THIS BLOG HAS MOVED. IT IS NOW AT SEARED.CA. CLICK HERE TO BE REDIRECTED.

I love pears, they're gentle yet flavourful, smooth yet gritty, and juicy yet not overpowering. Pears truly are a fruit that is close to perfection.

Poached pears are an ideal dessert for entertaining. They're easy to make, easy on the eyes, and are always impressive. Check out this recipe from Martha Stewart for Poached Pears.

Need the perfect pairing for your poached pears (a bit of a tongue twister, no?)? Serve the same wine as you use in the recipe, it'll ensure that there will be no conflict in flavours.

Have you ever poached pears? What's your favourite use for pears?


Follow us on Twitter: @searedfoodblog

THIS BLOG HAS MOVED. IT IS NOW AT SEARED.CA. CLICK HERE TO BE REDIRECTED.

What better way to celebrate a warm Spring day this weekend than with a glass of fresh, fabulous wine? I'm talking well-balanced, easy to drink, awe-inspiring wines, that are great to drink on their own or with some hors d'oeuvres.

Here are five delicious, affordable options, sure to please your palate:

1. Penley Estate Over the Moon Rosé (Australia): Penley Estate is known for making a well-balanced wine, and with that in mind, they've succeeded with this Rosé. It's clean, crisp, and has a hint of strawberry. Serve cool, on its own or with light canapés (great with salmon, cream cheese, and crab). Priced at approximately $19CAD.

2. Cono Sur Bicycle Viognier (Chile): This wine is delightful - fresh, fruity, and slightly sweet. It has a hint of citrus and tropical fruits, and is very easy to drink (though, is any wine hard to drink?). The beauty of this wine is the fact that you can drink it on its own, or with almost any dish, as it is very versatile. Priced at approximately $12.

3. Marques De Gelida Reserva, Macabeo Xarel-Lo Parellada Chardonnay (Spain): Spain is an underrated wine producer; it's a country with an amazing selection of quality wine, and this bubbly is no exception. It, like the Chilean white above, goes with almost any dish, or on its own, and contains subtle notes of spice and orchard fruits. Priced at approximately $22.

4. Château Des Charmes Late Harvest Riesling (Canada): This dessert wine is the perfect drink to sip on a hot summer day. It's got hints of stone fruits and honey, and has a light sweetness that isn't overbearing. Drink it on its own or with a sampling of fruit and cheese. Priced at approximately $20.

5. Oyster Bay Chardonnay (New Zealand): This wine has floral, citrus, tropical, and honeysuckle notes - a beautiful combination that evokes a freshness that is perfect for the sunny days ahead. It's flavour is so pure that it will pair well with a variety of dishes (fruit, cheese, fish, chicken), or is lovely to drink on its own. Priced at approximately $19.


Do you have a favourite warm weather wine? Not a wine lover? What's your favourite Spring-inspired drink?
Follow us on Twitter: @searedfoodblog

THIS BLOG HAS MOVED. IT IS NOW AT SEARED.CA. CLICK HERE TO BE REDIRECTED.

Weeknight meals can be tough: you may not have time to go shopping on your way home, or you may have a million things to do in the evening. That doesn't mean you have to sacrifice taste or nutrition. Not to say that this recipe is chock full of nutrients, but it offers a little more than most quick meals. A little added bonus: it also uses ingredients that you'll probably have on hand.

Serves 4

Follow us on Twitter: @searedfoodblog

THIS BLOG HAS MOVED. IT IS NOW AT SEARED.CA. CLICK HERE TO BE REDIRECTED.

Have you ever noticed that even the simplest foods taste a little bit extra delicious if you happen to be eating them outside? Hot dogs, for example. Who even knows that's in them? They're a questionable "food" at their best, yet when roasted over a fire (or even just grilled on a BBQ!), they taste like heaven. Like they could be sold alongside truffles and foie gras somewhere in the South of France.

So this weekend, while you're taking some time to celebrate your mom, your grandmother, or whoever it is that you may be celebrating, why not make her something delicious and eat outside. If a hot dog can taste that good, just imagine what an afternoon tea with Mini White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecakes and Smoked Salmon and Caper Cream Cheese Sandwiches will do?

If you're serving light dishes like the ones listed above, grab a sparkling wine as an accompaniment. Give this Trapiche Extra Brut Rose a shot. It's light, fresh, well balanced, and goes well on its own - so if you're not planning a meal, you'd be fine to just sit with a glass of wine and something simple like a bowl of strawberries.

