Cuisine Canada Scene

2010 NASFT Fancy Food Show

Summer 2010 Fancy Food Show By Dana McCauley With over 180,000 products showcased by 2,500 Exhibitors at New York City’s Javitz Center, the National Association for the Specialty Food Trade (NASFT) Fancy Food Show offers an interesting glimpse into the current culinary landscape. Here, in no particular order, are my observations: Pink peppercorns were featured [...]

What’s New in Manitoba Food?

There’s a stereotype that all the excitement in the Canadian food sector lies in a few locales.  That’s wrong – there are delights to be found across the country and  good things are cooking in Manitoba — or are being served up in their raw, marvelous, unprocessed glory. Here’s a quick rundown of some of [...]

Foraging Etiquette, Foraging Regulations

As you enjoy your long weekend hikes through the woods, and are tempted by the marvelous wild delicacies, please remember the following: -When foraging plants, remember the general etiquette: know your plants, and know about their life cycle.  Never take more than the plant can quickly regenerate within a year.  Some of my personal recommendations [...]

Canadian Grilling Trends

The chill of an early May snowfall in Edmonton has not prevented me from cooking on my gas grill. Just like 43 percent of the 1009 consumers surveyed in this year’s Weber Canadian Grillwatch Survey, I choose to grill year round. I am proud to admit that I fall into the category of hardy Canadian [...]

The “Eat Canadian” Plan?

It seems the local food movement is getting more political.  Michael Ignatieff and the Liberals have developed a platform for a Canadian food policy, and with their announcement Monday, the food community is aflutter with comments focusing on what positive changes this might bring, or whether it is just more political grandstanding. Even with the [...]

Consumer health concerns influence Canadian menus

By Dana McCauley Quite often food trends trickle down from the foodservice world to the grocery realm. Consider balsamic vinegar. In the 1980s when Cal-Ital restaurants become popular, this was a new and exotic ingredient that home cooks quickly started asking for at the grocery store. Today balsamic vinegar is a kitchen staple and sold [...]

Canadian Food Trend Predictions

By Dana McCauley As the end of the decade advances, I find myself looking back, taking stock of the trend landscape and wondering about what we can expect to see in 2010 and beyond. During the last ten years products that offer a wellness advantage that promote either longevity or enhance our beauty have become [...]