Charred cabbage with nuoc cham: I had friends over for dinner on Sunday and had recently brought Molly Baz’s first cookbook Cook This Book back with me from Canada on my last trip, so I thought to take a look through there for inspo. Molly’s recipes are generally packed full of flavour and not too overcomplicated with ingredients - and this cabbage dish delivered. I prepped the sauce, cilantro, and peanuts before the pub, so it was an easy throw-together and was sooo yummy. I served it with coconut rice and pork (linked below), but this was the star of the night. I can’t find a link online, so try checking out the book from your local library!

Other things I cooked:

• Coconut rice: I prepped the rice earlier in the day, following the recipe linked for the rice cooker (using basmati rice), and then refrigerated it until dinner. To reheat, I started with coconut flakes in a dry pan to toast them, and once they got some colour added in the cooled rice, and one green onion, thinly sliced. Reheated on medium - wasn’t trying to create a fried rice texture, just more of a coconut rice pilaf.

• Miso-marinated pork with spicy cucumber salad: another recipe from Molly’s cookbook - super easy to prep ahead of time, with the pork marinating in the fridge until you cook, and the cucumber salad also getting better with time. I couldn’t find bone-in pork shoulder steaks, so I just did pork steaks from the butcher, and they were still fab.

• Pickled red onion: I prepped these onions early in the week and had them with almost every meal - was a perfect topper to tuna melts on the weekend, and as a side to a ham and cheese omelette. I halved the recipe, and added dried oregano to my jar as well!

  

• Marinated lentil salad: I roasted sweet potato chunks dressed in shawarma spice (bought the Ottolenghi mix from Waitrose), and then did a warm salad with the sweet potato, puy lentils (I buy these precooked ones!), sliced romaine, feta cheese and topped with the pickled red onions. Vinaigrette was lemon juice, a touch of dijon mustard, maple syrup, salt n pep, and olive oil.

Eating

At Via Romano Deli. I went to Richmond yesterday for a little bank holiday adventure with friends - picking up Italian sandwiches here for our walk is always a must. I get the Il Gladiotore - mortadella, pistachio pesto, courgette and buffalo mozzarella.

Saving

Take Anywhere Onigiri by @hello.fran.allen

Listening

Eyes by Rogue Wave

Thinking

About hosting and avoiding the pursuit of perfection. I think it’s really easy in the age of IG to get caught up in creating perfect menus or to avoid too much mess when your friends are over. I try to get the basics covered in prep so that when people are over I can still enjoy chatting with them, but not stressing too much about having everything together, and embracing help when offered (harder for me in the kitchen, but always willing for help with the dishes!).

Laughing

(link to post here!)

Have a great week,

Kaleigh

Tzatziki rice with halloumi crisp: I saved this recipe by @emilyontoast a few weeks ago and have had halloumi waiting in the fridge since then. Wow, this will definitely be staying in my office lunch rotation - super easy, so flavourful, and holds up well in the fridge. I added a can of rinsed chickpeas to bulk it up a bit more, and since I didn’t have pomegranate seeds, I drizzled a little bit of pomegranate molasses on top of each portion. I didn’t have green onions, so I just omitted them, but it would be a nice touch!

Other things I cooked:

• Glazed tofu bowls: I roasted sweet potato chunks in the oven (tossed in olive oil, garlic powder, paprika) and, meanwhile, pan-fried tofu that had been pressed to release water and broken into bite-sized pieces and tossed with some cornflour in some olive oil until brown and crispy on all sides. I made a spicy mayo glaze with mayo, sambal oelek (any chilli sauce would work) and a touch of honey and tossed the tofu in that. Served with a cabbage slaw with thinly sliced purple cabbage, lime juice, honey and a touch of sesame oil.

• Sweet and sour meatballs: back in January I had made sweet and sour meatballs for a party, and there was so much sauce leftover that I froze, and wow, what a great treat for future me. I picked up some ground beef after work on Wednesday and made simple meatballs with egg, panko, garlic powder, dried oregano, salt and pep, and pan-fried them, poured the sauce on and covered for 15 mins when they were fully cooked through. Served with rice and the same slaw I had made for tofu bowls earlier in the week.

• Mocha almond cookies: these are an oldie from my site but such a great, easy cookie that comes together quickly, using mostly pantry ingredients, and always a hit. I brought these to a picnic on Saturday!

Eating

At Young Nola. My flatmate and I went for a stroll on Friday night to Fulhum Pier and were so excited to try out this New Orleans Creole food stall. I had the plate with Cajun chicken, golden mac and cheese, and fried plantains - it was incredible! We will definitely be going back.

Saving

Crudite Class by @sethboylan

Listening

Rhinestoned by Kacey Musgraves

Thinking

About Airbnb cooking. I am headed on a little UK getaway this coming weekend and starting to plan out meals for our Airbnb. I have a little roster of recipes that I fall back on when I know there will be limited pantry ingredients - vodka sauce pasta will be making an appearance!

Laughing

(embedded links aren’t working again this week!)

Have a great week,

Kaleigh

Chilled coconut and corn noodles: I had saved this recipe from @sohlae a few weeks ago and had two ears of corn from the farmers market that I was trying to decide what to make. This was such a yummy, refreshing summer meal and super easy - one pot, one blender. I topped mine with chilli crisp and some chopped peanuts. I did spaghetti noodles as that was the only noodles on hand - delish!

Other things I cooked:

• Za’atar bagels with cottage cheese: I’ve written about the combo of cream cheese, sliced tomato, lemon juice, and za’atar on a bagel before, and this week I tried it with cottage cheese instead - so so good!

• Radicchio salad and grilled steak: I tried out a few recipes from Christine Flynn’s cookbook “Easy Does It” last week and love her affinity for vinegar. I learned to baste my steak with equal parts butter and vinegar, and it made for an incredible combination.

• Zucchini, scallion and parm pasta salad: this is one of my summer go-tos - it’s nice to have a roster of pasta salads now that are not mayo-based. I brought this to a BBQ on Saturday - also a great use of the endless courgettes/zucchinis this time of year!

Eating

At Plaza Khao Gaeng. This Southern Thai-style restaurant was a great find by my flatmate for a pre-theatre menu - super efficient (seating is just for 1 hour) and the food was so delicious. My favs were the prawn starter (Yum Pak Khud) and the tofu massaman curry (Gaeng Massaman Neua).

Reading

Dear Grace by Claire Thomson. I started following Clarie on Instagram last year (@5olockapron) and was really touched by her ‘Dear Grace’ series, where she narrates recipes as if speaking to her daughter, who had recently moved away. I only made it to the opening dedication to her daughter before crying, so this cookbook will take me a while. I am excited to start cooking from it soon!

Saving

Very Good Sausage Rolls by @tahini_dirtbag

Listening

When A Good Man Cries by CMAT

Thinking

About chilled soups. After making the corn soup this week I’m questioning why I haven’t made more cold soups this heatwave summer! So much flavour and so satisfying.

