spanish tomato toast (pan con tomate)
Last week we were in Madrid and are totally smitten. Mr. S and I have never been before. He’s half Spanish so whenever we are in a Spanish country, he feels a connection even though he grew up in England. We’ve been to Barcelona before but Spain’s capital tugged at our hearts! It’s a beautiful,…
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celery soup
Celery soup? You betcha! I bought a bunch of celery a couple of weeks ago for a recipe that called for two stalks. It’s a food dilemma for me and figuring out what to do with the remainder stalks usually ends up in the compost box. Around lunch time I pondered what to make for…
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lime & cashew fish rolls
This is the second time I’ve made this dish. The first was the week of the new year and I was in search of something different from the food I usually make during the holidays. Lime and cashew paste smeared over the fish sounded so good – it was delicious! But…I struggled with the rice…
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chocolate coated toffee
Hello 2017! By now most of you are back to your daily routine. Our Christmas decorations and tree are still up but it’ll all be put to bed come Friday – or at least the tree will be stripped and out on the sidewalk (garbage collection day). Over the holidays I made my usual goodies…
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holiday party food – part 2
At this point, the rush of the holiday season is in full swing. On my previous post, I suggested three, easy-to-make party food treats and the three I have chosen today are just as easy. Chocolate is a crowd-pleaser and lovely to have on hand when your friends and family pop over. Making your own…
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holiday party food
Twelve days to Christmas! Yikes! Why is it with the best-laid plans things slip? I finally got around to making my first ever Christmas cracker snaps even though I had the materials 2-weeks ago. They were a cinch to make and took half an hour to assemble. I think the same goes with party food. …
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chocolate fudge
I cannot recall the last time I made fudge. It was a family favourite growing up and around the Christmas holidays, there was always some to be had. My mom always had the pantry and freezer full of cooked goodies. The laundry room became the storage area for fruit cake, plum puddings, cookies, squares not…
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pasta with basil sauce
After three weeks overseas, I am happy to be back home. Mr. S and I love to travel almost as much as we enjoy being in our humble abode. When away, I encounter (stumble upon) new ways to dress up old dishes. Stumble upon; another word perhaps for getting lost. Not that we are frequently…
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tuna noodle casserole
I don’t know why, but of late I am drawn to nostalgia and in particular food. This nostalgic feeling is all good and although I am not one to dwell in the past, there’s something so familiar about comfort food that pulls me back to my childhood. In the 1950s and well into the ’70s…
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bruschetta with white anchovies
Bruschetta (pronounced bru-sketta) is a classic Italian appetizer consisting of toasted bread slices topped with fresh ripe tomatoes, fresh basil, and extra-virgin olive oil. There are oodles of variations and I’ve named a few here for you to consider: smashed avocado with chopped tomatoes; zucchini goat cheese bruschetta; smoked salmon with mascarpone cheese.
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Eliot & Vine – new menu tasting
I received an invite to sample Eliot & Vine’s new menu and to show off their chef, Lachlan Culjak. I am always grateful when a request like this comes my way. The restaurant is tucked in a residential area of the north end of Halifax – a stone’s throw away from the Halifax Common. Johanna…
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homemade quince paste
Quince is a yellow fruit that looks like a cross between an apple and a pear. It is high in pectin and was typically used in jam and jelly making. It’s too tart and hard to eat on its own but cooked it turns sweet with a slight floral taste. My mom used to have…
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clam chowder
For generations, my family has made clam chowder and I continue the tradition. I recall my pleasure of crumbling saltine crackers atop the bowl of mom’s homemade clam chowder; not to thicken it up but, simply put, it was a tradition in my parents home. The maritime autumn weather can be lovely and sunny but…
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