Six Canadian Chefs Compete in the Scotch Egg Club Competition On January 24 and 25, six chefs from across Canada are coming together at Tommy Dewar’s Kitchen (Door Three at the corner of King Street and Bathurst Street) to participate in the Scotch Egg Club competition. Fable’s Chef Trevor Bird is among them and we hear he can make a mean scotch egg (we’ll have the recipe soon). We’ll be cheering our Vancouver chef on from the west coast! Held in honour of Robbie Burns Day, this international competition brings the country’s best together as chefs are tested to come up with…
Author: Cassandra Anderton
Wild Sweets® By Dominique & Cindy Duby Releases Limited Edition ‘Year of the Rooster’ Chocolate Art Collections for 2017 Chinese New Year Celebration! It’s superb to live in a city where we have so many reasons to celebrate, and many friends from diverse cultures to celebrate alongside of. I missed out on my usual Ukrainian Christmas Celebration this year, and am entirely short on perogies and cabbage rolls, but I will not miss out on Chinese New Year! I’ve already been fortunate enough to attend a dim sum celebration (more on that soon) and now I’m going to spoil a few…
Rush Hair Salon Arbutus Walk Rush Hair Salon opened about a year and half ago at 2652 Arbutus, between 10th and 11th Avenue. Those who follow me know that a. this is my neighbourhood, and b. my hair and I are in a constant struggle to look like something other than a cast member of Fraggle Rock. Having a salon in the neighbourhood that gets me, and is not overly pricey is exactly what I need. Stacy Minkova and Susie Vo opened Rush Hair Salon after they met at Sukis in Richmond and wanted to start something new and more community based. I…
Event and Happenings in Vancouver this week Today is supposedly the most depressing day of the year according to news reports and a survey that landed in my inbox. While this may just be “marketing”, this time of year can be tough, and I am sensing this in myself and those around me as this year is particularly dismal outside. Be aware of any serious mood changes, and deal with those with professionals; I can only recommend a few surface fixes. This week try some different feel-good things, connect with friends, get some exercise, drink or eat some chocolate, and fuel up on…
Amber Bruce Mixes Up Some Magic In Chinatown at The Keefer If you been following the Hand Crafted Spirits Show, you may have caught a few segments where Joe Leary and I search for tasty cocktails on TSN1410. Since it was the New Year, and health is usually one of the resolutions many make, this week I was looking for cocktails that not only contain alcohol but also had a healthy component to them too! We checked into the cocktail program at The Keefer, where bartender Amber Bruce crafts her drinks with medicinal ingredients, many of them found in the…
BC Chefs Band Together For Canadian Chef in Bocuse d’Or Fundraiser Created in 1987 by Mater Chef Paul Bocuse, the Bocuse d’Or culinary competition is now in it’s 30 year. Twenty-four of the most promising chefs in the world go through two days of intense competition and give their very best to secure a top spot. Intense is the key word here – this is MAXIMUM chefness at work (and yes, I do know that’s not a word). This year’s Canadian candidate is Chef James Olberg who heads to France very shortly to compete in the Bocuse d’Or. However Chef Olberg has more than…
Taking the Acura MDX for a Spin or Two! We drove our fair share of cars last year, sometimes just about town, but usually on one of our frequent road trips, and we certainly found a few favourites. Our number one was the Acura MDX, both around the city and on the highways; it was the hardest loaner to give back. We drove the newest model last month up to Sun Peaks Resort in rather advanced snow conditions, and the vehicle certainly made the trip more comfortable and possibly saved our lives. I know that sounds rather dramatic, but the…
What to do in Vancouver this week of January 2017 Is it just me or does it seem like the new year really starts in the second week of January? Last week wasn’t bad, it’s not like I ate a dozen donuts in one seating, I actually had some great gal pal time and even planned my pre-wedding week away. I did try a new restaurant, and explored new cocktails and food, and even went for a couple runs. I just don’t feel I buckled down like I need to for 2017 business-wise I suppose. So, since my business is telling…
Kassler Pork with Cabbage, Onions and Apple Whenever I drive out anywhere near Pitt Meadows, I stop at Hopcott Meats and grab a bag or two of groceries. They’ve got a section in the freezer of sale items, it’s a good way to save a little money and pick up some cuts or meats you may not normally be drawn to. My last visit I ended up with chicken breast (unusual for us as we’re thigh people), steaks and some Kassler Pork from the pork section as well. Hopcott works with local pork farmers to source their pork, always look…
Chef Victor Bongo to Take on The Food Program at The Naramata Inn It may not be wine touring season quite yet, but it’s just around the corner, and each year there’s a few more spots to both wine taste and dine at. For one, we’ve just heard there’s going to be a new face behind the fires at the Naramata Inn, Chef Victor Bongo. Knowing Chef Bongo, he’ll be sure to add some of his international flair to the region. I first met Chef Bongo at the Canadian Chefs Congress in Duncan in 2010, where he was representing the Yukon Territory,…
