tips for dried beans & legumes
April 1, 2011 by Christabel Padmore
Dried beans and legumes have a bad reputation. The process of transforming these solid inedible pellets into an appetizing ragout, soup or casserole can be daunting. Common cooking missteps often result a meal with the texture of a mushy gruel or crunchy gravel. I think their ill repute is overstated, especially in this time of [...]
stocking an awesome kitchen pantry
March 6, 2011 by Bill Jones
Making great food is all about the ingredients. Sometimes your best plan is to take a nice, fresh local product and do as little with it as possible. Sometimes you need to shake in a little variety and flavour to create excitement for your taste buds. As chefs we know that eating amazing food is [...]
soup essentials
January 15, 2011 by Garrett Schack
I think about soup a lot this time of year. This makes sense because almost nothing is more comforting than a hearty bowl of soup when it is rainy and miserable outside. Many amateur cooks think that soup is complicated or difficult to make. Most restaurant cooks know better. In a good commercial kitchen soup [...]
how to buy an island bird
Looking for a great organic turkey the week before Christmas? Here is some information to help you with your search. Finding a perfect Vancouver Island Christmas turkey isn’t easy unless you have a friend with a farm. The goal is to find a free-range bird raised without hormones, antibiotics or chemicals. Free range means the [...]
how to cook the perfect turkey dinner
December 10, 2010 by Jill Thomas
Many years ago, my step son Jacob, when asked what he wanted for Christmas requested a ‘turkey dinner like you see on TV.” I think he imagined a shining family at a lavishly set table and mom emerging from the kitchen with a perfect brown bird on a china platter. Since I lack aptitude for [...]
dungeness crab right now
November 7, 2010 by Bill Jones
At this time of the year, the local Dungeness Crab are plump, sweet and at the height of vitality. The shells are so crammed full of flesh they are a little harder to extract from the shell – but well worth a little extra effort. I like to use garden tomatoes that we have harvested [...]
cooking seafood & shellfish
February 24, 2010 by Jill Thomas
Most chefs agree that cooking techniques are more important then recipes when it comes to creating great meals. Here are some tips from our island chefs for cooking seafood and shellfish. Peter DeBruyn, Executive Chef Strathcona Hotel My favorite way to cook fish fillets is grilling. You need to start with a hot well-seasoned grill. [...]
