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Holiday Baking - January 25, 2009 by Avalon Bourne It is undeniable that one of the best aspects of the Holidays is all the baked goodies. The smells of ginger and cinnamon and stewed fruits conjure up nostalgic visions of roaring fires, roasting birds and stockings all in a row. Platters of delicious food all resonating with the joyous celebration of the Holidays: Christmas baking is steeped in tradition and it is from that tradition that we draw comfort and a homey feeling of nostalgia. This is not to say that one must stick to a ca ... << Read More >> Vegetarian 101 - January 02, 2009 by Ellen Dashwood I describe myself as an enthusiast omnivore. I love eating meat and seafood, but I also love trying new things, and experimenting with vegetarian dishes and meat alternatives. I have enlisted my lovely sister's culinary prowess to write this introductory article to vegetarian cooking - Lauren. Having chosen a vegetarian diet for over three years, I was asked to write a few words about cooking without meat. Vegetarian cooking is an important skill for a number of reasons, ... << Read More >> Holiday Entertaining on a Shoestring - December 09, 2008 by Lauren Dashwood Or, How to Survive the Holiday Entertaining Season when you have Champagne Tastes on a Beer Budget. OK, so the holidays can be slightly stressful. There’s the stress of finding the perfect gift for everyone on your list, the stress of finding a parking spot at the swarming mall, and the stress of not embarrassing oneself at the company Christmas party. There’s the stress – and guilt, from the almost constant eating and drinking of rich, and self-indulgent foods – gravy, eggnog, ... << Read More >> A Souper - November 27, 2008 by Avalon Bourne Let's talk about soup. Often ignored, or passed off as a dish only for the ailing the once glorious reputation of soup has been much maligned. Soup is the most basic of meals; the tossing of various food items in a pot fulfills a basic instinct of creating with raw tools. Soup is one of our oldest dishes and is even incorporated into the French verb "Souper", to sup ie. to have sup ... << Read More >> A Girl's Guide to Winter Hibernation - November 03, 2008 by Lauren Dashwood I can safely say that last week, for the very first time, I began to resent bears. Bears seem to have it right – they wake up deeply rested in the early spring to increasing sunlight, warmth and greater food supply, while sleeping the long, grey winter away. This past week has been just the type of weather to make anyone envy bears and their ability to sleep away their least favourite season ... << Read More >> Backyard Birthday BBQ Bonanza - August 25, 2008 by Avalon Bourne Two days notice, 10+ guest list and less than perfect weather forecast. Daunting? Not in the slightest. Throwing together an impromptu family BBQ is a snap with a few carefully selected recipes, superb delegating skills, and several bottles of wine. First a power shop grabbing any specialty ingredients, then a trip to the butcher's to take advantage of any specials. ... << Read More >> Roughing it in the Bush - August 24, 2008 by Lauren Dashwood It's high summer with hot lusty days lasting straight through the weekends, with cool lakes for private swim, and with an excess of places to pitch a tent and get away from it all. I like my adventurous outdoor weekends to border somewhere between roughing it in the bush and five star hotel stays. I like sitting by a lake, dipping in for periodic swims, with lots of refreshing bevera ... << Read More >> The Perfect Cocktail Party - June 05, 2008 by Lauren Dashwood I had a picture in my mind of what the perfect Birthday slash Cocktail party would look like. Small bud vases with little flowers scattered around the house, mulling lulls of French Jazz streaming out, soothing the scene, friends and family in finery with a glass of sparkling wine or sangria cradled in one hand, deep in sophisticated conversation. And, of course, the appropriate bite sized ap ... << Read More >> Late Winter - March 14, 2008 by Lauren Dashwood "And Winter slumbering in the open air, Wears on his smiling face a dream of Spring" Where can one turn when week after week they are greeted with the same bleak, grey weather? For years I have always been able to get comfort from a steamy bowl of Macaroni and Cheese. When the dog bites, when the bee stings, when I'm feeling sad I turn to this pasta. My love for Macaroni and Cheese has always bordered on epic - my mom makes truly magnificent Macaroni and Cheese. She is, howeve ... << Read More >> Cheese 101 - March 12, 2008 by Lauren Dashwood Cheese is suddenly everywhere. A myriad of different cheese types are popping up on menus and in grocery stores everywhere. Unusual world cheeses are likewise appearing in a variety of recipes from desert, to breakfast to fondue. Cheese is vogue, and it's really no wonder. Cheese is wonderfully versatile, can occupy a fundamental place at every meal, and ranges from run of the mill orange ... << Read More >> |
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