Food Trucks (Carts) Have Come To Vancouver

The craze has now assuredly crossed the country and the border. Food trucks (or in Vancouver's case handily park trailers) are everywhere. Obviously snot just tolerated but supported by the local government and merchants these carts park on downtown sidewalks with small awnings to protect customer from the frequently inclement weather. 

Without so much as reading an online review we strolled up to Soho Street for one of their signature naan kebab sandwiches -- sort of an Indian walkaway sandwich. Nothing I'd ever seen before but what could be bad about butter chicken wrapped in a  fluffy toasted naan or spicy links of ground lamb swimming in a cilantro spice base and tangy yogurt sauce. No great bargain at $12 a sandwich but pretty tasty on a chilly, rainy fall day.

Quick Dinner

The Giants are world champions. We had one more ballpark dinner, sort of a cross culture quesadilla. Gruyere cheese, prosciutto and thinly sliced red onion all melted together in a skillet glazed with a shimmer of olive oil. Non traditional deliciousness.

Game 4 Too Close To Call

It's not ballpark but sometimes a man wants spaghetti. I started a skillet with plenty of olive oil, chopped garlic, chili peppers and 2 anchovy filets. While the pasta boiled I cooked that down to a smooth sauce. two minutes before I was ready to drain the spaghetti I added in a big bunch of chopped collards (and kind of hearty green would be good here -- kale, mustard greens, chard) from our garden. I added the drained pasta with the collards to the skillet along with 3/4 cup of pasta cooking liquid and a handful of shredded parmesan. After a few quick turns with my tongs dinner, and a tied game, was served.

Giants Up By Three!

Perfect for a cold night in Detroit -- even if you are just watching it on TV -- spicy hot chili. Turkey, beef and beans topped with cheese and chopped onions. Go Giants!

Start The Weekend Right

Time for steak. Our CSA meat package held a beautiful grass-fed sirloin steak begging to be pan-fried. I started a skillet with thinly sliced onions and a bit of garlic sautéing in butter and olive oil. About 15 minutes later I removed the onions from the pan, added a bit more oil, and laid in the steak aggressively seasoned with S&P. After around 5 minutes on each side the steak was set to rest on a platter while I added about 1/2 cup of bourbon to the pan. The bourbon reduced by about half and then the onions went back in along with a knob of butter and the juices that accumulated under the resting steak to smooth out the sauce. I served the steak on top of fluffy brown rice to soak up the delicious sauce.
As a side a dish from James' childhood -- green beans and potatoes long stewed in bacon and chicken broth. More delicious sauce to soak up.

Game 2 Not Very Ballpark

No not many salads in ballparks I suppose but James was in the mood for antipasto salad. Who am I to deny a man a salad made mostly of meat and cheese?? Especially when I have a fridge full of leftovers ready to be tossed and dressed.

World Series Game 1

Simple ballpark style food at home.
I started to make tacos but when I ran into the little (very little but they still find space to make homemade sausage) market in nearby Valley Ford all they had were large tortillas so I switched to burritos. A game friendly, one-handed dinner.
We still had leftover pork so I cooked it down into a tasty burrito filling with olive oil, cumin, garlic, smoked paprika, ground New Mexico chilies, coriander and oregano until the fat melted out and the meat was peppered with crispy brown delicious bits. I rolled and wrapped that filling into the tortilla along with rice, home cooked quick refried beans (canned beans smashed and cooked down with bacon, onion, cumin and a dash of tabasco) and a tangy tomatillo sauce made by our neighbor Sally. I had it all worked out in my head but as you can see I forgot to wrap the cheese up in the roll so I sprinkled a little feta on top. First game jitters I guess.
Go Giants!