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…
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!…
Halloumi with Oven Roasted Tomatoes and Couscous
If you haven’t heard or tried halloumi cheese, you’re in for a treat. Halloumi, the squeaky cheese, does not melt when heated. Instead it develops a delicious crust that surrounds a slightly springy, mild interior that squeaks between your teeth! Halloumi is the traditional white cheese of Cyprus and is made from ewes’ and goats’…
Salted Caramels (or so I thought)
New Year’s Day saw us taking a drive along the scenic route to Peggy’s Cove and stopping for a bite to eat at Rhubarb Restaurant – I love the name! It had been highly recommended by Dan from PosterBoy and he was spot on! My sister Kris was visiting from Toronto and she had never…
Vanilla Ice Cream
Hello 2014! I don’t know about you, but I’m really glad to see the back of 2013. It was an unsettling year for us and things can only get better. As I write this post it’s -18c (windchill lowering it to -26c)…bitterly cold! It would seem a bit odd that I am writing about homemade…
Top 5 Favorite Recipes for Christmas
The celebration of Christmas in our house begins with breakfast which consists of ham and eggs, toast and freshly brewed coffee. Of course the presents are opened pre breakfast…that would be just cruel to make you wait! Around lunchtime I head back into the kitchen to prep the turkey and the stuffing. Some people believe…
Cranberry Cupcakes
Think of cranberry and you’re likely to associate it with Thanksgiving and Christmas in North America and with good reason as they’re native only to North America. Early pilgrims thought the cranberry blossom resembled the head of a crane and called them ‘crane berries’. According to Nova Scotia Cranberry Growers Association, cranberry production began in…
Crostini with Beetroot Jam and Goat’s Cheese
Holiday parties are in full swing now and we all have our favorite dishes we like to make that tend to be specific for this time of year. I, too, find myself repeating appetizers especially those that are given the two thumbs up by my family. So it can be daunting to want to step…
Asian-style Rice Noodle Beef Salad
Our Asian experience seems like a lifetime ago but whenever we have a dish that reminds of food from that side of the globe, it almost feels like we’re back there. Almost. I’ve made this Asian-style rice noodle beef salad many times in Hong Kong and Bangkok but last night, as we sat around the…
Sausage Stuffed Mushroom Caps
There are oodles of recipes for stuffed mushrooms but most require too much cooking for my liking. I want a simple yet mouth-watering appetizer to whip up while I chat to my friends. Sausage and mushrooms are perfect companions and pair them with garlic and fennel…it becomes a snack your guests will find hard to…
Barley Salad with Roasted Squash and Fennel
It can be a challenge keeping your kids healthy when they live at home but when they leave the nest for university or boarding schools this can be a bigger challenge. We’re happy to be back in Nova Scotia for many reasons and one of those is that Laura is able to hop on a…
Pretzels Dipped in White Chocolate and Crushed Candy Cane
I’m in the holiday bake mode! This is ‘the most wonderful time of the year‘ for me. I am in my element as I bake, cook, and roast all leading up to the 25th. Forgive me if I sound mawkish but I love Christmas. I love how people seem a bit kinder, smile more and…
Homemade Vanilla Extract
I had been meaning to stop by the historic farmers’ market. I told my husband that I wanted to go there for a specific reason but when I arrived that reason escaped me until I spotted a table across the way decked out in spices. Yes! Now it’s coming back to me. Costas Halavrezos, former…