Edible Vancouver Island Jan/Feb 2023

I have a complicated relationship with winter. I love cool, crisp morning hikes, curling up in front of the re with a good book, making delicious comfort dishes and lighting a dozen candles and soaking in a hot bath. I don’t even mind putting away the holiday decorations and switching up the Christmas décor to a West Coast winter vibe. I love when the hellebores bloom and the snowdrops start to burst out of the ground. But what I struggle with is this feeling of loneliness that comes over me like a dark blanket after the holidays. My daughter and her family are back home in Australia, my son and his girlfriend are back at university on the mainland, all my friends are on diets or holidays and no one wants to play!

PUBLISHER + EDITOR IN CHIEF Karen Elgersma

ART DIRECTOR Danika McDowell EDITOR

Danielle Steiner COPY EDITOR Trish Weatherall SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER Jenny Leung PHOTOGRAPHERS Danika McDowell Heidi Richter Janis Jean Sabrina Currie Shane Yakelashek AD DESIGN Leanne Von Hollen ADVERTISING Andrew Spark Dawn Postniko Peggie Terry ediblevancouverisland.com/advertise CONTACT US 140-4392 West Saanich Road Victoria, BC, V8Z 3E9 editor@ediblevancouverisland.com TO SUBSCRIBE Visit us online at ediblevancouverisland.com Edible Vancouver Island is published six times a year. Subscription rate is $42 CAD annually. LETTERS We welcome your feedback. To write to the editor, use the address above or, for the quickest response, email: editor@ediblevancouverisland.com

is year I am determined to do winter di erently. I am lling my bedside table with inspiring books like Denise Marchessault and Deb Garlick’s beautiful new book, e Artful Pie Project ( nd a recipe on page 10). I am going to try a new pie recipe each week during the winter months and convince my friends to break their diets and come over for a game night paired with warm homemade pie. I’m also excited about planning our annual Red Dinner (page 16). Plus, this year I am going to take the time to write Valentines to all those I love. And after having interviewed the inspiring chocolatier and artist John Down, founder of Christopher Norman Chocolates, for this issue (page 34), I’m also going to pair the cards with beautiful Christopher Norman chocolate treats. But the very rst dreamy thing I am going to do in 2023 to combat my winter melancholy is plan a mini local vacation. After reading Dawn Postniko ’s story (page 20), I am inspired to combine my love of cooking with my passion for adventure and have a holiday lled with local culinary treats. is escape will include stops at local craft breweries to experience some unique winter ales and discover a few new beers. Joe Wiebe’s article (page 42) on our craft beer evolution pairs beautifully with a local ale. We hope this winter brings you the gift of time–time to learn a new recipe, create a fun tradition, plan a weekend escape, read a good book or discover a new place to enjoy a winter walk on this magical Island we are lucky enough to call home.

Edible Vancouver Island magazine is published six times per year by Karen Elgersma Media INC. 140-4392 West Saanich Road, Victoria, BC V8Z 3E9

Karen Elgersma

No part of these publications may be reproduced in any form without the written permission of the publisher. Every e ort is made to avoid errors and omissions. If you notice an error, please accept our sincere apologies and notify us. © 2023. All rights reserved.

“You hang up your coat, tug off your boots and light the fire. You will probably put the kettle on or pour yourself a drink. Not so much as a way to get warm, more to welcome yourself home. Home means more to us in cold weather. Making ourselves comfortable is a duty. Making friends and family comfortable is an art.” ~ Nigel Slater

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On the cover: Christopher Norman Chocolates—story on page 34 . Photo by Danika McDowell.