Remembering Jane Goodall

Goodall was fascinated with animals at a very young age

This morning we heard the sad news that primatologist and passionate advocate for animals Jane Goodall died in Los Angeles. She was 91 years old.

My memory of her dates back to 2007 when she visited Beijing as founder of the Roots and Shoots program, where Goodall inspired the next generation to care about the environment where they live through local conservation projects.

This was my blog post on November 18, 2007 when Goodall was 73 years old:

In her youth she dreamed of going to Africa

Dr Jane Goodall has arrived in Beijing for a week-long visit to China.

Known for her ground-breaking research on chimpanzees in Tanzania, Goodall now travels the world some 300 days a year, spreading the word about environmental and animal conservation.

And she specifically focuses her message on young people, which led to the establishment of Roots & Shoots, an education program in 1991. There are now more than 800 of them in 98 countries, with over 300 R&S in China.

Some of these groups, ranging from elementary, secondary and university students came from Shanghai, Dalian and Tianjin as well as Beijing to show Goodall their environmental projects.

They ranged from planting trees in Inner Mongolia, to conserving rain water, feeding bears in a zoo with a pinata filled with fruit, and making crafts out of aluminum cans.

The famous scientist was dressed warmly in a large red coat and her silvery hair tied back loosely in a clip. When she arrived at Beijing City International School Goodall received applause from the students and they practically mobbed her, trying to take pictures and getting her to autograph pieces of paper.

She handled the attention quite well, and visited each of the booths and praised the students for their work.

The event then moved to the theatre where she gave a speech encouraging the audience to continue their conservation efforts as they are the next generation.

She said they were like roots and shoots, like the name of her program, growing and taking root and then breaking through tough barriers to grow.

She studied chimpanzees for decades

Then she told a story about a chimpanzee who was taken from his mother when she was shot dead. He was nicknamed "Old Man" after enduring 15 years of tests scientists conducted on him.

He was left to retire in a zoo on an island with three other female chimpanzees. A zoo keeper called Mark was to look after them but was warned not to get too close because they didn't like humans.

So he fed them by throwing food at them. He later noticed they got excited and hugged each other when he rowed the boat towards them. So Mark gradually brought his boat closer and closer to them until he could hand a banana to the Old Man.

He then stepped onto the island and nothing happened to him. Later on, he and Old Man made physical contact, grooming each other.

Old Man even had a baby chimpanzee with one of the females.

One day Mark was on the island but he tripped and fell on his face near the baby. The mother was horrified and came to rescue it, but not before biting Mark on the neck, thinking he wanted to harm her child. The other females followed her lead, also biting him on the leg and arm.

When Old Man came, Mark thought the chimpanzee would surely kill him. Instead the animal pushed the three females away so that the zoo keeper could get off the island and row back to safety.

Goodall said that if a chimpanzee, after all the years he was treated badly by humans, could bridge the gap and look after a man, we humans who are even more intelligent, should do the same, if not better.

It was a message that resonated with the audience and hopefully that will spur them on to continue their green efforts.

Goodall taught us to care for our community

But the fight for funding, especially non-profit organizations in China is tough. Only foreign companies step up to the plate and make contributions as there's no such thing as tax breaks for charitable donations. Non-profits do get some donations in kind by local companies, but those are few and far between.

The Chinese government is looking at creating a charity law. But this needs to be established soon, otherwise the momentum for non-profits like Goodall's will quickly fade when in fact they're making a huge impression on young people who are eager to make a difference. 

Rereading her story about Old Man, I can already imagine her talking about it in her soft voice that left everyone rapt with attention. 

A few weeks ago she was interviewed on CBC Radio and the host asked her how to have hope in the world when there's so much destruction, war, climate change, and so on.

Goodall replied that one can start by caring about their own community, finding something they want to save or conserve, and looking for others to help out.

When she was young she intently observed what animals, and in her case, chimpanzees did, and from watching them, she gave the rest of us more insight into their lives.

What she was doing was in a way mindfulness, being in the present and focusing on what was happening around her.

I've read she was most comfortable being with animals -- and actually her favourite is not chimpanzees but dogs for their unconditional love.

We are so lucky to have had Goodall in our lives, to remind us to look after the animals and environment around us, and that every little bit of care for them helps not only them, but us do better. We all have the capacity to help, love, nurture and care.

Cooking the Classic Stir Fried Tomato and Egg

Many Chinese kids learn to cook stir fried egg and tomato

A classic Chinese homestyle dish is stir fried egg and tomato and I'm getting the hang of making it. 

It's one of the first things Chinese kids learn how to cook, but I'm learning how to make it decades older!

