Scotty Hard Supper Club

The Hard Supper Club

Diogenes said, "If you're a rich man, eat supper whenever you please; and if you're poor, whenever you can."

If you're a friend of Scotty Hard—rich, poor, or anywhere in between—the time to take your place at the table is now.

From the tree line to the tropics, it's Hard Supper season.

To book, cook, purvey or promote, send an e-mail to ScottyHardSuppers@gmail.com or fill in the Hard Contact boxes on the right. To see who has signed on, click here. To read our press, click here.

Rice & Curry: The Scotty Hard Sri Lankan Supper SOLD OUT!!!!

SOLD OUT!!!!!

A culinary benefit for our brother and friend, Scotty Hard, who was severely injured in a hit-and-run accident in Brooklyn. All proceeds from this dinner will go to the Scotty Hard Trust, which pays for his ongoing medical fees and treatment. Hosted and catered by Skiz Fernando, Scotty's long-time friend, musical assassin, and author of the new cookbook, Rice & Curry: Sri Lankan Home Cooking (www.Blurb.com).
For more information on Skiz 's book and his recent weeklong adventure in Sri Lanka with Anthony Bourdain, check out Rice and Curry

Date: Saturday, June 6th. 2009

Time: 7:30 PM

Place: Manhattan, NYC (location to be provided once tickets are purchased)

Tickets: $75/person suggested minimum

To Reserve, sign up by clicking on the "Donate" button on the right side of the screen.

The Menu

Saffron Rice with Cashews and Raisins

Chicken Curry

Fish Ambul Thiyal - Sour Fish Curry with Gamboge

Pork Badun

Paripoo - Sri Lankan Style Lentils (Dahl) Stewed in Coconut Milk

Mallung - Sautéed Kale Greens

Ala Thel Dala - Devilled Potatoes

Beet Curry

Coconut Sambol

Tomato/Cucumber Salad

Papadum

Assorted Chutneys (Mango, Ambrella)

Dessert: Tropical Fruit Salad w/ custard

Coconut Flan (wattalapan)

Complimentary Beer, Wine, and Soft Drinks

http://www.riceandcurry.wordpress.com

The Hard Fall Supper in Paris

Dîner d'un automne dur...

La Date: Samedi, le 22 novembre à 19.00

Le Chef: Eldad Shmuelie.

Formé dans les cuisines d'Alain Ducasse (Plaza Athenée, Paris), Thomas Keller (French Laundry, Napa Valley) et Heston Blumenthal (The Fat Duck, Bray, UK), Eldad est actuellement chef cusinier au Sole à Paris après un an chez Herbert Samuel à Tel Aviv.

Le Restaurant: Le Condor C, 25 rue Condorcet, 75009 Paris.

Le Menu: Foie gras sauté aux fruits de l'automne; Fruits de mer à la plancha; Pigeonneau farci aux légumes de l'arrière-saison, jus de foie gras; Crumble

aux coings, poires et pommes. Tisane au gingembre, thym et canelle.

Le Sommelier: Geoffrey Finch, professeur en biodynamie à Sciences Po et réalisateur du film documentaire In Vino Veritas.

Les Vins: Riesling 2005, Geschickt; Chardonnay 2005, Domaine des Griottes; Syrah 2005, Le Mazel, Cuvée Larmande; Gaillac 2006, Cuvée Merena, Bois Moisset.

Prix fixe menu: 50€. Maximum 18 couverts. Tous bénéfices au profit de Scotty Hard Trust

Pour plus de renseignements: scottyhardsuppers@gmail.com.

Pour réserver:

The Hard Art Supper: Gastropod @ Casa Irwin-Hills

The Date: Thursday, October 9th, 7pm

The Chef: Angus An

Born in Taiwan, armed with a fine arts degree and a passion for architecture, and trained in some of the best cooking schools and kitchens of New York (French Culinary Institute, Jojo), Montreal (Toqué), Bray (The Fat Duck) and London (The Ledbury, Nahm), Angus An is one of Vancouver's most imaginative and accomplished chefs. His Kitsilano restaurant, Gastropod, co-owned by Vancouver conceptual artist Ken Lum, won Gold for Best Fine Dining and Silver for Best Design at the 2007 Vancouver Magazine Restaurant Awards.

