Warm Chorizo Cheese and Black Bean Dip A crowd pleasing dip featuring oozing melted cheese and black beans with a touch of heat from jalapeno peppers and chorizo sausage. A perfect pairing to try would be La Posta Cocina Tinto 2010, a blend of Malbec, Syrah and Bonardo from Argentina. If you are unable to [...]

GOUDA ALL WAYS Holiday eating usually means large meals and I love the occasional feast as much as the next wine writer. But I also appreciate meals that give me a break in the middle of banquet season and still deliver sparkle and flavour. Let’s organize an event with no main course and enjoy tasty [...]

With autumn swiftly approaching, it’s time to finalize plans for one of our very favorite wintertime events – our Truffle Getaway in Provence. It is coming up on January 29th-February 4th, 2012.  This event focuses on the king of truffles – the fragrant black melanosporum truffles that are found in the Provence region of France between [...]

After years of anticipation and planning, Tinhorn Creek Vineyards opened a new restaurant at the winery on April 1 The restaurant, aptly named Miradoro, roughly translates to “Golden View” in Portuguese.  This originates from Miradoro restaurant partner Manuel Ferreira’s (of famed Vancouver’s Le Gavroche) Portuguese background.  Miradoro will serve market cuisine in a relaxed fine [...]

Something that constantly stresses me out is hosting. Some people love hosting, while others, like me, prefer to be guests. The other week, my daughter was invited for a play date. When I went to pick her up, the mother of my daughter’s friend asked if I’d like to come in and have a drink [...]

Opening the door to a tart gust of pine and a knot of jubilant loved ones may be the peak winter holiday moment. But preparing for this season of recurring revelries from Thanksgiving through Kwanza, Chanukah, Christmas and New Year’s takes some planning, especially when the format can range from cockails to dessert parties, family [...]

September brings us the last days of summer and the year’s final opportunity for sun-drenched picnics. But how do we choose a suitable wine to ease us out of fancy-free summer and into the formality of fall? Why not go regional or, at least, Canadian? You’ll cut down on the greenhouse gas emissions required to [...]

Summer is a time of celebration. Social calendars that seemed so barren just a few weeks ago are suddenly swollen with backyard barbecues, graduation parties, family reunions, tailgate excursions and impromptu get-togethers of all kinds. Oh, and did we mention weddings? June is traditionally a big month for weddings, which, when you think about it, [...]

Top 10 summer drinks Cool down on a hot day with this summer’s tastiest thirst-quenchers. 1. Unisex coolers “Bottled cocktails, wine cocktails or premixed drinks are always hot in the summer, especially because they are getting better,” says Konrad Ejbich. Though coolers have a rep as a fruity drink women favour, the trend this summer, [...]

Breakfast in a gulp, lunch on the go and dinner on the run. Life in the fast lane seems to have bypassed the slow, ancient pleasures of the table. However, an aimable group of gastromes hopes to put an end to our nuke-it-and-eat-it culture. With a charming chiocciolina (small snail) as its mascot and a [...]