Mexico City, Saturday night, we went down to the concierge to ask for restaurant suggestions. The well turned out señor suggested two places within walking distance of our hotel, Hilton Reforma, as it was already closing in on eight o’clock.

Out and to the right we walk, expecting a breath of fresh night air, there is none, its stale. A few crowded blocks later we came to the first suggestion(to all tourists) the Torres Latino Americano Restaurant which offered ‘international’ fare. We were super surprised and kinda horrified at the condition of the building(tallest in Mexico City in 1959?), rundown and through the windows it seemed that all one could see was stuff strewn up against the grubby windows floor after floor. Next…

Next was the task of finding Café Tucuba, local fare and authentic Mexican said Mr concierge. That was really the the one we were aiming for anyhow.

At Tucuba street now and the sight of a crowd and the lure of drumming took us to the gorgeous Museo de Artes where I’d say about 50 dancers were in a dance that seem to be about saluting the four directions, the elements and freedom(of sorts).

A few more blocks and we see Café Tacuba! From the outside it looked like a small bakery, oh the hesitant momentary disappointment, but, when we went thought the doors, delight and sheer awe of the décor and architecture, Mexican/Spanish to the core, what a hidden gem, I love it! Omg, i think this is going to be good.

Our lovely server Margarita in her nursemaid outfit with her perfectly hairsprayed bleached blond hair with giant bow all of 50 years was a pro you could tell. $2.80 Modelos and we are ready to check out the menu. What to have? Appies, special of the house, ensaladas, sopas…we chose: 4 little things(tamale verde, chicken taquito, enchilada?…), Puerco Oaxaca (con guac, frijoles y tortillas), cheesay chiles rellenos in a rojo sauce, and the boys had crazy garlic soup with poached egg in the middle with cheesy toast.

There was a gang of talented mariachis to top off the vibe.

Ok so we had such a lovely experience we went back the next night and I had Tinga(pictured above), it was a delicious pork and stringy cheese delight!

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MIGRATION FOODS BY ARTISTS DONNING CHEF HATS

Well we pulled it off! Chez D, part of the Powell Street Festival, was a hit. With a great bunch of fun luvin food luvin artists, we created, sang, cooked, danced and they ate, ate, ate their way through the night. It was a blast I must say!

“Local artists trade their instruments and paint brushes for chef hats in Chez D, where art and cuisine meet in a tantalizing feast for the senses.

For one night only, artists normally accustomed to wowing audiences in theatres and galleries will don their chef hats and coats at Gudrun Tasting Room in Steveston and create new works of edible art celebrating the theme of migration.

Commissioned by the Powell Street Festival, Chez D artists will plate delicacies in a five-course menu that pays homage to ethnic roots, migratory paths (the ‘D’ stands for ‘Diaspora’), new lands, family restaurants and neighbourhood survival foods. As event curator Michael Speier puts it, Chez D presents “a meal full of strong cross currents and pollinations here at the tastebud’s edge of the Pacific Ocean.”

Chez D artists include Open Sesame (Michael Speier), Komodo House (Margaret Gallagher and Angela Wan), Patrick Tubajon (Gudrun Tasting Room), Ari Tomita, and Cynthia Low & Leslie Komori. Each candlelit course will be accompanied by a design element representative of the artist’s discipline, as well as the “mallow dinner music” of local music innovators Guimauves.”

Michael Speier

Not sure why it was surprising to me that it was so fun. I suppose the mind forgets what live music sounds like, how performance and dance can be so fun, how food is better enjoyed at a long feast table with friends and strangers, how all these things combined is ridiculously rare. We just get bogged down in the every day and forget to look up and smell the flowers.

We definately need more of these events in Vancouver, actually we were in Steveston at Patrick Tubajon’s Gudrun Tasting Room. Steveston itself has a varied history of Japanese immigrants living and working, many in the cannery industry. So really, this is a very suitable setting to have the Powell Street Festival event.

The set up was really a well planed migratory guerilla kitchen set up with portable tables, stoves, tents(hey its Vancouver you never know), utensils and containers of food and water. While Margaret and I were plating inside at the bar, the rest of the gang were cooking, steaming and plating outside. It wasn’t all work back there though, I did get to tear away for a minute to have a sip of Mezcal.

In the back-lot kitchen, Ari was painting with mango dressing and plating her Enso Salmon Salad, Michael was chillin keeping one eye on his New World Longboat Tamale (and pouring Tequila and Mezcal for the cooks) but it was the smell of searing venison that got me intoxicated, I found myself standing in the smoky goodness (it tasted sublime!), taking it in. Laughing robustly Cynthia and her sister recall their father bringing home whole venison and hanging the animal from a tree in the city backyard, I hope they had a fence. Their Venison o-nigiri ‘hamburger’ with jicama/beets/daikon ‘fries’ was so fun. And last but not least was Patrick’s dessert course, Isdro’s Drift mango mouse, ever so delicately adorned with chocolate drizzle hat and candy ballet slippers.

Take a look…

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Here is the menu.

photos by: flying_designs

This little pasture fed piggy got roasted and devoured.

