Fresh Pasta! The bestest kind of pasta ever!

To me, there's not much more satisfying than a simple - and ultra-flavourful - pasta dish made with your own fresh pasta. Making it is actually quite easy; it takes a bit of practice but anyone can do it. If you're not feeling adventurous to try it for the first time all by yourself, there are lots of videos on YouTube you can watch, or sign up for a pasta cooking class at a local cooking school. You don't have to make an investment in a pasta machine (either hand-crank, or a pasta attachment for a Kitchen Aid mixer); if you want to do it old school like the nonnas did, you can roll out your dough with a rolling pin. Plus, if you screw it up, it's inexpensive to make another batch of dough. So go on and try it! I promise the rewards are totally worth it.

Barbara Lynch's Bolognese

I've made this bolognese, from Barbara Lynch's Stir cookbook, a number of times. I was also fortunate enough to have this dish at one of the chef's restaurants in Boston, Sportello (I also ate at another of her restaurants, No. 9 Park, which was one of the best meals I've had in my life). Watching them make it at the restaurant, the pasta and sauce are obviously both made earlier in the day, but as they construct your dish, in goes a nob of butter and a handful of Parmesan, followed by a final topping of parm before it's served to you. It's like meat butter, and it's fabulous. Both my mother and I had the dish, and if our bellies would have allowed, the bowl would never have ended. This recipe takes the better part of a day to make, so start it early. The active part is probably only 1 hour (after which you can leave it to do its magic), but it needs to (and wants to) simmer most of the day. Trust me - your dinner mates will thank you for it. No short-cuts.

Scallops in Coconut Curry Sauce

Although I love Italian food most, Thai or other Asian cuisines are probably my second favourite type of food to cook and eat. And the brilliant part is a lot of the dishes take very little time to make and have incredible flavour. This dish is no exception. You could certainly substitute scallops for any other protein; shrimp or chicken would be best in my eyes. I chose to server this over basmati, but jasmine rice, chow mein or rice vermicelli would be equally delightful. I think that's why I love Italian and Asian foods ... they both make excellent use of noodles. Man do I love noodles. Okay, on with the recipe. Enjoy!

The Tastiest Corn Chowder Ever

Come August, corn in Ontario is in its sweet, sweet prime. Check your local farmer's market or road-side stand for the freshest stuff. Although you don't usually think of hot soup in August, depending where you are in the province the  heat is usually starting to wane and you'd be surprised how delightfully welcoming this dish can be. I made this for our cottage group (10 of us) and it went over well for the hungry boys looking for something hearty, and the girls looking to get a bit warmed up.

Sausage, Red Pepper & Goat Cheese Fritatta

Breakfast, when done with a little TLC, is one of the most comforting meals of the day. My friends and I spend as much time in the summer at the cottage as is reasonably possible. Due to somewhat large quantities of alcohol consumed at said cottage, we generally appreciate a hot, hearty breakfast. But, that doesn't mean we eat KD (what? sometimes that's what I want for breakfast) or have bacon served with bacon fat over bacon toast. We eat right. Just like yer mamma taught you. All the food groups, yo! Well, almost all. Have some multigrain toast with this and I'm pretty sure you're set.