Flavour

Words Richard Hope With spring's arrival, B.C. wineries face unprecedented challenges. Two years ago, 50% of the grape harvest was lost to forest fires. In 2024, over 95% was lost due to extreme frosts. Alongside ongoing challenges with tariffs and changes to interprovincial trade, making wine in B.C. has never been more difficult. Yet, despite [...]

Words Joan Saunders Photos Kathryn Brimacombe Photography As it’s May, we are lucky enough to be able to take advantage of a local, extremely tasty, springtime harvest: asparagus. Pick some up at a roadside stand or farmers’ market, then see what recipe strikes your fancy. You can bake asparagus, steam it, throw it into pasta

Words Joan Saunders Photos Kathryn Brimacombe Photography My mom used to make hot cross buns every year at Easter and it’s a tradition that I’ve recently rediscovered, as I’ve never been much of a bread baker. Why? Because homemade bread is so difficult for me to resist, especially when I’ve made some gorgeous buns studded

Words Richard Hope Top Picks from the 2025 Vancouver International Wine Festival Vancouver hosted its annual International Wine Festival at the beginning of March. I attended various events, including tastings, panels and masterclasses, that challenged my wine assumptions and gave me the chance to source some great recommendations. The event featured several seminars on sustainability

Words Joan Saunders Photos Kathryn Brimacombe Photography I do love to create a meal that focuses on a theme, and in March I can happily seize upon the opportunity to put together a delicious St. Patrick’s day feast. There are always the perennial classics that I could go for, like a hearty Irish stew or

Words Richard Hope Early February brought intense uncertainty to the Pacific Northwest as President Trump announced a 25% tariff on all Canadian products exported to the United States. Having ridden a wave of grievances and discontent to the White House, Trump famously declared: “Tariff is the most beautiful word in the dictionary.” While many have

Words Joan Saunders Photos Kathryn Alvarez Photography Purists may insist that Linzer cookies are traditionally made for the Christmas season, but they can most definitely be enjoyed year round. Originally from Austria, these buttery and soft sandwich cookies have been popular for centuries for their lovely texture and mixture of subtle flavours. I think they’re

Words Richard Hope With Valentine's Day approaching, you may be thinking about celebrating with a sparkle. While Champagne might be the first choice, exceptional alternatives offer both quality and value. The story of Champagne begins in northeastern France, a region the Romans named after the rolling hills of southern Italy's Campania region. Although the Champagne