"This is modern West Coast cuisine—gorgeous and sensual, but with a brain."

Angela Murrills, The Georgia Straight

"All I want for Christmas is another perfect night at Gastropod… [D]inner was nothing less than amazing -- hit after hit of elegant simplicity on a plate, dexterously balanced with dazzling depths of flavour.

Alexandra Gill, The Globe & Mail

"Angus An's dishes balance lovely food that blurs the lines between European and North American cuisine, with just a touch of Asian."

Mia Stansby, Vancouver Sun

Gastropod, 1938 W. 4th Avenue, Vancouver -- 604 730 5579

The Hosts: Jane Irwin and Ross Hill

Jane Irwin is a Vancouver artist and patron who has served on the boards and juries of many organizations, including Artropolis, The Community Arts Council of BC, The Canadian Craft Museum, and the BC Crafts Association. Past President of the Contemporary Art Society of Vancouver, Jane is also on the Advisory Board of The Canadian Art Foundation and the Board of Trustees of The Vancouver Art Gallery.

Ross Hill is the Managing Partner of Hill's of Kerrisdale, Ray Rickburn and Blue Ruby Jewellery. He is the Vice President of the Board of Directors of the Contemporary Art Gallery.

The Menu: Canapés: Citrus cured salmon gravlax with smoked crème fraiche, potato cracker; Rillette de canard (fried Polderside duck confit); Truffle zabaione (truffle infused sabayon, shaved black truffles); Oyster shooters (Cortes Island oysters, Sauternes jelly, shallot reduction, horseradish foam); Matsutake soup (Matsutake mushroom, micro celery, pine nuts). Dinner: Sloping Hills organic pork (brined, sous vide, served with truffled potatoes); Confit Pacific halibut with blackeye pea and sofrito stew. Dessert: Michel Cluizel's chocolate pot de crème with long pepper madeleines.

The Wine Steward: Barbara Mills of That's Life Gourmet.

The Price: $150 per person. All net proceeds to the Scotty Hard Trust

To book or for more information, contact scottyhardsuppers@gmail.com.

October and November are Karma Tuesday months at Bistrot Bistro for Scotty Hard!

Throughout the months of October and November, Bistrot Bistro in Vancouver is generously donating 5% of the every Tuesday's proceeds to the Scotty Hard Trust.

On Tuesday, October 7th, a special Hard BB Supper will kick off the Karma Tuesday fundraising effort. Scotty's recordings — both his own and those of the many artists he has produced — will be showcased, along with a special 12-course Scotty Hard Tasting Menu. The price is $60 per person, with net proceeds going to the Scotty Hard Trust. To book, call Bistrot Bistro at 604-732-0004.

The Restaurant: Bistrot Bistro is a slice of the French country life right in the heart of Kitsilano. Owners Valerie and Laurent Devin's daring juxtaposition of sleek, contemporary design with traditional and hearty French comfort food has struck just the right chord with the exacting tastes of West Coast diners. Named the Reader's Choice Best New West Side restaurant in the Georgia Straight's 2007 Golden Plates Award, it was also a Critic's Pick for Best New Casual and Best French. The Vancouver Sun and the Westender both named it as one of the Top New Restaurants of 2007. Vancouver Magazine named it one of the Best New Informal restaurants of the year. Valerie and Laurent understand that with so much attention comes a certain responsibility, and so they introduced Karma Tuesdays. Bistrot Bistro starts each week by donating 5% of the day's proceeds to a different charity or non-profit group (August & September's proceeds went to the Rick Hansen Foundation) In this way they are able to give back to the community and to say thank you for its support.

The Scotty Hard Tasting Menu: First courses: warmed goat cheese & greens with red wine & shallot vinaigrette; mussels marinière; endive with walnuts and stilton; balsamic poached pear; charcuterie plate; baguette tapenade. Main courses: apricot-tomato spiced lamb shank; free-range chicken with Calvados and mushroom cream; Chateaubriand with beurre maître d'hôtel; Halibut provençal. Side dishes: pommes allumettes, almond glazed carrots; gratin Dauphinois. Desserts: mousse chocolat; crème brulée.

