Flavour

Words Joan Saunders Photos Sarah Hartley Photography If you’re like me, you spend the first three-quarters of January correcting yourself as to what the date is. It’s not 2025 anymore; it’s a whole new ball game. I’m not one of those people who believes that I am going to suddenly change all of my old [...]

Words Richard Hope Dry January has always struck me as needlessly punitive. The concept, launched by British charity Alcohol Change UK in 2013, asks wine lovers to abandon one of life's great pleasures during the year's most miserable month. It's a hard sell, even if the health benefits are real. But here's the thing: the

Words Joan Saunders Photos Sarah Hartley Photography Creating this Christmas tree truck was a labour of love, of nostalgia and, I have to admit, a little bit of frustration. For a number of years when our son was younger, he and my mom would get together and work on a gingerbread creation. She would have

Words Brian Suckling, Brentwood Bakery  Photo Janis Jean Props & Decorations Hansell & Halkett Vintage Home Décor Here at Brentwood Bakery we look forward to the Christmas season. This is when we can make shortbread cookies in a variety of ways; we find that it’s an easy recipe to whip up a batch of. We

Words Richard Hope 2025 has been a difficult year for the wine industry. Still recovering from the twin calamities of fire and frost from 2023 and 2024 and the ever-changing tariff and market conditions, B.C. winemakers continue to produce world-class unique products. With the recent strikes now over, Christmas is a great time to try

Words Alice Bacon, Brentwood Bay Village Empourium Photo Janis Jean As the weather gets cooler, the thought of turning on the oven and letting the kitchen fill with the delicious scent of slow-cooked meals, and of course, filling our tummies with comfort foods, is very appealing. Pork is versatile, affordable and can be casual or

Words Joan Saunders Photos Sarah Hartley Photography I may be biased, but when I hear a recipe said with its traditional French name, it just sounds more impressive. Take, for example, Coq au Vin; it’s a dish that was created to make the tough meat of a rooster more palatable. Simply put, the name just

Words Richard Hope Picture this: a crisp winter's day in Vancouver at the International Wine Festival. California and Oregon winemakers out in force, toasting partnership and "brotherly love" with their B.C. counterparts. On Thursday, February 27, the mood was downright celebratory. American growers talked about supporting B.C.'s wine industry with much-needed grapes. We were all

Words Richard Hope Standing in the aisle at my local wine shop, I felt that familiar wine-shopping paralysis. I was visiting friends and looking for something special. They are the type who know their wines, and I wanted something unique. That's when I spotted it: Brachetto d'Acqui, a sparkling wine hidden at the back of