September 1, 2014
I am not one for canning and freezing foods in a serious way. I like the idea, it sounds romantic, but for me it doesn’t work. I have no room to store the foods and in any event I prefer to eat seasonally. If peaches and green beans season is over I move on to the next fruits and vegetables whose time has come. I do however like to make a few jars of pickled... View Article
August 31, 2014
Traveling is an education. It’s more than visiting historical sites and driving through beautiful new landscapes. It challenges our assumptions and provides context for our education. When we engage with the world around us we broaden our horizon, become culturally competent. If we are receptive, we may shed preconceived ideas about cultures and people and open our minds to other perspectives. Visiting foreign lands used to be an integral part of a person’s education and... View Article
August 27, 2014
The tomatoes came in late this year, it was well into August before we saw the first ripe local red beauties. Since they showed up though I have been serving them practically every day in some form or another. I have made gazpacho, salmorejo, bruschetta, tomato salads, tomato sandwiches, pizza, tomato soups, fresh tomato sauce for pasta as well as sliced them into anything else I cook, from green beans to zucchini to fresh beans... View Article
August 14, 2014
Some beautiful food came and went through my kitchen this week but unfortunately I did not manage to photograph it. I made the dishes quickly and served them to a crowd (lots of house guests this week) so there was no time for me to “do my thing” with the photography. Lentils with roasted peppers and feta, roasted vegetables, fresh grilled corn, tomatoes, cucumbers, summer pasta, peaches and cream, summer cakes all came and left... View Article
August 5, 2014
Potato cakes, latkes, potato pancakes, all describe the same thing: potatoes mixed with onion, eggs and flour, formed into cakes and fried in a little oil. I am kind of addicted to these things. When I go to the market in Calgary there is no way I am not going to stop at Margarita’s for their fabulous latkes with sour cream as well as take some home for “later” which often ends up much sooner than... View Article
July 30, 2014
If it’s summer, I make potato salads and so far no one is complaining (don’t start:). Here is another potato salad version from my kitchen. The new potatoes cook quickly and combined with other beautiful vegetables and a simple dressing make a beautiful salad. What can be better? You can serve it as a whole meal or with other foods. It keeps in the fridge nicely and travels well to the boat or a picnic... View Article
July 20, 2014
Every now and then I make pastry dough, both sweet (with sugar) and savoury (without sugar) and keep them in the fridge for a few days so when I get in the mood to bake tarts I have the dough all ready to go. I make a full recipe but cut the ball of dough in half and wrap each individually before refrigerating. This way I can make only 4 tarts at a time if... View Article
July 17, 2014
Fava beans have a distinct flavour. Although they are available here in the summer I find that many are not familiar with them. They are common in Italy, Spain, France and the middle east. There are different ways of preparing them and I usually opt for the simplest: boil the shelled beans in salted water, peel the outer layer and enjoy them drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with coarse salt. I sometimes use vinegar... View Article
July 15, 2014
Here is the recipe for the salad I made for the Diner en Blanc. I make a lot of potato salads over the summer and change them often, depending what vegetables are best at the time. This salad holds well for picnics or boat rides and is not too acidic so the greens will stay vibrant even after the pesto is mixed in. I made it with small new potatoes but any variety would do... View Article
July 9, 2014
You must have heard me write before about the “other woman”. She is a fourty somethin’ year old beauty with soft curves and a strong built that takes to the water like I take to the kitchen. Her name is Isa Lei and yes, you know that she is a sailboat. My husband just loves this craft and lovingly works to restore her beauty. I don’t begrudge his attachment, this is what he always dreamed... View Article
July 8, 2014
My daughter who dines at all the trendy places told me about a whole roasted cauliflower they had at a middle eastern resto in Toronto, Fat Pasha. I have steamed a whole head of cauli before but never roasted it, so of course I had to try it. It was kind of fun to make and serve. I roasted it on the outdoor grill and it didn’t really take as long as I thought it... View Article
July 6, 2014
Part of my modus operandi (MO) in the kitchen is to have various foods already cooked in the fridge that I can pull together to create a flavourful and hopefully fun and nutritious meal. Running a vegetarian kitchen means that I often cook with grains and legumes and almost always have a couple of containers with these items on hand. Last week I went for lunch at the Eldorado Hotel and I had their cauliflower tacos.... View Article
