Salt and Vinegar Chicken Karaage with Umeboshi Mayo

Salt and Vinegar Chicken Karaage with Umeboshi Mayo
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Chip varieties constantly inspire me. Yes, I know how funny that sentence sounds. I guess chips have this pull on me because they are the flavours I most closely associate with my childhood. I particularly tie chips to summer vacation. We ate pretty healthy most of the time when I was growing up, but when we headed to the cottage, all bets were off: Potato chips, marshmallows, hot dogs, the whole nine yards. It’s hard not to have blissful nostalgia for that time. Childhood summer vacations were a cut above. No obligations, just endless acres of free time. It just doesn’t happen in adult life. So, for me, I associate flavours like sour cream and onion, and salt and vinegar with that very unique brand of freedom. And that’s the vibe of this Salt and Vinegar Chicken Karaage with Umeboshi Mayo.

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White Chocolate Chèvre Mousse with Lemon Curd

White Chocolate Chèvre Mousse with Lemon Curd.
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I don’t have the biggest sweet tooth in the world. That’s not to say I don’t have one. I do. It’s just a bit of shrinking violet. It doesn’t speak up often, but when it does, it is next-level annoying. And it usually wants something that is far from sophisticated. Gummy bears, Swedish Fish, Mars Bars – these are (sadly) a few of my favorite things. But occasionally, my bratty sweet tooth aids me in my work. It gives me a kernel of an idea, and the more grown-up parts of me take it across the finish line. These White Chocolate Chèvre Mousse Cups with Lemon Curd are one such example. Usually, a white chocolate craving doesn’t lead anywhere good, but this time, against all odds, it took me somewhere very good indeed.

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Ribeye Steak with Caesar Butter

Ribeye Steak with Caesar Butter
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Some flavor combinations work their way under your skin. They become almost a knee-jerk reference in your culinary vocabulary. I have a few of these tasty touchstones. Hilariously, two of them have the same name – Caesar. I love the cocktail, I love the salad. And both show up frequently in my work. Today, I’m borrowing from the salad. Well, the dressing, to be specific. Everything you would find in a quality, from-scratch caesar dressing, you will find in today’s Ribeye Steak with Caesar Butter. Well, minus the egg. But if you’re ambitious, you could shred a cured egg yolk into the mix. I would be most impressed if you did. 

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Caramelized Onion Apricot Rice Pilaf

Caramelized Onion Apricot Rice Pilaf
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Today’s Caramelized Onion Apricot Rice Pilaf was conceived as an alternative Easter side to the usual scalloped potatoes. I have since seen the error of my ways and realized that this pilaf shouldn’t be in place of anything. This is a “Yes, and!” situation. You can have your pilaf and your potatoes and eat them too. But I will say that if you plan on serving lamb as your Easter main, I think this pilaf will complement its flavours a little more. I often think of scalloped potatoes as ham’s most natural companion. But why pit two stellar sides against each other when you don’t have to? 

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