December 4, 2014
You may have noticed that I have been experimenting with cooking without dairy. I was resistant to the idea of making pseudo-dairy foods for quite a while (just eat less of it, no?) but recently decided to give it a try partly because a number of my readers are vegan and I thought it would be a nice gesture at the very least. This cashew cream worked out quite well and it is versatile enough... View Article
December 1, 2014
A warm bowl of oatmeal is one of my top of the list comfort foods. In that category, my favourite type of oats are the steel cut because they retain a nice chewy texture and do not get mushy when cooked. Steel cut oats (a.k.a Irish Oatmeal) are made by removing the husks from the grains and then putting the grains through a cutting machine with rotating steel disks that cut each oat into 2-3 small... View Article
November 30, 2014
We just returned from a short stay in Vancouver, a four hour drive from our current home going west. The roads were treacherous following a first heavy snow fall and we passed several empty cars in the ditch along the way. Trucks were having a difficult time climbing up the hills, sliding right back down with little control. We were glad to arrive safe and sound at the Rosewood Georgia hotel in the center of town... View Article
November 25, 2014
The inspiration for the recipe came from a Greek cookbook author Aglaia Kremezi. My friend Val spent a week on a Greek Island several years ago, attending Aglaia’s cooking school. She remained a fan and alerted me to the fact that Aglaia has published a new cookbook and was touring Canada and the US to promote it. I happened to be in Montreal when Aglaia was there and attended a demonstration and book signing at the... View Article
November 24, 2014
Did I mentioned that I tend to get “stuck” on a few things and make them over and over for a while until I move on to something else? these salad rolls are a good example. I love eating them and love making them so here they are again. I vary the filling and the dipping sauce according to what I have on hand. Today I had mangos, arugula and pumpkin seeds (where did I... View Article
November 23, 2014
Once in a while I get a craving for cornbread. I like it a little sweet, a little tangy with a dense but not heavy texture. I bake it in a square pan, in a cast iron skillet, into muffins or as I did this time, in parchment baking cups. Cornbread can accompany a dinner, be served for breakfast, alongside a salad or with soups. I sometimes break it into crumbs, toast them in the... View Article
November 19, 2014
I was feeling good about drizzling balsamic crema on my salad instead of an oil based dressing (it is oil free) until I read the label and realized there were at least 9 gram of sugar per 1 tablespoon (15 grams) of the stuff. I was not impressed. Granted, this was a balsamic crema with strawberries and figs reduction, so it had more sugar. The plain balsamic reduction showed 3 grams of sugar per tablespoon,... View Article
November 18, 2014
On my recent visit to Israel I stayed for a couple of nights with a long time gal-friend Irit. Irit and I now see each other infrequently so it was a special treat to spend some time together. She lives in a beautiful home in Zichron Yaakov and has a spa-like guest suite in which I stayed. The bright and serene suite has an arched window above the bed overlooking a profusion of purple hanging... View Article
November 16, 2014
This week I offered a cookbook giveaway on the blog, and hope that you put your name down for one of them. This is the first time I am doing a giveaway, offering four books sent to me by a Canadian publisher as part of their promotional program. It’s kind of fun to help promote Canadian cookbook authors and give something back to you the readers at the same time. There are four books in... View Article
November 13, 2014
Temperatures dropped to zero today so I think it is officially cold. All the flowers on the patio are dead but surprisingly there is beauty even in death and I photographed some of the hydrangeas that turned amber-brown and are so delicate and beautiful even now. Some of the herbs are persevering, the thyme, rosemary, tarragon and sage. The various basil plants have succumbed to the cold as did some of the other more delicate... View Article
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
November 6, 2014
I was travelling for several weeks recently eating at restaurants every day. As good as (some) restaurant food can be, I came home craving homemade fresh and simple food. I had good experience on these trips with Asian vegan food and came home excited and enthusiastic to make some at home. I have already made a couple of dishes that were blog worthy but had no opportunity to photograph them as I served them before... View Article
