A Few Words About the Prairie Oyster:
An American preparation dating at least to the late 19th century, it usually consists of egg yolk, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco sauce, salt, pepper and vinegar; and is regarded by many as a hangover cure, by others as a hiccup fix. Under no circumstances should it be confused with the similarly named comestible known as Prairie Oysters: bull-calves’ testicles.
Friday 30 December 2011
Tuesday 9 August 2011
New Date! Sept 1, 2011 Grand Opening
Our grand opening party has been moved to Sept 1, 2011 at the Winnipeg Squash and Racquet Club from 4-7pm. We will be featuring fresh oysters from BC including: Fanny Bay, Kusshi and Effingham!
Come for the oysters, drinks and a new line of hot sauces by Shelagh!
Invitations are being sent out this week so let us know if you want to be included on the guest list!
Come for the oysters, drinks and a new line of hot sauces by Shelagh!
Invitations are being sent out this week so let us know if you want to be included on the guest list!
Wednesday 13 July 2011
POC Grand Opening Aug 18, 2011!!!
We have booked the Winnipeg Squash and Racquet Club to host our grand opening on Aug 18, 2011 from 4-6pm. Details and ticket info to follow but we are looking forward to officially launching our venture with an oyster tasting party. If you are interested in attending send us an email at peter@prairieoystercatering.ca or marshall@prairieoystercatering.ca.
We will be bringing in different varieties of oysters for you to try so bring an appetite and a shucking knife... just kidding, we'll shuck em for you!
PWR
We will be bringing in different varieties of oysters for you to try so bring an appetite and a shucking knife... just kidding, we'll shuck em for you!
PWR
Wednesday 22 June 2011
We're home!
I haven't had time to write up our trip to BC last weekend for the BC Shellfish Festival yet but here is a good article on the festival... http://communities.canada.com/vancouversun/blogs/whatscooking/default.aspx.
Pics and stories to follow... best weekend ever btw despite the fact that a car burning festival broke out in Vancouver the first night I was there ;)
Pics and stories to follow... best weekend ever btw despite the fact that a car burning festival broke out in Vancouver the first night I was there ;)
Monday 13 June 2011
Priceline
I had some issues with Priceline this morning... this is what I emailed them after spending an hour on the phone with their hapless call centre staff...
I am very unhappy with my transaction with Priceline. I booked a vehicle through Priceline for a 8am pick up at a cost of $145. I checked my itinerary today and Priceline changed my pickup time to 6pm. I tried to modify the pick up time back to 8am but the prices were $100-+400 more.
I called customer service and spent an hour talking to 3 people and no one was able to help me. All I wanted was a similarly priced car for an earlier pick up.
Thanks for wasting my morning and wrecking my first day of my trip. Unless this is rectified I will never use Priceline again and will speak badly about your services for the rest of my life to everyone I know. Actually I probably won't... it's only $100 and I'll spend the day in Vancouver drinking good coffee and enjoying the scenery until I can pick up my vehicle at 6pm while whoever does or doesn't read this works at their shitty job in a shitty office for a shitty company.
See you in hell Priceline!
I am very unhappy with my transaction with Priceline. I booked a vehicle through Priceline for a 8am pick up at a cost of $145. I checked my itinerary today and Priceline changed my pickup time to 6pm. I tried to modify the pick up time back to 8am but the prices were $100-+400 more.
I called customer service and spent an hour talking to 3 people and no one was able to help me. All I wanted was a similarly priced car for an earlier pick up.
Thanks for wasting my morning and wrecking my first day of my trip. Unless this is rectified I will never use Priceline again and will speak badly about your services for the rest of my life to everyone I know. Actually I probably won't... it's only $100 and I'll spend the day in Vancouver drinking good coffee and enjoying the scenery until I can pick up my vehicle at 6pm while whoever does or doesn't read this works at their shitty job in a shitty office for a shitty company.
See you in hell Priceline!
