Before I get to these week’s edition of Magazine Mondays, I have some big news about MM for the next few weeks.

I’m going on vacation soon and while I’m gone, MM will be hosted by three long-time contributors: Tia of Buttercream Barbie, Tina of Life in the Slow Lane at Squirrel Head Manor and Janie of Panini Girl.

In the past, the lovely Wandering Coyote of ReTorte has hosted for me when I’ve been away. I decided this time, though, it was time to send MM on the road. Here’s how the schedule will work:

Tia will host on Monday August 23rd (e-mail entries to starrysugar{@}hotmail{dot}com).

Tina will host on Monday August 30th (e-mail entries to hexandkobe{@}yahoo{dot}com).

Janie will host on September 6th (e-mail entries to jtray4{@}mac{dot}com).

If you have an MM entry for any of those weeks, e-mail it to the appropriate hostess and she’ll include you in the round-up.

I’ll be back for Magazine Mondays on October 13th.

As for this week, I must tell you that if you have not picked up the latest issue of Saveur, you simply must do so! The magazine features the cuisine of Greece and there are some incredible recipes including this delicious recipe for Peppers Stuffed with Feta (Piperies Gemistes me Feta).

I cannot tell you how delicious this recipe was! It was a huge hit with everyone and very easy to make. The salty/creamy filling was the perfect foil for the roasted peppers. My mouth is watering just thinking of them. That’s my MM entry for the week.

Here’s who joined me in this week’s edition:

Joanna of Go Ahead and Snicker made Sweet and Sour Pickles from the August 2010 issue of Southern Living.

Melissa of It’s the Way She … made Chocolate Icebox Cake from the August 2010 issue of Real Simple.

Wandering Coyote of ReTorte made Pasta with Shrimp and Cilantro-Lime Pesto from the July 2010 issue of Bon Appétit.

Ranjani of Four Seasons of Food made Green Beans with Mustard Crema from the August 2010 issue of Cooking Light.

Jan from Kitchen Heals Souls made Mussels with Ditalini from Delicious, Volume 7, Issue 5.

Carla of RecipeAddict made Chicken Pot Pie with Chanterelles from the September 2009 issue of Bon Appétit.

Have a great week, everyone!

Ciao!

I picked up a copy of a special publicaton by Vegetarian Times called the Farmer’s Market Cookbook featuring some of the magazine’s best summer recipes. I immediately bookmarked the recipe for Oregano and Asiago Focaccia, which originally appeared in the April 2008 edition of the magazine. This is probably the easiest focaccia you will ever make. It’s delicious and fast and it will go very quickly. Trust me.

Word to the wise: use finely grate the Asiago. I used coarsely grated cheese and it didn’t quite all melt into the focaccia (not that anyone is complaining, mind you) but if you want your cheese fully incorporated, use finely grated.

As always, this is my entry for Magazine Mondays. That’s the “non-event” I started as a way of forcing myself to use those clipped magazine recipes that were piling up everywhere. I can’t believe it but in October, MM will be three years old! Wow!

Anyway, if you post a magazine recipe (doesn’t have to be posted on a Monday), just send me the link and I’ll include it in my next round-up. Details about Magazine Mondays are all here.

Here’s who’s joining me for this week’s edition:

Melissa of It’s the Way She… made Goat Cheese and Roasted Corn Quesadilla from the March 2009 issue of Cooking Light.

Andrea of New Holistic Guide made a Garden Tomato and Goat Cheese Dip from Viva.

Recipe Sleuth from Eye for a Recipe made Creamy-Cilantro Lime Slaw from the July 2010 issue of Bon Appétit; Pasta Salad with Cherry Tomatoes and Green Olivada from the July 2010 issue of Bon Appétit and Tender Zucchini Fritters with Green Goddess Dressing from the August 2010 issue of Bon Appétit.

Tina of Life in the Slow Lane at Squirrel Head Manor made Buttermilk Pecan Chicken Cutlets from the June 2010 issue of Cooking Light.

Janie of Panini Girl made Mostarda di Pomodori from the August 2010 issue of La Cucina Italiana.

Have a great week, everyone!

Ciao!

Growing up, chickpeas were a big part of our diet. While my mom would often make dishes with dried chickpeas that had been soaked overnight and reconstituted, she would just as often open up a can of chickpeas and use them in salads and soups, in particular.

I was going through a pile of magazine clippings recently and I come across a recipe for Spicy Toasted Garbanzo Beans and Pistachios from the February 2003 issue of Bon Appétit.

