Taste Victoria 2012 July 19-22 – Why You Should Be There

This year Taste Victoria celebrates its fourth year with an even busier few days celebrating Vancouver Island’s cuisine and the wines of British Columbia.  Fellow Dame d’Escoffier Kathy McAree, a food, wine and travel writer and owner of Travel With Taste indulgent culinary adventures does an amazing job of coordinating vintners, farmers, fishermen and food suppliers…

Anna Olson at Edible Canada – Recipes

Anna Olson is now on her seventh cookbook, Back to Baking – 200 Timeless Recipes to Bake, Share, and Enjoy.  Last Saturday she joined Edible Canada at The Market, at their bistro to demo recipes from this cookbook and others. The team from Edible Canada, Chef Tom Lee, Sous Chef Jack Lin and the kitchen crew…

Cooking For A Cause – Chef’s Celebrate the Great Bear Rainforest

The Gitga’at First Nation and King Pacific Lodge  have partnered to form Guarding the Gifts charitable organization in order to protect Great Bear Rainforest on BC’s northern coast which is in jeopardy as  projects such as the proposed Northern Gateway Pipeline Project threaten to destroy this pristine country. On May 11 Cooking for A Cause at the Georgia Cannery…

Amber & Friends – Have Culinary Training Society Dinner with Kayla Dhaliwall of House Guest

Have (Hope Action Values Ethics) Culinary Society is an amazing culinary training school providing foodservice job training and job placement to individuals in Vancouver who have had many life issues that have made finding work difficult.  There are students with mental and physical disabilities, those facing poverty or addiction issues or homelessness.  Over the past…

Vancouver’s Easter Treats

It’s good Friday in Vancouver and another long weekend when those with real jobs take time off and us freelancers catch up on our never ending to do lists or organize our taxes (and some of us a few years of taxes).  I am working all weekend and not really even a huge fan of…

Terra Breads Hot Cross Buns

Hot Cross Buns remind me of my childhood.  We had them at Easter every year, but they weren’t always my favourite.  I hated the ones with the candied and coloured fruit in them and used to pick those out, and preferred the icing over the other strange plastic-like topping some had.  Later on in life…

Where to Eat Before the Game – Vancouver – Rogers Arena (Hockey)

Here’s a quick list.  I will be updating and flushing it out, but I had several people in need immediately, so here goes (I’ll be perfect another time, ok?) As always open to suggestions, please comment below. Chambar – French/Belgian fine dining, but casual feel (always packed go early) 562 Beatty Street http://www.chambar.com/ Verace –…

Vancouver Does St. Patrick’s Day

Vancouver makes a big deal of St. Patrick’s Day, so I thought I’d give you some hints on how to celebrate the day locally. Here’s some local, pubs, beers and Irish treats available around town.  AND PLEASE NO GREEN BEER.  Also check out my article on Daily XY for St. Patrick’s Day Suggestions. Local Irish…

Prestons Dinner (First ImPrestons) with @VanEats

VanEats has once again released a dining package, this time for Prestons in the Coast Coal Harbour.  For a mere $21 the restaurant has put together a menu that delivers a lot of bang for your buck – you will not leave hungry. Purchase now on VanEats and use from February 29 to April 29, 2012….

Chef Marc Lepine – Atelier – Ottawa – Gold Medal Plates

#goldmedalplates Chefs from Canada will meet in Kelowna from February 9-11, 2012 to compete in the Gold Medal Plates Canadian Culinary Championships.  I sent them some questions prior to the challenge. Here’s the scoop on Chef Marc Lepine for Atelier in Ottawa. What was your first food memory? Trying to make ‘pudding aux chomeurs’ on my own…

Suika Me Silly

Suika, an Izakaya on Broadway near Fir, has partnered up with VANEATs.ca for a promotion called #SuikaMeSilly, a $16 menu running from Oct 1-31.  VanEats asked me to preview the tasting menu and post my thoughts. I had been meaning to go to Suika, the sister restaurant to Kingyo  Izakaya, one of Vancouver’s top Izakaya’s on Denman Street….

Hyatt Gingerbread 2010 – Winners Announced

The lobby of the Hyatt Regency Vancouver is home to the annual gingerbread contest (exhibit runs until December 26), an event where culinary schools, high schools and corporations compete to craft the best gingerbread house.  Points are given for originality, level of difficulty, overall appearance, and attention to detail.  I have judged for the past two years…