While COVID and last year’s washout of B.C. highways got people thinking about supply chains and food security, shop local advocates have been working for decades to make the Thompson-Okanagan more self-sufficient.
Professional chefs are throwing down in private kitchens around Kamloops and the Okanagan thanks to a new business called Chez You.
A popular shawarma restaurant has wrapped up operations in Penticton and started a new chapter in Summerland.
The classic taste of savoury pot pies is on the menu at a new bakery in Penticton.
A Korean restaurant opened its doors in Kamloops last week to share their culture and traditions through the flavours of tongdak, Korean fried chicken.
Pumpkins are reaching maturity and turning orange in many backyards in Kamloops and the Okanagan as Halloween approaches but with reports of frosty nights coming, some residents are wondering if they should pull their pumpkins off the vine early.
A Peachland resident had bright yellow fruit falling from her tree this month, and she didn’t know what they were.
The Lobster Pot food truck opened in Kamloops for the first time this week and residents are raving about their food.
The Jeffers Fryzz has been a fixture on Nanaimo Avenue in Penticton for so long, most residents probably don’t remember a time when it wasn’t there, on the street in front of the CIBC bank’s rear parking lot.
A Penticton man has created a recipe for a gelato that may be the first of its kind.
Mad for asparagus? Well, the season finally here. I anticipate these delectable green spears all year long as our local asparagus is so far superior to the imported varieties. Tender and flavorful, it is like gold because it is very hard to farm. This crop takes a patient farmer as takes about three or four years to get the asparagus crop ready to harvest and then its annual success is very weather dependent and needs sunshine.
I love to support anything local, including cookbooks. For years. Marzia Bellotti Molatore, known as “Mamma Marzia” has been offering Italian cooking classes from her Langley home kitchen. Known as Bella Cibo, Marzia decided to publish some of her favourite class recipes from her popular cooking school into a book. “Cooking with Mamma Marzia” came out in 2020 - just in time to fill the gap during Covid.
Kelowna's Start Fresh Kitchen is the latest casualty of the pandemic and public health restrictions.
One of my greatest joys has been my involvement with Soup Sisters and being one of the founders of the Kelowna chapter.
Penticton’s Smugglers Smokehouse has become an economic victim of the pandemic.
I love coconut milk. This rich, creamy, fragrant gift from nature transports me to holiday mode no matter what time of year it is. Coconut curry sauce is astonishingly easy to make at home when you use Thai curry paste. There is a red and green curry available and either one works wonderfully.
The Bundt cake was born in 1950 when H. David Dalquist, the owner of the Minnesota Nordic Ware company, was asked by a local Jewish women’s society to create a metal cake pan similar to the European handmade ceramic baking molds that were used to make traditional kugelhopf, a yeast-based cake.
Spring in the vegetable or flower garden is a carefully orchestrated series of events.
The first of this year’s cultivated asparagus crop is appearing in the Similkameen valley.
If you’ve been in the olive oil section of the grocery store lately, you’ve likely been confronted with a lot of choices. Possibly even a wall of olive oils, with different symbols on the bottles and a whole lot of brands to choose from.
For Dai Fukasaku sushi is beautiful in its simplicity - a simplicity that demands local fish.
“Waiter, there is too much pepper in my paprikash” is a famous line spoken by Billy Crystal to Meg Ryan in the 1989 hit rom com When Harry Met Sally.
The weather is warming up and backyard gardeners are beginning to move outdoors with this year’s fruit and vegetable crops top of mind.
A year ago Cindy Humphrey's world took a stark shift in a direction that she never expected.
British Columbia led the way nationally in cultivated farmland value last year with the Kootenay region seeing the biggest surge provincially.
A recent survey indicated B.C. is the most vegan-friendly Canadian province, so it’s not really surprising it would be home to a burgeoning food supply business catering to that market.
A dehydrator and a spice grinder are all Joe Roth needs to turn 400,000 pounds of leftover fruit, commonly sold as pig mash, into flour.
A B.C. food prep company that currently serves the Okanagan has entered the zero waste realm.
Chicken pot pies are trending right now in the food world. Childhood memories of this retro dish for many will evoke visions of steaming plates presented by grandma or mom followed by that euphoric, sated feeling following a feast of classic comfort food.
Schnitzel is a serious crowd favourite and bound to light up the faces of your eaters this weekend. It's even fun to say: shhhhh-nit-zzzel.
Gnocchi are Italian style dumplings made with potatoes, flour, eggs and salt. They have a soft pillowy texture and a delicate flavour. Like homemade pasta, gnocchi can be served with a wide variety of sauces. Classic sauces include tomato and basil or heavenly browned butter with fresh sage.
Let's make it a veggie night shall we? This delicious recipe is vegan, gluten-free, nut-free, refined sugar-free, soy-free and it is amazing! Perfect for this still winterish weather, our bodies seem to be crying out for vitamins under the depleting cloudy skies. The bright colour alone is enough to cheer you up.
This is one of my favourite comfort food dinners.
Staying in for Valentine’s Day is what many are opting for this year in Covid World. But don’t despair, cooking dinner together with your one and only or your family is a wonderful way to celebrate the day of love.
