Rounding Up the Best Cookbooks of 2021 This was certainly a stellar year for cookbooks and narrowing down the list to the Best Cookbooks of 2021 was an extremely challenging task. So many great ones made their debut, but here are more than a few that are worthy of a spot on your shelf, in no particular order. We will dive deeper into some of these and provide recipes shortly here. Ottolenghi Test Kitchen: Shelf Love Recipes to Unlock the Secrets of Your Pantry, Fridge, and Freezer: A Cookbook by Noor Murad and Yotam Ottolenghi I’m often guilty of purchasing…
Author: Cassandra Anderton
Jerk Roast Turkey Crown There’s a lot to love about the new PC® Butter-Infused Stuffed Turkey Crown – it cooks quicker than a whole bird and is easier to slice, just to name a few perks. Need another reason to add it to your cart? Feast your eyes on this incredible spiced-up turkey twist, the Jerk Roast Turkey Crown from Canadian journalist and sports anchor Kayla Grey. Try more PC Recipes here. Level: Easy Preparation: 45 mins Ready in: 2 hrs 30 mins Serves: 10 Dish Type: Jamaican Season: Fall, Winter Course: Dinner Main Ingredient: Turkey PC Butter-Infused Stuffed Turkey Crown Ingredients…
Summer Fresh Makes Entertaining Easy No, I am not talking about Summer Entertaining just a day after Winter Solstice, but I am instead speaking of Summer Fresh Dips. I tried their hummus, Pecorino Dip (my favourite), Artichoke and Asiago, Baba Ghanouj and Roasted Red Pepper and they are seriously full of flavour and a perfect addition to your holiday table. Grab them and dip in your veggies, crackers, and pita bread, or whip up one of their super fun Summer Fresh Appetizer Recipes they sent me! Artichoke & Asiago Pull-Apart Bread 227g Summer Fresh Artichoke & Asiago Dip 2 ¼…
Our Best Holiday Wines for the 2021 Holiday Season This year is the year we’re back to entertaining outside our bubble and we’re moving along gleefully, with caution! We’ve put together our suggestions for the Best Holiday Wines this year available at Jak’s and on SPUD! Happy holidays and stay safe. Best Holiday Liquor here. SHOP FOR WINE Cuvee Hortense Entre-deux-Mers (Bordeaux, France) 2018 $31.24 Exclusively available at SPUD and JAK’s – This lovely white Bordeaux originates from the Entre-Deux-Mers region and is crafted from a blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon and Muscadelle. It spends 6 months before bottling resting…
Kalbi Short Rib Ssam with Sesame Pickles Ssam – which means “wrapped” – in a Korean family-style meal of meat served in lettuce leaves with rice and a slew of condiments. Here, PC® Test Kitchen Chef Diana Colman swapped out the pork for tender, saucy PC® Kalbi Beef Short Ribs, which are conveniently pre-seasoned and ready to cook. Try more PC Recipes here. Level: Easy Preparation: 25 mins Ready in 45 mins Serves: four Dish Type: Korean Season: Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer Course: Dinner Main Ingredient: Beef Short Ribs Ingredients Sesame Pickles: 1 tbsp (15 mL) rice vinegar 1 tsp (5 mL) granulated sugar 1…
Peppermint Chocolate Dipped Hazelnut Shortbreads by Chef Josh Gale Chef Josh Gale’s Peppermint Chocolate Dipped Hazelnut Shortbread cookies are a holiday favourite for Canadians young and old. Get the whole family involved in dipping these delicious cookies in chocolate and rolling them in crushed candy cane for a festive finishing touch. Prep time: 15 minutes Cook time: 30 minutes Serves: 12 Ingredients 1 cup (250 mL) hazelnuts, skin off 1 cup (250 mL) all-purpose flour ½ tsp (2.25 mL) salt ½ tsp (2.25 ml) baking powder ½ cup (125 mL) butter, cubed (room temperature) ⅓ cup (75 mL) white sugar…
Fleischmann’s Launches BakeGood.ca, a Social and Educational Online Community for Canadian Bakers of All Skill Levels BakeGood.ca is an interactive, all-in-one community featuring video tutorials, discussion forums, recipes and more — just in time for holiday baking Fleischmann’s, a trusted brand in baking for over 150 years, has today launched BakeGood.ca, a new online hub to connect and provide resources to Canadian bakers of all skill levels. The goal of the innovative online hub is to offer resources for bakers to enhance their technical skills through free video tutorials created by Canadian experts as well as provide a large collection…
