Ginger Orange Carrot Soup

Ginger Orange Carrot Soup

I’m not psychic but something tells me that before the winter is over, my copy of Jeanelle Mitchell’s For the Love of Soup is going to be dog-eared, grease-splattered and a fought over. Sorry extended family, but you’ll have to get your own copy. I 

Recipe: Blueberry Peach Yogurt

Recipe: Blueberry Peach Yogurt

I’m going to steal President Barack Obama’s campaign slogan, “Yes, we can!” Hope he won’t mind. It’s for a good cause — yogurt. You see, while I love my homemade yogurt, for almost a year I’ve been frustrated. The instructions on my electric yogurt maker 

Educational Books for Cooks

Educational Books for Cooks

Here in Ontario, school began yesterday. Despite having graduated from university last millennium, to this day fall still brings anxiety dreams where I race from room to room trying to find my class, or arrive on campus only to learn I forgot to register, or 

Honey Roasted Pears Recipe

Honey Roasted Pears Recipe

I’m telling you up front, this cookbook scared me when it arrived. I haven’t the patience to make confit, wouldn’t touch foie gras if you paid me and can’t even begin to tell you where to get quail eggs. Venison, bison and Cornish hens have 

3 Preserves Cookbooks to Help You Eat Local Year Round

3 Preserves Cookbooks to Help You Eat Local Year Round

Right now people across the continent are being smothered by gigantic zucchinis, held hostage by an army of tomatoes or at the mercy of killer cucumbers. Today, it’s a Battle of Abundance, but come November? I’ll be flooded with emails from readers begging me to 

Grow Great Grub – and a giveaway

Grow Great Grub – and a giveaway

Before a certain family member thinks this is a guilt trip, let me state for the record it isn’t. I’m simply stating facts. Fact: My grandiose plans for a communal family garden got kiboshed in early spring when my sister announced her engagement. With a 

Cookbook Roundup

Cookbook Roundup

As the reno inches to a close, items are slowly working their way back into their proper place. My bookcase, for instance, has finally emerged from the midst of the chaos and now stands in the room that has become (and will remain) my office. 

Swiss Chard with Raisins and Pine Nuts

Swiss Chard with Raisins and Pine Nuts

I fall easily into a vegetable rut. If it weren’t for this blog I’d happily get my daily quota of greens from string beans, broccoli and mesclun mix salad. I once ate Basil and Walnut Green Beans every night for a week.  When I stopped 

Slow-Cooked Beef with Red Wine

Slow-Cooked Beef with Red Wine

I sat beside Ricardo, Canada’s most popular culinary celebrity, at the Canadian Culinary Book Awards a few months ago. He’s got his own Food Network show, Ricardo and Friends, three cookbooks and a self-titled magazine — all in two languages. When he was seated beside