Classic British Potted Shrimp
A Tudor classic that won over Ian Fleming and James Bond: tiny shrimp sealed under golden spiced butter, made for warm toast.
Molasses Cookies
North Americans call it molasses and the Brits call it treacle. Molasses has been in North America since the 1600’s when it was first used to make rum. Back then, it was a preferred sweetener and cheaper than refined sugar. Refined sugar prices after World War 1 dropped and therefore became cheaper than molasses. I…
Warmed Marinated Feta Cheese
Feta warmed in small jars until soft and yielding, finished with olive oil and, when the season allows, slow-roasted tomatoes.
Baked Mozzarella Cheese Sticks
Sometimes it’s a photo or description of a photo that makes me stop in my web-surfing tracks. Such was the case when I wondered onto Averie Cooks site. It was her 2 ingredient, 110 calorie baked mozzarella cheese sticks that grabbed my attention. egg roll or wonton wrappers low-fat mozzarella string cheese sticks 1. Preheat…
Fennel-Parmesan Shortbread
When we lived in New York, I would come into the city once or twice a week and began my outing by meeting Mr. S. for a cappuccino at Blue Bottle coffee in Rockefeller Center. We always shared a cookie as part of our java ritual. Fennel-Parmesan shortbread, a savory twist, quickly became a favorite…
Slow-Roasted Tomatoes
Slow-roasted tomatoes are about the closest I’m ever going to get to sun-dried. The ones available here are mass produced and to be honest, aren’t that appealing. According to TLC, the practice of drying tomatoes for use throughout the winter began in Italy, where tomatoes were placed on the tile roofs of houses until the…
Pear Clafoutis
Clafoutis (kla-foo-tee) is a cross between a flan and a soufflé with batter similar to that of crepes. Clafoutis is a rustic breakfast/brunch food that hails from France and the traditional recipe calls for fresh cherries but you can add whatever fruit you like. I bought Forelle pears last week and they were taking the…
Roasted Squash and Apple Soup
Roasting squash with apples may sound odd, but they end up best mates. Blended with sage and cumin, then topped with crisp bacon and goat’s cheese.
Homemade Potato Chips
It always excites me to find something new. The other day I stumbled across Irvin Lin’s food blog and was drawn to his post on how to make potato chips using the cold oil method. I re-read the sentence again…cold oil method? This method uses less oil, less chance of oil splattering when the potato…
Steak Tartare
So you think you know your salt, do you? While there are mixed reviews about Salted: A Manifesto on the World’s Most Essential Mineral, I enjoyed reading it. Yes, there’s lengthy writing on the history, the many variations of artisanal salt available today, and it makes for a great reference manual, however I purchased it…
Halibut Ceviche with Watermelon
Ceviche (seh-BEE-chay), popular in Central and South America, is a seafood dish and consists of raw fish marinated in citrus juice and seasoned with chilies and chopped coriander. The citric acid in the juice cooks the fish making the flesh opaque and firm just as if it had been cooked over heat. The first time…
Honey-Crisp Oven-Fried Chicken
What is it with fast food that can send your stomach growling after a whiff of something deep-fried? When my sensory system is alerted to these aromas, it’s all I can do to stay away. According to The Urban Daily, Scottish immigrants to the United States are often credited with being the ones to introduce…
Carrot Soup with Feta and Quinoa
When it’s cold outside there’s nothing more comforting and warming than homemade soup. Soup, by the way, doesn’t need to be arduous nor does it need to take a long time to make to taste good. Carrot soup with feta and quinoa should make you take notice as this isn’t something ordinary but downright scrumptious!…