The Price: $60 per person (tax, gratuity and drinks not included). Net proceeds to the Scotty Hard Trust.

To book: contact Bistrot Bistro @ (604) 732-0004 or info@bistrotbistro.com

http://www.bistrotbistro.com

If music be the food: Golden Hardstock Guitar on Scotty Hard auction block

What, besides being great performers, do Elvis Presley, Frank Zappa, Bryan Ferry, David Bowie, ZZ Top, Jimi Hendrix and the Beatles have in common with every musician who played at Hardstock 08, the sold-out Scotty Hard benefit concert held at the Commodore Ballroom in Vancouver on April 25?

They all laid their hands on Hagstroms, the classic cult guitars of the Seventies.

At Hardstock 08, it was the same Hagstrom every time, the now legendary Golden Hardstock Guitar.

The Golden Hardstock Guitar began its performing life in the hands of Craig Northey of The Odds/Colin James fame. From there it became "kind of like the Stanley Cup, passed around from champion to champion and maybe lost on a street corner in Winnipeg."

Today, it has become a symbol of the musical community that has rushed to the aid of Scotty Hard.

"On that night at the Commodore I had every performer sign it and some people played it," said Northey. "It has become the "Gerry Cheevers Mask" of Hardstock 08."

The musicians who autographed the guitar include: The Hard Ones' Barney Bentall, Doug Elliot, Paul Hyde, Colin James, Simon Kendall, Colin Nairne, Craig Northey, and Pat Steward; Neil Osborne, Brad Merritt and Dave Genn from 54/40, Tom Harrison, Ra McGuire and Smitty from Trooper; The Pointed Sticks; The Jazzmanian Devils; John Mann from Spirit of the West with his son Harlan Mann; Bughouse 5; Kinnie Starr; Hardrock Miners; the Furies; I Braineater; Go Four 3, Swank and the Mike Webster band.

The Golden Hardstock is a 2008 Hagstrom Swede WCT with a gold-top finish. Hagstrom's famous flagship guitar, it is the ax of choice of Dweezil Zappa, Disashi Lumumba-Kasongo of Gym Class Heroes, Pat Smear of Nirvana and the Foo Fighters, Ryan Ross of Panic! At the Disco, Joe Marro of Joseph Marro & The Humdrum, Mike Golla of The Starting Line, Jake Cinninger of Umphrey's McGee, Peter Ruesc of Carbellion, Ben Curtis of School of Seven Bells, Aaron McLain of Marc Anthony, Cameron Keym of The Sleeping, Joe Wizda of The Charms, Ethan Kaufman of Ryan Cabrera, and Luke O'Malley of Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra.

You can read about the Hagstrom Swede in Guitar World

You can see its technical specifications on the Hagstrom website

Special thank you to Jam Industries/Erikson Music in Montreal, who provided Craig Northey with the guitar and have generously agreed to its donation to the Scotty Hard Online Auction House.

What's the Golden Hardstock worth? "I think its retail value is around $650," says Craig Northey. "Its sentimental value, however — or hoodoo with all those signatures — is probably closer to $1 million."

Hot and Hard Southeast Asian Supper in a Backyard Garden with NY Saxophonist Michael Blake

The Date: Tuesday, August 26, 7pm

The Venue: Komodo House in Vancouver

The Chefs: Margaret Gallagher, Angela Wan and Fred Lee

CBC Radio's Margaret Gallagher hosts the "The Early Edition's" weekly food column, "Flavour of the Week" and is the Vancouver host of Canada Live on CBC Radio Two.

Angela Wan is a principal partner of AWDD Media Design and New Media Development, a Vancouver-based website design, motion graphics and print based design company.

The Host: Fred Lee

"Man about Town" Fred Lee is the Vancouver Courier's society columnist and the host of "Stepping Out with Fred Lee" on CBC Radio's "The Early Edition".