Laughing

(embedded links aren’t working today - from @newyorkermag)

Have a great week,

Kaleigh

Hetty McKinnon’s Dumpling Salad: the idea of a dumpling salad is everywhere on IG, but the original recipe came from the great chef and recipe developer @hettymckinnon. I love this recipe as an easy, throw-together, fresh supper post-work. I always riff on it based on what I have on hand - this week I did tomatoes, cucumber, iceberg lettuce, green onion, avocado and fresh basil, with a dressing of soy sauce, water, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, toasted sesame oil and fresh ginger. Itsu frozen chicken gyoza as my dumplings!

Other things I cooked:

• Fish tacos: I breaded haddock fillets with seasoned flour (garlic powder, chilli powder, salt and pepper), egg, then panko, and panfried in some olive oil. I made a fresh guac with avocado, tomato, lime juice, salt n pep, and a lime crema with sour cream and lime juice. My favourite part was searing some pineapple pieces to get a bit of char, and then dicing them into small pieces and tossing with Trader Joe’s Chilli Lime seasoning (Tajin would also work!). A little touch of hot sauce on the taco, and these were perfect summer fish tacos (minus the fact that I realised that no haddock will ever taste like fresh Nova Scotia haddock)!

  

• Prepackaged pasta and sauce: sometimes you just need a quick meal, and fresh pasta and sauce from the shop does the trick. My latest fav combo is mushroom and ricotta ravioli with tomato and mascarpone sauce, with some chilli flakes added in.

• Zucchini slice: @hello.fran.allen is one of my fav follows on IG for vibrant, seasonal cooking. I had saved her zucchini slice Reel a few weeks ago and prepped it this weekend with courgettes from the farmers’ market. Instead of sauteed onion, I did about four green onion slices (white part and all!). I packed this for lunch today with some cottage cheese, crackers, red pepper and pineapple.

Eating

Frozen soup. I returned from my July adventures late on Sunday night and had to go straight back to the office on Monday. Luckily, I had previously frozen a chicken, chickpea and orzo soup a few months ago, so that made for perfect office lunches at the beginning of the week. I always like to have 2-3 different dishes in the freezer for moments like this.

Reading

Easy Does It by Christine Flynn. I picked up this cookbook when I was in PEI and have been reading through the recipes - excited to try them out! The cover recipe, radicchio salad, is first on my list.

Saving

Extra Veggie Korean Rice Bowls by @thenaturalnurturer

Listening

Dancing In The Kitchen by Freya Ridings

Thinking

About autumn. I’m ready for a cool breeze.

Laughing

Have a great week,

Kaleigh

PEI

• Grilled chicken and romesco pasta salad: I seasoned the chicken with some ground spices (paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper) and then tossed in a bowl with hot honey when it came off the grill. For the pasta salad, I made a fav Romeso Pasta Salad by Claire Saffitz.

  

• Hamburgers and potato salad: I did a riff on my Warm Potato Salad with Leek and Bacon, subbing in caramelised onion instead of leeks and skipping the bacon. This made for great leftovers during the week; we even heated it in a pan as part of breakfast one day.

• Grilled doughnuts with ice cream: if your grocery store sells old-fashioned sugar-coated cake-style doughnuts, this is a perfect, easy dessert. You BBQ the doughnuts on medium heat for a few minutes on each side, keeping a close eye that they do not burn too much, and then serve with vanilla ice cream. Warm, caramelised, and so easy!

• Arayes, dill and date rice, chopped salad, mint yoghurt: we hosted friends for dinner one night so I broke out what is now a classic combo - details in my previous newsletter!

• And then for eating out, we of course had Richard’s for lobster rolls and fried scallops, Brackley Bay Oyster Co for fresh oysters, afternoon tea at the PEI Preserve Company (a really lovely experience!), pizza from Stoked Pizza (I loved their dill pickle pizza!!), and ice-cream from Cows (I went Gooey Mooey this time over my usual Wowy Cowy and was not dissapoointed!).

NYC

• Via Carota: I had been recommended this spot by my two most trusted food pals, and I was so glad I was able to snag a spot at the bar. I tried the famous insalata verde and their cacio pepe, and wow. The salad is indeed a very good green salad. The pasta? Incredible. Definitely up there on my list of top plates of pasta, rivalling some of my experiences in Italy.

  

• Milk Bar: after many years of baking Christina Tosi’s recipes, I finally got to try her cereal milk ice cream with cornflake crunch - a perfect summer treat!

• Ha’s Snack Bar: I absolutely loved my solo dinner at this wine-bar-meets-Vietnamese-small-plates spot. I had a lovely chilled red wine, a spicy tuna tartare toast, and a beef tataki dish with a side of rice to turn it into more of a main for me. Finished with a cherry and mint-chip sundae that was delightful. Vibes are great, and the flavours are big. I think this is best for 1-3 people, as it is mostly bar seating rather than tables.

• Levain Bakery: their famous 6 oz cookies are not for the faint of heart - the raspberry pistachio and the chocolate peanut butter cookies were favs!

Halifax:

• Stillwell Freehouse: this is always a favourite when I’m home for a catch-up with friends. We shared their nachos, brussels sprouts (wow!!), taquitos and finished with their banana bread sticky toffee pudding, which should not be missed!

  

• Homemade pizza feat. Salvatore’s: a great reminder for those in Hali that you can buy pizza dough, sauce and cheese at Sal’s to make pizza at home - we topped ours with some honey garlic sausage, mushrooms, and red onion!

• The Narrows: another favourite when I’m home. We shared the taters and the croquettes (that day was bologna!), and I had the devilled eggs (my favourite!!) and the special (haddock fish chowder with brown bread). Finished with the sticky toffee pudding to share!

• Ribs, pasta salad and coleslaw: my final night in Halifax we hosted a BBQ at my brother’s place - on the menu was my fav ribs, grilled chicken (made a marinade of olive oil, garlic powder, smoked paprika, a touch of brown sugar, and salt n pep), coleslaw (thinly sliced green and purple cabbage, grated carrot, sliced green onion with a dressing of apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, grainy mustard, olive oil and salt n pep), and then a riff on @saratane’s carmelised zuchinni pasta salad. I will definitely be making this again!!

• Ice-cream sundae bar: I might be obsessed with ice-cream sundaes. Recreated the sundae bar from a few week’s ago newsletter for my fam!

Have a great week,

Kaleigh

Nova Scotia:

• Tom’s Lobster Shack - I had heard great things about this spot in Peggy’s Cove. Whilst nothing will ever rival Richard’s lobster rolls, these were a pretty close second. Loved the bread and butter pickle on the side!

  

• Grilled ayares and date & dill rice: we had 16 people staying at my parents’ place when I was home, as a few of my cousins were also visiting at the same time. These were a perfect switch up from the usual BBQ food and super easy to cook for a crowd. Served with a garlicky yoghurt topped with pomegranate molasses and chopped veggie salad.

  

• Turkey cran mini pitas: my cousin and aunt made these delicious little sammies for the beach - roasted turkey mixed with homemade cranberry sauce, in a mini pita with brie cheese and shredded lettuce. These were so delish and easy to eat for a beach day!

