Islands in the sky, food & travel

We aren’t going to argue here. This has got to be one of everyone’s favorite desserts (at least in my family).  Maybe you know your dessert history, but did you know this dessert was in a French cookbook that dates back to 1691? This custard, which translates from French to "burnt cream", last appeared in recipe books in the 1700's and then disappeared until the 1980's.  Too many wars going on? Hoards of explorers/cooks too busy leaving the country and founding new continents?  Not enough chickens crossing the road for the inordinate amount of eggs needed?  Not really sure of the answer, but suffice to say that it is now a popular dessert in most restaurants in France along with the usual choices of chocolate mousse or fondant, thin apple tart, floating island (more about all of those other dessert superstars another time)... I’ve decided to try a non dairy and no eggs vegan recipe.  Lockdown oblige, here’s a version with ingredients we had at home : 2 x 200 ml ...

(Version française, plus bas) Buttery semolina maamoul cookies are stuffed with either pistachios, walnuts or dates and are often reserved for the holidays and served with mint tea or Arabic coffee.  This middle eastern specialty has a particular flavor and shape or pattern which sets it apart. Alas, my reasons for baking them are purely practical, I love crumbly shortbread, and uh... it's raining walnuts around here and we have bushels to be dispensed of.   Truth be told, they are a joy to make, even if they aren't a part of my culture, I can totally relate with the holiday gatherings they evoke, perhaps making them at table with family members, banging on the traditional mold or spoon with their pattern, exchanging them as presents, or mixing and matching them with other honeyed delicacies.  And the house smells delightfully of orange blossoms from their baking. I shaped these into oval/squiggly forms because, you aren't going to believe this, I don't have a maamou...

(Version française plus bas) Hi everyone ! It’s time for cheesecake! Who’s with me? Over the summer, like a groupie I waited in line for nearly 40 minutes to buy all-butter Brittany cookies called  palets at a famous bakery. Well, I already had those cookies in mind for the crust of a future cheesecake and that day has come. Especially since I was sidetracked at the market this morning by beautiful strawberries and mangoes that I thought would look gorgeous on top. Of course you can top it with your fruit of choice (just strawberries, blueberries, lemon, mango, you can find those recipes here too…). This time it’s the classic creamy NY Style with berries or nothing. Ingredients : Crust : 150 g or 12-15 cookies or Graham crackers (palets ou petits sablés pur beurre) 50 g butter (du beurre) 1/2 teaspoon salt (du sel) Filling : 2 x 8 oz of cream cheese (2 x 240 g de Kiri ou fromage frais) 1 cup sour cream (1 yaourt 2 ou petits suisses) 1 cup sugar (150 g sucre) 3 eggs 1/4 cup flour (2...

Pesto delizioso! That’s about the limit of my Italian. Pesto alla genovese is nothing new, it dates back to Roman times and originated in Genoa in the north western corner of Italy, close to France. It finds its roots also in the Middle Ages, in a popular sauce called agliata , primarily crushed garlic and walnuts. It wouldn’t be until the 19th century that basil would be introduced and,  ecco fatto  (there you have it), the magic is done.  It is now the main ingredient and the basis of this sauce, along with nuts, garlic, olive oil and parmigiana or pecorino.  You can taste every one of these ingredients in pesto, they compliment each other. So thank you, Romans.  What can you do with pesto?  Spread over toast to make bruschetta, with pasta, or as a filling over puff pastry for appetizers, a dash over pizza, over mozzarella and tomatoes, with baked chicken or fish... I have full confidence this rich, flavorful sauce will become a staple and household favor...

Hi everyone, here's the recipe for homemade hoisin sauce, fairly simple if you have the ingredients, that's the only trick! Great for basting, stir fry, ramen, bbq, generally the ketchup of Asia. Whether you only eat veggies or like meat, hoisin adds so much flavor  By the way, I didn't have all the ingredients and made do with what I had and the taste and texture came out the same. And if you make it, the best part is there are hardly any additives. Go very light on 5-spice, star anise can be overwhelming.  Ingredients : 3 tablespoons of Black Bean sauce (you can get this at an Asian grocery or online, fantastic for adding to so many dishes) 1/3 cup brown sugar (if you use white sugar add 1 teaspoon of honey or caramel) 1 tablespoon rice vinegar (or regular vinegar + 1 teaspoon honey) 2-1/2 tablespoons soy sauce 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil 1/2 teaspoon (or less) Chinese 5-spice 4 prunes (I used plum preserves we made) Mix in a blender till smooth, makes about 150 ml). Here’s a...

I used to make these a while ago and was hoping I hadn’t lost my touch, lol. I’m not gonna lie, I had to bake 2 batches, but this is what cooking is all about, repeated trials and errors and eventually... success! Filling with fish Very light pastry crust, baked just right. I tried the Filipino variety on the first try and baked the Argentinian kind on the second try. I prefer baking to deep frying because they come out less oily. My family, even with their Filipino ancestry, preferred the second variety without meat. I liked the Filipino kind, a bit sweet and savory, because they brought back happy memories of my childhood. Isn’t that what finding an old recipe is all about ? Here’s the recipe, I’ll show you the difference between two batches : Dough :  3 cups of flour (450 g) 100 g butter 1 egg 1/2 cup water 1 teaspoon sugar (optional, for the filipino variety) 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon baking powder  2 tablespoons sour cream  1 egg yolk + 1 tablespoon of water for b...

It's nuts around here!  No, I mean, nuts are literally falling off trees around us. So what else can you do but add them to baked breads and cakes. Who's with me? This is a very easy cake to bake that is always nice to have for breakfast or for coffee/tea time. Your choice of making either a loaf, muffins or round cake. Here’s what you need: 3 ripe bananas  100 g butter 120 g sugar 3 eggs 180 g wheat flour or gluten-free flour  80 g almond powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon baking powder  1/2 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon cinnamon   3/4 cup of walnuts For topping : 3/4 cup walnuts 1/4 cup brown sugar 2 tablespoons of by melted butter 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla Cream cheese : 100 g cream cheese 3 heaping tablespoons sour cream 1/2 cup powdered sugar 1 teaspoon lemon juice Preheat oven to 170 C / 325 F. In a bowl, blend bananas with a fork until you get a smooth paste.  In a separate bowl, cream butter and sugar, then add eggs. Add all other ingredients....