Jasper Revelations

Picnic near Angel Glacier

IT’S A GOOD TIME FOR EXPLORING OUR OWN BACKYARD.

That’s been my approach for the past ten months – and  what brought me (and my husband) to Jasper in September for a beautiful end-of-season camping trip.

We hiked.  We biked.  We sat by the fire, while elk bugled into the night sky.

And under the capable guidance of Estelle Blanchette from Jasper Food Tours, we explored Canadian cuisine with four “pods” of Alberta travellers.

You can read about our food tour in the Winter issue of Taste & Travel International  –  here or here.

The folks of Jasper have worked hard through the pandemic to welcome visitors in a safe, responsible – and always engaging – way.

And now that it’s winter, Jasper is MAGICAL.

Skating, skiing, snowboarding, and snowshoeing are just the beginning.  There’s ice walks in Maligne Canyon.  Winter wildlife tours.  And Dark Sky gazing in the world’s largest astronomy park.

Starting next week, you can enjoy in-restaurant dining with your family once more – and Jasper Food Tours will be gearing up again to introduce you to some of the best.

(Note that things are booking up quickly for the Family Day/Valentine’s Day/Lunar New Year weekend ahead).

Here’s hoping that you can take time to get out and explore.  There’s so much to love in our own backyard.

(In case you’re wondering  – this was not a sponsored post nor did I receive any discounts, gifts, etc. from any Jasper tours or venues.  I just like to share great people and places.)

Text and photos © 2021 Catherine Van Brunschot

This is Melbourne

Melbourne CBD from SouthbankI turn into the laneway, and there they are: the world’s top chefs in repose against a brick wall.  Massimo Bottura of Osteria Francescana.  Joan Roca of Spain’s El Celler De Can Roca.  New York’s Daniel Humm of 11 Madison Park.  And Hestor Blumenthal of The Fat Duck.  Hosting the gathering is Ben Shewry, chef-owner of Australia’s highest-ranked restaurant, Attica.

It’s the kind of happy serendipity that might precipitate handshakes, selfies, and – dare I hope? – sage morsels of inspiration to fuel my culinary dreams…

Read the full story here, or in the new issue of Taste & Travel International magazine.

 

Radio Interview on THE INFORMED TRAVELER: Talking about Tuscany

Thanks so much to Randy Sharman for inviting me to chat about Tuscany on the May 5 episode of his radio show, THE INFORMED TRAVELER.

I love the relaxed, conversational way that Randy’s show brings the latest in travel news and tips to his listeners.  Like me, he believes that “there’s no better learning experience than traveling the world and meeting the people who inhabit it”, and he’s dedicated to teasing out stories and insights from his on-air guests.

The INFORMED TRAVELER is heard Sunday’s on 770CHQR in Calgary, 630CHED in Edmonton and on 980 CKNW in Vancouver.

You can also listen to free podcast episodes on curiouscast.ca and omny.fm by searching Google Podcasts,  Apple Podcasts, or Spotify on your electronic device.

In the May 5 segment, Randy uses my City Palate article “Late to the Table: a Culinary Walk Through Italy” as a springboard for discussing why food is special in Tuscany and how best to explore the region’s culinary treasures.

You can listen to my segment here – or hear the full episode (including info on celebrating Cinco de Mayo in Los Cabos or volunteering abroad) on THE INFORMED TRAVELER website.  If you like what you hear, you’ll find past episodes available on the website, too.

I’m looking forward to chatting with Randy again sometime in the future!

Text and photos © 2019 Catherine Van Brunschot

Late to the Table: A Culinary Walk Through Tuscany

Tuscan countrysideLet me be upfront:  I never read Frances Mayes’ Under the Tuscan Sun. Never saw the movie. I’m unaccountably indifferent to pasta (and Italian food  in general, if truth be told). Yes, I missed the boat completely on the raptures of Tuscany.

Friends who’d spent time in the popular Italian region said this was a gap in need of remedy. Stat.

So I booked a culinary walking tour of Tuscany, offering hillside rambles and an abundance of wine. Now THAT’S something I could commit to…

Read the full story in the current issue of Calgary’s City Palate magazine.

