Sunkist crate in dilapidated barn, Prince Edward County

When I got up this morning, my body left a damp, sweaty impression on the fitted sheet under me. I could have traced an outline around it in chalk, like…

The Van de Ven’s rooster

The handsome rooster here? He posed for this picture.

It sounds far-fetched, I know, but as I watched with camera poised as he and his lady friends strutted by, the rooster stopped to…

Wild strawberries on Gilmour Street, Peterborough, ON

Meet Fragaria vesca. (What? Based on the title you were expecting something else? These are wild strawberries, not strawberries gone wild.)

Also known as the woodland strawberry in deference to its…

Sunday morning breakfast table

Poached eggs. Vintage sunflower pattern creamer and sugar bowl by designer Vera Neumann. Asparagus. My grandmother’s spring flowers tablecloth. Potato-spinach hash. CBC’s Michael Enright murmuring in the background. Strawberries. Monogrammed cloth napkins, a gift…

The 3-H approach to good cooking

High, Healthy and Happy 3-H Mennonite Cook Book: A Collection of Swiss-Canadian Mennonite Recipes.

Apart from being the longest cookbook title I’ve ever laid eyes on, it also made me giggle. High?…

China Lily factory sign, Leslieville

The bottle came out when we ate stirfry with rice. Its elongated, giraffe-like neck stretched upwards from a fat base stickered over with the distinguishing canary yellow and black label. The inky blackness…

Puckery, garlicky, spicy pickled asparagus*

I know it’s not exactly Friday today. But in order to bring you this Friday snippet of food fun, I actually had to pickle the asparagus first, which is a weekend job. I…

Seville oranges, halfway to being marmalade

Bitter. Oh, so bitter. Yet intensely fragrant. A fruit of perfect balance.

That’s the calling card of the Seville orange (Citrus aurantium), also known as the sour orange or bigarade. Its fleeting…

Sweet corn soup shooters

Here’s the scene: People are arriving at your cocktail party on an icy January evening. The biting wind has driven the temperature down to a frigid –20°C. Guests unwind scarves from their necks, shake…

Pastéis de nata (Portuguese custard tarts)

I say “natas”; you say “custard tarts.” We’re both right and they’re one of the simplest, most delicious pastries around. You’ll find a little history behind this popular sweet and tasting notes…