Since Ontario was placed in state of emergency due to
the outbreak of COVID-19, I have been unable to visit restaurants and meet with
my friends, gathering in different places where I can try new dishes. Restaurants in Ontario are allowed to work as far as
they can provide options of Take-out or Delivery. In my last article I wrote
about the options I found using different apps for food delivery.
But this was a time to try new things in my own
kitchen.
One of the dishes I like from the Cuisine of the
Philippines is Kaldereta. It’s a stew usually served with goat,
pork, beef or chicken. Vegetables usually include potatoes, tomatoes and
peppers. I prepared my own version using pork and chicken and served with thin
rice noodles.
My workmates have seen me eating mushroom pasta, a
simple dish very easy to make. I just stir fry the mushrooms with garlic,
parsley and some spices like dried oregano and crushed chilies. Time to time I add other steamed vegetables.
Pasta dishes do not need to be complex. I found that a
traditional pasta dish in Rome is “Cacio e pepe”, where you just
add cheese and black peppers. Cheese can be Pecorino or Parmesan.
Rabbit is one of my favorite meats. I had the
opportunity to find it in one of the supermarkets I have recently visited. I
like to prepare it in the oven. First, I take the pieces of rabbit and I stir
fry it with onions in oil and wine. Then I put it in a tray with potatoes and
bake it. When ready, I like eating it with rice.
I do not often prepare desserts. But this time I found
the time and opportunity. I read about a simple recipe of Riz au lait
(French rice pudding). You can read good recipes on the internet. I use risotto
grains for best results. To make something different, I added saffron, giving
it a nice yellow color. What you see as decoration, these are apricot seeds.
