roasted brussels sprouts on the stalk
Autumn bursts with locally grown produce; a time when markets overflow with colour and flavour. It’s the perfect season to load up on your favourite veggies, and for me, that means Brussels sprouts. I adore these little green gems… though it wasn’t always that way.
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bourbon candied pecans
Candied nuts are a favourite of mine and are even better when homemade. I serve them in salads, over fresh fruit, as a snack or packaged as a hostess gift. I love the taste of pecans and incorporate them into my dishes whenever possible. Roasting them is a welcomed sight on a charcuterie board.
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sweet potato curry soup
Soup is as old as the hills and every cook has at least one or two recipes they return to. I, too, have my favourites. Having lived in Asia, my cooking experiences with spices before then were very blah. I had never seen a black pepper plant, ginger/galangal, turmeric, nutmeg, mace, clove etc. My senses…
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tofu vegetable curry
Hello, 2024! I’m not much into New Year resolutions but I do like to kickstart the month with a healthy diet. For the past 10 days, Mr. S and I have drastically cut back on meat consumption and amped up the veggies. If you have been following my blog, you know the vegetables I serve…
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pineapple squares – a vintage dessert
As a child, one of the Christmas things I eagerly looked forward to was all the baked goodies my mom and maternal grandmother would make. One of those goodies was pineapple squares. I’m not sure where or when the recipe came to be but it’s been around in my family since the mid-1960s. It’s the…
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coquito (Puerto Rican rum and milk punch)
Coquito, Spanish for little coconut, is a Puerto Rican cocktail made of coconut milk and rum, flavoured with spices like cinnamon and nutmeg. It’s thick, delicious and has a similar consistency to eggnog. If you want an eggless eggnog, this is for you!
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mushroom soup
Soup is as old as the hills and loved by the world. It’s loaded with vitamins, and nutrients, easy on the pocketbook, and with little effort needed. Although soups are enjoyed throughout the year, the cooler months of winter are when I appreciate them the most. They’re one of my go-to comfort foods. My mushroom…
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baked boursin cheese
When you have been entertaining and cooking for as long as I have, coming up with new appetizers isn’t easy. Having said that, now and then I’ll see something on social media that grabs my attention. Boursin cheese isn’t something new to me.
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creamy polenta with sausage ragù
I enjoy buying from a farmers’ market. The market I frequent is open from Thursday to Sunday. It’s a real treat for me as some markets are only open on Saturdays and Sundays. One of the vendors I like to buy from is Flat Cap Butchers. Their story resonates with me.
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warm marinated olives
The entertaining season is upon us. Olives are an easy appetizer for your guests to nibble on. For sure, not everyone loves these stone fruits. Yours truly was one of them! When I was a kid no matter how often I sampled a green olive served in a tomato sauce, the taste always made me…
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scotch broth
When the mercury drops, I turn to hearty soups and stews. At first glance, Scotch broth sounds more like a thin liquid to be slurped from a spoon. But don’t be fooled by the name; this stew is thick and so satisfying. Like most stews, it contains vegetables and meat and is thickened with barley,…
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french bread loaf
Have you ever made bread? The idea of breadmaking can have you running for the hills. 🙂 However, if you start with an easy recipe that isn’t time-consuming or difficult, you will be pleasantly pleased with the results. Back in January of this year, I posted a recipe for no-knead bread.
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Carbonara (American or Italian?)
Don’t shoot the messenger! 🙂 The title of my post may stir up a heated debate on the origins of this beloved pasta. Mi scusi, allow me to explain. Food historian Luca Cesari, author of A Brief History of Pasta, says carbonara is an American dish born in Italy towards the end of WWII.
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