Happy Earth Day everyone!

What is the point of today? The point of dedicating this one day every year to the earth when really we all should be thinking about the earth every day of the year? I like to think of Earth Day just like Valentines Day: it’s one day of the year that is supposed to remind us to do good things for who and what we love.

Hmm  except that February 14th is a gimmicky “Hallmark Holiday” in my opinion,  and if my husband only ever did nice lovey things for me on that day he’s be in big trouble (lucky for him he doesn’t, and so he’s not). Ok, so I love Earth Day and I don’t love Valentines Day. I’m really not trying to be contradictory, I promise.

Back to my original train of thought, if we only did nice things for the earth on April 22nd, we’d also be in big trouble. So, even if you’re stuck at work all day, or in your car running errands, here are some things you could do today to celebrate Earth Day:

• • Walk, bike or carpool to your errands instead of driving solo
• • Turn your computer off over your lunch break and at the end of the day, instead of just putting it to sleep
• • Use your fountain pen all day…not just because they’re fun but because they’re more reusable than a regular pen
• • Enjoy a locally grown and produced lunch on a park bench

Leave a comment and tell us what you did on Earth Day!

• Do you know that the UBC Farm is the only operating farm in the city of Vancouver? And that it holds numerous programs educating children, students and adults to learn about growing food, farming and agriculture, physical and holistic health and more?

• Do you know that the UBC Farm supplies organic food to Pair Bistro, Nu Restaurant, Sage Bistro, Cru Restaurant, UBC Food Services, Provence Restaurant and more?

• Do you know that this farm land is currently under threat?

If you are a regular reader of my blog you will know that I am a supporter of local farmers, farmers markets, and growing our own food (and now in my own gardening efforts). If you’re new to my blog, well now you know this bit about me too. I studied art at UBC for 5 years and while I graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts which I am proud of, the severe growth of ‘University Town’ did not sit so well with myself and a lot of others. Now, the University wants to continue their construction on the UBC Farm land and the Farm needs your help and support to impress the importance of everything that the University will be destroying if they move ahead with this construction.

How you can show your support: Tuesday, April 7, 2009 from 3:30 pm into the early evening to attend the Great Farm Trek 2009! Join thousands as they trek from the UBC Student Union Building (SUB) via the Board of Governors meeting and then on to the UBC Farm. If you can’t make it until after work, they will be shuttling late-comers by bus from parking areas near UBC Farm directly to the Trek crowd anytime between 3pm and 6pm. After 6pm, the crowds will be located at the UBC Farm for festivities. This is a celebratory, family-friendly event…bring snacks, water and weather-appropriate clothing…the event will happen rain or shine! At the UBC farm there will be live music, food, addresses from David Suzuki and others, and a ceremonial planting.

For more info and questions: email friendsoftheubcfarm@gmail.com

For directions, Trek route, and parking instructions please see: www.amsubc.ca

If you’ve just scanned the info above and aren’t sure about how the UBC Farm impacts our city, grab a coffee and take a break to watch these two videos, they say it all.

MEET YOUR MAKER

Where food producers and food buyers find each other.

If you’re a food buyer, food producer or food distributor you need to attend this event! Not just because we’re supporting the event through a door prize donation and think these folks are great for putting on this event again, but because the event’s main purpose is to increase local food production and consumption. Ingenious! But how, you ask?

Tuesday, February 10th, 2009 the Meet Your Maker event, organized by Get Local and Local Food First, will be held at the PNE in Vancouver from 9.30am to 4.30pm. The 2nd Annual event will allow local food buyers, producers and distributors the opportunity to network with each other in the hopes of building strong connections to increase local food production and consumption.

FEATURES:

~ 3 Informative Workshops: Marketing/EcoPackaging, RSAs (Restaurant/Retail Shared Agriculture), Selling beyond the farmers’ market

~ 2 structured, speed-dating sessions

~ 1 informal networking session

~ A fabulous, local sit-down lunch

Meet Your Maker is modeled after Portland’s successful Farmer-Chef Connection started in 2001. Since then, their network has grown to over 250 producers and 150 buyers who are collectively doing $19 million in annual business.

On the Get Local website you can download the invitation & agenda, watch a short clip of last year’s event and register on-line.

Voila! Putting the necessary people in the same room to give us more local food…I love it! And if you attend, I hope you are the lucky door prize winner!

~ j

Lots of restaurants around town, many of which are great friends of ours, are offering specials and/or set menus available for you this New Years Eve, so I thought I’d make this post a one-stop-shop if you’re wanting to eat out this NYE and haven’t made any reservations yet. But you’d better hurry, things are booking up fast!

