Shop with a Personal Chef at Kits
The chefs from Cooking Journeys are excited to be hosting a series of market tours throughout the summer at Kitsilano.
Luisa and Courtney will be your personal guides through the market, focusing on a different topic each month, to help you get the most out of your market experience. They’ll show you how to find the best products on offer, use them wisely, stretch your dollar and how to shop like a chef!
Tours run rain or shine at 11:30am. Come prepared with comfortable shoes and an umbrella if needed. Save a tree & don’t print your ticket – we’ll check you in at the Market Information Booth.
Find tickets on our Eventbrite page!
Tour Topics
May 25th – Market Shopping to Reduce Waste
It can seem tricky to shop locally and buy organically with the family food budget stretched more than ever these days. Reducing food waste is one way to make sure that you’re getting the most out of every dollar that you spend. Numbers show that we throw away a huge amount of food before we need to, wasting precious resources and filling up our landfills unnecessarily. Learn how to plan your menus and shop with an eye towards using every bit so that nothing goes to waste! Go home full of great ideas and with a list of steps you can take to keep food on the plate and not in the trash.
June 29th – Shopping for Meat & Fish
Shopping for animal proteins at the market can seem a bit daunting – unlike the grocery store, everything is frozen and you often have to ask the vendor for exactly what you want. Learn about different cuts and types of meat, how to transport and store it safely, and how to prepare your finds for best flavour and value. This year we’re rumoured to be in for a particularly good salmon run – this tour is perfectly timed to take advantage of our natural abundance of fabulous fish!
July 27th – Shopping and Cooking with Kids
The market is a fun place for kids – and it’s a great place to start getting them excited about food! Kids who know where their food comes from are more likely to make good food choices as they get older. The chefs will offer ideas and suggestions for bringing your kids to market without a hassle, what foods get kids excited about dinner time, and how to get kids involved in the kitchen so they’re inspired!
August 24th – Tomatoes!
August 24th is Tomato Fest at Kits – the whole market will be celebrating the terrific tomato! Along with our popular tomato displays and sampling, the chefs will teach you how to shop for the tastiest tomato, which varieties are best for which uses, and tips on how your bounty of tomatoes can be preserved to last throughout the year.
September 28th – Market Shopping on a Budget
We’re all watching our pennies these days and who better than a chef to help you make every dollar count? Learn how to get the best deals at the market and which foods give you the best bang for your buck. Farmers markets can fit into every budget – the chefs will show you how it’s done!
Meet the Chefs
Luisa Rios – Chef and owner, Cooking Journeys Personal Chef Service
The founder and owner of Vancouver-based personal chef service, Cooking Journeys, Luisa Rios is a professional chef, a graduate of the renowned Le Cordon Bleu Paris – Culinary Arts Institute and a member of the International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP) and the American Personal & Private Chef Association (APPCA). Since opening Cooking Journeys in 2008, Luisa has cooked for prominent sports stars, Hollywood film directors, corporate CEOs – and families just like yours. Before becoming a personal chef, Luisa started her own cooking journey by working with some of the finest restaurants and caterers in the country, including Beckta Dining & Wine — named one of the Top 10 New Restaurants in Canada.
Courtney Schwegel – Sous-Chef, Cooking Journeys Personal Chef Service
Courtney Schwegel joined the Cooking Journeys team in 2013 after graduating from the Northwest Culinary Academy of Vancouver. Before coming to Cooking Journeys, Courtney apprenticed at Cibo Trattoria with Chef Neil Taylor and West under pastry chef Rhonda Viani, where she was able to experience both the sweet and savoury sides of fine dining. A firm believer that food is the best medicine for both our bodies and our souls, Courtney is also following her passion for delicious, healthy meals by pursuing certification as a Registered Holistic Nutritionist.