Celebrate Valentine’s Day at home: Light the candles, choose your music playlist and have a gourmet catered dinner at home. These local Okanagan restaurants are offering special menus for Valentine’s Day for take-out. With simple heating instructions, Valentine’s Day dinner will be all romance and no fuss.
This delicious recipe comes from Debbie Etsell, owner of Singletree Winery and it is featured in my cookbook, The B.C. Wine Lover's Cookbook. The Etsell family operates two wineries in the province, one in Mt. Lehman, in the Fraser Valley and one in Naramata. The Etsell family farm started out in the turkey-raising business, which they continue alongside the winery operation in Mt. Lehman - hence the turkey recipe.
These chilly winter days call for a big bowl of yummy cassoulet. This easy version comes from my B.C. Wine Lover’s Cookbook and was shared by the Bibby family of Nighthawk Vineyards. I also created a video and interview for the British Columbia Wine Institute (click on image below to watch). Enjoy!
Ottolenghi exploded onto the food scene in 2008 with the launch a cookbook introducing his name to the foodie world: Ottolenghi. The face of this brand, Yotam Ottolenghi is an Israeli restaurateur in London whose cuisine took our hungry palates by storm bringing us the bright and beautiful flavours from his home in Israel
Oliver’s food scene just received a welcome new resident. Housed in the former Medici’s Gelato, a building that was once upon a time a church, welcome Popolo! The name translates to “people” in Italian and owner Steeve Rayé says, “I wanted a name to match the building’s history and a place where people gather worked. It’s fun and easy to remember.”
Hold onto your hats – you are about to create something crazy delicious.
Make 2021 the year that you make all of those recipes you have been afraid to try. Yorkshire puddings were on my to do list for a long time and when I found this fool proof recipe from Chef Gordon Ramsay, I was thrilled. This recipe will take your Sunday roast beef dinner to a whole new level. Do make a delicious red wine gravy to pour these delightful popovers and enjoy. I also like to make a quick horseradish sauce combining horseradish and sour cream to serve alongside the roast.
Christmastime is here and with current restrictions, a big turkey dinner may not be the plan this year but do not dismay, there are many other delicious holiday worthy meals to make for your little bubble.
Weekend Recipe: Korean Japchae & Short Ribs
Growing up on an orchard in East Kelowna has made me a super fan girl for all things B.C. apples.
Most of us enjoyed cranberry sauce with our turkey this past Thanksgiving but do you know where those cranberries came from?
An eight-storey lighthouse near West Kelowna’s southern entrance won’t become an iconic structure, at least not until there is more public feedback.
Thanksgiving dinner should be a celebration of local. Living here in beautiful B.C. is super easy to laden your holiday table exclusively with ingredients sourced from your farming community! And, like most holiday celebrations, there must be wine and choosing the best bottle to pair with your bird is a must.
The days may be warmer but come dinner time, there is a chill in the air that beckons for a bowl of soup.
Our farm markets have now become laden with colourful pumpkins and squash heralding autumn and the beginning of comfort food season.
Harvest is in full swing now which means last chance for romance with some of your favourite fall ingredients. Peaches are rounding up for the year and so are heirloom tomatoes, so please make this salad as a finale to another wonderful season.
One of the most popular recipes from the New York Times is Marian Burros’ Plum Torte, which was printed every September from 1983 until 1989. This delicious and easy to make cake has over the decades had many variations including being made with other fruit such as blueberries, apricots and pears along with endless spice combinations.
Zucchini is one of the favourite members of the squash family. Known in some countries as courgettes, these versatile veggies are plentiful right now so you might be trying to find ways to up your extras in the garden. Try adding it into your pasta sauces, frittatas, muffin recipes or one of the easiest and most delicious ways is to cut them lengthwise into thick ribbons and grill them, topping with extra virgin olive oil and chopped basil.
While the local gardens are still producing, you should preserve as much as possible.
Who needs the Mediterranean when we’ve got the Okanagan? Summer life in this beautiful valley gives British Columbians serious rights on the ultimate lifestyle that includes sunshine, the lake, local food and wine.
Life is peachy right now in the Okanagan, and when life gives you peaches, make peach salsa. Salsa is the ultimate summer treat and is super versatile. I love adding seasonal fruits and berries to the mix to serve on chicken, fish or just as a snack with tortilla chips.
The Chefs’ Table Society of BC (CTS) and the BC Salmon Marketing Council (BCSMC) are coming together Friday, Aug. 21 to Sunday, Aug. 23 for a celebration of the iconic B.C. product: wild salmon. Typically a one-day Vancouver-based event, this year due to COVID-19 restrictions there is a new format for the celebration with 10 participating chefs and restaurants in communities around the province.
This time of the year the local food scene is so exciting with some of my most favourite vegetables and fruits coming into season. Right now, we can enjoy bounteous amounts of peaches and zucchini, two of my all-time favourites, but I am waiting for heirloom tomatoes and chanterelles with baited breath to complete my top line up.
Nothing says summer like strawberries. This cake brings back fond memories of my grandmother who would make it every summer, once strawberries appeared at the local fruit stands.
My obsession with picnicking may be a little annoying but really, what could be better than dining al fresco? Well, actually…cooking AND dining al fresco is truly the ultimate.
With B.C.’s local blueberry season in full swing and the #gobluebc campaign on, now is this time to indulge in one of Canada’s national food treasures.
