Polenta is a favorite staple of mine as it’s easy to prepare and can be used as a substitute for mashed potatoes. Polenta is traditionally a slowly cooked dish. It sometimes takes an hour or longer and constant stirring is necessary. However, these days instant polenta is ready in 5 minutes which makes for a…

Lasagne has changed a bit over the years from what the original dish consisted of (alternate layers of pasta, cheese and often ragù or tomato sauce) and I suppose it was inevitable that chefs worldwide would use their culinary imaginations to alter the ingredients. I found 20 such recipes from one site all a bit…

An ideal meal to serve when you have guests show up unannounced and so easy to prepare! Fresh ingredients, as always, stand out to make this dish “tastebud” heaven. Serves 6recipe from Good Taste 2 sheets (25x25cm) frozen ready-rolled puff pastry, just thawed3 large zucchini, ends trimmed and thinly sliced lengthways3 tablespoons pesto250g fresh ricotta3…

In the past, beans have been a neglected part of our diet and most probably due to the fact that I grew up on homemade baked beans which, although were delicious, never quite agreed with me. However, since I started this food blog, I’ve been more accepting of beans and lentils and found that most…

Salads come in all forms and not just the leafy version that most associate the word with. It’s usually a mixture of cold foods including vegetables or fruits and topped with a dressing. Experimenting with different textures and flavors by chefs and cooks alike have, over the years, come up with some very interesting savory…

Pasta has been around for centuries and it’s been a romantic myth that Marco Polo brought pasta back from China (it was already there in Polo’s time). Marco Polo returned in 1295 after twenty years of travel away from Italy. It was noted that in 1279 a Genoese soldier listed in the inventory of his…

It doesn’t feel possible that I’ve been sharing recipes on the web for 2 years (304 postings later!). Three times a week I post new recipes that my family tries and they are my best critics. I do have to say a big thank you to my friend, Robert Esser, from Pantry Magic for encouraging…

Simple soups only require the freshest of ingredients to make the difference between an ok soup and one that has flavor. Courgettes (zucchini) is a very good source of vitamin C, A, folate, fiber, riboflavin and potassium. This soup is also delicious served at room temperature and is a perfect light starter! Serves 4-6recipe from…

We use our bbq all year round (even when we lived in Canada) and I’m always looking for recipes that enable us to cook outdoors. Fennel has an anise like flavor but is more aromatic, sweeter and less pungent and goes well with pork. The name comes from the Greek word for marathon because the…

Tuna has always been a fish I liked better in the can and it wasn’t until 8 years ago that I started to experiment with fresh tuna in dishes. I’ve moved on since then and really enjoy cooking with tuna. I also like it rare and this recipe is absolutely delicious! It comes across as…