February 10, 2020
I cook a lot of legumes and grains and this bean dish is one of my favourite. I make it with less liquid or more liquid, depending on what I do with it. When we were in Italy a while back we spent a month in Rome. One of the most memorable lunches we had was at a restaurant near the Spanish Steps called Ristoranto Nino. At the entrance, behind glass, there was a flask... View Article
November 13, 2019
Once fall arrives soup season begins in my kitchen. I make a soup in a large le Creuset pot and then store it in 2-3 mason jars in the fridge so it’s ready to warm up as I wish. Lentil soups are regulars here and I usually mix 2-3 types of lentils together to make it more interesting. Soup for me is second nature and I don ‘t need a recipe to make... View Article
October 17, 2019
My kind of salad, with sweet potatoes, black beans, pomegranate seeds and chopped pistachios combined for a spectrum of textures and flavours. I make this salad all year round and change it a little with every season. In the fall I add pomegranates or even firm, ripe pears for a touch of fruity flavour. In the summer I add fresh corn, roasted on the grill and scraped off the cob into a waiting... View Article
June 7, 2017
Whether you cook vegetarian or not, well cooked beans from scratch are good to have in your cooking repertoire. This simple bean dish using fresh thyme from my garden is an easy way to cook them and yields a dish that has lot of flavour. True, beans are not a quick fix because they require soaking. To soak or not to soak, that is the question. I have heard and read that you can do... View Article
May 15, 2017
When vegetables are fresh and tender in the spring I like to combine them with lentils to make different salads. The idea here is to build a few layers of flavours and textures so every bite has a surprise. This salad is good served warm or at room temperature. Today I had crisp white baby turnips fresh from the market and thick local spring asparagus from Osoyoos in the south Okanagan. For a tangy note I... View Article
January 16, 2017
The weather down here on the Mayan Riviera has been unusually cooler, still in the 20s but a lot of warm tropical rain and clouds. Fittingly, soup was on the menu this week to go with a shredded green salad with citrus vinaigrette. Both were quite delicious so I thought I’d share them on the blog. Salad in the next post. I find that dried beans that I buy here cook much faster than the... View Article
September 9, 2016
One thing we enjoyed over and over in Italy, especially in Tuscany and Rome, was a dish of slow cooked white beans cooked in a glass flask over low heat for many hours. It was such a treat. We ordered it wherever it was offered and always ended up wiping the plate clean with a piece of bread (expected to be done as the food is so good). Most of the time these were white... View Article
March 15, 2016
You will have to forgive me for still being immersed in Italian food and culture. On second thought, I shouldn’t have to apologize, it’s fabulous food and I am sharing it with you. So, enjoy. One of the soups we had in Tuscany was pasta and chickpea soup that was simply delicious and just my kind of food. When we returned home I made a lot of soups in the beginning, because they are easy... View Article
April 26, 2015
Grains and legumes form a large part of our every day food at home. They show up at breakfast, in soups, salads, main course and even desserts. This easy version of rice and beans is good with the addition of caramelized onion. The onion, slowly caramelize until it is golden and crisp in spots, is reminiscent of the classic middle east dish of rice and lentils called mujadara. I fold the caramelized onion into the... View Article
November 27, 2013
I am still in “travel” mode, getting ready for our upcoming trip to Europe, leaving next week. As I mentioned we will be in Paris first, then in Spain for a couple of months. I have never been to Spain and looking forward to explore this country’s culinary scene, history and culture. Through my blogger friend Val of More than Burnt Toast I connected with a Barcelona blogger Nuria Farregut of Spanish Recipes by Nuria who... View Article
October 8, 2013
Chances are if you drop by there would be a soup simmering in a copper pot at the back of the stove in my kitchen, its fragrance wafting throughout the house. ‘Tis the season as they say. Fall is a perfect time for a bowl of warm, steamy soup. I love making soups and they make a lovely and satisfying simple meal at the end of the day with good bread and maybe a crisp... 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
