By JAN MAIN A whole summer of picnics: at the beach, at the campsite, on road trips and now – now summer is over. It’s back to routine and the lunch bag. However, let the inspiration of the summer picnic linger for the weekday lunch and extend your summer as long as possible. Here are […]
By JAN MAIN Preserving means preparing foods so that it can be kept for long periods of time without spoiling or deteriorating. Originally preserving would have been done by salting or dehydrating, later various methods of pickling were used and modern methods include refrigeration and freezing. In all cases, you are preparing food to make […]
By JAN MAIN Summer! That treasured season flashes by so quickly, you want to maximize your time enjoying the out of doors and minimize your time in the kitchen preparing meals. Here are a selection of sauces with sizzle, each with a myriad of uses. Keep a jar in the refrigerator to transform the simplest […]
By JAN MAIN My rule is summer may officially begin once the first Ontario berries are ready for picking. Of course, this date varies a little from year to year with changing weather conditions. This year with the cool, rainy days strawberries are about a week later, from mid-June to July 1, just in time […]
By JAN MAIN May is the month of celebrations – Mother’s Day, Queen Victoria’s Birthday, graduations, the first trip to the cottage, not to mention, birthdays, showers, weddings and anniversaries. All of these require a cake to help in the festivities. This lemon orange cake is the chosen one. Moist, buttery and rich with the […]
Eggs have long been a symbol of fertility and new life. It seems only fitting that they should play a key role in the festivities of Easter whether religious or simply a spring celebration. As an ingredient, the egg is a powerhouse of nutrition and essential in a variety of culinary dishes. It is a […]
By JAN MAIN While spring is officially here, winter weather persists. This means you need to make an escape to somewhere, anywhere with warmth, sun and blue skies. As a Canadian snow bird, you may be able to make a quick exit to a warmer clime. However, if work and duty rules, a trip away […]
By JAN MAIN Chocolate, also called the food of the gods, has a long history. It was first discovered by the Aztecs hundreds of years ago and called xocolatl, meaning bitter water. At that time, the cocoa bean was pounded then mixed with spices and water to be consumed as a beverage. The Aztec king […]
By JAN MAIN Brrrr! ! It’s cold outside – the perfect time to be inside concocting a mouth-watering, heart-warming and taste-tinkling curry. Chicken Curry You can make this as spicy as you want simply by adding more chili and ginger. Remember to use gloves when chopping fresh chili peppers and do not touch your eyes […]
By JAN MAIN If a bone-in-ham plays a part in your holiday celebrations, it will be a Happy New Year indeed! It means you can welcome in the New Year with a sustaining, steaming bowl of split pea soup – the perfect anecdote to the January blahs! This soup helps decrease increased waistlines (a good […]
