CAMBIE STREET PLUG: KREATION BAKERY & CAFE GLOUCESTER REVISITED & GINSENG SEAFOOD NOODLE RESTAURANT (REVIEW)

cakes from kreation bakery on cambie street

bebe's favourite: a mini vanilla cupcake with pink raspberry buttercream

The Cambie Street corridor that underwent Canada Line construction is open again and we've revisited a few establishments. A couple of new Asian restaurants have popped back to life.

vanilla sponge, ricotta mousse infused with citrus flavour, blueberry cream filling; topped with orange and orange zest.

We parked in the street in front of Kreation Bakery and walked across the street to eat at Cafe Gloucester today. Later, after lunch we stopped by Kreation bakery to pick up a few items. Bebe wanted her usual: a mini cupcake. I purchased the Earl Grey Chocolate Mousse and an Orange Ricotta Mousse with Blueberry filling. The cakes were pretty and looked yummy.

the sponge wrapped around the mousse was light and airy.

the blueberry filling looked rich, but it wasn't. in fact, the whole cake was quite light tasting

earl grey chocolate mousse ($5.00) from kreation bakery

CAFE GLOUCESTER

3338 Cambie Street, Vancouver, BC

The other restaurant we have long been waiting to reopen was Cafe Gloucester. It closed down a couple of years ago and didn't reopen until just recently. It is now run by new owners. It has a completely new staff. On our first visit a couple of weeks ago, we weren't extremely impressed with the flavours of the dishes. However, we gave them another try today at lunch and we were pretty happy with the way they've tweaked the dishes to taste better. They were more generous with the "fillings": the Shanghai Noodles had more meat and veggies, the sauce was much improved and the noodles were more tender. I had the Laksa free-range Hainan chicken (jow day gai) noodle soup, and Stomach had a Chiu Chow Seafood Rice Soup. Stomach was pleasantly surprised with the quality of the broth. I was happy with my Laksa flavours. The girls were happy with their noodles and scarfed it all down. A good sign. I hope they maintain consistency.

manjari tea mousse, tea brulee, tea almond spongecake and meringue with almond slices.


KREATION ARTISAN CAKE
3357 Cambie Street (on the west side of Cambie, between 17th and 18th Avenues).
Kreation's cakes were all light tasting. The meringue disk on the chocolate mousse was crunchy, light and delicious. The bottom of the disk was painted with some dark chocolate so as to ensure that it maintained its crispness atop the mousse. There were 2 distinct mousses. The outer mousse was darker and the inner a lighter colour, which enveloped the tea almond spongecake. My favourite part was actually the meringue disk! The whole cake was delicious and had a unique tea flavour. I'm not sure where the tea brulee part comes in. Unless it was what I thought was the painted on dark chocolate. Maybe. But it sure looked and tasted like dark chocolate. Anyhow, it was all good.
Most items range from about $3.75 to $5.00 each. The bakery seems to do a hopping business with wedding cakes and favours. As well, they sell those highly decorated sugar cookies that look too pretty to eat. The little flowerpot with the decorated flower sugar cookies on a stick caught my eye. Here's their site.

GINSENG SEAFOOD NOODLE RESTAURANT (update:  CLOSED!)
3466 Cambie Street, Vancouver, B.C.
Further down Cambie Street, near Starbucks and the Park Theatre, is a newly opened restaurant called Ginseng Seafood Noodle Restaurant (it replaces the belly-up Om Vegetarian) where we have gone to on a few occasions for dinner and were pleasantly surprised by the dishes. The name of the restaurant we were told, indicates the Chef's specialties and expertise. We ordered an Oyster HotPot, a Chicken with special sweet soy-based ginger, scallion sauce and Gai Laan with Beef. The Chicken dish (a version of Jaa Jee Gai) was my favourite and my mother liked the Oyster HotPot. As with most new restaurants, they were still working out some kinks (primarily consistency) when we visited, but they seem now to be adequately busy.
This consistency thing is a problem in many restaurants I know (especially in new restaurants!) because the chef has to have his days off and his sub has to be able to pull off creating the same quality and flavours. I hate it when I recommend a restaurant to friends and they are disappointed because they happened to go on the chef's day off. They come back to me and complain. I feel bad about it, but you know how most Vancouverites are: we'll give you a try and if you don't make the grade, we won't come back. It's not often that we'll give restaurants a second try because we have so many other excellent restaurants from which to choose. That explains the high turnover rate of restaurants in Vancouver and Richmond.
Well, I hope the businesses on Cambie can rebound soon and bring Cambie Street back to life!

