Wait.

Is it already time for another Daring Bakers‘ challenge?

I swear sometimes I think there’s an evil little elf somewhere pressing the fast forward button about halfway throught the month so that the last two weeks just fly by and next thing you know it’s time to start all over again!

In case you haven’t already been dazzled by the entries of other members, here’s what you need to know: our lovely hostess this month is Chris of Mele Cotte who chose a Filbert Gateau with Praline Buttercream from Carole Walters’ Great Cakes.

I’m heading out on vacation in a few days and so for the last month I’ve been trying desperately to clean out my pantry. As a result, I did not use filberts (hazelnuts) for this dessert but rather almonds.

The cake starts with a sponge base that is made with ground nuts (in my case almonds). It’s a very tasty and delicious (and surprisingly sturdy) base for the cake.

The other elements of the cake were all familiar to Daring Bakers. We’ve certainly made buttercream before! But in this case we made a praline buttercream which began with a praline paste. I have numerous recipes that call for praline paste that I’ve avoided making because I’ve never had a recipe for the paste. Well now, thanks to Chris, I have one.

Again I made mine with almonds but it was simply delicious and the buttercream … one of the best I’ve made in awhile.

And of course, cover anything in a chocolate glaze and how can you go wrong?

I’m keeping this post short but I just want to thank Chris and urge all of you to visit the Daring Bakers’ blogroll to see what all the other great bakers did.

Ciao!

For the cake recipe, please visit Chris’ site.

Go figure!

For this week’s edition of Magazine Mondays, I’m featuring a recipe that I came this close to dumping in the food waste bin.

When I bought the 2007 April/May issue of Taste Italia, I immediately bookmarked a recipe for Apricot Almond Shortbread (Frollino di albicocca e mandorla).

For starters, the title is slightly misleading. This dessert is a cross between a cake and a pie of sorts. While the photo was very enticing, I disliked the recipe almost as soon as I started making it. To begin with, there are a lot of steps and I found the directions a bit confusing.

The worst part of the recipe for me was the topping, which was disastrous. The topping is a meringue of sorts that you spread on the dessert after baking it a for a bit. You then put it back in the oven to bake the topping. My topping spread all over the place and it just came out of the oven looking like a disaster.

After letting it cool, I took a long look at my creation and thought, “There is no way I can serve this to anyone.” I almost threw it out but then remembered that there were quite a bit of almonds, egg whites and fresh apricots in there and tossing it didn’t seem very cost-effective.

So I let it cook completely, did some damage control to the topping and filled in the top with apricot jam.

Feeling somewhat better, I brought the dessert into work on the same day that I brought in the Peach and Almond Tart from a few weeks ago. I expected everyone to like the peach tart much better but in one of those strange twists, it seemed most people actually preferred the apricot dessert.

Go figure!

To be honest, I don’t think I’ll ever be making this one again, but it just goes to show, you never really do know how a dessert may turn out.

Have a great week everyone!

Ciao!

Note: Click here for the recipe for the Apricot Almond Shortbread. This week, I’m joined in my Magazine Mondays post by Oakley Rhodes of the blog Lemonbasil with her gorgeous White Chocolate Panna Cotta with Dark Chocolate Sauce.

There are many reasons to grow your own food. Some people do it as a hobby, some people do it for a living and some people do it because they believe it is the best way to ensure that the food they’re eating is the freshest and healthiest food available.

But I also happen to believe that growing your own food is deeply comforting.

I don’t think the scale on which you’re growing or gardening really matters. I think what matters is that when you put something into the soil and nurture it, in your own way your putting a little bit of love back into the world. And giving love is just as good as getting it.

If you’re getting a bit worried that the Cream Puff has gone all spiritual on you, don’t. These ruminations come about as a result of a two-month perusal of Jim Denevan’s excellent cookbook Outstanding in the Field: A Farm to Table Cookbook.

When I do a cookbook review, I like to take my time getting to know the book. I like to read it (or as much of it as I can). I pay attention to things like the binding and the quality of the paper (does the book lay flat when it’s open or do the pages flip over?). I like to read the directions to recipes and see if I can get it in the first read-through. In a nutshell, I like to get to know the book.

