Mediterranean Braised Chicken with Butternut Squash

There are few dishes I've been craving recently, some Indian samosas, Indian flat bread and vegetarian curry but today I got a taste for Mediterranean flavors. As the chicken was defrosted in the fridge I could have made one of the few variations of Mediterranean braised chicken I made in the past but I wanted a newer recipe to explore. I remembered seeing years ago, as it turns out 2002, a Mediterranean braised chicken recipe in one of Fine Cooking's magazines. I couldn't really remember the title, I only knew it was Mediterranean and the picture was burnt in my mind. I started going through many of my archived magazines when I thought why not just google it instead and sure enough it instantly came up. I saw the picture and I almost could taste it, you see I haven't had lunch yet.

Padang Fish Curry (West Sumatra, Indonesia) & the 411 on Fresh Turmeric

I was debating whether or not I should post this entry, I was a bit reluctant as it is not part of my Mediterranean, Israeli and Indian repertoire, I am such a novice when it comes to Indonesian cooking. I simmer for a long time when I am intrigued, and then I take the plunge. When I visit the sites such as I mentioned in my 'Blog Awards and Happy Year of the Rabbit' post here, you are transformed to different worlds but the feeling is overwhelming when you think to tackle a recipe in your own home, so I get timid and I simmer. One day I decided to take the plunge and went scouring for all the exotic ingredients. It is not too bad, as they were accessible and really only handful that you would not already have.

Tree Nut Free Granola Bars

Valentine's Day, to say we celebrate it wouldn't be accurate, sometimes we do, sometimes we don't, we show affection and love even on a day off. Sometimes heated discussion, a passion reserved only for those you care about the most. Jonathan and I in the kitchen, I wing it and interpret and he, literal, follows a recipe to the letter. He makes the perfect omelets time in and time out so I don't even bother. Boils eggs to right consistency with complete confidence unlike me. That is where his culinary adventures start and end, other than him being a very reluctant sous chef or more of a laborer in the kitchen. He summons all his wit and dry humor to the task but yet again it rolls off his tongue. At the receiving end I mostly burst out laughing as he catches me off guard and surprises with his sharp mind and smarts. After these many years together seems the guy still got some material and game and I call this love.