There’s nothing as comforting in winter as a good soup, especially a hearty split pea soup. This one is fully vegetarian, with all the goodness of homemade vegetable stock. The original recipe called for a lot of fresh herbs, which I didn’t have because I ran out and there wasn’t time to go out and buy them. What I had instead were dried rosemary, thyme and bay leaves, and fresh mint leaves. The latter was a very nice addition to the soup and if I had to do it all over again, I’d make this soup with the same ingredients.

A few weeks ago, I asked for vegetarian cookbook recommendations on Twitter. One of the top two mentioned by my Twitter pals is Deborah Madison’s “Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone“. I didn’t realize it was like The Vegetarian Cooking Tome–the massive amount of recipes overwhelmed me the minute I held it. I haven’t delved that much into vegetarian cooking (there’s always a slight meat component in most of my vegetable dishes), so I didn’t know where to start. That week, we were having an incredibly cold and rainy week, as is typical for Vancouver winter. It was starting to get really old and the only thing that could really lighten the mood up was a good bowl of soup. When I looked through the cookbook, this one jumped at me. This would be the books “first test”.

Friends, do you do that, too, when you have a new cookbook? Do you test out a few recipes to see if the cookbook will be worth its place as a standby in the kitchen? For me, if one recipe succeeds, it stays near the kitchen and I continue to cook from it. If it fails, I’ll give it 2 more tries before I ditch it. What about you? How many recipes do you test before it gets a Yay or a Nay?

This recipe definitely earned a “Yay!” in my book.

I love when everything goes together and the whole experience of making a dish somehow connects you to the author, through the methods, the flavors, and the culmination in the forms of a really good meal and a silent Thank You to the mind that created something so wonderful. A regular dinner turned into something special. Yes, I romanticize about meals, and if this was a date, I’m picking the phone to ask for a second. ;-)

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I love biscotti. For the longest time, I sat back in awe, envious of friends (on- and offline) who make it look like it’s a walk in the park to prepare. For me it was intimidating, especially the fact that it has to be baked twice. I don’t know why, but just the thought of that thwart any attempt at it! Enter Karen DeMasco and Mindy Fox’s book, “The Craft of Baking: Cakes, Cookies, and Other Sweets with Ideas for Inventing Your Own“. I pored through the pages, checking the ingredients and processes, and unapologetically drooled over the sweet delights. Then, like cowlick on a well-manicured lawn of a hair, 3 recipes stood out: those of the twice baked cookie variety called the Biscotti. Hello, self-imposed yoke.

It’s crazy to think that some of us have mountains to move when it comes to baking:

• Mt. Cake
• Mt. Macarons
• Mt. Pie
• Mt. Jelly Rolls…I’m still talking about baking here…
• Mt. Cinnamon Rolls
• Mt.Homemade Bread

What else? What’s your baking nemesis?

My friend is leaving to go back to her new home across the border, and I wanted to give her something for their long flight. Biscotti would make a perfect travel snack: light, TSA-friendly, and will survive the journey. And there it was, my work cut out for me and I was ready to face another fear in the kitchen. Luckily, my first try worked like a charm. DeMasco’s recipe is a winner.

Of course I had to try making the chocolate first. Priorities dears.

Chocolate Walnut Biscotti with Coffee. The coffee was just there for props. I haven't had coffee in 13 days. THIRTEEN! Days! And I'm ok. Really. Did I tell you I'm okay?

The dough was sticky and fragile to work with, but incredibly good to eat. I’m a dough/batter-eater. I cannot resist tasting it, unless it is yeasty. It pretty much goes that if the dough tastes good, the baked product will be good, too. So I do intensive testing. With my mouth. Do you? If not, you’re missing out. Well, unless you’re pregnant, then don’t do it if it has raw eggs like this one.

The trick to transferring this dough from the floured counter to the baking sheet is the speedy lift-and-support-entire-length action. It does have the risk of sagging and breaking apart.

Making biscotti and proof that I may have taken Karen DeMasco's"generously floured work surface" too far. It really didn't stick. At all. I mean, how could it?

