The Classic Rice Noodle Dish There’s no more classic rice noodle dish than Pad Thai, and no bigger fan favourite when I have company over for dinner. This iconic dish features stir-fried rice noodles, scrambled eggs, tofu, shrimp, a whole bag of bean sprouts, and a medley of seasonings and herbs that make for the perfect balance of savoury, sweet, and tangy every time and with every bite. Just like my Thai Yellow Curry recipe, it’s best to prep your spices and ingredients beforehand. This is one of those dishes that comes together in under five minutes once you start cooking, and I prefer to l ..read more

Rich, creamy, and simply delicious. Soup is one of my favourite foods any time of year because it’s so versatile and makes you feel good inside and out. This dish is like a hug in a bowl and basically begs to be part of your comfort food repertoire. Even better, it can be served as a main with the added chicken, or as lighter fare without. I also love serving this meal with pan-seared focaccia that’s got an extra drizzle of olive oil and some smoked sea salt on top— not to mention a lovely red wine like Pinot Noir on the side. Don’t forget to check out my focaccia recipe below to go with this ..read more

A Timeless Treat for Every Season You might think of apple fritters as an autumn treat, but I’m pretty sure glazed pastries studded with juicy apples, fragrant cinnamon, and the exotic warmth of cardamom are delicious every day of the year. I’ve also made this recipe slightly more healthy by baking them in my oven using the air fryer setting rather than deep frying. You could easily prepare these treats the traditional way, just use canola or vegetable oil in a Dutch oven and fill the pot with a minimum of 2” of oil. Heat it to 325F and fry the batter for 6-8 minutes, flipping the fritters hal ..read more

Smokey and sweet with a refreshing finish. I love this drink in part because of how rustic it looks and the refreshing zip of tonic on the finish. I also enjoy the flavour pairing of apple juice, bourbon, and cinnamon — and full confession on my part — anything that calls for fresh rosemary as a garnish is basically perfection in my world. This recipe also calls for use of my crème brûlée torch, and any chance I get to put that gadget to use is culinary heaven for me. —CFG Ingredients (Recipe makes one cocktail) 1 cinnamon stick 2 oz of bourbon 2 oz of real apple juice -OR- 3 oz for a sw ..read more

Light, crispy, and so easy to make it’s ridiculous. Tempura used to be this elusive dish I marvelled and wondered over, but thanks to Food52 — one of my favourite food sites and cookbook series — tempura is now something I can whip up almost as fast as the oil heats up. The secret to this recipe is two-fold: 1) chill the club soda in the freezer for ~20-30 minutes before using it, and 2) go for rice flour to ensure maximum crispness. Yes, you can use all-purpose flour, but rice flour will make your recipe gluten-free and a guaranteed pleaser for those guests with dietary restrictions. You can ..read more

A dish so delish you’d fly the globe to perfect it. Of all my favourite Thai foods this one is THE one I love above all else. It’s creamy, spicy, salty, crunchy, and even carries a bit of sweetness— it’s all the best flavours possible on one plate. My preferred protein for this dish is soft-shell crab, but it’s also one of the hardest to find. It also takes more work up front to prepare, so I’ve written this recipe with shrimp and chicken in mind. (For the adventurous eaters, crab preparation is included separately below.) You also need to prep all your spices and ingredients beforehand as thi ..read more

Sweet treats with enough colour to brighten any day. No matter how many times I make these rainbow blondies, they all always bring a smile to my face with their vibrant colour and sweet, chocolatey crunch. Their soft texture and golden brown sugar taste is perfectly complemented by the rich walnuts and keeps you coming back for just one more piece time and again. These treats are delicious on their own and also go great with an after dinner latte or even a bowl of rich vanilla ice cream. However you enjoy these blondies, be sure to have plenty on hand for everyone. — CFG. Ingredients: 1 cup ..read more

Lemony sweet and kind of perfect. I’m not sure you can ever have too much lemon in a dessert, and this recipe proves that. These lemon and oatmeal sugar cookies are wonderfully sweet and kind of perfect when you’re looking for a lighter tasting treat that isn’t loaded down with chocolate or caramel or nuts. And while you might wonder how much lemon flavour you’ll actually get from these simple ingredients, I promise these cookies will deliver. — CFG Ingredients: 2 cups granulated sugar 1 cup butter, softened 2 large eggs at room temperature 1 lemon, zested 3 tbsp of lemon juice 2 1 ..read more

Rustic charm meet classic breakfast. Cornmeal pancakes are a perfect rustic take on the classic weekend treat. The slightly grainy texture and extra crispiness on the outside gives way to a subtle sweetness that cries out for a slab of butter and generous tilting of maple syrup. I also love this from-scratch recipe because there aren’t any preservatives or things like shelf stabilizers and best of all, you control the sugar. I tried this recipe with the full amount of sugar as well as with none at all and enjoyed it both ways. However you choose to make these, serve them with your favourite to ..read more

Make the Perfect French Omelette every time. It always strikes me as funny when people say, “I’m not a good cook — I can’t even make eggs.” In my experience, eggs are one of the hardest foods to cook well and require years of practice and getting it wrong. It only took me 15 years to figure out the best pan, seasoning, cook and heating times, so let me save you some time so you can can enjoy this omelette anytime of day. Ingredients: Note: This recipe serves two. To make a single serving omelette, reduce the recipe by one egg. 4 eggs 2 tbsp cream or milk 1/4 cup fresh parmesan, finely sh ..read more