November 5, 2014
I recently spent a couple of weeks in Israel and needless to say food was on my mind. Although I was there for a different reason, I managed to squeeze in as many food experiences as I could, and one of these experiences included a food tour and cooking class with Orly in Tel Aviv. I found Orly’s website Cook In Israel through an online search and checked the references on Trip Advisor. Her tour... 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 20, 2014
Beets are in right now and I am taking full advantage of their freshness and abundance. I prepared a few jars of pickled beets, sweet and tangy and delicious, and have been roasting beets to serve as a vegetable or in a salad. I particularly like the elongated variety of beets and if I see them at the market they usually come home with me. Beets seem to have a bad rap and many people... View Article
September 16, 2014
Did you know that beets and swiss chard belong to the same family? If you look at their leaves you can see the resemblance. These two also go well together and you can combine beets with the leaves of swiss chard quite nicely. I like beets and cook with them a lot in season, especially the little baby beets. In the winter I tend to make beet soup out of the larger ones and I... View Article
September 11, 2014
I am not going to wax poetic about the change of season. Or am I? We bloggers tend to do that. I will say however that summer seems to be retreating and fall is in the air. Mornings are cool, the sun sets early amd the days are shorter. A trip to the farmers market makes you wonder where all the tomatoes and summer berries go. Apples and pear are stacked on the stands now... 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
August 27, 2014
The tomatoes came in late this year, it was well into August before we saw the first ripe local red beauties. Since they showed up though I have been serving them practically every day in some form or another. I have made gazpacho, salmorejo, bruschetta, tomato salads, tomato sandwiches, pizza, tomato soups, fresh tomato sauce for pasta as well as sliced them into anything else I cook, from green beans to zucchini to fresh beans... View Article
August 14, 2014
Some beautiful food came and went through my kitchen this week but unfortunately I did not manage to photograph it. I made the dishes quickly and served them to a crowd (lots of house guests this week) so there was no time for me to “do my thing” with the photography. Lentils with roasted peppers and feta, roasted vegetables, fresh grilled corn, tomatoes, cucumbers, summer pasta, peaches and cream, summer cakes all came and left... 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