Based on my getting to know this book, I would say that we’ve become very close friends. Prior to receiving this cookbook, I’d never heard of Denevan. After a bit of research I found out that he’s a chef, but with a twist. Instead of operating a restaurant, Denevan brings the restaurant to the people by organizing huge outdoor meals that feature the freshest and most beautiful food available. He started an organization called Outstanding in the Field through which these incredible outdoor experiences are organized. Imagine a travelling restaurant showing up in your neighbourhood, setting up an enormous table and then inviting everyone in the neighbourhood to sit down together and enjoy the best of the local produce. What a way to honour all the incredible growers and food producers out there that are working their behinds off to keep the tradition of wholesome, good food alive!

As for the book, it’s just beautiful. Lots of colour photos and recipes that flow from one to the other seamlessly. The emphasis is not on complicated or fussy dishes but rather on simple, appealing cooking that relies entirely on fresh (and hopefully local) foods. There is also a strong sense of kinmanship with those among us who are food artisans. You know who I mean … those people that work like crazy to produce unbelievable cheese that no one knows about because too many of us are busy eating processed, fake cheese. Or that grower that’s singlehandedly brought all sorts of heirloom vegetable varieties back to the forefront.

I guess the point is that this food is beautiful and delicious and easy to grow and cook with.

And oh-so-comforting.

Ciao!

Note: The first two photographs feature a Fresh Strawberry Bavarian, which is made by combining strawberry puree, sugar and lemon with unflavoured gelatin dissolved in water. Some whipped cream is added and the bavarian is chilled overnight. The second photograph features a Corn Chowder with Marjoram, which is made by separate corn kernels from the cob. The cobs are then cooked in water for about an hour to create a vegetable stock. The kernels are sauteed with onion and carrot and diced potato. The stock is then added in and the mixture is cooked for a good 20 to 30 minutes. Puree half the mixture in the blender and then return to the remainder of the soup. What you end up with is a nice and chunky corn chowder. Don’t forget the marjoram!

This past weekend, I had the pleasure of making a Cassata alla Siciliana in the company of some truly wonderful and insane people: Lis, Helene, Ben, John, Marce, Chris, Stephanie, Kelly and Mary (our Tanna, our Sara and our Laura couldn’t be with us). We were also joined by a very sane and nice Halley who incredibly was not frightened off by us!

On Monday, I brought the cassata to work and repeated over and over to my coworkers that the cassata sponge was bathed in rum syrup.

Bathed in rum syrup.

Bathed in rum syrup.

Rum syrup-bathed.

Bathed in rum syrup.

Towards the end of the day I noted that some of my coworkers were beginning to look at me a tad strangely so that’s when I decided that perhaps I should stop saying “bathed in rum syrup” with such gusto.

I mean just because I’d like to be bathed in rum syrup, it doesn’t mean everybody else does!

Ciao!

Note: The recipe for the Cassata alla Siciliana is from Gina DePalma’s first-rate book Dolce Italiano. Lis published her version of the recipe so you can check it out. And many thanks to Lis for such a wonderful choice!

A little over a week ago, I happened to be perusing the NY Times Dining & Wine section when I came across an article by David Leite on the ubiquitous chocolate chip cookie.

For me, the more chocolate chip cookie recipes I try, the more I want to try. Somehow, the chocolate chip cookie has become the baked good for which there is no “best”. Each time I try a new recipe, I somehow seem to like it better than the last one. And yet I hestitate to call it the best because I know, without doubt, that somewhere there is another recipe waiting to be tried.

Leite’s article includes the opinions of a number of chocolate chop cookie experts including the likes of Jacques Torres and Dorie Greenspan. What I found interesting about the recipe was the idea that after making the batter, you let it rest in the refrigerator.

Disclaimer: Science hurts the Cream Puff’s brain.

Having gotten past the disclaimer, apparently allowing the dough to rest for a long period in the refrigerator lets something happen magically on the molecular level so that the liquid in the cookies manages to hydrate the dry ingredients. So you get a tastier cookie. Or something like that.

So now that you know that I will NEVER be teaching a Science 101 course anywhere, what you really do need to know is that these are fabulous cookies.

I’m heading out on vacation in August and I’m desperate to clean out the pantry so my one edit to the recipe is that I used semisweet chocolate chips in place of the bittersweet chocolate disks.

So a few days later, imagine my surprise (well, not really) when I saw that the cookies had taken on a life of their own in foodblogworld. Everyone from Dorie to King Arthur was blogging about these cookies. They really are the best chocolate cookies … so far.

That is to say, one never knows what other chocolate chip cookie recipe awaits one just around the corner.

Have a wonderful week!

Ciao!

