Food

Kamloops area food banks receive record donation; labour council says more help still needed

KAMLOOPS - Generous donations and deliveries have helped local food banks this year, but according to the president of the Kamloops District Labour Council there needs to be a shift in government to meet the increasing needs of British Columbians accessing the food bank. The council participated in the Protein for People program, a non-profit...

Man breaks into Vernon home, helps himself to a snack

VERNON - A local man accused of breaking into a woman’s home not only helped himself to her personal belongings — he also made himself something to eat. A local woman phoned 911 around 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 16 after she found a strange man in her house, RCMP Const. Jocelyn Noseworthy says. “He had...

When one of the best places to eat in town is the hospital

VERNON - Like airline fare, hospital food has a certain stereotype associated with it, but in Vernon and across the Interior, those perceptions are changing one home-cooked meal at a time. The meatloaf, for example, is just like mom used to make it, says Interior Health Authority food production manager Ron Eichberger of his favourite...

For this Vernon family, nearly 200 years of sweet tradition is baked right in

VERNON - Not many people can say they’re carrying on family traditions stretching back to 1825, but Vernon baker Roy Bouman continues to do so with pride. Every perfect cream puff, every birthday cake, and each smiling customer pays homage to the long line of family bakers who passed down recipes, strong work ethic and...

What you should know about this delicious, and potentially poisonous, local delicacy

VERNON - You might have seen the bright, vibrantly green curlicues in classified ads or at the local grocery store recently and wondered what they are and where they come from. They’re called fiddleheads, and they’re found around the world, including the Thompson-Okanagan, for a few short weeks every spring. Those who have tried the...

Restaurant growth brings new flavours to Vernon

VERNON - Kristina Sidorczuk’s is just one of many new faces you’ll see around town if you’re sampling the city’s new restaurants. The 22-year-old is the proud owner of one of the newest establishments in Vernon’s growing restaurant scene, EATology. The restaurant, located at the Greyhound Station in downtown Vernon across from Cenotaph Park, opened...

Vernon woman chopped from MasterChef Canada

VERNON - Vernon’s MasterChef contender Jennifer Innis is toast. The local dental hygienist and mother of three was eliminated from the competition after falling short in a tea treat challenge. She and partner David Jorge struggled to produce profiteroles for the tricky task, and bickered throughout the challenge. But Innis still has a smile on...

Taste of spring comes two weeks early in the North Okanagan

VERNON - North Okanagan residents are biting into fresh, local produce about two weeks early this year thanks to the warm weather. At the Vernon Farmer’s Market Thursday, there was no shortage of Okanagan-grown food and shoppers were eating it up. A steady stream of customers kept Corinne Jeppesen with the Armstrong Asparagus Farm busy selling bundles...

Vernon woman step closer to MasterChef Canada crown

VERNON - Vernon’s Jennifer Innis continues to prove her cooking skills on national television. The dental hygienist and mother of three made it to the top ten on MasterChef Canada Sunday night, March 29. “I never thought I'd even make the show, let alone the top ten. Thanks everyone for your continuous support,” Innis writes on...

HELSTON: Hundreds of bears die every year for this stupid reason

This goes out to anyone who’s left their garbage out and had a bear get into it; you might as well have put a bullet through its head. It sounds harsh, I know, but hundreds of bears across B.C. are killed by conservation officers every year because they’ve grown habituated to garbage. Sorry to break...

High fives, cheers and tears at Canadian chef contest

KELOWNA – It’s not your typical Okanagan dinner fare, but you’d expect nothing less from the nation’s top chefs as they competed in the Canadian Culinary Championships in Kelowna this weekend. The grand finale winning dish from chef Ryan O’Flynn from the Westin Hotel in Edmonton was a Terrine of pine smoked Alberta river sturgeon...

Shuswap Pie Company to debut on the Food Network

SALMON ARM - Viewers will be drooling over creations from the Shuswap Pie Company on an episode of You Gotta Eat Here. Owner Tovah Shantz told us she loved having the show’s host John Catucci in her kitchen, where they whipped up three of the company’s specialties: a strawberry/rhubarb pie; a savoury sausage, apple and...

Gluten-free baker from Kelowna catches chef Jamie Oliver’s attention

KELOWNA - A large cardboard cutout of a slice of bread caught food guru Jamie Oliver’s attention. Matthew and Nicole Knegt of the Kelowna-based Four Spoons Bakery, which specializes in gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free and nut-free goods, sent the lazer-cut two-by-one-and-a-half-foot cardboard toast with a bite mark in it to world-renowned chef Jamie Oliver’s production company...

Temporary food services set up after flood at Vernon’s Upper Room Mission

VERNON - The community is making sure no one goes hungry in the coming weeks while damages are repaired at the Upper Room Mission. Fundraising director Lisa Anderson says it could take 6-8 weeks before repairs are complete. The 27 Avenue soup kitchen flooded earlier this week after a pipe burst and triggered the sprinkler...

Food shortage worries Vernon soup kitchen staff

VERNON - A local agency that helps people in need is reaching out for some community support. Supplies at the Upper Room Mission soup kitchen—which serves around 300 meals a day this time of year—are extremely low. Fundraising director Lisa Anderson says the cupboards are emptier than they’ve been in a very long time. “The...

An Armstrong resident invited a homeless man back home for a shower, meal, and shelter

HERE'S WHAT HE SHOULD HAVE DONE DIFFERENTLY  VERNON - A stabbing incident in Armstrong could have been prevented if the assailant had been connected with appropriate support services, according to Vernon’s homeless shelter. Police say the assault happened when a Spallumcheen resident invited a homeless man to his house for a hot shower, a meal,...

Mouth watering three-course meal surprises Vernon homeless

VERNON - With an hour to go before doors open, Chef Vincent Van Wieringen gives the sous-chefs and servers a final pep talk: be light with the drizzle of demi-glace on the braised beef, don’t let a water glass go unfilled, and do not, repeat not, drop a plate. Tablecloths have been smoothed, cutlery laid...

Feast of Fields connects farm and table

KELOWNA – The Okanagan Feast of Fields is back again this year, celebrating the harvest and highlighting the connections between local farmers and chefs. The wandering festival brings together 30 restaurants and 30 wineries, distilleries and breweries into one location and will take place at the Okanagan Lavender & Herb Farm August 17. Feast of...

Food Truck Rally rolls back into Kelowna

KELOWNA – For the second year in a row, the parking lot of Prospera Place will be flooded with hundreds of hungry diners and around half a dozen trucks representing cuisine from around the world. Craig Campbell is the Communications Manager for Prospera Place and the organizer of the second annual Kelowna Food Truck Rally....