Chicken and Dumplings (gluten-free and traditional)

This is one of the most ridiculously simple and comforting foods in the world.  I learned to make chicken and dumplings from a copy of The New England Cookbook  by Brooke Dojny which my friend Katherine gave me as a gift many years ago.  Katherine has taught me about all things good, comforting and delicious…

Lard Have Mercy! Gluten-Free, Pro-Glutton Buttermilk Biscuits!

At this time of year,  I choose comfort over creativity.  I am really not all that interested in trying out new foods.  All I really want to do is cook the things that I traditionally cook at this time of year.  Here is an example:  For Thanksgiving I made three pies and, for the first…

Ideas for Thanksgiving Dinner

Last year,  I posted all of my Thanksgiving recipes the week after the holiday.  I realized that this was not very helpful.  Here are links to all of the recipes that we have posted that would be great for a Thanksgiving meal.  Next year, maybe we will get it together to do this for Canadian…

Potato, Leek and Mushroom Gratin (gluten-free or not)

Its time to make gratins again!  Here is the beautiful thing about a gratin….while it is true that it takes a bit of effort to make, it prepares a large amount of  food that you can then reheat for your dinners all week-long.  With a salad, a gratin counts as a complete meal! If you…

Yam, Swiss Chard and Chipotle Gratin

I recently made a very, very good yam and swiss chard gratin from Smitten Kitchen.  I also recently made a pork loin with fruit stuffing and a chipotle sherry cream sauce from a restaurant cookbook.  The fruit stuffing was delicious and the sauce was amazing but altogether the pork loin dish managed to be simultaneously…

In Search of Magical Estonian Apple Cake (Gluten-Free)

A couple of weeks ago, my husband went to the Adirondacks for a weekend and brought me back some Winesap apples.  This is a man who knows how to keep me happy.  Winesap apples are dark, dark burgundy colour.  They are not shiny and they are frequently blemished because they are an old variety of…

Sweet and Sour Honey Pickled Beets

I think of pickled beets as being very Canadian.   I moved to the States when I was 9 years old, and I can remember being REALLY  excited about eating home-made pickled beets when we came back to Canada to visit family.  In my family, if you are having guests or extended family for dinner…

Easiest of the Easy: Lentils Monastery Style with New-style Southern Cornbread

Well…. I’m still struggling with the fact that working in a commercial kitchen; however excellent, fruitful and fulfilling, diminishes my desire for cooking at home. Tonight I’m trying to convince myself that cooking is easy and satisfying by making two of the easiest and yummiest dishes in my repertoire. They are Monastery-style Lentil Soup and…

Pork Chops with Boozy Jam Pan Sauce

This is a quick, simple, adaptable dish that I make it a lot when I get busy. You brown some pork chops and then make a pan sauce with a bit of booze…