October 12, 2015
A little after the fact but still relevant because it’s seasonal. We celebrated Thanks Giving with family here in Kelowna and I was asked to bring vegetables for about 20 people. Vegetables are my “thing” so I was happy to help with that dish. I had in mind a large dish of roasted vegetables, mixing a variety of fall vegetables – roots, squashes and others – and roasting them with olive oil, salt and a... View Article
October 9, 2015
A while ago I posted a recipe for a no knead bread and thought I’d show you a variation, adding chopped olives and herbs to the dough to make it a little different. I have to admit that this no knead method took me by surprise the first time I tried it but it has become my go to method for baking bread. The flavour develops beautifully over the long, 18h fermentation, the crust is... View Article
September 27, 2015
My mental image of an ideal kitchen is one with a pot of soup simmering on the back burner with the warm, inviting aromas wafting in the air, making a house feel like home. My favourite pot to cook soups in is the French enamelled cast iron Le Creuset, and no, they are not paying me to say this. I have some beautiful copper pots that would look beautiful filled with soup, but then I... View Article
September 25, 2015
I am alone at home for the week but that doesn’t keep me away from the kitchen. Sometime in my evolution as a wife and a mother I fell in love with cooking and begun an affair with my kitchen. I was lucky to have a wonderful, warm and comfortable kitchen at Trail’s End (our previous home) where I could acquire culinary skills, express my artistic abilities and develop a style of my own. As in... View Article
September 21, 2015
I cook with seeds and grains often and thought I’d make something with quinoa for dinner. A trip to a produce stand nearby yielded a beautiful, lush shallot and a bunch of carrots that were so fresh the soil was still clinging to them. I wanted to keep things simple so I cooked the shallot in a little olive oil, added the quinoa and stirred to get it coated with the oil. I then cooked... View Article
September 17, 2015
Pasta is a comfort foods that I turn to again and again. I have learned to make simple pasta dishes with only a couple of ingredients that taste good and leave you satisfied. This particular dish makes use of the purple radicchio that we usually tear or shred into into a salad. It has a slightly bitter taste and a sturdy texture that stand up to a quick saute and goes particularly well with simple... View Article
September 9, 2015
When we were in Spain we were lucky to be in Barcelona during the calçot season and I wrote about the experience here. Calçot is a type of scallion or green onion, only it is grown in a special way that makes it much thicker, more like the size of a slender leek. It is a specialty of Catalunya and the Calçot from Valls in Tarrragona (a province of Catalunya) has a a DOC status... View Article
August 27, 2015
Soft inside, crispy on the outside, golden and delicious these are perfect for dinner, lunch or a snack, kind of instead of French fries. Some flavours simply go together and potatoes, olive oil, rosemary and coarse sea salt is a marriage made in culinary heaven, so simple yet so good.I shake a little paprika over the potatoes as well because i like the colour that it lends the roasted potatoes, reddish, golden, roasted. The type... View Article
August 26, 2015
I don’t make a lot of soups in the summer with two exceptions: tomato soups and corn soups. Making a soup with fresh tomatoes or fresh corm is a special treat that I reserve for summer cooking. A farmer nearby grows small round tomatoes that are juicy, sweet and delicious. I put a bunch of them in my Le Creuset pot with olive oil, onion, garlic and stock and a while later I have a... View Article
August 20, 2015
I have taken to entertain friends for a glass of wine and appetizers instead of long, multi course dinners. It gives me a chance to visit rather than be up and down preparing, plating, serving and clearing. Not that dinner entertaining is over, but now when the weather is good it’s easy to say “come for a glass of wine”. So far no one filed any complaints. Since I keep my kitchen mainly vegetarian I... View Article
August 13, 2015
Roasting a cauliflower transforms its flavour and texture, and I am sure would convert even my friend Val to loving this veggie. The sugars in the cauli caramelize and lend a smoky-sweetness that is very enticing. Cauli comes in many colours, from white to orange to purple and green. Each has a slightly different flavour profile and unlike purple beans or purple asparagus, they keep the colour during cooking. The colourful variety makes a beautiful... View Article
August 5, 2015
Roasted garlic is useful in the kitchen and very easy to make. Roasting makes the garlic mild and slightly sweet and the texture becomes creamy and spreadable. Use it to: Spread on a pizza before piling other ingredients Fold into mashed potatoes Add to pasta Add to sauces Add to soups Serve as a spread with crostini Make roasted garlic oil Add wherever a mild garlic flavour is desired Keep in mind it is... View Article
