Culinary tour operator Taste Detours came up with the initiative – Little Bites: Tastes from Isolation – as a show of appreciation and support for members of the local food scene who have been significantly affected by public health restrictions to ensure physical distancing. 

“We’re all missing our restaurants where we gathered to break bread, toast each other and celebrate our regional cuisine,” says Lynn Broughton, founder of Taste Detours. “This virtual recipe book will help keep our favourite food places top of mind while we have to stay apart and make us even more determined to visit them when restrictions are eased.” 

Little Bites: Tastes from Isolation will feature recipes for several meal pairings each week, which are submitted by restaurants, farmers and food businesses across Wellington County.

Each recipe tells home cooks what ingredients they’ll need to recreate the dish, how many it will serve and instructions to prepare the meal. The book is illustrated by local artist Jenna Kessler.

“We’re getting some absolutely delicious ideas from our food partners. The dishes are a great way for people at home to treat themselves to something different from what they normally make,” Broughton says. 

Recipes in Little Bites: Tastes from Isolation will be rolled out each week through Taste Detours’ social media channels – @tastedetours on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. The complete book will be housed on the tour operator’s website, tastedetours.ca, by the end of the month.