Walnut Date Bread for Melissa

Ok. I must admit, I have never tasted this bread.

However, I do know that it smells delicious, and the ingredients are the most scrumptious, so therefore I presume it is edible.

I made this bread as a farewell for my dearest friend Melissa, who has fled to Toronto!
It was apparently enjoyed, with 3/4 of it devoured by Michael, or this is what I'd like to think.

There is something about a sweet bread that is so comforting. YUM! I could eat it day and night.


Walnut Date Bread with Brown Butter
Inspiration: More for Less

1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup walnuts
2 cups dried, pitted dates
1 cup white flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
2 eggs
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup honey
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp lemon zest
Olive oil for toasting walnuts


1. Heat up a small cast iron pan on low medium heat and add the butter. When the butter melts, use a whisk to stir, it should start to foam, once the foam subsides you should notice the color reach a medium shade of amber. Immediately pour the butter into a small bowl, and put in the freezer until the butter solidifies, about 20 minutes.



2. Preheat the oven to 325 F. Spread the walnuts on a baking sheet and lightly drizzle with olive oil. Spread around with your hands to evenly coat. Toast for 10 minutes. Once cooled, roughly chop.



3. Now, it is time to sift together the flours, baking soda, baking powder, salt, ginger, cinnamon and lemon zest. Set aside.



4. Remove the butter from the freezer and empty into a large mixing bowl. Using a mixer, cream together butter and sugars for nearly 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time. (Make sure to scrape down the sides of the bowls!). Add the vanilla and continue to mix.



5. Slowly add the dry ingredients into the mixing bowl. (Do this in two or three batches). Mix until just incorporated. Using a spoon, slowly fold and stir in the yummy dates and walnuts.



6. Butter a 9x5 loaf pan. Pour the batter into the pan. The batter should be thick, similar to cookie dough. Bake for 45-50 minutes on the middle rack. Let cool!

7. ENJOY (:

Sweet Potato Stew-like Soup! Yum!

Sweet potatoes are definitely a favorite of mine.
They intrigue me.
They're a vegetable (I think?), or quite possibly a fruit?
But they taste like dessert!

Sweet potatoes can be enjoyed in countless ways:
pies, fries, wedges, stews, chilies, baked, boiled... How wonderful for me!

One thing I can't quite understand is how my brother detests them! It's a shame, really. Since they are such a treat. If ever I see something with sweet potato on the menu, I have decided!
"I will have the sweet potato, please! "

The recipe I shall share today is a wonderful soup
and none other than sweet potato!

I love soup AND sweet potato. This recipe is simply excellent for all you sweet potato lovers out there.



Sweet Potato Soup
Inspiration: my dear friend, Jamie

3 carrots
2 celery stalks
2 medium onions
2 cloves of garlic (I used 4, yikes!)
1 3/4 pounds sweet potatoes (2-3)
a handful of fresh parsley
1 3/4 cups vegetable or chicken broth (approx. 5 cups)
olive oil
1 heaped tsp curry powder
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 fresh red chile

1. First off, peel and roughly slice the onions, carrots, garlic, and sweet potato. Slice the celery and finely chop the parsley leaves and stalks.

2. Put a large pan on a high heat and add 2 tbsp of olive oil. First add the garlic, until the aromas resonate, then add the onions and the remaining vegetables.

3. Put the broth in a saucepan and heat until boiling.

4. Add the curry powder and mix with a wooden spoon. Cook for 10 minutes with the lid askew, until the carrots have softened but are still holding their shape.

5. Add the boiling broth to the vegetables. Bring to a boil, and give the soup a good stir. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes or until the sweet potato is cooked through. Season with salt and pepper.

6. If you own an immersion blender or liquidizer, pulse the soup until smooth. For those of you who don't own an immersion blender (like myself), you can mash it with a potato masher! It ends up looking a little strange, but is just as tasty!

I bid thee, delightful.

Caramel Corn with Salted Cashews

Caramel corn.
What a brilliant creation.

Who knew that when you mix butter, sugar, corn syrup, and a pinch of baking soda that it would, at 150 degrees, make caramel?
And who was the genius that decided this caramel concoction would taste delicious on popcorn?
Why don't we know about this genius? Are you nameless?
Why is it that we know Alexander Bell created the telephone, but we don't know who discovered caramel corn?
They too deserve recognition.

Well I thank you Genius.
I am, and always will be, eternally grateful for this thy invention.


This is a most delicious recipe, that you must try.
It involves popcorn (wow), sugar, butter, cashews (yummy) and a few other minor ingredients.

But really?

how can you resist?

Pas moi.



Caramel Corn & Cashews
Inspiration: Orangette

1/2 cup popcorn kernels
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup corn syrup
6 Tbsp. butter, melted
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup cashews, roughly chopped (you can use any kind of nut)

1. Preheat the oven to 250 F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper

2. In a medium saucepan, whisk together the brown sugar, corn syrup, butter, salt, and 2 tablespoons of water. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Continue to simmer, whisking often, until the mixture reads 250°F on a candy thermometer.

3. Immediately remove the pan from the heat, and whisk in the baking soda and vanilla.

4. Quickly pour the hot caramel over the popcorn. Use a rubber spatula to gently fold the caramel into the popcorn, taking care to distribute it as evenly as you can.

