A Recipe for Pine Nut Crepes with Date Syrup, Figs, Toasted Pine Nuts and Rosemary. Originating in Brittany, France crepes have been consumed since the 13th century! Historians believe that crepes made their debut after the Crusaders introduced buckwheat flour to France. Sweet crepes are typically made with a wheat flour, while savory crepes contain…
A Recipe for Dill, Mint, Pistachio Pesto served over a medley of spring vegetables; raw fennel, roasted cauliflower, baby beets, and asparagus topped with pea shoot tendrils. I love making pesto because it is so versatile. Pesto can be made with any herb, nut, or green leafy thing you can think of. The variations don’t…
One-Bowl Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars with a little bit of everything and limitless possibilities! A Bit of History: There is something about the smell of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies that is so comforting. Whenever I would drive home from college, my mom would always have a batch waiting. It was a good thing…
A Hot Mess… A Bit of History: In Italian, the word puttana literally means whore. The origins of puttanesca sauce are debatable. Historians cannot quite agree if the sauce had its spicy beginnings in the Spanish brothels (due to its name) or accidentally invented one night at Ischia restaurant in the 1950s. Either way, I…
A Recipe for Hot Honey Roasted Parsnips with a Creamy Garlic Horseradish Dip. It’s getting to the end of winter root vegetable season in South Carolina, and I have been racking my brain for creative ways to prepare and serve them! I stumbled across a bottle of Red Clay Barrel Aged Hot Habanero Honey in…
A Recipe for Fava Bean Soup with Garlic, Leeks, Fennel, Carrots, and Fresh Rosemary A SICILIAN CELEBRATION OF SPRING VEGETABLES Many Sicilians believe that fava beans bring good luck and therefore it is prudent to carry one in your wallet or pocket and to always have a few in the pantry. During the Middle Ages,…
Did you know that basil is considered one of the seven lucky plants for 2021 according to Feng Shui? I wondered if combining a lucky plant like basil, with the leaves of the lucky fava bean if you could double your luck…. A Recipe for Fava Greens Pesto served over couscous with carrots, spring peas,…
A Recipe for a Spicy Fig Reduction served over Fregola, Crispy Cauliflower, Shiitake, Mizuna, and topped with roasted hazelnuts. Figs. Scientists and historians have found evidence of fig cultivation dating back over 11,000 years ago in Jericho on the West Bank. Figs are really a fascinating fruit with a long and significant history! Since figs…
A Recipe for Roasted Grapes, Mint, Basil, Spring Onions, & Serrano Pepper served over Crispy Crostini I was in the mood for bruschetta this evening. Sadly, one of the key components for bruschetta are fresh tomatoes and it is just not tomato season yet. However, I did have some beautiful, fresh grapes on the counter…
Bandits Bounty… A Bit of History: Throughout history, spices have been valued for cooking, medicinal uses, and religious ceremonies. The word spice has Latin origins, meaning an item of special value. Since many spices only grew in certain regions, their rarity further increased value. People have been trading spices since 2000 BC! (Read more here…