This Week in my Kitchen
Pear and Roasted Beets Salad with Goat Cheese
I am excited about this salad (I must live a sheltered life). What a beautiful combination of flavours and textures: roasted beets, juicy pears, balsamic vinegar, honey, candied walnuts and goat cheese. It doesn’t get much better than that. I bought a bag of small little beets at the market a few days ago and finally got around to recruit them for dinner today. I wrapped them in a foil packet with a little water so they don’t dry out, placed the packet on a baking sheet and roasted them in a hot oven (400℉) for a while (20-30 min) […]
Pomegranates
If I had to be a fruit I’d be a pomegranate. What a beauty! Exotic and elegant, sweet and mysterious, with layers of treasures hidden inside for those who dare to venture, wrapped in protective layers of soft golden skin. Yes, I’d be a pomegranate. This beauty is in season during fall and early winter and my kitchen counter is piled with mounds of this versatile fruit. I break it open, release the seeds, toss them with a bit of sugar (or not) and eat it simply (including seeds), or add it to salads, desserts, serve it with cheese or […]
Warm Potato Salad with Tarragon Vinaigrette
A simple recipe, but simplicity is the essence of sophistication. This past summer in Kelowna I made a lot of different potato salads, combining them with market fresh vegetables and a variety of dressings. Some of them are posted here, and here and here (see? I make it easy for you). It was a lot of fun creating the combinations and every time it was different. But I haven’t made any since summer. Now with fall in full swing and first snow fall today (snow on the tree branches and the still green grass), I am again in the mood for the comfort […]
Lentil Soup with Cherry Tomatoes
I have been making lentil soups for as long as I have been cooking, mostly in variations on a theme. Lentil soup is “fast food” in my kitchen because it doesn’t take long to prepare. Unlike other legumes (think beans), lentils do not require soaking and take only about 30-45 minutes to cook. From start to finish you can probably have a hearty lentil soup ready in about an hour. It also keeps nicely in the fridge for a few days and you can change it every time you heat it. Once day add some spinach. The next time add a […]
Loss of my Home: Trail’s End, Beginning and End
Life can turn on a dime. On Wednesday, October 10, 2012, the unthinkable happened. My beautiful, beloved home in the country we named “Trail’s End” went up in flames and burnt down to the ground, leaving nothing but memories behind. I stood helplessly outside watching a lifetime of personal history vanish in front of my eyes. I cannot find the words to describe the feeling of despair. Gone are the children’s memorabilia, the little shoes, dresses and remnants of baby blankets I kept as part of the precious memories. Gone are the baby albums with samples of baby hair and […]