The Music: Brooklyn-based saxophonist Michael Blake

"The tenor and soprano saxophonist Michael Blake has produced an impressive body of work over the past decade, with each new release confirming his acutely omnivorous tastes. "Slow Poke at Home" is the ad hoc album he made in 1998 with the slide guitarist David Tronzo, the drummer Kenny Wollesen and the bassist Tony Scherr (who recorded the music at his house). Now available through palmetto-records.net, it features bone-dry renditions of Eddie Harris and Neil Young tunes, as well as three pieces by Mr. Blake. What it doesn't include is the panoramic imagination of "Amor de Cosmos" (Songlines), Mr. Blake's engrossing new studio release. Here the compositions assume a slippery depth, and the ensemble — a sextet of resourceful Canadians, including the trumpeter Brad Turner and the drummer Dylan van der Schyff — treads nimbly and boldly. Mr. Blake, on tenor especially, is an endlessly engaging improviser, and an inquisitive one. The album may be named after an eccentric who was British Columbia's second premier (something of a long story), but its innovations feel personal and close at hand." Nate Chinen, New York Times, November 18, 2007

The Buffet Menu: Appetizers: chicken or pork saté, grilled pineapple and prawns. Mains: spicy beef rendang curry, gado gado, grilled banana-leaf fish, sautéed green beans and nasi kuning (yellow rice) with Southeast Asian salsas and condiments. Dessert: bitter chocolate ginger cake with gelato.

Vegetarian substitutions available by request.

The Price: $50 per person. Maximum 25 guests. All net proceeds to the Scotty Hard Trust

For more information contact scottyhardsuppers@gmail.com.

To book now:

The Hard West Supper with West's Warren Geraghty and special guest Rick Hansen

On Thursday, August 21^st, twenty members of the Scotty Hard Supper Club will convene in the West Vancouver home of Tom Rowe and Vicki Gabereau for a six-course dinner prepared by West Restaurant's Executive Chef Warren Geraghty.

Canada's Paralympian Rick Hansen, the CEO of the Rick Hansen Foundation, will be a special guest and speaker at the dinner. The Rick Hansen Foundation works to create more accessible and inclusive communities for people with spinal cord injuries, and supports the search for a cure.

The menu will showcase local delicacies – Dungeness crab, sockeye salmon, Thiessen Farm quail, and a 48-day dry-aged beef especially created by Geraghty in collaboration with Pemberton Meadows.

West's Wine Director, Owen Knowlton, has selected wine pairings for each course. The wines have been generously donated by That's Life Gourmet, Liberty Wine Merchants and Vinterra Wine. A vintage port has been generously donated by Lanigan & Edwards.

West Restaurant's David Wolowidnyk, the reigning Grey Goose Vodka "Arbiter of Cool" National Pour Master Champion and this year's recipient of Vancouver Magazine's "Bartender of the Year" Award, will man the Hard Bar and create a special Hard West Cocktail for the event.

The evening will feature the pianistic stylings of Simon Kendall, the Jessie and Genie Award winning composer/producer/performer of Doug and the Slugs fame. Simon is a longtime friend of Scotty Hard.

Tickets for the Hard West Supper are $300 per couple. Proceeds will go to the Scotty Hard Trust, which has been set up to help pay the legal, medical, and living expenses of Scott Harding, aka Scotty Hard, a Vancouver-born, NY-based musician and recording engineer now paralyzed below the chest after a hit-and-run car accident in Brooklyn in mid-February.

Special thanks to Tom Rowe and Vicki Gabereau for graciously lending the Scotty Hard Supper Club the use of their beautiful West Vancouver home, and to Jack Evrensel, the proprietor of the Top Table Group, Top Table Group Communication Director Shelley McArthur, West Restaurant Manager Brian Hopkins, and the entire Top Table team (especially West Restaurant Cook David Gunawan and Server Richard Luxton and CinCin Server/Assistant Wine Director Jamie Lauder) for their generous support.

