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Providence Farm, Cowichan Valley, BC

Get Savoury, Spicy, and Sweet at the 2nd Annual James Barber Fundraiser

Providence Farm and Cowichan Chefs Table are co-presenting the 2nd Annual James Barber Fundraiser on Sunday, October 7, 2012, from noon until 4pm, at Providence Farm, 1843 Tzouhalem Road. The late James Barber, also known as Canada’s Urban Peasant, had a dream to install a wood burning oven at Providence Farm, replacing their existing ovens. The [...]

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Steak Sandwich Platter

Out on the Left Coast

Away from home with the family, my Mom, Dad and sister decided to try out Lefty’s, a restaurant in Parksville and Qualicum Beach, BC, built on two principles – fresh food and good friends. We have vacationed in this area for years, and felt it was time to try a local restaurant that seemed very [...]

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PestoMaking

Wild Garlic Time in Ontario

It’s that time of year again in Lanark County (and I’m sure other parts of Ontario) – time for wild garlic (or ramps or wild leeks – many names for the same plant). My first foray into picking wild garlic was last year and while our foraging was fruitful, the bugs made it quite miserable. We [...]

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Tarragon Pesto

Tarragon Pesto

Tarragon has a delicate anise-like flavour and is a key part of French cooking. It is often paired with chicken, in Bernaise sauce, with vegetables and with mild fish. We made fresh halibut poached in white wine and lemons to accompany the pasta last night. Roasted portabella mushrooms would be a nice vegetarian alternative. Tarragon [...]

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Peppercorn Steak

Returning to Tigh-Na-Mara’s Cedar Room

After what I would classify a horrendous food/service experience at Tigh-Na-Mara’s Cedar Room in 2011, I was slightly hesitate to go back for another dinner. With that said, the Sunday brunch we had a few months ago was absolutely amazing, so there was certainly some hope that a second dinner would go better than the [...]

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Fireside Grill Victoria BC

Fireside Grill Victoria BC

My partner and I recently celebrated our engagement with family and friends and one of our lovely friends gave us a gift certificate to the Fireside Grill here in Victoria. I was thinking up a nice date night idea and thought that it was the perfect occasion for Brendan and I to use the gift [...]

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beetcake3

My Top 10 Favourite Food for Winter 2012

Yes, food is like fashion. There are some trends that chefs and restaurants have to follow to please their customers trough out the seasons and they are classics that are never to disappear from our tables.  Here is a list of ingredients that I think are mostly “in” the game or are gaining  in popularity. Fact: I am crazy [...]

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Coming Soon…. Culinaire 2012!

Coming Soon…. Culinaire 2012!

If you attended Victoria’s Culinaire 2011, you’ll understand why I am so excited about Culinaire 2012, to the extent that I am writing about it before 2012 even starts! 2012 marks Culinaire’s third year and although I only had the opportunity to attend the second annual event, that was enough of an experience to ensure [...]

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P1010968

Holiday Parties: Victoria on a Budget

I know, I’m excited too! I mean, how often can you use the words “Victoria” and “budget” in the same sentence?! So it’s that time of year again – time to start planning various Holiday events. Office parties, family get-togethers… for this article, I have chosen three local venues that I can personally recommend for [...]

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World Renowned?… Tigh-Na-Mara Resort

World Renowned?… Tigh-Na-Mara Resort

After several visits to Tigh-Na-Mara’s Cedar Room, we were really impressed. Unfortunately, it didn’t start that way… While in Nanaimo for a weekend of work, my partner and I decided to treat his Dad and Step-Mom with a nice dinner in the Cedar Room at the Tigh-Na-Mara Resort in Parksville. Brendan and I had never [...]

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