Archive for May 2008

Whenever the word salad is mentioned, some people cringe or turn their nose up at the idea. However, a salad does not have to be lettuce, tomato and cucumber smothered in some form of prepared dressing. These days, a salad takes on many forms and more substantial than aforementioned. In the last few decades the…

Yesterday was a bit of a hectic day running around town doing errands so I wasn’t in the mood to be in the kitchen for any length of time. I had in my mind that I wanted to make something with linguine and artichoke and my search on the web came up with this recipe.…

I love cheese and although Reggiano Parmigiano is one of my favorite Italian cheeses, there are others that rank equally as high. With so many to choose from, I have highlighted the ones that my family and friends enjoy when we get together. GorgonzolaNamed for a town outside Milan where it was originally made, Gorgonzola…

When I think of Italian food my mind automatically thinks of pasta, fish and slow simmered meats. However, none of these would be as good if it weren’t for the sauce. Each region reflects the flavors and textures that make up each sauce – some are salty and sweet, chunky, spicy, velvety smooth etc. These…

I’ve been on a bit of a fennel kick of late and am very happy to have found this recipe! The flavors here are awesome and while fennel has a distinctive licorice taste, roasting the fennel in the oven mellows the flavors. Fennel is a good source of fibre, vitamin C, folate and potassium. In…

This aromatic Mediterranean style stew is so simple to prepare and yet when presented at the dinner table, your family or friends will think you have spent the entire day in the kitchen! The added flavors of chilies and smoked paprika to the aioli gives this stew a bit of a kick. Ailoi (pronounced ahy-oh-lee)…

This crustless pie is perfect for a casual dinner or lunch. Panko breadcrumbs are found in Japanese and French cuisines and are used to create a crunchy coating for fried foods. Panko is made from bread without crusts which has a crisper, airier texture than most types of breading found in Western cuisines. If you…

I have to admit that I’ve never been a huge fan of fish (too many bones!). That being said, since coming to Asia I have learned to prepare and enjoy fish in different ways and that’s due to the many Chinese restaurants we’ve eaten in over the years. This dish is a bit like homemade…

This is a quick midweek meal that is easy to prepare, loaded with vitamins and is easy on the budget as well. My May 7 posting was on dukkah and one of the ways mentioned how to use it was in salads. Dukkah helps to spice up the flavors in this dish. Serves 4recipe from…

Dukkah (pronounced ‘do -kah’) is an Egyptian blend of coarsely ground nuts and spices. Use it by dipping bread in extra virgin olive oil then into the Dukkah. I remember the first time I encountered this curious looking mixture when I was still living in Singapore. My husband and I went out for dinner at…