Wine-drinking cows, anyone? It might sound mythical, but in a land not so far away called the Okanagan Valley, Sezmu cows partake in grape to go along with their diet of grain.

Each Sezmu cow drinks about a litre of red wine a day, collected from various wineries in the surrounding region. By the time it gets to our plates, the meat is a distinct shade of red, marbled, and pretty damn tasty. Pair it with a glass of Okanagan red to keep the theme going, of course.

Canadian beef, Canadian wine… sounds like Canada Day! —AG

Sezmu Meats is available at Dirty Apron, 540 Beatty St., Vancouver, 604-879-8588, www.dirtyapron.com

Like your bourbon sours as stylish and your barmen?

For your next big bash, hire the boys of Amy Elliott Cocktails. Friends since grade school, Larry, Josh and Adam have 15 years combined experience working behind bars, including George. They come with their own sleek, all-inclusive mobile set-up made of mod hexagons from Belgium and dark wood serving pedestals they sketched themselves. At a recent event, we sampled some of their libations and can testify to their good 'tending.

But who’s “Amy?” Real last name unknown, she was Larry’s childhood neighbour who moved away after they shared a first kiss. Aw, we’ll drink to that. 

More information and bookings at www.amyelliottcocktails.com

Looking to cause a stir with your risotto? At Cookworks new Western Living Test Kitchen, small class sizes, a central location, chefs you know (think Vikram Vij) and amazing wine pairings mean this might just be better than a night on the town.

Debuting March 22 with The Food Network’s Cook Like A Chef star Ned Bell, you’ll learn to prepare Okanagan wine-fed beef (apparently some of the tasting rooms up there are not that exclusive) and sample the latest from Road 13. Grab your gal pals (or treat your mom); it’s like your own intimate catered soiree—without the recycling duties the morning after.

$89 at Cookworks, 1548 W. Broadway, Vancouver, 604-731-1148. For complete class schedule, click here.

Now that breakfast meetings are the new lunch meetings, you’ll be glad to hear Market by Jean-Georges now opens at 7 a.m. so you can get that deal done over Alsatian sausages, dim sum, or French toast with roasted apples.

But if the deal requires more time (and perhaps a glass of wine) consider the new Taste of Autumn menus.

We loved the Savory Island Clam Chowder with smoked bacon and thyme ($8 on the bar menu) and Jean-Georges himself highly recommends the new Seared Scallops with Cauliflower.

And if the deal requires home entertainment? Chef Jean-Georges to the rescue once again:  here he shares his new recipe for Seared Gulf Shrimp with Silky Squash exclusively with Vitamin Daily readers on our Forum. Now if only he'd come over and cook it.

Market by Jean-Georges, The Shangri-La Hotel, 1128 W. Georgia St., Vancouver, 604-689-1120, www.shangri-la.com

We sat down with Curtis Stone, the Aussie chef known for approaching women in the supermarket and helping them make a special meal, to get his top five tips for making the most of summer entertaining.

1.  “Start with one ingredient and build on it. If you find great asparagus, get it. If entertaining outside, picture the smell of the grill or the cocktail in your hand and what you want to eat with the asparagus—maybe it’s crispy prosciutto, parmesan cheese or scallops.”
2.  “Have a glass of wine. Straight away your cooking improves. People drop their guard, and I think what holds people back in the kitchen is a lack of confidence.”
3.  “Do a bit of preparation. It might be that you’ve made the dessert and it’s ready to roll. Or it might be that you make the salad, you mix all the stuff together and you mix the dressing and it’s right beside it, so it’s just ready to pour over.”
4.  “Save a job for someone when they arrive. It takes the burden off you too. A drink is a good place to start, because everyone knows how to make a drink. Or even a serious job like grilling. Just have everything they need ready for them.”
5.  “Little touches. When people entertain, and do it well, there’s a few, really small touches that make it feel as though they’ve gone to some effort for you. I usually pick a bit of fresh lavender and stick it in the bathroom or put out some finger bowls with rose petals and a slice of lemon.”

Curtis' cookbook Relaxed Cooking with Curtis Stone and cookware both available at the Bay Downtown, 674 Granville St., Vancouver, 604-681-6211, www.hbc.com

See Joy Pecknold’s sit down with Stone on today’s Editors’ Diary.