Wednesday 8 June 2011
BC Shellfish Festival
After spending the last month working on flood issues, I am starting to get excited about our trip to BC next week for the http://bcshellfishfestival.ca/. The plan so far is for me to fly to Vancouver on Wednesday, June 15th, pick up the rental unit and spend the day visiting wholesalers, suppliers and restaurant's, etc. If my BC friends are lucky I will bring some Manitoba love and cook them some menno food (farmer sausage, verenikje, holubtchi, Bothwell cheese curds, kielke, schmont fat, crackles, etc.)
Marshall flies in to YVR Thursday morning and I will attempt to wake up early and pick him up so we can catch the ferry (BC Ferries - Cruising the Straits!) to Nanaimo. We are hoping to meet Andrew Dryden at Evening Cove Oyster and then drive to Fanny Bay to tour Fanny Bay Oysters with Ray Silvey before we drive to Courtney and check in at the Old House Village Hotel.
Friday will be a busy day because we want to drive up to Read Island and visit Steve Pocock at Sawmill Bay before the 5:30 BCSF Chefs’ Dinner at Filberg Heritage Lodge and Park in Comox. It looks like an amazing evening of... here, I'll let them describe it - The Chefs’ Dinner is a unique culinary experience. Served outdoors along the banks of Baynes Sound amongst the beautiful gardens of the historic Filberg Heritage Lodge and Park, this six-course gourmet supper is prepared by some of BC’s top chefs who have been partnered up with a local shellfish grower to bring you the best of BC. Included in your meal is a selection of Okanagan based Hester Creek Estate wines expertly paired with each course. During the reception, guests will be treated to the intoxicating sounds of Emily Spiller, recently nominated for 5 Vancouver Island Music Awards. Pretty cool hey?
Saturday - we will probably need some spa treatment and a hike up a mountain after the 6 course dinner because Saturday is oyster day at the Festival... oyster shucking contest, chowder contest (what the heck?), music, oyster vendors... be still my beating heart! I may never eat again after this trip... wowsers is all I can say!
Sunday - this should be a fun day... we plan on taking the Comox to Powell River Ferry and then tour Organic Oysters and other producers in the Okeover area with Andre Comeau. Their place looks amazing and we can't wait to learn about their product and harvesting techniques on the Sunshine Coast!
Monday - fly back to Winnipeg, hopefully with our heads full of stories, our stomachs full of food, our phones filled with contacts and our luggage filled with product!
Marshall flies in to YVR Thursday morning and I will attempt to wake up early and pick him up so we can catch the ferry (BC Ferries - Cruising the Straits!) to Nanaimo. We are hoping to meet Andrew Dryden at Evening Cove Oyster and then drive to Fanny Bay to tour Fanny Bay Oysters with Ray Silvey before we drive to Courtney and check in at the Old House Village Hotel.
Friday will be a busy day because we want to drive up to Read Island and visit Steve Pocock at Sawmill Bay before the 5:30 BCSF Chefs’ Dinner at Filberg Heritage Lodge and Park in Comox. It looks like an amazing evening of... here, I'll let them describe it - The Chefs’ Dinner is a unique culinary experience. Served outdoors along the banks of Baynes Sound amongst the beautiful gardens of the historic Filberg Heritage Lodge and Park, this six-course gourmet supper is prepared by some of BC’s top chefs who have been partnered up with a local shellfish grower to bring you the best of BC. Included in your meal is a selection of Okanagan based Hester Creek Estate wines expertly paired with each course. During the reception, guests will be treated to the intoxicating sounds of Emily Spiller, recently nominated for 5 Vancouver Island Music Awards. Pretty cool hey?
Saturday - we will probably need some spa treatment and a hike up a mountain after the 6 course dinner because Saturday is oyster day at the Festival... oyster shucking contest, chowder contest (what the heck?), music, oyster vendors... be still my beating heart! I may never eat again after this trip... wowsers is all I can say!
Sunday - this should be a fun day... we plan on taking the Comox to Powell River Ferry and then tour Organic Oysters and other producers in the Okeover area with Andre Comeau. Their place looks amazing and we can't wait to learn about their product and harvesting techniques on the Sunshine Coast!