Toronto:

• Pai: when I landed in Toronto I knew this would be the perfect lunch to welcome me back into the city, only a 10 min walk from Union Station. I got their famous beef khao soi, and it was so comforting. Always a fav!

• Ricky & Olivia’s: I absolutely loved our dinner at this cool wine bar meets playful fusion restaurant. The cheeseburger steak tartare, and the PB&J liver mousse were my favourite bites.

  

• Ed’s Real Scoop: the best east end ice cream - I had smore’s and burnt marshmallow!

• Bellwoods Brewery: took the streetcar west to get a taste of Jelly King and Jutsu. I also had their chopped salad for lunch, and it was delicious!

• Amber Kitchen for morning coffees and their garlicky tomato eggs: I was sad to see that Boxcar Social was closed when I returned to Leslieville, but this resto was a great replacement. Their coffee is super smooth, their signature egg dish was so delish, and the staff were so warm and welcoming. I sat there for a few hours reading my book and really enjoyed the vibe.

• The Comrade for cocktails: I love this cosy bar in Leslieville, and their happy hour Negronis were the perfect evening start.

  

• Left Field Brewery and Completo sandwiches: I had to head back to my favourite brewery, and ordered in a classic churrasco sandwich. Perfection!

Now off to enjoy the beach in PEI, have a great week,

Kaleigh

• Macaroni salad - added in Old Bay seasoning this time, and it really added some punch!

• Bean and corn dip in the form of a side salad

• Pulled pork (leftover from my last trip home, reheated from the freezer!)

• Hot dogs, because it’s all I’ve been dreaming of! Topped with sauteed onions, ketchup, mustard and relish

• Grilled shrimp - made a marinade of minced garlic, juice of one lemon, a dash of paprika, a good amount of black pepper, a pinch of salt and some olive oil. Grilled them in a basket on the BBQ at high heat, and then tossed in a bowl with 2 tbsp of salted butter (the heat of the shrimp will melt the butter!)

• Served this with a Caesar salad, using my favourite Hope Blooms dressing

• Izzy’s Bagels, of course!! Chocolate chip bagel - one half with salted butter, the other half with their house caramel apple cream cheese

Have a great week,

Kaleigh

Bewliehill dupe salad bowl: it was sooooo hot in London this week (35C +) that cold food was the only way to go. Luckily, I had prepped these salad bowl ingredients earlier in the week, so it was just an assembly job for my lunches. Inspired by the London salad bowl shop Bewliehill, notes on it below!

• Store-bought jalapeno hummus on the base of the bowl

• Lime and cilantro slaw: made a simple dressing of lime juice, dijon mustard, olive oil, a touch of maple syrup, salt and pepper, and then tossed in thinly sliced green cabbage, shredded carrot, sliced green onion and thinly sliced fresh Fresno chillis (totally optional, I was just excited to see them at the farmer’s market) - this gets better and better each day

• Roasted butternut squash: I roasted this with a little bit of olive oil, salt and pepper

• Sliced cucumber and tomato

• Turkey and chive patties: I had creme fraiche leftover from last week’s potato salad and I had seen @tishwonders add creme fraiche into her chicken patties instead of egg before, so I replicated her approach - a package of tukey mince, lots of finely diced chives (any herb would do!), about 2 tbsp of creme fraiche, ¼ cup of panko, and a good seasoning of salt and pepper. I formed these into small patties and baked them in the oven at 175C (350F) until cooked through.

• Topped with a crispy onion topper (store bought), but any crunchy topping like nuts or seeds would do

Other things I cooked:

• Butter bean and feta pasta salad: this was more of a ‘clean out the fridge’ exercise - a vinaigrette of lemon juice, sherry vinegar, dijon mustard, maple syrup, olive oil and salt and pep, with whole wheat fusilli pasta cooked and rinsed (fresh green peas added to the pasta water 2 mins before being finished), diced fresh red pepper, shallot, and then a can of rinsed butter beans. Finished with crumbled feta and Calabrian chilli.

  

• Everything else this week I ate was leftovers or “assembled” plates - too hot for cooking!

  • Last week’s Midsommer Potato Salad was a perfect cool, and quick meal during the week

  • I had a serving of the sheetpan gnocchi with sausage in the freezer that I defrosted and then crisped back up in a pan for dinner one day

  • Cottage cheese (I finally found a brand I actually enjoy!) with Everything But The Bagel spice on top, sliced tomatoes seasoned with salt, pepper, olive oil and a little lemon juice, and toasted pita

Eating

At Cremer. I stumbled across this adorable new bakery / cafe in the Hoxton area - it was having its soft opening on Saturday, so I got to try a few things from their menu half off. I had a lovely ham and cheese sandwich (on a housemade baguette with marinated artichokes), a perfect iced Americano, and then took home a loaf of their sourdough and their strawberry and peanut danish. The pastry was a revelation to me - tasted perfectly like a PB&J sammie. I will definitely be going back!

Saving

No-Bake Nanaimo Bar Cheesecake Jars by @fraicheliving

Listening

If You Wanna Be Adored by Eva Rose

Thinking

About leftovers. As someone cooking for one, many of my meals are leftovers, whether from this week or frozen portions. The key for me to not get sick of leftovers is finding new ways to eat the same thing. By my fourth day of having the salad bowl above, I was over it. I had the ick! But I picked up some pita from the grocery store, toasted the bread, and made a lovely pita pocket with the hummus, slaw and turkey patties - and it was like a whole new meal! Especially with salad ingredients, I always try to think of ways to repackage them, whether a sandwich, wrap or taco - there usually is a way!

Laughing

Have a great week,

Kaleigh

Halloumi BLT: I saw this video from @emilyontoast on Saturday morning and knew I had to try this out. It was soooo good - the halloumi takes on the smokiness of the paprika, and the crispy texture mimics bacon in a BLT. I did sriracha mayo (2:1 ratio mayo and sriracha) for a spicy twist. The halloumi reheated perfectly in a pan with a little splash of water, adding a little bit of moisture, so I made it again on Sunday.

Other things I cooked:

• Midsommar potato salad: Saturday was Midsommar, a Swedish celebration of the summer solstice, and I was inspired by @nea_arentzen’s video to try this out after finding new potatoes at the market. I got pickled herring from the Nordic cafe in Putney blabar, but I think you can find it on Ocado and some larger grocery shops. I topped mine with chives because.. I misremembered the recipe - it was still great! For leftovers, I just mixed the horseradish creme fraiche, brown butter, red onion and chives in with the potatoes to store, and then will top with the soft boiled eggs and pickled herring with each serving.

  

• Crispy sheet pan gnocchi with sausage: this recipe is a staple for me when I need something quick, but I know will also freeze well when I’m not sure about portions for the week. I always add a container of cherry tomatoes to brighten it up, and this time used asparagus as opposed to broccoli since it’s in season. Heck Chicken Sausages are perfect for this!

• “Clean out the fridge” salmon bowl: at the beginning of the week I needed to use up lots of odds and ends of veggies - I steamed the romaine lettuce that was not crisp enough for salads, and made a little dressing of soy sauce, maple syrup, water and minced garlic. I had about a quarter of a cabbage, so I diced that and mixed it with diced spring onion, grated carrot and a citrus vinaigrette (lemon juice, dijon mustard, olive oil, maple syrup, salt and pep). Roasted sweet potato and then pan-fried salmon in the miso mustard marinade from @tishwonders.