HARD SUPPER N°8

The Date: Tuesday, August 21, 7pm

The Chef: Warren Geraghty, Executive Chef of West Restaurant in Vancouver

Prior to his move to Vancouver's premier restaurant, Warren Geraghty was Executive Chef at Marco Pierre White's L'Escargot restaurant in London. Before that he was at Aurora, The Orrery, Chez Nico, Restaurant Stefano Cavallini and Pied à Terre. In Cannes, Geraghty worked alongside Richard Neat as Head Chef of Restaurant Neat, where during his tenure, the London Evening Standard noted that he was "instrumental in obtaining the Michelin star."

Recognized as the "jewel in Vancouver's culinary crown," West's outstanding contemporary regional cuisine and seamless service has garnered much critical acclaim, including four consecutive wins as Restaurant of the Year by the Vancouver Magazine Restaurant Awards, a prestigious four-star rating by Mobil Travel Guide, and recognition as one of the "ten of the best, worldwide" by UK's Sunday Independent."

The Hosts: Vicki Gabereau, Tom Rowe, Eve Gabereau, and Craig Burnett.

The Menu: Tian of dungeness crab and saffron couscous with gazpacho sauce; galantine of Thiessen Farm quail with foie gras and jasmin scented raisin puree; cured then seared sockeye salmon with pickled wild mushrooms and hollandaise cream; 48-day, dry-aged Pemberton Meadows beef — smoked carpaccio fillet and baked sirloin — with quinoa salad, baby vegetables and Parisienne vinaigrette; tarte citron with fresh berries; and an assortment of local cheese.

The Wines: Gloria Ferrer Brut sparkling wine, Sonoma, courtesy of Vinterra; Domaine Marcel Deiss Bergheim Pinot Blanc 04, Alsace, courtesy of That's Life Gourmet; D'Arenberg " Hermit Crab" Viognier/Marsanne 06, McLaren Vale, courtesy of Liberty Wine Merchants; D'Arenberg "The Custodian" Grenach 05, McLaren Vale, courtesy of Liberty Wine Merchants; Marchesi di Gresy 01 L'Altro Passito, Piemonte, courtesy of That's Life Gourmet; Quinta de Ventozelo Late Bottle Vintage Port 98, Douro, courtesy of Lanigan & Edwards.

The Price: $300 per couple. All net proceeds to the Scotty Hard Trust

For more information contact scottyhardsuppers@gmail.com.

"Tasted Good. Felt Good. Was Good."

On Saturday night, Timothy Taylor gave his birthday party, which consisted of 26 people, 16 pounds of pulled pork, a heap of cowboy beans, a mound of coleslaw, several flats of Brooklyn Lager and a whacking big Dairy Queen ice-cream cake, to Scotty Hard, a man he has never met.

"No gifts, no cards," Timothy said to his guests (I'm quoting his column in today's Globe & Mail), "only donations to the Trust."

The gesture raised cash and the column raised awareness.

We are, as Scotty is quoted as saying in the Timothy Taylor column, "overwhelmed and eternally grateful."

"Tasted good," Timothy Taylor wrote. "Felt good. Was good. Here's health to Scotty."

Here's health to Timothy Taylor and his wife Jane and his 26 guests and all the other guests and hosts and chefs and wine merchants and food suppliers that have kicked in and given us something to cheer about this summer.

Here's health to you all.

Read Timothy Taylor's column here

Hard Supper #7: The TT SH B-Day Party

TOTAL RAISED FOR SCOTTY HARD TRUST: $500

Date: Saturday, July 26, 2008

Chef: Timothy Taylor

Venezuelan born and BC raised, Timothy Taylor is the author of two novels, (Stanley Park and Story House), and a short story collection (Silent Cruise). A columnist for the Globe & Mail, Taylor has won three National Magazine Awards and is the only writer to have three stories published in a single edition of the Journey Prize Anthology. His travel, humour, arts and business pieces have been published in various magazines and periodicals, including Saturday Night, The Walrus, and EnRoute. He is also a very good cook.

Menu: Pulled pork sandwiches, coleslaw, Brooklyn lager and Dairy Queen ice-cream cake.

Special shout-out to Sebastian & Co in West Vancouver for their generous donation of 16 lbs of organic pork butt roast. To see Sebastian's butchering prowess in action, tune in to Citytv's Breakfast Television on Monday, July 21st at 7am.

