Cuisine Canada Scene

Coloured carrots

When I was a child, carrots were those orange things Mom cut into different shapes to entice me to eat. I liked that you could make a lot of noise eating them — either by chomping with your mouth open or singing, “Carrots are divine; you get a dozen for a dime. It’s magic!” Beyond that, they were just another vegetable that stood between me and dessert.

It wasn’t until I started writing about food that I learned carrots are an essential part of “The Holy Trinity” and come in a rainbow of colours. I now know the white ones are the most tender and the red ones are the most flavourful. They’re no longer just a bunch of  orange root vegetables.

In some ways, Cuisine Canada is like my carrot experience. I know about the Canadian Culinary Book Awards and the directory’s long list of impressive members. But my exposure lacks colour.

I hope this blog corrects this limitation — for all members.

Since geography prevents many of us from meeting face-to-face, this is where Cuisine Canada members can gather without lamenting the high price of gas, enduring airport security or a finding a downtown parking spot.  While there’s no strict agenda, we’ll:

• profile members through Q&As
• explore unusual Canadian-grown ingredients
• announce upcoming events
• post news items
• debunk some food myths
• review the best in Canadian food books
• celebrate our achievements

To ensure this blog remains devoted to Cuisine Canada, and not Cuisine Ontario or (gasp) Cuisine Charmian, I encourage any and all members to participate. Want to blog? Contact me at charmian [at] charmian-christie [dot] com. Not up to that? Just leave a comment.

Here’s a carrot to keep you coming back. Tune in Friday when Edmonton’s Barbara Barnes reviews a vegan cookbook even carnivores will like.