A Festive Apricot Orange Almond Bread ...

A Festive Apricot Orange Almond Bread ..., a photo by ©EpicureanPiranha on Flickr.

...this is what I baked for my Mom on Mother's Day. Perfect for special days, for brunch, or afternoon tea ♥

Freshly published on my gourmet blog/webzine: Festive Apricot Orange Almond Bread ♥

Deliciousness !, a photo by ©EpicureanPiranha on Flickr.

A Springtime Frittata & Citrus Salad

The lovely month of May, when springtime has finally begun to settle in. Birds are singing, flowers are sprouting, and there’s a lightness in the air  ♥  I was in the mood for something as fresh and light as spring, which has taken so long to arrive!

Serve the frittata, cut in wedges, with the fresh citrus salad or a green salad if you prefer.

I had a nice selection of green vegetables and fresh herbs on hand, and some small, cooked new potatoes left over from dinner the night before. These ingredients, and a large box of pretty, juicy, and very sweet Jaffa Clementines I’d purchase two days ago, inspired my springtime brunch!



This simple Clementine salad is pretty and so fresh!

This would be perfect as part of A Mother's Day Brunch :-)

Freshly published on my Gourmet Webzine, EpicureanPiranha ~ enjoying life in tasty bites!™, where you'll find the illustrated, step-by-step recipe, along with serving suggestions.

Thank you for your Foodie Love and continued support, dear friends ~ have a delicious day ♥

Morrocan Chicken with Chickpeas, Almonds, & Currants

Morrocan Chicken with Chickpeas, Almonds, & Currants, a photo by ©EpicureanPiranha on Flickr.

This is a lovely Morrocan dish, but unlike the original, it is much lower in fat because the chicken is skinned. The recipe is from a Time Life series of French cookbooks I bought years ago on healthier eating, and sadly lacked flavour. So I adjusted the spices and seasonings, and the resulting flavour was perfect! Subtle, delicious ...perfect with a chilled, dry rosé or white wine, or a cold Boréale Blanche white beer "on lie" from one of Quebec's excellent micro breweries!

Chakchouka with Mediterranean Influences

Chakchouka with Mediterranean Influences, a photo by ©EpicureanPiranha on Flickr.

Sunday was gorgeous and sunny, and it prompted me to prepare a brunch inspired by the colourful cuisines of Tunisia and the Mediterranean!

Chakchouka (or shakshouka), is a sort of vegetable stew popular throughout northern Africa, Israel, the Middle East, and the Mediterranean, where it’s known as ratatouille (although ratatouille includes several other vegetables, the cooking technique is the same). The dish I made was similar to Tunisian chakchouka, the main difference being in the spices I used: chilli, bay leaf and lots of chopped flat-leaf parsley.

My chakchouka was a highly seasoned mixture of slowly simmered tomatoes, onions, and lots of garlic, to which I added peeled, char-grilled bell peppers. Once this had reduced to a jammy consistency, I delicately poached fresh eggs in the mixture by baking for a few minutes in the oven. Served with a spicy couscous, grilled hot Italian sausages, a fresh green salad, crusty bread, and a cold beer from one of our many excellent microbreweries, it was the perfect brunch!

Hazelnut broyage layered with cream, fresh peaches & blueberries

Hazelnut broyage layered with cream, fresh peaches & blueberries
Mise en ligne par ©EpicureanPiranha

"Meringue gateaux are wonderful concoctions based on layers or pieces of meringue to which ground nuts may have been added, which once baked, are layered with one or more preparations of flavoured whipped cream, light buttercream, pastry cream, ganache, fresh fruit, fruit compotes, or a multitude of other fillings and filling combinations.

If ground nuts have been added to the meringue, the mixture is then known as ~ depending on the recipe’s origin and the type of filling(s) used ~ success, progress, japonais, grillage, broyage, dacquoise, or russe. These delicious types of meringue range from very crisp to very chewy, depending on the proportion of nuts, sugar, and egg whites used, as well as how they are baked."

~ the ©EpicureanPiranha


I had leftover egg whites I needed to use the other day, so I decided to make some toasted hazelnut meringues. The delicious flavour of hazelnuts, gently toasted then finely ground, makes the meringue rich and just slightly chewy in the centre. Whipped cream flavoured with vanilla and a little brown sugar to give it a delicate caramel flavour, blueberries and thinly sliced fresh peaches are a lovely compliment to the hazelnuts.

Lovely with an espresso or perfect to end a meal :-)

Emergency Cake Fix!

Emergency Cake Fix!
Mise en ligne par ©EpicureanPiranha

Muffins are a great emergency fixe when you have a craving for cake! They’re quick and easy to prepare, bake quickly, and taste best warm from the oven so there’s no waiting :-)

I created these Butterscotch Pecan Bites today for my brother-in-law Ron – he loves having sweet pastries or cake for dessert and is arriving from Alaska with my sister this evening to visit. They’re made with rich 10% fat yogurt, brown sugar, loads of tiny butterscotch bits wrapped in milk chocolate (a recent discovery ♥), and my favourite nuts, pecans.

The recipe is coming up soon on EpicureanPiranha.com, my epicurean webzine ♥