Month: September 2010

Dinner

Nasi Goreng

First off, we want to say a big thank you to those who follow our lovely blog on Facebook and Twitter. We really appreciate all the comments and support! The comments inspired the next few recipes that we will be sharing on our blog. As the temperatures continue to cool down (well, unless you’re in Los Angeles), we asked our readers what their favourite meals are in the autumn season. The theme was easy to pick out – simple, warm and comforting.

Claudia and I thought her Nasi Goreng was the perfect mix of all those elements which our followers love in a recipe. Hearty wild rice, warm curry flavour, and buttery chicken. What more could you want on a cool autumn evening….besides a blanket that is.

(more…)

by | 5 Comments
Healthy, Soups, Ukrainian Dishes

Borsch

Well kids, you don’t get any more Ukrainian than this. Borsch – i.e. Beet soup. Whatever you want to call it, it doesn’t change the fact that it’s one of the most traditional and delicious recipes my Mother inherited from her own Mother (my Baba).

Claudia typically makes Borsch mid-to-end of summer when there is an abundance of beets in our garden in Saskatchewan, and on every holiday occasion (Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas). For a recipe that is relatively simple to make, there are so many variations around. I am pretty certain I’m biased, but this one is truly the best out there.

Growing up we always had meat in our Borsch – usually boiled chicken or pork. I don’t know about you, but I’ve never been a boiled meat kinda girl. So when I got old enough and decided it was time to throw a fuss, Claudia only served this vegetarian-style Borsch recipe to our family. Yes, I am a spoiled princess. But I’m still right – this rendition tops the meat varieties any day.

(more…)

by | 30 Comments
Desserts

Poppy Seed Chiffon Cake

Claudia is finally back from her 3-week vacation in the country. Just in time for her birthday. Last week, I posted my absolute favourite birthday cake that Claudia makes for me every year. With Claudia’s return and birthday looming, we figured it would be fitting to post HER favourite birthday cake.

Because I pride myself on being a good daughter, I asked Claudia upon her return from vacation last week what kind of cake she would like for her birthday. Not even a split second went by before she blurted out excitedly “Poppy Seed Chiffon Cake!”  Looks like Claudia prepared herself for this question and contemplated it quite heavily on the 5-hour drive back to the city!

Up until last week I had no idea what this cake was, let alone how to make it. So Claudia showed me her favourite recipe (a combination of two recipes – one consisting of a recipe card with ingredients written via typewriter and the other out of an old classic cookbook for the assembly and baking instructions). She wasn’t kidding around. A few days went by and I received a phone call from Claudia, insisting that she help me with her birthday cake. Yes folks, she wanted to make her own birthday cake.  Mother-daughter baking trust issues? Perhaps. Perfect opportunity for a blog post? Absolutely.

(more…)

by | 24 Comments