On Wednesday, August 12th join Canada’s largest concurrent dinner party as Les Dames d’Escoffier BC Chapter presents Les Dames Summerdine . This fundraiser takes place at thirty different restaurants, wineries, cooking schools and culinary venues across the province. While most venues are sold out, seats in Vancouver can still be bought at Barbara-Jo’s Books to Cooks, where Chef Jennifer Peters of Nextjen Gluten Free will create a gluten free dinner. Gluten-free pate choux filled with chicken liver parfait and glazed with a beautiful Moroccan spiced sour cherry jam from Dame Lee Murphy at Vista D’oro Smoked Salmon Pate on Molasses Bread Tomato Buratta Salad with Crispy Herb…
Author: Cassandra Anderton
Top Five Reasons Why Bombay Sapphire Gin is the Spirit of Summer Yesterday I wrote about how my new Escents Outdoor Survival Kit helped keep the mosquitoes away (although I neglected to use the spray the the day before….and one bit me on the neck….right in my apartment while sleeping…so very rude!) and today I bring you GIN as a remedy! Apparently I’d only had wine that night. Gin has always been the classic cocktail spirit that was meant to be mixed. As a key ingredient to many of the season’s most refreshing cocktails, it balances botanicals with light and…
Bao Bei Chinese Brasserie and Here There present Vancouver’s Golden Dumpling Cook Off! The Cookoff returns August 9th! Refreshments are by Red Truck Brewery, restaurants will plate fresh takes on the filling-and-wrapper format. An expert panel of judges will taste their way through entries from 17 restaurants battling to fill, wrap, steam and fry their way to the top. The victorious challenger wins full bragging rights and claims the legendary Golden Dumpling trophy. PURCHASE HERE for $55! Festival-goers won’t want to miss the Dumpling Derby, when prizes are awarded to hungry competitors in a vicious eating contest. During separate men’s and…
Bugs love me and I am constantly being bitten from everything from mosquitoes to spiders, and I’ve got the scars to prove it; I am unable to stop scratching. I’ve tried those patches and the disgusting smelling repellents out there, but I’ve now found a fragrant alternative to keep the mossies away that is chemical free and reeks of nothing but lavender and lemongrass. Made by Escents and available at www.escents.ca and British Columbia retail locations, the Survival Kit is available now for $39.95. Wash with the shower bar, spray on some body mist or smooth on the body balm on those…
Although we are well into mid-summer, it’s not too late to redesign your outdoor living space, or at least give it a spruce up. In Vancouver, apartment living means our outdoor space is rather small, but we’ve managed to utilize it well and have a beer fridge, Weber BBQ, patio set and a good selection of herbs and flowers. With the extreme heat and lack of air conditioning here in our west facing Arbutus Walk apartment, by the end of the day staying indoors is intolerable. So I set up an outdoor table where Michael can read, and I can catch…
August 22, 2015 3:00pm – 11:00pm The 3rd annual British Columbia Pinot Noir Celebration is a celebration that aims to bring together passionate Pinot Noir producers in the province in an interactive and fun atmosphere – giving guests an intimate experience with our winemakers and winery principals whilst building education and excitement about BC Pinot Noir. Featuring special guest speaker Steven Spurrier; interactive breakout sessions alongside top BC winemakers; salon tastings with 26 of BC’s best Pinot Noir producers, canapé competition with Okanagan Chef’s Jason Leizert, Alex Sielmann, Chris Van Hooydonk & Calgary Chef Dilan Draper; family style dinner by Artisan…
Summer seafood is abundant, so why not put out a plate at your next gathering. Chef Dino Renaerts, Chef, Sommelier, and owner of The Bon Vivant Hospitality Group LTD & Bon Vivant Catering LTD has this tasty seafood creation for us. Chilled Summer Seafood Plate Serves 4 4 oz Dungeness crab meat 8 side stripe shrimp 8 scallops 1 Avocado From Mexico 2 rib of celery + (1 carrot, ½ onion, 1/2c white wine for court bouillon) 1 small cucumber ½ pint heirloom gem tomatoes 1 mango 1 bunch breakfast radishes 1 Belgium Endive 1 -2 jalapeño Picked cilantro leaves 1-2 lime…
We’ve been out trying a few new things this summer and popped into the Guess HQ Escape House last week to help recover a lost artifact through a series of clues! To solve the mystery, you have to disable laser beams, unlock a vault and remove the artifact without setting off any alarms. That’s all I can tell you, so you’ll have to go down to Gastown and figure the rest out for yourself. See below on how to snag a coupon. We got there by test driving the amazing new Ford ST Focus. Such a sporty car, and so easy to…
CANADA’S FINEST HIGH PERFORMANCE JAPANESE KITCHEN KNIVES Here to throw a match into traditional retail Kevin Kent, Founder of Canadian culinary knife importer Knifewear introduces top quality hand crafted Japanese knives to Vancouver on their second West Coast Tour. The pop-up shop will run July 27 – Aug 2, hosted by @thisopenspace located at 434 Columbia St. The shop will feature new knives to be seen, tested and taken home for life Kent welcomes you to shop handmade knives, blacksmith prototypes, one of-a-kind knives alongside Canadian-made cutting boards, chef curated cookbooks, sharpening stones, chef gadgets, straight razors and axes. Just…
We believe that Canada IS food and the world is richer for it! Join Canadian chefs, food writers, farmers, home cooks and food lovers, Tuesday, July 28th from 8pm – 9pm EST! AND WIN! Led by Canadian Food Ambassador Anita Stewart AND also hosted by myself and a some major Canadian Foodies! Want to know why #CanadaISfood? Come to our Twitter Party on July 28th It just seemed right that the hashtag for our first Twitter Party is #CanadaISfood. Nowhere on earth is a nation overflowing with such a wealth of edible treasures. As we prepare to celebrate our 13th Food…
