Pioineer Beef BBq on a Bun

Beef BBQ on a Bun Back when my dad worked at the Iroquois Hotel during the 50’s, it was a very busy hotel and known for its good food. A lot of kitchen help was needed and a lot of the area mom’s filled the many positions as cooks and restaurant help. As the decades changed a lot of the ladies were trained to be good cooks and carried on cooking in other Galt/Preston/Hespeler restaurant kitchens. They were the one’s responsible for cooking up good fare in places like The Knotty Pine, Preston Pioneer BBQ, Moffatt’s, Breslau and numerous other dinning establishments...

Ruby Red Grapefruit Cake

My dad being a chef had lots of his pre 1950’s retro recipes that were handed over to me as I mastered them to his specs. He was more concerned about the flavour quality obtained and was not as finicky in the way it’s final presentation. I like to describe my way of being taught baking by my dad as colonial style. Now don’t get me wrong, my father was a very tolerant baker and over his 40 years as a Hotel Chef taught lots of lady bakers to be personal when it comes to making a cake. The fancier you like if you have artistic abilities or the time allotted standard approach...

Chicken A La King.

Chicken a la King canned meals my mother would sometimes buy for me to eat after school when she worked shifts. I would open and pop it into the oven and simply pour the creamy chicken and vegetables over some buttered toast and it tasted beyond wonderful. I have a chicken a la King major craving to taste that creamy chicken over toast again. I created this one pot dish from stove to oven and it was way better than any of those canned or frozen entrees from back in the day. It was simply scrumptious and it came together so easily. I poached my own chicken and made some...

Welsh Lamb Popsicles

Welsh Lamb Popsicles A good meat market is the go to place if you are looking for Welsh Lamb for Easter So much more tender flavor than Australian or Ontario . Welsh Low-land grazed extra special Welsh Lamb that comes from the lush, natural pastures of North Wales mainly from the Conwy Valley and the Vale of Clwyd. I’ve  followed chef Rick Stein’s recipe for Lamb and this rack will be perfect to refine it to perfection. If you’re a lamb connoisseur like me, this is the lamb other lambs wish they tasted like. I believe as a chef that one must continuously...

The Great Easter Egg Hunt

The Great Easter Egg Hunt Easter is just around the corner and time for that age old tradition of dying Easter Eggs. The ethnic origins are boundless with ornate decorations with spiritual meaning or humble designs and down right folk artistic. The best thing is to get the children involved in an Easter Egg hunt. Boiling eggs and then using flower petals, rose, daffodils, tulips and fruit dies such as blueberry, cranberry, pomegranate, lemon, lime and orange zest in warm water over a short period will make a good natural colouring agent. Just boil the eggs till hard...

Hot Cross Bunny’s

What do you get when you pour some hot water down a rabbit hole? You get a Hot Cross Bunny. My dad always used to say that at Easter time and it is fast approaching. One of my favourite treats for this holiday are the scrumptious lite and tasty Hot Cross Buns. They make a nice side, buttered with a good cup of tea. I have added lots of different dried fruits with this retro recipe. They all taste great. This recipe is simple to do and if you have no mixer can be done in a bowl by hand like the old days. Enjoy the satisfaction and the smiles you will get when you take the...