Ever wonder what came of those preserved lemons? Or just what to do with them? Now that I'm detoxing and the only fruits allowed are lemons and bananas. I couldn't have been happier now that I've made them. One of the key ingredients ...
I had this realization at the grocery store the other day. It's something I've obviously not given enough thought. I mean, I know why people have food restrictions and I know that there are many reasons. There are people in my family are allergic ...
Here it is, the big day. I hope you have all that shopping done. You've planned for the appetizers, the sides and the main attraction... I hope you've saved room for dessert. I couldn't resist something spiced and a little lighter than a cake or that never ...
Perfect for using up left overs on just on their own, these little triangles make a great appetizer or side for a soup. It took me a while to dig into Palak Paneer, the Indian creamed spinach with homemade cheese. It wasn't until a friend of mine returned from ...
Not like there is any mystery that I love chocolate, but I'd realized that I hadn't yet created a torte recipe. What better than Valentine's week to do the dessert cart? Generally, a torte is a flourless cake, often using bread crumbs ...
As fantastic as it is shaken in a French Martini, upon discovering the delightful liquor of Chambord*, I could hardly wait to also cook with it. Chambord is a deep red black raspberry liquor which dates back to the rein of Louis XIV in 1685. It is a concentrated fruit flavour with raspberries, currants and hints of spice which I thought would match with pear and of course, chocolate. I chose the Asian pears since I just love the juiciness and texture. I don't find them to be as grainy as some varieties and I really wanted the softness of the poaching and satiny jelly of the raspberry reduction to combine well. The dessert is rich yet light and not too sweet. If I had the tins and the time, I think this recipe would be a elegant as individual tartlettes. Large or small it's a great way to end a Holiday meal.
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.
On a recent trip to the country side, it was easy to absorb the surroundings and be thankful for what we have. The warm autumn days have brought with it a tremendous bounty. While on the road, we were fortunate to experience one of the more remarkable pumpkin patches of recent memory. Flooded by the sea of orange, we washed up by the barn only to be further delighted by the classy heirloom varieties our hosts, the Nauman's, had so knowledgeably grown over the past 100 days or so. Beautiful and rarely seen French and Italian heirloom pumpkins soon filled my cart once only destined to carry orange carvers. Pink, red, blue and green classics, fit for a princess's coach were on their way into my life to nobly, and tastily end theirs. During the purchase of my great pumpkins, I naturally dreamed of creamy, spiced pies but thoughts shift creatively with vegan visitors and Thanksgiving at your doorstep. Cracking into my vibrant Rouge Vif D'Etampe, I couldn't help but imagine it's outcome. This stunning, old French heirloom is also known as Cinderella's Carriage, as it was used as the artist's model in the Disney classic. It's lovely, dense, creamy orange interior yielded about 5 cups of puréed intention. Ideal for baking, the Rouge Vif is smooth and easy to relieve of any excess liquid. This pumpkin easily puts any Holiday can of pie to shame and is well worth the small, extra effort.
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