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Putting together healthy, fast and satisfying weeknight meals may very well be the Achilles heels of most cooks. I spend the better part of my professional days developing recipes and coming up with easy dinner solutions for Canadian Living readers, but I do often come home with the eternal, almost cliche, "what's for dinner?" question. Having a meal plan is one of the ways to make s
My second CSA box arrived last week and, with it, came a bounty of rhubarb. Well, actually maybe not a bounty, but 5 healthy pink stalks. There's this weird phenomenon with CSA produce where you both get a lot and not very much of one type of vegetable or fruit. Can you CSA endorsers relate? But that is the challenge, and the fun of taking part in a CSA -- or Community Suppor
Ask me any day of the week what I'd like to have for dinner and I'll probably ask for seafood. Whether it's steamed lobster drizzled with olive oil, lemon and salt, seared scallops on top of a velvety potato puree or clams tossed with al dente spaghetti and white wine, properly cooked seafood always makes the top of my list. This week's recipe features sweet and meaty snow c
If I could dispel any food myth, it would be that cooking fish is more finicky than cooking chicken breast or steak. I think fish tends to get a bad rep as being 'bland' or difficult to properly cook, and much of that most certainly has to do with the often poor selection of fish at regular grocery stores. Can you relate to buying fish from the store and it smelling -- well, fishy!
Although it snowed a little in Toronto yesterday (snowed!) I'm in full planning mode to setup my balcony for the warmer months. Last year, we planted tomatoes and a bounty of herbs -- and these will be making a full comeback this year! I'm also thinking of adding an array of succulents and pastel roses to the mix, I couldn't imagine not having this outdoor oasis --- it really adds to the
It you're anything like me, cooking really isn't just about the food. It's a social endeavour of sorts.I'll cook up a storm for friends and family any day of the week, but tend to shy away from elaborate concoctions when I'm cooking for myself. Don't get me wrong, I'll indulge in a plateful of delicious cheese, cured meat and bread, or a rustic salad with a tangy dre
To say spring hasn't made its way in yet would be an understatement. But that doesn't mean your kitchen can't be ahead of the game. It's now Thanksgiving time in the Canadian Living Test Kitchen (there has been quite a lot of turkey, sides and desserts to develop and taste!) so I've been that much more eager to cook with fresh sunny products when I get back home. For me,
Last year, I blogged about a few fun Easter egg DIY decor ideas. This year, it's all about the dinner table! These whimsical little eggs are filled with lusciously airy chocolate mousse and the eggs are simply dyed using pastel food colouring. You can easily store these in the fridge in their original container, which makes it easy to bring them as a hostess gift for any spring celebration. To
We all have those nights don't we? The day's been long, it's already dark outside and the fridge has little else in it other than milk, mustard and jam. My solution? Pantry pasta! I love coming up with quick mealtime solutions with what I happen to have on hand -- and it doesn't become much easier than this concotion! The dish is made using sweet shallots (but you could use
I remember reading the first Harry Potter book - I must have been about 11 - while I was, oddly enough, riding the Eurostar to London. I was quickly hooked and fascinated by the world of wonder and whimsy JK Rowling had created. I devoured every book (and movie!) and even wept a few tears when the series ended. There's always a feeling of utter sadness when you finish a book that has transpo
As I write this, endless cotton balls are falling from the sky, and have been for hours. This is winter at its finest but also the kind of weather that can make you a little lethargic. To beat the winter blues, I opt for slow-cooked, comforting fork-tender meat, like this pulled pork. To be honest, this dish was more of an afterthought this week. After a busy weekend, we only had a few hours t
There are not many store-bought products I have a never-ending craving for, but Nutella has consistently been my Achilles' heal. If I buy a jar, and there is a spoon somewhere nearby, the velvety, chocolaty hazelnuty spread never stands a chance. If every piece of cutlery in my kitchen disappeared, I would just use my fingers, and if those happened to have disappeared too, I'm pretty sure
Paella is not really one of those dishes you're supposed to be able to whip up in under 30 minutes. When I was at culinary school, my first partner was this amazing classical guitarist who lived in New York but was originally from Spain. When we were assigned to make a large-scale meal to feed a crowd, she offered to make her rendition of paella. I remember how difficult it was to get the
