Better Together BC

Whitewater Cook, Shelley Adams on Cooking with Friends

2012-02-13T23:51:18+00:00

If you’re looking for a great cookbook, Shelley Adams has three. All of which are chock-full of simple, delicious, family-friendly meals. Her most recent release, Whitewater Cooks with Friends is no exception. Its appeal might have something to do with the fact that Shelley actually returned from retirement to publish this book, saying she just couldn’t help herself: “I just had so many great recipes I wanted to share.” That’s the beauty of Adams’ books; they really are filled with the types of delicious, beloved recipes that you just want to tell people about. Here we reach Shelley at her home in the Kootenays to catch up and talk about food.

BT: Tell us about your new cookbook, Whitewater Cooks with Friends

SA: This book is filled with delicious, easy, healthy recipes, suitable for people with busy lifestyles that love to eat. The one thing that makes it different from the other books I have is that there are 30 recipes from my friends who are also amazing cooks. Many are friends I’ve met along the way in the worlds of cooking, catering, and restaurant-ing. Oh, and due to popular …

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Flavour 411 with Spice Goddess, Bal Arneson

2012-02-01T22:30:35+00:00

Let’s be honest, Canada is not historically known for its spicy foods. In fact, if you ask someone, “What is Canadian food?” you’ll likely receive a slow, thoughtful “hmmm” perhaps followed by a response like “poutine” or “maple syrup”. Though as a nation we haven’t historically been distinct in the kitchen, thanks to the growing multicultural influences across this fine country, that seems to be changing! In fact, the word on the street is variety. So it is no surprise that flavour queen Bal Arneson has become so popular. If you’re not familiar, Bal is a best-selling author, educator and passionate advocate for simple and healthy Indian cuisine. Her show, The Spice Goddess, which airs on the Food Network, shows people how to use fresh ingredients and a variety of spices to bring food to life. Here, we catch up with Bal in Vancouver to find out how The Spice Goddess came to be.

BT: Your story is incredible. You immigrated to Canada from a small village in India only 15 years ago and didn’t yet speak English. How did you begin your journey to become The Spice Goddess, …

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Kitchen Inspiration: Advice from the Pros

2012-01-16T19:28:31+00:00

We received an overwhelming response to our last blog, Why Cooking & Eating Together is the BEST New Year’s Resolution. Many of you have been in touch to let us know you're intent on prioritizing family meals in your homes in 2012 and we want to help! So we're following up with some inspiration and advice to help support you in achieving this important goal. Here, we reach out to some of our favorite local experts and get the low down on what these pros do to stay enthusiastic about cooking for their families. Enjoy!

First stop: The Dirty Apron where one of our favorite local chefs David Robertson can be found most days. David is a busy parent who happens to cook for a living, which makes him the perfect source on what to do when burnout strikes. His advice? Crowdsource; to the family, that is:

“I believe in making food-related decisions as a family, especially when you have kids. Why not let them choose a cookbook once in a while? (Maybe hide the ones you really don't want to use!) Let them be part of the cooking process. I have found that children who are involved in the creative process of picking …

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Why Cooking & Eating Together is THE Best New Years Resolution

2012-01-05T20:04:18+00:00

In 2011, the family dinner movement was finally brought into the media spotlight! Here at Better Together, we applauded the work of advocates like Jamie Oliver and Laurie David for helping broadcast the important benefits of eating meals together as a family.

In her book, The Family Dinner, Laurie David says that there isn’t a single issue related to parenting that CAN’T be solved around the dinner table. And the vast amount of research out, including our own research, supports this statement.

A couple years ago we teamed up with the BC Ministry of Health to conduct a study on the modern psychology of meals here in BC. We wanted to learn how we could promote and support eating together. Previous research showed that:

Approximately one third of families rarely eat together.

The culture and dynamics around family meals have shifted dramatically in recent years. While family meals used to be a given, now, due to busier schedules, families experience greater challenges around making meals happen. As a result, there is a trend toward families eating separately (individually). For example, letting the kids eat in front of TV or in front of a video game, …

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Christmas Recipe Exchange Roundup!

2011-12-20T19:09:16+00:00

Our first annual Christmas Recipe Exchange was a great success with almost 50 recipes submitted from across BC! Thanks to everyone for sharing your fabulous recipes.

And a big congrats to our winner, Marg McKenzie whose recipe for Dresden Stollen was pulled from the hat. The Kitchen Aid Mixer will definitely go to great use in her home. Marg tells us she makes dozens of Stollen’s each year around Christmas. In her family, it simply wouldn’t be Christmas without the Stollen. We had to find out why! Here’s a mini interview with our first ever Christmas Recipe Exchange winner!

BT: So what exactly is a Stollen?

MM: A Stollen is a traditional German Christmas bread. It is a sweet bread with eggs and milk and lots of fruit and nuts and flavored with almond and cinnamon and usually rum or other alcohol. I substitute orange juice but the old recipe actually soaks the fruit in a half cup of rum. It is delicious! My family starts looking forward to it around the end of November. This recipe is one of two very special family recipes that my girls and I use every year.

BT: How many Stollens do you make …

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BT Christmas Recipe Exchange

2011-12-01T18:02:44+00:00

You've probably heard of something called a Christmas Cookie Exchange, that lovely tradition of baking dozens of cookies and swapping them with friends? Everyone ends up with a nice variety of treats that often includes an exciting gem from a friend's Christmas tradition.

Well, today we're excited to announce our very own version of this festivity called the Better Together Christmas Recipe Exchange! The idea? To gather together YOUR favorite holiday recipes, and archive them here on our site for everyone to enjoy. To make it extra fun, we're running this as a contest. Simply enter a recipe on our site to enter to win a Kitchen Aid Mixer, which we'll draw for December 16th. In the meantime, we'll also do two weekly prize draws for a Digital Food Thermometer and for the Stewart Mclean Vinyl Cafe Christmas Collection.

So, happy holidays everyone and let the recipe exchange begin!

Simple Bites: A Beautiful Approach to Family Dining

2011-11-21T21:58:48+00:00

Over the past few months, we’ve been noticing a beautiful website called Simple Bites, a family-oriented community dedicated to all things food and drink. Upon closer look we realized that Simple Bites, like us, is a big advocate of bringing families together around the table. In fact, the voice of this site, Aimee Wimbush-Bourque started Simple Bites as a way to inspire families with her delicious meal ideas and delightful personal anecdotes. Here, we track down Aimee at her home in Montreal. Enjoy this one-on-one with a woman who really does inspire a simpler approach to family meals.

BT: Great to meet you, Aimee. Can you tell us a little about how Simple Bites came to be?

AWB: Simple Bites came across my desk in late 2009 as a very interesting offer from Trish of Simple Mom. She was launching the Simple Living Media network and asked if I would like to be the voice, energy, and workhorse behind the food channel. I had been casually blogging for three years at my personal site, Under the High Chair, with no intention of turning blogging into a profession; it was simply my way of showcasing good eats, favourite …

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How to Be a Savvy Mom: A Chat with Sarah Morgenstern

2011-11-10T19:22:12+00:00

All that is entailed in being a mom simply can’t be summed up in a sentence or two… but a whole website? Well, that’s more like it! If you’re a mom, you’ve likely encountered many fantastic websites and blogs out there dedicated to the needs of mommyhood: Everything from parenting to food to health to style. We recently learned that one of the most popular sites in Canada is Savvy Mom. So, of course, we tracked down Sarah Morgenstern, who co-founded Savvy Mom with Minnow Hamilton, to find out what inspired this duo to launch what has become a go-to resource for moms!

BT: Sarah, so great to meet you. Can you tell us a little about Savvy Mom and how your website got started?

