So much has happened since I’ve been here. First there was an engagement in December. Big news but, honestly, Brent and I are nearing 10 years together so it’s not like I didn’t see this coming. Though I did think he’d be his humorous self and wait til the decade mark. Still, the moment he asked when we were cutting down a Christmas tree was simply perfect. 

Then mere days later, we got the news. THE news. Baby Darbymore is coming. It’s still rather surreal but here I am 19 weeks later and the bump is growing by the day. We’re crazy ecstatic but I’d be lying if I said I was glowing. Sure, I’ve reached the second trimester when everyone promised it’d get better. Thankfully it did but that was after two crappy months of acid reflux and gagging non stop. Perhaps actually throwing up would have been worse but carrying a bag in your pocket just in case is never fun. Nor is sneaking around to an empty aisle in the grocery store when the urge suddenly hits. 

So needless to say, blogging and cooking other than my column was simply not happening. Having to eat tiny meals every two hours to keep the refux at bay just didn’t spark my insprition. There was a lot of toast people. 

And while life has certainly changed, one thing I need to get back to is this. You see, when you get pregnant suddenly all anyone wants to talk to you about is the baby. It’s not a bad thing but I just NEED to talk about something else sometimes. And food is it. Hell, since feeling better I’ve had some pretty amazing dishes I’ll go on about to anyone who listens. There was an incredible gnocchi – the best gnocchi dish I’ve ever had – at Brooklyn Warehouse with celeriac, cauliflower, preserved lemon, and arugula walnut pesto. Then there was the polenta poutine with duck confit, blue cheese whiz and red wine jus at Gio. I could go on. So while I can’t promise this won’t turn into some sort of food blog mommy blog mash up, I do promise to keep the food coming. Because those cravings? They’re real. 

In deciding what recipe to share to announce the big news, I figured I might as well make the same dish as the day we revealed the big news to friends, a maple sausage, fennel and potato skillet. We had everyone over for a brunch potluck – BEST IDEA EVER – as a sort of engagement party. I whipped up this skillet because I’m madly in love with all things cast iron then added the eggs when guests arrived. So with the sonogram on the fridge, we waited. And waited. Until no one noticed it. It was killing my sister so finally when everyone had arrived she broke the news. Excited is putting it lightly. Sometimes I think friends are more excited than I. But they weren’t just gagging into a bag.

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That’s not to say this squash, chorizo and blue cheese strata wasn’t amazing. It’s essentially breakfast’s answer to bread pudding. Rich, aromatic, sweet and savoury, it’s quite literally Fall in breakfast form. It’s the kind of dish that’s comforting on a crisp November morning; the perfect dish to gather friends around the table, coffee – or cocktails! – in hand. 

Julia Child really nailed it when she said “People who Love to eat are always the best people”. 

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I think mother Nature is playing one sick joke on us this year. Before you get all like ‘ stop your complaining’, we were totally robbed on the Summer front. One month of Summer? I mean c’mon; that ain’t right.

Not that Fall isn’t great. Soon the leaves will enliven the Nova Scotia landscape and yes, the markets are overflowing with the season’s harvest. There was also that great sunshine this past weekend, bringing us back into the 20 degree weather we weren’t quite ready to give up. There’s just one thing; I’m not ready for socks okay. Or turning on the heat. Or giving up my Summer dresses. Or god damn pumpkin spice everything. 

At least a move to cooler temperatures means a return to hot breakfasts, the kind of breakfasts that stick to your ribs and warm you from the inside out.  Before jumping back on the oatmeal train, might as well ease into the season with a sweet, sticky plum crisp. Crisp in our house takes on different forms every time we make it. It’s one of those dishes you simply make with whatever you have: apples, blueberries, pears, cranberries, strawberries, cherries, apricots. I mean what isn’t delicious baked up with a crunchy oatmeal-brown sugar-butter topping?  This plum cardamom crisp with rye and hazelnuts was both sweet and sour with a crunchy, nutty crumble, perfect for breakfast or even dessert topped with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

 Alright first day of Fall, let’s do this. 

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Even now. Write. Delete. Repeat…

It’s been days since I first attempted this post and I don’t seem to be any closer to having something meaningful to say. But isn’t just simply sharing a recipe meaningful enough? Apparently, I don’t seem to  think so. I like to stress whether the simple photographs are good enough, whether every word is perfect. Then I feel even more stressed when I haven’t posted in days. It’s all rather ridiculous. 

I mean it’s just breakfast for christ’s sake. 

It’s funny. The morning we made this was anything but stressful. It was one of those rare weekday mornings where we lingered in bed far too long, lost in each others company and oblivious to the awaiting day. It was not the usual oatmeal kind of morning. It was the kind of day that called for something more. It called for brunch. 

