Vancouver Fall Home Show: What’s on the Cooking Stage?

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Aside from the displays of faucets and furniture, windows and waterproofing, one of the very best reasons to visit the Vancouver Fall Home Show is for the Cooking Stage, where top chefs share anecdotes, offer cooking tips and provide the kind of recipes that will elevate your own cooking game in the months ahead.

We checked in with three celebrated Vancouver-based chefs who will be appearing at this year’s Home Show (Oct. 24 to 27). They told us all about what they’re cooking up right now—and gave us a sneak peek of what they have planned for the Cooking Stage. Here’s what they had to say.

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Bruno Feldeisen, chef and judge on The Great Canadian Baking Show

What he’s working on

In July, Feldeisen finished filming Season 8 of CBC’s The Great Canadian Baking Show. “Episode 1 is coming out on Oct. 6 with a new bunch of bakers and an amazing winner, with food from all over the world,” he says, adding: “It’s a captivating and humbling experience for me that people have so much talent.”

That’s especially true because these are non-professional bakers—then again, perhaps that’s why they are so adventurous. “They are not afraid to fail, and that’s the beauty of it,” he says.

Feldeisen has also been cooking at popups around town with Swallow Tail Culinary Adventures, and has a new cookbook coming out on Oct. 1: The Bacon, Butter, Bourbon & Chocolate Cookbook: Chef Bruno’s Favourite Ingredients (Whitecap Books).

What he’s loving for fall

“Fall is about time in the kitchen, moving our life back into the kitchen,” he says.

“For me, it’s all about apples, pears, quince, persimmons, mushrooms and squash. In fall, it’s easy to grab local stuff. I always encourage people to do the extra legwork and make sure it’s local,” he adds. “It’s important to support farmers, especially this year.”

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What to expect at the Home Show

“It will definitely be something seasonal leading to the soon-to-come holidays,” he says. “I like to work with deadlines, so it may be a few days before I know for sure.”

He expects that on Day 1 he’ll be doing some braised meat with aromatics; Day 2 will likely be a dessert. And there will probably be something with mushrooms “because I’m doing a mushroom pop-up dinner just a few days before with Swallow Tail.”

Sean Murray, executive chef, Pan Pacific Hotel Vancouver

What he’s working on

Fall’s a busy season at the Pan Pacific. All the fall menus are coming out, they’re launching a lobster bar in the Coal Harbour Bar, plus they have their Saturday night jazz buffet and massive Sunday brunch buffet, in addition to regular service in the property’s three restaurants, in-room dining and banquets.

“It’s going to be good. We’ve built a really strong team post-pandemic,” says Murray. “And then we go right into the festive season.”

What he’s loving for fall

“Mushrooms for sure. All the fall fruits. The squashes. I like squashes,” he says. “I love the heartier items. I tend to do quite a bit with turkey. I’ll roll and stuff the breast and braise it. It’s a little more fun.” Best of all, he says: “It’s cosier weather and the return to cooking at home.”

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What to expect at the Home Show

“I’m going to do some basic pickling,” Murray says. “During the pandemic, I was doing a lot of cooking at home, and I always had some kind of pickle.”

To be clear, these are quick pickles, easy to make, no canning involved and budget-friendly, too. “For five, six, seven dollars, you can have several weeks of food. It’s cheap, and it ends up creating something healthy,” he says. “There’s some freshness, and there’s some acidity. It’s healthy and it’s colourful.”

William Lew, chef-director for Pacific Reach

What he’s working on

Lew recently left Hotel Versante for Pacific Reach, a diversified investment firm that works with real estate, hospitality, healthcare and technology in Calgary, Chicago, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Toronto and Vancouver. Its Vancouver properties include several hotels, among them the Rosewood Hotel Georgia, where they recently remade the lobby bar and are in the process of rebuilding the Reflections Lounge.

“We needed a food and beverage group to oversee our operations,” Lew explains. “My role is, I’m still a chef, but I’m a director of this part of the company. It’s really a dream job for anyone in this business.”

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What he’s loving for fall

As an ambassador and advocate for Ocean Wise, he’s happy to name seafood—especially seafood—as a great fall staple. “Shellfish is always in season, but it’s better in fall and winter,” he says. “Cold water makes the seafood sweeter.”

He’s also excited by all the local seaweed, including bull kelp and kombu from Bamfield-based Canadian Kelp, which has long been a popular ingredient in Asian cooking. “And,” he says, “it’s one of the fastest growing and most sustainable elements out there.”

What to expect at the Home Show

Lew is planning to demonstrate two recipes that are variations on a theme of seafood and Asian flavours—one is a sablefish tartare tartlet with XO chili oil, the other a scallop dish with Chinese fermented tofu, cream sauce, poached sidestripe shrimp and ginger scallion oil. The scallops will be tucked into a nest of kelp “noodles” and topped with caviar.

