all the recipes

Stephanie & Caroline  – better known as the "TATIN SISTERS" never had a mold like this to make elongated, easier-to-make and easier-to-serve upside down apple pie or  “taaaaarte tatiiiiiiin”  ! This interesting dessert which is now a classic, was invented accidentally around the end...

Let’s start at the very beginning, A very good place to start, When you read you begin with A-B-C, When you sing you begin with Do-Re-Mi, Dough- (yeah, it's funny) -Re-Mi, The first 3 ingredients just happen to be, Flour, Butter, Water … Flour-Butter-Water-Puff-Pastryyyyy !  …...

TOO MUCH DRINKING & TOO MUCH EATING & maybe TOO MUCH TOBACCO too, last night ?! Let’s start the year right and DETOXIFY ! 12 ingredients (including the water) to cleanse your bodies … drink 2 cups each and take it easy today. The different spices will do your liver a lot of good, as well as your tired digestive system...

“THE SO TENDER & FRAGRANT MEAT JUST SLIPS OFF THE BONE, THE VEGETABLES ARE WELL COOKED YET FIRM … WHAT ELSE ?!” This is what I made for our Christmas day lunch. The winter holiday seasoning was composed of a dry mix of herbs and spices with allspice, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, orange zest and dark brown sugar,...

I know what I said : "EAT LESS RED MEAT, EAT MORE FISH & VEGETABLES !" Well, for your information, these meatballs are 1/3 vegetables so without abandoning meat, we’re still making an effort. Okay, it wasn’t really an effort either. I often want to try out recipes that are “UPLIFTING” reinterpretations...

"GIGANTES" = GIANTS … and this is what we call these LIMA or BUTTER BEANS in Greek (to be more precise: fasolia gigantes).  This is a dish prepared by my mom. The last time I enjoyed this vegetarian dish was last summer in Montreal, and many of you went crazy when I posted an iphone picture of the meal on the social...

Because it’s my BIRTHDAY today, because I’m trying to stay SIMPLE, because WE HAVEN’T FORGOTTEN WHAT HAPPENED LAST YEAR, because we were (and still are) "CHARLIE", because I also want to be "GEORGIE" again & because LIFE MUST GO ON … here’s my birthday cake to ME ! We’re invited...

This is my way of telling you : « ON NEW YEAR'S EVE, PLEASE TRY TO REMEMBER TO DRINK 1 GLASS OF SPARKLING WATER after EACH COCKTAIL or GLASS OF CHAMPAGNE … & add some AROMATIC BITTERS to turn it  into a LIGHT, REFRESHING & ALCOHOL-FREE...

“This weird and perhaps not-so-attractive thing, is a delight and you’d be crazy not to make some quickly !” Of course, this isn’t my invention, this is an Italian and Portuguese holiday sweet, often called “chocolate salami” … I simply re-adapted my chocolate and biscuit blocks (see recipe here) for...

A few sweet moments before the holidays ? WHY WAIT ? ... Cookies made with almonds and oranges to celebrate the arrival of winter but with a touch of orange blossom water to remind us that spring and sunny weather will follow soon after ! Normally cookies are prepared directly on a cookie baking sheet, but these are somewhat between cookies...

I DID IT ... "MYYYYYYY WAAAAAAY" ! Of course I did, why would I talk about it if I didn’t ? Of course, my mama’s chicken is delicious. The problem with greek-style lemon & oregano roasted chicken is that it’s always flavorful, but often, the skin isn’t crispy enough, or not crispy everywhere...

2016 will be the YEAR for “TIPS & TRICKS” . . . not necessarily mine, but just stuff I’ve learned over the years (accompanied by many mistakes) ! Let’s begin with puff-pastry dough, there’s the authentic way of making it, where you have to flatten the butter and sandwich it inside...

I PREFER OYSTERS FRESH & RAW (with no added vinegar, nor lemon, nor shallots, nor anything) but always accompanied with BREAD & VERY SALTY BUTTER and a COLD POTATO SALAD and a second green and leafy SPINACH & ARUGULA SALAD too … But I obviously couldn’t present this to you as a recipe ! So this oyster chowder...

"Before bringing me into the world in Montreal, my mother had crazy cravings for CAULIFLOWER ! " I was born on January 7 (the day of the Greek Orthodox Christmas) which means that her cravings occurred in the cold and blizzardy winter and it was my poor aunt who would go out hunting to find her some, sometimes coming back with...

As I said a few days ago : “EAT MORE VEGETABLES !”. Here is an extremely healthy and easy and impressive entrée or side-dish or accompaniment to serve with your winter meals. A simple, big, round, roasted beet ! More impressive if the beets are large, instead of several smaller ones. They’re roasted in the oven...