Our friend decided to bring on the next decade of his life with a full on pig roast party, what wonderful friends we have. This magical animal was a pretty young one judging by its size, it was stuffed with apples and potatoes(not sure why), sewn up then twirled around on the spit for 8 hours, periodically squirted with salt water to crisp up the skin and give flavour.

As guest arrived, their children excitedly ran to see the pig roasting, toddlers pointed at it in wonderment, nobody freaked out or cried, hey animals have heads right? One 3 year old who had never eaten mammal watched for hours then devoured three helpings with his greasy paws right from the carving table.

I can say that this was the freshest and tastiest pork that I have ever eaten!

home-made spit

Birthday guy carving

Overseer

So today is the first ever Craft Beer Week in Vancouver, fully supported by the Mayor Gregor Robertson.

Would have loved to have checked out local rock n roller Rich Hope(been a long time fan) at the Alibi Room which has an amazing selection of local craft beers ala Nigel(owner), but alas it is sold out. That’s what you get for being a dilly-dallier.

If I had to pick one fav it would be Driftwood Brewery’s Farmhand Ale, inspired by Belgium farm ale, a bit malty, citrus notes, um very drinkable, hints of banana. And I really like the branding, yes you can sell me a product on good branding, I’m a sucker.

BeerBrats - with Philips Brewing Company beer

Since we are on the subject of beery things to consume, I had bought three different packs of BeerBrats from the Trout Lake Farmers market that opened this last Weekend. Writing this, I couldn’t resist frying some up, mmm, the house smells like sausage! Made with local organic meats, and craft brews from Philips Beer(in pic), Red Truck Beer, R&B Brewing Co and Driftwood Brewery. They were less greasy, less salty and nice and beery, first thing that hits your palate is the beer. There are no preservatives in these sausages so we had to eat them all fast, well I gave away the chorizo for mother’s day.

What other beer wonders are to come this week…

Photograph by Evgeni Chekanov

• Social Media will spoil the opening ceremonies surprise? – ctv.ca
• sneak peak at the fireworks around the fully inflated stadium – straight.com
• volunteers sneak peak at opening ceramonies today – cbc.ca
• Cambie Bridge is closed
• where is Neil Young when you need him?
• flickr search hmmm, line-ups

Sad news that this amazing piece of Canadian heritage has been burnt down; the iconic image that was once on the dollar bill exists only in archives now. I wonder if they will rebuild it to its former wonder.

Last year we went to Saskatchewan for a family (his) gathering at Moosomin Lake. One of the days was spent riding around packed in the car, yup five of us, uncles, aunts and us, checking out the places of their youth. We stopped at the very old Windsor hotel, decked out with saloon doors and deer heads and sepia photos, we had burgers and beer; across the road was the grain elevator.

inside the Windsor Hotel

If you’ve never been to the prairies and seen a giant grain elevator(and I had not) like this you must. Its stunning to be out the the ‘big wide open’, the sun is brilliant, the clouds reminiscent of The Simpsons and the grain elevator drumming up images of men with moustaches, pipe in mouth driving horse pulled carts, ‘their’ women in poofy long skirts, 5 kids in suspenders running amok.

Lake of the Woods Milling Co. was opened in 1895.

Article at Leader Post

Here are some links to help make your Olympic experience excellent and event packed. Its a great time to be a tourist in your our awesome city; there is so much going on! From ticketed events to free events to the Cultural Olympiad.

• google map of opening day torch route
• google map of venues
• Vancouver Sun picks of fun stuff to check out
• Cultural Olympiad features – official games site
• Vancouver 2010 Free Events Guide
• Olympic Drinking Pavilions. Some truths, beware!
• Georgia Straits calendar of free concerts
• off the beaten path – VirtualTourist
• food food food – UrbanDiner
• the dope on Restaurants in VanCity

Photo: Brendita21

• Adios sushi! Ceviches from across Latin America: article on Matadorlife includes Mexican and Ecuardorian styles
• The best Hawaiian Poke, pronounced Po-ké; made from, you guessed it raw fish!
• Fancy a bite of sushi in San Francisco without guilt? Check Tataki Sushi and Sake Bar write-up by the folks at coolhunting
• Japanese Aji No Tataki, tataki meaning ‘to chop’, work of culinary art on Flickr photographed by Bill Adams
• and the man with the best job…Anthony Bourdain in Cartegena sampling Columbian style ceviche.

Everyone is thinking about Haiti and its desperate circumstances, its horrible and unfathomable and yet there is sometimes a quiet shell-shocked feeling in the people I see in the news, now getting frantic without the basics for life. Sometimes in our darkest hours, courage is all we have.

I’ve been thinking of making up an emergency kit again, again, again, always thinking but not doing and living in seismically prone British Columbia, and Vancouver, having experienced a few mild but freaky earthquakes at home and abroad, well, its a good idea to be armed with some skills or supplies.

Here is a Canadian site where you can get ideas for 1.Know the Risks, 2.Make a Plan, 3.Get a Kit.

Another good idea for being prepared in an emergency is to take your first aid course(Red Cross) in marine, wilderness, workplace, or a refresher. I found these courses offered by the VPD(Fire Dept.).

The pic below of the planets plate tectonics is interesting; where do you live, near a fault line?