This Thanksgiving long weekend we could not have asked for a better whip of the week than the 2024 Mazda MX5 GS-P GT.
The sun was out, the weather was warm, and we had the ability to cruise around the city, top down to enjoy the most of it. The act itself was easy to do with a snap of the roof latch and an easy push to have the fabric unbuckle and tucked away, just behind the only two seats of this two door coup.
The Mazda MX5 was a fun and sporty option to be seen in and to watch others in. We found ourselves nodding and acknowledging other drivers, who were also “topless” this weekend.
Honestly with the roof up I did find things cramped. As Mazda’s road ready sports car, it is designed to go fast, and they cut down excess weight in order to do so. This left the cabin compact and you do feel like you are sitting side by side with elbows touching. Similarly there is little leg room and you are unable to sprawl or stretch out. In fact the cup holder rings are detachable in order to give you additional space beside your knee, for the passenger. You can also insert the round ring into the holder prongs just behind the driver’s right side. Although this does not make it very accessible for the driver, so it is best for the passenger’s use.
In an increased effort to save more even cabin space, I would suggest removing the sliver of an arm rest on either door. There is no rest for your arm here, as you can’t even balance on it. I rather just a concave door, so that you aren’t consistently rubbing against it. And if need be you can just wind down the window completely and rest your entire arm there, having elbow to arm pit supported.
The MX5 is manual so you really have to enjoy being in full control of the car to appreciate its speed and power. A nimble go-getter we found ourselves easily veering traffic and simply gliding into parking stalls.
Although you, not so much so. You really feel your age with this one. Given how low to the ground it was and the need to gingerly lower yourself into your seat, and to pull yourself out of it after.
Definitely a fun car to drive on the weekends, and not necessarily the one you travel with daily. It had my partner day dreaming about owning one in the future.
Being one of the judges for the Vancouver Foodster Best Pasta Challenge of 2024 kept us busy this long weekend. Across four nights and three days, we tried three different pasta creations from three different local restaurants, each vying for the top spot.
On Friday we travelled down to Coquitlam’s Pasta Polo to try their seafood and tomato-based entry. They are a go-to within the community for traditional Italian cuisine prepared with modern techniques and for modern diets.
And considering their 24 year heritage, we couldn’t walk away without trying more of what their restaurant has to offer. But I will be going into detail on that visit in its very own post.
On Saturday we visited Aylin’s Kitchen, a new spot taking up residence in the old Martini’s on West Broadway. The space was familiar to me, having visited for dessert many years ago. Today it has a western theme with photos and paintings of Prairie Buffalo hanging against the wood cabin log wall.
The bison also made it on to the restaurant’s logo, as shown on the crest plastered on to their snake skin menu. Both of which felt posh, befitting of a steakhouse; and therefore mismatching the rest of the more causal restaurant and the menu.
We made reservations for first thing in the morning as I prefer not to disturb the kitchen unnecessarily with my visit. Advertised to open at 11am, but still setting up by 11:15am we were somewhat greeted by the lone hostess/server. A young girl just doing her best, but clearly lacking experience. She even admitted as much after I asked her a few questions regarding the restaurant’s history, its menu, and the pasta being offered for the Vancouver Foodster challenge. She struggled with them all.
She gave us three options for the pasta challenge instead of the only one, she was unaware of how long they have been at this location; and having only started two weeks ago, was unsure of the best sellers and most popular menu items. She seemed very earnest and did take the time to explain her position. She admitted that she only works once a week, and only during Saturday morning when it is the slowest, and therefore is unable to assist me in any of the above. I waved it off and asked if she could see if the chef/owner. Aylin was available for a quick chat. However, she never came back to me nor did Aylin stop by at our table.
To start, we grabbed a couple of cocktails as we waited. My partner ordered the Smoked Old Fashion with Woodford Reserve – Kentucky Derby, angostura bitter, sugar cube, and oak smoke. The menu listed it as being smoked however, it didn’t smell or taste as such. It also had a really pale yellow Goldenrod colour to it, not typical of most whiskeys, let alone the advertised Woodford used or said to be used in this cocktail.
