I should split this post into three posts, to give the Mezcal, Tequila, and Bacanora I tried room to shine, but instead, I'm going to think of agave-based booze, high-protein Arizona tepary beans, and sweet-and-subtly spicy green hatch chili powder as the three brothers of … [Read more...] about On a Hunt for Mezcal, Bacanora, Tequila, Tepary Beans, and Green Hatch Chili Powder in Tucson, AZ
Cooking With Booze
How to Cook Chicken in a Slow-Cooker or Instant Pot: Recipe for Chicken with Wild Mushrooms and Sage
I'll keep this instant pot or slow-cooker chicken with wild mushrooms and sage recipe short and sweet, because I hear I can be a bit long-winded in the preamble to a recipe. All you do is soak your mushrooms OVERNIGHT (see below for why), then the next day you sear chicken … [Read more...] about How to Cook Chicken in a Slow-Cooker or Instant Pot: Recipe for Chicken with Wild Mushrooms and Sage
My Favourite Sustainable Fish Recipe for Spring: Pacific Cod with Citrus and Arbequina Olives from “Good Fish”
I've been working my way through cookbook author Becky Selengut's updated "Good Fish," which has some extra recipes including this one for lingcod with citrus and arbequina olives. I use Pacific cod for this recipe instead of lingcod, but it's also sustainable and is actually … [Read more...] about My Favourite Sustainable Fish Recipe for Spring: Pacific Cod with Citrus and Arbequina Olives from “Good Fish”
“I Went Through Quarantine and All I Got Was This Homemade Miso” (plus a recipe for my version sweet miso eggplant)
I realized, looking back through my food photos from the past six months, that the only recipes I took pictures of during Covid quarantine are ones I developed for ALIVE magazine and DELICIOUS LIVING. That's a good 20 or 25 recipes, but still, that's it – except for a lone bowl … [Read more...] about “I Went Through Quarantine and All I Got Was This Homemade Miso” (plus a recipe for my version sweet miso eggplant)
Slow-Roasted Duck Legs in Wine: Raspberries and Food Memories
Are there meals that you dream about from before the days of social distancing? I often dream of one in particular. I was sitting into a beautiful new restaurant in NDG in Montreal two years ago with a platter of duck legs, breast, wings, sausage and duck-fat-cooked potatoes in … [Read more...] about Slow-Roasted Duck Legs in Wine: Raspberries and Food Memories
Côte Nord Crab Mushroom Risotto with Chickpeas
Back in February I did a television segment for Global Montreal and was given a bag of dried crab mushrooms from the North Shore (the Côte Nord) of Quebec to present on the show. They're very similar to lobster mushrooms in look, so I figured they'd be good in risotto. To … [Read more...] about Côte Nord Crab Mushroom Risotto with Chickpeas
Southwestern Tequila Shrimp Skewers and Spicy Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Here are another two recipes from Savvy Southwest Cooking. The Gulf of Mexico has some sustainable shrimp options, but make sure you source yours carefully to avoid food colorants, antibiotics, sea lice and other parasites and chemicals. Not to mention the destruction to … [Read more...] about Southwestern Tequila Shrimp Skewers and Spicy Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Experimenting with an Instant Pot: Soup Stock and Risotto
Why should you buy an Instant Pot? Don't you already have a slow cooker, pressure cooker, rice maker, Dutch oven, skillet and yogurt maker? I do, in fact. But normal people don't. I'm not about to chuck all those things and replace them with this device, but if someone gifted … [Read more...] about Experimenting with an Instant Pot: Soup Stock and Risotto
Morning Sweet Potato and Banana Muffins for Guillaume and Lacey
Every week, I shlep to Shakti Gym in Montreal to train for rock climbing. If you've seen me, you'll know I'm not all bulky muscles. But that's not what climbers need. I need pull-up strength, sure (an area in which I'm sorely lacking), but I also need finger and forearm strength, … [Read more...] about Morning Sweet Potato and Banana Muffins for Guillaume and Lacey
Dutch Oven Versus Slow-cooker Braised Chicken, White Wine and Fennel (Le Creuset Recipe)
This is the same recipe I made in a slow-cooker for a "Healthy New Year's Eating" segment on Breakfast Television this January. When I splurged on a second-hand Le Creuset Dutch oven, though, I had to remake the recipe for the comparison. I figured the Le Creuset baked version … [Read more...] about Dutch Oven Versus Slow-cooker Braised Chicken, White Wine and Fennel (Le Creuset Recipe)