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Gail and her husband Jon travelled extensively, sampled various types of local cuisine, and documented the experiences along the way. We are pleased to share the personal thoughts and insights of one of the culinary world’s leading minds.

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Gail and Jon Playing Tourist in Victoria

Bill drives us downtown and we tour the Royal BC Museum, taking in the Emily Carr exhibit (which focuses on her youth) and visit the history of BC (one of my favourite features of this museum, showing things like the history of the salmon canning industry). We grab a bite at Sam’s Deli (owned by […]

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Gail and Jon are forced into a life of simplicity

Enforced Simplicity Gail and I have embarked on an eight week journey without a schedule or an agenda. We will be living out of a 15 foot camperized vehicle with no fixed address. We each have a small bin for clothes and a bag of shoes. Our food fits in a refrigerator smaller than a […]

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On to Victoria - Gail and Jon on the road

We drive down island and stop at Averill winery in Cowichin. A lovely stop; owned by Andy and Wendy Johnson (former Edmontons who owned the Medi-Centres). We have a wine tasting and fall in love with their blackberry dessert wine. Bottle in hand, we continue on and arrive in Oak Bay to the home of […]

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Gail and Jon head up the Sunshine Coast

We leave Osoyoos and head to two wineries Crowsnest and Forbidden Fruit. I purchase Sauvignon Blanc, a Cabernet Merlot and an award winning Iced Apple wine. We arrive in Burnaby BC to Adam and Thomas’s – friends from Edmonton who moved to Saskatoon and then Burnaby a few years ago. Adam, a former Gourmet Goodies […]

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Gail Hall gets recipes from Chef at the Watermark Beach Resort in Osoyoos

Osoyoos at the south end of the Okanagan is the warmest place in the valley. It attracts a year-round vacation crowd who enjoy the sights, recreation and wineries in the area. For a destination resort town it is lacking in fine dining. The Watermark is attempting to fill the void and there are remarkable restaurants […]

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Gail Hall leaves Nelson and arrives at the Watermark Beach Resort in Osoyoos

We leave Nelson, but stop first at Au Soleil Levant, a French Canadian bakery in the alley off Baker Street behind the BMO. They’ve been in Nelson for 10 years and word has it that they make the best challah (only available on Fridays). I buy a brioche with cranberries, raisins and walnuts and a […]

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Gail Hall heads to Nelson to experience their food

Now, Nelson has a population of 10,000 and I’m sure they have more independent coffee shops and restaurants than most cities that size. There are some hidden gems to satisfy hunger and soul. We had breakfast at the Full Circle Café. I go for the healthy choice, granola with yogurt finished with mango puree. Shannon’s […]

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Gail Hall travels through Southern Alberta and BC on her big road trip

April 6, 2011 We leave Edmonton at 4 pm and head to Calgary to stay with friends Vic and Cathy Close. The van sputters a bit, so our aim is to get to Calgary and get it checked out in the morning. We are still in urban, working mode but as we head down the […]

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Two Months on the Road with Gail Hall

From April 6 to May 29, check in with me as I travel with Jon in our Westfalia van to the west coast and down the Pacific Coast Hwy, writing about all things food along the way. Once we get through the first week of visiting friends and family along the way, we’ll stick to […]

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Empanadas

Our culinary tour to Argentina and Chile was amazing. Memories of fantastic grass-fed and finished beef in Argentina paired with lots of Malbec wine. Chile's seafood and Carmenere wines were delightful. One of the cooking classes we did was an empanada cooking class. These beef filled turnovers paired with a salad make a great meal […]

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