The hardest part in making these is the baking time. Your kitchen and its surrounding open spaces will be filled with the come-hitherto aroma of brownies baking in the oven, and a hint of something that tickles your nose, trying to let you in on a little secret. You know what it is? Espresso. The book says the cookies will fall flat in taste without it, and I’ll have to agree. No, I don’t even want to try it without!

The Biscotti Council

These biscotti are not too sweet, and would make a perfect companion to coffee or plain milk. Thinking of tea? This is your mate. It’s not too overpowering, even for a light tea.

There are only a few left of this batch, and the generous bag of biscotti I gave my friend for the trip is on the verge of missing the flight, I was told. If that isn’t the best compliment for it, I don’t know what is.

If you’re looking for a biscotti recipe to start you baking, look no further. This newbie approves. And for the seasoned biscotti bakers, this is a worthy addition to consider for your repertoire of old favorites.

For me, honestly, I can’t wait to make more that will last long enough to make it past the front door without being eaten, so I can mail them to friends! I love sending care packages of food, and it almost sounds selfish because I get such sheer pleasure in doing so. :-)

The full recipe can be found online (it’s the 3rd recipe down), and that’s the exact one in the book. I thought I’d just link to it because it’s a long one, plus I didn’t change anything in the recipe.

Happy baking this weekend!

If you asked me years ago if I would consider getting into “raw food”, I would have flat-out said No and give you a weird look. I don’t know what happened, but in the past year, I’ve softened up to the idea of making raw food concoctions. Two weeks ago, I ordered Ani Phyo’s recipe books. When I got them last week, I keep thinking why the heck she looks and sounds so familiar. Then I looked at her bio and of course! She’s the author of one of the most useful web design books I have when I was starting my business many moons ago. That’s crazy! Hah.

Ok, back to the food. Here I am, vowing to get healthier in 2010 and willing to try new things.

Here’s my foray into raw food “cooking”:

They don’t look the the same as your regular oatmeal raisin cookies, and I’m not going to lie to you, they have  a different taste and texture as well. However, I think they are a pretty good substitute; this coming from someone who attached childhood memories to her favorite oatmeal raisin cookies. This raw version is very simple to make and has only 4 ingredients: raw oats (I used quick oats), pitted dates, raisins, and cinnamon. The dates hold the cookie together, so the result is a dense cookie.

I’ve only really tasted “raw food” on a few occasions (I mean, of course I eat veggies and fruits raw as snacks), one of them was at the Foodbuzz Festival in San Francisco. One thing I can say about all the times I have tried it: it’s bursting with flavor. This cookie is packed with the sweetness of dates and the comfort-food (at least for me) taste of oatmeal. It is rich and fudge-like, compared to a regular cookie, so you actually don’t eat much of it– two at most.

I certainly won’t ditch the baked version, but this is a nice alternative. I don’t tend to overeat eat, and it’s just enough to go with tea for a quick snack or dessert.

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Unless you live under a rock, you’ve heard of what’s happening to Haiti. A 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck their capital and have killed tens of thousands of people. From the photos, the city is basically in shambles. People are fighting to even get some water.

We’re all about good food and living a good life, but we can’t just sit here and do nothing. As we’ve mentioned in our January newsletter, we aren’t having any giveaways this month. Instead we donated $50 to Médecins Sans Frontières Canada (Doctors Without Borders) and the Canadian Red Cross. It’s the fastest and easiest way to help.

This is the time to give. Money is tight, I know, but we have a roof over our heads, can eat when we want, and we can basically swim in potable water. Every dollar will help. Try to give.

Here’s a list of mobile and online ways for you to donate. Included are Canadian and American charities, including links at the very bottom of this post where you can verify your charities.

Anyone can donate through the following outlets, but feel free to find a local charity of your choice.

TEXT-TO-DONATE (money donated will appear in your next wireless bill)

• (Canada) Rogers and Fido customers can text “HELP” to 1291 to donate $5 CDN. They said 100% of the donations will be provided to Haitian relief organizations.

• (Canada) If you text the message “Haiti” to 45678, you will contribute $5 to the Salvation Army’s relief effort.

• (US) Text the word “Haiti” to 90999 to donate $10 to the Red Cross.

