October 9, 2015
A while ago I posted a recipe for a no knead bread and thought I’d show you a variation, adding chopped olives and herbs to the dough to make it a little different. I have to admit that this no knead method took me by surprise the first time I tried it but it has become my go to method for baking bread. The flavour develops beautifully over the long, 18h fermentation, the crust is... View Article
October 8, 2015
I made these little muffins on the spur of the moment this morning, before my Italian teacher Gian Marco Litrico came over to give G and me an overview of Italian art, history and politics in preparation for our upcoming stay in Italy. Gian Marco is educated, knowledgeable and interesting and we had wonderful time looking at and talking about works of art and historical, religious and political figures in Italian history. I served these... View Article
October 2, 2015
Well, back to cooking: many people who love to cook can be divided in two camps: those who love to cook and those who love to bake. I fall somewhere in the middle and really love to do both. Earlier in my cooking endeavour I used to bake a lot and fairly challenging “stuff” like complicated cakes, croissants, all kinds of breads, cookies etc. Now I still bake but simpler things like cookies,... View Article
September 8, 2015
This is a recipe that needs no introduction. It’s one of the most popular dishes to come out of Italy but if you travel you’d know that almost every country has a version of this delicious bread and tomato dish. In Spain they have the delicious pan con tomate, where they rub a tomato over a grilled piece of bread. We had this for breakfast throughout out two months stay in Spain and i am... View Article
September 3, 2015
I can never resists fresh, ripe figs when I see them. More often than not I enjoy them fresh on their own but I also make a few things with them. They are nice roasted and served with salted orange caramel, added to salad or on top of a pizza. One thing to keep in mind about figs is that unlike other fruits, they don’t ripen sitting on your counter. They have to be picked... View Article
July 25, 2015
I brought back a flat of fresh, ripe green figs from the Italian market in Calgary. Ripe figs don’t last too long so I need to use them fast. I made a simple dinner today and thought that a couple of small pizzas with figs and a honey drizzle would be nice as part of dinner, and they were. I made them very simply, with gorgonzola on one pizza and goat cheese on the other.... View Article
July 23, 2015
Local corn this year is early by about two weeks, thanks to the warm Okanagan summer. I have been buying and cooking it on the cob and off the cob, steaming or grilling and adding it to other vegetables. I had some leftover corn the other day and used it in this moist and light cornbread to go with a baked bean dish that I prepared but forgot to photograph. Cornbread goes well with BBQ... View Article
May 25, 2015
Pastry dough needs to be in any cook’s repertoire. It’s easy and versatile and can be prepared in advance and left to contemplate in the fridge wrapped in wax paper until called upon to perform. One batch of dough can work for both sweet and savoury tarts although if I know I am using it for sweet tarts I add a little sugar to the mix. Earlier this week I made one batch of pastry... View Article
May 9, 2015
There is something special about baking bread. Something artisanal and historical in creating a fragrant and crusty loaf out of simple ingredients, the same way cooks have been doing for thousands of years. I have always made bread the traditional way, making the dough, kneading it to develop elasticity and letting it rise long and slow in a warm corner of the kitchen, sometimes overnight in the fridge. I have made a sour dough starter... View Article
April 12, 2015
Labne is common in middle eastern cuisines and easy to make at home. It is made by straining the liquids out of the yogurt over a couple of days, thickening it in the process and what’s left is a soft cheese with texture similar to goat cheese. Labne’s lemony flavour goes well with the tart sumac in the za’atar and fruitiness of olive oil. In the middle east you often buy it in small round... View Article
March 24, 2015
These are probably my favourite muffins and I have been making them for years, not disclosing how many. It is made with a whole orange chopped up and mixed with the batter. They have a nice tangy flavour and soft, light texture. I have a dairy free vegan version that I will post the next time I make them. Are you a muffin top kind of person? If so, join the club. I like muffins,... View Article
March 8, 2015
I have been searching out movies that have food as part of their theme to watch now that I am done binge watching season 3 of House of Cards. There is a significant number of food movies out there, some well known, other more obscure. Here is my starter list of foodie films. If you know of or have a favourite food movie please pass on the name in a comment to this post: Chocolate... View Article
