Galettes de Sarrasin ( Buckwheat Crepes) au Fromage..The Simple Pleasures of Life

Galettes de Sarrasin (Buckwheat Crepes) au Fromage

I was talking recently with a friend about the simple pleasures in life.You know what I am talking about, the little things that can brighten your day. Life is filled with simple pleasures if we take the time to notice them, the little satisfying effects you never really anticipate, but always take great pleasure in.  They are the gifts of life that we each subconsciously celebrate in our own unique way. A little trick I like to use to make my days much more pleasant is to find little, simple pleasures and sprinkle them throughout my day. When you're working six days a week you have to find pleasure in every day occurances. They’re not big things, but each simple pleasure can translate into a great day!!!

Dreaming of Italy with a Simple Salad

Tonno e fagioli

Lidia Bastionich and Grilled Tuna Rollatini under Tomato Lemon Marinade Served with Calabrese Salad

Grilled Tuna Rollatini under Tomato Lemon Marinade
Served with Calabrese Salad

Lidia Bastianich is one of the most-loved chefs on television, a best-selling cookbook author, restaurateur, and owner of a flourishing food and entertainment business. She has married her two passions in life, her family and food to create a career that is unparalleled. She lives her life as they do in Italy where food isn't just food... it's a revelation!!!! Food is one of the cornerstones of Italian culture and even if times are changing and life is more and more frenetic, Italians still find never ending pleasure in sitting at a table and sharing a good meal together.

Tasty Afternoon on the Bench

The Venue - Van Westen Winery, Naramata

This past Sunday I was lucky enough to volunteer and attend the 3rd annual Feast of Fields in the agritourism area of Naramata about an hour south of here. Situated along a meandering country road with spectacular views of Okanagan Lake and surrounding mountains the Naramata Bench is one of the most scenic wine regions in North America. As a parking volunteer you could feel the anticipation and I saw a rare glimpse into the making of a word class event as the drama unfolded. Many of the Okanagan Valleys top chefs, vintners, and organic farmers arrived with their goods to create this one-of-a-kind experience. I can only imagine the thought, effort and collaboration it took each of them to get to this point to create a magical feast for over 300 attendees. I witnessed each participant being welcomed and ushered down the hillside. As each tractor load disappeared down the hill with all their goodies and displays I wondered how all of this seeming mayhem would transform in to the magic I have witnessed in previous years with gorgeous displays and beaming participants. Seeing an event from the beginning is very different than arriving once all the hard work has already been accomplished.

Warm Gnocchi Salad with Carpaccio of Heirloom Tomatoes and Basil

Walking through the farmers market this time of year, you can't help but realize that tomato season has arrived.  Tomatoes are available all year round but it’s not until the summer that they really come into their own. When wandering you can literally feel the excitement at farmer’s markets and fruit stands all over the valley. Perfectly plump workhorse beefsteaks, pints of adorable cherry tomatoes just begging to be snacked on, and of course, the queen bee of the pack, the knobby heirlooms, in every shape and size imaginable, are just now making their noble debut.  The rich tapestry of colors, the diversity and depth of flavour, and the general beauty of the tomatoes provide an experience that your average grocery tomato just can't match.

Patricia Wells Seared Pancetta Wrapped Cod on a Bed of Lemon Risotto

Seared Pancetta Wrapped Cod on a Bed of Lemon Risotto

Patricia Wells is one talented and enterprenurial American lady who is living her dream life in France, splitting her time between Paris and Provence. Perhaps I can go so far as to say, she is living my dream life carrying on a love affair, not with an individual (although I am sure she loves her husband), but with a region of France, a centuries-old stone farmhouse, and a cuisine. With her many books she is considered one of the foremost authorities on French cuisine and received the Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres for her contributions to French culture. She has written eight cookbooks altogether, at the time of writing, full of easy yet sophisticated recipes which has her being credited with taking the mystery out of French cuisine and making it less intimidating. Julia Child paved the way but Patricia Wells perfected it.

One Word Wednesdays...Well Maybe Two Words

Flat Bread

You are reading this post on More Than Burnt Toast at http://morethanburnttoast.blogspot.com. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to the author and or owner of More Than Burnt Toast. All rights reserved by Valerie Harrison.

Pesto Cherry Tomato Caprese Salad Caught Their Eye

Pesto Cherry Tomato Caprese Salad

As seen on Honest Cooking...

With social media at an all time high the opportunity to enter contests for fabulous trips, washers and dryers and "everything but the kitchen sink" is something I find myself drawn to. The thought of free trips, kitchen appliances and dinner out really appeals to me..it probably appeals to you too! It is the same reason I buy lottery tickets, even if the chances are "slim to none".  After all someone has to win!! You can't win if you don't enter...right.

With the influence of my friend Judi of The Last Wonton I have been inspired and even entered a couple of food contests lately. Imagine my surprise when I was a finalist, and then the winner of "The Best Pesto" recipe in a recent contest over at Whole Foods. For those of you who read these pages you are well aware of my love for pesto!!The people at Whole Foods associated with Food 52 prepared a few recipes they found interesting and this tasty little salad came out on top. I have posted this recipe before, and with a few minor changes it caught the eye of the judges.

