Tag Archives: food styling

How to make an Avocado Rose

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Nobody needs an avocado rose.

That’s exactly why I love them.

I’m blessed—or perhaps cursed—with a strong sense of aesthetic and have always been drawn to beautiful little details. These days, I find myself slowing down and taking time for things that serve no practical purpose other than making me smile. Whether it’s latticing the top of a tart, dusting cookies with edible gold, or turning an avocado into a rose, some things can simply be beautiful.

If you’ve ever wanted to try making one yourself, here’s my simple step-by-step method.

Keys to Success in making an Avocado Rose

  • Start with the Right Avocado Choose an avocado that is ripe but still firm enough to hold its shape. If it’s too hard, the slices will crack. If it’s too soft, the rose will collapse into a mushy mess.
  • Use a Sharp Knife A sharp knife is essential for making clean, even slices. Ragged cuts make the rose more difficult to shape.
  • Slice Thinly Thin slices are flexible and bend easily as you roll the rose. Aim for slices about ⅛ inch (3 mm) thick.
  • Use Your Fingers as a Guide After each slice, use your fingers to gently hold the last slice in place as you pull the knife back. This prevents the slices from shifting and keeps the avocado neatly aligned. Taking a few extra seconds here will make it much easier to fan out the slices and roll them into a rose later.
  • Keep the Slices Aligned After slicing, gently fan the avocado out into a long line, work carefully to keep them neatly aligned. This makes rolling the rose much easier.
  • Finish with Lime Juice Once your avocado rose is formed, squeeze a little fresh lime juice over the top. It adds a bright pop of flavour and helps slow browning. Don’t forget the salt!

I’d love to know—are you team ‘just eat the avocado’ or team ‘turn it into a rose first’?

Recipe for Loaded Sweet Potato Breakfast Waffle is in my last blog post.

Nibble Board

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A board built for slow sips and small bites. Nothing rushed here.

There’s something quietly magical about building a board—one tiny bite at a time. This isn’t your usual cheese board. It’s a nibble board: slower, more tactile, and filled with small surprises that invite your guests to pause and play. One of my favourites? A nest of tiny, hard-boiled quail eggs to peel and dip in fleur de sel. Paired with unexpected flavour combinations—like cheddar or manchego cheese, honey, and coffee—it’s an experience that’s as thoughtful as it is delicious.

Watch me assemble the board.

KEYS TO SUCCESS (HARD-BOILED QUAIL EGGS)

I was inspired by an episode of The Lost Kitchen to add Quail Eggs to my nibble board. They may look delicate, but they’re surprisingly easy to prep with the right method:

  • Skip the boiling. Boiling often cracks the shells. Instead, steam them in a steamer basket.
  • Steam for 3 minutes for hard-boiled perfection.
  • Immediately plunge into an ice water bath to stop the cooking and make peeling easier.
  • Unpeeled, hard-boiled quail eggs will last up to a week in the fridge.
  • I found mine locally at Farm Boy, but you can often spot them at specialty or Asian grocers.

The result is a gently firm, creamy little egg—perfect for serving in a soft nest of straw with a pinch bowl of salt nearby.

Cheddar meets honey and coffee. Strange? Maybe. Surprising? Absolutely.

UNEXPECTED PAIRING FOR YOUR NIBBLR BOARD: CHEESE, HONEY & COFFEE

If cheddar or manchego cheese and coffee sound like strange bedfellows, you’re not alone. The first time I saw Jamie Oliver dip cheese into honey and coffee, my brain said: “Wait—what?” But curiosity won out—and I’ve never looked back.

Here’s why it works:

  • The sweetness of the honey balances the bitterness of the coffee.
  • Together, they soften the sharp, astringent edge of hard cheeses like aged cheddar or manchego.
  • It’s layered, earthy, and a little bit wild—especially when paired with something nutty or a glass of wine.

A nibble board like this isn’t just about the food—it’s about the experience. The small, curious moments. The sound of a quail egg cracking, the surprise of honey and coffee on a slice of cheese. It’s an invitation to gather slowly, eat thoughtfully, and linger a little longer around the table. Whether you’re hosting friends or simply treating yourself, building a board this way adds warmth and wonder to even the simplest evening.

Layering slow. Every piece an invitation to pause.

Broccoli, Raisin and Olive Salad with Pine Nuts

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with all the mix insfront of mugThis is my favourite mug. The weight and shape of it feel just right in my hand. It is part of my comforting morning ritual. If  you’re wondering, the mug is from Anthropologie,. Sadly, they don’t make them anymore. I bought a bunch of them with the initials of favourite family members and friends so they would feel welcome when visiting. Now I can’t make any new friends, unless their names start with certain letters that I already have on the shelf. Such a dilemma! It would be awkward to serve my new friend Xavier a latte in a letter M mug.back of mugHere is my mug from the rear view. With the small chip in the base it’s not quite as attractive as the front view. (Most of us look better coming rather than going) Despite this flaw, the mug is still quite functional, so I refuse to replace it. I am also flawed but functional, so my mug is a perfect analogy for me.

This broccoli salad was created the week before we moved. I had been trying not to shop for any groceries and use up what was in the house, so that we would have less stuff to haul. A lonely bag of pine nuts escaped the freezer purge earlier in the week, so they were added for crunch. A jar of raisins survived the pantry purge, so in they went for sweetness. The top shelf of the fridge held a few Kalamata olives and some leftover pickled shallots. don't throw out the stemsPlease don’t chop the florets off your broccoli and discard the stems. Once you peel the outer woody skin, the inside is quite tender.

I had some help in styling this salad from the talent behind the fabulous Instagram account   @bowlsand beats (where health and hiphop collide). Full disclosure, she’s my daughter and she was home visiting for the weekend.

This was my first try at styling the salad. I wasn’t thrilled with the composition so I called her in to help.salad on white oval plate 1She immediately grouped all the little elements together for greater impact. bowls and beats stylessalad on white oval plate 2Better but not quite satisfied, she suggested we try a round bowl instead. styled by bowls and beats 2Perfect. We shot it with my iPhone for her Instagram page and then we ate!Instagram it

Click here to print recipe for Broccoli, Raisin and Olive Salad with Pine Nuts.