the Vancouver International Playhouse Wine Festival today. We're proud to keep such company as all of the other award winners. We couldn't have done it without the initial set up from House Wine.

Speaking of wine, you should try our newest wine list aquisition:

2006 Chateau Beaumont

This lovely cru bourgeois from the Haut-Medoc is drinking lovely right now. A blend of Cab sauv, merlot, cab franc and petit verdot. It offers soft tannins with hints of cherries and dried herbs. It screams "drink me with charcuterie and cheese". A steal at $10 a glass.

Cheese & Sweets in Paris

2010-03-15T01:30:00.000-07:00

Visiting cheese shops and eating sweets in Paris. Someone has to do it...

les amis visits Neal's Yard Dairy

2010-03-02T02:30:00.000-08:00

I attempted to use Window's Movie Maker this week. It wasn't that difficult. Not sure why I never bothered to use it before. I've got plenty of pics that certainly can be utilized.

Here is a short video of some pics from a tour Allison and I took of Neal's Yard Dairy in London back in 2008.

Baby Day At The Farm

2010-02-22T23:47:00.000-08:00

Allison and I recently took a road trip, and along the way we stopped in to see Debra and George at the Farmhouse Natural Cheese Co. It was a perfect day, sun shining, all that stuff. It felt like spring, yet it was still February. Go figure.

It turned out to be "Baby Day" at the farm during our visit as many of the goats were giving birth. There were little baby goats everywhere, and they were so soft to touch. It's interesting watching George and the animals. It's as if he is the daddy to all of them. They would come running when they saw him. All of the animals seemed so healthy looking, relaxed and happy. It has that effect on peole too. This is the kind of place that seems to make you forget all your troubles. And it's only an hour from the city.

2010-01-19T14:54:00.000-08:00

Best cheese ad ever?

Tastings on Hastings

2010-01-04T00:27:00.000-08:00

There are still a few tickets available for our always popular Cheese and Wine tastings with les amis du FROMAGE and Au Petit Chavignol at 843 East hastings.

January 4, 2010 - Cheese & Wine 101 SOLD OUT
January 18, 2010 - Taste of Alsace with the wines of Hugel
February 1, 2010 - Award Winning Wines & Cheeses
March 8, 2010 - Vive la France
March 22, 2010 - Port Tasting with Ty the Wine guy
April 12, 2010 - Think Pink with Daenna van Mulligen

Find out more at http://www.buycheese.com/

Jura Jura Jura

2009-11-27T01:11:00.000-08:00

The Vacherin Mont d'or should be here soon. They were ordered months ago. It's funny, I can be standing at the front of the store and i can smell them when they get delivered. It's that woodsy, spruce bark. It always reminds me of green peanuts.

This year we are going to serve them baked whole at our restaurant Au Petit Chavignol. The end result will be reminiscent of a fondue. It's something special you can't have all year round.

We'll have some Vin Jaune, Cremant du Jura and Macvin to wash it down with. Macvin du Jura is great. We wanted in on the wine list when we first opened, but couldn't source any until now. Macvin has been in production since the fourteenth century. It is made from five permitted grape varieties, and can be red or rosé when produced from the Poulsard, Trousseau and Pinot noir, or white when produced from Chardonnay or Savagnin. The grapes are harvested late in season when their sugar content is at its highest. The grape must is aged in oak barrels for twelve months without prior fermentation in tanks. Marc du Jura, pomace-based eau-de-vie, is then added in a ratio of one liter marc for every two of must. Fermentation stops, leaving behind residual sugar and a sweet dessert wine. I like it a la "porch climber" in a short glass over ice before dinner.

Allison Spurrell on Local Artisan Cheese

2009-11-17T00:53:00.000-08:00

Watch Allison on the Food Network Canada discussing local artisan cheeses.

Vancouver is Awesome

2009-11-14T01:52:00.000-08:00

It certainly is. This community-based non-profit organization is dedicated to the study, promotion, and preservation of Vancouver arts and culture, with a positive spin.

Au Petit Chavignol opening for lunch

2009-11-06T02:00:00.000-08:00

Au Petit Chavignol will be open for lunch as of Monday November 9th, 2009. You can expect the restaurant to be open 7 days a week, from noon until late.

Downtown Eastside Community Garden

2009-10-31T23:17:00.000-07:00

A new community garden is being built at Hastings and Hawkes, just at the end of the block from Au Petit Chavignol. I went by to have a look today, and man they work fast. The parking lot is being transformed into a sea of raised garden beds. I spoke with the organizer, and we determined that this could be a great fit for Au Petit Chavignol. We discussed the possibility of growing specific vegetables and herbs for us. How great is that!

This summer our Strathcona Fruit Project was a great success. We received hundreds of pounds of local fruit from our neighbouring community, and we've turned it all into preserves which we in turn use in the restaurant. I learned alot about making preserves this year. It was basically a crash course. Next year should be even better now that I know recipe limitations, yields, etc. I can't wait until next summer.

Au Petit Chavignol Press

2009-10-23T20:14:00.000-07:00

Some great press on Au Petit Chavignol this week. First there is a full page article in the November issue of Vancouver Magazine.

Next up, Andrew Morrison gives us a thumbs up review in this weeks' Westender.

Cheese or Font

2009-09-16T23:25:00.000-07:00

How's this for a cheese game? I present to you Cheese or Font

Au Petit Chavignol opening 7 days a week

2009-09-13T23:35:00.000-07:00

Starting Monday September 21st, APC will be opening for dinner 7 days a week! We're ironing out the wrinkles to be open for lunch, hopefully by mid October.

les amis shopping bags

2009-09-13T23:30:00.000-07:00

This was spotted at sunny 3rd beach today. It's a gaggle of insulated les amis shopping bags. They are great for short outings, where you want to take great care of the cheese, and keep it cool. We are the friends of cheese afterall. Only five bucks each.

