The Great Easter Egg Hunt

The Great Easter Egg Hunt Easter is just around the corner and time for that age old tradition of dying Easter Eggs. The ethnic origins are boundless with ornate decorations with spiritual meaning or humble designs and down right folk artistic. The best thing is to get the children involved in an Easter Egg hunt. Boiling eggs and then using flower petals, rose, daffodils, tulips and fruit dies such as blueberry, cranberry, pomegranate, lemon, lime and orange zest in warm water over a short period will make a good natural colouring agent. Just boil the eggs till hard...

Hot Cross Bunny’s

What do you get when you pour some hot water down a rabbit hole? You get a Hot Cross Bunny. My dad always used to say that at Easter time and it is fast approaching. One of my favourite treats for this holiday are the scrumptious lite and tasty Hot Cross Buns. They make a nice side, buttered with a good cup of tea. I have added lots of different dried fruits with this retro recipe. They all taste great. This recipe is simple to do and if you have no mixer can be done in a bowl by hand like the old days. Enjoy the satisfaction and the smiles you will get when you take the...

Chili Ginger Shrimp

Chili Ginger Shrimp The Asian method of preparation likes to “crispen” the texture of shrimp so they are quickly soaked in a light brine solution before stir-frying. It brings back the fresh sea flavour and removes that chemical additive that some processors use to give the product longevity.  Back when I was cooking at the Kettle of Fish a sea food chef Bara Katsumi taught me this delicious way of quick frying shrimp. The Asians like to leave the shell on for a bigger flavour hit. I like to peel them when serving as a meal but unpeeled as an appetizer. I must...

Duck Duck!

Duck Duck! Cooking duck takes several rehearsals to make it perfect. Once you become involved in the ways to both sauté and and bake confit style, your final duck dinner will be perfecto. The breast portion is the one that I flavour with a good cherry brandy and with simple salt and pepper scored skin pan sauté to medium rare with crispy skin in duck fat. The leg portion was baked in it’s own fats. Made a fava bean and mashed potato smear, with some wilted spinach and butter fried wild mushroom. A duck confit that’s sure to please even the pickiest eaters!...

Italian Wedding Soup

Italian Wedding Soup. Back when I returned to Vancouver I took on a chef position cooking for the nightly performance of  the Tony N Tina Wedding in it’s new location at 1066 Hastings street. The menu was fashioned after a typical Italian Wedding Party fare which started out with the soup. Why is it Called Italian Wedding Soup?  Ever wonder how it gets its name? I always thought maybe it was a traditional meal served at Italian weddings, but in actuality, it has nothing to do with a real wedding.  The name actually comes from the way the flavors combine, like a...