wednesday, june 30, 2010 The VancouVer courier EW17

june 2010

Summertime:grill on

by Fred Lee, man-about-town

Though you wouldn’t know it from recent temperatures, summer is here. And that can only mean one thing – BBQ season! So it’s time to

take the cooking and socializing outside.For a man who is out ‘gala-vanting’ 24/

seven, you may ask: what does he know about grilling? Admittedly not a hell of a lot, but I have grilled up a mean meal in my time. Goes to show, summertime and the grilling is easy. Furthermore, I have observed from the best chefs. Take note(s).

Getting readyStep one - clean your grill. Nasty bacteria can grow on food particles left on the grill. Fire up the barbie and while the grill is hot, use a heavy wire brush to remove any bits left on the grill. It will keep your food from sticking.

Van-hattan’s reigning chef of the year, Frank Pabst of Bluewater Café + Raw Bar, suggests using stainless steel scrubs rather than the tools made specifically for barbecues.

And safety first! It is always a good idea to have a fire extinguisher handy and within reach. Have plenty of plates ready. Never use the same dish for raw meat as for cooked, and

use a separate cutting board and knife for meats as for vegetables.

Use long handled barbecue tools to avoid getting burned like a moth to a flame. Use flame retardant mitts. Not so fashionable, but your digits will thank you. And puh-leeze, wash your hands before and after handling food.

Heat is onFood for the barbecue should not sit out, espe-cially meats—keep food cold in the refrigera-tor or a cooler until you are ready to grill it.

Next order of business - charcoal or pro-pane? Depending on your taste, both will do

the trick. A propane grill will give you every-thing a charcoal grill can, minus the extra set-up time and added mess. Important to note if you are planning on pulling out the designer summer whites for entertaining.

Oil up! To prevent food from sticking, give the grill a light oiling before turning up the heat. Open the BBQ’s burners to full, and light your fire. Iron Chef and Cactus Club Food Architect Rob Feenie concurs, “Before you put the meat on, make sure the temperature is at least 500 degrees, to get the best flavour. Then enjoy!”

Quality Products & Service at Affordable Prices

WestSideWINDOW COVERINGS & DESIGN

Visit our NEW showroom

2370 West 41st AvenueCall now for a free in-home consultation 604.261.8875www.westsidewindows.ca

D R A P E R Y • S H U T T E R S • B L I N D S • T O S S • B E D D I N G • B L I N D S • D R A P E R Y • T O S S C U S H I O N S • B L I N D S • U P H O L S T E R Y

Call today to learn about our fresh collection of the original Duette® honeycomb shade. The unique combination of exquisite

colour and texture combined with innovative operation will enhance your, and your best friend’s, life.

(cont. next page)

speciaL advertising Feature

Fred’s Friends gather on a beautiFul West end penthouse deck to enjoy Food and libation.

Providing friendly professional help for the do-it-yourself homeowner... Complete line of adhesives and accessories - free loan of tile cutter...

And there’s always a bargain in our Clearance Bin!

2121 East Hastings Street 604-254-9864www.startile.ca

Mon-Fri 9am-5pm • Sat 10am-4pmClosed Holiday Weekends

Ceramic • Marble • Slate • Granite

star tile co ltd

Blowout!Before you tear out the JAMB....

If your frame is still solid and square, why replace it? We machine to match doors we sell starting at $32.00

50%OFFon all remaining Infi niti Door Knobs and Lever SetsSee stock in store

EW18 The VancouVer courier wednesday, june 30, 2010

You

are e

ntering a TAX FREE zone!HSTAs of July 1st, you will no longer pay taxes on any items sold at our MCC Thrift Shops. Celebrate with us on July 2&3 with special

discounts at all our shops.

Come see us at:Vancouver Thrift Shop

5914 Fraser StreetVancouver, BC V5W 2Z7

midsummercollectiononline now

THUNDERPEEP.etsy.com

(cont. from page 17)

If you’ve got a built-in igniter, you’ve got your work cut out for you. (Honey, it’s time to get a new barbecue). If you’re doing things the old fashioned way, stick your BBQ lighter into the hole on the side of the grill, and light it. Before grilling, make sure the BBQ is hot, hot hot!

Once you start, put a lid on it! Pabst says, “Be sure to cook with a closed lid, so that the temperature maintains a consistent high heat.” Resist the urge to constantly check your food. That includes poking and prodding it. The temperature of your BBQ changes each time you open the lid, and even the best tempera-ture gauge will not react instantly. Even worse, you’ll lose precious juice and moisture from your meat, making it less tender and less tasty.