Worst cheese label. ever?

2009-08-28T13:56:00.000-07:00

I dunno about this one...kind of a highlander with a Billy Ray Cyrus mullet, meets lord of the rings, meets badly photoshopped blue dyed sheep. Perhaps it might make a better T-shirt. For what it's worth, the cheese is fantastic.

Cheese Judging

2009-08-11T00:01:00.001-07:00

Today Allison hosted a cheese judging for the 2009 PNE at Au Petit Chavignol. Allison and I were joined by Jeff from Bishop's and Jeff Van Geest from Diva, along with Claire from les amis. We only had 9 entries over four categories this year. Considering the many different cheeses made in BC, I was bit disappointed by the lack of entries. Perhaps next year we will get a larger level of participation from our BC cheese makers.

I won't say who, but similar to last year, there are clearly some good cheese makers in BC. I felt that one fresh cheese in particular could easily pass for a product from France. Another popular cheese was clearly an under performer today. When tasted in it's raw and naked state, it simply didn't cut it. Too bad, yet an eye opener at the same time. Unlike the Canadian Cheese Grand Prix (where Allison is also a judge) which only judges cheeses made from cows milk, this competition is open to cheeses made from milk other than cows milk. As previously said, I hope to see more entries next year. We all take cheese very seriously. It is a part of how we make our living.

Summer of Jam

2009-08-05T16:49:00.000-07:00

I may have almost bitten off more than I can chew the other day with apricots. I had know idea how much it would yield. I decided to make a big pot of apricot butter. By big, I mean about 100 liters. It took longer than expected to cook. It wasn't finished until 10 pm, so I had to call in Allison for bottling support. We finished up by about 2:30am. I'm glad I ordered so many bottles because we used everything. All that aside, it tasted great.

I've been sourcing great fruit at the farmers markets. I picked up more blueberries today. I'm going to make another batch of citrus-blueberry preserves. I'm also going to give making pickles a shot. I've been getting lots of local fruit from our neighbors in Stratchcona. I received alot of fresh figs and some transparent apples. I ordered in some beautiful candied ginger from Australia. I forgot that candied ginger can actually taste that good. Combine it all together and I made our first batch of Strathcona Fig Chutney. It's a great barter system we've created. We're trading cheese for fresh picked fruit from our community. Both sides benefit. I'm told that coming soon is a bumper crop of Italian prune plums. Maybe some plums in marsala are in order? Should be good with cheese. The best part is that after all these preserves age a bit in bottle, we'll have wonderful accompaniments to serve during the upcoming seasons, until summer rolls along again.

The vinegars are doing fine. They are so intense now, I can only imagine what they will be like after another month of soaking in the flavours.

2009-07-21T00:55:00.001-07:00

Now that we're all settled in with the new store and APC, it's been time to focus on the production kitchen. This is the reason we built a big commercial kitchen at the new hastings store. Summer is a great time, as there is so much fresh local fruits available to us. I made about 80 liters of raspberry vinegar today using raspberries that allison picked up at a local "U-pick", and I'm in the midst of a small batch of red currant jelly that she also managed to procure. It really takes a long time for the current juice to drip through the jelly bag, but it's such a beautiful colour. I'll start tarragon vinegar later this week. We also have some salad dressings coming down the pipeline.

Au Petit Chavignol always has a feature terrine in the restaurant each night, so we get to try lots of different recipes. It's good practice, as we're working towards making terrines to sell in all of our stores. This is going to take some time to get organized, as we want to do it right. More on that later.

les amis du FROMAGE and Au Petit Chavignol in the news

2009-07-17T13:44:00.000-07:00

Read what Anya Levykh has to say about APC's Fondue. Sue Riedl talks to Allison Spurrell in the Globe and Mail.

Black Hills Nota Bene Tasting

2009-07-15T23:42:00.000-07:00

les amis du FROMAGE is hosting a vertical tasting of Black Hills Nota Bene on Tuesday July 21st at Au Petit Chavignol. We have just secured another back vintage to add to the tasting at no additional charge. We will be serving the 2002-2007 vintages of Nota Bene. The event will start with Black Hills Alibi, and will finish with Black Hills Sequentia. Cheese and charcuterie will be served. Our guest speaker for the evening will be David Lancelot, local wine guru and BC wine buyer for Marquis Wine Cellars. There are still a few tickets left @ $110 per person.

Tastings on Hastings

2009-07-08T00:19:00.001-07:00

Tonights tasting at Au Petit Chavignol (APC) with house wine was a great success. Next week on July 14 (Bastille Day) we are hosting a Vive la France tasting, and on July 21 David Lancelot of Marquis Wine Cellars will join us for a Black Hills 'Nota Bene' tasting at APC. There are still a few tickets left for both of these events.

Charcuterie from "The Cure"

2009-06-18T16:10:00.000-07:00

Robert Belcham of Fuel Restaurant and Campagnolo has been producing some excellent charcuterie items recently. We've started carrying a selection of them at all of the les amis stores.

Here is a picture of the Saucisson Sec

Dry Cured Chorizo
Dry cured pork sausage flavoured with garlic, pimenton (paprika) and espellete pepper

Fennel Pollen Salami
A variation on traditional tuscan salami flavoured with fennel pollen and organic garlic

Saucisson Sec
Our version of the french staple made with pork belly, tellicherry black pepper, and organic garlic

Sopressata
Rustic, southern italian specialty made with red chilis, garlic and nutmeg

Unite With Art

2009-06-02T23:31:00.000-07:00

Come and visit les amis du FROMAGE & Au Petit Chavignol at Storeum on Monday June 3rd. We are going to be there with the big red slicer to show our support for UNICEF'S Unite With Art.

