Food & Drink

Don't mess with bun-kebab

Photo: Contributed I read a food article from BBC News this week that inspired me to chat. It was about a controversy in Pakistan over a popular street food versus the local McDonald’s version, and it made me think of the age-old argument of tradition versus evolution. As we

2018 Road 13 Marsanne

Photo: Contributed Wine: Marsanne, 2018 Winery: Road 13, Oliver Why drink it? This wine comes is available in a special three pack for spring, with a bottle of Viognier and a bottle of Riesling, as well as on its own. Marsanne is often blended with Roussanne, but do explore it as a

Food that is not for eating

Photo: Contributed When you read that headline, did you think I was going to talk about food you can’t stand? A column about Brussels sprouts or tapioca pearls maybe? I will do a piece on the most hated foods, but not this week. I spent last weekend focused on change and innov

Match ready to reopen

Photo: Google Street View Gateway Casinos confirms its Match Eateries will be reopening next week. The openings will be phased, with restaurants in Penticton, Kamloops and New Westminster opening on Tuesday, and Vernon's location opening on Thursday. “We are very excited t

High Mountain Malbec

Photo: Contributed Wine: High Mountain Malbec, 2018 Winery: Catena, Argentina Why drink it? At this time of year, the wine world usually congregates for the Vancouver International Wine Festival; this winery was in the 2020 roster, and this dry, medium-bodied Malbec is currently ava

March: lion and lamb

Photo: images.fineartamerica.com/ In like a lion, out like a lamb. I would bet you have heard that saying about March before. It always sounded to me like a bit of an omen, I hope with a happy ending. In today’s world, I am all about a happy ending. But what does it mean, and why

Vernon's Saucy Soprano

What's an out-of-work opera singer to do during a pandemic? Oy vey, the possibilities are endless, but for Vernon's Melina Schein, the answer was a little meshuggeneh (that's crazy for those who don't speak Yiddish). Describing herself as a "geographically-misplaced, A

2016 Rollingdale Fort

Photo: Contributed Wine: Fort, 2016 Winery: Rollingdale, West Kelowna Why drink it? Fort is a fortified port-style wine made with organic Marechal Foch grapes, so it is to be sipped with care, at 22 percent alcohol, though you won’t feel the effect immediately. But you will fe

How to Zoom for fun

Photo: Contributed There has been lots of talk of Zoom fatigue lately. The extra attention it takes to try to read people or react to them with the digital lag and the limited view of a Zoom window is all wearing us down, and we are longing for a more regular kind of interaction. I

Snoop Dogg, Cali Red 2019

Photo: Contributed Wine: Snoop Dogg, Cali Red 2019 Winery: 19 Crimes, California Why drink it? Yes, Snoop Dogg, like many celebrities, has a wine. The label simply says: composition – red wine, origin – California. A blend of Petite Syrah and Zinfandel (and maybe a touch

Speaking a food language

Photo: Contributed Have you ever heard of culinary grammar? You know what grammar is with words – “it is the study of the classes of words, their inflections, and their functions and relations in the sentence. It is also a study of what is to be preferred and what avoided i

2013 Row 128 Merlot

Photo: Contributed Wine: Row 128 Merlot, 2013 Winery: Seven Stones, Similkameen Why drink it? One of the best Merlots from the region, worth seeking out to see if for no other reason than to decide if you agree, or compare with another vintage from the winery. The aromas are complex

Recipes that give pure Joy

Photo: Contributed I scroll the internet daily for research, and often it is for food. As a gourmand, I am interested in cultural articles as well as recipes and restaurant news, but of course it is far too easy to fall down the rabbit hole of doom and gloom that fills much of the ethe

2018 Time Merlot

Photo: Contributed Wine: Merlot, 2018 Winery: Time, Penticton Why drink it? Merlot is a classic that can stand the test of time. A bottle or two on hand are convenient choices for those evenings when a glass of red wine is in order after a complicated day. This one is uncomplicated,

Healthy comfort food? Yes!

Photo: Contributed It’s February. The weather is mostly grey and wet. There is no chance for any kind of bikini getaway, so we are stuck wearing the same winter clothes, or staying in and hoping NetFlix releases something amazing soon, because we watched everything they have so f

$75k bottle of scotch for sale

Photo: Bowmore A bottle of scotch being sold in Vancouver is so expensive it might make even the high-rolling James Bond raise an eyebrow at its price tag. The specialty bottle was made in partnership between Bowmore and Aston Martin to celebrate an important year in each company&rsqu

Burrowing Owl Chardonnay

Photo: Contributed Wine: Chardonnay, 2018 Winery: Burrowing Owl, OIiver Why drink it? Maybe this is the bottle that can convert the “ABC” – anything but chardonnay – wine drinker to branch out. Hand-picked and hand-sorted, some artistry and care went into thi

Are we smart as appliances?

Photo: Contributed Do smart appliances and smart food mean smart people? Are we getting dumber? There are all kinds of "smart" things in our world now: Smart phones Smart appliances Smart homes even. We have entered a world where cooking with your phone is n

2019 Cedar Creek Pinot Gris

Photo: Contributed Wine: Platinum Series Pinot Gris, 2019 Winery: CedarCreek, Kelowna Why drink it? From the winery’s Simes Vineyard – unique as it is north-facing and lacks direct sunlight – this organic Pinot Gris comes from the grapes picked last to create a bot

January blues? Cheer up!

Photo: Contributed Here we are, with the New Year rung in and the resolutions made – now what? It seems we always start the new year with a combination of energy and guilt. We get all fired up to start new things, improve our performance, be more healthy and positive….