Cooking the tomato first in the wok

Nevertheless, it's a dish young and old like -- the savoury-sweetness from the tomatoes combined with the silkiness of the eggs make it kind of saucy so it must be eaten with rice or noodles.  It's a bright colourful dish, and for the elderly it's easy to eat and has a good amount of protein.

A few days ago I walked by a neighbour's house where they have a cardboard box out and put extra veggies in there and this time there were some tomatoes! I picked two and brought them home where they ripened a bit more.

Tonight we made stir fried egg and tomato, first by heating up some water in a pot and then scoring the bottom of the tomato and removing the core. When the water was boiling, we put the tomatoes in for about a minute or two before taking them out, running them under cold water and peeling the skin.

We then sliced up the tomatoes and heated up the wok. We added oil and when it was hot, put the sliced tomatoes in and then chopped them up a bit more with the wok spatula and added a dash of maple syrup (or sugar). 

Picked up some juicy tomatoes!

In the meantime we cracked four eggs and mixed them together, adding a pinch of salt to the mixture. Then we added the eggs to the wok, and used the spatula to stir the mixture periodically to let the eggs cook a bit until it was incorporated with the tomato, but still a bit runny thanks to the tomato liquid.

The end result was fantastic, as the homegrown tomatoes were sweeter than the ones you usually find in the supermarket, and I had a better handle on cooking the eggs.

Delish!

Chinatown Eats Lunch Special

Baked sole fillets with spinach and rice in tomato sauce

Every week we head down to Vancouver's Chinatown and have lunch at The Boss Bakery & Restaurant. Sometimes it's busy and practically every table is occupied, other times it's very quiet.

Today it was bustling and we had to sit in a booth at the back of the restaurant. For lunch there is a menu that includes a daily soup, the main dish and a beverage. A cold one will set you back an extra dollar for ice cubes.

I've had spaghetti with beef, but it's not ground meat, but instead slices of sauteed beef with a tomato Campbell soup kind of sauce.

Flaky Portuguese-style egg tarts

That said Vietnamese pork chops with lemongrass is delicious, thin medallions that are pan-fried and dipped in a light fish sauce and complemented with sliced cabbage and tomatoes.

This time I had sole fillets over rice with a few spinach leaves that is doused with that tomato Campbell soup sauce and baked.

Since it's baked it takes longer than stir-fried dishes, but well worth the wait. It comes piping hot and tastes like comfort food even though I didn't grow up eating it.

For dessert we got Portuguese-style egg tarts. They were not pastel de nata, but rather egg custard in fancy flaky layered shell. The custard wasn't too sweet -- they didn't sprinkle sugar on top of the custard before torching it, nevertheless we loved the crunch on the flaky crust!

Other desserts we've had are the Cantonese egg tarts, sesame balls filled with black sesame paste, and even Taiwanese-style pineapple cakes.

Picture of the Day: Taking a Risk on Ice Cream

Orange calamansi creamsicle ice cream

The other day I was on Commercial Drive for a media tasting at a restaurant, and I was always curious of an Asian-inspired ice cream shop called Elephant Garden Creamery and wanted to check it out.

So even after I was full from trying a 10-course tapas menu, I waddled a few blocks down to Elephant Garden Creamery, which was still open. Unfortunately they don't allow customers to sample flavours before choosing, nor are you able to see what the ice creams look like. So I ordered blind and chose what sounded delicious -- orange calamansi creamsicle.

I like calamansi and creamsicles are a taste of my childhood. What could go wrong?

But the generous scoop of ice cream didn't have a strong orange or calamansi flavour that did not result in a creamsicle taste. It was a milk ice cream with a very faint taste of calamansi for $6.30 plus tip... it was not worth the extra calories!

In hindsight perhaps I should have tried the signature mango coconut sticky rice, durian, butter sweet corn crunch, or malted milk choco (reminiscent of malteasers)...

Elephant Garden Creamery

2080 Commercial Drive

Vancouver, BC

(604 251 6832

A Chicken Dish with Two Different Results

Uniform and delicious roast chicken with rice at Chef's Choice

A gourmet dish that's definitely not Chinese home cooking is roast chicken with glutinous rice. It definitely showcases the chef's skills as it requires de-boning the chicken and then flattening it butterfly style and adding a layer of cooked glutinous rice underneath. It's then roasted so that the skin is extra crispy.

By coincidence I managed to sample the same dish yesterday and today with extremely different results.

Last night we ordered it at Chef's Choice on Broadway and we were impressed when this roast chicken with sticky rice dish came to the table. The half portion of chicken was uniform in size, portioned into two-bite pieces. There was equal parts rice and very tender, flavourful chicken, topped with crispy skin.

A very different version that looks bloated

We were still thinking of the dish fondly when we went to Li's Chinese Restaurant in Kerrisdale tonight. It used to be called Lok's and we hadn't been there in years. The restaurant had recently changed hands, with more northern dishes, specifically spicy ones from Chongqing, though the former Cantonese-speaking owner works there on weekends. 