HOMEMADE BITTERSWEET CHOCOLATE MARSHMALLOWS

homemade bittersweet chocolate marshmallows

Bebe loves marshmallows. She can pop back a few in a blink of an eye.

Until just this year, I didn't even think to make marshmallows.

I found a marshmallow recipe in Dorie Greenspan's cookbook, Baking: From My Home to Yours, and chose a bittersweet chocolate variation. I used VanHouten cocoa powder and Lindt 70% dark chocolate and the chocolate flavour rang through very clearly.

the light dusting of cornstarch you see covering these marshmallows was largely gone after an overnight rest

Freshly made, these marshmallows, with their dusting of cornstarch, were okay. After waiting a day, they were so much better. The chocolate flavour was more intense and the texture of the marshmallows was soft and pillowy.

I dusted off the surplus cornstarch from some of the marshmallows with a pastry brush because patting them didn't seem to get enough of the cornstarch off of the marshmallows. Too much cornstarch kind of left you with an overwhelmingly powdery residue in your mouth. With the overnight marshmallows, the light film of cornstarch had been mostly absorbed. You definitely need the cornstarch there so you can cut the sticky marshmallows, so it's not as if you can do away with the dusting altogether.

I cut them in little squares and they were so light, airy and soft that you could easily eat the whole pile of them. The chocolate flavour was a winner and I'd make these again!

BITTERSWEET CHOCOLATE MARSHMALLOWS

(adapted from Dorie Greenspan's Baking: From My Home to Yours)

About 1 cup cornstarch

3/4 cup cold water

1 1/4 cup plus 1 T sugar

2 T light corn syrup

2 1/4-ounce packets unflavoured gelatin

3 large egg whites, at room temperature

1/4 t vanilla extract

3 ounces bittersweet chocolate [I used Lindt 70% dark]

2 1/2 T unsweetened cocoa powder [I used Van Houten brand cocoa powder]

• Line a rimmed baking sheet--choose one with a rim that is 1 inch high-- with parchment paper and dust the paper generously with cornstarch. Have a candy thermometer at hand.
• Put 1/3 cup of the water, 1 1/4 cups of the sugar and the corn syrup in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Once the sugar is dissolved, continue to cook the syrup--without stirring--until it reaches 265degrees F on the candy thermometer, about 10 minutes [note: it took only 6 minutes when I made it]
• While the syrup is cooking, work on the gelatin and egg whites. In a microwave-safe bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over the remaining cold water (a scant 7 tablespoons) and let it sit for about 5 minutes, until it is spongy, then heat the gelatin in a microwave oven for 20 to 30 seconds to liquefy it. (Alternatively, you can dissolve the gelatin in a saucepan over low heat.)
• Working in the clean, dry bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or in another large bowl with a hand mixer, beat the egg whites on medium-high speed until firm but still glossy--don't overbeat them and have them go dull.
• As soon as the syrup reaches 265 degrees F, remove the pan from the heat and, with the mixer on medium, speed, add the syrup, pouring it between the spinning beaters and the sides of the bowl. Add the gelatin and continue to beat for another 3 minutes, so that the syrup and the gelatin are fully incorporated. Beat in the vanilla.
• Melt the 3 oz chocolate with the cocoa powder, stirring until glossy and smooth.
• Using a large rubber spatula, scrape the melted chocolate mixture into the the batter and fold in until mixed.
• Using a large rubber spatula, scrape the meringue mixture onto the baking sheet, laying it down close to a short end of the sheet. Then spread it into the corners and continue to spread it out, taking care to keep the height of the batter at 1 inch; you won't fill the pan. Lift the excess parchment paper up to meet the edge of the batter then rest something against the paper so that it stays in place. Greenspan uses custard cups.
• Dust the top of the marshmallows with cornstarch and let the marshmallows set in a cool, dry place. They'll need about 3 hours, but they can rest for 12 hours or more.
• Once they are cool and set, cut the marshmallows with a long thing knife or pair of scissors. Whatever you use, you'll have to rinse and dry it frequently. Have a big bowl with the remaining cornstarch at hand and cut the marshmallows as you'd like--into squares, rectangles or even strips. As each piece is cut, drop it into the bowl. When you've got 4 or 5 marshmallows in the bowl, reach in with your fingers and turn the marshmallows to coat them with starch, then, one by one, toss the marshmallows from one hand to the other to shake off the excess starch; transfer them to a serving bowl. Cut and coat the rest of the batch. [I found using a pastry brush to dust off the excess cornstarch was more effective]

