Cuisine Canada Scene

Quinoa

This is quinoa in bloom. Until recently I’d never seen a picture of the plant. I knew quinoa was a South American ancient grain carrying many nicknames. Despite being dubbed Incan Gold and Gold of the Gods, I hadn’t paid much attention to quinoa after an unfortunate experience with it in pasta form more than [...]

Budget Beef

Who doesn’t know someone who has lost a job recently? We are all tightening our belts. This for us means we changed our meal planning. Not only are the changes we made better for our bank account, but we create less food waste and are enjoying more interesting meals. Here are some tips to help [...]

Sustainable Seafood

Complaining is always easier than doing anything about the situation. For years, I’ve heard about threats to our oceans, but wasn’t sure what I could do as a consumer. So, taking the path of least resistance, I stopped ordering fish in restaurants and bought salmon only on special occasions. But avoidance isn’t always the answer. [...]

Red Maple — The Other Maple

Being one of the most abundant and widespread hardwoods in Quebec, the red maple (acer rubrum) is familiar to most of us, populating our forests and ornamenting our sidewalks; yet when it comes to maple syrup, it remains the underdog.  It is the sugar maple (acer saccarum) that is king, scooping up all the glory. [...]

Food Traditions

Everyone has memories of family meals – the laughter, the arguments, Grandpa falling asleep at the table. For me, our most exciting (annoying, trying, and bonding) meals were Sundays. Sundays meant a roast of beef, Yorkshire pudding, potatoes, and some combination of overcooked and undercooked veggies – like the time a barely cooked Brussels sprout [...]

Red Fife Wheat

Last week, Jackie Rowe asked the following question via our comments section: Is Red Fife wheat suitable for pies, baking or bread? I understand this wheat is being re-introduced into Canada’s flour choices. Being unfamiliar with this grain, I asked Jennifer Cockrall-King, a member from Alberta, if she could help us out. Here’s her response: Red [...]

Does no trans fat mean no business?

Come October 2009, British Columbia restaurants will be trans-fat-free thanks to provincial legislation. As a consumer, I avoid trans fats and would be happy to know they can’t creep onto my plate when I dine out. But as a restaurateur, how do you feel? Were you ahead of the curve on this ban or do [...]