Aboriginal Cuisine by Executive Chef Daryle Nagata

For the remainder of February, The Pan Pacific Hotel Vancouver features the “Kla-how-ya” Aboriginal Village and Chef Daryle Nagata’s unique aboriginal-inspired, west coast maki rolls, smoked salmon on bannock and more, in their Café Pacifica or Cascades Lounge, starting at $10 each. I sampled some of these treats at an Aboriginal Tourism event.  I am hoping they will extend the offering past February.  Pictures are below.    

Traditional Salish Cedar Salmon

Smoked Sturgeon on Mi’kmaq 4ct. Bread
   
Dene Reindeer Pate, Chockcherry Compote

Taltson River fry Bread with Mipkuzola & Cloud Berries
  
Bison & Wild boar Sausage, Mountain Cranberry Relish   

Laurention Duck Confit (in potatoes – below)   

Nunavut Arctic Muskox , Lingonberry Jelly (below)   
   

East meets West: Aboriginal Sushi Maki Rolls are available at the Pan Pacific.  Since Tojo invented the California Roll, it’s only fitting that another Vancouver culinary talent carries on to invent Aboriginal sushi.     

East meets West: Aboriginal Sushi Maki Rolls
From the “Nunavut Roll”, made from Arctic Char and Sea Urchin, to the “Aboriginal Roll” incorporating Teriyaki Muskox and the “Vancouver 2010 Roll” featuring BC Dungeness Crab and 24 Carat Gold, traditional west coast cuisine has a whole new meaning at the Pan Pacific Vancouver.     

Chef Nagata’s recipes: 

Wild BC Cedar Plank Salmon   
Ingredients   
1 cedar plank (6 by 14 inches)                       1 cup of maple syrup 
2 salmon fillets (1 1/2 pounds, skin on)            Salt and freshly ground black pepper        

Directions     

Soak cedar plank in salted water over night (or minimum 2 hours) then drain. Remove any  bones from the salmon, rinse salmon under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels. Marinate in maple syrup for one hour.     

Heat oven to 375°. Generously season the salmon with salt and pepper on both sides. Lay the salmon skin-side down on the cedar plank. Bake until firm to the touch in the thickest part of the fish, around 12-15 minutes. Serve the salmon right off the cedar plank.     

Bella Coola Bannock Fry Bread     

1 cup milk                                  1 tbsp fresh yeast  
1 cup warm water                       6 cups flour  
1 TBSP salt                                 1 egg  
1 tsp sugar                                 1 tbsp shortening     

In a Bowl add ¼ cup of the warm water & sugar. Mix to dissolve the sugar and add the yeast. Cover and let yeast develop for 5 min.     

In a separate bowl add flour, make a well and add the remaining warm water, milk, egg, salt , shortening and developed yeast mixture.     

Kneed the dough for 10 minutes, cover and let rise for 2 hours in a warm area. Punch down after the first hour and again after the second hour before portioning to desired shape and size.     

Fry bannock in a shallow pan of oil until golden brown on both sides.     

Bannock bread was originally a Scottish recipe brought over by settlers, trappers and yoyagers a few hundred years ago. You will see many cooking styles of bannock that were developed by the vast array of aboriginal nations across the country. From fried, baked or roasted on a stick over fire.  Recipes also vary from ones with yeast, baking powder to eggs & wild rice.      

Recipes by Executive Chef Daryle Nagata, Pan Pacific Vancouver     

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Holland Heinkein House

If you take a trip out to Richmond’s Ozone make time for The Holland Heineken House.  Hosted by the Dutch Olympic Committee, this 5,000 square meters in the Minoru Area is right beside the Richmond Olympic Oval, home of the Dutch favourite, speed skating.

At  night check out the medal ceremonies held for Dutch athletes, listen to live Dutch entertainent and DJ’s, and if you have smartly booked ahead, or care to take your chances and wait for a cancellation, you can dine at the more formal Lodge Restaurant, upstairs. 

 Downstairs there is more casual fare – sandwiches, burgers and dutch favorites such hotch potch, a combo of mashed potatoes and sauerkrate topped with bacon bits and sausage,  and deep fried beef stew which is much like a creamy beef dish coated in breadcrumb.  I know it sounds a bit disgusting, but it’s rather delicious.

Multiple big screens and lots of seating, of course along with Heineken beer, make this place a rather happening spot.  You can also try your luck at computer simulated snow boarding, sit in a bobsled or try out synthesized speed skating.  There’s also some tastful and funky clothing, so bring some cash along.

