The joys of easy entertaining:
- Simple food
- Great flavours
- Easy laughter
- And not too many dishes
Doesn’t that sound perfect?
If you want to enjoy your guests and not waste a whole day cooking, keep reading.
Category Archives: Recipes
Holiday Shortbread for Lazy Bakers
Does the thought of Christmas baking put you squarely in one of these categories?
- You start collecting holiday recipes in June, and dream of red and green sprinkles in July.
- You would rather clean out your basement than attend a Christmas bake exchange.
- You have a local “go-to” bakery for their qualified help.
Morning Glory Muffin Recipe Inspired by The Flowers of La Toussaint
In France, there is always a school vacation at the end of October, when children and teachers have a week of reprieve from the classroom, and each other. The holiday extends to most public facing businesses on November 1st. You can certainly expect the post offices, banks, grocery stores and government offices to be closed on that day.
Why?
Curried Squash Soup for Halloween
HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
Nutmeg sat up when she received an email from her girlfriend, Wild Rice, who had trained in the kitchen at cooking school in London. It was not the cheery note that grabbed Nutmeg’s attention, but rather the new recipe that was contained in the text, a warm blend of pumpkin and Thai flavours. This recipe is not from the famous cooking school, there is no need to be chef material, read on, anyone can make this simple soup.
Brian’s Fruit Stand in West Vancouver
A hearty Mexican dinner erased the results of a terrible golf game, and the Cadillac margaritas could only be followed by “one more drink.”
Palm Desert bedtime hours be dammed!
Nutmeg is relatively certain that she does not need to layout the rest of the evening for you. It was late and the next morning required copious amounts of strong coffee.
Gluten-Free Whole Grains A Journey from Keyboard to Slow Cooker
With the Internet, email and social media – does anyone get real mail these days?
Needless to say, Nutmeg was thrilled to find a copy of Judith Finlayson’s The Complete Gluten-Free Whole Grains Cookbook, buried under the innumerable junk-mail fliers for duct cleaning, roof repair and debt consolidation.
Judith took some time one spring afternoon to talk about this book, and how her career path (from keyboard to slow cooker) got her to where she is today – working on her 15th cookbook!
Her professional life began in book publishing, in her words as a “glorified secretary.” Judith moved into editing and then to well known Canadian magazines such as MacLean’s. Her career stops included freelance work, recipe development and a long running Globe & Mail column. She was always interested in food related journalism, although her articles also covered a broad range of women’s and social issues. Even while juggling a busy career and editorial deadlines over a twenty-year period her passion for food remained constant.
Judith was not classically trained in the kitchen. She spent a few years “cooking my way through Julia Child’s book” – her introduction to French kitchen methodology. Subsequently, her passion has taken her to many global regions including Mexico, India and Thailand to work with masters in these cuisines.
The first book came together by hazard; her husband who is a publisher had the idea in the late 1990s to create a cookbook focused on high-end slow cooker meals. This was at a time when slow cookers were hardly the height of kitchen fashion. He approached at least seven top chefs to ask if they would be interested in working on this project. NO – was the resounding answer. Finally, he reached the end of his list and asked Judith whether she would consider the venture.
Ancient Apricots
Literally as old as the hills, the fruit of the apricot tree are confirmed to have been domesticated since the Bronze Age. Although, the exact origin of the tree is debated;
- there is evidence of consumption of the fruit in both China and India between 3-4,000 B.C.
- the apricot in dry format was certainly exchanged along Persian trade routes.
- the scientific name, is Prunus armeniaca (Armenian plum), likely as a result of the ubiquitous presence in Armenia since antiquity.
- The fruit was eventually introduced to the Greeks and then adopted by the Romans.
The Best Morning Coffee Options with a Recipe for Oatmeal Cookies
Nutmeg loves her coffee.
It is a sad morning for Nutmeg AND a difficult day for Ginger if there is no morning coffee.
Blessed Almonds Sign of Spring in Provence
Early in the year in southern France, the almond tree is the first to bloom. The small white or pale pink flowers typically appear on the trees in February. A welcome sign that spring may be close at hand in Provence.
The almond tree is small; at full maturity it may reach a height of 10 meters, with a trunk diameter of 30 centimeters. The trees typically start bearing fruit after about 5 years. The almond is technically a fruit, not a nut, from the same family as the plum or cherry (Prunus). This decidedly old tree has been a part of different cultures and human nutrition for eons. There are several mentions of almonds in the bible. It is believed that growth in almond tree cultivation closely followed human migration near Mediterranean shores. Despite the fact that the almond tree is native to warm European climates, the large majority of global yield is now US based, in California, at 45% of world production.
Scents of Christmas Sweet Citrus Tart
Close your eyes.
Is there a particular aroma or flavour that instantly evokes Christmas in your mind?
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Cloves
Cinnamon
Mulled wine
Rum eggnog
Smoky log fires
Fresh Pine bows
Warm chestnuts
Buttery shortbread
Striped candy canes
Oven Roasted turkey
Warm cranberry sauce
Fresh baked gingerbread
What
About
Florida
Citrus?
