Creamy Pumpkin Fettucine with “Meatballs” and Carmelized Leeks

There are definitely more and more signs of spring appearing in our cloudy, grey horizons, and we’ve even had a few days of warm weather, but we’re still a while away from the sweet, rejuvenating days of summer and I think, with all that’s going on in the world right now, we could all use…

Cheezy Scrambled Benedict

Breakfast is such a rushed affair for me these days, and with so little time in the mornings to dedicate to this most pivotal meal, I generally prefer to keep it simpler.  But these hastily prepared meals, devoured too quickly, are symptomatic of a larger, problem. We are all always in such a hurry, and…

A Guide to Paris, France

In the pantheon of great cities, none have arguably achieved a more legendary status than that of Paris.  With its grand boulevards, towering monuments, endless historical facades, and the general joie de vivre that fills every city pore, it’s hard to imagine there’s a more impressive and vibrant urban center anywhere else in the world….

A Guide To Toronto’s Independent Grocery Stores

With the unhealthy ambiance that’s circulating the political sphere these days, and democracy failing us in new and spectacular ways, and leadership that either can’t seem to make much progress, or willfully erodes it, I’ve been thinking of more ways that I can, as an individual, produce positive change in the world, from reducing waste…

Tempeh & Beet Hummus on Sourdough Toast

Hummus is one of the superheroes in my vegan life – it’s always there in a pinch, providing sustenance, simplicity, and flavour when and where it’s most needed.  Like a lot of great food, it originates in the Middle-East (Levant) and has been a staple there for centuries.  An interesting aside, in a region that…

Vegan-Friendly Travel Destinations for 2019

The last couple weeks or so I’ve been feeling particularly stir-crazy.  The weather here has not been great and it’s been forcing me to stay indoors more than usual.  Adding to the wet milieu is a general irritation with urban living – the incessant noise, construction, and chaos of life in a city of 3…

A Guide to Toronto’s Best Vegan Pizza

As I’ve documented a few times in various online channels, pizza is my favorite food.  A cheese pizza was the last thing I ate before going completely vegan ten years ago, and while there wasn’t much that I thought I’d miss foodwise, I did have some reservations about giving up pizza.  Fortunately that same year,…

Rigatoni with Basil-Avocado Pesto & Roasted Fiddleheads and Squash.

There are several reliable indications that spring has arrived in Ontario. Over the last couple of weeks, we’ve seen a lot of the rain, a less than pleasant, but pivotal herald of the new season.  But with the wet deluge comes other more amiable spring things. It’s finally holding at a mostly pleasant temperature, the…

A Guide to Lisbon, Portugal

The last five months have passed by in such blur as I tried frantically to get some movement with several long term projects.  I was finally able to officially launch the Plant and Pine store, made some headway on my novel, started writing a second, wrote, revised, and submitted several short stories, a few poems,…

Plant and Pine Launch – A Brief Manifesto

Plant & Pine seems like a simple enough moniker for this new project- but it took a while to come up with the name.  After months of debate and brainstorming, I hit on an idea that I felt resonated more than all the others. The Plant half of the name refers to a primary source…