5 REASONS TO SEE...
Fraser Valley Food Show April 1 to 3 | Tradex Exhibition Centre, Abbotsford Tickets: $9, $7 for seniors, $5 children 13 to 16
Craving some new tastes? Head to the Fraser Valley and check out this weekend’s food show.
1 Topless cooking. Don’t get too excited — Cook Topless is the title of a recent ebook by Chef Dez, and it’s def SFW. In it, Dez writes about cooking without a lid, which is the method he uses to dehydrate ingredients. Others appearing (with shirts on, presumably) on the Celebrity Cooking Stage are Vancouver’s own Hidekazu Tojo, owner and chef of Tojo’s Japanese Restaurant, and Bob Blumer. Among other accomplishments, Blumer hosts The World’s Weirdest Restaurants, which showcases places like a Japanese izakaya where monkeys serve beer.
2 Wine and beer food pairings. Wine blogger Kathleen Rake and beer expert Rick Mohabir will host a series of seminars on tasting, evaluating and pairing food with beer and wine. On Sunday afternoon, mixologists Lauren Mote and Jonathan Chovancek will demonstrate the secrets of a decent exotic cocktail. You’ll also be able to buy tickets to sample the wares of over 20 boutique wineries and micro breweries from around the Fraser Valley.
3 Hosting tips. Put away the Cheezies and Baby Duck and learn how to organize a real wine-and-cheese evening. The Dairy Farmers of Canada host a series of free seminars with experts on upping your hosting game with wine and cheese pairings, and related topics.
4 Hold the wheat. There is no scarcity of gluten-free options and ideas at the Fraser Valley Food Show. Theresa Nicassio, known as the inclusive chef for recipes that are free of gluten, sugar, dairy, eggs, potatoes, and all animal products, will demonstrate three of her dishes on the cooking stage. The aforementioned Bob Blumer will whip up his signature glutenfree grilled pizza. And glutenfree products will take up half of the exhibitor floor space.
5 Something for the carnivores. Don’t worry, meatlovers — organizers of the Fraser Valley Food Show haven’t forgotten you. Local butchers will take to the stage to demonstrate the art of meat cutting, sausage making, knife skills and more.