Rules: No shoes, no shirt, no service. No cards, no presents — cash donations to the Scotty Hard Fund. Payment can also be made directly to www.scottyhardtrust.com. Cheques (preferably in USD) can be sent payable to "The Scotty Hard Trust", c/o Heesok Chang, 970 Kent Ave #401, Brooklyn NY 11205

The Soho Hardsupper

TOTAL RAISED FOR SCOTTY HARD TRUST: 1400 £

The Date: Sunday, July 13, 2008.

The Venue: Black's, 67 Dean Street, Soho, London

From Fluid Foundation: "Black's is a dark and mysterious private members' club. The basement entrance leads you out of the depressing reality of Dean Street and into the romantic, Dickensian world of a beautiful Georgian townhouse, where time waits for all men. Aside from the wonderful staff, the possibility of grabbing the harem-like cushioned nook on the second floor, the fires and the candle-light, perhaps the highest and simplest recommendation for Blacks is that it's one of the very few places in central London that one can have a civilised conversation on a Friday or Saturday night - that is, seated, and conversing without shouting. The 3-storey getaway has a members list of high flyers in artistic fields of work from journalists to actors to art & antique dealers. The atmosphere is both sophisticated and stimulating, and the environment absolutely charming, so if you can conjure up some Copperfield wizardry to get past the door, then you're in for a most memorable night. The only rules: No cell phones, no hats and no chewing gum."

The Hosts: Dr. Craig Moyes and Mme Natalie Brierley

The Chef: Robin Freeman, Black's

Robin Freeman, aka Swedish Bob, is a rock 'n' roll legend. Once private chef to Aerosmith, PJ Harvey, The Eagles, and Deep Purple, and an accomplished musician and producer in his own right, he is the Executive Chef at Black's.

The Menus: Spiced fish soup with pan-fried scallop and tapenade, or cream of new-season garlic soup with manchego croutons; cucumber sorbet with salmon roe or roasted chili; boned saddle of rabbit stuffed with morcilla on champ, sweet sherry jus and fresh broad beans, or layered potato and spinach pancakes with yellow beans, marinated beetroot, goat curd with rocket and chardonnay beetroot dressing; pink grapefruit and campari sorbet; a selection of English cheeses with runner bean chutney, fruit, biscuits and vintage port; coffee and petits fours.

A cash bar will follow.

The Music: An eclectic line-up that includes cellist and English Chamber Orchestra conductor Orlando Jopling, blues guitarist Jonathan Richards, and chanteuse Aisling Lavelle.

The Price: £60 per person, which includes three glasses of wine and bubbles to begin. Drinks start at 6.15 for dinner at 7 pm. 34 covers max, so book early. All proceeds go to the ScottyHardTrust. Reservations and payment to: swedishbob@hotmail.com.

For more information on Soho Hardsupper, click here

The Brooklyn Hard Backyard Supper Sold Out!

TOTAL RAISED FOR SCOTTY HARD TRUST: $1500 USD

Response has been so great extra seats have been added and a second chef is flying in from the West Coast to lend a hand —Terri Wahl of Auntie Em's Kitchen in Los Angeles.

Terri joins host Susan Kowal, chef Millicient Souris of Egg and Farmstead Wine's Anthony Nicalo.

An old Friend of Scotty, Terri (aka Angel, or Louise Lee Outlaw) was lead guitarist in the legendary all-female LA punk band The Red Aunts before opening Auntie Em's Kitchen in Eagle Rock.

"Never afraid to stretch their imaginations, [Auntie Em's Kitchen] delivers the essentials - beautiful food in a festive setting - but they do it with a twist. Terri Wahl is always whipping up batches of her homemade macaroni and cheese - the gourmet kind, with shells and baby spinach. Theresa Wahl Gourmet Catering now dishes up a signature blend of kitsch and cool. In keeping with her rock roots, Wahl has fed a bevy of MTV darlings including Jennifer Lopez, Christina Aguilera, Mariah Carey and Brandy. Rave reviews followed and Wahl's clients soon expanded beyond the music industry. Alec Baldwin hired her to cook for him on set and Cindy Crawford has feasted on her dishes during photo shoots." — Ginny Chen, Variety

Thanks for stepping up, Terri!

www.auntieemskitchen.com

There are still a few seats left for the Soho Hardsupper in London, England, on July 13th at 7pm.

