July 21, 2015
Here is a quick and simple pasta recipe that I make with fresh market vegetables. This time zucchini and a sweet red pepper combine with short pasta to make a light dish that can be served warm or at room temperature as a summer meal on the patio. A good baguette, a drizzle of olive oil and crisp green salad with a simple vinaigrette is all you need to go with it, if anything at... View Article
July 18, 2015
Garlic scape is a new item in my kitchen. Somehow it escaped the range of my rather extensive vegetable repertoire and I have never cooked with it before. My friend Jeannette brought them to my attention last year after she was invited to a garlic farm and urged by the farmer to pick as many garlic scapes as she could. She ended up making garlic scape pesto and brought over a couple of jars filled... View Article
May 21, 2015
I haven’t spent much time in the kitchen this week. I have discovered the Apex Trail leading up to the top of Knox Mountain and got completely hooked on the hike and the area and have been going there every day. I hope this enthusiasm continues through the summer and fall because it is such a good workout in a gorgeous setting with spectacular Okanagan views. I do pack a lunch, enjoy it on top... View Article
April 13, 2015
Spring is still struggling here in the Okanagan. It has been cold and windy. I am waiting to plant my herbs for the season and bring in the perennials to brighten up the planters outside. Some herbs are coming back after the cold winter: chives, oregano, even some of the thyme. Pretty amazing to see them pop up after being covered with snow and subjected to the vagaries of a Canadian winter. I am still... View Article
March 29, 2015
Pasta for me, as I imagine it is for most people, is the go to food when you need to make a quick dinner without turning the kitchen inside out. And, since I discovered the one pan pasta method it has become the go to method for a quick pasta dish. I have made it a few times now, changing it a little every time. Today I came back with a few grocery bags but... View Article
April 26, 2014
What do you make for a quick dinner? For me it’s pasta hands down. It goes with just about anything and I can almost make it with my eyes closed. You know where the pot is and you just need to scoop a piece to taste if it’s al dente, right? For this dish I combined red pepper penne with sautéed onion, cabbage and kale, a little white wine and then some mascarpone to round... View Article
April 6, 2014
I posted a free form lasagna recipe a short while ago but today made another one and thought it post-worthy. I used fresh lasagna sheets from our Valoroso Italian market and used prepared tomato sauce from Alba, Italy (Cascina San Cassiano, comes in a cute round jar). If you can’t find this one try Williams Sonoma pasta sauces, they are pretty good, or of course make your own. This lasagna has to be cooked in 375F... View Article
March 17, 2014
It has taken me a long time to make the adjustment from cooking for five to cooking for two. I had to completely change my thinking and uncharacteristically begin to “think small” in the kitchen. Lasagna is one of those dishes that needed an adjustment. The large pans of lasagna no longer made sense for just the two of us. I am not a big fan of freezing things. Once it’s in the freezer it... View Article
September 14, 2013
Eggplants come in a variety of shapes and colours. The dark purple or black is the most widely available eggplant but there are pink, white and even striped varieties. Have you used the striped pink eggplants before? I believe it is called Listada di Gandia. There is some controversy about its origin. Some say it came from Spain, others say from France. Regardless, it is mostly considered now an Italian variety. I guess the Italianos claimed it... View Article
July 4, 2013
Pasta is probably my favourite food after bread, and if I can have both together I am pretty well in culinary heaven. I cook a lot of pasta dishes, some quick and light, some more substantial and either way they are always satisfying and good in their simplicity. I made this pasta for dinner using some vegetables that I intended to use and didn’t get around to in the last couple of days. I had... View Article
September 6, 2012
Although I cook pasta all year round I find that I tend to cook it more frequently in the fall and winter seasons. Not that I think of pasta as winter food but in the summer I like to take full advantage of the beautiful fresh vegetables that you find at the markets and finding myself cooking with a variety of summer potatoes for the starch component of dinner. We are now nearing the end... View Article
August 29, 2012
I know that many here in North America are not fans of eggplant. In mediterranean cuisine it is a popular vegetable and appears in many dishes. This recipe makes a delicious pasta dish and I hope to entice you to try it. You can develop a palate for eggplant. I made this pasta with the pink striped eggplant pictured below but you can make it with the regular type as well. When buying eggplants make... View Article
