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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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The 10 best new restaurants in Canada

Each year, the November issue of en Route magazine (Air Canada) is publishing their top ten of new restaurants across Canada. Their tester/ journalist is proposed with a bunch of venues to try out in every major cities by a panel of food critics and bloggers from different areas.  I am always looking forward to that list because [...]

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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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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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A word about Vodka (and a Halloween-ish cocktail!)

Those of you who know me, know that while I enjoy all things cocktail, my preference is for brown spirits — rum, bourbon, scotch, rye (not necessarily in that order) — therefore, I have a minimal number of vodkas in the liquor cabinet.  When mixing classic cocktails, personality and dimension is a key part of [...]

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Tea Cocktails

Tea Cocktails

Tea cocktails, eh? After a few times hearing this new concept, I had to look into it. I am a big tea drinker and thought, sure! Why not? The first place that came to mind was Silk Road Teas, which is a tea shop and aromatherapy spa in Victoria. I contacted Daniela, the owner of [...]

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Ghoul Ade Martini

Ghoul Ade Martini

Yes…it looks like dirty, spooky, mucky swamp water…but it tastes FABULOUS… 1 Ounce Vodka 1 Ounce Hpnotiq 1 Ounce Orange Juice (pulp free) 2 Ounces Grape Juice Add all ingredients to a shaker filled with ice, shake well and strain into a martini glass. Can also be served on ice, or made up ahead of [...]

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By the bushel

Apple Season in New York State

We recently returned from a great weekend of camping in Messina, NY. This was our third time camping in the region and we endeavour to discover new treats each visit. Our traveling companions are very well versed in the Upstate New York area (having camped there many times over the past few summers) and did [...]

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John Schreiner’s BC Coastal Wine Tour Guide

Cowichan Wine and Culinary Festival Wine Symposium

The 7th Annual Cowichan Wine & Culinary Festival will be presenting a Wine Symposium at the Malaspina University’s NEW Cowichan Campus on Saturday, September 17th and Sunday, September 18th. The Symposium will feature special guest speaker, author John Schreiner, Canada’s most prolific writer of books on wine. He has written 15 books on the subject since his first [...]

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Cowichan Wine and Culinary Festival

Cowichan Wine & Culinary Festival

On September 14 – 18, 2011, the Cowichan Valley is hosting the Cowichan Wine and Culinary Festival. Twenty-six participants will be showcasing their top wines, beers, or ciders, as well as delicious taste bud-tickling treats. You can either pick up or download a map so you can plan out your epicurean trek through the Cowichan [...]

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