For reservations, e-mail us at scottyhardsuppers@gmail.com

The شدي العشا Hard Supper Club at Le Marrakech Moroccan Bistro Sold Out

TOTAL RAISED FOR SCOTTY HARD FUND: $3000 USD

Sunday's شدي العشا Hard Supper Club at Le Marrakech Moroccan Bistro in Gastown is now officially sold out.

Sixty guests will be in attendance, twice the projected figure.

Le Marrakech's Executive Chef Abdel Elatouab and Beijing-bound Alton Anfield have prepared a 9-course North African banquet, which will be paired with some stellar wines courtesy of Joie Wines, Farmstead Wines and A Good Drop.

The Menu

Braised Polderside duck bastilla in saffron broth

Sauteed eggplant stuffed with almonds

Braised khoubiza salad with preserved lemons and olives

Roasted organic pepper and eggplant salads

Moroccan lamb brochettes

Seared scallops & prawns with ginger-mint sauce

Braised lamb shank tagine with figs and apricots

Le Marrakech vegetarian couscous

Baked honey and almond Mhancha

Salam wa aleikum !

http://www.lemarrakech.ca/

The Hard Backyard Supper Club

The Place: Greenpoint, Brooklyn, NY

The Date: Sunday, July 13, 2008.

The Chef: Millicent Souris, Egg

Formerly at Queen's Hideaway in Greenpoint, now at Egg in Williamsburg, and a judge every year at Enid's apple pie contest on Manhattan Avenue, Millicent Souris is famous throughout the borough for her mastery of artisanal ingredients and techniques – especially Southern-style BBQ, down-home pastry, and drop-dead delicious biscuits.

The Host: Susan Kowal, Visionaire Magazine.

The Menu: Deviled eggs & tea sandwiches, pig's head salad & goose liver pate with radishes, seasonal Southern-style pickles, cheese grits with fresh peas and mint, chilled melon soup, grilled chicken thighs with apricots, Greenmarket corn & jicama salad, and a mighty fine fresh pie.

The Wine: A selection of Old World wines from small, farm-based producers, courtesy of Farmstead Wine's Anthony Nicalo.

The Price: A suggested donation of $70. All net proceeds go to the Scotty Hard Trust.

Two Wine Experts Step Up to the Hard Supper Plate

We are delighted to announce that Anthony Nicalo of Farmstead Wines and Paul Watkin of A Good Drop have joined the HSC Oenological Division.

The two Vancouver-based wine professionals will be lending their expertise — and wine — to several Hard Supper Clubs events, starting with the شدي العشا Hard Supper Club at Le Marrakech Bistro in Gastown, Vancouver on July 6th.

Anthony Nicalo will showcase an exceptional Austrian white — Martin Arndorfer's Gruner Veltliner Strasser Weinburge 2006 — at Le Marrakech, while Paul Watkin will be pairing three premium wines from the Naramata Bench — Poplar Grove Reserve Red 2003, Poplar Grove Chardonnay 2006, and the Poplar Grove Monster Vineyard Rosé 2007.

Anthony Nicalo, a wine expert and accomplished chef (his culinary talents were showcased at a special Barbara Kingsolver event at Barbara Jo's Books to Cooks last Friday) who moved to Vancouver from Chicago in 2006, has also generously offered to oversee wine pairings at the Hard Greenpoint Supper in Brooklyn, NY on July 13th.

Farmstead Wines works with small-scale winemakers in Europe who produce hand-crafted wines exclusively from grapes grown in their own vineyards. All wines bearing the Farmstead Seal are made by family-run producers in France, Austria and Italy on their farms — not in the lab — using natural and traditional methods.

Paul Watkin has been a central figure in the Vancouver wine scene for nearly two decades, most notably during his tenure at West Vancouver's Dundarave Wine Cellar and as Dining Room Manager and Service Instructor at the prestigious Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts. He is an active member of the Society of Wine Educators and Cellar Master for the South World Wine Society. A wine educator, consultant and writer, Paul organizes tailor-made wine events through A Good Drop.

