Recipes

Many years ago chocolate was not enjoyed as the sweet candy or dessert treat that we know of today. Native South American tribes such as the Olmecs, the Incas, the Aztecs and the Mayans were the first to serve chocolate as an unsweetened beverage, using fermented cacao beans to make a bitter drink usually flavoured […]

A favorite in our house. These grilled peaches will melt in your mouth and taste best when they’re coming straight off the BBQ.

This recipe was a favourite at Gourmet Goodies. Serve this at lunch or dinner with your favourite sandwich for a hearty and filling meal.

This is just some of the food on Gail’s culinary tour to Charleston SC., October 11 to 15, 2012. If you’re serious about food, then a culinary tour is an experience you don’t want to miss.

One very tasty dish that captures the flavours of fall!

This recipe is inspired by one of my favourite restaurants in Edmonton — Sofra. While, I admit, that Yuksel’s fresh as you order pita is the best in the city, all of his dishes are remarkable. The stuffed apricots combine a balance of sweet and savoury and are served hot on a bed of spinach. […]

Corso 32 is one of the best Italian restaurants in Edmonton winning local and national recognition for its quality and innovative Italian cuisine. Chef/owner Daniel Costa beautiful new dishes using traditional Italian techniques taught to him by his grandmother. The Arancini (their shape is named after small oranges or ‘arancia’) are sinfully delicious. Daniel uses […]

Wherever we toured in Charleston on my culinary tour this past October, we encountered this spread. It’s sooooo easy, you’ll have it ready in 5 minutes!

A signature candy of the south, this delectable confectionary was sold in candy shops in Charleston. My first encounter with pralines was on my culinary tour to Louisiana in 1998. History has it that it’s a Creole confection derived from Marshal Luplesis-Pralin (1598 – 1695) and his butler’s recipe for almonds coated in sugar, used […]

This salad is easy to prepare, is high in protein and fibre and just happens to be delicious. The recipe is provided by the Alberta Barley Commission. Did you know that 50% of barley grown in Canada is from Alberta? It’s also a ‘superfood’ and is the first ingredient in Canada to be given this […]

This is one of my favourite soups. It can be made throughout the year with locally sourced ingredients. It freezes well and goes perfectly with grilled cheese sandwiches!

What is it about grilled cheese sandwiches. Is it the melted cheese on thick slices of bread, grilled with butter? How could this not be good! Here is one of my simple recipes. Alter it with your favourite cheeses, breads and garnishes.

Turn an everyday sandwich into something more exciting by adding diced fruit. In the summer, add diced peaches or nectarines.

Spring is on its way and why not prepare some recipes that get the taste buds excited. These two refreshing recipes pair well together for lunch or dinner.

Whether you’ve got beets in your garden or you’re buying them at farmers’ markets, health food stores or grocery stores, here’s a dish that you won’t tire of.

Pesto is the one condiment I always make.

I can never tire of the flavour of this baked custard. So, keep your pumpkin, steam the pumpkin, mash and you’ve got the main ingredient.

An easy dish that will make good use of your Halloween pumpkin. Simple to prepare, serve with rustic bread and cheese for a hearty lunch or light dinner

On my culinary tour to Italy in 2002, I had the most amazing Italian ‘biscotti’ in Siena. Cantuccini are what biscotti are known as in this region – small cookies, shaped like biscotti, but soft and melt in your mouth!

If you love truffle chocolates, you are going to love this easy recipe.

Shortbread is my favourite cookie at Christmas and these savoury ones are a must. They have been a family favourite for many years and always disappear off the serving tray!

This makes the easiest of candy and is the perfect gift over the holidays. Use as much as you want of each ingredient.

ChefGail unlocked the key to this Christmas tradition. Kids and grandkids love to get their hands in this mixture. Another yummy food gift for this holiday season.

Here’s a recipe to help you use your turkey and cranberry leftovers.

This is ChefGail's version of a hearty soup she enjoyed on her culinary tour to Portugal in October 2013.

This dish works well as a side or main salad, just serve with rustic breads, cheeses, sliced cucumber and tomato for a complete meal.

