Warming up to winter culinary adventures

Dining on area ski hills

Photo: Facebook/Gunbarrel Saloon

The Gunbarrel Saloon Ar Apex Ski Resort near Penticton.

If messages from my circle of friends are an indication that visits to the Okanagan may climb this spring and summer due to unexpected changes to this year’s travel plans for a myriad of reasons, the last weeks of winter may be an ideal time for locals to take advantage of a slower pace.

The recent snowscapes have been stunning and even if you’re skipping the outdoors and your focus is apres-ski, local hills have plenty of tasty options.

Apex Mountain Resort, mere minutes from downtown Penticton, is home to the Gunbarrel Saloon, voted 10 times in a row as the number one apres-ski bar in Canada, Longshots Steakhouse, which boasts a creative cocktail menu and the Edge Bistro, Steezy Slices and the Artisan’s Den, all for quick bites.

Save the date. On March 1, Brewski, Apex Mountain’s craft beverage festival will return, featuring 24 breweries, cideries, and distilleries showcasing their best creations. Tickets are now on sale.

From bistros to coffee spots to pubs to the Beavertails food truck, Big White Ski Resort near Kelowna has a plenty of culinary options, as well as horse-drawn sleigh dining tours on select days (advance booking required).

A little further north, Silver Star Mountain Resort near Vernon has its Paradise Camp dinner tour. First, you’ll take a gondola ride to the top of the mountain, then you’ll climb aboard the Paradise Express snow cat go to Paradise Camp for a three-course, lantern-lit dinner with a chef-prepared menu and an extensive drinks selection.

Skipping the ski hill? The Okanagan Wine Festival Society has two signature events coming up very soon. This coming Saturday (Feb. 22), the festival’s TASTE series heads to the Scenic Sip trail in Lake Country with a handful of wine and food pairings to explore, and on March 1, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay aficionados will enjoy Winter SIPS North at Kelowna’s Hotel Eldorado.

Speaking of hotels, the well-known Hooded Merganser restaurant at Penticton’s Lakeside Resort & Conference Centre has undergone a refresh. If it’s been a while since you’ve dined there, I hear it’s worth a return trip.

And two final suggestions for a staycation before summer guests arrive. Niche Wine Co., nestled above West Kelowna, is set to open its Outside the Inn cabins soon. They are described as “a taste of farm living with a modern twist.”

Noble Ridge Vineyard & Winery now has Stoneridge, which could be a home away from home in Okanagan Falls, if only for a few days.

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.

Funs ways to celebrate both Valentine's Day and Family Day

Celebrate friends and family

Photo: Pixabay

February brings with it two days dedicated to affection—Valentine’s Day, of course, but also Family Day. The latter, in case it’s not yet in your calendar, is Monday, Feb. 17.

In theory, then, with Cupid’s arrow arriving on the Friday just before Family Day, it might be possible to combine these two holidays into a four-day weekend celebrating your “galentine” or valentine, BFF or beloved, friends and family.

Beyond the traditional gifts, how about sharing some love with these ideas? February is typically a tough month in the hospitality industry, and while there are plenty of options for a romantic dinner out on the town, if that’s not on the agenda this year, consider grabbing a gift card for future use for yourself and a pal. Even better, give it to the family member who hosted the big holiday dinner this year; a belated gesture of gratitude.

With the rising cost of, well, everything, a gift card to a local grocery store or shop might be even more appreciated. Maybe not the best romantic option for your valentine but a great idea for a friend or neighbour.

Gather a few folks together to share some love for a charity. Explore options to volunteer—which can be done year-round—by giving the gift of time or sharing a special skill. In fact, this is often the season of annual general meetings when societies search for board members. Is this the year you take a leap into the non-profit world as a director?

Wine tour season will be here before we know it, but that shouldn’t stop you from creating a taste tour of your own on this particular weekend—wine or not. Make a list of artisan bakeries, chocolatiers, coffee shops to visit or challenge your loved ones to join you in finding the best grilled cheese in the Okanagan.

Gone are the days of formal portraits and photography studios, for the most part, but rather than taking selfies or catching your cousin off-guard in an awkward moment, why not plan on a photo session with those close to you? Think of a theme, a location that has significant meaning or do your best to recreate a photo from years ago.

One last idea: Pick up the phone and call—not text, Zoom, or WhatsApp—someone you haven’t talked to in a while. The last five years have taught us much about the importance of connection.

Let’s make sure that we don’t give isolation a chance to creep back in.

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.

