Category Archives: General

Chocolate Pots de Crème Recipe

Baked Chocolate Custard with Whipped Cream Topping
Chocolate Pots de Crème

When you want a sublime, velvety smooth, rich chocolate dessert, Chocolate Pots de Crème are always a great option. Made with only seven ingredients, these Pots de Crème will be adored by any chocolate lover. Continue reading Chocolate Pots de Crème Recipe

Chicken Francese Recipe

Chicken Française in skillet
Chicken Francese

I am a huge fan of one skillet stovetop dinners and, today, I am sharing my recipe for Chicken Francese with you. This restaurant quality dish is basically pan-fried battered chicken breast cutlets served in a lemony white wine sauce. This savory dish is easy enough to make for a weeknight meal, but is certainly (at least in my opinion) suitable for company fare, too. Continue reading Chicken Francese Recipe

Creamy Ham and Potato Chowder

Green soup bowl filled with Ham Chowder accompanied by a tomato sandwich
Creamy Ham and Potato Chowder

A tummy-warming chowder is always welcome on the table, especially on cool fall and cold winter days. I am a big fan of devising ways to use leftover meat to extend its use and number of servings possible. Today, I am sharing my recipe for Ham and Potato Chowder that makes great use of leftover cooked ham. Continue reading Creamy Ham and Potato Chowder

Snowball Cookie Balls Recipe

Russian Tea Cakes placed in pyramid shape on a white pedestal cake plate
Snowball Cookie Balls

These delightful confections are known by many names including Snowball Cookies, Russian Tea Cakes, Mexican Wedding Cookies, Swedish Tea Cakes, Italian Wedding Cookies, Butterballs, Polvorones, and many more. Their origin is unclear but, as the many names suggest, they are enjoyed around the world, no matter what they are called. I call them Snowball Cookie Balls because the dusting of icing sugar gives them the appearance of snowballs, making them particularly popular at Christmas. Continue reading Snowball Cookie Balls Recipe

Sweet Potato, Eggnog, and Bourbon Pie

Slice of Sweet Potato Pie with whipped cream sits on plate.
Sweet Potato, Eggnog, and Bourbon Pie

While I like Squash and Pumpkin Pies, I have to say that this Sweet Potato, Eggnog, and Bourbon Pie tops my list in this category of pies! Flavored with eggnog, bourbon, and warm spices, this pie is luxuriously silky smooth. Add a dollop of whipped cream when serving, if desired. Continue reading Sweet Potato, Eggnog, and Bourbon Pie

Classic Bruschetta with Balsamic Reduction

Appetizers
Bruschetta

Bruschetta is simply an appetizer that consists of a tomato-basil topping served on crostini toasts. It is best made with the freshest tomatoes possible (i.e., from the garden) but can certainly be made year-round with good quality supermarket tomatoes. Continue reading Classic Bruschetta with Balsamic Reduction

Orange-scented Blueberry Oat Square

Teatime Square Made With Blueberries
Orange-scented Blueberry Oat Square

Modelled after, and made with the same method as, a traditional Date Square, this wholesome Orange-Scented Blueberry Oat Square features a delectable blueberry filling sandwiched between a sweet and buttery orange-scented oatmeal crumb base and topping. Continue reading Orange-scented Blueberry Oat Square

National Afternoon Tea Week

 

Tiered Server for Afternoon Tea
Afternoon Tea Table

As I write this post on August 7, 2022, the forthcoming week of August 8-14th marks National Afternoon Tea Week in the UK. This is a week set aside to celebrate the wonderful leisurely genteel activity of afternoon tea. As those of you who are regular followers of my food blog know, afternoon tea is a passion of mine and I never pass up an opportunity to indulge in the menu of savory bites, toothsome scones with jam and clotted or English double cream, and an array of tantalizing desserts. Continue reading National Afternoon Tea Week

Lobster Macaroni and Cheese Recipe

Lobster Pasta Dish
Lobster Macaroni and Cheese

Living in PEI, we have access to fresh locally-fished lobster during the Island’s two lobster fishing seasons, commonly known as the spring and fall fisheries.

Lobstter Boats
Lobster Fishing Boats Loaded with Traps for Setting Day, North Rustico, PEI

The first season begins in May and goes until the end of June. The second season runs from August to October.

Lobster Fishing Boat
Lobster Fishing Boat Loaded with Traps, French River, PEI

After a few good “feeds” of lobster straight from the shell, I am ready to incorporate lobster as an ingredient in other dishes such as in this tasty Lobster Macaroni and Cheese. This is not your usual weeknight Mac ‘n Cheese dish. Rather, I refer to it as a more extravagant grown-up version of an old family classic. Continue reading Lobster Macaroni and Cheese Recipe

Celebratory Platinum Jubilee Afternoon Tea

Table with 3-tier server set for teatime
Platinum Jubilee Afternoon Tea

Today, we enjoyed a Celebratory Platinum Jubilee Afternoon Tea.  It’s not many people who can say they worked in the same job for 70 years and probably even fewer can boast of still being on the job every day with plans to continue! As I write this post, it is June 2, 2022, the actual 70th anniversary of the formal coronation of  Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II (now aged 96) which took place on June 2, 1953. Continue reading Celebratory Platinum Jubilee Afternoon Tea

My Island Bistro Kitchen Celebrates 10th Blogiversary!