SM: After my business partner Minnow and I, former university roommates, became moms, we realized that our to-do list was much longer than it had been before we were moms, and we were looking for tried and tested solutions to our everyday dilemmas. We figured other moms were looking for the same kind of information—were time-crunched and looking for a little entertainment too—so we set out to create what is now SavvyMom.ca. We really wanted …

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Halloween the way the pros do it

2011-10-21T20:29:08+00:00

If you’ve got children in your life, you’re likely already on the Halloween train. You know the one. It takes you to the land of marshmallow spiders, princess costumes, pumpkin carvings, and to the candy aisles of the grocery store—sometimes several times a week! How can we resist? There are so many great ideas out there for costumes, crafts, activities and our favorite, food. Now, with Halloween homestretch in front of us (only one week to go!) there’s no time to mess around. Here, we turn to the professionals for their Best-Of ideas on everything from food to fun, so you can enjoy Halloween the way the pros do! Here’s the 411 direct from Yoyomama, Lunchalicious and VancouverMom.

Yoyomama

Who she is: A guru of activities, keeping moms on the go in the know (in BC and TO!)

On Favorite Halloween Food:

“In our home, Halloween happens in tandem with our oldest daughter's birthday (October 29th), which means her parties often have a spooky theme. Last year for example I made Frankenstein Cupcakes (pictured above). Honestly, these were rather more of an undertaking than I'd envisioned but did receive a standing ovation from the elementary …

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Growing together: A great way to teach children to love food

2011-10-05T23:02:28+00:00

Fall is upon us, which means harvesting veggies and fruits is in full swing for many farmers, and families around BC. This week we tracked down Jane Ferguson, who won Runner Up in our Hands-On Cook-Off contest for her Growing Together video, an inspiring look at bringing kids into the garden to teach them about food. Our judges were taken (to say the least) by the Fergusons’ green thumbs. We couldn’t help but think, “Hey, anyone can grow together!” Even if it means starting a herb garden on the kitchen counter or a tomato plant on the patio. Here we have a chat with Jane and find out more about the Growing Together family.

BT: Congratulations on an excellent video and winning Runner Up! How did you hear about the Hands-On Cook-Off contest and what made you decide to enter this year?

JF: I found out about the Hands on Cook-off contest in the North Shore News. I immediately Googled, "Better Together" to find more information about the contest. As a family, we love growing our own vegetables and preparing our own meals together. Your contest was a snapshot of what we love doing together!

BT: What role do …

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Make Family Dinners a Weekly Ritual with The Kids Cook Monday

2011-09-26T21:40:48+00:00

Cooking and eating together is basically what we’re all about here at Better Together, so our ears really perked up when we first heard about a campaign called The Kids Cook Monday. Its purpose? To dedicate each Monday to cooking with your kids. What a great way to start the week! Here, we’ve invited one of the Founders of The Kids Cook Monday, Joanna Lee, to guest post about how this fantastic campaign got started. Enjoy!

__ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

By Joey Lee

Over the last 30 years, there has been a dramatic shift not only in what we eat, but how we eat. More and more kids come home to an empty house after school and rely mostly on processed snack foods and microwavables to sustain themselves until their parents arrive home, takeout box in hand. Last month’s Hands-On Cook-Off contest provided families with a fun, extra incentive to take the first step and get into the family dinner groove.

It’s easy to see why families would want to get into the habit of making and eating meals together. A study in the Journal of Pediatrics found a lower incidence of …

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Getting Personal with our Hands-On Cook-Off Winner: A Chat with Lila’s Dad!

2011-09-21T21:19:32+00:00

Here at Better Together, we’ve been gushing about the adorable Lila from the moment her dad, Ben, entered their video in this year’s Hands-On Cook-Off Contest. Many of us had never even heard of Clafouti before! Which made it even more entertaining to see this toddler having the time of her life whipping up a Cherry Clafouti with her dad. When she dusted it with icing sugar, we know one thing for sure: this is a family that loves to cook! Here, we catch up with Ben and get a little personal with this year’s Grand Prize Winner. Enjoy!

BT: Congratulations to you both! How did you hear about our Hands-On Cook-Off contest and what motivated you to enter?

BG: Thank you. Well, last year I heard about the contest through a press release sent to me. I had a look at the contest, and thought it would be fun to shoot a quick video of my daughter and me cooking. We just loved how Lila's Lemon Mousse turned out (last year) and so decided we'd enter again this year. I hope the contest continues for a long time as it's a great way to document ourselves cooking every year!

BT: …

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We’ve got some winners!

2011-09-12T17:26:10+00:00

The 2011 Hands-On Cook-Off contest has come to a close, the judges have deliberated and the verdict is in … (drumroll please!) …

And the winners are…

First place goes to Lila’s Cherry Clafouti

The Runner-up is: Growing Together

The People’s Choice award goes to Sophie’s Berry Picker Pie

This year, we were all so seriously impressed with the quality, efforts and creativity we saw in every video that we’ve decided to award everyone! We’re surprising the remaining 19 entries with $100 gift cards for groceries! AND each video will receive a Today I Ate A Rainbow kit, a gift from one of our lovely judges Kia Robertson!

Some special mentions

Each video we watched really did bring something special this year! Strawberry Ice Cream was the best video for showing food and eating as part of the routine of the day; the very polished Dad and Daughters Cooking Show had the most professional cooking-show hosts; Stone Soup had the best use of a story in a video; the ultra-creative Urban Paradise Picnic was very Vancouver; Nora Makes Frittata gets two thumbs up for most amazing egg cracking …

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Hands-On Cook-Off: Tech Update!

2011-09-01T22:23:58+00:00

Hi everyone! Here's a quick tech update for the Hands-On Cook-Off Contest!

We know that some of you had technical difficulties submitting your videos last night. We have a record of those submissions and you'll see your fabulous videos up later today!

Thanks again everyone for your wonderful submissions and ... let the voting begin! Go ahead and share your videos with friends and family to try to win this year's People's Choice Award!

Good luck from all of us at Better Together.

Learning to Eat Takes Practice

2011-08-25T18:42:32+00:00

It's true, learning to eat takes practice. So many parents worry about their "picky eaters" and wonder how to deal (we've heard from many of you!) so when we came across the following article by Cathy Richards, a Community Nutritionist for Interior Health, we asked her if we could share her wisdom here! Enjoy!

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Learning to Eat Takes Practice (By Cathy Richards)

Kids get a bad rap when it comes to eating. Over the years, I’d bet a thousand parents have said to me “my child is such a picky eater!” My response? “Oh, that’s so normal!” Picky eaters are a dime-a-dozen. I call them eaters-in-training. Like Mozart being able to compose a symphony at the age of 4, a child who readily tries and loves all foods is an eating-protégé. All other children are normal!

Think about it. If your child was in piano lessons, would you expect them to play a sonata after 1 or 2 lessons? If your child was in soccer, would you expect them to score a goal in their first game? Learning takes time. Eating is no different.

Patterned, Repetitive Experiences.

I recently heard a Child Psychiatrist speak about learning. He …

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Chef David Robertson on the Making of a Cooking School

2011-07-29T20:58:25+00:00

There’s a buzz around the Dirty Apron Cooking School that isn’t going away anytime soon. A culinary hub in the heart of Vancouver’s Gastown, The Dirty Apron has become a special haven for many in this neighborhood. It’s got a certain je ne sais quoi that perhaps has something to do with its down-to-earth accessibility. It certainly has a broad appeal with it's children’s cooking camps running all summer long, to a wide range of evening classes for adults that are said to end in a bit of a party every night. This year, we’re very happy to say that the Founder of The Dirty Apron, Chef David Robertson, has joined our panel of judges for the Hands-On Cook-Off (along with Michael Eckford and Kia Robertson). Here we reach David by phone for an inside look at the makings of a cooking school. Enjoy!