Unite with Art is a series of art auctions to benefit UNICEF's Unite for Children, Unite against AIDS campaign. The inaugural Unite with Art Auction and Gala was held on June 21, 2008 in Vancouver and raised over $276,000 for the campaign. It's a great event.

Guilde des Fromagers

2009-03-30T23:21:00.000-07:00

It's been a month since I've last posted. Time has quickly flown by with the opening of Hastings les amis du FROMAGE and Au Petit Chavignol. The restaurant has been busy from the moment it opened. Thank you to everybody for all of your support. The dust is slowly settling, so hopefully we can all start to get back on track.

We had a private ceremony and wonderful dinner on Saturday to celebrate the Guilde des Fromagers Confrerie de Saint-Uguzon. Members of the guild came from Paris to induct Alice, Allison and myself, along with several food professionals into the guild. Jackie Connelly took some great photos of the event.

Alice received a special medal, different from the others. She was designated a Maitre Fromager of the Guild des Fromagers Confrerie de Saint-Uguzon. I understood it to be one of only a few appointed so outside of France.

Brad and Owen made a delicious meal including canapes of salmon tartar, choux pastry with duck rillettes, charcuterie, a melt in your mouth beef bourgignon, cheese, and apple galette. Also, a big thank you is in order for Annette, Ingela, Naomi, and Angela for their wonderful service. It was fun to be on the other side of the bar after a month of helping customers.

Hastings Update

2009-02-25T22:54:00.000-08:00

...did I say two more weeks, two weeks ago? Well, it might still be a week or two...actually, I'm hoping it will be less than that. Hydro finally switched the power over yesterday. So many things have been waiting on standby for power. Now everybody is running to finish.We now have light and heat. Tomorrow, we should have the refrigeration up and running. The new store has 3 times as much display cooler space as the 2nd avenue store. We can't wait to fill it up!

You can see one of the new slicers in the picture. They are really heavy. It takes two of us to move one of them. The one for the store has a matching stand, and together they weigh more than 150 kilograms. It won't move around much! Today we picked up a 36 month old Jamon Iberico Bellotta ham. It won't go on the slicer, as it is carved by hand. But we did get some La Quercia Rossa heirloom prosciutto from Iowa. We've picked all of the cheeses for the restaurant menu. I think the selection is going to be great.

Colin the welder has been busy making new security bars for the front entrance along with a matching hand rail. He did such a great job. They have a nice feel that accents the age of the building.

Allison is back from judging the Canadian Cheese Grand Prix. She tasted almost 170 cheeses over two days. She was impressed by the quality of washed rind entries this year, along with several of the firm aged cheeses.

Dining out for life is on Thursday March 12th. Au Petit Chavignol will be participating in the event this year. We will donate 25 percent of food revenue from meals sold during this important event.

France's Guild de Fromagers is starting a chapter in Western Canada this March. We will be hosting several cheese dignitaries including Rolland Barthélémy of one of the best known fromageries in Paris, Fromagerie Barthélémy, along with Luc Senecal, the President of Isigny.

Those being inducted include:

Alice Spurrell - les amis du FROMAGE
Allison Spurrell - les amis du FROMAGE
Joe Chaput - les amis du FROMAGE
Janice Beaton - Janice Beaton Fine Cheeses
Debra Amrein-Boyes - Farmhouse Cheese Co.
Jurgen Gothe - Wine and Food writer
Kurtis Kolt - Salt Tasting Room
Jason Lloyd - Terminal City Club
Tim Pawsey - Wine and Food writer
Vincent Stufano - Chateau Fairmont Whistler
David Wood - Salt Spring Cheese Co.

2009-02-09T21:39:00.000-08:00

Everyone is putting in long hours now. It's the final dash to the finish line, which is about two weeks away. All of the big equipment is in place. The kitchen and bar are about 95% complete. We still have one more large window to install. The first one is simply fantastic. The new front windows have glass from floor to almost ceiling, and they let in so much natural light. The refrigerated showcases arrived from Vega late last week and they are even nicer than I expected. Today was cabinetry installation day, and it should be done by tomorrow.

All of the staff are in place and ready to go. Alice, the big cheese herself is going to run the retail store along with Stephanie and Larissa. We've assembled a crack team for the restaurant which includes Annette, Naomi, and Ingela in the front along with myself, Brad Miller (ex West/Pastis) and Owen Lightly (ex Voya/West) in the Kitchen.

In a few more weeks, all this opening business will be a distant memory.

2009-01-15T23:43:00.000-08:00

There is lots going on to keep us all busy lately. Hastings should be completed in less than a month. We finally received our liquor license for APC this week. Now comes the part where we tweak the wine list.

Allison leaves for Montreal in February to be a judge at the 2009 Canadian Cheese Grand Prix. She expects to taste between 100-200 cheeses over a two day period.

In March, we will be host to a very special event: The inaugural meeting of the Western Canadian chapter of the Guilde des Fromagers. Special guests will include Rolland Barthelemy who is owner of the landmark Paris fromagerie "Barthelemy", and head of the Guilde des Fromagers. More on this later...

Hastings preview at Scout Magazine

2009-01-05T22:34:00.000-08:00

Here is a video preview of hastings over at Scout Magazine

New Slicers

2009-01-01T12:58:00.001-08:00

The new slicers arrived just before Christmas. I hadn't had a chance to go look at them until today. All is can say is that they are pretty awesome. One will go in the store (on it's own matching stand), and one will go on the back bar in the restaurant for slicing Prosciutto San Daniele.

