June 12, 2012
You would usually think of rice and noodles as an Asian dish but not this time. Here is a mediterranean version of combining these two ingredients for the starch component of your dinner. There is something about this dish that is very satisfying (probably the starch factor). I use the thin soup noodles that are sold rolled up in little “nests”, broken up for the occasion, and cook them in olive oil until nice and... View Article
June 9, 2012
Have you ever used harissa in your cooking? It’s a Northern African (Tunisia, Morocco) spicy condiment or spice blend that migrated to neighbouring middle east countries and has become an integral part of middle east cuisine. There are various ways of making it and the basic ingredients are chili peppers, garlic, coriander, cumin, carraway, sometimes cinnamon and maybe even fennel and lemon. You would need to add olive oil to make it into a paste.... View Article
June 6, 2012
I made this soup a while ago, early in the asparagus season, but I thought I’d post it now. It’s a simple soup to make and requires only cooking the asparagus in boiling stock and then puréeing it in a blender. The cooked potato blended with the soup adds body and natural creaminess without adding any cream. You can however enhance it with cream for a creamed soup version or just add a dollop of... View Article
June 5, 2012
Acorn squash along with other squashes are fall and winter vegetables and I cook with them often as soon as summer is over. I do however like to use squash as a “container” and stuff it with various grains and vegetables and I can do that any time of the year. Being the starch lover that I am, I can never have too much starch (read The Starch Solution by Dr. John McDougall). Acorn squash... View Article
June 2, 2012
Our place in Mexico has gorgeous coconut trees swaying right in front of our second floor covered patio. They provide shelter for birds perched on their branches and are heavy with large coconuts hanging in clusters, green and heavy with coconut juice. While on vacation there, I try to use coconut in my cooking and have developed a bit of repertoire incorporating it into dishes, both sweet and savoury. One of those creations is this... View Article
May 30, 2012
Asparagus is a lovely spring treat and when it is in season I try to use it often. Read more about asparagus in my article under What’s in Season here. Grilling asparagus brings out beautiful flavor elements that are simply not present when boiling or steaming. The natural sugars caramelize as the asparagus roast and a lovely sweetness emerges that compliments the macadamia pesto nicely. I prefer to roast fat spears as they have a... View Article
May 29, 2012
Now we are talking, leave it to the Italians to make a salad with bread in it. So authentic you’d think you are in Tuscany. Known as panzanella this salad was created in Italy traditionally to use up day old bread (real cooks never waste any food). I believe that they don’t even grill the bread as it is crisp already from being a day or so old. I tend to grill or sauté the... View Article
May 25, 2012
A light yet substantial salad to serve for lunch or take along on a picnic or a spring boat ride. Quinoa cooks very quickly so you can whip up this salad in no time (I like to have cooked quinoa in the fridge, it keeps for a couple of days and can be used for a salad). To roast the yellow cauliflower just separate into small florets, toss with some olive oil and roast on... View Article
May 25, 2012
Ingredients: Red leaf lettuce Romaine lettuce, inner leaves only Pea shoots Watercress Sorrel Mint Flat leaf parsley Cilantro Fresh dill Basil Chives Radishes Shaved parmesan Directions: Gather a handful of each of the ingredients and toss gently in a bowl. Drizzle lightly with a good vinaigrette (see champagne vinaigrette below) and toss to coat the leaves but not drench them in the dressing. Sprinkle with a special salt (Fleur de Sel, Maldon salt, Sicilian Sea... View Article
May 23, 2012
Our friend Randy just came back from Germany with a few pictures of spring restaurant dishes that he shared with me. One was a fabulous looking white radish salad served with a couple of slices of crusty country bread that looked inspiring. Of course I immediately headed to the market here in Kelowna and my fridge right now looks like a radish patch. I bought radishes of all kinds and colours, lots of them, including... View Article
May 23, 2012
Cauliflower, just like the name suggests, is a large flower belonging to the cruciferous vegetable family (think broccoli, cabbage etc). The standard cauliflower is white, resulting from the flower being hidden by the leaves wrapped around it, preventing sunlight from reaching it and making it green through photosynthesis (photosynthesis produces green chlorophyl pigment making veggies green) . It also comes in orange, purple and green colours, the result of mutation. I use it mostly during... View Article
May 22, 2012
Have you joined the quinoa “club” yet? It seems that every now and then a new trend takes over the culinary world and everyone starts cooking it. Quinoa is one such phenomenon. Quinoa looks like a grain but in fact it is a seed passed on to us through the ancient Inca culture. It’s known as the super seed and its claim to fame is the fact that it is gluten free and protein rich. In... View Article
