Food, Travel, and Cooking!
Chicken, turkey, beef, veal, lamb and vegetetable stocks are like having gold in your freezer (well, not really, but you get my meaning I hope.) Normally I try to have a fair bit of chicken stock as I use that the most. And in the fall I will often pick up a large bag of […]
T Being able to enjoy a perfectly grilled/barbecued piece of meat, chicken or fish is the best! To test steaks and chops for doneness with an instant read thermometer, try inserting it sideways instead of from the top for a more accurate reading. Please, please, please don’t be tempted to cut into the meat to […]
You’ll find that Tuscan home cooks and chefs make an aromatic salt such as this one. It’s terrific on pork, chicken for starters. But experimentation is half the fun… You can reduce the recipe by half but it does store well in an airtight container in the fridge or you might want to share some […]
You’ll love that you can make your own homemade pasta, trust me! Years ago a neighbour loaned me her hand-crank pasta machine. I was a little nervous but the fettuccine turned out so well I was really impressed! This meant, that we had to rush out and get the machine! We used it for a […]
Gnocchi only needs a light touch with sauces such as the following ones. Sage Butter Sauce (Version 1) 12 Tbsp. unsalted butter 8 large fresh sage leaves (or the equivalent if leaves are smaller) Freshly ground black pepper This will make enough butter sauce for 1 batch potato gnocchi Put butter into a sauté pan […]
This recipe for pesto uses roasted hazelnuts, a nice change. Local hazelnuts are always available at Farmer’s Markets in the Lower Mainland. But you could use toasted slivered almonds, or Mediterranean pine nuts (they are pricey) or pistachio nuts. I can’t recommend using Asian pine nuts due to their weird, unpleasant aftertaste. The addition of […]
A simple Tomato Sauce that is the perfect thing to dress either potato or ricotta cheese gnocchi. But…don’t hesitate to dress other pasta with it too. I like it on “shapes” (my name for short pasta). 2 cups tinned Italian plum tomatoes, chopped 2-3 Tbsp. each EVO & butter 1 small clove garlic, minced 2-3 […]
Up until I received “Lidia’s Italy” cookbook as a Christmas gift a few years ago, I had never tried to make gnocchi. We used to buy gnocchi from an Italian store/deli made by the owner’s wife. Delightful little pillows; so no need for me to! Sadly the closed and we were forced to give it […]
Quite simply, I love barley whether in soups or a casserole or in my version of barley risotto. It is creamy and dare I say it, “good for you”. Makes 4 – 6 Servings 1 cup pearl barley, placed in a bowl & covered with cold water for up to 6 hours 1 cup leeks, cleaned […]
Similar to my ramp (wild leek) tart but this tart has nutmeg instead of herbs. Not only is it delicious in the spring, but also in the fall and winter months when the new leeks become available. A citrus salad would go so well with the tart. Makes an 8″ or 9″ Tart Pre-baked pie […]