• Preserved Lemons
    Canning and Preserving,  Recipes

    Preserved Lemons

    Eight years ago, I travelled alone to Morocco and spent a month with no reservations or plans, moving from place to place as I liked and enjoying Moroccan culture, food, and affordable, comfortable railways. The first time I tried Preserved Lemons was in Meknes, in a restaurant overlooking the Place Hedim, opposite the Bab Mansour.  I ordered Chicken Tagine with Preserved Lemons, and I swear it came with at least one full preserved lemon and the most succulent chicken I’ve ever eaten (see picture below!).  As I watched small crowds gather around musicians performing in the square and sipped mint tea, I remember thinking that it was one of the…

  • Mom's Bread
    Baking,  Recipes

    Mom’s Bread

    One of the best things about visiting home is my mom’s bread – fresh, homemade, and delicious.  She makes this recipe at least once a week, freezing two of the loaves to preserve their freshness until they’re ready to be eaten. They keep pretty well for a week or so in the freezer, probably longer. If my sisters and I are around, she has to bake a little more often – the moment that these loaves come out of the oven, we’ve often devoured half of a loaf, piping hot with loads of butter.   Great as toast or for sandwiches, this is a nice flexible recipe. Thought baking bread…

  • Chocolate Pavlova
    Baking,  Recipes,  Shaw Christmas Favourites

    Chocolate Pavlova with Fresh Fruit

    Over the holidays this year, the temperatures were frigid – sometimes as cold as -31 C, but often -20 C, so we spent a lot of time indoors. As a result, my sister Cassie and my mom and I watched a lot of the Great Canadian Baking Show and the Great British Baking Show while quilting and knitting, and it inspired us to try some new things, including this Chocolate Pavlova. Though Cassie swears we’ve made a Pavlova before, I can’t remember ever trying it, so as far as I’m concerned, this was my first one. I was initially going to go with a plain vanilla Pavlova, but Cassie was…

  • Turkey Stuffing
    Recipes,  Shaw Christmas Favourites

    Turkey Stuffing

    In my hands, Turkey Stuffing isn’t a very precise thing – I think it’s one of those subjective foods that every family – or every person – likes done differently.  It’s a recipe that I’ve been helping out with since I was a kid, as small hands are good for tearing loaves of bread into small chunks, and it’s sometimes a whole family effort, as you consult everyone to make sure it looks/smells right before going in to the oven.    As a kid, I was a huge fan of my Grandma Shaw’s extremely peppery stuffings, though I think I was the only one who liked it like that. Because my sisters…

  • Bûche de Noël
    Baking,  Recipes,  Shaw Christmas Favourites

    Bûche de Noël

    Bûche de Noël is a recent Christmas dessert for us, so not really a tradition yet, and only time will tell if it becomes one.  I definitely intend on making it this year for our family dinner; we tried it last year for the first time, and my sister Cassie and I were surprised at how relatively easy and quick it was.  And of course, everyone liked it, which is the most important part! The year before, I’d tried making a Black Forest Cake (I’ll probably post the recipe eventually, but I’m not like, enthusiastic about it), which was a lot of faff and not that great, in the end,…

  • Penuche
    Recipes,  Shaw Christmas Favourites

    Penuche (Brown Sugar Fudge)

    In looking around online to see what other versions of Penuche call for, I’ve found that it or something very similar to it has a million names – Tablet in Scotland, Sucre à la Crème in Quebec, Russian Fudge in New Zealand and Australia, Panoche in Hawaii and the Southern USA – but the recipe that was shown to me, scribbled on a piece of paper, called it Penuche. Every year on Christmas Eve, for as long as I can remember, we’ve gone to my Aunt Wendy’s house for dinner.  When I was a kid, it was a madhouse – a million kids and adults, overhead, underfoot, out on the lake playing…

