Food, Travel, and Cooking!
I had a delicious salad for brunch one day years ago and decided to try to re-create it at home. I think it came out pretty well! I always liked to serve this at the corporate dining room where I worked as in-house chef, when the Mandarin oranges arrived at the market in winter. Makes […]
One Saturday at the Farmer’s Market, I spied the new crop of Coronation grapes from Stoney Paradise, the best grapes (see below), new crop pears and fabulous looking salad greens. Right then and there I decided to create a salad for dinner that night! You can switch out the Tuscan Pecorino for Gorgonzola Dolce if […]
Succulent, slightly exotic and absolutely fantastic with either of the dips. When I make them they are gobbled up pretty fast! At other times of the year when Spot Prawns are unavailable use another type of prawn. Living on the Westcoast of Canada in Vancouver, we are so lucky to have access to a fish […]
One of my favourite guys when I ran an executive dining room, loved pasta. He’d ask why I never cooked it for him. So, one day I surprised him with this pasta, he was very pleased! Of course, I had to use a pasta shape that was easy to eat or they would splash sauce […]
What can I say, this is delizioso! A ragu that can be served with fresh pappardelle or fettucccine. If we feel like having pici (a thick, long Tuscan pasta) and I don’t feel like making it, I substitute a dried pasta called Strangozzi made by De Cecco di Filippo, or good quality Chitarra pasta. Ah…how […]
Soda Bread is an absolutely delicious easy “bread” to make as there’s no yeast involved! It seems made to be eaten with a strong cheddar cheese. This recipe is comes from Darina Allen’s of Ballymaloe Cookery School. If you can find some of the cheeses from Neal’s Yard such as Lancashire Poacher or Isle of Mull they […]
I am a huge fan of both shortribs and oxtails. They have a wonderful, unctuous texture when braised in a sauce of stock, wine and chopped vegetables. They do take a bit of prep., but once they are in the oven, that’s pretty much it. And I think a very good thing! And…there are usually […]
Traditionally a gratin is a layered dish topped with either grated cheese or a mixture of breadcrumbs and melted butter. I decided to forgo both in this case, but feel free to make this using either ½ cup grated Gruyere cheese or ½ cup of coarse breadcrumbs combined with 2 Tbsp. melted butter and scatter […]
A really, really tasty Asian style chicken baked and glazed with an orange sauce. The next time I make this dish I am going to give it a go with blood orange juice which I love; especially in a glass with bubbles! This can be made with Cornish game hens too, just don’t cook them […]
A version of polenta that requires very little stirring; a good thing in my eyes! 4 cups water 1 tsp. salt 1 cup polenta (not quick-cooking) 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter (Opt.) If you like you can put a bit of fresh thyme in the polenta while it is cooking. In a 3 quart heavy saucepan […]