November 10, 2014
Part of my culinary style is cooking with grains, legumes and vegetables and combine them in hot and cold dishes. I find it convenient to cook grains or legumes in advance and have them sitting in the fridge for a day or two waiting to be incorporated into a recipe for lunch or dinner (or breakfast). Quinoa cooks very quickly as it does not require soaking but still, I usually cook more than what I... View Article
October 19, 2014
A beautiful salad is a work of art. The colours, textures, composition and flavours are appealing to both the eye and the palate. Whether you serve it on individual plates or pile it on a large platter for guests to helps themselves, always consider these elements when composing your creation. When dressing a salad, less is more. You don’t want to overwhelm the greens with too much dressing, too strong flavours, too much acid or... View Article
September 25, 2014
Just like in fashion, the culinary world also has trends (kale, anyone?) and quinoa was a trend that took the culinary world by a storm. Unlike some other trends that come and go, quinoa is now comfortably embedded in the culinary repertoire of chef and home cooks alike, and for good reasons. It is easy to cook, adaptable to many preparation, packed with good nutrients and for those of you who are gluten intolerant, it’s... View Article
September 10, 2014
I attended the BC Pinot Noir celebration last week where the dinner was catered by Chef Mark Filatow of Waterfront Wines restaurant. Chef Filatow needs no introduction here in the valley, he is one of the very best and has three gold medals to prove it. One of the items on Filatow’s menu was a sieglinde potato salad with rosemary and roasted garlic aioli. Sieglinde is a certified organic summer potato, oval in shape an... View Article
July 30, 2014
If it’s summer, I make potato salads and so far no one is complaining (don’t start:). Here is another potato salad version from my kitchen. The new potatoes cook quickly and combined with other beautiful vegetables and a simple dressing make a beautiful salad. What can be better? You can serve it as a whole meal or with other foods. It keeps in the fridge nicely and travels well to the boat or a picnic... View Article
July 24, 2014
Persimmons are quite special. I have seen them at the produce sections many times but didn’t really get to know them until we went to Spain recently. Although it is an Asian fruit, Spain has adopted it and it is now rising in agricultural importance and popularity there. What I heard in Spain is that the persimmon production “saved” their agricultural export. They are grown mainly in Valencia but also in Castellon and Andalusia and... View Article
July 15, 2014
Here is the recipe for the salad I made for the Diner en Blanc. I make a lot of potato salads over the summer and change them often, depending what vegetables are best at the time. This salad holds well for picnics or boat rides and is not too acidic so the greens will stay vibrant even after the pesto is mixed in. I made it with small new potatoes but any variety would do... View Article
July 5, 2014
Traditional coleslaw is a wonderful thing but it’s nice to create some variations. This salad is easy to make and lovely to serve whether you need a large salad for a group or a small salad for two. Quantities can be adjusted, it is “a handful of this” and “a handful of that” type of recipe. The foundation is the cabbage and you add whatever inspire you. I happen to love radicchio and the slightly... View Article
May 20, 2014
It is hard to drag me away from the kitchen this time of year. I have so much fun cooking and photographing the foods. Of course I have to squeeze “life” in there and I have a long list of other pursuits that interest me but I must say that the creative element of cooking, styling, photographing food and sharing it on this blog gives me a lot of pleasure. This week I have been... View Article
April 22, 2014
Looking outside through the expanse of windows overlooking the Okanagan in the morning is always reflective. It’s foggy and overcast at the moment, but I suspect the fog will lift as the sun breaks through in a few hours. I don’t mind foggy days, there is a mystery and romance to the silvery tones and staying home seems ever more enticing. The fireplace is warming up the room and a cup of hot camomile tea... View Article
