This is a warming and hearty dish.  Garbanzo beans (also known as chickpeas) have a delicious nut like taste and buttery texture. Chickpeas are an excellent source of protein, dietary fiber, folate and are one of the earliest cultivated vegetables.  While many people think of chickpeas as being beige in color, there are varieties that…

I first tried these delicious mini cakes when I lived in Hong Kong and it seemed that a lot of the coffee shops there sold them.  They are very addictive and it’s been a couple of years since I last had one.  Lamingtons are named after Charles Cochrane-Baille, 2nd Baron Lamington, who served as Governor…

For the love of coffee!!  Coffee is alluring, intoxicating and is the drink of choice for millions. It’s one of the largest traded commodities in the world and plays a role in the lives of millions of people every day. There are two main species of coffee: coffea robusta and the Arabica bean. The robusta…

Food in a flash was the title that caught my eye in the October issue of Australian Good Taste magazine.  I’m a fan of simple, wholesome food prepared with minimal time in the kitchen and this dish is ready in 15 minutes!  And, look at all the vegetables in one dish.  Did you know that…

Crème brûlée (French for “burnt cream“) is also known as crema catalana (Spanish) or Trinity cream (English).  It is a rich dessert with a custard base and a hard caramel top which is created by caramelizing sugar under the broiler or using a blowtorch. The custard base is normally flavored with just vanilla, but it…

Halloween is celebrated every October 31st and has roots in the Celtic festival, Samhain (old Irish meaning “summer’s end”).  The ancient Celts believed that the border between this world and the after world became thin on Samhain, allowing spirits (both harmless and harmful) to pass through. The family’s ancestors were honored and invited home whilst…

Apple cider is one of my favorite natural drinks and the apple season has been in full swing for a couple of months now.  Untreated apple cider is a seasonal drink and has traditionally been served at Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas.  It is sometimes heated, spiced or mulled.  Apple butter is a highly concentrated form…

Whenever I’m in a bookstore I find the first place I browse is the cooking section and then home decorating.  Occasionally, I find cookbooks in a kitchen shop that grab my attention which is what happened when I found this gem of a book at the Paderno factory store in Bayers Lake.  Molasses Inspirations is…

As I dropped my daughter off at work the other day, my mind was racing as to what I would make for dinner.  I drove by a coffee shop and decided to have a cappuccino.  It was in the coffee shop that I noticed a free publication called, “SNAP Halifax“.  I always like this type…

Gnocchi (pronounced nee-okkee), are Italian dumplings.  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 most common in the Northern regions of Italy such as Veneto.  Traditionally gnocchi is made with potatoes and flour but…

Celeriac, also known as celery root,  is an odd looking root vegetable with its knotty exterior.  Celeriac has a celery flavor and can be eaten raw or cooked.  It is often used as a flavoring in soups and stews. It can also be used on its own, usually mashed, or used in casseroles, gratins and…

Making bread is something that I really only do on occasion or when the mood hits me.  Épis de blé is a baguette that resembles a sheaf of wheat and is traditionally served during harvest time.  This bread recipe begins with a starter dough and has to be made 18 hours ahead of time.  Click…