Simple or Sensational

Recipe: Sensational Pizza

If you are interested in reading about the esteem in which I hold pizza as a go to food, read my simple version comments. I won't go over it again, but suffice to say when it comes to pizza I am definitely a fan. Kids usually are too, however the ones in our family could spot a exotic pizza at fifty paces and are unlikely to be impressed. In fact the chances of a pizza with sun dried tomato and artichokes being deemed "yucky" are pretty high. Kids like the familiar, so you may be safer go with the simple ...

A tribute to the unsung heroes of the dinner party

I recently wrote a post that basically outlined the easiest way to entertain on a Friday night after work. I sited my friend D’s way of coping as a great example of how to deal with weekday entertaining without losing your mind. The piece itself was generally well received. That is with the exception of D’s spouse, who pointed out that he had been instrumental in the success of the evening yet failed to rate a mention. This started me thinking about the role played by most non-cooking spouses and friends in the execution of the perfect dinner party on ...

Recipe: Shrimp and Noodles with XO sauce

XO sauce is a sauce that you will have to go to an Asian grocer for, but it is clearly marked, so you should have no problem. If you cannot find it you can omit it all together or substitute another type of chili sauce, but start with a little and check for temperature. I have given measurements for the vegetables here, but I wouldn’t suggest you weigh them. Really with veggies you can’t really go wrong, so add as much as you like. You can also play around with the types of vegetables you add, broccoli, beans, whatever you ...

Five of the most useless kitchen gadgets on the market today

I would love to meet the inventors of some of these products. The person who poured their blood sweat and tears into a piece of useless gadgetry. I can only imagine how much fun a person who was psyched about a Strawberry Slicester would be. For the most part, my issue with gadgets is that they are too specific. Because they are designed to do only one thing, they just gather dust in your kitchen cupboard. There are so many that could make this list,but here are those that are currently my useless top five. EZ egg cracker. If the alarming ...

All the Recipes

Recipe: Sensational Pizza

If you are interested in reading about the esteem in which I hold pizza as a go to...

Recipe: Simple Pizza

I have to come clean, I adore pizza in all its forms and I do mean ALL. I love frozen...

Recipe: Shrimp and Noodles with XO sauce

XO sauce is a sauce that you will have to go to an Asian grocer for, but it is clearly...

Recipe: Pork and Noodles with XO sauce

XO sauce is a one of those sauces that if you consider the individual ingredients,...

Recipe: Blueberry Mascarpone Crepes

If you’re looking for a dessert for a dinner that is visually stunning, this is...

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Entertaining

A tribute to the unsung heroes of the dinner party

I recently wrote a post that basically outlined the easiest way to entertain on a...

Dinner Party 101

This past week my husband and I were invited to a dinner where our host (hereto referred...

Ghosts of Dinner Parties Past

I was looking for something in the depths of my freezer recently and it occurred...

How to throw a successful dinner party

If you are getting ready to host a dinner party, there are some sure-fire ways to...

Make Eating Healthy a Nightly Habit

Healthy meals can be fast and easy to prepare – as long as you know which tools...

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Random Thoughts

Five of the most useless kitchen gadgets on the market today

The Demise of Western ‘Culture’

We’ve all done it. Be it the clandestine trip through the drive through, the late night foray into the restaurant or the service centre stop out of necessity, we’ve all eaten fast food. On a recent trip north I found myself needing lunch on one of those endless strips of highway that crisscross the western world. Options limited, I pulled... [Read more of this review]

Free yourself from food fascism

I have a wine maker friend who has worked in the industry from Australia to South Africa, North America to Europe. He once told a story about an afternoon in the South of France where he found himself surrounded by some of the best in the business. They were attending a wine conference and the assembled elite were gathered around picnic benches... [Read more of this review]

From Chic to Trashy in Three Easy Steps.

I have a theory that even the most devout foodies have a guilty food pleasure. Personally I have several, the king of all guilty pleasures being the gas station sandwich. Shocking isn’t it? But while enjoying one the other day I considered the question of how a sandwich can be trash? It’s just bread, chicken and mayonnaise. At least that’s... [Read more of this review]

Great food deserves great accessories

My husband and I went to dinner the other night. Not a particularly fascinating anecdote I’ll admit, but it occurred to me that at this restaurant, not only was the food great, but there were also some great accessories. By accessories I don’t mean my earrings, the flowers on the table or the cutlery and crockery. When I talk about accessories... [Read more of this review]

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