Celebrating Canadian Cuisine with Food Day Canada 2010 Stories

Busy family day, but BBQ makes it easy

This year, Food Day happened on a pretty hectic day of the week (swim meet). But firing up the barbeque makes cooking so easy and my kids love steak. We started with a bowl of seafood chowder, which I had made ahead and reheated. I had also made a potato salad with PEI potatoes, red onions, mayo and Dijon. I chose Canadian striploin steaks – my family loves this cut – and served it medium – which is just the right amount of doneness for my kids. I always use a digital thermometer to make sure I get it right. We had a small greek salad on the side as well, with local veggies and feta. A delicious, nutritious, easy –to- make meal to celebrate Canadian food and our wonderful...

Vancouver Island Getaway

Our family spent the long weekend on Vancouver Island, and celebrated on July 31st with a fabulous meal sourced from the bounty of local farmers and suppliers. Our meal centered around delicious striploin steaks, Canadian AAA beef, purchased from Vancouver Island’s own Thrifty Foods. Simply grilled with a little steak spice to medium rare and served with a lush salsa fresca made from local tomatoes and fresh cilantro from the garden. Delicious. With the steaks, we had local corn on the cob and my fave salad made from fresh picked green beans, tomatoes and basil from my friend’s garden (mixied with Italian olive oil and garlic). Our meal ended with a blueberry peach crumble made from fresh fruit we had purchased that morning from a road side stand. Even though the weather was not perfect, we ate outside with a vase of wildflowers on the table, glasses of BC wine in our hands (we love Blasted Church Hatfield’s Fuse) and smiles on our faces as the sun set. A perfect BC day with good friends, wine and conversation and of course, delicious Canadian...

Garcelon’s Newfoundland Foggy Ferryland Lighthouse Picnic

Ferryland is about a 1hr drive from St John’s Newfoundland. We drove out here after a recommendation from Roary Macpherson, our friend and Executive Chef at the Sheraton Hotel Newfoundland. The experience was incredible to say the least. The setting: A magical headland looking over the ocean with the possibility of whale watching at the same time. The story: Jill, the owner decided to embark on the picnic concept when she had returned to...

From the the Crew of the Four Play…North Channel, ON

Sailing through the North Channel around Manitoulin Island, Rocky Raccoon is clearly visible in Gore Bay. The crew of the Four Play sent this shot!...

Still Learning

I have baked bread for over 20 years and I spent this weekend learning how to make no-knead bread. I never dreamed it would be such a game changer, and now a lifestyle changer. We also had grilled Pacific halibut, fresh baby cucs, peppers and onions for quinoa tabouleh. Another great...

Past, Present, Future

Well, Food Day got waylaid by a funeral, and a wedding. Not a bad way to spend the day, surrounded by family and friends. The menu, it really should be a daylong series of snapshots: Morning – dashing along on the road, ‘bits and brew’ to appease the caffeine gods, and the munchkin in the back seat. Comfortable and universally Canadian. Mid morning – Post-funeral Presbyterian church basement ham sandwiches, magnificent in their uniform,...