I had the Basil Smash; a muddled drink with basil, citadelle gin, fresh lime juice, fresh basil, and a lime wedge. I was drawn in by the cocktail mentioning basil instead of the typical mint. What I got was a very lip puckering sour drink presented beautifully in a coupe glass. This was overly tart with lime, I did eventually acclimate to it, and even found some refreshing savoury basil under it all. This did match the pasta to come.
In truth, being able to see our same hosts/server prepare these cocktails at the bar, it did lower my expectations of them. She even had to come to the table to let us know that she was unable to work the espresso machine and therefore could not prepare the espresso martini we originally wanted, saying that she didn’t want to make it with pot brewed coffee.
This had us overly scrutinizing everything from the colour of our drinks to the debris floating within it, and especially the sticky table top that they sat on.
As an appetizer, we were given a large platter with two thin slices of baguette and what looked to be a homemade garlic spread. Given the surface area of the bread and the amount of spread, it would have been nice to have a few more slices of bread, especially to be able to save a couple for our entrées to come.
The pasta challenger was their Linguini Mare e Sole, a regular on the menu. Linguini tossed with mussels, shrimp, scallops, and calamari. Cooked in a white wine and tomato sauce, then topped with fresh lemon zest.
The noodles were prepared well, but they could could have used more character than the barely there tomato pasta. The grated lemon topping made things very citrus-forward and distracting. The scallops were well overcooked and tough as a result. I did appreciate how large the muscles were, still in shell; and how tender the calamari remained compared to the shrimp and scallop of above. A clean dish, but honestly one that I could make myself at home, and not really something I would imagine as a contestant on such a competition. This is especially when compared to the two other pasta dishes we have already tried out of the total six.
Having not been able to get our caffeine fix above, we stopped by the neighbouring Artigiano Café for pick-me-up. Ken grabbed a simple, black drip coffee with room to add sugar and I got my first pumpkin spice latte of the season.
I really like the pop art of this location. I’ve driven past this corner café many times before, and didn’t realize the mural that ran down the side of the building also decorates the interior; and that they even have tote bags with the same fun and lively blue and pink cartoon print for purchase.
We have been looking forward to the Vancouver Mycological Society’s Fall Mushroom Show, hosted at VanDusen, botanical garden’s Floral Hall. Today was the day that we would get to meet and greet with fellow foragers and mushroom enthusiasts in Vancouver.
This is our first year attending, but we really didn’t expect too much considering the mere $5 entry fee. We were just happy that we scored garden parking, given the beautiful sunny day and people’s desire is to visit the botanical garden for their fall installations.
We were most interested in all the found and gathered mushrooms labelled with their scientific names, some with descriptions, and even more listing if they were edible or poisonous. We forager ourselves, so to be able to see the specimens of what could be found in the forests of BC was a treat. Now, the next time we go out, we can be more confident in picking out what is edible, and worthy of us taking home to cook.
My favourites were the glow-in-the-dark mushrooms put on display within a black out box with black light, so that you can see it glow a neon yellow-green.
There were also mushrooms for sale and mushrooms for tasting. Members were stirring up a big pot of vegetable soup featuring six different types of mushrooms all chopped up.
They were two different tables to pick up lesser seen mushrooms that you can’t get from your local grocer like lobster mushrooms, cauliflower mushroom, chanterelle, and even morel and pine.
Overall a fun little activity to do, but definitely not one to keep our attention for the day.
For an early dinner, we stopped by the now shuttered Seraphina Restaurant for their best pasta challenger. Unfortunately this restaurant is no longer in operation due to internal politics. However, seeing as the other two judges have already tried this creation. The chef was kind enough to allow me to as well.
This would be the last plate prepared out of the kitchen. We ate it as staff cleared their lockers and said their final goodbyes. Apparently the owners of the property are expanding Vesper Lounge and will turn the space into a two story night club. Not all that bad of an idea considering the property is already well known for being where the upscale strip club Brandy’s is located. Therefore, it was uncertain how long a fine dining property such as this would have lasted, considering the clientele’s appetite.
Perhaps a steakhouse, hibachi, or a good ol’ fashion bar would have been better suited, given the additional amount of testosterone going in and coming out of the space. But I digress, this is just one person’s opinion.
Stop and Taste the Roses with Caramelized red onion, truffle butter, cream, truffle infused ricotta, and pasta girella. We have actually had this dish before, right when Seraphina first opened to the public and was under going their soft launch.
