Edible Vancouver Island March/April 2024

When I was young, my birthday was as big a deal to me as Christmas day, and my mom was the queen of epic birthday celebrations. She would hide a present under my bed when I was sleeping, and when I woke up, I would jump up and look under the bed to see what surprise awaited me. Sometimes it was candy (which was a big deal, because we didn’t usually have candy in our house), or a new dress, or hair ribbons or a toy. I would get whatever I wanted for breakfast–which meant pancakes, of course. But the best part was the birthday cake. She would make her legendary triple-layer white cake layered with jam and topped with white icing and sprinkles (my dad has always called it “Mom’s heavy white cake” because it literally weighs a ton). And then she would fill the cake with money that she carefully wrapped in wax paper.

PUBLISHER + EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Karen Elgersma

ART DIRECTOR Leanne Von Hollen EDITOR

Danielle Steiner COPY EDITOR Trish Weatherall OPERATIONS MANAGER Corry Matechuk SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER Jenny Leung PHOTOGRAPHERS Matt Shannon D.L. Acken Sarah Buckley-Jones Denis Yaouanq GRAPHIC DESIGN Leanne Von Hollen ADVERTISING ediblevancouverisland.com/advertise Peggie Terry Thom Klos Kimberly Johnston 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

I carried on many of my mom’s birthday traditions when I had kids of my own, but it was my mom who would make my children the “money cake.” Last year, when my son turned 20, he asked her to make him a special money cake and of course, my 81-year-old mother honoured his request. I can’t wait to make my granddaughter her first money cake and pass this joyful tradition on to the next generation (for more on birthday cake lore, see Danielle Steiner’s article on page 26). It’s an honour to pay homage to the time-honoured traditions passed down through generations. For many of us, Easter is another example of an occasion filled with traditional dishes. But sometimes, it’s fun to create new traditions together; Emily Lycopolus has some new Easter recipe ideas to try from the land, sea and sky (page 16), and Jessica McKeil inspires us to be intentional about creating DIY traditions with friends and family (page 22). Karen Elgersma

Food is more than sustenance–it’s an expression of our creativity, and we hope this issue helps you to appreciate traditions long-kept, while also inspiring you to seek out the creation of new ones.

ISSUE 26 • MAR/APR 2024

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ISSUE 26 • MAR/APR 2024 CHOCOLATE LILIES • KITCHEN TRADITIONS • HERRING SPAWNS

Celebrating Local Food Stories of Vancouver Island & The Gulf Islands

Cover photo by Love's Galettes. Find an irresistible buttercream icing recipe from Love's Galettes at ediblevancouverisland.com/recipes/vanilla-swiss-meringue-buttercream