Author: Gabby Bevilacqua

Why Plant Based?

A plant based diet, also known as veganism, refers to a diet that excludes not only all meat and fish products but all animal by-products including eggs, dairy, and honey. Plant based eaters rely on large consumptions of a variety of vegetables, grains, legumes, fruits, nuts and soy to fulfill their body’s nutritional needs.

The popularity of plant based eating has gained momentum over the past few years from an increased awareness of the environmental , ethical, and health related issues associated with eating animals. As we seek healthier ways of daily living, a plant based diet can provide many potential health benefits. Here are 3 positive benefits of changing to the plant based lifestyle.

  1. Prevention and/or management of chronic illness including diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. Research suggests that individuals following vegan and/or vegetarian diets have a lower risk of developing chronic inflammatory diseases as these diets correspond with the consumption of higher amounts of antioxidants, micronutrients, dietary fiber, and phytochemicals.
  2. Aids in healthy weight management. Vegan diets are associated with a lower prevalence of obesity as they are nutrient dense and associated with healthier food choices.
  3. Aids in reducing and maintaining blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Due to lack of meat and dairy consumption, vegans/ plant-based eaters naturally have a lowered intake of saturated fat and cholesterol in their daily diet, lowering their risk of these type of health issues.
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Pop Tarts- A Recipe Review

A couple of months ago, I had re-watched Claire Saffiz’s original Gourmet Makes video on the oh so nostalgic snack, Pop Tarts. I remember liking Pop Tarts as a kid, mostly because I wasn’t allowed to have them at home and not because they tasted amazing. I also enjoyed anything with multi-coloured sprinkles, but that still hasn’t changed. I was intrigued by the idea of making this nostalgic snack actually taste really good and this recipe seemed to be the best option out there. 

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Blood Orange Biscotti

There’s nothing quite like enjoying an afternoon cup of coffee with a biscotti on the side for dipping. I don’t have a big sweet tooth, so cookies are usually the last on my list of satisfying snacks. The biscotti however… I can stand behind a biscotti in all it’s golden glory.

Biscotti which translates to “twice cooked” is both their name and how they are made. We appreciate this method of baking to yield a very crunchy, evenly cooked, and beautifully golden cookie. The recipe I am sharing today encompasses all of these qualities, but with a unique, fun twist- blood orange. The basis of this recipe comes from a note card I found in my Nonna’s recipe box. I made some adjustments to the original recipe before testing it many times, and they have always turn out perfectly. Through this, I’ve discovered the biscotti to be a very versatile dough that can be adjusted by swapping ingredients out simply because you don’t have them on hand. The original recipe used vegetable oil as the fat rather than butter for example, but the day I made these I only had butter on hand. Flavour wise, the blood orange could easily be swapped for lemon or other citrus fruit, and the almond extract could become vanilla. You certainly can’t do such a quick swap of ingredients in most baking recipes, but because this one is forgiving, why not be creative! 

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Raspberry Babka With Orange & Cardamom

We see babka bread everywhere these days as it has become quite the baking trend. Filled with anything from chocolate, jams, and even pesto, the babka has come a long way from its origins in some ways. Originating in Eastern European Jewish cultures, the babka was created as a way for people to use up leftover challah dough. When you make a babka for yourself, it certainly doesn’t feel like you are using up any old dough scraps as you build the bread from the ground up and it truly becomes a pride and joy. I can only assume that back in the day, challah was made so often in a house that once it was divided and braided, there would be some left over bits. Here is where I understand that babka comes into play. Traditionally it was filled with nuts, dried fruit, or cinnamon. I think I can stand by all of fillings still. In the last 50 years, the babka has transformed into a much sweeter dessert, often filled with chocolate, nutella, or fruit preserves. It is such an appealing bread and recipe to do as it allows for so much creativity and because of the unique way it is braided, it is absolutely gorgeous to look at. 