It’s spot prawn season and the Chefs’ Table Society is showcasing some of Vancouver’s finest epicures, including former Aurora Bistro star and current Diva at the Met sous chef Jeff Van Geest. Lucky for us, Jeff walked us through a prosciutto-wrapped spot prawn and asparagus recipe guaranteed to amuse our bouche.

Ingredients

6 spot prawns
6 slices of artisanal prosciutto
olive oil to drizzle
2 lemon wedges
6 spears of asparagus, peeled and ends removed
1 Tbsp hazelnut oil
1 Tbsp grapeseed oil
1 Tbsp hazelnuts toasted, chopped
1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp chopped shallots
¼ tsp chopped fresh thyme
Sea salt and cracked black pepper

Method

Hazelnute vinaigrette: Whisk equal parts hazelnut oil, grapeseed oil and apple cider vinegar. Add chopped thyme, shallots and toasted hazelnuts. Season to taste.
Peel spot prawns and wrap each with prosciutto. Drizzle with olive oil. Blanch asparagus in boiling water (place in ice bath to avoid overcooking).Broil spot prawns for 2 minutes. Plate asparagus, pour hazenut vinaigrette, and arrange prawns on top. Finish with a squeeze of lemon. Serves 2.

Get the catch of the day ($12/lb, boat arrives at 1 p.m. daily) before season’s end at False Creek Fishermen’s Wharf, 1505 W. First Ave., Vancouver. For more festival info visit www.chefstablesociety.com

Find yourself watching more Jamie at Home than making Jamie at home?

The Cookshop in City Square offers nightly classes that will increase your culinary prowess. Led by some of the best local chefs, there’s theme nights to please every palette, from Thai to Tuscan. We went to learn Mexican and walked away with the skills to prepare a mole poblano worthy of an olé.

This coming Wednesday, sign up to make five Spain-inspired courses that include asparagus and shrimp risotto and rock fish sautéed with prosciutto and white wine. With So.Cial Executive Chef Romy Prasad as your guide, you’ll be top chef in no time.

“Springtime in Spain” ($69), 6-9 p.m., March 18, 2009, Cookshop, 3-555 W. 12th Ave, Vancouver, 604-873-5683, www.cookshop.ca

Calling all would-be Marthas. This simple Vitamin Daily-tested shortbread recipe works every time.

Carine’s Shortbread
Ingredients:
½ lb. butter
5 Tablespoons icing sugar
1 Tablespoon refined sugar for decoration
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
2 Cups white flour, sifted

Method:
Cream butter
Work in sugar and cornstarch
Work in flour
Kneed a bit, then press into 9X9 pan
Press with fork in a pretty pattern
Bake at 300F for 1 hour
Cut immediately into wedges and dust with lots of refined sugar.

Devour with friends.

If your last dinner party was more like an episode of Kitchen Nightmares than Iron Chef, help is here.

Cioffi’s Meat Market and Kitchen—so new it’s still waiting for its sign—is the sleek and modern sister store to the original Cioffi’s two doors down, and the best kept secret of chefs from Yaletown to Whistler.

Find real Italian bocconcini (soft and creamy and easy to rip into pieces), organic pork, Polderside ducks and chickens, organic, non-medicated turkeys for Thanksgiving or, if you’re game, quail, squab, pheasants and guinea hen.

Next month, the Italian kitchen will be offering mama’s meatballs, baked lasagnas, roasted chickens and more.

Having problems deciding what to order? Here’s our tip: ask the butcher what he’s having for dinner tonight. There’s your order right there.

Cioffi's Meat Market & Gourmet Kitchen, 4142 E. Hastings St., Burnaby, 604-291-9373, www.cioffismeatdeli.com

Paella parties and bouillabaisse bashes are trending right now, and it’s the only time our ears perk up when we hear “pot luck.”

Here’s how it works: Get friends to bring different seafood and you make the base, provide plenty of crusty bread and gallons of cold Prosecco.

And now you can pick up ingredients (including fish, prawns, spices and paella rice) at the brand new location of Finest at Sea on Granville Island beside The Lobster Man.

Set a round table, load up on napkins, and let the festivities begin.

Finest at Sea, 1805 Mast Tower Rd., Granville Island, Vancouver, 604-684-4114, www.finestatsea.com