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Chowtimes.com Turns Six
2012-01-05 16:00:00
We cant believe that chowtimes.com is 6 years old already. It's been a wonderful 6 years of sharing our food and travel experiences with our readers and friends. We just want to thank our readers for their continuing support and encouragement. We hope there will be more sharing in the coming year with more good eats, recipes and travel experiences.

Christmas Luncheon at Starry Night behind Costco in Richmond
2012-01-04 16:00:00
Emily S invited me and Lorna to a Christmas luncheon of a non-profit organization that she joined. The luncheon includes a talk on western dining etiquette and lucky draw. We came with the impression of paying the meal on our own but at the end, Emily S paid for us. Emily, thank you for Christmas luncheon and the talk on the dining etiquette was very informative.
More About: Night , Richmond , Western

The Coffee Well at Westminster Hwy and Tiffany Blvd, Richmond
2012-01-02 16:00:00
Polly and I went to The Coffee Well for our cake meet. We had been to this location when it was Nat's Bistro & Convenience Store back in October 2008. This is a very quiet strip mall. The Coffee Well belongs to The Suburban Well as the receipt is by the name The Suburban Well.
More About: Tiffany , Soup , Richmond , Deli

Happy New Year 2012
2012-01-01 09:01:00
Hi all, Chowtimes wishes all a good year ahead and lets be thankful of our blessings in each new day.     Arkensen, thank you for making the banner.
More About: New Year , Happy , Happy New Year

Gingerbread Snacking Cake
2011-12-31 16:00:00
For dessert, Michelle prepared a recipe from Martha Stewart for the South Arm Seniors Kitchen. This cake has the elements of gingerbread which fits the season well. This Gingerbread Snacking Cake freezes well. You can serve this cake with a dollop of whipped cream or ice-cream for a treat. The aroma of molasses filled the kitchen while the cake is baking. This cake is light and fluffy.
More About: Recipe , Cakes

How to cook Farro
2011-12-30 16:00:00
Besides the Orange and Pecan Salad with Red Onion Dressing, Michelle also prepared another side dish for the South Arm Seniors Kitchen. The seniors had expressed their interest in learning  more about grains. Michelle brought a grain called Farro to make a simple side dish. There are other grains which are very similar to farro like emmer, spelt and einkorn. Barley also has similar characteristic as farro and so, you may substitute farro with barley in recipes. Farro can be eaten plain or used in salad and soups.
More About: Recipe , Cook

Orange and Pecan Salad with Red Onion Dressing
2011-12-29 16:00:00
For side dish, Michelle prepared an Orange and Pecan Salad with Red Onion Dressing at the South Arm Seniors Kitchen. You can make the dressing ahead of time and keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. You can use fresh oranges, canned oranges or mandarin oranges in this salad. Other fruits like strawberries and kiwis can also be used.
More About: Recipe

Swiss Turkey Broccoli Bake
2011-12-28 16:00:00
This is the first time I return to the South Arm Seniors Kitchen. I think I missed at least one kitchen due to my trip to Beijing. The new senior kitchen facilitator is Michelle Li. Stella, the South Arm seniors program coordinator decorated the table with a Christmas theme since this is the last kitchen in December. Michelle also prepared some festive recipes which can utilize leftover food from the holiday feast.
More About: Turkey , Recipe , Casserole , Broccoli , Swiss

Rhino?s Kitchen at Lansdowne Mall, Richmond
2011-12-26 16:00:00
Nanzaro told me that there is a new Hong Kong style restaurant in Lansdowne Mall . He saw that in a flyer while I'm not around town. But he cannot remember the name of the restaurant. I could not search any information about the restaurant since I do not know the name. However, Nanzaro said it's part of the Top Gun group. So, I checked the Top Gun group website and still there is no information of any Hong Kong style restaurant. My guess is that the new restaurant must be at the old California Cafe location.
More About: Kitchen , Richmond

Merry Christmas 2011
2011-12-25 03:00:00
Hi all, Ben, Suanne, Arkensen and Nanzaro wishes all a very Merry Christmas .

Richmond Community Kitchens Christmas Potluck 2011
2011-12-23 16:00:00
The Richmond Community Kitchens celebrated Christmas with a potluck at Gilmore Park Church. We are very grateful for the church to allow us to use their facility for this potluck. Old, new and existing members and friends attended this potluck. Some of the members also brought along their kids since the kids are off on winter break.

