At Home with Kim Vallee

HOME + GARDEN, KITCHEN design | March 4, 2010

The Quest for the Ideal Kitchen Design

It is easy to get carried away when you are designing a new kitchen. Since it is a major investment, it is not just about looks. It is critical that your kitchen works for your lifestyle. Lately, magazines are taking this approach when it comes to kitchen design. First, there was the March 2010 issue of [...]

DINING, FOOD + drinks | March 2, 2010

2 Comments

My Take on 4 Cooking Tips from Martha Stewart

Amongst the Top 40 Good Things on Martha Stewart, I feel that 4 truly makes a difference when you cook. 1. Mise en place The “mise en place” is the first cooking lesson that my mother taught me. I still do it today. If you prepare all the ingredients – meaning cutting, slicing, measuring – before starting to [...]

COOKBOOKS, DINING | February 10, 2010

0 Comments

The new Moleskine Recipe and Wine Journals Won My Heart

My friend Harry Wakefield of MoCo Loco featured the brand new Moleskine’s wine journal and the recipe journal on his blog. Until the moment I began to examine how practical the page templates were built, I thought I could resist. But the guys at Moleskine did a too good job that I could not resist [...]

DINING, FOOD + drinks | January 17, 2010

0 Comments

Chips are Not Only Made with Potatoes

Cooking your own chips is not complicated. What I like the most is that you can use vegetables, fruits and cheese to make your chips. You can serve them as a snack, an appetizer or a side dish. I compiled a list of 5 favorite recipes for you to try: + A classic Baked Potato Chips by [...]

DINING, FOOD + drinks | November 23, 2009

3 Comments

Reviewing the Top 2010 Food Trends According to Chick Advisor

Registered Dietitian and Nutritionist Kate Comeau revealed her 5 food trends for 2010 on Chick Advisor. I wish that she is right about the demise of soda, reduced sodium in packaged food and restaurant food (I already do not put a lot of salt on my home cooking) and more sustainable food harvesting not just with [...]

ENTERTAINING, HOLIDAY entertaining | November 18, 2009

1 Comment

Achieving Turkey Perfection the Simplest Way

If you avoid the traditional Thanksgiving dishes because you feel it take too much work but your family request a roasted turkey, you will be pleased to know that Gourmet found a no-fuss way to cook a golden-brown skin turkey with moist, tender white and dark meat. Simply seasoned the turkey with salt and pepper, [...]

ENTERTAINING, HOLIDAY entertaining | October 31, 2009

5 Comments

Last-Minute Recipes for Halloween

In case you are looking for more inspirations on what to serve at your Halloween party. + This Pumpkin Soup in a small pumpkin bowl is elegant. You could recycle the idea for Thanksgiving. Via Noob Cook. + Devilled egss are back in vogue. The Spooky spider eggs are a cute adaptation of the classic. The decoration [...]

OFF topics | October 5, 2009

3 Comments

Gourmet Magazine To Fold

I read on the New Times this morning that Condé Nast plans to announce that it will close 4 magazines: Gourmet, Cooking, Modern Bride, and Elegant Bride. I told you last January about the fact that Condé Nast will need to consolidate its cooking magazines into one. With the current status of the magazine industry, Condé Nast [...]