Pumpkin Brown Butter Sage Cupcakes

With the onset of Fall, I start to crave pumpkin pies and tarts.  I wanted to make something a bit different that did not require an entire pie to be made and came up with these pumpkin brown butter sage cupcakes.  

Marrakesh Curried Stew

In Toronto, there is an amazing restaurant called Fresh  which serves inventive and delicous vegetarian fare.

To be perfectly honest, I have never eaten there.  I tried to go the last time I was in Toronto, but they were closed for the evening.  My husband, however, is the one who has frequented this place often, and bought the cookbook Juice For Life by Ruth Tal Brown.

You might be hard pressed to find this particular cookbook as it is now out of print, however, not to fret for she has created two new cookbooks that contain favorite recipes from the original book.

Chicken Pot Pie

I've never eaten a lot of chicken pot pie, and, quite frankly, the first time I made it was Boxing Day a couple of years ago, using leftover turkey.  It bubbled and browned away in the oven after my holiday guests left, and I took down all the Christmas decorations.  I was so delighted to devour this yummy meal, sitting on the couch under a cozy blanket while watching a Harry Potter movie marathon.  Pure bliss! 

Lime Seared Shrimp with Mint and Cilantro Chutney

This was such a fun recipe to make.  Fun because I got to use new ingredients (for me).  Fun because the flavours were amazing.  And fun because my son gobbled up the whole plate! 

Easy Cinnamon Buns

Here is an easy cinnamon bun recipe, courtesy of Ina Garten - The Barefoot Contessa.  It can be made in less than an hour, using store bought frozen puff pastry.  No need to make a yeast dough and let it rise.  This is a simple and easy treat to make. 

Marmalade

I find marmalade is an acquired taste.  Some store bought marmalades tend to have too much of a bitter punch that my palate dislikes.  Fortunately, I have found an amazing marmalade that is so very tasty and addictive.  

Canning Preserves 101

Autumn is my favorite time of year.  The trees turning colour and the crispness in the air all lend to a cozy feeling.  It is the time of year when we make stews and pies and root vegetables take centre stage.


It is also the time of year that I start canning.  Growing up, my mum always canned fruit and made pickles. I always remembered it to be this laborious ordeal where pots were bubbling and boiling on the stove, mason jars were strewn to and fro, and the windows were constantly built up with steam.  We'd have jars upon jars stacked in our cold room of pickles, canned peaches, canned cherries, pickled beets, pickled carrots, and, of course, jam.

Feast of Fields

Slow Food Calgary  hosted it's 9th Annual Feast of Fields this afternoon.  It took place in the backyard of Rouge Restaurant  where tables were set up where we could taste and drink wonderful items prepared by 20 chefs, using local ingredients from over 50 producers.

Get Crackin'

That is a motto that I need to live up to.  I have been so absent from my food blog lately that I must apologize.  I have people ask me what I have done all summer, and all I can say is "nothing."  But, I have done something, and that is sit inside listening to the rain and watch the mudpit rise in my backyard.  We moved into a new subdivision last year, and, as everything is still under construction, I have spent my summer dealing with construction workers working on my and adjoining houses.  I did manage to landscape and plant trees, etc, and it's amazing to me how the summer flew by and I did not get out to the mountains, nor frequent the Farmers Markets as much as I intended, or try new restaurants like I wanted.

So, a thousand apologies.  Now that it is September, I am starting to crave food and baking again.  Root vegetables speak to me and I love their look and taste and addition to any meal or sweet. And, as we begin to move indoors again, there are a lot of food events occurring which I am attending with much excitement.  So, please stay tuned for write ups on new recipes, new food events, and exciting ventures.