I’m always looking for quick and delicious appetizer recipes to serve with drinks whenever we have get-togethers. I find these types of recipes better for the type of entertaining we do because they offer a quick nibble and people are less likely to fill up on a dish like this as opposed to a more substantial appetizer.

These roasted chickpeas (garbanzo beans are chickpeas) and pistachios are so addictive that I often have to double or triple the recipe. And they’re fast and easy to make, to boot.

This is my entry for this week’s Magazine Mondays. Hope you give them a try!

Here’s who’s joined me for this edition of MM:

Wandering Coyote of ReTorte made Roasted Lemon Cake from Taste magazine. Awhile ago, she also made Everyday Granola from the June 2010 issue of Bon Appétit.

Claire of Chez Cayenne made Lemon Pulihora from the April 2006 issue of Vegetarian Times.

Brenda of Brenda’s Canadian Kitchen made Triple Cheese Spirals from the April 2010 issue of Food Network magazine.

The prolific recipe sleuth made the following recipes from magazines: Spicy Grilled Shrimp from the June 2010 issue of Martha Stewart Living; Grilled Buttermilk Chicken from the June 2010 issue of Martha Stewart Living; Grilled Pork Tenderloin and Garlicky Potato Salad from June/July 2010 issue of Cook’s Country; Spiced Strawberry Shortcake from the Summer 2010 issue of Homemakers; Roasted Red Pepper Bocconcini Pops from Holiday 2006 issue of Food & Drink; Quinoa, Garbanzo and Spinach Salad with Smoked Paprika Dressing from the July 2010 issue of Bon Appétit; and Linguine with Shrimp and Cilantro-Lime Pesto from the July 2010 issue of Bon Appétit.

Carla of Recipeaddict made Pork Chips with Tarragon Sauce and Cornichons from the November 2008 issue of Bon Appétit.

Remember that anyone can take part in Magazine Mondays. If you post a recipe from a magazine, just send me the link and I’ll include it in my next round-up.

Have a great week everyone!

Ciao!

Cherries.

How I love thee, let me count the ways!

Of all the stone fruits, cherries are my absolute favourite. One of my dreams is to have a house with a beautiful cherry tree (or two) in the backyard.

Growing up, we had a beautiful cherry tree but eventually my father had to take it down. That was such a sad day.

Every summer, no matter the cost, I make sure to get my fill of cherries.

While in Paris, I had a lovely dessert of cherries fried in butter and topped with ice cream. Since returning from my trip, I’ve been thinking a lot about french desserts and as luck would have it, the most recent issue of Fine Cooking has a feature on cherries.

Lo and behold, there is a recipe for Cherry-Almond Clafoutis.

I haven’t had much success in the past with clafoutis, but this recipe has erased past failures. It was heaven. One word of advice: serve it warm from the oven. While the flavour is still good the next day, the texture isn’t as lovely as when you first take the clafoutis out of the oven.

This is the first edition of Magazine Mondays for quite awhile so I have a lot of participants this week:

Tina of Life in the Slow Lane at Squirrel Head Manor made Squash Casserole from the May 2010 issue of Southern Living. Earlier Tina made Crockpot BBQ Ribs from the June 2009 issue of Family Circle.

Tamy of Always Eat on the Good China made Cream Cheese Peppermint Cookies.

Tia of Buttercream Barbie made Strawberry Cake from a June 2005 issue of Martha Stewart Living. Earlier, Tia made an Oatmeal Apple Cookie Cake from the August/September 2006 issue of Taste of Home.

Janet of The Taste Space made Blueberry Rhubarb Cranberry Crisp with Pistachio Crust from the June 1999 issue of Gourmet. Earlier, she made a Miso Glazed Black Cod from the July 2008 issue of Food & Wine.

Carla of RecipeAddict made Vietnamese Beef-Noodle Soup from the April 2010 issue of Cooking Light.

Brenda of Brenda’s Canadian Kitchen made Herbed Flatbread from the June 2010 issue of Martha Stewart Living.

Recipe Sleuth from Eye for a Recipe made Grilled Asian Chicken and Vegetables with Ginger Cilantro Rice from the June 2010 issue of Bon Appétit, Jerk Pork Tenderloin with Pineapple Salsa from the June 2010 issue of Food & Wine, and Wine Stuffed Chicken Breasts with Rosemary-Orange Dressing from the June 2010 issue of Bon Appétit.

Jamie of Life’s a Feast made a Zucchini Ricotta Feta Tart from the June 2010 issue of Saveurs.

For those of you that are interested in participating in Magazine Mondays, just send me a link to a magazine recipe you’ve tried and I’ll include it in my next round-up.

Have a great week, everyone!

Ciao!

For the Almond-Cherry Clafoutis recipe, click here.

