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I always get discouraged before I even start thinking about cooking dried beans. It just takes so long to cook and I find that beans are never as tender as they should be for some reason. Until I started using a pressure cooker. With this method, I usually have very good, consistent results and the […]
The Lebanese Kitchen, by Salma Hage has certainly become a new favorite of mine. Phaidon has done it again. Filled with 500 delicious and healthy recipes and beautiful pictures, I have not been disappointed by the many recipes I have tried. Scallion and chile pancakes, scrambled eggs with lamb and pine nuts, garlic, almond and [...]
On my quest for losing weight with the goal of fitting in my Versace suit again, you may find a new orientation on Mon Food Blog. Don’t worry, I will still be eating pasta and these other delightful Italian dishes I love so much, just healthier versions. This is a great idea for a mid-week [...]
Oddly enough, the first time I had a taste of a white meat ragù was not in Italy, but in New Orléans just about one year ago today. It was at John Besh’s italian restaurant Domenica and I have fond memories of it. A white ragù is very similar to a Bolognese sauce in its [...]
We just love polenta over here. Whenever I make polenta, I use regular cornmeal, never the instant one. The texture and taste of regular cornmeal is unbeatable. I certainly think it is worth the effort. Layering polenta like I did in this recipe is not much more work than just spooning it on your plate [...]
In the next couple of months, with the arrival of summer, I am sure you, my fellow food bloggers and followers, are going to get busy assembling and then eating one of the most wonderful salads of all times: the Caprese salad. This beautiful combination of ripe, fresh tomatoes, basil, olive oil and fresh mozzarella [...]
I love the versatility of eggs. I am very proud of this dish I created last week. The combination of eggplant, cumin and goat cheese was fabulous and worked very well with the eggs. Use this technique to stuff frittate with other vegetables: red pepper purée, spinach and feta or mushrooms and gruyère are all [...]
Second post. My post disappeared yesterday. Sorry about that. I love the versatility of eggs. I am proud of this dish I came up with last week. The combination of eggplant, cumin and goat cheese was simply divine. Other interesting filling combinations would include spinach and feta, red bell pepper purée or mushrooms and Gruyère [...]
When I posted on Facebook that I was working on this recipe for Mon Food Blog, I got all sorts of reactions. Most of them with a gasp in the middle and a question mark at the end. The concept of a savoury cake is rather strange to our North American palate but it is [...]
Welcome to my 100th post! Borlotti beans, also known as cranberry beans, are equally delicious fresh, dried or canned. They are nutty and creamy and will add protein and many other nutrients to any meal. Martelli makes a good quality canned product that you can get in specialty food stores, and in Ottawa, at La [...]
Like I have mentioned before, a minestrone should be made with seasonal ingredients and the addition of cabbage in this recipe makes this soup hearty and comforting for this winter weather still ahead. An Italian soup most often starts with a soffritto, a combination of onion, celery and carrot, garlic and, in this specific recipe, [...]
Farinata simply means: made with flour. A farinata made with chickpea flour is called Cecina and is usually served as an appetizer, either baked very thinly or more like a pie. It can also be eaten between two slices of bread or foccacia and makes a wonderful lunch. This version of farinata is made with [...]
I can’t wait for spring to get here. It seems like it is going to take forever. This simple yet delicious salad gave us a bit of sunshine and was very simple to prepare. Don’t hesitate to add Pecorino Romano shavings on top and only use your best olive oil for this salad. It certainly [...]
There are probably few dishes that are more comforting than a beef stew on a cold winter night. The recipe for this medieval beef stew flavoured with black peppercorns hasn’t changed much since the fifteenth century when it was concocted for the first time. Many cities in Tuscany claim the ownership of this dish, but [...]
I must admit that I make this superb side dish at least once a week. Though there are regional variations of fagiolini in umido, this dish is seen all over Italy. This specific recipe would probably be more typical of Tuscany. In umido means ”in a sauce” or, word for word, humid, wet. Usually, the [...]
The original recipe for this meatball, zucchini and saffron stew calls for frying the zucchini in vegetable oil. We did not think this added anything to the recipe and I decided to cook them in a non-stick skillet, saving us a bit of extra efforts on the treadmill. If you plan to make this recipe, [...]
