The Art of Eating by MFK Fisher

I have been waiting for months to read some MFK Fisher. Everyone who knows food writing says she is the master. For example, Ruth Reichl says she "has the extraordinary ability to make the ordinary seem rich and wonderful." Julia Child said her "wit and passionate opinions on food and those who produce it, comment upon it, and consume it are as apt today as they were... when she composed them." Alice Waters says that The Art of Eating "should be required reading for every cook. It defines in a sensual and beautiful way the vital relationship between food and culture." How fortunate we were that the May Kitchen Reader selection by Carolyn of FoodNURD was The Art of Eating, a massive compendium of five of Fisher's books, totalling more than 700 pages.

Veggie and Egg Cakes

These little veggie and egg bites pack well for lunch. Or they make a pretty appetizer or brunch item. I used choi sum as the green vegetable here. My recipe is adapted from a spinach-based recipe. And I would like to try them with watercress. So use any green, leafy vegetable you have on hand.

Red and Green Salad with Chayote

Ms Hovey was my favourite teacher in elementary school. Her grade four class was the first place I tasted kiwi, and the first place I saw baking soda react with vinegar. I was a quiet, bookish girl with long, brown hair and glasses, and I wanted to please her. Perhaps because of this, she encouraged me to enter the school's public speaking competition.

Rhubarb Cake with Cinnamon Topping

On Mondays at work we have a collaboration session. The twelve of us in our department have a scheduled meeting to discuss issues and share ideas. I try to provide a snack at collaboration since it's a rare time when we are all together. I made this cake two Mondays in a row for collaboration.

The first week I made this it was because I was so excited to see rhubarb in my grocery store. The second week it was requested by a British colleague who realised that rhubarb was one part of a UK spring that he had been missing. The crumbly cinnamon topping adds a nice counterpoint to the tart and soft rhubarb.

How to Cook Perfect Quail's Eggs

Quail's eggs are tiny, speckled beauties. They cook in a very short time, and make an elegant addition to a salad, soup, or appetizer tray. I bought a dozen at the Central wet market in Hong Kong and set about on an experiment to discover how to boil the perfect quail's egg.

 

I boiled the eggs above for different lengths of time to see how long it took to get a perfectly soft or hard boiled egg. The eggs above were cooked for 1 minute, 2 minutes, 2.5 minutes, 3 minutes, and 4 minutes.

Artichoke Bites

I have written about these artichoke squares before. They are a great side dish or party appetiser. My newest version of these delectable hand-held snacks, pictured here, taste a lot like pizza bites. I adapted my previous recipe by adding tomatoes, using sriracha to add some heat, and changing the ratio of artichokes and cheese.