BEARD PAPA'S CREAM PUFFS

beard papa's at aberdeen centre mall food court, richmond, b.c.

While shopping at our local Asian mall, Aberdeen Centre, Bebe and Bib required a big snack.

Fortunately, the line at Beard Papa's wasn't so long this day. I thought it a perfect time to try out the cream puffs I've heard everyone raving about in our local papers. Apparently these cream puffs have a loyal following in Asia and around the world.

the legendary beard papa cream puff has a crispy exterior with a heavy dusting of confectioners' sugar

I had never heard of them until this year.

When I want a cream puff, I just bake my own. It's not exactly rocket science. They were the very first things I made when I started baking on my own in elementary school. They turned out perfectly the first time I made them too!

though other flavours were sold out at the time, at least i was able to buy a chocolate "eclair"

So here I was in line, waiting to see if these cream puffs lived up to their legendary status. Some people wait in the long lineups for hours just to get a box of these puffs. This reminds me of the Krispy Kreme phenomenon. I wasn't that impressed with the donuts when I tried them. They were good, but I didn't think they were worth waiting in line for when I could get really fresh donuts anywhere. The cream puffs were made on site I think. There were little signs everywhere telling of how "healthy" they were--for a junk food. One sign proclaimed each puff was only 230 calories each! wow. makes you want to eat a dozen, right?

cream puff innards: the cool custard is creamy and not cloying at all

From my place in the lineup, I could watch the cream puff assembly line: the baked puffs cooled in a pile in the back, one beard papa's employee worked the huge pump from the vat of pastry cream, filling each puff by hand and they sat waiting for the powdered sugar dusting. It looked just as efficient as McDonald's. There was obviously a system and it seemed to be working smoothly.

When I bit into the cream puff, confectioners' sugar flew everywhere--onto the front of my shirt, on the table below and up my nose. I almost choked with the sudden and unexpected inhalation of powdered sugar. The exterior was crispy and dry. Very nice. The flavour of the puff itself was eh. I've had tastier puffs from elsewhere and even made at home. The filling for the puff was very good though and was very generous. It exploded and oozed out of the puff shell. The pastry cream was still cool and the textural contrast was delightful. These puffs were quite large compared to other puffs I've had in local bakeries. I suppose they should be large because of the price you're paying.

Each original vanilla cream puff costs $1.75Cdn

A box of 6 puffs will put you back $9.50

A box of 12 puffs costs $19.50

The chocolate eclair puffs cost $1.95 each; 6 = $10.50; 12 = $21.00

I would have liked to try the green tea cream puff but they were all sold out. All the specialty flavours were unavailable when I was there. Too bad.

The chocolate eclair puff was just as good as the original puff but simply had a coating of chocolate instead of the powdered sugar.

I've since been back to the mall and have not had the inclination to buy any more puffs. I was curious what the hubbub was all about and now my curiosity is satiated. I definitely won't be in any long queue to buy these puffs in the future. Give me a short lineup and I might be tempted to have another. As many Asian families don't know how to work their ovens (yes, I've seen some families use their ovens as storage for pots, pans, plastic bags and other kitchen detritus!); instead mainly using the stovetops for stir-frying and steaming, I can see why there would be the huge lineups of Asian people for these pastries.