Celebration Cake
10th Blogiversary Celebration Cake

Today marks a milestone for me as it was 10 years ago on this date that I created My Island Bistro Kitchen’s website.

Over the past 10 years, I have developed and published countless recipes, conducted interviews and written numerous stories about PEI food and beverage producers, attended and written about many Island food events, contributed to media articles, participated as a panelist on radio call-in shows, wrote reviews of select cookbooks, provided several recipe tutorials, created a series of weekly meal plans, set many tables with all kinds of pretty tablesettings, shared my gardening adventures, taken followers around the scenic Island on my many summer picnics and, yes, you’ve been invited to several teatimes, too! Whew! What a whirlwind it has been!

Decorated Cake
Sugared Cranberry and Rosemary Cake Decorations

The food blog and website were created when I was looking for a focus that would allow me to pursue three of my passions – culinary, photography, and writing. Blogging had just really come into its own around the time that I created the website and so off I went on the recipe development, food photography, and food writing journey.

I aim to keep the recipes I develop and share real and do-able for the home cook and not too far “off the beaten track”. I am aware of the different levels of culinary skills and food budgets that followers may have. As such, I try to provide thorough instructions with my recipes and, with some exceptions but to the extent possible, to use equipment that is most likely to be common in the vast majority of kitchens so followers who choose to make the recipes can do so in their own kitchens. Where possible, I continue to try to feature and use locally produced food ingredients from here in Prince Edward Island.

So, on this, my 10th Blogiversary, I am grateful for those faithful followers of My Island Bistro Kitchen who have been with me from the start. I am also thankful for, and welcome, those who have joined (and continue to join) along the way. If you are new to “the Bistro”, a hearty warm welcome to you! I hope all will continue to follow “the Bistro” and invite their family and friends to follow along, too, as I have plans for more great recipes in the works.

Anniversary Cake
Blogiversary Celebration Cake

Every anniversary merits some kind of celebratory cake so, it’s a simple white cake filled with cranberry curd today and decorated with sugared cranberries and rosemary just picked from my garden.

Anniversary Cake
10th Blogiversary Celebration Cake

I have opted to pair some of my fuchsia, or cranberry-colored, teacups with this cake for today’s celebratory teatime. Tea was poured from the stunning bell-shaped carousel or marquee Sadler teapot in shades of ivory, gold, and burgundy. Isn’t it a stunner!

Sadler Teapot and Paragon Teacup
Sadler Bell-shaped Carousel or Marquee Teapot and a Paragon Teacup

 

Barbara

Connect with My Island Bistro Kitchen on Social Media

Join the Facebook page for My Island Bistro Kitchen:  https://www.facebook.com/MyIslandBistroKitchen/

Follow “the Bistro” on Twitterhttps://twitter.com/PEIBistro/

See the drool-worthy gallery of mouth-watering food photos from My Island Bistro Kitchen on Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/peibistro/

Follow “the Bistro” on Pinterest at https://www.pinterest.ca/peibistro/ and pin the Pinterest-ready photo at the end of this posting to your favorite Pinterest boards!

To view previous Blogiversary celebrations of My Island Bistro Kitchen, click on the links below:

1st Blogiversary
2nd Blogiversary
3rd Blogiversary
4th Blogiversary
5th Blogiversary
6th Blogiversary
7th Blogiversary
8th Blogiversary
9th Blogiversary

Custard Sandwich Cookies Recipe

Cookies Sandwiched with Pink Buttercream Icing surrounded by pink flowers
Pretty Custard Sandwich Cookies

These Custard Sandwich Cookies bear some resemblance to those that many know as Melting Moments, my recipe for which can be found here. The primary difference between these Custard Sandwich Cookies and Melting Moments is that the latter contains cornstarch giving the cookies what is commonly known as a “short”, ever-so-slightly crisp, texture while the Custard Sandwich Cookies contain vanilla custard powder that gives them a wonderful soft, creamy, and slightly crumbly texture as well as additional flavor and a more yellowish color. Continue reading Custard Sandwich Cookies Recipe

Luscious Lime Curd Recipe

Glass jar filled with Lime Curd
Luscious Lime Curd

Sharper and with a tangier taste than lemon curd, lime curd (in its natural state) is a slightly duller color than the traditional lemon curd with which most people are probably more familiar. One would think lime curd would automatically have a lime green color but this is not the case as the juice from limes is actually a very pale bland color. I added just a touch of green gel icing coloring to brighten up the curd and give it a pretty lime green color, more consistent to what might be expected of the appearance of a lime curd. Continue reading Luscious Lime Curd Recipe

Clementine Sponge Pudding for Two

Two ramekin dishes filled with single-serving Sponge Pudding
Clementine Sponge Pudding for Two

This self-saucing Clementine Sponge Pudding, baked in a bain marie, consists of a lovely citrus-flavored sauce topped with a light-as-air sponge cake. The pudding is proportionately sized for two servings making it ideal for the small household. Continue reading Clementine Sponge Pudding for Two

An Islander Day Cream Tea

Gold Tray with Teapot and PEI Teacups
Prince Edward Island Commemorative China Teacups

As I write this post, it is a statutory holiday known as Islander Day here in Prince Edward Island. As such, I thought it would be an appropriate time to showcase my small collection of PEI commemorative cups and saucers. Continue reading An Islander Day Cream Tea