July 30, 2018
Summer garlic is wonderful to roast and use in dips or mix with butter for garlic butter. It has a fresh flavour, different than when it is dried for winter storage. I use it as a base for pizza , not too much, just a few smears on the dough before drizzling with sauce, on crostini, in pasta dishes, add to cheese platter or serve on its own with bread and let people squeeze out the... View Article
July 26, 2018
I have been having a lot of fun in the kitchen and lately also trying dishes I have never made before. We recently spent a week in the BC mountains hiking and biking (Sun Peaks, post to come) and our days consisted of all day hikes (or biking) and then dinner at night at one of the several restaurants in the small Austrian style village. Food mostly left some to be desired except for one... View Article
May 27, 2018
I picked up a head of black garlic at the market the other day. It is one of those exotic ingredients that have been popping up on restaurant menus and food literature and although I bought it before, this was my first attempt at using it. The head of garlic is completely black and soft to the touch. When you break it open the cloves are large and black and taste caramelized and tamarind-tangy.... View Article
May 8, 2018
Always curious about unusual ingredients, I picked up black chickpeas on our travels and finally got around to using them. I think I brought these back from Italy, where they are known as ceci neri (black chickpeas) but I believe some variety also grows in India. When dried they look small, black and wrinkly but these littles legumes pack a lot of flavour, dare I say even stronger flavour than the regular chickpeas. I... View Article
March 3, 2018
Yes Argentina is known for its asado (meat cooked over fire) but empanadas have long been the mainstay of its cuisine. Empanada, meaning “wrapped in bread” is said to have been imported to Latin America with the Spanish who made a special double crusted pie filled with meats or vegetables. Once it landed in Latin America, this delicious morsel adapted to local style and ingredients and became what it is today: an individual pastry that... View Article
January 21, 2018
For some reason I am not cooking this year on the Mayan Riviera. Other than a couple of simple pasta dishes and grilling a few vegetables I haven’t even messed up the kitchen once. This means, since we need to eat, that we are exploring the culinary treasures of Tulum and the Mayan coast with, happy to say, a great deal of success. I have gotten to know the Tulum hotels and their respective food... View Article
January 18, 2018
A cooler day is an invitation to stay at home and cook some good food. Although it’s not cold, it is a cooler day on the Mayan Riviera and even if I am not cooking, at least I am thinking about it, hence this post. I made this souffle at home before we left and just getting to post it now. Souffle is not an everyday dish. It is rich and doesn’t keep well. The... View Article
August 23, 2017
I am cleaning the fridges after having company on and off for a few weeks. There are odds and ends of beautiful local produce that I’d like to use and create room on the shelves for my next market outing, which in the summer can be every day. These delicious fritters were the result of fridge clean-up. I had a few florets of white, purple and orange cauliflower that I used as crudites (hence the... View Article
August 20, 2017
This is a very Italian dish and like most Italian food it is simple and delicious. “Simple” I mean in a sophisticated way. Viva Italia. I cook beans frequently and tend to have some on hand most of the time so it’s easy for me to make these crostini without having to cook them from scratch. The beans can be homemade, slow cooked with aromatics, or if you don’t cook beans from scratch then use good... View Article
June 5, 2017
The ricotta I picked at the market the other day from Bella Stella Cheese and used with the pappardelle was also good on crostini with garden herbs, a drizzle of olive oil, figs and balsamic crema. Ingredients: 6 slices bread of your choice Olive oil 2 cups ricotta Salt and pepper A handful of fresh summer herbs (chives, dill, parsley) Micro greens 3 ripe figs Balsamic crema (I used fig balsamic) Directions: Brush the bread... View Article
November 19, 2016
Of course I love potato chips, who doesn’t, but trying to get away from the salt and fat is sometimes a good idea. For those occasions, you may want to make apple chips, especially now that apples are in season. These are very easy to make, especially of you have a mandolin to slice the apples with. You are aiming for uniformly thin slices and it’s easiest with a mandolin. You can if you wish... View Article
October 20, 2016
Fall produce is not only about pumpkins and root vegetables. One of the things I look to with anticipation is the arrival of unripe green tomatoes at the produce stands at our local markets. With tomato season basically over, the green tomatoes that would have otherwise been left to ripen on the vine are now picked early to allow them to ripen on you kitchen counter, if you can wait that long. Buy the green... View Article
