May 18, 2012
Who doesn’t like potato salad? I make a few different kinds: my mother’s recipe with just mayo, carrots, and pickles, my mother-in-law’s with hard boiled eggs, an Italian one with olive oil and vinegar and a French one with wine, olive oil, red onion and shallots. Here is my recipe for the French potato salad. The wine replaces the vinegar in the Italaian version of this salad.You need to use waxy, not starchy potatoes so... View Article
May 17, 2012
Traditionally fennel is paired with orange and there are many salad recipes combining these two ingredients with various dressings. While tradition is important, so is innovation. Here is a salad combining fennel with another citrus, grapefruit this time, and a touch of exotic with a few slices of fresh mango I picked up at the Asian market the other day. I made different versions of this salad a few times while working on my salad... View Article
May 7, 2012
The fabulous white asparagus is only in season for a very short time in the spring and when it’s available it is a regular guest in my kitchen. The gorgeous whitish stalks remain light because they grow buried in a mound of soil where no sunlight can reach them and make them green. The white asparagus is a bit tougher than the green. Snap or cut the stalk where it is vulnerable and breaks, then... View Article
April 18, 2012
Artichoke is truly a spring treat. Available for only a short time in early spring (let’s forget the dehydrated specimen lingering in the produce section other times of the year), you have to watch for it and catch it when it’s in its prime. I always think of an artichoke as a mysterious vegetable. Round and plump, enclosed in a protective thorny armor it challenges you to get close and discover what’s inside. One of... View Article
April 18, 2012
A simple pasta dish that I make often and toss with just cherry tomatoes and garlic sauteéd in olive oil while the pasta water is heating up. If you have cherry tomatoes of different colour use them to make a rainbow effect. What could be simpler? Ingredients: 1/2 lb spaghetti 4 tablespoons olive oil 1 basket cherry tomatoes, halved 3 garlic cloves, halved 1/3 cup grated Parmesan or pecorino 1/3 cup basil or parsley, chopped... View Article
April 17, 2012
Ahhh, tomatoes. Red and juicy, sweet and plump, tomatoes are the sine qua non of my kitchen. Asked to choose between cream or tomato sauce, tomatoes would lure me every time. Originally named Pomme d’Amour (Love Apple in French) tomatoes have had a love affair with culture and cuisine for thousands of years. They are believed to have originated in Mexico and were taken back to Europe on the explorers ships around the 1500’s. Italy... View Article
April 14, 2012
Asparagus – spring One of the sure sign of spring is beautiful, crisp and green asparagus popping up at the farmers markets. It’s true that you can get asparagus almost all year but there is nothing like farmer’s market asparagus in season. Asparagus is a branch of the lily family. It is planted deep in the ground and has a short growing season limited to a couple of months, barely. Asparagus is planted in trenches... View Article
April 13, 2012
Chestnuts – Winter Chestnuts roasting on an open fire. Isn’t it an alluring imagery? Roaring fire, Hermes wool blankets, a good glass of wine and warm, sweet soft chestnuts. Even winter has its blessings. Chestnuts are truly seasonal and don’t really appear in the markets here until late September or even October. Thankfully, they stay until the end of January so we have a few months to enjoy this delicacy. If you are lucky and... View Article
April 13, 2012
Here is a recipe for basic potato gnocchi. Some gnocchi recipes call for russet (baking) potatoes, some for white skinned ones. I prefer regular boiling potato variety. You do need the potato ricer though. It helps mash or rice the potatoes into perfect texture for making the gnocchi. See image in the general entry about gnocchi and under the kitchen Gear tap above. Ingredients: 1 1/2 lb. potatoes (about 2-3 potatoes, depending on the type... View Article
April 13, 2012
Every culture has its dumpling and they form an integral part of their peasant cuisine. They are inexpensive to make, hearty, filling and bring home cooked comfort to your palate and your soul. Jewish mazzo ball soup is made with mazzo ball dumplings (kneidlach), Hungarians make their delicious spatzle, grated directly over a pot of boiling water, Chinese have their pot stickers, Ukrainians their perogies and Italians have their gnocchi. All these little treasures begin... View Article
April 13, 2012
This is a delicious but less familiar winter squash. If you haven’t tried it I suggest that you do. It is easy to handle, cook relatively fast because it is smaller and the rind softens as it cooks and becomes an edible part of the squash, unlike any other. For this dish I combine the roasted squash with roasted chestnuts and parsnips. The deep flavours were similar and complimentary. I drizzled over a wonderful little... View Article
April 13, 2012
A match in flavour, colour and texture, carrots and parsnips are a treat to cook together. I leave the carrots whole and then cut the parsnips to match. Try and match the shape and size of the vegetables so they cook at the same time. If you don’t have baby carrot use regular carrots and cut them in half lengthwise, keeping some of the green tops if possible. I especially like to roast them as... View Article