We were in love with it then and even more so now with the addition of colour. This is a stuffed pasta like no other, like nothing I have ever seen. Thick cuts of sheet pasta rolled into what resembled rosebuds, filled with ricotta cheese and sautéed onions. It was both rich and creamy, as well as sweet and delicate.
This certainly would have garnered the most votes for people’s choice given Vancouver’s penchant for a beautiful presentation. However, having to bow out of the Vancouver Foodster Pasta Challenge early means they won’t get all their votes needed to win. Although speaking with the Chef, he is certain that wherever he goes and whatever space they find themselves in, this pasta dish will definitely be on their menu. And I for one cannot wait to see version 3.0.
On Sunday we found ourselves at Metrotown, enjoying their fall presentations. I really appreciate all the work the mall has been doing to set up these grand displays. They not only serve as nods to the season, but offer up great photo opportunities.
It is fall with giant pumpkins, detailed carvings of jack-o’-lanterns, and a spooky pop up or two.
For the latter, local escape room meets arcade game company Bamboozled has set up its temporary home within Metrotown’s atrium. They have created a scary Halloween themed ghost hunt experience for people to pop in and play a little, in between their bouts of shopping.
This was a fun way to spend an hour or so, and we definitely saw the potential. However, there could have been so much more to have this experience be truly something special, but we will dive into that and its very own post.
We also stopped at Walmart for some kitchen shopping. I have been eyeing a food processor or blender for a while now, wanting to make my own soups, sauces, and salsas from scratch. And this weekend was finally the time.
For the rest of the weekend, we decided to stay at home and take the extra day of rest. We dedicated many hours to playing the expansion release of our favourite couch co-op video game: Diablo IV, Vessel of Hatred.
We also got a delivery from Odd Bunch dropped off to our doorstep so were inspired to cook. New to the Canadian market, they offer discounted vegetable delivery.
These are perfectly good fruits and vegetables that grocery stores deemed unworthy of displaying in their produce section. So Odd Bunch salvages what they can then passes them on to their customers at a discounted price. Folks who don’t mind misshapen vegetables with a shorter shelf-life, and are planning to use them right away.
Once again, this is a new venture that has recently launched in Canada, and one I plan to take a advantage of; as a soon to be full-time student, who needs to save money whenever and wherever she can.
The boxes are available by size, and naturally their contents do vary from week to week. We got a medium box which included a crown of broccoli, a head of cauliflower, and a bushel of brussels sprouts and apples, a couple of beets, a handful of potatoes, a whole butternut squash, a bag of peppers and cranberries, a couple of carrots, a whole pineapple, and some garlic cloves. Looking at it all, I deemed this a challenge, trying to come up with recipes that utilized three or more of the above in one dish.
For breakfast we had a squash, carrot, and sweet red pepper soup. The vegetables got a thorough roasting in the oven, drizzled in an extra-virgin olive oil, seasoned with fresh rosemary and thyme, and dusted with flaked sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. When softened this all got blended into a purée with our new food processor, then cooked over the stove, stirring in vegetable stock and water for the ideal consistency.
For lunch we had Korean inspired barbeque lettuce, wraps with pork belly and gochujang. Six slices of pork belly were grilled along side our carved and sliced fresh pineapple. Blackened with a char, these would be the star ingredients in a fresh lettuce wrap alongside raw garlic slices and healthy smear of gochujang sauce and sesame seeds.
For dinner we had a traditional Thanksgiving meal, but instead of a large turkey for two we did a whole beer butt chicken seasoned in rosemary instead. This is when you bake a whole chicken in the oven with a half can of beer, shoved up its rump. It stands up right and the result is a bird that is crispy on the outside and juicy and moist on the inside.
This we baked in the oven along side roasted brussels sprouts and yams. We also had buttery mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce on the side. I made the mistake of puréeing the cranberry and apple sauce, when I should have simply cooked it over the stove top. I went over board with the food processor. The result was a sweet sauce that had the consistency of a smoothie. This was admittedly an odd texture, but at least it was complementary taste-wise.
In between large stint of gaming, we only stopped to cook food, and then proceeded to eat as we continued to quest. This was fun to do and we save so much cooking at home using vegetables discounted at up to 50% off.
