For the Love of...: February 2012

Next to rib eye steak my favourite cut of meat is pork shoulder. Cooked slowly over low heat, the flavour and tenderness can't be beat. Matched with the sweet flavours of apple and the savouriness of fennel seed the shoulder becomes a melt in your mouth version of the classic pork chops and apple sauce that can be made in one pot.

pork Slow cooker

5:14 PM

When heading out to the mountains for a weekend of cross country skiing, we often crave the rich cheesiness of fondue after a long cold day spent in the outdoors. Options for this delicious dinner include the Grizzly House in Banff or the fancier Walliser Stube in the Chateau Lake Louise. The problem though is each place can be quite pricey and also the raw taste of wine can be quite over powering. Our version cooks out the raw alcohol flavour making the fondue much less harsh and is served with a big selection of veggies that are parboiled rather than raw .

Cheese vegetarian

1:04 PM

This basic chocolate cake can be dressed up in any way you want by icing it with any flavour of buttercream and using a variety of chocolate candies or even fresh fruit. I made this cake in one cake tin out of convenience, but you can easily divide the batter into two tins and make two layers. In fact, I recommend this because the icing in between will make the cake more moist.

A sleek presentation

A more festive presentation

dessert holiday

11:14 PM

Canned beans are a wonderful source of protein and can be a great meal on a budget. This recipe spices up the normally bland beans with a savoury green olive tapenade accented by the freshness of cilantro. Served with grilled sausage you have a complete weekday meal.