Ginger Turmeric Chicken Mushroom Egg Sou...

Stick with me on this ramble. I find when ever I am feeling blasé, a good hot bowl of soup seams to do the trick. I was taught by a famous chef Kingsley Chung that Congee soup made with different ingredients has been the Chinese way of self regulating good digestion and health for ions. I just add ingredients from my pantry or fridge. Look over the list at the bottom and just combine the ingredients to make a personal elixir that tastes yummy and heals what’s ailing you. Congee is simple and easy to make. A small amount of grains with 5-6 times more water and a...

Otto’s Russian-Style Hearty Cabbag...

                Russian-Style Hearty Cabbage Soup When I was living in Invermere BC I did lots of sightseeing into the mountainous back country adjacent the Purcell, Selkirk and the Rockies mountain ranges. I remember being shown the many off the beat and track valley rivers and trails that were once transportation routes for the many mines that were situated all through this area. Some of the mines had natural hot springs and gardens that flourished to bath and feed the hungry miners. This one particular backwoods mine still had a...

Coal Fired Shovel Breakfasts

Coal Fired Shovel Breakfasts My chef dad Con was only five foot three inches but he was solid built like a bull dog. He boxed as a teenager but later realized that all his yelling and acting real angry got the message across better and without battle scars. My dad was incapable of driving and thing on wheels. If you were the person who stopped to help my dad who was always carrying grocery items, he would promise them some of his prepared food at the end of the day which also meant he would bag a ride to the station or better yet home. I remember there were a lot of...

Back in the 70’s, Guinness record ...

                  Wayne Conrad Serbu Back in the 70’s I was making my way around Ontario searching out small independent cheese makers that would make artisan branded cheese for a large conglomerate food manufacturer. Millbank Cheese was one of the first I stopped at because of my familiarity being sold at the Galt market. I stopped in and saw that this Giant Cheese being made to be in the Guinness records. After doing my business with the owners I asked what are all the people doing over at that house? Don Tanner’s...

Burt Reynolds Monte Cristo Sandwich

Burt Reynolds Monte Cristo Sandwich. On a flight home I was seated next to a gentleman who also was heading to Toronto. We spoke and he just was going to be checking possible locations to set up his food service company for the movie industry. He spoke about his California based company was expanding and he was going to put four of his mobile kitchens to work in Canada. As the conversation grew a position for me to break into motion picture catering was being formed. Months had gone buy and I had forgotten about this gentleman’s proposal when out of the blue he phones and...

Steamer Clams Fresh Oysters and Caviar w...

Meeting Dennis Hopper! I just finished my last shift before some holidays working at the Hotel Vancouver.  I covered lots of shifts from early am till after midnight. It was time for a break and this spring time was mine to do whatever I wished and I figured about a months of traveling in B.C. and eating someone else’s cooking was all I would need to build up my cooking spirits and strengths again. I made it back to Ontario for a quick visit but couldn’t wait to get back to Beach Ave: 1976 I took on a chef position at the Kettle of Fish on Pacific Blvd. My bbq grill...