Our slicers are brand new reproductions of the antique Berkel slicers that ceased production in the 1950's. Many believe this slicer is the only tool that should be used to slice fine cured meats. They don't use any electricity as they are powered by turning the flywheel. Although electric slicers may be faster, many culinary aficionados claim the heat caused by the high speed blades “cooks” the meticulously produced meats.

Tomme affine au Marc de Raisin

2008-12-27T12:58:00.000-08:00

This fermier cheese is a real attention getter when we put it out at the shop. It has a big aroma that can't be missed if you happen to get near it. It is an unpasteurized cow's milk cheese from the Savoie that has been soaked in Marc for one month in an airtight container, and then aged under a thick blanket of grape must. The heat caused by the fermentation heats the inside of the container, making the pate tighten and become viscous. The taste of the marc permeates through to the heart of the cheese.

If you can get your hands on some Marc, enjoy it with a glass of Marc de Savoie, or if that can't happen try it with a nice robust red wine.

Van Mag - most memorable meals

2008-12-26T23:02:00.000-08:00

Allison's choice for "most memorable meals" is listed in the most recent edition of Vancouver Magazine online. A lot of good food has made it's way past our lips this year. I'm sure she had a tough time deciding.

I'm going to try and work on some better cheese pics in the future. Santa's choice to bring me a new Canon G10 is sure to help, that is if I can figure out all the stuff it does.

There was a nice mention of les amis in The Province recently.

Tastings on Hastings. New cheese and wine tastings have been scheduled at the new store at 845 East Hastings.

Hastings Update

2008-12-10T23:52:00.000-08:00

Work is progressing on schedule at the site. The drywall has been hung, but it still needs to be taped, etc. It has given the space a real sense of definition. If everything stays on schedule, we should be open for business before the end of January. The rebuilding of the parapet on the front is near completion. At some point in history, somebody decided to remove it. I don't really know why they cut it off, but it really makes the facade look complete.

Quest metal works should be done the kitchen venting within a week. The rest of the kitchen still needs to be finished, but it shouldn't be that long. All of the kitchen equipment is here, but it's being stored off site. By January, we should be in the completed kitchen so we can start testing some recipes for Au Petit Chavignol.

Getting Busy

2008-11-28T23:35:00.000-08:00

It's getting pretty busy now with the holiday season quickly approaching. Stock is starting to arrive, the port Stiltons are soaking, Hastings construction is rocking...lots of stuff going on.

The walk-in coolers arrived yesterday. They were assembled by the end of the day. We'll have twice as many freezer display doors at Hastings for soups and entrees than we have at 2nd avenue. That means we can expand the menu over time. The refrigeration will be done just in time, as 2nd avenue is bursting at the seams.

Allison told me about the new mini truffle pecorinos that came today. I didn't get to see them but they sound like a great gift for truffle lovers this season.

We're pleased to announce that Annette Rawlinson has joined Au Petit Chavignol as General Manager. Annette brings with her extensive years of experience in managing service-oriented restaurants in Vancouver, such as C, Diva, 900 West and Bacchus. Annette has been awarded Vancouver Magazine's "Premier Crew Award" for outstanding service. She was also part of the team at C when it was awarded Where Magazine's "Birk's Silver Spoon Award" for cuisine, service and ambiance. Annette brings her hands on approach, honesty and genuine passion to Au Petit Chavignol.

Port Soaked Stilton

2008-11-18T12:48:00.000-08:00

We've been soaking quite a few wheels of Stilton in Taylor's Port over the last few weeks. Soon you will be able to choose from Long Clawson, Thomas Hoe and Colston Bassett. They still aren't ready to go, but they should be ready for sale somewhere around December 15-20th.

Vacherin Mont d'Or

2008-11-17T22:31:00.000-08:00

We are pleased to announce that our first Vacherin Mont d'Or shipment of the season is now in stock. This seasonal cheese is made from the same spotted cows that give us Comte de Montagne, and is only available for a short time during the winter months. Do like we do and make an event out of serving it. You can choose to serve it as part of a cold dinner, at the end your meal with the cheese course, or possibly the best of all...bake it like a fondue. Which ever way you choose to serve it, make Vacherin Mont d'Or part of your Holiday entertaining this year.

$39.99 ea / 500 gr

Hastings construction is still moving along. Electrical, plumbing and mechanical is mostly roughed in now. The columns, ceiling and duct work is getting painted out dark and should be finished by tomorrow. Up next is drywall and then refrigeration installation.

Hastings Update

2008-10-28T10:03:00.001-07:00

We're back, and work is progressing full steam ahead. Framing is done, so now we begin the electrical, plumbing, mechanical...it's all happening. Security is now in place (knock on wood). Kitchen equipment has been ordered, fabrication has started on the stainless steel for the kitchen, POS has been decided, wine coolers ordered, new Vega showcases ordered. Hopefully if everything is on track, the drywall should begin in a couple of weeks.

The picture on the left shows the main entrance way and the original ramp we've uncovered. It is looking into the entranceway of Au Petit Chavignol. The search for a restaurant manager continues...

I just received news that Allison has been invited to judge again at the 2009 Canadian Cheese Grand Prix in Montreal. More on that later...

History Update

2008-10-27T15:21:00.000-07:00

The heritage assessment of 845 E. Hastings came back from Donald Luxton & Associates today. They did a really good job, and they offered advice on how the front of the building may have likely looked. We discovered that the building was originally used by the Royal Canadian Naval Reserves. There had been rumors that it had been used previously by the military, but up until now it was unconfirmed. When you see how thick the cement is, it's not surprising as the inside is like a bunker. We confirmed the original date of 1922-1923, and found out some information about the architect Maurice Helyer.

