May 17, 2015

Tacos with refried beans and roasted cauliflower

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 14, 2015

Shakshuka – eggs in tomato sauce

Not sure what the origin of shakshuka is (Ottolenghi says Tunisia) but it is very popular in Israel as a breakfast dish. Shakshuka is easy to prepare and kind of exotic looking if you cook and serve it in a cast iron skillet. It’s a good dish for a large breakfast crowd as you can cook it in a large skillet with as many eggs as can fit in and your guests can spoon their... View Article

May 12, 2015

Chocolate cookies with chocolate ganache

Rich and velvety chocolate ganache sandwiched between two crisp chocolate cookies is a treat for any of the chocoholics out there. If it’s too much chocolate you can use raspberry jam between the cookies instead. I have been on a baking spree lately, baking breads, biscotti, a couple of cakes and orange muffins. I don’t know about you but with me it like that, I get on a roll with one thing or another until... View Article

May 11, 2015

Hops, Grapes and Grub at Tinhorn Creek – #SpringOKWineFest

Tinhorn Creek Winery hosted one of their sold out long table dinners during the Spring Okanagan Wine Festival that I was recently invited to attend. Tinhorn Creek is well known in the valley not only for their wines but also for their fabulous events, from long table dinners at Miradoro restaurant to cooking classes, movies under the stars, open air concerts and this year dinner and dance in the vineyard (watch their website for details).... View Article

May 10, 2015

Ricotta and berry cake

This is a cross between a cheese cake and a butter cake, combining the best of both. It’s a very moist and light cake dotted with fresh berries and scented with lemon zest. I saw the recipe in Bon Appetite and marked it to make when the need arise, and it has. I like the look and aroma of a freshly baked cake on the kitchen counter inviting you to slice a piece and enjoy... View Article

May 9, 2015

No Knead bread – it works

There is something special about baking bread. Something artisanal and historical in creating a fragrant and crusty loaf out of simple ingredients, the same way cooks have been doing for thousands of years. I have always made bread the traditional way, making the dough, kneading it to develop elasticity and letting it rise long and slow in a warm corner of the kitchen, sometimes overnight in the fridge. I have made a sour dough starter... View Article

May 9, 2015

Artisan grilled cheese and wine pairing #SpringOKWineFest

Okanagan Wine Festival offers many opportunities to educate your mind and palate by tasting local  foods, wines and cheeses. One such opportunity presented itself the other night at a grilled cheese tasting paired with local wines, presented by Dairy Farmers of Canada. The event took place at the upstairs room at the Eldorado (affectionately referred to as the El by locals). The room was set with linen covered  round tables for 8 and each guest... View Article

May 7, 2015

Orange Scented Biscotti

Like dipping something into your coffee, tea, vin santo or moscatto? Here is my go-to recipe for Italian biscotti that I make when I have the urge to dip. Biscotti is an Italian creation of twice (bis) baked (cotti) elongated cookies that dates back hundreds of years. Traditional biscotti are made with hazelnuts and aniseeds but there are many variations. They are usually dry and crumbly but I like them not-so-dry. Adding dried fruit like... View Article

May 6, 2015

My go to soup: beans and pasta

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 4, 2015

Thyme roasted olives and chickpeas

Since we live pretty central here in Kelowna, it’s easy to invite friends over for a glass of wine before going out to dinner at a restaurant nearby. This was impossible to do in Calgary as we lived out of town on an acreage and it was too far out of the way for dropping by before dinner. So I started thinking of a few simple appetizers to serve that are not too heavy and... View Article

May 3, 2015

Pizza Night: mushroom pizza, tomato pizza

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

Anytime kale smoothie

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