Happy Victoria Day to all my fellow Canadians!

Even though the first day of summer is still roughly a month away, for me, Victoria Day has always been the unofficial beginning of summer.

Barbecue season is underway, my strawberry plants are on the verge of yielding some sweet berries and I can now officially wear white pants without incurring the ire of the fashion police!

While we use the barbecue virtually year round at our house, for many Canadians Victoria Day is the first opportunity of the year to have a big barbecue.

If there’s one thing that I love at a barbecue, it’s potato salad. Much like pancakes, I’ve probably tried a thousand recipes for potato salad. And I believe I’ve loved every one!

For our Victoria Day celebration, I tried a recipe from the July 2005 issue of Canadian Living: Warm Potato Salad. The only change I made was to omit the green bell pepper, which never sits well with me for some reason.

It was a lovely salad and a perfect accompaniment to our meal.

This is my entry for this week’s Magazine Mondays. And here are some other entries to intrigue you:

Tina of Life in the Slow Lane at Squirrel Head Manor made Cherry Tomato and Prosciutto Focaccia.

Wandering Coyote from ReTorte made Chocolate-Orange Brownies from the March 2010 issue of Bon Appétit.

Brenda from Brenda’s Canadian Kitchen made New York-Style Crumb Cake.

Recipe Sleuth of Eye for a Recipe made Harissa Chicken with Green Chile and Tomato Salad from the June 2010 issue of Food & Wine.

Carla from RecipeAddict made Braised Chicken Stew (Pollo Guisado) from the April 2010 issue of Everyday with Rachel Ray and Risotto with Spring Greens from the June 2009 issue of Oprah magazine.

Valerie of Sex, Food, and Rock & Roll made Moroccan Chicken with Green Olives and Lemons from the May 2009 issue of Bon Appétit.

I wanted to end off by sharing a delicious treat made by a family member. I have lots of little cousins and they’re all sweet but my “little” cousin J (she’s 21), made this delicious cheesecake for our family barbecue. So you can see the baking gene runs in the family. So sweet!

There won’t be a Magazine Mondays next week (May 31st) so we’ll see you in a few weeks.

Have a great week, everyone!

Ciao!

Hot on the heels of my delicious baked rhubarb, I bring you Rhubarb Tartlets from Issue 9 of Jamie Oliver’s magazine.

I am a huge fan of tartlets. This is mainly due to the fact that I can pretend that I am eating a pie all by myself (a dream of mine) and I don’t have to share it with anyone.

What can I say? I can be a selfish Cream Puff when it comes to the matter of sweets.

While these took a bit of work to make the pastry shells and the custard, they were completely worth it. I overcooked my rhubarb ever so slightly but in the end it was all so delicious.

This is my entry for this week’s Magazine Mondays, the non-event I created to give everyone the opportunity to at least tempt to tame the pile of clipped magazine recipes I know we all have.

Before I get to the list of participants for this edition of MM, I want to introduce you to a lovely new blog recently started by a kindred spirit. It’s called Eye For a Recipe. I’m happy to say that Sleuth is participating in her first Magazine Mondays with a submission from the April 2010 issue of Food & Wine: Chicken Sukiyaki!

Here are all the other lovely entries for this week’s edition of Magazine Mondays:

Tina of Life in the Slow Lane at Squirrel Head Manor made Mini Baked Potatoes.

Lynn of I’ll Have What She’s Having made Mini Tomato Chèvre Tarts from the April 2010 issue of Chatelaine.

Dawn of Doable and Delicious made Cauliflower Souffle with Brown Butter from the May 2008 issue of Gourmet and Barley Salad from Cooking Light magazine.

Wandering Coyote of ReTorte made Curried Pork Burgers from Canadian Living.

Remember, anyone can take part in MM. Just send me a link to a magazine recipe that you posted. Have a great week, everyone!

Ciao!

Click here for the Rhubarb Tartlet recipe from Issue 9 of Jamie magazine.

Or lack therof …

I had to smile when I read a post on Smitten Kitchen about how some bloggers in parts-not-here are enjoying all sorts of beautiful and fresh spring delights from the garden. I feel her pain. While here in Toronto we are still dealing with cold and windy weather, it’s hard not to be jealous when you know that some people in the world are already eating the first strawberries of spring.

Not fair!

While my strawberry plants are at least a month away from bearing any fruit, I thought I had resolved to grin and bear it. I’m a big girl. How hard can it be to wait until spring fully arrives and all of Ontario’s wonderful produce with it?

Alright. I caved.

