Lemon Drop Martini

August 27, 2026

Some cocktails have a way of taking you back to a particular place and time. For me, the Lemon Drop Martini will always be Hong Kong.  I first made one in 2004, when we were living there. Hong Kong nightlife was buzzing.

The Culinary Chase turns 2!

August 25, 2008

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…

Courgette Soup (Minestra di zucchine)

August 22, 2008

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…

Tuscan Pork Skewers

August 20, 2008

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 Tartare (Tartara di tonno)

August 18, 2008

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…

Rigatoni Portofino

August 15, 2008

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.…

Indian Prawn Curry

August 13, 2008

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…

Praline Meringue Cake with Raspberries

August 11, 2008

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…

Roast Chicken with Couscous

August 8, 2008

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…

Lemon Granita

August 6, 2008

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…

Kulebyaka (Russian fish pie)

August 4, 2008

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…

Grilled Shrimp Caesar Salad

August 1, 2008

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…

Mushroom Risotto

July 30, 2008

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.…