My older sister has been an inspiration to me for as long as I can remember. Although she moved out of my parents house when she was 17 (and I was 13) she was always there, in the distance, showing me the bar to which I would aspire to rise. And trust me, there was always something.

First there was music – she introduced me to Madonna when it wasn't yet cool to like Madonna. She took me to my very first concert ever: Berlin and The Thompson Twins at the CNE Grandstand. Then there was fashion. She used to let me borrow her clothes (which were so much cooler than mine) and wear her jewelry (there was the crazy fashion trend in the 80’s where we wore about 40 black rubber bracelets on one wrist) and she would always help me dye my hair (pink, blonde, red, magenta).

Then, eventually there was cooking. She and her husband were always being commended for their cooking and having recipes published in NOW magazine and hosting dinners for friends. I think she might have been a big reason why I got into cooking in more of a steadfast fashion, without my even realizing it. I remember sitting in my apartment in Montreal on the phone with her, getting recipes for soups, writing everything down in minute detail as she spewed it out on the other end. I remember when I was over at their house for drinks one evening before they took a trip to France and Spain one winter, getting the low-down on taking care of their place while they were away. We sat, sipping wine (that they had made), munching on this gorgeous loaf of corn bread she had made the night before.

I haven’t seen my sister in a year and a half – she and her husband tore up their roots and got on their sailboat and sailed literally around the world. They sold their house and bought a condo in Vancouver (which they rent out) and shipped their boat out to BC. They drove all the way from Toronto to Vancouver and then sailed from there to Mexico, where they stayed for a while. My sister came back here before Christmas almost two years ago to settle some paper work and then that was the last time I saw her.

They then sailed from Mexico to The French Polynesian Islands and then eventually to New Zealand where they are right now (she's working on King Kong!). Although they didn't make it back for our wedding last year they did send us a gorgeous bottle of olive oil from NZ (which I will definitely be cracking into soon), wrapped in the food section of a NZ newspaper (that had a gorgeous recipe for lamb). She also sent me (on request) copies of her favourite recipes at one point, in which was the recipe for rosemary onion corn bread.

I thought of my sister and her husband this past weekend as I bit into the robust flavour of this delicious corn bread and had a sip of a nice dry white Australian (close enough to New Zealand for me!) wine.

Thanks Vic…I think I can finally see that bar you raised so long ago.