Chocolate Chip Cookies - Recipe from the NY Times.

Check out who else is cleaning up that magazine pile: Lori of Lori’s Lipsmacking Goodness made Spicy Orange Hummus; Natashya of Living in the Kitchen with Puppies made Honey Tamarind Baby Back Ribs; Liliana of My Cookbook Addiction made a Fresh Fig Tart and Wandering Coyote of ReTorte made Tomato Jam.

If you’ve finally put a magazine recipe to the test, let me know and I’ll include it in my next Magazine Mondays round-up!

With a few exceptions, I know that I don’t eat nearly as many grains as I should.

While certain grains like oats and barley find their way into my meals on a somewhat regular basis, there is an astounding number of grains that I have never even seen, much less tasted.

And this is truly unfortunate.

The entire issue came to a head when I had the opportunity to read Lorna Sass’s Whole Grains Every Day, Every Way. I’ve had this cookbook for awhile and kept meaning to review it on my blog but I was so taken with reading it (usually in the evenings) that it was quite awhile before I began focussing on it as a blog post topic.

To be quite honest, I’m simply fascinated by how many grains there are out there and the fact that people have been eating them for thousands of years, if not longer.

Amaranth, Himalayan Red Rice, Teff, Farro, Triticale, Sorghum … the list goes on and on. How have I never tried any of these?

Since I love cookbooks that read like stories or novels, Sass’s book is right up my alley. It’s like a long and loving essay to one of the most beautiful gifts the world has to give us. Except that unlike the boring essays I wrote in university, this is an essay that I actually enjoy reading. And I get it.

I understand. There are incredible grains produced all over the world and they’re good for us and they can sustain us if only we’d open our eyes (and our pantries) to them.

I think my favourite part of Sass’s book is the opening chapter called Whole Grains 101. In five-and-a-half pages, Sass very directly, clearly and concisely explains what a whole grain is, how to choose and store grains, how to stock cooked grains so that they become a sort of “fast food” (except there about a kabillion times healthier than what we know as fast food) and she also explains her focus and plan for the chapters that lie ahead.

I was so impressed by this opening chapter because unlike other “teaching” cookbooks, which is sort of how I regard this one, you’re not bogged down by tonnes of information that you’re likely to never remember.

Don’t get me wrong. I like information. It’s good. Information about food is good. But when it takes thirty or forty pages to explain a type of food or a cooking technique, I’m sorry but I’m not going to hang around for the party.

What follows is a section on eighteen different families of grains. The section includes a description of the grain, nutritional information and instructions on the basic preparation of each grain. Everything is clearly stated without any frills. It’s just the plain truth about each grain.

The book is rounded out by several chapters of recipes that include salads, side dishes and desserts. There’s a photo section and an excellent section on mail-order sources for those grains that might not be readily available in your supermarket or local health food store.

I’ve had this book for quite awhile so it was time to do a review. Otherwise, I would have gladly read it cover to cover many more times. When deciding what to try, I simply ran out of time. I’m preparing for a vacation in August so I knew I had to cut to the chase.

For some reason I kept returning to amaranth. I just love that word and found myself intrigued by a very simple yet enticing recipe for something called Popped Amaranth Crunch. It’s a recipe for a very versatile addition to many dishes that is made of dry-cooked amaranth that’s popped in a pan (think popcorn but on a much tinier scale). The popped amaranth is complimented by pumpkin and cumin seeds and then mixed with dried oregano, chile powder and salt.

You can add it to salads or use it as a topping for other dishes like soups. And yes, if you’re like me you can even eat it out of hand. I used it mainly for salads and also as a last-minute topping on roasted fish. I can’t believe how addicted we’ve become.

The version I present to you today is slightly different in that I don’t particularly like cumin seeds and while I like chile powder, I find that it can be overpowering if I add this to salads. I’ve simplified it a bit and do hope you’ll give it a try.

If nothing else, I hope you pick up a copy of this incredibly informative cookbook. Whether you’re already an avowed grain eater or whether you just want to learn, it’s an excellent resource and addition to any cookbook library.

Ciao!

Popped Amaranth Crunch
Adapted from Whole Grains Every Day, Every Way by Lorna Sass.

Note: The original recipe makes about a cup or so of topping but I’ve doubled it as I found that we went through the original amount far too quickly. When making this, be sure to use a pot with high sides or the amaranth will pop all over the stove.

