Kitchen Traditions
Family traditions often become a part of our lives naturally, with little thought or foresight. We learn a new skill, come to appreciate its value—and suddenly find ourselves, months or years later, having adopted it into a comfortable routine. These traditions also have a tendency to revolve around food: from Grandma's annual Christmas gingerbread to each summer's batch of strawberry jam and the autumnal chanterelle forage, rituals like these often find their way into our hearts organically via the kitchen.
But what if you want to purposefully craft a new tradition? Creating intentional family heritage can be as simple as learning a new culinary technique. You can tackle these projects on your own, or make them simpler with do-it-yourself kits and workshops offered by local makers across Vancouver Island.
Cheese making
With less fuss than you may think, you can become a cheese master in your own home, thanks to Victoria-based duo and certified curd-nerds Alexis and Jeremy Bossio, owners of Cheese Maker.
Cheese Maker came to be because although there are many people eager to learn the art of cheesemaking, finding the ingredients and tools to do so isn't so easy. As Jeremy explains, "The most difficult thing about cheesemaking is getting all of the stuff you need to make the cheese," as grocery stores don't sell cheese cultures or rennet.
With a kit from Cheese Maker, you'll have everything (except the milk) to make cheddar, curds and even vegan cheese in your own kitchen. But Jeremy recommends starting with mozzarella because, as he says, "it has an instant gratification factor." In one hour, you'll have a pound of fresh mozzarella, perfect for topping Grape and Honey Pizza with or stuffing into Spinach and Four Cheese Ravioli (recipes on ediblevancouverisland.com).
Kombucha brewing
Eight years ago, Christine Susut began her adventure with kombucha in an ongoing effort to heal herself through food. After a few successful batches of probiotic-rich booch, she went all in with the Island-renowned Cultured Kombucha brand. Based in Victoria, Susut continues to craft her flavourful lineup of brews, but now also offers Kombucha Workshops and Kits to spread the love of this bubbly ferment.
Learning to brew kombucha is an especially perfect fit for kids because, as Christine says, "There are endless possibilities. It's such a great way to get creative with flavours, and they get to decide on that. There is no wrong way to do it." Whether it's a watermelon-strawberry mashup or pineapple-mango, kids love taking over the role of brewmaster.
Cultured Kombucha kits come with everything you need to start your sweet-fermented adventure, including a precious heritage SCOBY (kombucha starter). For anyone looking for a bit of hands-on experience, check back regularly with Cultured Kombucha for workshops held throughout the year on all things related to fermentation.
Soap crafting
With your mozzarella pulled and your kombucha bubbling away, wash up with a final new homespun tradition: soap crafting. Under the practiced hand of Melissa Labelle of Wychbury Ave Soap, your family can easily learn the lifelong skill of creating cold-process soap.
Attendees of one of Wychbury Ave Soap's workshops (held regularly at the Esquimalt Recreation Centre) walk away with 10 bars of their own artisanal and handmade soap, plus all the skills to keep this tradition up in their own home.
Labelle's workshops cater to everyone, from families and friends to couples. She also offers kid-specific classes for bath bombs and bubble baths. For those with some soap-making experience, Wychbury Ave Soap also has a handful of time-tested recipes available through their online shop.
Family bonding
There is a unique beauty in approaching traditions with purpose. With each batch of cheese, bottle of kombucha and bar of soap, you can lay the groundwork for long-standing family traditions, creating a testament to the joy of making and sharing memorable experiences as a family.
Photo credits top-down:
Aaron Bergunder
Cheese Maker
Melissa Labelle
