November 11, 2014
If you live in Montreal you don’t have to escape to Europe. Montreal offers a European feel without the long flight across the pond, and if you live in Western Canada this means something as it takes almost as long to cross the country as it does to cross the Atlantic en-route to Europe. Walking down the narrow cobblestone streets and hearing French spoken around almost made me pinch myself to remember we are in... View Article
November 8, 2014
What do you think of when you hear “Montreal”? Poutine? bagels? smoked meat sandwiches (pastrami’s cousin)? Not so fast. There is a new trend in the Montreal’s food scene that focuses on sustainable approach to the production and consumption of foods. Not that the bagels and smoked meat aren’t there, but more and more businesses and dining establishments are dedicated to high-end plant based gastronomy producing interesting and healthy foods made from ingredients grown locally in... View Article
September 26, 2014
On Wednesday this week I was among more than one hundred guests from the culinary and wine industry here in the Okanagan invited to celebrated the official opening of the BC Wine Information Society Sensory Centre at the Okanagan College Penticton campus. The $650K centre was built thanks to a grant of $300K by the Wine Information Society that was matched by the Jim Pattison Foundation and was built at no cost to the college.... View Article
September 13, 2014
It’s not every day that I am invited to an organic tomato farm so when the opportunity presented itself to purchase tickets, I immediately did. This year Sunshine Farms hosted their first Tomato Festival on their farm, offering space to 50 guests of which I was lucky to be one. Both Val of More Than Burnt Toast and I, who never miss a good culinary opportunity, packed our cameras and hats and set out to... View Article
September 6, 2014
Do you know the Hans Christian Andersen’s story of the Princess and the Pea? That’s the story of Pinot Noir. An aristocratic grape, requiring royal treatment in the vineyard and the winery. Nothing short of an aristocrat could be as sensitive as Pinot Noir. However, when provided with the right growing environment and handled with care, it can produce some of the best wines in the world. Pinot Noir is an ancient grape whose... View Article
August 3, 2014
John Skinner stood me up before we even met:). Laura (the culinary travel guide) and I attended the chic Visa Infinite dinner a couple of weeks ago and the name tag for the seat across from me and beside Laura was John’s and he was a no show. Fortunately he sent a stand in, Painted Rock 2011 Red Icon, who proved to be spectacular company that evening, so we forgive John for his absence. I... View Article
July 26, 2014
On July 19th I was invited by my friend and fellow blogger Laura of The Culinary Travel Guide to join her at the sold out Visa Infinite event at Quail’s Gate winery. This was the place to be that night for culinary and wine enthusiasts and the place was packed. Visa Infinite holds more than 60 events across Canada throughout the year featuring anything from dinners to wine country events to hotel collection and... View Article
July 14, 2014
I must say it was easier the second time around. For the second year in a row hundreds of local food and fun aficionados from around the province and beyond converged on a secret location in Kelowna dressed in the whitest of whites to participate in the international ritual of the now famous Diner en Blanc. This “by invitation only” event has swept through the Okanagan in the past two years generating requests for invitations... View Article
June 11, 2014
Dana Ewart of Joy Road catering is ringing a dinner bell. She is summoning guests scattered around the garden sipping Blue Mountain Brut to the table. Joy Road Catering, a unique local catering company with an expanding reach is owned and run by the lovely young duo of Dana Ewart and Cameron Smith. Both Dana and Cameron are trained under some of the best chefs in Toronto. After meeting in culinary school, working at top... View Article
May 15, 2014
A bunch of tall and slim asparagus is resting on my cutting board while I get the vegetable peeler. I plan to gently peel away the skin from the root end, third of the way up. I don’t always peel the spears but since I like the look of the light green part that is hidden below the skin I thought I’d peel it this time. I am preparing lunch for a few of my... View Article
April 26, 2014
What do you make for a quick dinner? For me it’s pasta hands down. It goes with just about anything and I can almost make it with my eyes closed. You know where the pot is and you just need to scoop a piece to taste if it’s al dente, right? For this dish I combined red pepper penne with sautéed onion, cabbage and kale, a little white wine and then some mascarpone to round... View Article
November 25, 2013
The other day I took an Indian cooking class at Poppadoms Taste India in Kelowna. Poppadoms is a fabulous Indian restaurant offering traditional Indian foods with a modern twist using local and fresh ingredients flavoured with spices brought over from India. Poppadoms is named after the paper thin, crisp, cracker-like bread traditional in Indian cooking. The owners of the restaurant are the Dosanj family, each working in and contributing to this thriving family business. Mother... View Article
