Anyone wishing to explore the wide and creative arrays of colors, flavors and textures that make up south Indian cuisine could not do much better than to pick up a copy of Chandra Padmanabhan's lavish and informative Dakshin cookbook. A large assortment of exotic and beautifully illustrated dal, rice and vegetable dishes are clearly explained and … most importantly … delicious every time.

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Simple and quick but delicious, these soft and slightly custard-y baked pancakes make as wonderful a treat on a weekend morning with a mug of hot coffee as they would for dessert, and are best eaten hot out of the oven. Made with coconut milk, fresh mango pieces and just a hint of cardamom, this is another and slightly more exotic variation on the baked strawberry pancakes that proved to be so popular last summer.

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The warmth and comfort found in a hot bowl of cream of potato soup has staved off winter chills for generations of Canadians, and few kitchens are without a basic recipe at hand. But the use of creamed white beans in place of the standard milk and flour base found in most recipes makes this cream of potato soup a filling and nourishing meal all on its own, while adding a depth of flavor that is all the more satisfying for the addition of turnips as well.

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When I saw this recipe for these chickpea flour fritters with a creamy filling of ricotta, sun-dried tomatoes and olives at Ilva's lovely blog, I immediately decided to try them … I never can resist olive, sun-dried tomato pairings, especially when there is cheese thrown into the mix!

In fact, I made them twice, as the photos didn't turn out the first time and it took little to persuade me to make them again. The crispy little fritters make for a delightful meal and my sweetie said it was almost like eating a savory dessert for dinner. The possibilities for toppings and fillings are endless, and I'm thinking of trying them with goat cheese next time, or a creamy mushroom filling. I should also note this recipe is gluten-free, so consider this as an alternative to traditional flour-based fried savories.

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