Lil' Sis' Pumpkin Marbled Cheesecake

Lil' sis doesn't cook very often when she comes home.

"Do you really want to eat my cooking?" she says.

Sure! Why not? Especially if she makes pumpkin marbled cheesecakes. :)

Pate Chinois (Canadian "Chinese" Cottage Pie)

I've always loved English Cottage Pie. Who doesn't love baked mashed potatoes on a bed of ground beef and vegetables? I've usually stuck with peas and carrots, so when I saw Miss.Adventure @Home's variation of pate Chinois with corn, I was intrigued with the French Chinese name.

According to Wikipedia, the French Canadian dish may have originated with Chinese cooks during building of the North American railroads in the late 19th century. The Chinese cooks probably made it for their English railway bosses, substituting creamed corn for the gravy in a shepherd's/cottage pie. French Canadian railway workers brought the recipe back home and it spread throughout Quebec and the Northeast U.S.

Another possible explanation for the origins gives credit to Lionel Guimont, a linguistics student at Laval University. Guimont met someone from Maine, who was visiting Canada, and referred to the dish as "China pie." "China pie" could have been a popular dish in lumber camps and mills kitchens in China and South China, two towns in Maine with a large population of Quebecois forestry workers. Workers returning to Quebec translated it into French as pate Chinois, instead of pate de China.

Either way, I find both explanations give an intriguing glimpse into how food and its name have been adapted from its origins.

Triple-Deviled Eggs with Black Pepper, Paprika, and Sriracha

This recipe was inspired by a recipe I saw in the Oregonian's FoodDay years and years ago. I've long lost the original recipe, but remembered the addition of Sriracha and the "triple-deviled" part. Unfortunately, the original recipe was not available online. Not that it matters since I probably would have made my own variation anyway, but I do try to give proper credit where I can.

Anyway, I haven't made this recipe for years. Not because there was any reason to or not to make it, but sometimes I need a little incentive.