Running outside my comfort zone

Well, I just did something I never dreamed I’d do - I registered for a 10km run. Now, before you stop reading because to you 10km is a walk in the park, please take a moment to consider my running history. Until I was about 38.5 I carefully avoided any activity where I might be forced to move faster than a brisk walk, unless powered by two or more wheels. For example, my high school had cross-country trails that went though heavily wooded forest. That meant I could walk most of the way, enjoying the birdsong and day dreaming to my heart’s content. I only shifted to running mode after emerging from the forest, when the beady eyes of my PE teacher could spot what I was doing. At university I had the good fortune of getting a doctor to diagnose me with ‘flat feet’, a condition that came with strict orders to wear Birkenstocks and -- you guessed it -- avoid running. 

Since then, I had heeded her advice.

So why this change of heart? Well, it may be because the run I’m in comes with a post-race massage. It’s also because I’m doing this with a bunch of girlfriends, and any activity that involves girlfriend time is an activity worth doing. It’s helping me stay in shape, which is important at my advancing age. But the main reason I’m doing this is because I’d forgotten how challenging yourself to do something outside your comfort zone can make you feel, well, alive. Even when I’m panting along, thinking ‘dear god where is the end of the trail’, I feel (mentally) happy and excited about life. So here’s to adding a bit of spice to the every day same ol’ , same ol’, by stepping (or running) outside your comfort zone, and hopefully having a damn good time while doing it.

Vancouver Island's Wine Country

I can think of few better ways to spend one's holiday than touring wine country, especially if that country encompasses not only Vancouver Island but some of the Gulf Islands as well. First stop must be the Cowichan Valley. Here, once you turn off the main highway, you'll follow winding roads, pass country cottages and hobby farms and then come upon a winery. Unfortunately I don't have space to cover all the oenophile delights to be found in this beautiful area (for that you'll need to check outwww.wineislands.ca) but I'll share a few of my memorable sipping (and let's face it, eating moments too) at the island's wineries. Cherry Point Estate Winery's delightful garden bistro is the perfect place to sip the afternoon away indulging in some of the award winning wines, in particular the Coastal Red, a light easy drinking bottle. Cherry Point is where you'll also have the good gastronomic fortune to have the best cheesecake ever (in my opinion), a light, frothy cake, accompanied by their bursting with flavour blackberry dessert wine. The experience at Averill Creek Winery is slightly more rustic as here you have to BYOP (bring your own picnic). The booze, of course, is on site, and with a bottle of the winery's Averill Creek Prevost in hand and a picnic basket stuffed with local cheeses, bread, fruit and chocolate you can settle in for an afternoon even Dionysus would be proud of. A day spent on Salt Spring is never a waste especially if you go early Saturday morning to take in the market before visiting the island's two wineries; Garry Oaks Winery and Salt Spring Vineyards. But for something off the beaten path but still on the wine trail, hop on the ferries to Saturna Island. It takes a little longer to get there but it's the perfect combination of getting away from it all, but not so far you can't indulge in the delights of wine and good food, especially if you linger at Saturna Island Family Estate Vineyards.  Although the winery is accessbile by road, I suggest you make your visit a Gulf Island one through and through by kayaking to the winery's beach, before settling in for lunch and a glass of wine (the Pinot Noir Rose is a great way to  First stop must be the Cowichan Valley. Here, once you turn off the main highway, you'll follow winding roads, pass country cottages and hobby farms and then come upon a winery. Unfortunately I don't have space to cover all the oenophile delights to be found in this beautiful area (for that you'll need to check outwww.wineislands.ca) but I'll share a few of my memorable sipping (and let's face it, eating moments too) at the island's wineries. Cherry Point Estate Winery's delightful garden bistro is the perfect place to sip the afternoon away indulging in some of the award winning wines, in particular the Coastal Red, a light easy drinking bottle. Cherry Point is where you'll also have the good gastronomic fortune to have the best cheesecake ever (in my opinion), a light, frothy cake, accompanied by their bursting with flavour blackberry dessert wine. The experience at Averill Creek Winery is slightly more rustic as here you have to BYOP (bring your own picnic). The booze, of course, is on site, and with a bottle of the winery's Averill Creek Prevost in hand and a picnic basket stuffed with local cheeses, bread, fruit and chocolate you can settle in for an afternoon even Dionysus would be proud of. A day spent on Salt Spring is never a waste especially if you go early Saturday morning to take in the market before visiting the island's two wineries; Garry Oaks Winery and Salt Spring Vineyards. But for something off the beaten path but still on the wine trail, hop on the ferries to Saturna Island. It takes a little longer to get there but it's the perfect combination of getting away from it all, but not so far you can't indulge in the delights of wine and good food, especially if you linger at Saturna Island Family Estate Vineyards.  Although the winery is accessbile by road, I suggest you make your visit a Gulf Island one through and through by kayaking to the winery's beach, before settling in for lunch and a glass of wine (the Pinot Noir Rose is a great way to 

Vancouver Island Local

Honey? Check. Cheese? Check. Salt? You betcha.