Monday - fly back to Winnipeg, hopefully with our heads full of stories, our stomachs full of food, our phones filled with contacts and our luggage filled with product!
Tuesday 31 May 2011
Big Announcement in Winnipeg Today!
I know lots of people have been waiting for this for a long time so I am happy to report that...... Prairie Oyster Catering has rescheduled their Oysterpalooza Tour and will be attending the BC Shellfish Festival June 17 & 18 in beautiful Comox, BC!
Details to follow but we are also looking forward to touring lots of oyster farms and connecting with local west coast producers so we can source the best product possible for our clients!
Have a great day... PWR
PS - Congrats to Smoke's Poutinerie on their grand opening today... can't wait to try them!
PPS - oh yeah the Jets are coming back to Winnipeg
Details to follow but we are also looking forward to touring lots of oyster farms and connecting with local west coast producers so we can source the best product possible for our clients!
Have a great day... PWR
PS - Congrats to Smoke's Poutinerie on their grand opening today... can't wait to try them!
PPS - oh yeah the Jets are coming back to Winnipeg
Sunday 22 May 2011
Good news.. oysters are good for you and the environment!
The Vancouver Aquarium has a program called Ocean Wise, which is aimed at promoting sustainable seafood in restaurants, markets, and other food service facilities. Ocean Wise works directly with food service companies to select sustainable seafood and actively promote them to the general public. The options are highlighted on participating restaurant menus and display cases with the Ocean Wise symbol, to help consumers make environmentally friendly seafood choices. Today, well over 300 restaurants in Canada are participants in the Ocean Wise program. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vancouver_Aquarium#Ocean_Wise
Ocean Wise’s recommendations are based on 4 criteria. An Ocean Wise recommended species is:
1.) Abundant and resilient to fishing pressures
2.) Well managed with a comprehensive management plan based on current research
3.) Harvested in a method that ensures limited bycatch on non-target and endangered species
4.) Harvested in ways that limit damage to marine or aquatic habitats and negative interactions with other species.
All farmed oysters are Ocean Wise recommended. http://www.oceanwise.ca/seafood/oysters
Seafood Watch is a program of the Monterey Bay Aquarium, and is a partner of SeaWeb's Seafood Choices Alliance. Seafood Watch is one of the best known sustainable seafood advisory lists, and has influenced similar programs around the world. It is a program designed to raise consumer awareness about the importance of buying seafood from sustainable sources.
Farmed oysters account for 95 percent of the world’s total oyster consumption. Most oyster farming operations are very well managed and produce a sustainable product.
Consumer Note
Farmed oysters are available year-round and can be served raw, smoked, canned or frozen. Oysters are known as kaki when prepared for sushi.
Summary
Like clams, mussels and scallops, oysters are filter-feeding shellfish that are extremely well-suited to aquaculture. Farming oysters brings little risk of pollution or escapees, and habitat effects from the farms are minimal.
Unlike some farmed fish, oysters minimally impact marine resources as they don’t rely on wild-caught fish – in the form of fishmeal or fish oil – for food. And, thanks to the oyster’s filter-feeding action, oyster farms can actually benefit the surrounding coastal waters.
With their low habitat impacts, farmed oysters are a “Best Choice.”
Tuesday 17 May 2011
oyster links
how oysters are cultivated... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUDLOj4JBZc
and the BC Shellfish Festival... http://bcshellfishfestival.ca/BCSF/Welcome.html
hoping to make this one!
and the BC Shellfish Festival... http://bcshellfishfestival.ca/BCSF/Welcome.html
hoping to make this one!
Monday 16 May 2011
bad news...
Oysterpalooza is postponed for a few weeks due to flood conditions in Manitoba... sad to miss the Oyster Festival in Cortes but we will try to make it up to there in a few weeks when things calm down here.
Best of luck to the people in Slave Lake as they battle fires!
Best of luck to the people in Slave Lake as they battle fires!