• Peanut butter and raspberry muffins: I had saved @christineanneflynn’s recipe last week, and wow am I glad these have entered my life. I was generally suspicious as the batter was much thicker than I’m used to for muffins (I basically formed the muffins in my hands), but they are surprisingly fluffy. It’s almost like a cross between a scone and a muffin. The peanut butter flavour is there but not in your face, and they are very moreish. The recipe made 16 muffins for me - will be freezing half for future me! Of the options in the recipe, I did coconut oil, milk (oat milk), chunky natural peanut butter and frozen raspberries (a little less than it called for - more like 325g because that’s all I had!).

Saving

Cherry Raspberry Jam Bars by redcurrentbakery

Using

My cake tester. I’ve written about this before, but a cake tester has so many uses beyond baking. This week, I used it to test the doneness of my salmon (does it easily go through the salmon without much resistance?) and my new potatoes for the salad. It won’t break up the potatoes the same way as testing with a fork or knife might.

Listening

stupid song by Olivia Rodrigo / the whole new album

Thinking

About what season is my favourite for produce. I usually say autumn or spring, but wow, the farmer’s market this weekend was lush with strawberries, cherries, fresh chillies, cucumbers, new potatoes and beautiful tomatoes - it might just be summer!!

Laughing

Have a great week,

Kaleigh

Filipino spaghetti: I made this for the first time on Saturday after trying it at Jollibee’s with some friends. The pressure was on as two of my good friends are Filipino-Canadian, and my only point of reference was my Jollibee experience. I followed along with twopplcooking’s IG video, just switching up the cheese to be regular Gouda. The only part that was unclear to me from their video was how much banana ketchup to put in, but my friend told me her mom always puts in a whole bottle, so in it went! Sweet, savoury and addictive - I will definitely be making this again!

Other things I cooked:

• Feta pasta: I had half a block of feta leftover from last week’s arayes, so I decided to make this old viral recipe on Tuesday night after work. I referenced the linked recipe but adjusted for what I had on hand - half a block of feta (roughly 100g), one pint of plum tomatoes, half a red onion thinly sliced, and three cloves of garlic. I added dried oregano at the end! It was delish, served with whole wheat fusilli.

• Ice cream sundae bar: on Saturday, I went full nostalgia with the menu, doing a ‘choose your own adventure’ sundae bar for my friends. The base was plain vanilla ice cream, and I had the usual sprinkles and chopped roasted peanuts, with a few special toppings:

  

  • Burnt honey hot fudge: from Samin Nosrat’s Good Things - this is SO GOOD. I can’t find the recipe online, so even more reason to pick up this cookbook, which is basically an encyclopedia of delicious things. Super easy to make ahead of time and then reheat on the stove just before serving. Salty, sweet perfection.

  • Cornflake crunch: Speaking of salty-sweet perfection, this crunchy cereal mix from Christina Tosi’s Milkbar cookbook was a perfect complement with the hot fudge - super easy to make with just four ingredients - I could eat this in a bowl on its own.

  • Strawberry sauce: I planned to follow the linked recipe, but then I started to taste-test the strawberries as I was chopping them, and they were so perfectly sweet on their own. I ended up saving half the strawberries to be a fresh topping, and then eyeballed the sauce, adding less sugar because of how naturally sweet they were. Vanilla ice-cream, roasted peanuts, plus cornflake crunch were one of my fav combos, tasting like an elevated McDonald’s strawberry sundae.

Eating

Mc & Sons “that spice bag”. This is one of my fav pubs in London - so great to see live music and it has such a cosy vibe. My friends and I went there after a comedy show on Friday, early enough to try out their Irish-Thai menu, and their famous spice bag (spiced fries, popcorn chicken, curry sauce) was perfect. I will be back for many more Guinness and spice bags!

Saving

Haskap Peanut Butter Muffins by @christineanneflynn

Listening

Beats by Begonia

Thinking

About hot dogs. One thing about living in the UK is that you cannot get a real ‘hot dog’ as we know them in Canada. There are lots of sausages, lots of frankfurters, but no classic American hot dogs. The closest I found (thanks to the Canadian I met at Vintersol Distillery a few weeks ago!) is Herta Frankfurters. Can’t wait to go home next month and have a proper hot dog!

Laughing

Have a great week,

Kaleigh

Lamb arayes: This recipe is one of my fav’s from Julia Turshen’s ‘Simply Julia’ cookbook - super simple and so flavourful. I did these in a pan with a bit of olive oil because I don’t have a BBQ set up yet, and they still turned out perfect. I added mint to the yoghurt sauce and topped it with pomegranate molasses for a little sweet tang.

Other things I cooked:

• Roasted cauliflower with date gremolata: I didn’t have preserved lemon, but this still turned out great! Super moreish.

• Chopped salad: inspired by a recipe also in Eden Grinshpan’s Eating Out Loud, I finely chopped cucumber, tomato, red onion, parsley, and added lemon juice, olive oil, salt n pep and a sprinkling of sumac, topped with feta

• Honey mustard miso salmon bowls: this marinade from Tish Wonders (recipe in the caption of Youtube), I will be making again and again! It’s so flavourful - I prepped the salmon on Sunday, leaving it to marinade in the fridge. I also cooked my rice on Sunday night. It made it so easy when I got home on Monday night to simply pan-fry the salmon, adding sugar snap peas near the end, for a super-flavorful and easy weekday salmon bowl.

• Roasted chicken breasts: On Tuesday night, I baked two chicken breasts in the oven, simply seasoned with olive oil, salt and pepper. I then had an easy protein to add to ‘throw together’ dinners the rest of the week - egg fried rice with the leftover rice from salmon bowls on Wednesday, and chicken quesadillas on Thursday, throwing in all the near-end-of-life in the fridge (sliced zucchini, red pepper, kale).

  

• Mom’s Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies: these were the staple of my childhood - I have so many fond memories of my mom baking these for my brother and I afterschool. They turn out much flatter in the UK, as flour here is not as strong as Canadian flour, but it makes for a different twist on a classic. I kind of like how carmelised they get being thinner! The recipe will be added to my site soon, but send me an email or ping me on IG in the meantime for the recipe!

Eating

Osteria Vibrato. This relatively new London opening was a dreamy Friday dinner in Soho, with super clean flavours in every bite - you can tell the ingredients are of incredible quality. Standouts were the starters of asparagus and the aged feta, as well as the grilled red shrimp. The white risotto and pansotti with walnut sauce were our fav pastas. Only watch out if you have an early seating, they do move tables after 2 hours, so it’s not a lingering spot.

