December 1, 2018
In Case You Missed It The accolades just keep coming for chef Irwin MacKinnon. He was awarded the 11th annual Distinguished Alumni Award from Holland College. MacKinnon graduated from The Culinary Institute of Canada, worked in Switzerland, then Germany, and returned home to PEI where he became the head chef at Papa Joe’s restaurant, a position he has held for…
November 1, 2018
Recent trade agreement leaves dairy producers with sour taste for government’s deal With the recent signing of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), Canada’s supply management system is seemingly under threat. Many farmers and dairy product producers are saying that while the agreement doesn’t completely dismantle the system, it further chips away at it, which could lead to trouble in the…
November 1, 2018
Handcrafted donuts prove to be popular product for food entrepreneurs “Do or donut; there is no try.” Or something like that. When Via Reyes moved to PEI from the Philippines in 2013, she noticed that local dessert options were limited. With the help of her partner, Justin Wilson, she set out to change the Island’s dessert culture for the better.…
November 1, 2018
Inaugural conference highlights food industry issues while celebrating Island’s abundance of good food It was an unseasonably cold and damp two days in October when farmers, food entrepreneurs, celebrity chefs, culinary students, food producers, and foodies gathered to take in the first Forage Prince Edward Island Food Symposium. Held over two days, the symposium’s goal was to create “a gathering…
October 1, 2018
War Cake Flip through many Islanders’ cookbooks and recipe boxes, you will find a recipe for a war cake. A take on a traditional raisin spice cake, the recipe most likely passed down from generation to generation. The origins of what many know as a war cake are varied. It is believed to originated during the First World War. During…
November 1, 2018
Sunset on this Season Well folks, with November here, the sun is setting on this gardening season. I expect many of you have your garden all cleaned up. You may wish to cultivate the garden now, especially if you have applied some limestone and/or manure. This does increase the chances of wind erosion so you could spread straw on your…
November 1, 2018
What’s that food? Looking for an authentic vegetable to put in your curries? The snake gourd is your choice. Trichosanthes cucumerina is a tropical or subtropical vine, which is raised for its strikingly long fruit. Found in the wild across much of South and Southeast Asia, including India, Nepal, Indonesia, and southern China, it is also regarded as native in…
November 1, 2018
Despite legalization, edible products not available yet The legalization of recreational cannabis last month opens up opportunities in the food industry. The question now is how can Island entrepreneurs tap into potential business? On legalization day, Food Island Partnership (FIP) held a networking and information session, “Product Development Opportunities in Cannabis”. Well attended by interested farmers, food business owners, scientists,…
November 1, 2018
In case you missed it Lucy Morrow, chef at Terre Rouge, was chosen as one of eight Canadian chefs to cook for over 250 business owners at the Fortune Global Forum on October 15, which was hosted by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Congratulations to chef Irwin MacKinnon won the Great Kitchen Party Regional Chef Challenge held in Moncton. He will…
November 1, 2018
Wine choices – red or white? There is no use whining about wine (yes, I went there!). These day even in small places your wine selection is vastly improved over the days when a rafetta covered bottle of cheap chianti was considered classy. Still, sometimes picking a wine in a restaurant can be fraught with too many choices, but in…