  • Cranberry Sauce
    Recipes,  Shaw Christmas Favourites

    Cranberry Sauce

    Is there an easier thing in the world than home made cranberry sauce? I mean, yes, opening a can is easier, but this recipe takes 20 minutes tops and tastes a million times better than whatever you get out of a can.  Gorgeous, ruby-red cranberry sauce is perfect as is – you can certainly add all kinds of other things, but I think it’s best kept basic – sugar, water, cranberries.   Cranberry sauce is one of my favourite things about any turkey dinner – I really just use turkey as a cranberry sauce delivery system – and I always make my own. I love the beautiful reds of the berries,…

  • Croissants
    Baking,  Recipes,  Shaw Christmas Favourites

    Croissants

    2019 Update: I’ve cleaned up the recipe to make it easier to understand, and added new photos. 2017 Update: I first published this recipe in 2009, at which time we’d been making croissants for three years, so it looks like it’s been a family tradition for more than a decade now.  It’s nice to see things you’ve come to know and love have longevity; I remember when we began creating the traditions that we wouldn’t do without, after years of sad, stressed, miserable Christmases. Now it’s a time of year we all look forward to, which is the best thing. Original post 2009:  Croissants have started to become a Christmas…

  • Ginger Cookies
    Baking,  Recipes,  Shaw Christmas Favourites

    Ginger Cookies

    2017 Update: This is probably one of the most popular recipes I’ve ever posted; they’re easy to make, and people love them.  I’m not generally home in Peterborough in the months before Christmas any more, because I work on the Toronto Christmas Market, so I don’t get a chance to bake them with the fam, but we all love these Ginger Cookies. I know I say that each of my recipes is fabulous, but this one is really the jewel in my baking collection.  Based on (or perhaps ripped off of) the famous ginger cookies at The Planet Bakery here in my hometown of Peterborough, this cookie is moist and…

  • Snickerdoodles
    Baking,  Recipes,  Shaw Christmas Favourites

    Snickerdoodles

    2017 Update: I associate Snickerdoodles with Christmas, not because my family necessarily loves them but because I do, and anything sugary and cinnamony is bound to seem Christmassy to me. I’ve rarely seen this recipe posted anywhere, which surprises me because these cookies are delicious. I got the recipe when I worked at Lang Pioneer Village as a costumed interpreter, baking on the old wood-fired cast iron stoves in the Keene Hotel or the Milburn House, learning to gauge temperature based on how quickly your arm-hair felt singed when you stuck your arm in the oven.  Unfortunately, an electric or gas oven can’t replicate the particularly delicious flavour that a…

  • Recipes,  Shaw Christmas Favourites

    Christmas Morning Berry Strata

    Another of our Christmas traditions is this Christmas Morning Berry Strata, which we make in part in homage to my sisters’ favourite Christmas movie, The Family Stone. Spending time in the kitchen with my sisters, with my mom coming through occasionally and grumbling about why we bother making all of this food, is one of my favourite things about Christmas at home; all of the different things we make give a rhythm to the days that feels good. The watercolour above was painted by my sister Cassandra as a part of her 2022 watercolour journal; once she has prints for sale, I’ll link to them here. It’s easy to prepare…

  • Roasted Red Pepper Ketchup
    Canning and Preserving,  Recipes

    Roasted Red Pepper Ketchup

    I’ve been making this ketchup recipe for years, and it’s super-delicious.  I give jars of preserves as gifts at Ecksmas, and literally have people fighting over these ones in particular (the people who love the Mango Chutney are, oddly, much more chill about it).  As with most canning, this recipe is mostly just washing things – the canning jars and lids, the produce, the tools you’re using – and prepping the produce; once it goes in the pot, it’s very simple.   I know it looks like a lot of steps, but if you give it a quick read-through, you’ll see they’re all pretty straightforward.  I like to make sure each…

  • Balela Salad
    Recipes,  Salads

    Balela Salad

    I’m always up for a nice bean salad – they remind me of Summer picnics, and this Balela Salad – loosely based on the Middle Eastern dish –  would be a great addition to any picnic or potluck.  Vegan, gluten-free, and delicious, this salad is perfect if you’re hoping to feed a crowd of people with diverse dietary restrictions. It’s also great for lunches, as the fibre will keep you feeling full until the day is over.   It’s also a bit addictive, especially after it’s had a day to marinate in the fridge. You can serve it with pita or some fresh bread, but it’s perfectly fine on its…