Saving

Peach Couscous and Feta Salad by olivianoceda

Watching

The corporate slop bowl shows us how food is a manifestation of time ownership by chefjennydorsey

Listening

Change The Sheets by Kathleen Edwards

Thinking

About plateware. Over the last two years, I’ve started trying to purchase dishes or plates on my travels, as I like the idea of souvenirs as something I will use often and can call back memories of that trip. I am really loving how my collection is shaping up and how it adds personality to my meals. Two new dishes featured in the arayes pic are a silver platter from an antique shop in Amsterdam, and a shell dish at a flea market in London (purchased this weekend!).

Laughing

Have a great week,

Kaleigh

Zucchini Chicken Burgers: My friend texted me a few weeks ago saying she had made these, and it reminded me how solid these are! An oldie from my site, but these chicken burgers (I used ground turkey this week!) are so moist and savoury; the perfect kick-off to summer eating. I topped mine with the burger sauce from the recipe, lettuce, tomato, cheddar, ketchup, yellow mustard, and my fav - crunchy peanut butter on the bottom bun. Don’t knock it ‘til you try it!

Other things I cooked:

• Strawberry Shortcake: No recipe to link here as it was a bit of an improvisation, but a reminder that we will soon be in peak strawberry season, so put this in your summer dessert rotation.

• Lemon Pepper Shrimp Orzo: Another oldie but goodie from my site, I made this on Tuesday night when we were having our neighbour over for supper. It comes together quickly, making it a perfect weeknight-hosting recipe.

  

• Shrimp Tacos: I made the mango salsa from my site, and then did a simple red cabbage slaw with Greek yogurt, Trader Joe’s Ranch seasoning, apple cider vinegar and honey. For the shrimp, I sauteed them in a pan, adding hot sauce just before they were finished cooking. Simple but delicious!

Eating

Two weeks ago, I was in Oslo for my birthday, and the most memorable meal from that trip was at Liminal. We went for their Saturday lunch, which is a small menu of smørrebrød (traditional Danish open-faced sandwiches), and wow. I will be thinking about the egg salad and beetroot sandos for a long time! They used crispy buckwheat as a garnish, which added a delicious, nutty crunch.

Saving

Weeknight Chicken Thighs with Chickpeas and Grains by saff_michaelis

Reading

How Losing My Limbs Turned Me Into a Different Kind of Cook by Yewande Komolafe

Listening

Red Chevy by Holly Humberstone

Thinking

About time. How is it June 1st?? It does feel like this year has flown by a bit, but I’m ready for a slower summer, longer meals, and less rushing around (forced function of the heat).

Laughing

Have a great week,

Kaleigh

Cooking

Chickpea pasta salad: I’ve written about this recipe many times before - it often becomes my hyper-fixation lunch for work, and is especially fitting in the hot weather. It reminds me of the macaroni salad I ate growing up, but packed with a lot more veggies and a little less mayo. This week I did finely diced red onion, celery, red pepper, grated carrot, wholewheat pasta, and green peas as the base. For the dressing, greek yoghurt, a touch of mayo, dijon mustard, honey, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, Trader Joe’s ranch seasoning and piri piri hot sauce. I always top with a good spoonful of nutritional yeast as well.

Other things I cooked:

• Sweet potato and beef bowls: another of my fav packed lunches - I roast whole sweet potatoes (just prick them with a fork, and place them on a sheet tray in a 200C/400F oven until they are soft or a cake tester is easy to insert), steam broccoli, and then sautee ground beef with some onion, garlic powder and season with soy sauce, sriracha, honey and a splash of apple cider vinegar. A great combo - can top with sesame seeds and sliced green onion if you have them.

  

• Kiwi and cashew yoghurt pots: I got really into kiwis this year. My latest favourite combo for them is plain greek yoghurt, a scoop of cashew butter, topping with sliced kiwi.

• Soft-boiled eggs: another obsession of mine lately - I do a 7 min egg (dropping the eggs in once the water is boiling), and love to have these with toast, butter, jam and cheese! This is also an easy travelling breakfast at an Airbnb.

Eating

Oh so much! I just got back from Amsterdam, and my favourite bites were at Euro Pizza (their snacks and plates - pizza was great too!) and Little Collins for brunch (I will be thinking about their pickle slaw for a long time!).

Saving

@moribyan Chicken Sausage Patties - these look so great for homemade breakfast sandwiches.

Using

My freezer for popsicles!! It’s so hot in London right now that ice lollies are the only way to survive the no-AC life. My current fav are these strawberry split ice lollies from M&S.

Listening

Across the Hall by Jeremie Albino

Thinking

About how cooking keeps me feeling grounded. I have felt this a lot the last few months - how much better I feel when I can prepare my own food versus when I’m stuck in a hotel. Even preparing a simple breakfast at our Airbnb last week made me feel so relaxed.

Laughing

Have a great week,

Kaleigh

Ending off 2025 with a wrap-up of my favourite festive recipes to get you through until the new year!

Appetizers and snacks:

There are quite a few on my website that are go-tos for my fam:

• Sweet and Spicy Cheeseball: perfect to bring to a gathering (I love a cheeseball with pretzel crackers) - the crushed pineapple adds a surprising sweetness to this classic.

• Maple sriracha bits and bites: it’s not too late to make this moreish snack that is always a hit with a crowd, and makes for perfect gift-giving. Requires slow roasting so it’s great to make on a lounge-y day at home.

• Tortilla roll-ups: these are a retro classic with lots of cheesy goodness, a fresh bite of red pepper, and spice from pickled jalapenos. These are always loved at gatherings, and the colours feel festive!

• Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Ricotta Crostini: this is an oldy from my site - in recent years I’ve served it more like a layered dip with the ricotta swirled on a plate, and the brussels sprout mixture piled on top, with sliced bread on the side. It cuts down the prep time and is a more modern way of serving!

• Bean and Corn Dip: If everything is feeling a bit heavy, this dip is a fun one to put on the table for a bright kick of veggies. I serve with tortilla chips - gets better with time, so also a sneaky one to keep in the fridge for snacking between heavier meals.

And then a few other favs:

• Sizzled Scallion Dip (Alison Roman): I make this essentially every time I host. I do this with sour cream as opposed to labneh (although I did see labneh at Atlantic Superstore!), and serve it with veggie crudites.

• Shrimp Cocktail (Molly Baz / Bon Appetit): this is a Christmas Eve tradition for my family, but would also be great on New Year’s Eve. Once you have a homemade shrimp ring, it is tough to go back to store-bought!

Mains:

• A Very Good Lasagna (Alison Roman): for when you are over the rosemary and sage flavours, this is a great classic lasagna - if you have meat lovers, I have also browned Italian sausage (out of the casing) and added this to the layers, but I think it’s perfect without!

• Pork Tenderloin with Grape Sauce: one of my first recipes on my site, this is incredibly easy and flavourful - it would be great with mashed potatoes and a roasted green veg!

• Chorizo Stuffed Dates with Spicy Marinara: this to me is the perfect NYE meal - served with a crusty bread and bright, acidic salad. Inspired by one of my favourite meals at Avec in Chicago.

• French Onion Pasta Bake (Half Baked Harvest): this recipe always takes me twice as long as it says and requires a bit of improvisation, as I never find it has enough liquid to cook the pasta, BUT if you accept this is a bit more work than it says, the result is delicious. Also great with a bright acidic salad.

