August 11th, 2010
I’ve been taking some time off from blogging to enjoy amazing summer weather on Vancouver Island but will be back soon with places to visit and food to try along the way.
Wishing everyone a wonder summer, no matter where you stay or go!
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July 5th, 2010
Coombs Old Country Market is known for their grass roof covered in live goats and a funky market full of imported foods, gifty things, and their massive bakery counter.
Located not too far from me, Coombs is less than ten minutes west of Parksville on the Port Alberni Highway 4 on Vancouver Island. I’ve been a fan of their Bee Sting pastry for some time now – a croissant-style puff pastry roll which has been split in half, stuffed with fresh whipped cream (real, not that edible oil garbage), then covered with a thick layer of freshly-made caramel, drizzled over the top. It’s beyond ridiculous and just as good as it sounds.
A friend visiting Vancouver Island from the prairies recently went to try her first Coombs Market bee sting on the way to Tofino and reported back to me that there was another flavour of Bee Sting: Blueberry and Lemon. I was in the car the next day with a somewhat suspect list of groceries that could only be purchased from Coombs Market as, lets be honest, a weak excuse to get my hands on a new kind of pastry.
When I arrived, to my dismay, there were no Bee Stings, blueberry lemon or caramel, to be seen anywhere in the bakery. Then, like magic, a fresh tray of treats slid into view inside the enormous glass baked goods case, topped with a sign that said “Raspberry Lime Bee Stings”.
Raspberry and lime in pastry sounded as weird as it did delicious and I dove right in. The combination of flavours was perfect – the classic Bee Sting puff pastry roll, split in half and this time stuffed with raspberry whipped cream, flecked with pieces of real raspberry. The lime glaze topping was perfect, smooth and velvety with a zingy lime twang that highlighted the creaminess of the interior. This sweet monstrosity was topped with two perfectly fresh ripe raspberries and a small slice of raspberry crystallized jelly, unintentionally making a tasty little happy face.
There are tons of great reasons to stop in Coombs on your travels around Vancouver Island, but getting your hands on a Coombs Market Bee Sting or another of their decadent desserts should definitely be topping that list.
I’ll be back in line soon enough… I haven’t tried the Blueberry Lemon Bee Sting yet!
Click here for more information about Coombs Old Country Market.
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July 2nd, 2010
Let the summer travels and home town exploring begin.
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June 18th, 2010
A Mini Rant about Bouchon Bakery, Las Vegas.
Since watching Anthony Bourdain eat at the French Laundry on an episode of A Cook’s Tour way back when, I’ve been dying to taste Thomas Keller’s food. I’m saving my appetite and wallet for one of his massive tasting menus at Bouchon sometime in the future, but in the meantime, I thought I’d take advantage of a more affordable way to get a taste of what he’s all about at his Bouchon Bakery in The Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas.
…READ MORE
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June 18th, 2010
The trip from Las Vegas to Vancouver Island by car is both fascinating and incredibly long and boring – here’s the 24 hour trip condensed into two minutes.
Passed through the Mojave Desert during the hottest week on record, then the ancient inland seas of Idaho, through Oregon in the dark, then saw the sun rise over the green valley pastures of Washington, plowed through the rainy mountain tops, then across the border and ferry over the Georgia Strait back to Vancouver Island.
2,147 kilometres, 1,334 miles and a lot of hours behind the wheel… but well worth the trip!
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