6 tbsps. amaranth
5 tbsps. raw pumpkin seeds (make sure they’re hulled)
2 tsp. chopped, fresh oregano (use 3/4 to 1 tsp. dried oregano if you don’t have fresh)
1/2 tsp. salt

Heat a large pot until the bottom is very hot to the touch. Add the amaranth and immediately begin stirring it. The amaranth will start popping and become white and bead-like.

When about one-third of the amaranth has popped (this will happen very quickly), add the pumpkin seeds and keep stirring to make sure nothing burns. Stir for an additional 30 seconds.

Remove the amaranth and pumpkin seeds to a bowl and immediately add the oregano and the salt. Stir and then let the amaranth crunch cool.

Once it’s cool, add it to any dish you like.

Store it in an airtight container for up to a month.

Enjoy!

I love peaches.

Love ‘em.

And any time I can find a dessert that showcases them I’m always game. I’ve said before and I’ll say it again that one of my very favourite summer experiences is the chance to eat a sun-warmed peach and have all those sweet juices running down your hand.

It’s truly one of nature’s lovely gifts.

And to be able to bake with such a beautiful fruit is yet another gift that always makes me so happy.

I hope you have a tremendous week and I hope this Peach and Almond Tart from the July 2007 issue of Olive magazine helps you along the way!

Ciao!

Note: This is a brilliant recipe! It’s been in my magazine box for so long so I’m glad that I finally gave it a go for Magazine Mondays. You can find the recipe here. I used Ontario ice wine to cook my peaches and I can’t tell you how delicious it was. This is definitely a keeper!

Check out who else has been putting those magazine recipes to good use: Over at Retorte, Wandering Coyote has been making some delicious Blueberry Corn Bread and Natashya of Living in the Kitchen with Puppies made a drink that I need to have right now!

Thanks to the Daring Bakers, I had the opportunity to reveal my true Southern Belle self, if only for a little while.

Thanks to an opportunity to review Katie Lee Joel’s The Comfort Table, I had the opportunity to revisit Red Velvet Cake, not to mention the petticoats and hoops skirts my inner-Southern self loves so much!

I first heard about Katie Lee Joel when I happened to catch her on an episode of Oprah Winfrey’s daytime show. I almost never watch television during the day so it I suppose it was fitting that on a day when I was watching daytime television, I watched a show I almost never watch and saw a person I’d never seen before who happens to be married to a singer whom I know very little about.

When it comes to Billy Joel, I know Piano Man and Uptown Girl. Sorry. But that’s about it.

Still, though, it was hard not to be charmed by Mrs. Joel so a few short weeks later, when I was given the opportunity to review her new cookbook, I said yes.

When the arrived, my first reaction was that it was a pretty book filled with lots of lovely photographs. It has a very “homey” feel to it as the author shares her family stories and recipes.

I’m sure quite a few people would look at the book and not bother, chalking it up to a celebrity cookbook, but it’s actually an excellent book both for entertaining purposes and for some very simple and cosy home-cooking.

While this is not an elaborate cookbook nor is it one that’s likely to teach you a new cooking technique, it’s filled with recipes that are accessible and that work (nothing worse than a cookbook with awful recipes).

And Katie Lee Joel really can cook which is a nice switch from other celebrity cookbooks where you just know that the author wouldn’t be able to find their kitchen with a map.

The book’s format is very standard as it’s divided into chapters that range from Starters to Dessert. A lot of the recipes are twists on ones you’ve seen before, and some of the recipes are family favourites. The instructions are clear and for the most part, the recipes are all based on ingredients that most of us would have readily available in our cupboards or pantries.

There’s a heavy emphasis on recipes that are perfect for entertaining whether it be a large crowd or a cosy dinner at home.

I wanted to try a savoury recipe and a sweet one. For the savoury recipe, I decided to try the Green Pesto Pasta Salad as summer is always a good excuse for pasta salad.

It was a very easy recipe that I amended slightly by adding cherry tomatoes. The instructions were accurate and the end result was delicious. So far so good!

When it came to try a sweet recipe, I just couldn’t resist Grandmother Paul’s Red Velvet Cake. The recipe headnote explains that the recipe is originally from the grandmother of Paula Deen, who is a close friend of Katie Lee Joel’s.

Listen. I’m a sucker for red velvet and even though there were other recipes that enticed me, this was the one I had to make.

Verdict?

Honestly, this was one of the best cakes I’ve made in a long time.

Seriously.

The sponge part of the cake was so light and airy that I had to resist eating it right out of the pan without any frosting.

