The first Mother’s Day gift I made was a card. It had a flower and ...
Growing up, I always thought of parchment paper as something people wrote letters on. It involved a fountain pen and a blotter. It was all very romantic but had nothing to do with chocolate chip cookies and poached salmon. Times changed. Parchment crept into professional kitchens and elbowed its way into gourmet magazines. Confused, I [...]
I know better than to go shopping without a list. I have at least three iPhone apps to help me compile them. Pads of paper cling to the fridge simply so I can jot down items as I deplete their inventory. Lists prevent wastage, overstocking and second (even third) trips to the store. I advise [...]
One rainy summer day, unable to build blanket forts on the climbing bars or soar through the sprinkler on a tire swing, I decided my younger sister and I should do some baking. “Baking” meant raiding Mom’s pantry and dumping everything within reach into a bowl. Raisins, nuts, vinegar, flour, icing sugar, food colouring… There was [...]
The long weekend is coming. Plant the annuals. Haul out the lawn chairs. And pull that dusty cover off the grill. Whether you’re not sure where to start, afraid you’ll reduce the chicken to ashes, or are bored to tears with burgers, solutions lie on the printed page. Diverse, inspiring and informatiave, these grilling books [...]
The first Mother’s Day gift I made was a card. It had a flower and stars and kittens on it because I was obsessed with flowers and stars and kittens. Mom was allergic to two of these, but I was young and unable to fully understand how my mother might not love everything I did. [...]
Last week I went to the SIAL Canada Show in Toronto. It describes itself as a “one-of-a-kind opportunity to set yourself apart from the competition as you learn about innovative ideas and breaking trends in the agri-food industry!” But you know me. I went for the food. I’m not interested in the prepackaged products like pasta [...]
Altogether now. On the count of three, “Ivy, you’re a genius!” Ivy Manning, author of Crackers & Dips: More than 50 Handmade Snacks (Chronicle ©2013), wasn’t always receptive to this praise. As a caterer, she found complex dishes like Pheasant Under Glass went virtually unnoticed. But when she brought out the basket of simple homemade [...]
Swag. It used to mean some sort of garland or window dressing. But times have changed. Ignoring the Urban Dictionary’s profanity-laced first definition, I pieced together other entries and conclude it’s an overused term meaning one’s personal style or attitude. I think it’s the new “mojo”, but don’t quote me. I’m hopelessly square and can’t [...]
I got myself into this and I’m going to get myself out. I did not, repeat not, acquire a one-trick pony of a pan. I could point you to the Indian, Thai, Korean and Japanese variations of the aebleskiver, but really, they’re all just spins on batter cooked into engaging little spheres. So, that ain’t gonna fly. [...]
I’m often asked to recommend cookbooks as gifts for someone’s mother-in-law, sister, aunt, neighbour, co-worker, friend visiting from far off foreign lands. I feel a bit like I’ve been asked to select a paint colour for their living room without seeing the house let alone knowing how many people live there. Sure, I could point [...]
