It’s hard to believe I made it through a full 112 episodes of Virtual Happy Hour before recreating the national drink of Peru: the Pisco Sour. I was surprised at the overwhelmingly positive response when I posted the recipe – apparently more people have traveled to Peru than I imagined. I guess that explains why…
Recipe
Sweet Potato Gnocchi in Brown Butter Sage Sauce
This was my first time making gnocchi from scratch. It wasn’t as complicated as I’d assumed it would be and I’m sure it will get easier with each attempt. The toughest part was trying to get the right amount of flour in the dough to make sure it was pliable but not too dry and…
Negroni Sbagliato
Since it’s Negroni Week, it only felt right to serve up a variation on the classic for my final blog post of the week. This is the Negroni Sbagliato. In Italian, “sbagliato” means wrong or mistaken. Apparently, this clever little concoction came to be when a harried bartender grabbed a bottle of Prosecco instead of…
Harvest Salad with Moroccan Chicken
What’s better than a hearty harvest salad? Maybe a cup of hot apple cider (with booze). Both would probably be best. This is a true meal salad. It’s a bit of an investment in dishes as you’ll need to use a few different pots and pans to pull this all together but it’s a great…
Clover Club Cocktail
With over 105 episodes of Virtual Happy Hour under my belt, one thing I’ve learned is that people love a gin-based cocktail with egg white. Aside from the fan favourite Earl Grey Sour, the Clover Club has risen up the ranks to be a podium finisher. This pre-Prohibition era cocktail comes to us from the…
Savoury Dutch Baby with Smoked Salmon
Good news friends, a long weekend means more time for blogging and brunching. Yesterday, I took advantage of the cool, overcast day to put in a full shift in the kitchen and behind the camera. My first effort went into this incredible Savoury Dutch Baby with Smoked Salmon. I often find myself craving smoked salmon…
Upscale Frozen Cocktails
I was on CTV Ottawa Morning Live this morning showcasing these two upscale frozen cocktails. Given that we would be in peak Fall Fair season were it not for the current global health crisis, I thought it would be fun to create adult takes on some of my favourite Fall Fair treats. These two icy…
Masterplan: Fall Dinner Party
I put out a call on Instagram to ask the people what they wanted to see more of on the blog. Several folks weighed in requesting more dinner party ideas. Well, if you know me at all, you know I *LOVE* a good tablescape and curated dining experience. From the playlist to the menu to…
Bourbon Renewal Cocktail
The Bourbon Renewal is a modern classic created by famous bartender Jeffrey Mogenthaler back in 2004. Those of you who love sours will absolutely love this drink and it’s kind of like a second cousin to the El Diablo cocktail I shared previously. This one of the earliest drinks I shook up on my Virtual…
One-Pot Israeli Couscous with Shrimp and Tomatoes
This is one of the easiest and quickest meals I’ve ever shared. All you need is a single frying pan and 30 minutes. Full of great Mediterranean flavours and clean-up is a cinch because, again, JUST ONE pot. If you’ve been following closely, you know I HATE doing dishes – so coming up with this…
