Boursin & Prosciutto Pastry Bites
There’s something irresistible about an easy appetizer that looks impressive but asks very little of the cook. This Boursin cheese and prosciutto puff pastry is exactly that. Salty prosciutto and creamy Boursin are tucked beneath golden,
Gnocchi mac n’ cheese
Mac n’ cheese (aka macaroni and cheese) has been around since the 1930’s and I grew up with it; both the boxed version and homemade. The afternoon my daughter was born I ate a whole box for lunch…no wonder she likes it. It’s been years since consuming the all-too-orangey-looking commercial stuff.
Paris (La Ville-Lumière)
Mr. S and I recently returned home from a trip to Paris. La Ville-Lumière (city of light) was the center of education and ideas during the Age of Enlightenment. In 1828, Paris began lighting the Champs-Elysées with gas lamps and earned the nickname “La Ville–Lumière”. Paris is a walkable city and you’ll see far more…
roasted peppers and gorgonzola crostini
Crostini (little crusts in Italian) are the easiest appetizers one can make. There are oodles and oodles of variations and limited only by one’s imagination. Creative ones such as smashed avocado topped with thinly sliced cucumber seasoned with chili flakes and a splash of extra-virgin olive oil or mashed fresh peas with sea salt, extra-virgin…
sorrel with pasta and pork
As a regular reader, you know how much I love our local farmers’ markets. There’s always something new and interesting. I have my favorite vendors I like to visit and one, in particular, is Offbeat Farm. Sarah and Jamie are an energetic and enthusiastic couple and they love what they do – farm on less…
spatchcock cornish hens
Spatchcock you ask? According to the Oxford Companion to Food, “spatchcock is a culinary term found in cookery books of the 18th and 19th centuries, and revived towards the end of the 20th century. It is said to be of Irish origin. The theory is that the word is an abbreviation of ‘dispatch cock’, a…
orange jelly slices
According to What’s Cooking America, gelatin was once considered a sign of wealth, before the commercial version appeared, only members of the elite classes could afford it. It took hours to render gelatin, clarify it, and turn it into fancy aspics, molded salads, desserts. etc. The use of gelatin was a sign that the host…
fish tacos (tacos de pescado)
“What’s for dinner?” asked Mr. S. I said I was thinking of fish and he said good! We haven’t had fish in a while but these days with the way my memory works it was most likely only a week or so ago. Cinco de Mayo (the 1862 victory of the Mexican militia over the…
artichoke pesto
Making use of what’s in your cupboard before expiration date always feels good. I am guilty, at times, of having to throw food out. According to Second Harvest, Canadians waste $31 billion of food every year of which 47% is wasted in the home. Over 30% of fruits and vegetables are rejected by supermarkets because…
plum dessert – fresh and light
A dessert concludes the main meal and for me, it’s the last thing I think about when planning a meal. I’m just as happy to snack on fruit and a bit of cheese than fill my stomach with another course. I am usually too full. But give me an option to savour fruit with yogurt,…
bbq cauliflower wings
We’re all familiar with buffalo chicken wings but cauliflower wings? It was through a snapchat from my niece, Sara, that I discovered the vegetarian version. She sent me the photo and I was intrigued; it’s a guilt-free snack. The meat version happened quite by accident, as most ingenious recipes do. The original Buffalo chicken wing…
lamb tagine – a feast for the senses!
A tagine, the conical shaped cooking vessel, is traditionally made out of clay and was first used by North African nomads. The tagine’s conical top allows moisture escaping from the ingredients to condense on the lid and fall back onto the dish, resulting in fork-tender meat and vegetables using a minimum of liquid. Think of…
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…