-
Instant Pot beef chilli
Although some sources report that chilli originated in northern Mexico, most food historians assert that it is a classic American dish invented in southern Texas. In fact, some Mexicans will strongly concur; a 1959 Mexican dictionary defined chili con carne as a “detestable food falsely called Mexican, sold in the United States from Texas to…
-
Julia Child’s Boeuf Bourguignon
This evening’s dinner recipe was inspired by Julia Child, the renowned chef who introduced French cuisine to the American public, best known for her debut cookbook Mastering the Art of French Cooking. People who love to eat are always the best people. Julia Child (Image: Source) In this case, Mr. Chuckles and I are two…
-
Old-fashioned apple pie with gingerbread crumble
My earliest memories of apple pie were from The Big Apple, a bakery/shop that sits just off the westbound lane of Highway 401 as it passes Colborne, Ontario. My family made a point to stop here every time we were on our way home to Toronto from Ottawa to pick up a couple of their…
-
Wonky festive gingerbread cookies
We are in full fledged holiday mode. Christmas tree is up (see below), gift shopping and wrapping done, Advent calendar opened, and now it’s time for holiday baking. This weekend afternoon was spent preparing homemade gingerbread. I participated by practicing my cookie decorating skills, which turned out more in line with that of a contestant…
-
Blog milestone: 100 followers!
I received a notification from WordPress yesterday that I’ve Bean Travelling has now surpassed 100 follows, including a combination of WordPress reader, email, and social media subscribers. This blog was started on a whim as an inside joke between myself and Mr. Chuckles, but has since transformed into my creative outlet in a small corner…
-
Italian-American meatballs in red sauce
Spaghetti and meatballs is a classic Italian-American dish, introduced by Italian immigrants in New York City sometime in the early 20th century. This dish differed significantly from the meatballs prepared back in the motherland. In Italy, meatballs known as polpette were much smaller, often no larger than the size of a marble. Unlike the Americanized…
-
Pesto pasta with portobello mushrooms
As per its original namesake, pesto alla Genovese is a sauce originating in Genoa, Italy. During the Middle Ages, Genoan cuisine commonly featured a predecessor of pesto known as agliata, a mashed paste of garlic and walnuts. It was not until the mid-19th century that basil was introduced into the modern recipe. The best pesto…
-
Carrot cake with cream cheese frosting
‘Tis the season of holiday parties and potlucks, so the big decision in our kitchen these days is what to make and bring to these gatherings. By popular demand, Mr. Chuckles has been assigned dessert duty at Christmas Day dinner and will be preparing a carrot cake. We found this recipe from the manual that…
-
Boozy aged eggnog
It’s December 1st! Mr. Chuckles and I put up our tree in mid-November, but we can now openly start our official Christmas countdown. It has been snowing and miserable outside all day, so this evening is an opportune time cuddle up on the sofa to begin our holiday movie festival. Tonight’s viewing is The Family…
-
A budget break in London, England
Back in 2017, a visit to London, England was my first self-planned European vacation (pre-Brexit). My sister and I booked our one week getaway to the English capital when we saw a super cheap flight deal on WestJet. At the time, they were marketing roundtrip airfare to London Gatwick at about $500 CAD from Toronto.…
I've Bean Travelling
A travel and food blog.
I've Bean Travelling 