“I want to highlight some local producers as well,” he says. Among them is Holy Duck Chili Oil, co-created by Louise Pang. “I enjoy supporting her story. She’s a home cook and mother making a chili oil crunch. I’m hoping to bring her on stage and show people what to do with it.”

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Recipes

Coffee & Molasses Baby Back Ribs

These finger-licking baby back ribs are the perfect casual meal: easy to prepare and cook. Warm coffee flavours blend with the fat from the ribs in a magical way creating some amazing popping flavours in your mouth. Recipe by Bruno Feldeisen, chef, judge and author of The Bacon, Butter, Bourbon & Chocolate Cookbook. Note that you will need to start this recipe the day before you serve it.

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup ground coffee
• ½ cup light brown sugar
• 2 tbsp light soy sauce
• ½ cup light molasses
• ¼ cup rice vinegar
• ½ cup olive oil
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 1 tsp chopped fresh thyme leaves
• 1 tbsp grated ginger root
• 1 tbsp chopped garlic
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• Grated zest of 1 orange
• 2.5 lb. rack of pork baby back ribs
• 1 shallot, sliced

Method

Make the marinade: In a bowl, whisk together all the ingredients except the ribs and shallot.

Line a baking tray with plastic wrap and place the baby back ribs in the middle. Rub the ribs all over with the marinade. Wrap the plastic around the ribs and marinate for 12 hours in the refrigerator.

Preheat oven to 345°F.

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Scatter the sliced shallots in a baking tray. Remove the ribs from the plastic and place them on top of the shallots. Drizzle any excess coffee marinade over top.

Cover the entire tray with aluminium foil and bake for 2 hours or until the ribs are tender. Remove the ribs from the oven.

Increase oven temperature to 420°F.

Remove the foil, then return the ribs to the oven and bake for another 10 minutes.

Slice the ribs, then serve on a platter alongside your favourite roasted vegetables. If you like, garnish with additional grated orange zest.

Baby Bok Choy & Pickled Purple Cabbage Slaw with Cashew-White Balsamic Vinaigrette

This bright, fresh, colourful salad pops with flavour thanks to its quick-pickled ingredients. Recipe by Sean Murray, executive chef at the Pan Pacific Hotel Vancouver.

Serves 6

• 6 baby bok choys, cored and sliced thin
• 2 Asian pears (or green apple), julienned
• ¼ cup pickled purple cabbage (recipe follows)
• ¼ cup pickled daikon (recipe follows)
• ¼ cup julienned carrot
• 4 tbsp coarsely chopped cilantro
• ¼ cup cashew-balsamic vinaigrette (recipe follows)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Toasted cashews, lightly crushed, for garnish
• Toss the bok choy with the julienned pears or apples, cabbage, daikon, carrot, cilantro and vinaigrette. Season to taste and garnish with the toasted cashew pieces.

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Pickled Purple Cabbage

• ½ small head of purple cabbage, sliced thin
• ½ purple onion, sliced thin
• 2 tsp kosher salt, or as needed
• 2 cup red wine vinegar
• ½ cup honey

Toss the onion and cabbage together and season well with the kosher salt, place in a colander and let drain for two hours; this will give you a crunchier pickle.

Rinse the cabbage-onion mixture well and divide between two sterilized 500 mL jars or other non-reactive containers.

In a small pot, bring the vinegar and honey to a boil. Remove from the heat and when the mixture reaches 60° C (140°F) on a digital thermometer, pour over the cabbage-onion mixture, making sure it is covered by liquid. Once the vegetables are cool, place them in the refrigerator until needed. The pickle will keep up to 4 weeks in the refrigerator.

Daikon Pickle

• 1 lb daikon, julienned
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 ¼ cup rice wine vinegar
• 1 cup lukewarm water (36.5° to 40.5°C or 98°F to 105°F)

Massage the salt into the daikon for about 3 minutes or until it starts to soften, then rinse well.

In a separate bowl combine the sugar, vinegar and water. Once the sugar dissolves, add the vegetables. Will keep in a sterilized jar in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

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Cashew Balsamic Vinaigrette

Makes about one cup

• 1/8 cup toasted cashews, soaked in water overnight
• 1.3 cup grapeseed oil
• 1/3 cup white balsamic vinegar
• 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
• Salt and pepper to taste

Drain the cashews then place in a blender or food processor with the vinegar and mustard and process at medium speed until finely ground. Turn blender to low and slowly add the oil until vinaigrette is emulsified. Add salt and pepper to taste.

 XO Sablefish Tartare Tartlets

This elegant appetizer is bursting with umami flavours and makes the most of local ingredients such as sablefish, kelp and XO sauce, a spicy seafood-based condiment. Recipe by chef William Lew of Pacific Reach. Note that there are multiple components to this recipe, so you will likely want to start it a day ahead.

Makes 12 tartlets

Mandarin Peel Gelee

• 1 cup mandarin orange juice (see note)
• 15 g dried preserved mandarin orange peels, finely diced
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 5 g agar agar

Place juice, diced mandarin orange peel, sugar and agar agar in a pot over medium heat and bring to a simmer for about 3 minutes — this should allow the agar agar (a vegetarian gelatin substitute) to activate. Turn off the heat and let cool slightly.

