All posts tagged: Fall

Chai-Poached Quince

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If we want to talk about seasonal fruit, then the quince reigns supreme in the autumn months. At first glance, the quince may look like little, mis-grown pear, however, it is so much more than that and it has tons of amazing uses in the kitchen. One of this fruits great uses in the autumn is this recipe for Chai-Poached Quince. Before I give you a run-down on my recipe, let me tell you a bit more about the quince fruit. For the most part, this is an unknown fruit to most Canadians as it is difficult to find and is highly seasonal. I actually hadn’t tried quince ever (other than quince jam) until earlier this autumn…and boy, have I been missing out! Quince can actually be grown in B.C. and are in season from September to early November. Quince are a soft yellow in colour and are covered in a hefty layer of greyish-yellow fuzz when they grow. It’s similar to the idea of peach fuzz, but you can rub off the quince fuzz …

Oktoberfest Recipes: Spaetzle & Pork Schnitzel/Jägerschnitzel

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I am very happy that fall has finally arrived! By far, fall is definitely my favourite season of them all since it comes with warm drinks, cozy sweaters, and new delicious produce (think apples, cruciferous veggies, squash, pears) that make the perfect cozy and warming comfort foods. It also means that since it cooler and you are wearing warmer sweaters, there is a greater opportunity to make a bit of extra room for some tasty desserts! Haha 🙂 As I alluded to, fall is all about hearty, soul-filling comfort foods for me. Everyone has them—that special dish that makes you feel warm and fuzzy on the inside. For me, this includes hearty soups and stews, meatballs that have simmered all day in a big pot of tomato sauce, mac and cheese (and other carby casseroles), spiced cakes and sweet desserts. The list could literally go on and on….and trust me it does. The list is so long that I have enough recipes to share with you for the next 3-4 years, so it’s safe to …

Soup Series: Homemade Congee

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Looks like the dreary rainy weather has finally set in here in Vancouver. Up to today, I have not seen the sun in two weeks, which is fairly typical for the southern coast of BC during this time of year, but caught a glimpse of it today for about three hours, before it got dark again. I really love the rain, I jut hate when it rains incessantly for months on end. Plus it is dark, cold and just not welcoming at all. But being the eternal optimist that I am, I am choosing to make the bet of this situation and look at the silver lining of these rain clouds. How, you ask? Through indulging in the most warming and comforting meal there is: SOUP! The beginnings of vegetable broth <3 I could honestly eat soup every day for the rest of my life and never get bored of it. There are so many different variations of soup including bisques, chowder, broths, stews, chili, and so on. Plus, there are so many ingredients that …

Fried Cauliflower with Coconut-Curry Dipping Sauce

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As we are nearing the end of cauliflower season, I suddenly can’t get enough of this cruciferous vegetable. I’m doing all sorts of things with cauliflower: baking it with breadcrumbs and cheese, making it into soup (tasty recipe coming soon!) and even frying it in this recipe for Fried Cauliflower with Coconut-Curry Dipping Sauce. While cauliflower is pretty healthy (a great source of Vitamin C and K), I’m taking it and making it semi-unhealthy by frying it. While it may not be super healthy for you, it is so incredibly crunchy and flavourful and pairs perfectly with a dipping sauce. It is sure to impress all of your friends and family and definitely has the potential to become a signature recipe! I had a version of this tasty appy during a recent work trip to Ottawa, Ontario at a fabulous Asian restaurant called Datsun. They have great Asian fusion vibe, tasty cocktails and a wonderful appy/small plates menu. Of all the tasty dishes that my work colleagues and I tried that night, this fried cauliflower …

Haunted Halloween Party

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Ghosts, ghouls and goblins galore! Halloween is just around the corner and I cannot wait to celebrate! This year, I am hosting a spooky soirée at our apartment and I am bringing a few elegant touches and fabulously retro menu to my Halloween Party this year.  Read on for how you can through an elegant yet spooky Halloween Party of your own…if you dare! Muahaha! This year, I decided to aim for a more elegant vibe for my Halloween Party in terms of decor. If you remember back to when you were a kid, Halloween was all about blood, guts and gore. While I can definitely appreciate these gory decorations on Halloween, it is a bit more fitting to do this outside of your home since it can be complicated and messy (I mean fake blood is cool and all, but I don’t want to be scrubbing it off my walls and mirrors the next day!). But what we are lacking in blood and guts, we are making up with some classy, yet scary Halloween …

