September 7, 2015
A galette is a French style open-face freeform tart with the edges of the pastry folded casually up part way to contain the fruits. A crostata is an Italian version usually made with jam filling but also with fruits. This is one of my no-fuss go to desserts when there are nice fresh fruits that need a little pastry to become dessert. Because it’s free form you don’t need to worry too much about the... View Article
September 3, 2015
I can never resists fresh, ripe figs when I see them. More often than not I enjoy them fresh on their own but I also make a few things with them. They are nice roasted and served with salted orange caramel, added to salad or on top of a pizza. One thing to keep in mind about figs is that unlike other fruits, they don’t ripen sitting on your counter. They have to be picked... View Article
September 3, 2015
Vine ripe summer tomatoes are the sine qua non of my kitchen. Can’t be without them and regularly buy more than I can use. After all there are only two of us eating here, yet I buy enough for an army. You want to come over? You’d think that at my age (almost 30….NOT) I’d learn some balance but as the saying goes, A BALANCED LIFE IS A LIFE WITHOUT PASSION, and I cannot be... View Article
September 2, 2015
The bitter endives and sweet roasted beets go together nicely in a salad, balanced by the sweet and pungent gorgonzola and candied nuts. I make shredded salads like this quite often, combining whatever vegetables I have with the contrast of crunchy, sweet nuts. My system is to keep a couple of bags with candied nuts in the freezer so I can take a few when I need them and add to the salad without the... View Article
August 27, 2015
My husband loves chocolate cakes, I love fruit desserts. So…when I feel like being nice I make him a chocolate cake and if I feel like being really nice I also make a chocolate sauce to go with it. The other day I made a lemon-basil cake and thought I’d make captain G a chocolate cake. This recipe is from Martha Stewart website and since it only calls for cocoa powder, no melted chocolate, I... View Article
August 27, 2015
Soft inside, crispy on the outside, golden and delicious these are perfect for dinner, lunch or a snack, kind of instead of French fries. Some flavours simply go together and potatoes, olive oil, rosemary and coarse sea salt is a marriage made in culinary heaven, so simple yet so good.I shake a little paprika over the potatoes as well because i like the colour that it lends the roasted potatoes, reddish, golden, roasted. The type... View Article
August 26, 2015
I don’t make a lot of soups in the summer with two exceptions: tomato soups and corn soups. Making a soup with fresh tomatoes or fresh corm is a special treat that I reserve for summer cooking. A farmer nearby grows small round tomatoes that are juicy, sweet and delicious. I put a bunch of them in my Le Creuset pot with olive oil, onion, garlic and stock and a while later I have a... View Article
August 25, 2015
A lesser known bean variety and one you should put on your market list is the yellow Italian flat beans that are available for a short time during the summer. For reasons that escape me, they are called wax beans. Young and fresh Italian beans will be flat and smooth. If they have bumps over the beans inside then they are beginning to age and will not be as tender. Since they are “Italian”, I... View Article
August 23, 2015
Fruit crisps are a perfect summer dessert. They are easy to make and showcase beautiful local and seasonal fruits. You can make them for one or for a crowd with equal ease and if you have a nice large pan to bake it in it looks quite beautiful. For a crowd I bake the crisp in a large, shallow paella style copper pan, garnish with edible flowers and herbs on top and I consider it... View Article
August 22, 2015
It is hard to describe peppers as summer food since they are available all year and in fairly good quality, but peppers grow in warm climates and are best in the summer bought at a farmers market from the grower. Red, yellow, orange, purple and green, sweet bel peppers are indispensable part of summer cooking. Chopped into salads, cut in strips for a stir fry, roasted over open flame, stuffed with grains and baked or... View Article
August 20, 2015
Is celery a seasonal vegetables? I wonder. It’s one of those vegetables that sits in the background, always available. Celery seldom gets to play a major role in recipes and we usually treat it as an aromatic, one of the vegetables that create the flavour base for soups, stews and sauces. True, it is known as a low calorie veggie, good for the snacks category for its crisp crunch, low calorie and high fiber content but... View Article
August 20, 2015
I have taken to entertain friends for a glass of wine and appetizers instead of long, multi course dinners. It gives me a chance to visit rather than be up and down preparing, plating, serving and clearing. Not that dinner entertaining is over, but now when the weather is good it’s easy to say “come for a glass of wine”. So far no one filed any complaints. Since I keep my kitchen mainly vegetarian I... View Article