Fellow foodies, we could do just as well or better by baking cream puffs at home.

BANANA FLAX CHIFFON: A HEALTHY ALTERNATIVE

banana flax chiffon

Okay, you know I collect bananas.

freshly ground golden flaxseed adds health benefits to this cake without making it taste icky

I obviously have a hefty collection thus far and decided to whittle down my collection by baking my favourite chiffon cake.

the cake is very moist and can be kept for 3-5 days

I adapted the recipe by adding 4 tablespoons of freshly ground golden flaxseed. It's hardly noticeable and in fact gives it a bit of a subtle nutty flavour.

no frosting is necessary; but a dusting of confectioners' sugar is always pretty

With the addition of the flaxseed this Banana Chiffon Cake is not only moist and delicious; but it is also mildly healthy with the addition of this ingredient. At least I'm adding back some fibre in there along with the other heart-healthy benefits of flaxseed.

My favourite chiffon recipe comes from America's Test Kitchen because it uses 7 whole eggs. There's none of that craziness you get with using more egg whites than yolks; leaving you with a bunch of yolks that you have to utilize in yet another recipe.

Here's the recipe I used.

A STAPLE IN MY PANTRY

a moist slice of freshly baked banana bread

I collect bananas.

I buy a bunch whenever I shop at the market and if we eat them, that's fine, but if there's a couple lying around too brown and spotty for anyone to want to eat, I just peel them and toss them into a ziploc bag in my freezer.

Eventually, I accumulate enough bananas to make my favourite banana bread recipe.

I actually don't enjoy eating bananas per se, but I do love banana bread. With the little ones around, there's reason to bake 2 loaves. The recipe yields 2 loaves, but can easily be cut in half to make just one. I leave one freshly baked loaf out to eat and the other one I slice and wrap individually in plastic wrap. I toss these into a ziploc bag and shove that in my freezer too. When Bebe or Bib need a

snack or I'm in stuck for an idea for breakfast, I just take out what I need and zap it in the microwave for 25 seconds. It's a great time-saver and the banana bread still tastes fresh.My favourite banana recipe is moist and full of banana flavour. Ensure the bananas you use are spotty brown for the best results. If I want to get fancy, I scrape out the seeds from a vanilla bean instead of using the vanilla extract. It is so good. The recipe is here.

A VISIT TO AN ASIAN CANDY STORE

condensed milk in a tube?

The other day, we were at Yaohan Centre Mall in Richmond and I walked into an Asian candy store upstairs. OMG there were all sorts of interesting things.

I grabbed some candy bars in flavours that I've never seen before in the regular supermarkets and I even found Condensed Milk that comes in a tube! I didn't know if I were to brush my teeth with the stuff or squeeze it all over my hot buttered toast! What'll they think of next? Hm...Nutella in a tube? It probably does exist somewhere in the world.

matcha flavoured kit kat...a high end candy bar "for a moment of precious indulgence"!

chestnut-flavoured kitkat

As a child, I've always loved KitKats and Coffee Crisps. I liked to eat them in layers...you know--scrape off all the chocolate with your teeth and peel them off to eat as single wafers. The best part was the malty filling part. The flavour that blew my mind away at the Asian candy store was "Chestnut". Matcha I can see...but the chestnut flavour sure was interesting.

chocolate biscuit shaped like mushrooms

I also picked up some chocolate cookies at Yaohan. These biscuits come in cute shapes like coniferous trees and mushrooms. They're topped with chocolate that's been molded to form the cap of the mushrooms or the "leaves" of the tree. I've had these before and they are quite tasty. Bebe loves the little mushroom shapes.

it's been pointed out that these are bamboo shoot shaped (now i see the bamboo in the foreground and the bambooish font!), but as a canadian, i of course saw them as coniferous trees!

The store also had a myriad of Pocky flavours, Hello Kitty candies, asian-inspired gums, chips and other snacks. I was overwhelmed by the selection and kept wondering why in mainstream supermarkets in Canada we only get such a limited selection of flavours? We get crappy ol' coffee, strawberry, vanilla or chocolate flavours. How humdrum!

