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,
Pissaladière (French Onion Tart)
Pissaladière is a simple tart and is sometimes referred to as a white pizza. It originates in the South of France and people buy it to eat on the street. The name is derived from the Provencal word pissala or pissalat which describes a richly-flavored paste made from the salting and fermentation of tiny anchovy-like…
BLOG ACTION DAY 2010: WATER
Right now, almost a billion people on the planet don’t have access to clean, safe drinking water. That’s one in eight of us. Unsafe water and lack of basic sanitation cause 80% of diseases and kill more people every year than all forms of violence, including war. Children are especially vulnerable, as their bodies aren’t…
Lemon Squares
This light citrusy dessert was one I used in lieu of lemon meringue pie for our Thanksgiving dinner last weekend. Lemon squares have been in my family since the turn of the last century. Both sides of my family had their own version of this delicious dessert. My grandmothers and aunts all had a sweet…
Curried Squash and Lentil Soup
Who doesn’t enjoy a hearty soup? Soup has been around forever (dating back to prehistoric man) and is a perfect comfort food for rich and poor, healthy people and invalids. Lentils are a very good source of cholesterol-lowering fiber and are of special benefit in managing blood-sugar disorders since their high fiber content prevents blood…
Insalata Verde Milanese (Milanese Green Salad)
I enjoy watching decorating or home improvement shows and it was from an episode of Restaurant Makeover where Massimo Capra demonstrated his version of a green salad. Pears are members of the rose family and related to the apple and to quince. They are a good source of vitamin C and copper. Vitamin C stimulates…
Beef Stroganoff
This dish has been around for a long time but only became popular in the 1950’s in North America. As you can well imagine, there are numerous variations of this Russian recipe. The Art of Russian Cuisine, says “it is doubtful that Beef Stroganoff (named after Count Pavel Stroganoff, a 19th century Russian diplomat) was…
Brown Butter Babies
It’s difficult to keep everyone out of the kitchen while these cookies are baking in the oven. Cookie is derived from the Dutch word koekje, meaning “small or little cake”. According to culinary historians, cookies were born as test cakes. A small amount of cake batter was baked to test the oven temperature. The earliest…
Gnocchi with Asparagus, Chorizo with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
Gnocchi (pronounced nee-okkee), are Italian dumplings and are most often made with potatoes, although they can also be made from flour, squash, cheese or even polenta. They’re fantastic with all sorts of sauces, from a simple summer tomato sauce to the richest winter meat sauce. Gnocchi recipes date back to the twelfth century and are…
Chili Beef on Endive Leaves
Zest is one of my all time favorite cookbooks. It’s full of delicious-looking food and the book is broken down into segments according to flavors such as Savour (rosemary, basil, sage. parsley, mind and thyme), Tang (lemon grass and lime), Seasoned (salt and pepper), Piquant (chili and ginger), Zesty (oranges and lemons), Aromatic (cumin and…
Crab Cakes
This is the way I enjoy crabmeat. For me, unless you are talking about Alaskan King Crab, the joy of eating crab is flattened by the tedious and laborious work required for the little amount of meat you get. Crab is one of the most delicate of seafood tastes and is rich in minerals such…
Chicken and Okra Stew (Kotopoulo Me Bamies)
I enjoy reading the food blog of my Greek blogging friend, Peter. His stories and recipes of all things Greek always remind of when we vacationed there. Obviously I’ve had chicken, tomatoes and potatoes before, but the way Peter combines them with the spices he uses makes it very different to what I grew up…