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Summer is Coming

Monday Magazine's chef extraordinaire Karrie Hill finds inspiration from local chef

They may have a point.

Those folks that say “ya gotta make hay when the sun shines,” especially when your profession involves slinging burgers out of a 60 square foot thin metal walled kitchen on wheels.

And despite how privileged we are to live in Victoria, which is as tropical and as climatized for Food Trucks as it gets in Canada, being open for business in the winter- especially this super frosty one, well, it can be a hustle.

While I’ve decided to truck on through the winter months in multiple layers of flannel, looking like the stay puffed marshmallow man in an apron, some of the smarter truck operators shut er’ down, taking time to rest, recoup and perhaps even research.

One of my food cart pals, Aiden Pine who owns Juma has been lighting up on instagram with his culinary trip all over south east Asia. He shut his food trailer window for the winter to go explore, cook and get inspiration for his farm fresh globally inspired menu this upcoming season. Not that this chef’s ideas needs any vamping, he won’t tell you how he’s worked a stint at Noma, a two Michelin star restaurant in Copenhagen honing his skills which is reflected in his farm to “trailer” style menu.

This kid is a flavour ninja and it’s pretty cool what crazy, awesome dishes he can pump out of a little trailer. His family owns Sayward Farm which raises most of the meat and grows most of the produce he features in his dishes.

Although I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t kinda jelly that he’s wearing a tanktop and I’m wearing a toque right now, I’m much more excited that I will get to park next to him at the Esquimalt and Oaklands Farmer’s Market this summer and I’ll get to try his Bangkok inspired “Laab het” dish and others that ends up on his menu.

Summer is coming, and with it, new inspired flavours out of a Food Cart. Follow Aiden’s travels and Juma on Instagram @juma_victoria

- Karrie is the chef and owner of Deadbeetz Food Truck, follow her

@deadbeetzfoodtruck on Instagram