Okay, so you have been procrastinating, or worried about battling Christmas crowds in search of that unusual, yet perfect gift for a significant person on your shopping list. If that person is in Vancouver, Victoria, or anywhere in the world, give the gift of ME.
That's right, a real-life, experienced, charming (and some people say handsome) instructor of Italian cooking classes, in-person food and travel writing classes, and even online food and travel writing. And you can give the gift without even leaving your keyboard.
I have a slate of classes to offer over the winter at Cook Culture, a great new cookware store and cookschool in Victoria. The first one in January, Sunny Sicily, is sold out, but you can still get in on Italy North, Romantic Roman (in time for Valentine's Day), Easy Italian Charcuterie, Pasta 101, or Tuscany. All of these classes are just $75+tax…and yes, you can enrol online.
For something a little more in-depth when it comes to food culture, I'm offering a new series of courses at UBC this winter in the Languages, Cultures and Travel Division of Continuing Studies:
Cooking the Books: Begins at the end of January in Vancouver. This course traces a path through the social history of food over the years via our cookbooks, with an emphasis on the recent trend of 'eating local' and efforts to create a more sustainable food life.
How World Cuisines Survive and Thrive in Canada: This series of courses at UBC looks at the major immigrant cuisines of Canada. In each course I'll discuss the history of how certain cuisines came to Canada and how they have made an indelible mark on our food culture. You'll learn how to identify unfamiliar ingredients and how they are used. Course fee includes food samples. You can choose from Europe in May, or Asia in June.
Greening Your Grocery List: This new online course helps you discover the true meaning of the words that are used to market a meal or the food in the grocery store. Delve into the mysterious world of labelling, advertising and carbon footprints. Students will have opportunities to share opinions and discoveries through online forums. Individual class topics include Organics, Sustainable Seafood, Labelling, Carbon Footprints and Action Plans.
And for people who want to do what I do, write for a living, you can order up my in-person or online Food and Travel Writing courses which are guaranteed to show you the best way to get your writing in print, and get paid for it!
There you go, all your last-minute shopping for the favourite foodie on your list. Happy Holidays!
