Lidia Bastianich Visits Vancouver – Honoured at Les Dames d’Escoffier Gala If memory serves me right, Lidia Bastianich, the Italian-born American restaurateur, cookbook author and television host, last visited Vancouver in 2013 with her newest book at the time, Lidia’s Commonsense Italian Cooking. This is in fact, exactly how Bastianich presents herself, as a person with a lot of common sense, one who worked so very hard to get to where she is today, because, well, that’s just what one does. Life did not begin simply for Bastianich, as a child her family escaped post-war Yugoslavia to Italy and eventually were granted passage…
Author: cassandra
Morning Muffins with those healthy, trendy, Chia Seeds 1 cup white flour 1 cup whole wheat flour 1/2 cup sugar 1/4 cup chia seeds – Prana has some great ones with probiotics too 150g dried cranberries 3/4 cup pecans – halves or pieces 1 cup chocolate chips 2 very ripe bananas 2 eggs, lightly beaten 125g butter, melted 3/4 cup milk Preheat oven to 350 F Line a 12-hole medium muffin pan with paper cases. Get pretty. Combine flours, sugar, cranberries, pecans, chocolate chips and chia seeds in a bowl. Stir in the dates. In another bowl, mash the bananas and stir…
Staying in Sooke – Fall at Sooke Harbour House I adore fall and find there’s nothing better than a stroll on a coolish day when the sun is still shining, yet there’s a crispness in the air and a need for an extra layer to insulate one from the impending chill. This is the best time to get away in British Columbia and really take the time to watch the foliage turn colour and the land claim back what’s left in the fields to refurbish its soil. Vancouver Island often calls me and I feel so at ease there as I sync/sink…
The Acura TLX On The Road to Adventure Next up in test drives was the 2016 Acura TLX which is a pretty slick looking car, above the price-point of the Honda sedans, but fairly comparable to the higher priced BMW and Lexus but with a much lower cash outlay. This car comes with 2 types of engines, the 2.4-litre, 16-valve, Direct Injection DOHC, i-VTEC® 4-cylinder engine with 206 hp @ 6800 rpm and 182 lb.-ft. of torque @ 4500 rpm and the 3.5-litre Direct Injection SOHC i-VTEC® aluminum-alloy V6 engine with 290 hp @ 6200 rpm and 267 lb.-ft of torque @ 4500 rpm. The former…
The Boat Show at the Creek Brings Previously Owned, New Boats and Floating Homes to Mosquito Creek Marina Growing up in Kelowna, boating was almost a daily activity in the summer. Vancouver moorage is a bit more pricey, but when it comes to enjoying the outdoors, there is no better way to do so than on the West Coast. Boating has recently made it’s way back into popularity with people of all ages and backgrounds looking for some adventure. In it’s 10th year, the Boat Show at Mosquito Creek Marina is Vancouver’s premiere floating boat show. The show is an…
A Bush Cook and Classically Trained Chef Team Up for Moosemeat & Marmalade What do you get when you combine a First Nations Bush Cook and a classically trained UK Chef? Moosemeat and Marmalade of course, a show that explores global adventure in the kitchen and out in the wild. Co-hosts Art Napoleon (acclaimed Bush Cook & Cree Musician) and Dan Hayes (renowned Victoria-based Chef and Owner of the London Chef) tour around the world and dish up humour along with interesting dishes. Now in Season 2 the team takes farm-to-table to the next level, offering a deep exploration of…
What’s Good In September? So many delicious events in and around Vancouver! Thanks to Fiona Forbes and CKNW for having me on to talk about the fall events. Clip here. Top Drop Wine Tasting – Sept. 8 Annual grand tasting featuring all international, terroir-focused wineries, craft breweries, cideries, food purveyors and more! Event proceeds proudly go to the BC Hospitality Foundation. For a full list of participants, click here! Tickets $78 Feast of Fields 22nd Annual – Sept. 11th I won’t be missing this one this year, last year I was away and had severe fomo. From 1-5 pm at Laurica Farm in…
Journey out to Burnaby For Chef Keith Pears Tasting Menu at Ebo Restaurant The Delta Hotel in Burnaby is not like most hotels when it comes to dining, while there is some of a more common dishes such as roast chicken and steak on the Ebo Restaurant menu, there is always an interesting take on what could otherwise be classified ordinary. The sablefish comes with a black pepper jam, Chinese sausage fried rice, and grilled bok choy, lamb chops are Moroccan spiced with smoked Greek yogurt and what could be a simple tuna poke is served with premium Ahi, compressed watermelon, ponzu pearls, nori, avocado, and…
Chef Curtis Luk Cooks Up Chinese Feast at Edible Canada. If you’ve eaten at Fable, Bambudda or Mission (in the running for the top new restaurant in Canada btw), you’ve likely sampled Chef Curtis Luk’s culinary creativity. We love Mission for the drinks and the tasting menus and are lucky to have it in handily in our neighbourhood. On September 19th you can catch Chef Luk cooking up a Chinese Feast at Edible Canada. Chef Luk was Born in Hong Kong and raised in Toronto, and discovered his love for cooking while studying at the University of Waterloo. After graduating,…
Face Mapping Skin Analysis – Prescription For Skincare Do you ever fall asleep without taking off your make-up or neglect your skincare routine? I have to admit I sometimes get so busy and tired that I fall asleep on the couch, later crawling into bed and neglect my skincare. Once in a while I have to kick-start my self-care, so I do a check in at a spa for a facial and take some me time. My latest facial was at Demalogica’s training center where I tried out their the newish technique, based on ancient practices, Face Mapping. Face Mapping® is…
