wed n e s d ay, j u n e 3 0, 2 0 1 0 T h e Va n c o uve r C o u r i e r
EW17
june 2010 special advertising feature
Summertime: grill on
by Fred Lee, man-about-town
Getting ready
hough you wouldn’t know it from recent temperatures, summer is here. And that can only mean one thing – BBQ season! So it’s time to take the cooking and socializing outside. For a man who is out ‘gala-vanting’ 24/ seven, you may ask: what does he know about grilling? Admittedly not a hell of a lot, but I have grilled up a mean meal in my time. Goes to show, summertime and the grilling is easy. Furthermore, I have observed from the best chefs. Take note(s).
Step one - clean your grill. Nasty bacteria can grow on food particles left on the grill. Fire up the barbie and while the grill is hot, use a heavy wire brush to remove any bits left on the grill. It will keep your food from sticking. Van-hattan’s reigning chef of the year, Frank Pabst of Bluewater Café + Raw Bar, suggests using stainless steel scrubs rather than the tools made specifically for barbecues. And safety first! It is always a good idea to have a fire extinguisher handy and within reach. Have plenty of plates ready. Never use the same dish for raw meat as for cooked, and
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Fred’s friends gather on a beautiful West End penthouse deck to enjoy food and libation.
use a separate cutting board and knife for meats as for vegetables. Use long handled barbecue tools to avoid getting burned like a moth to a flame. Use flame retardant mitts. Not so fashionable, but your digits will thank you. And puh-leeze, wash your hands before and after handling food.
Heat is on Food for the barbecue should not sit out, especially meats—keep food cold in the refrigerator or a cooler until you are ready to grill it. Next order of business - charcoal or propane? Depending on your taste, both will do
the trick. A propane grill will give you everything a charcoal grill can, minus the extra setup time and added mess. Important to note if you are planning on pulling out the designer summer whites for entertaining. Oil up! To prevent food from sticking, give the grill a light oiling before turning up the heat. Open the BBQ’s burners to full, and light your fire. Iron Chef and Cactus Club Food Architect Rob Feenie concurs, “Before you put the meat on, make sure the temperature is at least 500 degrees, to get the best flavour. Then enjoy!” (cont. next page)
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EW18 T h e
Va n c o uve r Co u r i e r wednesday, june 30 , 2010
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(cont. from page 17) If you’ve got a built-in igniter, you’ve got your work cut out for you. (Honey, it’s time to get a new barbecue). If you’re doing things the old fashioned way, stick your BBQ lighter into the hole on the side of the grill, and light it. Before grilling, make sure the BBQ is hot, hot hot! Once you start, put a lid on it! Pabst says, “Be sure to cook with a closed lid, so that the temperature maintains a consistent high heat.” Resist the urge to constantly check your food. That includes poking and prodding it. The temperature of your BBQ changes each time you open the lid, and even the best temperature gauge will not react instantly. Even worse, you’ll lose precious juice and moisture from your meat, making it less tender and less tasty. Have a misting bottle handy. When you’re not cooling yourself with it, have one nearby for flare-ups, especially when cooking with fattier meats. Throwing water on a grease fire is a no-no, but a mild Evian mist will keep things under wraps.
Bring on the meat! Marinades and brines and rubs, oh my! Whatever! Unless you have the time and sophistication, we’re going au natural! More time to work the company and tan. Goldfish Pacific Kitchen executive chef William Tse agrees. “Keep it simple silly (KISS); BBQ food should
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taste like BBQ, not overly sauced or flavoured. Add a little soy, a pinch of seasoning, salt and fresh ground pepper. That’s all you need. Let the fire do the flavouring.” Before putting your meat on the grill, gently rinse the meat and pat dry to remove any odors or materials that may be on the surface due to handling. This allows the meat to accept the desired seasonings and create better browning. Trim excess fat off your meat prior to grilling. This will reduce the amount of drippings created and diminish flare-ups. But do leave a thin layer of fat to preserve juiciness. You can always trim the rest off afterwards. Save the sauce for last. When grilling meat apply sweet sauces made with sugar, honey or syrup near the end to prevent burning. Savoury sauces, such as soy and teriyaki, can be applied throughout the grilling process.
