Yesterday was my daughter's birthday. It's become a bit of a tradition and now her birthday dinner consists of her year's list of favourite things. Apps, entrée, sides, beverage, heck, even the dinner music is chosen by said truly. Amazing thing is that the family ...
1/2 Cup Unbleached All Purpose Flour 1/2 Cup Semolina Flour 1/4 teaspoon Salt 1 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil 1 Head Roasted Garlic*, squeezed to remove the skins 1/3 Cup HOT Water * To roast garlic, preheat the oven to 350ºF and cut off the top of the bulb to reveal the attached cloves. Placed in aluminum ...
Thrusting from a vacation back into the continual chill known as November in my part of the world, rejolted my need for hibernation. Part of this ritual naturally consists of no longer wanting to venture outside for long walks along the beach or having bird like meals made up of crunchy vegetables. Rib sticking, hearty, soft and warm is what I crave, and so what if all I want to do is have a nap afterward? With my onslaught of deliciously sweet pumpkins awaiting my arrival, I've made my share of sweet treats. If anything, I've noticed from my humble, hearty gourds is that, as wonderful as pumpkin is with sugar and nutmeg, they go fantastically well with the acidic punch of a tomato. So in meeting my hibernation qualifications, I concocted this little twist on a traditional cheese stuffed manicotti. So, after a bit of an absence, I'm about to check in with Ruth and my other Presto Pasta lover's to see about the transition from salads to soups and sauces. I'm positive the round-up of dishes will be rib stickingly delicious, as usual.
One of my most favourite places to explore is any neighbourhood China Town. Bustling with people, new aromas, and spilling produce, this exciting area of most major cities is a feast for the eyes. Here in Toronto, tucked a few blocks over from the mainland China Town is a small but wonderful Japanese store. After refilling my wasabi prescription, I gaze along the long aisles of offerings. Included are various teas, Hello Kitty Pocky sticks, every shade of miso, enoki mushrooms and of course, noodles. Wheat, rice, green tea, tofu, ramen, udon and soba noodle varieties ready for any dish the Far East has ever created. How elated was I to discover that soba is the name for buckwheat in Japanese? For those of you who weren't sure, like me, buckwheat is neither a grass or related to the wheat family. It's a flowering plant which produces the seeds for great things like pillows and yes, buckwheat flour. Asian noodle soup has to be in my top list of most amazing meals. The simplicity of them makes them satisfying and perfect. The noodles and broth create a host bowl for just about any combination imaginable.
I'm currently tearing off the layers as I write this. It's tough to believe that it's Thanksgiving, here in Canada, that is. You see, it's 90ºF and I'm really thankful I cooked our "Appreciate The Turkey Day" feast yesterday when it was cloudy and chilly enough for a cozy fire. I went outside to try to find any scratch of this great Holiday going on. Any cars gathering for visits, the scent of roasting goodness traveling through a window screen, a football cheer, or the screech of a fork on a plate, but nothing. Nothing but cyclists, lawn mowers buzzing, the summer smell of the backyard grill, fans blowing and kids giggling with their dad on his day off. I made soup last night, with feast leftovers, two kinds! This time of year, mind floods to comforting, feel good, stick to your ribs meals. But today, as I'm about down to my skivvies, I just can't imagine any more hot and sticky. Together with a little roasted pumpkin and grilled tofu, left over from yesterday, I whipped up a creamy spinach pesto to go over some quick, brown rice fettuccine. It was perfectly satisfying and didn't add heat to the house. Oh well, shouldn't complain, it could have been snowing.
As the weather begins to get a chill on, thoughts of rustic, comfort food are the first to come to mind. To mine at least. I also couldn't think of a better way to warm up and still enjoy what remains of the farmer's markets in our area. Pasta and beans are a classic Italian peasant dish and for good reason. Thick and satisfying, this vegetable based pasta and bean stew uses up what you have on hand and is substantial enough to feed a crowd. Served up with a freshly baked, herbed focaccia, will make welcoming Autumn a little bit easier.
I'm not sure when I first had a sweet potato with tomato, but I do know I've always liked it. The sweetness combined with the slight tang of tomato sauce creates such a delicious balance. When I first decided I was going to make this for presto pasta ...
I may have insulted one of the growers from the farmer's market once. She was explaining how she has an heirloom variety of beets and how they had tasted different than regular beets, although she wasn't able to fully articulate how. Apparently I wasn't able either when I ...
I'm constantly searching for new ways to make a "risotto" dish. I've of course used arborio and tried different grains like barley and quinoa but when I saw these delightfully tiny peperiti staring up at me at the grocers, I knew it was next. That and ...
I was beginning to feel a little sympathy for all those wonderful tomatoes I've been snagging the spotlight from. Over this past week, I'd been a smidge focussed on my overflowing basket of fuzzy peaches. While I cooked and created away, this star of a tomato stared ...
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