2016 Acura RDX – Travelling in Style We’ve been testing out several cars this year and as far as SUV’s go, the Acura RDX has been a favourite and has gotten us up to the Osoyoos Oyster Festival and around Vancouver in style. Michael’s posing above the Okanagan Valley. It’s starts at $41,990, and comes with a ton of features that keep us safe and comfortable. The engine is powerful, getting us effortlessly over the Coquihalla, it’s a 3.5 liter V-6 engine, and the RDX’s comes standard with all-wheel-drive system with Intelligent Control, stability and performance. There’s a 6-speed automatic transmission with Sequential…
What’s New At The PNE Fair – Chowing at the PNE We are a bit late to the reporting on this one, but there’s still time to get to The PNE Fair and sample away! Open until September 5, 2016. 1) Chicky’s Chicken Deep Fried Pickle Corn Dog SaltSpring Concessions started with a small take out noodle bar on SaltSpring island. Seven years later owners Scott and Karlye Dennis now own 13-concession stands preparing a variety of food offerings. The deep fried pickle dog is the result of positive testing (their friends loved it!) and combines a cored out pickle…
Love Lobster and Patios? Get thee to the Lobster Menu at The Keg When I was a youngish and living in Kelowna we went to the Keg and ordered up the nachos, us girls drank Tom Collins and thought we were pretty damn cool; as we well were. It was an awesome place in that lounge, and those nachos were epic. There was always lots of action and I remember one night there was a couple that was getting so friendly that they were asked to leave. I’ve had a lot of memories of the chicken topped with seafood newburg…
What’s Good This Week in and around Vancouver So strange to believe we are half way through August and most of the way through summer! What’s up this week? There’s rum, garlic, cheese rolling and more. AND Will we see you at Diner En Blanc? The Cascade Room Presents the Main Street Cup, August 16 The Cascade Room and Mount Gay Rum present the inaugural Main Street Cup Cocktail Challenge on Tuesday, August 16th. Taking place at The Cascade Room, the concept is simple: bartenders from various Main Street-based bars and restaurants will create an innovative cocktail using Mount Gay…
The #IGiveAShirt Campaign By Value Village This back-to-school shopping season, Value Village is challenging people to come together to save 700 million gallons of water through one simple act: replacing one new t-shirt purchase with a thrifted one. If Value Village gets 1 million people to choose a thrifted t-shirt in place of a new one, it’ll be the equivalent of saving over 1,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools full of water, before the first bell rings. People can show off their thrifted tees and support this effort by using the hashtag #IGiveaShirt. Back-to-School Savings The National Retail Federation reported that parents plan…
BC Fresh Goji Berries are in season! Whip up some Gojoy Goji Berry Muffins Did you know that BC grows Goji Berries? They even have u-pick right now out in Aldergrove! Details on Gojoy Berries here. Do eat these muffins the day they are baked and the berries tend to collapse quickly due to their thin skin. INGREDIENTS 1 2/3 cup Olympic Dairy Yogurt – any flavour 2 tsp baking soda 3/4 cup brown sugar 2 large Eggs 1 cup oil or 1/2 cup oil and 1/2 cup apple sauce 2 cups natural bran 2 tsp vanilla 2 cups flour +…
What’s good this week in and around Vancouver Tonight’ (August 10th) the night for our Les Dames d’Escoffier Summerdine dinner, which we’ve been going wild about so I am sure you all already know. Our group raises funds for women’s education as well as Project Chef and Growing Chef, two amazing programs that teach children about food in their classrooms. I’ll be live tonight from Pacific Yacht Charters so stay tuned for some magical food pics and insights (well at least attempts at the pics, but the food will be magical). What else are we recommending this week? Well Champagne…
Start your day or finish it with a Superfood smoothie I’ve recently been making smoothies, but they’re usually just a couple frozen bananas and berries, as the fresh veggies in my fridge usually expire before I manage to consume them all. Recently, though, I sampled the smoothies from The Good Stuff and I tell you, there’s been all sorts of other goodness in my cup. The Good Stuff smoothies are packaged individually and can be picked up individually at UBC or in North Van, can be delivered in packs of 6-10 to your door, or in bundles of 20 where…
Vancouver Events Well I’m a little behind this week as a stupid summer cold has slowed me down, but I’m hoping the worst is over as there’s no time to be sick! This week we are prepping for Les Dames Summerdine happening next Wednesday, Meet the Rancher at Hopcott in Pitt Meadows, which makes a nice little drive, there’s cider to be had at Orchard and the Sea and far more! Orchard & the Sea – August 5, 6, 7 Head to Gastown for artisan cider and hand-crafted small bites from Chef Jefferson Alvarez at 55 Powell Street 6-11 pm this…
Join Restaurants around BC on August 10 for Summerdine, a Fundraiser for Les Dames d’Escoffier I am a member of a wonderful organization that assists women in the culinary, wine and hospitality industry with scholarships and supports and raises money for Growing Chefs and Project Chef, two programs focused on teaching children about food and food skills in school. August 10 is our annual event that is one of the best value culinary fundraisers of the year: Les Dames Summerdine. Dozens of restaurants, vineyards, gardens and cooking schools, from Vancouver Island to Metro Vancouver to the Okanagan, each donate one table…
