Sex on a plate. Really, I challenge anyone to find a better way to describe risotto. It’s not a dessert, yet it is one of the most sensuous dishes ever devised. When I seriously started down the path of Italian cooking, there were a few dishes on my bucket list to discover, but risotto wasn’t…
Tuscan Chicken with Olives and Bacon … and Wine
I cannot take credit for this recipe or the brilliant flavour profile that was created; however, I’m happy to share. All credit goes to Joanne, author of her own blog, NYC Fit Food and Fashion! Her own recipe of Chicken with Olives, Rosemary and Pancetta can be found here. Those that know me, though, know…
Fettuccine Carbonara with Sweet Peas
The sweet peas that arrived in my CSA share this past week have been screaming “do something different with us.” And really, who’s to argue with talking veggies? For some reason pasta came into my head and when I added the bacon and then the lemon zest in my brain, I had arrived at the…
Grilled Halibut with Garlic Scape-Walnut Pesto
In addition to the fortune of fresh fava beans that showed up in this week’s CSA share, the other ingredient that thoroughly intrigued me were “scapes.” For those not familiar with what is a scape, it is the flower stem of the garlic. Remember, garlic is a bulb that grows in the soil and out…
Garlic Scape-Walnut Pesto
This week, my CSA also showed up with garlic scapes. For those not familiar with what is a scape, it is the flower stem of the garlic. Remember, garlic is a bulb that grows in the soil and out of it will be produced a stem and eventually a flower … just like other bulbous…
Penne with Fava Bean and Fennel Purée (Pasta)
When this week’s CSA bin arrived, the thing I was most looking forward to was the fresh fava beans. This is an example of an idea that got into my head and has stuck 10 or 15 years. Over the years, I had read a number of recipes in my plethora of Italian cookbooks that…
Salmon Carbonara with Asparagus (Pasta)
The weather in Ottawa the past few months — indeed, dating back to last fall — has been akin to some kid flicking the weather “light switch” on and off repeatedly. On Monday, many people here still needed their furnaces — and a few days later summer suddenly has arrived and we are under a…
Tagine with Merguez Sausage and Winter Vegetables
You may have noticed that for the past month at least I’ve been pretty much in a “winter” theme. Something about going cross-country skiing and shovelling snow that screams comfort food — and there are fewer better examples of comfort food than any stew. One of my very favourite stews is tagine, a North African dish so…