BT: Tell us about the path that led you to become a chef and to start up the Dirty Apron Cooking School. Have you always had a passion for cooking?

DR: Yes, I have. My mother was an amazing cook, and my father a butcher. At home, my mom put all …

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Mommy Extraordinaire Kia Robertson Talks Cooking, Blogs, and Rainbows

2011-07-28T21:48:59+00:00

We were delighted that social media maven and mommy extraordinaire Kia Robertson agreed to join our panel of judges (along with Michael Eckford and Chef David Roberston) for this year's second annual Hands-On Cook-Off Contest. Founder of Today I Ate A Rainbow, Kia is a woman on a mission to make eating fun and healthy. Indeed, her enthusiasm online is contagious! She’s got a massive following—thousands on FB & Twitter—and has partnered up with the likes of Disney and Dr. Alan Greene. Here we reach Kia at her home in the Okanagan to get personal with this mommy on a mission!

BT: Tell us a little bit about your background and how Today I Ate a Rainbow came about.

KR: My background is actually in relaxation massage believe it or not! So this product came from the mind of a mom looking to set healthy eating habits in a fun way. Being a mom and a nanny for many years I knew that if you want to get kids onboard with something, no matter what it is, the secret to success is to make it fun. By turning any chore or activity …

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Getting Personal with Michael Eckford

2011-07-21T18:43:17+00:00

If you’re a British Columbian with a TV, then you’ll need no introduction to Michael Eckford. Beloved co-host of Shaw TV’s Urban Rush, he’s perhaps best known for his quirky charm, quick wit and hilarious banter with co-host Fiona Forbes. No doubt, this pair is among BC’s most dynamic and beloved TV duo. In their 13 years together, they’ve conducted thousands of interviews with the celebrities we all want to know about (oh and did we mention he’s also on our panel of judges for this year’s Hands-On Cook-Off contest?) Seeing Eckford’s life in the spotlight, it’s not easy to imagine him at home with his wife and three kids making pancakes! Here, we reach out to Michael to find out more about his life behind the scenes: balancing home and career; what inspires him; and of course, what he likes to eat. We hope you enjoy this interview as much as we did!

BT: How did you get into the world of television and what led you to team up with Fiona and become the amazing TV personality you are today?

ME: I took a very round about journey to TV. …

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Cooking + Fun + Family + Prizes = The Hands-on Cook-off Contest!

2011-07-15T19:53:48+00:00

This just in! The Better Together second annual Hands-on Cook-off contest is happening this summer- from July 15 to August 31!

Here’s how it works.

Anyone in BC can enter. Simply team up with a child, grandchild, neighbor, niece, nephew or friend (two generations must be represented) and create a short, punchy video that shows the world in 3 minutes or less how to make one of your favorite recipes (breakfast, BBQ, pizza, salad, dinner, snack, dessert).

Win great prizes.

$2000, $1000 and $500 gift cards to any of the Overwaitea Food Groups stores will be awarded to three videos that best meet the contest criteria. Winners can opt for a gift card to any of these stores or choose cash in the amount of $1500, $750 or $350 respectively. Plus, more early bird prizes are up for grabs- see the contest section of this site!

Criteria.

Having fun together and child participation are the most important contest criteria. For our complete contest rules, please visit the contest section of this site.

Bonus.

Some of BC’s favorite personalities will be judging the video, including Michael Eckford, co-host of Urban Rush, David Robertson, Executive Chef at the Dirty Apron …

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10 Tips for Your Next Trip to the Farmers Market

2011-07-11T21:06:07+00:00

We recently came across a freelance writer and expert on shopping and eating local named Molly Watson. The woman behind The Dinner Files, Molly contributes to publications like The New York Times and the San Francisco Chronicle. After reading her post entitled, 10 Farmers Market Shopping Tips: Make The Most Of Farmers Markets, we couldn’t help but wanting to share her expertise with our community here at Better Together!

*Note that Molly is based in the US so a few of the links in this article won’t be relevant to us British Columbians. Most importantly, find a listing of local Farmers Markets here: http://eatlocal.org/ or here on the BC Association of Farmers Markets website: http://www.bcfarmersmarket.org/. Another excellent guide to buying what’s in season can be found at Buy Local, Eat Natural: http://www.cookingwithcream.com/pdf/In-Season-Guide-2011.pdf

What we especially liked about this post is that Molly provides a ton of helpful advice on how to know your seasons, when to get to the market (to get the good stuff) and what to bring with you to max out your experience. Our fave tip: explore some inspiring new summer recipes before you go and shop like a chef! Whether …

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Making Family Meals Better Together: Tips from the Experts.

2011-06-21T20:22:41+00:00

As you know, eating together is what we’re all about here at Better Together. What can we say? We just love maintaining a steady flow of conversation about things like new recipes, dinner conversation starters and how to deal with those oh-so-common picky eaters. Yet, we know, it can be a challenge to make family meals a seamless experience. So for this blog, we tracked down some of BC’s best-known nutritionists, to share their tips on keeping meals simple and enjoyable. Enjoy this wealth of great advice from some seriously dialed in meal makers…

First we spoke with Linda Watts, registered dietitian and food and nutrition columnist for the Vancouver Courier community newspaper. If you’re not familiar, Linda’s known for covering stories on everything related to children, nutrition, and food trends.

Linda's advice to parents? Don’t become short-order cooks.

Linda explains, “It’s important to avoid catering to each family member’s food preferences. It’s impossible to please every eater every time. Instead, aim to provide each person with something they generally enjoy at each meal. Then family members can pick and choose from what is on the table.”

A great tip for those of us who feel exhausted by catering to too …

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A Community Kitchen = Family meal prep made social!

2011-06-07T17:23:58+00:00

As summertime approaches, cooking seems to take on a whole new dynamic. Suddenly, a wealth of fresh produce is available, the weather is beautiful… it’s enough to make you want to socialize more and perhaps spend a tad less time around the oven. Enter the community kitchen. If you’re ready to turn family meal prep into a social event, take note. Community kitchens offer a place for people to gather together in a big kitchen, cook up large batches of dinners, package them up and take them back home. Each person ends up with a variety of meals to last the whole week. For the busy parent looking to socialize and make family dinners easy, what could be more perfect? Here we chat with Milisa Gardy, Food Security Coordinator at the Strathcona Community Centre to give you an idea of what this experience looks like in action.

BT: Milisa, how did you get involved in a Community Kitchen?

MG: “Well, for years, I’ve been informally gathering people together to cook. I used to live on Cortez Island, which is very community oriented, and that’s what people tend to do there [gather to cook]. When I came to Vancouver, I was …

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Laurie David: An activist for The Family Dinner

2011-05-19T18:54:03+00:00

Laurie David has taken the world by storm with her latest book, The Family Dinner: Great Ways to Connect with Your Kids, One Meal at a Time. Best known for being an environmental activist, her previous books include The Down-to-Earth Guide to Global Warming and Stop Global Warming: The Solution is You. She also co-produced Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth! With all these green accomplishments to her name, we couldn’t wait to find out what motivated this iconic woman to start advocating for the family meal. Indeed, her new book has already garnered rave reviews. The Family Dinner is a timely, practical guide that provides overwhelmed families with the tools, recipes, and even the reasons, for a regular family meal together. Here we catch up with Laurie by phone in LA to find out what inspired her to get behind the family meal.

