zeppole

another Italian staple, these are made during feast days, I hear. Basic dough with yeast, deep fried and sprinkled with sugar. It has raisins too. What strikes me again and again -- the parallels between various cuisines. The same basic formula in different forms and versions. We have this same variations with our basic dough based on rice flour. Sometimes with yeast or toddy , with or without coconut, coconut milk in their various forms. Steamed, boiled, pan-seared, deep fried, sauteed, stuffed, filled, etc. etc.

Welcome, New Year 2019!

Just finger foods, but really filling and delicious.

the savory snacks -- beef and potao hand pie and tartelette, crameized onion and gruyere tartelette, creamy mushroom vol-au-vent

the sweet snacks -- raspberry-cream cheese-white chocolate pocket, apricot cinnamon sugar pinwheel