This place also had the roast chicken with glutinous rice and we ordered a half portion.

When it was served to us, it looked like a whole chicken, and was stuffed to the gills with rice -- the ratio was at least twice as much rice as chicken, as if it were bloated from carbo-loading. Each piece was so big that we were soon full (on rice) and we had to pack up the rest.

While it's great that this chef knows how to make this dish, and promotes it as a signature dish, it would be better if he could further refine it. This roast chicken with sticky rice dish is not about more bang for the buck, but about flavour and finesse, which unfortunately missed the mark here.

Two Vancouver Restaurants in 50 Best North America List

North America's 50 Best Restaurants were unveiled last night

Last night was the inaugural North America's 50 Best Restaurants 2025, and two Vancouver restaurants made it on this prestigious list -- fine dining Thai Baan Lao at No. 12, which was also named Best Restaurant in West Canada, and Published on Main at No. 28.

"We are very happy and blessed," says Baan Lao executive chef and owner Nutcha Phanthoupheng. "We are profoundly grateful to our loyal guests for their support and thank North America's 50 Best Restaurants for the recognition. I am immensely proud to showcase authentic Royal Thai cuisine."

Also thrilled to land on the list was Gus Stieffenhofer-Brandson, executive chef of Published on Main.

Fine dining Thai Baan Lao was ranked No. 12

"I am so proud of our team. Accolades like this are so validating for all the hard work our team puts in, day in and day out. Being recognised amongst our peers as one of the Top 50 restaurants in North America is a bit surreal. The topic of World's 50 often comes up when we're sitting and eating staff meals before service, and now for us to be included amongst such highly regarded restaurants is really a dream come true."

The unveiling of the list was held at a live ceremony at Wynn Las Vegas, where Atomix of New York which serves 12-course refined Korean dishes reigned in top spot. No. 2 was Mon Lapin of Montreal, and Restaurant Pearl Morissette, near St Catherine's Ontario was No. 3. 

William Drew, director of content for North America's 50 Best Restaurants says, "We are thrilled to unveil the inaugural list of North America's 50 Best Restaurants, celebrating the extraordinary diversity, creativity and excellence that define the region's dining scene. From pioneering fine-dining institutions to bold new voices, this list reflects the rich culinary landscape of the US, Canada and the Caribbean. We're proud to honour these exceptional restaurants and the individuals who bring them to life."

In total 20 North American cities were highlighted, featuring 11 restaurants in Canada, 37 in the United States and two in the Caribbean.

Junghyun and Ellia Park's Atomix was No. 1

Susan Bae of Moon Rabbit in Washington DC was named North America's Best Pastry Chef, and Chutatip "Nok" Suntaranon, chef-owner of Kalaya in Philadelphia won the Best Female Chef award.

The restaurants were chosen by 300 anonymous experts made up of chefs, restaurateurs, food and restaurant journalists and gourmets, led by a group of industry Academy Chairs.

However, surprised not to see restaurants like Burdock & Co. on the list for its emphasis on local and sustainable produce, or Botanist for its creative dishes as well, and its drinks have landed its bar on the North America 50 Best Bars list. 

Nevertheless, with the establishment of North America's 50 Best, restaurants may choose to pursue this path or Michelin as a way to market themselves. However, 50 Best is more of a popularity contest (in other words deep pockets), whereas anonymous Michelin inspectors go under cover to dining establishments to grade them.

It will be interesting to see which direction these fine dining restaurants gravitate towards, and more importantly, figure out how to survive in these difficult economic times with fewer people willing or able to pay to dine out.

FIFA World Cup Mascots Revealed

Zayu, Maple and Clutch are the FIFA World Cup mascots

OK we all know the FIFA World Cup is about nine months away, and the football organisation has revealed not one, not two but three mascots for each of the host countries: Canada, the United States and Mexico.

The three mascots "have been thoughtfully developed to reflect the vibrant culture, heritage and spirit of their respective countries, coming together to symbolise unity, diversity and the shared passion for the beautiful game," FIFA said in a statement.

Ready for the reveal?

Maple the Moose is a goalkeeper

Canada's is Maple the Moose.

US' is Clutch the Bald Eagle

Mexico's is Zayu the Jaguar.

FIFA's description of the moose: "Maple the Moose was born to roam, journeying across all of Canada's provinces and territories while connecting with people and embracing the country's rich culture. A street style-loving artist, music enthusiast and dedicated goalkeeper, Maple found purpose through creativity, resilience and unapologetic individuality."

