appetizer
Fried Zucchini Rounds with Yogurt Dip
Crispy breaded zucchini rounds, best eaten hot alongside a cool herbed yogurt dip.
Read MoreEscargot Stuffed Mushrooms
Mushroom caps stuffed with garlicky escargot and herbed breadcrumbs, baked until golden.
Read Morepork sausage plait
ome cooks call the pork sausage plait a poor man’s Wellington or a posh sausage roll. This dish fondly reminded me of the amazing pork pies I’ve eaten whilst in England.
Read Morepickled radicchio wrapped breadsticks
Pickled radicchio is a perfect way to preserve and enjoy for weeks. Radicchio (ra-DEEK-ee-o) on its own has a bold and bitter taste but throw it in a hot bath of vinegar and that boldness subsides. It ends up with a sweet and sour taste. When the radicchio leaves hit the vinegar, they change a…
Read Moreparmesan tuiles
Tuile (pronounced tweel) is a French word for tile and is a thin, crisp cookie with a lacy texture. They can be sweet or savoury.
Read Moreolive and anchovy bites
When we invite friends over for dinner, it’s always a new menu. And after many years of entertaining, this can seem as though there’s nothing new left in the tank! Which is what it felt like last Thursday. We had invited our good friends over for a bite to eat on Friday and the day…
Read MoreTomato and Mozzarella Salad
Ripe tomatoes and torn fresh mozzarella with olive oil and a Caesar granita, served at room temperature.
Read MoreOysters with Caesar Granita
Freshly shucked oysters topped with my Caesar granita: Clamato, vodka, Worcestershire and hot sauce frozen into icy crystals. Briny, salty and a little hot.
Read Moresteamed mussels with black bean garlic sauce
One of the first sauces we tried when we moved to Hong Kong was the black bean. The description alone made us wonder how much our senses were going to be assaulted. After all, how could fermented black soybeans taste anything but salty and smell stinky? That was the westernness coming out in me or…
Read MoreCiro’s stracchino cheese crostini
What makes a delicious crostini? Two words; fresh ingredients. And when my farmers’ market has an Italian vendor selling his own cheese, I am ONE happy camper! Ciro Comencini moved to Nova Scotia with his wife, Alessia and their six children (soon to be seven!) in 2013. His dairy experience started with his family’s farm, just…
Read Morepoached shrimp in olive oil
If there’s one staple I always have in my freezer, it’s a bag of frozen shrimp. They’re so versatile and many shrimp recipes out there are easy to prepare, economical and perfect for a mid-week meal. I recently poached shrimp in olive oil with a bit of butter as a last minute snack; I wasn’t…
Read Morefried Brussels sprouts
When thinking about what appetizer to serve, most cooks don’t consider using cabbage and even less think about Brussels sprouts! As a kid, you would NEVER hear me say, “oh yes please, may I have more!” I disliked them for years. It wasn’t until I was and at my great aunt’s home when she served…
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