Snacks
Though I haven’t tried my hand at pickling (before now that is), I’m a card-carrying dill lover. When I was little my Mum made sour dill pickles every year, to the delight of me and my sister. Every spring we’d return from the market with basketfuls of tiny, perfect cucumbers, and through some magical process of vinegar, garlic, jars and time, they became pickles. I remember the jars lined up on the shelves of our cellar, and the long and tortuous wait until the day my Dad would fire up the grill and call for one of us to bring up a jar for dinner. (I also remember us sneaking sips of pickle brine straight from the jar, much to our parents’ disgust. Surely it would have been worse to pour ourselves a glass?) Read more…
Posted in Snacks on June 22nd, 2010 by Ele | 9 comments
Tags: accompaniment, condiment, cucumber, pickle, pickling, radish, snack
No, that book isn’t just there because the colour matches so beautifully; I really was reading Jane Austen in the kitchen. Emma is a favourite of mine, though for some reason it can take me weeks to get through it. I’m not sure why – I can pick up Pride and Prejudice after breakfast and practically be done by dinner – but Emma is a demanding read for me. So when I feel like tackling it, I’ll leave it somewhere I find myself often. Read more…
Posted in Snacks on June 17th, 2010 by Ele | 3 comments
Tags: appetizer, book, broad beans, bruschetta, feta, olive oil, parsley
I crave a simple and beautiful lunch. Something light but satisfying, taking just minutes to prepare but good for savouring over the next twenty or so. Working from home at times (and at a job mere steps from my front door the rest of the time), this is a luxury that I can afford. And I must say, enjoying it helps makes up for those I can’t. Read more…
Posted in Snacks on June 2nd, 2010 by Ele | 7 comments
Tags: asparagus, mint, ricotta, sandwhich, shaved, tartine
I was all set to post a different polenta recipe today, one I made last week but in the midst of a busy couple days hadn’t managed to write about yet. But this morning I wandered on over to a favourite blog of mine, and a pleasant surprise changed my plans. Read more…
Posted in Snacks on March 22nd, 2010 by Ele | 9 comments
Tags: kale, mozzarella, pizza, polenta, sundried tomatoes
Several years ago, I went on holiday with my family to the furthest reaches of Cornwall. We stayed in a 200-year-old farmhouse just steps from the sea, rode around on open-topped buses, trekked the coastal path for hours on end, and discovered cultural and archaeological gems at every turn. What else? Oh yeah- we ate. Read more…
Posted in Snacks on February 25th, 2010 by Ele | 7 comments
Tags: Cornwall, curried, Curry, parsnips, pasties, pastry, pasty, potatoes
You’ve probably all heard of Welsh rabbit/rarebit, the delicious late-night snack and lunch dish so beloved of the British Isles. It’s a simple idea, really: take some toasted bread and top with a mixture of egg yolks and cheese (often with flavourings like chili, Worcestershire sauce or ale), and put the whole thing under the broiler until bubbly and delicious. Apply to mouth. Read more…
Posted in Snacks on January 29th, 2010 by Ele | 14 comments
Tags: Bread, leeks, rarebit, snack, Welsh
This Christmas will be a bit different for my family. My sister and I are both staying in the UK for the holidays, Hilary with her boyfriend’s family, and me with mine. Though some customs will be gladly put aside for a year (think airport queues, jet lag and the stress of tying to visit every single friend and family member in one short week), we wanted to keep certain holiday traditions alive, including the annual making of our Christmas Stollen. We figured that this German sweet bread could just as easily be made here as in our parents’ house, so got to work setting a baking date, gathering ingredients and trying to extract the recipe from our parents. Read more…
Posted in Snacks on December 21st, 2009 by Ele | 7 comments
Tags: candied, citrus, peel, syrup
Is there anyone reading this who doesn’t like dumplings? Is that even possible? I’m not trying to be obtuse, honest- I just can’t imagine that there’s a human on this earth who doesn’t grow weak at the knees at the thought of those bite-sized morsels of deliciousness. As you can probably deduce, I love dumplings. All kinds- Chinese, Thai, Polish, British. When I was growing up, I looked forward to my family’s Dim Sum Boxing Day tradition almost as much as I looked forward to Christmas (possibly more). Read more…
Posted in Snacks on December 16th, 2009 by Ele | 5 comments
Tags: Bread, carrot, dumplings, parsnip, root vegetables, squash, swede
When I was growing up, I had a lot of dolls. And I do mean a lot. Though many were inherited from my sister, I received my fair share (some might say more than) of new ones for birthdays and Christmases. Baby dolls, porcelain dolls, rag dolls; it just seemed that they were drawn to me, like moths to a flame. Read more…
Posted in Snacks on September 16th, 2009 by Ele | 9 comments
Tags: American Girl, corn, cornmeal, doll, fried, fritters, Mark Bittman, polenta, spicy
My sister sent me an email this morning. It went something like “I thought you told me you’d made some cupcakes! When are they going on the blog? You need to post more sweet things because I don’t eat salads!” Er, okay. Sorry to disappoint you Hil, but I wasn’t planning on posting those cupcakes anytime soon; they weren’t my own recipe, or adapted in any way at all, so off the blog they’ll stay. (They were delicious, though. Smitten Kitchen‘s Best Birthday Cake, quartered, exactly fills my favourite Tefal Jamie Oliver 6-muffin pan.) Read more…
Posted in Snacks on August 13th, 2009 by Ele | 7 comments
Tags: condiment, easy, sunblush tomato