If you ask me what I have at all times in my freezer, the answer would definitely be frozen peas. Sure, I'll get my hands on fresh peas if I can, but most of the year, that really isn't a tangible reality. For most quick meals, having a bag of these frozen green jewels helps add vegetables to a simple pasta, or make an easy side dish, simply complemented by a little butter and a squeez
Just before ringing in the new year, I thought I'd look back at a few of my favourite recipes I blogged about this year. I look forward to sharing many more food stories with you in the year ahead and thank you for all your comments and questions - they make this blog worth writing! It's hard to believe I started writing this little blog back
There's something about doing things at the last-minute isn't there? It kind of gets your adrenaline going and forever reminds me of my years writing Political Science essays during college - I've never written so many 15 page papers overnight! And the less time I have, the more incredibly efficient I become - does this ring a bell for anyone? I also spent last weekend in New York (my
The holidays really seem to have taken over in our house. Although I grew up in a half Jewish household, we've always had a Christmas tree - there's something so festive about decorating a tree, and for me it's just a symbol of taking the time to reunite with family. Being here in Toronto and an ocean away from my family in France, it's small traditions like these that make this
Do you remember the chocolate tarts I blogged about a few days ago? These are an easy variation to make homemade tarts that much more of a treat. Every time I see bright orange, plump persimmons at the market, I can't help adding a few to my basket. They are usually only available a couple months a year (on this side of the world anyway!) and are one of my favourite fruit. Slicing a perfectly ripe
As the holidays are fast approaching, my to-do list seems ever expanding - everyday I pin another recipe I'd like to try, or DIY project I'd love to tackle. I'm sure many of you can relate to this, but every year I wish that December was a couple of days longer. Between flavoured marshmallows, indulgent cakes and intricate cookies, I know this holiday season will be sweet, flavourful and time-cons
This weekend was a chocolate kind of weekend and it all started with the simple desire of making homemade chocolate dough. Whenever things get hectic around me, or I feel a little ungrounded, I like to turn towards something that never fails me - like making a classic dough. No matter how many times I make it, I never cease to be amazed by the fact that a few simple ingredients can turn into a pli
Ah, breakfast.To be honest breakfast has always been pretty low on my list of favourite meals. I usually have unorthodox desires (read non-breakfast desires) that I don't always have the time to fulfill in the morning when I'm rushing to get ready for the day ahead. I went through a Japanese-inspired phase a couple weeks ago that consisted of a bow of white rice topped with toasted ses
When I hosted Thanksgiving this year, I wanted to serve an array of desserts but try to steer away from doing the classics only. This is how this delicious treat idea came about - creamy pumpkin ice cream sandwiched between two crinkled, ginger cookies. The toughest part was finding good pumpkin ice cream. If it weren't Thanksgiving, I probably would have whipped up a homemade batch, but g
Pretty patterns have always been on the top of my home decor love list, and I currently have a particular penchant for chevron. When things gets a little chaotic, I find solace in this predictable yet whimsical pattern. A little touch here and there is really all you need to add a little pizzazz to your kitchen space. The gold tray is gorgeous isn't it? Read more »For the rest of this p
Lazy fall weekends lend themselves so beautifully to meals like this one that I couldn't resist not sharing it with all of you. Now that the leaves have started to turn and that the pumpkins have become the staple of most markets, I find myself yearning for the ultimate comfort foods around. This kind of dish is not only quite budget-friendly (you pay less for these tougher cuts of
When I was at chef school in New York, I often made my way to the East Village for a pork bun bite at Momofuku. At the time, there was a small line but nothing like the phenomenon it has become today. Pork belly, though certainly not invented by David Chang, has become a trendy menu item across a myriad of restaurants in North America. Since moving from NYC, I have often yearned for the two-bite p
