Banff Hotel Watermelon-Ginger Fresca Eli...

Banff Springs. The summer of 1966 was just a round the corner. The Beatles tunes were filling the air waves, high school was behind me and I got my driver’s license. At 16 I had already worked 10 years cooking alongside dad and at other part time positions. I was mostly a weekend banquet, breakfast and lunch cook. The Iroquois Hotel, Loft Pancake House, Knotty Pine, Moffat’s, The Kitchener Market were just a few of the places that I cooked as a junior. I was learning short order cooking and became well organized and efficient at cooking breakfast and lunch fare. I was...

Smoked Salmon and Prawn Party Shooters.

Here is a tasty appetizer Smoked Salmon or Spot Prawn Shooters. In a stainless or glass bowl make a salsa. 1/2 cup each of diced 1/4”cubes of nectarine or peach, avocado mango and papaya. ½ a cup of fine chopped cilantro.   ½ cup chopped green onion 1 tbs. of chopped garlic, ginger and shallot. 1/4 cup of fine chopped pistachios or cashews.   Add one deseeded and fine chopped red jalapeno pepper. Use a red sweet bell pepper in place of if required. Add 2oz. of some Vodka.   Add fresh squeezed juice with pulp from 1 orange, 1 lemon and 1 lime. Add 1 tbs. of extra virgin...