Have a misting bottle handy. When you’re not cooling yourself with it, have one nearby for flare-ups, especially when cooking with fat-tier meats. Throwing water on a grease fire is a no-no, but a mild Evian mist will keep things under wraps.

Bring on the meat!Marinades and brines and rubs, oh my! What-ever! Unless you have the time and sophisti-cation, we’re going au natural! More time to work the company and tan. Goldfish Pacific Kitchen executive chef William Tse agrees. “Keep it simple silly (KISS); BBQ food should

taste like BBQ, not overly sauced or flavoured. Add a little soy, a pinch of seasoning, salt and fresh ground pepper. That’s all you need. Let the fire do the flavouring.”

Before putting your meat on the grill, gently rinse the meat and pat dry to remove any odors or materials that may be on the surface due to handling. This allows the meat to accept the desired seasonings and create better browning.

Trim excess fat off your meat prior to grill-ing. This will reduce the amount of drippings created and diminish flare-ups. But do leave a thin layer of fat to preserve juiciness. You can always trim the rest off afterwards.

Save the sauce for last. When grilling meat apply sweet sauces made with sugar, honey or syrup near the end to prevent burning. Savoury sauces, such as soy and teriyaki, can be applied throughout the grilling process.

Other quick grillsDon’t forget to have your veggies! Onions, peppers, mushrooms, tomatoes, eggplant, zuc-chini and squash are all personal faves. Just brush a light coating of olive oil, sprinkle some salt and pepper to taste and then toss straight on the BBQ or slide the vegetables on to a skewer or wrap in foil.

Say yes to seafood. Not everyone realizes just how easy it is to grill seafood. Clams, mussels and oysters are a snap on the grill. Just place on a medium hot fire and cook until opened. The smoky fire will give these marvelous mol-lusks a great flavour when you dip them in a

elegant table settings set the mood

wednesday, june 30, 2010 The VancouVer courier EW19

Easy Sun Protection Features Outdoor Fabrics

by Karen Blunderfield, contributing writer

If you think outdoor fab-rics are plain and canvas-like or heavy and plas-tic-looking, think again.

Today’s outdoor fabrics are woven just like indoor fabrics, making them as soft and flex-ible as spun cotton.

Because outdoor fabrics are made from solution-dyed acrylic or polyester fibres, the colour is literally locked in so it resists fading and sun dam-

age. The fibres are made with a water-repellent material to protect against rain as well as harmful spills from juice, wine, etc. They’re also mold and mildew-resistant, which is vital in our damp climate, and are a breeze to keep clean with simple soap and water.

Besides common uses such as tablecloths and seat covers, outdoor fabrics can be used for other purposes such as creat-ing a sunshade to cover a bal-cony, patio or corner of your yard and provide effective UV

protection. Sunshades are a simple alternative to awnings or canopies and can be made in squares, rectangles or trian-gles. Grommets or D-rings can be added for easy mounting to buildings, fences or trees.

And if you need a little privacy from your neighbors you can use outdoor fabrics for drapes, shades or screens. Condo or apartment dwell-ers can use roman shades

or screens to separate their outdoor living space from a neighbour or to create shade where needed. Drapery pan-els can be added to awnings and gazebos to create a cozy, private area for entertaining or relaxing.

But one of the best benefits from using outdoor fabrics is that you can now choose from hundreds of different colour, texture and pattern

combinations that can be used throughout your home. You can mix and match fabrics to create a space that’s as unique as you are.

This year’s hot colour choice is turquoise, which pairs well with any other colour in the spectrum. Turquoise adds a splash of excitement to brown-toned furniture or decks and complements other bright colours such as red or

pink. You can create a clas-sic maritime look by pairing turquoise with deep blue or be on top of the latest colour trend by mixing it with yel-low-green.

With today’s durable out-door fabrics you can get the sun protection you need to turn your balcony, patio, deck or yard into a comfortable liv-ing space and fully take advan-tage of the warmer weather.

2010 Trends in Kitchen Design& RenovationsBy Paul and Lee:Your Design Duo2010 is an exciting year inkitchen design trends inboth design aesthetic andfunctionality.

In countertops, greensolutions such as ECO byConsentino that utilizesrecycled materials suchas porcelain, mirror, glass,and stone scraps willincreasingly be seen.

Green is also the word incabinetry. For example,think bamboo; a solutionwe recently used in agreen kitchen renovation.Other green cabinetrysolutions include Ecowood;A sophisticated series ofexotic real wood striacomposites using a revolu-tionary green technologyavailable in MacassarEbony, Teak, Mahogany,and Zebrawood to namebut a few finishes.

