Winter

Parmesan Rosemary Shortbread

Parmesan Rosemary Shortbread

These savory shortbread cookies would be right at home on your cheese board where I’d also nestle a few roasted almonds nearby.  We enjoy these from lunch time to cocktail time, anytime the mood strikes. And their salty-sweetness goes dangerously well with a flute of…

Curry Cod Fish Cakes

Curry Cod Fish Cakes

Easy enough for a weeknight dinner, these curry cod fish cakes do not skimp on flavor nor appealing presentation (If I say so myself!).  Truth be told, we have a version of cod fish cakes on a regular basis.  Curry flavors are near the top…

Italian Sausage and Garbanzo Bean Soup

Italian Sausage and Garbanzo Bean Soup

It’s still soup season, although it’s fair to say soup is welcomed pretty much the year round here in the Bay Area.  We’ve had record cold days lately and we’re enjoying this simple and satisfying soup, especially at lunchtime. We enjoy it for lunch since…

Orange-Scented Olive Oil Cake

Orange-Scented Olive Oil Cake

Fortunately, my pantry is usually well-stocked with baking essentials.  Growing up in a family in the restaurant and grocery business, I know the importance of having back-ups on basic ingredients.  This month’s recipe was developed during the omicron surge, so my pantry has come to…

Greek-Inspired Chicken and Rice Soup

Greek-Inspired Chicken and Rice Soup

Brrrr – This winter is especially chilly, often with a daily temperature range from the high-30’s to high 40’s on several days running.  Snow atop the Bay Area’s highest peaks also attest to this fact. This soup can come together using ingredients you may already…

Pear Cranberry Cake

Pear Cranberry Cake

One of our favorite fall and winter fruit combinations is pears and cranberries. This cake speaks of the seasons and is welcomed on a dessert table for brunch, coffee or teatime, and dinner. I enjoy its simplicity but use your imagination on how to serve…

Spanish-Style Garlic Bread Soup

Spanish-Style Garlic Bread Soup

A recent series of dental procedures required I expand my repertoire of soft food dishes.  No chewing, so either puréed or very, very soft to eat.  I made my way through Chinese jook (rice congee), lentil soup, and this bread soup through the several weeks…

Ham and Sweet Potato Strata

Ham and Sweet Potato Strata

Spring brunch time is nigh, and this “strata” features the classic pairing of ham and sweet potatoes.  Technically the method here doesn’t layer the ingredients, thus a strata, but over the years I’ve found the layering process doesn’t make a big difference in the end…

Chocolate Cherry Scones

Chocolate Cherry Scones

I’ve been on a bit of a scone binge recently, ever since I made a batch of my cream scones with homemade lemon curd from my backyard harvest of three trees.  Scones in winter are an easy, one-bowl creation with basic ingredients many of us…

Rustic Portuguese-Style Kale and Potato Soup with Sausage

Rustic Portuguese-Style Kale and Potato Soup with Sausage

This recipe can be the start of many improvisations on its theme.  I always appreciate an easy, mix-and-match, recipe that’s built for flexibility depending upon what might be on hand. By now we have grown accustomed to making swaps to recipes, old and new, based…