• Spiced Glazed Lamb Shoulder (Ottolenghi): this is an Easter recipe, but I think it would be great over Christmas as well! So so yummy!

• Date and Lemon Roast Chicken (Alison Roman): my go-to roast chicken recipe - super easy, full of flavour, and the sweet dates are such a nice surprise on the side!

• Herb and Parmesan Crusted Beef Roast (Food & Wine): this recipe is for beef tenderloin, but I’ve done the crust with other cuts of beef roast, and it is always delicious!

Salads/Sides:

• Kale and Fennel Salad: this salad goes with everything - it’s bright, tangy, and refreshing on the festive table. Sometimes I add pomegranate seeds on top for that extra festive touch!

• Iceberg Salad with Capers and Pecorino: if you are making the lasagna above, this pairs perfectly - giving Italian deli vibes, it is super easy to assemble and requires no vinaigrette making!

• Squash and Radicchio Salad with Pecans (Christina Chey/Claire Saffitz/Bon Appetit): when I want to make something a bit more show-stopping and hearty for a side over the holidays, this is a perfect project salad. You can prep each component ahead of time and assemble just before serving.

• Brussels Sprouts Salad with Lime and Miso (The First Mess): this tangy, zippy twist on roasted brussels sprouts always surprises guests, and leaves people going back for more!

• Cauliflower Puree: I developed this recipe a few years ago for a family member who couldn’t eat mashed potato at Christmas dinner, but now it is a mainstay side that everyone enjoys - the leeks and cheese make this so yummy!

• Winter Squash with Crispy Sage and Honey (Eden Grinshpan): this is an easy approach to using up those sage leaves that are leftover from that one recipe you made this season, and a tasty way to serve whichever squash you have on hand!

Desserts:

• Ginger Molasses Cake with Apple Cider Sauce: a small batch version of the classic Nova Scotia cake that usually comes in sheet pan size - warm and cosy!

• Chocolate Tahini Tart (Alison Roman): this tart is so easy but always impresses guests - rich in chocolate flavour, I usually serve it with whipped cream with a bit of plain Greek yogurt or sour cream folded in.

• (Cottage) Cheese Cake (Alison Roman): this is always a showstopper anytime I make it - in the spring I do rhubarb, but for winter, plums or apricots would be perfect.

• Key Lime Pie (Alison Roman): if you are looking for a citrusy punch at the end of a meal, this classic key lime pie is the perfect bite!

Wishing you and yours a restful holiday season, and see you back here in 2026 with lots more recipe inspo!

Kaleigh

Winter Squash Pasta: I bought Alison Roman’s new cookbook on the weekend, and it was tough to pick what would be the first recipe I cooked. I settled on this cosy winter squash pasta with a chilli garlic butter, and it was the perfect autumn evening meal. I missed the step where you are supposed to break down the squash into more of a sauce, but it still worked great with squash chunks.

Other things I cooked:

• Fruit and candied walnut salad: This is also from Alison’s new cookbook (sorry, can’t find a public link!) - a simple salad of bitter greens, crisp apple, and lightly candied walnuts with a sherry vinegar dressing.

• Raspberry ricotta cake: Keeping the Alison theme going for this dinner, I baked one of my favs from her last cookbook, ‘Sweet Enough’ - the raspberry ricotta cake. The cake is dense (more like a coffee cake texture) but still eats light with the bright raspberries.

• Carmelised harissa dip: this simple dip has you carmelise harissa paste in a pan with olive oil until deeply browned, and then swirl this into greek yoghurt seasoned with lemon juice, salt and pepper. Super simple but so flavourful! Also from Alison’s new book.

  

• Ottolenghi’s sweet potato fries: sometimes you just need to have fish fingers, and on those days when I get that craving, I always toss together these sweet potato fries, which are so flavourful that they make me feel slightly more sophisticated than my fish finger life. The recipe is easy to alter for one portion - the cornmeal is such a sneaky trick for extra texture!

• Tofu noodle stir-fry: if you’ve been reading most of this year’s newsletters, you’ll know this is my current fixation meal. Whatever veg I have in the fridge (I particularly love mushrooms in this!), shredded tofu, packaged noodles, soy sauce, some sort of chili sauce, a splash of vinegar, and a touch of maple syrup. Topped with green onion if I have it!

Eating

Katz Orange. This meal goes down as my top meal of 2025 so far - the restaurant itself has the perfect cosy aesthetic and the vibes are great (think lots of wood detailing, candles, warm lighting), and the menu featured complex flavour combinations but was unpretentious. The star for me was their “candy on bone” slow braised meats - pork shoulder and beef brisket - which both had such depth of flavour and incredible sauces. We finished with a gingerbread crème brûlée that I will be thinking about for a long time. If you are ever in Berlin, be sure to make a booking!

Saving

Maple Glazed Crispy Chicken from @gatherandfeast

Reading

Alison Roman’s new cookbook, “Something from Nothing”. I have always loved her practical approach to cooking, and this book really embraces that theme - how to pull together simple ingredients into flavourful and memorable bites. The book itself is stunning - the photography and typography make this a great coffee table book as well. I was surprised that there were no desserts included, but I guess that’s what “Sweet Enough” is for. I look forward to cooking more from this over the next few weeks.

Listening

On Fire by Langhorne Slim

Thinking

About cosy season and festive eats. Although I greatly dread the dark season in London with the early sunsets (we’re already at 4pm!), I do love how the city embraces Christmas and festive decor. The sparkling lights make it all a bit more bearable. The other perk is the festive-themed sandwiches - every shop has its own festive menu. This weekend I had a turkey curry with cranberry raita, sage and onion bhaji sandwich from Waitrose as part of my meal deal - what a dream!

Laughing

Have a great week,

Kaleigh

Cooking

Dumpling bake: I have been seeing this viral recipe for a while now and decided to give it a try, finally, and now I understand why it has gone viral. I mostly followed nelnourish’s version but added in all the veggies I had in my fridge that were near-end-of–life - thinly sliced carrots, red pepper, a few handfuls of spinach. I put a whole package of frozen dumplings in as I wanted leftovers. I did find it took longer to cook than her instructions, about 30 mins covered for everything to get tender, and then 10 mins uncovered to crisp up the dumplings. This was sooooo yummy, and so easy! Reheated great for lunches as well - served with rice.

Other things I cooked:

• Baked oatmeal: when the weather starts to turn cooler, I switch from my usual overnight oats to baked oatmeal. I unfortunately cannot find a publicly available version of this recipe - it’s from Ottolenghi’s Comfort cookbook. Highly recommend this cookbook for when you have time for a more project-cook - there are many recipes I go back to time and time again, and this is one of them.

• Gnocchi and sausage sheetpan bake: this has become one of my go-tos for a comforting but nourishing meal - filled with lots of veggies and so easy to throw together. I add cherry tomatoes for some extra veg, so I usually do two sheet pans to make sure everything has space to crisp up. This week I used store-bought pumpkin gnocchi!