BT: You have a strong background in environmentalism. What led you to switch gears and to co-author The Family Dinner? Do you see a connection between eating together and environmentalism?

LD: At first I almost didn’t write this book because it’s so off the track for me to be writing about …

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Lesley Stowe on Fine, Simple Food

2011-05-09T18:55:23+00:00

We had the great pleasure of chatting with one of Vancouver’s most noted culinary pioneers, Lesley Stowe. If you don’t know her by name, you likely know her by taste. She is the woman behind arguably the most delicious gourmet cracker EVER, raincoast crips, and of course, she’s the Founder of Lesley Stowe Fine Foods. A Parisian-trained chef with a penchant for the gourmet, we wanted to find out what this accomplished chef, author, mother and entrepreneur eats at home with her family. Can anyone really be all gourmet all the time? Thankfullly, no! Here Lesley gets personal about her love for simplicity and tips for feeding a family.

BT: Lesley, you’re known around town as a gourmet goddess. How did you pursue your career in food and what has led you to specialize in fine foods?

LS: Well, I personally believe that if you’re bitten by the bug to pursue a career in food then it’s really in your blood, and you’re going to find whatever direction that takes you. I’ve been interested in cooking from a very young age. My mother always did everything from scratch but most importantly, she invited me in. I …

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The 411 on BC’s local food industry (sake, kiwis, oysters, & more!)

2011-04-19T20:12:10+00:00

The trend towards eating and shopping local is taking BC by storm. And it’s no wonder. After all, when it comes to agriculture, BC has a LOT to offer. In fact, BC has the most diverse agriculture industry in Canada with more than 225 food commodities and close to 100 species of fish, shellfish and marine plants. So much yummy goodness, so close to home. Here we reach out to BC’s Ministry of Agriculture to get the 411 on what’s growing in our very own province.

Our first question: What exactly grows in BC anyway?

Answer: BC produces a wide variety of products including some of the things we expect and some unexpected. We produce grain and oil seed in the Peace region, cattle in the Central Interior, fruits and wines in the Okanagan and a large range of fruits, vegetables, nursery crops and livestock in the Lower Mainland.

In short, we have a lot to brag about. We produce MORE blueberries, cranberries, sweet cherries, apricots, raspberries, and finfish aquaculture than anywhere else in Canada. Fun fact: even kiwi’s and citrus fruits grow in BC! Want to know what’s in season? The people over at Buy Local Eat Natural …

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Got a picky eater? Ellyn Satter’s here to help.

2011-04-08T19:53:46+00:00

We were so excited when one of our favorite child nutrition experts, Ellyn Satter agreed to share her wisdom with the Better Together community. An internationally recognized authority on eating and feeding, Ellyn is perhaps best known for authoring several best-selling books including Secrets of Feeding a Healthy Family and Child of Mine. She pioneered the division of responsibility principle that so many parents love her for. Though it sounds so simple, feeding our children is in fact one of the biggest concerns of the average parent. Apparently, there are a lot of picky eaters out there! Here we bring Ellyn Satter's advice to you.

BT: Tell us about what motivated you to enter the world of nutrition and what led you to working with children?

ES: Well, I was always interested in nutrition; in college I loved the study of Nutrition, Science and Biochemistry. But when I actually started practicing as a dietitian I found it tedious, because I didn’t like putting people on diets. I saw that the diets I was giving people made them miserable so I continually corrected my approach until I …

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Hey we have a new website!

2011-03-22T16:55:29+00:00

Today we launch the new and “better” Better Together BC website! It’s been designed to encourage sharing and exploration of stuff that matters to you. What do you think? Let us know!

Spring break: are we there yet?

2011-03-21T07:03:33+00:00

It’s Spring Break! If your family is still wondering how to make the most of your time off, we’re here to help. In asking around, the word on the street is that the “staycation” is the new trip to Disneyland…. OK, maybe not Disneyland but staying home can be more of an adventure than you might think! Here, we reach out to Tourism BC and discover some very exciting options for how to spend Spring Break in BC, including everything from festivals to whale watching to digging for dinosaur bones!

Tip # 1: Put a new spin on the family drive

For most families, the family drive is guaranteed to make an appearance in the staycation. To make it a tad more exciting, try turning your drive into a scavenger hunt, otherwise known as car bingo, and help the kids notice some of those perhaps overlooked details along the way! Print out enough car bingo lists for everyone (except the driver), and see who can check the most items on their list. Here are a few ideas to get your car bingo list started (along with some great spring break activity ideas):

Circle route signs. Did you know …

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Getting Spicy with White Spot’s Executive Chef Chuck Currie

2011-03-13T22:41:23+00:00

We have to admit, we were more than a little excited when White Spot’s Executive Chef, Chuck Currie agreed to chat with us about his life, developing recipes, and what he loves to cook at home! He’s had an exciting history in the restaurant business. Some of us know Chuck from when he was a top dog at the popular Earls restaurant chain. You may be surprised to learn he’s also known as an accomplished musician. A love of music, good food, travelling and business has helped make Chuck Currie one of BC’s most beloved celebrity chefs. Here, we get personal with Chuck, in an interview that’s sure to inspire you!

BT: Can you tell us a little about how you got started as a cook and what influenced you to become a chef?

CC: Well, there were actually a few big influences in my life. The first was that my mom was an orphan and she didn’t know how …

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CFL All-Star talks Burgers & Fries!

2011-02-17T18:37:48+00:00

If you love burgers, you’re likely familiar with beloved Lower Mainland hamburger chain, Vera’s Burger Shack, known for their hand-made patties, and all-natural ingredients. What you may not know about this hamburger hot spot, is that it's owned by former CFL all-star Noah Cantor of the Toronto Argonauts! A celebrity athlete with a restaurant chain? This seems to be a growing trend in BC (think of Steve Nash and Kirk McLean). Now what would an all-star football player know about food? Lots of course! Here we reach this football superstar on his cell phone between a busy day of burger-related meetings for the low down on life as a restaurant owner!

BT: First things first! Noah, how did you get into the Hamburger biz after being an CFL all-star?

NC: There are two things that got me involved, really. First, I was really drawn to the food at Vera’s because it’s just really good food with good flavors. Secondly, as a career shift, it was an attractive opportunity for me when I first got involved because I wanted something to do in the off seasons while playing …

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Eco-izing your Meals: Tips from The Green Man

2011-02-03T06:44:39+00:00

When it comes to going green, Randy Shore (aka The Green Man) has it covered. If you’re not familiar, The Green Man is a popular blogger and Vancouver Sun columnist, who's been offering BC a wealth of delicious meal and gardening ideas for years. He's perhaps most noted for his DIY approach to all things food (growing, preparing, and making). He just makes it sound so easy. Yet, we couldn’t help but question, who has time to make every meal from scratch? (Right down to the tomato sauce and cheese!) Well, according to Randy, making meals from scratch can be just as fast as buying ready-made. The trick is knowing how to do it. Here, we track down The Green Man at his home, for some simple tips on making easy, fast, eco-friendly family meals. Enjoy!

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First, we asked how Randy got into the business of becoming the Green Man. It wasn’t entirely planned: “I moved to the Sunshine Coast and started a garden, essentially because I wanted to see how much of my own food I would be able to grow, given the climate.” His passion for growing and making food led to a ton …

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Today’s Parent, Delish Mag, and VIA weigh in on family food trends

2011-01-20T14:31:13+00:00

It's our first blog of 2011, and we’re kicking off the new year with an expose on family meal trends! Indeed, 2010 saw the rise of some interesting new (and some not-so-new) family food and meal ideas (think ancient grains, eating local, and cooking programs for kids). What's on the horizon for 2011? To find out, we've asked some of our favourite trend ‘noticers’ around Canada to weigh in. Here, we reach Today’s Parent Magazine, Delish magazine, and VIAwesome for their insights on what everyone’s talking about in the world of family and food.

