Prawn of time
The spot prawn season is kicking off in style with a full day’s celebration planned for May 9. Hard to believe but it wasn’t that long ago most Vancouverites had never even seen these plump, sweet crustaceans as they were unceremoniously exported live, mainly to Japan.
In a recent conversation, chef Robert Clark reminded me that when he started out at C Restaurant it was almost impossible to buy local seafood other than salmon. The chef says even though there were some 62 commercially harvested species in B.C., he was able to buy only about 10 since the remainder were all exported.
In his quest for local suppliers to collaborate with, Clark met Organic Ocean’s Steve Johansen and together they hatched a plan for the first Spot Prawn Festival in 2006. This weekend, the ninth annual event will attract hundreds to the Chefs Table Society Spot Prawn Boil, and much more at the False Creek Public Dock, May 10, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Spot prawns are on sale daily for the next seven or eight weeks, starting at 1 p.m. when Johansen’s and others’ boats come in. If you’ve never tasted them, you don’t know what you’re missing. Details at .
Bell on wheels
More and more, chefs are becoming advocates for sustainability. That enthusiasm, which also helped spawn Â鶹´«Ă˝Ół»Aquarium’s successful Ocean Wise program, has been passed on to others, including Four Seasons executive chef Ned Bell, who last year founded Chefs for Oceans.
Bell teamed up with chefs from across Canada and took his message to Ottawa to raise awareness of the importance of preserving pristine, healthy lakes, rivers and oceans to maintain our sustainable seafood. So far we’re not seeing a whole lot of listening — in the form of action — from a government that at least appears blithely unconcerned about the environment.
On July 1, Bell wheels out of St. John’s, NL on an ambitious 8,781 km cycling tour (with events in 14 cities) to promote the cause and further lobby the federal government to formally recognize National Sustainable Seafood Day. To learn more or to support him, go to . Or write your MP.
Kale to the chief
Speaking of all things healthy, you don’t have to go far to find kale on local menus these days. Contrary to popular belief (several news outlets ignorantly touted cauliflower as “the new kale” for 2014), the incredibly good-for-you leafy, dark green continues to thrive and win converts.
No doubt contributing to that popularity is yet another tome from “Queen of Kale” Sharon Hanna, penned with noted gardening writer and editor of GardenWise Magazine Carol Pope. This time the topic’s been expanded to The Book of Kale & Friends — with more variations from “14 easy-to-grow superfoods” ranging from arugula to garlic, lovage, cilantro, oregano and more. The point being that these beneficial vegetables and herbs are simple to grow and incredibly healthy.
Kale & Friends (Douglas & McIntyre, $26.95) is a well put together book, packed with nourishing information and a wealth of straightforward, often one pot recipes.
Openings
• The spacious and dramatically curved ARC, a sleek, contemporary rework of Fairmont Waterfront’s Heron’s, with a plethora of “view” seats in a casual lounge setting.
• Even though it still looks under construction, Boulevard Kitchen and Oyster Bar is on track for an early summer opening, encompassing a complete rework of the Sutton Place dining room with a definite seafood focus and spacious patio.
Belly’s Budget Best
• Fort Berens Rosé 2013
No sweet fruit bombs here. This crisp, clean and dry raspberry-toned drop from Lillooet is a real contender among a growing group of (hooray!) drier, food-friendly B.C. styles. Grilled salmon would go great. $17.99, 90 pts.
