In a recent episode of Modern Family, Phil blows out virtual birthday candles via his brand new iPad. This party trick is not the imagination of a TV writer. The application, Birthday a la Carte, exists.The screen’s sensor is so advanced it allows users to extinguish candles with their breath. And the app costs $0.99 — about the price of a package of real birthday candles you use once.
While the black-and-white, non-illuminated Kindle hasn’t made much of a dent in the cookbook market, the shiny bright iPad might. It rivals …

Interviews, like so many things in life, often involve paperwork. Before your appearance, the media outlet may require some preliminary information. As one friend always says, “Enquiring minds got to know!”
The amount of pre-interview information varies depending on the type and length of the interview and the media outlet. For some stations, your original news release or media letter along with a copy of your cookbook, recipes, restaurant menu, cooking class schedule or product may be all that’s required.
With radio interviews, especially for first-time guests, a pre-interview may be requested. …

Promoting your message, business, product or cookbook on radio or television? While it’s exciting to know you’ll reach a large audience, the pressure to talk live can be daunting. Over the last dozen years or so I have made hundreds of visits to media outlets both in my home base of Edmonton and in other Alberta locations. Here are a few tips I would like to pass along to help make your media event a success and generates return visits.
Besides planning your presentation:
Be on time:

If you are scheduled to appear …

Today, many restaurants showcase local, Canadian products.  While sourcing these  products is becoming more of a main stream industry with typical wholesale marketing, building direct marketing chains between food producers and restaurants or other retail markets is a real boon for both the agricultural industry and retailers.  Producers retain value on their product, while restauranteurs or retailers have the direct link, and the real story behind the product. All this helps meet increasing consumer demand for fresh, unique and local products.
 
In the spirit of building successful relationships between farmers and retailers, I’ve spoken with …

If you are a small food and beverage processor in Southern Ontario, you might be eligible for part of  The Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario’s $20 million stimulus package earmarked for capital improvements and competitiveness enhancement.
Who’s eligible?

Companies with less than 1000 employees
Small manufacturers falling under the North American Industry Classification System’s Codes 311 and 312

What’s covered?

Up to 50% of capital costs
Up to 75% of indirect costs

The deadline for application is December 22, 2009.  More information can be found online in the Program Guidelines.
If you know of any other …

We wanted to put a shout out for a friend of Cuisine Canada.  Jeff Stewart, and his Creepy Crawly Cooking Company will be one of the pitches on this Wednesday’s Dragon’s Den, 8pm, on CBC.  You can watch the show online on the Dragon’s Den Website anytime after Wednesday.
Jeff has really expanded his culinary repertoire, not just as a professor in the Hospitality and Tourism department at Niagara College, but also as the President of Creepy Crawly Cooking, a catering and educational company that focuses on consuming creepy crawly creatures.  They’ve been …

Cookbooks have come a long way since their inception. Simple line drawings have given way to glossy coloured photos, bare-bones directions have ballooned into detailed step-by-step instructions, and a well-planned index is a must.
Just as the contents of cookbooks has changed, so has the approach to promotion. While nothing will ever replace a good old-fashioned, face-to-face book signing, on-line social media is becoming a marketing essential.
To get an idea of what’s going on in the world of book promotions, we talked to long-time Cuisine Canada member Jeff Crump about how …