Pasta alla Norma- Eggplant heaven!

I don't know who Norma was but she sure inspired a great pasta sauce.  My great friend Gaby introduced me to pasta alla Norma in Kelowna a few years ago.  I missed this dish... If you love eggplant, try this out.

Pasta alla Norma served with tomato basil bruschetta.

Serves two generously.  Can be doubled.

Tortilla española - great for tapas, dinner, brunch. It's just plain great!

My wonderful Venezuelan friend Aymara sang the praises of the famous tortilla espanola.  My thanks to her for introducing me to this wonderful national dish of Spain.  It seems there are dozens of versions out there.  My recipe is a collage of many recipes and suggestions.

I used less olive oil than usually suggested.  I cooked the potatoes slowly in the oil, making sure to move the slices, ensuring they remain separate and do not brown too much.  I cooked them "half way" to ensure the potatoes remain intact when the dish is served.

To serve four as a main course or many more as an hors d'oeuvre.

Pork & Shrimp Wonton Soup

For me, making wontons is a labour of love.  I gather all my ingredients, find a comfortable, scenic spot (or the television) and get to work at a leisurely pace.  These are not the usual wontons from the neighbourhood Chinese takeout- these have flavour and crunch.  They are both beautiful and tasty!

I make five or six dozen, freeze them in bags to hold one dozen each, ready for soup or deep-frying or steaming. So many possibilities.

To make about three litres of broth and approx, five dozen wontons.