No matter how satisfying making dough is, sometimes you just need a fast alternative. Don't get me wrong, I love making dough from scratch - taking a few simple ingredients and turning them into a pliable, versatile dough always seems rather magical. But for those times when you're really in a pinch, I'll let you in on my go-to solution. Phyllo dough is the hero of the show her
Mussels and fries. Need I say more? This classic combo, a staple for so many restaurants, is so easy to put together at home... and dare I say better? Mussels - like scallop and shrimp - often get a bad rep as being finicky, but they are incredibly easy to put together and so flavourful that you don't need much extra fuss to turn them into a satisfying meal. As long as you have ready-to-
I get a little giddy every time tomato season hits. During most of the year, tomatoes still remain a staple of my everyday cooking but I look at them with less of a loving eye. They don't come close to what what they taste like at this time of year and often feel bland and uninteresting. Plump, heirloom tomatoes at their peak are a whole different story - they can happily be enjoyed .with a si
This weekend, as I was strolling through the St Lawrence Market for some seasonal produce my eyes landed on this unusual specimen: a puffball! These large, rounded cream-coloured gems - part of the mushroom family - were my market-find of the day. I had never seen these anywhere before (have you?), but after a little research I knew exactly how I would be serving them. Puffballs can be cook
This summer has been a busy one so far - after a trip to Boston, a week in the South of France and working on the holiday issues of Canadian Living, the warm sunny days have quickly gone by! We're on to working on our January 2013 issue, with a plethora of wintery comfort foods on the list. It's always a little bit of a challenge to project yourself to the cold, winter days at th
Little beats the perfection of a classic Tarte Tatin. Serve it warm with a generous scoop of vanilla bean ice cream and I'm sold. The culinary technique behind this staple dessert can be applied to many different types of fruit but also works wonders with savory flavours. As long as your filling has a sticky, caramelized consistency and that you top the tart with flaky puff pastry you ca
We all know that we eat with our eyes first. The same dish, nicely displayed and presented will generally make you want to eat it more than if it comes spooned into yesterday's take-out containers. Don't get me wrong, some foods are best served stripped of any fancy tableware (think authentic fish and chips served in newspaper or street food served on paper plates) but for most dishes, a little
When life gives you lobster, make lobster rolls! There are many perfect summer meals, but little comes close to a fresh lobster roll enjoyed by the water, with a soft breeze and the sun shining. If all these components are not part of your everyday routine, the lobster roll alone should do! I don't like to get too fussy when I make lobster rolls - or overpower the dish with excess sauce.
Fish tacos have become a regular on the menu in our household - they're a stress-free option to serve for get-togethers, especially in the summertime when you don't want something too heavy. Guests can mound whichever toppings they like onto a hearty taco shell, and all you have to do is scatter a few different toppings across the table. If you're having a lot of people over, this real
We've been trying to figure out how many pounds upon pounds of butter we've been using in the Canadian Living Test Kitchen in the last few weeks. With developing recipes for the 2012 holidays, the bags of sugar, flour and packs of eggs and butter seem to dissapear just as fast as they make their way into our kitchen. The consensus seems to be that we stopped counting after 18 pounds of but
When I picked up Alyssa Shelasky's book Apron Anxiety, I really wasn't expecting much at all. To be honest, I was mostly looking for an easy read for my subway ride to and from work, and ended up really connecting with a lot of the storyline. I read it in a matter of days - with a mix of smiles, anger and understanding. The book is part memoir, part food tale, part recipes but ul
Working in a professional Test Kitchen definitely comes with numerous perks: for starters, you get to work with food most of the day (than in itself makes it a dream job in my book!), you have a playground to create recipes and new concepts, and you get to talk about food trends and food ideas on a daily basis! The only down side so far? Ironically, my love of food! We are surrounded by so many de
When I have friends over for brunch - or most meals for that matter - I like to keep it simple. No fuss, no looking up new recipes, no over-thinking it. I choose a couple dishes I'm very comfortable making, think up a quick menu with a mix of sweet and savory options and try to pick at least one dish I can make ahead of time. These few steps are my tips for eternal stress-free entertaining! As