Meanwhile Clutch the Bald Eagle "possesses an unquenchable thirst for adventure, soaring across the United States and embracing every culture, game and moment with boundless curiosity and optimism. Clutch, like all great midfielders, unites people wherever they go, proving that true flight is about purpose, passion and play."

Are these animals representative of their countries?

Finally Zayu the Jaguar is from the jungles of southern Mexico. "With a name inspired by unity, strength and joy, Zayu transforms on the pitch as a striker, showcasing exceptional ingenuity and agility that intimidates defenders. Off the pitch, Zayu embraces Mexican culture through dance, food and tradition, uniting people across borders with passion. More than an athlete, Zayu is a symbol of cultural celebration and connection, carrying the heart of Mexico with pride."

Some how Maple the Moose doesn't seem conjure the image of being fierce, aggressive and courageous as the bald eagle or the jaguar...

HK Security Minister Wants to Prosecute Storm Chasers

A man sits on a bench in Tseung Kwan O with waves coming

As Hong Kong cleans up and gets back to business after Super Typhoon Ragasa, there are many questions about what to do next time. Climate change has made typhoon winds stronger and can cause greater destruction than before, as evidenced by the Fullerton Hotel in Ocean Park, with its glass entrance doors smashed by the waves, and restaurants along the Tseung Kwan O waterfront also destroyed.

Experts are calling for developing mangroves and oyster reefs to act as natural barriers, and also help clean up the water quality as well (which would be good), while others are calling for taller breakwaters, higher floodgates and more swales, sunken areas that can retain water instead of building underground stormwater facilities.

Waves pummelled low-lying areas in Hong Kong

These are all great ideas and hopefully they will be implemented in the next year or so.

But what to do about the silly people who wandered out in dangerous conditions and got themselves injured?

A family of four were taking a selfie when a giant wave pushed them off their feet. A man sat on a bench as a giant tidal wave came at him and he didn't even move. Of course the force of nature washed him off immediately.

Now Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung is looking into existing legislation and consider enacting new laws.

"I felt heartbroken seeing parents treating [storm chasing] as fun and bringing their children along to watch the waves. You are actually endangering your children," he said. "Think of your family and the rescuers who take a risk to save you."

Tang is looking into prosecuting storm chasers

Tang says current laws could target storm chasers, and that bringing children along could be considered as neglect. 

He suggested residents who refused to leave dangerous areas when ordered by police could be charged with obstructing a police officer.

Currently storm chasers and surfers can be fined HK$2,000 and face up to 14 days' imprisonment for anyone entering a public beach closed during extreme weather.

While Tang did not say how many people were arrested or charged for storm chasing during Super Typhoon Ragasa, he wanted to warn the public of the dangers of being outside during typhoons...

Aftermath of Super Typhoon Ragasa

The Fullerton Hotel at Ocean Park was pummelled by waves

Super Typhoon Ragasa has come and gone from Hong Kong after over 10 hours and for the most part the city was relatively unscathed. Friends reported the incessant howling of the wind made it difficult to sleep at night, and they resorted to watching the Hong Kong Observatory updates of the massive storm's path.

The observatory has now lowered the signal to No. 8 though the Amber rainstorm warning is still in place. In some places it's hardly raining, but hey, that's what the weather forecasters are saying.

Waterfront restaurants like these were damaged

According to the Hong Kong government, there were 62 reports of injuries (37 men, 25 female), 816 people are sheltering in 50 temporary shelters, there are 437 reports of fallen trees, so far one report of a landslide, and 15 reports of flooding.

So far it seems the Fullerton Hotel at Ocean Park got a massive walloping from Ragasa. The waves pushed their waves into the entrance, breaking the glass doors and flowing into the foyer, sweeping one man off his feet in the process. "Get out!" can be heard in the video, though the clip changes to people sweeping water out.

There's also security footage of a waterfront restaurant in Tseung Kwan O where waves also pounded into the shop and practically destroyed the whole dining area; one can probably assume the kitchen is a disaster zone as well. There are comments suggesting people patronise the restaurant once it reopens... but can it after it was literally turned upside down?

Hong Kong Braces for Super Typhoon Ragasa

Masking tape and vegetables at the wet market

Super Typhoon Ragasa is approaching Hong Kong, and the Observatory has just raised the No. 8 storm signal almost 30 minutes ago.

Ragasa, a Filipino word that means "rapid" or "fast motion" already crossed the Luzon Strait 

with winds clocking at 230km/h, making it the most powerful storm in the world so far this year.

Two shopping carts filled with instant noodles

People in Hong Kong are now rushing home, and bringing back whatever supplies they can find to survive at least two days.

Supermarkets and wet markets were swarmed by customers, with fresh vegetables and fruit to quickly disappear, along with eggs, meat and bread.

On social media there's a video of a man who filled two supermarket trolleys with around 70 instant noodle cups and several bags of frozen dim sum. Was he planning to eat that all himself?

