I love cooking and eating outside…  OKAY, okay… and drinking.  It feels like an adventure or mini vacation, whether we take the  portable Weber with us or pack a picnic.  Just being somewhere new with a different view is fantastic.  It’s stimulating for the mind and good for the soul (for both man and dog).  […]

When I was a young man in my early twenties, my roommate and I would bake scones (from a box) and set ourselves up in the living room on Saturday mornings with some jams and jellies and tea and watch Bugs Bunny.  It was a simpler time.  As a child I loved everything Bugs, but […]

I am fortunate to have a lot of friends who love to cook and create.  What’s interesting is that most of them are dudes and they all do the majority of the cooking for their wives and families.  They also each have their own specialties or at least what I would call their signature dishes. […]

I love my new rub and it’s true what they: using your opposite hand totally feels like someone else.  Now that I’ve set the tone for my first posting in 3-ish years, I will continue.  Man… 3 years.  I suck and I’m super lazy.  I’ll try to make up for it. I watch a lot […]

…COMPLETES THE TRIFECTA – FOOD, WINE AND DOGS. Usually we like to get away the weekend after Labour Day. The weather is still nice. The summer crowds have dissipated. Up to this point, Whistler has been the destination of choice. This year we threw a change-up and decided to visit a friend who lives on […]

YOU HAVE TO TRY THIS! This is definitely one of my signature dishes.  As I mentioned in my first posting, this recipe is a perfect example of my obsession and love of food and cooking. Inspiration: It started with braised short ribs at Cioppino’s, then a Wolfgang Puck recipe, and over to a  Giada de Laurentiis […]

Out of all of the Napa Cab-Sauvs we’ve tried in the $20ish dollar range, the Avalon is my new favorite.  I really enjoy the Liberty School and the Ravenswood as well, but the Avalon is more of a mouthful. Please give it a try if you haven’t already. It’s $23.78 at the B.C. Liquor Store. If you don’t like it, […]

I’m a freak (please hold off the chorus of “We Know!”) for lemon tarts. As a child, lemon meringue pie was my favorite desert. Though, to be honest, I could do without the meringue; thus my obsession with tart. Il Giardino is one of our favorite restuarants.  There’s nothing better than Old School Classy Italian. Sure, they call […]

I have a feeling this first posting is going to be all over the place.  Seriously: Food, Wine & Dogs? Couldn’t I narrow it down?  Short answer: NO.  These are my passions/obsessions and if I’m going to prattle, it’s got to be about the things that I love. I think I need to set the tone early – Yes, those […]