Maurice was in partnership with his father J.S. Helyer, and together they ran a successful firm responsible for numerous small buildings and large commercial structures. The most famous of their designs is the Beaux-Arts skyscraper on Victory Square known as the Dominion Trust Building, 1908-10, at the time of its completion the tallest building in the British Empire. The firm also erected the Renaissance-style, ten-storey Metropolitan Building on Hastings Street, 1911-12, and the poured-in-place concrete Board of Trade building at Homer and Cordova, 1909, arguably one of the earliest local uses of concrete as both a structural and a finishing material. One building where he was responsible for the design was the sophisticated Medical Arts Building on Granville Street, 1922-23.

Paris - part III

2008-10-22T10:02:00.000-07:00

Pierre Herme: acheck that off my list

What can I say except that was awesome! Caramel & fleur de sel was the flavour we chose. Each one was about 3" across, and heavier than one would expect for the size...gone in 60 seconds.

Back to cheese. I've noticed that in many instances, the cost of cheese here in Paris is only marginally cheaper than at home in Vancouver. Sure there are some items that when you see them, you go "wow that's cheap, back up the truck". But in some cases it is more expensive here in Paris. Beaufort at Barthelemy was 49,80 euros per kilo ($80 CDN), where as in Vancouver we sell it for about $52.50 ($CDN) per kilo. On average, I've noticed that cheese in Paris retails at about 75% of the cost of what it retails for in Vancouver, and we're half way around the globe.

Paris - part II

2008-10-20T00:50:00.000-07:00

We've done miles and miles of walking since we've been here. Yesterday at SIAL we covered dairy products (cheese) and French regional specialties. At over 2,000,000 square feet, SIAL has roughly 10 times the exhibition space as BC Place.

It's supposed to rain Tuesday, so we are going to adjust our schedule and attend SIAL again on Tuesday, rather than today. We've already covered quite a few cheese stores, (see the picture of the Gaperon at Fromagerie Marie-Anne Cantin Conseil) and today we are going out to tour more cheese and specialty food stores.

Last night we enjoyed some late night salted caramel ice cream at Berthillon. I can't imagine ice cream being any better than that. Next sweet target: Pierre Herme

London to Paris

2008-10-18T00:31:00.000-07:00

We're done London now. While there we had an extensive private tour of the Neals Yard Dairy cheese maturing rooms. The next evening we were invited to a private tastings hosted by Neals Yard Dairy where the topic of the tasting was regionality. We tasted 10 different cheeses. It was interesting to listen to the comments from all in attendance. Some of the staff of Neals Yard have worked there for over 10 years, and their knowledge really shows as a result of that. We also enjoyed dinner at St. John Bread and Wine. They specialize in carnivorous dishes "from nose to tail".

We enjoyed a lovely Champagne breakfast at St. Pancras train station, while waiting to catch the Eurostar to takes us via the Chunnel to Paris. At 90 meters long, The Champagne Bar is the longest in Europe. It's a comfy place, with spacious banquest, nice millwork, and heated seats.

One of the first things we did after arriving in Paris was visit E. Dehillerin, one of the greatest food equipment stores there is. Today's agenda is a tour of fromageries, etc. Tonight we'll try to see if we can squeeze into Joel Robuchon's l'Atelier.

London

2008-10-14T00:24:00.000-07:00

Allison and I are in London for a few days before heading to SIAL in Paris. We were both pretty tired by the time we arrived, but we managed a short walk around the hood. Our first stop was Bedford & Strand for a glass of wine and a bit of cheese. We tried Isle of Avalon, a washed rind cheese from James Aldridge's farm in Godstone Surrey, made more in a French style. Next was Waterloo, which was originally made with Guernsey milk from a herd of cows on the Duke of Wellington’s estate, hence the name. It has a white rind flecked with grey and rust coloured mold which, when opened, reveal a buttercup yellow interior, an oozing texture under the rind and a slightly firmer, curdy consistency in the centre.

We stopped in at Gordons Wine Bar, the oldest wine bar in London. Try passing these stairs and ceiling heights with city inspectors...It was standing room only. No table service. You get your drinks from the bar, and your food from a separate bar/counter. Great atmosphere here.

We both didn't have too much energy left so we headed back to the hotel to get a good nights sleep in preparation of a whirlwind of looking at food and cheese shops today, including a tour of the maturing rooms at Neals Yard Dairy.

Allison Spurrell Interview - All you need is Cheese

2008-10-11T14:32:00.001-07:00

Here is a link to Allison Spurrell's recent interview with Ian Jones All you Need is Cheese Podcast "The Pursuit of Pleasure Podcast"

All You Need Is Cheese is a Canadian Podcast updated monthly.The host, Ian Jones, interviews cheese lovers, artisanal cheese makers, restaurant owners, visits epicurean events and top Canadian culinary destinations. Each show has it’s own archive page recipes, tourist info, blog links, etc. If you love good cheese and fine food, you have to check out the All You Need is Cheese Podcast.

Check out the facebook fan site here

Hidden Details

2008-09-30T22:18:00.000-07:00

We removed the aluminium siding on the facade of the building on Hastings today. To our surprise, there were some hidden architectural details that have been covered up for what my guess is at least 40-50 years. I'm sure they have a technical name, but there are beveled indentations on each of the four columns and on the parapet. We also got a glimpse into previous paint colours.

Fiscalini Cloth Bound Cheddar

2008-09-28T11:32:00.000-07:00

This bandage wrapped raw milk cheddar comes to us from Modesta, California. Mariano Gonzalez, a world-renowned cheese maker, winner of many awards including “the outstanding cheese of the year” and five times “the Best Farmhouse cheese in North America” as voted by the American Cheese Society, is now the senior cheese maker at Fiscalini Cheese.

