July 20, 2018
After traveling the world for a few years now I thought that here we are flying all over the world while our own backyard in BC is so beautiful and I haven’t yet seen it all. A few weeks ago we had an opportunity to travel to the coast and decided to add a few days to begin exploring the vast sunshine Coast with its islands, inlets, beachfront homes and local food. The Sunshine Coast is part... View Article
July 8, 2018
Cabbage salads are so versatile and fun to make. They go well with creamy or tangy dressing and you can combine them with other shredded vegetables for a colourful salad that looks beautiful on the plate. Today I thought I’d grill some of the cabbage, combine it with fresh and crisp shredded cabbage and dress it with citrusy dressing and orange segments. I had a similar salad at Char Bar in Calgary a few weeks ago and... View Article
May 31, 2018
Risotto is a wonderful way to highlight the flavours of spring. The slow cooked rice absorbs the nuances of flavour and aromas of the vegetables you incorporate into the dish and is enriched with butter and cheese, bringing spring to your table in a one pot dish. Like pasta, risotto waits for no one. Other than a short rest once it’s cooked, you make and serve it right away. When weather permits I make risotto... View Article
May 26, 2018
My last trip to the market yielded two bunches of beautiful turnips, one very young and white, the other just turned red exteriopr and creamy white interior. They were so fresh that I didn’t want to cook them so I made this little fresh salad, adding a couple fo other veggies for colour. Turnips at this stage are very much like radishes, they have a peppery bite and the same crisp texture. I slice the... View Article
May 24, 2018
Continued from here. After lingering over lunch we left the restaurant and our trusted taxi driver was waiting outside. We asked him to drop us off at the Plaza de Armas (aka Plaza Mayor) in the old city, about half an hour drive from Milaflores through not particularly scenery highway. The Capital, Lima, is a sprawling city with population of 9 million, one of the largest cities of South America. Like other cities... View Article
May 22, 2018
Peru is situated on the west coast of South America between Chile and Ecuador. Its has a diverse landscape that includes rugged mountains, beaches, desert, sand dunes and lush river valleys. It is best know for Machu Pichu, a reminder of its Inca heritage and the Nazca lines of mysterious origin depicting large illustrations of birds and plants spread over 300 miles in the desert in south Peru. The Peruvian culture reflects its ancient Andean... View Article
May 17, 2018
A long and slender sliver of land, Chile stretches along the west coast of South America, clinging to the continent between the Pacific Ocean to the west and the rugged Andes to the east. To the north, at 3500 meters elevation, lies El Norte Grande: the stark and desolate Atacama dessert, known as the driest dessert in the world. Vast salt flat, geysers and star gazing are some of the extraordinary features of... View Article
May 13, 2018
I have always had a thing for cowboys, you know, the rugged, romantic image is appealing. My interest is theoretical though, so no cowboys need apply….. So, it goes without saying that when we were travelling around South America I wanted to see these guys at work, umm, I mean, I wanted to see their horses. Cowboys are referred to as Gauchos in Argentina and Uruguay, Vaqueiro in Brazil, Huasus in Chile, Morochuco in... View Article
May 11, 2018
After leaving Punta Arenas the ship headed south and then west in the straits of Magellan towards the Pacific Ocean. Once there we turned north and continued until we reached the the Nelson Straits which we entered and begun going east. Still under the guidance of a Chilean Fjord Pilot the ship navigated inland through the various channels towards the Amalia Glacier. The glacier came into sight in the Sarmiento Channel and the Captain positioned... View Article
May 10, 2018
I was looking around the pantry for things that I haven’t used and found a jar with baby basmati rice and another with shiny black rice called Forbidden rice. Forbidden rice is a small grain black rice that in the past was reserved for Emperors of the Chinese dynasties. It was forbidden to be consumed by the common people, hence the name. The Emperors believed that it had special health benefits and now we know... View Article
May 9, 2018
After cruising the Beagle channel with its majestic glacier avenue (aka glacier alley) we continued to cruise along the various fjords of southern Chile under the guidance of a Chilean Fjord pilot who boarded the ship to navigate us through the narrow channels. Early morning we were abeam the large Isla Dawson and headed north along the Straits of Magellan to Punta Arenas. We dropped anchor across from the port and the tenders were lowered... View Article
May 7, 2018
As we left Ushuaia the ship set an easterly course and once abeam (at right angle) to the lighthouse Faro Les Eclaireurs the ship altered course and begun sailing west on the Beagle Channel. Where the Beagle Channel splits into two arms the ship took the north one and entered a gorgeous channel known as Glacier Alley (I prefer the more elegant “Glacier Avenue“). Cruising the crystal waters, surrounded by rugged Andes mountains with their dramatic... View Article
