I always liked to combine asparagus & bacon. I think the subtle flavors of asparagus and the smokyness of the bacon compliment each other very well. One of my favorite side recipes is roasted bacon wrapped asparagus. Pair that with a nice and juicy steak and you’re in for a treat. I just discovered another way of combining asparagus and bacon together. I wanted to make a soup with asparagus and was looking for another ingredient. I thought about bacon and although it sounded a bit silly a first, I gave it a try.

Last week, we were posting a colorful and fragrant salad with beets and carrots that we found at the market. On the same day at the market, we also stumbled upon live mussels from Prince Edward County. As soon as I saw those mussels, I was reminded of a dish we made on our trip to France last summer. It’s a very classic mussel recipe but with the addition of chorizo, and it makes a huge difference. I can’t tell you how much we love chorizo. We even tried to bring some back from our trip but it all got seized by the customs back in Toronto (a cruel ending for these beautiful sausages if you ask me).

Congee is a rice porridge popular in Asian countries. Historically, it was a way for poor families to make the rice supplies last as long as possible. Only a small amount of grain is needed to make congee. The rice is slow cooked in a large amount of water until the grains break up and turn into a thick soup. Nowadays, congee is eaten with a variety of ingredients, ranging from sweet to savory. There are so many great ingredients and toppings for this dish, it’s really hard to name a favorite.

Holiday season is here and I’m enjoying every moment of it. I’m still trying to find or develop cookie recipes that will make the holidays even more special. Few weeks ago, I posted a recipe for Thin & Crispy Coconut Cookies. They are great cookies and make perfect gifts. In fact, they were so good that a squirrel stole a bag of cookie that I gave to a friend. Today, I’m making another great recipe that squirrels would probably love even more: Hazelnut & Chocolate Sandies.

Last weekend we did something that we really like but that we haven’t been doing for a while. We left early in the morning to go shopping at the St-Lawrence Market in downtown Toronto. We usually do our grocery shopping at the nearby grocery stores, mainly by lack of time. But once in a while it feels good to break the old habits. This time, no grocery list and going through the aisles of the store in a predefined order. We just randomly browsed through the market, getting inspiration from the locally grown produces. I spotted some beets and heirloom carrots and instantly I was craving for a nice fall salad.