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Basil Pappardelle

Making pasta is such a meditative craft which I have found myself turning to time after time. It’s not only a relaxing activity but a creative outlet. This recipe was an experiment in adding fresh herbs to your regular pasta dough. I have been testing out various natural colouring methods for dough, but had yet to try adding something whole and fresh. The addition of fresh herbs into the dough not only adds some beautiful colour, but a subtle basil flavour lingers in every bite. The use of semolina flour in combination with all-purpose flour is also a particularly nice change in this recipe, adding extra texture to the final cooked pasta. If you’re not into basil, you can easily swap it for a different fresh herb or edible flower. In addition to changing the flavour, you can certainly use this same recipe to form many different shapes of pasta including farfalle, linguine, fettuccine, heck, even ravioli!

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Stuffed Pasta Volume II- Eggplant Caramelle

Caramelle, meaning ‘sweetie’ or bon-bon are a non-traditional pasta shape filled and twisted at the ends to resemble a wrapped candy. After doing a little bit of research, there doesn’t seem to be a strong history of this particular shape. It was likely introduced as a spin-off of other filled pastas and quickly became a novelty shape. Because of this, it is usually only served for special occasions but I figure every gosh darn day in quarantine is a special occasion!  

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Marbled Tahini Cookies

I recently came across a marbled halva recipe that looked absolutely gorgeous. This recipe (and a huge container of tahini sitting in my fridge) is what inspired these fun little cookies I am  sharing with you today. I was most intrigued by the marbling of the tahini, and this particular recipe called for black tahini to achieve the effect. I’ve certainly seen black tahini in some specialty grocery stores and perhaps a health food store or two, but right now I knew I wouldn’t be able to go searching for such a specialty item. In my pantry, I keep an array of “health food” powders such as beetroot, spirulina, and activated charcoal. I’ve successfully made pasta dough with all of these, so why not some cookies? So here it is, my version of a marbled tahini cookie using activated charcoal. The cookies themselves are shortbread adjacent, but have a smooth and creamy texture. This was a happy accident actually. I had started the recipe off by looking at a shortbread cookie recipe and swapped some of the fat for tahini. In the process, I accidentally forgot to add the eggs to the dough. By the time I noticed, it was too late to incorporate them so I just left them out and hoped for the best. My forgetfulness turned into a delicious, melt in your mouth cookie and I couldn’t be happier.

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Sourdough: A Journey

Making sourdough at home has been a goal of mine for quite a while. I never felt like I had the time or patience to do it myself, so I never did. There was also one time I did try growing a starter and killed it within a few days. Discouraging to say the least. With nothing but time on my hands, I don’t feel like I have any excuses left and need to jump on that sourdough bandwagon. Everyone in the city is making their own sourdough while in quarantine, and frankly I think that’s awesome. 

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Stuffed Pasta- Volume I Cauliflower Cappelletti

One of my favourite things to make in the whole world is pasta. Especially stuffed pasta. It is laborious and intricate, but because of that, it is so fulfilling to accomplish. Today’s post is featuring an Italian classic- Cappelletti. These beautiful, plump pastas are usually stuffed with a very simple meat based or cheese based filling, and are shaped into a “little hat” (as the name quite literally means). I have nothing against a simple cheese filling, but I always seem to want a little more to my filling than just cheese. Without straying too far from tradition, I have been experimenting with adding different roasted vegetables to my pasta fillings, other than butternut squash. This and spinach seem to be the two vegetables very commonly used in stuffed pastas, and frankly I am bored of it. There are so many vegetable possibilities, why are we often stuck with just two options? I have started my explorations with one of my favourite vegetables- roasted cauliflower.

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Edible flower shortbread cookies

Edible flowers are something that I can’t help but smile at every time they appear on a plate. Whether it is a sweet or savoury dish, they seem to layer on such a magical essence. With Spring quickly approaching, I can’t wait to get my hands on more and more varieties of flowers to incorporate in various recipes. You may be wondering where you can find edible flowers in the city, and this is something I wondered as well. After a bit of research, and frankly years of just keeping my eye out for them, I have come to the conclusion that they are so hard to find because they are seasonal and they don’t have a long shelf life. They are however very easy to grow yourself! This is something I am hoping to start this Spring so that I don’t need to rely on finding them in stores. 

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