halloumi fries – entertaining made easy

halloumi fries - easy to make

I’ve been cooking with halloumi cheese since 2006; we were living in Hong Kong at the time.  I love that city!  It’s one of the few places I could go back to live.  It’s a city that’s frenetic, safe to travel at night, people are generally friendly, amazing food, public transport is swift and timely,…

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holiday party food – part 2

At this point, the rush of the holiday season is in full swing.  On my previous post, I suggested three, easy-to-make party food treats and the three I have chosen today are just as easy.  Chocolate is a crowd-pleaser and lovely to have on hand when your friends and family pop over.  Making your own…

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holiday party food

holiday snacks

Twelve days to Christmas! Yikes! Why is it with the best-laid plans things slip? I finally got around to making my first ever Christmas cracker snaps even though I had the materials 2-weeks ago.  They were a cinch to make and took half an hour to assemble.  I think the same goes with party food. …

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pizza smoked mozzarella and lemon slices

If I were to take a poll to find out what toppings people like to see on their pizza, I’ll bet tomato sauce, cheese, and some sort of meat would be at the top of the list.  Pizza is a centuries old snack although 2,000 years ago it looked more like a flatbread with olive…

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savory 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. …

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Onion 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…

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Aussie Meat Pies

Meat pies in Australia and New Zealand are what apple pie is to North America – iconic. Years ago John and I visited Australia and everyone kept telling us to try the Aussie meat pies.  Not one to turn down an opportunity to see what all the fuss was, we tried our very first meat…

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Grilled Pineapple

This is such an easy, no fuss, and delicious dessert to make. Grilled pineapple can be served on its own, with ice cream or a dollop of yogurt.  I’ve been grilling pineapple for years and it’s always a crowd pleaser.  I have been asked before how to pick a ripe pineapple.  When we lived in…

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Eton Mess

If you haven’t heard of Eton Mess, you’re in for a real treat!  It’s an English dessert, served in the food hall at Eton College, and is a mixture of strawberries, broken meringue and whipped cream.  It’s so easy to make and a perfect dish for those novices wanting to try baked meringue…and don’t worry…

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Grilled Oysters with Tarragon Butter

I’m not a fan of raw oysters (lord knows I’ve tried many times).  I prefer mine cooked or smoked and these grilled oysters with tarragon butter are absolutely de-lish!  They’re about as close to raw as I’ll ever get!  And, if you’re like me, shucking oysters take a bit of practice before getting the hang…

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