A few years ago, when I was hosting what was then CTV's national, weekend, morning show, "Good Morning Canada," I invited Raphael Gonzalez to do a cooking segment on the show. At the time, he was the executive chef at the Four Season's Hotel Vancouver.

Raphael has Cuban roots and likes to add a little kick to everything he makes. A man after my own heart! This is based on his recipe.  I fell in love with it and have been making it for years. I hope you try it. Even if you choose to skip the jalapeño -- you'll love the mellow, richness the vanilla adds.  I like it on the tart side, but you can add more sugar if you prefer it sweeter.  It takes about 5 minutes to make and you'll never eat canned cranberry sauce again.  

Fresh Cranberry Sauce with jalapeno and vanilla

1  12-oz package fresh or frozen cranberries

zest of half an orange juice of one orange

3 tbls sugar (6 if you like it sweet)

1/2 of a 2" sized jalapeño, seeded  and finely chopped.

seeds of one fresh vanilla bean or two vanilla been husks, or 1 tsp real vanilla extract

Put all ingredients in a sauce pan and cook on medium to high heat until most of the cranberries have popped. Store in a container in the fridge for several weeks. Makes about 1 1/2 cups.

Despite a deep, abiding love for cookies, I don't have much of a sweet tooth. I'm more about texture. With that in mind, these Old Fashioned Sour Cream cookies are wonderful, homey, slightly less guilty pleasures; soft pillows the flavour of vanilla and nutmeg.   

The recipe is from my absolutely favorite cook book: Betty Crocker's Cooky Book, first published in 1963. I inherited a first edition from my mom. When I was a kid, I'd pour over the pictures which looked old-fashioned even then. The recipes and photography are right out of "Mad Men." One recipe dates back to the 1880's.   

Fearing my old copy would eventually fall apart from over-use, a few years ago I bought a new edition and one for a friend. If you can find one -- buy one, or three. I guarantee you'll love it.

Old-Fashion Sour Cream Cookies

1/2 cup shortening or butter

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla

2 2/3 cups all purpous flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/2 cup sour cream

Pre-heat over to 425 degrees.

Mix shortening, sugar, egg, and vanilla in electric mixer.

Blend dry ingredients; add to sugar mixture alternately with sour cream.

Divide dough; roll out to 1/4" thick on well-floured surface.  Cut with 3" cutter; place on baking sheet.  Sprinkle with sugar (optional)

Bake 8-10 min., or until very slightly golden.

Makes 2 dozen cookies.

I love to eat out, but I don't do it as often as you might think.

a) It's expensive b) It's healthier to eat at home...that is until now.  

I recently attended the launch of Fairmont Hotels' Lifestyle Cuisine Plus menu at the Fairmont Waterfront Hotel. They 'd set up food stations around one of the ballrooms but rather than the high-fat, high protein show pieces one usually encounters at hotel or restaurant events -- here were vegetables , lean chicken and grains , oh my! Low-fat, high fiber can be good. It often isn’t, but these guys got it right.  

Executive Chef Robert le Crumb explained they're just responding to guests' needs. I'm not a vegetarian, nor do I have medical dietary restrictions but I'm health conscious, like a lot of people. I can't tell you how many times I've studied a room service menu over and over searching for an item that was under 800 calories -- and the straight out of the fridge iceberg lettuce side salad doesn't count. I sure could have used this menu when I lived out of a hotel in Toronto for two and a half weeks last summer, co-hosting Canada AM.  

The Lifestyle Cuisine Plus menu includes items that are gluten-free, raw, macrobiotic, vegan, heart-healthy "DASH" diet, and for diabetics. Inspired by chefs from Fairmont properties from around the world, I tried the Thai Quinoa & Grilled Vegetable Skewer, Bengal Curry Chicken, Brown Rice and Daikon Nori Roll and Zuchinni Spaghetti Noodles. For dessert, I sampled the The Chocolate Ganache Flan. Pretty decadent for tofu. Mains are $20-$30, with appetizers and desserts, $11-$14.  

The chefs use recipe analysis software to help customize entrees and menus to fit with guests’ requests for caloric and nutritional requirements. Guests can enjoy these flavors in their own homes too, by visiting everyonesanoriginal.com, for original recipes menus. I plan to enjoy them next time I'm at a Fairmont Hotel.

When I bake, I follow recipes.  When I cook, I almost never do. I think I'm just lazy. Case in point: I recently made an Italian-style fish soup. It turned out great.  A hearty, tomato-based mélange of fish and shellfish with just enough spice to warm you on a chilly autumn night. 

