HUNGRY GERALD

Vij’s is one of the ornaments of Vancouver. It is an Indian fusion restaurant and as close to being perfect as any eatery can be. It was located on 14th Avenue just east of Cambie. When HG/BSK were part time Vancouver residents for some ten years, HG/BSK ate there at least once a week. No reservations. HG/BSK would join a line waiting for the 5:30 PM opening. Only way to get seated without a long wait. Vij’s has moved some blocks south on Cambie into a much larger, luxurious space with perfect lighting and acoustics. As always, there is lovely blend of warm, attentive service and restaurant professionalism. Founder/owner Vikram Vij has always promoted wine as the right accompaniment for his food. This is reflected in a new, vast wine list. Many affordable bottles and rare vintages for high flying oligarchs. HG/BSK drank Beaujolais Villages and dined on grilled vegetables in a mung bean curry; ling cod in a tomato based sauce; Vij’s signature dish of pink lamb “popsicles” in a cream curry. Warm naan slicked with a variety of spices and basmati rice. Palate cleansing kulfi and a creative Indian version of carrot cake were the desserts. Opulent meal. Memorable.

Following the carnivorous excess at Noel and Yossi M.’s Ocean Mist Farm (near Panmure Island in southeast Prince Edward Island), HG/BSK and family decided it was time for a vegetarian feast. The basis for the healthy and supremely flavorful dinner was the cuisine of Vikram Vij, the proponent of Indian fusion cooking and proprietor of Vancouver, B.C.’s famed Vij’s and Rangoli restaurants. In a cooperative cooking effort, BSK prepared two curries: Eggplant and cauliflower (plus a big pot of rice). HG cooked red beans and rice (the beans were in a super spicy masala sauce). Lesley and Massimo R. and Handsome Haru were efficient sous chefs.) Once more, Vij’s recipes proved flawless. (Check them out online and enjoy). Gahan’s Red Ale (brewed on PEI) was the perfect accompaniment.

Yes, HG/BSK can and do prepare excellent Indian food at home. HG refers to Indian food, not Native American food. Despite being surrounded by Native American pueblos, the only Native American food HG has tasted is Fry Bread. Not healthy and not tasty. BSK bases home style Indian cooking on the very good recipes from the cookbooks authored by Vikram Vij and his wife, Meeru Dhalwala. They have a number of super Indian fusion restaurants in Vancouver, B.C. and suburbs. HG/BSK delighted in the restaurants during HG/BSK’s long residence in Vancouver. The special spices needed for Indian cooking can be found at Talin, the international food store in Santa Fe. BSK gets the vegetables for Asian cooking at Whole Foods. Happily, Whole Foods also carries very good frozen Naan, the delectable Indian bread. Last night, BSK prepared a vegetarian Indian dinner (BSK gives the cookbook recipes a special, creative tweak). The dishes were Cauliflower “steaks” in a spicy, but not tongue numbing, curry; Eggplant and green onions in a tomato based curry spiced with turmeric, Mexican chile powder and cayenne. BSK gilded the Naan with olive oil and baked slices in the oven. HG surprised BSK with a bowl of Madras Lentils and a bowl of Paneer Makhani (Paneer cheese in a creamy sauce). No, HG did not cook these treats. Just popped some packages of Tasty Bite Indian Cuisine in boiling water and let them heat for seven minutes. Totally delicious. Totally healthy. Totally natural. No preservatives, MSG, chemicals, coloring. And the Tasty Bite company pledges that 80% of the energy used to make their dishes comes from renewable sources. The Tasty Bite packages HG bought at a local supermarket cost $3.79 each. A package of the lentils and the paneer would make a tasty quick dinner for two accompanied by a bowl of yogurt and sliced radishes plus rice (or Naan).

Pork bellies!! These two words spell disgust, antipathy, revulsion for millions of Muslims and observant Jews (as well, of course, for vegetarians and cardiologists). Defiant HG loves them. (However, being reasonably prudent, HG eats them only occasionally). Last night was one of those occasions. BSK made a rustic curry of spinach and tomatoes substituting firm tofu for traditional paneer, the Indian cheese. This is one of Vikram Vij’s home cooking recipes. HG was in charge of the pork bellies. Cut the slices into two inch squares (Pork belies are economical. Available at all Prince Edward Island grocers, a package enough for two diners is $1.60 US). Fried them at medium high heat until they browned and crisped and released most of their fat. Put them aside to drain in a bowl lined with paper towels. When pan cooled, wiped out all fat with some more paper towels. Put the pork bellies back in the pan and glazed them over gentle heat in a mix of grated garlic, soy sauce, oyster sauce and honey. HG/BSK each filled a bowl with rice. Topped the rice with spinach. Placed the crisp pork on the rice. A dusting of Japanese pepper mix. Sublime. Made a great meal with the curry and plenty of crispy papadums. Exquisite Maiko, brilliant chef and HG/BSK’s adorable daughter-in-law, makes a lush Japanese dish called Buta no Kakuni with thick pork bellies, soft boiled eggs and stewed daikon. This is a two day dish. The pork bellies are first seared, then cooked at a low boil with ginger, scallions, sake and water. Finally they are left in the pot and refrigerated overnight. In the morning, all the fat is removed and the pork is simmered together with mirin, sugar, soy sauce and dashi broth — the daikon and the eggs are also added. Ah!!!

Food Island Day takes place on Prince Edward Island this week, a one-day symposium bringing together PEI growers, food processors, exporters, product developers, etc.. The aim is to share knowledge of emerging food and dining trends plus changing agricultural practices. The keynote speech will be given by Vikram Vij: “From the Kitchen to the Boardroom: Business Entrepreneurship and Cooking with Love.” Of course, daughter Victoria and husband Marc. M. (New York’s Rosie’s, Cookshop, Hundred Acres and Vic’s) are HG/BSK’s favorite restaurateurs, but right after them comes warm, engaging Vikram Vij. He is the owner of Vij’s, the renowned Indian fusion restaurant in Vancouver, B.C. During the ten years HG/BSK maintained part time homes (first a loft and then a modernist town home) in that enchanting city, the duo often dined at Vij’s. No reservations. Madly (and deservedly) popular. You had to join the lineup to get seated when the restaurant opened at 5:30. Filled immediately. And, never an empty seat thereafter. Warm greeting from Vij. Gracious service from a waitstaff of lovely young women. The food was consistently innovative and delicious. Surprising combinations of the very freshest ingredients. Splendidly curated selection of appropriate wines and beers. The New York Times called Vij’s: “Easily one of the finest Indian restaurants in the world.” While HG/BSK, were residents in Vancouver, Vij opened Rangoli, a casual neighboring restaurant that also offered frozen dishes for home consumption. Since then, HG has learned, Vij has opened My Shanti restaurant in the B.C. city of Surrey and has inaugurated a popular Vij’s food truck that roams Vancouver avenues. Vij frozen foods appear in the frozen foods section of a number of Canadian grocers. A new Vij flagship restaurant will open on Vancouver’s busy Cambie Street. Best of all, according to HG’s point of view, Vij and his wife, Meeru Dhalwala (she’s the genius behind all of the Vij kitchens) have authored two cookbooks: “Vij’s: Elegant and Inspired Indian food” and “Vij’s At Home: Relax, Honey.” The recipes are flawless. Last night, HG/BSK supped happily on two dishes from “Vij’s At Home”: Cauliflower “Steaks” and a curry of red kidney beans served over rice. (The Vij “family” chicken curry is a favorite of HG/BSK’s family and friends). When you are in a particularly festive mood and have a good bottle of California Cabernet at hand, cook Vij’s lamb “popsicles,” an HG favorite.