What we’re into this week We hope everyone is doing as best as can be expected right now. It is indeed a difficult time for all and we are being tested once again. Thoughts are with all of those whose homes, land and livelihoods are being affected. Climate change is very real and we’re going to be even more diligent, personally, to live more sustainably and reduce our footprint. There’s a number of events to support your local food, wine and cultural scene including Cornucopia and events at The Arts Club Theatre. We’ve just returned from the Planted Expo and…
Vegan Baking Made Easy, 60 Foolproof, Plant-Based Recipes Rebecca Coleman, a Vancouver-Based food blogger, loves nothing more than baking for her friends and family. She’s recently released Vegan Baking Made Easy, 60 Foolproof, Plant-Based Recipes. Vegan Baking Made Easy is currently available on Amazon! Purchase Now We caught up with her to learn a little more about this project. Follow Rebecca Coleman on Instagram Congratulations on the release of Vegan Baking! What was the process of writing and testing for this cookbook? I’ve been baking a long time, so the good news was I already had a few recipes in…
Chef Connie DeSousa and her mentorship of Chef Rafael Covarrubias We’ve got something new in the works, a monthly podcast. We’ve called it Clutch-Her. Cultch means a mass of stones, broken shells, and grit of which an oyster bed is formed, and at this time in hospitality, we think this is just the word we need to describe the current state of affairs. In this episode we’re speaking with Chef Connie DeSousa, Catch her on Instagram one of Calgary’s best-known chefs. DeSousa is co-owner of CHARCUT ROAST HOUSE, CHARBAR, ALLEY BURGER, ROOFTOP BAR @SIMMONS, Connie and John’s Pizza with a new…
Honda Accord Hybrid Road Tripping This spring Michael and I took a trip to Larch Hills, and Vernon, testing out the Honda Accord Hybrid. Larch Hill’s gorgeous hideaway, the Tin Poppy Retreat, was absolutely our thing. There are several cabins, and a wedding venue, tucked into the forest in the Shuswap. Our cabin was a solar-powered modern/retro screened-in post and beam structure, built around a 32-foot 1953 Caravan. It was our absolute dream getaway, right during COVID, we saw no one for two days, apart from a super friendly dog that came to check on us. Michael read and planned…
Waste Reduction Week Canada and SPUD’s Free Workshop As an official partner of Waste Reduction Week Canada, SPUD is hosting a free workshop “Low waste is the New No Waste”, full of waste fighting ideas (like “clean the fridge” soup), participating in a new, BC born, documentary on food waste heroes while highlighting local, waste fighting vendors all week long. REGISTER HERE If you want to learn even more about battling food waste, you’ll also want to check out the Food Synergy Movie, a documentary crowdfunded and produced in BC, telling stories of people and organizations that are food waste superheroes.…
Your Guide to the Good Life this week Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving and y’all took some time for personal care, rest and time with loved ones. It’s been a while since we’ve done a round up, but we’ll try to get our curations back to a regularly weekly spot. I’ve found a few recommendations for this week, as well as some recipes worth cooking, articles worth reading, and podcasts worth popping on while you’re out for a walk! Cookbook Feature I rounded up Cookbooks to get you through the summer for my column at BC Living, and now…
