In the previous post I suggested serving eggplant salad with bread crisps. here is an easy recipe for crispy bread that would be nice any time you need a carrier for dip, a base for a salad or just something nice to snack on.
Before Covid I started inviting friends over for a glass of wine and some bites instead of a multi course dinner. It’s easy to prepare, I can sit and enjoy the company and there isn’t much clean up to do afterwards. This does not mean they have to go home hungry. You can prepare a few salads to serve with breads, a couple of dips (hummus, tzatziki etc.) a few fruits, a nice selection of... View Article
When visiting Cancun, as much as I enjoy going out for breakfast at one of the beautiful beach restaurants in this area, once in a while I have to put my cooking skills to use and make something at home other than the routine oatmeal that I usually “have to have”. Chilaquiles, a classic Mexican breakfast dish, is one of my favourite Mexican style breakfasts. Although it is seemingly a quick dish to make, it... View Article
Risotto is an all-year dish, you can make it hearty in the winter with root vegetables and light and fresh in the spring and summer with peas, asparagus and like here, with tomatoes. Inspiration for this risotto was a NYT recipe but I did my thing and we loved it. To make start with the oil, shallots, and rice, then add wine and cherry tomatoes and reduce. Then start adding the stock, a bit at... View Article
Whenever I make or refresh my starter I end up making overnight discard waffles. I leave the batter overnight and in the morning add a bit of oil, sugar and oat milk but no eggs. I imagine eggs may make them more fluffy but I like them the way they are and you can always add a teaspoon or so of baking powder or baking soda. These were baked in a small heart shaped waffle... View Article
What kind of salad do you like? This is a bitter greens salad with ripe fresh figs, Gorgonzola dolce, caramel walnuts and a honey vinaigrette. Not too bitter…not too sweet…it is just right….Use radicchio, endive and some other mild greens for balance and colour (not arugula, it will be too much bitter). Toast walnuts with a little sugar in a skillet until sugar melts and caramelizes around the walnuts. Let them dry on parchment .... View Article
Not much kitchen work this morning as we were planting a few more herbs and edible flowers on the rooftop patio. I did fire up the grill briefly for this grilled romaine with croutons, Parmesan and capers crunched up in a skillet, all nicely married with a simple vinaigrette. Going to enjoy it outside. To make, heat up a grill or a grill pan (preferably ridged) to high heat. Cut the romaine in half vertically... View Article
Morning, have you had breakfast yet? Here is a fun one if you eat eggs. I know it as a French dish, oeufs en cocotte but it’s aka shirred eggs. Basically it’s eggs baked in cream with cheese and some additions. I added asparagus and goat cheese. There is a story behind the dish. Oeufs en cocotte is a French dish named after the dish it is cooked in. A cocotte is a flat individual baking dish... View Article
Roasted whole eggplant is a beautiful dish that not too many people know about. It’s very middle Eastern and in season you’ll find it served in many restaurants. Let’s first start with how to buy an eggplant. It should be heavy (ie full of moisture), with shiny skin and few if any blemishes. Lighter eggplants are already dehydrated and not advised to buy. Once you buy it don’t let it linger in the fridge to... View Article
I haven’t blogged in ages but thought I should put all my instagram recipes to the blog for ease of searching. I use the blog, at least in the past, as my own little cookbook reminding me of recipes I made and I my kids use it now and then to make things they remember from home. I believe that I have disconnected the mailing list at least temporarily now that I am doing an... View Article
I haven’t posted here in a while but was inspired today to post this recipe. I am more active on Instagram @oliveoilandlemons so feel free to check my Insta account for recent recipes. This little dish came today out of nowhere. I was in the mood for Asian flavours and decided to make some spring rolls. I didn’t have wrappers and didn’t feel like making them so made them with rice paper, which is done... View Article
I have heard of spruce tips and seen them used in food but haven’t cooked with them before. The other day I was at pottery with Shelley at @blueapplestudio talking both food and pottery and Shelley asked if I have used spruce trips before. She mentioned a risotto she had at an event where the chef served risotto with spruce tips. That’s all it took to ignite my culinary curiosity. Shelley picked up a handful... View Article
