How to put together the perfect fall cheese platter

in Small bites, Taste -

Perfect fall cheese platter

My love for cheese and entertaining people at home has been well-documented here (especially the cheesy part).  Understandably, I consider putting together the perfect fall cheese platter essential (and so much fun!) for a relaxed lunch or dinner at home. I love cheese.  All kinds, all textures, all smells.  What I love even more, is sharing it with others. Well, that’s not entirely true.  I’m up for sharing if there’s enough cheese available.  Let me give an example: one of the biggest fights I’ve ever had with Mike was because of a big chunk of cheese;  I’d chosen it carefully and was keeping in the fridge, guarding it like a dragon;  one day I came back from work late to discover that most of my precious had been hacked away and consumed by him and one of his friends.  Not quite a deal breaker, but close.  So, to recap, sharing cheese I love, as long as there’s plenty of it, purposely purchased for sharing. [READ MORE]

Halloween Bat Cookies with Chocolate, Coffee & Sea salt

in Desserts, Taste -

Halloween Bat Cookies with Chocolate, Coffee & Sea salt

I’m crazy about Halloween; seriously, it’s the holiday I mostly look forward to, with Christmas being a close second.  Even though I didn’t grow up celebrating it, once I moved to London, I was hooked. I think the reasons behind it are quite simple: I absolutely love dressing up (I almost always go for a gory theme- which is kind of the point, I think) and spookily decorating the house. I love watching moderately scary movies (as much as I hate to admit it, I’m such a big woosh- I only managed to watch all Scream films last year) and, my favourite, enthusiastically carving pumpkins of all sizes. At the same time, I really like the idea of honouring the dead. No matter how commercial Halloween is, for me, that’s the core of the whole celebration and the main reason I’m behind it. [READ MORE]

Parmesan, nigella & mustard seed biscuits

in Small bites, Taste -

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Soon after I moved to London, I discovered scones. Once I did, I celebrated this discovery by religiously consuming a scone once a week, every Saturday morning right before work. I was hooked: rich, not too sweet, crumbly and buttery, scones were pretty much the sole reason I was only moderately miserable having to wake up early of a freaking Saturday. [READ MORE]

Lentil, pepper & cheddar bites

in Savoury, Taste -

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Of all the pulses out there, lentils are my least favourite. Actually, let me clarify: lentils, the way they are usually prepared in Greece -as a watery stew with onion and/or garlic, bay leaves and often times carrots- that’s one of my least favourite pulse dishes. I can’t bear it now, couldn’t bear it when I was living at my parents’ house and my mom would make her own variation, slightly thicker, with some chopped tomatoes and different spices and herbs thrown in the mix. I would overload my plate with vinegar, grab a fat slice of bread and reluctantly dig in hoping for the best. [READ MORE]

Coconut milk, maple & lime quinoa with caramelised pears & toasted hazelnuts

in Breakfast, Taste -

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It’s been a little over week since I’ve been back and I’m still struggling. I’m not worried though- it’s only part of my usual back-to-school drama, which I live out to the fullest, with frequent outbursts, cursing on the weather, the traffic, the boots and layers I now have to live in and everything else, really. [READ MORE]

Apricot & nectarine cobbler

in Desserts, Taste -

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Stone fruits are my go-to, especially towards the end of the summer. They’re not as striking as watermelon and melon, not even as fancy as grapes or figs. But they’re just as pretty, just as tasty and around late August, when I’ve had way way too much of the above, I start attacking peaches, nectarines and apricots. I prefer them when they’re just ripe, still holding a little bite and just the right amount of juice. [READ MORE]