This is a basic bread baked in loaves of any shape. The nice crust is the result of two factors: a hot and humid oven. The bread needs a hot, humid environment for the first few minutes, and then slightly lower temperature to finish the baking. To get the heat I bake the bread on pizza stones that I place in the oven and heat at least 30 minutes before the bread goes in. The... View Article
My cookbook collection is very large, at least a few hundred titles collected over the years. I love reading cookbooks, looking at the images, catching a glimpse of an ingredient and a feel for a place or a season. My library shelves are full of cookbooks and there are stacks of them by every chair, by my bed, in my office, in my sunny “morning room” and in baskets around my much loved kitchen area.... View Article
Thin layers of starchy potatoes are baked with a layer of sliced tomatoes in the middle. I sprinkle some grated cheese a couple of times as I layer the vegetables and finish with a cup of cream poured over the whole thing. The starchy potatoes absorb the cream and the tomatoes in the middle provide another layer of flavour and texture. I slice the potatoes on a mandolin type gadget (see Kitchen Gear tab), so... View Article
Squashes are beautiful fall and winter vegetables (see my entry under What’s in Season)and butternut squash is one of my favourites. It has a natural sweetness that is enhance by a bit of brown sugar that softly caramelizes on its flesh. When I roast big chunks of the squash I don’t bother peeling it. The skin cooks and softens as it roasts and is perfectly good to eat. It also provides a nice ribbon that... View Article
This is a quick pizza recipe to make from scratch that is easy to whip up when you have a couple of hours before you want to bake. You can make this dough by hand but it also works well in a food processor or a bread mixer. If you do not use the whole dough you can either freeze half of it or keep it in the fridge and bake it in the next... View Article
Who doesn’t like lasagna? It’s one of those comforting dishes that appeals top most people. You can put almost anything you like into the recipe and it still turns out good. I make it in a few different ways, depending on what’s in my fridge when I cook. Sometimes it gets a red, tomato based sauce, other times it’s béchamel type white sauce with cheese, as in this recipe. For me, together with a crisp... View Article
A nice way of combining vegetables to create a complete meal or a substantial side dish. The potatoes and onion are sautéed until crisp and then the kale is added with a bit of stock and cooked until the kale is just wilted. I then add some cooked lentils and continue cooking just until flavours are merged and liquids are absorbed. Serve the dish immediately as the kale will lose it bright green colour if... View Article
Barley is such a versatile grain. It’s easy to cook, retains a nice texture and keeps in the fridge for a number of days. When I cook barley I usually cook more than I need so I have some on hand ready to be incorporated into soups, salads, vegetables dishes, breakfast and even desserts (think barley pudding). In this recipe I use barley that has already been cooked and add it to the sautéing fennel... View Article
Pilafs are easy to make and keep whatever grains you are cooking nice, fluffy and separated. The grains get coated with oil before you add the liquids, and this helps them stay apart. I cook this barley pilaf just as I would a rice pilaf. Quite delicious in my opinion, and why not try a different grain? Ingredients: 2 tablespoon olive oil 1/2 small onion, chopped 1 small carrot, diced 1 inner celery leave, chopped... View Article
Poilâne is a renowned bakery in Paris, France on Rue du Cherche-Midi, producing beautiful, chewy country breads that are shipped all over the world. Holt Renfrew in Toronto sells Poilâne loaves at their bakery and at Holt’s Cafe they make wonderful tartines using thin long slices of the imported bread. Urban Fare in Yaletown in Vancouver used to carry the bread as well. Needless to say I have the bread shipped to me and I... View Article
These are fun and so easy to prepare. The dough is unleavened (no yeast) and quite sturdy. I start it in the food processor and finish by hand. You need to roll the dough very thinly but don’t worry, it’s a very easy dough to work with, it doesn’t tear and doesn’t fall apart. I use the piadina rounds to wrap around different fillings. Any sandwich filling would do. If you make the piadinas ahead... View Article
Breadsticks are a fun addition to an appetizer selection. These are made without yeast and are light a crisp. You can flavour the dough with herbs or sprinkle it with exotic salts and seeds. Some suggestions: black Hawaiian salt, pink Himalayan salt, sesame seeds, poppy seeds etc. Ingredients: 2 cups flour 1 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon paprika optional 2 tablespoon grated Parmesan 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped 4 tablespoons olive oil... View Article