First we reach Victoria Walsh, the Cooking With Kids columnist for Canada’s most popular parenting mag, Today’s Parent. She starts us off with a bit of a national overview on meal trends and anticipated ideas.

Explains Victoria, “Let's face it, trends come and go. I think the most important trend of 2010 and 2011 for families is eating fresh and eating healthy. I think for modern families this is not just a phase but also a way of life. We as Canadians are so affected by our seasons that it makes sense to eat produce that's fresh, in-season, …

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Stuart McLean on Dave Cooks the Turkey

2010-12-02T00:23:21+00:00

If you’re Canadian, then Stuart McLean needs no introduction. You likely know him as a best-selling author, award-winning journalist, and host of the popular CBC Radio program The Vinyl Café. Yes, there are a million reasons we’d want to catch up with McLean (a new CD, his cross-Canada Christmas tour) but given that the holiday season is upon us, we really wanted to ask McLean about the back story on his iconic seasonal favorite, Dave Cooks the Turkey!

Our fixation on this Christmas tale started with a group musing here at Better Together, that got us all thinking about holiday traditions and the most-memorable meals we’ve experienced. We kept coming back to the Dave Cooks the Turkey story. In a world of holiday perfection-seeking, this story really speaks to those of us who’ve had some less-than-perfect holiday moments! Our general consensus is that lasting memories are often built upon the biggest mishaps.

McLean’s Dave Cooks the Turkey story begins with an ill-fated Dave, who offers to take some of the pressure off his stressed-out wife one Christmas saying, "I'll take care of the Turkey this year." When she reminds him on Christmas Eve to …

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Project CHEF brings a cool factor to nutrition

2010-11-29T17:32:15+00:00

It’s the season of Project CHEF! The program is currently in full swing, bringing its mobile nutrition classes to attentive young chefs at elementary schools across the Lower Mainland. And what better way to profile this exciting program than a visit to one of these classrooms? We thought so, too. So, here we visit Project CHEF Founder, Barb Finley on-site at Graham Bruce Elementary, to investigate first-hand how this wonderful program is getting kids excited about cooking and nutrition.

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At 9:00am the day begins, with approximately 25 apron-clad young chefs eagerly marching into the classroom. They take post at one of several stations, equipped with everything they’ll need to make the recipe du jour: Veggie and Tofu Stir-fry.

Barb starts the day by asking the kids to share what they learned last class, explaining, “Your job is to teach your family about what good nutrition is and how to eat well at home.”

All the little hands in the room go up, exclaiming things like:

“Home made is better than store bought!”

“We had a healthy oatmeal for breakfast today!”

“Worries go down better with soup!”

So true!

There is …

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Meeru Dhalwala: The woman behind our favorite menus

2010-11-18T20:52:37+00:00

There’s no doubt about it, Vancouver’s popular Vij’s and Rangoli are two of the most celebrated places to eat in the city. Ever since we last interviewed Vikram Vij to chat about his home cooking style, we’ve been anxiously awaiting the release of Vij’s at Home: Relax Honey, which hit the shelves this Fall. Co-authored with his wife, Meeru Dhalwala, their second book celebrates the meals this celebrity couple enjoys at home as family. Here we sit down with Meeru, otherwise known as the woman behind the menu, and get an inside look at the life of a busy restauranteur, mom, and self described “best Indian cook in the world!”

BT: Reading through the many mouth-watering recipes in this book, there’s no shortage of imagination or flavor. How did you become a cook and what are some of the biggest influencers that have shaped your style in the kitchen?

MD: I essentially got into the business when I married Vikram. I moved here from Washington in 1995 and while I was waiting for a work permit I took an interest in his restaurant business – cooking, specifically!

BT: And the rest is history!
…

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Tamara Taggart talks food & family

2010-11-02T05:47:56+00:00

We were delighted to catch up with BC’s favourite weathercaster, Tamara Taggart, to talk about food, family and what inspires her. Tamara is indeed one of BC’s most lovable personalities, which probably has something to do with the fact that she genuinely seems to enjoy the people she encounters every day on her high-profile job. She definitely makes it look easy. Yet, this Modern Mom of three juggles the demands that accompany a nine-week old baby, a two-year old and a three-year old one with special needs. Along with managing a very busy schedule as she gears up to go back to CTV after her three-month mat leave. So, we wanted to know, what is she doing (and eating) right? Here, she tells us!

What does a week in the life of a busy CTV personality look like? Can a busy working mom like Tamara Taggart find time to eat together with her family? Yes, indeed, but, as Tamara explains, she’s had to let go of some expectations in order to make it happen, “For example, when I first met my husband we had family dinners every Sunday at his mother's house. After having three kids, we moved the family …

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A day in the life of a contest winner!

2010-10-21T22:19:14+00:00

When Elain Evans & her three year old daughter Sophie teamed up to make a home cooking show for our contest, they got two yummy outcomes: the delicious Peach Upside Down Cake they made together and a $1000 gift certificate to spend at Cookworks! We were captivated by the pair, who demonstrated all the key ingredients we were looking for in the contest...having fun together while cooking, team work, and a fab recipe. Their good old fashion trip to the farm for eggs and peaches didn’t hurt either! (Check out their winning video.) Here we reach Elain at her home, to find out more about a day in the life of this adorable duo.

BT: Congratulations to you both! So, how did you hear about the contest and what motivated you to enter?

EE: We were friends of the Better Together group on FB, which is where we heard about the contest. We had received a video camera for Christmas but rarely used it so the contest was a great opportunity to take the camera and film our favourite foodie place – UBC Farm! …

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The mother of the mommy websites

2010-10-15T09:55:11+00:00

For those of us obsessed with parenting sites and blogs, it’s impossible not to know about Yoyomama. She’s got a massive following, rock-solid family wisdom, and a contagious passion for sharing everything she learns with her audience. So, we thought you’d appreciate it if we got a little personal with the mother of all mommy websites. Here’s everything you need to know about Annemarie Tempelman-Kluit, the mama behind Yoyomama.

BT: Explain the evolution of yoyomama. How did you get started?

AM: I launched yoyomama in 2007 because I had a baby and a preschooler and I couldn’t easily find local information on products and services for mums and their babies. I wanted to create something fun for mums that was quick to read, and helped keep them get connected to their communities, as new motherhood can often be lonely or isolating.

BT: It seems like there is a real community around yoyomama. How did that happen?

AM: I think it has a lot to do with the communities mums naturally create at mums' groups, play gyms and the coffee shop when they have young kids. Mums trust other mothers more than anyone else when they …

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Cooking at John Bishop’s house

2010-09-13T04:22:09+00:00

John Bishop is a beloved Vancouver icon. Famed Chef & restauranteur, bestselling author, and now first-ever recipient of the Governor General's Award for the Nations Table, an honour given to those who promote the health and nutrition of Canada. Gosh, with all that acclaim, you’d think he wouldn’t take a call from little ol’ us, but not so. He also has a passion for family meals and his local community. Here we chat about one of his most popular books, Cooking at My House, and learn the behind-the-scenes secrets of his culinary life at home.

BT: What’s your cooking style at home?

JB: Well, many people think a chef must have a swanky kitchen, kids spoiled with caviar, all the luxuries of a commercial kitchen. But actually, we have an older home [kitchen not totally modernized] and our focus has simply been putting meals on the table for the family. I’ve been the one at home during the days, so I’m the one who has had the luxury of making family meals (before going to cook at the restaurant later!) My cooking style in this book- and at my home- is simple: Basic meals that are …

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Meet new friends, learn new recipes, join a Community Kitchen!