One shopper described the mad rush as busy as before Lunar New Year. The 67-year-old woman bought more than 1kg of vegetables, including two cabbages, five dragon fruit and four oranges, that she believed would last till the weekend.

However, one couple that wasn't as quick to buy essential food items could only find snacks, though they did still have some food at home. 

Some people prioritised buying up toilet paper to ride out the storm...

Slim pickings for those not organised

And yet there were those who believe in using masking tape to tape up their windows. Lo Kok-keung, a former Hong Kong Polytechnic University engineer, says there are three major causes of window breakage during typhoons: strong winds that generate vibrations that cause cracks, high wind speeds that blow up debris that breaks glass, and strong winds that deform glass.

In a bid to minimise the risk of glass shattering, Lo suggests taping the Chinese character for rice (米) on windows, which he says provides more support points and reduces the likelihood of glass fragments shattering.

Shops were selling masking tape like hot cakes, with one renovation store in Hoi Wan selling 200 rolls in the past few days. 

"People have heard that this coming typhoon is bigger than usual, so they're stocking up just in case," the manager said, adding that most customers were buying more than two rolls and many were new faces.

"Some were buying as many as 10 at a time, especially those who live in places with many windows or are purchasing for high-rise offices."

Stir-fried Chayotes for Dinner

Stir-fried chayotes with red peppers for dinner

We were recently gifted some chayotes from a doctor whose patient had grown them. These palm-shaped vegetables were dark green and had lots of prickles on the outside; usually the outer skin is a bit tough and has to be peeled, but not with prickles that could be painful to handle!

Chayotes originated from South America, between southern Mexico and Honduras. This vegetable belongs to the gourd family, which includes cucumbers and squash.

Ours were dark green like these ones and prickly

A chef from Venezuela who has a Michelin-starred restaurant in Hong Kong serving South American cuisine was thrilled to find chayotes in the wet markets, as home-cooked soups and stews typically include this green gourd.

It can also be chopped thinly and eaten raw in salads, and stir-fried or steamed too. I have pickled them before, adapting a recipe for smashed cucumbers.

In Cantonese cooking it's usually added to soups or stir-fried, and I had a left over red pepper so I decided to cook them together for a vegetable dish for dinner.

To prepare these prickly chayotes, I donned a pair of dishwashing gloves and used a cloth to pick them up and peel them with a peeler which wasn't too difficult to do. Any areas I could not reach I used a knife to carve out the tough skin.

Then I sliced the chayotes in half and then quarters before chopping them into diagonal slices, including the seed in the middle which is edible.

Chayotes can be eaten in many ways

Once the oil in the wok was hot, I added shallots, garlic and ginger, then the sliced chayote and red pepper. After a quick stir, I added a bit of water and some chicken stock I had in the fridge before turning down the heat and put the lid on the wok so that the vegetables could steam and cook.

After around 10 minutes when the chayote was tender, I added a bit of salt to taste and then the vegetables were done.

The chayotes hold their shape and taste sweet, the red pepper even sweeter! They also made for a colourful dish too.

Canadians Keeping Their Elbows Up

Canadians are showing their true colours this year

Ever since Donald Trump tossed out the possibility of Canada becoming the 51st state, Canadians have fought back with their "Elbows Up" mentality and there's now a lot of data proving that.

Travel is the biggest sign in Canada shunning the United States. When it comes to Canadians traveling across the border by car, there is a whopping 34 percent drop in August compared to the same month last year. That's the eighth consecutive month of declines apart from the Covid-19 pandemic period.

Many are upset by Trump's calls for the 51st state

There is also a lot fewer Canadians traveling by air to the US too. In August, the number of Canadians returning from the US by plane fell 25.4 percent compared to the same month last year too.

Canadians used to love traveling to Las Vegas for entertainment, gambling, and food, but not so much anymore.

Flair Airlines saw the biggest plunge of 62 percent of Canadian passengers, while Air Canada's was 33 percent, and WestJet 31 percent. As a result the airlines have shuffled their planes and are using smaller ones going to Vegas these days.

Instead Canadians are traveling to Europe, the Caribbean, South America, and Japan. This year Air Canada added 28 international routes to satisfy demand.

Meanwhile when it comes to books written by Canadian authors, Indigo reports a 25 percent jump in sales compared to last year, and the CBC has seen a 34 percent increase in people checking out Gem, its streaming platform.

Even Historica, which promotes Canadian history through programs like Heritage Minutes has seen a noticeable uptick in the number of people checking out the Canadian Encyclopedia with more than 14 million views this year.

It's great to see how Canadians are determined to do as much as they can to keep their elbows up!