It’s not my fault, though. I blame it all on the February 2010 issue of Woman & Home Feel Good Food. I don’t think I’ve ever made a recipe from this delightful magazine for a Magazine Mondays edition, but that’s entirely may fault. What a pretty magazine! I encourage you to pick up a copy if you can.

While I was flipping through the issue, I saw a recipe for Mozzarella and Tomato Brioche that looked so appetizing, I decided that I would make it immediately even though I’m months away from my first fresh garden tomato. I threw together some cherry tomatoes, green onion, chopped olives, thyme, basil, fresh mozzarella, olive oil and salt. I let the whole mixture marinate for a bit and then I fairly plunked it on some warm ciabatta bread.

I sat down at the table and inhaled it. While I’m sure I did not make for a pretty sight, it appeased (momentarily anyway), my craving for fresh food from the garden.

So for now, I’m okay. But I have to tell you, summer can’t get here soon enough!

As you know, Magazine Mondays is my “non-event” that gives all of us a chance to finally try those magazine recipes we’ve been clipping religiously.

Look who joined me this week in digging into that magazine pile:

Tia from Buttercream Barbie made an Apricot Braid from Taste of Home.

Jamie from Life’s a Feast made Quinoa Risotto with Asparagus and Parmesan Tuiles from the May 2010 issue of Saveurs. Jamie also made a Strawberry Shortcake from a 1989 issue of Chocolatier.

Janet from The Taste Space made Moroccan Carrot Soup from the April 2010 issue of Bon Appétit.

Diana from Di’s Kitchen Notebook made the Ultimate Chocolate Cupcakes from Cook’s Illustrated.

Lynn from I’ll Have What She’s Having made Spicy Chickpea Tomato Soup from the Novemer 2007 issue of Martha Stewart Living.

Tina Marie from Life in the Slow Lane at Squirrel Head Manor made Indoor Pulled Pork from Cook’s Illustrated and Feta Chicken Bundles from the December 2009 issue of Family Circle.

Jannett of Canadian Baker Too made Summer Berry Shortcakes from the Summer 2009 LCBO magazine.

Have a great week, everyone!

Ciao!

Every since my trip to New York City in January, I’ve been on the losing end of the weight gain battle. Just as fast as you can say City Bakery’s pretzel croissant I’m suddenly about 10 pounds heavier.

Eeek!

I’m as vain as the next cream puff and with bathing suit season on the horizon, it’s time to right the ship.

Generally speaking, I try to eat a very balanced diet. I eat everything, I just try to make sure that I eat in moderation and that I get lots of fruit and vegetables. This has served me well in recent years as I’ve turned the corner on weight gain and slowly found myself looking more and more the way I want to look and feeling the way I want to feel.

Having said that, lately I haven’t been eating the greatest of lunches. I’m either grabbing whatever is available (usually not something good) or even worse, skipping lunch.

My favourite sort of lunch has a little bit of everything: some dairy, some carbs, some protein and some vegetables and the vegetables are almost always salad in some form.

But I have to be honest, as much as I like my lettuce it does get a bit boring after awhile. I decided it was time to try some of the kabillion salad recipes I’ve had bookmarked from various magazines. I finally got around to trying this salad recipe from the April/May 2006 issue of Body + Soul magazine.

I had to make a few changes to the recipe, the biggest being no strawberries. We’re at least a few months away from strawberry season here in Ontario and I don’t care how beautiful they look, those monster strawberries you see in the grocery store have absolutely zero flavour. What’s the point?!

Instead of frisee, which isn’t always available, I used arugula, red-leaf lettuce and Belgian endive. I loved this salad! It was refreshing and the walnuts and goat cheese gave the salad a nutty, creamy angle that was so flavourful. I cannot wait to try this salad again, especially when strawberries are in season.

For those of you that don’t know about Magazine Mondays, it’s the non-event I created to give all those of us with stacks of food magazines everywhere the chance to finally try some of those recipes we’ve bookmarked! There are no rules for this event and the only requirement is that you send me the link to a magazine recipe you’ve posted on your blog. I’ll include it in my next Magazine Mondays‘ roundup.

Here’s who has joined me this week:

A regular contributor, Janie of Panini Girl made a Berry Tiramisu with Lemon Curd from the June 2009 issue of Bon Appétit.

Margaret of Tea and Scones made Peanut Butter Cupcakes from Taste of Home She also made Pasta with Chicken and Squash using another recipe from Taste of Home.

Another regular contributer, Tia of Buttercream Barbie made a Quick Raspberry Cream Cheese Brioche Ring from the Sept./Oct. 1995 issue of Cook’s Illustrated.

Tamy of Always Eat on the Good China made Banana Raisin French Toast.

