Chocolate Chip Cookies

Friends are chocolate chips in the cookie of life ~ unknown August 4 is National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day! If I had my way, there would be a Chocolate Chip Cookie Day once a month. Won’t do my health any good but hey, one can daydream. Ironically, I woke up this morning planning to bake […]

Easy Banana Walnut Loaf

banana walnut bread

What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, stand a little taller….. ~ “Stronger”, Kelly Clarkson Life has a way of throwing a curveball when we least expect it. Self-help gurus will tell us to ‘stay positive’, ‘shift your perspective’, the advice goes on. What really happens is we don’t read (or write) blogs, we face […]

Tomato Pie

Tomato Pie

A world without tomatoes is like a string quartet without violins. ~ Laurie Colwin, ‘Home Cooking’ Today I attended my first trunk show. I had never been to one before, so when a friend asked whether I was interested and assured me there would be no pressure to buy anything, I agreed. Fast forward a couple of […]

Sunday Morning Tomato Basil Frittata

Sunday Morning Tomato Basil Frittata

“A journey into a new year begins with a Sunday Morning frittata served around a warm hearth.” As I was preparing to write this week’s post, I hesitated over which story to share. The Gregorian calendar stands poised at the cusp of a transition and Earth is about to embark on another orbit around the Sun. Past and […]

Chocolate Chip Cookies (‘Famous Amos’ copycat)

Crispy Chocolate Chip Cookies

We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools. ~ Martin Luther King Jr. ~ A THANK YOU POST ~ As the year draws to a close and new beginnings herald, we think upon the many joys and sadnesses, triumphs and defeats, loves and hurts, and we take a moment for reflection. […]

Egg-free, Butter-free Honey Walnut Cookies

Honey Walnut Cookies

“A balanced diet is a cookie in each hand.” -Barbara Johnson Pumpkin season is here. Can’t miss it. Decorating nearly every store, restaurant, office, door stoop are the bulbous orange fruit. It’s one of my favourite sights for it means the holiday season is just around the corner. Try our Honey Walnut cookies for a change this […]

Traditional Baked Mooncakes 传统粤式月饼

Mooncakes

Mid-Autumn Festival Mooncakes 中秋月饼, commonly just called ‘Mooncakes’月饼 are traditionally eaten during the Mid-Autumn Festival. Shared with friends and family while celebrating the abundance of harvest, the Mid-Autumn Festival is one of the four most important Chinese festivals and falls on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month in the lunar calendar. These round-shaped […]

Roasted Broccoli and Mushrooms

Easy weekday dinner with minimal clean up! Can also be served as an easy appetizer. 1 lb broccoli, cut into small florets and stemmed 4 cremini mushrooms, sliced 1 tbsp garlic, minced 3 tbsp olive oil ½ tsp cumin seeds 2 tsp sea salt Grated cheddar cheese (or any hard, sharp cheese) Serves 4 Toss […]

Spicy Nuts

½ lb / 220 g almonds ½ lb / 220 g cashews ¼ cup white sugar 1½ tsp kosher salt 1 tsp cayenne pepper 1 tbsp water 1 tbsp honey or maple syrup 1 tsp oil   Toast nuts at 350 F (175 C) till golden brown, about 10 minutes. Watch closely as they burn […]

Curry Puffs

1 large packet flaky or puff pastry (~450 g or 14 oz)  2 tbsp oil 1 medium onion, finely chopped 2 slices fresh ginger, very finely chopped 2 tbsp curry powder 250 g (8 oz) minced meat or sardines 1 ripe tomato, chopped 1 potato, boiled and finely diced salt Makes 24 Heat oil and […]