The Restless Palate

There are days when simplicity is best. When it’s just about getting something tasty, flavorful and easy into the belly. Especially when the mind is too cluttered to give much thought to dinner.  Serve it with greens and dinner is done. Thank gawd because sometime….we all have those days. 

Sweet, spicy and tangy. What could be better all smothered on top of a thick slice of wild salmon?

4 ingredients, 15 minute sweet and spicy wild salmon. Is there really any need to say more? I didn’t think so. Continue Reading →

The sky is grey and trees once hanging heavy with snow are now bare due to 25 km winds. It’s amazing how much a landscape can change with just a gust of wind. Though mild temperatures persist, it feels more like a blizzardy day, one where you’d  hunker down with a big bowl of stew and your fuzziest blanket. Ice pellets falling from the sky are in the immediate future and the wind gusts are proving to challenge even the strongest ravens (and those things are fierce in the north…and the size of medium sized dogs. These are seriously huge birds!). It’s time for comfort food. Again…

Comfort food. Perfect for cold days, low days, sad days, days on the ski hill with the kids, days that are blustery, after a night of not sleeping well or for days spent outside frolicking in the snow with good friends. Seriously, when is it not the right time? Depending on who you ask, comfort food can vary greatly. However, it’s usually associated with dishes someone you loved used to make. What they often have in common is some kind of startchy goodness like rice, potatoes, pasta or bread and some type of creamy texture mixed in for good measure. Comfort food doesn’t always have to be unhealthy though and with New Year’s resolutions falling like flies in late fall, this one won’t leave you with any guilt at all. Little potatoes, corn, and butternut squash all surrounded in a coconut milk broth and warming spices to wrap you up in proverbial blanket of coziness. Continue Reading →

Stout Braised Beef Ribs! Perfection for a cold winter’s day where the snow hangs heavy in the trees, the cold clings to your skin and you can hear the snow creak beneath your feet. When it’s paired with a cheesy risotto (basically fancy mac and cheese in my books) it instantly becomes one of my favorite comfort foods. Put this dish/meal on your stove top to cook before heading out for a snowshoe or set it in a slow cooker in the morning, and it will be waiting for you at the end of the day. Continue Reading →

Cinnamon, cardamom, clove, pepper and anise, all spices that embrace you like a blanket. They whisper comfort and warmth while still being tantalizing and sexy. Maybe it’s because they feel exotic. When the weather turns grey and the air starts to nip, I turn to chai tea inspired spices. Whether it’s in a cup of tea, a bowl of quinoa porridge or a comforting bowl meaty of stew, a combination of a few of these spices are sure to make an appearance on my table. It’s no surprise that I heart Chinese 5 spice, and this braised chicken dish so darn much. I’ve since used that recipe, substituting lamb and beef. Both versions were fab! Continue Reading →

There are lazy mornings. Sleepy mornings. Mornings that beg for runny yolks and starchy taters (or Rutabaga in this case) fried up with onions. This is most true on cold and grey mornings. 

This is especially true in the late fall as temperatures drop. The dulled colors of dying grass covered in a light film of frost. The light is muted and grey. The air even smells different brought on by the decaying leaves on the ground. Even the crispness of the air is dulled by the fact that the atmosphere hovers just above and below freezing varying by any given hour. The trees are stark, managing a majestic presence and vulnerability at the same time. 

These are the mornings that cause you to put on extra cozy socks and a sweater before wrapping your hands around that perfect cup of coffee while the smell of onions and root veggies waft through the house. These are the mornings that command a hot breakfast that won’t leave you craving anything for many hours to come. Continue Reading →