artgala

By Monika Blichar

1-What inspired you to start your GypsyTrunk Gourmet Fare Food Truck?
I worked for a retail store for 12 years & just felt I had much more to share with the world so I quit my job, sold my belongings & went on a road trip in my smart car for around 5 months to do some “soul searching”. Food/cooking/veganism was a huge passion of mine so when I found myself house sitting on salt spring island, I began playing with recipes & posting them to a blog page on my website along with photos from my experiences on the island. I began making a menu with the intention of creating a catering Monday-Friday meal program but I found myself procrastinating due to all the details that I decided to go the food truck route instead and just concentrate on a more simple menu.

2-Being a culinary artist, what inspires you most about food?

Experimenting & playing with the different colours, textures & cooking styles of simple plant based ingredients – Whole grains, beans, nuts, seeds, vegetables, fruits, oils, vinegars & herbs.

3-What are your favourite vegan ingredients?

I’d have to say for “treat” vegan items – I LOVE the cheesy flavour of nutritional yeast. On popcorn, in soups & sauces, eggless salad, etc.

Cashews because they are soooo versatile. Can used them blended up in pasta sauces, soups, vegan versions of sour cream, cheesecakes, mylks, dessert cream (to have with fresh fruit), yogurts, toasted as garnishes on meals, etc, etc.

4-What are your long term goals for your Food Truck business?

To be honest, I don’t really have a long term plan for my food truck business. I would love to eventually have a base of operation in Abbotsford where I live, where I can have a cafe/retail storefront.

5-What advice would you have for other food truck or culinary artists looking to start a business?

If you’re gonna do it, you’ve gotta give it your 110% for sure & you’ve gotta love what you’re doing. It’s a lot of physical/office work, long days, commuting to get to/from events & stock/supplies, a lot goes on behind the scenes just to be at one event. Make sure you choose a unique feature item that nobody else has & that people want. I always find Pinterest a great inspiration for ideas. 😉

We love to share the Art World with you! Whether it is sharing new artists on our site or at our events, we think art is pretty special. Art has the ability to connect, inspire and create new ideas. Through art, we feel emotion, learn about cultures, and become in tune with ourselves.

Until March 31, enjoy our special price for Art World Expo tickets to our 7th annual gala. Featuring over 100 artists each year, we are excited to see you there!

This year, we have some special features including a Hat Show by West Coast Hatters, live dance performances by Mira Dance Company, a body painting competition with judges Kathleen Fowlstone; the 2016 Art World Expo Champ, and Natalie Fletcher; the 2014 Skin Wars winner! We have live music and live demonstrations by amazing artists from North America and Europe. Lots of fabulous vendors showing and selling a ton of amazing art, fashion, jewellery, accessories and beauty products including natural cosmetics, skin care and make up. Just in time for Mother’s Day! We also have beer and wine, a live and silent auction, plus goodies will love Gypsytrunk Vegan Food Cart & Catering who will be on site just for our patrons! Samples from Hot Arusha Healthy & Spicy as well as treats from our supporters at Jenny Craig too!