Moose's Down Under - Lets get Quizical

Most Wednesdays, 7 p.m. I am in downtown Vancouver at the Moose's Down Under Bar and Grill doing their pub quiz. As you can guess by the name it is an Australian pub. I love the atmosphere there, it's run by a pair of Aussies, Chris and Corina (who you actually see and talk to). Each week there seems to be more and more people.  I put this down to every week there isn't a jackpot winner the pot raises another $50. Last week a team finally won and walked off with $500. Not bad for a night out. With mid round games you can also win shots or jugs for your table, so not everyone's a looser -- just most people.

Teams can only be a max of 6 people so most weeks we have a small rivalry between the girls and boys of our international pack. Theis's International band of misfits and vagabonds' (boys) vs 'Quizaroo' (girls). Unfortunately the vagabonds lose to quizaroo pretty consistently, and both are usually mid table. There are some pretty good names rocking around from the other teams, 'Quiz on my Face' and 'Stephen Hawkin's Football Boots' are among my favorites.

Moose also has a fantastic menu, and, of course, on the menu -- chicken wings. I have had them a few times there. Which must mean they're good, because other things on the menu are really good too -- especially the home made meat pies and gravy....
But back to the wings. You get a really good amount -- I love it when your plate is full and the wings are a good size. A few times I've ordered just the wings for dinner and it's filled me up. The hot sauce has a great tangy flavor and its baked in well. I would, however, maybe put a little more heat into it, although the taste makes up for it. They're definitely worth a try, along with the bar itself. Also I should mention that a jug of beer during the quiz is only $10 and their 'traditional' is pretty good.

Price $9.99
Rating 7.5/10

  

 

Cob on - Step by Step Bread Recipe

Over the past year I have really gotten into making my own bread. I think I am getting pretty good at it too. Before I began to make bread I thought that it was a big deal, difficult to make, but it really isn't. It's just a matter of putting the ingredients together, letting the yeast do its thing, kneading it and put it in the oven. It will be better then anything you buy in the shops.

So, I am going to start you off with a basic bread recipe. With this recipe you can also make soft buns and loafs, but I'm going to start with a Cob. 

Ingredients:

400 grams of all-purpose white flour

160 grams of whole wheat flour 

60 grams of butter or margarine

2 teaspoons of salt

200 milliliters of warm water

175 milliliters of milk

50 grams of granulated sugar 

1 1/2 tablespoons of dried instant yeast

In a large bowl (kitchen aid bowl if you have one) add the 400g of all-purpose white flour, 160g of whole wheat flour (you can just use 560g of all-purpose flour but I think the mix is nicer), 60g of butter or margarine and 2 teaspoons of salt. If you have a kitchen aid then give it a good mix with the hook attachment, if not give it a good stir with a wooden spoon. 

In a measuring cup add the 200ml warm water (I boil the kettle and when its about half boiled I add the water), 175ml of milk, 50g of sugar and 1 1/2 tbs of yeast, give it all a stir. What happens here is the yeast starts to get active, and begins to eat the sugar. Leave it for a couple of minutes and you will see a foam form on top of the liquid.

At this point you add the liquid mix to the flour mix. Again if you have a kitchen aid turn it on and mix the flour adding your liquid mix a little at a time, once all added keep the mixer on for about 5 mins. If you don't have a kitchen aid its time to get your hands dirty. Add a bit of the liquid mix at a time and work it in with your hands, keep doing this until all the liquid is gone. You will have a slightly wet doughy ball. 

Pour about a tablespoon of olive oil onto a workable surface and rub it round with your hand. This is used instead of flour to stop the dough sticking to the surface, but it doesn't change the consistency of the dough. Then you want to take your ball of wet dough and knead it onto your oiled surface for about 5/10 mins, or until you feel the dough dry and toughen up, it should be a little rubbery and bounce back after you prod it. If you don't know the technique to kneading dough click this link   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SmGawHsRAAk. Even if you have used a kitchen aid I still recommend to knead the dough for a couple of mins, the kitchen aid only does so much and its important to feel the elasticity of the dough. 

Pop the kneaded dough back into the bowl and cover it with a damp tea towel, and just leave it for 45 mins to 1 hour. The dough should of doubled in size, knock the dough back by handling the dough and letting the air out and then knead it again for about 30 seconds. Place it on a baking tray and cover it again with the tea towel. Turn the oven on to 220 C. This time you'll leave it for about 30 mins. 

Just before putting it in the oven cut diamonds into the top about 1/4 of an inch deep and 1 inch apart, and gently rub in some flour. Place a pan of water into the bottom of the oven and put the tray on the middle shelf. Bake for 30 mins. 

When you take the bread out of the oven it should sound hollow if you tap it. Place the cob on a wire rack or cutting board and let it cool. It's great to cut a slice when its still warm and butter it, your not going to get any fresher then that! 

