RATATOUILLE
8 servings | 50 min INGREDIENTS: 3 onions500 g tomatoes500 g peppers (red, yellow and green)500 g zucchini500 g of eggplants100 ml of olive oil2 cloves of garlic1 sprig of thyme1 bay leaf1 pinch of saffron threadspepper, freshly groundsalt DIRECTIONS: Wash and prep the vegetables. Slice the onions, core the tomatoes and cut into cubes. Halve the peppers; deseed and remove all the white parts, then cut into julienne strips. Cut the...
CRÈME BRÛLÉE
6 servings | 30 min INGREDIENTS: 350 ml heavy cream1 vanilla bean85 g granulated sugar4 egg yolks DIRECTIONS: Pour the heavy cream into a saucepan. Split the vanilla bean in half, then scrape out the seeds. Add the vanilla pod, the vanilla seeds, and half of the sugar to the heavy cream. Cook over medium heat for five minutes, or until boiling. Remove the vanilla pod. In a large bowl, whisk egg yolks with the remaining sugar until...
VOL-AU-VENT
Prep Time: 1 hour | Cook Time: 30 min | Servings: 18 INGREDIENTS: 18 puff pastry shells thaw and cook per package directions1¼ lb boneless skinless chicken breasts4 ozs butter 1 stick8 ozs mushrooms cut in quarters or eights depending on size1 clove garlic minced1 tsp fresh thyme leaves chopped¼ cup white wine¼ cup all-purpose flour2 cups chicken stock1 tbsp dijon mustard¼ cup whipping creampinch salt and pepper to taste1 medium egg...
SOUPE À L’OIGNON GRATINÉE
6 servings | 60 min INGREDIENTS: 250 grams of onions25 grams of flour2 liters of consommé or waterbutterbread, sliced and driedcheese, grated, preferably Gruyère or Comté DIRECTIONS: Start by preparing the bread. Arrange the slices of bread on a baking tray, sprinkle with grated cheese and broil in a pre-heated oven at 180 °C. When browned, take out of the oven and set aside. Next, fry the onions. In a large pan add butter and sliced...
QUICHE LORRAINE
8 servings | 30 min INGREDIENTS: SHORTCRUST PASTRY 200g flour100g butter1 pinch of saltcold water, as needed FILLING 4 eggs200 ml crème fraîche200g smoked baconpepper & nutmeg, as desired (optional) DIRECTIONS: Set the oven to preheat to 200°C. Place flour and salt into a large bowl, add the cubes of butter, and work the butter into the flour with your fingers until the mixture becomes breadcrumb-like. Knead, adding cold water...
BEEF BOURGUIGNON
6 servings | 210 min INGREDIENTS: STEW 6 oz chunk of bacon, cut into small cubes1 tbsp olive oil3 lbs beef chuck, cut into 2-inch cubes1 carrot, peeled and sliced1 onion, peeled and sliced1 tsp salt¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper2 tbsp flour3 cups of red wine (a full-bodied young wine like Bordeaux or Burgundy or Chianti)2 -3 cups beef stock (preferably homemade)1 tbsp tomato paste2 garlic cloves, mashed1 sprig thyme (or 1/2 tsp...
DRINKS from Around the World: FRANCE
FRENCH CONNECTION INGREDIENTS: 1 1/6 oz (1 part) Cognac1 1/6 oz (1 part) Disaronno liqueur PREPARATION: Pour all ingredients directly into old fashioned glass filled with ice cubes. Stir gently. SERVED: On the rocks; poured over ice DRINKWARE: Old Fashioned glass THE BOULEVARDIER INGREDIENTS: 1 ½ ozs bourbon, preferably Maker’s Mark¾ oz sweet vermouth, preferably Dolin Rouge¾ oz CampariTwist of orange peel, for garnish PREPARATION:...
Jerk Chicken Marinade
Chiquitita EVOO, Key Lime White Balsamic, & Red Cayenne Chili Fused Olive Oil INGREDIENTS: MARINADE 1 kg cubed chicken breast½ yellow onion, roughly chopped6 garlic cloves1/2 cup Chiquitita Extra Virgin Olive Oil3 tbsp Key Lime White Balsamic Vinegar2 tbsp fresh thyme2 tbsp minced ginger2 tbsp allspice2 tbsp brown sugar2 tbsp Red Cayenne Chili Fused Olive Oil1 tsp kosher salt1 tsp cracked black pepper½ tsp nutmeg SKEWER 3 bell...
Apple Butter Recipe
spread it on buttered toastadd it to bbq saucetry it on a burgertop your pancakes or waffles with itadd it to your charcuterie board INGREDIENTS: 5 lb cooking apples1 cup apple cider2 tbsp orange juice1 cup brown sugar1/2 cup granulated sugar DIRECTIONS: Combine the apples, cider, and orange juice in a large Dutch oven and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, until apples are soft...