2010-09-08T13:53:26+00:00

What’s a community kitchen, you ask? According to the Vancouver-based Community Kitchens website it’s a “group that cooks together in a friendly social atmosphere, sharing what they make.” This brilliant concept was born in the mid ‘80’s, quickly attracting and becoming adopted by public sector professionals who have since employed the community kitchen model in many different programs for all sorts of people. Today, there is a community kitchen for, well, everyone - from moms with kids, to diabetics, to seniors, to new immigrants.

We contacted Diane Collis, who manages the Community Kitchens initiative, to enlighten us. She tells us that in a world of busy working families, cultural diversity, and families living far apart from one another, the process of cooking and eating together remains to be a ritual best shared. So true.

BT: How did the Community Kitchens model get started?

DC: “The Community Kitchen movement started in BC in the 80’s, when the focus was around helping people on a low income cook nutritious foods. Today, while that is still a key benefit, community agencies around BC now use kitchens as a vehicle for many things- to teach nutrition, to teach new immigrants to cook and …

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Cooking is the new soccer

2010-08-30T00:28:21+00:00

A new school year means a whole new spectrum of activities to get involved in. How about cooking classes? Whether your child is an aspiring chef or just loves to eat and socialize, cooking class is a great way to teach kids the fundamentals of cooking, the deliciousness of nutrition, and the art of it all. Here we explore some of the cooking classes out there you can sign up for… and the one that just might come to you!

Where can you sign up your child for cooking classes?

Cooking classes for kids are offered across BC at a variety of places, including cooking shops like the Cookshop, community centres like Kits Community Centre and private cooking schools like The Dizzy Whisk. All of these forums offer classes taught by local chefs who typically take a professional and artful approach to teaching about the fundamentals of cooking. Depending on the class, most cover kitchen safety, basic knife handling skills, nutrition, and teach a variety of recipes and cuisines that utilize a broad cross-section of cooking skills.

Says Chef Mark Halyk of Catered Art who teaches programs throughout the year at the Kits Community Centre, …

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Little Nest: feels (and tastes) just like home

2010-08-26T14:15:50+00:00

“Food is family, family is life, life is everything.”

This quote by Australian celebrity chef George Calombaris greets website visitors seeking info about Vancouver’s beloved Little Nest, a delightful cafe that has rapidly become an institution for parents and kids throughout the Lower Mainland. Since opening its doors three years ago, Little Nest has been heartily cheered by moms, dads, grandparents and babysitters desperate for a fun place that serves fabulous food and welcomes kids.

It’s a rare find. In fact, a lot of parents feel like good dining experiences are a thing of the past once they've had children. Fortunately, a new crop of restaurant owners is beginning to follow in Little Nest's very successful footsteps and cater their menus (and décor!) to the pint-sized set. Here we speak with Little Nest owner and pastry chef, Mary Macintyre, about what motivated her to open a restaurant that appeals to families and foodies alike.

BT: What inspired you to open Little Nest?

MM: My intention with Little Nest was primarily to have a place that served good food, good coffee and fresh baked goods to have with that coffee. I was inspired by cafes back home in Australia that …

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Inspired cooking: Shelley Adams on making meals fresh, simple & delicious

2010-08-22T23:32:17+00:00

So many amazing cookbooks have come out of BC. Not surprising, since we’re home to many world-class culinary celebs (Rob Feenie, Vikram Vij and John Bishop to name a few). Another fabulous cook named Shelley Adams can be added to this list. Adams has authored two best-selling books, Whitewater Cooks: Pure, Simple and Real Creations and Whitewater Cooks at Home, both of which have garnered rave reviews.

Like the beloved Julia Child, a fan blogger at Shelley & Me is blogging her way through all of Adams recipes (she cooks approximately one/day). We love it! For sooo many reasons, we wanted to find out what all the fuss was about and we did. Her recipes look, sound and taste amazing. Adams' style relies on fresh ingredients, and simple food that is full of flavour. Every recipe is mouth wateringly inspiring. Here we reach Shelley at her home in the Kootenays.

BT: How did you get started as a chef?

SA: I grew up in Vancouver and worked as a chef on movie sets for fifteen years. Eventually, my husband became the manager of a popular resort in Nelson, named Whitewater Resort and I took on the role of Food …

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Casting call for a cooking show starring YOU!

2010-08-14T20:10:32+00:00

Do you find yourself imagining you’re the star of a cooking show from time to time? Perhaps while you’re doing some especially smooth whisking, a particularly beautiful marinade or a fantastically simple casserole that even the pickiest of eaters will love?

Better Together has just announced we’re giving all of you BC people a chance to show off your cooking prowess by joining the Hands-On Cook-Off Contest! This contest is designed to celebrate delicious food and fun in the kitchen by having two generations prepare a recipe, captured on home video. Not to sound overly cliché, but we want to see why being in the kitchen is better together! You can team up with your child, grandchild, neighbour, niece, nephew… and create a short, punchy video that shows the world in 3 minutes or less how to make your favourite breakfast, BBQ, pizza, salad, dinner, or snack (complete contest rules are coming soon).

Submissions will appear on the Better Together YouTube channel and will be judged by an expert panel headed by BC’s beloved restaurateur and chef John Bishop. Prizes include $1000 and $500 gift certificates to Cookworks for first and second prizes (or winners can opt to receive cash …

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Camping and aspiring chefs, together at last

2010-07-28T14:12:33+00:00

We’ve found the perfect way to add a little flavor to the traditional kids summer camp, literally. Ever heard of cooking camp? If you haven’t, don’t worry, you’re not alone. Indeed, this is a new spin on an old favorite. But as cooking camp registration soars, it appears this is just the ticket for many kids (and parents) seeking to mix it up this summer! Below is an exposé on the summer cooking camps we’ve found (so far!) in BC, and a whole new way to bring together kids, food and fun.

Summer Cooking Camps via cooking schools

Where are they? Summer cooking camps are offered through many cooking schools like the Northwest Culinary Academy, the Dirty Apron Cooking Schools, the Art Institute of Vancouver, The Dizzy Whisk, and Vistad’oro Farms in Langley. Check out a location near you to find out what’s on the horizon.

(If you know of other camps around BC, please let us know here so we can share this info with our community!)

What are they? These are typically day camps running M-F, 10am-2pm, offered in two age groups (7-11; 12-17). …

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Pesticides 101: Another reason to eat local

2010-07-20T00:55:09+00:00

The end of July marks the beginning of berry season in BC. Whether you’re heading to the supermarket, the farmers market or packing up the kiddies to go berry picking at a local farm, chances are, berries are on your mind. Who can blame you? Blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries… limitless snacking possibilities (and dessert potentials) come to mind. With the recent movements toward eating organic and local, our curiosity has been sparked to find out more about the state of our BC berries. Are these delicious little morsels as innocent as they look? We’ve heard that California berries are heavily sprayed- what about our berries? Is BC’s pesticide regulatory system different from the American system? With all these questions stewing about, we turned directly to the source, our very own BC Berry Industry Specialist, Mark Sweeney. Below, we hear it straight from the horticulturalist’s mouth.

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There’s no doubt about it, the word 'pesticide' doesn’t have a great connotation. At least not for the average consumer. Berry expert, Mark Sweeney, began our pesticide 101 with an overview of pesticide use in BC, explaining that when it comes down to it, growers really can’t produce fruits and …

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The BT guide to summertime family fun!

