2013-07

We sent out a mass email to many of the fine folks in the local food shed last week, and we were happy to receive many emails from chefs, farmers and producers. We thank you all and hope to get many of you into the studio soon to share your stories.Carmie Dixon was one of the first to respond to our email. She has been operating Carmies Cafe and Catering in Cumberland for just over five years now. With a long history of cooking in a variety of situations and countries, she has had a variety of culinary training. She says she is a cook, not a chef and prides herself and the Cafe with home cooked, comfort-style affair. Carmie is also the first of the seven establishments in Cumberland to have on the podcast. Thanks Carmie for joining us in the studio!

With our busy schedules, we were not able to organize a guest for this weeks recording. However we had a chance to chat about a few goings on. Blayne has now become the proud owner of a steer, as well as getting close to finishing up his Permaculture Design Course. Jon is happily feeding the masses on these warm summer nights at the Atlas, and preparing for Flavour in a month and a half! We are hoping to get more feedback from listeners and perspective guests. If you know of someone who would be interesting for usnto talk to, please send us an email(ediblevalley@gmail.com), comment on the show notes, or on our facebook page.

Helen Grond contacted us a few weeks ago to let us know she was appreciating the podcast, and offer some words of encouragement. She revealed that, with her husband, they own and operate Middle Mountain Mead on Hornby Island. Along with being a local farmer and producer, Helen has also been living the Paleo lifestyle for five years and belongs to a Paleo inspired group on the island. It was a great conversation with someone who is very educated about the issues of our present day food systems and wishes to help others to create food security in their own lives. Thanks Helen, it was great to meet you!

On this episode of Edible Valley Food Facts we are talking Cooking Methods. Darren and Jonathan are once again trying to get back to basics in an attempt to simplify cooking and help break peoples fears of cooking and food. We will be discussing the effect of heat on food and the different ways of cooking. We plan to explore how proteins, fats, carbohydrates, and water are effected by heat and what methods work best. From moist heat to dry heat methods we will be discussing our favourites ways and dishes that help us enjoy our edible valley. Learning how food cooks is and essential lesson to be learn in the kitchen and some simple knowledge can save you from hours of frustration and disaster. The simple techniques of simmering water to poaching and the benefits of steaming. We will get into a personal favourite, braising the process of slowly tenderizing a protein to bring about a tender juicy product. These are some examples of moist heat cooking methods, the process in conducting heat through a liquid, i.e. water, which we will dive in to more deeply in this episode. Dry heat Method on the other hand is the transfer of heat without moisture that is by using hot air, hot metal, radiation or hot fat. Great examples of these are baking, grilling, broiling, sautéing or deep frying. Hope you enjoy and learn while listening to this episode of Edible Valley Food Facts.