A Creative Spirit
For this week's #foodiefriday, I decided to focus on Bacalau (salted cod) because in Portugal, Christmas is not Christmas without it. I don't know why, because it is as stiff as a board, smells disgusting, and looks about as appetising as the prospect of munching on cardboard. In fact, it’s so stiff that it has... Continue Reading →
Let's talk about eating out ... I am not referring to basic eating establishments such as 'McDonald's', 'Pizza Hut', and other fast-food chains; I mean restaurants that create their own menus and food. Okay, so “Ambience” is just a fancy word for the feel or atmosphere of a place. If I walk into a restaurant... Continue Reading →
They say a way to a man's good books is through his stomach. This is what I was banking on when I offered to make Mr. Piglet some Cornish pasties in return for his driving me down to Lagos once again on Saturday night to enjoy music at the Marina. I mean, how hard could... Continue Reading →
and what do we eat on Good Friday? Hot Cross Buns! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vN4SPwIXIAs And while searching for a simple recipe I came across the nursery rhyme I used to sing as a child. These kids are SO cute! Do you remember this rhyme from your childhood? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6CzbcKM7cg We or rather Mr. Piglet made some NOT Cross... Continue Reading →
This week, we were recommended a traditional Portuguese restaurant in Lagos, Restaurante o Lamberto. The restaurant is located well away from the tourist trail. I think we were probably the only English people there. I ordered a Bifes à Portuguesa to see how it was presented and compared to the one served at restaurant Cais... Continue Reading →
Today, as I walked around my vegetable garden during the lull between heavy showers and gale-force winds to inspect the damage inflicted by Storm Martinho, I wondered how many of us--if push came to shove--could grow our own fruit and vegetables. A random question. Maybe not. With the world teetering on the brink of war... Continue Reading →
Living in a country where English is not the first language certainly takes you out of your comfort zone, especially regarding food shopping. Imagine walking into a supermarket and suddenly seeing none of your favourite foods and familiar brands; throw the added complication of language into the mix, and you may feel you have landed... Continue Reading →
Every year, we Brits celebrate Shrove Tuesday with pancakes. We call it 'Pancake Day'. This brilliant YouTube video explains why. https://youtu.be/pw6oRE7NKVM?si=_wpNybpoK8A9NFCO This traditional batter recipe dates back to 1439, as per Historic UK Quote: "The ingredients for pancakes can be seen to symbolise four points of significance at this time of year: Eggs ~ CreationFlour... Continue Reading →
As part of my drive to step outside my foodie comfort zone, I searched Pinterest for some Christmassy 'aperitivo' ideas and found this Christmas Tree cheese and spinach breadsticks. Great. I had fresh spinach in the garden, begging to be eaten before the slugs and snails ate it all. I adapted the original recipe to... Continue Reading →
Let's talk about food! This morning, I was waiting to be served at the butcher's counter when I spotted half a pig's head awaiting a new home. I admit I am squeamish, and the thought of putting it in the oven to roast or in a large pot to boil, let alone eat it, turned... Continue Reading →
Let's talk about food. Last week, we celebrated our wedding anniversary at Dos Artistos in Lagos. On learning we were celebrating a special occasion, the restaurant added an extra special touch to the presentation of our creme brulee dessert. How sweet! * On Thursday, another trip to Lagos to see the Algarve Jazz Orchestra at... Continue Reading →
The days have flown by so quickly that I've barely had time to catch my breath. This week, I had planned to prepare a meal using the homegrown kale I planted at the end of August. At the mention of Kale, I can already see many of you running for the hills. Trust me, kale... Continue Reading →
As part of my drive to adopt a healthier lifestyle (diet and exercise), I am trying to stepping outside my food comfort zone to experiment with different recipes and vary my diet. Pondering the health benefits of chickpeas, I consulted Google and stumbled upon this interesting article. 15 Health and Nutrition Benefits of Chickpeas Who... Continue Reading →
Let's talk about food! The zucchinis growing in my small vegetable garden are like buses: They are either a rarity or, like buses, arrive all at once! I now have a few tried-and-tested recipes when my zucchini arrive like buses. Our daughter, who lives in France, gave me this delicious recipe, and I added my... Continue Reading →
Let's talk about food! After picking yet another bumper crop of tomatoes, Mr. Piglet asked what on earth we were going to do with them. I shrugged. Make some more chutney? There's an old saying that 'walls have ears', but I'm less suspicious of the walls and more suspicious that the 'ears' are embedded in... Continue Reading →
Welcome to the Foodie Friday Challenge. Let's talk about food. Whether it's sharing your favourite recipes, growing fruit and vegetables, your harvest ups and downs, hints and tips, or pictures of plates of food - even diets. If it's food-related, why not post it on your blog and add it to the Foodie Friday Blog... Continue Reading →
One of my New Year’s Resolutions is to research and cook one new recipe each week. This recipe is courtesy of Paws2Claws from Northern Portugal, but originally came from her friend in Texas... P2C I have to report it was absolutely delicious and Mr Piglet definitely gave it the thumbs up! Thank you! Tuscan chicken... Continue Reading →
A few months ago, a friend in Northern Portugal kindly sent me some Jalapeno Peppers, which were excess produce from her veggie garden. She also included a simple recipe on how to pickle Jalapenos plus a variety of chilli seeds so I could grow my own. I thought Christmas had come early and I’d have... Continue Reading →
There was a cookery program on TV a few months ago which inspired to make this easy loaf. I've never tried to cook one before but this loaf looked pretty 'foolproof', or was it? Cookery programs are great but why, when I cook the same recipe, does it never look the same? Do you experience... Continue Reading →
This recipe was really simple to cook and absolutely delicious. However, tracking down cranberries in Lyon proved problematic. I thought cranberries were in vogue but apparently not in this gastronomic centre. Eventually, after several fruitless forays to some local supermarkets (and not to beaten) we made the "pilgrimage" to the "English" Food shop aptly named... Continue Reading →
Piglet in Portugal 