Welcome to the world of local food a la Vancouver Island. I don’t know whether it’s because we’re separated from the mainland by a huge swathe of water, or that there’s something about island life that attracts creative food connoisseurs, but here food producers have made it possible to enjoy a 100-mile diet without giving up too many of life’s edible pleasures.

Locally-produced meat (including bison!) and veggies are available almost year round as we have oodles of artisan farms up and down the island (during the spring and summer I highly recommend an Island Farmers Market tour). But what about some of the more esoteric but-can’t-live-without items such as honey, coffee, salt and more importantly cheese, because who, honestly, can live without cheese?

Well, have no fear, all of it can be found here. The hum of thousands of bees is what greets you when you enter Freidrich’s honey farm and it’s a sure sign you’re gettin’ the real local thing. But it isn’t just delicious, produced-on-the-spot honey you can get. Freidrich also sells bee pollen and propolis (said to have enormous health benefits), bee bread (a mixture of honey and pollen and ditto on the health benefits) as well as candles and soap.

When it comes to great coffee we are truly spoiled for choice. Okay, I admit, there coffee beans aren't being harvested on the island. But, there are a number of companies that buy beans and create their own roasts. I’ve already waxed lyrical about Drumroaster but there’s also Red Roaster Coffee roasted on Gabriola, available in various Vancouver Island cafés, Peaks Coffee in the Cowichan Valley, Creekmore Coffee in Coombs and Rhodos Coffee in the Comox Valley  to name a few.

And yes it's even possible to get salt, thanks to a young business called, well, Vancouver Island Salt Co. And this isn’t just any ol’ salt. You can try maple-smoked salt and roasted garlic, balsamic, Mustard and Banana Pepper Infused Salt. Of course plain Canadian Sea Salt is also available.

Which brings us to our cheeses. Unfortunately, I Ieft it too late as I could write a whole column on the cheeses created on Vancouver Island. So, I will – soon. In the meantime I’ll tease you with a sampling of my favourites: the award-winning Natural Pastures Comox Brie and the Yoo Boo Blue from Hilary’s Artisan Cheeses.

What’s that? You’d like a little wine to go with that cheese?  Well, perhaps my next column on the island’s cheese culture will include a few tidbits on where to get local wine to go with all that delicious cheese. 

Something for everyone at Woodfire

Where can you get gourmet food prepared by a chef trained in French classical cooking, who’s created meals for the likes of Boris Yeltsin, Bill Clinton, and Sarah McLachlan? On Gabriola, of course, at Woodfire Pizza & Grill Chris Hooton has thirty years of experience under his chef’s hat and if you’ve tasted his pizzas, pastas or delectable specials, you’ll be thankful he’s brought that experience to Gabriola.

Left photo: The pomegranete martini, served up with lemon zest, has proven to be one of the popular drinks at Woodfire.(Derek Kilbourn photo)
He and his wife Sharon, who skillfully manages the front-of-house-operations, own and operate Woodfire and their goal is to create a cozy, welcoming environment where they can serve fresh, seasonal dishes, using the best quality ingredients.
If the flavours that melt in your mouth when you taste a Woodfire meal are anything to go by, it’s obvious Chris has learned a lot during his 30 years in the preparing-unforgettable-meals biz. I ordered the Sandwell pizza with ingredients you wouldn’t find in just any ol’ pizza joint: prawns, spinach, smoked bacon, baby mozzarella, and herb lemon butter atop a crispy crust cooked to perfection in the woodfired oven. My dinner companion opted for one of the main entrees – a mouth-watering meal of slow-roasted ribs with a homemade Bourbon barbecue sauce, woodfired vegetables and seriously chunky fries.
The best Woodfire meal I’ve had though, wasn’t actually at the restaurant.
I was fortunate enough to attend a birthday party catered by Woodfire. The guest of honour had requested Chinese food and after digging into stir-fried strip sirloin in a soy and ginger glaze, a sumptuous sweet and sour pork dish, flavourful chow mein noodles and a spicy prawn dish, everyone agreed it was the best Chinese food they’d ever had.
The Hootons can cater for any occasion and at reasonable prices. They’ll fix sandwiches for fishing trips, cook pasta for an easy mid-week dinner, whip up pizzas for a party, or design a four-course menu for a wedding. They simply want to support islanders in whatever way they can as they love working in their community. Judging from the steady stream of hungry guests coming in to the restaurant, the community is lovin’ them, too. Right photo: White chocolate and vanilla pannacotta. (Derek Kilbourn photo)

