Whether served on the finest local pottery by the fireplace or from a paper bag atop a mountain, a collection of ingredients is so much more than a meal. This book is a celebration of all things Revelstokian and delectable, and highlights just some of the people that make it all possible.
This is the biggest gamble many of us have taken. For those involved in this book, the Revelstoke food system is what not just sustains our patrons, but our hearts, families & (barely) our bank accounts too.
Food can be a tough love to have. The scoldings we receive from our contemporaries, critics, and colleagues figuratively shape us with the thickest of skins. More literally, this book comes from many hands bearing scaldings we are gifted by our tools and our trade. Years of hard work have gone into every recipe, and we felt the need to share our stories with you.
Because the great reward of loving food is seeing the delight it creates. Usually, our lives and legacies are on display daily and we thrive on immediate gratification. We see if our work is perfect instantly, from the reactions of the guests & friends we feed. We need to work lovingly, as there can be no hiding in the kitchen (other than those suitably dished out by the Head Chef).
Chefs have a knack for blending what’s in vogue with the ancestral knowledge we carry within. As we adapt in life, we find not just new ways of cooking but renewed significance. So please, remember the beauty is in your details; leave your mark on these recipes. As you use them, evolve them into your own.
Personally, I have seen many an exquisite kitchen with many an elegant touch. The people behind these scenes have provided me with a lifetime of lessons and stories that I am rather thankful for. Hopefully, I will be able to share this through my food for years to come in the only place I have known to call home: Revelstoke. The businesses you know and love that are represented in this book would not be here without the supportive Revelstoke community around them.
This is a small snapshot of this special place, the here and now of this microcosm. We are a nomadic community, always craving the next peak. Welcoming new influences and ideas. These are just a few of them.
A small note on my culinary collaborators We have become a small yet ambitious team, much like Revelstoke itself. The ability to herd (cats) this town into a singular project has been far from straightforward, but the people we have met have made every moment worthwhile (with rather feigning sincerity for those who do not know me well).
Myles was obviously approached to sign onto this project. Whether for his boyish good looks or his business acumen, neither reason for him being here go under-appreciated, I assure you.
Ant & Sammy were also no-brainers, not for the Northern heritage, but simply for their incredible ability to see the world not just through their lenses, but through the eyes of the Revelstokians entrusting us with their vision for food.