May 1, 2018
Tracing the roots of this perennial plant Hops have been a part of the landscape for centuries. Whether they are a wild species, or descendants of plants brought into the fields by European settlers, they can be found across PEI. Chris Long, head brewer at the PEI Brewing Company said there are definitely local hops out there in the wild.…
November 1, 2017
With any good preserve, the devil is in the details. And as usual, a recipe that’s been followed for this many years comes written with fewer directions than actually needed to accomplish the task ahead. In family kitchens, there was an expectation that you had done this project many times under the supervision of someone who already knew the ropes,…
November 1, 2017
Recalling the preserving of a past generation Need something to eat in the middle of winter? A simple trip to the fridge or even to the grocery store is all we do today, but just one or two generations ago, it wasn’t that easy for many Islanders. Rural PEI in the 1940s and 50s was still a place where many…
November 1, 2017
What were meals like in times of war? On the home front during the First and Second World Wars, Canadians were asked to make do with less, to allow more resources to be sent to troops overseas. Food was one of the things that people were asked to conserve. One of the ways this was done was through rationing—limiting the…
October 1, 2017
The Fathers of Confederation, conviviality, and commensality Canada may have been born out of deliberated consultation, but it gestated in a sea of Canadian Champagne.* Prince Edward Island grabs hold of the title “Birthplace of Confederation” in the way a tenacious drunk holds on to parking meters. We can not let it go. When the Charlottetown Conference delegates from the…
August 1, 2017
PEI Fishermen’s Association gets behind theatrical production, Glenda’s Kitchen, to raise awareness of the Island fishery Seafood chowder and butter biscuits. Storytelling and singing. Each of these quintessential Island pairings is a treat unto itself, but blend them together and you’ve got the recipe for a perfect afternoon filled with heart and hearty goodness. Glenda’s Kitchen, a production of The…
February 1, 2017
From wartime rationing to healthy eating; our country’s official food rules strive to stay relevant. Whether it’s a New Year’s resolution to lose weight, a health scare, or simply a desire to improve one’s eating habits, many people turn to Canada’s Food Guide to Healthy Eating (the food guide) for guidance on what and how much to eat. Although many…
February 1, 2017
It used to be a thing that the society pages in our local papers were not as concerned with celebrities as they are now (although royalty featured prominently); they were far more egalitarian. They mostly concerned with who was visiting whom, where they were visiting from, and who was hosting wedding showers and afternoon teas. A lot of the names…
January 1, 2017
Steady growth within the fishing community spawns employment, infrastructure, and commercial development In under two decades Lennox Island and Abegweit First Nations have created a multi-million dollar fishery supporting more than a hundred jobs. As with most PEI fishing communities, lobster is the linchpin. The lobster fishery alone, with two or more persons per boat, provides about a hundred jobs…
A dig through the food archives reveals what people were eating a century ago. Bright speeches made after justice had been done to the menu — The Morning Guardian, April 19, 1901 Apparently the best party ever to take place on Prince Edward Island was a dinner for two hockey teams held the evening of April 18, 1901. I make…