A taste of culture during the winter months

Films, food, wine and arts

Photo: Contributed

Winter in the Okanagan is a good season to learn something new or explore arts and culture (or both), as we take a break from colder weather to stay indoors.

Sure, September is when our thoughts usually turn to school, but January and February provide plenty of opportunities for pursuing fresh interests. Here are a few to ponder:

The Snakebite Film Festival in Penticton, from Jan. 30 to Feb. 2, has sold out all of its pre-festival celebrations and you’ll have to be quick to grab any of the remaining festival passes for all nine of its thought-provoking films. The festival’s selection committee focuses on films that tackle themes of diversity and inclusion, with a particular emphasis on projects filmed in the region. Snakebite has become one of the largest winter festivals in the Okanagan and last year welcomed attendees from as far away as New Mexico and Texas, with more than 1,200 seats filled over the four days.

Also in Penticton, the Ignite the Arts Festival will return for Community Week from March 21-27 and Festival Weekend March 28-30. Even though it’s two months away, now is a good time to sign up to volunteer with your friends and earn a pass in exchange for giving your time.

While you may not really learn anything, Infusions Restaurant at Kelowna’s Okanagan College campus is where others hone their chef skills and it is one of many restaurants that will take part in Taste Around British Columbia from Jan. 22 to Feb. 9. Look up a spot that’s new to you, maybe book a short winter getaway to stay and dine and visit Art-BC to find a cultural activity to round out your experience.

Speaking of Okanagan College, open houses will take place in Vernon, Kelowna, Salmon Arm and Penticton this month and next. Apply for any program during one of these events and the application fee will be waived.

If you happen to be in the Lower Mainland, or are planning to head to there, the Vancouver International Wine Festival is fast approaching. It will begin on Feb. 22 and while there will be many opportunities to experience amazing culinary events, there will also be numerous seminars open to the public, and a robust trade days agenda.

This year, the festival is working with Lingua Franca, an Oregon winery known for its low-impact, organic and biodynamic farming principles. Josh Wludyka, who was the winery’s first intern and is now its director of brand at Lingua Franca, will be there.

Given the close, and evolving, relationship between the B.C. wineries and its counterparts in the Pacific Northwest, this might be a good year to attend and take some notes.

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.

Peanut butter and whiskey: Not as screwy as you might think

A nutty new year

Photo: Contributed

January, if memory serves, is usually colder and darker.

Usually, I am inspired to put together a short list of warm beverages to stave off the winter doldrums. I wasn’t really keen on that, for a number of reasons, including recovering from over indulgence, many people are choosing to drink less or sip sophisticated non-boozy options and it looks deceptively spring-like outside.

But then, a bottle of Skrewball Peanut Butter Whiskey arrived. And here we are.

So, I recruited the family whiskey afficionado—my dad—to come up with his own unique creation now that Skrewball is available in Canada, including at select B.C. Liquor Stores.

Here is his take is the “Screw Loose” breakfast, shared here as an entire recipe:

• Lightly toast two slices of white bread.

• Brush both with brown butter for the nutty flavour. Make sure the butter does not taste burnt.

• Spread peanut butter on one slice of toast. On the other spread bitter orange marmalade. The bitter taste will alert the palate that a spectacular taste treat is on the way.

• Combine the two slices of toast into a breakfast sandwich.

• Pour a generous portion of Skrewball Peanut Butter Whisky into a brandy snifter that you have warmed in the palm of your hand. Swirl the whiskey around.

• As you enjoy your toast, wash it down with sips of the fine whisky.

Skrewball’s website has a selection of holiday-themed delights—the Peanut Butter Eggnog Espresso Martini, the Crème de Menthe-infused “Skrew-Dolph,” and more but thanks to shipping delays, those will have to wait till next year.

Given the warmer than usual weather, Screwball’s screwy summer cocktails may even make an appearance before spring.

In the meantime, whether or not you choose to imbibe as 2025 begins, it’s good to have choices. Mocktails are fast becoming both innovative and convenient, some even grabbing a spot at the end of the supermarket aisle.

In keeping with my peanut theme (and it’s possible other nut butters will work), make a batch of peanut butter punch by blending a half cup of smooth peanut butter with two and a half cups of milk, a third of a cup of honey and cinnamon and nutmeg to your taste.

When it gets colder, go for a peanut butter hot chocolate. Your favourite milk, cocoa powder, peanut butter and maple syrup blended together after warming the milk.

Serve any of these with the last of the holiday cookies, sit back and observe the nutty, or screwy, year that approaches.

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.