Post by Tanya It’s the peak of summers. Hot and Dry. This weather drains me out completely. Work is at an all time peak- and I feel scattered. Almost feeling disorganized- Very unlike the ‘ocd’ish me. This post has been pending for a couple of weeks. In reality, in fact, it may have been due for […]

Post by Tanya Decadence: A literary movement especially of late 19th-century France and England characterized by refined aestheticism, artifice, and the quest for new sensations. This post is about true decadence and self-indulgence. A Tough one for me to pander to, especially when it comes to food; my indulgences are more often to do with […]

Vanilla Macarons sandwiched with a low fat peaches & cream ice-cream … and perfect for summer! Get the Recipe: Peaches and Cream Macarons 

A wise woman puts a grain of sugar into everything she says to a man, and takes a grain of salt with everything he says to her.                                                           […]

Tart, sweet, refreshing, healthy and easy, this apricot peach sorbet is a wonderful end to a meal. Just right for summer!  Get the recipe!

A light, airy strawberry gelato of the Gods, from Giuliano Hazan in “Hazan Family Favorites.” From the original site: Simply fresh berries, sugar, water, lemon juice and a touch of cream, this is a light-tasting, refreshing treat that was a little tangy, a little dairy, a light texture, perfectly sweetened and flavored.

We love raw kale salads and this is one of the best we have ever made! Super healthy, too. From the original site: This is the tale of the teenager who became besotted with Trader Joe’s prepared, packaged Kale and Edamame Bistro Salad, and the mom who was going broke buying them for her, at […]

I decided to settle in for a classic- The Dense Chocolate Loaf Cake. According to Ak, Nothing beats a Brown, unadulterated chocolate cake. The chocolate chapter in Nigella’s book also begins with this cake- she thinks this cake is the essence of all that is desirable in chocolate. Special Instructions: I would use a little […]

Pappa al Pomodoro is a traditional Florentine tomato and bread dish, half-way between a soup and a porridge. Its robust flavor is perfect to pair with a glass of red wine. Also, this dish is easy and quick to prepare, and is an excellent way to use up leftover stale bread. If you don’t have […]

I’m a fan of low and slow when it comes to pork ribs, and I usually do them in the oven at 300 degrees for 3 hours. But why not the Crock-Pot? That’s practically the definition of low and slow. Indeed. These turned out succulent, and were no fuss. A win! From the original site: […]

The slightly sweet bread combined with the tangy soft cheese is heavenly, with a cup of tea or coffee. My children love it, too. From the original site: This pairing seems obvious to me, but often enough when I mention it to people, they have never heard of spreading cream cheese on banana bread and […]

Rich rosemary-scented lamb sausage and the subtle earthiness of fresh beet fettuccine deliciously complement each other in this quick and easy pasta dish. The small amount of lamb fat that is used for sautéing the vegetables gives this simple sauce just the right amount of richness without being too heavy. Tomatoes round out the flavors […]

Polenta is an easy to use grain and very versatile and it can either be served as a thick porridge or chilled and cut into cakes and then fried or grilled to reheat.

Beet greens have been eaten since 200 BC in northern Africa and along the Mediterranean, but it wasn’t until the ancient Romans that the beet was cultivated for its roots. Highly popularized as a source of sugar in the 19th century by Napoleon—when the British restricted France’s access to sugar cane he decreed that beets […]

Sometimes you need to just rely on your judgment instead of a written recipe, don’t you agree? In fact, the name of this recipe pretty much tells you all you need to know. Go ahead…step outside your comfort zone. Try it! From the original site: I had a ripe avocado and a blood orange just […]

It’s the dead of winter, but I am craving tomatoes. I have a full-on tomato jones going. Best way to fix that is with this tomato soup, made more fanciful by calling it bisque. A bisque (say it bisk) is a rich, smooth, creamy soup often made with shellfish, and thickened with said shellfish including […]

This comes from the excellent book, “Southern Pies: A Gracious Plenty of Pie Recipes, from Lemon Chess to Chocolate Pecan,” by Nancie McDermott, a North Carolina cookbook author who has gathered up 60+ recipes for every type of Southern pie you can imagine. Any book sporting the phrase, “a gracious plenty” automatically wins the competition […]

Puff Pastry Snack! From the original site: I know that the traditional way of using puff pastry is to make it from scratch, and I used to quite enjoy the process, but in due course of time, I discovered this easily available option, at a very reasonable price. I therefore, choose to save my energy […]

Fabulous Risotto Recipe, Cant go wrong! From the original site: isottos are considered to be complicated; because it’s very easy to overcook or under cook. Also, the time taken to cook it, is considerably more than an average meal, since it included just standing and watching, refilling with stock and then waiting again for it […]

It rarely snows in southern California, so we have to get our wintery groove on some other way. Snowman Pancakes seem like a great way! These would be wonderful as Christmas breakfast, or any day. From the original site: Snowman Pancakes are charming, whimsical and perfect for wintery days or Christmas breakfast. Who can resist?

Stir Nutella into steaming hot milk for the tastiest version of hot chocolate ever! From the original site: This is a d’oh recipe. You’ll smack yourself upside the head for not doing it before this!

Meaty without containing meat, thick, rich tasting without being fatty, this is fill-you-up-but-not-out stuff. From the original site: Let’s humbly subtitle this “Lentil Soup of the Gods.”

Simple and Easy Mezze Food! From the original site: The Tabouleh salad is a traditional Turkish salad that has a strong flavour of Parsley and is served cold. Derived from the Arabic word tabil, that means seasoning, the salad has a variety of most flavours that are easy to find and I personally love. The […]

A delicious combo of almond paste and toasted pine nuts gives a decadent, traditional Italian Christmas cookie. From the original site: Crunchy, chewy, sweet and nutty, these are an almond-lover’s dream. That would be me — the almond lover. I believe most things can be improved with the judicious application of almond extract. Pine nuts […]

Tortang Talong or Eggplant Omelette is made by frying eggplants dipped in egg batter. Many Filipinos love it because it’s tasty and convenient to cook, especially if they’re on a budget. Originally, Tortang Talong consists of eggplants and eggs. To veganize it, I replaced the eggs with a mixture that has squash, specifically, kabocha squash. […]