Is there anything more versatile than tomato soup? From rustic Italian pappa al pomodoro to chilled Spanish gazpacho to supermarket-smooth Campbell’s, there are literally hundreds of different recipes out there. And I love them all (well, most of them). Read more…
To kick off my Italian-free month of eating, I wanted to share a dish that’s become a favourite of mine in recent months. I’ve promised this one before and not delivered, so I thought it was high time that I shared the love. Read more…
I first had Pad Thai on a snowy day in New York City about seven years ago. Andrew and I were visiting my cousins Jeff and Natasha (they of the fab Brooklyn shops UVA Wines and Whisk- I come from good foodie stock, don’t ya know) for a bit of pre-Christmas shopping and sightseeing. One evening, they took us for dinner at a Thai restaurant in the East Village, where I had my first bite of those tangy noodles, tossed with tender shrimp, chewy tofu and crunchy peanuts. Read more…
My Mum has a saying, one which should bring comfort to frustrated parents everywhere: “Picky eaters are just good cooks in the making”. Though this hasn’t been scientifically proven, it’s definitely proved accurate in the case of me and my sister, and indeed most of our cousins, too. Read more…
I want to start this post with a great big Thank You to everyone who left a comment on this post last week. On Wednesday I flew home to Canada for my grandmother’s funeral, and spent the past week visiting with family and friends. Though I’m feeling okay and trying to present an upbeat front, dealing with death is never easy, and your words of support helped more than I can say. Read more…
Is there anyone reading this who doesn’t like dumplings? Is that even possible? I’m not trying to be obtuse, honest- I just can’t imagine that there’s a human on this earth who doesn’t grow weak at the knees at the thought of those bite-sized morsels of deliciousness. As you can probably deduce, I love dumplings. All kinds- Chinese, Thai, Polish, British. When I was growing up, I looked forward to my family’s Dim Sum Boxing Day tradition almost as much as I looked forward to Christmas (possibly more). Read more…
Don’t you love rediscovering an old favourite? Whether a book, old movie or cherished item of clothing, it’s always nice to stumble across our long-forgotten loves. That’s what happened this week in my kitchen, with (predictably) a recipe for (perhaps unpredictably) a stir-fry. Read more…
I spent the better part of yesterday afternoon hemming a dress. You’d think that such a simple task wouldn’t take anywhere near that long, particularly when performed by someone who used to spend as much time sewing as I did. During university, I once sewed for approximately 48 hours straight without so much as a ten-minute nap, and I’m pretty sure I got more done than dress hems. (Possibly not, though; the lack of sleep means my memories of this time in my life are fuzzy at best.) Read more…
It’s that time of year when I become completely uninspired in the cooking department. No matter how excited I am to first see the summer produce at the market, by mid-June I just don’t know what to do with it anymore. Read more…
I was out running some errands today, and getting home rather later than I usually eat lunch, was in no mood to wait any longer. I wanted a lunch that was quick, flavourful, and at least gave the impression of being healthy. (I’m not so bothered about actual health- I’m the eat-your-veggies-smothered-in-cheese type.) Luckily, I had planned for such an eventuality, and set to work preparing a salad that I can already see becoming a staple for me. Read more…