Mr. and Mrs. Baseball
In small communities, we often celebrate outcomes. Wins. Banners. Championships. But the real story of sport isn’t written on scoreboards. It’s written in early mornings at the ball diamond. In countless volunteer hours that go unnoticed, and in the quiet, steady presence of people who simply never stop showing up. In Prince Edward County’s baseball […]
Spring has sprung
Would it even be Spring if I didn’t get wound up about the usual things that I find vexatious? Let me begin with dog poop on sidewalks! I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, “If you’re old enough to take your dog for a walk, then you’re old enough to pick up Fido’s […]
Orthodox Easter
I was using up some Russet potatoes that I had in my pantry for Orthodox Easter last weekend. I was making ham, so I thought I would just roast them in the oven at the same time. I randomly saw this Italian cook making these and decided to try them. There wasn’t a recipe so […]
Cava
Juvé y Camps—long one of Spain’s most respected names in sparkling wine—announced on April 1 that it was leaving the DO Cava to join Corpinnat, the Penedès-based collective committed to producing sparkling wines with a clearer sense of place and a higher bar for quality. Not exactly a quiet move. And very symbolic. I’ll admit, […]
Spring flowers
Every spring I get a boatload of emails from gardeners wondering what went wrong with their bulbs and flowering plants. Spring more than any other time seems to have more tension when it comes to things not going as planned. I think this is because we wait all winter for a shot of colour in […]
When in Rome
When in Rome you should eat their most famous pastas. The four classic Roman pastas are Carbonara, Cacio e Pepe, Gricia, and Amatriciana. We had all four on different nights, not all at the same time and my son loved the Amatriciana. I can’t believe that I had never cooked it for him because it […]
I spy with my jelly bean eye
As I write this it’s been one week since “Chocolate Sunday”. Now, before you get all Easter-y on me, my granddaughter gave Easter that name many years ago. It made sense to her and, besides, I like it—Chocolate Sunday. It’s more or less what the day is, ultimately, about. Today, seven days later, I’m not […]
Tannat Day
April 14 marks Tannat Day—a fitting moment to revisit a grape that, while still under the radar for many, carries a story as compelling as the wines it produces. Native to southwest France, tannat finds its historic home in Madiran, where it gives rise to some of the most structured and age-worthy wines in the […]
A taste of Italy
We didn’t eat a lot of meat while in Italy. We ordered a bunch of plates to share that represented the specialities of the area we were in. We had the obligatory bistecca alla Fiorentina—a 3 pound porterhouse steak that took about three days to digest. Unfortunately it was our most expensive meal and the […]
Spring lawn care
We have officially hit the time of year when everyone starts asking me about his or her lawns. I’m not sure when the grass became an obsession, but Canadians have it bad! It’s almost as if many homeowners feel like a failure if their lawn isn’t a healthy shade of green and free of all […]