Chef Scott Torgerson – Executive Chef Radisson Hotel Saskatoon and Aroma Resto Bar The 2017 Canadian Culinary Championships is taking place this weekend in Kelowna, BC February 3-4, 2017. The eleven competing chefs will be aiming for gold as they compete in three events over two days testing their skills, creativity and endurance. We caught up with Chef Scott Torgerson the Executive Chef Radisson Hotel Saskatoon and Aroma Resto Bar. Tell us a little bit about your restaurant and/or style of cooking. My cooking style is Scandinavian/French with Asian influence. At the hotel we try to highlight prairie ingredients with classic techniques…
Author: cassandra
Chef Mark Gray – Battery Park Beer Bar & Eatery in Halifax The 2017 Canadian Culinary Championships will take place this weekend in Kelowna, BC February 3-4, 2017. The eleven competing chefs will be aiming for gold as they compete in three events over two days testing their skills, creativity and endurance. We caught up with Halifax’s Chef Mark Gray from Battery Park Beer Bar & Eatery for a few pre-competition questions. Tell us a little bit about your restaurant and/or style of cooking. Battery Park Beer Bar & Eatery is a casual eatery, with bar style seating and a playful,…
Jinhee Lee – Executive Chef Foreign Concept The 2017 Canadian Culinary Championships is taking place this weekend in Kelowna, BC February 3-4, 2017. The eleven competing chefs will be aiming for gold as they compete in three events over two days testing their skills, creativity and endurance. We caught up with Calgary’s Chef Jinhee Lee and are cheering her and all the chefs on as they battle for gold! TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOUR RESTAURANT AND/OR STYLE OF COOKING Foreign concept is modern pan Asian restaurant celebrating ingredients and flavours from countries such as Vietnam, Korean,China and Japan. My cooking…
Chef Interview Series – Chef Jesse McCleery This week is the final for the Canadian Culinary Championships and we’re interviewing the chefs prior to their arrival in Kelowna. We caught up with Chef McCleery from Pilgrimme prior to his win in Victoria in November, so re-posting this one with a few pics from the BC Competition. Chef’s dish – SQUASH, ONION, PEAR, BEEF HEART – Growing Chefs Fundraiser 2016 Tell us a little bit about your restaurant and/or style of cooking. Pilgrimme is a small restaurant on Galiano Island with a focus on vegetables, Canadian grains and what grows wild on…
Gold Medal Plates Canadian Culinary Championships The 2017 Canadian Culinary Championships (CCC) will take place this weekend in Kelowna, BC February 3-4, 2017 and I am heading up there on Thursday to cover the competition once again! Eleven competing chefs will be aiming for gold as they compete in three events over two days testing their skills, creativity and endurance and we’ll have some pre-competition interviews up shortly. Each of the eleven chefs competed in their home city/province at a Gold Medal Plates event in the fall of 2016 and took the top spot in there. On Thursday, chefs will be…
What To Do This Week – Just In Case There’s Room in Your Calendar I can’t believe we’ve gone through a whole month of 2017 already! How’s your year been? I’ve got lots of plans and hopes for the year ahead and I’m finding the biggest issue for me is trying to do too much and then feeling disappointed in myself up for not getting through the 300 things I feel I should do every day. I’m working on some ways to stop this cycle, but the struggle is still VERY REAL! Well then, on that note, we do have some suggestions…
Dine Out Vancouver Offers 3-course Menu Deals Dine Out Vancouver has one week left and while we wish we had more evenings free for dining out, we did get to a few and have a couple photos and recommendations to share. Chicha Chalaco Ceviche- albacore tuna, sockeye salmon, pacific ling cod, scallops, prawns, green tigre de leche marinade, fresh oranges and rocoto chili dusted calamari Yuca Bola- cassava root croquettes filled with asiago cheese, cream cheese, jalapeno, and scallions with huancainiana Lomo Saltado Medium rare flank steak, peppers, tomatoes, onions, kennebec fries, rich veal demi stir fry Costillas de Cerdo…
Good Things to do in Vancouver It’s been a busy couple days for me as I’ve continued the struggle to get organized for the year, and focus on my goals, goals, goals; it’s exhausting! How is everyone else doing on their New Year’s plans? I have to remind myself that not every day will be 100%, but I think I’m moving in the right direction! Hope y’all are too. If you resolved to have more fun this year, fear not, there’s lots to do! This week there’s Robbie Burns Day celebrations, Dine Out Vancouver continues, lots of Arts events and…
Diane’s Lingerie Gift With Purchase – Anita Panty & Sports Bag with Any Anita Sports Bra until January 28, 2017 Diane’s Lingerie has been my go to for bras every since I discovered them a few years ago. The bra fitter is an expert and checks to guarantee you’ve got the right fit. Don’t be shy, the health of your breasts is at stake here, and a good bra can make the difference in looking just okay in an outfit, or looking spectacular. I just bought an excellent supportive day to day lacy bra (Melody by Empreinte) before Christmas and it’s made…
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…
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…
