Welcome to my Blog! Here you will find chronicles of my day to day life as a Chef. In it you will find pictures from my travels, read anecdotally about my dreams and aspirations, share my excitement on the discovery of a new (to me) recipe, tool or technique, as well as my trials and tribulations as a new entrepreneur, and anything else that strikes me as interesting, odd or just plain cool.

Pride Week!

Yes it's that time of year again, so I'm presenting you with this colorful treat. A twist on the traditional rice krispy squares. The recipe comes from a site called "cravingsofalunatic.com". I'm doing a class at the PC Cooking School at Maple Leaf Gardens this coming week - that's in the heart of Pride festivities and wanted [...]

Pride Week!2020-10-12T19:37:13-04:00

Happy Father’s Day to all the Dads!

When I was a little boy, I could always hear my dad sing the chorus to one of his favorite songs. It was the Doris Day classic, Que Sera, Sera. It was only later in life that I realized, the meaning of the song was really his motto in life "What will be, will be". So this [...]

Happy Father’s Day to all the Dads!2020-10-12T19:37:13-04:00

Kellie and Marina wrote – Personal Chef Services – Tapas Style Party for 20

WE would like to thank YOU for such a lovely evening. You went above and beyond with the food preparation. The menu worked so well. Everyone was buzzing with enthusiasm (and each had their own favourite dish) after you left and it was a truly memorable evening for all of us. The food was so [...]

Kellie and Marina wrote – Personal Chef Services – Tapas Style Party for 202020-10-12T19:37:14-04:00

Mushroom, Goat Cheese and Genoa Salami Bites

I Chef'd a private party recently for some folks who really know their mushrooms. So much so, that they even supplied me with some. A whole bunch of mushrooms - fresh cremini, shiitake and oyster mushrooms as well as dried morels and porcinis - very generous of them, to feature in the evenings menu. Now I [...]

Mushroom, Goat Cheese and Genoa Salami Bites2020-10-12T19:37:14-04:00

Pasta Carbonara with Fava Bean Puree

Once again, my wonderful wife surprised me with a lesson with an Italian Chef. Senora Adler Bonavera is the Chef, Patronne and Sommelier of Il Duca di Orvieto. She provides cooking lessons to professional Chef's and also to serious foodie tourists. The techniques she teaches (and stories she tells), you can’t learn in school. Only [...]

Pasta Carbonara with Fava Bean Puree2020-10-12T19:37:14-04:00

A Special Meal – Harissa Rack of Lamb, Garlic Scapes, Olive Oil Potatoes and Wild Mushrooms

Got a special occasion coming up? Here's a complete meal for you to enjoy.  To me a special occasion is any time you get together with good friends (yes this can be just you and your spouse/partner/significant other etc) to share a meal. Even better if it is a special meal with things you wouldn't eat [...]

A Special Meal – Harissa Rack of Lamb, Garlic Scapes, Olive Oil Potatoes and Wild Mushrooms2020-10-12T19:37:15-04:00

Where’s Chris this month?

Open to the Public Event's - Demonstration, Interactive or Hands-on - Full Dinner and "What's for Dinner" Cooking Classes - March! These are all my "Open to the Public" engagements I'm doing this month.  You must register on-line (pccookingschool.ca, www.longos.com/Loft), via phone or at the location to attend!  Hope to see you there!  (Unless specified, all classes are [...]

Where’s Chris this month?2020-03-02T17:42:04-05:00

Orange Marmalade Cake

Sometimes you just want a plain cake to eat. Nothing fancy, a comfort cake, the kind mum used to make. No icing, no filling, just plain old fashioned butter based cake. I found this recipe on the NY Times site. I love that site because they mix the classic with the nouveau style, rustic comfort [...]

Orange Marmalade Cake2020-10-12T19:37:15-04:00

Que Serradura!

Serradura is Portuguese for "sawdust cake". The recipe I'm giving you refers to it as Macanese (from Macau). It's called sawdust because the biscuits that make layers between the rich cream are ground up to a fine powder like consistency. I like recipes that come together easily and taste great and my philosophy on desserts [...]

Que Serradura!2020-10-12T19:37:15-04:00

Drunken Currant, Oatmeal and Chocolate Chip Cookies

Changes in diets (no not fad diets - never fad diets) are always a good thing.  It forces you to be creative with the ingredients you have a surplus of as no one is eating them. Oatmeal has gone the way of the dodo in my house. This has left me with about 3 large [...]

Drunken Currant, Oatmeal and Chocolate Chip Cookies2020-10-12T19:37:16-04:00
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