  • Recipes

    Cauliflower Tacos

    These delicious vegetarian cauliflower tacos are so good that they leave me craving more whenever I make them.  They’re pretty healthy, too, and extremely flavourful while not being terribly spicy, despite the chiles and jalapeno.   I’m not a vegetarian, but I’m not a huge meat-eater and though I occasionally enjoy meat it’s not a thing I like to cook at home very often.  And I’m trying to find recipes that are a bit healthier while still being the kind of thing that I look forward to eating. If you’re the kind of person who finds cauliflower repulsive, you still might find yourself enjoying this – the cauliflower is really just…

  • Tuscan Chicken Skillet
    Recipes

    Tuscan Chicken Skillet

    I’m always looking for reasonably quick, easy recipes that are reasonably healthy and freeze well, so that I can take them to work for lunch.  Tuscan Chicken Skillet ticks all of the boxes, but it’s also super-delicious.  It’s nice, when you’re surrounded by take-out lunch options that aren’t great for your but are incredibly tempting, to have something home-cooked and tasty ready to go.   I try to spend Sunday nights cooking, so that I can eat well all week, and though it’s not always possible, when I do have the time it’s awesome.    I’ll note that this recipe was initially written up as a low-mess, one pot meal,…

  • Roasted Cauliflower with Sesame Oil
    Recipes

    Roasted Cauliflower with Sesame Seed Oil

    Easy and delicious (though admittedly not beautiful), I made Roasted Cauliflower with Sesame Seed Oil last night and ended up eating almost an entire head of cauliflower by myself. Technically I guess it’s a side dish, and a super-tasty one, but it’s the kind of thing I’m likely to eat as a main, because it’s quick and really filling. This simple recipe works best if you have a roasting dish that just barely fits the dish, and that also has a lid.  This will help keep the cauliflower moist, and also helps the sesame oil flavour to infuse the cauliflower, which is totally amazing. Sesame oil is one of my favourite…

  • Lemon Winter Warmer
    Recipes

    Lemon Winter Warmer

    This Lemon Winter Warmer recipe is based on a drink that I’d been making for a while, but then altered once I tried the ‘Citrus Booster’ that they serve at Balzac’s Coffee.   There’s a Balzac’s near my office in the Distillery District, and when I feel a cold coming on, I sometimes pop over to the cafe to get one, or mix it up myself at home. I’m not sure whether or not it makes a difference to the cold, but it’s delicious and soothing and it makes me feel like I’m doing something about it, which is half the battle. I originally made it with honey, but I…

  • Crepes
    Recipes

    Crepes

    Crepes are such a simple recipe, but the real work is in the frying, which is a sort of alchemy of heat and timing.  Crepes in the pan aren’t something you can walk away from; they need your complete attention, something I’m not always very good at. When we were kids, Nana Cynthia ((You can read her diaries from her teenage years in/around London during the Blitz in WWII here.)) used to make us crepes; always the same delicious topping, lemon juice and confectioner’s sugar.  I’m a little taken aback by the weird combos that you can get on crepes – fruit, whipped cream, whatever – when in my opinion, they are always…

  • Guacamole
    Recipes

    Guacamole

    Making Avocados are kind-of a major staple of my diet these days; I don’t eat a lot of meat, ((though I’m not a vegetarian.)) and they make a good stand-in for the hearty part of a meal.  Though they are annoyingly finicky, ((Not ripe, not ripe not ripe Ripe! Too late)) I usually have them around for sandwiches and things. Lately, I’ve been really craving salty, savoury things, and discovered Los Cantores Tortilla Chips at our local deli, St. James Town Steak and Chops.  Normally I don’t shill for companies, but these are freaking delicious, and I totally recommend them.  I’ll also note that if you’re in the market for…