He handcrafts and inspects every 60 pound wheel of Fiscalini Farms' bandage-wrapped raw-milk cheddar. It is quite rare for an English-style farmhouse cheddar like Fiscalini's to be produced in the U.S. Only All Natural materials and processes are used when Gonzales makes Fiscalini Cheddar. Using Fiscalini's own milk and aged for 18 months on the property, Fiscalini Cheddar cheese was voted "Best Farmhouse Cheese" at the 2002 American Cheese Society Awards in Washington D.C. Fiscalini Cheddar Cheese is a wonderful example of the success of the artisan cheese movement in the U.S. today. Rich, buttery and sharp, Fiscalini Farmstead Cheddar is a world-class cheese.

Now available at both locations - $6.99 per 100 grams

Hastings Update

2008-09-03T18:34:00.000-07:00

Floor poured: Check...

The cement guys were working late last night putting in a new layer of concrete over the existing floor. Hats off to them and their 12-14 hour day. Give it a couple of days to set, and we can seal it.

It's nice and bright inside as we get so much natural daylight inside, and that doesn't account for the two big skylights that are blocked out for now. One skylight will be right over the kitchen (left side), with another one sitting over the cheese cutting area (right side). The front windows are almost floor to celing.

Fenocchio Renato Olive Oil

2008-09-02T14:32:00.000-07:00

We just received a small amount of extra virgin cold pressed olive oil from Italian wine producer Fenocchio Renato. There were only 1000 bottles of this oil produced. This oil is a Farmstead Wines selection.

Renato has been cellar master in a major estate in Barbaresco until 1993 when together with his wife Milva, they decided to take care of the family vineyards and start bottling their own wines. The first vintage was 2000. Renato and Milva Fenocchio spend much of their time in the vineyards. The estate has about 11 hectares spread amongst the major crus of Barbaresco, Neive and Treiso, with soils ranging from the argilo-calcaire of Barbaresco to the grey-blue sandstones of Neive.

This single varietal oil has a rich green hue and is a bit less peppery than some of the Italian oils we sell. It get's its sweet fruity aroma from the taggiasche olives, which are considered to be the premium eating olive grown in the Liguria region.

$48.00 / 750ml bottle

Baked Brie in Puff Pastry

2008-08-30T15:24:00.000-07:00

A weekend recipe for you. Recipe courtesy of Stonewall Kitchen.

Baked Brie In Puff Pastry with Honey Tarragon Mustard
Kim Gallagher

Serves: 8

Ingredients
1 sheet of frozen Puff Pastry
1/4 cup Stonewall Kitchen Honey Tarragon Mustard
1-5” wheel of Brie or (or small, milder Camembert will do)
1 egg white
1 tsp. water

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare a baking sheet by greasing lightly or lining it with parchment paper.
Allow pastry to thaw. Flour a surface and roll the dough into a 13” square. Place the pastry on the prepared baking sheet.
Making sure you only cut through the skin of the Brie, run a knife around the top 1/4-inch in from the edge. Make several cuts across the Brie forming small triangles and then gently remove the skin forming a shallow cup to hold the mustard.
Place the Brie in the center of the pastry.
Spoon 1/4 cup of the Stonewall Kitchen Honey Tarragon Mustard over the Brie.
Forming a bag bring the sides of the pastry up to the center top of the Brie round. If there is too much pastry you may have to trim a little off. Carefully press the dough onto the Brie and pinch tightly at the top to seal. You may want to pre-cut a strip of dough from the rolled out pastry to form a false ribbon around the neck of your bag.
Whisk together the egg white and water. Brush entire bag with egg whites; this will make the baked dough shine.
Place in preheated oven and bake 25-30 minutes until the dough is golden brown.
Remove and allow to cool for a few minutes.
With a large spatula transfer the Brie to a serving dish and serve with French bread toasts, sliced apples, grapes and crackers.

Cheese Tasting

2008-08-27T23:12:00.000-07:00

Tickets will be available starting tomorrow for our upcoming Cheese & Wine 101: to be held on Wednesday September 10th 2008. More information on this tasting here.

Update Sep 02/2008: This tasting is now sold out.

Hastings Update

2008-08-19T21:30:00.000-07:00

Can you say "Plan C"? We've gone back to the very first plan for the front entrance. Go figure...It will give us some more space in the storefront.

Q: do you want to know how to make it rain?

A: Hire a company to come and redo your roof.

We removed some of the existing aluminum siding on the front of the building over the weekend, with hopes of revealing the original parapet that is in some of the old drawings we've discovered. To our surprise, someone had cut it off and made it even all along the top. I think we can do some work to restore it to it's original look.

On a side note, when researching some history on the building at the City of Vancouver Archives, the archivist brought out a huge tome for me to look at, with the strict rules that I had to put on special gloves. Either that or I was being secretly filmed for an Audrey Hepburn reality show. I learned that our building was constructed the same year as The Hudson's Bay at Georgia and Granville. The Bay cost somewhere in the area of a whopping $350,000 to build at that time.

Roccolo Valtaleggio

2008-08-16T15:30:00.000-07:00

Roccolo Valtaleggio - Arriving to us from Lombardy, Italy, it's name comes from a characteristic cylindrical building with stone walls located in Valle, once a refuge for hunters. The process used to make the cheese closely recalls the ancient Salva cheese and contains fresh milk from brown alpine cattle which graze on Valtaleggio's fodder. the characteristic cylindrical from is slowly and carefully aged on wooden boards in cellars full of molds containing all different kinds of odors and colors. Its shape permits a softer cheese near the crust and a slightly dry center, intensifying the various flavors and aromas which create this special cheese.