• Bistrot Bistro ~ 1961 West 4th Ave. Comfortable and delicious french fare from Chef Laurent Devin, fabulous wines, and great atmosphere. 4 course set menu $75, only 1 table left!  Call (604) 732-0004.
  

  Bistrot Bistro

• Lux at Caprice ~ 965 Granville Street. One of Granville streets newest openings, you’ll find carefully selected menu items, tasty cocktails and chic decor. Dinner and Social Tickets: $65, includes a 4 course dinner starting at 7pm with flights of wine, finishing off with chocolate strawberries and champagne at midnight. Social Tickets only: $25, includes chocolate strawberries and champagne at midnight. For tickets or info call James at (604) 685-3189 or email info@luxatcaprice.com.
  

  Lux at Caprice

• Glowbal Grill & Satay Bar ~ 1079 Mainland, Yaletown. First seating at 5.00PM  limited a la carte menu; New Year’s Eve event seating starting at 8.30pm @ $75 ($55 for fully heated winter terrace) including 4 course menu from Chef John Crook and individual Pommery Pop Champagne bottle per person at midnight. Party until 2am. Call (604) 602-0835 for reservations.
• Trattoria Italian Kitchen ~ 1850 West 4th Ave Kitsilano. In addition to offering the full Trattoria menu, Chef Brandon Thordarson has prepared a special New Year’s Eve Platter featuring a delicious blend of ‘Carne and Pesce’ (Sliced 8oz AAA Beef Strip Loin, grilled head-on Jumbo Tiger Prawns, Gnocchi Fungi with truffle cream and sliced winter truffles, roasted brussels sprouts and freshly toasted chestnuts, Spaghetti Squash Ali Olio, chianti and veal jus reduction.  Midnight will be welcomed with a complimentary glass of champagne and canapés till 1 am. For reservations and more information call 604-732-1441.
  

  Glowbal Grill

• The Cannery Seafood Restaurant ~ 2205 Commissioner Street.  Offering two options to suit your special occasion: First Seating - A La Carte - reservations from 4:30pm to 6:30pm, enjoy dinner out before heading off to a party or event. Seating concludes at 8 pm ~ or ~ Second Seating - Gala Dinner - reservations from 8:30pm to 10:00pm, includes dinner & dancing until 2 am courtesy of a live band, party favors & a glass of champagne.  Chef Wayne Sych’s menu that night will include Ahi Tuna Carpaccio, pan seared diver caught Baja Scallop, and steamed East Coast Lobster. Call (604) 254-9606 to book your table.
  

  The Cannery Seafood Restaurant

• Tequila Kitchen ~ 1043 Mainland, Yaletown. As their last hurrah (they are temporarily closing as they hunt for a new location) their NYE menu consists of two options: Botana Sharing Platter, small sharing dishes (7 items) and a House Drink $32 pp (Min 2 ppl) ~ or ~ Full Set Menu 4 course and a House Drink $39. They will only be having two seatings, so call (604) 681-2120 or email emi@tequilakitchen.ca for reservations.
  

  Tequila Kitchen

• Somewhere else you know about? Leave the details in the comment section!

A great client of ours, The Cannery Seafood Restaurant, is hosting a Wine Makers dinner on Friday November 21st, showcasing the award winning wines of Red Rooster.

“Wine Maker and Guest Speaker Karen Gillis will delight guests as she introduces her awarded wines each complimenting the five courses prepared by Cannery’s Executive Chef Wayne Sych. This is a fantastic opportunity to learn about a fabulous BC winery, meet with the Wine Maker, and enjoy a relaxing evening by the waterfront.”

The set menu sounds delicious including pistachio crusted goat cheese, seared Baja scallop, Ahi tuna carpaccio, duo of beef and chocolate tower for dessert.

For more information and to make your reservation contact Alana Gee at (604) 254-9606 or info@canneryseafood.com.

Also, if you’re craving a glass of wine and a seaside view on a Tuesday of any week you can enjoy both for a fraction of the price; wines are chosen by Beverage Manager Sandy and sommelier Darren and offered at 25% off. You can see what they’ve chosen to include in these ‘Cannery Cellar Tuesdays’ here.

Happy dining!

A great client of ours, The Cannery Seafood Restaurant, is hosting a Wine Makers dinner on Friday November 21st, showcasing the award winning wines of Red Rooster.

