February 6, 2020
If you follow me on social media you may have noticed that I have been busy creating images for an online food photo challenge in the last couple fo weeks. It has taken me outside of my comfort zone which is a good thing, it’s easy to settle into a routine so stretching out a bit and trying new things has been fun. I do however, loved cooking first so I made a bunch of... View Article
November 21, 2017
Sometimes I have food cravings and nothing but a risotto would do. It has been on my mind for a while now but with so much fresh stuff in my fridge I just did not get around to making it. Finally it had to happen today. I had a couple of golden beets I picked up the other day and I thought they would be good in the risotto. Cut in small cubes and cooked... View Article
August 20, 2017
This is a very Italian dish and like most Italian food it is simple and delicious. “Simple” I mean in a sophisticated way. Viva Italia. I cook beans frequently and tend to have some on hand most of the time so it’s easy for me to make these crostini without having to cook them from scratch. The beans can be homemade, slow cooked with aromatics, or if you don’t cook beans from scratch then use good... View Article
June 24, 2017
Sometimes when I make gnocchi I leave them smooth and pillowy instead of pressing them against a gnocchi board or a fork to create ridges. I know that traditionally gnocchi have ridges where the sauce can cling and settle in the grooves, but it’s also okay to leave them smooth, like little pillows. I make gnocchi often, being the starch lover that I am, and I have a few different ways to serve them. One... View Article
June 1, 2017
You know that saying that you can never be too thin, too rich or eat too much pasta? Well, the last part is my ad lib but that’s how I feel. I am always ready for a delicious and comforting steamy bowl of pasta. I was at the farmers market this week and picked up fresh ricotta from a local organic cheese producer, Bella Stella Cheese from Lumby, BC. The Swiss born Igor and German... View Article
May 23, 2017
When we stayed in Italy, now more than a year ago (how time flies) I attended a private workshop at the home of the fabulous Elvira Zilli in Frascati, on the hills outside of Rome. The entire experience was one of the main highlights of the Italian adventure and I wrote about it in detail here. We made many delicious dishes in that workshop and the underlying theme was pasta making. Elvira and her friend... View Article
May 11, 2017
I recently attended a cooking class at the Lake House Store in Kelowna. This is one of my favourite stores in town and much of my cookware and kitchen gadgets come from there, not the least a Kitchenaid, Vitamix, Fissler pressure cooker, Le Creuset, Nesspresso coffee maker (for my husband) and more, none of which I would do without. The state of the art kitchen is surprisingly spacious, hidden during the week by beautiful merchandise displayed on... View Article
May 9, 2017
When baby artichokes are available one of the ways to serve them is raw, very thinly sliced and tossed with lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. I serve them with spring greens and baby arugula to layer the flavours, and shave parmigiano on top. It is a delicacy that if you love artichokes I am sure you would appreciate. Baby artichokes work best but for this salad but if you don’t have them use... View Article
April 17, 2017
What is it? Raviolo al uovo is a single large raviolo filled with ricotta and containing a soft egg yolk that oozes out when you cut into it (“raviolo” is not a typo, in Italian “ravioli” is plural, “raviolo” is singular). You would serve one per person drizzled with butter, hollandaise, light tomato sauce or whatever else you think would go with it. Serve it on its own or with a little topping such as... View Article
April 16, 2017
Last week my daughter Jade was home with a couple of her friends and made fresh homemade pasta and roasted tomato sauce for dinner. We all joined the pasta party, rolling and cutting the dough to the dance tunes of Mambo Italiano and That’s Amore in the background. It was a memorable evening and put me in the mood for more fresh pasta. Today I set out to make ravioli with soft egg yolk inside, a unique... View Article
April 1, 2017
So this morning I am off to begin a 30 day yoga challenge at Moksha Yoga across the street. What am I getting myself into? Can I even hold any of the yoga positions? I am better at hiking, walking, swimming and leisure biking occasionally (not to mention lunching) but my friend suggested we do it and I took her up on it. Granted, it’s good to surprise your body/muscles as they can get used... View Article
September 17, 2015
Looking to discover you inner Italian? Here is how. Gian Marco Litrico offers classes that are so much more than just learning the language. With Gian Marco you will learn how to think like an Italian, how to cook Italian dishes and how to have an appreciation for Italian art, music, style and life. The classes are conversational and structured to be fun and informative, allowing you to progress at your own pace. The goal is... View Article