2010-07-14T16:23:34+00:00

It’s no wonder we see so many license plates from Alberta and Ontario at this time of year. Everyone wants to come to BC to enjoy our orchards, ocean-access and mountains, not to mention all the fun spots our province is known for. And we should, too. Given that BC is an ideal summer setting, and the fact that summer is officially upon us, we put a shout out to find out what all of you are getting up to in BC this summer. Our objective? To put together a Top 10 list for summer experiences (see below, in no particular order). Here it is- some fabulous ideas on everything from creative activities to cool snacks! Enjoy.

1. Berry picking

Blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, raspberries…yum! A berry picking expedition with the kiddies is simply a great time for bonding and learning how these delicious little morsels are grown. Not surprisingly, this activity rated very high on our Facebook survey. Here are a couple of comments from our fans:

“Krause Farms in Langley was a big hit last summer - definitely planning on doing that again!” (Claire B.)

“I have found W & A Farms in Richmond to be …

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Made in Canada: Wild Rice’s Andrew Wong talks Canadian cuisine

2010-06-24T13:01:24+00:00

Maple syrup and back bacon are two of the biggest culinary claim-to-fame items typically identified as “Canadian food”. But we all know that there is much more to Canadian cuisine. In fact, perhaps the richest component of Canadian cuisine can be found in how it has been influenced and deliciously shaped by our historical multicultural landscape.

A great example of this is Canadian Chinese cuisine, which can be found across the country and is probably the most familiar ethnic food to those of us who have grown up here. According to Wikipedia, the Chinese buffet actually originated in Vancouver’s Gastown area and Ginger beef is said to have been first served in Western Canada. Intriguing!

We wanted to find out more about Canadian Chinese fusion, so we turned to Andrew Wong, founder of the very popular Wild Rice, an institution in Vancouver on the Chinese fusion scene. Andrew’s family has a rich history in food. His father was a long-time dining room waiter at the legendary Trader Vic’s and his grandfather was the owner of Gastown’s well-known Lotus Hotel, next door to where Andrew now runs his restaurant.

BT: Can you tell us what …

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Rob Feenie + Nico Schuermans = Foodie Fathers

2010-06-17T20:27:02+00:00

This week we’re raising a toast to dads everywhere with a blog about fathers and food, a wonderful combination! And, of course, what better place to turn to for inspiration than a couple of the best-known foodie fathers around, Rob Feenie and Nico Schuermans? You’re likely familiar with Feenie; in addition to being the first Canadian to win Iron Chef America, he’s also the man behind some of BC’s most popular menus (heard of a little place called Cactus Club?) and has three best-selling cookbooks to his name. Nico Schuermans is a known chef and trendsetter. He's the pioneer behind the current trend toward euro-bistro style dining flooding Vancouver's food scene and is also the man behind the delicious tastes of Chambar and Café Medina. Chambar is a chic Belgian bistro, and the neighboring Café Medina is arguably the best place to go for brunch in Vancouver (just ask the hordes of people crowding in there every day of the week).

As you can imagine, tracking down these two famed fathers wasn’t easy. Between running restaurants, managing enterprises, traveling, speaking engagements and, of course, fathering, neither has a lot of free time for …

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Inspiring sweets: Kids & the cupcake

2010-06-11T16:24:59+00:00

Cupcakes have the power to captivate almost every dessert-lover’s heart. No matter who you are, a delicious, icing-laden, playfully decorated miniature cake is nothing to be turned away. Over the past few years, cupcake shops have been popping up all over BC, proving beyond a shadow of a doubt that the cupcake is here to stay. So, it didn’t take us long to decide which dessert to feature in our baking with kids blog. Don’t worry, we did our research. Going from shop to shop, testing icing, comparing textures, and generally investigating the secret of this desert’s magical powers. Our most important discoveries during this grueling research came from chatting with some of BC’s most popular people, the cupcakery owners themselves. Below, a few of these dessert experts tell us about their childhood memories, the source of their sweet inspiration, and the importance of baking in the family bonding experience.

We started with cupcake maker/blogger Lindsay Sung of Cococakecupcakes. Lured by the pictures on her blog (so artistic!), we wanted to know how the cupcake has come to be the delicious focus of her life. We soon found out that a combined passion for sweets and art propelled her: …

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Want to eat local? Try the BC Diet.

2010-06-04T05:04:36+00:00

The word ‘diet’ isn’t typically a positive one, instead bringing to mind restrictive, uphill-battle type thoughts. ‘Local diet’, on the other hand, is totally positive! Recently, local eating has become a popular concept, propelled into public consciousness with the help of books like The 100 Mile Diet and movies like Food Inc. and Fast Food Nation, all of which advocate the benefits of local eating to our health, the environment and the local economy. This leaves many wondering how we can eat more locally. With summer fast approaching (and farmers markets popping up all over the place) we feel inspired to find out! In fact, let's call it a BC Diet. How difficult could it be to try to include seasonal food from BC for a week, a day, or even one meal? Let’s find out…

Step 1: Start at your local grocery store. Take a pen and paper and make it a fun, family mission to find out where the eggs, milk, meat and produce come from. Are they from BC, elsewhere in Canada, the US or overseas? Take notes. Some stores like the IGA label where the produce and meat are grown. Others don’t, but you can ask staff …

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Nail bar, chocolate bar, rebar!

2010-05-28T23:30:37+00:00

A lot of appealing things include a “bar.” If you’ve been to Victoria, chances are you’ve heard of rebar, a much-loved locals-approved diner known for its funky and modern vegetarian cuisine. Did you think healthy vegetarian food was for hippies? Not so. rebar is a destination for almost anyone taking a trip to the Island; it’s a place you can be sure to get a truly delicious and healthy meal, along with a juice bar specializing in fruit and vegetable juice. “Yum!” or “Yum?” you may say. This made us wonder, ‘what makes rebar’s food appealing anyways?’ so we turned to one of the brains behind the rebar operation, Wanda Urbanowitz, to investigate. Below we find out about the inspiration for her restaurant, co-owned with Audrey Alsterberg, and their philosophy. They’ve also done extremely well with the release of the highly acclaimed rebar, modern food cookbook. Now anyone can whip up rebar’s infamous vegetarian quesadillas and vegan brownies at home! Let’s find out why we’d want to …

BT: What is the inspiration behind your restaurant and cookbook?

WU: Our restaurant and menu are inspired by the desire to make healthy, mostly vegetarian food that is fresh, colorful and full …

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At home with Vikram Vij

2010-05-20T05:17:29+00:00

Finding inspiration for a really good meal can be a daily struggle. Many of us tend to go back to the same old recipes way too often. Which made us wonder, what does a guy like Vikram Vij, Vancouver celebrity chef and owner of the world-renowned Vij’s, cook when he’s at home with his family? His restaurant, co-owned with his wife Meeru Dhalwala, is known for a special brand of Indian Fusion and a no-reservation policy that has kept many celebrities- including Martha Stewart- waiting in line (oooh, we’re inspired already!). Here’s a behind-the-scenes chat with Vij at home:

Inspiring tip #1: Quality food is key.

Vij’s story started in India, where he learned the importance of quality food from his family. “We never ate junk and never ate out for meals,” he says. Instead, they would go via rickshaw to local produce stands, buy the produce available, and at the same time learn where it all came from. These outings, along with his grandmother’s fabulous food, spurred Vij’s love for cooking.

Inspiring tip #2: Meet your local farmers.

These days, sourcing quality food from local farmers markets is a big part of where Vij gets his daily inspiration. He …

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Picky Eaters: Will they always be the dinner buzz-kill or is there hope?

