Apple cider is one of my favorite natural drinks and the apple season has been in full swing for a couple of months now.  Untreated apple cider is a seasonal drink and has traditionally been served at Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas.  It is sometimes heated, spiced or mulled.  Apple butter is a highly concentrated form…

Whenever I’m in a bookstore I find the first place I browse is the cooking section and then home decorating.  Occasionally, I find cookbooks in a kitchen shop that grab my attention which is what happened when I found this gem of a book at the Paderno factory store in Bayers Lake.  Molasses Inspirations is…

As I dropped my daughter off at work the other day, my mind was racing as to what I would make for dinner.  I drove by a coffee shop and decided to have a cappuccino.  It was in the coffee shop that I noticed a free publication called, “SNAP Halifax“.  I always like this type…

Gnocchi (pronounced nee-okkee), are Italian dumplings.  They’re fantastic with all sorts of sauces, from a simple summer tomato sauce to the richest winter meat sauce.  Gnocchi recipes date back to the twelfth century and are most common in the Northern regions of Italy such as Veneto.  Traditionally gnocchi is made with potatoes and flour but…

Celeriac, also known as celery root,  is an odd looking root vegetable with its knotty exterior.  Celeriac has a celery flavor and can be eaten raw or cooked.  It is often used as a flavoring in soups and stews. It can also be used on its own, usually mashed, or used in casseroles, gratins and…

Making bread is something that I really only do on occasion or when the mood hits me.  Épis de blé is a baguette that resembles a sheaf of wheat and is traditionally served during harvest time.  This bread recipe begins with a starter dough and has to be made 18 hours ahead of time.  Click…

Last weekend I was at the Farmers’ Market buying local produce and decided I wanted to make a squash soup.  I didn’t have a recipe per se so I surfed the web and found a couple recipes, BC Tree and Home Made Soups, from which I made this soup.  Winter squash has a mild, sweet…

Fall is a lovely time of the year and even though it is a sign that winter is on its way, it’s also the time when local vegetables are at their prime.  Where I grew up, September and October meant pickling, preserves, jams and jellies and this recipe is one of the ones my Mom…

I drive my daughter to school and every day I pass by one particular intersection that has four interesting and diverse corners.   On one corner is a building called FRED.  The corner across the street from Fred is Gus’ Pub and across from the pub is a shop selling Middle Eastern food.  The remaining corner…

Fall harvest is full of ripe vegetables and what better way to make use of the vegetables than by preparing this dish.  Spaghetti squash is an oblong seed-bearing variety of winter squash.  When raw, the flesh is solid and similar to other raw squash but when cooked, the flesh falls away like strands of spaghetti. …

Catchy title for a blue cheese!  This cheese is named for its pungent aroma and is just one of the amazing cheeses made by Willem and Maja van den Hoek, owners of That Dutchman’s Farm in Colchester County, Nova Scotia.  Originally it was Maja’s homemade bread that supported the business until the cheese making found…

Ribs covered in a rich, sticky glaze means finger-licking goodness!  You might want to start out using a fork and knife but eating with your fingers is the only way to really enjoy these beauties.  The ingredients are oh, so Asian and the air in our home was filled with this lovely fragrance.  Beef ribs…