Bacon Wrapped Shrimp Mini Cakes with Asian Vinaigrette

Bacon wrapped shrimps are a popular appetizer, and with no wonder, as the bold flavor of the crispy-salty-smoky bacon, pairs beautifully with the more delicate flavor of the shrimp.

Dried Fruit and Ginger Heavy Cream Cake

Noticing I somehow accumulated quite a few small quantities of different dried fruit, I decided the best way to use them was in a cake.

Inari Pockets with Rice and Shrimp

The following appetizer has all the components of the more known sushi rolls, but it is much easier to prepare. The secret lies in the use of Inari tofu skin pockets as the shell, rather than the more elaborate and time consuming use of Nori seaweed sheet, which require a sushi rolling mat and expertise.

Orange Vegetables and Pineapple Soup

One of the best remedies for grey gloomy days, is to have a bowl of bright colored, velvety tasty warm soup.

Pumpkin and Banana Breakfast Muffins

With pumpkins everywhere, and with supermarkets pushing canned pumpkin deals non stop, I somehow found myself purchasing a couple of cans, that I wasn’t even sure what I wanted to use them for. So much for thinking I was a savvy customer, who can’t be influenced too easily!
Even though the canned puree can survive practically forever, I still felt I needed to use at least one right now, and came up with the following muffins.

Baby Hakurei Turnip Soup

When I saw this beautiful bunch of fresh Hakurei turnips at the store, I immediately grabbed it, as they are not always available. These turnips are quite different from the more known ones: they have finer texture, a delicate sweetish peppery-mustardy flavor and milder aroma.

Ginger-Lemon Summer Fruit Cake with Fruit Compote

Fruit cakes are high up on my favorite cakes list, and with summer fruits in abundance, it is only natural to bake them even more often.
This time, I used a combination of black plums, apricots and peaches, which I paired with freshly grated ginger, lemon juice, lemon zest and hard apple cider – to enhance the fruits’ flavors and aroma.

Spiced Pears in Butterscotch Sauce

Poached pears is my go-to recipe, when I’m looking for a quick, tasty and light dessert (click HERE for the recipe). Pears have an incredible way of absorbing flavors while cooking, yet keep their shape, and can be easily served on their own, or with few additions, creating an effortless and elegant dessert.

Stir-Fry Tofu and Rice Noodles

Stir-fry dishes are very versatile and fairly quick to prepare, and I often make them for lunch or a light dinner. I don’t tend to follow any specific authentic recipe , but rather, use whatever ingredients and flavoring I have around while cooking.

Spiced Squash, Sweet Potato and Orange Soup

Spaghetti squash is sometimes marketed as a healthier alternative to regular spaghetti, and lately, I’ve decided to give it a try.

Apple, Ginger, Honey and Golden Raisins Cake

The Jewish New Year is celebrated today, and this brings back memories of traditional foods, even to an agnostic such as me. One of the culinary traditions for this event, is to dip a slice of apple in honey, and eat it as a symbol for a sweet New Year. Plenty other sweet dishes are added to the table as well, in order to emphasize this hope for a sweet New Year.