Blue skies, sunlight and the last golden days of autumn beckon to an escape meandering along country roads. Like detectives we investigate the coastal region of Lake Erie from Fletcher to Blenheim rich with farms. Here we discover a farmers market which entices us with local apples galore different from the supermarket: Ambrosia, Crispin, Fuji, […]
Halloween is everywhere – the convenience store, supermarkets, dollar stores and front gardens all sport pumpkins, goblins and ghosts to remind us that Halloween, perhaps one of the most outlandish celebrations, is just around the corner. And just in time, Foodland Ontario has come out with special recipes in readiness for this witching night of […]
Peach pie is one of those irresistible classics of the baking world; the very thought of it gets your salivary glands going! After a recent trip to the St. Lawrence Market, I knew I had to make a peach pie as soon as possible. The abundant peach crop was so seductive, crying out to be […]
It’s not easy to give up the freedom and pleasures of summer. However, one way to make summer linger is to use the fruits of the harvest to prepare easy September dinners. Any leftovers can be packed into lunch bags for the next day. Here are just two edible memories to make the transition from […]
Preserving is part of our Canadian heritage. Of course, during our bicentennial year the topic has more impact as we understand how and why the early settlers preserved to survive the harsh Canadian winters. As a result, Canada became foremost in canning techniques. Preserving or canning, as it is also called, is one way of […]
Ice-cream! Ice-cream! I scream for ice-cream. Frozen, sweet and deliciously slurpy, ice-cream is a summer pleasure. It is especially good if it is the homemade variety such as Ed’s Scoop on Queen at Beech or the Sicilian ice-cream sold at Vincenzo’s, Westlake and the Danforth just west of Main Street. The premium quality of President’s […]
When the strawberry arrives, I know it’s time to celebrate summer, Canada Day, family picnics, birthdays…you name it, there has to be a celebration during strawberry season. Here to help with the festivities are baskets of the best, most luscious, sweet, delectable treats in all the world – strawberries – ready and waiting to be […]
The timing is perfect. Our local berries are here just when we need them most – for all the June celebrations – graduations, weddings, birthdays and of course, the big birthday – Canada Day, July 1st! Make the most of their unique sweet taste and slurpy qualities. They are favourites with everyone. Although strawberries are […]
“You know, Jim, you could open a diner and call it Jim’s Burgers. These are the best!” And they were. My husband Jim made the most delicious hamburgers. They were happily anticipated every Saturday night during barbecue season. That is praise indeed because for me, beef is not a favourite. But these were mouth-watering good. […]
Ontario asparagus and rhubarb are here – it must be spring! Yesterday was the first time I harvested rhubarb from my garden. Although it looked plentiful with the leaves, once they were removed, the meager stalks had to be supplemented with a bag of previously frozen rhubarb for a much-desired rhubarb crisp. Now that asparagus […]
