Are you cooking for for one or two people? I often hear people say that they only cook for 2 so they “can’t be bothered” making this or that. We still need to eat so we make dinner but I think dessert falls into the “can’t be bothered” category most often. One of the ways to escape the “‘why bother” syndrome is to have a few dishes in your repertoire that are easy to prepare,... View Article
On Sunday, the much anticipated Feast of Fields, the 5th annual event, took place at Little Church organic Farm on Gordon Drive here in Kelowna. The event is organized by Farmfolk Cityfolk, a not-for-profit organization that works to cultivate local, sustainable food system. Their projects are organized to provide access to & protection of foodlands; support local growers and producers and engage communities in the celebration of local foods (http://www.farmfolkcityfolk.ca/).Feast of Fields takes place in... View Article
I was up at the Mission Hill Winery store a while ago and bought one of their chef’s heirloom tomato jam in a jar. I finally got around to opening the jar and liked the sweet and tangy, honeyed flavour. I can think of a few ways to use it but today it is going to top a quick pizza I am making on the grill in my outdoor kitchen. I didn’t make the dough... View Article
This morning I made breakfast for three. At first I was going to run out and pick up fresh croissants and serve them with scrambled eggs but then we have been eating out so much lately that I thought a better breakfast was in order. In no time at all a pot of oatmeal was slowly cooking on the stove but you know how it is, at the last minute I decided to treat my... View Article
If you asked my family what dish is the essence of summer in Kelowna they are sure to say “Peaches and Cream”. Ripe, juicy Okanagan peaches peeled and sliced into wedges, simply drizzled with the incomparable Blackwell cream (don’t ask about the fat content of the cream, I won’t admit it) and maybe a light sprinkling of sugar and we are in summer culinary heaven. Right now I have a flat of peaches I purchased... View Article
Ever since we bought our rooftop abode in Kelowna a couple of years ago we have been talking about having an outdoor kitchen installed on the north side of the patio. I like to cook and thought it would be nice to have an additional kitchen outdoors that would be handy for entertaining, perhaps informal cooking classes for friends, food photography or just for us to have fun with it. Roasted corn with ancho-chili butter... View Article
Broccoli salads were not part of my cooking repertoire until recently. I don’t know why I never made them before. Maybe it is because of the mushy broccoli salads on buffet tables, I have seen too many of those. Once I started making them though I cannot seem to stop. Broccoli can make a beautiful crunchy salad that is full of flavour and family and friends seem to enjoy it. There are never any leftovers.... View Article
During the summer I make many vegetarian salad dinners and because most people are so concerned about having a visible protein as part of every meal (I am not) I add a legume salad to appease the uninitiated (and also because I love legumes:). Lentils are wonderful legumes that pair well with many vegetables and dressings and are very easy to cook. For salads I prefer the smaller lentils, preferably the du Puy variety, because... View Article
My sister-in-law Tali is visiting from overseas and needless to say I put her to work in the kitchen preparing some of my favourite foods from Israel that she is an expert in making. Tali is a natural cook who knows instinctively what goes with what and how much of this or that to put in the dish. We have been having fun cooking in the kitchen for our group of 7 (vegetarian and non-vegetarians).... View Article
Rice pudding is one of those universal dishes you find in almost every cuisine. Flavours may vary but the idea is the same: rice cooked in milk with sugar and various flavourings added. I have made it with anything from vanilla and cinnamon to rose water, orange peel, nutmeg and raisins. I have topped it with fruit syrups, jams, caramelized nuts and coconut. I have cooked it with or without eggs, boiled it, baked it,... View Article
My friend Anne is one of a kind. Ageless, stylish and with sense of fun like no one else I know. I first met her when she came to one of my cooking classes a long time ago, before I switched careers and became a lawyer (she still has the lentil soup recipe from that class). We quickly became friends and that friendship has endured and deepened over the years and now I think of... View Article
My blogger friend Val (More then Burnt toast) and I just came back from a fund raising event at the Okanagan Lavender and Herb Farm in East Kelowna. It was a fund raiser dinner event for the Central Okanagan Hospice Association set in the beautiful lavender and butterflies gardens at the “farm”. The food was prepared by local celebrity chef Mark Filatow of the Waterfront restaurant and wine bar fame right here in Kelowna. The light... View Article
