November 16, 2014

Squash stuffed with sweet potatoes and squash

This week I offered a cookbook giveaway on the blog, and hope that you put your name down for one of them. This is the first time I am doing a giveaway, offering four books sent to me by a Canadian publisher as part of their promotional program. It’s kind of fun to help promote Canadian cookbook authors and give something back to you the readers at the same time. There are four books in... View Article

November 15, 2014

Cookbook Giveaway #2 – 150 Best Dips and Salsas

GIVEAWAY #2 IN A SERIES OF 4: As food bloggers we sometime receive books from publishers asking us to review them. I decided to accept 4 books recently intending to pass them on to you who read my blog. This giveaway is intended as a thank you for keeping up with my food and travel writing, for joining my weekly mailing list, RSS feed and following me on social media. There will be 4 giveaways,... View Article

November 15, 2014

Cookbook Giveaway #1 – The Cheesecake Bible

Cookbook giveaway #1 in a series of 4: Who doesn’t like a giveaway? As food bloggers we sometime receive books from publishers asking us to review them. I decided to accept 4 books recently and would like to pass them on to you who read my blog. This giveaway is intended as a thank you for keeping up with my food and travel writing, for joining my weekly mailing list, RSS feed and following me... View Article

November 13, 2014

Winter squash stuffed with lentil and quinoa

Temperatures dropped to zero today so I think it is officially cold. All the flowers on the patio are dead but surprisingly there is beauty even in death and I photographed some of the hydrangeas that turned amber-brown and are so delicate and beautiful even now. Some of the herbs are persevering, the thyme, rosemary, tarragon and sage. The various basil plants have succumbed to the cold as did some of the other more delicate... View Article

November 11, 2014

Montreal for Foodies

If you live in Montreal you don’t have to escape to Europe. Montreal offers a European feel without the long flight across the pond, and if you live in Western Canada this means something as it takes almost as long to cross the country as it does to cross the Atlantic en-route to Europe. Walking down the narrow cobblestone streets and hearing French spoken around almost made me pinch myself to remember we are in... View Article

November 11, 2014

Island potatoes (baby potatoes with coconut flakes and yellow spices)

The days are definitely getting shorter. It is barely 5:00 pm and already dark outside. A little frustrating if you want to photograph food under natural light as there is none. The view from our rooftop abode is quite spectacular though. The little bit of silver in the sky is reflected in the lake, forming two silver strips with the dark mountains in between and wild looking clouds here and there. Can’t have everything. The... View Article

November 10, 2014

Quinoa-cauliflower-pomegranate salad with crisp-fried kale bits

Part of my culinary style is cooking with grains, legumes and vegetables and combine them in hot and cold dishes. I find it convenient to cook grains or legumes in advance and have them sitting in the fridge for a day or two waiting to be incorporated into a recipe for lunch or dinner (or breakfast). Quinoa cooks very quickly as it does not require soaking but still, I usually cook more than what I... View Article

November 9, 2014

Easy Fall Apple Cake

After travelling for several weeks it is good to be home and in my kitchen again. It’s even good to be back at my desk with the two computer monitors that provide plenty of “real estate” to roam over. I have been trying to get my travel posts published as I had some wonderful experience that I thought you may enjoy reading about. As I said before, traveling is an education, it opens your mind,... View Article

November 8, 2014

Montreal – Going Green with Melissa Simard’s Round Table Tours

What do you think of when you hear “Montreal”? Poutine? bagels? smoked meat sandwiches (pastrami’s cousin)? Not so fast. There is a new trend in the Montreal’s food scene that focuses on sustainable approach to the production and consumption of foods. Not that the bagels and smoked meat aren’t there, but more and more businesses and dining establishments are dedicated to high-end plant based gastronomy producing interesting and healthy foods made from ingredients grown locally in... View Article

November 6, 2014

Vegetable Salad Rolls with Asian dipping sauce

I was travelling for several weeks recently eating at restaurants every day. As good as (some) restaurant food can be, I came home craving homemade fresh and simple food. I had good experience on these trips with Asian vegan food and came home excited and enthusiastic to make some at home. I have already made a couple of dishes that were blog worthy but had no opportunity to photograph them as I served them before... View Article

November 5, 2014

Grilled eggplant with pomegranates – Cooking with Orly in Tel Aviv

I recently spent a couple of weeks in Israel  and needless to say food was on my mind. Although I was there for a different reason, I managed to squeeze in as many food experiences as I could, and one of these experiences included a food tour and cooking class with Orly in Tel Aviv. I found Orly’s website Cook In Israel through an online search and checked the references on Trip Advisor. Her tour... View Article

October 23, 2014

An Israel excursion – Hummus and pita

I just returned from a short excursion to Israel. It’s a long way from Western Canada where I live and I don’t usually make such a long trip for just a couple of weeks. Circumstances this time dictated that I had to be there on a short notice and in Montreal soon after for another event so two weeks it was. I was not travelling to explore food this time but in Israel (and with... View Article