Stroll through the prep area of any Japanese restaurant and inevitably you’ll find a shallow pot with a wooden lid simmering away. Lift the lid and an aroma of deep savouriness will overwhelm your senses; soy sauce, shiitakes, the deep woods. Umami. The secret weapon. Read More
Halloween’s over and I’m a little surprised by how much candy is left. Despite giving away handfuls of little nightmarishly-coloured sugar thingies, we still have a great big plastic cauldron-full sitting on the kitchen table… Not good. Every time I walk into the kitchen it’s squatting there, watching me, proffering it’s sticky fructose-laden goodies. Sure they taste good, but I’m not sure I can afford all the sleepless nights that follow. Read More
Rain drums on the window sill, and the carpet of once bright and crunchy leaves in the yard is now slowly melting into a brown compost sludge. It’s late October already, and it’s getting cold and wet. In other words, it’s perfect soup weather! Read More
Just in time to follow the turkey to the table is… ahhhh who am I kidding, Canadian Thanksgiving was a week ago. No problem, a golden not-to-sweet potato pie is a welcome finish to any meal during these rapidly darkening days of October. Read More
Roasting is my favourite way to show some ‘lovin to my favourite root vegetable, Beetroot. A quick glazing with sugar and orange juice wakes up the beet’s natural sweetness, and ensures a jewel-like lacquered finish. Leave them to roast a little longer than you would other root veg and you’ll be rewarded with a sticky, sweet candy crunch on the outside, and a soft smokey center. Thinly sliced onions macerated in cider vinegar balance out all the caramel ecstasy and remind you that it`s still a savoury dish.