Raising Fund for Earthbites School Garden Program Some of Vancouver’s most talented and award-winning chefs have signed on to teach cooking classes to adults in order to raise funds to help kids connect with their food. The list is impressive and includes a diverse array of Vancouver chefs: Chris Whittaker (Forage) – BC Restaurant Hall of Fame 2015 Inductee; Georgia Straight Golden Plate Awards: tied for second, Best Use of Local Ingredients 2015 Sharon Hanna (The Book of Kale) – International Gourmand Award for Canada in 2014.; Taste Canada Food Award in 2013; Mayor’s Prize for Environmental Excellence in 2006.…
Slow Food in Canada, representing all the Slow Food convivia across the country, recognized the contribution of seven Canadian ambassadors of good, clean and fair food during its annual meeting held in Montreal. The Canadian Food Hero recognition is given each year by Slow Food in Canada to individuals who protect, defend and promote sustainable, good, clean and fair food by actively and positively contributing to a healthy food system, preserving the rich culinary history of their region, whether they are growers, harvesters, writers, entrepreneurs or activists. The 2015 Canadian Food Heroes are: Troy and Sara Harker (British Columbia) Rachel…
The other weekend we went out boating with some friends up to Gibsons. Last time we stopped for lunch at Smitty’s Oyster House in Gibsons, and, as anyone who knows me knows, it’s right up my oyster loving alley, but this time we decided we’d stop and picnic. Quite frankly, I haven’t been a big fan of either potato or pasta salads, but recently this has changed. Firstly, with the potato salad I had at Urban Digs Farm (get the recipe from my pal Rebecca Coleman of Cooking by Laptop here), and secondly with this recipe I packed up to share on…
The event that changed the way Vancouver plays, The Deighton Cup, is running Lucky Number Seven on Saturday, July 25, 2015 at Hastings Racecourse (188 N. Renfrew St.), from 12 pm to 6 pm. Named after legendary Vancouver saloon owner John “Gassy Jack” Deighton, The Deighton Cup is warming up for its seventh anniversary of heart-stopping horse racing, fearless fashion and masterful mixology, co-produced by Droski/Turner and The Social Concierge. In honour of Lucky Number Seven, The Deighton Cup will double in size. A specially constructed viewing platform and reserved grandstand seating will accommodate an additional 1,500 Concourse-level guests trackside.…
Once again I’ve been fooling around in the kitchen with Avocados from Mexico and as it’s been a bit hot, I thought I’d chill out with some ice cream. This recipe is inspired by Alton Brown with a few tweeks. Serve topped with strawberries or blueberries for extra super power! Ingredients 3 medium Avocados From Mexico 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice 1 1/2 cups whole milk 1/2 cup sugar 1 cup cream Peel and pit the avocados and add with the lime juice, milk, and sugar to a blender (I use Vitamix) and puree. Transfer the mixture to a mixing…
Next up on August 15! 1-5pm, Long Table Distillery is partnering with VanDusen Botanical Garden to create drinks that combine fresh picked botanicals found in their vast collection of plantings – All to compliment the gin. The result is a cocktail experience of remarkable taste and botanical diversity, served in one of Vancouver’s most acclaimed garden settings. Cocktails will be served with canapes provided by Truffles Restaurant. Note: A portion of all proceeds will be donated to the VanDusen Botanical Garden Association. Purchase tickets in advance each week HERE! (Includes garden entry, cocktail and a canape) *COCKTAILS CAN BE PURCHASED ON-SITE About Long…
As you know we love to cook, so when Molson invited us down to sample their new cider and learn some new cider-based recipes at PICA, we happily showed up with our aprons on! This is an excellent example of how to promote a product. The cider is refreshing and we got to know more about it while having some fun and an excellent meal; newsworthy stuff! A reception with Molson’s new Canadian-sourced and made apple cider was followed by a spot prawn sacrifice by Chef Julian Bond and a delicious salad resulted. Chef Julian Bond and Chef Darren Clay split our…
Vodka Coolers Sure to Quench Your Summer Thirst Client news! Percy’s Old Fashioned Lemonade is made from a family recipe passed down by Great Grandfather Percy who made it regularly to quench the thirst of his friends while sitting in the hot English sun. Crafted with fresh squeezed all-natural lemon and honey, it’s then brought to a rolling boil and steeped to extract all the natural flavours of the lemon. Percy’s Punch is crafted with the same great recipe with the addition fresh local grown mint, blueberries and a splash of ginger for added zing! The XFour™ handcrafted finest premium vodka adds…
Explore the Harrison’s countryside via cycle on July 25 and meet the local farmers. The Agassiz Farms Cycle Tour is a leisurely self-guided cycle tour around a 25 km flat route visiting farms. Stop into the Agassiz Harrison Museum, an old CPR train station and learn the history of the community, or into the UBC Dairy Research centre to learn about their renowned research and education programs. A farm cycle tour would not be complete without a ride on a haywagon through the dairy barns, stop to chat with the goats or sit back and enjoy a slice of homemade pie…
Celebrated Bartender Becomes First Woman to Claim Prestigious Title and Opportunity to Represent Canada in Global Finals in Cape Town, South Africa Our Vancouver bartenders are rocking it lately. From PR News – It’s been a banner year for Lauren Mote, as the Bittered Sling Bitters co-proprietor and UVA Wine & Cocktail Bar manager was just crowned the 2015 Canadian Bartender of the Year in Canada’s biggest and most celebrated bartending competition, Diageo World Class Canada. Hot on the heels of her Bartender of the Year award at the Vancouver Magazine Restaurant Awards in April 2015, Mote becomes the first woman to win the coveted Diageo World Class…