Eating

At Poon’s at Somerset House. Two years ago, I went to the Poon’s Wontoneria pop-up in central and absolutely loved my meal. I was so excited to see that they have opened a permanent restaurant in Somerset House, and was lucky enough to go to their soft opening to try out the menu. My friend and I shared about 7 dishes, all were incredible. Standouts to me were the claypot rice with wind-dried sausage, the aubergine, roasted duck salad and the homemade pickles. Of course, the wontons were also amazing!

Saving

Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies by nytimescooking/yossyarefi

Using

My cheese grater for veggies and tofu. Lately, speed and ease have been my priority in the kitchen, as I juggle a pretty stacked work and social calendar. Grating veggies helps them cook faster, and my favourite discovery was grating tofu. It has such a nice texture when grated and then stir-fried, almost like chewy noodles. The increased surface area lets it take on more flavour as well.

Listening

Masquerade by The Original Cast of Stereophonics (if you live in London, be sure to go see the play before its run ends!)

Thinking

About Eric Kim’s IG stories about airplane food. Here’s one quote - “Airplane food will always be so fun to me. I love how bad it is. I love how cold the roll is, and unspreadable the butter so you just eat the two together and let is melt in your mouth.”. I fly a lot, especially to go home to Canada, and looking up the airplane menu ahead of time has become a bit of a ritual for me. I do love how bad it is. I do love how everyone is awkwardly trying not to elbow the person beside them when they make the error of picking the meal that requires cutting (always go pasta!). It’s too salty, kind of gross, and oh so wonderful.

Laughing

Have a great week,

Kaleigh

Roasted cabbage: I had bought a large savoy cabbage last week at the winery farm shop and fell guilty to the avoidance problem of a large root veg. It can feel like a lot of work to ‘deal’ with these veggies! It sat on the counter for a week, but this Sunday I finally peeled off the outer leaves, gave it a good wash and shook out the excess water, then cut it into about 8 wedges. Despite all my procrastination, it took approximately 2 minutes to do this. I followed Samin Nosrat’s method, placing it in an even layer on an oiled baking sheet, drizzling some extra olive oil over top and a good seasoning of salt and pepper. Roasted at 220C/425F for about 30 mins until charred and tender. I made a little dressing of apple cider vinegar, sesame oil, grated fresh ginger and garlic to drizzle over and let it marinate in the fridge. I will use this cabbage in rice and salmon bowls this week!

Other things I cooked:

• Chicken meatballs: I made mini versions of these meatballs (minus the glaze) to add to meals that I needed to be a bit more filling, like the squash soup I made last week. I did a little scoop of gochujang and some mild curry powder as the seasoning. Baked them in the oven at 175C/350F for about 20 mins until they reached 165F internal temp.

• Chicken salad: I’ve been really into chicken salad sammies lately! I bake two chicken breasts, and then, once cool, I dice them, add whatever crunchy vegetables I have on hand (this week was celery), and stir in some Greek yogurt, a touch of mayonnaise, and Dijon mustard. This week, I added in some leftover cranberry sauce from Thanksgiving for a little sweetness and festive touch! I had these in pitapockets with veggies.

  

Eating

Bun House Chinatown. The best steamed buns! My favourites are the pork and the chicken, but the rest of their menu is also amazing for dim sum and other tasty plates (I loved their green beans!).

Noko Brixton. I go for a monthly noodle date with my friend, and we both agree these are the best noodles we’ve had yet in London! They are hand-pulled, have a perfect chewy texture, and the flavours are incredible. We had the braised beef and the dan dan noodles - I am always impartial to dan dan, but both were amazing. Their eggplant dish with garlic sauce was also incredible.

Via Romana Deli. Wowzas, what a find. I love visiting Richmond - it’s an easy 10 min train ride from where I live and is the perfect weekend adventure to go for a long walk and to then hit up a cosy pub. My friend had recommended this spot to stop for sandwiches post-walk, and wow - top 5 sandwiches of my life. I had the Il Gladiatore, which is mortadella, buffalo mozzarella, roasted courgette and pistachio pesto. Incredible. Don’t miss out on their dessert sandwiches - the pistachio creme one was to dream of!

Reading

Good Things by Samin Nosrat. Samin is one of my favourite chefs and cookbook authors and I was so pleased to finally get my hands on her new cookbook this week. I only spent a little bit of time with it on Sunday but I can already tell it will be at the top of my ‘go-tos’.

Saving

Any Ground Meat Coconut Curry for Tired, Hungry, Busy People by @sohlae

Listening

Shiver by Hazlett

Thinking

About having people over for dinner. Not for “a dinner”. But the casual, spontaneous, “do you want to stay for dinner?”. On Sunday, I went to my friends’ house for a board game afternoon, and they asked if I wanted to stay for dinner. There is something so comforting and ‘home’ like about that type of invite - it’s not a big production, there’s no theatre to it; it’s just welcoming someone into a ritual and normal part of your day. Especially in London, where a lot of socialising happens outside of the house, it really made me feel at home in a place where it’s easy to feel like you never have a chance to slow down and feel taken care of.

Laughing

Have a great week,

Kaleigh

Squash and apple soup: I bought a large squash at the farm shop on Saturday and decided to make a hearty squash soup with it and the other veg! I’m not sure what type of squash it was - it was more starchy than butternut, but larger than acorn. I cut my squash into large chunks (about thirds) and roasted it in the oven at 175C for about 45 minutes until fork tender. When I was ready to make the soup, I sauteed sliced leeks and about a half-thumb of grated ginger until the leeks were tender. I then scooped in the roasted squash (leaving aside the skin), added some chilli flakes, a chopped apple, and then covered with chicken stock. Continued to simmer for about 20 minutes, then blended until smooth. I adjusted the seasoning with a touch of soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup and salt and pepper until it tasted how I wanted! I drizzled a little bit of pomegranate molasses on top to serve.

Other things I cooked:

• Chicken stock: I had a quiet day at home on Sunday, which meant plenty of time to make chicken stock! I always freeze the bones of roast chickens, so I took one bag of frozen bones from the freezer and put it in my largest pot. I roughly chopped a carrot, celery, and one onion in half and added them to the pot. You can add any veg scraps you have, a bay leaf, and other herbs! I then covered with water until the pot was almost full and simmered on the stove for 5-6 hours until the stock had a nice deep amber colour. Strain out the bones, and then I used ⅓ for my squash soup, and froze two pint containers for future me!

• Pumpkin pie: I brought a pumpkin pie to work on Monday to share the Canadian Thanksgiving traditions with my coworkers! I follow my friend’s recipe, which is pretty close to this one (add an extra tsp of cinnamon), and for the crust I did the tart base of this recipe (blind baked it for 20 mins first, per the instructions!). I baked in a 8x8 pan so it was more like pumpkin pie squares.

• Veggie Caribbean Peleau: I made this last week but froze individual portions as I knew I would be travelling this week. It freezes so well and is one of my favourite office lunches. Very filling and has a great depth of flavour from burning the sugar - I always top with hot sauce and lime juice.

Eating

At Borchardt. I was in Berlin for half of the week for work, and this restaurant was recommended to me by one of my local coworkers. I had the traditional Wiener Schnitzel and wow - it was delicious and huge! The restaurant is very lively and welcoming - would recommend!