This makes a fabulous lunch or dinner entrée. The dumplings add a delicious topping that help sop up the gravy!

This recipe is one of the culinary treasures from ChefGail's trip to Turkey. You’re gonna love it! Not only is it delicious — it’s easy to put together.

This one is so easy, you can have it prepared in under 30 minutes!

This is a terrific salad to serve all summer long.

June is asparagus season in Alberta and ChefGail's favourite farmer, Edgar Farms from Innisfail in Central Alberta, produces some of the sweetest on the planet.

June is asparagus season in Alberta and ChefGail's favourite farmer Edgar Farms from Innisfail in Central Alberta, produces some of the sweetest on the planet.

Adapted: This recipe is adapted from the asparagus producer, Edgar Farms of Innisfail, Central Alberta. They produce some of the sweetest on the planet.

Markets are ablaze with fresh fruit and soon your gardens will have fresh seasonal berries. This is a delicious easy dish to make, to be enjoyed the summer through.

Once you make this home-made sauce, you can’t go back to the store bought variety.

This is a traditional French condiment and it’s so easy to make.

Serve this dish hot as a side dish or cold as a salad.

This salad originated at ChefGail's catering company Gourmet Goodies and it became one of her favourites. The secret? Use feta brine in the dressing.

ChefGail's friend, Ilona, gave this recipe to her and she loved it. Serve it as a side salad or a main plate with some rustic bread, butter and cheese for a perfect summer meal.

This dish is always such a treat to serve. ChefGail made it for over 30 years and the taste is spot on! Enjoy as a strudel slice or triangle.

ChefGail's sister-in-law Ruth gave her this recipe many years ago and it’s became a favourite to make both at home and when she catered. The dressing is heated which causes the cabbage to wilt and soften. Once the salad has cooled down, refrigerate it for a few hours before serving. The salad will last up […]

The bounty of fresh local cabbage is visible at farmers’ markets and grocery stores. Use this recipe to turn this inexpensive, hearty and healthy vegetable into a favourite side dish for meat, chicken or pork.

Blueberry crisp, brown betty, crumble, cobbler and now buckle! ChefGail didn’t know how the latter got its name, but she suspected it’s the cracks that appear in the top when it’s finished baking.

Just in case you have an abundance of apples from your harvest or your neighbours, here is a delicious recipe that’s simple and easy to whip up and the items freeze very well! Use for breakfast or snacks.

Lots of zucchini on hand? Well, put it to good use by created this easy loaf. Zucchini will add moisture to this recipe.

ChefGail's Aunt Rose was famous for this cake and we're lucky to have the recipe. It is also featured in the Maps, Markets and Matzo Ball Soup book.

A simple treat discovered at Terra Madre, the Slow Food Conference in Turin. 

Delectable Italian pork bombs. Gleaned from my trip to Turin for Slow Food’s conference, this dish was a ‘street food’ offering and it’s true “It’s not a party without Bombetta!”

This dish celebrates Hanukkah and is traditionally topped with a sprinkle of sugar or applesauce or sour cream. Change the toppings to goat cheese and smoked salmon and latkes into a new party favourite! Enjoy!

Easy to make and it just happens to be healthy at the same time. Make this one a staple on your party table!

Sweet Johnny Cake

This is a traditional French lemon mousse, that does not use gelatine. It was taught to Gail at Pierre Dubrulle’s Culinary School and became one of her favourite recipes to teach at her cooking school. Enjoy!

Everyone has a version of vegetarian and now you have ChefGail's! Make some chili and top it with the spoonbread to create a new casserole

This recipe brought back a lot of ChefGail's childhood memories (thanks to her Mom who was a great cook and teacher). It involves two ingredients that are not commonly used: bow tie shaped pasta and buckwheat groats (kasha in Yiddish). Buckwheat has been cultivated for centuries in Europe and was one of the first crops […]

Perfect for the Super Bowl or any other sports gathering.

For February 2015, Gail’s vegetarian burger was the featured burger at Delux Burger Bars in Edmonton. For each burger sold, $1 was donated to Autism Edmonton.

