Our local grocer's shelves are positively loaded with pineapple, that combined with a craving for flavours of the Yucatan and next thing I know, I'm chopping pineapple for a tangy, tasty Pineapple Salsa. Fresh fruit salsas make such a nice…
A Middle Eastern pesto, Muhummara combines roasted red peppers with toasted walnuts, a splash of lemon juice, garlic, onions and the sweetness of pomegranate molasses for a dip that is loaded with heart healthy fats, antioxidants and complex flavour. One…
Za'atar is to Middle Eastern cooking what Herbs du Provenance is to Southern French cooking. A spice blend so versatile and so pungent, it's used on meats, vegetables, in rice dishes and (my favourite) Za'atar bread. A savory addition to…
With temperatures on the rise, barbecue season can't be far behind. Time to get ready with a big bot of garlic confit. Cooked slow and low in oil, the garlic becomes sweet and easily mash-able, perfect for quick summer cooking, sauces and condiments. Confit…
Brandied figs, they became an addiction last fall; sweet, juicy, boozy. We've played with them in a vinaigrette, against foie gras, in a roasted sweet potato treat and now we give you Brandied Fig Tapenade. Salty and sweet, this the last in our series of condiments with great Canadian cheese.
Herbed Mushroom Truffle Paté, an earthy accompaniment to a smooth cheese; it makes a wicked canape or two, greatly improves a pizza and is a short cut to a simple sauce.
Autumn fruits fill the aisles, how can you possibly resist the shapely pear? So smooth, so ripe, so bottom heavy, and perfectly delicious with a bit of blue cheese as Cardamom Pear Butter.
Adding to our essential sauces of the barbecue season with a tangy Chimichurri Sauce from South America. In it's native Argentina it is the quintessential condiment for grilled meats, an Argentine pesto if you will, combining parsley, garlic, onion, olive oil, and vinegar for a powerful punch.
Our barbecue essentials list continues with a wicked Smokey Jack Daniels Ketchup and a bit of Jack Smoke that gave our Father's Day barbecue a whole lot of Kentucky kick.
This version of Piri Piri sauce will ruin commercial barbecue sauces for you, forever. Butter based, it borrows from Portuguese tradition leaning heavily French. Using it effectively blackens the surface of the meat, adding layers of flavour and heat.
When I see ingredients I haven't worked with I often drag them home to see what new delights I can concoct. Welcome home Kumquats, which quickly became Candied Kumquats... a taste of sunshine.
Cranberries, nature's way of making sure we in northern climes get our vitamin C in the cold winter months; sharp and tangy and a must on the holiday table. Boozy Cranberry-Orange Sauce is extraordinarily easy (and fast) to make, a dash of Grand Marnier and hint of orange in a lovely jar, makes it a beautiful hostess gift.