And speaking of the frosting, it was easy to make and equally delicious. Made of cream cheese and butter with the addition of melted marshmellow, it was just the right consistency (not too heavy) for the light cake.

When filling the cake, I added pecans and coconut but left the frosting for the outside of the cake plain. I garnished with some lovely pecans and everyone - and I mean everyone - that tried it loved it.

While I would have liked to try some more recipes, based on the two that I did try, this is a good cookbook. It’s charming and doesn’t try to be anything other than what it is: a collection of easy-to-make recipes for comfort food.

Ciao!

Monday was a great start to the week, but sometimes you need a little something to help you cope with the rest of it.

Here’s a sweet little strawberry tart from Lori Longbotham’s incredible Luscious Berry Desserts. I bought this cookbook last year and indulged in some recipes both here and here.

This one is a gem and comes together quite quickly. All you do is roll out some puff pastry and bake it. Make up a batch of your favourite pastry cream and spread it over the cooled tart base. Then top with some beautiful, fresh strawberries and some melted strawberry jam for a quick glaze.

Here’s hoping you make it through the rest of the week!

Ciao!

For this Monday’s edition of Magazine Mondays, I bring you not one but two desserts with strawberries!

Is there anything better than a locally grown, perfectly ripe strawberry? I would argue that among all the gifts that the garden gives us, the strawberry ranks as one of the very best.

We’ve been indulging in fresh strawberries for a few weeks now and I finally got to try two recipes that were begging for fresh strawberries.

The first is from the May 2008 issue of Martha Stewart Living. It’s a Strawberry Galette served with Basil Cream and Fried Basil (that’s also sugared). While I skipped the fried and sugared basil leaves, I did make the galette and basil cream (twice) and both times it was a huge hit.

The pastry is a very standard butter dough made in the food processor so it comes together in a snap. The hardest part of this recipe is trying not to eat all the strawberries as you slice them. I must say, though, that I think the basil cream was even more popular than the galette. A mixture of heavy cream and mascarpone with a hint of basil to it is really captivating. Overall, a very successful dessert that’s worth the effort of trying to create perfect strawberry slices!

The second recipe is one that I’ve wanted to try for a very long time: Lattice-Topped Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie from the 1997 issue of Bon Appétit magazine!

Again, this is another winner. The pastry is a combination of vegetable shortening and butter so it’s both tasty and tender. The filling is pure strawberry and rhubarb heaven. The only caution for this recipe is that you definitely want to let the pie cool completely before serving as you may get a lot of juice running out otherwise.

All in all, I’ve had two lovely experiences with magazine recipes featuring strawberries.

Here’s hoping everyone out there has a lovely week!

Ciao!

Click here for the recipe for the Strawberry Galette.

Click here for the recipe for the Lattice-Topped Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie.

Natashya of Living in the Kitchen with Puppies sent me her own contribution. She made a gorgeous Zucchini Tart with Feta and Mint. Thanks so much, Natasha! Remember, send me your posts about recipes from magazines and I’ll link to them in my posts!

One of my favourite ways to unwind at the end of the week is to stop by my local big-box bookstore on the way home from work.

Once there, I have a strict routine that I follow each and every time. First, I peruse the food section of the magazine rack. From there I make my way to the discounted cookbooks table and from there I travel to the epicentre of my world: the cookbook section.

Now it should be noted that I rarely buy cookbooks at my local big-box bookstore because Toronto has one of the very best cookbook stores anywhere, aptly named The Cookbook Store.

Still, though, I do enjoy my Friday after-work relaxation sessions and it was during one of these sessions that I picked up a cookbook that I fell instantly in love with: Jeanne Kelley’s Blue Eggs and Yellow Tomatoes: Recipes From a Modern Kitchen Garden.

I’m not quite sure what it was that drew me in. I don’t know if it was the brilliant cover photo of a pair of hands holding blue eggs (blue eggs!) and yellow tomatoes. I don’t know if it was the gingham design on the book’s spine (Cream Puff looooooooooooves gingham)! I don’t know if it was the size and weight of the book (something so comforting about the book’s heftiness).

I don’t know what it was.

All I know is that I marched to the cash register and happily handed over my money so that I could take this little piece of cookbook heaven home with me.

To say that I fell in love with this book is to put it mildly. The best way that I can sum up my feelings is that in my wildest dreams, were I ever to write a cookbook, this book is exactly how I would want it to look and feel and the recipes are exactly the kind of recipes I wish I could write.