Saturday 14 May 2011
thanksgiving oyster story
a nice blog on an oyster tradition... thanks rodneysTO twitter for the link...
http://thesouthinmymouth.wordpress.com/2009/11/28/oysters/
http://thesouthinmymouth.wordpress.com/2009/11/28/oysters/
Trip postponed?
I'm a bit worried that we may have to postpone Oysterpalooza 2011 for a few weeks. I'm really busy with the flood and may not be able to leave unless things calm down next week. If we have to cancel we will go later this month or early June. I would hate to miss the Cortes Oyster Festival... check out some cool pics here (http://www.anything-sailing.com/showthread.php/1784-The-Cortes-Island-Oyster-Festival)... but we'll see what happens.
Here's another good link on the fest and oysters in general... http://www.mywestworld.com/living/cortes-island-daytripper-shuck-it-up/
PWR
PS - this is why I may not be able to go... http://www.gov.mb.ca/asset_library/en/2011flood/potential_controlled_and_uncontrolled.pdf
Here's another good link on the fest and oysters in general... http://www.mywestworld.com/living/cortes-island-daytripper-shuck-it-up/
PWR
PS - this is why I may not be able to go... http://www.gov.mb.ca/asset_library/en/2011flood/potential_controlled_and_uncontrolled.pdf
Saturday 7 May 2011
interesting oyster facts
Did You Know....
The high iron, copper and zinc content of oysters make these morsels instrumental in the prevention and treatment of anemia, and, because of their iodine content, they have been credited with preventing goiter. Even their shells are considered therapeutic - used in traditional Chinese medicine to relieve hypertension, heart palpitations, insomnia, dizziness, blurred vision, cold sweats and swollen lymph glands.
Oysters not only provide an early warning of contaminated waters along our shores, but studies now show that the mighty mollusk also plays an important role in combating global warming. In much the same way as trees convert carbon into oxygen through the process of photosynthesis, so to do oysters absorb carbon from the sea by secreting calcium carbonate to form its shell. Save our planet - plant a tree -seed an oyster!
The Roman emperor Vitellius was said to have eaten a thousand oysters at a single setting - no orgy was complete without them.
King Henry IV's quota was a paltry four hundred oysters - before dinner!
America's first cookbook contained a recipe for oyster ragout. In 1859, residents of New York City spent more money on oysters than on butcher's meat.
Tabasco sauce - particularly well suited for oysters - was developed in 1868, long before the Mexican state of Tabasco existed.
Thousands of slaves were employed on the shores of the English Channel, gathering oysters for Roman tables. So prized were they that the Romans paid for them by their weight in gold.
In ancient Rome powdered cuttlefish bones and oyster shells were used to cure wounds and ulcers.
The body of the (blue) mussel was placed on the navel of a newborn baby after the umbilical cord had been cut and tied. It was felt that this assisted with the healing of the navel.
Moon snails - The body of the blue top shell, wewek'ali, was pulverized and applied to a boil as a poultice.
In Wales it was believed that pale young women would improve if they were fed oysters.
Oyster rafts produce a vertical community teeming with life, much the same as do tropical reefs.
The Chinese believed that oysters cured freckles.
Do not eat oysters during the months without an "R" in them - fact or fiction? In 1715 American colonists were becoming alarmed by the fact that oysters were being over-harvested, and passed the first oyster law making it illegal for anyone to gather oysters during their spawning season from May to September.
History's greatest lover, Casanova, credited the oyster with enhancing his legendary prowess in the boudoir.
The environmental conditions that make good oysters are those we should strive for. Oyster health is an indication of how well we are looking after the water.
Aside from its ambrosial taste and aphrodisiacal qualities, oysters add years to your life. Raw or cooked, oysters are low in calories, high in vitamins and minerals, and easier to digest than red meat. Oysters are superb sources of calcium, phosphorus, potassium and vitamin A, the antioxidant believed to help prevent cancer and guard against bacterial infection. They are rich in omega 3 fatty acids, believed instrumental in the development and function of the brain, retina of the eye, and sperm.
