Chocolate

Recipe: Walnut Rumballs

December 5, 2011

Walnuts are the hard-done-by, neglected middle child of the nut family. Between the mature and established almond, with its fancy frangipane and marzipan pastes, and attention-grabbing, TV-diva baby of a macadamia (I’m looking at you Roseanne!) walnuts are easily overlooked. Sure, you can find them huddled in a corner with the maple syrup, but have [...]

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Recipe: Triple-Chocolate Brownie Cookies

May 24, 2011

This is Mairlyn Smith. Like me, she has a frequently misspelled first name and a passion for chocolate that borders on illegal. She even has an impossibly small kitchen (like mine was until last year). I had the pleasure of interviewing her earlier this month and the longer we talked the more I realized we [...]

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Recipe: Apple and Ginger Truffles

April 26, 2011

As a child, whenever my table manners were less than stellar, my mother would fix me with a gaze that could freeze time. With a mixture of horror and regret, she would inform me that I was not yet ready to have tea with the Queen. Her tone implied an invitation had been winging its [...]

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Recipe: Surreal Chocolate Wontons

February 24, 2011

This is Bob Blumer, aka the Surreal Gourmet. I had the pleasure of meeting him and tasting his fun food at The Drake in Toronto recently. If he looks a bit blurry it’s because he moves too quickly for my camera. He thinks quickly too. As he sat and chatted with the group, Blumer created cocktail [...]

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Recipe: Chocolate Basil Muffins

February 14, 2011

Since I’m an unapologetic chocolate addict and flower fanatic, you’d think I’d be blogging about Valentine’s Day with all the love in my heart and passion in my fingertips. But it’s one of those “special” days I ignore in part because it’s so contrived. It doesn’t help that the media, supermarkets and florists start pushing [...]

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Recipe: Chocolate Waffles

February 1, 2011

Last Saturday, along with two double lattes, I ate waffles and raisins. As far as my food intake went, that was about it. We shall not count the wine as I consider that “medication.” Andrew was pretty steamed at me for ignoring my health — a luxury I often deny him — but I was [...]

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How to make decorative chocolate drizzles

January 27, 2011

During the chocolate demonstration, Derrick made this for Emily. As in Emily Richards. I’m not jealous. Really. After all, my name’s too long. And too hard to spell. So demonstrating chocolate script with “Emily” makes sense. I guess. After Derrick showed off demonstrated, he handed the piping bag over to the students. In the shot [...]

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Recipe: Chocolate Brownies with Chocolate Mousse

January 25, 2011

I know that when I see a recipe calling for basically three desserts rolled into one, I skip it in favour of something simpler, like cookies. But if you think about it, pie is two desserts in one. The crust and then the filling. And many squares — say a classic Canadian Nanaimo — require [...]

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Chocolate Macarons

January 5, 2011

Remember my resolution to espouse joy, accept my weakness for sugary treats and let the professionals worry about the camera work? Well, today I share with you one of the highlights of my food writing career and a few less than stellar pictures. Recently, I spent an afternoon at Bonnie Gordon College with Master Chocolatier [...]

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Recipe: Pear and Chocolate Tart

September 7, 2010

When you do nothing to your pear tree but leave it be, you can expect trouble. And trouble came to my friend in the form of dozens and dozens and dozens of bug-free, blemishless, picture perfect pears. Her punishment? Driving some over to me. That’ll teach her. I asked her what she likes to do [...]

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Double-Double Chocolate Cake

August 17, 2010

I’m still on a bit of a high. Last week, Monica Bhide came for lunch. With her family. On her birthday. Which just happened to be her son’s 11th birthday as well. While I was thrilled she was coming and touched she would choose to spend her birthday with me, I was a bit nervous [...]

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