Coconut Meringues

This is a little late for the Christmas baking section but I got a little busy with preparations for Réveillon (Christmas Eve) which we were hosting for my family at a cottage in St-Sauveur, part of the Laurentian Mountains one hour north of Montreal.  

Famous Secret Chocolate Chip Crisps

This is a secret recipe in our family.  I have never given it away because people loved the cookies so much that it gave me a chance to make them something special for birthdays, Christmas, etc.  However, I am finding that I can access my favorite recipes very easily on this blog no matter where I am in the world.  This is very convenient.  As we are going home for the Holidays, my daughter, Sarah, wants to make the cookies for her boyfriend and his family and therefore, to avoid transporting of the recipe, I have decided to post it so she can have it on hand.  It is a recipe that I found quite a while ago and modified a little to be more Canadian.  So here it is - this may be here for the Holidays only!  Enjoy!

Tortellini in Brodo

I love to cook and the best days are those when I have hours to spend in the kitchen, trying new things and listening to music.   They say that living in the present moment is the way to find true happiness and if I am cooking, I can usually get there.   I think this is why so many people love to cook.  You have to be present and focused on what is happening; the smells, the colours, the sounds and finally the coming together of the end result.  A meal does not have to be complicated or expensive to be good.  But, I do think that it must be made with attention and love (of the people you are serving it to, of food, of simple pleasures, etc.) and this will invariably come through in the end.

Port and Pepper Sauce

 Angus beef patties with port and pepper sauce - easy weekday meal

A simple, plain meal can turn into something quite elegant and delicious with the addition of a great sauce.

Mike made this sauce that he served with a barbecued steak and got rave reviews - something along the lines of ''wow - you cook like a chef''.   It is pretty versatile and goes well with so many dishes (I leave out the pepper and use it with tourtière or replace the beef stock with veal stock and serve it with veal Schnitzel) - the technique remains the same.

French Onion Soup

Ski season is just around the corner and nothing is better than coming home after a day out in the cold to a bowl of French onion soup.  

Thai Green Chicken Curry

I love Thai food.  I think that what makes it so good is the perfect balance of flavours and textures (sour, sweet, salty, bitter, crunchy and creamy). 

Green chicken curry has this combination yet it is another easy to go to recipe when I am not sure what to make for dinner.  The pantry is stocked with coconut milk, fish sauce (nuoc mam), green curry paste, peanuts, dried basil and chicken stock.  I try to always have frozen green beans (you can also use fresh) and boneless chicken breasts.  You can add your choice of fresh vegetables like carrots and red peppers for color and fresh basil.  It is best served with sticky rice (sushi type) to help absorb all the wonderful sauce.