Before summer becomes a distant memory, a visit to VanDusen Gardens while the gardens are in full bloom is a must. If you plan your trip around lunch time, there are two choices for dining, the more formal Shaughnessy Restaurant and Truffles Fine Food Cafe offering sandwiches, salads, desserts, afternoon tea and now picnic basics. What better way to truly enjoy the gardens sitting on a blanket with a basket full of goodness that you can just grab and go with? Located inside the VanDusen Visitors Centre, Truffles Cafe’s $58 picnics-for-two include: admission for two to VanDusen Botanical Garden (a $21.50 value) a sturdy picnic basket…
Author: cassandra
Our friends Gord Martin (Bin 941, Go Fish) and Abdel Elatouabi (Bravo Bistro, Marrakesh) opened up Sol Sun Belt Cookery unofficially last night and we stopped in for some drinks and dinner. They were still piecing the room together, but the bar and kitchen were ready to go. The menu here is Mediterranean in style. We started with some crunchy chickpeas with mint and then shared the rich Cioppino with a decadent lobster broth and chock full of seafood and the delightful truffle-chicken. Nice drink list with some fun cocktails and good selection of wine. Live DJ nightly. Back for more…
From Monday to Sunday for $69 Vancouver Food Tours offers a tour of Gastown’s craft beer scene on their beer-centric culinary tour. If you think you know beer, great, but your guide will certainly teach even the savviest of beer drinkers something, and you’ll sip local craft brews alongside a variety of food pairings. Your guide will teach you about beer tasting, beer, and food pairing, beer history and brewing process, and add some Gastown tips along the way. Gastown was founded by a saloonkeeper, so what better place to wander sip, and sample? On a sunny July day, I hopped aboard the…
Lucky for me my friend Dan Schell reps a number of great BC Wines and is kind enough to offer me a seat when one’s available. Black Widow winemaker, Dick Lancaster, was in town this week to present his wines along food pairings from Chef Nick Gazdag at Central Bistro. A steal of a deal at $50 all in, this was a great way to taste the Naramata Bench without leaving Vancouver. Dick and his wife, Shona, purchased the vineyard in 2000, and established Black Widow Winery in 2006. The winery is a family business and also offers a Bed…
The Kraft Peanut Butter Truck #KraftPBTruck is travelling across Canada this summer and will be in Vancouver on July 1, 2012 at Canada Place. Check out where the truck is stopping next at www.spreadthefeeling.ca or on the Kraft Peanut Butter Facebook page at www.facebook.com/kraftpeanutbutter Kraft sent some samples of PB S’More, PB Belgian Waffle, PB Thai Dip with Veggies, PB & Pretzels and two local consumer creations, PB + Jam Delight, Tropical Peanut Sensation, to me along with my request, Noodles with PB Sauce and I had a rather peanut buttery week! Are you a peanut butter lover? I think…
Because I eat out (A LOT), when I am home it has to be something nutrient dense and light. I eat lots of salads. There’s nothing precise about this recipe as I just take a couple handfuls of spinach, some chopped mushrooms or anything else I have on hand (tomato, grated carrot, sprouts, roasted beets, nuts, etc) and toss with salad dressing. I make my dressings out of oil and vinegar at home so they’re fresh. Ratio of oil to vinegar is always 3-1. Use cider vinegar and olive oil, balsamic and hazelnut, sherry vinegar with grapeseed -…
Are you bold and woodsy or mellow and fruity? Why do we need a coffee profile? Well, much like how we choose different wines for different foods to create a memorable experience, coffee is another wonderful way to learn about our palates and taste preferences. Every person has a preferred blend, roast and pairing that best suits one’s individual taste and when we know our coffee profile, we choose coffees and pairings best suited to us and create a more enriching experience of the coffee and food we are savouring. What is YOUR coffee profile? Coffee Profiles® are a combination…
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 replicated her dishes for what was a full house. From fiddleheads, gnocchi and halibut to cookies and cupcakes, guests watched her whip up the recipes and dined communal style with BC Wines to pair. I’ve included her recipes and my photos of the evening for…
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 in Steveston, they marked this launch with a evening of entertainment, including performances by Mathew Good and the First Nations and singer Ta’Kaiya Blaney. David Suzuki was on hand to deliver a keynote address and further inspired attendees to give generously to this cause. On the…