Other quick grills
Don’t forget to have your veggies! Onions, peppers, mushrooms, tomatoes, eggplant, zucchini and squash are all personal faves. Just brush a light coating of olive oil, sprinkle some salt and pepper to taste and then toss straight on the BBQ or slide the vegetables on to a skewer or wrap in foil. Say yes to seafood. Not everyone realizes just how easy it is to grill seafood. Clams, mussels and oysters are a snap on the grill. Just place on a medium hot fire and cook until opened. The smoky fire will give these marvelous mollusks a great flavour when you dip them in a
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wed n e s d ay, j u n e 3 0, 2 0 1 0 T h e Va n c o uve r C o u r i e r
EW19
Easy Sun Protection Features Outdoor Fabrics protection. Sunshades are a simple alternative to awnings or canopies and can be made in squares, rectangles or triangles. Grommets or D-rings can be added for easy mounting to buildings, fences or trees. And if you need a little privacy from your neighbors you can use outdoor fabrics for drapes, shades or screens. Condo or apartment dwellers can use roman shades
by Karen Blunderfield, contributing writer
I
f you think outdoor fabrics are plain and canvaslike or heavy and plastic-looking, think again. Today’s outdoor fabrics are woven just like indoor fabrics, making them as soft and flexible as spun cotton. Because outdoor fabrics are made from solution-dyed acrylic or polyester fibres, the colour is literally locked in so it resists fading and sun dam-
age. The fibres are made with a water-repellent material to protect against rain as well as harmful spills from juice, wine, etc. They’re also mold and mildew-resistant, which is vital in our damp climate, and are a breeze to keep clean with simple soap and water. Besides common uses such as tablecloths and seat covers, outdoor fabrics can be used for other purposes such as creating a sunshade to cover a balcony, patio or corner of your yard and provide effective UV
2010 Trends in Kitchen Design & Renovations
or screens to separate their outdoor living space from a neighbour or to create shade where needed. Drapery panels can be added to awnings and gazebos to create a cozy, private area for entertaining or relaxing. But one of the best benefits from using outdoor fabrics is that you can now choose from hundreds of different colour, texture and pattern
combinations that can be used throughout your home. You can mix and match fabrics to create a space that’s as unique as you are. This year’s hot colour choice is turquoise, which pairs well with any other colour in the spectrum. Turquoise adds a splash of excitement to brown-toned furniture or decks and complements other bright colours such as red or
pink. You can create a classic maritime look by pairing turquoise with deep blue or be on top of the latest colour trend by mixing it with yellow-green. With today’s durable outdoor fabrics you can get the sun protection you need to turn your balcony, patio, deck or yard into a comfortable living space and fully take advantage of the warmer weather.
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2010 is an exciting year in kitchen design trends in both design aesthetic and functionality. In countertops, green solutions such as ECO by Consentino that utilizes recycled materials such as porcelain, mirror, glass, and stone scraps will increasingly be seen. Green is also the word in cabinetry. For example, think bamboo; a solution we recently used in a green kitchen renovation. Other green cabinetry solutions include Ecowood; A sophisticated series of exotic real wood stria composites using a revolutionary green technology available in Macassar Ebony, Teak, Mahogany, and Zebrawood to name but a few finishes.
dark wood finishes? Out are the chocolates and espressos and in are the sophisticated greys. For kitchen cabinetry lighting, LED solutions are lighting the way saving energy and providing years of usage before replacement as opposed to the older halogen puck lighting which have short life spans and operate at elevated temperatures.
Other trends in kitchen cabinets include textured laminates, high glosses, and mixed finishes. When it comes to mixed finishes think both colour and texture such as high gloss whites mixed with dark wood accents. And the
Kitchen cabinetry trends continue with drawer solutions over doors in base cabinets and metal rack pull-outs for pantry and base cabinet solutions. And those blind corners where you had to get on your hands and knees to reach to the back? The LeMans System solves that problem. However the hottest trend by far in cabinetry are servo drives; An electronically driven system that opens your drawers with just a touch of your hand...
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EW20 T h e
Va n c o uve r Co u r i e r wednesday, june 30 , 2010
Condo Life:
The Great Outdoors by Shona Wercholuk, contributing writer
C
hic urban garden décor is the key to a great balcony. Art Knapp Urban Garden (www. artknapps.ca), located at 1401 Hornby Street, offers a selection of chic garden furnishings and has one of the largest selections of plants in the city. From south-facing to north-facing and from perennial to annual; this garden centre offers something for everyone, to create their picture perfect garden.
Moving in the Right Direction South-facing plants can be slightly more difficult to maintain as they are much more weather dependent, requiring a lot of sun. Some great plants for these types of patios are the classic geranium and sweet peas, which are fast growing and give off a fantastic scent. North-facing balconies are for those plants that need part sun and part shade. Some suggested plants for this type of condo are any vines or foliage and the quintessential impatiens flower.
Going to New Heights When planning your garden it is important to take note of a high deck versus a ground level patio. Ground level patios create the perfect setting
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for tall plants, from growing tree’s to planting a tall orchid. High decks produce the opposite effect as it is windier so trees and tall plants are not ideal. Great ideas for this type of balcony include ornamental grasses and small leaved plants, as well as an assortment of hanging baskets.
It’s a Mixed Bag
Urban Garden offers several beautiful types of flora to decorate your garden with, such as water lilies and primula. But the aesthetically pleasing aspects of the garden are not the greatest feature of this chic balcony trend. Use mosquito dunk in the water garden, as it kills mosquito larvae, guaranteeing you will be able to spend time relaxing in your garden, not swatting off this menacing insect.
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