Erica from the beautiful blog Cooking for Season made Green Tea Shortbread Cookies from the December 2001 issue of Martha Stewart’s Holiday Cookies.

Nova of Raining Potatotes made Poblano, Potato, and Corn Gratin from the April 2010 issue of Bon Appétit.

Dawn from Doable and Delicious made Asparagus Ravioli in Parmesan Broth from the April 2008 issue of Gourmet.

Debbie from Cafe Chibita made Linguine with Seafood Sauce from the March 2010 issue of Food Network magazine.

Needful Things from the blog Needful made Dark Chocolate Dipped Apples from a lost magazine recipe (I feel your pain!).

My buddy Wandering Coyote from ReTorte returns with Chocolate Peanut Butter Pudding Cake from the January 2009 issue of Canadian Living and Marmalade Cake from Food Network magazine.

Tina from Life in the Slow Lane at Squirrel Head Manor made BBQ Shrimp from Southern Living magazine.

Have a wonderful week, everyone!

Ciao!

As March draws to an end I find myself slowly emerging from the last two months. I can very clearly recall the beginning of January, but everthing between that first week of 2010 to now is a blur.

Work. Work. Work.

It’s been challenging, fun, stressful, difficult, exciting and so very busy. As always, I feel so happy and relieved at this time of year (biggest work project of the year is done), but I also feel tired and a bit drained.

As much as I enjoy winter, I was so very happy to answer the door when Spring rang the bell.

Bring on the warm weather, the flowers, the open-toed shoes and of course, the return to baking and cooking for me.

Prior to this weekend, I had not baked in over a month.

Ridiculous!

As I contemplated another Monday with no post, I remembered that I had one Magazine Mondays recipe in the bank: Classic White Bread from the February 2010 issue of Martha Stewart Living.

While I have certainly had my issues with some Martha Stewart recipes in the past, this one was a winner from start to finish. And best of all I had the pleasureable experience of kneading bread dough.

This is a sturdy, delicious bread that can be used for numerous purposes. My own favourite was to smother it with salted butter and cherry jam.

It’s been awhile since my last Magazine Mondays post so this is just a little reminder that if you post a magazine recipe, send me the link and I’ll include it in my next MM round-up. Here’s who joined me for this edition:

Tia of Buttercream Barbie made Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies from Bon Appétit and Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars from a 2001 Issue of Martha Stewart Holiday Cookies and she also made Blueberry Peach Yogurt Muffins from Canadian Living.

Tamy of Always Eat on the Good China made Blend in the Bayou from Taste of Home.

Dawn of Doable and Delicious made Herbed Balsamic Chicken with Blue Cheese from Bon Appétit.

Janie of Panini Girl made Hazelnut Cinnmaon Crescents from Bon Appétit.

Have a wonderful week, everyone!

Ciao!

My goodness I don’t even know how long it’s been since I’ve updated my blog! Two weeks? A year? I no longer remember.

I’ve been a busy bee thanks to a work project and some other events. However, I could no longer bear to hear my blog weeping in the corner as the days of neglect stretched into weeks. I’m back for a very quick Magazine Mondays post that perfectly captures my eating habits of late: lots of fat, lots of carbs and almost no fruits or vegetables (long workdays and even longer work nights do not make for healthy eating …).

Having said that, if I have to indulge once and awhile, I’m happy to do so with these ridiculously good chicken wings. I made them for a family dinner we had that happened to fall on Super Bowl Sunday. While lugging out the deep fryer wasn’t exactly the most enjoyable exercise (nor was cleaning it afterwards although the credit for that goes to Mamma Cream Puff), I have to say these were ridiculously good and worth every calorie and gram of fat.

Just try them. They’re worth it.

Here are some folks who have joined me in the ongoing and epic battle to control that stack of food magazines we all have:

Dawn of Doable and Delicious made Turkish Coffee Pudding from Bon Appétit and Gnocchi with Tomato, Onion and Pancetta from Gourmet.

Tina of Life in the Slow Lane at Squirrel Head Manor made Creamy Parmesan Polenta from Cook’s Illustrated.

Margaret of Tea and Scones made Crawfish and Chicken Étouffée from the Food Network magazine.

The Food Hunter made Veal Stew with Vegetables from La Cucina Italiana.

Wizzy of Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner & Punch made Cornmeal Rosemary Cake with Pine Nuts and Orange Glaze from The Best of Fine Cooking (Fall 2007).

Have a great week everyone!

Ciao!

This recipe is from Sunny Anderson of The Food Network. I saw a program where she prepared chicken wings three separate ways. I made the wings with the Spicy Butter Sauce. Delicious!