December 4, 2014

Sweet potatoes with chestnuts, lime and cashew cream

This week is clean the fridge and pantry week as we are heading for the Mayan Riviera for a couple of months. My fridge is always full (overfull, perhaps?) so I had plenty to work with. I made all kinds of interesting salad combinations, a couple of rice pilaf with the vegetables that I obsessively buy (can’t resist), roasted the root vegetables and even made some cookies, just for fun. Many didn’t get photographed but... View Article

December 4, 2014

Cashew cream – sweet and tangy versions

You may have noticed that I have been experimenting with cooking without dairy. I was resistant to the idea of making pseudo-dairy foods for quite a while (just eat less of it, no?) but recently decided to give it a try partly because a number of my readers are vegan and I thought it would be a nice gesture at the very least. This cashew cream worked out quite well and it is versatile enough... View Article

December 1, 2014

Steel cut oats with caramel pear and chantilly (or cashew) cream

A warm bowl of oatmeal is one of my top of the list comfort foods. In that category, my favourite type of oats are the steel cut because they retain a nice chewy texture and do not get mushy when cooked. Steel cut oats (a.k.a Irish Oatmeal) are made by removing the husks from the grains and then putting the grains through a cutting machine with rotating steel disks that cut each oat into 2-3 small... View Article

November 30, 2014

Roasted beet dip with goat cheese

We just returned from a short stay in Vancouver, a four hour drive from our current home going west. The roads were treacherous following a first heavy snow fall and we passed several empty cars in the ditch along the way. Trucks were having a difficult time climbing up the hills, sliding right back down with little control. We were glad to arrive safe and sound at the Rosewood Georgia hotel in the center of town... View Article

November 30, 2014

Cookbook Giveaway Winners

                                   Congratulations COOKBOOK GIVEWAY winners: Thanks to all who participated in the GIVEAWAY. Because of the success of the Giveaway I will collect a few more books and offer another Giveaway when we return from our winter escape to warm weather. Please watch the blog for details.   The Cheesecake Bible:   Jordan 150 Best Dips and Salsas:  Kim... View Article

November 25, 2014

Vegan two-lentil and Quinoa burgers in lettuce wraps

The inspiration for the recipe came from a Greek cookbook author Aglaia Kremezi. My friend Val spent a week on a Greek Island several years ago, attending Aglaia’s cooking school. She remained a fan and alerted me to the fact that Aglaia has published a new cookbook and was touring Canada and the US to promote it. I happened to be in Montreal when Aglaia was there and attended a demonstration and book signing at the... View Article

November 24, 2014

Mango salad rolls with chili-lime dipping sauce

Did I mentioned that I tend to get “stuck” on a few things and make them over and over for a while until I move on to something else? these salad rolls are a good example. I love eating them and love making them so here they are again. I vary the filling and the dipping sauce according to what I have on hand. Today I had mangos, arugula and pumpkin seeds (where did I... View Article

November 23, 2014

Cornbread Muffins

Once in a while I get a craving for cornbread. I like it a little sweet, a little tangy with a dense but not heavy texture. I bake it in a square pan, in a cast iron skillet, into muffins or as I did this time, in parchment baking cups. Cornbread can accompany a dinner, be served for breakfast, alongside a salad or with soups. I sometimes break it into crumbs, toast them in the... View Article

November 21, 2014

Giveaway #4 – The Cook’s Essential Kitchen Dictionary

GIVEAWAY #3 IN A SERIES OF 4: As food bloggers we sometime receive books from publishers asking us to review them. I decided to accept 4 books recently intending to pass them on to you who read my blog. This giveaway is intended as a thank you for keeping up with my food and travel writing, for joining my weekly mailing list, RSS feed and following me on social media. There will be 4 giveaways,... View Article

November 21, 2014

Giveaway #3 – Complete Book of Indian Cooking

GIVEAWAY #3 IN A SERIES OF 4: As food bloggers we sometime receive books from publishers asking us to review them. I decided to accept 4 books recently intending to pass them on to you who read my blog. This giveaway is intended as a thank you for keeping up with my food and travel writing, for joining my weekly mailing list, RSS feed and following me on social media. There will be 4 giveaways,... View Article

November 19, 2014

Shredded kale, radicchio and endive salad

I was feeling good about drizzling balsamic crema on my salad instead of an oil based dressing (it is oil free) until I read the label and realized there were at least  9 gram of sugar per 1 tablespoon (15 grams) of the stuff. I was not impressed. Granted, this was a balsamic crema with strawberries and figs reduction, so it had more sugar. The plain balsamic reduction showed 3 grams of sugar per tablespoon,... View Article

November 18, 2014

Irit’s Oatmeal Banana Cookies- guilt free and fat free

On my recent visit to Israel I stayed for a couple of nights with a long time gal-friend Irit. Irit and I now see each other infrequently so it was a special treat to spend some time together. She lives in a beautiful home in Zichron Yaakov and has a spa-like guest suite in which I stayed. The bright and serene suite has an arched window above the bed overlooking a profusion of purple hanging... View Article