What do you plan on doing for your mom this weekend? Any special meals or desserts in mind? Let me know!


Follow us on Twitter: @searedfoodblog

THIS BLOG HAS MOVED. IT IS NOW AT SEARED.CA. CLICK HERE TO BE REDIRECTED.

Green Pasta
Serves 2

What's your favourite weeknight meal? Do you, like me, often rely on pasta for a quick dinner?

Follow us on Twitter: @searedfoodblog

THIS BLOG HAS MOVED. IT IS NOW AT SEARED.CA. CLICK HERE TO BE REDIRECTED.

“There’s an app for that.”

It’s a saying that is increasingly becoming more common. There are apps for music, stargazing, and bird watching. You name it, there’s an app for it. But as with food, and as with wine, quantity doesn’t always equal quality.

Not to say that there isn’t an abundance of great apps for food and wine out there, because there are.

Here’s one cool app that won’t disappoint - Nat Decants Mobile App. It’s charming, user-friendly, and has a ton of features. Among the most impressive:

There are 380,000 “professionally tested” wine/food pairings at your fingertips, done by real people for real people; all the wine lingo and definitions you could possibly want are easily accessible, so you will always be in the loop; and, my personal favourite, there are thousands (yes, you read it right, thousands) of recipes.

Oh, did I mention that it’s free?

This app is a wine, food, and entertaining-lover’s paradise. Check out Natalie MacLean’s website, Nat Decants, for more info (and wine, and food, and all the goodness that goes with it!).


So give it a try and let me know what you think. What other food and wine apps can you not live without?
Follow us on Twitter: @searedfoodblog

THIS BLOG HAS MOVED. IT IS NOW AT SEARED.CA. CLICK HERE TO BE REDIRECTED.

If you need a quick dinner, or just want something fresh and easy to eat, a pasta salad is often the answer. They don't require many ingredients, are quick to make, and often contain a variety of food groups. One great option for any night is Tuna-Pasta salad.

Tweak it how you like it, add ingredients, take some out. It's a versatile recipe that is sure to please, and goes great with a bottle of white (try Mission Hill Sauvignon Blanc) or a light beer (a glass of Big Rock Lime will do the trick!). It also makes great leftovers.

Here's a rough outline of ingredients. Remember to change them as you please!

2 cups fusilli, uncooked
2 cups baby spinach
4 stalks celery, leaves on
3 large carrots
2 scallions
3 cans chunk light tuna in water, drained
3 tbsp light mayonnaise
1/2 tsp lemon juice
salt and pepper, to taste

Cook pasta according to directions on box. While it's cooking, chop spinach coarsely, dice celery into 1/2 cm chunks, and slice carrots thinly. Chop scallions to desired size (larger if you like a stronger onion flavour), add tuna, and mix well. When pasta is cooked, rinse with cold water until the pasta is cold. Add to veggie-tuna mixture, then stir in mayo, lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste.

Tip: If using the salad as leftovers, you may have to add more mayo before eating as it tends to dry out!

Follow us on Twitter: @searedfoodblog

THIS BLOG HAS MOVED. IT IS NOW AT SEARED.CA. CLICK HERE TO BE REDIRECTED.

Oh, wine, is anyone else intimidated by it? I remember when I went to a winery in France for the first time. I couldn’t help but feel like a gawky North American around the effortlessly beautiful French women – they managed to swish then spit their wine right on the ground and still look like they were on a runway somewhere. I just opted to swallow the wine and forego the opportunity to make an ass of myself.

It’s not just the wineries; wine itself can be quite intimidating. How do you choose? Here are a few questions to ask yourself in order to make the wine-finding experience a little easier.

1. What are you looking for? Do you want something dry? Something fruity? Something sweet?
2. What do you plan on eating with it? Meat? Fish? Dessert? Spicy food?
3. Do you want something clean easy to drink, or something that you can savour?

After you’ve figured out the answers to these questions, go to a wine store (not a liquor store, a wine store!!) and tell them what you want. People at wine stores are passionate about wine and can help you find what you’re looking for, at any budget.

My recommendation at a decent price: Cat’s Pee on a Gooseberry Bush, New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. It’s light, easy to drink, and very flavourful. It’s got a bit of fizz, which makes it just a tad more fun to drink, and you can drink it as an accompaniment with fish, Mexican food, SE Asian food, or fruit-based dessert. It’s also great on its own, and is a steal for about $14.

Don’t be intimidated by wine, just enjoy - c'est magnifique!
Follow us on Twitter: @searedfoodblog