in praise of local food
June 9, 2011 by Ryan Zuvich
The day is coming with a single carrot, freshly observed, will set off a revolution – Paul Cezanne The idea of eating local food is a simple one. Buy food products grown, cultivated or made in your area. Somewhere in this simplicity the subject of eating local has somehow been made to seem unattainable for [...]
down home rhubarb
May 14, 2011 by Zoe O Doherty
I associate rhubarb with spring. Harvesting of this hardy garden perennial marks the end of winter in backyards across Canada. In northern temperate climates such as ours, rhubarb is harvested in April or May and is therefore one of the first food plants to grace our tables. Some local gardeners will enjoy a second bounty [...]
how to cook wild nettles
April 25, 2011 by Matt Rissling
I know that spring is in the air when my friend Eric from Untamed Feast delivers the first batch of wild stinging nettles to our kitchen at the Marina Restaurant. Nettles are sometimes referred to as ‘Indian Spinach’ due to their similarity in taste. I always tell our new cooks, who usually have never eaten [...]
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 [...]
garam masala 101
February 26, 2011 by Heidi Fink
I planned to write about curry powder but instead decided to post about Garam Masala because it’s more important in Indian and South Asian cuisine. In fact, it’s one of the most prevalent spice mixtures in the region whereas Indian cooks don’t use curry power as we know it- but more on that subject another [...]
vancouver island shellfish
February 18, 2011 by Bill Jones
We are spoiled here on the West Coast with our bounty of amazing shellfish. Many of the commercial species we raise here were introduced from other parts of the world but they have found a nice home here in our clean cool waters. The ocean waters flowing down the coast from northern climates are rich [...]
