Seafood pasta Archives - Cool Food Dude

Seafood Fettuccine excerpted from Okanagan Eats: Signature Chefs’ Recipes from British Columbia’s Wine Valleys by Dawn Postnikoff and Joanne Sasvari. Photography by Jon Adrian.

Okanagan Eats: Signature Chefs’ Recipes from British Columbia’s Wine Valleys by Dawn Postnikoff and Joanne Sasvari.

The Okanagan, Similkameen and Thompson Valleys in British Columbia are known to produce some of the most outstanding wines in the world. But the region is also emerging as an exciting culinary scene. Inspired by the Interior’s organic farming and sustainable agriculture, the region’s chefs are quietly bringing world-class techniques to the table, taking the golden beets, tomatillos, wild mushrooms, haskap berries and everything that grows so abundantly in every micro-season and transforming it into the kind of meals that would tickle a food critic’s palate.

Okanagan Eats is a deep dive into this dynamic food region where locality is the name of the game. From a summer heirloom gazpacho to wine-braised short ribs, an orchard salad to a decadent brownie trifle, there is something delicious to suit every taste. While the recipes are chef-driven, they are intended for home cooks and designed to be uncomplicated and fuss-free.

Each recipe includes a suggested drink pairing, reflecting the spirit of collaboration championed by the community. Baked Brie with Haskap-Jalapeño Jam pairs beautifully with Fitzpatrick Family Vineyard’s Fitz Crémant sparkling wine. Duck and Waffles for Sunday brunch is made more decadent accompanied by Hillside Winery’s Syrah. And for the Big Ole Yorkie Bowl, Crannog Ales’s Back Hand of God Stout is the only way to go. (more…)

The food of the Venetian Republic is diverse: prosecco & snapper risotto, Croatian roast lamb shoulder with olive oil potatoes, the sweet & sour red mullet of Crete, zabaglione from Corfu, or Dubrovnik’s ricotta & rose liqueur crepes.

These are recipes steeped in history; dishes from the days when Venice was a world power. How did this small city-state rule the waters of the Mediterranean, enjoying unrivalled wealth and prestige? How could this serene, safe-haven city of canals come to play a defining role in shaping the cuisine, culture, and architecture of her Mediterranean neighbours? Yet, for a thousand years, the ships and merchants of the Republic dominated salt, silk, and spice trade routes.

To tell this story, respected writer and restaurateur Nino Zoccali focuses on the four key regions that geographically encapsulate the Venetian Republic, each of which has its own distinct cuisine: Venice and its lagoon islands; the Veneto, of which Venice is the capital; the Croatian coast and the Greek Islands formerly under Venetian rule. The 80 dishes he has selected all have strong traditional Venetian roots or influence, celebrating ingredients and techniques that show how, to this day, food in this magnificent region continues to be influenced by neighbouring cultures.

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