Author: Sofia
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Fresh Fig Cheesecake Tart
I’ve been making cheesecake, one of my very favourite desserts, for many years. I remember the first few attempts being kitchen disasters, but eventually I found Rose Levy Brenenbaum’s recipe in The Cake Bible, which was meticulously detailed and resulted in my first beautiful and delicious cheesecake. It was rich and creamy, slightly tangy, and…
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Ricotta Gnudi with Oven Roasted Tomatoes
If you have some ricotta, a few pantry staples, and a few minutes in the kitchen, you’re on your way to some killer home-made gnudi. If the idea of making home-made pasta seems like a mission, especially in the summer (yes!), but you want some fresh pasta-like goodness to go with those summer tomatoes, try…
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Seared Salmon Niçoise
Niçoise is one of my favourite spring/summer salads. It originated in Nice as a simple composed tomato, anchovy, and olive oil salad. While it’s come a far far way, many will still argue that there are very specific ingredients that Niçoise should (and shouldn’t) have. I’m a free spirit when it comes to cooking and like to give myself a little…
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Gougères with Chèvre + Spring Herbs
Chives are the first sign of green that I usually see in the garden. Their perky green tips peek out of the ground as soon as the snow melts, letting us know that spring is finally here. While it takes a little while for them to grow big enough to harvest, I always associate those…
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Tourtière Hand Pies
I’ve seriously embraced making comfort food this winter, learning to bake a decent loaf of sourdough bread, making pies and pastries, and ensuring an ongoing supply of chicken or beef broth for soups and stews of all kinds. While my inner gardener is always looking forward to spring, I try to be mindful of the pleasures of winter.…
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Pan-fried Gnocchi with Roasted Squash, Bacon, and Sage
I’ve never succeeded at making gnocchi from a recipe. They would usually turn out too dense and firm, or sometimes just the opposite – so soft that they would almost dissolve as I boiled them in water. I recently came across this article from The Lucky Peach. It’s a step-by-step gnocchi guide by Marco Canora, the chef at Hearth restaurant in New…
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Mussels in a Tomato Wine Sauce with Capers
Happy New Year! It may seem like half the population is sipping on a kale smoothie right now, or at least it does if you spend enough time online, but let’s not forget that it’s mighty cold in many parts of the world (feels like -20°C in my ‘hood), and that a big ol’ pot of mussels…
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Persimmon and Cranberry Tarte Tatin
Almost a decade ago my very first cast iron skillet was initiated with a tarte tatin. Actually, let’s back up. Almost a decade ago I bought my first cast iron skillet just so that I can make tarte tatin, having seen it in a food magazine, being totally smitten with the buttery caramelized apples, a light flaky pastry, and the fact…
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Pumpkin Walnut Brioche
If you were to draw a Venn diagram of classic brioche, a loaf of challah, and pumpkin cinnamon buns, the bull’s eye would lie right here, with this braided pumpkin walnut brioche. I started experimenting with yeast-based egg breads after a string of failed sourdough attempts (I wasn’t even able to get past making the…
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Seared Scallops with Smoky Squash Polenta and Apple Jalapeño Slaw
It was only recently that I realized how incredibly simple and satisfying it is to enjoy scallops at home. They need not be reserved for restaurant meals or special occasions. All it takes is some fresh scallops (though frozen ones are still quite good), a really hot pan, and 5 minutes of your time. Contrary to…
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Beef and Rice Stuffed Tomatoes
I wait for tomatoes all year, abstaining from the store-bought ones for a few months before the new season brings us a local harvest, building anticipation for that first juicy slice. Recipes are pinned, cookbooks are dog-eared, and experiments are conducted (the only exception to buying store-bought in those early summer months) in preparation for…
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Eggs Benedict with Garlic Rapini
Eggs Benedict are a very special breakfast in our home, a breakfast that my husband and I make for each other on our birthdays. It started with mine a few years ago. He asked what I wanted on my special day and I wanted nothing more than to challenge him with something that I thought…
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Sweet Pea Spaghetti Carbonara
There are a few weeks in early summer, during which we can briefly indulge in fresh shelling peas. It’s not that I have anything against the frozen kind, I just want to remind you to keep an eye on when they arrive, fill a big bag of them, and enjoy the sweet and tender morsels. They’re an…
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Spring Quiche
Many quiches (or quiche-like pies, I should say) were harmed in the making of this post and I’m proud to finally have something delicious for you today! I probably tested enough quiches to feed a small family for about a month, just to get it right, and while it’s not something that’s hard to make, there are…
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Oh Canada! Your cheese is delicious.
As you may have guessed, today we’ll be talking about Canadian cheese, but I must admit that my first trip to Paris deserves all the credit for helping me discover the simple pleasure of a fresh baguette and some really good fromage. I’ve been a life-long cheese fan, don’t get me wrong, but there was…
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Pot Roasted Chicken with Preserved Lemon and Olives
If I had to pick only one meat dish to eat for the rest of my life it would probably be roasted chicken. A well seasoned bird, roasted at high heat, with crispy skin and super juicy flesh is simple, insanely delicious, and is pretty much the best thing you can do with a chicken (sorry…
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Winter Cellar Cake
There’s something strangely satisfying about sneaking root vegetables into cake, don’t you think? Carrot cake has been part of my repertoire for so long that I sometimes even forget that it’s made with carrots. Today it’s time to get a little sneaky with another root vegetable, the parsnip, which can show some resemblance to a carrot but has a starchier flesh and a slightly…
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Golden Beet Pancake with Smoked Salmon and Pickled Shallots
This isn’t your usual pancake, but what it lacks in maple syrup, it make up for in…..beets? I knew this would be an easy sell. I know… how about we think of this as more of a frittata, but lighter, fluffier, and more pancake-y. How’s that? Eggs are the saving grace of poor organization and…
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Pistachio Thumbprint Cookies with Apricot-Rose Jam
Raise your hand if the excuse to bake a ridiculous amount of cookies is your favourite thing about December. It’s mine for sure! Every year I challenge myself to take on some holiday cookie classics and give them a bit of an interesting twist, and this year is no exception. These gorgeous green thumbprints are…
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Tomato & Saffron Braised Lamb Shanks
Hey there holiday entertainers! We have something special for you today. If you haven’t braised lamb shanks before you’re in for a treat. Besides being super flavourful and delicious, they’re dead simple to make, yet impressive when served to a hungry crowd. Braising lives in a pretty magical place where the simplicity of stewing meets…