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Warm Soup for the cold weather

That’s it, winter is here! It is very cold outside and a thick layer of snow covers the ground. It’s time for a nice bowl of hot soup! I don’t know about you, but I like to know the origin of the food I cook. Where it’s coming from and how the recipe started. So, here is a little bit of history of the word minestrone. In the meaning of thick vegetable soup, it was attested in English from 1871. The word comes from the Italian word for “that which is served”, and cognitively similar to “administer” as in “administer a remedy”. This soup could often contain herbs, beans, bits of pasta, ect., and it is served with Parmesan cheese.

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White beans, Yankee beans, Boston beans, navy beans, lima beans, kidney beans, cannellini, and fazolia beans. Wow! So many different types of beans! Does it happen to you sometimes that you get to the store and, after looking at the huge selection of beans, you just pick one because it looks like the one you remember from the recipe picture? And then you are leaving the store wondering if you chose the right one? Used to happen to me all the time! Well, that was before I started using the Notes app on my iPhone 🙂

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The word “waffle”, as we know it today, first appeared in English language in a 1725 printing of Court Cookery, by Robert Smith (according to the Wikipedia article). Did you know that there are more than 10 different types of waffles? Well, let’s start with this recipe. It is based on the Belgian style of waffle, the most popular one here in North America.

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What do you get when you mix plums, spices, and oranges? Something heartwarming, satisfying and definitely delicious, that’s for sure. How do you make this plate of goodness? It’s for you to discover with this recipe. Treat yourself and your family with an awesome plum pie!

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Tonight is Raclette night. I love Raclette! Why? Because it is a cornerstone of a relaxing family dinner! You have to take your time to eat, wait for your cheese to melt before you can enjoy your next bite. Also, I like Raclette night because I can give it a theme! So tonight’s theme is Belgium … more or less 🙂 I was lucky to find fresh Brussels sprouts on a stalk in our local store today. Usually, they are packaged in a small box, and then they are often dry. When you buy them on a stalk, they have more juice, and I find they taste less bitter. So, with Brussels sprouts and some Belgian beer, our Raclette night got a new theme!

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Beets! I just love beets: in homemade juices, in soups, in salads and even as a food colorant to make the pink frosting on cupcakes. They are sweet, beautiful and very good for our health! This Russian beet salad recipe was given to me by my father-in-law, and I make this salad every week starting in late fall until the end of winter. That’s when the beets taste the best! Continue reading

Apple pie is one of the most popular dessert recipes out there. Known English recipes for it go as far back as to the times of Chaucer. Although apple pie variations were brought to the colonies from Europe, this originally European dessert became a recognizable American symbol. This recipe was the first one I tried many years ago, and it’s the one I use when I don’t have much time to cook. This easy apple pie is easy as pie! 🙂

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Cranberries are amazing little red fruits! They are great for your immune system, against heart disease, but mostly they are so delicious and versatile in a kitchen! You can pair them with your Sunday pork roast, with your Thanksgiving turkey, or use them on a cheesecake or on a simple piece of bread as a jam! This recipe is so simple, yet the choice of the ingredients makes it the Best Cranberry Jam you will ever eat!

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