Ginger is one of my kitchen staples and I appreciate its versatility as a kitchen spice for both savoury and sweet dishes. Although I have heard many words to describe the flavour of ginger such as “hot, zesty, biting, sweet, warm”, it can generally be relied on to add a spiciness, juiciness and pungency to cooking. Ginger is available in several forms including fresh, dried, pickled, preserved, crystallized, and powdered and can be used in many different ways.
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With the definition of treats being “anything that affords much pleasure”, what’s not to love about them? Treats have always been a part of the human experience and have been used for a variety of reasons including celebrating special occasions, a reward for a job well done or even as consolation for something lost.
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After any endurance activity the body needs time to recover so it can reenergize itself for next time. For the body to recover more quickly, choosing the right post-workout foods is important. This is one of the challenges I face as I rarely feel like eating after strenuous activity. However, these tasty apricot and peanut butter bars provide a great mixture of tasty ingredients which help kickstart the recovery process.
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What comes to mind when you think of a biscuit? My guess is that it probably depends on where you live! Having grown up in one country and then lived most of my adult life in another, I have found there are several words that are used quite differently in each country. One of these is the humble biscuit!
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There is nothing quite like the sweet taste of a fresh, ripe blueberry. These small, plump berries with their deep, rich color are amazingly versatile and their fresh, fruity flavour can serve to enhance many foods as well as being a delicious addition to a variety of dishes including pancakes, pies, tarts, muffins, sauces and cakes.
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When I was first introduced to whole foods, plant-based (WFPB) eating, I followed recipes by Deliciously Ella who is based in England. Sweet potatoes were often used, however, from a North American perspective, the sweet potato looked suspiciously like a yam! Then, during my last trip to England, I noticed that the supermarkets were full of what I understood to be “yams” but were abelled as “sweet potatoes.”
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It is Thanksgiving weekend in Canada and this is traditionally a time for gatherings to give thanks and share a feast. However, the act of giving thanks and expressing gratitude around harvest time is nothing new.
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My early memories of toast is as a breakfast food usually topped with the basic spreads of butter and jam. At that time toast was considered a “thrifty” choice and was often an economical way to use up stale bread. Over the years, this “comfort food” has evolved and become a significant food trend to the extent that some toast creations are now referred to as “artisan”.
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Mid-September marks the start of the cranberry season in British Columbia and the harvest of the first berries. Red fields of ripe cranberries is a feast for the eyes and, as the majority of cranberries are harvested between September and November, for the next few weeks masses of cranberries will be seen floating in the bogs around the lower mainland and Vancouver Island.
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I have always considered Fig Rolls (UK) and Fig Newtons (North America) as a relatively healthy choice in the world of commercial cookies and biscuits. As easily digestible carbohydrates, they have also been a tasty favourite as “fuel food” for sports. However, they still fall into the category of processed food and so I was pleased to come across a naturally sweetened, gluten free, no-bake alternative to these popular commercial treats.
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