The Hungry Squid

I haven't written in a while, but it isn't for a lack of wanting, or a lack of will. Rather, it's for an excess of Wallander. Wally is the Portuguese Water Dog puppy that recently became part of our household. He is a lot of things: fluffy, loving, soft, energetic, stubborn, gentle, smart, wily. He is the sweetest thing, and despite the incredible amount of attention he requires, he is the light of our lives. Dog ownership caused us to put experimenting with food on the back burner (...) but now that he has settled into a routine (and is calming down a bit), we've started to put more time into our neglected hobbies. Looking for a new recipe to try one night, I came across a beautiful cookbook by Naomi Duguid entitled Burma: Rivers of Flavor . My mother gave it to me a couple of years ago but for some reason I had never taken a stab at any of the recipes. As a book, Burma  impossibly lush, full of photographs and descriptions of the intriguing...

This year, the Easter bunny visited our little seaside apartment with a special gift in tow: my sister from a different mister, all the way from Toronto! It was wonderful to be reunited with one of my best friends. Though we don't see each other very often, when we do, it's as though not a day has gone by. Oh, the trouble that five of us girls got up to living on Chatham Street... it's a wonder that we all turned out to be so respectable. M, A and I had an action packed few days, visiting towns and sites around southern Nova Scotia and taking in the splendour   - and chilliness - of Peggy's Cove. We also ate our weight in seafood, which equals a week of detox. So worth it. Devout worshippers of the baked good, A and I also dove headfirst into the Rebar cookbook to find a delectable recipe that befitted our epic reunion. We settled on these cupcakes, drawn in by the vibrant zests and merry bursts of poppy seed. The golden beauties are a truly sin...

A sweet treat is a beautiful thing. A post-dinner nibble, an after-hours indulgence, a mid-afternoon pick-me-up; there is never a bad time to give in to a sweet bite or two. Or 6 (*ahemM*). M's been on call a lot, doing his M thing, and so I've had some free time for quiet contemplation, reading intellectually stimulating non-fiction, learning a language or two   cooking, watching 'Supernatural', and reading a gripping detective mystery by the swedish Henning Mankell. Oh Kurt Wallander, you old dog. These sesame cookies - snaps, really - were born on Sunday evening, after a walk down to the waterfront to take some pictures and watch the seagulls languidly circling the lighthouse on Georges Island. The snaps are delightful, and delightfully easy to make, which makes them a dangerous addition to this squid's repertoire. Chewy, caramelly, nutty and crunchy all at once - these cookies hit all of the high notes, and how! I recommend them with some...

A loaf of banana bread is a beautiful thing. Especially when laden with toasty bits of pecan. And even more so when the whole package is healthy. In our quest to eat cleaner (ignore the last post), M and I have been on the hunt for healthier baking recipes, because baked goods are ubiquitous in this busy Atlantic household.  Healthy recipes that are actually delicious are surprisingly hard to come by. This particular one makes use of two of our staples du jour , quinoa and Greek yogurt, which together cut the amount of fat and flour used in traditional banana bread, and make us feel a little bit better about ourselves.   The loaf is pleasantly crispy on the outside, and soft, spicy, and a tiny bit dense on the inside, a lovely combination best enjoyed with a hot coffee. Or before consuming a package of Mini Eggs. Quinoa pecan banana bread Adapted from here Ingredients - 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour - 1/2 cups sugar - 1 ...