Get your tastebuds ready for Christmas!

"Silver and Gold, Silver and Gold."

Think back - wayyyy back for some of us - and you can almost hear the snowman narrator in Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer singing.

The words, of course, mean more than just the object of Yukon Cornelius' desire (yes, we watch a lot of Christmas specials at our house). They also refer to dear friends both new (silver) and old (gold).

My Christmas catering menu this year features many silver and gold dishes. Traditional favourites, classics with a twist, and more modern yuletide treats. For example:

Star-shaped parmesan shortbread with goat's cheese and sweet onion chutney

Baked brie en croute with cranberries

Devil's on horseback (bacon wrapped figs with stilton)

Crab and celery remoulade

Pumpkin, red onion and spinach salad

Orange, pistachio and sage turkey breast

Old fashioned pecan pie

In the Christmas spirit yet? Just book Food Fusions for your Christmas party, meeting or event (big or small, corporate or personal) - and all this could be finding its way to your plate and palate very soon!

A harvest of pumpkins and apples

From the Pumpkin Patch to the Apple Festival on a crisp October day in Vancouver - what a great way to spend a Sunday.


Although I adore summer with its farmers' markets full of wonderful local fruit, I can't help looking forward to this fantastic time of year, and all the delicious dishes I can make from our personal harvest of pumpkins and apples.


If you're off to the pumpkin patch too this year (even if it's the 'patch' at your local grocer's) pick up an extra pumpkin or two and try making some simple but fabulous Roasted Pumpkin Salad.


De-shell and de-seed your pumpkin. Chop it into thick pieces. Roast your pumpkin pieces off with olive oil and a little salt & pepper for about 20 minutes, and then allow them to cool. Next, just bind your pumpkin chunks gently with fresh spinach, balsamic, olive oil and a bit of sugar. Top off with some crumbled goats' cheese and lemon zest - and presto! You have a healthy but wonderful dish to enjoy on its own, or alongside grilled chicken. And it's so simple - you can carve a few Jack O'Lanterns while you're at it!


Now that you've had such a healthy main dish, you deserve a little indulgence. And this recipe from Epicurious for a Pumpkin Creme Brulee will certainly provide that! (But don't panic about the 20 egg yolks - this recipe makes creme brulee for 14 people so you can always cut it back).

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Pumpkin-Creme-Brulee-15534


Enjoy your pumpkins and maybe your visit to the Patch. But don't forget your boots!


Richard

Save the Great English Pie

Waitrose Food Illustrated is launching a campaign to save the culinary favourite of Englishmen around the world - the Pie.

See http://www.waitrose.com/food/celebritiesandarticles/cookingandrecipeideas/2009/October/pies.aspx

Misguided health experts are worried about the amount of pastry and fat the average person consumes. Too true, but not on my watch! As WFI guest-writer Tamisin Day-Lewis points out, there's as much fat in a slice of buttered toast as in a modest slice of delicious savory pie.

So let's get on board, folks. Turn up your oven, grab some fantastic fresh veggies, herbs - or Sunday roast leftovers (ah, Sunday roast ....), grab a rolling pin, and get pie-ing. It is nowhere NEAR as difficult as you think.

From savory to sweet, from Bramley Apple with Blackberries, to Steak and Mushroom. You'll find 15 fantastic recipes here courtesy of Waitrose. Enjoy!

Culinary delights from the Winter Farmers' Market

I love buying local and organic, especially when it's delicious, and sold by folks as passionate about smart, tasty food as those at the Vancouver Winter Farmer's Market (http://www.eatlocal.org/).

We came home on Saturday with all the fixings for a gourmet Valentine's dinner centred around a delicious sablefish (black cod) which you couldn't spoil if you tried your hardest. We added a delicious cheese & garlic loaf, some delightful cheeses from Little Qualicum Cheeseworks (http://www.cheeseworks.ca/), a chocolate creme brulee, and a bottle of sparkling wine - and enjoyed a gorgeous Valentine's dinner for under $50. Add a dash of smugness about escaping taxi fares, and the night was priceless.

I heartily recommend the next Winter Farmer's Market being held on February 28th at Wise Hall (Victoria and Adanac). Here are a few of the other vendors we loved: Pacific Rim Mushrooms (http://www.pacrimmushrooms.com/), Ridgecrest Dairy (http://www.ridgecrestdairies.com/), TwoBie Creek Herb Farm (http://www.twobiecreek.com/) and Bean Boy Creations (amazing chipotle humous).

Enjoy, and help save the planet while you do!

Take me skiing!

I don't know about you, but last time I ordered take out at Whistler I was seriously disappointed.

It took us an hour to find a place that was delivering, and we had to settle for our third choice.

When it came, it was horrible. I kid you not, the chow mein was Ichiban noodles. A nice reminder of college, perhaps, but not exactly what we and our guests were looking for.

At the other end of the spectrum, it's great that Rik's and the other fancy Whistler restaurants deliver. But when you're up there for a week, you don't always want to spend that much money every single night. But - neither do you always want to cook.

That experience is why I've launched my Apres Ski Meals service this year. For the past two years, I've been kitting friends out with a collection of fresh and frozen meals for their ski retreats. Fresh to eat the first night they arrive, and frozen to serve the rest of the week.

They've loved the meals because they can dine in with restaurant style, while not spending extra money on a babysitter as they head out to the expensive, ski-resort restaurants.

So this year, I have a range of items on the menu - just check out http://www.foodfusions.biz/, and get in touch if you're interested!

Happy - and safe - skiing this year!

Richard