H.A.V.E. Cafe is the store front of a culinary training program that is designed to provide the community with skills training and opportunities for employment. The acronym stands for Hope, Action, Values and Ethics. Through work, I had the pleasure to attend its very first fundraising dinner last week. This year they've kicked off a fundraising initiative called "Project 374" to raise fund for renovations and the upkeep for the school. The cafe will also be renamed to Cafe 374 soon. Why 374? The cafe/culinary school is located at 374 Powell Street, Vancouver. Chef Alex Chen, who will be representing Canada in Bocuse d'Or in Lyon in 2013, put together the menu for the evening. Chef Alex's dishes were basically a new take on the classics.
Nestle Toll House Cafe
I didn’t grow up with a lot of baked goods. It wasn’t really a part of my culture. Not surprisingly, it wasn’t long until I started to take a liking to them. After all, who can say no to a soft, moist, and buttery cookie? Well I certainly couldn’t. This is the only Nestle Toll House store in BC, and in Canada for that matter (strange choice, because you would assume most chains would open their flagship store in Vancouver or Toronto). Like a bakery, all the sweets are displayed at the front of the shop. There are various types of desserts, with the majority being cookies. They also have smoothies and Nescafe products.
Mink Chocolates (Downtown)
Since I started working downtown, I've been wanting to try Mink Chocolates but was never able to find a good time to drop by (they close too early on weekdays to make it happen). During the Hot Chocolate Festival earlier this month, I finally made the effort to swing by. It was the only chocolate shop I visited during the festival.
[Recipe] Panna Cotta with Pomegranate Glaze
As part of our Valentine's Day dinner, I made Panna Cotta with a Pomegranate Glaze. This dessert is very easy to make and is perfect for amateur cooks. I chose pomegranate as the base of my glaze because of its colour - the red/purple-ish colour was appropriate for the occasion - but you can substitute it with other glaze such as passion fruit and mango. I also used an ice cream glass instead of ramekin, but for your reference, each serving is approximately 200 ml.
BETA5 Chocolates – Chocolate Workshop
Thanks to Vancouver Foodster, Mr. and I won a contest prize to attend a chocolate workshop at Beta5 Chocolates on Valentine's Day. What a perfect way to spend our evening on this special day! The chocolate event was a lot of fun, and I think it's perfect for couples or birthday parties or even bridal shower. It's a great gift idea for someone who loves and appreciates chocolates. I believe this is the first time that Jess & Adam hosted event of this kind, but I heard they might be doing something like this more often in the future. I definitely recommend others to give this a try - you will enjoy it!
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