• (US) Text “YELE” to 501501 to donate $5 toward to Yéle Haiti organization for food distribution and emergency relief mobilization.

MAKE AN ONLINE DONATION (all links go directly to the donation page)

Canada

The Government of Canada will match the contributions of individual Canadians to eligible Canadian charitable organizations in support of humanitarian and recovery efforts in response to the earthquake in Haiti, up to a total of $50 million. The Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) will allocate these funds to Canadian and international humanitarian and development organizations.

• Canadian Red Cross
• Doctors Without Borders Canada
• UNICEF Canada
• World Vision Canada
• The Humanitarian Coalition (Canada) accepts donations for emergencies on behalf of Save the Children Canada, CARE Canada, Oxfam Canada and Oxfam Quebec

USA

• Save The Children
• American Red Cross
• Unicef USA
• Salvation Army USA
• United Nations Foundation
• Doctors Wthout Borders USA
• United Nations World Food Programme
• Partners in Health
• CARE
• Mercy Corps

Be an informed donor and check your charity in Canada and USA.

It’s been a busy year so far this year, as you’ve been noticing with the lack of posts here. I’ll remedy that soon. :)

As I’ve mentioned before, I’m joining hundreds of other bloggers out there for Ten in 2010, organized by the awesome Lori, of RecipeGirl.com

My goals for the next 10 weeks are:

1. Eat a more balanced diet, specifically:

• Eat breakfast: this is a big deal for me, as I rarely do eat breakfast.
• Eat more fruits and veggies.
• Eliminate 75% of rice from my daily meals. I’m Asian. I have rice in my blood, but I’m willing to eat less of it but not all.

2. Lose 10 lbs. Oh god, there, I said it here. I need to, no joke.

3. Incorporate regular running schedule. I’ve started doing the C25K running program with Denise and Maris last year, but I haven’t continuously been doing it because of various illnesses that has been plaguing me. I love running outdoors, but my body’s schedule of feeling well and the weather outside don’t sync at all. When I feel well enough to run, it’s raining. Oi. I’m now willing to get on a the (dreaded) treadmill to make up for days when I can’t be out running.

I’m not a fan of deprivation, so I won’t say No to cookies if you offer some — I’ll eat one. What I’m trying to accomplish is basically: BALANCE. Balance in nutrients. Balance in activities. I can be such a workaholic that I will try to think of myself first, especially when it comes to meals. I get so wrapped up with whatever I’m doing that it becomes a “chore” to eat. Not good at all. Hopefully, with this balancing act I’m trying to do, the health issues will go away. :-)

This is one of the healthier meals I’ve been making:

Brussel sprouts, grape tomatoes, feta cheese and quinoa

A day late and a few gifts short, I heard! Hehe. ;-) All in jest, dears. I’ve just received a gift shipped from the US before December 15. So, to my fellow Canadian participants, if you haven’t received your gifts, it just might be the postal system.

So are you ready to find out who’s your Secret Santa (SS)? Just look for your name in bold, and to the right of your name is your Secret Santa’s name, website and Twitter ID. To the Secret Santas — check your “baby’s” name and if it has an asterisk (*), it means they’ve emailed me to confirm receipt of their gifts.

Mardi already posted about the gift her Secret Santa sent her! Yay! Great choice, Ms. Secret Santa! If you’d like to share your post about your own, just leave it in the comments and I’ll link to it. :-)

Adrienne M.* : SS Benedetta J.G. of http://www.labna.it (bennybip)

Amy I.* : SS Dana W. of http://danatreat.com (danatreat)

Amy J.* : SS Megan P. of http://meganscookin.blogspot.com (meganpires)

April K.* : SS Adrienne M. of http://www.celebrationsinternationaltravel.com (CelebrationsInt)

Benedetta J.G. : SS Gaby D. of http://www.whatsgabycooking.com (whatsgabycookin)

Casey B.* : SS Meaghan B. of http://www.iluselu.ca (iluselu)

Chris P. : SS Thomas A. of http://twitter.com/ahnt (ahnt)

Danielle T. : SS Chris P. of http://blogwelldone.com (BlogWellDone)