Other trends in kitchencabinets include texturedlaminates, high glosses,and mixed finishes. Whenit comes tomixed finishesthink both colour andtexture such as high glosswhites mixed with darkwood accents. And the

dark wood finishes? Outare the chocolates andespressos and in are thesophisticated greys.

For kitchen cabinetrylighting, LED solutions arelighting the way savingenergy and providingyears of usage beforereplacement as opposedto the older halogen pucklighting which have shortlife spans and operate atelevated temperatures.

Kitchen cabinetry trendscontinue with drawer solu-tions over doors in basecabinets and metal rackpull-outs for pantry andbase cabinet solutions.And those blind cornerswhere you had to get onyour hands and knees toreach to the back? TheLeMans System solvesthat problem. Howeverthe hottest trend by far incabinetry are servo drives;An electronically drivensystem that opens yourdrawers with just a touchof your hand...

Looking to renovate your kitchenor bathroom? Remember that ifyou want to be in constructionlater this summer or early fall,now is the time to start the designphase of your renovation project...

Dunbar/KerrisdaleShowroom & Design Centre:

5739 Collingwood Street, Vancouver

Do you wish to talk to Paul or Lee?Call us at 604.676.1603

complete kitchen &bathroom renovations

kitchen, bathroom, &interior design

custom kitchen cabinetry& custom closets

perfect fit. perfect fabric. perfectly fabulous.

VANCOUVER 751 Terminal Ave. • (604) 608-1177 • www.arlenes.com

Ask about our Lifestylelight-filtering sheers

Beat the heat and keep the view with our wide selection of light-filtering window coverings.Plus you’ll protect your furniture, flooring and art from the damage of harmful UV rays.

Optional PowerRise® motorized headrailwith remote control operation

45%off

Designer Screens Solar Shades

Beat the heat and keep the view!

Silhouette® Sheers with PowerRise® motorization

VISIT OUR WEBSITE FOR MORE SAVINGSCHILD SAFE OPTIONS: Ask us about cordless, remote control and other child safe options

$250REBATE

on each Silhouette withPowerRise purchased

EW20 The VancouVer courier wednesday, june 30, 2010

Condo Life: The GreaT OuTdOOrs by shona Wercholuk, contributing writer

Chic urban garden dé-cor is the key to a great balcony. Art

Knapp Urban Garden (www.artknapps.ca), located at 1401 Hornby Street, offers a selec-tion of chic garden furnishings and has one of the largest selec-tions of plants in the city. From south-facing to north-facing and from perennial to annual; this garden centre offers some-thing for everyone, to create their picture perfect garden.

Moving in the Right DirectionSouth-facing plants can be sli-ghtly more difficult to main-tain as they are much more weather dependent, requiring a lot of sun. Some great plants for these types of patios are the classic geranium and sweet peas, which are fast growing and give off a fantastic scent. North-facing balconies are for those plants that need part sun and part shade. Some sug-gested plants for this type of condo are any vines or foliage and the quintessential impati-ens flower.

Going to New HeightsWhen planning your garden it is important to take note of a high deck versus a ground level patio. Ground level pati-os create the perfect setting

for tall plants, from growing tree’s to planting a tall orc-hid. High decks produce the opposite effect as it is windier so trees and tall plants are not ideal. Great ideas for this type of balcony include ornamen-tal grasses and small leaved plants, as well as an assor-tment of hanging baskets.

It’s a Mixed BagUrban Garden offers seve-ral beautiful types of flora to decorate your garden with, such as water lilies and primu-la. But the aesthetically ple-asing aspects of the garden are not the greatest feature of this chic balcony trend. Use mosquito dunk in the water garden, as it kills mosquito larvae, guaranteeing you will be able to spend time relaxing in your garden, not swatting off this menacing insect.

an Acer Aspire 15.6” Laptop computer with your bottle returns.Each time you visit either of 2 Vancouver Bottle Return Depot locations with your bottle returns, enter your name for a draw to win. Contest runs from May 15, 2010 to July 15, 2010.

“No purchase necessary. Open only to BC residents age 19 or over. Limit one entry per person and per household per day. Contest closes July 15th, 2010. Valid only at listed locations. See locations for full contest details.”

XYou could Win

Recycling Pays in More Ways then One!

BEER BOTTLES & CANS 10¢ EACH!

South VanBottle Return Depot

34 E. 69th, Vancouver604-325-3370

East VanBottle Return Depot2605 Kaslo St., Vancouver

604-255-4243

Open 9am-6pm7 days a week (except holidays)

Open 8:30am - 5:30pm7 days a week (except holidays)

www.bcbottledepot.com

Drop off: Paint, solvent,

pesticide & gasoline