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Pour slightly cooled liquid into a clean plastic container. Place in the fridge to cool and set—this should take about an hour. Once the gelee is set, scoop it out and place it in a blender. Blend to a smooth, thick, viscous gel. Add a little water if it is too thick. Transfer gelee to a squeeze bottle and reserve for platting.

Note: To make the mandarin orange juice, peel and segment 10 mandarin oranges and place the segments in a blender. Blend until smooth, then strain through a fine mesh strainer. Discard the pulp and chill the juice until ready to use.

Crispy Sablefish XO Chili Oil

• 100 g sablefish trim (preferably Golden Eagle)
• ¾ cup canola oil
• ¼ cup MAMA in the Kitchen Premium XO Sauce (or XO sauce of your choice)

Small dice the sablefish trim and place in a pot with the canola oil. Bring to a very low simmer and cook until the sablefish meat is golden brown, dry and crispy —all moisture should be removed from the fish meat. Strain from oil and let air cool. Once cooled mix with the chili oil to add additional crunch and umami sablefish flavour.

Stored in a sterilized jar in the refrigerator, this should last up to three months.

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Pickled BC Kelp

• ½ cup rice wine vinegar
• ½ cup water
• ½ cup sugar
• ½ tsp peppercorns
• 1 pod star anise
• 5 blades dried or fresh B.C. kelp (see note)

Make the pickling liquid: Place all the ingredients except kelp in a pot over medium-high heat and bring to a simmer, stirring frequently, until sugar is dissolved. Cool liquid fully, then keep in fridge until ready to use.

Meanwhile, soak the kelp blades for about 20 minutes in cold water to unravel and wash off any excess salt. Remove from water and pat dry with paper towel or a cloth.

Use a small ring mould that matches the circumference of your tartlet shell and proceed to punch out circles of kelp. (Reserve the kelp trim for soups or any other umami flavorings.) Place the kelp circles in a non-reactive bowl or container, then pour enough pickling liquid over them to keep them covered. Keep in fridge until needed.

Note: Dried kelp can be purchased at specialty grocery stores or directly from local harvesters, foragers or farmers, such as Bamfield-based Canadian Kelp.

Salted Edd Yolk Tartlets

Note: You can purchase pre-made savoury tart shells or make your own from the recipe below. If you do, note that you will need 24 equally sized small metal fluted tart shell moulds.

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• 4 sheets Feuilles de Brick pastry (see note)
• Canola spray
• 2 whole eggs, lightly beaten to create an egg wash
• 1 Chinese salted duck egg yolk

Use fluted ring cutters to punch out 24 circles from the Feuille de Brick that will fit into your tart shell moulds. Spray the inside of 12 moulds with the canola spray, then place a layer of the punched-out dough into each of them. Lightly brush with egg wash.

Using a microplane, lightly grate a fine amount of salted egg yolk over the dough in each tart shell mould. Cover each one with a second sheet of dough and lightly press together. Spray with canola oil, then place a second tart mould on top of each shell.

Preheat an oven to 350°F. Place the tartlets in the preheated oven and bake for about 8 to 10 minutes or until the tartlets are golden brown. Remove from oven and cool to room temperature. Carefully remove from the tart moulds and set aside until ready to plate.

Note: Feuilles De Brick pastry dough is a super-versatile, mild-flavoured dough that’s used by chefs for both sweet and savoury dishes. Sold in convenient round sheets, it holds up to baking, pan-frying and deep-frying alike. It can be purchased through specialty retailers such as Chefs Warehouse (chefswarhouse.com). However, in a pinch, you can substitute phyllo pastry.

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XO Sablefish Tartare

• 240 g sashimi-grade Sablefish (preferably Golden Eagle), diced
• 2 scallions, finely sliced
• 3 tbsp Crispy Sablefish XO Chili Oil (made with the recommended MAMA in the Kitchen Premium XO Sauce or XO sauce of your choice), or add amount to preferred spice level
• 60 g spicy preserved pickled mustard plant (zha cai), diced
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• ½ tbsp soy sauce
• Finely grated zest of 1 lime

Gently combine all ingredients in a non-reactive bowl. Cover and keep chilled until ready to serve.

Assembly

• 12 tartlet shells
• XO Sablefish Tartare
• Pickled BC Kelp
• Mandarin Orange Peel Gelee
• Micro greens
• Edible flowers
• Crispy Sablefish Chili Oil

Into each of the tartlet shells, place about 25g of the XO Sablefish Tartare. Cover with a circle of the pickled kelp. Make a small indentation in the kelp and squeeze a medium size dot of the Mandarin Orange Peel Gelee in the middle. Garnish with micro greens and edible flower petals on top of the finished tart shell. Serve with chili oil.

For more on the Vancouver Fall Home Show, visit vancouverfallhomeshow.com.

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