When your wine importer friend whose company motto is "No shit in my wine" says "Let's have a Champagne and caviar night!" and offers to bring both the natural Champagne and the caviar, you don't say no. Only an idiot would say no. I'm occasionally not an idiot. And only a … [Read more...] about Champagne and Caviar
Small Bites and Spreads
This Year’s Sauerkraut: Three Ways
Why would you make one batch of sauerkraut when you could make three? That was the theory behind this year's non-spicy cabbage fermentation binge. In addition to the annual kimchi fest, I invited friends over to make less fiery ferments (speaking of that, it's a great … [Read more...] about This Year’s Sauerkraut: Three Ways
Bouchées à la Reine: Alsatian Savoury Pastry Stuffed With Chicken, Veal and Mushroom Sauce Suprême
When an Alsatian man told me that the food he missed most from Alsace was Bouchées à la Reine, a buttery pastry filled with a béchamel-type sauce called a sauce suprême, I figured my chances of ever eating it were slim... ...but when his eyes filled with nostalgia and I saw … [Read more...] about Bouchées à la Reine: Alsatian Savoury Pastry Stuffed With Chicken, Veal and Mushroom Sauce Suprême
Dairy Free Gluten Free Cod Brandade
I knew I could never eat cod brandade. For one, the salt cod was unsustainable. I come from Newfoundland, a Canadian province that knows all about the overfished cod. So I would never buy the giant sheets of the salted stuff from Portuguese markets in Toronto. I also knew that … [Read more...] about Dairy Free Gluten Free Cod Brandade
Raw and Paleo Nori and Lettuce Wraps
You can put whatever you want in these wraps. Once all the veggies are chopped, it's just a matter of throwing it all together. I shredded some carrots and beets, chopped some cucumber half-moons, grated some cauliflower as a rice replacement, added a layer of sauerkraut and some … [Read more...] about Raw and Paleo Nori and Lettuce Wraps
Greek Dolmades: Vegan, Healthy and Local (if you Forage the Vine Leaves)
I'd walked past the vine leaves outside my community garden hundreds of times, but I'd never put them to use in my kitchen until now. I know they're good for two things: pickling cucumbers (they supposedly keep the pickles firmer without adding any chemicals) and dolmades (Greek … [Read more...] about Greek Dolmades: Vegan, Healthy and Local (if you Forage the Vine Leaves)
Star Wars Ration Boxes
Luke’s savoury ration boxes: kale chips, sweet potato chips, zucchini chips, raisins, currants, dates, toasted almonds, hazelnuts, pecans and walnuts. What's a ration box, really? Let's ask the Star Wars wiki: "Food rations...were a transportable form of ready-to-eat food used … [Read more...] about Star Wars Ration Boxes
What Do I Do With That Zucchini?
If you're like me, zucchini have taken over your life. Maybe you don't have a community garden plot with four enormous zucchini plants, blossoms so big you thought they were squash and baseball bat-sized green summer squash hiding under thick green branches and enormous lily … [Read more...] about What Do I Do With That Zucchini?
Thai Cucumber Salad from Nong’s Thai Kitchen
Who would have thought that dousing raw cucumber slices in spicy syrup would be a good a idea? Thai people, apparently. This simple salad is a good way to simultaneously feel healthy and pander to your sweet tooth. The recipe is from Nong's Thai Kitchen: 84 Classic Recipes that … [Read more...] about Thai Cucumber Salad from Nong’s Thai Kitchen
Clef des Champs: Mushroom Tarts, a Summer Day Trip From Montreal and What You Didn’t Know About Medicinal Plants
You might have heard of Clef des champs. They're my go-to local company for tinctures — bottles of distilled organic herbal combinations that do anything from easing digestion to improving your immune system to helping you relax. But I didn't know that they had a terraced … [Read more...] about Clef des Champs: Mushroom Tarts, a Summer Day Trip From Montreal and What You Didn’t Know About Medicinal Plants