October 3, 2012
If you pay attention to seasonality of ingredients then you know that fall brings a variety of wild mushrooms to our markets. One of the (many) reasons I like hiking in the fall is finding different mushrooms growing in the mountains. I have not had the nerve to actually pick them and bring them home for fear of picking the wrong ones (some are poisonous or at least can make you ill). At the moment... View Article
October 2, 2012
Last year while visiting the Mayan Riviera we had dinner at the famed Hartwood restaurant in Tulum. The restaurant became famous after Bon Apetit magazine did an article about the chef-owner and his wife (from NYC) and since then the line-ups to go into this no-reservation policy restaurant have been increasing as I believe have the prices. I was motivated to write a review of our experience at the restaurant and you can find it here... View Article
October 1, 2012
Here is a quick, easy and delicious dish to make with cauliflower and potatoes. Vegetables are so beautiful. They lend themselves to many preparations and because of their seasonality, you never get bored with them. By the time you have cooked one in a number of different ways their season is up and a new vegetable prevails at the market. Having said that, of course I know that in the supermarkets you get more or... View Article
September 28, 2012
Burritos are such a nice food to prepare. You can make so many different fillings and simply wrap them in small or large flour tortillas and voila, lunch or dinner is ready. You don’t even need a salad because the greens can form part of the filling. These burritos are quite satisfying, with sautéed potatoes forming the main part of the filling. I make this dish dairy free and you can even make it fat... View Article
September 27, 2012
Did you know I take “requests”? Joanne was browsing throguh the Avocado Fritters recipe and asked for my recipe for homemade mayo. Well Joanne, here it is, just for you:). Mayo is one of those items that you “need” to learn how to make if you are a foodie (foodie “police” may check up on you). It’s a very simple process and if you make it in a food processor it takes no time or... View Article
September 27, 2012
A fruit compote, or fruit “soup” is more common in the mediterranean than here in North America. What is it? It’s an assortment of summer stone fruits cooked in a sugar syrup (I add sweet wine and orange juice) on medium heat until the fruits break down slightly but still retain some texture. You can also make a winter fruit compote using dried fruits, but the recipe I am offering today is definitely a summer... View Article
September 25, 2012
Pizza is one of the signature dishes in my kitchen. I love to make it, eat it and serve it. On weekends I always have pizza dough in the fridge, ready to be stretched, rolled and made into an impromptu snack or main course. Sometimes I buy fresh pizza dough from Mercato or Lina’s and keep it in the fridge for a quick pizza but mostly I like to make my own dough. I cook... View Article
September 24, 2012
Fried green tomatoes are traditional in southern cooking. They got their moment in the spotlight when a movie by that name was released to critical acclaim. The 1991 movie was based on a novel Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe by Fannie Flagg. After the release of the film a wave of fried green tomatoes recipes flooded the market and that’s when I first got acquainted with the dish . Green tomatoes are... View Article
September 22, 2012
I love baking cakes but find that I don’t do it very often, saving it for when we have company. The problem is that a regular size 9-10 inch cake is just too much for a couple of servings and I end up wasting a lot. But I like to bake cakes, so, I decided to make a small recipe, enough for 4 individual little cakes that I can play with, fill, decorate, garnish and... View Article
September 20, 2012
I am not entertaining too much lately but still, have been in the mood for making all kinds of little appetizers. Why do we have to make these just for guests? When my kids say not to fuss, it’s “just” them, I always tell them that they are the most important audience I have. Whatever you do, it has to start at home first. So I have made a few things to be posted in... View Article
September 19, 2012
Mediterranean cuisine has a dish called Mujadarah where lentils and rice are cooked together and then topped with slow cooked caramelized onion. It’s delicious and I make it often. This is a spin on that recipe but I cook everything separately and then combine “stuff” together. This way I can experiment and create different dishes from the basic rice and lentils. So today I am making the rice and lentils with cauliflower and carrots. Tomorrow... View Article
September 18, 2012
On a recent trip to the Mayan Riviera I had a fried avocado salad at one of the large hotels on the beach. It was quite special and I made it a few times since I got home. Today I had a couple of beautiful, ripe yet firm avocados and I thought I’d make these lovely fritters and serve them as tacos in corn tortillas for a quick lunch. I have also stuffed them into... View Article
