Summer is a wonderful time of the year when it comes to the abundance of fresh fruit that is available, and cherries are one of my utmost favourite. I believe that we all have some fond memory from our childhood of eating cherries in the hot summer sun; either raw […]
Chef Dez – Your Personal Chef
Although men have been assigned the stereotype of working the backyard grill, it is a joy that is shared by all home culinary enthusiasts. It’s a summertime passion. The aroma of lump charcoal being lit starts my mouth watering as my mind conjures up recollections of flame-licked meats, and fire […]
Many people would assume that the most used spice is “salt”. However, salt is actually a mineral, not a spice. This leaves its sidekick ‘pepper’ in the lead for the number one position. Peppercorns as we know them, are the dried result of the ‘piper nigrum’ berry and have been […]
We pass by it all the time in the produce section, but when not being used as a garnish or a minor ingredient, what else can we do with parsley?Parsley is botanically called petroselinum crispum. This is derived from the Greek word petros, meaning stone, as it was often found […]
Mother’s Day is fast approaching and a great way to treat that special lady in your life is to make her breakfast in bed. One of my all-time favorite breakfasts are the ham & cheddar scones that my wife Katherine makes for me. I request these time and time again, […]
Most don’t consider salad dressings to be sauces, however they share the same definition: a flavourful liquid that enhances a finished dish. Salads do not all necessarily share the characteristic of being made out of lettuce; they do however almost always depend upon a dressing of one aspect or another. […]
A tradition in my family has always been the customary ritual of decorating eggs for Easter. As far back as history can take us, the egg seems to have always been a symbol of continuing life and resurrection. Therefore, it was natural to decorate them and give out as gifts […]
My all-time favourite dessert, no matter what the occasion is Crème Caramel.Crème Caramel is much like Crème Brûlée, but the caramelized sugar goes into the ramekin first, rather than torched on top. The result is a complex caramel layer on top of the inverted custard and a residual complex caramel […]
How many recipes have you seen that list water as an ingredient? A pasta sauce recipe, for example, may say to add a cup of water. How much flavour does water have? Nothing. I am always preaching to be innovative while cooking and add ingredients other than water such as […]
During every trip to the supermarket we must make choices between the price, health, and convenience aspects of the foods we buy. Most people tend to believe that fresh is always the best option, and in many cases it is, but what about frozen vegetables? Are they just as nutritious […]
Super Bowl Sunday is just around the corner, and although I myself am not a big sports fan, one cannot help but being inundated by the media that this annual game day is fast approaching. Chicken wings are an extremely popular appetizer, and the price of ones that are already […]
An unsatisfying visit to a franchise restaurant, has compelled me to write this column on nachos. With fierce competition in the restaurant industry, it surprises me that there are any menu options that lack flavour, let alone something as simple as nachos. For approximately ten dollars (plus the cost of […]
