June 7, 2015
Here is a simple dish to make with either baby potatoes or fingerling potatoes. I steam them first and then sauté in olive oil. I add the broccolini towards the end of the cooking so they finish cooking together. You could cook the broccolin i sep[arately and combine them at the end if you wish. If you don’t have broccolini you could use red pepper or broccoli instead. There are two camps in culinary circles... View Article
May 28, 2015
The salad was inspired by a conversation I had with one of my daughters (Alexis) who lives in Toronto and gets to eat at the many fabulous restaurants in that cosmopolitan city. She was telling me about a shaved asparagus salad she had at Buca Bar I believe and although we didn’t get to discuss it in details it stayed on my mind and I knew I wanted to make it. I didn’t have a... View Article
May 27, 2015
Pasta with cauliflower may seem unusual but it is really a melody of complimentary textures and flavours. Pasta, in any event, goes with just about anything. I had a beautiful white and crisp cauliflower that called to be a main dish (vegetables for me ARE the main dish). I cooked it on top of the stove in olive oil and to make it more substantial, added some cooked pasta to the skillet as it was... View Article
May 26, 2015
I just came back from another fabulous dinner event at God’s Mountain Estate in Penticton, a dinner catered by the incomparable Dana and Cameron of Joy Road Catering. These signature events they call alfresco dinners are held throughout the season (May to October) at the B&B overlooking beautiful Skaha lake. This evening it rained when we arrived and Dana and her team set the long table under cover on the porch overlooking the lake, so... View Article
May 25, 2015
Pastry dough needs to be in any cook’s repertoire. It’s easy and versatile and can be prepared in advance and left to contemplate in the fridge wrapped in wax paper until called upon to perform. One batch of dough can work for both sweet and savoury tarts although if I know I am using it for sweet tarts I add a little sugar to the mix. Earlier this week I made one batch of pastry... View Article
May 24, 2015
It’s a perfect summer day here today and I was lazying in the hammock for a while reading a book but soon visions of the kitchen lured me in and I stepped inside to see what I can make. I am (almost) always ready to cook something. No need for dinner today as we are off to a Joy Road dinner in Penticton so I thought perhaps a little appie to have before we leave... View Article
May 21, 2015
I haven’t spent much time in the kitchen this week. I have discovered the Apex Trail leading up to the top of Knox Mountain and got completely hooked on the hike and the area and have been going there every day. I hope this enthusiasm continues through the summer and fall because it is such a good workout in a gorgeous setting with spectacular Okanagan views. I do pack a lunch, enjoy it on top... View Article
May 17, 2015
On a recent extended stay in the Yucatan I attended a cooking class (several, really) and watched local Maya women making corn tortillas by hand, beautiful, symmetrical, thin and perfectly formed round tortillas. When you watch them making it seems so simple, roll the dough into little balls and slap it into a perfect rounds between the palms of your hands. Not so fast. Try and do it yourself and let’s see how easy YOU... View Article
May 6, 2015
I am sure anyone who cooks has some foods that they can make without a recipe and soups must be among them. Do soups really need a recipe? You kind of build a soup layer by layer with what you have on hand. This beans and pasta soup is the one I go to when I need a good hearty soup that doesn’t require any special trip to the store because I usually have all... View Article
May 3, 2015
I love making pizzas, and sometimes they work better than others, depending on many variables. Pizza is really about the dough. The dough needs time to ferment and develop flavour. The best pizzas are from dough I make a day in advance and let it rise in the fridge overnight, but this takes pre-planning and is not always possible. I often make a quick pizza dough and that works fine as well, but if you... View Article
May 2, 2015
I am not a huge fan pf smoothies but every now and then I feel like making one, and not just for breakfast. It’s a good thing to make when you are cleaning the fridge and have a little bit of this or that left from your last shopping trip (which in my case was probably yesterday). I am not referring to wilted things, those you can throw out. I am talking about good quality... View Article
April 29, 2015
I am off to Calgary for the day to see my friends. Sometimes it’s nice not to think about packing a suitcase and booking hotels yet travelling to a different city, experiencing new sights, sounds and the feel of another place. I am catching an early morning flight out of Kelowna with no luggage to worry about and a rental car is waiting for me at the airport in Calgary. Does that count as jet-setting?... View Article