I was pleased to find my creation was similar to the recipe I stumbled upon for Zuppa di Pesce -- Mediterranean Fish Soup in Mark McEwan's new cookbook, Fabrica:Great Italian Recipes Made Easy for the Home published by Penguin Canada. You'll recall Mark McEwan as the head judge on Top Chef Canada. I like the book.  Good, simple recipes that include substitutions and wine suggestions.

Below is Mark's recipe. (my substitutions are in brackets)
 
Zuppa di Pesce
Mediterranean Fish Soup
 
1 quart fish stock (or chicken stock)
1 tbsp minced onion (I used 1/2 a small onion)
1 tbsp minced leek - white part only
1 tbsp minced fennel (I used a full bulb. I like fennel and I like a higher vegetable to protein ratio)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic thinly sliced
16 clams, scrubbed (1/2 can canned clams)
16 mussels, scrubbed and debearded (mine didn't include)
1/4 white wine
1/4 tsp chili flakes
1 1/2 cups crushed San Marzano tomatoes (small, flavourful, ripe tomatoes)
12 basil leaves
4 large scallops, halved crosswise
1/2 lb skinless halibut, quartered
4 medium shrimp, shelled and deveined
4 oz cooked octopus (I say optional)
2 tsp white balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup chopped parsley
salt, pepper

 
Garnish
4 slices ciabatta, sprinkled with olive oil, salt, pepper and toasted
Fine olive oil to finish
 
In a saucepan, bring the stock to a simmer and set aside.  In a large sauté pan on medium heat, sweat the onion, leek, and fennel in the olive oil for 3 minutes.  Add the garlic and seat for 3 minutes longer, but do not brown.
 
Add the clams, mussels, and white win. Raise the heat to medium-high. Remove the mussels as they pop open and set them aside on a platter. Add the chili flakes, tomatoes, basil leaves, and fish stock. Remove the clams as they pop open and set them aside with the mussels. (Discard any mussels or clams that haven't opened.)
 
Lower heat to medium-low. Add the scallops and cook gently for 1 minute.  Add the halibut and shrimp. A minute or two later, when they are almost fully cooked, remove the scallops, halibut, and shrimp to the platter with the clams and mussels.  Add the octopus to the pan just long enough to heat it through.  Then stir in the white balsamic vinegar and return all the other seafood to the pot to reheat. Stir in the parsley. Taste and adjust seasonings.
 
Divide seafood among 4 warm bowls. Pour broth over top. Garnish each bowl with a crostino and follow with a generous drizzle of olive oil. 
 
Substitutions: Any firm white fish, such as monkfish, can stand in for and even upstage the halibut.  Shelled lobster or crab will do the same for the shrimp.  Or you can increase the variety and include all of them.  Choose what you will on the basis of what looks good at the fishmonger, follow the general timing outline and adding and removing mollusks, shellfish and fish to the pot and all will turn out well in the end.

 
Tip: After scrubbing the clams, transfer to a large bowl, fill with ice water and stir in 1 tbsp of cornmeal. In order to encourage them to give up their grit, leave the clams to snack on that for 20 minutes.  Then drain and rinse.

We're running a contest on CTV News this week.  The winner will get a private cocktail lesson for two, plus an ocean-wise dinner for two at the Granville Room.  It's a seafood tasting menu by the Donnelly Group Executive Chef Michael Knowlson, complete with cocktail pairings.  To enter go to ctvbc.ca, click on CONTESTS and follow the links.

But you don't have to win to taste one of the dishes.  Make it for yourself!

Steamed Salt spring Island mussels

Curry butter sauce with cashews & cilantro Curry butter sauce

1lb salts spring island mussels

 ½ lt 36% whipping cream

175ml tomato paste

1lt Chicken stock

1 jalapeno minced

1/2 cup madras curry powder

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 cinnamon stick

6 tbsp pink peppercorns

2 tsp garam masala

2tbsp toasted cashews chopped

2 tbsp chopped cilantro

To clean mussels Use a firm brush to brush off any additional sand, barnacles, or other oceanic attachments. Rinse the mussels under cool tap water, and set aside. Dry with a towel before cooking.

In a sauce pan toasted off the cumin seed & pink peppercorns till they become fragrant. Allow to cool & grind them in a spice grinder.

In another sauce pan add the tomato paste, jalapeno, curry powder, garam masala, cinnamon stick, ground cumin seed & pink peppercorns, chicken stock & cream. Whisk together and bring to boil and simmer over a low heat for 15min, till it thickens slightly.

Put the mussels in a large pan add 8oz of then curry sauce, cover and cook the mussels over a high heat shaking the pan every now and then, for 4 – 5 minutes until they have all opened.

