Orichiette with Swiss Chard and Pine Nuts
For the wonderful people over at Edible Vancouver I did a little writing about swiss chard, pasta, and my over embellished Italian roots. Check it out here if your so inclined!
For the wonderful people over at Edible Vancouver I did a little writing about swiss chard, pasta, and my over embellished Italian roots. Check it out here if your so inclined!
butter, sugar, flour, scissors, glue, laughs
I am one of those unbearably lucky people who grew up with great food. My mom is a terrific cook and 9 nights out of 10 we sat down as a family and ate dinner together. She didn't make fussy food, and to this day none of my favourite foods have more than 5 ingredients, but she made good food and she taught me to appreciate it.
When I was 15 I decided I wanted to cook for a living and when I was 17 I got my first job in a restaurant, I was an apprentice (read: kitchen bitch) and spend the next 7 years in kitchens both in savoury and sweet. But mostly sweet because people tend to be nicer in pastry kitchens.
I started this blog in the beginning of 2011, partly because so many friends were always asking me for recipes, but mostly because I love the stories behind food. I love the connection of a recipe to where it came from, the thought process behind it, the memories that make their way to the table with the meal. That's also where the name comes from, it's my middle name but it's also my Nona's name. She was an incredible Italian cook. She taught bread making classes at a local school and made the best canned peaches I have ever known. I was named after her, and I named this site after her as well, because this isn't just about what you eat but the traditions and memories that come with every bite.
This passion for where food comes from isn't just about the memories, it's also about where it's grown, and who grew it. It's about making sure that food that nourishes us isn't at the cost of the people who work in the fields or the environment. Because of this the vast majority of the recipes you see here will be full of things that grow here too. And in British Columbia that means berries in the Summer, apples in the Fall, and an alarming amount of potatoes in the Winter. I feel a lot better about dinner time when I know where my food comes from.
I hope you like what you see and read here, and if you have any questions about anything you can contact me at claire@liviasweets.com
If you're looking for a way to to really personalize your special day, do it with a Livia Sweets cake. Be it for a birthday, anniversary or wedding we can make nearly anything! From elaborate tiered wedding cakes to simple iced party cakes to cupcakes we handmade them all with utmost care and the best quality ingredients. Please contact me at claire@liviasweets.com for pricing details.
Breads and Yeasted Baked Goods
Hot Cross Buns (that might just be better than my Moms)
Cookies and Brownies
Coconut Macarons (French Style)
Dark Chocolate Brownies with Candied Chestnuts
Rosemary Shortbread with Fleur de Sel
Salted Dark Chocolate Flourless Cookies
Salty Sweet Chocolate Biscotti
Whole Wheat Chocolate Sugat Cookies
Cakes and Cupcakes
Blueberry Lemon Ricotta Pound Cake
Chocolate Almond Cake (Flourless!)
Poached Pear and Dark Chocolate Ganache Crepe Cake
Ricotta Blood Orange Cheesecake
Rose Scented Rhubarb Almond Cakes
Vanilla Pound Cake with Vanilla Buttercream
Candy
Drinks
Darn Good Hot Chocolate with some Salted Caramel Marshmallows
Breakfast
Arugala Omelette with Bread Crumbs
Granola with Toasted Almonds and Apricots
Hazelnut Scones with Macerated Cherries and Vanilla Whip
Hot Cross Buns (that might just be better than my Moms)
Oat Soda Bread with Herbed Ricotta and Scrambled Eggs
Pancakes with Maple Poached Pears
Poached Eggs with Moroccan Spiced Root Veggies
Rhubarb Breakfast Cake with White Chocolate Yoghurt Ganache
Spring Pea Frittata with Roasted New Potatoes
Whole Wheat Pancakes with Maple Blackberry Bourbon Compote
Pies and Tarts
Plated Desserts
Dolce de Leche Pot De Creme with Coconut Tuille and Blood Orange Compote
Ice Creams and Sorbets
Savoury
Broccoli, Kale, and White Bean Salad
Cauliflower and Cumin Fritters with Lime Yoghurt
Cauliflower Soup with Mint Almond Pesto
Grilled Spot Prawns with Thai Mango Salad
Poached Salmon and Soba Noodles in Miso Broth
Potato Swiss Chard Hash with Toasted Hazelnuts
Tomato Panzanella Salad (Aunt Loretta Style)
Tomato Mushroom Shell Pasta Casserole
Vietnamese Noodle Salad with Halibut
Jams, Jellies, Curds, Butters and Pickles
(via x)
mikhail baryshnikov by arthur elgort.
queen b. that’s all. from Vogue.