Hannah Glasse and Mrs. Beeton's Syllabub...First Milk the Cow....

Syllabub from Domestic Goddess

Hannah Glass and Mrs. Beeton, the most important cookbook writers in the history of England, were the first domestic goddesses in Britain long before Delia Smith or Nigella Lawson were on our radar. Two very different woman, from very different backgrounds and circumstances, both with strong wills who saw a niche in the market and jumped on the opportunity. On one hand Hannah Glasse died in relative obscurity in bankruptcy and debtors prison, ostracized from her family, compared to the fanfare of Mrs. Beeton's career the wife of a publisher.

In the mid-18th century there was mass migration into the cities of people searching for better paying jobs which provided the perfect opportunity for these women to create careers for themselves long before this was even heard of or acceptable. The aspiring middle class flourished and it became a priority to put impressive food on the table but without any knowledge of how to cook or instruct servants. Enter Mrs. Glass and Mrs. Beeton! At the time the only cook books commercially available were written by "chefs for chefs" so the burgeoning middle class had few available resources for creating meals for their guests that would be anything other than embarrassing.

Beat the Heat with Blackberry Basil Yogurt Popsicles

Blackberry Basil Yogurt Popsicles

Up until the past few weeks summer seemed to have alluded us here in the valley. The motto "Welcome to the sunny Okanagan" that has tourists from all over the province and Alberta flocking to our beaches and sun-dappled vineyards seemed to be a thing of the past. With temperatures rising the past few weeks the balance of nature has been restored and our fruit stands and farmers markets are laden with the bountiful harvest of the season, beaches are crowded with sun worshippers and thrill seekers, and the wine is flowing in vineyard restaurants and tasting rooms. My wish is that the late start to summer just means that winter will be slow in arriving as well!

A Classic Lemon Meringue Pie from Irma S. Rombauer and The Joy of Cooking

Lemon Meringue Pie

Accordng to their website, "Seventy-five years ago, a St. Louis widow named Irma von Starkloff Rombauer took her life savings and self-published a book called The Joy of Cooking. With very little cooking experience recipes were given to her from her friends and family and she created the very first Joy of Cooking in 1931 with the small insurance payout she received after her husband committed suicide during the Great Depression. Her daughter Marion Rombauer Becker tested recipes and made the illustrations, and they sold their mother-daughter project from Irma's apartment. Suddenly, society wives who used to enjoy a kitchen staff no longer had the money to employ them and began cooking for themselves. The instruction "stand facing the stove" was a bit more pragmatic than we realize. In 1936, the first commercial edition was published."

Serving up Oven Fried Chicken for a Cooking Light Beachcomber Picnic

Oven Fried Chicken

We are so glad you have decided to join us once again for our Cooking Light Virtual Supper Club. This is a monthly event where 5 ladies and one gent in two neighbouring countries, Canada and the United States, get together to create a delicious meal with a theme in mind. We are now in our second year and continue to share a love for Cooking Light magazine which has an emphasis on healthy eating and living. This is a team effort where we combine what Cooking Light readers like best...good food with great company!!! Every month millions of readers turn to Cooking Light for recipes, advice on nutrition and fitness.

August is the perfect month for outdoor eating. Invite friends and family to a picnic at the beach, in the park, on top of a mountain or even in your own garden. Today here at the Cooking Light Virtual Supper Club we are headed to the beach for a Beachcomber Picnic. We have searched for picnic recipes that both tantalize your taste buds and are nutritious and healthy. Is it just me, or does everything taste better when eaten outside? With plenty of refreshing drinks, and nutritious healthy food we hope these suggestions make your picnic with family and friends memorable.

Back to the Future in Rural Ontario and World-Famous Pancakes

World Famous Pancakes

On a recent trip to Ontario I travelled some of the roads around Cambridge with my sister at the helm enroute to the pretty towns of St. Jacobs and Elora. Located just north of the cities of Kitchener and Waterloo, St Jacobs has an old fashioned feel. The village has a population of around 1,400 people and is famous for its Farmers’ Market. We used to love to shop on the main street in the unique gift shops there but sadly over the years this has declined and lost a lot of its charm. It is still however a destination of choice to spend a few hours at the St. Jacobs Farmers Market on a Saturday morning. The best thing about St. Jacobs that always blows me away is their marketplaces located in the giant barn structure. They have everything from maple syrup and honey products to a meat section of rolls of summer sausage and links that are smoked over maple wood for one week then cured for two, slabs of peameal bacon and Waterloo’s local delicacy, pig tails slathered in barbecue sauce that cook up like ribs. There are good reasons to elbow your way through the crowded, narrow aisles, apple fritters, peameal bacon on a bun, but the best being Montforte artisanal sheep and goat’s milk cheeses, the chocolate and red-pepper chèvre is sinfully delicious.