One of the many dishes ChefGail fell in love with during her culinary tour of Peru in March 2015. Delicious to eat, easy to create! The dish is served topped with fabulous French fry potatoes. Rather than fry the potatoes, ChefGail roasted them as per the method here.

Lots of protein in this dish when you combine quinoa with beans. This salad was a favourite on ChefGail's culinary tour of Peru. The method includes tossing the cooked quinoa lightly in simple syrup and then toasting it. What a lovely way to add flavour and crispiness to the quinoa.

This dish is a must when watching sports, especially with hockey playoffs. Homemade guacamole and pico de gallo layered with your favourite nacho chips and cheese can be made in a few minutes. Here’s how!

Rhubarb is one of those ingredients that doesn’t get the recognition that it deserves. A plethora of it is grown in Alberta and that could be why!! Keep in mind that it freezes will if you can use it up right away (just cut it into small pieces, put in freezer bags, remove air and […]

Make this salad a day or two in advance to really take advantage of the pesto flavour!

This is one of ChefGail's favourite savoury phyllo strudel recipes. Once you get the hang of working with phyllo, it will become one of your favourites too! Try different cooked fillings too!

Regardless of its origin (Russian, Poland, Ukraine, Romania…), every beet borscht recipe is the ‘right’ one. This one has a modern twist and was a popular dish at ChefGail's award winning catering company, Gourmet Goodies, created by my former executive chef, Dave Nicolson, who’s is Scottish by the way! Serve with lots of rye bread […]

ChefGail prepared one of her favourite soups on TV. It uses ingredients from farms that were visited a local culinary tour, including bacon from Irving’s Farm Fresh in Round Hill.

Pasta with Bacon, Onions, Tomatoes, and Cheese

This recipe is delicious. ChefGail used it forever and never tired of the flavour. Watch ChefGail prepare this dish on Global Edmonton: https://globalnews.ca/video/2243198/in-the-global-edmonton-kitchen-with-gail-hall . The aroma is intoxicating!

In pumpkin season this recipe makes great use of your hallowe’en pumpkin. It’s super easy and tastes fabulous. Use on your favourite breads and crackers and it makes a lovely hostess gift.

America's favorite sweet bread.

Soft and scrumptious—you can make these cookies in 30 minutes!

A delicious and simple recipe to make. Feel free to use Prosciutto or Pancetta instead of Bacon. ChefGail's preference was to use locally smoked bacon from organics or Farm Fresh producers typically available at Farmer's Market.

Fresh Asparagus is available from local growers in May and June. This is the time to try to this salad. Remember fresh asparagus can be eaten raw and none of the locally produced varieties should have wooden stalks to cut off.

The crispiness of the phyllo filled with sweetened whipped cream and topped with seasonal fruit, is there perfect blend of texture and taste. The phyllo cups can be baked several days ahead of time. Keep at room temperature covered with a light tea towel.

If you love the sandwiches made at an Italian deli, here is ChefGail's version done on a French Baguette. Slice thinly for appetizers and on the thicker side for lunch.

Easy to make in 10 minutes and perfect with fish, chicken, pork or beef.

A delicious and healthy start to your day.

Quick and delicious for lunch or dinner.

Easy, healthy and delicious, this dessert will be popular at any time of year.

Just a hint of curry doesn't overpower the dish.

This pilaf can be made with any rice, just adjust cooking times as per the directions on the package.

ChefGail made these as a child with her best friend Gay Spiegel. They were one of her favourite cookies!!

This salad can be made in a matter of minutes. Feel free to modify it to suite your taste. If you are in a hurry, use a vegetable shredder or food processor to shred the carrots rather than using a carrot peeler to make ribbons. Mix salad with ingredients and dressing and let stand at […]

A delicious one pot camping recipe - and it can also be made at home!

An easy and delicious way to use up your bumper crop of apples!

ChefGail grew up with this recipe and at first made the dough from scratch and then discovered that phyllo can work too!

This salad is like a fresh salsa and is great with BBQ foods too! So easy and quick to make at any time of year! ChefGail had special memories of her mom making this quick salad in the summer time when the family had BBQ for supper...

A delicious side dish that can be made with local ingredients year round.