November 12, 2013
This roasted potato is a Swedish beauty first served at the Hasselbacken restaurant in Sweden (hence the name) a couple of hundred years ago, or so I hear. It’s a fun diversion from the usual potato dishes and quite easy to produce. The trick is to slice the potatoes thinly and down to about 1/4 inch from the bottom without cutting them right through. If you happen to cut one right through you can still... View Article
November 11, 2013
Most people love potatoes and for some, a meal is not a meal without them. This ubiquitous veggie is of global importance being the fourth most important food grown worldwide after corn, wheat and rice. Potatoes appear in every cuisine and sustained civilizations for thousands of years (Peru, Incas). Potatoes grow in a wide range of soils, climates and geographical conditions and to this day help enhance food security because they are easy to cultivate and calorie... View Article
October 10, 2013
I am still buying wild mushrooms, can you blame me? They are in season. I am going on a mushroom foraging day soon with my friend Val of More Than Burnt Toast (Laura of An Uneducated Palate, when are you joining us?). Val and I have been everywhere this fall, attending restaurant openings, going to vineyard dinners, attending food and wine events, visiting wineries, eating at inetresting places and taking pictures, pictures and more pictures. We... View Article
October 5, 2013
Fall mornings are a fabulous thing. Who invented them? Morning hot chocolate on the patio is ever more enticing as we watch the fog lifts slowly off the lake to reveal the beautiful silver blue of early morning. Although we know it is coming, fall seems to arrive suddenly. One morning it’s summer, the next morning it’s fall. “Don’t remember summer even saying goodbye” says David Mitchel in Cloud Atlas. Suddenly the days are shorter and... View Article
September 29, 2013
I have already talked about the abundance of wild mushrooms at the market right now. This is the thing about seasonal cooking. The season is short and if you want to enjoy the bounty it means using the same ingredients in different ways for a while until…….. The King is dead long live the King….and new produce dominates the market stalls. I have featured wild mushrooms in Stuffed Zucchini, quesadillas and risotto and today in this gratin... View Article
August 27, 2013
Earlier this season I planted a little flat leaf parsley seedling on the patio and somehow, in no time it grew into a huge plant with beautiful flat leaves packed with flavour. Who knew these herbs can grow like that? In Calgary I could barely make it survive. Now I have several herbs in the rooftop garden and can step outside at any time to pick fresh rosemary, thyme, sage, basil (green and purple, sorrel,... View Article
July 16, 2013
What? Potatoes and pizza? I am in. I have had a few potato pizzas here and there, the most memorable one at the exquisite Crazyweed in Canmore a while back. At Crazyweed they call theirs Bella Pizza and it has pesto, rosemary-crusted potatoes, mushrooms, charred onion and parmesan. It’s not the most common combination for pizza topping but a delicious and satisfying one just the same. If you are a foodie you look for new... View Article
July 11, 2013
Here is the recipe for the potato vegetable salad that I prepared for the Diner en Blanc the other day. As far as I am concerned it’s a full meal deal but also makes a nice substantial salad to serve alongside other foods. Make it with small new potatoes cut in half or quartered and add corn, green peas, green beans, radishes, green onion, shredded radicchio and whatever else strike your fancy. I like adding... View Article
July 3, 2013
Potato salads are a regular feature in my summer kitchen. They are easy to make, satisfying and flavourful and I like them combined with other summer vegetables and dressed with a tangy vinaigrette. I noticed that I have been making more and more potato salads with vinaigrettes and less with mayo based dressing. This salad was made with waxy yellow skinned, golden fleshed potatoes that keep their shape when they cook. I steamed them over... View Article
June 25, 2013
To be honest, I seldom make a soup exactly the same twice. I tend to build a soup up from what I have in the fridge, what inspires me that day and of course, what I may be “in the mood for” at the time. This hearty yet not heavy soup makes a perfect complete dinner, nice when served with a crisp salad and crusty bread. One caveat: don’t use dried herbs. The aroma and... View Article
October 6, 2012
If I had to be a fruit I’d be a pomegranate. What a beauty! Exotic and elegant, sweet and mysterious, with layers of treasures hidden inside for those who dare to venture, wrapped in protective layers of soft golden skin. Yes, I’d be a pomegranate. This beauty is in season during fall and early winter and my kitchen counter is piled with mounds of this versatile fruit. I break it open, release the seeds, toss... View Article
October 5, 2012
A simple recipe, but simplicity is the essence of sophistication. This past summer in Kelowna I made a lot of different potato salads, combining them with market fresh vegetables and a variety of dressings. Some of them are posted here, and here and here (see? I make it easy for you). It was a lot of fun creating the combinations and every time it was different. But I haven’t made any since summer. Now with fall in full... View Article
