As the months roll into winter and the temperature outside continues to drop, my recipe plan includes more and more comfort foods aimed at battling the chill in the air. Very often, this means that I’m making giant pots of thick homemade soups or stewing them in the crockpot so I can serve a delicious, piping-hot meal at the end of the day. While I have many tried-and-true recipes, I’m always looking to be more creative with some of our favourites.
With my last remaming vacation day before heading back to work I just spent 8 hours in sub-freezing weather building a backyard skating rink for my kids. No, I'm not insane. No, I'm not the father of the year. Yes, I'm living vicariously through my children. Some background...
It's always good to plan ahead and have an easy crowd-pleaser to break out when company arrives. I love sangrias because they cater to almost any palette. No fumbling with cocktail mixers and martini shakers - just a little bit of prep work the day before and you're all set when company arrives.
Sometimes you need to get inventive when you spring new foods on your kids. New vegetables, kids? 'Meh'. New vegetables cut into castles and towers? 'Gimme more!'
So I spend a lot of my time not just thinking of new foods I would like - but foods I can get my kids to like too.
Recently, they seem to love any meal they can help out and interact with in the kitchen.
Every cook has performance anxiety at some point in time. Whether you are cooking a special holiday meal, have a big crowd over, or cooking with expensive ingredients - we have all had visions of smoke pouring from the oven door or cutting into a raw turkey at one point or another.
For the better part of the last two decades, I've been cooking and tasting my way through life. I love eating good food. I love making it even more. To me, there is no better feeling than serving up a meal and watching people purr with enjoyment as they inhale it.