If you think this is a cake only your grandmother would make, you have the world's best grandmother. Do you know what happens when you put a base of sugar below sweet, juicy fruit and bake it? It browns at the edges, so you get that chewier, almost crispy in places, caramel-y … [Read more...] about Pineapple Upside-Down Cake
All Recipes
Calamari and Pomegranate Ceviche Salad
The dressing of this salad tastes sharp and bright like ceviche, but the fennel and pomegranate drag it far from its South and Central American roots. You could add other seafood, like thinly sliced scallops and shrimp if you like. Or if you can find really good quality white … [Read more...] about Calamari and Pomegranate Ceviche Salad
Balsamic Figs with Sheep’s Milk Cheese
The trick to this gorgeous appetizer is to find good figs. The rest is simple. But it's March! you say. Do you think a lot of figs grow in Montreal at any time of the year? My friend gets one per season, and the work she puts into burying that plant at the end of the growing … [Read more...] about Balsamic Figs with Sheep’s Milk Cheese
Spiced Orange, Fig and Toasted Sunflower Pilaf
I'm reviewing a new cookbook called The Smart Palate. It was created by the Rosalind and Morris Goodman Cancer Research Center at McGill University. It's three authors aim for easy-to-make recipes that are visually appealing and healthy. Healthy in their views means fairly low in … [Read more...] about Spiced Orange, Fig and Toasted Sunflower Pilaf
Pillows of Sugar and Vanilla Meringues
Can pillows be crunchy? If so, these deceptively brittle, melt-in-your-mouth treats are the most breakable sleeping accessory I've ever baked. They look like pillows—or clouds or hills or pudding—but they're crunchy and soft and creamy all at the same time. It's the miracle of … [Read more...] about Pillows of Sugar and Vanilla Meringues
Shrimp with Bananas, Almonds and Agua Diabla: Recreating ABC Cocina Restaurant at Home
ABC Cocina restaurant in NYC blew me away, from the Tequila in my lime- and basil-rimmed margarita to my patatas bravas infused with vinegar and salt and topped with an addictive sweet chili sauce to the tamarind-glazed fish. But everyone at our table agreed on the best dish: the … [Read more...] about Shrimp with Bananas, Almonds and Agua Diabla: Recreating ABC Cocina Restaurant at Home
Healthy Stuffed Jalapeno Peppers with Avocado Dip
There's a slow burn that comes from cooked jalapeno. You bite into a baked or fried whole pepper and there's a mild sweetness of the roasted flesh. Then bitterness hits from the skin and membrane as you chew. And finally, there's the heat. That's what you wait for. It's what … [Read more...] about Healthy Stuffed Jalapeno Peppers with Avocado Dip
Flan Soup and Averting Dessert Disaster
There's no such dessert called flan soup in any recipe book I know. But some of the best foods in the world are mistakes. Popsicles, deep-fried ravioli, potato chips. To that list, I now add flan soup. Tastes just like flan, but you bake it forever and it never solidifies into … [Read more...] about Flan Soup and Averting Dessert Disaster
Loaded Nachos, Salsa, Guacamole: Enough chili pepper to kill a winter
There's a feeling that comes about this time of year that I call panic. It builds with every snow fall, with every frozen eyelash. It couples with the swearing I hear from my own mouth as I walk to the metro. And it multiplies like a parasite until something happens to calm your … [Read more...] about Loaded Nachos, Salsa, Guacamole: Enough chili pepper to kill a winter
I’m Back! With Chipotle Beef Tacos and Salsa Verde
Didn't notice I'd gone? Well, good. My site has been on the fritz for the past few weeks, but hopefully now it's all back to normal. That's basically how I feel about winter. It's a little freak-out period when temperatures plummet along with moods, but then everything goes back … [Read more...] about I’m Back! With Chipotle Beef Tacos and Salsa Verde