Comfort food with a Russian accent spells Borscht for me. This humble, yet hearty soup feels like a warm hug on a chilly night. It calls for filling a big pot with delicious vegetables including cabbage, beets, carrots, potatoes and tomatoes. It can be made with meat, preferably a fatty cut of meat, like short […]

Sweet Cheese Crêpes (Halawat el Jibn)
Halawat el Jibn is the canoli of the Middle East. Its name translates to The Sweetness of Cheese. Delicately sweet, fragrant with orange blossom and rose water, this dessert will make you the talk of the town. Mom and I tested out some ideas and had a blast putting together an easy recipe, done in […]

Sundried Tomato Harissa
The northern tip of Africa is home to Egypt, Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco. Culturally, this region is more Middle Eastern than African. This Moorish influence has spread far and wide, eas vident in intricate architectural details and the use of spices in European kitchens. One such wonder is Harissa, a sweet, sometimes spicy red pepper […]

Classic Tres Leches Cake
For years, I’ve been baffled why people go nuts over Tres Leches Cake, because the first time I tried it, I concluded it was nothing but an overly sweet, sloppy mess. Forgive me. I was so wrong. Then, my little sweetheart asked me to bake one for her and there was no way I could […]
Yummy Cocktails

The Cocktail Hour: Dragon’s Kiss
Dragon's Kiss Cocktail came about one Friday night when I stopped by the grocery store on my way home from work. Brain-dead and ready for the long weekend, my stomach was grumbling like a caged beast. What usually happens in situations like this one is that I push the shopping cart up and down every ...
Did you say Chocolate?!

Coffee Bean Cookies
Back in the 1970's, ladies would take turns ...

Brownie Cookies
I missed my nephew's birthday this year, but he's ...

Jacques Torres’ Chocolate Chip Cookies
There are certain people who are disappointed with ...






