This is a great soup to have in your back pocket, it’s a chameleon of a soup, honey.  Easily adaptable to whichever vegetables you have on hand.  As a template I always include onion, celery, carrot, tomato, zucchini, green beans, frozen peas.  Also beans, either canned like cannellini, or a similar dry bean that are… Continue reading

Two circumstances lead to the creation of  these Lemon Cheesecake Brownies.  The first, I had a container of mascarpone cheese in the fridge nearing its expiration date and wanted to use it up.  The second, while chatting with a friend I discovered her husband was going to be out of town and she would all… Continue reading

I think I just hit on the Holy Grail of dinner recipes.  This Shrimp Scampi with Peas and White Beans is super fast to pull together, perfect for any weeknight when you haven’t put much (or any) thought into what is landing on your table at 6pm. However, if you had unexpected company, it’s so… Continue reading

A few years ago, I made my first attempt at baking scones and came up with this Blueberry Scone Cake, while really good, and everyone gobbled it up without any question as to its provenance, I felt I hadn’t nailed a traditional scone.  That’s the thing with gluten free baking, sometimes it’s an epic fail,… Continue reading

Last week, while perusing Instagram, my daughter asked if I had ever made carrot cake.  Well, sure a long time ago B.C. (before Celiac’s) I did.  Back then I could bake just about anything with success, regular flour is… predictable.  Gluten free, well not so much. I love carrot cake, it’s a great way to… Continue reading

I wonder how many people eat eggplant on a regular basis?  It doesn’t seem to fall into our weekly dinner rotation as, say, broccoli or green beans. We like it, we do!  It’s not even that exotic or hard to find, we just forget about it perhaps. And then you cook some and remark “why… Continue reading

This week, I have been experimenting in the kitchen with a grain free-gluten free-dairy free-nut free muffin.  So far, this darn muffin troubles me.  Sure, I have come across a few recipes online with fabulous pictures of such muffins, which makes me wonder why mine won’t work?  They look good, but the middle of the… Continue reading

I first heard the word “Vegan”  about 30 years ago, back then I thought if you were a vegan you lived off of alfalfa sprouts, avocado and brown rice.  And, the baked goods they consumed certainly contained carob. Things have changed hugely in the kitchen since then.  Baking vegan solves a lot of food allergy issues… Continue reading

A few weeks ago I posted a recipe for this fabulous black bean soup, hard to believe that a bag of God-knows-how-old dried beans  could produce such a remarkable bowl of soup.  I thank the crock pot for that. It was so easy that I felt we had to do it again, for  quality control… Continue reading

Last Saturday, we invited a few friends over for dinner.   Naturally, we were really excited and planned a fabulous meal – Asian salmon, sticky rice, steamed baby bok choy with garlic sauce.  We even had fantastic kimchi from the Asian store that’s not even remotely close to home, but so good that I drive there… Continue reading

My husband who happily eats everything without compliant, recently pointed out that I tend to gravitate to cheesecake when making dessert for dinner parties or holidays.  “just an observation, that’s all” he said, which is code for please make more, he does really love any type of dessert. When entertaining, any steps you can accomplish… Continue reading

I have posted a lot of cheesecake here – mainly because I love them,  also because you can adapt them to so many occasions.  Dinner party?  This Meyer Lemon Ricotta Cheesecake or Key Lime Cheesecake marry well with any menu. Holiday? Try this Pumpkin Pie Ricotta Cheesecake or equally as festive Pumpkin Cheesecake with Candied Nut… Continue reading

I am not going to pretend that I haven’t posted these muffins previously, I have.  The reason to share them with you again is because they are so versatile.  I made them the first time because I was traveling and needed them to be hearty enough to last in my carryon without being squashed too… Continue reading

My daughter and I travelled to Toronto last week, a little girls getaway (along with educational excursions, of course).  When we arrived at our hotel in the very late afternoon (around high tea time), we were delighted to find a lovely plate of cookies waiting in our room.  As you know, I wouldn’t even dream… Continue reading

My daughter was home from university last weekend and noticed a small container of ricotta cheese in the fridge.  Lately, I have been spreading it on toast, then showering it with lemon zest and capers, adding few slices of smoked salmon, and finishing with tons of fresh chopped dill for a fabulous and easy lunch…. Continue reading

  Today, I had planned on sharing a chicken and wild rice soup recipe, however I didn’t love the picture I captured at all – that happens, quite a bit judging by all the snaps sitting on my desktop screen that probably won’t get imported.   Instead, seeing that it’s well into the new year,… Continue reading

In these dwindling December days filled with endless parties full of punch bowls laden with egg nog, bacon wrapped scallops on fancy trays, and entire tables devoted to artistic cheese displays, I thought you might appreciate something a bit lighter to ingest between Fêtes. This one simple soup may be the thing we all need… Continue reading

I am in the fortunate situation of celebrating Thanksgiving twice every year.  Once in October with my Canadian side, and again in November with all my American friends and family. Some years it is exactly the same dinner both times.  Other years, we vary it slightly to reflect the food allergies or aversions of our… Continue reading

I know this time of year you would expect me to be posting all kinds of light, refreshing, don’t you even think about turning that oven on, type of recipes.  Thing is, it’s cold and rainy here today and I wouldn’t dream of turning on the heat in July to warm up – the oven… Continue reading

I have noticed that every summer I seem to gravitate to a go-to salad, one I can quickly whip up for a impromptu BBQ at a neighbors,  a dish to pass for a picnic, or maybe just for a quick fix dinner here.  Last year it was this Summer Squash with Feta and Herb Salad, the… Continue reading

Food trends seem to come and go without me jumping on the bandwagon.  Did you see a ton of kale chip recipes here a few years back? Nope.  Ancient grain concoctions? Endless ways to eat an avocado? Cauliflower pizza?  Okay that one I couldn’t resist.  I really wanted to believe all those raving reviews.  While… Continue reading