Visiting an Asian Mall in Vancouver is pretty much like walking into another country...except you can leave your passport at home! What fun!

CINNAMON BUN STYLES: THEY'RE ALL GOOD

cream cheese frosting slathered cinnamon bun

I have a 15 year old Black and Decker bread machine stashed away in my cupboard.

You didn't know Black and Decker made bread machines, didja? (no, I didn't buy it at Home Depot!) I have gotten some good use out of my machine and it's still chugging along no problems...knock-on-wood! Though it's an ugly beast it does the job. It doesn't have a little glass window so you can watch the bread mix, rise and bake. I just lift the lid and take a peek. What I discovered is that it's perfect for making really wet and sticky doughs. I just use the "dough" setting and when it's ready I do the rest by hand. I've made foccaccia, brioche and of course cinnamon buns with this great dough setting.

I was flipping through my collection of cinnamon bun recipes and I came across a couple of favourites...

In Vancouver, we have an institution that makes the best Cinnamon Buns ever. They're unique and you have to be a starving university student to understand the cult-like following that these buns have. In fact, you have to be on campus to purchase these buns. The University of British Columbia has the best caramelized cinnamon buns out there. There's no stupid raisins sticking out of the dough. There's no nuts and there's no cream cheese frosting. The texture is lighter and they're not as rich as the ones you buy at the mall. But these suckers are HUGE. Each bun is about 3 inches tall and the size of a side plate. The centres are of course the best with all their sticky gooeyness.

When I was attending UBC, I'd buy one and it would sustain me the whole day. Not a very balanced diet, but this wasn't what I did every day. I acquired the UBC Cinnamon Bun recipe from the local newspaper, The Vancouver Sun, and made them many times. The last time I made it, as I was pulling the roasting pan out of the oven, (yes, they're so huge you need a roasting pan for them) the pan touched my inner forearm and I had the nastiest burn ever. I haven't really made them since.

However, if you're a daredevil and think you could eat the whole batch, I'll include the recipe for UBC Cinnamon buns in this post. It's a traditional recipe, made by hand, and yields enough buns to feed a small country or your kids' soccer team. Just scroll to the bottom.

The next best thing to UBC Cinnamon buns are those that you get slathered with cream cheese frosting. There are different chains producing them in the food courts in malls and some bakeries and coffee shops carry them too.


I have a quick and easy Bread Machine Cream Cheese Frosting slathered Sin-Amen (hey, I coined an oxymoron!) Bun recipe.

The dough is all mixed in your Bread Machine according to manufacturer's instructions...on just the dough cycle. You take out the dough, roll it out and fill it and then roll it up like a jellyroll. You don't even have to wait for a second rise. You just pop it in the hot oven and by the time you finish creaming together the frosting, the buns are ready!

So you can choose your cinnamon bun style today: traditional (i.e. time-consuming), light and caramelized or quick (i.e. bread machine), dense, gooey, creamy and rich


SIN-AMEN ROLLS WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
(BREAD MACHINE METHOD)

DOUGH:
1 T (1 pkg) dry yeast
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 t salt
4 cups all purpose flour
1 cup milk
2 large eggs
1/3 cup unsalted butter, cut up into 1 cm cubes

• FILLING:
  1 cup packed golden sugar
  2 1/2 T cinnamon
  1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
  ICING:
  8 T unsalted butter, softened
  1/2 cups powdered sugar
  1/4 cup cream cheese, at room temperature
  1/2 t vanilla
  1/8 t salt


• PREHEAT the oven to 400 degreesF


• DOUGH: following the manufacturer's instructions, dump all the dough ingredients into the bread machine in the correct order. Press the dough setting.


• While the dough is being processed in the machine, prepare the Filling and the Icing.


• FILLING: mix the golden brown sugar and cinnamon well.


