August 5, 2012
Baby potatoes are so cute. Round and plump and delicious they lend themselves to many food preparations. You can toss them with olive oil, salt and pepper and a dash of paprika and roast until crisp outside and soft inside. You can steam them and toss with butter and chopped herbs. You can toss them with butter and brown sugar and roast. I often steam them first a few hours in advance and then toss... View Article
August 2, 2012
So, we are still in Kelowna for a couple more weeks before going back to reality at home, which isn’t so bad either. We eat pretty informally, making the best of what I find in the local markets. I am having fun preparing all kinds of patio snacks and the latest was these mini grilled cheese sandwiches that I am serving with leftover raw vegetables from the open house the other night. I had quite... View Article
August 2, 2012
Whenever I serve appetizers I try to include crudités (raw vegetables) with dip. Vegetables are so beautiful and can serve as a centrepiece of an appetizer table. They are also nice on the table before dinner, allowing guests to munch on fresh vegetables while waiting for dinner. As a salad they can be very refreshing and make a beautiful salad plate for one or more. Try to use the unexpected. How about raw asparagus, sliced... View Article
August 1, 2012
Here is a pretty dish to make where you want a little more elegant presentation of a rustic dish. Any combinations of root vegetables works. I bake them in a ceramic baking pan and then cut into squares. To get the height I stack two squares one on top of the other, it looks more interesting that way. Alternatively, bake them in a deep pan and stack them up to the top. This is the... View Article
July 29, 2012
I had a few people over last night for an open house. Thankfully it was a beautiful evening and we could sit on the patio and enjoy a gorgeous summer evening here in Kelowna. We had wine and Hors d’Oeuvres that I set out partly in the dining room and partly on the patio with coffee and dessert “station” on a wrought iron trolley also on the patio. I tried to have the small event... View Article
July 29, 2012
I first posted this recipe as part of a panini recipe and I find that I keep linking to it. I use roasted peppers often in my cooking so I thought it deserves its own post. Invariably, I have roasted red peppers in my fridge marinating in olive oil with garlic, salt, pepper and a couple of herbs. It’s easy to make, versatile and adds so much flavour to many foods. I also keep jars... View Article
July 27, 2012
Quail eggs are not something I cook with often but I saw them at a store and bought them this time. They were sitting in the fridge for a couple of days before I got to them. The shells are so gorgeous, like work of art. I was considering poaching but ended up hard boiling them and adding to the potato salad I was making that day (we have had a few potato salads these... View Article
July 26, 2012
Barley is a good base for grain salads and you can incorporate seasonal vegetables and a simple dressing to make your own variations. I tend to cook the barley a day in advance, let it sit in the fridge overnight to recompose itself, and use it in a salad the next day. Today I had sweet green grapes, crisp radishes and sweet and tangy apples that joined to make this fruity grain salad for lunch.... View Article
July 25, 2012
If you have read my Seattle Excursion post you’d know that I sometimes go to great length to find oatmeal for breakfast. Must be my comfort food. Recently I had breakfast at Diner Delux in Calgary and ordered their delicious Maple Fried Oatmeal with Lemon Curd, a fried square of oatmeal served in an individual cast iron skillet floating in a maple flavoured sauce and topped with a dollop of lemon curd. The lemon curd cuts down the... View Article
July 24, 2012
It’s raining and cool today. There must have been a rain storm here last night. We woke up to find several cushions and a beautiful, heavy table cloth that were left out overnight scattered all over the patio this morning, soaking wet. The one time I don’t put everything away and there is an overnight storm. The tall grass in the planters surrounding the patio is bent over, burdened with rain water and wind. One... View Article
July 22, 2012
When I cut up fruits and do not use them all I place the leftover portion in a freezer bag and freeze them for making smoothies later on. Last time I made fruits on a stick (see here) I had a few fruits left over that I froze so this morning I made them into a smoothie for breakfast to serve with cooked Irish steel cut oats. If you don’t have your own then use... View Article
July 20, 2012
I have a couple of rhubarb plants in our otherwise wild back yard in the country where we live. It’s the only plant that seems to survive here. It is impossible to have a garden or even landscaping as we have a large number of wildlife roaming the forest and meadows around us and they eat everything in sight. They even come up on the deck to lunch of my flower pots, when i have... View Article
