Cooking, food, menu planning is as much about your culinary upbringing as it is about your instincts. Sometimes I’m wrong about a recipe or new riff on a classic. Thank goodness I’m right most of the time. Case in point was this Creme Brulee with Mastic. Although there are some savory applications for mastic, it [...]

Being someone who grew up Greek in Canada, I was taught to celebrate my Greekness without belittling or diminishing anyone else’s culture in the process. My parents came here (Canada) as immigrants and we as Greeks wave our flag but we also enjoy the culture, company and foods of other peoples. Canada is an officially [...]

Tarte tatins are most commonly made with apples but other fruits get the spotlight every now & then. Up to bat are plums – another fruit that is at it’s peak in the late part of summer/early fall. The tarte tatin is French in origin and legend has it was created by accident when one [...]

Us Greeks commonly use lentils to make an oft’ enjoyed soup called Fakkes. Yes, it sounds like you’re swearing so, practice saying it…Fakk-es…Fakk-es…Fakk-es. Okay, lesson over. When I recently met up with Judy of No fear Entertaining, I had a braised lamb shank that sat on a bed of braised lentils and I had a [...]

Today we’re going to travel to France’s northern coast, Brittany. I know this thread is going to attract some pimpled geek that’s looking for one of Brittney Spears’ home movies. (Note to said pimpled-geek…move on, there’s only food porn here). This rugged peninsula (Brittany) faces the English Channel to it’s North and the Atlantic to [...]

Here in Canada, we have our own Food Network. It has it’s own original name, “Food Network Canada” (how creative). Us Canadians are uptight about “foreign” influences and our government tries to protect our industries from foreign domination (US) and dually to promote Canadian content in literature, print media, television, radio, music and even commercials. [...]

The first time I ever had a bisque was in the late 80′s, at Toronto’s now defunct Whistling Oyster. A bisque is a thick, creamy , highly seasoned soup, classically using shrimp, crab or lobster. It is of French origin and it’s the snobbish cousin of chowder. I saved this recipe from the Toronto Star, [...]

I checked my calendar and I’m nowhere near barbecue season. I checked the weather forecast and it looks like we’re in for a “back to normal”, cold Canadian winter. Alas, still no barbecue. I have coped well this year with using the stove top and oven to cook my steaks to my satisfaction. I find [...]