2010-05-14T06:18:50+00:00

Good news- there’s hope! And that’s according to one of Canada’s leading and most acclaimed nutritionists, Leslie Beck, RD. Perhaps you’re familiar. She makes frequent appearances as the Nutrition Expert on CTV’s Canada AM, and writes the much-loved Food For Thought column in the Globe and Mail. It’s from her bustling office in TO where she deals with the nitty gritty we’re looking for here: coaching parents through trials related to picky eaters. After seeking Leslie out for weeks, she finally squeezed us in for a phone interview—between appointments—fresh with advice from the dinnertime trenches.

BT: So, what is a picky eater, anyways?

LB: Many parents think a picky eater is a child that decides not to eat broccoli after one or two tries. However, when it comes to picky eaters, it’s often the parents that have the work to do. For example, sometimes it’s the parents who give up too quickly in trying to introduce food. And then they don’t reintroduce it again, even years later. Research shows it can take 10 or more tries to get a child to accept and like a new food. If a child didn’t like something last year, they …

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Foodie Staycation = Cultural Infusion Night

2010-05-06T06:01:00+00:00

Who doesn’t enjoy a little cultural infusion once in a while, especially when it comes to sampling delicious food? While a family trip to Europe, Mexico or India may not be on the immediate horizon, a trip to your kitchen with a new recipe and a little inspiration is easy. We call it Cultural Infusion Night. For those of us yearning to eat our way through Italy or France, India or Peru, this is a totally simple way to explore the exotic cuisine on our mind, without the annoying customs line-up.

Here’s how it works:

1. Gather together as a family and take stock of the following question: If you could go anywhere in the world, what would your destination be ? The sky’s the limit here (but make sure everyone knows it’s a theoretical exercise!)

2. Once you’ve come to a consensus on your ideal travel destination, it’s time to research the cuisine this place is known for. Get out your computer or recipe books and find out about some of the recipes associated with your dream destination. In larger countries like India, China and Spain you’ll have a wide and varied list of options. Go with …

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Celebrate Mom with a Special Brunch

2010-05-02T22:01:24+00:00

The countdown to Mother’s Day is on. Time to thank our moms for the many, many things they do – both big, small and everything in between!

And what is a better way to say thank you than by making mom a special brunch? Read on for an easy brunch plan that can engage the kids and make mom feel like a queen.

Start with flowers

Flowers are a thoughtful touch that is bound to be appreciated. This year why not try a Bouquet of Photo Flowers? This is a fun and simple way to turn decorating the table into a memorable kid-friendly craft project that mom is sure to love.

Choose your menu

Pancakes are a straightforward meal that the kids can help prepare. You can use metal cookie cutters to make fun shapes or add some festive ingredients to make them extra special for mom. To bring some pizzazz to an old standby, try this recipe for Apple Butterscotch Pancakes – sure to be a hit with both mom and kids!

Another item to serve that mom is sure to love is “Momosas”. Get out the champagne flutes (or leftover birthday …

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Welcome to the Better Together Community!

2010-04-24T02:36:12+00:00

We all have traditions around family mealtimes. Some of us cherish memories of elaborate Sunday brunches while some of us more fondly recall ‘pizza & a movie’ Fridays. Whether it’s the tough-love ‘eat your veggies!’ memories that stick out or the quirky ways our parents accommodated picky eaters, family mealtimes are important to us. That’s why we’re on a mission to build a community of families seeking to make mealtimes fun, engaging and even more memorable.

Breakfast, lunch, dinner, brunch, special occasions, challenging occasions, big eaters, and little eaters… We’re here to explore the traditions and tips that make mealtimes a good time.

For the debut of our first blog, we’ve interviewed local culinary celeb Barbara-jo McIntosh. Award-winning food expert & author of the bestselling Tin Fish Gourmet, Barbara-jo can frequently be found hosting literary events at her illustrious Books to Cooks store in Vancouver.

Here she kicks us off with a personal exploration of her most memorable family mealtime traditions.

BT: Tell us about your favorite family mealtime tradition.

BJM: Growing up, my family’s favorite thing to do at dinner was to argue a lot about politics. As the youngest at the table, …

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Kid-sized fun at the grocery store

2010-04-13T22:22:52+00:00

Upon visiting the newly opened grocery store in our neighbourhood, my 3 year old daughter was thrilled to discover that they had kid-sized carts for her to push. She happily trailed behind me to collect all the groceries while we talked about what we would cook for dinner that night.

Every visit since that first one, my daughter happily goes to retrieve her own cart when we arrive. She loves having a special role while we shop which makes it fun for her and much easier for me because she is less likely to get bored.

On our last visit I noticed her (and her cart) stopped beside a display of pears. She held one up and said "Mommy, look at this nice pear! Can we get it?"

This made me smile because not only was she enjoying our little shopping trip, she was picking something healthy as her contribution. Which made choosing a cookie to share on the walk home seem a-ok :)

Home Ec Class Hosts K-1 Students

2010-04-09T17:28:26+00:00

I have invited a K-1 class from a nearby elementary school to my Foods 12 class. The students do some research on what younger children like to eat and come up with some simple, healthy recipes. (Several Prescribed Learning Outcomes are covered by this activity.)

We divide into groups and each group teaches about Canada's Food Guide and food groups and then makes a recipe. We then all share and taste. We usually end up with mini pita pizzas, smoothies, veggies and healthy dips, fruit kabobs or salad, etc.

Everyone has a good time and a lot of wonderful learning takes place.

Pizza Night is Win-Win for Everyone

2009-10-23T02:33:10+00:00

Both of my kids (aged 4 and 8) have always shown some interest in the cooking process, but my wife wasn't always too keen on squeezing into our tiny kitchen with an extra two tiny chefs. Like most moms, she's super-busy and doesn't always have the time and patience required to guide kids in the kitchen, especially when there are competing schedules and dinner needs to be on the table ASAP.

So on Saturday nights we've started "pizza night": mom takes a break and the three of us (dad and two kids) hit the kitchen to cook dinner for the family. Whether it's grating cheese, chopping onions, slicing mushrooms, peeling garlic or making the sauce, everyone has their job. And we all take turns kneading the dough and making the pizzas.

Sure, it takes a little longer than usual, but it has turned into a fun tradition that everyone looks forward to (though we took a break in this past summer of scorching heat). We have fun MAKING, not just EATING! Now, after about a year of doing this, the kids remind me that it's time to start making the pizzas by getting dressed up in their own little aprons and chef …

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She likes more than cheese and tomato sauce on her pizza, she just didn’t know it.

2009-10-22T18:41:29+00:00

With my 7 year old niece visiting, we made pizzas from scratch. We tasted ingredients before we put them on the individual pizzas. Without talking about them as toppings, we enjoyed tasting bell peppers, mushrooms, sauteed chicken, even raw sweet onion and olives. She picked what she wanted as we assembled our own pizzas and for the first time she had more than just cheese and tomato sauce on her pizza, and loved it.

Cookbook inspires budding chef and picky eater

2009-10-22T04:30:19+00:00

I bought my eight-year-old and six-year-old boys a cookbook: Kids’ Fun & Healthy Cookbook, by Nicola Graimes. I asked them each to pick out a recipe to make for a family meal. My eight-year-old picked out Sticky Ribs with Baked Potato. It was a huge success and now my eight-year-old cooks it again and again. “It was really yummy,” he said raising his eyebrows up and down three times. He even made it as a special dinner for his uncle, who is a gourmet chef. My six-year-old, who is a very picky eater, succeeded after two recipe tries to find a recipe he likes: Eggs in a Roll (with tomatoes). He now has adapted his recipe to English muffins with bacon. He complains a whole lot less when he is in charge of choosing and cooking! And boy, is he puffed-out-chest proud.