I just happened to be flipping through the channels one night and saw that Martha Stewart had Valentino on her show. He was just getting ready to show her how he makes his rigatoni Portofino. I’ve never seen pesto made the way he likes it so I was intrigued to watch more of the show.…

A few months ago new neighbors moved in down the hallway and they’re from India. I love Indian food and the aroma’s coming from that apartment was a subtle reminder that I haven’t made any Indian food in a while. I wasn’t in the mood for cooking in the kitchen for longer than an hour…

This is a bit of a twist on the traditional Pavlova and the raspberries balance the sweetness from the caramel flavored meringue. Pavlova is a meringue dessert named after the Russian ballet dancer, Ánna Pávlova. The dessert is believed to have been created to honour the dancer during or after one of her tours to…

If you’ve been reading my blog for a while you know of my fondness for meals that are easy to prepare with less to clean up afterwards! This dish tops the charts and the flavours here are amazing. My husband who usually doesn’t usually care for couscous said this was very good. Cumin is native…

Move over lemonade and make room for this Italian semi-frozen dessert! Granita is a traditional Sicilian dish and in some areas of Sicily it is served as a slush like drink rather than a dessert. Serves 4recipe from Desserts 1/2 cup (115g) granulated sugargrated rind of 1 lemon, scrubbed before cleaningjuice of 2 large lemons…

This fish pie was created in the late 1800’s in Russia. Russia has a rich culinary history and offers a wide variety of soups, dishes made from fish, cereal based products and drinks. Fish was important in pre-revolutionary cuisine, especially on Russian Orthodox fast days when meat was forbidden. This dish has the added health…

Who hasn’t had or made a Caesar salad? The original version was created in 1924 by Caesar Cardini, an Italian restaurateur in Tijuana, Mexico. Supposedly Cardini invented the dish when a Fourth of July 1924 rush depleted the kitchen’s supplies. Cardini made do with what he had and successfully added the dramatic flair of the…

Rice is the most popular grain in the world but risotto is quintessentially Italian! The texture and ingredients can vary from region to region but the technique always remains the same. The best forms of rice to use for risotto is Arborio or Carnaroli as these will release starch and create a perfect, creamy mixture.…

Squid is found in every ocean and most know it by the name, calamari (Italian name for squid). Squid meat is firm and white with a mild, slightly sweet and almost nutty flavor. The squid ranges from one inch in size up to eighty feet, but the most common size for eating is less than…

Nova Scotia is described on their provincial vehicle licence plate as Canada’s Ocean Playground and there’s good reason for it. The province is surrounded by three major bodies of water, the Gulf of Saint Lawrence to the north, the Bay of Fundy to the west, and the Atlantic Ocean to the south and east. In…

Yep, it’s that time of year when school’s out and a break is needed. It’s a short break but one that will help recharge the batteries. I’ll be back! Cheers!Heather