The Cupid’s Cup
Autumn is officially here, and the weather lately has been stellar. I am saluting the change of seasons with this flirty riff on a classic Pisco Sour. Pisco is a grape brandy that can only be produced in Peru or Chile.
Ma Po Tofu
This is one of my favorite Chinese dishes which originates from the Chinese province of Sichuan. Sichuanese cuisine is well known for its spiciness due to its geographical proximity to Southeast Asia. Thai, Burmese and Indian cuisines are responsible for the hot and spicy cuisines of this region. Chili and pepper flavored food stimulates sweating…
Roasted Winter Vegetables with Cannellini Beans
My husband and I enjoy roasted vegetables and this recipe is chock-full of nutrients. According to Whole Living, eating more plant-based meals has been proven to lower your weight, cholesterol, and blood pressure. Brussels sprouts contain compounds that trigger the production of detoxifying enzymes in the liver. So many veggies in one meal has to…
Herbed Spaghetti Squash with Lemon and Pistachios
Spaghetti squash is a popular veggie with dieters who substitute it for pasta as it is low in calories and fat. It became popular in the 1970’s in North America and Europe even though it originated in China. It’s part of the winter squash family (acorn, butternut, hubbard) and is an excellent source of vitamin…
Italian Stuffed Eggplant
I can’t recall when I first starting eating and cooking eggplant – but it’s been a very long time – as I remember my Mom using it in different recipes whilst growing up. There are some debates as to where this purple beauty emerged – was it India or China? Chinese scroll records dating from…
Smokey Tomato & Red Lentil Soup
I am always scanning the web for recipes especially those that are down right healthy and delicious. This dish has the best of both worlds in that it is healthy and tastes scrumptious! I have to admit that before I went to Asia, I wasn’t a big fan of lentils and it was Indian food…
Sea Bass En Papillote with Tangerine and Grapefruit
Sea bass (aka Patagonian Toothfish) is a gastronomical delight with its buttery, melt-in-your-mouth flavor. And for this reason, it needs very little in the way of preparation to taste good! The firm texture of the meat makes it a perfect candidate for roasting or grilling. For the citrus relish, I opted for the Satsuma oranges…
Red Wine Braised Boneless Short Ribs with Fried Ricotta Gnocchi
Braised anything for me shouts out one-pot goodness! This method of cooking works wonders for inexpensive cuts of meat as it helps to coax tenderness and flavors from the meat that you may not otherwise be able to extract. Braising can be done in a crock pot/slow cooker, pressure cooker, large sauté pan or the…
Parsnip and Apple Soup
Boy, has it been cold here the past two days! Yesterday I had my hair cut and while waiting I glanced over Real Simple magazine looking for ideas for last night’s supper. Sometimes the oddest combination of ingredients can really make a rather hum-ho dish into something rather delicious and flavorsome. Such was the case…
Fennel and Cucumber Salad with Goat’s Cheese and Dill
As I sit here composing this, I look back on all that went on in our lives last year and for some odd, unexplainable reason, I feel that 2012 (a leap year) is going to be a good one. Not that 2011 was a poor one for us, but it certainly had its challenges. Perhaps,…
Cranberry Sauce
Making your own cranberry sauce is so easy and with few ingredients, I am amazed why one would ever want to buy the commercial stuff. Cranberries are a good source of vitamin C and dietary fiber. They have been used to treat UTI’s (urinary tract infection) which blocks adhesion of bacteria to the urinary tract…
Stilton and Rosemary Shortbread
Instead of cookies and milk for Santa, how about these cute little treats? Christmas certainly has its share of traditions from all over the world but have you ever stopped to think who invented Christmas? The answer can be found in a book: How Charles Dickens‘s a Christmas Carol rescued his career and revived our…
Mince Pie Cookies
Mincemeat originally had meat in it (in Medieval times) along with fruit and beef suet. The meat was finely minced and was a way of using up leftover meat. The word may sound like an odd concoction as a dessert and evoke an unpleasant visual, but fondly enough the mince does have a sweet flavor…