Introduction First and foremost, welcome to the Burgoo Bistro cookbook. We apologize for taking so long to compile our favourite and most popular recipes, but we trust you''ll forgive us once you dive into this easy-to-use guide. From the very beginning it has been the Burgoo Bistro mission to provide comfort and enjoyment to all our guests, and this book is no different. We hope you will find it a pleasure to use and, most of all, that it will deliver delicious results to share with your family, plus a couple of friends and neighbours. *** Justin * Ken * Michael * Stephan A Taste of History We suspect you''re wondering where the idea for Burgoo came from. The original concept was developed by one of our owners, Justin Joyce, who had previously operated other successful restaurants here in Vancouver. One of those restaurants offered Jambalaya and the Farmer''s Gumbo, a roux-based chicken and prawn dish served over rice. The popularity of those two dishes prompted him to ask, what if we only served stews? For a year or so, the idea percolated, until on a trip through the Mayan Riviera, Justin and his wife, Sara, developed a more detailed menu that they literally scribbled on a paper napkin.

Now, stew covers many styles of food preparation, most cultures and their cooking practices, and at that point the plan had grown to include offerings such as casseroles and fondues--essentially any one-pot meal that could be served in a bowl. Further, the bistro had been given a working name: StewArts, as in the art of making stew. With this barely legible--yet comprehensive--business plan tucked into his pocket, Justin was ready to pitch the idea. He approached two good friends, Stephan MacIntyre and Ken Carty, whom he''d met while playing Ultimate Frisbee. They loved the concept, and a partnership was born. With the team in place, the menu began to take real shape. We were intentionally moving away from fussy, vertically plated dishes that were the trend in the late 1990s toward simple, healthy and comforting foods. We embraced the idea that the humble one-pot meal is food that generations of families from all over the world have relied upon.

Sharing food with family and friends has always been about comforting those you care for, and this idea seemed much more important to us than jumping aboard the latest food craze. We believed that the one-pot meal epitomized comfort food, and with that in mind we broadened our offerings to include soups. At our first location, our menu was simple: bowl foods only, served in two sizes--big and kettle. Even our salads were served in bowls. With our menu clearly in mind, we wanted to ensure that our simple, healthy and comforting food was complemented with friendly, service-oriented staff and a warm, inviting atmosphere. This focus helped us realize that the name StewArts suddenly sounded too much about the food and not enough about our underlying philosophy of comfort. When we came across the word "burgoo"--that hearty flavourful stew--and discovered that it also means the picnic or gathering at which the dish is served, we knew we had the right name for our bistro. And it didn''t hurt that it''s a conversation starter, since most people in Vancouver have no idea what the word means.

(In fact, when people hear or read the bistro name for the first time, they assume we serve burgers. We don''t.) Shortly after we agreed on the name, we added the tagline "food for comfort" to convey the idea of the whole experience being about familiarity and comfort. Straight-Up Tomato a red wine-simmered tomato soup with garlic, drizzled with extra-virgin olive oil *** This recipe is our version of good old-fashioned tomato soup. Pair it with the Gooey Cheese Grillers (page xx) to make our classic After School Special, especially when you need warmth on a rainy day. Heck, serve it with any sandwich that reminds you of when you were growing up. *** Serves 6 to 8 *** 2 cans (each 19 oz) diced tomatoes with juice 4 cups water 1/2 bottle (375 mL) of your favourite red wine 8 large, ripe garden tomatoes, diced 2 medium red onions, diced 6 garlic cloves, chopped 1/4 cup tomato paste 3 tbsp brown sugar 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar extra-virgin olive oil sea salt and freshly ground black pepper *** In a large, heavy pot on high heat, bring canned tomatoes and their juice, water, red wine, fresh tomatoes, onions, garlic, tomato paste, brown sugar, vinegar and a splash of olive oil to a boil. Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 1 hour. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly. Using a blender or a hand blender, purée soup until very smooth. Season to taste with more sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Portion the soup into bowls and drizzle each serving with a few drops of olive oil. Serve hot. **.