This weekend was in large spent getting our balcony ready for the summer months. Being lucky enough to have a pretty sizable outdoor space (by no means a terrace, but a pretty big balcony for Toronto standards!) we are growing tomatoes, and an array of herbs (chives, oregano and thyme are happily blossoming as we speak). Living in a crowded urban centre and working indoors most of the time, it's n
Before I give you the recipe for this deliciously easy chocolate pudding - some food news! As most of you know, I've been working in the food realm for a few years now and, as of a couple weeks ago, started a new position as a Food Specialist for Canadian Living. Canadians will know the magazine I'm sure, and for all my non-Canadian readers - I hope you take a few minutes to take a look at
Every time I go home, I recharge, relax and get inspiration from what I can now say is the most beautiful city in the world. Sure, there are close seconds in my mind, but the beauty of Paris always finds its way to my heart. I always get inspired by the beauty of Parisian streets and the constant discovery of a new detail you hadn't noticed before. I usually come home with a slew of ideas for
I'm spending a few days at my parents' home in Paris for a short vacation, so I apologize for the lack of posts! I will soon be back with many photos to share and stories to tell. I've discovered new restaurants (it seems that everytime I come home there is a full list of new places to try) and taken the time to walk around a few neighbourhoods I don't usually spend too much ti
With Easter being a handful of days away only, I thought I would share some of the DIY Easter egg ideas I prepared for Style at Home this year. After long work week, I can't think of many more relaxing activities than spending a few hours doing something creative. These eggs all use different simple decorating techniques (using paint, stickers, glitter and tape) and are perfect to make
Have I declared my love of seafood on this blog before? If not, I must! I absolutely love seafood - some of my favourite childhood food memories include my mother and I heading to our local neighborhood market in Paris and getting delicious shellfish that we would enjoy for Sunday lunches with homemade mayonnaise. Favourites were always 'bigorneaux' (a sea snail), lobster and shrimp. F
Each month, I usually run a giveaway here with a cookbook I think my readers will enjoy. This month, I have a copy of Norwegian Cakes and Cookies - a pretty cookbook that I hope will inspire you to cook up a few desserts that you've never made before. The book offers a beautiful repertoire of dessert recipes - many based on traditional Norwegian desserts with a modern twist. Acclaimed pastry
I love brightening my kitchen with a little pop of colour. It makes the space inviting and cosy and makes me want to cook that much more. Somehow, yellow items always seem to make it to the top of my list of favourites so I thought I would share some of my current sunny kitchen crushes. The start of spring has been incredibly warm here in Toronto -- it actually seems like we skipped a bea
This post is the perfect platform to declare my love for meyer lemons. If you've never tasted one of these gorgeously sweet citrus, I hope it will be on your to-do list for the week! Meyer lemons are ideal to bake with and give that perfectly intense citrus flavour to sweet treats. This lemon loaf can, of course, be made with run of the mill lemons but try making it with organic meyer lemons i
I'm almost ashamed to write out a recipe for these delicious indulgences because they are so incredibly simply to make. These little dessert bites came about a few nights ago. Do you ever have a late night sugar craving you just can't soothe? It's not the most healthy feeling, but, let's face it, it happens to the best of us. I could have settled for a little piece of dark ch
Regular readers of this blog will notice that I've been sharing more and more home decor posts with all of you. The truth is, I've always been a lover of any creative DIY project, and my love of food has always been linked to my love of pretty tableware. So, it was only natural that I start sharing some of my decor inspiration with all of you! As a regular contributor for Style at Home
This past weekend was a weekend filled with indulgences. First, and foremost comes this cake - this decadent cake with its three separate layers of goodness: a delicious brownie-like chocolate cake whose centre is scooped out and filled with tangy homemade lemon curd that is then topped with meringue icing. Can you think of a more decadent dessert? This recipe was one of my favourite finds fr