5. Stir in the cashews, and transfer the mixture to the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 1 hour, stirring and turning the popcorn with a spatula every 20 minutes.



et voila!
wonderful, crunchy caramel corn.

A divine ficus carica!

Today, I will share with you a second recipe that I made on Christmas day. Typically, my family spends our Christmas dinner with two other families, but since this year all three families had all of their family home for Christmas.. dinner would have been impossible.
Even the sounds of that sentence makes me confused.

The point I was getting at, was that I needed to make two desserts for Christmas, since there were lots of hungry folks to feed!
Or shall I say, a stuffed bunch, who always have room for dessert.

The second dessert I made, was a lovely fig crostata!
Ingredients: Figs. A multiple of figs.
A favorite amongst the keeper of the house that we were headed Christmas night.

I found this recipe in the last-ever copy of gourmet magazine which I received from my ever so thoughtful aunt and uncle.
So I decided I must make use.

and to my prevail!


Fig Crostata
Inspiration: Gourmet

For pastry dough;
2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 sticks cold unsalted butter
2 large egg yolks
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp cold water

For fig filling;
12 oz soft dried figs, stemmed and coarsely chopped
1 1/4 cups water
1 cup fresh orange juice
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 stick unsalted butter, melted and cooled
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp orange zest
1 1/2 cups walnuts, coarsely chopped


1. First, we will begin with the pastry dough! Blend together flour, sugar, salt and butter in a bowl with your fingertips until mixture resembles coarse lumps.

2. Add yolks, vanilla and water and gently stir with a fork until dough begins to form large clumps.

3. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide into four portions. With palm of your hand, smear each portion once or twice to distribute butter. Gather all dough together, then divide dough in half and form each into a disk. Chill in plastic wrap , until firm (1 hour).

4 . Now to begin the fig filling! First, simmer figs, water, orange juice, and brown sugar in medium sauce pan, covered, stirring on occasion, until figs are soft and mixture has reduced (15-20 minutes). Pulse in a food processor until finely chopped (mixture should not be smooth). Transfer to a large bowl and cool slightly. Stir in butter, eggs, vanilla, zest, and walnuts.

5. Preheat the oven to 350 F and butter 9-inch pan.

6. Roll out 1 portion of dough between two sheets of parchment paper into a 12-inch round. Peel off top sheet of parchment paper and carefully invert dough into pan. Press dough onto bottom and 1 inch up side of pan, then trim excess. Chill tart shell until ready to assemble crostata.

7. Roll out remaining dough between two sheets of parchment paper into a 12-inch round. Peel off top sheet , then cut into 10 (1-inch-wide) strips and slide onto a tray and chill for 10 minutes.

8. Finally, you may spread the fig filling in shell. Arrange 5 strips of dough 1 inch apart on filling. Arrange remaining 5 strips 1 inch apart across first strips to form a lattice. Trim edges of strips.

9. Bake until filling is slightly puffed and pastry is golden, about 30 minutes. Cool completely.

Alas, a divine ficus carica crostata!
how delightful.

Deliciously dense apple spice cake

Here we are! in 2010. The new year!
I am yet to decide which I like best.

What is it about New years that we feel we have to have brilliant, exciting plans?
Why can't we be content with being in 2009 one minute, and 2010 the next?

Today I have a recipe for you all, that I made on Christmas day. It's an apple spice cake with a texture similar to pumpkin pie, entirely delicious, and pretty too. It definitely deserves a spot in my big black book of favorites .

Maybe... even...... in the first few pages.
That's a big deal.

I've made this cake several times, and each time it tastes better and better. This recipe is fairly simple, and there aren't too many ingredients, aside from the ton of apples that you'll need.

I promise you, you'll enjoy!


Apple spice cake
Inspiration: Gordon Ramsay

5-6 cooking apples (I used macintosh)

1/4 cup sugar

2 tbsp butter

2 ripe (big) apples

juice of 1 lemon

1 1/3 cups whole wheat flour

4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp sea salt

1 cup brown sugar

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp ground cloves

1/2 tsp freshly ground nutmeg

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1/2 cup olive oil

1-2 tbsp water

1. First things first, peel and slice the cooking apples and place in a saucepan with 1/4 cup sugar and butter. Cook over high heat for 15 minutes or until becomes mushy-like, almost an apple sauce. Transfer to a bowl and let cool completely.

2. Heat the oven to 325 F. Lightly grease a 9 inch pan with a removable bottom. Peel and very finely slice the 2 apples. Place in a bowl and pour over most of the lemon juice and a splash of water (this keeps the apples from browning).

3. In a large bowl, mix the whole wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar and ground spices. Make a well in the centre and add the egg, olive oil and apple puree. Fold into the dry ingredients until just combined.

4. Transfer the mixture to the cake pan and gently level the top. Bake for 30 minutes.

5. Quickly overlap the sliced apples on top leaving a margin around the edge. Brush with lemon juice and return to oven for another 30-35 minutes.

6. Let the cake cool before removing it from the pan.

lo and behold, cake!

It's edible, as my Dad would say.