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…
Author: cassandra
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…
Rachel Zottenberg’s Brandy Alexander at The Emerald Supper Club 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. This week we were off for some house-made Kahlua as we catch up with Rachel Zottenberg at The Emerald Super Club. Catch the AUDIO in this clip. Here’s The Emerald’s version of a Brandy Alexander Start in a shaker 1.5 oz brandy 1 oz House made Kahlua liqueur 1 oz whipping cream (*soy milk can be used as a substitution here) Add ice and shake vigorously.…
Are you feeling as busy as we are? We haven’t even got our tree up yet, but we’re in full holiday mode. We’ll be heading to the Pan Pacific for the Christmas Wish Breakfast, taking some cookie classes and going out to get that tree this week, well, perhaps after the snow. What do this week! Les Amis du Fromage Pop Up – Dec 10/11 Les amis du FROMAGE will be hosting a pop-up shop in December. Local culinary legends Artisan Edibles and Chef Ann Kirseböm will be selling a full range of gourmet jellies, chocolates, chutneys, antipasti, and sauces. This…
An Adventure to Surrey for Holiday Shopping and Afternoon Tea Celebrations of any sort were big at my house, and Christmas was no exception. Our house was fully decorated with a good measure of garlands, ribbon and the occasional poinsetta, and each year my sister and I would get an ornament on the night before Christmas, adding yet another decoration to the tree. My mother has an eye for creating a festive space, and my parents home is always a welcoming space, at any time of year. In Ontario, where we lived until I was eight, we actually lived just down…
It’s that time of year when you’ve been asked to a party or two and now you’ve got to not only figure out what to wear, but also what to bring. We give you some suggestions and a few thoughts about gift giving etiquette too. Number one rule is if you ask to bring something and you are told no, still bring something. Everyone always appreciates a small gift. When you present it be discreet as not everyone may bring a gift and of course wrap it nicely. If you are going to bring something edible, then it makes…
Steals and Deals at the Liquor Store We were blessed with some decadent wine tasting last week and thought we’d share some of the deals we found on wines that could make great hostess gifts, pair with a holiday meal, be left out for santa, or consumed home alone if you need to drown your holiday sorrows, or merely escape for a night. Mionetto Treviso +86256 – On sale on Dec 4th $2.00 off at $15.99 Bubble is a nice way to start a party and with this sparkle you can pop a few bottles without blowing your holiday budget. It’s dry…
Taking Michelin Premier LTX Tires For a Spin Not sure about you but as I’ve gotten bit older my choices of how to spend money have changed and I’ve opt for a “safer” lifestyle all around (I’m so grown up). When I was in university I remember having a terrible car accident and totaling my car and it was likely preventable should I have replaced my tires regularly with something with a descent tread. However at the time I seem to have had more pressing needs, like dining out, or drinking wine. Now that I’ve now tested a variety of…
What to do in Vancouver this coming week! Okay folks is it just me or does it seem like Christmas is coming even faster this year? I’ve already been through Christmas in November, in Jasper, and been out to Potter’s Nursery and will have a summary of that both of those adventures shortly, and now Vancouver’s streets are all full of holiday hurrah! Why fight it? EMBRACE THE SEASON. #therealsanta CandyTown – November 26 in Yaletown Okay is it just me or do those gingerbread men scare the crap out of you too. Almost like clowns, no? In any case the rest…
Ten BC Chefs Awarded Gold Medal Plates Emblem of Distinction Last week we rushed off to Victoria, and thanks to Helijet, we got there in time to catch the Gold Medal Plates Culinary Competition. If you’ve been following Good Life Vancouver, you’ll know that I am basically a Gold Medal Plates groupie, and that I try make it to the BC Competition in the fall and the finals in February in Kelowna every year. I interview the chefs beforehand for some insight into their approach, and it’s always a pleasure to run into them at the competition, say hello to…
Chef Morgan Wilson from the Fairmont Empress Hotel doesn’t have far to go to compete for Gold Medal Plates, as he’s Victoria-based, but that doesn’t make it any easier. We learn a little more about his thoughts on trends before the competition. Tell us a little bit about your restaurant and/or style of cooking. Q at the Empress is focused on local flavors of the Pacific North West, with a focus on seafood and seasonal ingredients sourced from local farmers, fishers and markets. Where do you eat in your city? I like to discover smaller restaurants, one that I’m…
Gold Medal Plates competitor, Chef Sam Chalmers, is based in Victoria, and I just may have to go for the French Onion Soup he describes below. Tell us a little bit about your restaurant and/or style of cooking. North 48 is a modern comfort food restaurant. We take classic dishes and put our own spins on them. For example, our French Onion Soup: I salt cure half the onions, caramelize the rest, and put them in a mason jar with bacon & duck stock and cook that for 5 hours. We serve that tableside poured over a slice of…
One more day until Gold Medal Plates in Victoria and prior to this yearly face off, we try to catch up with all the chefs competing. Chef Nicholas Waters from Toque Catering in Victoria gave us a little insight into his culinary world. Tell us a little bit about your restaurant and/or style of cooking. We are a full service catering company that custom designs each menu to our client’s tastes. We specialize in Vancouver Island Cuisine. Where do you eat in your city? Wild Mountain, Relish & Dad’s Soup & Sandwiches What would be your ideal food day? Culinary food trips to…
