August 1, 2019
Acadie Authentique hopes to spark a conversation about Acadian culture around the dinner table When I walked into Marc Bastarache’s kitchen for our interview I could see his ‘tools of the trade’ laid out on the counter: pots, pans, pickles, potatoes, and a history book. The book, dog-eared and erupting with sticky notes, is historian John Mack Faragher’s A Great…
August 1, 2019
The Island Chocolate Company’s focus on quality ingredients keeps customers coming back Linda Gilbert admits she’s no fan of takeout. Especially when it comes to fine chocolate. The co-founder of family-run Island Chocolates in Victoria-by-the-Sea believes good chocolate deserves to be enjoyed and appreciated. And that, she insists, takes time. “We have this aversion to takeout. We’ve tried a couple…
August 1, 2019
I’ve created this rule about eating desserts at home: I will only eat them if I make them. This has led me to some great life hacks over the years. Chocolate mug cake mixes for life’s disasters? I’m ready. The best pancake dry mix to keep in my cupboard at all times for surprise guests? Handled. Where I always hit…
August 1, 2019
Acadian Machine Works patented walk-behind machines fill a gap in the marketplace Wild blueberries weren’t a commodity that were readily apparent when the first settlers arrived in PEI, despite the crop being native to this Island for over 10,000 years. When brush fires ravaged fields after settlers cleared the land and left the landscape seemingly barren, the small berries—rich in…
August 1, 2019
New ideas for your garden. Well, as everyone in PEI may know, the weather can vary significantly from year to year. This summer much of our garden growth is later than a typical year but it is still turning out to be a fine season. Many types of produce are growing well, even if the harvest is a little late.…
August 1, 2019
A celebration and a conversation about mental health in the restaurant industry On June 25, a group gathered on Victoria Row in Charlottetown for ‘Bourdain Day’. The gathering was both to honour Anthony Bourdain’s birthday and to open a conversation about mental health in the restaurant industry. Bourdain, a prolific chef, food writer, and TV personality tragically took his own…
August 1, 2019
24th PEI International Shellfish Festival The Charlottetown Event Grounds will once again be filled with massive white tents in mid-September as shellfish lovers descend upon PEI for a weekend of noshing on oysters, lobsters, and mussels. From September 19-22, chefs Lynn Crawford and Michael Smith will host a jam-packed schedule of culinary competitions and demos by day, and kitchen parties…
August 1, 2019
PEI Museum & Heritage Foundation – H. Benoit Lunch Counter The temperance movement was a social and political campaign at the forefront of many Canadian minds during the 19th and early 20th century. Those in favour of temperance were advocates for the moderation of, or total abstention from, alcohol. During the late 1800’s, unlicensed rum sellers on Prince Edward Island…
August 1, 2019
What’s that food? This month’s What’s That Food has its roots in the Andes Mountains, and is native to Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, Colombia, and Venezuela. It can also be found growing as far north as Mexico and as far south as Argentina. The granadilla is a small fruit that is sometimes called sweet granadilla. Passiflora ligularis is one of over…
I’ll tell ya what to do with yer beans and franks Sometimes we all lose awareness of our surroundings. It happens. But sometimes we’re just plain oblivious. — While delicious, I’m pretty sure the kitchen doesn’t have hotdogs I once worked in a fine dining restaurant. White linen table cloths, a little stool for your purse, champagne cocktails. A pianist…