Here’s a photo from February. Warmer days are just around the corner…riiight?
Canon AE-1 | Fujifilm Pro 800z
January 27, 2013
Remember last Monday?
Winter is officially here! How are you coping? Ramen, coffee, fluffy cardigans, oxblood pants, and the occasional indulgence at Le Gourmand has been keeping me quite happy this January.
January 20, 2013
Winter Transitioning: Recipe round up #3
Winter Transitioning at BHH Blog: A list of cozy recipes to get you excited about the colder months ahead. See recipes for BREAKFAST and LUNCH/BRUNCH.
Lillie Mag Winter Issue 2013 from SheShootsHeScores on Vimeo.
Beat the cold and flu season with some Campari & Orange, it’s pretty much like drinking medicine.
Milk Jam to put in oatmeal, coffee, ice-cream, teas, bread, crackers, or sandwiched between shortbread cookies to make Alfajores.
Pretty wintery cookies: Almond Lemon Meringue Cookies.
Banana, Walnut & Chocolate Cookie Cake in a cast iron skillet.
Get warm with a Bourbon Hot Chocolate & Seven Hot Toddies.
Cardamom Pound Cake with rose water or try a Garam Masala Spiced Cake.
Dorie Greenspan World Peace Cookies, great as gifts.
When there’s no Cinnabon close by, these Cream Cheese Cinnamon Rolls should make do.
Gingerbread Syrup for your own homemade lattes.
December 10, 2012
Winter Transitioning: Recipe round up #2
Winter Transitioning at BHH Blog: A list of cozy recipes to get you excited about the colder months ahead. We had breakfast, now on to lunch & brunch.
Canon AE-1 | Kodak Portra 400
At the moment, my idea of a perfect winter lunch is the crispy and supremely moist fried chicken thigh sandwich from The County General. I’ve yet to get Leo to go back with me because – let’s be honest for a second – the portion and the price ($14) make it hard to justify these small indulgences. (It’s so good though!) But, I recently had a decent Squash and Harvarti Omelette at Aunties and Uncles that hit the spot quite well.
From what I understand, people also really like soups? Thankfully, Soupstock already happened and there’s enough inspiration to last you until spring.
I made Toad in the Hole with Onion Gravy during the summer for a London Olympics dinner. It’s light enough to have on its own for lunch.
A Fried Egg Sandwich is quick and easy, no fuss.
My grandmother loves, loves my braised quinoa and I’m thinking of trying the One Pot Kale and Quinoa Pilaf posted on Food52.
Citrus season is coming up! Why not a Blood Orange, Beet and Fennel Salad?
My summer self will hate me for this, but carbo-loading with Baked Chili Cheese Fries from Joy the Baker is prime on my list.
Experience la belle vie with Seven Spoons’s Tomato, Greens and Gruyère Panade, a classic French Provençal casserole that has everything you want: soup, bread and cheese.
Coddled Eggs with Potatoes and Spinach will most definitely fill you up after you’re done.
The Food Network’s Jamie Oliver Christmas marathons introduced me to this Simple As That Celeriac dish.
And for the perfect winter salad, there’s Gordon Ramsay’s Salmon Salad Niçoise with a Tarragon Mayonnaise : Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3. (I’m not quite sure it’s a salad niçoise at all, but he’s the chef, not me.) The salad is plated so elegantly too, it’d be nice for a gathering.
What are you looking forward to eating this winter?
November 30, 2012
Almond and Pistachio Baklava
Baklava is a dessert steeped in history. It dates back to as far as the 8th century B.C., eaten largely by the rich and wealthy across the Roman, Persian and Byzantine empire with various Greek, Lebanese, Turkish and Armenian iterations. As a lover of anything sweet and rich (i.e. Indian desserts), the discovery of baklava here in Canada was somewhat of a revelation. Unfortunately for me and my jeans, my family has become consistently good at bringing a box of two to birthday parties. It’s certainly not cheap, but as a special occasion treat, it’s absolutely worth the guilt.
According to wikipedia, the baklava I’ve been making is of the Persian variety, using ground almond and pistachio spiced with cardamom and then drenched in rose water syrup. However, another source claims that the addition of rose water is an Arab tradition. Either way, I highly recommend using rose water as it makes for something extra special. Fleur d’oranger with honey is also a great substitute.
Pistachio and Almond Baklava
Ingredients
1lbs of filo pastry
2/3 cup of melted unsalted butter
For the fillings
3 cups of coarsely ground nuts (I chose pistachio and almonds)
1 1/4 cups icing sugar
1 tbsp ground cardamom
For the syrup
2 cups granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups water
2 tbsp rose water
Place sugar and water in a saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil and let simmer for 10 minutes until thick and syrupy. Stir in the rose water and set aside.
In a separate bowl, mix together icing sugar, cardamom, and your choice of nuts.
Take out your filo pastry and cut according to the size of your baking pan.
Before assembling the baklava, butter up the pan. Take one sheet of filo pastry and brush it with melted butter and gently lay it down on the pan. Continue until you have six buttered layers assembled. Spread half of the nut mixture as evenly as you can. Take another six sheets of filo pastry, brushed with butter, and lay them on top of the nuts. Sprinkle the remaining nuts and top once again with the final layers of six filo sheets. Cut the pastry into lozenges and pour what’s left of your butter on top.
Bake for 20 minutes at 325F. Increase the heat to 400F and bake again for 15 minutes until the baklava turns a pale golden colour and puffs up.
Remove from the oven and drizzle most of the syrup over the pastry, reserving the rest for serving after it has cooled down.
And there. Easy peasy, right? You can eat it as soon as it has cooled down, give them as gifts, or make it for a holiday potluck.
Happy Baking!
