Food, Travel, and Cooking!
Ramps aka wild leeks/wild garlic, can be found growing wild in the Northeast and Midwest of Canada and all the way down the U.S., into the Appalachians. if you are lucky, you may find them at a Farmer’s Market in the spring. They are really, really tasty and why cooks wax poetic when they find them […]
A favourite preparation ours for roasted asparagus! Definitely worth the effort! You might want to give it a try with slender green beans too. If you can, pick up local asparagus when it appears at Farmer’s Markets! There is simply no comparison to imported asparagus; it’s almost a completely new veggie! Makes 6 Servings 1 […]
Stinging Nettles are available at Farmer’s Markets if you don’t have them growing wild where you live. Be careful, they really do sting if you don’t wear gloves when handling them in their raw state but once blanched the sting is gone. When I made these dumplings the first time I used butter and cheese […]
There are any number of versions for this “Irish” potato dish. Here’s my take, I hope you like it. My Mom was a great one for add-ins to mashed potatoes. She liked to use veggies like carrots and turnips but I don’t think she thought of using cabbage, even though she liked cabbage. She had […]
I’ve stopped counting how many times I’ve cooked these peas! I have even reheated the leftovers for lunch and eaten them with a piece of crusty bread! The peas are a delicious accompaniment to Veal or Roast Chicken. Makes 6 Servings 3 lbs. fresh green peas (about 3 cups), don’t use large peas as they […]
I’ve been making this fresh tasting soup for many years and it’s always a welcome first course for dinner or a main course with multigrain bread or soda bread (recipe below), some cheese, perhaps an English cheddar or Scottish cheese. The addition of ginger and lemon gives the soup a nice zing. Our local carrots […]
The pasta is infused with the wonderful fragrance of fresh lemons. A small serving is perfect with a main course of fish, spot prawns, chicken, veal or lamb. Although a bit rich it could be a main course with say, an asparagus vinaigrette for starters. If you can find Meyer lemons, they are wonderful used […]
The fall and winter, when you can buy locally grown celeriac (also known as celery root), is the time for this salad. Have a bowl of acidulated water ready to place the julienned celeriac in once cut. Makes 6 – 8 Servings 1 large celeriac, peeled, julienned 3 large celery stalks, thinly sliced at an […]
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 […]
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 […]