May 14, 2015
Not sure what the origin of shakshuka is (Ottolenghi says Tunisia) but it is very popular in Israel as a breakfast dish. Shakshuka is easy to prepare and kind of exotic looking if you cook and serve it in a cast iron skillet. It’s a good dish for a large breakfast crowd as you can cook it in a large skillet with as many eggs as can fit in and your guests can spoon their... View Article
May 9, 2015
There is something special about baking bread. Something artisanal and historical in creating a fragrant and crusty loaf out of simple ingredients, the same way cooks have been doing for thousands of years. I have always made bread the traditional way, making the dough, kneading it to develop elasticity and letting it rise long and slow in a warm corner of the kitchen, sometimes overnight in the fridge. I have made a sour dough starter... View Article
May 4, 2015
Since we live pretty central here in Kelowna, it’s easy to invite friends over for a glass of wine before going out to dinner at a restaurant nearby. This was impossible to do in Calgary as we lived out of town on an acreage and it was too far out of the way for dropping by before dinner. So I started thinking of a few simple appetizers to serve that are not too heavy and... View Article
April 30, 2015
Foodies tend to divide into two groups: those who love to bake and those who love to cook. I often wonder what category I fit in because I kinda like doing both. I do more cooking than baking though. I love to bake and make desserts but, you know, it’s more a special occasion thing. We don’t have desserts every day. Today I was in the mood to bake something with apples. Tarte Tatin is... View Article
April 29, 2015
I am off to Calgary for the day to see my friends. Sometimes it’s nice not to think about packing a suitcase and booking hotels yet travelling to a different city, experiencing new sights, sounds and the feel of another place. I am catching an early morning flight out of Kelowna with no luggage to worry about and a rental car is waiting for me at the airport in Calgary. Does that count as jet-setting?... View Article
April 27, 2015
I have been waiting for artichokes to arrive and they finally have. Nothing says spring to me like these compact soldiers wrapped in protective layers of thorny armor. I have written more about them here. Once you get past the initial intimidation this not-so-familiar vegetable tends to cause, you find that it really is a rather simple affair to work with. You slice it through the middle, peel back the thorny leaves around the stem... View Article
April 25, 2015
Not quite summer yet but these tomatoes were nice and sweet wherever they came from so I made a simple and naturally flavoured panzanella style salad. I am going to Italy, remember, so I am beginning to immerse myself in all things Italian. I kept it very simple letting the softness of the tomatoes and crunchy croutons play their part creating texture and the tangy juices of tomatoes mixed with the fruity olive oil and... View Article
April 20, 2015
Once spring and summer arrive we have potato salad on the menu often. I don’t make the traditional mayo based potato salad too often. The Italian and French salads, made with an olive oil and vinegar dressing, appeal to me more. I add other vegetables that are in season, like green beans, radishes, carrots, peas, whatever works with the potatoes. The other day I was looking at some food blogs and saw a beautiful image... View Article
April 17, 2015
I was organizing my pantry the other day, determined to simplify and use what’s there. I am not a “shopping list” shopper and inevitable my pantry gets filled with stuff that excites me one moment and then languishes on the shelves, forgotten. One of these items was a bottle of Asian dipping sauce that looked enticing so I thought I’d make a few salad rolls to use the sauce with. They are always fun and... View Article
April 6, 2015
The simplest way to prepare artichokes is to boil them in lemony water and serve with lemon butter. To eat them you peel back each leaf and scrape the fleshy part at the bottom of the leaf with your teeth. It’s not the most graceful way to eat but can be quite interesting, raising the leaf to your lips, closing your teeth on the flesh and slowly pulling the leaf back with the silky, fleshy... View Article
April 5, 2015
Cooking Indian style food can be intimidating but this simple dal and basmati rice with a crisp and lemony salad on the side is simplicity itself and so good, and good for you. There are specialized legumes for making authentic dal and you can certainly find them but I cook with what I have in my pantry and I (almost) always have lentils in there, red, green, black, you name it. Lentils are one of... View Article
April 1, 2015
I am a very early riser and love the quiet of early morning. Most days I see the sun come up, slowly rising, brushing the sky with strokes of soft peaches and pinks. The mountains across the lake remain dark, hiding the mysteries of the night, revealing them little by little as the light invades their valleys and exposes their peaks. Some mornings I start with a tisane and a few cookbooks, leafing through them... View Article