A Hearty Vegetarian Soup

A hearty bowl of cannellini and kale soup for lunch 

Earlier this week I made a simple soup for lunch, using a bunch of kale and an onion I received from Harvest Community Foods.

I chopped up the onion and stir-fried it before adding rinsed cannellini beans and chicken stock, let that simmer for a bit before adding the chopped kale.

For some umami flavour I put in parmesan rinds and that helped thicken the soup a bit too. You can also mash some of the beans, but after about 20 minutes the soup was thicker, as some of the beans had disintegrated. Took out the parmesan rinds, added some salt and pepper, and the soup was done.

It would have been good with some warm sourdough bread, but it was still delicious, and vegetarian!

Premier Eby Hires Comedian to Write Speeches

Eby now makes speeches on a lighter note with comedic touch

Political reporters covering British Columbia politics were surprised to learn Premier David Eby has hired a comedian to help him write his speeches.

While Eby is on the serious side, after all, he governs the province, does he need to show he's funny too?

Being a premier is no laughing matter!

Demers is a comedian and friend of Eby's

But earlier this week the Conservatives released a copy of comedian Charlie Demers' contract showing he is being paid $156 an hour. The Conservative finance critic immediately pounced on this, questioning the hiring of a comedian to be a speechwriter was a good use of taxpayer money since the province is already over $11 billion -- yes billion -- in debt.

When asked about hiring Demers (who is also a friend), Eby didn't think it was funny.

"Charlie is one of a group of speech writers," Eby said. "Today, for example, I'm delivering five speeches. I would love to be able to write my own speeches the way that I used to. But I do need support to be able to respond to each event that I go to. Speech writers are a necessary part of the job."

Sure, we get that, but a comedian?

However, this isn't Demers first time speech writing for a politician. He has written stuff previously for Energy Minster Adrian Dix and the late former Premier John Horgan. Demers has strong ties with the NDP.

Taxpayers are probably not amused a comedian is writing the premier's speeches...

Picture of the Day: Growing Giant Pumpkins

The status of the pumpkin this afternoon

A neighbour has become really good at growing really big pumpkins and he's hoping to do it again this year.

Last October his 1,161-pound squash called "Orangina" won the biggest pumpkin title at the BC Giant Pumpkin weigh-off at Krause Berry Farms in Langley.

The same one over two weeks ago

Over two weeks ago I went to check out his pumpkin patch and there were several contenders to choose from.

But this afternoon I made another visit and saw this giant white one, while the others weren't as big.

We'll be watching to see how big this one grows!

Tasting Chinese (and Hakka) Food Around the World

Kwan traveled the world seeking out Chinese restaurants 

This evening I went to a talk called "Food and the Chinese Diaspora" at the Vancouver Public Library, featuring two guests: Cheuk Kwan, who is a Hong Kong-born, Canadian filmmaker who in 2005 did a 15-part series, going around the world documenting Chinese restaurants, and Linda Lau Anusasananan, who wrote The Hakka Cookbook: Chinese Soul Food from Around the World.

Kwan and Anusasananan were moderated by author Kevin Chong, who wanted to keep the discussion more contemporary by mentioning Uncle Roger several times, which might have been a generation or culture gap for many in the audience!

What's interesting about Kwan is that he seems to have two separate lives: the documentarian and author of Have You Eaten Yet? And also a passionate political activist with the Toronto Association for Democracy in China.

Kwan, Anusananan and Chong in discussion

A summary of Kwan's documentary was shown, with scenes of him traveling to far-flung places like Peru, India, Madagascar, Israel, and Brazil, and meeting the Chinese people there, and seeing what they eat.

When Chong asked him which place impressed him the most, Kwan immediately said Madagascar. He discovered a lot of Malagasy-Chinese immigrated to Montreal, so there is a big community there, and in Madagascar, even an eighth-generation Chinese-Malagasy child could write better Chinese than him! 

In the video they proudly say that soupe Chinoise is the national dish. What is it? Wonton soup. "They have it for breakfast, lunch and dinner, so it really is a national dish," explains Kwan.

Meanwhile Anusasananan explained what Hakka food is -- it has bolder, richer flavours than Cantonese cuisine, though they do borrow from each other, and uses a lot of preserved and pickled vegetables, and salted fish. Some well-known Hakka dishes are braised pork belly with preserved vegetables, stuffed tofu, and salt-baked chicken. 

She didn't know much about her Hakka heritage, and decided to learn more by going around the world and asking other Hakka how they cook their food, and compiled her cookbook.

When Anusasananan traveled to different places, they gave her different variations of dishes, or new ones, like one featuring tea leaves that are pounded with seeds and nuts and then mixed with water and poured over rice!

Anusananan talked about Hakka cuisine

In one of the final questions, Chong asked both what their final meal would be, and Kwan immediately replied he had been asked this many times. The answer? Steamed grouper with ginger and scallions. Anusausanan agreed.

