Edible Vancouver Island March/April 2024

ISLAND TREASURE

TRADITIONS Kitchen

Photo Aaron Bergunder

Photo courtesy of Cheese Maker

WORDS JESSICA MCKEIL FORGE A NEW FAMILY TRADITION IN THE KITCHEN WITH LOCAL DIY KITS AND WORKSHOPS

F amily traditions often become a part of our lives naturally, with little thought or foresight. We learn a new skill, come to appreciate its value–and suddenly find ourselves, months or years later, having adopted it into a comfortable routine. These traditions also have a tendency to revolve around food: from Grandma's annual Christmas gingerbread to each summer's batch of strawberry jam and the autumnal chanterelle forage, rituals like these often find their way into our hearts organically via the kitchen. But what if you want to purposefully craft a new tradition? Creating intentional family heritage can be as simple as learning a new culinary technique. You can tackle these projects on your own, or make them simpler with do-it-yourself kits and workshops offered by local makers across Vancouver Island.

CHEESE MAKING With less fuss than you may think, you can become a cheese master in your own home, thanks to Victoria-based duo and certified curd-nerds Alexis and Jeremy Bossio, owners of Cheese Maker.

explains, "The most difficult thing about cheesemaking is getting all of the stuff you need to make the cheese," as grocery stores don't sell cheese cultures or rennet. With a kit from Cheese Maker, you'll have everything (except the milk) to make cheddar, curds and even vegan cheese in your own kitchen. But Jeremy recommends starting with mozzarella because, as he says, "it has an instant gratification factor." In one hour, you'll have a pound of fresh mozzarella, perfect for topping Grape and Honey Pizza with or stuffing into Spinach and Four Cheese Ravioli (recipes on ediblevancouverisland.com). KOMBUCHA BREWING Eight years ago, Christine Susut began her adventure with kombucha in an ongoing

Creating intentional family heritage can be as simple as learning a new culinary technique.

Cheese Maker came to be because although there are many people eager to learn the art of cheesemaking, finding the ingredients and tools to do so isn't so easy. As Jeremy

22 MAR/APR 2024 EDIBLE VANCOUVER ISLAND