Here is a brand new way of having pork and cabbage, Italian style. You can put this together very quickly and it often a mid-week dinner meal at our house. It is adapted from a Biba Caggiano recipe. Biba has never disappointed me and this recipe is no exception. Ingredients: 1 500 g pork tenderloin [...]
Mario Batali has done it again in Molto Batali, simple family meals for all occasions. We were pleasantly surprised by the subtlety of this dish. The green olive pesto is not overwhelming and is a perfect complement to the turnips. It is also delicious tossed with pasta. This side dish is the perfect accompaniment to [...]
In the midst of the hectic holiday season, I was asked to bring a side dish to a pot luck lunch we had at my sister-in-law’s place. This was very easy to put together and it was a hit (with the adult crowd anyways). Children still have to learn that what is green does not [...]
I take advantage of these evenings when JB is out of the house to eat things he does not enjoy. Gorgonzola is one of those, unfortunately. If blue cheese scares you, if you think you don’t like it, try it in the form of a sauce. I find that adding parmesan helps tame it down [...]
I went to the market last week and found the most beautiful piece of lamb I had seen in a while. It is called ”souris d’agneau”, it is a small shank from a very young lamb. I think the English translation would be lamb knuckle, I think. It is known to be the best part [...]
Happy New Year everyone! I wish you all Plenty of joy, happiness and health in 2013. It should be a good year in blogging too. If you don’t own a copy of the cookbook Plenty, by Yotam Ottolenghi, I suggest you get one now. Almost 300 pages of exquisite vegetarian recipes that will make you [...]
Making sausage at home has never been simpler. When I feel I should be cooking and posting something Christmassy, here I go again with another pasta dish. This Holiday season, when you get tired of eating Christmas leftovers, then you will have this recipe to try. It is simple, tasty and elegant and you will [...]
You are in for a treat, my friend. I saw this recipe last summer on television when I was in Italy. While there are many versions of this dish (Mark Bittman has his own), I think that this pasta is best served at its simplest expression: without any added meat, vegetables or fuss. Spaghetti alla [...]
I have to admit I was a bit scared of cooking a chicken liver sauce. Although I like the taste of chicken livers when it enhances something else, I find it can be easily overpowering if used as a main ingredient. I was very pleasantly surprised that this sauce turned out to be excessively well-balanced. [...]
This should have been one of my first posts. It has been a staple at our house for years. I started making this years ago – in another century. This is the creamiest, most succulent recipe for chicken chili, and brace yourself, it is completely low-fat and totally guilt free. But your guests will never [...]
There are apparently many versions of this Italian soup. Mine includes the addition of walnut oil for garnish. Don’t skip this: the walnut oil really intensifies the taste of the toasted flour and it really helps this soup take off. The chives add a bit of freshness that makes this soup entertainment-worthy. Adapted from Zuppa, [...]
I understood why classics became classics when I first made a blanquette de veau. A “blanquette” is derived from the adjective “blanc”, white, and usually defines a white stew, most often made with veal. To keep the stew on the whitish side, the meat is boiled, not seared, then it simmers in a white stock [...]
OK, you must have noticed that I have not been posting very often lately. But I have a very good reason. JB and I started an adoption process a little over two years ago and we were recently blessed with the arrival of our son: an eight month old little boy named Olivier. So between [...]
This is a favorite weeknight meal of ours. The sweetness of the pork and the leek against the saltiness of the soy sauce is just delightful. Add a bit of parmesan here and you are in umami land galore. Polpettine di maiale con porri 2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil 450 g lean ground pork [...]
Asian food is another favorite of mine. I was very happy to get my hands on a new cookbook, Burma, rivers of flavor, from Naomi Duguid. I know nothing about Burmese cuisine and this book is a great place to start. The first two recipes I made, this one and the everyday cabbage-shallot refresher were [...]
This classic Italian recipe probably origins in Emilia-Romagna and Biba has made many delicious versions of it. You can also find something similar in Marcella Hazan’s Essentials of classic Italian cooking. I don’t know who thought of cooking pork in milk, but that person was certainly and ingenious cook. Braising meat in milk makes for [...]
Whore’s pasta in English. We have all heard some story linking this pasta to the ladies of the night. What I have heard over and over was that they would make this sauce to attract clients by its distinctive aroma. Whether they served it to them either before or after the main event or just [...]