Lessons from the Reading Room with Hazel McGuiness – Simple Reminders
Welcome back to one of my favourite places, The Reading Room, and with one of my favourite people, Hazel McGuiness. In the last session, Hazel and I talked about kindness and how very important it is; not just while we make our way through this pandemic, but something that ought to be shown at all times. A gift that’s relatively easy to aspire to, yet sometimes very difficult to adhere to. In this session, Hazel speaks to us about a...
“Our goal is to ensure that every customer can find something that fits their individual taste and budget.”
If you have not already visited North End Furniture and Mattresses, and you are on the hunt for great quality furniture at great prices, it is most definitely worth your while to pay them a visit. Located in the West End industrial area of Orangeville, North End is a pleasant surprise and a definite departure from your typical big box furniture store. I had the pleasure to sit down with Barathan Suthakar, co-owner and manager of the...
Discover Nature-Inspired Paint Trends for a Calming Home
(Family Features) When it comes to home design, colour can change everything. From understated, clean hues and calming neutrals to soft greens and mid-tone colours with artistic qualities, a whole new style is just brush strokes away. With the right colour palette, you can transform your space to highlight contemporary trends while creating your desired ambiance. These curated Clark+Kensington colour palettes, showcasing on-trend...
RESTAURANT FEATURE: Black Birch Restaurant
A community is only as strong as the people who contribute to it. While a community can be a wonderful place to turn to for support, encouragement and even entertainment from like minded people who understand your struggles as well as your successes, it cannot do this alone. It is so important to remember that every member of the community needs to do their part, giving back just as much, if not more, than they take. To steal the...
Should We Seed or Should We Sod?
New grass turf being installed in a garden. Sometimes we look out on that expanse of terrain we call our yard and shake our heads. Regardless of what we do, that grass insists on being brown, instead of green. Those weeds we drove off our property have launched a counterattack and reclaimed their turf. Our dreams of “splendor in the grass” have turned into nightmares of despair in the dirt. It is time to dig it up and start over. That...
Endless Taste; Endless Flavour
Who doesn’t appreciate good food? You don’t need a cooking degree, a job at a fancy restaurant, or a refined palate to know that strong, vibrant flavours will certainly please everyone. In fact, there are likely few things in the world that please so universally as good food. Sure, we might all disagree on which flavours ‘reign supreme’, but we can all agree that nothing warms the heart like your favourite dish or a thrilling new...
Exploring beaches & trails near Victoria, Vancouver Island
Saanich Inlet Flying into south Vancouver Island, on British Columbia’s west coast, I can hardly contain my excitement. When I see the Gulf Islands, the aerial view shows gradual and abrupt dark rock outcrops, where the sea meets the rugged coast, then green beyond and it is then that I am thrilled to be returning to a place of spectacular ocean vistas and ancient moist rainforests. After our arrival, near Swartz Bay on the Saanich...
5 Ways to Design with Authentic Materials
(Family Features) Creating a welcoming and relaxing space may be easier than you expect when you give natural materials a leading role in your design. Elements like natural stone, wood, fiber, metals and even plant life can allow you to express a sense of unique personal style that is broadly appealing. Most inviting rooms share one quality: ample natural light, which creates a subtly vibrant and energetic ambiance. Other aspects of...
Growing with Your Community
If you have found yourself driving along highway 10 out of Orangeville, heading north towards 89, you have likely noticed that it’s not much of a drive. As with so many of our country roads, the only thing the scenery really has to offer are long fields broken up by the occasional home or business. If you’re lucky enough, however, to have decided to turn in when you saw the sign for 10 and 10 Garden Centre – perhaps you were thinking...
Full Body Wellness, Inside and Out: IV Vitamin Infusions
It’s undeniable, 2020 was a long year filled with a series of ups and downs, highs and lows, for all of us. With all of the uncertainty that this past year has brought – and the questions that the upcoming year still needs to answer – it is no surprise that, for many of us, our stress levels have been higher than ever. When there is so much on our plate to take care of, most of us don’t have time to make our health be one of our main...
Ask the Beauty Expert: Skincare Trends 2021
After 2020, a train wreck of a year, we began to adapt to being our own hair stylist and aesthetician. We were hopeful that 2021 would have us back in the salon, spa & cosmetic clinics but we found that we still needed to continue to rely on our own resourcefulness. Professional treatments grinding to a halt in 2020 strongly influenced 2021 skin care trends. We see a return to the basics with an emphasis on prevention, skin repair...