Drinking

Denbie’s Sparkling Wine. My friends and I took a little day trip to Denbie’s Winery on Saturday, which is about an hour train ride from London. We had a great day exploring the winery and did the “Secret Wine Tour”, which was about 90 mins of a walk around the grounds guided with five tastings. Great day trip!

Saving

Dumpling Bake by nelnourish

Listening

Sweet Heat Lightning by Gregory Alan Isakov

Thinking

About fall produce. Denbie’s had a farm shop so I made sure to get a good little haul of squash, cabbage, beets, apples and a few snacky bits for our train ride home. I feel like every season I’m like “this is the best season for produce” but I really mean it about autumn. I love root vegetables, so this is my time to shine!

Laughing

Have a great week,

Kaleigh

Cooking

Thanksgiving dinner: On Saturday, my flatmate and I hosted 14 friends for our second Friendsgiving in London. One thing that made it hard to feel truly settled in London before I moved house last year was the fact that I couldn’t really host people at my first flat. It’s so wonderful to now be able to bring together friends for a shared meal, and experience my favourite feeling in the world - after the dinner ends, and you’re all sitting around the table, carrying on conversation over a glass of wine before the reality of cleaning up hits. After being on your feet all day, it feels magical to be seated, with the relief of the work done and all your favourite people gathered around the same table. Nothing better!

What I cooked:

• Roast chickens: I mix summer savoury (if not avail in your region, dried thyme would work!) with room temperature salted butter and rub that all over the chickens, plus under the skin. An extra seasoning of kosher salt and pepper, plus Bell’s seasoning (you could do dried sage), then I place that in a pan over a bed of roughly chopped (3-4 inch pieces) of carrots, celery and quartered onions. Roast at 175C for 1.5 - 2 hours (depending on the size of the chicken) until golden brown and the meat thermometer reaches 165F in the thigh meat.

• Glazed ham: This is my mom’s recipe (which is currently a list of ingredients) but I measured the ratios this year, so I can add it to my site soon. I used the slow cooker to cook the gammons throughout the day to manage oven space, following this method.

  

• Broccoli casserole: I doubled this recipe for our crowd and had plenty of leftovers!

• Sweet potato casserole: same here - doubled the recipe, and also set aside some to make a gluten-free topping for swapping in GF flour, and it turned out well!

• Roasted carrots and parsnips: I tossed chopped carrots and parsnips with olive oil, salt, pepper, a good glug of maple syrup and apple cider vinegar, plus a pinch of dried chili flakes. Roasted at 175C until browned at the edges, about 30-40 mins.

• Mashed potatoes: I do a pretty basic mash - always ensuring I’ve dried out the potatoes after being drained by putting them back in the pot over heat for a few mins to boil away the excess water. Single cream, lots of salted butter, and salt and pepper to taste.

• Brown butter gravy: I prep Alison Roman’s gravy recipe earlier in the day, using chicken stock from my freezer, and allow it to cool/refrigerate it until just before dinner, when I reheat on the stove with the pan drippings from the roast chicken. It takes away the stress of “will it thicken in time?! and excessive whisking over the stove while guests are at the house.

• Apple pie: I swear by Alison Roman’s “the only piecrust”, discs always prepped the day before, so it has plenty of time for the gluten to relax overnight in the fridge. 8 medium apples (I used Bramley), a good sprinkling of brown sugar, a little glug of apple cider vinegar, 1 tbsp of AP flour and a pinch of salt - piled high in the crust, egg wash on top with a sprinkling of demerara sugar. I bake at 190C/375F for 50 mins or until the crust is deeply browned.

Using

Tinfoil pans. As much as I love an aesthetic table, hosting 14 guests is not the time for it. Tinfoil pans make the clean-up easier (and are my one bad environmental indulgence for the year!).

Saving

Savoury chickpea pancake by 5oclockapron

Listening

Leave When You Go by Donovan Woods and Ralph

Thinking

About food traditions. At the table on Saturday, we had friends from five countries, and within Canada / the US, at least four different North American regions. It was so fun to learn about everyone’s family traditions, whether Thanksgiving or other big holidays. I felt so connected to home when cooking this meal, and am grateful to be able to share that with my community here.

Laughing

Have a great week, and thanks again for being here!

Kaleigh

Vodka sauce pasta: I had two friends from home staying at our place on Saturday, and they were just off two weeks of travelling, so I knew a home-cooked meal would be appreciated over another dinner out for them. Grossy Pelosi’s vodka sawce is always my go-to when cooking for a crowd - easy to make while hosting, doesn’t require a ton of prep, and universally loved.

Other things I cooked:

• Iceberg salad with onions, capers and pecorino: this “assemble” salad by Alison Roman is the perfect side with pasta, and doesn’t require any vinaigrette-making or significant chopping. It’s bright, acidic, and even the most green-adverse people (aka my dad) enjoy!

• Shredded tofu stir-fry: whenever I have 30 mins to cook and eat, I fall back on this stir-fry. Using a cheese grater, shred firm tofu and pan-fry it with whatever vegetables you have on hand - I love mushrooms, red peppers, and green onions. Then add in packaged noodles, and whatever sauce you desire - I usually do a combo of soy sauce, chilli sauce (like sriracha or gochujang), a splash of apple cider or rice wine vinegar, and a touch of maple syrup. The texture of the shredded tofu almost mimics the noodles, and it absorbs so much of the sauce flavour.

• Taco Friday: I made classic ground beef tacos with all the fixings we had growing up - chopped tomatoes, shredded iceberg lettuce, grated cheese, sour cream, and some homemade guac. For the beef I added some paprika, cumin and coriander powder while the meat was browning, and then the Potts’ Taco Sauce (linked below). Soft flour tortillas heated in the oven, wrapped in tinfoil - perfection!

  

• Carrot chocolate chip muffins: I made another batch of these muffins, and individually wrapped them, then froze half in a plastic bag. I made these a few weeks ago and they were the perfect sweet snack without the sugar crash, and they thaw nicely at room temperature.

Eating

The English Cheesecake Company Vanilla & Biscoff Bites. We discovered these in the freezer section last year and wow what a treat. My perfect ratio of cheesecake to crust (1:1), these are a great, easy dessert when hosting (or… watching Netflix on the couch with your flatmate).

Using

Potts’ Fajita and Taco Cooking Sauce. I picked this up at the local shop, and it was so flavourful - such an easy way to pull together tacos without the slow-cooking sauce. The cinnamon really comes through, making it a fun twist on the taco flavours I grew up eating.

Saving

Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread by redcurrantbakery

Listening

The Hudson by The Favors.

Thinking

About cooking as a form of meditation. I have always struggled to build a ‘meditation’ practice - sitting, listening to Headspace or Calm app and feeling restless. I’ve had busy weeks lately, which usually builds up a lot of thoughts in my noggin that I need to work through. In times like that, I find cooking gives me what I imagine meditation is meant to achieve - a feeling of calm, of contentment, and I usually have released some of that frenetic energy by the end of it.

Laughing

Have a great week!

Kaleigh