Potluck food (photo credit: Claire Tai)

Part II of the Hunger Games event was a potluck back at UBC.

Different potluck, same rules.

We started off the night with a “What Am I?” icebreaker – food edition. Foodies attached a piece of tape on their foreheads, and had a friend write a food-related word on it. They then mingled and asked their fellow foodies yes or no questions about their word to try and solve it. Those who guessed right got to line up for food first. I personally had “Cookie Monster” on my forehead, and when I asked a foodie if I was edible, she told me “partially”. Some honorable mentions included Durian, Zebra and Toro Sashimi. We have some very exotic connoisseurs in our club, indeed!

There was A TON of food. So much that even the girls got seconds. One of the more interesting dishes included Coca-Cola infused chicken wings. Who knew chicken wings could be cooked with the tastiest cavity-causer around? Another honorable mention was eggs, cooked and cracked into a cut onion, which was a very unique method to plate the eggs.

For all our female readers out there, it might interest you to know that BACON is the key to a man’s heart. If you were thinking of feeding your man bacon strips to encourage him to develop coronary disease and diabetes (for his will and estate perhaps?), there is something a lot more potent on the market… bacon cupcakes! Creamy, delicious cupcakes (from Cupcakes) topped with bacon bits, they are a heart attack in every bite. There were also some very delicious pies. Don’t worry the calories because you all deserved it after running around Granville Island.

The bacon cupcakes in question (photo credit: Claire Tai)

Thanks for the awesome year with UBC Food Society. We wish you all the very best with your final papers, projects and exams. May the odds ever be in your favor.

Also, if you didn’t get a chance to check the scavenger hunt scores from the Facebook group, here they are!

Final scores, congrats to the winners!

Each team was given a scavenger hunt list and a set of numbered cards to show which item on the list they were photographing. We were then sent on our merry way to complete as many items as possible within a set time, and boy did we get a workout. Had we been given a geotracking device, the end result would have been a veritable mess of indecipherable squiggles superimposed over a map of Granville Island (not unlike the paths that several headless chickens would take), with a particularly large blot in place of the Public Market, as we ran around in circles in the hope of completing tasks that ranged from finding a mangosteen, a non-BC license plate and a purple cooked food, to taking a photo with a busker and having a sword fight with sticks of sugar cane. We also had to vanquish some mini challenges, which consisted of identifying the nature and provenance of several foodstuffs we were given by the execs, completing a multiple-choice taste test, and memorising and reciting as many different teas from the Granville Island Tea Company as possible.

As genial an atmosphere that Granville Island perpetually exudes, the effect was only amplified tenfold by the brilliant blue skies that the weather gods so mercifully blessed us with. The scavenger hunt would not have been the same without the sunlight that enveloped this little corner of the city, making the already intense hues of the handicrafts and exotic fruits on display in the Public Market even more appealing. And all of a sudden it was perfectly acceptable to be a bunch of eight-year olds inhabiting the bodies of undergraduate students traversing the length and breadth of the island in search of demi-baguettes and chasing pigeons, leaving puzzled looks on shopkeepers and flâneurs alike in our wake. That day the sun did set on an unholy congregation of kids, tired but undoubtedly stimulated from the proceedings of the afternoon, and more than ready to relocate themselves to the potluck back on campus that followed to, in layman’s terms, “put yummy in [their] tummy”.

Photos by Claire Tai

Recognize some of the photos above? Well, you should if you were at the UBC Food Society’s annual chocolate-making workshop! This year we invited Miss Monica Mueller, who graciously showed us how to make eight different chocolates plus a heart-shaped chocolate basket, using only equipment that you can find in your home pantry. As the chocolate event was appropriately held the week before Valentine’s Day, all of the yumilicious creations definitely contained a dash of Valentine’s Day spirit in them either in shape, colour, or taste.

During the workshop, Miss Mueller mentioned that initially she had not thought about getting into the chocolate-making business, but after being introduced to it by a friend, she discovered the joy of working with such a rich treat. She used this story to point out that anyone (even someone with minimal experience) can start making chocolates, and I thought that this story added a nice, personal touch to the workshop, and encouraged me not to be afraid of getting my hands chocolatey sometime in the future!

