Inspiration from a Friend

Guess who has a birthday today? Well, you’ve just read about the fabulous Pemma and her Cranberry & Chocolate Banana cookies.

But it’s also the birthday of another one of my favourite foodie friends: Louise!!!

And in her honour, I would like to present to you a selection of the amazing foods I never would have made without her:

1) Poached Eggs – something on my bucket list, that I really needed to be able to do.  Thanks to watching Louise and her recommendation of “just go for it”, I mastered them!

2) Macarons — in fact, Lavender Macarons with Lemon & White Chocolate Ganache.  These were also on my bucket list, and Louise helped me conquer them with a fantastic day in her kitchen (complete with bloopers).

3) Everything by Yotam Ottolenghi.  Especially this horseradish sauce (which is great on EVERYTHING) and this salad:

4) Maple Squash Butter — which is my favourite thing on toast, and a recipe I use in my gluten-free (and vegan!) bread baking classes.

And something I haven’t made yet that I just can’t wait to make — Ricotta Gnocchi with Frisee & Figs:

Image by Louise Gagnon

Happy Birthday Louise! I am happy to be able to share so many common interests: quince, mulberries, oatmeal pancakes, sourdough, bread, brunch, singing, and amazing dinners. Thank you for all the inspiration in the kitchen, I am always delighted to spend time with you and to be your friend.