September 1, 2015

Pasta with foraged porcini mushrooms

Regardless of what the calendar says, it’s definitely fall when foraged mushrooms are popping up at the farmers market. I went to our Kelowna market on a rainy Saturday morning looking for my friend Scott Moran, the local forager, and I was not disappointed. Scott has a small booth at the market with only a few items available each week, depending on what he foraged in the last couple of days. You never know what... View Article

August 27, 2015

Easy chocolate cake with chocolate sauce

My husband loves chocolate cakes, I love fruit desserts. So…when I feel like being nice I make him a chocolate cake and if I feel like being really nice I also make a chocolate sauce to go with it. The other day I made a lemon-basil cake and thought I’d make captain G a chocolate cake. This recipe is from Martha Stewart website and since it only calls for cocoa powder, no melted chocolate, I... View Article

August 27, 2015

Roasted rosemary potatoes

Soft inside, crispy on the outside, golden and delicious these are perfect for dinner, lunch or a snack, kind of instead of French fries. Some flavours simply go together and potatoes, olive oil, rosemary and coarse sea salt is a marriage made in culinary heaven, so simple yet so good.I shake a little paprika over the potatoes as well because i like the colour that it lends the roasted potatoes, reddish, golden, roasted. The type... View Article

August 26, 2015

Easy Summer tomato soup

I don’t make a lot of soups in the summer with two exceptions: tomato soups and corn soups. Making a soup with fresh tomatoes or fresh corm is a special treat that I reserve for summer cooking. A farmer nearby grows small round tomatoes that are juicy, sweet and delicious. I put a bunch of them in my Le Creuset pot with olive oil, onion, garlic and stock and a while later I have a... View Article

August 25, 2015

Italian yellow flat beans with olive oil, garlic and tomatoes

A lesser known bean variety and one you should put on your market list is the yellow Italian flat beans that are available for a short time during the summer. For reasons that escape me, they are called wax beans. Young and fresh Italian beans will be flat and smooth. If they have bumps over the beans inside then they are beginning to age and will not be as tender. Since they are “Italian”, I... View Article

August 23, 2015

Quick summer fruit crisp with granola topping

Fruit crisps are a perfect summer dessert. They are easy to make and showcase beautiful local and seasonal fruits. You can make them for one or for a crowd with equal ease and if you have a nice large pan to bake it in it looks quite beautiful. For a crowd I bake the crisp in a large, shallow paella style copper pan, garnish with edible flowers and herbs on top and I consider it... View Article

August 22, 2015

Bell Peppers

It is hard to describe peppers as summer food since they are available all year and in fairly good quality, but peppers grow in warm climates and are best in the summer bought at a farmers market from the grower. Red, yellow, orange, purple and green, sweet bel peppers are indispensable part of summer cooking. Chopped into salads, cut in strips for a stir fry, roasted over open flame, stuffed with grains and baked or... View Article

August 20, 2015

Celery and apple salad with walnuts and gorgonzola

Is celery a seasonal vegetables? I wonder. It’s one of those vegetables that sits in the background, always available. Celery seldom gets to play a major role in recipes and we usually treat it as an aromatic, one of the vegetables that create the flavour base for soups, stews and sauces. True, it is known as a low calorie veggie, good for the snacks category for its crisp crunch, low calorie and high fiber content but... View Article

August 20, 2015

Summer dips: Roasted eggplant with tahini

I have taken to entertain friends for a glass of wine and appetizers instead of long, multi course dinners. It gives me a chance to visit rather than be up and down preparing, plating, serving and clearing. Not that dinner entertaining is over, but now when the weather is good it’s easy to say “come for a glass of wine”. So far no one filed any complaints. Since I keep my kitchen mainly vegetarian I... View Article

August 19, 2015

Lemon and basil summer cake

Summer is slipping by like sand through my fingers. Can we be nearing the end of August? The hydrangeas are beginning to show signs of the approaching fall as their colour turn antique rose and on my last trip to the market there were pears and a few winter squashes alongside ripe tomatoes, cucumbers and yellow beans. I love fall but not ready to give up summer just yet. There is still summer foods to... View Article

August 15, 2015

Summerdine with Les Dames Escoffier

How would you like to attend a dinner prepared by your city’s best chefs, paired with award winning local wines and served in the most beautiful and unique settings this summer? Look no further. On Wednesday this week culinary professionals, amateurs and food enthusiasts gathered across British Columbia at 30 different venues concurrently for the most anticipated culinary event of the year. The aptly named Summerdine is Canada’s largest concurrent dinner fund raiser organized to... View Article

August 13, 2015

Lemon roasted cauliflower

Roasting a cauliflower transforms its flavour and texture, and I am sure would convert even my friend Val to loving this veggie. The sugars in the cauli caramelize and lend a smoky-sweetness that is very enticing. Cauli comes in many colours, from white to orange to purple and green. Each has a slightly different flavour profile and unlike purple beans or purple asparagus, they keep the colour during cooking. The colourful variety makes a beautiful... View Article