Braised Beef in Wine

This is boeuf en daube, a traditional French dish of large chunks of beef marinated in wine and slow-braised in a sealed casserole. It's renowned for its rich, fresh, luscious flavours and ease of preparation. The optional pig's foot (trotter) gives extra body to the sauce by adding natural gelatin. Check with your butcher for the lean thick-cut bacon and the pig's foot, halved lengthwise at the store.

Down East Haddock Chowder

Chowders are simple soups — usually just fish, potato, onion and milk. They are quick to make and among the best soups in Canada. This haddock chowder is a recreation of the popular chowder served at the Evangeline Snack Bar in Grand Pr?N.S. When asked the secret of the chowder's success, the waitress modestly answered, "We get good fish here." You might like to add a few cooked shrimp, a spoonful of fresh parsley or some crumbled bacon to the soup. If haddock is unavailable, substitute other firm white fish.

Rustic Pan Haggerty

You can’t beat the comfort factor of thinly sliced potatoes and onions sizzled together with cheese in a pan.

Potatoes hold a special place in the nation’s heart, and every regional cuisine seems to offer its own humble way of cooking these earthy staples. Pan haggerty, cooked in one heavy pan, dates back to the Industrial Revolution, when it was a cheap and delicious way to fill the bellies of workers in the old pit towns of Northumberland. This rustic dish has been gentrified over time, and you’ll now find versions including bacon, ham or sausage.

Scallop & Mushroom pie

Scallops and mushrooms work beautifully together in this pie, and the addition of sherry gives it a lovely warming flavour.

Meaty yet tender, with a subtle flavour, scallops are a popular delicacy in Northern Ireland, whose coastal waters and sea loughs have long been a plentiful source. The name scallop, derived from the French escalope, means “shell,” and it’s in the bivalve’s distinctive shell that this pie is traditionally served. Scallops go well with hearty flavours such as bacon, chorizo and black pudding, and can be sautéed in butter, skewered and barbecued, or stir-fried.

Full English Breakfast

The “full English” is known the world over, and Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have their own delicious variations of the fry-up.
 

Breakfast club

Ever-popular with hangover sufferers and holiday makers, the “fry-up” is one British classic that crosses the class divide – you’ll find it in the swankiest of hotels as well as the greasiest of greasy spoons. The basic components include sausage, bacon, eggs, tomato and mushrooms . A full English sometimes also has black pudding, baked beans and fried bread, and a full Scottish might add tattie (potato) scones, haggis and oatcakes. An Ulster fry also features soda bread and potato farls, and the Welsh lineup is completed with laver bread (made from seaweed) and cockles.

Roasted Pickerel with Mixed Grain Risotto, Sautéed Root Vegetables, and Rosemary Honey

My inspiration for the recipe began with an amazing cheese course I had at a dinner party at my sister's house. Rosemary honey drizzled on sharp cheese on a gourmet cracker. Divine! I knew my recipe had to have a rosemary honey component (and lucky for me I had overwintered a rosemary plant from my garden.) Thyme honey, my alternate choice and made the same way, was also delicious. I also wanted to focus on local prairie ingredients...you can't find lemons or olive oil here so I didn't put any in my recipe! I love risotto and thought it a good way to bring the sharp cheese into the recipe. I don't like the constant stirring of the usually method so tried local grains baked instead. The oats are creamy and the barley still has slight bite so it is a great combination. A friend who was sampling my recipe stated, "the risotto was a real surprise, the star of the show." I choose pickerel because it is a local prairie fish, is quite mild, and blends nicely with the other flavours. Rainbow trout also works nicely. The carrots and parsnips were grown locally and the rosemary honey just brings out the flavours wonderfully. To serve: Scoop a generous portion of risotto onto plates. Place an array of vegetables to the side of risotto, then top with a half fillet of pickerel. Drizzle with remaining rosemary honey and garnish with sprig of parsley. Excellent with any British Columbia Meritage or Pinot Grigio Note: If you have any leftover risotto, it is delicious for breakfast with crispy bacon on the side!

Cajun Chicken

This is my adaptation of a recipe my best friend found in a Cajun recipe book some years ago. All ingredients are approximate since I don't really measure them closely.

Beet & Apple Soup

Mussels with White Wine Sauce and Parmesan Cheese

The key to this recipe is to end up with a sauce that is thicker than water and contains big flavors though not so much as to overpower the mussels. Thus, the reduced wine adds flavor not more liquid; similarly the heavy cream instead of half & half or milk. The final trick that prevents this from being too thick is adding the mussels and covering the pan. As they cook, the mussels release their juices and this keeps the sauce at the correct consistency and intensifies the flavours, once you perform the final stir. The combination of ocean air with smokiness and oak transcends the sublime. (Excellent with Caesar salad and more of the same wine used for cooking.)