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A word about Vodka (and a Halloween-ish cocktail!)

Those of you who know me, know that while I enjoy all things cocktail, my preference is for brown spirits — rum, bourbon, scotch, rye (not necessarily in that order) — therefore, I have a minimal number of vodkas in the liquor cabinet.  When mixing classic cocktails, personality and dimension is a key part of [...]

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Tea Cocktails

Tea Cocktails

Tea cocktails, eh? After a few times hearing this new concept, I had to look into it. I am a big tea drinker and thought, sure! Why not? The first place that came to mind was Silk Road Teas, which is a tea shop and aromatherapy spa in Victoria. I contacted Daniela, the owner of [...]

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Ghoul Ade Martini

Ghoul Ade Martini

Yes…it looks like dirty, spooky, mucky swamp water…but it tastes FABULOUS… 1 Ounce Vodka 1 Ounce Hpnotiq 1 Ounce Orange Juice (pulp free) 2 Ounces Grape Juice Add all ingredients to a shaker filled with ice, shake well and strain into a martini glass. Can also be served on ice, or made up ahead of [...]

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patechinois

Hurricane food

I was inspired by the glimpse of cold weather we just experienced earlier than supposed (thanks to Irene) to make a classic comfort food dish from Quebec. The “shepherd pie” that we actually call “Pâté Chinois” in French, translating literally to “Chinese pie.” There is nothing Chinese about it and we are not sure where that name came from; [...]

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S’more Season

S’more Season

Over here on the West Coast we’ve finally had a few consecutive weeks of Summer.  This means lunches are on the patio, dinner are all made on the BBQ, and long weekend camping plans are finally being made. I don’t know about you but when I start planning camping trips the first thing I worry [...]

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Ready for the grill

Steamed Tilapia in a Pouch

  If your part of the country has been as stifling as it has been in Ontario, then you can appreciate any opportunity to leave off the oven and to cook outside. I make these quick pouches and put them on the top rack of my gas grill and they take 20 minutes. The possibilities [...]

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Fresh and delicious

Beautiful and Easy Summer Salad

Our garden is flourishing. Everything is green and red and wonderful. I love when August rolls around because that usually means two things for me – local corn and I can start enjoying my tomatoes. We are fortunate enough to be able to have some herbs, peppers and beans already – but I am always [...]

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Cheesecake Confronted

Confronting Cheesecake

One thing I’ve been talking a bit about lately is my apprehension over baking. This might sound silly to many of you aficionados out there, but given that only one of my many apartments over the past several years abroad had an oven in it (and that was only for a couple of months), baking [...]

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cookbooks

Cookbook Battles: “Ideas in Food” vs. “Cooking for Geeks”

The idea behind cookbook battles is as simple as it sounds: two enter, only one leaves triumphant. Judging is based on the most important five categories when choosing a cookbook: the sex appeal, the recipes, how useful the tips & tricks outside of the recipes are, the level of inspiration and how approachable the cookbook [...]

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Nacho Cheese Dip

A New Era of Nachos

I love nachos. The cheesier the better. Seasoned meat just makes it a meal. But for whatever reason I don’t like making my own nachos at home. However I do love Epicure Selections seasonings and dip mixes because I can create amazing meals with minimal effort while saving money. Combine these two loves and you [...]

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