Pacific Kissed B.C. Oysters In Vancouver

Comox Valley on Vancouver Island is not only the where the locavore community was born in B.C. but also where much of the region's best shellfish comes from.  If you are lucky enough to be in Vancouver during the shellfish season, look for the Pacific Kiss oyster, B.C.'s renowned shellfish that has a sustainably farmed stamp of approval. Pacific Kiss affiliate partners are providing 12 different kinds of shellfish to be served side-by-side.  Participating restaurants are Monk McQueen's Restaurant and Patio and Joe Fortes Seafood and Chophouse.

British Columbia boasts some of the richest shores found throughout the world. There are over 1,000 oyster farmers caringly growing dozens of varieties of world-class oysters along those shores. Eating oysters in B.C. is eating locally sourced, sustainably cultivated food. In fact, when you choose to eat oysters in B.C. you are supporting a small farmer and a rural community.

The Pacific Kiss platter is offering a tasting of oysters, their full flavors offered side-by-side, giving a rare culinary experience to savor and compare the subtle differences in Beach oysters, to deep-water-cultured oysters to those oysters grown by the K'omox First Nations to the tray-cultured beach hardened oyster.  Each of the twelve varieties come from a different coastal region of B.C.  The Pacific Kiss stamp of approval authenticates that the oyster has been grown in a sustainable and environmentally sound way by a registered B.C. Shellfish Association member. Pacific Kiss respects and adheres to both the Sea Kiss and OceanWise programs.

Here is a short video on How To Shuck An Oyster by Nigel McMeans, executive chef at the BlackFin Pub at the Marina in the Comox Valley:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1DInX-RshFw]

A few more choices for fresh B.C. Shellfish are:

C Restaurant (an Ocean Wise Founding Restaurant Partner)

900 West Lounge - The Fairmont Hotel Vancouver - 900 West Georgia Street - 604.684.3131

A Kettle of Fish – 900 Pacific Street - 604.682.6661

Aqua Riva – 200 Granville Street - 604.683.5599

Aria Restaurant & Lounge - 433 Robson Street - 604.602.1999

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Casa Barranca's Organic Love

Casa Barranca is a National Historic Landmark.  Nestled in the hills of Ojai, a picturesque valley that sits just South and slightly east of Santa Barbara, Casa Barranca is also the very first certified organic winery in the Santa Barbara region.

Casa Barranca Organic Wine

The yogis of Southern California know the estate well; it is often rented out a week at a time for retreats.  The day someone organizes an Oenophile Retreat, we're there...Sign me up!

The stunning estate was designed in 1909 by Greene & Greene. It's not "Craftsman" but rather its close cousin, Arts and Crafts architecture, led by John Ruskin and William Morris in Victoria's England. The simplicity of design is reflective of the simplicity of lifestyle.

Simple. Elegant. Lifestyle.

They use gravity to rack their wines, such purists are they to old world winemaking. They use no herbicides or pesticides on their vineyards because they believe organic farming is the true expression of terroir.

Casa Barranca's centuries old underground stone winery offers an ideal sanctuary in which the wines can mature. It was converted from a century-old subterranean stone water cistern. They had to excavate 15 feet down one side, and cut through two feet of stone wall to gain access to it.

Casa Barranca produces two kinds of organic wines. The first is "made with organic grapes" and produces a wine low in sulfites.  The other is the "no sulfites added" organic wine.  On their ICO certified organic vineyard they grow viognier,  organic Syrah, organic Grenache,  and organic Semillon.

"The ethos of Open Mind, Open Heart, and Skilled Hand lives on at Casa Barranca."

Casa Barranca Wines 1350 Foothill Rd   Ojai, CA 93023   Tel: 805.640.1334

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Wine And Chocolate, Today's The Day!

Today - and Every Day! - is The Day for Wine and Chocolate!

Anette’s Chocolates of Napa Valley used to make the chocolate sauces for the Original Hawaiian Chocolate Factory. These are the sauces that are now made for over 100 different wineries across the US. Each winery’s particular wine is included in the making of the sauce, and then specially co-labeled.

When Anette took over this long-standing chocolate shop over 18 years ago, it was already a local anchor, having stood on the very same spot for some 40 years when it was previously called Patrick’s.  The current owners, Anette and her brother Brent and his wife, Mary, recall stopping off at the candy store on their way home from school.

When they first took over the candy shop, master candy maker Ed Ratcliff stayed on to teach Anette and her partners his 40 year craft of candy and chocolate making.  Most of their customers had been buying their candy from the shop since the 60s and 70s.

Brent and Anette made it a habit to ask their employees, most of whom they kept on when they took over the long-running business, what the assortment should be made up of.  Brent explains that the long-time employees are the watchdogs for some of the older candy flavors.

The dark chocolate they use and make themselves, is approximately 62%.  And Brent will readily tell you that their wine-infused sauces are actually made with a lot of wine. They count themselves blessed to be asked to participate in the many events around Napa and Sonoma including wine and chocolate pairings and wine auctions.

Wine Added To Chocolate For Anette's Chocolate Sauce

They focus mostly on truffles. Their boxed chocolates make elegantly beautiful gifts and memories for special occasions.  They have over 120 different kinds of candies and chocolates on offer. Anette’s rich burgundy boxes can be filled with as many as 30 pieces and come with gold satin hinges, vellum liners, all finished with a gold taffeta ribbon.

Looking for something tantatalizing?…how about Caramel Brandy Sauce?…Chocolate Martini Ganache?…Dark Chocolate Merlot Fudge?…or how about their signature Chocolate Wine and Liqueur Sauces.

Anette’s Chocolate by Brent

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On First Street in Downtown Napa

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