One of my favourite jobs to do as a Chef and a lover of food is private dinner parties!! Whether it's a casual locally inspired BBQ or a multi course beverage paired menu; I take the same care and detail to create a memorable and fun evening for you and your guests.
I typically start off with meeting the client, usually a referral from a previous event as I don't really advertise. We have a seat in their kitchen and my first question is always, what are your likes, loves, dislikes, allergies? We talk about the event and their vision for the day and I go home, design a menu or three: send it off and go from there. My menu choices are based my philosophy of world flavours with Vancouver Island ingredients and then beverage pairing with craft beers, ciders, sake and wines some local some old world. I love when the client agrees for me just to do my thing and go with it!! I have several dates available; please use my contact page to book a meeting, lots of great references available by request or call or email [email protected] Cheers Chef Dwane MacIsaac
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The view driving, walking or riding over the Bay Street bridge leaving Vic West has changed in the past couple months. You may or may not have the beautiful hues of green popping up at the previously vacant plot of Dockside Green property. Topsoil has moved from their smaller space down the way; where their was once food trucks and a great LED art installation. Check out their site for what they do , but in a nut shell they are a CSA program to four restaurants within a two to fifteen minute walk. They've added 5000 extra square feet this year pretty impressive growth from last years 10000. Pop your head in and have a chat with Chris next time you're out for a walk. Who knows maybe they will do a little market this year; that would be pretty cool!!
I'll keep you posted! Cheers Chef Dwane This definitely is not a vegetarian "Butcher" shop! Anyone who know's me; know's I am a meat guy, but not just any meat though; the good stuff!
These guys do it right. Check them out.. www.villagebutcher.ca www.thewholebeast.ca My buddy KerryPark recently moved to Demitasse from the Cafe Fantastico group; where he was the Chef for the last six years. I must say it's pretty awesome to walk in to a great coffee shop and order your favourite drink and a bowl of Pork belly Ramen on the side!!
Kerry and his previous crew of stars definitely rock and rocked it out over his years at the helm. I'm super stoked to see what he has in store for us at Demitasse; which if you didn't know is tucked away in South Oak Bay @ 2164 McNeil Ave www.demitasse.ca I usually stop by Demitasse to check out the garden side of the business, they have a great collection of unusual plants that you just don't find everywhere. One of the very exciting reasons Kerry took on this position is they have a "FARM" where they grow a lot of their produce and horticulture plants as well. I'll take a trip in next couple weeks and let you know what they have growing. Cheers Dwane I received the email a week ago confirming my visit to one of Western Canada’s best producing truffle farms. I couldn’t contain my excitement. Farm + pigs + truffles = a fantastic day in the life of a chef.
I packed my Barbour jacket, gumboots and a camera into my “classic” Volvo and set off. I am not known for my sense of direction but three quarters of the way to the farm I realized that I was totally lost. I called Chris, the owner of Below the Nut Farm, for more explicit directions. Truffle farms are very secretive with their locations as poaching is always a potential risk. Chris was waiting at the gate for me with a big welcoming smile. His wife, Sherry was already in the orchard with their truffle hunting pig, Annabelle. Vietnamese potbelly pigs, can be trained to locate truffles by smell. Chris let me know that the truffles smell like pheromones, which attracts the pig’s attention. Their male pig, Stevie was taking a day off in his pen at the other end of the farm. As Annabelle rooted around, Sherry rewarded her with a chickpea and then placed a cone on the spot. Chris and I spent the rest of the afternoon investigating and digging under the carefully placed cones. Chris explained that they were growing Perigord (black) truffles in one part of their orchard and Burgundy truffles in the other. The Perigords are harvested in the winter, while the French Burgundy’s in spring and summer. Chris gently started to excavate the surface of the dirt, so as to not damage the potential prize. I realized how easy it would be to damage or miss a truffle while digging in the frosty soil. Surprisingly, we found a quarter-sized truffle in our very first hole. I held the truffle up to my nose and inhaled deeply. A fresh truffle is an earthy, aromatic experience. As the truffle warmed in the sun, it only increased in its allure. We spent the next couple of hours digging up five more treasures. We went back to the house to clean them with a soft toothbrush and water. Chris disclosed his secret to training their truffle loving pigs. They placed truffles in tea balls to protect them from being eaten during training. Once Annabelle and Stevie were familiar with the smell of the truffles, they were challenged with finding the balls first on top of the soil, then below some leaves, then under the ground. Slowly, over the course of months they were finally ready to get to work on the farm. Chris and Sherry from "Below the Nut Farm" pride themselves on getting their artisanal truffles into the hands of culinary clients as soon as possible. I am inspired by their hard work and ingenuity. They have created just the right conditions and environment to make magic happen. Until the next great adventure… |
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