Melon Carpaccio with Burrata and Crispy Sage
Growing up, I was never much of a melon fan. Watermelon, absolutely, but the others I could happily leave behind. Somewhere along the way, that changed. These days, when summer is in full swing, I can’t get enough of a perfectly ripe melon.
The Best Homemade Lemon Ice Cream!
This recipe (adapted from Gourmet) forms part of another – Frozen Lemon Gingersnap Pie – which I will share with you in another post. There’s something so quintessentially summer whenever lemons are mentioned in a recipe, making any day of the year sunny. Flavored shaved ice (precursor to ice cream) has been used for thousands…
Fig, Gorgonzola and Prosciutto Salad
Originally posted in 2007 this recipe has come to light again because Kitchen Daily (Huffington Post) liked my photo for their fig roundup. I received an email from Joe, the associate editor of Kitchen Daily wanting to know if it was ok to include my photo in their feature about figs. As you can imagine…
Panzanella Salad – too hot for cooking!
It’s been so hot out lately and with my husband away dinner needed to be simple and quick. Originally I thought I would make a pasta primavera using the fresh veggies I bought from Lieb’s organic patch but I eyed the leftover focaccia bread on the counter and changed my mind. I would make a…
Stuffed Zucchini Flowers (Fiori di Zucca Ripieni)
Ciao, pronto, prego, il conto, mi scusi, buon giorno, arrivederci, grazie – some useful words we used when we visited Italy earlier this month – it seems a distant memory now! Don’t ask me to string a sentence together but I can get by with simple words and hand gesticulations. John, on the other hand,…
Vacation Time!
We are so looking forward to being on vacation. This year has had its challenges for us especially on the job front but that was recently sorted – phew! My husband light heartedly jokes about being employed in the US in that he’s been sitting at the same desk for a year and the company…
Raspberry Picante Paloma Pitchers
It’s been a scorcher these past few days and hopefully we’re at the end of a heat wave…I feel like I’m back in Asia! John and I love a simple drink and tequila, however, was never one of them until now. I first made this raspberry paloma pitcher last Sunday…it did not last long! The…
Fattoush Salad
I first made this salad 6 years ago and have enjoyed it many times since then…I never tire of its fresh, clean taste. Fattoush comes from the Levantine cuisine and makes wonderful use of stale or leftover pita bread. Full of nutrients and vitamins – a perfect salad to bring to a family function, picnic…
Easy Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream
An ice cream maker had been on my list when we were living in Asia but I never did purchase one because the voltage there is 220 and that meant when we moved back to Canada it would not work unless I had a converter . I went that route when we moved from Canada…
Sautéed Soft-Shell Crab and Asian Coleslaw with a Side of Rémoulade
Soft-shell crabs are blue crabs in their molted stage. The shell remains soft for only a few hours after the crab has molted. Most soft-shell crabs you see at the market are ready to cook, however, if you buy from a fish monger you will need to ask him to clean the crabs or do…
Wine-Braised Artichokes with Feta and Orecchiette
I’m a sucker for fresh pasta! I make my own from time to time but haven’t been in the mood of late. The other day I was in Eataly (I so love this food market) and could not resist going past the fresh pasta counter. I love watching the machines churn out the different pastas.…
White Asparagus, Rocket, Fresh Figs on a bed of Parsnip Purée
My family adores fresh figs! I recall the first time I said to John that I was preparing an antipasto with fresh figs and his facial expression was a grimace. His memory of figs were the dried ones and possibly not so good. But, like a dutiful husband he tried the fresh version and loved…
Poached Shrimp with Honeydew, Radishes, Jicama, and Scallions
On Mondays I like to serve a light meal for dinner as we tend to eat a bit more on the weekend. Light for us means little or no meat. Too much meat and our body works overtime to process which makes us feel a bit sluggish and good nutrients are flushed away. I’m sure…