This dish originates in the Sichuan province of China.  It is quite easy to prepare and is full of flavor.  Chilies aren’t indigenous to China and came to Asia from South America with the Portuguese.  It is thought that Buddhist traders and missionaries from the West brought such ingredients and cooking techniques into Sichuan.  Red…

I’ve been following Matt’s blog for a few years and love his style not to mention his beautiful food photographs and recipes. My first introduction to plantains was when I lived in Singapore (11 years ago) and my Puerto Rican friend invited me along with other women to sample her gourmet feast. It was here…

My husband and I enjoy entertaining and so to kick start 2011, we held a dinner party.  We served these delicious morsels when our guests arrived along with our favorite bubbly. Salmon is rich in natural proteins and is much lower in its saturated fat content than other natural sources of the same, such as…

There’s a slew of ideas of what to do with leftover food and this recipe makes use of two ingredients I had leftover: ham and homemade polenta. Use leftover food  in a stir-fry, soup, Shepherd’s pie, chili, curry or stew.  You should be able to keep leftover food in the refrigerator for up to 3…

There’s nothing so satisfying as homemade soup. It was a cold but sunny day today and soup seemed so fitting. Parsnip is a root vegetable related to the carrot. They’re high in soluble fiber, the type that helps lower cholesterol and keep blood sugar on an even keel. Parsnips contain natural sugars which impart a…

I’ve made my fair share of risottos over the years but never used barley.  Traditionally risotto is made with arborio or carnaroli rice because of their high starch content which results in a creamy consistency when combined with a broth.  Barley is a staple I seem to only use in soups or stews so I…

It never ceases to amaze me how every year we always have tons of turkey and vegetables leftover. And, each year I tell myself I’ll only make enough so that we have leftovers for one meal. So for all of you out there with leftovers, here are a few ideas. Click on the name of…

I have always wanted to make chocolate truffles and decided this Christmas I was going to tackle what I thought was going to be a task. Yes, making the balls are a bit finicky, but once I got the hang of it, I was on a roll.   My love for dark chocolate fueled the…

The earliest form of gingerbread was not a cake, but a solid block of honey baked with flour, ginger, breadcrumbs and spices. They were extravagantly and elaborately decorated in medieval England and were a popular present, the way that a box of chocolates is today. The decoration could include being colored with saffron or cinnamon,…

The Christmas season tends to make us run around doing last minute shopping and other errands which leaves little time for nourishment. This soup can be on the table in less than half an hour and I love the bit of heat coming from the curry paste. Chickpeas (aka garbanzo bean, Bengal gram) are a…

I’ve been a huge fan of Natalie McLean for a number of years.  A native of Cape Breton, NS, Natalie lives in Ottawa with her husband, Andrew, and son, Rian.  It was her husband who suggested she take a wine appreciation course and the rest, shall we say, is history.  Natalie soon studied the sommelier…