An audience member asked Chong what his meal would be and he said his mom's oxtail soup. Anusananan agreed too which was funny.

There was discussion about how to elevate Chinese food from being one served in white boxes and for cheap, and how younger chefs did more "fusion", and was there concern that they were moving away from tradition. There were mentions of people I had interviewed, like Craig Wong of Patois who does Chinese-Jamaican cuisine, and Brandon Jew of Mister Jiu's in San Francisco, how they have elevated the cuisine.

But back at the beginning of the discussion, Kwan talked about authenticity. He said authentic was whatever your mother or grandmother made for you to eat. That to you is the original flavour. How to replicate it? Anusananan suggested making videos of your mother or father cooking and tasting them at each step so that you would have a better chance of replicating it. Good pro-tip!

Fresh Vegetables Inspire Good Eating

Fresh mixed greens with cucumber slices and cherry tomatoes

Yesterday I went to Harvest Community Foods on Union Street, at the edge of Vancouver's Chinatown. It's an inviting small grocery store that has fresh vegetables and fruits. At the entrance there were large yellow-orangey globes of peaches, verdant green English cucumbers, giant russet-coloured tomatoes, pears that had yet to ripen, and bright red cherry tomatoes.

The shop sells CSA produce, or Community Supported Agriculture, where they connect with local farmers, get their produce, and Harvest bundles them up in paper shopping bags to sell. It's a farmer's market mixed bag of veggies that changes weekly depending on what's harvested.

French fingerling potatoes from an organic farm

The owners, chef Andrea Carlson and Gabrielle Meyer, had just signed a lease on a space a few doors down just weeks before the Covid-19 pandemic in the spring of 2020. They had just started doing the CSA bags with about 40 subscribers. When everything shut down and people were worried about going to supermarkets, they began inquiring about Harvest's CSA bags and instead of 40 subscribers, they got 400.

While it was a lot of hard work for Harvest's team in sorting out the vegetables evenly into bags, it was a lifeline for local farmers who didn't know how else to get their produce to customers.

I was given a bag of CSA produce to take home too and today I started eating some of it.

For lunch I made a spring salad and cut up some of the English cucumber and the ripe cherry tomatoes. The tomatoes were so good, almost as juicy sweet as the ones in Tuscany! 

The roasted potato slices with salt and pepper

Then for dinner I took the French fingerling potatoes, sliced them, marinated them in oil, salt and pepper and then roasted them for 20 minutes. They tasted so fresh, and complemented roasted chicken drumsticks.

I also took the bunch of spinach and stir-fried them Chinese-style with shallots, garlic and ginger. The spinach was delicious mixed with leftover shrimp and tofu with vermicelli.

There's still a bunch of kale, the exotic-sounding Dragon Tongue beans, a red pepper, onion and corn left!

Congee Not Just a Chinese Rice Porridge

Pine mushroom congee at Burdock & Co

What dish is a hug in a bowl? 

For me it's congee, rice porridge that takes hours to make and must be made with care by stirring it constantly otherwise it burns at the bottom of the pot.

When it's been simmering for a long time, the rice has broken down and the soupy mixture is thick and almost creamy in texture.

Arroz caldoso at Ando in HK with prawns

Bland homemade congee with a bit of salt is a good remedy for upset stomach, or dress it up with pickled cucumbers, pork floss, or chopped bits of pork, chicken or beef. 

While one might assume only the Cantonese make good congee, it's not true! Non-Chinese chefs make some tasty gourmet versions.

In Hong Kong, the Argentinian chef Agustin Balbi of the Michelin-starred Ando has a dish on his set menu called arroz caldoso, or rice. The traditional Spanish dish reminds him of his grandmother, a soupy rice that has flavours that are beautifully melded together.

And in Vancouver, chef Andrea Carlson of Michelin-starred Burdock & Co. has her own version of congee. We had some today at Harvest Community Foods, her small grocery store that serves a limited menu on the edge of Chinatown. Carlson's version is flavoured with a stock made from dashi that is incorporated with rice, and flavoured with chicken, ginger, thinly sliced scallop and spot prawns. 

Today's congee with chicken, scallop, spot prawn

The savoury combination was so delicious that we couldn't stop eating it, and it was perfect for today's showery weather that led to slightly cooler temperatures. 

The first time I had congee at Burdock & Co. was three years ago, flavoured with pine mushrooms, some cooked and some thinly shaved raw. So memorable!

Picture of the Day: Longevity Buns

Giant longevity peach buns from Kai Wai Dim Sum

The other day we were invited to visit the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Garden in Vancouver's Chinatown, in a run-up to the garden's 40th anniversary next year. 

