November 1, 2016
I wonder who was the cook who first came up with the idea of cauliflower “rice”. Since they “invented” it, the concept has spread like wildfire in kitchens around the world and for good reasons. It’s a simple and delicious way to serve cauliflower and can easily replace rice if you are a no-carb person, which, let me clarify, I AM NOT. I love carbs. I prefer to chop the cauli in a food processor... View Article
October 26, 2016
This recipe works well with smaller onions and they don’t have to be of equal size. I roasted them whole, skin on, drizzled with a little olive oil. Once they cooled I slipped them out of their papery skin and separated the layers into “petals”. A drizzle of olive oil, a little sherry vinegar and a sprinkling of herb flower salt finished the dish. Serve as an accompaniment to other dishes, to top pizza, with... View Article
October 23, 2016
Roasting cauliflower is my favourite way of cooking it. Roasting brings out deep earthy flavours and natural sweetness that may otherwise not come forward. It’s not the only way to cook cauli, I like it pickled, steamed with a sauce, cauliflower rice, mashed and more. So many recipes, so little time. I made this bowl of cauli for lunch (we eat simply over here) and it was so good and easy, I wanted to share.... View Article
October 21, 2016
Once you understand how to construct a soup you hardly need a recipe. This is especially so in a simple and hearty soup such as this one, full of vegetables, beans and pasta and believe me, nothing could be simpler. I start with a heavy soup pot, my favourite is an enamelled cast iron pot such as Le Creuset, put in a little olive oil, heat it up and then begin adding the ingredients I... View Article
October 16, 2016
With all the oranges, golds and reds of fall, the grey”ish” white pumpkin (some are pure white), aka ghost pumpkin, probably gets neglected and that’s unfortunate. In spite of the colour of the rind, its flesh is golden and sweet, much like sweet potatoes and other squashes and it complements other seasonal foods. The white pumpkins are a cultivated variety, shaped like a regular pumpkin and if harvested on time retains its pure white colour.... View Article
October 11, 2016
Rice and vegetables are one of my go to things when preparing a quick lunch or light dinner. You can make it literally in minutes with no advance preparation. With the change of weather I brought inside the summer grill pan that we use in the outdoor kitchen and looking for something fun to make on it I pulled out the baby bok choy from the fridge and decided to grill them instead of stir... View Article
September 21, 2016
My sister-in-law Barbara gave me this bean recipe for burritos she makes weekly for her family. She in turn received the recipe from another close friend, Nadine, and the two of them have been making it for years. I am not sure where the recipe originated, but I heard that someone’s mother passed it along. Both gals make this in a pressure cooker and I have been following their method, but I have also tried... View Article
September 16, 2016
Cleaning up the fridge today. I chopped up all the vegetables to similar size chunks, tossed with olive oil, salt and pepper and piled them into parchment baking bags together with a few stems of thyme. Seal the bag and bake at 400F for 30 minutes. If you want to dry them out a bit you can cut the bag open and continue cooking for another 10 minutes or so, or just place the bags... View Article
September 14, 2016
When you buy corn by the dozen for only 2 people sometimes you have a few cobs left over. What I do then is scrape the kernels off the cob and use them in salads, with grains, in tacos, or as here, in a late summer corn and potato soup. This soup can be made with cream, creme fraiche or vegan with cashew cream. Take your pick. It’s a beautiful soup either way you do... View Article
September 13, 2016
Every now and then I enjoy a good cabbage salad but not necessarily with mayo dressing. This is a fresh and crisp cabbage salad with sweet and tangy dressing made with cider vinegar, maple syrup and creme fraiche. Since we want to layer flavours and textures I chop in a few fresh mint leaves and scatter fresh lavender flowers on top. One thing I enjoy with many salads is the crisp and nutty flavours and... View Article
September 12, 2016
I am cleaning up my garden before leaving on our trip. It can get cold here and I didn’t want to come back to frozen vegetables and forgo the fun of picking my own vegetables and cooking them fresh. I had a large amount of sorrel, both green and red and I gave it a whirl in the food processor with olive oil, then filled glass jars with the “pesto” and put it in the... View Article
September 9, 2016
One thing we enjoyed over and over in Italy, especially in Tuscany and Rome, was a dish of slow cooked white beans cooked in a glass flask over low heat for many hours. It was such a treat. We ordered it wherever it was offered and always ended up wiping the plate clean with a piece of bread (expected to be done as the food is so good). Most of the time these were white... View Article
