Vancouver's inaugural Feast of Flavour Holistic Food features healing cuisine

"Flavour heals" was the theme felt throughout the first annual Feast of Flavour - Vancouver's Holistic Food Event that was held at the Croation Cultural Centre on October 22, 2011.

Canada's holistic nurtritionists combined their knowledge and experience with local celebrity chefs to create a day of learning, tasting and inspiration.

Chef Jonathan Chovancek's recipe:  Umeboshi plum with green onion chili rice and smoked organic tofu

The Feast of Flavour event was organized by CAHN-PRO (Canadian Association of Holistic Nutrition Professionals), a non-profit organziation that works to educate the pubilic about healthy eating and lifestyle habits, prevention and natural approaches to health, while expanding the recognition of the profession.  The Feast of Flavour was a fundrasier for CHAN-Pro to help fund research projects and education programs.

The event featured mouth watering dishes that were beautifully presented and highlighted key ingrediants. Foods such as lentils, umeboshi plums, vanilla, jerusalem artichoke, coconut, salmon, squash, lamb, kombucha, chocolate, wine and more were shown in creative ways whilst also demonstrating their flavour and health benefits.

Chef Jonathan Chovancek's Coconut Truffles with raw cocoa and toasted coconut crunch

Tasting and experiencing the flavours of the fresh, local dishes offered participants a great opportunity to talk further with the various exhibitors which included local growers, chefs, organic wineries, breweries and more.

Chef Jonathan's Chovancek's recipes: Left: Jerusalem artichoke pave, pressed with carrot and potato with rosemary sauce, middle: Meringue cookies with maca curd and maquie sugar right: Savoury squash marshmallow with sesame oil and radish sprouts

Chef Corbin Tomaszeski host of Dinner Party Wars was one of two special guest chefs.  Chef Tomaszeski hosted his own dinner party for four lucky audience members as he talked about how food connects all of us.  He asked those in attendance to recall the times before a meal was something that was heated in the mircrowave and was only a means to quickly fill an empty stomach.  Chef Tomaszeski recounted his own childhood memories, of a time when meals were more about bringing family and friends together and where the entire meal on the table was often prepared from produce grown on the family property.  "Food should create a memory or spark a memory...it's all about the togetherness" said Chef Tomaszeski.  

Chef Corbin Tomaszeski