In Search of Venetian Fare

Gondola at the dockWhen you visit the magnetic city of Venice, two things are for certain:

1)  You will get lost.

2)  You will be hard-pressed to find quality Venetian food in the company of locals.

Thankfully, there’s a way to tackle both – and it’s guaranteed to be more than a little fun.

Find out how, in my latest article “In Search of Venetian Fare“.  You’ll find it on my website here.

Or look for it in the current issue of Taste & Travel International, now fully accessible online here.  (Give these last two links a dozen or so seconds to fully load – then click happily through the great travel content, photographs and recipes that you’ll find in every issue of T&T).

Because what’s better than a little armchair travel as we hunker down for the longest nights of the year?

(With apologies to southern hemisphere readers for my ethnocentricity).

A Calgary Kind of Craving

Peace Bridge, Calgary
Photo credit – D. Mulligan (via Creative Commons license)

You’d be forgiven if you didn’t know that Calgary is a great food town.  It’s kind of a well-kept secret.

Except to those who’ve been paying attention…

If Calgary hasn’t been on your radar for awhile, find out what you’ve been missing – and the best ways to (re)discover it – in my piece “A Calgary Kind of Craving” in the new issue of Taste & Travel International.

You can read the full story here – or check out the complete Spring Issue of Taste & Travel on Zinio, Pocket Mags, Flipster, PressReader (free from your local library), or with the new T&T app (available on iTunes and GooglePlay).

Snapshots of Croatia

Dubrovnik at nightStunning Dubrovnik – with its old city walls jutting into the Adriatic Sea and its evocative Game of Thrones settings – is Croatia’s brightest calling card for good reason. Our early morning walk atop its ramparts brings heart-stirring angles across the red-tiled roofs. A gondola ride up Mt. Srd provides even more great photos – plus an opportunity to peruse the passionate exhibit “Dubrovnik During the Homeland War” housed in the Napoleonic fortress.

But it’s the evenings, when the cruise-ship day-trippers have disappeared and the sun shines rosy on the tiled streets, that the Old Town is most magical…

 

Come along for the ride as I collect “Snapshots of Croatia” from tip to tip of the country’s Adriatic coast – then check out Calgary’s best sources for Croatian food and libations.  You’ll find it all in the current issue of Calgary’s City Palate.

Eating India

Surjit Singh in Amritsar
Credit: C. Van Brunschot

Thanks to Karen Anderson for the shout-out on her Savour It All blog about my “Eating India” article in the newest issue of City Palate.  The article highlights my travels through northern India in late 2015 with Alberta Food Tours   a truly delicious adventure.

I’m happy to say I’ll be making a return trip with them in the fall – this time to Mumbai, Goa, Kerala, and the Cardamom Hills!

You can read Karen’s post here – and see my full article in blazing colour in the digital edition of City Palate here.

Hot Eats in San Diego

Blueberry-basil shrub with lemonade - Zymology 21
Photo credit: C. Van Brunschot

Some food tours are all about discovering a regional cuisine.  Others provide a gateway to understanding local culture.

And some are just about who’s the brightest kid on the block doing great things with food.

Bite San Diego’s Downtown/Little Italy tour is all about the latter -which could explain why the majority of the fifteen folks who’ve turned up for today’s tour actually live within an hour’s drive…

(Taste & Travel International, Winter 2017) READ MORE

 

Awadhi Adventures

Chowk at night, Lucknow
Photo credit: C. Van Brunschot

“Do you always do this tour at night?” I shout.

My voice is lost in the din as a motorbike threads the gap between my guide, Cyrus, and me, and I’m forced to repeat the question when I catch up to him in an alcove minutes later.

“Yes, usually at night,” he smiles.  “So that visitors are able to get the full atmosphere.”  I take in the crush of shoppers and diners, awash in the fluorescent light and savoury aromas spilling from the open shop fronts into the ancient lane. And I have to concede:  Cyrus has got the “atmosphere” part nailed…

Read more of my column from the last issue of Taste & Travel International HERE (page 78) and  HERE (page 79).