At the beginning of January, I gave you a pretty major preview when I told you about the weird-but-delicious cauliflower pizza I once ate in Amsterdam. Of course I couldn’t stop thinking about it, so I tried to replicate it at home. You can find the result here…
I’m having another Meat Free Monday today. Apparently you’re supposed to only eat meat three times a week at the most, but in fact most of us eat it almost daily. I like the variety and beauty of vegetarian cuisine. All these vegetables make our plates bright and vibrant and provide us with many important nutrients. Today I’ll present to you a lentil salad with warm veggies, fine herbs, fried goat’s cheese and a delicious mix of nuts.
For pasta of all shapes and sizes, for vegetables, for pizza, as a dip, as a present…. I am of course talking about pesto. An extremely versatile indulgence, in my humble opinion, you can make it with leftover seeds and herbs (provided they were fresh in the first place) and it’ll improve many different dishes. You can even dress it up nicely and give it away as a gift.
Eating is a complex thing. There are various guidelines and flavours depending on geography and culture, just like in language, fashion and the arts. Ethnic characteristics in particular are significant – different countries have different customs, and that includes cuisine, food presentation as well as table etiquette.
Tarte Flambée is all the rage at the moment. I see it on menus at all the hip restaurants, and it’s popping up even as far away as Holland and Denmark. But where does the name “Tarte Flambée”, “Flammkuchen” in German, originally come from? I set out to get to the bottom of this – and provide you with three yummy Tarte Flambée recipes at the same time – from sweet to savoury.
Did you know that the avocado belongs to the berry family? No? Here’s some more information on the greenest of berries plus my delicious guacamole recipe…
When the sky has completely lost it and thinks it has to present itself in various shades of drab, I like getting some colour into my day with the food I create. Yesterday was another one of those grey days, so I just had to make my colourful chickpea salad. It’s served warm and is a great dish for winter as well as summer days. You can vary the vegetables according to season.
What a great way to start the New Year. First thing, on the 2nd of January, I flew to Amsterdam to see my good friend Sophie and to explore the city with its cool cafés, restaurants and shops.
Feel like ingratiating yourself with the neighbours this New Year? Or trying to sell your house or apartment? Easy peasy: just bake a tray of cereal bars. You’re now probably trying to figure out how selling real estate is related to cereal bars – well, it isn’t really. Yet indirectly, it is. I recently read that wafting the scent of baked goods through a property encourages a potential buyer to make a positive decision, and faster. The smell of something baking in the oven apparently makes people feel safe and reminds them of home. And these cereal bars emanate a particularly seductive aroma, so in my opinion, they’re the ideal sales tool – and subsequent reward! Wishing you a happy and successful New Year 2014…
Although I love winter, I often get strong sense of WANDERLUST around this time of year. There is a correlation, I’m sure, between the run-up to New Years Eve and a deep reflection of the passing year. Both made me realise that firstly, I wished I had a plan for New Years Eve, and secondly, I actually wanted to fly far away, preferably to a warm country. While I was assailed by these yearning thoughts, I kind of mentally beamed myself back to a Bali-based surf camp called the Balicamp and to the amazing food and the inspiring cooking classes I attended there. So I finally wrote down all those delicious Balinese recipes we cooked and ate at the camp, plus a glossary for all the spices and most frequently used ingredients in Balinese cuisine.
Did you know that at the beginning of the 20th century, the centre of saffron cultivation in Central Europe was Austria? The highest quality saffron was also called Crócus austriacus for that very reason.
A Pavlova is a meringue cake that is crispy on the outside with a soft and sweet centre, like a marshmallow. Classically, you’ll serve it with whipped cream and fresh fruit like raspberries, strawberries, kiwi or any other fruit you like. I always add vanilla ice cream on top as well, to make it even more scrumptious. I first tried this dessert about 9 years ago, when I lived in New Zealand. Back then, I was told it was the country’s national dish. A few years later, when I lived in Australia, I was told the exact same thing. So there seems to be a controversy with both Australia and New Zealand claiming this dish as theirs. The debate goes on to this day. What is a well-known fact is that the name, Pavlova, was chosen in honour of Anna Pavlova, the famous Russian ballerina, who toured both New Zealand and Australia in 1926. Hmmmm. I don’t really mind either way, to be honest – the Pavlova dessert tastes great in New Zealand, Australia AND on my Christmas dinner table. It’s an easy, delicious dish and ever since I spent time in the Southern Hemisphere, I’ve been baking it for Christmas every single year. Merry Christmas, everyone! May all the sweet magic of Christmas fill up your heart with joy and make each of your desires come true. And here’s the recipe… © Foto/Eva Fischer
