July 17, 2014
Fava beans have a distinct flavour. Although they are available here in the summer I find that many are not familiar with them. They are common in Italy, Spain, France and the middle east. There are different ways of preparing them and I usually opt for the simplest: boil the shelled beans in salted water, peel the outer layer and enjoy them drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with coarse salt. I sometimes use vinegar... View Article
July 16, 2014
Note: header image is a recent update, made with frozen strawberries cooked with a bit of sugar and pureed with an immersion mixer. This post goes with the previous one about cherry compote. I made the compote and served it over these waffles. It’s an easy, no-fail recipe that you can mix by hand in no time. Ingredients: 2 cups flour 3 tablespoons sugar 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 2 eggs 2... 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 10, 2014
One of my favourite summer salads is a grilled romaine. There is something about the charred edges and crisp greens that works beautifully and I tend to grill a few of our summer salads on the outdoor grill. I have posted a grilled romaine salad before and served it with halloumi cheese. Halloumi has a high melting point and it can easily be grilled without melting. This time I had beautiful small heirloom tomatoes and... 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
July 3, 2014
I have been slowly getting over my fear of the outdoor grill. With this lovely kitchen installed on our rooftop patio I had to get in there and start using it. I have grilled pizzas and corn on the BBQ before, as well as grilled some vegetables but now that the weather is hot I am keen on making most of the cooking outdoors under the shade of the roof and umbrellas on the cooler... View Article
June 28, 2014
The BBQ always kind of scares me. Not sure why but it’s a little intimidating, to say the least. Also the thought of cleaning it is out of the question. So, when something has to go on the BBQ I recruit my husband for the task, which includes the cleanup afterwards. However, since we had this beautiful outdoor kitchen built on the rooftop patio last summer I had to get over this fear and begin learning... View Article
June 4, 2014
Do you avoid cooking beets because of the leaking colour and the long cooking time? Granted, it can be a messy job but with your hands protected with thin kitchen gloves it shouldn’t be too bad and if you use fresh beets they cook in no time, really. You can use larger beets or baby ones, red, yellow or candy beets. They are all gorgeous and make a beautiful dish for the eye and the... View Article
June 2, 2014
Roasting vegetables brings out the sweetness in them by caramelizing the natural sugars they contain. Roasting young and delicate spring vegetables is quick and with these little carrots it only takes minutes to prepare. I found the organic baby carrot in rainbow colours the other day, tops still attached indicating their freshness. I bought a bunch and roasted them simply with a little olive oil and a handful of thyme scattered on top. Spring vegetables... 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
