April 17, 2015

Meringue with lemon whipped cream and berries

Every now and then I get the urge to make meringue. Sometime it’s successful, other times not so much. Maybe it’s the weather (meringue does not like humidity), the oven temperature (it likes low heat) or how i beat in the sugar (wait until soft peaks, then add sugar 1 spoonful at a time). Yesterday I had egg whites in the fridge let over from a dessert I made on the weekend, so I thought... View Article

April 15, 2015

Best muesli – vegan

I was looking through the breakfast section on the blog and was surprised to see that I have not posted this muesli recipe. I have been making it for years (with my eyes closed by now) and it has been a favourite in the family forever. It’s my go to breakfast item when I want to prepare something in advance and we enjoy it by itself or in addition to other breakfast items if we... View Article

April 13, 2015

Nuts about pasta (pasta with four-nut pesto)

Spring is still struggling here in the Okanagan. It has been cold and windy. I am waiting to plant my herbs for the season and bring in the perennials to brighten up the planters outside. Some herbs are coming back after the cold winter: chives, oregano, even some of the thyme. Pretty amazing to see them pop up after being covered with snow and subjected to the vagaries of a Canadian winter. I am still... View Article

April 12, 2015

Homemade labne and za’atar with pita crisps

Labne is common in middle eastern cuisines and easy to make at home. It is made by straining the liquids out of  the yogurt over a couple of days, thickening it in the process and what’s left is a soft cheese with texture similar to goat cheese. Labne’s lemony flavour goes well with the tart sumac in the za’atar and fruitiness of olive oil. In the middle east you often buy it in small round... View Article

April 9, 2015

Beet and goat cheese salad

I was at the bookstore yet again the other day going through, what else, the cookbook section. There are so many new cookbooks and they are beautiful and tempting. One book that caught my eye and came home with me had an unusual title: Faking It: how to cook delicious food without really trying, by Valli Little. Valli was born into a restauranteur-family in the UK and had her formal chef training at Le London Cordon... View Article

April 6, 2015

Artichokes with lemon butter parsley sauce

The simplest way to prepare artichokes is to boil them in lemony water and serve with lemon butter. To eat them you peel back each leaf and scrape the fleshy part at the bottom of the leaf with your teeth. It’s not the most graceful way to eat but can be quite interesting, raising the leaf to your lips, closing your teeth on the flesh and slowly pulling the leaf back with the silky, fleshy... View Article

April 5, 2015

Two lentil dal and basmati rice – Vegan

Cooking Indian style food can be intimidating but this simple dal and basmati rice with a crisp and lemony salad on the side is simplicity itself and so good, and good for you. There are specialized legumes for making authentic dal and you can certainly find them but I cook with what I have in my pantry and I (almost) always have lentils in there, red, green, black, you name it. Lentils are one of... View Article

April 4, 2015

James Beard Cookbook Awards 2015

Hollywood has its Oscars and the culinary world has the James Beard awards, probably the most prestigious awards in the culinary field. Established in his Greenwich Village home in NYC after his death, the James Beard Foundation hosts more than 250 culinary events a year and since 1990 has been awarding the prestigious James Beard Awards to cookbook authors, chefs, restauranteurs, food journalists, broadcasters and more. Winning the coveted award more or less guarantees a... View Article

April 1, 2015

Buckwheat chickpea flour waffles

I am a very early riser and love the quiet of early morning. Most days I see the sun come up, slowly rising, brushing the sky with strokes of soft peaches and pinks. The mountains across the lake remain dark, hiding the mysteries of the night, revealing them little by little as the light invades their valleys and exposes their peaks. Some mornings I start with a tisane and a few cookbooks, leafing through them... View Article

March 31, 2015

Asparagus with Soy caramel – from Mollie Katzen Heart of the Plate

Once in a while I like cooking with Asian flavours and asparagus lends itself beautifully to Asian flavour profile. One of my favourite recipes was from Barbara Tropp’s book, it was either China Moon or The Modern Art of Chinese Cooking. I no longer have either of these books and a quick peek on Amazon shows they are selling for almost $200 each, likely because they are long out of print. Of course I had... View Article

March 29, 2015

One pan pasta with tomato sauce

Pasta for me, as I imagine it is for most people, is the go to food when you need to make a quick dinner without turning the kitchen inside out. And, since I discovered the one pan pasta method it has become the go to method for a quick pasta dish. I have made it a few times now, changing it a little every time. Today I came back with a few grocery bags but... View Article

March 24, 2015

Orange date mini muffins and muffin tops

These are probably my favourite muffins and I have been making them for years, not disclosing how many. It is made with a whole orange chopped up and mixed with the batter. They have a nice tangy flavour and soft, light texture. I have a dairy free vegan version that I will post the next time I make them. Are you a muffin top kind of person? If so, join the club. I like muffins,... View Article