Family on Bruce loves to cook

Beef stew

Thu, 18 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This is our classic-style beef stew. I tend to make it as a base now, skipping the potatoes and more delicate vegetables, which are served alongside it.

Mechanic

Brown the beef in batches without crowding; you want a sear, not a steam. The fond that builds on the bottom of the pot is the stew’s backbone; the wine deglaze lifts all of it. Making this as a minimal stew, without vegetables in the braise, means you can cook it longer without anything going mushy and serve it over whatever you have on hand.

Beef stroganoff

Thu, 18 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

A warm and comforting stew. This is a 3-part stroganoff that covers a few styles of the dish.

Mechanic

This recipe exists in three versions; choose the protein and build accordingly. The method is the same in all three: brown the beef, brown the mushrooms, deglaze, simmer, finish with sour cream. The sour cream must be tempered (hot liquid added gradually) or it will break.

Butter chicken

Thu, 18 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Butter chicken was a gateway curry for our kids. This recipe is our best attempt at the warm, delicious curries from our local takeout shops.

Mechanic

This is a BIR-style (British Indian Restaurant) butter chicken, built on a pre-made base curry gravy rather than starting from scratch. The gravy does the heavy lifting; this recipe adds the butter, cream, and finishing flavours that make it distinctly butter chicken.

Butternut squash soup

Thu, 18 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This is a warm, filling soup that pairs nicely with garlic or cheese bread, or grilled cheese.

Mechanic

Roasting the squash and vegetables first concentrates their sugars and develops colour before anything goes in the pot. Straining the blended soup through a fine-mesh sieve at the end gives a silky texture you can’t get any other way. Loosen with stock until it pours easily. It’s not a pie filling.

Caesar dressing

Thu, 18 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This is an emulsified dressing that’s commonly used in local Greek restaurants. It may not be authentic, but it hits all of the notes of the classic table-side service.

Mechanic

This is a blended emulsion: the egg white and Dijon suspend the olive oil. Drizzle the oil slowly with the blender running so it incorporates rather than pools. The 2 tablespoons of sugar is not a mistake. It’s the family version, rounding out the anchovy and lemon without making the dressing noticeably sweet.

Carrot cake

Thu, 18 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This is my favourite cake. Cover it in a light cream cheese icing with a hint of lemon, and serve at room temperature. Also makes a great breakfast with tea.

Classic French dressing

Thu, 18 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

French dressing is a classic early restaurant memory for us. The emulsified version is a North American twist, but it works just as well as an oil and vinegar dressing.

Focaccia

Thu, 18 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

I started making focaccia when I needed to find a use for some leftover pizza dough. I enriched it with olive oil, topped it with kosher salt, and baked it in a pan. We ate it with olive oil and balsamic, and it was lovely.

Fresh egg pasta

Thu, 18 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Making pasta by hand is easier than it looks. It takes about 20 minutes, plus a bit of cleanup.

Mechanic

250g flour to 2 whole eggs plus 4 yolks is the ratio. Extra yolks rather than whole eggs make the pasta richer, more golden, and silkier in texture. The 30-minute rest after kneading relaxes the gluten so the dough sheets smoothly without springing back.

Meatballs

Thu, 18 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

A scalable, by-weight meatball for spaghetti, braises, and the freezer.

Mechanic

A meatball is a protein base, binders, moisteners (panade), and flavourings. The panade, breadcrumbs soaked in liquid, keeps the meatball from drying out. Grated onion (not diced) disappears into the mix and adds moisture. The percentages below are by weight, relative to 1 kg of ground meat, so the recipe scales to any quantity.

Minestrone

Thu, 18 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This is a classic, comforting soup, perfect for late summer or fall.

Mechanic

The vegetarian base replaces pancetta with deeply browned mushrooms, toasted bread, and smoked paprika. The bread is the surprising part: it toasts in the oil, adding a savoury nuttiness that disappears into the soup. Don’t skip it.

Pancakes and waffles

Thu, 18 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Our kids loved this recipe, and it makes an appearance most Christmas days still.

Mechanic

The baking powder goes in last, just before cooking. Most baking powder is double-acting and saves most of its lift for the heat, so batter mixed early loses only some of its rise, but adding it at the last moment still gives a slightly lighter, fluffier result. Don’t overmix once it’s in.

Peanut sauce

Thu, 18 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

A good peanut sauce is perfect with salad rolls and satay.

Ingredients

150g (½ cup) hoisin sauce
60g (¼ cup) peanut butter
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 cloves garlic, grated
1 tablespoon sambal oelek
60 ml (¼ cup) warm water

Method

Whisk all ingredients together until smooth. Thin with more water if needed.

Vegetarian lasagna

Thu, 18 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This was our kids’ first and favourite lasagna, and we used it as a vessel to hide vegetables in.

Mechanic

Eggs in the cheese filling bind the layers together so the lasagna cuts cleanly as a casserole. Draining the ricotta and cottage cheese if they’re watery prevents the lasagna from going soupy. The 20-minute rest after baking is non-negotiable: the layers need time to set before cutting.