Swiss Chard and Mushroom Stir Fry
2011-12-22 16:00:00
The second dish that Minoo prepared for the South Arm Community Kitchen is a stir fry vegetable dish that incorporated Swiss Chard. Swiss Chard is a fall vegetable but it is easily available in winter in the groceries stores. This is a hardy and versatile vegetable that can be used in soup or stir fry. It is rich in dietary fiber. It is high in vitamin A, K and C. We love the color of this stir fry dish, which is very Christmasy. The sesame seeds add crunch and nuttiness to it.
More About: Recipe , Mushroom

Swiss Chard Gratin
2011-12-21 16:00:00
Minoo prepared 4 recipes for the South Arm Community Kitchen. This is my first time to the kitchen since it's renovation. I love all the stainless steel appliances and the addition of a convection oven. It takes time to get to know where the pots and pans and utensils are stored in a new kitchen. The first recipe is a Swiss Chard Gratin. This is a healthier version to the regular potato gratin with the addition of Swiss Chard. You can use spinach instead. All the participants love this dish.
More About: Recipe , Potatoes , Vegetable , Potato , Casserole

Adonia Tea House in Kerrisdale, Vancouver
2011-12-19 16:00:00
Polly and I went to Adonia Tea House for another high tea. We enjoyed the mini high tea at The Secret Garden Tea that we want to try more. Driving past the area, we would not have figured that Adona is a tea house. From the earthy tone building and a name like Adonia, we would have thought that this is a Greek restaurant.
More About: Vancouver , Dessert

Beijing: Fancy Dumplings Dinner in Qian Men Dajie
2011-12-17 16:00:00
After visiting the Beijing Railway Museum, we returned to Qian Men Dajie to do more exploration. We came across a dumpling restaurnat where passer by can view the chef at work. They were making some fancy dumpling wrappers. First, they roll small pieces of dough into a flat disc. They stacked a few of the rolled out dough together and rolled the edges in such a way into a wavy form. We were enticed to go into the restaurant to try the dumplings there.
More About: Travel , Dinner

Beijing: Beijing Railway Museum
2011-12-16 16:00:00
After visiting the Beijing Planning Exhibition Hall, we went for afternoon tea. Guess where we headed to? We had milk tea with red bean pearl.
More About: Travel , Museum

Beijing: Beijing Planning Exhibition Hall
2011-12-15 16:00:00
After lunch at the Goubouli, we visited the Beijing Planning Exhibition Hall . It is located near the Tiananmen Square.  This is a place where you can see Beijing's past, its present day and its future plans. Entrance to the Beijing Planning Exhibition Hall is RMB30 (CAD$5) per person.
More About: Travel

Beijing: Goubuli Lunch in Qian Men Dajie
2011-12-14 16:00:00
When exploring Qian Men Dajie, we stopped at one of the restaurant for lunch. This is where I experienced a service that I never encounter before. We usually hang our jacket on the back of the chair. The server will remove the cover from the back of the chair to cover over your jacket. Perhaps this is a way to prevent any accidental spills onto your jacket.
More About: Travel , Lunch , Beijing

Beijing: Qian Men Dajie
2011-12-13 16:00:00
We exited the Tiananmen Square on the south side. We passed through Qian Men which is known as Zhengyang Men. Zhengyang Men once guarded the southern entry into the Inner City.
More About: Travel , Beijing

Beijing: Tiananmen Square
2011-12-12 16:00:00
It was a wet morning when I woke up the next morning. What is better for breakfast than a hot bowl of sour and spicy noodle soup? We had breakfast at Ben's favourite noodle shop. It is a 24-hour noodle shop. We ventured out early to beat the crowd in Tiananmen Square. The noodle is handmade and we can see the chef at work. The sour and spicy soup is very appetizing. A combo which comes with a soft drink and a marinated egg is RMB22 (about $3.70). One thing for sure, the noodle here tastes better than those in Vancouver. Not sure why? Perhaps, the flour or the seasoning in the flour, or because it's freshly hand-made.
More About: Travel , Beijing

Fish Taco
2011-12-11 16:00:00
A member of the Gilmore Park Church community kitchen requested for fish recipes in her feedback form. So, Minoo came up with two fish recipes for this week's kitchen.  One of the recipe is a Salmon and Potato Chowder which I had blogged about two years ago.
More About: Recipe , Fish , Seafood

Pho Ten in Sand?s Plaza, No 5 Road, Richmond
2011-12-09 16:00:00
A reader alerted us that there is a new Vietnamese restaurant in Ironwood. That is a good addition as there is no Vietnamese in this part of Richmond . Pho Ten Restaurant is located at the new Sand 's Plaza on No. 5 Road . It is across the No. 5 Road from the Ironwood Library.

