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If you are not from England chances are you’ve never heard of Banoffee Pie before and it’s a real shame. I reckon the invention of Banoffee Pie should stand on equal footing with industrialisation and discovering of DNA and other great things that came out of England. Well, maybe not quite as equal, maybe just […]
Have you just come home with a load of reasonably priced zucchini and now wonder what to make out of it besides zucchini bread? Zucchini must be one of my favourite vegetables, it’s so versatile! It often appears on our dinner table and I always look for new ways to cook it. Last Saturday I […]
We’ve been hit by some amazingly beautiful weather lately. We are approaching our third summer in London and boy did we learn fast! Sunny and warm days are so rare and far in between that you gotta grab them as soon as you see a small clearing in the sky. You know you’ve met a [...]
Who likes pizza? Who doesn’t! I have a confession to make. I didn’t like pizza for many years. I could eat pizza but it was never my number one choice if I had one. That until Brad and I went to Italy and had pizza the way God intended it to be. Thin yet satisfying [...]
I am so excited to finally being able to blog about the cupcakes that made my little girl’s birthday extra special. Creating something new for my children every year on their birthday is not just fun for them but also an enjoyable challenge for me. Every year when they present me with a request (like [...]
It’s Friday night and I am beyond excited. I can’t wait till tomorrow because Saturday morning lazy breakfasts with my favourite man and my two little ones is one of my most beloved times. Ah…pure bliss. If you are looking for inspiration for a weekend breakfast look no further. I’ve got you covered- Syrniki Russian [...]
My dear friends, I’ve been holding out on you and for that I am sorry. I made the most delicious cheesecake this past Easter but just posting the recipe today. The good news is that cheesecake is not seasonal, it’s welcome for any occasion. The recipe for this culinary delight was a bit of a [...]
My children are off school for a spring holiday, only spring itself was here merely in theory or that was the case until two days ago. We were completely overwhelmed by cold, grey and windy days and then suddenly the sun appeared and made everything bright and lively bringing along little green buds and beautiful [...]
Another post on Blini? Haven’t I just written about them a couple of weeks ago? True, all true, however since then I found the magic ingredient that my mum always used in her blini and I couldn’t resist giving the crepes another try. Kefir. What a wonderful thing you are and how have I lived all [...]
Every Easter I am taken back to my childhood in Russia where the holiday is steeped in century-old traditions and memories. The holiday so loved and revered by people that even Communism wasn’t able to erase it from the nations’ psyche. It seems like the early childhood memories are the strongest and what I remember [...]
Their peaceful life was firmly grounded In the dear ways of yesteryear, And Russian blini fair abounded When the fat Shrovetide spread its cheer. [...]
When I look outside all I see is grey misery but I can tell spring is not far away by the way my orchids are sprouting new shoots in preparation to bloom. Sometimes things are not what they appear and in those moments we need to apply faith, observe signs in nature and enjoy a [...]
Just because I like to cook it doesn’t mean I don’t love shortcuts in the kitchen. Serving delicious food to my family and friends doesn’t always equal hours spent behind the hot stove. I am usually on the lookout for the recipes that are tasty yet simple. This Coq Au Vin (French for “Chicken in [...]
Another friend’s birthday passed, another cake made, eaten and enjoyed. I know I get excited about every cake I write about but this one was truly special and quite different from the usual – cake + frosting deal. Imagine dark chocolate sponge sandwiched together with a light, cloud-like, creamy strawberry mousse, topped with fresh strawberries [...]
Quinoa, goji berries, flaxseed. What do they have in common? They are the buzzwords circulating in the foodie media/blogosphere, all claiming to be a “miracle food”. Like many others I get weary and suspicious when the next “cure for all ills” emerges, being of the opinion that variety is key in any diet. That said, [...]
It’s British Pie Week and I thought it would be only fitting to indulge ourselves in yet another pastry filled with a wonderful fusion of flavours. When people talk about “pies” here in England you never need to wonder if they mean “meat pies”, it’s assumed. The Brits eat fruit pies as well but the [...]
What a stunner, isn’t it? It’s hard to believe this galette was made as a desperate attempt to save yellow plums that weren’t moving in my house. They looked so beautiful and so appealing but after a few days in the fruit basket remained hard as a rock and quite sour.Typical problem for winter fruit [...]
