Category Archives: Savoury Items

Along with all the images of fluffy bunnies and decorated eggs or falling leaves and bountiful cornucopias, the Wheel of the Year at this time of the year, has an additional underlying theme of balance, a time when light and dark hold equal time before switching dominance. We all get out of balance for one […]

Legend says that eating beets was the secret to Aphrodite’s beauty. Which makes me wonder if that is the reason beets are painted on the wall of the Wolf’s Lair, a brothel in Pompeii that was preserved when Vesuvius erupted in 79AD. Might beets be the original aphrodisiac, making Aphrodite, the Goddess of Love, Pleasure & […]

Tomatoes are a member of the nightshade family. Cooking them will reduce their vitamin C content but it also increase their trans-lycopene content. Lycopene is a powerful antioxidant thought to protect cells from damage. It can be found in all red coloured fruits and vegetables but is very high in tomatoes. The cooking process changes […]

Oatcakes, where to begin? Crackers, cookies or scones? Sweet or plain? Crisp or soft? Wheat in or gluten free? Baking soda or powder? Hot water or buttermilk? Rolled or steel-cut oats? The choices go on and on and on. What makes that so lovely is that playing with options will get you through the entire […]

One more way to keep herbs available all year round. They may not look as pretty as fresh soup wreaths but they keep the taste of your garden or shopping easily available. The herbs that I freeze in water or stock go into soups, sauces and stews. When herbs are preserved in oil, they can […]

Red currants are another of those tart berries that carry within enough pectin to gel on their own. They are most often turned into jelly as the seeds inside are bigger than raspberry seeds and for some, that can take away from the enjoyment of the finished preserve. I had plans but time and web […]

There are not a lot of dishes with quinoa that I think of as comfort food. This is one of them. It is an all in one ( protein, carbs and vegetables ) casserole that is easy to take along to potluck and gatherings. It is also a pop a couple of scoops in a […]

A galette is a simple free form pastry that can be filled with either sweet or savoury deliciousness. This one is made with a processor puff pastry but regular pastry is also an option. Try whipping up a few batches of pastry and popping them away in the freezer so that when inspiration strikes all […]

In January, I shared my adventure judging a chocolate cake throwdown. This past weekend, I stepped out of judging for the Mac & Cheese throwdown and what a range of dishes showed up! We had a white wine & white cheddar option, topped with panko with truffle sauce on the side. A vegan recipe with […]

One story suggests that Scotch eggs have been around since Fortnum & Mason, a London department store, invented them in 1738. The Scotch part may have originally come from “scotched” rather than Scotland meaning “with anchovies” in the way that “a la mode” now means “with ice cream” and “Veronique” implies there are fresh grapes […]