Source - http://www.cortesshellfish.ca/didyouknow.php
The high iron, copper and zinc content of oysters make these morsels instrumental in the prevention and treatment of anemia, and, because of their iodine content, they have been credited with preventing goiter. Even their shells are considered therapeutic - used in traditional Chinese medicine to relieve hypertension, heart palpitations, insomnia, dizziness, blurred vision, cold sweats and swollen lymph glands.
Oysters not only provide an early warning of contaminated waters along our shores, but studies now show that the mighty mollusk also plays an important role in combating global warming. In much the same way as trees convert carbon into oxygen through the process of photosynthesis, so to do oysters absorb carbon from the sea by secreting calcium carbonate to form its shell. Save our planet - plant a tree -seed an oyster!
The Roman emperor Vitellius was said to have eaten a thousand oysters at a single setting - no orgy was complete without them.
King Henry IV's quota was a paltry four hundred oysters - before dinner!
America's first cookbook contained a recipe for oyster ragout. In 1859, residents of New York City spent more money on oysters than on butcher's meat.
Tabasco sauce - particularly well suited for oysters - was developed in 1868, long before the Mexican state of Tabasco existed.
Thousands of slaves were employed on the shores of the English Channel, gathering oysters for Roman tables. So prized were they that the Romans paid for them by their weight in gold.
In ancient Rome powdered cuttlefish bones and oyster shells were used to cure wounds and ulcers.
The body of the (blue) mussel was placed on the navel of a newborn baby after the umbilical cord had been cut and tied. It was felt that this assisted with the healing of the navel.
Moon snails - The body of the blue top shell, wewek'ali, was pulverized and applied to a boil as a poultice.
In Wales it was believed that pale young women would improve if they were fed oysters.
Oyster rafts produce a vertical community teeming with life, much the same as do tropical reefs.
The Chinese believed that oysters cured freckles.
Do not eat oysters during the months without an "R" in them - fact or fiction? In 1715 American colonists were becoming alarmed by the fact that oysters were being over-harvested, and passed the first oyster law making it illegal for anyone to gather oysters during their spawning season from May to September.
History's greatest lover, Casanova, credited the oyster with enhancing his legendary prowess in the boudoir.
The environmental conditions that make good oysters are those we should strive for. Oyster health is an indication of how well we are looking after the water.
Aside from its ambrosial taste and aphrodisiacal qualities, oysters add years to your life. Raw or cooked, oysters are low in calories, high in vitamins and minerals, and easier to digest than red meat. Oysters are superb sources of calcium, phosphorus, potassium and vitamin A, the antioxidant believed to help prevent cancer and guard against bacterial infection. They are rich in omega 3 fatty acids, believed instrumental in the development and function of the brain, retina of the eye, and sperm.
Source - http://www.cortesshellfish.ca/didyouknow.php
Friday 6 May 2011
twitter and trip may 2011
2 things to let you know... we are now on twitter... follow us at @prairieoysterca... facebook and website to follow after we meet with Craig @ Guppy Graphic and Design next week to confirm our logo, etc. We saw some preliminary ideas today and they look great!
second... here is our draft itinerary for our trip to the Cortes Oyster Festival May Long weekend (http://www.cortesshellfish.ca/) - we are open to ideas if you have been to the island and can direct us towards adventure!
This is where Cortes Island is located - http://www.coastrealty.com/new/public/office_7.php
second... here is our draft itinerary for our trip to the Cortes Oyster Festival May Long weekend (http://www.cortesshellfish.ca/) - we are open to ideas if you have been to the island and can direct us towards adventure!
