Kayahara.ca

When I first became interested in classic cocktails, the Sidecar was an early one to pique my interest. For me, it falls into the same category as the Martini, the Manhattan, the Daiquiri: classics that are classic for a reason; drinks that have never gone – and will never go – out of style. But [...]

I recently picked up this stone mortar and pestle. It’s large, with a 5-cup (roughly 1200 ml) capacity and weighing more than 18 pounds (nearly 8.5 kg). It’s a distinctly low-tech tool, but one that’s very useful. I wanted it specifically to make Thai curry pastes, but it will also be interesting to try making dishes like [...]

A recent encounter with a chilled sweet pea soup got me thinking. At its most fundamental, sweet pea soup – we’re talking about the kind made from fresh shelling peas here, not dried split peas – is nothing but pea puree that’s been thinned to soup consistency. So it follows that the liquid used to [...]

Since randomly throwing together my first coffee blend, I’ve been reading more about blending, especially on the fantastic Sweet Maria’s site. In particular, I learned that there’s a distinction to be made between blends of coffees from various origins, and blends of coffees roasted to different levels (which may be from one or more origins). [...]

Lately, in an attempt to get a better handle on Thai cuisine, I’ve been cooking some of the recipes in Hot Sour Salty Sweet, the latest (and last – the book is due back at the library tomorrow) of which is “jungle curry.” The way I understand it, jungle curry is differentiated from other Thai [...]

With summer now in full swing, I decided to whip up another batch of passion fruit syrup. While I could never truly tire of Hurricanes, sometimes I’m in the mood for something other than rum. Fortunately, my husband – a confirmed rum-lover – has recently discovered the merits of bourbon as well. I’m thrilled that [...]

My meat grinder has been getting a real workout lately. In addition to chorizo and the sausages I made for Canada Day, I’ve taken to grinding my own beef for burgers… and once again, I’m reminded why entire industries spring up around certain “junk” foods; if we all had to grind our own meat every [...]