Austrian Specialties

2008-08-16T13:29:00.001-07:00

I got word this week that an order I placed a while back for some specialties from Austria is almost here. I'm pleased that we're going to have back the Kracher wine gelees and trockenbeerenauslese (TBA) vinegar along with some new vinegars from Staud's.

The TBA vinegar is made from ripe grapes that have shriveled on the vine, which in turn create a sweet, concentrated and complex flavor. Marc-Andre Choquette bought the last remaining cases a while back, so we're happy that this item is going to be back in stock.

The wine gelees will include beerenauslese, eiswein, chardonnay, gewurztraminer and red wine. They are excellent with cheese and pates. You can find Kracher's award winning wines for sale at Marquis Wine Cellars.

Lastly, from Golles we're getting an assortment of their fine vinegars including Pear, Quince, Beer, Tomato, Veltiner, and Apple. We also expect some of their quince jelly.

Expect these items on our shelves sometime in September.

Hastings update

2008-08-07T17:39:00.001-07:00

Since the last update, our previous plans for the entrance way got the kaibosh. Luckily John had a plan B ready to go in his back pocket. In retrospect, we all prefer it to the previous design. It's more open and inviting. This ramp means less concrete work, and the front facade has minimal changes to it with this plan. The large windows remain, which we all like.

The planning process is now coming to an end. All drawings are done, with one final kitchen ventilation drawing to be stamped. That took a little longer than expected, but it also gave us some time to line up some trades and get additional quotes. Now we're waiting on a final stamp from the mechanical engineer, after at which point we will submit all of the plans to the city, and then wait for approval.

The last little bit of demolition has been going on, and we've been able to salvage some odds and ends that will come in handy. Next up is the security upgrades, concrete coring, concrete pouring and then roofing.

To catch a thief

2008-07-22T00:40:00.000-07:00

The VPD caught a person in the act of trying to break into hastings on Sunday. Do not pass go, go directly to jail! I wonder if this is the same person who broke in before? Good job VPD

Hastings update

2008-07-13T11:27:00.000-07:00

Another break in this am...these guys are determined, yet there is nothing to steal.

Final review of the plans this week. There are only a few things to fine tune like hot water tanks, plumbing lines and some minor electrical items. It looks really good. While we wait for the final kitchen exhaust drawings, we can start with security upgrades and the last little bit of demolition.

Scuplinfish (our designer) has come up with a brilliant alternative for accessibility at the front of the store. The design allows for a wheelchair ramp, which also makes it easier for persons with baby buggies to enter. The other alternative was a small electric lift on the side, but I think this will look much nicer. The center of the ramp area looks like a planter, but over the long term, it will have a thick glass window that allows for a view straight down into the cheese caves.

Hastings Update

2008-07-09T16:37:00.000-07:00

The climb is slow but steady with all of the engineers and technical design folk. I'm glad someone made us think about the fact that we don't want our kitchen exhaust blowing into the air intake. So just where exactly does one find out which way the winds blow? I found out that the government of Canada has a 1-800 number you can call at $2.99 per minute for all your weather needs. Weather operators were waiting with the answers. Sexy...

We're basically trying to get all of our ducks in a row before we start any work. We've sorted out quite a bit of stuff. During the process we had to flip the design so to speak, meaning the kitchen is now on the east side, and the store is on the west side.

We took a brief trip last week to NYC to check out the Fancy Food Show, and also to have a look at wine bars. Why would we want to do that you might be asking yourself. Well...we wanted to be sure about what we were doing before we committed to opening our own cheese and wine bar at Hastings. 20 restaurants and 4 days later and we were convinced. It will take some time before it is open, but sometime in 2009 you can look forward to Au Petit Chavignol.

Rabbit Confit

2008-05-19T00:20:00.000-07:00

I took a break from making pate this week. Last week I picked up a new electric meat grinder. That cut down on a substantial amount of time. It also helped with the overall texture.

Allison made some rabbit confit at home today. The plan is to either add it to the list of entrees, or to transform it into Rabbit Rillettes. Maybe both?...

Trou de Cru

2008-05-19T00:04:00.000-07:00

Trou de Cru has a name that sounds a lot like "Trou de Cul", which is french for a certain part of the rear anatomy. Perhaps it is a play on words. This tiny 60 gram cheese comes to us from Burgundy, and is brushed with marc de bourgogne. Essentially this smelly cheese is a baby epoisses.

Soup

2008-04-29T10:01:00.000-07:00

I've been researching soup packaging over the last few months, and we've decided to switch over our packaging to a 600 ml clear boilable bag. We'll start off with a few flavors to "test the waters". I think it is going to work great. It's a CFIA approved clear bag that is not made using BPA (BISPHENOL-A). Other advantages are that you can now heat the soups by simply placing the bag directly from the freezer and into a pot of boiling water and heat for 20-30 minutes. It can also be heated in the microwave, or it can be thawed and heated on the stove in a pot. It's going to be a big improvement for our customers.

Pork Terrine

2008-04-26T17:12:00.000-07:00

I've been toying with the idea of making our own terrines at les amis. In case you are wondering...no, i don't think I can keep up production just using the grinder in the picture. However, old technology sometimes is more than adequate. I borrowed this grinder from Alice and it worked great. I tried the basic recipe out of a recently purchased cookbook Charcuterie: The Craft of Salting, Smoking, and Curing by Ruhlman and Polcyn. The recipe was straightforward. I didn't have any Italian parsley, but I did have some lovage that is growing like crazy in the yard. I added some Madagascar green peppercorns and I placed a seared pork tenderloin with Esplette pepper down the middle. It worked like a charm. I'll have to tweak it a tiny bit, but I think I'm on the right path. Alice has a few recipes she is going to share, and maybe I'll practice with those next.