Looking at it now, it seems like a lot of work, but it really isn't. There is just a little waiting about while it rises. I can have the dough made and kneaded in about 10/15 mins. After a few times of doing it you get very familiar with how the dough should feel, when you get to that stage you can do it with your eyes closed. 

Good luck, I highly recommend it. With this recipe you get the basics of virtually any bread recipe out there. 

The Shady Tree, Squamish BC - Suiside wings

Myself, my girlfriend and 3 friends went up to Joffre Lakes in Pemberton over the weekend for a overnight hike and camp. On the way back to Vancouver we stopped off at the Shady Tree in Squamish for a bite to eat. I have been there before after various excursions though the BC wilderness and always have had a good meal and friendly service, this time was no different. 

I had noticed the 'Suicide wings' on the menu before but never really had the courage to try them, this time however I hard a point to prove. 'How are your wings today' I asked our waitress. I got a smile back and the reply 'there always good'. I have a feeling this might be a go to response, last time we we're there I asked the same question, and got the same reply, word for word. My confidence strong I moved onto the suicide wings, 'How hot are the suicide wings?' I boldly ask. Her response 'they make me cry just carrying them to the table'. I was sold, I promptly ordered a plate of suicide wings, side order of onion rings and a Philips IPA Hop Circle. 

After 30-45 minutes of drinking beer, having chat and watching the Seattle Seahalks comfortably beat the San Francisco 49'ers the food arrived. As soon as the wings were placed in front of me I could smell the hot sauce, it really hit the top of the nose and the eyes, if nothing else it would clear the sinuses! After a minute or so of weighing up the dozen wings I dug in. Not to bad, I thought as I scoffed down the first couple. The sauce was strong and full of flavor and the wings were all a good size with a lot of meat on them. Happy and semi triumphantly I sat back, took a sip of my IPA and proceeded to announce 'there not that bad'. Almost as the words were leaving my lips they were replaced by 'the burn'. Perhaps this wasn't going to be as easy as I first thought. It started off with my lips, as I guess it usually would. No problem, I'll just make sure that I bypass my lips as much as possible...... by the first half dozen there was no taste left in my tongue. I was very thankful for the side order of onion rings, just something to disperse the heat, there was only so much breathing in cold air would help. I took a few minutes to compose myself and plow on, 'the burn' subsided a little bit and my confidence grow again, 'I've come this far' I thought. 10 wings in I don't think I was even chewing. Get them off the bone and down my thought. What was the point in chewing if you couldn't even taste them anyway? My fingers were covered in the tangy napalm that was engulfing my mouth, my paper napkin was crumpled into orange shreds, and there were still two more. Two more, only two more.... 'in for a penny, in for a pound'. Mind over body I ate them as quickly as possible, I don't think I blinked or took a breath. Washing my hands in the little lemon water bowl felt like victory! It was as if I was cleansing myself of tangy tocsins, but wow was my mouth hot! I was right though, it definitely cleared my sinuses, and after about 30 minutes 'the burn' subsided.  

I'm a little puzzled at how to rate these wings. I ordered them for the challenge not for the enjoyment. They definitely were a challenge. After finishing I was asked 'would you order them again'? No. I don't think I would. The only way I could see me eating them again is if I was there with lots of friends getting quite drunk and sharing them between us. However I knew what I was ordering and they delivered, it's not there fault i'm an idiot. So after everything considered, as well as my last visit taken into consideration I think 9 out of 10. Possibly the best I've had in B.C. and definitely worth stopping in if you are passing. 

Price $13 

St. Augustine's Chicken Wings

I went to St. Augustine on Commercial Drive earlier today to try their wings. On wingnbeer.com their wings were rated as the 8th best in Vancouver. If there are only 7 places that are better then the next posts might be chicken wing recipes.

They were alright, a bit crispy and not very hot. The hot sauce was tangy at best, the wings were a decent size but a little over cooked. I went for the buttermilk and blue cheese dip to go with it, not really my thing, I preferred them with just the hot sauce. They did get better with the more I ate, and the 'Gigantic IPA' wen't down very well. I love the bar. As bars on Commercial go its right up there and well worth a visit, however maybe go for something else on the menu.

Price $11 ($2 off on Tuesday)

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Chicken Wings Quest: Vancouver

How to get started, well, I like chicken wings! After moving to Vancouver about a year ago, I have had the chance to try quite a few, and everyone seems to think that their's are the best. So I've decided to judge them for myself. 

I've recently discovered wingsnbeer.com that rates the best places to go for.... you guessed it wings and beer. However, I disagree with some of their rankings and also it's a good excuse to try all the different places. 

So from now on after I go anywhere that sells wings I'm going to post a blog about my findings.