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 5 years Have has trained 500+ students and placed 75% of those students in the tourism and hospitality industry. The school also houses 374 Cafe, at 374 Powell Street, which is open for breakfast and lunch Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., and…
I’m off to Maui tomorrow to judge this festival. Follow my adventures at #goodlifevanmaui Here are the highlights: There are onions. And then there are Maui Onions. Believed by many to be the sweetest onions in the whole wide world, these glorious bulbs are the star of our annual festival. Saturday, May 5 The Maui Onion Festival has been a signature event at Whalers Village since 1990. It’s dedicated to the cultivation and promotion of the world-famous Maui Onion and is attended by thousands of visitors and residents every year. Receive a free Maui Onion Festival gift with purchase when you spend…
If you love Oysters, you need to be at the Okanagan’s only oyster festival: the OOOyster Festival! The Oliver Osoyoos Oyster Festival was created to showcase sustainable oysters together with the award-winning wines of the Oliver Osoyoos Winery Association. Even oysters need a day in the sun! Sip the new Spring releases from the participating wineries of the Oliver Osoyoos Winery Association, slurp your way through Oliver & Osoyoos best restaurants, and enjoy special Oyster events. SATURDAY APRIL 14TH OSOYOOS VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTER’S OYSTER FEED DINNER – SOLD OUT Join the Osoyoos Firefighter’s for their annual Oyster Feed Dinner and Dance. Great food, great entertainment “…
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 sweets, so I’ll be admiring the photos of chocolate and distracting myself from the real work by adding to this list of Easter treats, perhaps sussing out some brunches and looking out for generally anything bunny-related. Bella Gellateria Hot Cross Gelato with Cinnamon & Rum…
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 I baked my own and of course never added those terrible bits. Now that time is tight and my time spent in the kitchen is unfortunately limited, so I’ve had to outsource. I’ve come to find that Terra Breads has my favourite buns. They’ve got…
Beautiful sun-sculpted chocolate egg from Cocoa West Chocolatier is filled with its signature Unbelievably Good Egg truffles and foil-wrapped solid dark chocolate eggs. Chocolate is the preferred ingredient when it comes to Easter eggs, and this year, Cocoa West Chocolatier of Bowen Island offers a stunning and delicious alternative to the mass market eggs that seem to spill from every retail shelf. These unique sun-sculpted eggs, made with all organic ingredients, are works of art in chocolate, using the master’s techniques Cocoa West Chocolatier Joanne Mogridge has developed over the many years she’s been making her exquisite chocolates. Mogridge says…
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 – Pizza 189 Keefer http://www.veracepizzeria.com/ Wild Rice – Modern Chinese 117 West Pender http://www.wildricevancouver.com/ Into Gastown Charles Bar – modern pub – 136 Cordova http://thecharlesbar.ca/ Pourhouse – AWESOME – 162 Water Street http://www.pourhousevancouver.com/ Chinatown Bao Bei – more Modern Chinese – 163 Keefer http://bao-bei.ca/ Phnom Penh…
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 Pubs In Vancouver we’ve got our share of Irish Pubs. The most authentic is the Irish Heather and the Shebeen Whisk(e)y House out the back. Their menu is full of traditional Irish pub items such as Banger’s and Mash, Irish stew and Corned Beef. It’s…
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. Included is Dungeness Crab Cake, panko breaded, tomato dressing, micro herb salad, fried capers Prestons Pulled Pork Poutine, crispy french fries, Quebec cheese curds, Rickards Red Gravy Chicken Karaage, garlic sake marinated chicken, flash fried, served with spicy sambal lime aioli and miso cabbage…
#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 because I loved it so much What was in your elementary school lunch kit? Lots of peanut butter and jam sandwiches Where did you first learn to cook? At home Did you attend culinary school – if so, where? 2 years at Canadore College in…
It’s that time of year again when you’ve got to step up to the plate (pun intended) and get your foodie friends the best gifts out there. Whether you want to spend some big money on appliances, or just get some stocking stuffers, we’ve got some suggestions that will make any gourmet jingle their bells! Originally on Vancouver’s Breakfast Television with Cassandra Anderton and Jody Vance. The Vitamix® Professional Series 500 This is the ultimate in blenders, and is actually much more than a blender. It can actually replace several appliances in your kitchen, saving valuable countertop space. It…