Robiola a Tre Latti

2008-04-12T13:38:00.001-07:00

Robiola a Tre latti is made from cow, sheep and goats milk. It has a sour richness that is simply delightful. Max McCalman describes it as "...very approachable and quite irresistible to the taste". This may be my new favourite cheese to pair with German Riesling. We're bringing it along to dinner tonight at friends to pair with a 1996 Huet sec (chenin blanc) and 2003 JJ Prum Wehlener Sonnenuhr Auslese. Works for me.

Pecorino with Truffles

2008-04-04T16:29:00.000-07:00

I opened up an Italian aged pecorino with truffles today. The smell is so incredible. Thinking of it finely diced and mixed in with some steak tartar from Pied a Terre makes my mouth water...

Hastings Update

2008-04-04T14:54:00.000-07:00

Meetings with the city were positive today. We now have approval to dedicate part of the main floor for cheese tasting events. That will be a real plus. The space should be able to seat 40-50 people.

I've had a few people asking me about vacancies in the area around our new spot on East Hastings over the last few weeks. It seems like people are starting to eye the area with long term business aspirations. What we need is a good butcher and a baker.

Best Cook Book Store

2008-04-02T18:08:00.000-07:00

Our neighbor on 2nd avenue Barbara-Jo's Books to Cooks has been written up in this months Saveur magazine, where they are listed first in the section of the Worlds Best Cook Book Stores! It must feel great to be recognized like that.

Used Equipment

2008-04-02T17:19:00.000-07:00

We scored big at the expense of another business today. A local company that specializes in home replacement meals closed it's doors after two years in business. All of their equipment was in excellent condition. It never experienced the wear and tear of a busy restaurant line. I'm glad I woke up early to take a chance and be there before anyone else, as everything sold in the first 30 minutes. We were able to secure commercial wire shelving, stainless steel tabling, some refrigerated prep tables, carts, an under counter dishwasher for the cheese cutting area (yay!), a robot coupe and lots of storage containers. We're going to need these items for when we start production at Hastings, so it doesn't hurt to get them at a better price now.

I bumped into another chef at the equipment sale who has purchased a building with a restaurant on East Hastings between Dunlevy and Gore. He plans on changing the restaurant into something with an Eastern European theme to it. He said he used to own a Ukrainian or Russian restaurant on Main Street.

Our final plans are ready to submit to the COV for approval. I'm glad we are not in a rush so we can take our time and do things right. We've got Russell Food Equipment on board to help with the design of the kitchen. They built our very first kitchen at 10th & Alma over 20 years ago. I'm sure they will help think of the things we haven't planned for. We still have the original Quest double oven at the 2nd avenue store. We've taken good care of it, and it has served us well. The dilemma with it being at 2nd ave is that we put it in the kitchen first because it is so big, then we built the walls around it. Russell/Quest is confidant that they can disassemble it and rebuild it on Hastings for a fraction of the price of what a new one would cost today, which is about $11,000. We've decided to go with electric steam kettles and tilting skillets in the kitchen. We've got loads of power, and the cost is substantially cheaper than the gas units. I can't wait to cook in those. They are great for making things like onion jam and red wine veal jus. I'm really looking forward to having an increased selection of prepared food items at the East Hastings location.

The Ultimate Guilty Pleasure

2008-03-16T23:29:00.000-07:00

I just picked up a copy of this months Where Magazine, and our Pecan & Gruyere shortbread and Stilton & Walnut shortbread are mentioned just inside the back cover in an article titled "13 Things We Love About Vancouver". I think we better get baking more shortbread right away...If you haven't had them, they are addictive. Great on their own, and an tasty accompaniment to your favourite bubbly. We make them in small batches by hand with only excellent ingredients.

New Food Packaging

2008-03-16T22:56:00.000-07:00

We've been busy testing new packaging for our frozen soups and entrees this last week. Our goal is to make it as easy as possible for people to heat our food. Our favourite option so far is boilable bags for the soups and some of the entrees like the Braised Brisket, Beef Stroganoff, Moroccan Lamb Shanks and Chicken in Mustard Sauce. The testing has been positive so far. Everything we've tried has turned out better. It's definitely an improvement over heating in the oven and on the stove. Also, the time it takes to heat is much quicker. An entree can go from freezer to the plate in less than 30 minutes.

Some of the entrees will always have to be baked, as that is how they cook best. For these items like Mac n Cheese, we are looking into the options of sustainable packaging, and the ability to heat in a microwave or conventional oven instead of the current foil containers. Other options include a pressed paper container that can handle up to 1 hour at up to 400 degrees. They are a bit shallower, so the cooking time would be reduced. They can go right from the freezer and into a hot oven or microwave.

Hastings Update

2008-03-16T22:21:00.000-07:00

We've settled on a design company by the name of Sculpin Fish Design who have provided us with a basic layout. Now begins the process of permits, construction and kitchen design. The plan is to spread out the construction over three phases. The first phase involves getting the building ship-shape. During the second phase, we will build more refrigerated storage and a much needed larger kitchen. The final phase will see a new store.
I just noticed a new Vespa store a couple of blocks to the east at Clark, which is where Gourmet Warehouse just doubled their store space. It would be great to see a bakery open nearby.

We met with the building inspector, property use inspector and kitchen designer this week. All of the comments were positive and encouraging. Everybody I speak to is excited for us and happy to see something new in the neighbourhood.

I spent some time looking at microfiche records at city hall earlier in the week. I've discovered a ramp underneath the front steps and a more detailed facade that we all hope is still underneath the metal cladding on the front of the building. I also dated the building back to 1923, the same year the cenotaph was built in Victory Square. It's a great photo (1925) of Victory Square. Notice the the original courthouse in the background, and the recently planted trees.