My friend, Fullerton resident Lynda Trachtman, is the most adventurous person I know.
Twenty-five years ago, she hovered between life and death and came out on the winning side. Since then, she grabs every opportunity to live life to the fullest.
Of all her amazing travels and adventures, the one that stands out for me is her trip with a friend to Knight Inlet Lodge, in Black Creek, British Columbia, to view the grizzlies. (I’m from New York. My greatest adventure was getting on the subway.)
The pair flew to Seattle, took a clipper ship to Victoria where they stayed in an elegant B&B (more about that later), then drove up island to the Campbell River where a seaplane flew them 1,000 miles north to a floating lodge, Knight Inlet.
“While we were there, Disney happened to be filming a movie about bears,” Trachtman noted. “We were taken to where the bears were fishing for salmon. They put us in a cage to observe them, because these grizzlies are roaming free. Years before, we also had gone to Hudson Bay for the polar bears, but that’s another story.”
The trip included lectures on grizzlies, a walking tour to learn how to recognize bear tracks, kayaking and a high-speed boat trip to see orcas and dolphins. A seaplane then took them to another ferry to the little island of Salt Springs Harbor, an artist colony.
“You get a map, and you can visit the artist studios and buy their wares,” Trachtman explained. “These are not just paintings, but ceramics, glass, soaps, perfumes, even artisanal cheese and wine.”
Before heading to grizzly country, they soaked in the luxury of the Fairholme Manor Inn in Victoria on Vancouver Island, where they stayed for two nights.
“It’s a beautiful old white mansion. We happened to get the honeymoon suite!” Trachtman said. “The food was absolutely delicious. Victoria is like a little bit of England. We enjoyed the quaint shopping, whale watching, and the beautiful Butchart Gardens.”
Fairholme Manor was built in 1885, and the owner, Sylvia Main, has memorialized recipes from the inn in her cookbook: “Easy Elegance from Fabulous Fairholme” (Whitecap Books, $7.90 used) with tantalizing recipes such as herb and cheddar scrambled egg strudel, butternut squash and coconut milk soup, cranberry walnut scones and crab cakes with lemon crème fraiche.
“Sylvia shares not only her recipes for breakfast, brunch and lunch – but tips on style, decorating and creating what she likes to call ‘easy elegance,’” writes editor Sue Frause in the forward. “Simply put, entertaining can and should be fun and easy, achieved with minimal effort. As Sylvia says, it’s all in the details — captured beautifully throughout the book in colorful images.”
Fullerton’s Judy Bart Kancigor is the author of “Cooking Jewish” and “The Perfect Passover Cookbook.” Her website is cookingjewish.com.
Roasted Vegetable and Three-Cheese Frittata
Adapted from “Easy Elegance from Fabulous Fairholme” by Sylvia Main. The yield is 6 servings.
Ingredients:
• 1/2 yellow pepper, cubed
• 1/2 red pepper, cubed
• 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 red onion, cubed
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 8 large eggs
• 3 additional egg whites
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup Gouda cheese, shredded
• 1/2 cup cheddar, shredded
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme or basil, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
• About 1 cup arugula, wilted in microwave or steamer (optional)
• 1/2 cup goat cheese, crumbled (optional)
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Toss peppers, tomatoes and onion with olive oil. Roast on prepared baking sheet 20 minutes. Sprinkle garlic over vegetables and continue roasting about another 10 minutes.
3. Whisk together eggs, egg whites, milk, Gouda, cheddar and salt. Add roasted vegetables and thyme. Pour mixture into buttered eight-inch frying pan on medium to high heat. Use a spatula to fold egg mixture under sides of frittata as if preparing an omelet. This should take 5 minutes.
4. Place pan in oven for frittata to set, about 10 minutes. Remove pan from oven. Set oven temperature to broil. Sprinkle frittata with Parmesan cheese. Place in oven under broiler until frittata puffs up and cheese is lightly brown, about 2 minutes. Shake pan to ensure egg is set in middle. Sprinkle with wilted arugula and/or goat cheese (if using). Cut into 6 wedges and serve.