November 9, 2019
Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon cinnamon A pinch of salt 1/2 cup roasted pumpkin puree (I had leftovers) 3/4 cup oat milk 1/4 cup orange juice 1/4 cup melted butter 2 eggs Directions: Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in a bowl and mix. Combine pumpkin puree, oat milk, orange juice and melted butter in another bowl and mix until... View Article
November 8, 2016
I love fall and its gorgeous colours and try to bring them into the kitchen and onto the plate. The golds, reds and greens of beautiful pumpkins and winter squashes are regular visitors here. Roasted, baked, made into soups, added to salads, used in pancakes, waffles or muffins, I don’t think a day does by without a touch of one pumkin or another in what we eat at home. The leftover roasted squash from the... View Article
November 7, 2016
This is winter squash season and piles of butternut, acorn, delicata, buttercup and more are piled high on the stands at the markets. I do my share to support local producers and buy a lot of them. They can sit on the counter for a while as part of the kitchen scene, bringing in a seasonal element and beautiful shapes and colour to your home. But of course they are meant to be cooked. The... View Article
November 5, 2016
Mushrooms are best in the fall and I am trying to use them in various dishes. This simple salad is made with the “normal” white and cremini mushrooms sliced very thin and combined with thinly sliced celery and shaved pecorino. The magenta salt you see the image is a wild berry salt from Iceland, I brought it back from a recent visit, but you can use pink Himalayan salt or any interesting salt that is... View Article
October 21, 2016
Once you understand how to construct a soup you hardly need a recipe. This is especially so in a simple and hearty soup such as this one, full of vegetables, beans and pasta and believe me, nothing could be simpler. I start with a heavy soup pot, my favourite is an enamelled cast iron pot such as Le Creuset, put in a little olive oil, heat it up and then begin adding the ingredients I... View Article
October 29, 2015
Brussels sprouts begin to appear in the market at the end of the season, still clinging to their long thick stalks. It’s a thing of beauty and although I know not everyone likes them, I can’t resist them, they are so delicious. they are also pretty versatile and can be used raw in salads thinly sliced or with their leaves peeled pulled apart. They can be sautéed in butter or oil and served with lemon... View Article
October 15, 2015
How do you get ready for a trip? We are counting down the days to our upcoming four months stay in Italy. There is of course the usual preparation: reserving accommodation, car rental, opera and concerts tickets, arranging cooking classes and booking truffle hunt excursion, not to mention olive oil tasting, visits to the wineries and cheese making farms. But, I tend to do more than just that. Long before we leave on a trip... 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
September 1, 2015
Regardless of what the calendar says, it’s definitely fall when foraged mushrooms are popping up at the farmers market. I went to our Kelowna market on a rainy Saturday morning looking for my friend Scott Moran, the local forager, and I was not disappointed. Scott has a small booth at the market with only a few items available each week, depending on what he foraged in the last couple of days. You never know what... View Article
November 16, 2014
This week I offered a cookbook giveaway on the blog, and hope that you put your name down for one of them. This is the first time I am doing a giveaway, offering four books sent to me by a Canadian publisher as part of their promotional program. It’s kind of fun to help promote Canadian cookbook authors and give something back to you the readers at the same time. There are four books in... View Article
September 25, 2014
Just like in fashion, the culinary world also has trends (kale, anyone?) and quinoa was a trend that took the culinary world by a storm. Unlike some other trends that come and go, quinoa is now comfortably embedded in the culinary repertoire of chef and home cooks alike, and for good reasons. It is easy to cook, adaptable to many preparation, packed with good nutrients and for those of you who are gluten intolerant, it’s... View Article
September 24, 2014
Here is a way to use the last of the stone fruits at the end of summer and early fall. Roasting the fruits doesn’t dry them, rather it concentrates their flavour and softens them to a nice texture. I toss the fruits with sugar, drizzle pure vanilla extract over and roast at 400℉. You can make it in advance or put it in the oven just before you begin dinner and by the time you... View Article