Add the cilantro, toasted cashews and serve.

Here's one for chilly, damp autumn nights. It's is one of my favorite dishes in fall partly because it's so easy and because it reminds me of when my mom would make a version of it when I was a kid. When she'd be at work, we could simply heat it up for ourselves. In fact, it's better the second day. The chicken is juicy, the vegetables are tender and the soy sauce adds depth. Serve it with mashed potatoes or just some good French bread.

Autumn Chicken 

1 chicken cut up in pieces (or chicken breasts cut in half or thighs, skin removed)

3 celery stalks, chopped in 1" pieces

1 onion, chopped in large pieces

1 fennel bulb, chopped in segments (optional)

2 cups carrots pealed and chopped

2 cups mushrooms chopped in half or quarters

2 cloves garlic

1 bay leaf

10 whole black pepper corns

1/4 cup soy sauce

1-2 cups low sodium chicken stalk

flour for dredging the chicken

olive or safflower oil

Add enough oil to large frying pan cover the bottom of the thinly. Heat until a piece of celery sizzles when tossed in.

Dredge chicken in flower, shaking off the excess. Place chicken pieces in pan so that they are not touching. You may need to cook in two batches. Brown on both sides. Should take about 10 minutes. Remove chicken and place in a large casserole dish.

In the same frying pan, sauté all vegetables in separate batches. The goal is not to cook any of the ingredients but to caramelize them to increase flavour.

Add vegetables to casserole dish along with bay leaf and pepper corns. Stir vegetables to mix them. Add chicken broth and soy sauce. Cover and bake at 350 for 1 hour. Serve...whenever you like.

Too many cookbooks are about showing off the chef's vast knowledge and are thus often too complicated for the lay cook to actually use. I own more than a few of those. That is not the case with Chef Michael Smith new book, Chef Michael Smith's Kitchen: 100 of My Favorite Easy Recipes, by Penguin. Clearly secure with his own abilities and with several Food Network show to showcase them, Smith's new book is for anyone who wants to create a delicious, simple dish.

Some of the recipes that caught my eye include Brown Butter Scrambled Eggs, Sausage-Sage Bread Pudding, Split Pea Soup with Smoked Ham Hock, Beer-Braised Beef Short Ribs, Coconut-crusted Chicken with Mango Ginger Mint Salas, Apple-Stuffed Acorn Squash and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies. There are also several more exotic and vegetarian recipes -- along with and handy cooking tips. I love it. 

Slow-Baked Salmon with Honey Mustard Glaze

2 tablespoons (30 mL) of honey

2 tablespoons 930 mL) of your favorite mustard

1 tablespoon (15 mL) of soy sauce

1 teaspoon (5 mL) of your favorite hot sauce

4 centre-cut salmon fillets (each about 6 ounces/175 g), skinned and patted dry

Preheat your oven to the low, low temperature of 225 (110 C).

Lightly oil a roasting pan.

Whisk together the honey, mustard, soy sauce and hot sauce.

Arrange the fillets in the roasting pan skin side down, leaving an inch or two of space in between each one.

Spread the glaze evenly over the salmon. Bake until the salmon is cooked through and opaque but still juicy, about 30 minutes.

Serve and share.

Kitchen Tip

The gentle heat of this cooking method gives the salmon and incredibly luscious texture that you may not have enjoyed before. It's a delicate way to show off the fish's natural flavours while revealing a smooth luxurious mouth feel.

Local Lounge Smoked ‘outlandish’ oyster chowder with parsnips, squash and brown butter breadcrumbs

1  onion-diced1 rib  celery-diced
1  carrot-diced
1  leek-diced
1 med  potato-diced
2 med  parsnip-diced
8 cloves garlic-sliced
2 cups  butternut squash-diced
½ cup         pancetta-diced
1 tbsp  fresh thyme-minced
1 tbsp  smoked paprika  
½ cup  flour
1 cup  white wine
3 ltr  fish stock
1 ltr  whipping cream
1 ltr outlandish shucked Ocean Wise oysters
chopped/house smoked
To taste sea salt/cracked black pepper
½ loaf  white bread-crust removed
½ cup  butter

For the chowder:

• sauté bacon in soup pot till almost crispy then add onions, carrot, celery, leek, garlic and smoked paprika and sweat for 5 minutes
• add potato, parsnips and squash and cook a further 5 minutes
• add flour and cook out 5 minutes then add wine, stock and cream and let simmer for 15 minutes
• add in fresh thyme, bay leaves and outlandish oysters and simmer a further 25 minutes
• season to taste

For the brown butter breadcrumbs:

• blend the bread in a food processor till med crumble
• brown the butter in a pan then toss in the crumbs and mix through
• on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper toast the crumbs in a 300 degree oven till crispy

This recipe comes from Jefferson Alvarez, Executive Chef at Fraiche in West Vancouver.  I confess I haven't made it yet, but it looks as tasty as it is simple to make. I have tried many of his other dishes and he never disappoints.  Hope you'll try it.   