Big, big fans of poached eggs over here we could easily have just paired that local double smoked bacon and rye bread with a couple of poached eggs and called it a day. Sometimes though you just want something else. Something new. Something that makes you rethink breakfast. 

Eggs baked in rich and creamy kale? Why the hell not. I mean vegetables for breakfast is like winning at life. 

A quick sauté of onions, garlic and kale, a splash of vermouth and cream, then a few eggs and a couple of minutes in the oven later, and you’ve got yourself creamed kale baked eggs. All the benefits of kale cloaked in the richness of cream. Brilliant. But cream for breakfast you gasp? Hey, it’s real. And we all know you’re as addicted to hollandaise as I anyway. 

The real star here however is that sweet vermouth. According to the resident cocktail genius, vermouth once opened doesn’t last forever like once thought. Kept in the fridge it’ll last a month or so. Though I fancy a good negroni, that’s just simply too many for me. So recently I started cooking with the stuff and wow. Game changer. Much sweeter than a white wine or even sherry for that matter, sweet vermouth is bringing a whole world of flavour to the table. A quick weeknight pasta with ground pork, orange, tarragon and chiles suddenly became the best damn pasta I ever made. Same goes for this modest creamed kale breakfast. The sweetness really rounded out the bitterness of the kale though a hearty dose of cream would pretty much make anything delicious. I imagine it’d be great with any of those bitter Spring greens that are finally hitting the markets. And then there’s that egg. If there was a dish that a creamy yolk didn’t make better, I haven’t found it. 

Life should always be like this you know. A morning spent together. A simple yet satisfying breakfast.  And finally finding the words. 

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Today, however, it’s all about simple. I can’t imagine there’s anyone in word that doesn’t love the smell of warm banana bread baking away in the oven. We all grew up with that smell didn’t we?  Whoever first took some rotten bananas and turned them into breakfast heaven is a god damn genius. 

There’s nothing crazy or different about these muffins. I didn’t jam some bourbon in there or make a crumbly brown butter topping though that would have been delicious. It’s hard sometimes not to get carried away. Have you seen the food world lately? New exciting recipes hit the web in increasing numbers everyday. That’s not to say I don’t love it. I do. I’m addicted to it.

Sometimes, however, simple is exactly what you need.  A simple banana bread muffin to take you back to your childhood.

That doesn’t mean these aren’t incredible. Easily the most moist and flavourful banana muffins I’ve ever made. Thank you fellow blogger, Two Peas & Their Pod for the inspiration. Healthier than the average muffin, they’re a true testament to adding nutrition without sacrificing flavour. Whole wheat pastry flour, flax and yogurt all equate to less fat and a world more fiber. Plus, you just used up those rotten bananas, you kitchen goddess you. Bonus points if you bought those blackened bananas at the grocery store for less than half price. 

Like I always say, don’t stress if you don’t have the exact ingredients. Channel your inner Julia and make them your own. Yes, it is baking and changing the ingredients will alter the results but that doesn’t mean you don’t have some room to play. Use a blend of white and whole wheat flour. Add a handful of frozen blueberries or some chopped dark chocolate. Add a tablespoon more flax. Use a 1/4 cup less sugar. Use different spices. Substitute sour cream for the yogurt. Hell, throw some Frangelico in there instead of the vanilla. It will all still result in deliciously moist muffins. Best of all, you’ll gain that confidence you need to ditch the processed crap and get your hands dirty. 

Here’s to keeping it simple. No crazy ingredients. No mixer. No stress. Just the aroma of freshly baked banana bread and a morning done right. The only problem is not wanting a second and a third and a fourth….

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Then I stumbled across an egg dish I had yet to experience, eggs en cocotte. Literally, eggs baked in a casserole dish – though oddly cocotte can also mean mistress or prostitute – this is breakfast personalized. Think creamy baked eggs in your own personal ramekin. What else you put in there is entirely up to you. 

The first attempt, my egg got all cozy with Outlon’s local applewood smoked bacon, wildly nutritious local brussel sprouts and a touch of some of the most amazing blue cheese that’s ever graced my plate, Quebec’s Blue Benedictin. Most recently a ton of oyster mushrooms fried in butter and garlic found their way into today’s version along with Gunn’s Hill Five Brother, an award winning delicately aged cross between Gouda and Appenzeller hailing out of Ontario. Finish that with a pinch of truffle salt and some arugula and our breakfast minds were blown.

Also called shirred eggs in some circles, eggs en cocotte take breakfast to a whole new level of easy.  Minimal prep and about 20 min total until those eggs hit your belly mean this dish is a keeper. The possibilities are also endless; I see leftover potatoes, spinach, chorizo, and pretty much any variety of cheese. Besides over cooking that dreamy egg yolk, you can’t really go wrong. 

Hungry? Put an egg on it. 