Les Dames d’Escoffier International Announces Winners of 2021 M.F.K. Fisher Prize for Excellence in Culinary Content Congratulations to the M.F.K. Fisher Prize winners, such talented writers and broadcasters, on behalf of myself and our local chapter of Les Dames d’Escoffier BC! Follow our chapter on Instagram @lesdamesbc and international @lesdamesintl and Good Life Vancouver @goodlifevancouver Les Dames d’Escoffier International (LDEI) has selected the winners of the 2021 LDEI M.F.K. Fisher Prize recognizing excellence in print, broadcast and digital content that broadens peoples’ understanding of the intersection of food and culture. The M.F.K. Fisher Prize supports women creators and is named…
Roberto’s Big Sandwiches at Dalina Coffee Shop Perfect For Fall Picnics The weather may fluctuate these days, but rest assured, we’ve still got some sunny times ahead. Don’t miss the last few dry days to dine al fresco. We’ve got some great suggestions for where to grab some stellar food and drinks to go and a few spots where you might enjoy them. Don’t miss our giveaway with Roberto’s Big Sandwiches – hitting Instagram this week. Roberto’s Big Sandwiches on Main Street out of Dalina’s coffee shop, is serving up Chicago-style sandwiches, with delicious fillings wrapped in freshly baked bread,…
SPUD Teams Up with Fuel up School Lunch Program Join SPUD in their Mission to Fight Food Insecurity with Fuel Up School Lunch Program. Purchase one of their Back to School Bundles and $1 goes to provide school children with lunch, donate directly, or add some non-perishable food items to your SPUD bin and send it back to SPUD. Scroll down for a gift code! There are three bundles of goodness, one that a Plant-based Essentials Bundles, one Back to School and one is a SPUD Essentials Bundles. They’re 30% off if you are a SPUD customer and 50% off if…
Celebrate Vancouver’s Chinatown through family-fun activities, live performances, and delicious bites The Vancouver Chinatown Foundation and the Vancouver Chinatown Business Improvement Area Society (VCBIA) are gearing up to launch the inaugural Light Up Chinatown! celebration this weekend. The two-day event runs September 11 and 12, 2021 with a full slate of live performances, family-fun activities, exclusive food collaborations, and beautiful displays of lanterns and lights. WHO: Vancouver Chinatown Foundation and the Vancouver Chinatown Business Improvement Area Society (VCBIA) invite the community to Vancouver’s Chinatown for an early Mid-Autumn Festival celebration of lanterns, live entertainment, food, and more. WHAT: The inaugural…
Cheese Board with Spicy Feta and Grilled Fruit Summer’s not over yet and with local fruit ripe ever so tasty, here’s a great appetizer that comes together easily. Try this Spicy Feta brought to us from the folks at President’s Choice. Serves: 6 Course type: Appetizers, Snacks, Desserts Prep time: 25 minutes Cook time: 5 minutes Ready in: 30 minutes Who says you need to add multiple kinds of cheese to your cart to pull off an impressive cheese board? Keep it simple by choosing one crowd-pleaser – like feta – and jazz it up with a zesty, spicy topper.…
Some things we’re excited about and think you should be too It’s a rainy August day and I’m so happy to have one. Let’s hope this weather calms the flames flaring around our precious province and helps bring the gardens back to life. I want to crawl back to bed, but if I put one foot in front of the other today, I may end the day on a higher note. Anyone else exhausted from hearing about the insanity resulting mainly from the idiocy brought on by anti-vaxxesrs and anti-maskers? It’s a very scary world out there. Stay safe and…
BC Blueberries Star in this Basque Cheesecake by Chef Justin Witcher of Como Taperia They’re back! Celebrate Fresh BC Blueberries with #GoBlueBC Celebrate the arrival of fresh BC Blueberries in British Columbia by visiting GoBlueBC.ca. Win Amazing #GoBlueBC Prizes from White Spot and BC Ferries with their GoBlueBC.ca until August 2nd, 2021. Sponsored by White Spot and Triple O’s, enter for a chance to win a total of $1,000 in gift cards to White Spot and Triple O’s! On August 3rd, one British Columbian will win this special prize to try out the seasonal BC Blueberry offerings at both restaurants!…