Amongst her many useful (and delicious) bits of information, she recommended that the one piece of equipment that any budding home-chocolatier would be wise to invest in is a marble slab. A  marble slab makes the process of tempering chocolate much easier, as the marble cools the melted chocolate down quickly while you are folding it to create the cocoa butter crystals necessary to form a shiny chocolate which will snap when it is cool. Also, a marble slab can be used to create other sweet delicacies, such as toffee, so you can always use it for other purposes besides chocolate-making.

A final valuable tip that I took away from the workshop was to really experiment with different types of chocolate (such as dark, milk, or white – did you know by the way that out of the three, dark chocolate takes the longest to melt?), flavourings, and fillings to suit the taste buds of yourself or the person you are making it for.

Finally, Miss Mueller was kind enough to share with the UBC Food Society the recipes that she used during the workshop, so here they are, and enjoy!

Valentine’s Chocolate Basket Fillings/Flavourings!

1. Truffle/Ganache

1.5 K White Chocolate, melted
250 ml Scalded Whipping Cream
84 drops Cranberry Flavouring
Red Food Colour Gel

- Mix well, cool until firm and roll by hand. This is not tempered so will melt in your hands. If the mixture gets too soft return to fridge before dipping.

• Each variety of chocolate will take a different amount of liquid to reach the same consistency. Dark chocolate will need the most liquid.
• Whipping Cream can be reduced and alcohol substituted.
• Only use flavouring oils and not water based flavours.
• More liquid will make a softer filling good for piping.

2. Grand Marnier-flavoured Hearts
- Add 20 drops of flavouring to ½ to 2/3 cup chocolate. Taste and add more if needed. Each flavoured oil has a different strength so be sure to check for your choice of flavour.

3. Spice Raisin Clusters
- Simmer raisins in water or apple juice or rum with a cinnamon stick, nutmeg and clove or any combination of spices you like. Ginger or cardamom perhaps. Drain before making clusters.

4. Marshmallow and Cinnamon Hearts
- Mini marshmallows and crushed Cinnamon hearts. A traditional Rocky Road uses chopped walnuts instead of cinnamon hearts.

5. Peanut Butter Filling

1 part white chocolate, melted
1 part peanut butter

- Mix well. Best to use smooth peanut butter if piping the filling. This will stiffen as it cools but can be softened by a few seconds in the microwave.

6. Crunchy Hazelnut Filling

2 cups Hazelnuts
1 cup icing sugar
1 egg

- Put hazelnuts through food mixer until they reach desired size add in icing sugar and mix. Mix in egg by hand and kneed until mixture comes together. Wrap and refrigerate.

7. Marzipan
- Purchase marzipan and not almond paste. It has a much higher sugar content. Try to find a 1 to 1 ratio or better. I use raw not cooked if I can find it. There are recipes on line. It is possible to make at home.

We hope that after this event, you have perhaps discovered your inner chocolatier, and if not, at least come away with a couple of useful tips for any future chocolate-making endeavours. Feel free to sound off below if you had any favourite chocolate creation or part of the event. I thought I would end off on this very wise statement by Mr. Schulz, the creator of Peanuts:

“All you really need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn’t hurt!”

See you at the next event in March!

Tiramisu cake from Boulangerie la Parisienne

On the fourth Wednesday and Thursday of last month, Venus entered the reign of Aquarius and the gods, generous as they are, decided to bestow upon the good men- and womenfolk, of the hallowed halls of UBC, the divine intervention that was the Food Society’s ‘Six O’Clock Sweets and Tea’ event, a feast of such proportions that songs would be sung of the generosity of its entrées for time immemorial.