“Wine Maker and Guest Speaker Karen Gillis will delight guests as she introduces her awarded wines each complimenting the five courses prepared by Cannery’s Executive Chef Wayne Sych. This is a fantastic opportunity to learn about a fabulous BC winery, meet with the Wine Maker, and enjoy a relaxing evening by the waterfront.”

The set menu sounds delicious including pistachio crusted goat cheese, seared Baja scallop, Ahi tuna carpaccio, duo of beef and chocolate tower for dessert.

For more information and to make your reservation contact Alana Gee at (604) 254-9606 or info@canneryseafood.com.

Also, if you’re craving a glass of wine and a seaside view on a Tuesday of any week you can enjoy both for a fraction of the price; wines are chosen by Beverage Manager Sandy and sommelier Darren and offered at 25% off. You can see what they’ve chosen to include in these ‘Cannery Cellar Tuesdays’ here.

Happy dining!

A warm welcome to our new client and new Yaletown restaurant Tequila Kitchen!

Scot Roger, food stylist, and I had the pleasure of photographing some of the tasty and delicious dishes from their menu, that made me feel like I was eating in Mexico again. I love that. Laura, her son and Chef Claudia have put their heart and soul into this place, and we were happy to give them a little boost.

above: Pollo en pipian verde © 2008 Jackie Connelly

above: Drunken Lamb © 2008 Jackie Connelly

Participating in the Taste of Yaletown event (see previous post for event details and a few more photos), Tequila Kitchen is a new(er) restaurant to the local scene, they opened just about 7 months ago. If you haven’t tried their menu yet, this reduced price dining event would be a great opportunity to do so. For $25 Tequila Kitchen is offering:

Appetizer
Sopa de Tortilla

(rich tomato and dry chile soup with thin totrilla crisps, avacado, cheese and cream)
-or-

Queso Pundido Altequila

(melted cheese flambéed with tequila, tomato, onion and cilantro)
-or-
Ceviche de Pescado

(lime-marinated halibut with cucumber, serrano chile, onion, cilantro and tomato)

Entrée
Manchamanteles

(Pork and fruit in a blend of chiles)
-or-
Camarones al Tequila

(Shrimp flambéed in a creamy tequila sauce)
-or-
Pollo en Pipian Verde

(Chicken breast in a green pumpkin seed mole sauce)

Dessert
Caramel Crepes toped with Mexican caramel sauce and walnuts
-or-
Walnut Praline served with ice cream and milk and topped with Mexican chocolate

Happy dining!

With the huge number of restaurants in Vancouver I’m sure at some point you’ve thought about going for dinner, but weren’t sure where to try next.

Have you ever driven through Yaletown and been overwhelmed by the number of restaurants, unsure of what would satisfy your cravings?

above: Glowbal Grill & Satay Bar © 2008 Jackie Connelly

The Taste of Yaletown has now begun and is a great opportunity to try out some of the great restaurants in the neighborhood. Promoted by our great friends at Sara Pereira Marketing & Communications and on until October 26th, you can easily make a reservation and head over to see our friends and clients at Glowbal Grill, Coast Restaurant, or our new comrades at Tequila Kitchen, or one of the other many establishments participating in the event. Check out the website for the full list of restaurants and for the dish descriptions of the $25, $35 and $45 three-course tasting menus being offered.

Happy dining!

Well…did you?

We included a post a short while ago about a fellow food blogger who was being invited on the Martha Stewart Show along with a few other great blogger-types (both food and non-food related), and Matt has kindly posted a clip of his appearance…check it out if you didn’t watch it on tv!

Way to go Matt…and we agree, sweets are our favourite too!

Got a hankering to try some new wines, or a specially prepared wine & dinner feast? We thought you might. Our friends over at Firefly Fine Wines and Ales are hosting some enticing events coming up that I thought I would share with you. You can also view the event details and the stores location on their website by clicking on each individual event title.

• Sherwood Estate Wine Dinner - October 01, 2008
  Chef Lee Humphries (of Figmint Restaurant and Lounge, also in the Plaza 500 Hotel) is pleased to be working in conjunction with our friends from New Zealand at Sherwood Estate Winery to bring you this exclusive dinner.
• Sherwood Estate Tasting - October 01, 2008
  Special Tasting from 4:30 pm to 7:15 pm @ Firefly Fine Wines and Ales
• Montalto wine tasting - October 03, 2008
  Free Weekly Tasting Friday October 3rd from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm @ Firefly Fine Wines and Ales
• Lighthouse Beer Tasting - October 04, 2008
  Free Weekly Tasting from 2:00 pm to 6:00 pm @ Firefly Fine Wines and Ales

Enjoy!