Alberta Pavilion

Alberta has brought the province to Vancouver at Robson and Beatty Street, where The Atlantic Trap and Gill is usually found.  The actual house and restaurant within isn’t open to the public, but it does host guests who are presented with Alberta’s business and tourism opportunities, along with athletes and media.  http://alberta.ca/vancouver2010/alberta-house.htm

Alberta Plaza, in front of Alberta House, is open to the public from 11:00 am – 1:00 am and serves us some well thought out cuisine based on ingredients found in the province.There’s a ton of big screens and nightly entertainment – free performances featuring 40 of Alberta’s established and emerging musicians and artists.

In addition to the musical artists performing on Alberta Plaza, a selection of 20 artworks from the permanent art collection of the Alberta Foundation for the Arts are on display – check out the  hand blown glass, digital photography and kinetic sculpture.

This is a great place to watch the games (if you get there earl) as there’s many big screens and the food here has been brought in by Chef Brad Smoliak, a respected Albertan food product developer It is both reasonably affordable, and worth getting there early for.  He keeps the fare simple and flavourful.

Some items the menu inclede the Cowboy Trail Chile, Heartland Chicken Pie, Rocky Mountain Sausage, along with a Gingerbread cake served with Saskatoon Berries.  If you’re lucky enough to get an invite into the VIP area try the Wild Boar Bacon Vodka Caeser, with bacon infused vodka and bacon garnish.

Pictured below are Honourable Jack Hayden, Minister of Agriculture, Honourable Cindy Ady, Minister of Tourism and Recreation, and Chef Brad Smoliak.

         

The wild boar bacon caesar is inventive, and hungry diners will appreciate the cowboy chili, mushroom chowder and the Gingerbread Cake. 

Richmond OZone’s BC Street

Richmond OZone – BC Street – In addition to the main attractions in and around the Ozone in Richmond (concerts, ice sculpture competition, a ferris wheel, skating and the amazing olympic cranberry ring pictured to the left), BC Street is open next to city hall on the east side of the Ozone.  Here you’ll find the seven regions of the province showcasing their best.  If you’re planning some BC travel this summer, it’s a a great snapshot of what you’ll find in each region.

In the Cariboo Chilcotin, the exhibit celebrates their recent designation as the Forest Capital of Canada.  Dream of owning a log home?  Get all the info here, along with tastes of cariboo jerky, pepperoni, and their unique birch syrup that gives maple syrup a run for its money.  I’m fantasizing of a trip out to the area’s Hills Health Ranch in 108 Mile Ranch where their spa, hiking and riding adventures seem like the perfect break from my far too busy life.

Al Richmond, Chair of the Cariboo Regional District and pictured on the right, is a great resource on the Cariboo region. 

The Kootenay Rockies you can have your picture taken to look like you are heading down the hills on a mountain bike, and look over the Ktunaxa First Nations Interpretive Centre.  Over in the South Okanagan-Similkameen you can sample some of the regions orchard fruit and plan your trip to the over 80 wineries of the region.

Concord Place Pavilion visits – Sask, Quebec, Ontario

I managed to find my appetite again and headed out to sample the offerings of the Pavilions around Concord Place.  Saskatchewan was my first stop.  There Pavilion is spacious, and they tend not to let too many people in at once, making it quite comfortable.  BUT – be forewarned, they don’t play the Olympic events on the screens inside, instead there’s entertainment and lots of shots of Saskatchewan, which encouraged me to add it to my must visit list.  Items on the menu include a tasty bison burger and a Saskatchewan lentil burger.  They’ve got perogies, and I found a favourite in the sausage on a bun.  Don’t miss the Saskatchewan berry tarts.  Saskatchewan Day is February 23, so visit then for added festivities.

 

Wayne Gretzky made an appearance at the Ontario House on Friday, and line ups were rather brutal.  He signed a generous amount of clothing and showcased his new wine, which is served at the Pavilion alongside Dan Akroyds.  Celebraties and wineries, there’s now so many of them. 

Opus catering was hired to supply the food, and they’d done a fantastic job of it.  Duck shephard’s pie, Charcuterie plate, Mac and Cheese, Spring Rolls, Mini-Burgers, fries.  Everything a hungry Olympic fan could want.  There’s Ontario Beers and wine, the only downfall is that there’s not much to see in this area.  Aparently the 4D presentation is worthwhile though, right next door.

       

Quebec House has lots of Entertainment and catering here is supplied by Hotel Chateau Laurier from Quebec.  They’re doing sandwhiches made with smoked turkey and other Quebec meats, on Terra Bread, always a good choice.  Each day the menu changes and note that poutine is not on everyday, which seems to have annoyed many in search of the well known fries, curd and gravy dish.  I sampled meatballs and mashed potatoes. A tad salty, but otherwise rather nicely done.  A lot of the seats are actually outdoors, so give this a miss if it is raining. 

    

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