The hour hand struck six, and students expectant, their bellies a-rumbling, streamed into MASS in Buchanan to find nondescript cardboard boxes sitting atop tables scattered across the space. They sat themselves down at the different dessert stations, mingling with soon-to-be-friends, uttering gasps of ecstasy as the event photographers slowly made their away around the stations to document the candied works of art, in the process opening the cardboard boxes to reveal a veritable cornucopia of saccharine foodstuffs: from the kitchens of Boulangerie la Parisienne came two squat tiramisu cakes, positively modernist in their stark espresso-brown-and-white cylindrical perfection, ornamented by delicate chocalate motifs; further along the line were approximately twelve dozen square mousse stacks composed of praline crunch, hazelnut croquant and raspberry gelée, embedded with flakes of 75% Tanzanie dark chocolate, aligned at exactly 15° from the perpendicular, standing sentinel like bronzed terracotta soldiers of yore; and on the opposite side of the room were the strawberry rhubarb pies, courtesy of the esteemed Aphrodite’s Pie Shop and Organic Café, redolent of the Tennessee sun baking field upon golden field of wheat and barley. Contained within its crusty membranes was a sugared concoction of diced strawberry and rhubarb, its velvety-red glutinous hue revealed to the eager eye by a long-awaited bite. Its notes struck the perfect balance between sweetness and tanginess, the zest providing a subtle counterpoint to the warm caress of the strawberries.
Most of the chocolate-based desserts blurred largely into an indiscriminate slurry of cacao in retrospect, save for the comically gargantuan Oreo sandwich cookies, comprised of a filling of vanilla buttercream, held in a loving embrace between two crumbling slabs of chewy, yielding chocolate cookies. Biting down into a chunk of the cookie reminded one of the adjective ‘rich’ and all of its many-numbered descendants. Other desserts that are worthy of a requiem include the lemon macarons decorated by a smattering of jet-black poppyseeds, their halftone palette belying their delicate sweetness – the exterior shell of the macarons gave the perfect degree of resistance before crumbling into the bite.
The teas that were paired with the confections included the likes of Southern Belle, ‘Glitter & Gold’ and Buttered Rum. All were packaged in stark aluminium cylinders, but upon making acquaintance with boiling water released their scents to create a veritable olfactory cacophony. Invisible notes of toasted walnuts, osmanthus, bergamot oil and chicory wafted across the space, providing a most delectable environment in which to enjoy the desserts. As with every tea, the actual liquid itself is, to put it briskly, disappointing in comparison to the empty promises that their aromas convey, although this author holds the Amaretto tea in especially high regard, its strong notes of almond reminding one of the milky white Chinese sweet almond dessert soup and igniting a peculiar yearning for said substance.

The attendees milled around the different stations in set intervals, congregating for a mutual love of desserts, and exclamations could be heard all round of the misfortune experienced by those not as wise as they to partake in this scrumptious selection of sugary treats. And by the generosity of the gods, all who came, went home having missed eating a proper dinner, and none the more deprived for it.

Photo by: Victoria Chang

… when fragrant, red roses, delectable chocolates, and romantic Hallmark cards either sweep you off your feet, or just simply ambush you whenever you enter the mall or grocery store. I am of course speaking of the loveliest day of the year, namely Valentine’s Day. And as always, with the approach of this holy day of love, you, together with at least another love-struck billion in the world, are faced with the ever-puzzling question of what to buy or make for that special someone in your life. Boxed chocolates have probably become the most conventional Valentine’s Day gifts, but to really woo your beloved, why not give him or her chocolate with a twist this year?

To help you out with this sweet mission, I will introduce to you my favourite chocolate dessert recipe of all time that is sure to enthrall your darling’s taste buds. 

I have been making this treat ever since I was a little child (yes, that’s how easy it is), and in Sweden, which is the place where I grew up, this is most definitely one of the first desserts that any Swedish child creates in his or her life. Since I moved to Canada, I have made this sweet for many of my friends and relatives, and I am happy to announce that they adore it.

So here it is, complete with my tips below, and you may notice that it has a strikingly similar name to another Swedish delicacy, although this one is definitely its sweet counterpart:

Swedish Chocolate Balls (makes ~ 30)

Ingredients:
1/2 cup of butter or margarine
1/2 cup of sugar
1 1/2 cups of oats
3 tbsp of cocoa powder
3 tbsp of cold strong coffee (optional)
1/2 – 1 tbsp of vanilla extract
Pearl sugar as topping (see below recipe for an explanation of what pearl sugar is)

1. Combine all of the ingredients, except the pearl sugar, in a bowl with either a large wooden spoon or your hands. I like to use my hands because it is much easier then to evenly combine all of the ingredients into a soft chocolatey mass. Be sure to work the ingredients until everything is thoroughly combined.

2. Once you have done that, take a bit more than a teaspoon of the chocolatey mass and shape it into a round ball with your palms.

3. Roll the chocolate ball in the pearl sugar until the whole ball is covered with the topping. Repeat steps 2 and 3 until you have no more chocolatey mass left.

4. Place the chocolate balls on a tray and let them firm up in the fridge for at least 1 hour before serving. Store left-over chocolate balls in a ziplock bag in the fridge. Enjoy!