Thank you Anthony and Paul!

Joie Wines Joins the Hard Supper Club

Joie Wines has generously donated a case of its hard-to-find Joie Rosé and a double magnum of its equally scarce A Noble Blend to the Hard Supper Club.

Named the 2007 B.C. Winery to Watch by Wine Press Northwest, and recipients of a BC Lieutenant Governor's Award of Excellence in 2007, the Naramata Bench winery makes some of the most sought after wines in Canada. Owned and operated by Heidi Noble and Michael Dinn, the Joie's Alsatian and Burgundy style wines have received tremendous critical and popular acclaim within the Canadian wine industry. The limited production of 7,500 cases are sold exclusively to a private mailing list, Vancouver & Victoria restaurants and a select few private wine shops.

The bottles of Joie Rosé, winner of a Gold Medal at the 2007 All Canadian Wine Championships, will be paired with courses at the Hard Morocco Supper at Le Marrakesh Bistro in Gastown on Sunday, July 6th.

The double magnum of A Noble Blend, winner of a Gold Medal and Finalist Canadian White Wine of the Year at the 2007 Canadian Wine Awards, will be auctioned off at the Hard West Supper hosted by Vicki Gabereau and helmed by West Restaurant executive chef Warren Geraghty.

On March 15th, 2008, Joie represented BC's wine cuisine at a sold-out event at the James Beard house in New York with Gastropod's Executive Chef Angus An. To see photos from the event and the dishes visit www.chrismasonstearns.com/jamesbeard.The 6-course dinner was recreated on April 13th at Gastropod restaurant in Vancouver. To see the menu:www.gastropod.ca/pdfs/Joie_Dinner.pdf

The Hard Supper Club wishes to thank Heidi and Michael for their generous contribution. We would also like to draw your attention to Heidi's excellent cookbook, Menus from an An Orchard Table, published in May 2007 and available at the Joie website (www.joie.ca) or at better bookstores.

" Heidi Noble is one of those wonderful multitalented people–sommelier, winemaker, chef, and writer. Her Menus from an Orchard Table is one of the best cookbooks to emerge from Canada's wine and food scene in decades. What sets it apart is that Noble is a writer, not just a recipe assembler. Her writing is incisive, thoughtful, and thought provoking, while the recipes are solidly grounded, focusing on freshness and flavour rather than trendiness."
Jurgen Gothe, The Georgia Straight

www.joie.ca

"2008 Bartender of the Year" David Wolowidnyk Joins Hard Supper

David Wolowidnyk, the reigning Grey Goose Vodka "Arbiter of Cool" National Pour Master Champion and this year's recipient of Vancouver Magazine's "Bartender of the Year" Award, will man the Hard Bar this summer at two Especially Hard Supper Club events.

The West Restaurant Bar Manager — also named Bartender of the Year by the Vancouver restaurant community in the 2008 Urban Diner Awards — will showcase his cocktail creations at the Hard Bop Supper, hosted by the Vancouver International Jazz Festival and helmed by Hard Supper's Kevin Mooney, and at the Hard West Supper Club, hosted by Vicki Gabereau and helmed by West Restaurant executive chef Warren Geraghty and the Top Table Group.

Praised for his chemist-like precision, inventive twists and intriguing libations, the award-winning Wolowidnyk has more than two decades of professional service experience in destination bars and restaurants throughout Vancouver and the Grand Cayman Islands.

"It's not just that his knowledge of booze is encyclopedic. His palate borders on the extra-sensory; his sixth sense for what his guests are looking for, extraordinary."
Andrew Morrison, Vancouver Magazine, 2008

Bistrot Bistro Joins Hard Supper Club

As part of their Karma Tuesdays program, Bistrot Bistro in Vancouver will offer 5% of their Tuesday nights' proceeds to the scottyhardtrust during the months of October and November. A Hard Supper night at the Kitsilano restaurant will kick off the fundraising effort.

Thank you, Valerie and Laurent!