appetizer
prosciutto rolls – an easy snack to make
Easy to make; my three favorite words. In my culinary world, nothing pleases me more than to whip up an elegant-looking appetizer using only 3 ingredients. Our friends, Ralph and Michelle, stayed with us last weekend and Thursday was the only night we were eating at home. My head was spinning with food ideas I…
Read Morepork belly bites – one helluva snack!
.Well, hello 2016! Whatever the days or weeks ahead have in store for me, I’m ready! Mr. S and I spent Christmas in Calgary. Over the holiday period I cooked in other peoples homes; one being my daughter’s (a first for me!), one at my cousin’s (in Edmonton) and the other at my daughter’s employers…
Read Moreprosciutto wrapped tomato
The holiday season is just around the corner and it’s that time of the year when we’re out socializing and entertaining at home. The thought of entertaining can be intimidating for both the novice and the experienced. When I know I am having friends over, I generate a plan, cook ahead, stay within my limits…
Read Moresavory palmiers
These delicate, but easy-to-make French pastries can be sweet or savory. Palmiers, named so because they look like palm trees or the shape of an elephant’s ear, uses puff pastry for its base. Traditionally, simple ingredients such as sugar and cinnamon are sprinkled over the pastry then folded, rolled, sliced and baked in the oven. …
Read Moremushroom pâté
Now that November is here, I start looking for easy-to-make snacks, appetizers, and finger food for the upcoming holiday season. Everyone has their favorites and one of mine is pâté. The thing is, it’s rich and calorie laden. An easy solution without compromising taste is to use the mighty mushroom. Not only are delicious, they’re…
Read Morecrab phyllo cups
The freezer compartment of our fridge is puny! While it has 2 levels, it’s like playing a game of Jenga. Everything placed in the freezer has to be done with much precision and each time the freezer drawer is opened, there’s constant reshuffling. A while ago we purchased a package of frozen crab meat (imitation,…
Read Moreturkey meatballs – with an Asian twist
This dish transports my foodie mind back to Thailand. One of the first things introduced to us was a welcome snack called Miang kham. The base is a betel nut leaf and piled onto the leaf are fried shallots, ginger, toasted coconut flakes, garlic, lime, peanuts, chopped chili peppers, and topped with a drizzle of…
Read Moreradish leaf pesto
Pesto derives its name from pestâ which means to pound/crush. A typical pesto consists of crushed garlic, basil, pine nuts mixed with olive oil and Parmesan cheese. Pesto was originally used mostly to flavor vegetable soups. It wasn’t until the early 1900’s that it was used as a sauce for pasta. Earlier versions of pesto…
Read MoreOnion Dip – made from scratch
As a youngster and young adult, one of my favorite junk foods was French Onion Dip and a bag of rippled potato chips. It’s been years since I last snacked on a commercial onion dip but the other day while I was at the grocery store, I really wanted to buy one. Instead, my inner…
Read MoreBaked Vegetable Custard
Years ago I bought a book to hold all my scraps of paper that I scribbled recipes on or ones I cut from magazines and newspapers. I remember, after the last recipe was glued down, how triumphant it felt to see my collection in one place. The other day I went through one I started…
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