Dana W. : SS Maris C. of http://ingoodtasteblog.net (mariscalla)

Deseree K.* : SS Wendy B. of http://pinkstripes.wordpress.com (pinkstripes)

Dottie A. : SS Mardi M. of http://www.eatlivetravelwrite.com (eatlivtravwrite)

Elise K.* : SS Nastassia J. of http://theletmeeatcake.blogspot.com (LetMeEatCake)

Emily D. : SS Megan M. of http://www.stetted.com (stetted)

Esi I.* : SS Danielle T. of http://bonvivant.wordpress.com (istelleinad)

Gaby D.* : SS Elise K. of http://www.thefoodieforkful.com (foodieforkful)

Grace Y. : SS Dottie A. of http://www.foodcentsblog.com (foodcents)

Jackie G.* : SS Susan C. of http://www.makebakebehappy.com (makebakebehappy)

Josie T. : SS Kristen L. of http://myblissfulbites.wordpress.com (klink84)

Kate W. : SS Nikki M-K of http://niksnacks.blogspot.com (NikSnacks)

Kathy S.* : SS Deseree K. of http://www.lifesambrosia.com (DesereeK)

Katie G.* : SS Emily D. of http://www.bitesizecakes.com (bitesizecakes)

Kristen L. : SS Maybells M. of http://feedingmaybelle.blogspot.com (feedingmaybelle)

Lindsay C.* : SS Renee J. of http://flamingomusings.com (RJFlamingo)

Lys C. : SS Casey B. of http://tastestopping.com (tastestopping)

Mardi M.* : SS Katie G. of http://www.goodlifeeats.com (goodlifeeats)

Maris C. : SS Sonja P. of http://www.activefoodie.com (ActiveFoodie)

Maybelles M. : SS April K. of http://http//aprilshomecooking.blogspot.com

Meaghan B. : SS Jackie G. of http://www.jackiegordon.com (divathatatenewyork)

Megan M.* : SS Josie T. of http://daydreamerdesserts.blogspot.com (Daydreamerdsrts)

Megan P.* : SS Lindsay C. of http://www.scoopadventures.com (ScoopAdventurer)

Nastassia J. : SS Shelley S. of http://twitter.com/artsyshell (artsyshell)

Nikki M-K. : SS Amy I. of http://www.playinghouseblog.com (amy_i)

Renee J.* : SS Richard K. of http://twitter.com/Niteweng (Niteweng)

Richard K.* : SS Amy J. of http://www.shewearsmanyhats.com (wearsmanyhats)

Shelley S. : SS Kate W. of http://savour-fare.com (Savour)

Sonja P. : SS Esi Impraim of http://dishingupdelights.blogspot.com (dishingdelights)

Susan C.* : SS Kathy S. of http://www.paninihappy.com (paninikathy)

Thomas A.* : SS Lys C. of http://www.cookinginstilettos.org (JustAnothaGal)

Wendy B.* : SS Grace Y. of http://www.gracenotesnyc.com (gracenotesnyc)

Here’s wishing you all a Happy New Year! I hope 2010 will be a very good year for all of us.

To greet 2010, my brother, sister-in-law, and I decided to cook up a traditional Filipino meal for New Year’s: pansit (noodles, for long life), lumpiang shanghai (meat spring roll), lumpiang gulay (vegetable spring roll), roast chicken, and fruit salad with buko (coconut meat). Served with bubblies.

We had our 12 round fruits for “good luck”, too.

We had another roast poultry, chicken this time, cooked using Julia Child’s method:

Here’s what I started to do for 2010…well, those that I could share in public:

1. I committed to posting a photo a day for Project 365 for Food Bloggers. This is going to be a good exercise for daily photo upload and seeing what everybody else is eating, cooking, or taking photos of.

2. I’m participating in the Ten in 10 Healthy Challenge where I made a 10-week commitment to make these healthy changes in my life: eat more balance meals (including eating breakfast, which I almost always skip), get into a regular running routine, and finish my Couch to 5K program (well, I am on the 12-week plan, but I would like to finish the bulk of it, health permitting).