Baking with Mary Berry and the Chocolate Roulade

Baking with Mary Berry and the Chocolate Roulade

I confess, I’ve been binge watching The Great British Bake Off  on YouTube ever since two friends recommended it earlier this autumn. I bite my fingernails dreading soggy bottoms, split custard, and under-proofed bread. I’m in awe of the homemade strudel dough, the Charlotte Royales, 

Herbs & Spices and the DK Contest

Herbs & Spices and the DK Contest

This is not a sponsored post. I haven’t been paid to tell you about this contest (details below) and will not receive any kickback. I’m not even submitting my pick for a chance to win $250 worth of books. I’m posting because I have a 

Avocado Tomatillo Sauce

Avocado Tomatillo Sauce

It has snowed so much lately my shovel and I are on a first name basis. It sees my boots coming and says, “Hello, Charmian.” I nod, pull my hat down over my ears and grab the chirpy shovel in a choke hold. Together, Shovel 

Mac and Cheese Makeover | Cheddar, Avocado, Lime & Shell Pasta

Mac and Cheese Makeover | Cheddar, Avocado, Lime & Shell Pasta

Some cookbooks have a way of breathing life into everyday ingredients. Some produce delicious dishes you will turn to again and again. Others peek into foreign worlds — celebrity kitchens, orchard tours, or chef-approved culinary techniques. Melt: The Art of Macaroni and Cheese by Stephanie 

Alice Eats Sunken Dark-Chocolate Cake

Alice Eats Sunken Dark-Chocolate Cake

Describing this cookbook as unconventional would be misleading. It doesn’t contain outrageously challenging recipes or impossible to get ingredients. You won’t find odd flavour combinations or dishes that look like storybook animals. If I may mix my fictional elements, Alice Eats is the James Bond martini 

Get Your Grill On – Four Books to Welcome the Summer

Get Your Grill On – Four Books to Welcome the Summer

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 

Homemade Crackers and Baklava Crisps

Homemade Crackers and Baklava Crisps

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. 

Nigella’s Green Beans with Pistachio Pesto

Nigella’s Green Beans with Pistachio Pesto

To paraphrase from Nigella Lawson’s latest book Nigellissima: Easy Italian-Inspired Recipes, this dish is “verdiglorious.” Green basil, green beans, and green pistachios all come together in a “riot” of a pesto dish. What it lacks in authenticity, it more than makes up for in colour 

Lox and Cream Cheese Ebelskivers

Lox and Cream Cheese Ebelskivers

I’m not sure how many recipes Camilla V. Saulsbury has created over the years but it’s more than I can count before losing track, and just slightly less than the number of stars in the night sky. She’s prolific to say the least. When I