I moved homes recently. I didn’t move far. In fact, only moving two blocks from my old apartment, I didn’t even leave the zip code. Still, whether moving two blocks or across the world, I had to pack up all my belongings nonetheless. Moving is hard, and packing is an ordeal. […]
Of all the summer fruit that fills the supermarkets, my favourite by far are cherries. They are the kind of fruit that takes my breath away when I walk into the grocery store and see them sitting there in all their deep ruby splendor. Of course they are placed at the very front […]
When I was about 13 or 14 years old, one of my English assignments was to write a legend - a short story for children that explained, well, I don’t know, explained something. As a child with a brother seven years older than I who had already left our house for university, I’d been […]
The weather is starting to warm up and winter is just about ready to bid us adieu. Before it left us for another year, however, I ventured on a downhill skiing holiday with some friends. (I say “ventured” because the last time I had skis strapped to my feet was on a Grade […]
As is the way with many things in life, I go through food phases. I find something I like and then I can’t get enough of it. I indulge in the beloved food item for a little while until my devotion and obsession gently fade away, and I’m left wondering why I was […]
Years ago, my Friday nights were not the nights to relax and socialize. They were not the end of a work week. Indeed, they were the longest of my days. Years ago, I started work at midnight on Friday, and didn’t finish until noon on Saturday. I would work straight through […]
I went out to dinner last week, to a restaurant that specializes in wood-fired brick oven pizzas. I like pizza, especially thin-crusted pizza. If it’s cooked in a wood-fired brick oven, even better, for the flavour of the wood is something you can’t achieve at home. There’s a lot to like about […]
When I was a kid, my father used to tease my brother by putting a large glass mixing bowl in his place setting at breakfast. The implication was that my brother needed a bowl this large for his cereal each day. He was quite right – my brother did eat an enormous amount […]
My parents have just returned home from a holiday in Egypt, and upon their return my father, diligent reporter on all things food, has come back with news on Sorrel. It seems that Sorrel is THE drink in Egypt. Apparently it is an Egyptian beverage of daily consumption all across the country. […]
Most of the time, when I reminisce about the food of my childhood, I think about the meals I loved, the meals my mother would make on special occasions. Lately, however, I’ve been thinking a lot about Pelau. I always hated Pelau!
Now, it’s clear that I come from a family that loves food […]
Well, if Dad died and went to heaven with his herring salad, I joined him there today with my Christmas breakfast! This breakfast, accra and float, was long overdue. It’s been about 18 years since I last had it, but with one mouthful I was transported back almost two decades to Christmas mornings […]
I come from a long line of eaters. Some people eat to live, others live to eat. My family definitely belongs to the latter group. When eating lunch, my father will ask “What’s for dinner?” You get the picture. Food is important to the Laurences. So, when my mother […]
Growing up, my father and I didn’t spend a whole lot of time together alone. I was fortunate enough to have a mother that stayed at home to raise her children, and when Dad came home from work, we were all together as a family. On occasion, however, when I was in my […]
What can you do when you see someone you love upset or in pain, and there’s nothing you can do to change the situation? The only thing anyone can do is to offer comfort, support and love. I tend to do this through cooking. Food, by nature, nurtures. For me, the […]
It was the late 1970s when my father gave my mother the gift he really wanted for Christmas. Indeed, it was really a gift for the whole family. We would all be able to use it and we would all reap its benefits. My father gave my mother the largest, most monstrous […]
Egg sandwiches don’t always have anchovies inside, but they did when I was a kid.
My family has never been terribly devoted to outdoor activities, despite growing up in Calgary with the Rocky Mountains near by. We moved to Calgary from England in 1975. Upon our arrival, my father enrolled the entire family in […]
I tasted Christmas this morning – first time this year. I had a Clementine. It was juicy and delicious and made me think of pine needles, candy canes, foil bows, and Christmas stockings. I always find it amazing how a particular food item, like music, can transport you to a time or […]
Christmas is coming. It’s time to dry orange peels.
When I think about the Christmases of my childhood, I don’t recall the stockings I received, the trees I decorated, the gifts I gave, or the carols I sang. When I think about the Christmases of my childhood, something that immediately comes to mind […]
I’ve had The Precious. Have you?
I once had a chef instructor at culinary school who always put a “the” in front of general objects when he should have used an “a”. “Have you ever seen the cow?” when he really meant “Have you ever seen a cow?” It always […]
My grandmother made the very best trifle. I suppose everyone says that about something their grandmother or mother made, but this time, it’s true. My grandmother didn’t have a large repertoire in the kitchen. She repeated things often, and since we all know that with practice comes perfect, it is only […]
I grew up with tea. For as long as I lived at home, I had at least one cup of tea every day of my life. Tea was the appropriate beverage for every occasion. It was especially appropriate first thing in the morning. My mother would bring me a cup of […]
My mother claims that Coquilles St. Jacques is one of her favourite meals. She’ll never eat it again. That doesn’t make a lot of sense at first, but give it some thought. It turns out that once, when she was much younger than today, she was in France on holiday and […]
My brother has a thing for lemons. I’m thirty five years old. My brother is seven years older than me. Still, only just this morning have I’ve realized that I think Kevin has a thing for lemons. I’m sure it’s not really that unusual. I think the lemon is actually […]
That time of year is rapidly approaching. Soon the time of year will be here when I’ll be inundated with offers of the one food I cannot stand. It is autumn. The leaves are turning and mornings are cooler. Kids are back in school and night descends earlier. […]
I have always loved food. Luckily for me, I’ve been able to turn this love of food into a career in cooking, and have spent the last ten years sharing this passion with friends, students, co-workers, and now television viewers.
I began my food career as a baker and caterer for a small independent bistro in […]
