jeff maccallum loves whisky
Jeff MacCallum, Hidden Dram Tasting Company
Jeff MacCallum doesn’t work in whisky, he’s actually a carpenter, but he saw a gap in the market for someone like him, an enthusiast, to help other enthusiasts enjoy whisky. “Whisky is a passion and a hobby. I wanted to share that with people,” he says. “I can be educational, but I see my role more as a facilitator. I like to bust myths about whisky—such as you have to spend a lot of money, or that blends are not quality. It’s all in the details.”
Jeff offers several different tastings, from introductory, for those who want to learn the basics, to what he calls Rare and Exclusive for experienced whisky lovers. Worried you don’t have the right glasses? Jeff brings everything with him—the vessels, the whiskies, tasting cards, everything people need to taste.
Jeff MacCallum, Hidden Dram Tasting Company, hiddendram.ca.
a dream of a kitchen
Full House Lottery’s dream kitchen
The 280 square foot kitchen in the Legacy Signature Dream Home is built for cooks. Picture this: professional grade Dacor appliances, customized Superior cabinets along with a custom bronze glass wine vault, sturdy Dekton Arbarium countertops, lighting from the Canarm Harmonized Home Collection, the beautiful Italian porcelain tile backsplash by Ceratec and a three seat island.
Who wouldn’t want to cook and entertain in this kitchen? It’s a key feature in the grand prize in the Full House Lottery, supporting cardiac care and research at the Royal Alexandra Hospital and the University of Alberta Hospital. Get your tickets now at fullhouse.ca and support two world class hospital facilities in our city.
chef alex kim is in the house
Chef Alex Kim, Five Sails, Vancouver, NAIT Chef in Residence 2026
CCC champ chef Alex Kim is NAIT’s 2026 Hokanson Chef in Residence. This is especially exciting as it’s a homecoming of sorts, chef graduated from NAIT’s Culinary program in 2011. “Coming back as the Hokanson Chef in Residence is deeply meaningful,” says chef. “It gives me the chance to share my knowledge, connect with students and celebrate the craft. I hope to encourage young chefs to pursue excellence, stay curious and always honour the ingredients they work with.” From March 23-27, Chef Kim, the culinary director at Five Sails in Vancouver’s Pan Pacific Hotel, will work with the students during hands-on lessons, presentations and demonstrations. You can experience NAIT’s Chef in Residence program at lunch and dinner, Tuesday, March 26 and dinner on Friday, March 27. Call Tanya at 780-471-8676 to book.
cook like a girl
Cook Like a Girl poster
Want to know what YEG’s female culinary contingent has been up to? Book a ticket to the Cook like a Girl Fundraiser for WIN House at Rosewood Foods (10150 100 Street), Sunday, March 8. Chefs Kathryn Joel, Tamara Solon, Lasha Gust and Davina Moraiko, along with 17 other chefs and bartenders are donating their talent, time and product to extend meaningful support to those who need it most. Each course and pairing reflects each unique voice, technique and perspective. The result? An evening designed to be shared and celebrated. Tix on Eventbrite. Don’t miss it!
multicook redefines ukrainian food
Multicook’s Volodymyr Kostyuchenko and Kseniia Ryba
The Kostyuchenko and Ryba Ukrainian newcomer families are making delicious food at MultiCook, where they specialize in handmade frozen comfort food. “We currently make and sell over 110 different Ukrainian dishes, including 20 varieties of varenyky alone,” says Volodymyr Kostyuchenko, at a tasting in Multicook’s kitchen.
Volodymyr was a lawyer in Ukraine. Now he runs a busy kitchen in west Edmonton (coming shortly is a second location in Sherwood Park). “I enjoy the switch,” he says. “My business partner Andriy is a hugh fan of cooking. We looked for the same food that we ate in Ukraine. When we couldn’t find it, so we decided to make our own.”
We discussed names. Is it perogy? Pierogie? Pyrohy (how Saskatchewan’s Savella Stechishin spells it in Traditional Ukrainian Cookery)? Or varenyky? “We call it varenyky in western Ukraine where we are from,” says Volodymyr. “I say verenyky.” says Kseniia, “but my sister-in-law says pierogie.” They decided that perogies–varenyky was the way to go “so readers recognize the English term while keeping the authentic Ukrainian name.”
They had no trouble recruiting cooks. Pretty much everyone is a Ukrainian newcomer. “During interviews people would say ‘I don’t have any Canadian experience.’ We didn’t want Canadian experience; we wanted them to cook like they did in Ukraine.”
Staff rolled dough, formed dumplings and ferried trays of dumplings and borscht to the freezer. Volodymyr points out the four blast chillers. “When you freeze things quickly at -40, the result is a fresh tasting product.”
Toronto was the destination when they first decided to leave Ukraine, until Andriy Ryba convinced the Kostyuchenkos to move west. We’re glad they did. MultiCook, 17204 95 Avenue, multicookedmonton.ca.