Winter Tire Testing Proves Vancouver Road Conditions Call For More Than All Seasons This Year Sometimes we talk food, sometimes, wine and sometimes cars and driving. Since we opted out of owning a car, we’ve had the opportunity to drive all sorts of different models and compare everything from seat comfort to the effectiveness of anti-locking braking systems and fancy headlights. We’ve become acutely aware of tires and have driven on a number of different tire types, from summer passenger to all seasons and winter. One official road test we’ve done involved side by side comparisons of summer and winter…
Taking Cloudflyer Runners For a Run I’ve been running on and off for years and gone through my fair share of running shoes. This fall I decided to hit the pavement once again and, while visiting Kelowna, I went to the always trust-worthy athletic store, Fresh Air Experience for a new pair of runners. No matter what our sports needs were growing up, we relied on these folks and they did not disappoint. The On Running Shoes were recommended and I’ve been super happy with my choice. These shoes are lighter, while still providing more cushioning, and I felt the impact decrease…
Food Trending in the Direction of Sustainability What do I wish for in 2017? Sure, I’d like to see more wild game on menus, fewer macarons, and more great casual dining with a focus on local, but food security for all would be my real number one wish. We can move closer to food for all this year with just a little more thought around the very subject of food, Sustainability must be a trend in our world, not only from a food perspective but in every way, we live, or we won’t have the soil we need to grow…
How’s the season going for you? If you are like us we’ve been pretty darn busy, but now that the family visits are over and we’re settled in doing home things like making soup with our ham bones, we’ll need to get out and try a few more festive things before the year ends. Over at Vancouver Food Tour we recommended a few holiday activities, CLICK HERE FOR THAT, and here’s a few more. What’s Good This Week. Roof Garten pop-up restaurant will be permanently closed after their LAST SUPPER on Fri, Dec 30th 2016, starting at 6pm with a featur!ed…
Les Dames d’Escoffier Dish on Holiday Gifts Les Dames d’Escoffier’s BC chapter members have many holiday suggestions for both consuming and giving. Click here for part one, here for part two and continue reading for part three! Dame Mary Mackay – Terra Breads Dame Mackay owns Terra Breads and we always stop in for the Pannetone, cookies and some gingerbread men at this time of year. Don’t forget to stock up on bread for stuffing, some crackers for the cheese plate and their lovely jams and sauces also make great stocking stuffers. Dame Cate Simpson – Earls Cookbook If you’ve dined…
Les Dames d’Escoffier Dish on Holiday Gifts Earlier this week I wrote a little about Les Dames d’Escoffier and what some of our Dames suggested for holiday gifts. Click here for part one, and continue reading for part 2! Dame Mireille Sauve – Dames Wines Earlier this year Dame Mireille Sauve led a fundraising initiative for Les Dames d’Escoffier BC, by making some dame good wine, and we’ve been drinking our far share of it and have wrapped several bottles up for gifts. Each bottle of #dameswine supports food and beverage education for BC’s dynamic women. The Dames White is a beautiful BC blend…
What to Sip this Holiday Season? Some Bubble, Grenache, Syrah or Nero D’Avola perhaps? We lined up and tasted a few more wines over the last little while and thought we’d share a few of our thoughts on these beauties because we are so very generous and you should have these on your to taste list too! Narrative XC Method from Okanagan Crush Pad $25 Tis definitely the season for bubble and this is one that stands out from the crowd. It’s a blend of traditional champagne grapes, 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay; the secondary fermentation took place in the…
Give the Gift that Keeps Giving – White Willow Gift Boxes Looking for that perfect last minute gift for someone that has everything? Head to https://whitewillowbox.com/gifts and purchase a gift certificate that you can immediately print and pop into a Christmas card, and voila, you are a hero! White Willow boxes are full of things that you, or your gift recipient will actually use. I received one in October and was super pleased with everything in it! Redeem your gift cert and you’ll receive four to five products ranging from: beauty, personal care, fashion accessories, home decor, culinary, and other lifestyle surprises.…
Les Dames d’Escoffier Members Suggest Some Holiday Gifts I am proud to say I am a member of Les Dames d’Escoffier, and I am honoured to be included in this group of strong and accomplished women. Les Dames d’Escoffier is a world-wide organizaion and can be decribed formally as “A leadership culinary organization composed of women who have not only achieved success in their professions, but who contribute significantly to their communities”, as stated ofiicially on our website. In British Columbia we spend most of our time raising funds for scholarships for studies in wine, and culinary arts and also contribute funds…
Magnolia Hotel Celebrates the Holidays with a Festive Trail It couldn’t be easier to get over to the Island with Helijet, and that’s exactly what you should do to capture Victoria’s holiday magic this December. With over a dozen flights a day, right from downtown Vancouver, you are easily on your way on your holiday journey and quickly back to the mainland when you’re ready. Book ahead for the Magnolia Hotel & Spa’s ‘Christmas in Victoria’, starting at just $249 per night until December 31, 2016 and you’ll receive all the special holiday touches the hotel has to offer. Start…
