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…
Mushroom and Herb Polenta
Anthropologie is a favorite shop I like to frequent. It’s an interesting mix of clothing, accessories, gifts and home décor all which draw me in…it’s eclectic and I love it! The books they showcase are unique and it was at their Rockefeller Center that I spotted Yotam Ottolenghi’s book, Plenty. It’s a vegetarian cookbook although…
Rum and Chocolate Cake in a Jar
Desserts like this one, while look fancy, are easy to make and the taste – well let’s just say the jars will be squeaky clean! The key to making this cake scrumptious is to use good-quality ingredients and that means using chocolate that contains 70% cocoa. Do not use milk chocolate in this recipe as it…
Jalapeño Cheddar Crackers
I enjoy taking the train into the city…an easy 30 minute commute to Grand Central Terminal. Like any train station, there are newspaper boxes and one box in particular carries New York Cottages & Gardens (NYC&G). It’s a glossy magazine filled with upscale design and decorating tips. I picked one up for the train ride…
Portobello Mushroom Melts
Portobello mushrooms are one of my favorite mushrooms. Their meaty texture is a great substitute for steak and are a hearty addition to stir-fry dishes and sauces. Portobello’s are a grown up version of the crimini mushroom. Nutritionally, they are an excellent source of niacin (helps in the functioning of the digestive system, skin, and…
Chinese Meatballs with Sweet & Sour Chili Sauce
Ho ho ho! Yep, I’m gearing up for some holiday treats and this appetizer is absolutely scrumptious! I’ve been an avid fan of Matt Armendariz (Matt Bites) for a few years now…he seems the type of person I’d want to meet and I love these two lines from his bio: I believe life happens quickly.…
BlueStar Cookware – review
Two weeks ago I received an email from Wendy of SmartClick Advertising asking if I would be interested in evaluating a set of BlueStar cookware. To be honest, my initial thought was how could this possibly compare with the set of All-Clad d5 I already use? After doing a bit of research on the company…
Roasted Parsnips & Sweet Potatoes with Caper Vinaigrette
There isn’t a roasted vegetable I didn’t like and when there’s a combination like this, I am in foodie heaven! I love everything about this dish and let’s not forget about its nutritional content. I like to give the body a break from processing meat by abstaining from it for a day or two and…
Cranberry Pecan Muffins
While baking these beauties, I pondered where do you draw the line between a muffin and a cupcake? While a muffin might be considered healthier than a cupcake, once you start adding ingredients such as chocolate and streusel-like toppings or glazes it starts to resemble a cupcake. And, when you use cupcake liners for muffins…
Fresh Mozzarella and Roasted Tomatoes
I finally got the chance to make my first batch of fresh mozzarella! Beecher’s in the Flatiron District sell kits from Urban Cheesecraft and it was in the summer that I picked one up but never got around to trying it until now. Their deluxe DIY Cheese Kit allows you to make mozzarella, chèvre, paneer,…
Christmas Fruitcake
Fruitcake dates back to the Roman times and in the 1400’s the British began their love affair with fruitcake when dried fruits from the Mediterranean first arrived. This cake was generally served at weddings – the dark cake was given out as the groom’s cake and the white fruitcake was the bride’s. It was the…
Poached Pears with Chocolate Sauce
There’s something exotic-sounding about a poached pear. It doesn’t really mater if it’s poached in water, fruit juice or wine, the presentation will make your family and friends salivate. So simple to make and you can fiddle with the poaching ingredients to suit your taste (i.e. orange peel, star anise, ginger, lemon peel). Poaching in…
Feta Salsa – A Super Easy Dip!
I love it when I am able to recreate a dish that I enjoyed elsewhere. One of the grocery stores I frequently shop is Whole Foods. I love this place and it serves as a food inspiration for me. They always have something new to sample and their dips of all descriptions are marketed via…