Wherever you go, go with all your heart. —Confucius Last night was the winter solstice, the longest and darkest night, when we momentarily stand still and swing back the other way; a perfect time to sit down with a cup of tea and plate of cookies and reflect on a year gone by. And what a year it has been. Back in January, I had a good idea of how 2019 would turn out but it seems the universe had other plans and obediently, I let myself get pulled along by the currents as that is what felt good and right. Four years ago, when I quit my engineering job and months later, when I started this blog ..read more

Good food is very often, even most often, simple food. –Anthony Bourdain Mujadara is a traditional Middle-Eastern rice and lentils dish, often made with green or brown lentils. I prefer using du puy lentils, shown below. Mujadara (adapted from here) (serves 6-8 as a side dish) 130 g du puy lentils 200 g basmati rice 75 g ghee 350 g onion, diced (I use a combination of white and red) 2 tsp salt (or to taste) 1 tsp cumin powder (optional) fresh coriander or mint for garnish yogurt for serving Rinse and sort lentils, soak in warm water for about two hours. Drain and rinse lentils. Add to a pot ..read more

It’s not food if it arrived through the window of your car. —Michael Pollan I make my own burgers and I make my own burger buns too…simple, easy, wholesome and delicious. Spelt and Whole Wheat Burger or Slider Buns (yields 12 slider buns or 6 burger buns) 280 g white whole wheat flour, plus extra for dusting 140 g whole spelt flour 2 tsp dried yeast 2 tsp raw sugar 2 tsp salt 3 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for greasing about 300 g (1 cup plus a bit more) warm water egg white or milk or cream for brushing (optional) sesame seeds (optional) Combine flours and yeast in a large bowl. Mix in sugar ..read more

Mother Earth’s medicine chest is full of healing herbs of incomparable worth. —Robin Rose Bennett Despite a short gardening season here and an urban garden that feels way too tiny, they are both just enough to grow herbs, harvest and dry them, and stock my medicine cabinet, aka pantry, with wonderful concoctions that hold the sun of the passing summer. I came across this za’atar recipe on Maria-Christina Conrad’s gorgeous Instagram account @safran_rot and it quickly became a mainstay in our pantry. Thank you Christina for allowing me to share the recipe on my blog. Za’atar (recipe reprinted w ..read more

You don’t have to cook fancy or complicated masterpieces. Just good food from fresh ingredients. –Julia Child In this recipe, tomatillos make for a refreshing twist on the classic tomato-based pico de gallo. The recipe for the classic version can be found here. Green Pico de Gallo (approximately fills a 500 ml jar) 300 g tomatillos, finely diced 140 g (about 1 small) red onion, finely diced 1 fresh jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 1/2 tsp salt 2-3 tbsp lime juice handful of finely chopped fresh coriander and mint Mix all the other ingredients together. Let se ..read more

All that you see of me is a shell, the rest belongs to love. —Rumi Pasta is a staple here, nearly as much as love itself… and this is one of our favourite pasta dishes. Spinach and Ricotta Stuffed Pasta Shells (serves 5-6) 250 g fresh spinach, chopped 120 g onions, diced 1/2 tsp salt 2 tbsp olive oil 500 g ricotta 36 large pasta shells about 750 ml of marinara sauce shredded mozzarella cheese for topping Heat oil in a large frying pan. Add onions and cook to soften. Add spinach, cover and cook on low heat for 5-7 minutes. Mix in salt and continue to cook uncovered for a few more minutes to ..read more

There are no seasons in the American supermarket. Now there are tomatoes all year round, grown halfway around the world, picked when it was green, and ripened with ethylene gas. Although it looks like a tomato, it’s kind of a notional tomato. I mean, it’s the idea of a tomato. —Michael Pollan Soon there will be an explosion of local tomatoes at the farmer’s market but in early spring, when our supply of preserved pasta sauce dwindles down to a worrisome amount, it’s impossible to think of using crazy-expensive fresh tomatoes for making tomato sauce. Even not-so-fresh looking celery costs a rid ..read more

Out with the old, in with the new. I was so happy to see that processed fruit juice was finally removed from Canada’s Food Guide. Fruit is perfect eaten as is. But sometimes, say a hot summer’s day, a drinkable version comes in handy. I came across this recipe on @itheloveofcakes and instantly knew I had to try it out. It’s proved to be a winner here as a perfect alternative to processed fruit juice. Thank you Deepika (The Love of Cakes) for allowing me to share your recipe on my blog. Mango Lemonade (recipe from @itheloveofcakes) (serves 4-6) 2 mangoes, (I use Ataulfo mangoes) filtered wate ..read more

The earth laughs in flowers. —Ralph Waldo Emerson Natural, eco-friendly gift wrapping is the best option any time of the year. In the summertime, flowers provide the perfect finishing touches. Adding a sprig of fresh herbs won’t hurt either ..read more

Food is everything we are. It’s an extension of nationalist feeling, ethnic feeling, your personal history, your province, your region, your tribe, your grandma. It’s inseparable from those from the get-go. —Anthony Bourdain Rooted in the days of New France, this humble, nourishing soup is an accolade to the spirit and tenacity of the French Canadian people. It goes by many names—soupe aux pois, habitant soup, Québec pea soup or French Canadian pea soup. Certainly, it has evolved over the years into versions each family calls their own. Long after the 1763 Treaty of Paris  and The Louisiana ..read more