p.s.

I’m not going to lie to you and say I’ve been super strict these past few weeks. I definitely had some days when I went off the rails. Yesterday morning being one of them. Last week I managed to catch Delicious Miss Dahl on the Food Network and was inspired by her very selfish day. I woke up Saturday morning at 7 am and snuck down to the kitchen. Instead of opting for the usual eggs and toast I decided I would kick start it with the Rich Chocolate Pot recipe. I was not disappointed by my choice. I could barely even get the chocolate or stewed strawberries into the cup as I was eating about half of the recipe as I was making it. It had a rich chocolate taste that mixed with the sweet syrupy strawberries (I can only imagine what it would be like if I had cherries and cherry brandy). It wasn't too sugary and it felt like the right amount of indulgence without pushing you over the edge. Here's the recipe I made. I don't even have a complete photo because it was devoured that quickly.


Indulgent (Rich) Chocolate Pots, adapted from Delicious Miss Dahl
serves 6


About 1/2 cup of hulled and chopped strawberries
1 tablespoon of sugar
200 g of 65% Lindt Madagascar Chocolate (two bars)
1 1/3 cup of whipping cream
2 large egg yolks


In a pot over medium heat dissolve the sugar in a little bit of water.
Add strawberries and simmer for about 5 minutes until the strawberries soften and have a slight jam like consistency. Remove from heat.
Using a double broiler (I used a heatproof bowl over a pot of simmering water) Heat the chocolate (broken into chunks) and the cream together. When they are combined remove from heat and let it cool slightly.
Whisk in two egg yolks until the chocolate mixture becomes glossy and smooth.
Spoon strawberry mixture into 6 pots and then evenly distribute the chocolate mixture. It's impossible not eat as you are making it but it's also nice to share (which I did, come on you don't think I'd eat all 6 servings by myself do you?).

opening the floodgates

After a week of strict restrictions, week two seemed like a breeze because I slowly introduced wheat, eggs, soy and dairy back into the diet. Added sugar was still out but that was okay because I had Flying Apron’s book, which was gluten free, vegan and used barely any sugar.

I’ve been really enjoying her savoury section in particular her soup one. I made the Potato, Leek & Sorrel soup and it was delicious! It had subtle yet complex layered flavours it also had spinach blended in it with our 80’s immersion style blender called Robot Susan (that’s what the package called it).

By mid-week I was ready for something sweet so I made the Wondie Bars. GF oat, mixed with raspberries and blueberries, olive oil and some corn flour. It was a little crumbly but was sweet and crunchy all rolled into one.

When the week drew to a close I kicked it off in my usually weekend bake style and tried the Mexican Chocolate Cupcakes. I used no eggs, butter or processed sugar (the holy trinity of baking). Instead the substitutes were banana, olive oil and a maple syrup, agave nectar combo. I brought it to a friend’s house and didn’t say a word. It was big hit! The texture was crumbly (a common occurrence in Flying Apron’s book) but the cupcake had a nice chocolate depth and richness I didn’t expect from a vegan recipe. I’m not saying I’m converted because I love eggs, butter and sugar, I just thought it was a nice alternative for those with food restrictions. And of course it was gluten free.

Flying high from my past successes I tried to up the ante and make the Blueberry Cinnamon Scones. I used garbanzo bean flour, my first mistake. It smelled a little like peanut butter but had none of its texture and binding power. I was not impressed because they came out dry, crumbly and a little lack luster in flavour. Thumbs down for sure on this one. J said they were fine but every time I picked them up they would explode in a crumbly mess and left a sticky dry texture in my mouth upon eating them. Ho hum indeed.

Next up the Indian Pockets (Gluten free bread wrapped around a warm yummy filling, two recipes in one). I think I like the savoury more than the sweet. And even though I had a few successes I really think baked goods need a little egg and butter to hold it all together.

week one complete

When I first started this plan I thought how hard could it be to give up added sugar, wheat/gluten, eggs, corn, soy, fruit juices and processed food for one week? The first day I was patting myself on the back, the second day the reality hit. While I made a few meals including Flying Apron’s Fennel and Carrot soup I was not prepared for how hungry I would be or how much I would crave chocolate and bread. I packed my meals for the day but found myself wanting more despite great food options. This week I made Martha’s millet bowl, blended healthy shakes every morning, snacked on a handful of mixed nuts (minus peanuts), I had quinoa and salmon, lentils and salmon, salad after salad and fruit snacks. While all of them were delicious I really felt I needed more. I was a healthy bottomless pit. But as the week progressed I became less hungry and by day five I no longer craved chocolate even when J waved a one kg Dairy Milk bar from the UK at me (he’s been doing it as well but had to break it when that sucker came out. Chocolate is a hard thing to resist).

I’m now on day seven and tomorrow wheat gets to come back in (for J not for me, back to gluten free) and the restrictions loosen up. I have to say that the food was delicious but it was hard preparing everything for the day and making sure I had options so that I would not give in to a flaky chocolate croissant (best of both worlds I gave it death stares but didn’t pick it up). I do feel better physically and I’m finding it easier now, but I definitely need a snack that is not a fruit or some nuts. This next week should be easier with eggs coming back in. What I’m really excited about is finally being able to do Flying Apron’s recipes especially since I had such success with the soup.

The Fennel and Carrot soup was made out of necessity instead of want. I had a bunch of carrots about to go off and I knew I could make a soup out of it. I picked up a fennel bulb and went to work. What came out was something both unexpected and delicious. I was never a big fan of fennel but have come to appreciate its light flavour and what it brings to a meal. The combination of the fennel and the carrot was amazing. It had a nice balance to it and when you incorporate coconut milk in and you’ve got probably the most grown up soup I’ve ever made. I’m glad I had those extra carrots otherwise I would never have had the joy of drinking this soup. This simple to make soup definitely gave me confidence in the rest of the book and it also made me jealous that I don’t live in Seattle. And now it’s time for the baked goods!

new year, new resolutions

This past week I’ve had a cold and I went back to work. It seems as if those two items combined make it impossible for me to blog or even think about it (the robot shot above captures my feelings of the past week). But I’m feeling better and it’s the weekend so here I am. During the holidays I really enjoyed doing more than one book and hope to review at least two every month. This month I’m doing something a little different.

Every New Year I start with resolutions on reducing stress, eating better and getting in shape. I always start with the best of intentions but no plan. Without a plan I find it difficult to focus. This year Martha Stewart’s Whole Living magazine outlines a simple action plan for both mental and physical wellbeing for 28 days. I can do 28 days! So that’s the New Year resolution, 28 days to a purified me.

The first week is a reduction of common allergens and other bad things (good-bye added sugar, you’ve been a dear friend). Gluten/wheat is back out as well. With that in mind I decided that I would try Flying Apron’s Gluten-Free and Vegan Baking book. Seemed like a good match to Whole Living’s plan. I seriously love me a baked good so I’m going to be realistic and try to do more responsible baking. Wish me luck I’m may be a little crazy after a few days of no added sugar…

But before I do that I have one more Kylie Kwong recipe to review.

I love noodles. We grew up not knowing the true name to any dish referring to them as the big flat one, the one with soup or the worm one; the worm one being a particular favourite. That was why I decided to do the Hokkien Noodles Stir Fried with Chicken. Once again it was a blend of different sauces to create an easy to make dish that was rich in flavour and delicious. Before I got this cookbook I didn’t really know who Kylie Kwong is and now I’m sorry I hadn’t been introduced to her sooner. She’s definitely sparked my desire to learn how to cook Chinese food and furthered my appreciation of the food my dad just whips up in the kitchen.