April 30, 2015

Tarte Tatin – caramelized upside down apple tart

Foodies tend to divide into two groups: those who love to bake and those who love to cook. I often wonder what category I fit in because I kinda like doing both. I do more cooking than baking though. I love to bake and make desserts but, you know, it’s more a special occasion thing. We don’t have desserts every day. Today I was in the mood to bake something with apples. Tarte Tatin is... View Article

April 29, 2015

Fennel, blood orange and watermelon radish salad

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

April 27, 2015

Sandwich cookies with raspberry jam and lemon curd

Here is what I do late at night when I get the urge to get into the kitchen: bake cookies. Actually, not completely true. Here is “a day in the life” of yours truly. I made the dough in the morning but couldn’t bake it right away because we went to see an incredible ballet performance of Swan Lake by the Royal Ballet from London, broadcasted to over 1000 theatres worldwide. The phenomenal performance of... View Article

April 27, 2015

Artichokes alla romana – it’s spring

I have been waiting for artichokes to arrive and they finally have. Nothing says spring to me like these compact soldiers wrapped in protective layers of thorny armor. I have written more about them here. Once you get past the initial intimidation this not-so-familiar vegetable tends to cause, you find that it really is a rather simple affair to work with. You slice it through the middle, peel back the thorny leaves around the stem... View Article

April 27, 2015

Irish Oats with fresh berries and coconut cream

How many ways can you make a bowl of oatmeal? To me, the possibilities are endless. This rich version is not an everyday oatmeal but a nice one for a special morning when you want something hearty and fun. I am on my way to a broadcast of Swans Lake from the Royal Ballet of London (they broadcast performances to local theatres worldwide, thankfully) and from there to a cooking class at the one and... View Article

April 26, 2015

Eton Mess

I made a bunch of meringues the other day and worked them into two desserts. One was mini pavlovas with lemon whipped cream and berries, and the other was this Eton Mess. Traditionally Eton mess is made with whipped cream into which you fold broken pieces of meringue and top with macerated strawberries. I adapted the ingredients to what I had in the fridge and today it was raspberries and blackberries. I also made rhubarb... View Article

April 26, 2015

Rice and black beans bowl

Grains and legumes form a large part of our every day food at home. They show up at breakfast, in soups, salads, main course and even desserts. This easy version of rice and beans is good with the addition of caramelized onion. The onion, slowly caramelize until it is golden and crisp in spots, is reminiscent of the classic middle east dish of rice and lentils called mujadara. I fold the caramelized onion into the... View Article

April 25, 2015

Red and yellow tomato salad (panzanella)

Not quite summer yet but these tomatoes were nice and sweet wherever they came from so I made a simple and naturally flavoured panzanella style salad. I am going to Italy, remember, so I am beginning to immerse myself in all things Italian. I kept it very simple letting the softness of the tomatoes and crunchy croutons play their part creating texture and the tangy juices of tomatoes mixed with the fruity olive oil and... View Article

April 22, 2015

Mission Hill Winery: Legacy Series Culinary Class

We are very fortunate to have Mission Hill Winery in the Okanagan. Situated on top of the hills in West Kelowna overlooking the lake, Mission Hill has been a prominent winery in the valley, contributing not only world class wines abut also food, art and music to the local cultural scene. Architecturally it is a stunning estate reminiscent of Tuscany, complete with a loggia, a bell tower and gorgeous views, spanning the vineyards, lake and... View Article

April 20, 2015

Fingerling potatoes and radishes salad

Once spring and summer arrive we have potato salad on the menu often. I don’t make the traditional mayo based potato salad too often. The Italian and French salads, made with an olive oil and vinegar dressing, appeal to me more. I add other vegetables that are in season, like green beans, radishes, carrots, peas, whatever works with the potatoes. The other day I was looking at some food blogs and saw a beautiful image... View Article

April 18, 2015

Vegan Kale and potato soup with cashew cream

Funny I haven’t made kale soup before, especially because I make a lot of soups and tend to  have a pot of soup simmering at the back of the stove or a mason jar or two in the fridge with homemade simple and delicious soups. They are so easy to prepare and making dinner is simple if you have a nice soup on hand. Somehow I found myself with 4 bunches of kale in the... View Article

April 17, 2015

Spring radishes salad rolls

I was organizing my pantry the other day, determined to simplify and use what’s there. I am not a “shopping list” shopper and inevitable my pantry gets filled with stuff that excites me one moment and then languishes on the shelves, forgotten. One of these items was a bottle of Asian dipping sauce that looked enticing so I thought I’d make a few salad rolls to use the sauce with. They are always fun and... View Article