Curried Butternut Squash Soup

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  As the autumn days get cooler and rainier, I am in constant search for something to keep me warm. Whether it is a cup of peppermint tea (my current obsession) or a cozy blanket, nothing beats a nice warm cup of soup. Soup has to be one of my most favourite meals. I could probably eat it every day and never get sick of it since there are so many soup variations out there. On the lighter and healthier side we have classics like tomato and basil soup, chicken noodle soup, lentil soup, bone broth soup, minestrone soup- they’re all amazing. And on the more decadent side we have cream of mushroom soup, broccoli cheddar soup, French onion soup, beef stew with dumplings, ramen- the list goes on….and I love them all! Hmm..now that I’m thinking of all these soups, I need to post more on the blog! So you should look forward to a soup series coming next month 😛 Anyways, for the fall we have to make some sort of squash soup. …

Fall Dinner Party

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Out of all the four seasons, fall is definitely my favourite. Not only do I enjoy wearing my cozy sweaters in the cooler temperatures, drinking Pumpkin Spice Lattes, and watching the leaves turn a rainbow of colours, I love it because of all the delicious, seasonal foods that come along with it. Fall harvests bring us countless varieties of apples, squash, brussels sprouts, carrots, and parsnips…the list goes on…all from which we can make hearty and comforting foods. And what better way to enjoy these delicious seasonal foods than with a celebratory fall dinner party?! When you think about it, fall is the perfect season to entertain at home. It’s not too hot, meaning that you can have your stove and oven going all day and you won’t be dying of heat in the kitchen, and it’s not too cold, meaning that outdoor entertaining is still possible. Whenever weather permits, I like to serve fun fall-inspired cocktails outside early in the evening so that my guests can enjoy the crisp fall air before it gets …

German Sauerkraut

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Steins of beer, colourful lederhosen and dirndles, and folk music can only mean one thing…Oktoberfest is here! While I may not be in Germany to partake in these celebrations, I am celebrating at home with my recipe for German Sauerkraut! My German Sauerkraut (with an obligatory side of mustard) styled with flowers from Il Fioraio Florist, linen dinner napkin from Kaiko Design , and squash from Kins Farm Market!  Contrary to popular belief, Oktoberfest is not held during the month of October, rather in September. The festival is held annually in Munich and is 16 days long. I can’t even imagine how much beer can be consumed in 16 days LOL! With all that beer comes good food, entertainment, dancing and singing- sounds like a crazy party! If you are lucky enough to visit Munich during this fall harvest celebration, good for you! But if not, you can always celebrate at home with a few tasty German dishes and lots of beer (responsibly of course!). All in all, this recipe for German Sauerkraut HAS to be …

Fall For Local Market

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This past weekend was full of wonderful local purchases from the one and only Fall For Local Market! Every since attending the previous FFL market in April, I have literally been obsessed with this market! Obviously, the products are absolutely amazing (and locally made),  but the vendors who create these products really make the market extra special. Take a read about my experience at the market and to see what locally made goodies I picked up! Obligatory shoefie! After a quick Seabus ride into North Vancouver and a short walk, I arrived at the market venue, the Pipe Shop Building. Let’s just say, I am in love with this building….so much so that I follow their Instagram (which will give you serious wedding fever/inspo)! I love the large windows, wooden beams and high ceilings in this newly renovated heritage building. It feels so light and airy, even on cloudy, grey Vancouver days. Bright and airy venue…. …filled with amazing goodies and people! Looking around the venue, you could see bright pops of colour from venue …

Sage Advice

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Have you ever had this happen to you: you never hear a word or a phrase or see something in a long time (or maybe even ever) and then you hear or see it consistently? This happened to me this week and it totally creeped me out. For the past 25 years of my life, I have never heard the phrase “offer sage advice”. Then, all of a sudden- out of no where- I hear it four times within a week. Creepy, right? I always think it’s some sort of sign… and perhaps it is for me. Maybe not a sign that I should be offering sage advice to another person (I don’t think I am wise enough to be offering personal or life advice to people)…. but maybe it’s a sign that I should be offering my Sage Advice Cocktail to others? Yes. I think that sounds much better. This cocktail offers a seasonal twist on the traditional Gin Sour. A Gin Sour typically contains gin, lemon juice, and simple syrup and is shaken …