After we toured the garden -- which still looks fantastic and well kept after all this time -- we were given a snack -- longevity buns called sau bao, or 寿桃.

They are peach-shaped buns that are steamed and pillowy soft. Inside the filling is usually lotus seed, but in this case ours was red bean. But what was impressive was the size -- as big as the palm of my hand, and they were artfully decorated with leaves!

The story behind these buns is that they look like the longevity peach. In Chinese mythology, those who ate this fruit would have immortality.

Peaches symbolise long life in Chinese art, along with the deer and heron.

The longevity peach is also in the Journey to the West novel, where Sun Wukong or Monkey King consumes a lot of this sweet, juicy fruit!

So while it wasn't anyone's birthday that day, the garden staff wished us long life with these giant buns!

Post 9/11 The Highs and Lows of Giuliani

Giuliani's book back in 2002

One of the heroes following September 11, 2001 was then New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who gave a lot of media briefings, coordinated emergency response and comforted residents in shock, sadness, and anger. 

He quickly became known as "America's Mayor", and was named Time magazine's Person of the Year and his approval ratings shot up for his resoluteness.

"America's Mayor" comforted NY residents

"Tomorrow New York is going to be here. And we're going to rebuild, and we're going to be stronger than we were before... I want the people of New York to be an example to the rest of the country, and the rest of the world, that terrorism can't stop us," he said.

Giuliani struck while the iron was hot and penned Leadership that came out in October 2002, where he talked about his "broken windows" theory, detailed his memories of 9/11, what he did during that horrific period, and how he helped revitalise New York City's economy following the attacks. 

When the book came out, I was in Toronto at the time and even went to Indigo where Giuliani visited and had my copy of the book signed by him, who by then had left the mayoral office and set up his own consultancy.

Five years later in 2007 his book was reissued during his presidential campaign the following year, and added his perspectives on various issues the country was facing.

He became Trump's personal lawyer

But since then Giuliani has spectacularly fallen from such high respect to scraping the bottom of the barrel.

During his presidential campaign it came out he was having an extramarital affair, Giuliani's police commissioner was indicted for tax fraud, and eventually he had to drop out of the race having run out of money and scandals followed him.

He laid low for several years until Giuliani resurfaced clinging to Donald Trump's coat tails as he ran for the White House in 2016. He stumped for Trump and became his advisor and later personal lawyer. 

Perhaps most memorable was following Trump's loss in the 2020 election that he wrongfully claimed was stolen, Giuliani held a press conference not at the Four Seasons hotel, but at Four Seasons Total Landscaping that was mocked by the media and late night comedians for days afterwards.

Hair dye was not a good look for Giuliani

There was also another press conference in 202 where Giuliani's hair seemed to melt -- as hair dye dripped down his cheek. 

Then Giuliani was sued by two election workers, a mother and daughter in Georgia for defamation and he lost big time. The judge was so fed up with the former mayor, he ordered him to pay US$148 million in damages. Giuliani was forced to turnover his US$6 million apartment, US$3.5 million residence in Palm Beach, Florida, jewellery and a Mercedes-Benz.

So circling back to his book Leadership -- it's still available on Amazon for US$19, hardcover, US$12 for paperback.

But mine is a signed vintage copy! Any takers?

24 Years Later, Remembering 9/11

The remaining steel parts of the WTC

I remember September 11, 2001.

I was in Toronto at the time, taking a course in Corporate Communications at a local college.

Our class assignment that morning was to look up some information online and we kept getting news reports of a small plane that had crashed into the World Trade Tower.

The 9/11 Memorial and Museum in New York

So our instructor turned on the television and we were in shock seeing not a small plane, but a passenger plane crashed into the tower, smoke billowing from there. 

How could that have happened?

Then another plane was crashed into the other World Trade Tower. We were horrified and terrified.

I called my parents and told them to turn on the television. It was so surreal I could not explain it over the phone.

Then seeing the towers collapse... that was absolutely terrifying.

We were allowed to go home, too dazed to do anything. I went home and was glued to CNN for the rest of the day.

That night I remember being really really scared that maybe something would happen to us.

One of the two reflecting pools at the WTC site

In 2015 I visited the National September 11 Memorial and Museum in New York and it was so sad and depressing going through and seeing all the items that were collected, from the twisted metal from the World Trade Center, to the photographs of all the victims. It was heartbreaking listening to a retired fire chief recall what happened that day.

Today, 24 years after 9/11, the world has changed so much for the worse.

When we were younger, we always had the belief that the future was bright, it was going to be better, we would achieve peace thanks to greater understanding, acceptance of diversity and cooperation.

Instead it was gone the opposite direction.

We need greater compassion, understanding, and love for each other, not polarisation, fighting and ego. 

Hope is not enough.