We know that The Salad has become one of the most important parts of any meal at home. It's refreshing and healthy and can give a wider variety to the meals we prepare at home. One thing that is important to know is the correct method to making the perfect dressing.

This time of year it is hard to remember summer, with fall wrapping up and winter having shown its self already with a couple of good "Nor Easters." Our friends, Heidi and Anders, were passing through town on their way home so Jana and I had them in for dinner. Trying to remember summer to help shake off the chills of winter, I decided to slowly BBQ some of the wild Pacific Chinook Salmon; I caught off the shores of the Queen Charlotte Islands last summer on the fishing trip of a lifetime!

Salt brings out a question everytime I do an event at the Compliments Culinary Centre. Sea salt and table salt have the same nutritional value. The real differences between sea salt and table salt are in their taste and texture. Generally table salt is from rock salt, which is mined from mineral deposits and generally fine. Sea salt is harvested from seawater through evaporation. Both types of salt can be fully refined, and in the end, the result is pure sodium chloride.

I run a “Lunch and Learn” class at the Sobeys head office in Atlantic Canada on a regular basis, discussing and preparing foods based on a particular topic. The lucky 20 who are quick enough to sign up, each pay $5 to cover the cost of ingredients, and a bottle of water. We get together and talk about food, cooking and having fun in the kitchen. The classes are great! I always get a few “students” to come and help me prepare the recipes, which makes for entertaining learning! I am always surprised by the quality and quantity of food!

Jana had been away on a business trip for a couple of days, and I hadn’t been able to cook a proper meal for 3 days due to tropical storm Noel leaving us without heat/water and electricity. So when the power was restored and Jana called to say she was almost home, I was more than ready to cook a special meal for the two of us.