Did you know...
…Woodfire now has an Early Bird menu between 4pm-5pm: $16 for two courses including tea or coffee.

…there are gluten-free versions of most of the pizzas and pastas.

…on Thursday dinner is accompanied by live music courtesy of Amber Handley and Brad Shipley.

Urge to Purge

Most of my friends know I’m not a huge fan of cleaning. In fact I kind of look at it the way Erma Bombeck, an American comedian, did when she said, “My idea of housework is to sweep the room with a glance.” However, when spring rolls around I inevitably start to suffer from that seasonal affliction known as ‘spring cleaning fever’. I think this annual urge to purge is one reason Easter has never been important to me. By the time it rolls around I’m in the mood to get rid of bunnies – dust bunnies that is -- not welcome more bunnies (mythological, chocolate or otherwise) into my home.
I’ve learned though that the trick is not to be too ambitious. Up until this year I would start my spring cleaning full force, determined to put Martha Stewart herself to shame. I’d root out clothes that hadn’t been worn since high school, scrub spots that hadn’t seen a dishcloth since we moved in, and wash windows as though my life depended on them being spotless. But there was a problem (besides the fact that I hate cleaning.) The fever usually only lasted about 24-hours and so I’d end up with piles of stuff everywhere, and only about half the windows and half the spots cleaned up. That meant the house looked even worse, the unclean parts seemed even dirtier next to the sparkling clean areas. So this year I’m setting my sights much lower – chasing a few dust bunnies around, purging some clothes, maybe doing a bit of laundry. And when that fever hits hard, I’ll grab my honey and head outside. After all there’s more than one kind of fever one can succumb to when spring hits.

Road Tripping on the Island | BC Lifestyle

Road Tripping on the Island | BC Lifestyle

Gabriola Restaurant Sizzles all Year Round

Chef Jonah Hicks in the Silva Bay kitchen, 

preparing the Turf part of the Mexico-style 

Surf and Turf special. Derek Kilbourn photo

Do you like your seafood sustainable? Your sauces made from scratch? A menu that reflects the seasons? Then it’s time to head down to Silva Bay Pub & Restaurant and indulge in a dish prepared by the personable, and talented, young chef Jonah Hicks. The night we went was dark and stormy but when we walked through the doors we were enveloped by the cozy ambience – fireplace roaring, muted music playing and the chatter of conversation. Even though the million dollar view wasn’t visible, I realized Gabriolans Tanya and Tim Gambrill, who own and operate the restaurant at Silva Bay, had created a place where it’s easy to relax and unwind – no matter what’s happening outside. The menu has traditional pub fare (fish and chips, burgers, chicken wings) and the Gambrill’s have also put their creative talents to work partnering with their chef to create one-of-a-kind dishes like the Cashew Lentil Burger, Ravioli Puttanesca, and Miso-Planked Salmon. There are also nightly specials so even frequent visitors always have something new to try.Which is why I found myself indulging in a Mexican style Surf & Turf with scallops, steaks, frites and refried beans. It was supposed to come drizzled in mole (mo-lay) sauce but our server Joelle kindly brought the sauce to me on the side as I wasn’t sure I could handle the heat. Turns out I could because this mole sauce was homemade with the heat tempered by just the right amount of chocolate and cinnamon. My dinner companion went à la carte and his Island Stir Fry was chock-a-bloc with veggies, chicken and noodles, although we substituted them for rice to create a gluten-free version. Even though we were both stuffed, Joelle managed to convince us to try the Crème Brûlée topped with candied orange slices and filled with custard infused with lavender and Grand Marnier (Yes, we finished it all.).The best part? I learned that even though I love Silva Bay in the summer, cozying up in the winter with a great meal and a pint has its own unique charm.

Did you know…
…all the seafood on the menu has been approved by the Vancouver Aquarium’s Ocean Wise Sustainable Seafood Program?
…they serve breakfast on Sundays in the summer?
…the menus shift to reflect the seasons?