Small Bites

I think my favorite food group is finger food. Okay, it's not a food group per se, but find me at any formal food event - from family weddings to worthy cause fundraising dinners, I'm the one hogging all the appetizers. In fact, I'd prefer to never actually eat a main course if I could munch all night on those tasty, bite sized treats. Truth-be-told, our wedding reception "meal" was nothing but savory finger foods, followed by sweet finger foods for "dessert" and it was great.

That said, how could I pass up a book like Small Bites, which had me right from the cover? The photos will have you drooling and the dishes from tiny bowls of soup to mini peach and raspberry crisps and every finger-licking thing in between....well here's where I started....

Stuffed Sicilian Artichoke Bottoms

Chickpea & Pomegranate Dip

My biggest quandry is what to do next...I think I need to make a party, just to try out some of the ones I have bookmarked... saffron coconut soup with shrimp dumplings, sticky chicken wings or five spice hoisin ribs (I'm a sucker for both and these look delish!), crab & Gruyere nachos, crispy chorizo quesadillas....you get the idea.

Another plus....the dishes are all really easy to prepare and for someone like me who loves to eat "small bites", but usually hates to spend all the time it takes to make them - that is trully a plus!

So what's your favorite finger food?

The Healthy Kitchen

I don't profess to be a nutritionist, or a dietitian and certainly not a medical doctor. That said, I am always looking for healthful recipes and sound advice from the experts. I want to make meals that are good for us and that taste wonderful at the same time.

The Healthy Kitchen is written by Dr Andrew Weil, MD and Rosie Daley who is well known for being Oprah Winfrey's personal chef for a while. So you know that THEY know what they're talking about nutrition-wise.

I love the way the book is put together...Green pages are written by Dr Weil and they're your nutritional lessons about ...well everything, like how to make sense of nutritional labels on the foods you purchase; are eggs good for you; garlic - its history, what to look for when you buy it, what it's good for...did you know that cooking tames garlic and much of the therapeutic effect? So to get the most out of it, use it raw when possible and only add to a recipe at the end of the cooking process. There is lots of other advice like that to keep us knowledgeable about the foods we eat.

Rosie's pages are in yellow and they focus on the recipes (although Dr Weil has a few of his own and certainly puts his spin on things) plus how and what to stock in your pantry. You can actually "hear" them talk about dishes like...Lebanese Salad - Dr Weil's recipe on green

"This dish has a classic Mediterranean look and taste, with its combination of freshly squeezed lemon juice, olive oil, mint, garlic and onion. Don't even think about using California black olives here; they are a pathetic imitation of the real thing. (Rosie, this means you!)"

They both give tips about health and ways to change up the recipes. I've learned alot already!

But let's be honest, there are two types of healthful cookbook users...the ones who must read the what and why of things...and those (like me) who do a little reading but really are just looking for healthy dishes that look great, taste delicious and have some positive nutritional or health benefits. Often, healthful cookbooks sit in one sphere or the other...not both and some of us are bound to be frustrated....limited explanations (not enough answers to the "why?" question for the "I must understand everything" people) and the other extreme...too much info, not enough recipes. Truth is, sometimes I feel like Charlie Brown in class when the teacher is saying "wha..wha...wha...wha ...wha".

Whichever camp you fall into, The Healthy Kitchen is wonderful choice...great recipes, lots of tips, stunning photos.

Yesterday we had some Roasted Winter Squash & Apple Soup with Cilantro Walnut Pesto...loaded with antioxidant carotenes (squash), omega-3 fatty acids (walnuts) and lots of vitamins, minerals, and fiber.

I served the soup with delicious Multigrain scones (without the lemon topping) lots of healthy carbs. They are scrumptious as a side with soup or salad, and the perfect breakfast when you're in a hurry (just add some dried fruit like blueberries). Healthy grains somehow put together so they don't taste like wood...a common complaint of mine.

"Nuff said! Check out the book.

Craig Flinn's Fresh & Local

It's always exciting to get a new cookbook. And this one is even more special, since I was lucky enough to interview Chef Craig Flinn of Chives Canadian Bistro for Foodtv when he was writing this masterpiece. (You can follow all the links from here)

I know they say you can't judge a book by its cover...but really...check out how beautiful that Eggplant Cannelloni with Olive Oil poached Field Tomatoes looks. All the photos are equally luscious.

The recipes are spectacular - as one would expect from an award-winning kitchen and in addition to clear directions, there's another plus...the recipes are color coded...green dots mean spring, red is for summer, brown for fall and icy blue is for winter. And why...you ask?

Craig is passionate about favoring local farmers and independent producers and that means sticking to what's available in local markets whenever possible, whatever the season. That means, fresh tomato dishes are best served in the summer, root vegetables in fall and winter...you get the point.

You'll often find him at the Halifax Farmers Market on Saturday mornings, talking to the vendors and finding out what's fresh and wonderful for Chives...the ever-changing menu there reflects his finds.

The dishes showcase his roots (right here in Nova Scotia) and his training as a chef in Europe and North America. All the "chef" basics...perfect stocks, flaky pie dough, demi-glace, roasted garlic puree...maple balsamic syrup!!! needed for his delicious dishes are in their own section to help those of us without chef training to pull off spectacular meals. The "chef secrets" all have straight forward directions - I love it.

If you're lucky enough to be in Halifax, you can taste many of the recipes that made it into the book at his restaurant. And if you're not lucky enough to live here, you can still use the book to cook locally grown and produced delicacies wherever you are. Bottom line...buy what can be produced locally.

Yesterday my family got to savor this pasta dish, made with local organic chicken and mushrooms, which did say "Canadian", I'm just not sure which part of the country.

Roasted Garlic & Cremini Mushroom Pappardelle with Chicken

Tonight we're having a very wintery dish of Root Vegetable Tart.

By the way, I just heard that Chef Craig will be at Chapters/Indigo at the Mic Mac Mall location tomorrow afternoon (Saturday, March 14th). If you're in the neighborhood, he'll be happy to sign a book for you.