We are approaching the end of this mild and quite dry winter. Nonetheless, for the next few weeks it will likely rain a lot until that one random sparkly sunny day that makes you do a little dance and skip out of work. Then it will rain again every day after that for another... »

Winter is a pleasant time for chefs because cool weather creates cravings for warm hearty food.  Shepherd’s Pie is traditional pub fare that I enjoy both cooking and eating.  At the Strathcona Hotel, in the Sticky Wicket, we enhanced this classic dish by using bison instead of beef to give it a traditional North... »

Most chefs agree that cooking techniques are more important then recipes when it comes to creating great meals.  We are therefore going to supplement our recent explorations of ocean sustainability and aquaculture with a collaborative post about tips for cooking seafood and shellfish. Peter DeBruyn, Executive Chef Strathcona Hotel My favorite way to cook fish fillets... »

Have you ever tasted farmed and wild salmon off the same plate?  The difference is astonishing.  When I was the chef at Masthead Restaurant, my shellfish supplier dropped off a sample of organic farmed salmon from Tofino.  The previous week a commercial fisherman gave me some Silver Brites Chum.  I decided to do a... »

I can’t prove it, but would be willing to bet money, that Grant Hunt knows more about shellfish farming then anyone else in BC. Grant and his wife Ingrid are close friends of mine. When I first met them and asked what they did for a living Ingrid responded “aquaculture.”  I imagined my twenty something... »

This post is dedicated to my favourite mushroom picking buddy, Santana who passed away Saturday night. He was always the first to arrive at the mushrooms and enjoyed putting his huge paws all over them. Two weeks ago, I went out to the forest to pick some of the last wild mushrooms of the... »

It started two years ago with two chickens. My family just moved into a an old farm house and our imaginations got the best of us. Our busy schedules ruled out large farm animals so we decided to fix up the derelict coop and get chickens. We soon added a few more... »

With only 10 days left till Christmas many of you are probably starting to panic.  I can relate.  The combination of a busy restaurant, and societal pressure to execute a Norman Rockwell family Christmas, brings me very close to a nervous breakdown every year. This is the basis for my belief that chefs and... »

A couple of years ago my wife and I visited Egypt.  We enjoyed our travels but couldn’t believe how dirty the Nile was.  This incredible river, which was the lifeblood of an ancient world, and is currently the most important aspect of the Egyptian culture and economy, is neglected and shockingly filthy.  This made... »

I am not a big fan of Christmas.  I don’t have aptitude for crafts or decorating.  I am a terrible baker and hate shopping.  I am a workaholic and Christmas is a busy time in the restaurant industry. For many years my husband and I would decide not to do anything special for Christmas and... »

Last year myself and my partner Rafael decided to cook a traditional Mexican dish on Rock Salt’s New Year’s Eve menu.  It was a smashing hit so we did it again this year and we were sold out by 7:00pm. Mole de Olla is even more popular in Mexico and has a lots of variations.... »

This year I decided to take salmon off the Marina Restaurant menu.  It was a difficult decision to make in a seaside restaurant owned by a large charter fishing operator.  There was considerable pressure from both the company and our customers to continue serving salmon.  This iconic fish is our business logo after all. I... »

This past summer my family passed a milestone.  My sons reached an age where being on the boat was a more exciting alternative than being at home.  The sunny weather, light evenings, a large run of Fraser River Pink Salmon, made a memorable fishing season with my boys. My kids have grown up on dinners... »

Sablefish is my favourite fish to cook.  I serve it often in the fall and winter before the halibut season.  A high fat content contributes to its amazing flavour and richness and makes it a fantastic source of long chain Omega 3 fatty acids. Its high fat content also makes it freeze well.  Sablefish... »

Chef Robert Clark knows most everything there is to know about how to catch, cook and eat what tastes good in the northern Pacific ocean.  No chef has done more to promote the use of sustainable seafood in BC then he has. He’s the founding chef for the Vancouver Aquarium’s Ocean Wise conservation program. He... »

Amusé Bistro was the first restaurant in the Cowichan Valley to become Ocean Wise certified in the spring of 2009.  Since this time, our menu has been one hundred percent Ocean Wise.  We are also proud members of Wild Table and an active participant in the Island Chef Collaborative. The word sustainable has played a... »