A cocotte is a small round or oval dish in which food is cooked and served - a ramekin or individual casserole. It may be made of fireproof china, tempered glass, earthenware, porcelain, cast iron, copper, or stainless steel. The food cooked and served in such dishes is usually called "en cocotte".
Eggs en Cocotte with Mushrooms & Green Peas
Blackened Shad Roe & Sautéed in Butter
Shad was known as elft, the eleven fish, to the early Dutch settlers. It was on the 11th day of March each year that the first shad were caught and cooked on a plank, a method the settlers learned from the Indians. Shad were so abundant in colonial days that it became quite fashionable among some of the well-to-do. Many of them ate shad on the sly, fearing others would think them unable to afford more expensive food.
Are You Ready for Spring? #OXOSpringCleaning
Spring is finally around the corner after the endless cold days and this means new start and new beginning. Everything slowly starts to wake up as sun warms up the ground. I love first sunny days, I open my windows to let fresh air to come into our bedrooms. Once you can see first flowers under the trees you know Easter is coming soon. Along with cooking special foods during such time, I like to give my house a spark and start my spring cleaning. I do laundry almost every day - all winter jackets, scarves and sweaters need a good wash. Winter boots are going into their boxes until next cold season. When all of this is in order, I start freshening up room by room. I buy many flowers and herbs in early spring, something unique for every room. Tulips usually go on my dining table, lilies of the valley – to bedrooms. Fresh mint on a countertop brings lovely aroma in a kitchen. Don't you just love new beginning?
Russian Monday: "Romovay Baba" - Rum Baba
When I was a child we were allowed to go by ourselves to the local food store for simple shopping such as getting bread or milk. Very often in my early age I had basic grocery shopping as a chore. Our nearby bakery was nothing special. They stocked few varieties of breads, some breakfast pastries as well as few cakes were always available, but that was all. But sometimes, if you were lucky to come to the store at the right time, you could find number of sweet treats behind glass display. One of such treats was rum baba, soaked in sweet syrup, rum and covered with white sugar icing.
Strawberry Scones with Blood Orange Icing
Scones resemble biscuits, and indeed might be considered their British cousins. They are common-place on the tea table but being inherently rebellious, people from other countries find them inviting on the breakfast table as well. Scones are simple to put together. They are generally heavier than biscuits, and often are studded with fresh and dried fruits, ginger or made from nutritious oats. A hot scone eaten as the British do, with a dollop of crème fraîche or Devonshire cream and some chunky berry preserves, is a taste treat not to be missed on either side of the Atlantic.
Kale, Avocado, Flaxseed Oil Pesto (Dairy free, Vegan, Gluten free)
My kale pesto made with an avocado and flaxseed oil. It took me only 5 minutes to prepare this tasty sauce. If you don't have pine nuts, you may use walnuts. Also, feel free to substitute olive oil for the flaxseed oil. This pesto recipe is vegan, dairy free and gluten free.
6 Recipes for St.Patrick's Day to Try
I have a small collection of Irish recipes for all occasions - a hearty family supper, a traditional St.Patrick's Day party, or a special celebration. I hope you'll find your favorite!
Homemade Hummus Made with Dried Chickpeas
This dish already is thousands of years old. When I traveled through Middle East I have tried hummus from street food carts and in fancy restaurants. Each hummus master would tell you a story of his unique recipe passed from generation to generation, but he would not reveal the recipe to anyone, of course.
Russian Monday: Family Dinner - Cornish Hens Under a Brick, Roasted Potato & Cucumber Salad
March can be a very tricky month. One day the sun is shining and birds are singing, but the next day you wake up and find a pile of snow from overnight snowstorm on your doorstep. That is what happened to us a couple of days ago. School was cancelled, train service was suspended and life came to a complete standstill.
Homemade Pita Bread
Pita Bread also known as pocket bread and made with white or whole wheat flour. Pita can be cut into wedges and served with meals or appetizers, especially dips, or is halved crosswise, and the resulting pockets may be filled with various vegetables, salads to make a sandwich. We love to serve it with traditional hummus, fresh herbs and cucumbers. Pitas are pretty amazing just warm from the oven with a drizzle of your favorite oil.
Brown Soda Bread with Buckwheat Flour & Molasses
Soda bread has long been a staple in Ireland. It is a bread made without yeast, because baking soda mixed with buttermilk is used as a leavening agent. A cross is cut into the top of the bread to help it rise and, according to Irish folklore, to either ward off evil or let the fairies out.