Musique, ambiance et souvenirs d’un temps qui ne paraît pas si vieux… What are your most treasured memories with the one you love? I am so fortunate to have many but last Valentine’s Day I chose to re-create the one from our anniversary trip to Paris. Although we have spent the majority of our happy days in [...]
It’s Sunday and Valentine’s Day is long gone, but the leftover cake is still in my fridge and tastes better than ever. I love Valentine’s Day so much and I could care less that it’s been commercialised and turned into a sappy holiday with poorly written cards and tasteless teddies all over the place. I [...]
The inspiration for these Dreaming of Sicily cupcakes came from this box of chocolates. You see my momma always used to say that life is like a box of chocolates… Oh forget it, I could never pull off Forrest Gump’s wisdom. The truth is on Saturday we celebrated my dear friend Angela’s birthday. I wanted [...]
As I’ve mentioned earlier I went on a bit of a cooking spree last Monday. I made a few things and one of the them was Warm Zucchini Salad, which is a bit of a misnomer because it has much more in there than just zucchini. I received an overwhelming response to this little dish. [...]
After last week’s insane schedule of teaching, being a mom and a wife with a 4 hour daily commute to work thrown into the mix I needed to de-stress. Well, first of all, I needed to sleep and then, I needed to head to my kitchen and get lost in the world of food. The [...]
Do you love vegetables or do you merely tolerate them? When Brad and I met I quickly learned that one of his favourite quotes was borrowed from Homer Simpson, the infamous “you don’t make friends with salad”. I am happy to report that a few ‘properly’ cooked vegetable dishes changed his opinion, and now he [...]
Do you believe in Baking Therapy? I can’t recall when I became a believer but it’s something I practice whenever I need extra warmth in my life. Everyone has a no-fail, go-to recipe that works no matter what and mine is these Blueberry Muffins. It was given to me by a co-worker years ago which [...]
When I woke up this morning I didn’t plan to blog about salmon cakes, but I did plan to finally clean out my fridge and use up all the leftovers for lunch. If my mum taught me anything from when I was very little and impressionable that being frugal was definitely a virtue! I followed [...]
It’s blistery cold here in London, it’s been snowing for the last 24 hours and many trains have been delayed or altogether canceled. The whole country is in the state of a national emergency judging by the frequent TV, radio and other media “sever weather” announcements. Every Facebook status update, Twitter feed and any conversation [...]
Not so long ago my friends Scott presented me with a challenge to devise a full-on vegetarian meal – a task not so easy for this meat-loving Russian. Don’t take me wrong, I adore vegetables. I buy them and cook them in every way possible but they are always served as sides. It’s almost impossible [...]
Yesterday was Russian Orthodox Christmas celebrated according to the Gregorian calendar, and as done as I was with all the holidays I couldn’t resist making a special meal. Our festive fare was an exact replica of what my mum would have made- Roasted Chicken and Savoury Buckwheat with Caramelised Onions and Mushroom as the centrepiece [...]
Out of all my loves travel must be the biggest, especially when I get the chance to taste something new. Unfortunately, I do have quite high expectations for my restaurant food and if it’s something I can just cook at home I am not really interested. It takes me ages to choose a restaurant and [...]
I love chocolate truffles…I love them in a very deep and real way. Seriously. Appropriate for any food-related love, of course! Last year I pined for French truffles we used to buy every Christmas while still in Canada. Yet I have never tried to make them myself. How those two things are reconciled is beyond [...]
One of the biggest draws of Christmas is time with family steeped in traditions. We are all creatures of habit and anticipation of something familiar is both exciting and comforting. You are probably expecting me to break into a charming little story from my childhood memories about celebrating Christmas in Russia. The truth is I [...]
Are you set on your Christmas dinner menu already? If you are anything like me you’d be changing things the last minute, adding to already existing ones and re-arranging everything from top to bottom. It’s impossible for me to stick with just one recipe for something, I get so distracted by the variety available to [...]
Those of you who follow my blog know that I recently acquired a rather unusual selection of meats with some of the items being entirely new to me. Although I’ve never cooked venison before I am not a complete wild game virgin. Brad and I spent our honeymoon in a cabin in the middle of [...]
In roughly three weeks from now we will be celebrating our second Christmas in England and so far this December has been much smoother than the last one. A year ago I was completely lost. As Christmas season was approaching I felt nothing but anxiety over where to do my Christmas shopping, how to stock [...]
