I am having a serious love affair with chestnut flour. It is sweet and nutty and has a fine texture that makes it easy to work with. The one persnickity thing about chestnut flour is that it does not keep. It is produced in October and should be consumed in November or December. SO if…
Braised Red Cabbage with Fruit and Fennel Seed
Last summer a dear friend of my parent’s let me go through his recipe note-book. I have written about this family friend before because he has been a food hero of mine since my childhood. For a story about the time that Keith served me quiche on his boat when I was little click…
Creamed Parsnip and Apple Soup with Mushroom Dill Garnish
I am a lover of parsnips. They are sweet and have a lovely smooth texture when cooked. I just learned that they have similar nutritional value to potatoes but do not require very good soil. They are a humble, overlooked, industrious vegetable. This soothing, fortifying soup is simple to make and really captures the…
Bittersweet Side Dish- Broccoli Rabe and Roasted Yams
I have been a little distracted by the storms hitting New York City lately. However I wrote this post a while back and never got a round to publishing it. Enjoy! I crave bittersweetness…..dark chocolate, chinotto soda, Seville Orange Marmalade, Italian aperitif, very strong black tea with milk and sugar. It may all…
Gluten-Free Dark Sour Bread (Inspired by Estonian Leib)
My sister and I went to Estonia to last June to learn about the country where our grandparents grew up. Estonia has very delicious dark sourdough rye bread called Leib. Our grandmother used to make it, and although I have had other dark sourdough breads (Russian mostly) none of them ever tasted quite as…
Sourdough Buttermilk Gingerbread Pancakes (Gluten-Free)
Now that I have a gluten-fee sourdough starter I have to use it! These pancakes are easy and delicious. I don’t always make them gingerbread flavoured. If you leave out all the spices, dried fruit and all but 2 Tablespoons of the sugar you will have delicious plain sourdough buttermilk pancakes. I like to eat…
The Saga of my Gluten-Free Sourdough Starter
I decided to make a gluten-free starter this summer. I was compelled to do this because I was determined to make a gluten-free version of my the dark sourdough rye bread that my grandmother used to make (Leib in Estonian). More on that later. It took a couple of months and a bunch of trial…
Tuna-Dill Tomato Sauce
I’m really happy with this sauce. I have consumed immense quantities of tomato sauce in my life but it’s not something that I’ve ever gotten into making. That just means I have opinions about the subject and know what the good stuff looks like when I see it. Cockiness aside, this is a really flexible…
Quinoa Tabbouleh
I am very pleased with this dish. I like tabbouleh, but it is usually made with cous cous, which I cannot eat. Quinoa agrees with me very well and it is a very successful substitution. In addition to taking all kinds of seasonings very well, quinoa is really, really nutricious and probably the easiest grain…
Home-made cheap thrill sauce- Ajvar (or Ljutenica)
Ajvar (or Ljutenica) is one of my favourite store-bought condiments. It is a relish made from sweet red peppers, eggplant and tomatoes. Some brands are spicy and some are not. It is a beautiful bright orange-red color. It makes simple, cheap food taste thrillingly gourmet and it is astonishingly inexpensive, which is why I always refer…
Big Sis Little Dish 