1 russet potato, scrubbed but not peeled, thinly sliced on a mandoline (about 3 mm/1/8 inch thick)

Directions
1. With the rack in the middle position, preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. In a bowl, toss the potato slices with the oil. Arrange the slices on the baking sheet. Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Remove the chips from the baking sheet. Season with salt. In another bowl, combine the avocado with the lime juice, herbs and sugar. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Top each chip with a piece of salmon and small dollops of salsa and cream cheese. Season with pepper.

You've likely heard that my friend and colleague, Tamara Taggart is home recovering from surgery. I'm very happy that she's doing well and will be back at work before you know it.

We've been in touch since the day she landed in hospital. (Thank goodness for smart phones.) While she was there, I was feeling useless and wanted to do something to help, anything. Since her husband Dave was spending a lot of time at the hospital, and they had family helping out at home, I decided cooking for him and their three small children would be the most practical way to lend a hand.

Cooking for others can be risky -- especially for kids who may or may not be picky eaters. So I kept it simple, and I'm happy to say my choice was received with enthusiasm and much appreciation. Tamara even had some of the frozen leftovers when she came home from hospital. She told me, "I loved your stew, and I don't' even like stew!" How could she not like it? Love makes everything tastes better. 

PS... I sent along lasagna after that, and now have bragging rights that her youngest's first lasagna was mine!

Beef Stew

I don't measure much with this recipe. Use enough beef and vegetables to make six servings. I grew up making this stew. It's a great starter recipe for kids who want to learn.

Stewing beef or thick-cut round steak cut into 1" chunks

 3 large baking potatoes

3 large carrots

1/2 large turnip

4 stalks celery

1 large yellow onion

2 tbls flour

2 tbls olive oil

salt and pepper

1 bay leaf

1 liter low sodium beef stalk

bunch fresh parsley

Heat oil in a large pot.

Place beef chunks in a plastic bag and add flour to coat.

Fry beef at medium hi until browned. Don't cover as you don't want the beef to steam. This should take about 20-30 min. Try not to rush this part as the longer you cook the beef the more tender it will be.

Peel and chop all vegetables to similar sized pieces so they will cook evenly.

Add onion and cook for 10 minutes or until just softened.

Add all other vegetables, bay leaf and salt and pepper to taste.

Add beef stalk and simmer covered for 20 minutes until vegetables are tender.

Add chopped, fresh parsley just before serving.

Enjoy with some crusty, French bread and the company of those you love!

I've been dealing with a health issue these past few months -- the same one that resulted in a fibroid mass and a surgery last spring. Here's a link to my Facebook page where you can search for the original story from May 2011.  It became so bad, my doctor was concerned I may have ovarian cancer.  Turns out it's likely my body's response to stress and environmental poisons. So, after considerable research, testing and multiple consultations -- I'm making a few changes.*

First of all, I have to get more intense exercise. Hard to do when you feel crappy, but I'm on the up-swing and won't be anchoring two newscasts each day anymore, i.e. no excuses.

Secondly, I'm eating almost exclusively organic. Pesticides and other contaminants have been found to have a direct impact on our hormonal systems. It costs more, but if more of those of us who can afford it make the switch -- perhaps prices will come down. I hope so. It disturbs me that healthy eating is inaccessible some.

Thirdly, I'm getting rid of as much plastic in my kitchen as possible. I likely have more BPA's in my system than I care to imagine. Making this switch is a little harder. Our world is so full of disposable plastic and so much of it wraps and stores our food. Clearly we can't eliminate it completely, but I'm now using only glass and ceramic containers to heat and store food. It's a start.

I'm also being far more careful to avoid foods which can increase inflammation, wheat and sugar being two of the worst offenders. Inflammation has been linked to everything from allergies and arthritis to heart disease and cancer. I know I'm late to the party. I'm also using some specific suppliments. 

I've been conscious of nutrition for many years -- but from a conventional nutrient perspective. Wiser minds than mine have been practicing "safe" eating for a long time. My friends Wade Papin and Danielle Wilmore of Pyrrhra Jewelry fame have been eating organic-vegetarian for years. They recently introduced me to "OrganicLives" on Quebec Street. It's the same company that's partnered with Chopra Yoga, downtown. The food is organic, vegan and raw -- and it's delicious. Maybe knowing that the dishes support health rather than disease makes them taste better. I don't know. But we're making a lunch date a regular thing.