Beijing: Wangfujing
2011-12-07 16:00:00
Ben's suite is just around the corner from Wangfujing Street. Location wise, this is perhaps a great place to stay as it is very central in Beijing . Wangfujing Street is Beijing's popular shopping street. It's like Robson Street in Vancouver or Times Square in New York. The name Wangfujing means the Well of the Prince's Mansion. During the Qing Dynasty, this street is where a number of residences of princes were located. Right in the middle of Wangfujing is a well famous for the sweetness of the water.
More About: Travel

Beijing: Fish Tray and Dessert
2011-12-05 16:00:00
After a nap in the afternoon from a long tiring flight, I was refreshed and ready for more food adventures. Ben wanted me to rest some more but I was just too excited. I did not come all the way to Beijing to just sleep! Ben brought me to the Oriental Mall at the south end of Wangfujing for dinner. It was a good idea going there because there are so many restaurants and all of them look so good to me. And they were all packed with customers which tells me that the food must be good. It was so hard to decide ... Sichuanese? Mala Pot? Hairy Crabs? Macau? Cantonese? Ben wanted me to choose one but I don't know. I want to try every single one!
More About: Travel , Fish , Dessert

Going To Beijing
2011-12-03 16:00:00
The much anticipated moment has arrived. It had been almost two months since I saw Ben and now I am visiting him in Beijing . It was time to go to the airport. The flights to Asia are mostly red eye flights. I am not sure why it is almost always red eye flights. Anyone knows why? My flight departed at 2:50 AM. So, I had to be in the airport before midnight. I took a cab from home to the airport. Although the distance is just about 10 km, the trip costs $30, including tips. Anyway, just remember this $30. I went to the airport early just to make sure I did not miss anything and in case I need to rush home to get anything. Every thing did go smoothly..
More About: Travel

Dragon View Chinese Cuisine in Continental Plaza, Richmond
2011-12-01 16:00:00
Lorna invited me and Emily S for dim sum. Emily brought her hubby along as he has just arrived from China for a vacation with Emily to Bermuda.
More About: Chinese , Cuisine , View , Richmond , Southern

Dried Fruit and Spice Oatmeal Cookies
2011-11-29 16:00:00
This Raisin and Spice Oatmeal Cookies ties up the spice theme in the Gilmore Park Church community kitchen. Besides the benefit of spices, this cookie also has the goodness from oatmeal. Here is an excerpt that Minoo shared in the community kitchen on the reasons to eat oatmeal.
More About: Recipe , Fruit

Pomegranate Salad with Nuts
2011-11-28 16:00:00
Minoo served a side dish of Pomegranate Salad with Nuts along with the Chickpea Curry and Moroccan Carrot Soup. Pomegranate is in season in late fall. Minoo's daughter loves this salad and she must have it when pomegranate is in season. Pomegranate is rich in Vitamin C. It is a good source of vitamin B5, potassium and polyphenols such as tannins and flavonoids. It is also rich in fiber which is entirely contained in the edible seeds which is also a supply of unsaturated oils.
More About: Recipe

Chickpea Curry (Chana Masala)
2011-11-27 16:00:00
For the main course, Minoo prepared a Chickpea Curry for the spice theme. This is also known as Chana Masala in the Indian culinary term. This vegetarian curry is loaded with spices like garam masala, cumin and coriander. Minoo served this Chickpea Curry with brown rice.
More About: Vegetarian , Recipe , Potatoes , Potato

Moroccan Carrot Soup
2011-11-26 16:00:00
For this kitchen in the Gilmore Park Church, Minoo chosed a theme of spice. Here is an excerpt that Minoo shared with us. Spices do more than make food taste great. Recent reseach is showing that spices can promote health and well being through a series of actions that are anti-aging and inhibiting of degenerative disease. The vegetarian diet so often associated with good health and lack of disease relies heavily on the use of spice. But you dont have to be a vegetarian to gain the amazing health benefits these inexpensive flavour enhancers have to offer. The addition of spices can turn up the taste of almost any food. Here are some examples of the uses of spices in everyday cooking: Add some chili pepper, cumin or turmeric to mashed potatoes or rice. Sprinkle marjoram or rosemary on your salads. Dress up cottage cheese with whatever spice flavour that appeals to you Add spice to vegetable dishes Sprinkle spice on meats, poultry or fish before cooking Any way you do it, add...
More About: Recipe , Soup , Carrot