Blog - Harvesting Dinner

Here we go again…

Man, why does it have to be so hard to lose weight and why does partaking in sharing the daily bread need to be so unforgiving? I am feeling slightly defeated with my weight, again! After 9 months of stellar maintenance, December rolled in with all its glorious holiday events while outside, the polar bear weather settled in. A perfect cocktail of luscious foods and comforting cocooning habits! Until then, my typical week revolved around 6 days of dietary vigilance paired with one evening of gustatory indulgence. But by December, the one evening of «anything» goes turned suddenly into two… The 6km… Read More

Moroccan Inspired Vegetable Medley

It’s been crazy cold here in Ottawa these past few weeks. I mean, insanely cold! The media is having a field day calling this cold snap a polar vortex. Even cold weather veterans like us Canadians are shying away from spending anytime outdoor. All this Arctic air is making most of us gravitate towards warm, hearty and comforting meals. This simple yet fragrant vegetable medley fits the bill. Not only do the flavours evoke the white washed landscapes of Casablanca, the entire meal is super healthy and has that “stick to your ribs” qualities. What makes this vegetable stew “Moroccan… Read More

Chicken Soup Does Not Cure Everything…

I am in mourning… My blog has been put to simmer on the back burner these past several weeks (excuse the pun)… Actually, cooking at home has become more mechanical than joyful since early January; I was not feeling one iota of interest in playing in my kitchen. I have resorted to cooking the necessary daily meals using good old faithful recipes that require little preparation and zero flashes of genius. Even more so: I have cooked big batch meals ensuring I had enough leftovers from one meal to keep me away from the stove for a few days in… Read More

Does the world need another bolognese sauce recipe?

Yes it does! Yes it does! Once you read the way this rich and luscious “spaghetti sauce” comes together, you will understand it is not your average run of the mill bolognese sauce. Last weekend, I finally tackled my obscene pile of recipes… I don’t think there are enough meals left in my life to try them all but I still keep on hoarding recipes (as if I didn’t have an impressive library yet). To be completely honest, my motivation for this clean-up had nothing to do with organization: I was actually trying to locate a few “heirloom” recipes from… Read More

Easy Peasy Maple and Vanilla Almond Milk

Once you go home-made, you will not go back to commercial almond milk again! It takes no time at all to whip up this delicious almond milk. All you need to remember is to soak the nuts first, which is crucial for making almond milk. Soaking information Here! What you need: 1 cup raw almonds, skin on or off (I prefer skin on) 1 litre filtered water 1/4 cup maple syrup 1/2 to 1 tsp pure vanilla extract A strong blender A strainer A large bowl Some cheesecloth 1L Mason jar Soak the almonds in 8 cups of water (unfiltered is… Read More

Hazelnut Maple Baked Stuffed Apples

Coming back home to an empty fridge yet knowing I have zero intention (or motivation) of going out to a grocery store on a snowy Sunday is a challenge. Especially after nearly 3 weeks of restaurant food; we were all craving a bit of normalcy. Don’t take me wrong here: I loved the break and loved French food but since the vacay was over, it was time to roll up the sleeves and get cookin’. Such a challenge is usually all the inspiration I need to whip up a meal from the stuff that keeps (root vegetables, condiments and hard fruit), the… Read More

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly – Part 3: The Ugly

I am Charlie ❤️🇫🇷 What can be so “Ugly” in the land of Paul Bocuse, Escoffier and Le Cordon Bleu? How about McDonald, Subway, Burger King, Dominoes, Pizza Hut and KFC!!! This for me sums up The Ugly: the complete invasion of the great American grub!!! I could understand to a certain degree if these restaurants were offering a really inexpensive alternative to eating out for busy families. Let’s face it, restaurant food is expensive anywhere you go and the cost is relative to any country’s economy. I believe the success of the fast food outlets in Canada and the… Read More

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly – Part 2: The Bad

The Good was easy to write about and I suspect The Ugly will as well… But The Bad, for me and for the purpose of this recapitulation, is the in-between: I should call it The Mediocre or The Letdown! I think at the top of this food chain of the bad is the tourist trap. I have travelled a fair bit in my life but not all over the world: mainly Europe, Canada, the Caribbean and the eastern half of the United States. There are restaurants surrounding major attractions in every city that will always be overly expensive for what… Read More