Lemon Posset
It’s almost impossible to believe that lemon posset, a silky soft dessert, shares a name with a medieval cure-all of hot curdled milk and ale. Prescribed as a cold remedy throughout the 14th and 15th centuries, the original posset was more medicine cabinet than dessert bowl. Thank the ingenuity of 19th-century British chefs for rescuing…
what to do with leftover sour cream
When a recipe calls for a small amount of sour cream I feel my shoulders slump. For me the thought of having to buy a container of sour cream for 2 tablespoons or even a cup seems like a such a waste; there’s always some leftover. I could substitute it for yogurt but I would…
devil’s food cupcakes
Devil’s food conjures up something sinister. We’re all familiar with deviled eggs, devils on horseback (dates wrapped in bacon), chicken alla Diavola (devil’s chicken) etc. And according to What’s Cooking America, the term deviled is used to describe food that is dark, rich, chocolate, spicily piquant or stimulating.
fried olives stuffed with cheese
What is your favorite snack? Do you go back to the same one time after time or do you like to venture out and try new ones? If you have not tried fried olives, you must! They are a crunchy flavor bomb! I’ve made these a few times now and each time it’s with a…
antipasto salad – a cinch to make
Antipasto (Italian – before the meal) simply refers to the dish that precedes all the others to come. It should be colorful allowing the senses to awaken and gets the palate ready for the meal that follows. It is there to whet the appetite and not be too filling. A typical antipasto dish consists of…
almond and sunflower seed butter
but·ter (noun) – a solid yellow substance made by churning cream and used as a spread or in cooking; a food made from cooked fruit or roasted nuts that have been ground up. We’re all familiar with butter made with cream but over the last few years there’s a burgeoning market using nuts and seeds. …
squash and parsnip soup
Soup has been around for centuries and previous generations did not use a recipe. They simply dumped various ingredients into a pot to boil. And each culture adopted its own variation with whatever was on hand. For my readers who feel more comfortable using a list of ingredients, throw caution to the wind and be…
pork belly bites – one helluva snack!
.Well, hello 2016! Whatever the days or weeks ahead have in store for me, I’m ready! Mr. S and I spent Christmas in Calgary. Over the holiday period I cooked in other peoples homes; one being my daughter’s (a first for me!), one at my cousin’s (in Edmonton) and the other at my daughter’s employers…
linguine with clams (linguine alle vongole)
This is a busy time of the year with most of us running around doing last minute errands in preparation for the holidays. When I’m short for time, pasta is my savior and the time it takes to cook it I can have dinner on the table in 30 minutes! Toss in some clams and…
maple glazed nuts – an edible gift
Another edible gift from yours truly! Maple glazed nuts are super easy to make and a delectable hostess gift. They’re perfect for casual entertaining or tossed in a salad. Homemade edible gifts are always well received especially for those who are hard to buy for (i.e. teachers, employers).
DIY ferrero rocher
I’ve mentioned it before. I don’t really have a sweet tooth but if there’s one chocolate that halts me in my footsteps, it’s ferrero rocher. While I am not a fan of milk chocolate the combination of hazelnuts wrapped in what reminds me of nutella (yum) along with a crisp wafer…I’m salivating just thinking about…
hot cocoa mix – a cinch to make!
Ah, the annual holiday gift giving is upon us. Our brains go into overdrive thinking of things to buy and our bank accounts take a beating. I sometimes think we’re much too over-the-top with our purchases; the needs vs. wants dilemma. In the past few years I’ve adopted gift giving from the heart which means…
broccoli affogato crostini
Affogato in Italian means drowned. Most are familiar with the dessert version using a scoop of vanilla ice cream and topped with a shot of hot espresso; simple and really quite scrumptious. Broccoli affagato is a simple Sicilian recipe that can be used on toast (crostini), in pasta or on its own as a side. …