• When the dough cycle is complete, roll out the dough to approximately 21 inches by 16 inches. [cakebrain's secret tip: I do all of my rolling on a plastic wrap-lined counter. I sandwich the dough between two layers of plastic wrap and roll with a rolling pin until I get my desired measurements. Yes, it's unorthodox, but I don't make a mess, it isn't sticky, I don't use additional flour and it's a breeze to clean up! Scoff if you must, you professional pastry chefs, but I'm not wasting time cleaning up afterwards!]


• Using a pastry brush, brush the melted butter evenly on the rolled out dough. [don't forget to peel off the top layer of plastic wrap before you do this!]


• Sprinkle the sugar & cinnamon mixture evenly over the dough.


• Roll it up jelly-roll style, starting at the long edge. [cakebrain tip#2: If you were following my tip about the plastic wrap, you'd be doing this step easily. Just pick up one long edge of the plastic wrap underneath, and use it to lift the dough and roll it. I also gently press on the roll to make sure it's not too loose. When you get to the end, just use the plastic wrap to help you move the roll around. You don't have to actually touch the dough...it's super sticky. Of course, when you're all done, discard the plastic wrap.]


• Using a serrated bread knife, and a sawing action, cut the dough equally in half. Then cut each half equally in half again. You should have 4 equally long pieces. Cut each of these into 3 equal lengths. You will have a total of 12 cinnamon buns.


• Place the buns cut side down an equal distance apart in a buttered baking pan


• Bake for 12-15 minutes or until light golden brown.


• FROSTING: cream the softened butter and cream cheese until smooth. Mix in confectioners' sugar, vanilla and salt until well combined. Frost the cinnamon buns with the frosting after they've cooled. [I usually frost half of the buns because some people don't like frosting or like to control how much they have. I just keep the rest of the frosting in a bowl for them to serve themselves]


• these freeze well!

*************

Now, what some of you UBC alumni may have been looking for high and low. These are the legendary, gargantuan

UBC CINNAMON BUNS

(as published in the Vancouver Sun)

DOUGH
3 cups (750mL) milk (2%M.F.)
6 T (90 mL) butter
6 T (90 mL) granulated sugar
1 T (15 mL) salt
1 t (5 mL) granulated sugar
1/2 cup (125 mL) lukewarm water
2 (8 g) packages traditional active dry yeast
2 large eggs
9 cups (2.25 L) all-purpose flour, about
FILLING
1 1/4 cups (300 mL) granulated sugar
2 T (30 mL) ground cinnamon
3/4 cup (175mL) melted butter, divided

• For the dough: scald milk. Stir in butter, 6 T sugar and salt. Cool to lukewarm
• Dissolve the 1 t sugar in lukewarm water. Sprinkle yeast over water mixture. Let stand in warm place for 10 minutes; stir
• In large bowl, combine lukewarm milk mixture and eggs. Stir in dissolved yeast. Add 4 to 5 cups flour and beat well for 10 minutes. With wooden spoon, gradually add enough of the remaining flour to make a soft dough.
• Turn dough out on to lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, adding additional flour as needed. (This is a soft dough). Place in well greased bowl and roll dough over to grease the top. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in warm place for 1 hour or until double in size.
• Meanwhile, prepare filling: In small bowl, combine sugar and cinnamon; set aside
• Punch down dough and turn out on to lightly floured surface. Divide the dough in half
• Roll out each piece of dough into 18 x 9 inch (46x23cm) rectangle Brush each rectangle generously with melted butter. Place remaining melted butter in bottom of a large 16.5x11.5x2.5inch roasting pan (42x29x6cm)
• Sprinkle an equal portion of sugar-cinnamon mixture evenly over each rectangle. Roll each dough rectangle up tightly like a jelly roll, starting from the long side; pinch seam to seal. With sharp knife, cut into 2inch (5cm) slices. Arrange slices, cut-side down, in prepared pan and cover loosely with greased wax paper. Let rise in warm place for 45 to 60 minutes or until double in size.
• Bake at 350degreesF (180C) for 35-45 minutes or until baked
• Remove from oven and immediately invert on to serving tray.
• Makes 18 large cinnamon buns
• approx. nutritional analysis for each serving: 433 cal, 9 g pro, 14 g fat, 69 g carb