Recipes

Short ribs are my favourite type of beef. No other cut has their rich beefiness and melt-in-your-mouth texture. Of course they do have to be slowly braised to release all that rich goodness, but that’s just more time to anticipate the treat to come!

You don’t need a fire blazing in the backyard or a fancy barbecue to cook a great steak. Pan-roasting works well too, especially if you start with a great steak, use lots of butter and finish with browned onions.

The only thing better than a fire-grilled steak is the same steak with a round of flavoured butter slowly melting overtop, forming a rich, tasty sauce as it mingles with the steak’s juices. For the ultimate grilled steak experience, try taking the time to build a hardwood fire in your backyard!

Filet mignon is prized for its extreme tenderness, not for its rather bland flavour. It doesn’t have the rich beefy flavour of a well-marbled steak, but it’s still a rare treat and a great way to show off your kitchen’s best, especially when you add lots of flavour with an easy-to-make blue cheese crust.

This is one of Gabe’s favourite snacks. He loves fruit so we play around in the kitchen and see how many different kinds of citrus fruit, melons, tree fruit, grapes, berries and tropical fruit we can toss into one salad bowl. Our record is 32!

It’s easy to make your own personalized salad dressings. The basic ratio of sour, sweet and oil is easily modified and infinitely variable. This recipe makes enough for several salads because it’s just as easy to make a lot as a little and, once you taste your own dressings, you won’t be able to get enough.

This salad features one of my all-time favourite flavour combination: peppery, nutty arugula leaves tossed with sweet, fragrant strawberries, mellow balsamic and sweet pine nuts. Together these ingredients are far more than the sum of their parts.

This is one of my favourites because its flavours are exotic yet still very familiar and comforting.

Bean salads are excellent stick-to-the-ribs fare, especially when they’re jazzed up with the bright flavours of the Southwest, where beans have long been a staple food.

One of the best ways to add flavour to any ingredient is to roast it, especially the humble potato. That simple twist elevates this classic salad into something memorable. Add in the sharp flavours of capers, mustard and vinegar, and you’ll have a new family classic.

This salad really shows off why fennel is one of my favourite vegetables. It’s loaded with crisp sweetness and subtle licorice flavours. Try it. Its simplicity will blow you away! It’ll soon be one of your favourites too.

This is my all-time favourite summer salad. It’s amazing how much savoury flavour your grill can add to a simple pineapple and some red onion. Next time you fire up the works try this salad and you’ll have a new favourite for your repertoire too!