Lemon Mousse

For Easter I wanted to prepare a nice dessert, but knew that this year only two people would be eating it. Thus I began searching for recipes that were either light or small enough for two people to easily consume. 

The Best Chocolate Cake

As I told my friend a few weeks ago, after apologizing for not being in touch for so long, I feel like I’ve been running for, if not the entire year, the past five months. 

Turmeric Lime Chicken with Cardamom Rice

I’ve been on something of a roll lately trying and making new recipes. Some have been total duds but some, like this recipe, have been big hits that I just can’t wait to make again.

Blueberry Crumb Bars

I balked when Tom handed me the kilo of blueberries. What would I ever do with so many? I asked aloud. “Freeze them” someone said, “you can never have too many blueberries” someone else chimed in.

Pumpkin Cupcakes

In a recent trip to northern Portugal to pick grapes at the farm house of some friends parents we were given, in reward for our work, a number of things.

Tiramisu

Ironically, for my first post in a very long time I'm adding a recipe that is neither mine, nor have I ever made it.

Outrageous Brownies

Last weekend I was looking for a recipe to make for my friend's party. I wanted to something chocolate but I didn't want to make a cake, cookies or cupcakes. Then it hit me.

Easy Chocolate Mousse

I first searched for this recipe over two years ago when I needed a quick mousse to make, probably for having guests over. I've been dying to add to my blog because I use it all the time and because it's different than other types of mousse, at least the ones I've seen here in Portugal.

Salted Chocolate Chip Cookies

This might seem silly, but if I'm being really honest, one of the main things that's kept me from posting more often this past year is photos. Let me explain.

Lemon Chicken Breast

Are you ready for an easy and delicious chicken recipe that you could make for dinner this week? Look no further. Here it is!

Walnut Brownie Cookies

I think this is the longest blogging hiatus I've had since I started La Cocina Colibrí. I have lots of excuses but the truth is I just haven't been cooking much lately. Since December I've been living here, there and everywhere and sadly, cooking or baking just hasn't been on my list.

Pisto Manchego

As mentioned in my previous post, I wanted to make pisto manchego, a delicious Spanish dish which is something like the French ratatouille.   Then I had a slight hang up and had to make the salsa de tomate frito that goes into it.  Now, however, presuming that in the few weeks since I left you with my recipe for tomate frito you have made it, I present you with the full and delicious recipe for pisto manchego.

Salsa de tomate frito

Ever since living in Spain, attending my first and only lesson at a cooking school there, and being obsessed with El País’s food blogger El Comidista, I’ve been into making Spanish food. With a stack of recipes from the cooking school and countless ones online, I’ve been able to make everything from croquetas to gazpacho. Still, one of my favorite dishes has always been pisto manchego.

Christmas Cookies Galore!

Since it's Christmas time and I have managed to post all the Christmas cookies I have for this year, here's a compilation of this year and last year's goodies.  I hope you'll enjoy them and end up adding one, two or all four to your Christmas cookie list. Merry Christmas!

Sandwich Cookies

Rum Balls

Vanilla Bean Sugar Cookies

Butterballs/Mexican Wedding Cakes/Russian Tea Cookies

Vanilla Bean Sugar Cookies

It’s week two of December and time for another round of Christmas cookies. These next ones are the perfect sugar cookies for cutouts. With the use of an actual vanilla bean to make the dough they have lots of flavor as opposed to the plain sugar cookie cutouts you’re probably used to.

Sandwich Cookies for Christmas

Warning: If you make these cookies you’ll probably end up making them every year for the rest of your life.

Double Layer Stout Cake with Chocolate Buttercream

Apparently, November 26th, is National Cake Day. Who knew?

I have no clue why and I am especially unsure why they would put this holiday anywhere near Thanksgiving, but that’s no excuse for not participating. And if you do, make this cake.

Apple Cake

I knew my mother was setting the bar high when she said someone proposed to her over this cake.

It was something of a joke, tossed out as “I will marry whoever made this cake”.  Regardless, it should be taken as a sign that 1) my mom is amazing baker and 2) this is a damn good cake.  So while no proposals emerged from my production of this cake, it still received lots of high marks from my friends for being moist and yet crunchy on top.

Quinoa Casserole

I could eat quinoa every day. Seriously.

Ever since I discovered quinoa when I was in college, I’ve been unable to get enough of it.  This fact makes it shocking to me that I don’t have more recipes that use quinoa on this blog.  Maybe it's because I gobble it down before it can be photographed, I’m not sure, but this post is here to fill the gap with the tastiest quinoa you’ve ever had, hands down.

An uncommon post

The beautiful garden leading away from the event in Ala, Italy (Photo Credit: Michael Babich)

Though I typically writes posts about food, I felt like writing a post about wine after going to a great wine tasting last weekend so I apologize to any of my readers who are sad there are no recipes in this post.  I'll get back to the recipes soon, I promise!
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Through a strange set of coincidences, having nothing to do with the fact that I work in wine, last weekend I found myself at a wine tasting in Ala, Italy, a short train ride away from Trento where I’m currently living. More casual than most of the wine events I’ve attended, (read: I didn’t have to stumble around in heels at this one) it was still one of my favorites for several reasons. First off, it was free (need I say more?). Second, the quality of the wines at the event was top notch.  Third, I finally got to enjoy some wines from Trentino Alto-Adige, a luxury I have not been able to afford since coming to Trento because of the expensive price of wine.