I recently completed a Japanese home-cooking course at UBC with the fantastic Hana Dethlefsen, author of The FEEDback Project. Over 3 classes we made everything from grilled mackerel to sunomono, agedashi tofu to ichigo daifuku. It was simple, informative, and so helpful. I can now confidently introduce Japanese basics into my kitchen, and riff off standard recipes with fun variations. Case in point, I have eaten sugar snap gomaae 4 times in the last 2 weeks.

Hana is teaching a part II course in May, and I would highly recommend it if you are looking for a gentle introduction into stocking your cupboards and mastering Japanese basics.

Current culinary inspirations.

Check out my latest muse on baking over at Foodists: a piece on the beauty of pie socials.

So thanks to my lovely mom I have a second-hand sewing machine awaiting me on the island. The piles of projects will at last commence! Duvet cover, scads of Mr. Dandi tailoring, repairs – magic will happen in our concrete craft kitchen. While in Seattle recently we were sucked into a shop purely for the floor to ceiling display of hundreds of vintage Singers. The great length the designers went to outfit the space was thrilling. The industrial clothes and their handsome prices less so.

The pleasures of leisurely afternoons (frosty pint at the Sailing Club: check) and evening seawall walks.

Mr. Dandi has a new blog for all things snare n’ sticks related. ♥

Make to taste. And of course skip the $21 Morris Kitchen ginger syrup at Old Faithful Shop and make your own (sweetened this batch with maple syrup).

One of my closest friends and favourite sidekicks in the kitchen recently made us the freshest, most zippy salad straight from the pages of the famed Rebar cookbook while we visited the Yukon. This gorgeous creation was topped with an orange-peanut glazed pork loin that soared to the moon and back. I think I will be making this weekly this summer.

Kusawa Lake, Yukon. A beauty.