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…
Crispy Brussels Sprouts with Aioli
When dinnertime rolls around I am usually thinking about the timing of it as I need to stop what I am doing and pick up my husband from the train station. It’s not far to the station…only 7 or so minutes but I don’t like to leave the stove on whilst I am away. John…
Wonton Soup
Chinese food is so diverse and no wonder it’s one of my favorite world cuisines! What I enjoy most, and I think is quite unique and not so prevalent in Western cuisines, is that Chinese food is prepared in bite-size pieces making it easy to consume. There are eight regional cuisines in China. All are…
Cheddar Cheese Horseradish Dip
Since moving to New York, I now have four places I like to food shop: Whole Foods, Stop & Shop, DeCicco’s and Fairway Marketplace. These shops (with the exception of Whole Foods) are all within 5 minutes of where we live. All offer their own unique brands and style of food shopping. Whole Foods (12…
Winter Caesar Salad
What happens when potato salad meets Caesar salad? Answer: a delight to the senses! This is one of those recipes where the sauce is the crowing glory of the salad. It brings all the ingredients together and makes a statement – hey look at us! Making your own dressing is so easy there’s no reason…
Stuffed Chicken Pockets with Red Pesto and Ricotta
This dish screams flavor and it’s so easy to make. Making the pocket in the chicken breast isn’t hard and I’ve attached a link here for those who would like to see a demonstration. When purchasing chicken breasts, look for ones that have a solid, plump and round shape. The color of the chicken’s skin,…
Spinach and Bacon Stuffed Mushrooms
The idea of stuffing a mushroom has been around in North America since the mid 1950’s when Italian-Americans began utilizing the ample supply of white button mushrooms. Italians from the south of Italy already knew how to stuff tomatoes, zucchini flowers and peppers. When they emigrated to America, zucchini flowers weren’t in abundance like they…
Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins with Honey-Cinnamon Frosting
Ah Saint Valentine…how ever did your martyrdom end up being associated with romantic love? One account dates back to the Roman Emperor Claudius II. He decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families and outlawed marriage for young men. Valentine (a priest), realizing the injustice of the decree, defied Claudius…
The Ninjamatics’ 2011 Canadian Weblog Awards Winners!
Last year I volunteered to judge Canadian blogs which covered a vast genre. Forty-six of us were given an allotted group of blogs to critique and what I liked most is that the sites I had been given were not all from a food group. The first round was quite extensive…I think I had almost…
Red Lentil, Red Pepper and Coconut Soup
I had returned home late in the afternoon after having spent the night in NYC and really didn’t fancy spending too much time in the kitchen. I recently bought a new UK magazine from Barnes & Noble and it’s full of delicious-looking meals and this soup was one of them. Lentils are part of legume…
Stilton and Pear Gnocchi
This dish could easily convert me to becoming a vegetarian! Its simplistic ingredients, easy prep time and short cooking time (about the time it takes the water to boil)…doesn’t get any better than this! Ok, so not all are fond of blue cheese with its delicate blue veins radiating from the center but if you…
Super Bowl Food!
For those who love football, the Super Bowl XLVI seems to have drummed up more excitement than before. Perhaps it’s due in part to the Giants making a comeback or the media obsession with Gisele Bundchen and Tom Brady. Whatever the case may be, it’s gonna be a good one. Here’s a bit of football…
Pound Cake with Candied Grapefruit Peel
There’s a basic principle in our house that we adhere to for everyday living and that is the 80/20 rule. Our goal is to maintain a balanced lifestyle 80 percent of the time and 20 percent goes to treating ourselves and this dessert falls into the 20 percent rule. In the 1700’s the pound cake…