Food & Drink

Following the food calendar

Photo: Contributed For those of us who still like to have tangible references for the passage of time, a watch and a calendar are indispensable. I still wear a watch almost every day; if I am not looking directly at a computer or phone screen, I check my wrist to know the time of day.

2017 Roche Nuances

Photo: Contributed Wine: Nuances, 2017 Winery: Roche, Naramata Why drink it? A Bordeaux style blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Cabernet Franc (the dominant grape), with the history and skill of six winemaking generations. This bottle is true to its name in expressing subtle

I can almost taste it

Photo: Contributed Being a gourmand, I always have food on my mind.  At home I often think of comfort foods, but having just been through a month of indulgences and traditional hearty Christmas fare, a change of pace is needed.  The New Year warrants new flavours. In wi

Lightning Rock Viognier

Photo: Contributed Wine: Viognier Pét-Nat (sparkling), 2020 Winery: Lightning Rock, Summerland Why drink it? Firstly, what is Pét-Nat? Abbreviated from Pétillant Naturel, it’s a sparkling wine produced by botting the wine before the first fe

From soup to nuts

Photo: Contributed I have been writing this column for 14 years. It started with my chef husband and me offering a “he said, she said” approach to food topics. He got busier with his private chef business, The Chef Instead, and so then it was just me – and you –

Mirabel Pinot Noir Rose

Photo: Contributed Wine: Rosé of Pinot Noir, 2019 Winery: Mirabel, (East) Kelowna Why drink it? The bottle and its glass topper are both unique and elegant, as is the wine. Each vintage is an exploration – the 2017 is worth searching for – and this recent release

Going nuts at Christmas

Photo: Contributed By the time you read this it will be Boxing Day, or later. For those of us who celebrate Christmas, the fuss will all be over. I do hope that you made the most of it, despite all the limitations. Even though 2020 has been crazy in all kinds of ways, we still deserve

Return of the light

Photo: Contributed Winter solstice  By the time you read this, Christmas will be days away. Perhaps you are rushing with last-minute preparations. Maybe like me, you are trying to stay busy in a much quieter season. Instead of stressing about Christmas, how about we focus on

Intermezzo closes for dine-in

Photo: Facebook A favourite Vernon restaurant has temporarily closed its doors for sit-down dining. "It was a very heartbreaking decision, but we have decided to close our family-owned and operated restaurant for in-person dining ... This is only temporarily. We do not know a

The Syndicate red blend

Photo: Contributed Wine: The Syndicate (red blend), 2018 Winery: Black Market Wine Co., Kaleden Why drink it? The labels from this small winery are fitting with general mood of this year: the third eye, non-traditional design is, well, eye-catching. The Syndicate is a blend of Merlo

COVID won't stop Santa

Photo: Contributed So many things have gone by the wayside this year. Let’s not go through the list. We jumped into the spirit of Christmas with vigour, hoping to carry on with traditions. But now, some of those are not possible this year. Well, I have some good news amidst all t

Dubh Glas, Rested Gin

Photo: Contributed Spirit: Barrel Rested Gin Distillery: Dubh Glas, Oliver Why drink it? Not to tease, but this exquisite gin is sold out, so you’ll have to find a friend with a stash or get yourself on the distillery’s e-newsletter list so you can jump on the next relea

Christmas memories

Photo: Contributed There is a fondness for retro styling this holiday season as everyone seems to embrace the festive spirit, perhaps because we are enjoying a chance to remember simpler times. Working with that theme, I have a few choice memories to share this week. I have enjoyed

Riesling Estate Ice Wine

Photo: Contributed Wine: Riesling Estate Ice Wine, 2018 Winery: Ex Nihilo, Lake Country Why drink it? It won’t be long until we reach the few days of sustained freezing weather required for the chilly hand-harvesting of frozen grapes. Carefully picked and pressed in the middle

Nuttier than a fruitcake

Photo: Contributed With the now-dreaded expression that we are in unprecedented times, it has been hard to retain even a few morsels of our lives from before the pandemic. This week’s column, therefore, is a taste of Christmas past. Being a gourmand I am giving a generous taste,

Laird helps feed hungry

Photo: Contributed Okanagan Spirits Craft Distillery's coveted cask-strength Laird of Fintry whiskey is back – and lovers of a fine tipple can help feed the hungry by purchasing the award-winning beverage. With its Black Friday release, the Vernon-based family distillery 

Stag's Hollow Teroldego

Photo: Contributed Wine: Teroldego, 2018 Winery: Stag’s Hollow, Okanagan Falls Why drink it? What is Teroldego? A bold choice to bring to the Okanagan, to start, as the grape traditionally enjoys the soil and climate of Northern Italy. In the glass, the deep, ink purple is rem

Hindsight in 2020

Photo: Contributed Isn’t it funny how things work out? When I was a kid, I never would have guessed that I would become a Foodie. We ate simple food, I thought, and my parents told me more than once that we were not rich, so I knew I was not destined for a life of caviar and cham

Fried chicken fire logs?

Photo: KFC The smell of chestnuts won't be the only scent being roasted over an open fire this year as Kentucky Fried Chicken has brought its fried-chicken scented fire logs to Canada. The fast-food chain is selling its limited-time 11 herbs and spices fire log at all Canadian Tire

Heinz coming back home

Photo: The Canadian Press Kraft Heinz says the production of Heinz Ketchup is returning to Canada, with the company's Montreal factory set to begin making the iconic condiment next summer. The ketchup maker says the decision to move production back to Canada from the U.S. comes aft