This is where Cortes Island is located - http://www.coastrealty.com/new/public/office_7.php
Prairie Oyster Catering
Itinerary for the Grand Oyster Tourapolooza of Vancouver Island – May 18-23, 2011
1. Wednesday, May 18, 2011
a. 2:15pm WS 441 Wpg to Vancouver
b. Arrive 3:10pm and pick up rental car
c. Overnight in Vancouver
2. Thursday, May 19, 2011
a. 10:15am or 12:45pm ferry Vancouver to Nanaimo (departing from Horseshoe, 1.5 hr trip)
b. 12:30pm or 2:45pm - Pick up Kaeley in Nanaimo
c. 3pm - Tour Evening Cove Oysters (2-3 hrs)
d. 6pm Dinner
f. Overnight in Black Creek, north of Comox
3. Friday, May 20, 2011
a. 9am - Tour Fanny Bay Oysters
b. 12pm Lunch
c. 1pm – drive to Heriot Bay via Campbell River (1.5 hrs) 3:30pm ferry to Quadra Island from Campbell River (10 mins)
d. 3pm - Tour Sawmill Bay (2hrs) - www.sawmillbay.ca
e. 6:45pm Ferry to Cortes Island
f. Cabin at Cortes http://www.cortesislandboathouse.com/index.html
4. Saturday, May 21, 2011
a. Cortes Oyster Festival - http://www.cortesshellfish.ca/
b. Hotel in Cortes http://www.cortesislandboathouse.com/index.html
5. Sunday, May 22, 2011
a. Cortes to Nanaimo via Quadra Island, Campbell River – 3hrs
b. Option A – drive back to Nanaimo, tour more oyster farms, etc, then head to Vancouver
c. Option B – drive straight back to Vancouver.
d. Option C – go deep sea fishing in Campbell River or somewhere along the drive back, bring back home some salmon
e. Option D - Drive to Victoria for high tea (about 5 hours from Cortes Island)
f. Option E - other ideas?
6. Monday, May 23, 2011
a. 10am brunch in East Van
b. 12:45pm WS 602 to Winnipeg, Arrive 5:19pm
Thursday 5 May 2011
First Oyster Blog
Hi and welcome to our blog... we are a new catering company in Winnipeg, MB that will be specializing in fresh oysters on the half shell. We are traveling to BC soon to meet some oyster farmers and to attend the Cortes Island Oyster Festival (www.cortesisland.com).
Prairie Oyster Catering was started by Peter Reimer and Marshall Posner while downing some tasty village bay oysters after a doubles squash match. Peter had been talking to Rob Klombies (manager, WSRC) about Oyster Boy restaurant in TO and Rob mentioned that they had got their start by catering until they grew to the point where they could open a restaurant. Peter thought about this later and realized that Winnipeg didn't have an oyster catering company so why not start one here. As with most of Peter's ideas, it sat around and did nothing until he brought it up with Marshall over oysters. Marshall had recently sold his company and was looking for something to do. He was always interested in the food and service industry so the 2 of them decided to make a go of it and Prairie Oyster Catering was born!
Peter and Marshall are heading to Vancouver Island for the May long weekend to tour some farms, meet oyster people, eat oysters, get recipes, learn everything they can about oysters and hopefully set up direct sourcing to Winnipeg from cool, hippy, left coast oyster farmers that they meet on their trip. This blog will try to document the start up of this crazy idea and our escapades along the way.
Prairie Oyster Catering was started by Peter Reimer and Marshall Posner while downing some tasty village bay oysters after a doubles squash match. Peter had been talking to Rob Klombies (manager, WSRC) about Oyster Boy restaurant in TO and Rob mentioned that they had got their start by catering until they grew to the point where they could open a restaurant. Peter thought about this later and realized that Winnipeg didn't have an oyster catering company so why not start one here. As with most of Peter's ideas, it sat around and did nothing until he brought it up with Marshall over oysters. Marshall had recently sold his company and was looking for something to do. He was always interested in the food and service industry so the 2 of them decided to make a go of it and Prairie Oyster Catering was born!
Peter and Marshall are heading to Vancouver Island for the May long weekend to tour some farms, meet oyster people, eat oysters, get recipes, learn everything they can about oysters and hopefully set up direct sourcing to Winnipeg from cool, hippy, left coast oyster farmers that they meet on their trip. This blog will try to document the start up of this crazy idea and our escapades along the way.
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