Follow the ongoing adventures of food and travel writer Cinda Chavich as she savours the world. Find her published food, drink and travel stories, and regular blog here at TasteReport.com.

seen

Slip across the water from Victoria, BC, on the ferry (or fly in to the Vancouver airport) and you can “getaway” to exotic Asia, without the jet lag. A quick Canada Line ride and you’re in Richmond – with it’s amazing Buddhist Temples, Aberdeen Centre Mall and literally hundreds of authentic Chinese restaurants (and cafes, bakeries, BBQ joints and exotic food court noshing) it’s like stepping into another world.

Add in the cool contemporary Asian eats in Vancouver (Le Tigre food truck, Torafuku, Bao Bei, Kissa Tanto, Maenam Thai, et al) and there is much to explore for the curious food lover. I had a chance to explore the Chinese, Korean and Thai food from high end dim sum to  authentic soup dumplings and Hong Kong barbeque with some local experts and chefs. Then I wrote about it all in this feature in Doctor’s Review magazine.

tasted

The first olive oil to be grown and pressed in Canada is now in the bottle! I visited The Olive Farm on Salt Spring Island where George and Sheri Braun have planted 2,500 trees on a south-facing slope in the Fulford Valley. Olives are not supposed to grow this far north, but the Brauns found a microclimate that works. The oil is emerald green and has fresh herbal notes with hints of artichoke and a spicy phenolic bite on the finish. The 2016 crop of 1,000 pounds of olives yielded just 33 L of oil, so it’s a rare commodity. But you might see it served to dignitaries at Rideau Hall in Ottawa, or have it drizzled over local scallop ceviche at Hastings House in Ganges, like I did this spring.

TASTE, n. & v. : flavor, morsel, relish, sip, savor, enjoy, learn, experience -  the ability to discern the best quality.

slept

Have you ever dreamed of owning a sexy, vintage #Airstream trailer? We had a chance to live the dream with a weekend at WOODS on Pender Island. It’s a curated camping experience for that gets you into the great outdoors, with all of your creature comforts intact. This boutique hotel-style camp offers high thread count linens, French press coffee, Apple TV and wifi, along with your own private deck, gas firepit and barbecue, a hammock for relaxing in the sunshine, and even a glamping tent alongside The repurposed resort has several vintage Airstreams and other retro-style trailers, comfortable cabins and a funky minimalist motel. There’s even a cafe serving wood-fired pizzas and morning lattes. It’s definitely one of my favourite spots to stay in the Gulf Islands!

Cinda’s new book

IACP Finalist!

Food waste is a major, global environmental problem. We waste 40% of the food we produce,1.3 billon tonnes globally. It’s the third largest source of greenhouse gas emissions, after China and the US, a huge contributor to global warming. Half of the wasted food is discarded from our own kitchens and this new book is designed to help you stop wasting food. Learn how to use up your fresh fruits and vegetables, dairy and meats before they go into the compost bin. Hundreds of recipes and practical tips.

Learn more......and follow me on Facebook

Check out this list of 2016 IACP nominees

fighting food waste

I’ve been working hard to tell you more about the global issue of food waste, and its impact on the environment. It’s the topic of my new book, The Waste Not, Want Not Cookbook (TouchWood Editions) and what I’ve been talking about a lot since it was published this spring.

I spoke on a food waste panel at the national Zero Waste Conference in Vancouver, I did several sessions with authors at LitFest, the annual non-fiction literature festival in Edmonton, offered ideas about how to reduce food waste at home on several CBC radio programs (including the new CBC radio food show The Fork), and was interviewed by other journalists writing about food waste in Canada and the U.S. 

I’ve been writing about the topic for magazines and newspapers myself, too. So I’m happy to revisit this story for any publications, or speak on the topic of food waste, reducing waste at home, up-cycling leftovers into delicious dinners, and how it can all help stop global warming, at cooking schools, markets and other events.

Read about the latest food waste and sustainable eating news, recipes and inspiration on my Facebook page, The Waste Not, Want Not Cookbook by Cinda Chavich.

Here’s a link to my feature story in Maclean’s magazine and some of the many other stories and reviews featuring my book:

Treehugger.com

The Vancouver Province

Western Living Magazine

canada.com

San Francisco Book Review

The Albany Times Union

BC Farms & Food

takepart.com

Foreword Reviews

View the Vibe magazine

The Vancouver Sun

sweetsugarbean.com

sipped

We bellied up to the tasting bar at Salt Spring Ale for a flight of their craft brews. Favourites include the Golden Ale, made with hops and barley grown on Salt Spring Island, and the Heather Ale, flavoured with heather flowers from Butchart Gardens. Now that’s local!