Left to right, top to bottom:Barbara-Jo McIntosh Launch: Barbara-Jo McIntosh of Barbara-Jo’s Books to Cooks holds her new book. C Patio Party: Executive Chef Robert Clark and C Owner Harry Kambolis, Guests Ryan McKinley (L) & Ryan Bazely (R) of Pinq, with CBC's Fred Lee. Vancouver’s First Cupcake Challenge: Frostings Cupcakery’s winning cupcakes, Event organizers Mijune Pak and Nicole Marie, My fellow judges.
All photos by Anya Levykh
C Patio Party
On June 17, C invited friends and media to launch its new patio menu (and hopefully invoke the Sun God for the rest of us!). Executive Chef Robert Clark has fashioned a new “sticks and stones” menu, great for noshing on a warm summer’s eve. Think mini oyster po’ boys, smoked salmon with dill crème fraîche, wild Coho salmon sashimi with ponzu sauce, raw oysters on the half-shell with horseradish gelée and Albacore tuna tataki with sweet soy. The new menu, as well as a selection of appetizers and mains, will be available throughout the summer for lunch, Monday to Friday, from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., as well as dinner.
2-1600 Howe St. | 604.681.1164 | www.crestaurant.com
Barbara-Jo McIntosh Launches Cooking for Me and Sometimes You
Also on June 17, Barbara-Jo McIntosh of Barbara-Jo’s Books to Cooks launched her second book, Cooking for Me and Sometimes You: A Parisienne Romance with Recipes. Fans and friends turned out in full force, and the guests were treated to fabulous French treats like chicken liver pâté on romaine hearts and runny double-crèmes, as well as live swing jazz from Dinette. Everyone enjoyed the custom drink (from page 115 of the cookbook, of course), the Pink Drink, a mix of gin, Muroise du Val de Loire, Rosato Prosecco and lemon juice. Heavenly.
Vancouver’s First Cupcake Challenge
On June 20, I was lucky enough to be asked to judge Vancouver’s 1st Annual Cupcake Challenge, held at The Roundhouse in Yaletown. This event was put on by Nicole Marie Events and Follow Me Foodie, and had 1,100 attendees. In fact, the event had to close an hour early, as all of the vendors sold out of their offerings! Vendors included Big City Cupcakes, Bon Gateau, Pink Sugar Cupcakery, Indulgence, Cake Tease, Cupcake Couture, Frosting Cupcakery and Vancouver Baker’s Market.
My fellow judges included Vicky Noble, Communications Officer at VCC; Mark Busse, founder of Foodists.ca; Sheri Radford, editor of Where Vancouver and Where Whistler; Jen Ranjit, professional baker and teacher at the Cookshop in Vancouver; and Elizabeth White, production manager for Tartine Tarts. We sampled six different cupcakes ranging in flavours from root beer float and strawberry cheesecake to Oreo and Neapolitan.
The winner of both the Peoples’ and Judges’ Choice Awards was Frostings Cupcakery for their Neapolitan cupcake. It tasted exactly like the classic ice cream, except in cake form. The Bloggers’ Choice Award winner was Big City Cupcakes for their Strawberry Cheesecake cupcake. Another close contender for the judges was the vanilla cupcake with maple-caramel swirl from Cupcake Couture, which impressed all of the judges with the silky-smooth texture of the frosting and the moistness of the cake.
C Restaurant | www.crestaurant.com
Barbara-Jo’s Books to Cooks | www.bookstocooks.com
Big City Cupcakes | www.bigcitycupcakes.com
Bon Gateau | www.bongateau.ca
Pink Sugar Cupcakery | www.pinksugarcupcakery.com
Indulgence | www.indulgencedesserts.ca
Cupcake Couture | vancouvercupcakecouture@hotmail.com
Frosting Cupcakery | www.frostingcupcakery.ca
Cake Tease | www.caketease.ca
Vancouver Baker’s Market | www.bakersmarket.com
