When my friend’s sister asked me to make her wedding cake at the end of last year, my first thought was ABSOLUTELY NOT. It seemed like it was too much pressure, plus I had never made a tiered cake before, and I thought this was just something best left to professionals. Then I talked to......
And now presenting my favourite baking project so far in 2018: Chocolate Babka! I know I’m not the only person who first learned about Babka from Seinfeld (“You can’t beat a babka!”), and was reintroduced to it when I started reading Smitten Kitchen ten years ago. It’s a yeasted bread with a rich chocolate filling that......
A few years ago, I was invited to a YEASTER party, and had such a good time that I knew one day I would steal this idea for a celebration of my own! I was sort of boycotting all Easter gatherings this year due to a stressful time in my work life, so the timing was......
I read somewhere that March is like the Tuesday afternoon of months, and it’s so true. I didn’t go to Florida this year like I usually do, so the month felt extra long and kind of blah. I did do a few fun food related things, so here we go: For our Book Club/Pizza Club......
Every Oscars feast must end with a delicious dessert, and for the past couple years I’ve been in the habit of making a pie. Last year was this epic Salty Honey Pie that I’d been dying to try, and this year I decided on a Crème Brûlée Pie I’ve had bookmarked for ages. This pie is......
Let’s recap this Oscar feast so far, shall we? First up was our red carpet snack, the Goat Cheese Spread with Garlic & Fresh Herbs. Then, the star dish, Beef Bourguignon, accompanied by My Favourite Mashed Potatoes and my house salad (kale, apple, parm, pecans and a honey dijon vinaigrette). Since I had fresh rosemary leftover......
Sound the alarm! It’s the first ever SAVOURY entry into the My Favourites category on Planet Byn! Get ready, because it’s time for 1,000 words on everyone’s beloved side dish: Mashed Potatoes. For some reason, I loathe making mashed potatoes. It’s one of my most dreaded kitchen tasks. I get irrationally annoyed every time I......
I had my first encounter with Beef Bourguignon around the time I started this blog back in 2010. I had just watched Julie & Julia, and so like every other food blogger newbie, I attempted Julia Child’s recipe that Julie Van Rosendaal adapted for the slowcooker (read about that here). It was good, but I’ve......
Back in the early years of Planet Byn, I used to blog extensively about my Golden Globes and Oscar meals. I haven’t really done that lately, especially since my friends have been requesting the same dinner for the past two or three years now. This past Oscar Sunday, I actually remembered to take pictures of......
Ah, nothing like a classic February hibernation month! It was a pretty quiet month, which was just what I needed: I went to check out the new Assembly Chef’s Hall with my friends from work. It’s essentially an elevated food court, with about a dozen stalls for some of Toronto’s best chefs. The whole thing......