July 5, 2014
Traditional coleslaw is a wonderful thing but it’s nice to create some variations. This salad is easy to make and lovely to serve whether you need a large salad for a group or a small salad for two. Quantities can be adjusted, it is “a handful of this” and “a handful of that” type of recipe. The foundation is the cabbage and you add whatever inspire you. I happen to love radicchio and the slightly... View Article
July 3, 2014
I have been slowly getting over my fear of the outdoor grill. With this lovely kitchen installed on our rooftop patio I had to get in there and start using it. I have grilled pizzas and corn on the BBQ before, as well as grilled some vegetables but now that the weather is hot I am keen on making most of the cooking outdoors under the shade of the roof and umbrellas on the cooler... View Article
June 29, 2014
This salad is to go with the previous post of Thai Coconut Curry. It adds fresh and crisp texture and flavour to the cooked vegetables and rice. Adding more chopped lettuce would make it a little more substantial. I prefer to cut the cucumbers into diagonal wedges instead of slicing them into thin rounds. You can add other crisp vegetables, such a radishes or even a couple of cherry tomatoes for colour and another layer... View Article
June 29, 2014
Summer is slow to come here in Kelowna this season. Rain and cloudy skies greet us most mornings. I happen to love rain, the way the air feels, the sound of the raindrops falling and how green and bright everything looks against the grey backdrop of rain clouds. Something romantic, nostalgic, exciting and calming all at once. Leave it to nature to create the perfect harmony. If it’s windy my husband goes to “the other... View Article
June 28, 2014
The BBQ always kind of scares me. Not sure why but it’s a little intimidating, to say the least. Also the thought of cleaning it is out of the question. So, when something has to go on the BBQ I recruit my husband for the task, which includes the cleanup afterwards. However, since we had this beautiful outdoor kitchen built on the rooftop patio last summer I had to get over this fear and begin learning... View Article
June 4, 2014
Do you avoid cooking beets because of the leaking colour and the long cooking time? Granted, it can be a messy job but with your hands protected with thin kitchen gloves it shouldn’t be too bad and if you use fresh beets they cook in no time, really. You can use larger beets or baby ones, red, yellow or candy beets. They are all gorgeous and make a beautiful dish for the eye and the... View Article
June 2, 2014
Roasting vegetables brings out the sweetness in them by caramelizing the natural sugars they contain. Roasting young and delicate spring vegetables is quick and with these little carrots it only takes minutes to prepare. I found the organic baby carrot in rainbow colours the other day, tops still attached indicating their freshness. I bought a bunch and roasted them simply with a little olive oil and a handful of thyme scattered on top. Spring vegetables... View Article
May 20, 2014
It is hard to drag me away from the kitchen this time of year. I have so much fun cooking and photographing the foods. Of course I have to squeeze “life” in there and I have a long list of other pursuits that interest me but I must say that the creative element of cooking, styling, photographing food and sharing it on this blog gives me a lot of pleasure. This week I have been... View Article
May 19, 2014
I feel French today. It’s because of the radishes. They do it every time. One of the simple treasures of French food is the way they serve crisp radishes with butter and coarse salt alongside chunks of crusty French baguette. Oh so good and so very French. I adopted this French custom a long time ago when I heard about it from Jacques Pepin in one of his classes in Calgary. Recently I came across... View Article
May 15, 2014
A bunch of tall and slim asparagus is resting on my cutting board while I get the vegetable peeler. I plan to gently peel away the skin from the root end, third of the way up. I don’t always peel the spears but since I like the look of the light green part that is hidden below the skin I thought I’d peel it this time. I am preparing lunch for a few of my... View Article
May 14, 2014
I am still under the influence of tapas. We have just returned from Spain were we enjoyed tapas, pinchos and montaditos in all forms for the last few months. Truth be told, most of the tapas we found in Spain focused on Iberian ham of one kind or another and seafood of every variety. Being of vegetarian persuasions I sometimes found it difficult to find a vegetarian item on the pages and pages of tapas... View Article
May 13, 2014
I open the small metal jars containing cumin and cinnamon and the sweet and pungent scents waft towards me, their perfume filling the air around the kitchen. This is definitely Ottolenghi-land. I have been cooking my way through a few of my cookbooks and Ottolenghi’s collection sits at the top of the pile. This one, titled simply Ottolenghi, the cookbook, was much anticipated and did not disappoint. It is full of vegetable centered recipes and... View Article
