August 26, 2012
Have you jumped on the quinoa bandwagon yet? It seems that every now and then a new trend takes over the culinary world and everyone starts cooking it. Quinoa looks like a grain but in fact it is a seed passed on to us through the ancient Inca culture. It’s known as the super seed and its claim to fame is the fact that it is gluten free and protein rich. In our protein crazed society... View Article
August 23, 2012
I bought a large bag of grated carrots from the market the other day. It seemed easy and I immediately thought of making a carrot salad with them. Carrot salad is usually associated with Northern African cuisine and features middle east spices like cumin. There are a couple of good recipes for Moroccan carrot salad you can check out at Epicurious as well as in the fabulous cookbook Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi, the famed London chef... View Article
August 12, 2012
The apricots are so gorgeous right now I have to use them as much as I can. I made apricot tarts with some, and the remaining ripe apricots on my counter made it into the lovely little jam you see in the picture. I don’t make large quantities of jam for long term storage. I make enough for only a few jars to keep in the fridge for immediate consumption or give away to friends.... View Article
August 11, 2012
It doesn’t always have to be tomato salsa. Here is a lovely mango salsa to add to your cooking repertoire that will brighten up the flavour of many foods. Salsa is generally associated with Mexican food (love it) but don’t limit its use to just tacos. Serve this as a condiment along with other foods, as a dip with endive spears or tortilla chips, spoon some over a salad or top a grilled baguette slice... View Article
August 5, 2012
Baby potatoes are so cute. Round and plump and delicious they lend themselves to many food preparations. You can toss them with olive oil, salt and pepper and a dash of paprika and roast until crisp outside and soft inside. You can steam them and toss with butter and chopped herbs. You can toss them with butter and brown sugar and roast. I often steam them first a few hours in advance and then toss... View Article
August 2, 2012
So, we are still in Kelowna for a couple more weeks before going back to reality at home, which isn’t so bad either. We eat pretty informally, making the best of what I find in the local markets. I am having fun preparing all kinds of patio snacks and the latest was these mini grilled cheese sandwiches that I am serving with leftover raw vegetables from the open house the other night. I had quite... View Article
August 2, 2012
Whenever I serve appetizers I try to include crudités (raw vegetables) with dip. Vegetables are so beautiful and can serve as a centrepiece of an appetizer table. They are also nice on the table before dinner, allowing guests to munch on fresh vegetables while waiting for dinner. As a salad they can be very refreshing and make a beautiful salad plate for one or more. Try to use the unexpected. How about raw asparagus, sliced... View Article
August 1, 2012
Here is a pretty dish to make where you want a little more elegant presentation of a rustic dish. Any combinations of root vegetables works. I bake them in a ceramic baking pan and then cut into squares. To get the height I stack two squares one on top of the other, it looks more interesting that way. Alternatively, bake them in a deep pan and stack them up to the top. This is the... View Article
July 29, 2012
I had a few people over last night for an open house. Thankfully it was a beautiful evening and we could sit on the patio and enjoy a gorgeous summer evening here in Kelowna. We had wine and Hors d’Oeuvres that I set out partly in the dining room and partly on the patio with coffee and dessert “station” on a wrought iron trolley also on the patio. I tried to have the small event... View Article
July 29, 2012
I first posted this recipe as part of a panini recipe and I find that I keep linking to it. I use roasted peppers often in my cooking so I thought it deserves its own post. Invariably, I have roasted red peppers in my fridge marinating in olive oil with garlic, salt, pepper and a couple of herbs. It’s easy to make, versatile and adds so much flavour to many foods. I also keep jars... View Article
July 26, 2012
Barley is a good base for grain salads and you can incorporate seasonal vegetables and a simple dressing to make your own variations. I tend to cook the barley a day in advance, let it sit in the fridge overnight to recompose itself, and use it in a salad the next day. Today I had sweet green grapes, crisp radishes and sweet and tangy apples that joined to make this fruity grain salad for lunch.... View Article
July 25, 2012
If you have read my Seattle Excursion post you’d know that I sometimes go to great length to find oatmeal for breakfast. Must be my comfort food. Recently I had breakfast at Diner Delux in Calgary and ordered their delicious Maple Fried Oatmeal with Lemon Curd, a fried square of oatmeal served in an individual cast iron skillet floating in a maple flavoured sauce and topped with a dollop of lemon curd. The lemon curd cuts down the... View Article
