I confess – I am obsessed with fennel – less the seed and more the bulb. I don’t know if it is due to its absence from my childhood palate or its pronounced yet sublime anise flavour. I love it shaved … Continue reading
my fennel fixation
the day of reckoning
As promised, I have an update for my alaclaude.com blog followers. You are (almost) the first to receive this MasterChef Canada update.
I received an email today – I hope it is spam – indicating I will not be moving forward with the top 50 in the MasterChef Canada season 2 process.
Although short-lived, this process has been tremendously exciting and loads of fun. I must confess, I am astounded by the amount and volume of support from family, friends and alaclaude.com fans. The blog and my culinary adventures will continue as I hone my skills for the next round of auditions.
‘A dream doesn’t become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination and hard work’, Colin Powell
guest post – scrabble sundays, tapas style
One of my uncles used to tell a story about his many thwarted attempts to visit New Zealand. He always ended the story with an expression of exquisite agony, saying “and, oh, the fish and chips!” Claude’s roasted potatoes last … Continue reading
duck dinner
Wow – time sure flies! It has now been a week and I am finally sitting down to recount the dinner party Eric and I hosted last Thursday. We had a few neighbours over – a perfect time for me to … Continue reading
basil lillet slush
Scrabble Sundays resumed last night. Our favourite Summer cocktail, the basil Lillet slush also made an appearance. Rachel revealed some exciting news, we enjoyed five MasterChef-worthy courses and polished off a few bottles of wine. Quite a memorable holiday weekend. … Continue reading
cherry clafouti
Late last week, Eric and I had a few neighbours over for dinner. One of our guests is set to depart shortly for a year-long adventure. We took this timely opportunity to chat, laugh, eat, drink and mostly enjoy each other’s company. The evening began with the Friend of a Friend signature cocktail and finished with port-sized glasses of Southbrook’s award-winning Canadian Framboise dessert wine paired with a fresh baked cherry clafouti. Stay tuned for details of the duck breast entrée and highlights of the soirée!
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signature cocktail – friend of a friend
The concept of a signature cocktail, mentioned a few times in à la Claude posts, is an easy way to avoid the immediate ‘What would you like to drink?’ question when guests arrive for an evening or an event. Signature … Continue reading
another day – another spice rub
I’m riding solo for a few days again as Eric is travelling for work. This could definitely be an opportunity to lay low and minimize efforts in the kitchen – but what the heck, I’m worth it! A stop at … Continue reading
a downton-inspired picnic
This post seems a bit late – but better now than never! Winnipeg was blessed with a few glorious summer days last weekend – which, luckily, coincided with our rescheduled Downton Abbey inspired picnic. Our crew of five arrived in … Continue reading
quick fire dinner
A bit of instant messaging banter with my head cheerleader and chief strategist, Sherri, who happens to be vacationing in Florence, got me thinking about when and how I should be preparing for the potential call to represent Winnipeg and Stoney Point in Season 2 of MasterChef Canada. Something I have not yet tackled is cooking with a stopwatch. The television series has time limits on each of its challenges – usually just 60 minutes! Anyone who has seen me in action in the kitchen can attest the sight is comparable to a whirlwind – but some of my favourite kitchen tools help me steal a few seconds here and there to truly multitask. As we know ‘a watched pot never boils’, yet an untended browning butter easily burns!
Sherri suggested brilliant ideas for this blog sparked from her culinary adventures across Tuscany. Yet, her initial suggestion about the pressure test kept niggling away in my mind. I had seen an episode of Jamie Oliver’s 15 minute meals on the weekend and I was determined to be able to replicate his efforts in a similar amount of time.
Gorgeous Greek chicken with herby vegetable couscous & tzatziki
I stopped and picked up the required groceries and swiftly sped home as I was scheduled to attend a Fringe Festival event in less than two hours. As soon as I arrived, I cleared the kitchen island and dug out the pantry staples – or at least what I thought were staples! It seems I do not stock couscous any longer – yet Isreali couscous was found deep in my baking and bulk food drawer. Realizing I missed picking up peas (I was distracted in helping another shopper find tzatziki), I surveyed the freezer and decided spinach would be a suitably Greek-inspired substitute. I set off in a flurry of activity [boiling the couscous, frying the chicken breasts, making homemade tzatziki (What? No garlic? I’ll fix that!), and pulsing the medley of peppers]. The platter was prepared and prepped for its photo shoot by 5:36 pm. A glance over to the grocery bill to realize I paid at 4:48 pm. Not too bad considering the commute home and search for non-existent ingredients. Now, if only my right-hand man, Eric, was in town to deal with the aftermath!
à la Claude 