Happy Chinese New Year everyone!  Happy Year of the Rabbit — may it be prosperous for all! Just wanted to compile all my Chinese recipes I’ve posted so far… and I realize I have been seriously slacking in that department.  I have been too distracted with random Mediterranean feasts and Italian attempts I suppose… need to get back in touch with the mother/fatherland cuisine!

If you’re planning on going to a Superbowl party this weekend, you will no doubt be confronted with a smorgasbord of food choices, some better for you than others. Rather than punishing yourself with a substituted-into-oblivion version of any of the classics, balance your snacking out with some healthier fare, too. Why not whip up some bean dip? This recipe is stupid-easy, after all. You could make it in your sleep.

The best thing about moving to a new area is discovering all the little things that there are on offer.  The other day while grocery shopping, I discovered a little Japanese supermarket right next to Woolworths.  Though some of the items were a bit of a mystery (especially for a vegetarian), I picked up a few ingredients and headed home to make sushi for dinner. I also came across a big bag of inari pockets, which I snapped up quickly as they are one of our favourites at sushi train.

Everyone needs their share of chocolate-y goodness.  We all crave that pick me up that only chocolate can give us. I am getting back to my normal routine after being sick and the first real thing I wanted to make is a chocolate tart of some sort.  Getting over a cold is something to celebrate, right?  And celebrate I did…with chocolate.

Late January is a dark time. The sky is dark, night comes early, the garden lies fallow. Food-wise it is a time of little local produce, but it is a time of creativity and a time to embrace a “use what you have in the pantry, or refrigerator” in cooking. Fresh whole Sardines, purple asparagus, black garlic, lots of citrus & fresh herbs. These all were leftovers from food styling jobs I worked on this past week.

I can’t remember the last time I’ve seen this much snow – on my lawn, in the streets, and piled like Mount Everest in shopping center parking lots. It’s crazy.  These Coconut Lime Bars are a tropical escape from the frigid temperatures.  The crust is a bit doughy and absorbs some of the lovely lime filling.  The filling is tart, as any citrus bar should be, with a punch of distinctly lime flavor.  The coconut adds a bit of nuttiness, as well as a hint of sweetness.  The finishing touch – a drizzle of white chocolate – also helps offset the tartness of the filling.

When it’s cold out, I love warming dishes. Don’t we all? Comfort food is definitely in order when the wind is howling and the mercury is falling. Mention comfort foods, and a lot of people imagine a lot of different things. Me? When it’s cold outside, I love Indian spices. Specifically, I love curries.

Last weekend, the friends with whom I attended the Praline Workshop back in November 2010 and myself decided to apply our knowledge and make some pralines.  Each of us made a different filling, and I decided on coconut, basil & lime. The basis of each filling is chocolate of your choice (white, milk or dark) plus cream.  Then you add a flavour of your choice, which can be either in dry (e.g. powdered spice) or liquid form.

I can’t think of a better way to describe how I’ve felt this last week than hugged by the universe, by all of you, and by Ginnie. I want you all to know I am returning that hug, and if it were possible, I would send all of you some homemade KitKat bars, which are really much more like a hybrid of a KitKat and a Reese’s. The next best thing is telling you to go make some yourself, because they are super easy and they keep in the refrigerator for two weeks! Not that they’ll hang around that long…

Pizza doesn’t get any easier or simpler than this!