All manner of beautiful photographs sit beside recipes that are a dream to me: Curried Yellow Split Pea Soup with Mint Yogurt, Green Been, Corn and Farro Salad, Broiled Iberico Cheese, Serrano Ham and Romesco Tartines, Alsatian Bacon and Onion Pizza, Albacore Kebabs with Charmoula and Moroccan Chicken Skewers.

Want more?

Okay.

How about Stuffed Turkey Breast with Achiote, Poblano Chiles and Feta Cheese? Or how about Spiced Lamb with Mint, Date and Apple Pear Relish? Rose and Orange-Scented Honey-Nut Tart? Any takers?

A sizeable cookbook, the paper is thick and glossy and the fonts used are so very pretty! The palette of colours used in the book’s design are warm and inviting, just like the very best of kitchen gardens.

There’s even a section on how to keep your own chickens.

Such a beautiful, beautiful cookbook.

Prior to purchasing it I had no idea who Jeanne Kelley was and wherever she may be in the world, I’d like to thank her for her vision in creating such a book.

It’s truly a thing of beauty.

Ciao!

Ricotta, Honey and Pecan Tartine
Inspired by Blue Eggs and Yellow Tomatoes: Recipes From a Modern Kitchen Garden by Jeanne Kelley.

Note: In case you hadn’t figured it out this book is my choice for Flavour of the Month for July 2008. A tartine is an open-faced sandwich. There is a recipe in the book for Whole Grain Tartines with Ricotta, Walnuts, Cherries, Honey and Mint. This is my pared down version (serves 2) of that recipe.

two 1 to 1-1/2-inch thick slices of good bread, grilled or toasted (I used a fabulous sourdough but you can use whatever you like)
1/2 cup ricotta
1/4 cup chopped pecans
3 tbsp. honey
1 tbsp. chopped mint

Divide the ricotta in half and spread half on one slice of bread and the other half of the ricotta on the second slice of bread.

In a small bowl, mix the pecans and the honey and then divide it equally amongst the two slices of bread, covering the ricotta with the pecan and honey mixture.

Sprinkle both tartines with mint.

Enjoy!

My country turns 141 years old today!

And I can’t think of a better way of celebrating than submitting an entry to an event hosted by my sweetie Jasmine of Confessions of a Cardamom Addict and Jennifer of The Domestic Goddess: Mmmmmm … Canada!

As is often the case when the Cream Puff embarks on a project enthusiastically, she has a habit of misreading instructions and then forgetting about them altogether!

So not only did I forget that this event was due, I realized that the final posting date for the event already past.

Ah, well. What can I say? Mea culpa!

My lateness notwithstanding, I hope that Jasmine and Jennifer will accept my entry for an event about what Canadian food means to you.

In a nutshell, Canadian food means complete and total access to me. What I mean by this is that not only do we have the benefit of living in a land that provides a plentiful supply of all manner of fruits, vegetables, dairy products and meat and poultry products, but we also live in a land that has long opened its doors to foods from somewhere else.

Over the years that my family has been in Canada, we’ve embraced (and how!) many foods that were not necessarily part of the daily diet in Italy. Squash, for example. While some parts of Italy have a long history of consuming squash, my mother never ate it as a child and my father’s family would feed squash to the farm animals, but never ate it themselves.

Yet come the fall, there is very little that we look forward to (food-wise) as much as the harvest of all sorts of squash that are local and about as Canadian as you can get.

And just as we’ve embraced all manner of foods that Italians may not have had access to in Italy, we’ve also been able to continue the tradition of Italian cooking with authentic Italian products readily available to us.

We have always had Parmigiano Reggiano on the table and I was consuming extra virgin olive oil pretty much since the day I was born. Italian chestnuts, figs, walnuts, cookies … the list goes on an on of foods made or grown in Italy that we have easy access to here in Canada.

So basically we have the both best of both worlds: incredibly delicious local products and the highest quality of foreign products.

I would say I live in the best-tasting country in the world!

Ciao!

Note: I decided to use gorgeous Ontario strawberries (picked at a farm that’s about an hour away from my home) to top these adorable mini lemon semolina cakes that I drenched in vanilla syrup. The recipe is from Maxine Clark’s Easy Summer Food. After baking the cakes in a mini bundt pan, I soaked them in a vanilla syrup and then topped them with quartered strawberries mixed with mint and a bit of sugar.