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,
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…
Kale Salad with Wild Rice and Cranberries – A Vegan Delight!
How can anyone resist a salad that is popping with color? Not only is it colorful but healthy. Kale’s anti-oxidant health benefits means it has been studied more extensively in cancer research than any other health condition. Kale’s nutrient richness is found in three areas: 1) antioxidant nutrients, 2) anti-inflammatory nutrients, and 3) anti-cancer nutrients…
Chewy Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies
Oatmeal cookies have been around since 1896 (first published in the Boston Cooking School cookbook). The humble cookie has been around since the end of the 14th century where little filled wafers were sold on the streets of Paris. Renaissance cookbooks were rich in cookie recipes. Biscuits (aka cookie) became the ideal traveling food because…
Spicy Greek Cheese Spread (Tyrokafteri)
As I write this post, hurricane Sandy (not meant to touch land until this evening) is already being felt in NYC. We were in the city last night for a wedding and stayed overnight but by 9am it was almost next to impossible to get a cab…thankfully, though, we managed to hail one. So with…
Roasted Brussels Sprouts
I never enjoyed Brussels sprouts when I was a kid but thankfully my taste buds grew up and became educated! Perhaps they were a bit too soft for my liking or maybe I just didn’t like the taste. After experimenting with different ways to enjoy this cruciferous veggie, Brussels sprouts are amazingly good for your…
Lamb Chops Calabria Style with Tomatoes, Peppers, and Olives
The cuisine of Calabria is typical southern Italian Mediterranean – meat based dishes, vegetables, pasta, and fish. Because their climate is humid (high risk of mold and spoilage), Calabrians preserve their food by packing veggies and meat in olive oil, making sausage and curing fish (swordfish, sardines, and cod). The food is simple and delicious. …
The Best Macaroni and Cheese!
This is my kind of old fashioned comfort food! My mom made this for us when we were young and my family enjoys this dish although my daughter does tend to like the Kraft dinner version! A recipe for a casserole of macaroni, white sauce, and grated yellow cheese was first recorded in the “Boston…
Baked Pumpkin Stuffed with Gruyère, Bacon and Thyme
The temperature in the past few days has dropped and this is the time of year I start using the oven more. I was debating whether or not to make macaroni with blue cheese or to make this dish. I hadn’t been to Liebs Nursery in a few weeks and wanted to drop by to…
My Grandmother’s Squash Casserole
My paternal grandmother enjoyed cooking and she had a huge collection of casserole recipes. This is one of them which I have altered over the years. The original one called for crookneck squash but that can be difficult to find once the Fall harvest is finished. To be honest, I’ve used all kinds of squash…
Roasted Pumpkin Seeds with Cumin
I was making a center piece for the table on Sunday which involved removing the seeds from a pumpkin. As I was doing this, I thought I would roast the seeds. I’ve heard their nutritional content as being very good. I pulled out the seeds along with the attached fleshy strings of the pumpkin. This…
Cranberry Sauce with Horseradish
Homemade sauces of any kind rank high with me. While today is Columbus Day in the US it’s also Thanksgiving day in Canada. Turkey is always served at our Thanksgiving dinner along with all the trimmings that make a special meal complete. And, one of those trimmings is cranberry sauce. I was in the Flatiron…
Ouzo Braised Cabbage with Pork Sausage
Good food begins in the field. If ever there was a truism that reflects the philosophy and flavors of the Greek country kitchen, that would be it. Diane Kochilas I had been reminded of our trip to Greece (3 years ago) via long-time friend and fellow food blogger Michelle with her postings on her recent…