I have no plans nor desire to become vegan or even vegetarian. I'm not there yet. I like meat. I'll continue to be adventurous with my eating and won't deny myself great dining experiences. But in the day-to-day, I'm cleaning up my act. Simply being alive is not the goal. Being well is.  

This bunny cake made my birthday very special. Even our dog was mildly excited. BTW...this was a couple of years ago.  No Instigram filters needed.

Cake isn't just dessert. It often marks passages in life: birthdays, weddings, celebrations of all kinds. An edible gesture in which the medium is a good part of the message. 

When I was a kid, I used to look forward my dad decorating our birthday cakes. My mom would whip one up and he would transform simple rounds or squares of chocolate or vanilla into animals, boats, all sorts of things. My dad is very creative, handy you might say -- a do-it-yourselfer. He made it look so easy. When I was 9 or so I tried to design and decorate my own birthday cake. My chocolate daisy with white, 7-minute frosting turned out horribly. But I gained even more respect for my dad.

When I was invited to Easter Dinner at my friends, Jill and Mike Killeen this year, I offered to bake a cake for dessert.  I've done a few since childhood.  They turn out better now. 

Baking for Jill, however is a special task as she has a deadly nut allergy.  A trace of nut oil transferred to any part of the cake could send her to hospital. The process that ensures that won't happen begins with re-washing all of the utensils I plan to use, followed by a thorough scrub-down of all surfaces and handles. Once that's done, I can get on with the job.

I bake one day and decorate the next. It's labour intensive, but it's fun! I like doing it so much, I baked another cake to celebrate Jill Killeen and Jill Krop's birthdays recently. I made two, so the extra one went to Tamara who was celebrating her birthday on the same weekend as our dinner. 

Rather than give you cake recipes, below is the pastry cream recipe and the decorating method for each. Use your favorite coconut or vanilla and/or chocolate cake recipes. Any vanilla cake with coconut extract should work fine. The lighter the better.

Coconut Cream Cake

This is a four-layer cake filled with coconut pastry cream and covered in butter cream icing and shredded coconut. The first time I made this I used a gluten-free mix and it was great. Use a mix or make a cake from scratch. You're friends will love you regardless. At least that's what they said to me.

Coconut Pastry Cream

1/4 cup milk

1 - 398 ml can coconut milk

4 egg yolks

1 egg

1/3 cup sugar

1/4 tsp cornstarch

4 tsp butter

1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

In a saucepan, heat milk and coconut milk until bubbles form around edge.

Meanwhile, in a bowl, whisk together eggs, sugar, flour and cornstarch until smooth; gradually whisk in milk. Return to saucepan and cook over medium heat just until bubbly -- about 5 minutes. Reduce heat and simmer gently, whisking until thick enough to mound on a spoon -- about 2 minutes.

Remove from heat; stir in butter and vanilla extract. Scape into bowl. place plastic wrap directly on surface and refrigerate until firm and bout 3 hours.

Bake two 8" round cakes. Cool thoroughly on wracks. When they are cooled, slice them in half horizontally using a long, sharp, non-serrated knife. Turn the cake as you go. Keeping the knife deep and horizontal will prevent you unwittingly cutting through the top or bottom of the cake.

Prepare your favorite vanilla butter cream icing but substitute coconut extract for vanilla.

Assembly

Place first layer of cake on a plate or cake stand with parchment paper edging the plate so that when you have finished decorating, you can remove it and the plate will be clean.

Spoon 1/3 of the pastry cream on the first layer of cake and spread evenly. Repeat with remaining layers.

Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour.

When cake and pastry cream have chilled, gently spread icing over top of cake and work down the sides. It doesn't have to look perfect because you'll be covering the entire cake with shredded coconut. Pat coconut on iced cake. Remove parchment paper from plate, cover cake with plastic wrap of glass dome, and refrigerate until needed.

Tip: When slicing this cake, use a hot water heated sharp knife and cut gently down from the centre of the cake or the pastry cream will squish out.

For the Chocolate Cake -- I used a Swiss Meringue Chocolate Butter cream icing as the filling and chocolate ganache to coat. I used a chocolate genoise. It can be a tricky technique for the uninitiated, but try it a few times and it will get easier. It's a delicious sponge cake that uses butter, so it doesn't dry out like a sponge. Still -- use a simple syrup or a liquor like Royal Chambord to moisten each layer of the cake before icing.  Serve this cake withing a day of baking it.