- Note on pearl sugar: Pearl sugar is sugar crystals compressed into small and somewhat irregularly shaped “pearls.” It is used in Scandinavian baking as a topping for many desserts, such as Swedish chocolate balls and cinnamon buns. Below is a picture of what pearl sugar looks like:

Photo by: Victoria Chang

Lastly, don’t be afraid to personalize this recipe to suit your and your honey’s palates, so go ahead and let your imagination whip up some uniquely scrumptious chocolate balls.

- If you need a head-start, here are some suggestions for customizing your recipe:

• Use different toppings: shredded coconut, sprinkles, or anything you think would pair well with the flavours of chocolate, vanilla, and coffee.
• Add your favourite nuts, chopped and toasted, into the chocolate ball mixture.
• Add a touch more cocoa powder to really get that intense chocolate flavour, but make sure to counter the bitterness in the cocoa powder with a dash of sugar – this is something I do to bring this dessert up a notch.
• To go the fancy route, dip the chocolate balls in a melted chocolate of your choice, followed by another dip in your favourite crushed candy or nuts. Let dry.

I hope you will enjoy this delightful treat as much as I do whenever I make or eat it, and please do comment below if you made it or if you have any ideas for twisting this dessert up, since I could always use some more inspiration. And finally, Happy Valentine’s Day, or as we say in Swedish, Grattis på Alla Hjärtans Dag!

photo credit: Laura Wong

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Here is a list of all the desserts and tea that were served at our Sweets and Tea event! Read on for all of the delicious details!

6 o’ clock tea

Welcome to the new year and the fresh start of a new semester. Many of you might have New Year’s resolutions that include boosting that GPA, getting in shape for the summer, or even to finally stop procrastinating. Before all the stress and busyness of school and life takes up all your time, relax and enjoy some tea and dessert with UBC Food Society. UBC Food Society proudly presents “Six O’clock Tea”, our dessert tasting event! This year, not only do we have delicious desserts from all over Vancouver, but also tea to accompany your stay with us! More details below!

Our selection of 7 desserts come from a wide variety of well known and loved Vancouver bakeries. They range from homemade oreos, to old time favorites like tiramisu, to an unusual and delightful apricot and pistachio cake. Each dessert will also be paired with a different type of tea that will be sure to enhance its taste. Come join us for a fantastic evening with your fellow foodies while sitting down and enjoying amazing desserts!

*Please also be advised that we cannot guarantee that our desserts have no traces of nuts. If you have a severe allergy, sign up with caution.

Where: Meekison Arts Students Space
Located at Buchanan D Block (map)

Space is limited
You know the drill, spots are on a  first come  first serve basis!
When: Wednesday, January 25th 6pm, and Thursday, January 26th 6pm
Sign in will be from 6pm-6:30pm. The event will take place from 6:30pm-8pm. Don’t be late!

The deadline to RSVP is: Tuesday, Jan 16th. and office hour payments will be on Wednesday, Jan. 17th. You will have to pay online or during office hours by the 18th to confirm your spot.
You can RSVP by clicking here!

Price: $5 (Yup, $5 dollars for 7 desserts and 7 teas.)
Payment will be required to confirm your spot. You will be able to pay online or in person during office hours. Office hours will be on Wednesday January 17, more details will be e-mailed after the RSVP deadline.

Sign up with a friend!
Pair signups are available for this event!

Halloween was almost a month past – and everyone sane had already thrown away their jack-o-lanterns, if they had carved one – yet nonetheless we were determined to learn this recipe, if only to prepare for the Fall of 2012. Members of the Good Thing In Pairs miniclub met at Christine’s house on November 27th, armed with many supplies, to bake pies completely from scratch. We mixed dough, and rolled out enough to fit two pies for each member. We cut, cooked and pureed squash to make up pie filling – FYI, butternut squash makes a good substitute for pie pumpkin. And as the squash purchased were abnormally large, every member had enough leftovers to take home several crustless pies.

Slices of pie were served with vanilla ice cream and a cup of hot buttered rum. The only thing that could have made the experience more memorable would have been the capture of additional, distinct photographs (and perhaps some photos of the members at work, too!)

Our lone other photo can be found in the album on the UBC Food Society Facebook group.

Soon we will be meeting for our next session, and you’ll just have to wait to see what we’re making then.