August 25, 2016
Corn hardly needs an introduction. Nothing says summer more than fresh corn on the cob with a little butter and a generous sprinkling of sea salt. A corn feast of eating a bunch of corn freshly picked that morning and bought directly from the grower is the best food memories of our summers. Leftover cobs can be stripped of their kernels with a sharp knife and the kernel used on their own with a little... View Article
August 10, 2016
Corn in Kelowna is wonderful. We get it directly from the growers, freshly picked that morning and still cool from early morning breeze. The season for corn is fairly short so we try to take advantage of it and include corn in much of our summer cooking. Corn should be cooked soon after you buy it as it tends to convert its sugars into starch and loses the crisp texture and sweet flavour quickly. I... 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
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
April 10, 2014
I started a photography course that promises to be very good and a lot of work. When I registered for the two classes, part of a professional course in photography, I only thought of the 6 hours a week of class time but forgot about homework and assignments for each of the two classes, due every week. We’ll see how it goes, it sounds like more work than I bargained for but it’s a good... View Article
September 21, 2013
Mexican food has been part of my repertoire for a long time. I enjoy the earthy flavours, simplicity, colours and aromas of this cuisine. I am just now replacing some of the Mexican cookbooks that I had before, and already have a few books by the incomparable Diana Kennedy (the Grand Dame of Mexican Cuisine), the modern and innovative Rick Bayless of the Fronterra fame and a few other books for information and inspiration. Diana Kennedy,... View Article
August 15, 2013
Ever since we bought our rooftop abode in Kelowna a couple of years ago we have been talking about having an outdoor kitchen installed on the north side of the patio. I like to cook and thought it would be nice to have an additional kitchen outdoors that would be handy for entertaining, perhaps informal cooking classes for friends, food photography or just for us to have fun with it. Roasted corn with ancho-chili butter... View Article
August 20, 2012
My friend Dori mentioned that she wanted to make corn muffins and that of course triggered in me immediately the desire to make corn muffins, especially with all the fresh corn on the market now. I make several different types of muffins and usually adapt one recipe to make something else with it. This time I thought I’d make something new and settled on corn-buttermilk muffins. The slight tang from the buttermilk would balance the... View Article
May 31, 2012
I have a few different ways of making corn cakes, some lighter, like this recipe, some more substantial that I will post later. Serve them for breakfast, lunch or dinner with creme fraiche, beans or on their own. In spite of the salty feta, they are also good with maple syrup. Makes about 8-10 pancakes. Ingredients: 2 cup white corn kernels 1 cup buttermilk 2 eggs 1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled 1 tablespoon corn oil... View Article
May 25, 2012
A light yet substantial salad to serve for lunch or take along on a picnic or a spring boat ride. Quinoa cooks very quickly so you can whip up this salad in no time (I like to have cooked quinoa in the fridge, it keeps for a couple of days and can be used for a salad). To roast the yellow cauliflower just separate into small florets, toss with some olive oil and roast on... View Article
May 23, 2012
Here is the third instalment in the risotto “series”. See Basic Risotto Here and Spring Asparagus Risotto here. I decided to break the “series” up a bit so it’s not all risotto because I have been cooking so many other fun things and eager to share them on the blog. So, back to risotto. Once you have made a basic risotto, adding other ingredients to it can be fun and creative. Think about what is in... View Article
April 13, 2012
Vegetables are so fun to cook. Most of us cook and serve them on their open but mingling them can produce a fun unexpected and delicious combination of textures and flavours. Cabbage can be combined with potatoes, grains and other vegetables. It is a part of almost every international cuisine and is good flavoured with Mediterranean, Asian or eastern European flavours. I slightly undercook the cabbage and kale because I like to retain their colour... View Article