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Cheese just isn’t about entertaining, it’s about comfort. It’s about those simple every day pleasures that wrap us up in a warm blanket and let us know everything’s all right. It’s no surprise comfort foods like mac n’ cheese and pizza are so popular. Same goes for the classic grilled cheese. 

I can’t think of a much more perfect grilled cheese than this. Local applewood smoked bacon from Oulton’s, easily my favourite bacon for miles, creamy avocado, and sharp extra old PEI cheddar. Hit that with some sriracha mayo and you’ve got the grilled cheese mastered. 

The funny thing is I was never a huge fan of grilled cheese. There was something about the whole fried bread thing. As a kid I couldn’t deal. Even those planting mornings when we’d grill up batch after batch, you wouldn’t find me biting. That was until a fried egg and bacon found their way into the cheesy blanket. 

With two or three varieties always on hand, cheese is pretty much a staple in our house. Recently the cheese drawer is overflowing with a ridiculous selection of Canadian cheese. Among them, the Cow’s extra old cheddar is sharp and as tasty as cheddar aged two years can get. It is so at home in the grilled cheese that I’m not sure I’ll be eating it any other way. 

But that fridge full of award wining cheese isn’t just a coincidence. I’m stoked to announce that eathalifax is teaming up with Dairy Farmers’ of Canada for one epic instagram campaign. Along with a slew of other cheese ambassadors – I’m pretty sure I want that on a badge – we plan to take over instagram with nothing but Canadian cheese. You are not going to want to miss this.

With Cheesemus also on the horizon, Winter is shaping up to be quite the cheese fest. Yes, Cheesemus, it’s a thing. Now in it’s third year, Cheesemus puts those regular dinner party cheese boards to shame. You have no idea. No doubt a pic or two will make it’s way into the cheese -fuelled instagram feed so get yourself over to instagram and follow along. If somehow you’ve managed to resist instagram’s temptress call, all the cheese action can also be found on the Dairy Farmers’ of Canada site.  

Let’s get this cheese party started shall we?

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Akin to a baked custard, clafoutis is a classic French dessert traditionally made with cherries, cherries with their pits in fact. The pits exude a slight almond flavour while making eating a clafoutis rather interesting to say the least. Apparently anything without cherries should be called a flaugnarde but how delicious does that really sound. 

It’s no surprise I opted for local cranberries to replace those Summer cherries. Yup, more cranberries. Their tartness works wonders in breakfasts, baking, even savoury dishes like pork loin. Plus, nothing says Christmas like the little red berries. Pop a few frozen ones in your mimosa or punch this holiday for some instant Christmas cheer. 

Generally served as dessert, I’d say clafoutis is more at home on the brunch table. It’s subtle sweetness, slightly eggy texture and bursting tartness make it similar to a Dutch Baby. If less sweet desserts are your thing, go for it. To counteract those tart berries, a nice sprinkle of icing sugar, some maple syrup served on the side or a dollop of whipped cream beaten with a pinch of icing sugar and a splash of vanilla should do the trick. 

And, once again, the cast iron skillet makes an appearance. I can’t help it alright. It’s probably my most favourite kitchen item right now and really makes that logo choice seem appropriate. It also makes an awesome gift for the cook on your list. Wink-wink. 

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Meet celeriac. This gnarly fella, otherwise known as celery root, is in my opinion the best of celery. It has a great subtle flavour that’s perfect mashed, roasted, fried, even pureed in soup. Pretty much any way you’d eat a potato. Though raw celeriac, shaved thinly, is quite nice too. 

I don’t know about you but I love me some latkes. Who doesn’t love golden brown, crispy fried potato pancakes? With more flavour than the traditional potato, these latkes are crazy easy especially since celery root is much less starchy. The batter comes together quickly with but an egg and a few tablespoons of flour. I didn’t think I could love celery root anymore but man, was I wrong.

Though perfect on their own, these celeriac latkes could also handle a good dollop of sour cream, even ketchup if that’s your thing. I decided on a remoulade, a classic French condiment much like tartar sauce though way tastier. Usually made with mayo and a handful of delicious ingredients, that thick Greek yogurt wouldn’t stop staring at me every time I opened the fridge. The great thing about condiments like remoulade is that they can handle whatever you throw at them.  My thick yogurt version was bursting with sweet gerkins, crunchy shallots, salty capers and the brightness of lemon zest. It may be my new favourite condiment.

These latkes make a great side for virtually any meal but if you really want to nail this, poach a couple of eggs like we did and make a brunch of it. Does #putaneggonit ever get old? Never.

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That’s not to say this isn’t freaking delicious. I mean how could bananas, coconut, vanilla, cinnamon and brown sugar ever be bad. It’s also perfect if you’re like us and have a bazillion rotten bananas in the freezer just waiting to make their loaf debut. Get out the maple syrup, pick a movie, and start this lazy Sunday off right.

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