Dinner with julie

Crispy chocolate chip cookies

A rainy weekend + a freezer too full to accommodate any more rhubarb can only mean one thing: pie. I picked up a copy of The Four & Twenty Blackbirds Pie Book (from the Brooklyn pie shop of the same name) at the Calgary Reads book sale – I showed some restraint, I think, and only came home with ten books – from this one, I want to make every single pie. It was only a matter of time anyway, with all this rhubarb, so I thought I’d get the first pie out of the way before the strawberries showed…

Bring the aroma of a French kitchen into your home with this recipe for beef bourguignon, a classic stew of bacon, beef, potatoes, red wine, onions, carrots, and mushrooms.

So back in February, when my friend Jan’s new cookbook came out, I was so diligent in making sure I made one of the recipes in a timely manner to post on the day of her official launch. I made a pot of beefaroni on a Sunday night when everyone was over for dinner – I’m making an effort to do more big family Sunday suppers these days – and it was a total hit. I mean, perfect for everyone, from the new generation of littles to my Dad, who took some home for lunch the next day. I’ve made it…

Get ready to take a walk down memory lane with this recreated recipe for hamburger helper. If you grew up eating hamburger helper like I did, you’re going to love this elevated version that sneaks in a lot more nutrition and can be modified for special diets, too.

harissa baked chicken meatballs with dried apricots and herbs, served with pearl couscous and a harissa yogurt sauce servings: 4

Nevermind shopping days until Christmas – I’m counting down the baking days before Christmas. There are some things that can only be made during the holidays – mince tarts and shortbread December is an excuse to make rich breads with eggs and butter, loaded with dried fruit – like a yeasted fruitcake you can slice and toast and spread with butter and eat with your coffee. I’ve made stollen for the past few years, but thought I’d take the leap over to panettone (a quick trip from Germany to…

Once you've rewatched all the episodes of The French Chef, it's time to get into the kitchen and recreate some of Julia Child's classic recipes.

It’s unfortunate that the bialy has not achieved the same level of recognition as the bagel, as they are unquestionably as great. Originally from Bialystock, Poland, the soft rolls are made with a deep indent in the middle, rather than a hole, in which a small amount of filling (and sometimes a scattering of cheese) is added before baking – generally it’s caramelized onions and poppyseed. They’re regaining popularity at Jewish delis and bakeries in New York (particularly in the Lower East…

Jamie's aubergine and pomegranate salad brings together some classic middle eastern flavours with a flavourful creamy dressing, perfect for alfresco dining.