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 ♥

Savouring Quebec

One of my Facebook friends posted a link to an article on the Louis d'Or today, a Quebec cheese from the Fromagerie du Presbytère which won first prize in the prestigious Canadian Cheese Grand Prix. As I was reading the article, from the Montreal Gazette, I came across another interesting bit of info which I thought might interest some of my readers:

"If you plan a holiday in Quebec this year, the latest edition of the annual guide to B and B's, inns, and farms to visit which offers a savoury collection of addresses throughout the province has just been published. Called Terroir et saveurs du Québec (Guides de voyage Ulysse, $24.95), it lists 330 places to stay or dine, 250 farms and producers of foods, wines and ciders, 105 restaurants serving local products, plus careful directions, maps and copious photographs. It's a mouthwatering read...."

Read more on the Online version of the Montreal Gazette: Quebec Cheese Wins Award.

From: http://www.bonjourquebec.com/  Travel Media Centre

You'll find lots more information on Quebec's official tourism website, Bonjour Quebec. Here's a link to the site. It provides information on some key events taking place in the Province, as well as other usful info (to change the language, check the top right hand of the screen where you can select French, English or Spanish):

Bonjour Quebec Travel Media Centre.

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!

My Quest for the Best Challah!

My Quest for the Best Challah!, a photo by ©EpicureanPiranha on Flickr.

Challah is one of my favourite egg breads ~ the aroma of the loaves baking is sublime, and the rich dough is incredibly tender whith just a hint of sweetness! With cold butter, and perhaps some wild berry preserves, I could easily eat a whole loaf when it’s still warm from the oven (I actually did this a few years ago!). But I’d never tried baking one until last year. After researching recipes for this delicious Jewish specialty in my cookbooks and on the web, I had chosen the recipe I’d found in the Fleischmann’s Yeast cookbook. The proportion of butter and eggs seemed the most promising for what I wanted to achieve.

I have to admit that I was very pleased with the results. The baked loaves looked gorgeous, and had a wonderful flavour and texture. But the bread just wasn’t as rich tasting ~ and the dough not as golden ~ as I’d hoped! So I went back to my research, but still could not find a recipe that seemed better. Since I couldn’t find what I was looking for, I decided I’d have to create my own recipe!

I've just published it on my webzine My Quest for the Best Challah!

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!

A Rose for a Rose ...

In Celebration of International Women's Day, and of My Mother, a Very Special Woman! a photo by ©EpicureanPiranha on Flickr.

In Celebration of International Women's Day, and of My Mother, a Very Special Woman!

For the 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day, I dedicate this beautiful rose from my mother’s garden to all the wonderful women in my life, but especially to my mom. She’s tiny, only 1.5 m tall, but has the most enormous heart and strength of all the women I know! Her unfailing love, devotion, care and attention for my dad ~ who is very ill from cancer ~ are his greatest source of joy, and the most potent drug to assuage the psychological torment caused by this sinister disease. I love you, dearest mom ♥

The name of this rose is "Simply Marvelous ~ Jacideso rose"

Take my lips ...

Take my lips ...
Mise en ligne par ©EpicureanPiranha

… I want to lose them

I wanted to create a scrumptious, romantic dessert for Valentine’s Day. After tasting these wonderful little cakes, I christened them Melt Your Heart Pistachio Cupcakes. Rich and tender, flavoured with a large proportion of ground, roasted pistachios and blue curaçao (a bitter orange flavoured liqueur), they are crowned with a cloud of silky, white chocolate Swiss meringue buttercream ~ flavours and taste sensations that melt your heart!

Perfect for ♥ Valentine’s Day ♥, especially when decorated with lots of tiny, red lips :-)

Note ♥ Actually, these aren't very sweet ~ the beauty of Swiss meringue buttercream is that it's made from a cooked meringue to which you add butter - so, no raw sugar taste, and very little sugar compared to simple buttercreams made from powdered sugar which can be overly sweet and heavy. Just silky buttery cream, light as a cloud because of the meringue. And the delicate, moist cupcakes really taste of pistachio and butter :-)

Coming soon on my gourmet webzine ♥

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 :-)

MYTH: "Making Bread the Traditional Way Takes Too Long"

MYTH: "Making Bread the Traditional Way Takes Too Long"
Mise en ligne par ©EpicureanPiranha

"...making bread takes very little actual time on your part - about 15 minutes at the start, to measure, mix, and knead the ingredients is all that's needed, plus a few minutes time and attention to punch the dough down and knead once or twice between provings, then to place the dough into the greased tins. The dough itself and the oven take care of the rest, leaving you plenty of time to do whatever you wish in between!" ~ ©EpicureanPiranha

Next time it’s raining or stormy outside, why not try this delicious recipe for oatmeal bread. I’ve detailed and photographed each step. Creating something so delicious and satisfying from simple ingredients using one’s own hands, without the need for more than a few measuring cups and spoons, is unbelievably satisfying and therapeutic!

I hope you'll have a look at the recipe and be tempted to try it - it's actually very simple if you follow the steps I've fully illustrated. Here is a direct link: Step-By-Step Instuctions for Making Great Bread"

My Mediterranean-style Scallops with Rich Tarragon Tomato Sauce on Linguini

 Scallops with Rich Tarragon Tomato Sauce
Mise en ligne par ©EpicureanPiranha

Tarragon is a wonderful, aromatic herb with a lovely flavour somewhat like anise and basil combined, and a hint of lemon. I particularly love tarragon with tomato-based sauces and seafood ♥

So last evening I created this rich tomato sauce finished with a hint of heavy cream, and served it on a bed of linguini fini garnished with large, plump, sea scallops quickly sautéed in butter until golden. Wonderful!

By the way, this would be a perfect recipe for a Valentine's Day dinner for two ♥  Find the detailed recipe, and all the steps you need to make this dish a success, on my webzine: EpicureanPiranha . com

Enjoy!