Traditional Cuban Flavour in Old Havana – Cafe La Mina
In the heart of Old Havana, off Plaza de Armas, lined with book sellers and merchants, is a large awning covered outdoor restaurant lined with potted flowers and ferns – Cafe La Mina.
Feeding a Four Star Army
Chef in Profile: Executive Chef, Silvano Cruz - Sol Cayo Largo, Cuba On the shores of Cuba’s Cayo Largo de Sur - a tiny island in the Caribbean off the south west coast of Cuba - stretch miles of sandy white beaches. A haven to tourists; I was warned, “if you‘re offended by nudity, this is not a place for you”.
The most expensive pen… EVER
From the heart of Canada’s western fruit belt, the beautiful Okanagan, there came a sudden change in plan. I’d set my heart on further gallivanting, visiting and general merriment when there sprang to light the reality of living the dream. …
Mexican Quickies – PasKAYitos
Best shrimp tacos... EVER. Its bright orange you can’t miss it. Paskayitos serves one thing and one thing only, seafood. So fresh it’s nearly wriggling. Throughout the spring and summer I’ve been junctioning out of Puerto Morelos, Mexico. This little…
Mexican Quickies – How to Tamale
In Mexico, every cook has her own tamale recipe, her own sauce, her own masa mix, her own flavours. I didn't get any family secrets from Juantia (who bore holes though me with her icy stare), but Gleacelda galdly gave me a few moments of instruction in how to make tomales in her (pretty darn good) English. I kept up with my extraordinarily bad tourista Spanish/action charades.
Mexican “not-so-fast-food” – Cantina Habanero
Just off the beaten path and worth every step (or stagger); Cantina Habanero boasts the best burger in Puerto Morelos, Mexico. South of Cancun on Highway 307, Puerto Morelos is a cozy fishing village developed enough to be convenient yet small enough to be Mexican, where I stumbled upon a vision, in search of a cure.
Belize – An Adventure in Cooking
A trip to Belize is not a short jaunt from Canada no matter which side of the country you live on. Despite being just south of Mexico, flight fares are steep and options are few. Until one day a well traveled friend suggested looking at this trip from a different direction. Pick up a cheap flight into Cancun and then book a regional flight from Cancun into Belize City. Genius.
Kickin’ It Old School, Historic Hillsdale House Inn – Bed & Breakfast
In the kitchen there is laughter, the smell of coffee and fresh baked bread. Guests enjoy a quiet relaxed atmosphere in the dining room; the Hillsdale House is everything a country inn should be. Elegant. Stately. Polished. A place to forget about traffic and deadlines, after all it is... Nova Scotia.
Tasting Nova Scotia, The Wooden Monkey – It’s Good for You
It smells good. No, strike that, it does not smell good, it smells fantastic. With a kitchen this creative and ingredients this pure, the Wooden Monkey thrills the senses from the moment you walk through the door.
Tasting Nova Scotia, Leo’s Cafe – There’s pie!
A little sign next to the menu under the glass top table reads: Soup is Love. It's safe to say that love is a key ingredient in everything that comes from the kitchen at Leo’s Café.
A Sticky Wind, Breakfast in Mexico
The cafe bustles, three tables seem to overwhelm the staff and proprietor. Content, I wait and ponder the couple across the aisle. She smiles at him like a lover. He looks at her like a meal ticket.