Daffy would be proud. When you render the fat on duck breasts, you end up with liquid gold and I highly recommend you use this fat to make the sauce. Use the remainder to cook potatoes or eggs, but don’t throw it away! Duck fat is not as saturated as other animal fat and it [...]
Many people are turned off by the texture of raw meat and I understand them. Follow these simple tips and you will change your mind. Unless you own an electric meat slicer, you will never be able to achieve a perfect cut like at the restaurant. This is to your advantage, though. By slicing the [...]
I think this has to be the ancestor of the famous panzanella, the stale bread and tomato salad so popular everywhere. Here, you layer the ingredients nicely on top of bread slices that have soaked in a savory concoction of wine and herbs. Feel free to use any fresh vegetables you like and make it [...]
What more is there to say about this soup other than you understand why classics become classics after you have had a taste of this. It is simply divine. For the classic Tuscan bread and tomato soup, you will need: 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving 2 garlic cloves 400 g ripe [...]
I was very skeptical when I saw this recipe in Il grande libro della vera cucina Toscana. Really, a torte with only chickpea flour, olive oil and water and no eggs? I thought there had to be a mistake somewhere, that there was no way this would turn into a torte. The mixture was excessively [...]
I had a few requests lately to publish recipes for meatless Mondays. This is a classic of Italian cuisine and I have seen this recipe in more than one cookbook. It is simple, healthy and quite delicious. Prepare it over the week-end, refrigerate it and your Monday night dinner is ready in no time. Cavolo [...]
I sort of like this time of year when the evenings are cooler. It means it is time to start eating soup again. Very soon, you will be able to buy fresh roasted chestnuts everywhere. In Ottawa, they sell them at La Bottega Nicastro in the market area. Year-round, you can use canned chestnuts or [...]
You are in for a treat, my friend. You probably know my love for pasta by now. It is just recently that I have learned that all pastas do not need a sauce and that the different constituents of the dish can be brought together simply by adding pasta cooking water and stirring well. If [...]
“A true friend is someone who thinks that you are a good egg even though he knows that you are slightly cracked” Bernard Meltzer I love eggs in all their forms. Omelettes, frittatas, sunny side up, over easy, sunny side up, poached, baked, over vegetables, under sauces, you name it. I love ‘em. I have [...]
Here you are, directly from Tuscany, a perfect dish for these cooler nights we have had lately. Oh, these Italians, they sure know how to cook. This is so incredibly tasty, I had it all week for lunch. From Il grande libro della vera cucina Toscana, by Paolo Petroni. Ingredients: 1 cauliflower, about 600 g, [...]
The first recipe for this ancient Tuscan soup was found over 500 years ago in Banchetti, composizione di vivande e apparecchi generale, a cookbook written by Christoforo Messisbugo well before the French Onion Soup as we know it today saw the light of day. Some people think that this recipe is the ancestor of the [...]
I am always turned on by recipes using unusual ingredients or unconventional combinations of flavors. I immediately knew that I had to try this one the first time I saw it a few years ago. I have never felt compelled to try to adapt it as it is perfect as it is. You will find [...]
I ended up making this stew a bit by mistake or by necessity. You see, when I went to Italy this summer, I bought three Italian cookbooks, written in Italian of course, and told myself I would have a blast trying out wonderful, traditional recipes. Last Saturday, I took one of these books with me, [...]
In most trattorie or osterie where we went in Rome, we could find on the menu at least one pasta dish with some form of meat sauce, usually served with fettuccine. The Roman ragù, as opposed to its Bolognese counterpart, has a more pronounced tomato base rendering it tangier and probably a bit lighter than [...]
Well, technically, I did not quite make bruschetta, apparently. In Ancient times, around December, peasants would dip a flat bun in the freshest olive oil that had been pressed not to long ago, often flavored it with garlic and called this treat clustrum. Nowadays, a simple piece of bread grilled or toasted, flavored simply with [...]
I have had many requests for simpler recipes lately. This is one I came across when I was in Italy and I made it last week. It is simple, decadent and very satisfying. It could not be simpler. I hope you will enjoy! For two people, you will need: 70 g fresh ricotta 2 tablespoons [...]
