Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp
From Ancient Remedy to Beloved Dessert – A Spice Route Treasure – Rhubarb’s roots stretch back thousands of years to the mountainous regions of northern and central Asia (China, Mongolia, and Siberia), where it was cultivated primarily for medicinal purposes. The Chinese prized it as a digestive tonic and laxative,
Roasted Red Pepper Salad with White Beans and Anchovy Sauce
I enjoy listening to stories of the past and with my mother in-law visiting, it’s the perfect time to hear more. Aida was born on the tiny island of Gibraltor 89 years ago. She moved to England in 1946 and has what I call a lovely Spanish/English accent. We are never short on conversation, our…
Roasted Cauliflower with Linguine
It seems like a such long time since we last had linguine. The cauliflower in the fridge had been carefully selected for another dish but I wasn’t in the mood and decided last minute to make this. I always have a bottle of capers and anchovies in the fridge so all that was needed was…
Cedar Plank Grilled Mushroom Stacks
John and I barbeque all year round and when Spring and Summer arrive, it’s full on. Our barbeque gets used on a weekly basis so it’s not unusual to see me out on our back deck firing up the barbie. I love it…less mess for me to clean up! I’ve been noticing more and more…
Lobster Macaroni and Cheese
Is it possible to improve the flavor of a family classic dish such as macaroni and cheese? I didn’t think it was. I’m a Martimer through and through and love seafood. Boiled lobster dinners were a family tradition where I grew up…fresh lobster boiled, cut opened and gorgeous chunks of heavenly meat dunked in hot…
Dandelion Cookies
Dandelion…that ubiquitous yellow flowering weed that makes a lawn look unkempt and has gardeners pulling their hair trying to keep it at bay. But if we put their annoyance aside, you’ll find that dandelions are a nutritious food. It is a herb that is believed to have originated in Asia. Nutritionally, dandelions have more calcium…
My Husband’s Bolognese Sauce
Where to begin? When John and I were dating, the first meal he ever cooked for me was his bolognese sauce tossed with penne. I remember to this day how wonderful his condo smelled and how neat it was! My husband was and still is a neat freak…not that I am at all complaining. For…
Grilled Broccolini with Garlic Anchoy Sauce
The tail end of Spring is drawing to a close and thankfully the warmer weather has arrived. And because of this, the air in our neighborhood is perfumed with food being cooked on backyard barbeques. If you don’t barbecue you almost feel left out. When I head out to our back deck to fire up…
Daylily Petal Salad
How decadent! Daylilies in a salad! Using flowers in a dish isn’t a new thing for me but it has been a long time since I last did so. My grandmother always had a bed of nasturtiums in her flower garden which she used in bouquets around the house and if memory serves me correctly,…
Coleslaw with Granny Smith Apple and Chili
Warmer weather brings out all our favorite recipes for barbecues, family picnics and when it gets too darn hot to cook in the kitchen! Everyone has their favorite coleslaw recipe that perhaps their mom or grandmother used but this one, for me, takes the blue ribbon at a state fair hands down! Coleslaw gets its…
Grilled Romaine Salad with Rosemary, Garlic and Lemon Dressing
‘We both love to garden. We love the look of our gardens (most of the time). We talk about what we will do next season differently and what new crop we want to try. But we both garden differently. Karen’s garden mimics the French “potager” (raised-bed in a pattern) style with an emphasis -a BIG…
Coconut Orange Cake with Honey Whipped Cream
All cake recipes should be this simple! It’s moist and the flavors coming from this dessert are amazing. This may look like an ordinary cake but let me tell you this, it’s not! Hints of orange softly perfume the cake and the slight crunch of the coconut will have you going back to the kitchen…
Beet and Goat Cheese Terrine
“Cooking food and presenting it beautifully is an act of servitude. It is a way of expressing affection through a gift… That we should aspire to produce perfectly finished and presented food is a symbol of a willing and enjoyable participation in servicing others. Food pornography exactly sustains these meanings relating to the preparation of…