My mind is always creating and developing ideas for the next recipe. Different things inspire me: a thought or emotion upon seeing something beautiful; the scent of something fresh; a memory of something I made for my family many years ago on the farm. By far, however, the most significant inspiration for me most often is the desire to evoke pleasure on the palettes of those I love. However, some members of my family are seemingly on a perpetual diet, so I need to be creati

Where would we be without eggs? They are the foundation of baking and cooking. Without eggs, there would no soufflés, no cakes and cookies, nor even simple eggs on toast. I was fortunate to grow up on a farm in Saskatchewan, where we raised our own laying hens, so I tasted eggs that were bursting with flavor. When you cracked the egg into a frying pan the appearance of the yolks was bright yellow, and surrounded by gelatinous whites. Supermarket eggs are labeled and packaged

White Gold Caciocavallo Crostini with wilted Arugula and Cherry Tomatoes 1 small baguette sliced into ¼ inch pieces (should have at least 12 slices) ½ cup olive oil 2 cloves garlic crushed Ground pepper and coarse salt Preheat oven to 350°F Place the baguette slices on a baking sheet; brush both sides with the olive oil; brush with the crushed garlic; season lightly with the pepper and salt. Bake until golden turning the baguette slices once. Set the crostini on a serving pla

Bocconcini Cocktail Bites 24 fresh small bocconcini -drained ½ tsp. smoked paprika ½ tsp. dried oregano ½ tsp. dried basil ¼ tsp. black pepper 24 small fresh basil leaves 12 pitted black olives- flattened and cut in half 4 tbsp. olive oil- herb infused if not a good quality olive oil 24 small wooden cocktail spears In a small bowl combine all spices and set aside. Cut a small edge off the end of each bocconcini so it will sit up on the serving platter. Dip the un-cut edge of

Red Chard with Ricotta and Orecchiette Pasta 2 to 3 tsp. salt ¾ pound dried orecchiette pasta 2 ounces olive oil 3 cloves of garlic crushed 1 medium shallot finely chopped 1 large bunch of red Swiss chard 8 ounces of thick cut prosciutto diced into small pieces 1 cup of yellow cherry tomatoes sliced in half ½ cup black olives sliced 1 tsp. red pepper flakes 1 tsp. cracked black pepper 1 tsp. ground sea salt ½ cup fresh ricotta cheese (White Gold Cheese) ½ cup Caciocavallo fi

Baked Lemon Sponge Pudding 2 tbsp. 3/4 c. Sugar 2 Eggs seperated 4 tbsp. Flour 1/4 tsp. Salt 1/4 c. Fresh lemon juice 1 tsp. Grated lemon rind 1 c. Whole milk 1 1/2 c. Whipping cream 2 tbsp. Icing sugar 2 tsp. Vanilla Seasonal berries Heat oven to 350F. Grease an 8 inch glass baking pan. Beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer on medium-high until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolks and blend well. Stir in the flour and salt. Then add the lemon juice, lemon rind and

Chocolate Orange Mousse 6 Oz. Semi-sweet chocolate 6 Eggs seperated 2 tbsp. Grated orange rind 1/3 c. Sugar 1 c. Whipping Cream 2 tbsp. Icing sugar 1/2 tsp. Vanilla 1 Fresh orange sliced Melt the chocolate in the top of a double boilder over hot but no boiling water. Beat the egg yolks lightly then stir into the melted chocolate. Heat the 2 minutes stirring constantly. Add orange rind and sugar; stir to combine well. Set aside to cool slightly. Meanwhile, whip egg whites with

Raspberry Cheese Cake 1 1/4 c. Graham wafer crumbs 1/2 tsp. Cinnamon 1/4 c. Melted butter 1 8 Oz. Pkg. cream cheese 1/2 c. Sugar 1 tbsp. Lemon juice 1/2 tsp. Vanilla 1/8 tsp. Salt 2 Eggs 1 c. Sour cream 2 tbsp. Brown sugar 1/4 tsp. Vanilla 1 10 Oz. Pkg. Frozen raspberries thawed 2 tbsp. Cornstarch 2 tbsp. Water 1/4 c. Sugar 1 tbsp. Lemon juice Heat oven to 325 F Combine the graham wafer crumbs; cinnamon and melted butter until moist crumbs form. Then press the mixture on the

Peanut Butter Roll Out Cookies 1½ cups flour ¾ tsp. baking soda ⅛ tsp. salt ½ cup softened butter ½ cup creamy peanut butter ½ cup white sugar ½ cup firmly packed brown sugar 1 egg Heat oven to 350°F Combine the flour, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. In a large bowl beat the butter, peanut butter, white sugar and brown sugar until well combined. Add the egg and beat until creamy and fluffy. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture then beat until well combi

Vanilla Pound Cake ¾ cup softened unsalted butter 1½ cups white sugar 3 eggs 1½ tsp. vanilla 1¾ cups flour sieved 1½ tsp. baking powder ½ tsp. salt ¾ cup milk Heat oven to 300°F Grease and flour loaf pan (5 x 10 inch) In a medium bowl stir together the sieved flour, baking powder and salt. In a mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Gradually add sugar, beating about 10 minutes or until light and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla. Add