Spicy bread & tomato salad (panzanella)

in Savoury, Taste -

Crusty sourdough, fresh juicy tomatoes and harissa turn this hearty and spicy panzanella into the perfect quick summer dish. 

Spicy bread & tomato salad (panzanella)

Just have a quick look at my Instagram these days- it’s a tomato extravaganza, my own summery inspiration wall, a love letter to the season’s true queen. All hail the tomato and its beauty! I am not a purist when it comes to almost anything, but I do discriminate between tomatoes from back home and those from anywhere else. And when I say home, I mean it literally, my family’s country house, where we grow everything that summer is made of: the juiciest tomatoes in all sizes, crusty cucumbers, small green peppers, some spicy, some not, white, chubby aubergines, the most fragrant herbs and sweet/ tart plums in the most gorgeous purple. It’s all there and my summers are made of them on repeat. [READ MORE]

Beer, bacon & fennel seed bread

in Savoury, Taste -

In celebration of baking, picnics and all things summer, a beer, bacon & fennel seed bread I’ve been in love with for quite some time now.

beer-bacon-fennel-seed-bread

In my mind, I love baking; going through my fridge and cupboards, flipping through recipes or eyeing fresh produce of the season. Then slowly, sometimes reluctantly, others barely containing my self, forming a plan; it is often in the form of a challenge, but mostly I’m a slave to my own appetites and even more so to the people I have in mind when baking. I made these cookies for a friend leaving London for Portugal via Berlin and five different cakes for another friend’s birthday. There needs to be a reason, even if it’s just an overwhelming desire for pie or the juiciest tomatoes I could get my hands on. [READ MORE]

Summer potato salad with bresaola, tomatoes, radishes & avocado

in Savoury, Taste -

A summer potato salad with bresaola, tomatoes, radishes & avocado, which is as beautiful, simple, refreshing and filling as it gets. 

Summer potato salad with bresaola, tomatoes, radishes & avocado

When we were wee bit babies, our mom had an array of nicknames for us; amongst my favourites were ‘little potato chip’, for me, and ‘little shrimp’ for my sister. We were quite similar for sure, as identical twins can be, yet also quite different, as much as siblings usually are. I was the rounder one- hence the little potato monicker, which I always loved- even when I didn’t like my chubbiness, even when I decided I didn’t care much for potatoes. [READ MORE]

Fresh pea, watercress & egg tart

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Celebrating Father’s Day with a very crunchy and very green fresh pea, watercress & egg tart. Easy, quick, pretty and perfect for all handsome men out there. 

Fresh pea, watercress & egg tart

Father’s Day always comes at one of my favourite times of the year: it’s early summer, the weather is usually, hopefully, enticingly warm in the mornings and perfectly cool at night; work is slowly winding down and summer plans are slowly, or frantically, unfolding. And amongst all that, there’s this day and the additional charm it brings with it to celebrate. [READ MORE]

Halloumi, avocado & red pepper sandwich

in Savoury, Small bites, Taste -

Made with some of my favourite ingredients, this halloumi, avocado & red pepper sandwich is fresh, delicious and filled with colours and textures!

Halloumi, avocado & red pepper sandwich

Just the promise of sunshine and warm weather suffices; it fills me with a child-like anticipation and a strange kind of energy, waking up at the crack of dawn, impatient for the glorious days ahead. And now that it’s here- sunshine, and summer weather- I can’t contain myself. The house is too small and the floor is too sturdy for my dancing feet. There’s far too many things to celebrate. [READ MORE]

Feta, thyme & pistachio scones

in Savoury, Taste -

Flaky, buttery and aromatic, these feta, thyme & pistachio scones are perfect on their own, or served with a spicy yogurt and a mild, fruity chutney.

Feta, thyme & pistachio scones

Quite a long while ago, while discussing American biscuits, I elaborately and somewhat clumsily confessed my love for scones. Since then, my passion has turned into a deep affection, one that I have for not too many dishes and foods. There’s comfort there and bittersweet memories, there’s lots of crumbs and an aftertaste which is always sweet and always lingers a little while. [READ MORE]

Asparagus & tuna pasta salad

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Perfect for this time of year, this asparagus & tuna pasta salad is colourful, delicious and irresistibly light- it’s an ideal lunch or dinner for spring.

Asparagus & tuna pasta salad

It seems like every year, I am somehow oblivious to the infinite charms of asparagi. Autumn passes and then winter too and I never think about them, nor do I miss them. And then spring arrives, irresistible and thirsty, bearing gifts of almost unbearable beauty: berries and crunchy cucumbers, delicate greens and, always seemingly to my surprise, asparagus. A little crusty, yet delicate too, requiring so very little and giving back so very much. [READ MORE]

Potato salad

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A light potato salad with cappers, spring onions and a creamy, lemony yogurt sauce- it’s the perfect way to use those perky spring baby potatoes. 

Potato salad

Sweet, restless, raffish spring is here, with all its colours, moody weather, all the smells and overwhelming desires and at times melancholy it often brings along. It’s here, with all its pretty ingredients, delicate and unassuming, bright and almost festive. Of those, the ones I almost never notice are new potatoes, the somewhat kings and queens of April harvest. [READ MORE]

Salmon & cream cheese crêpes

in Savoury, Taste -

Light and delicate, these salmon & cream cheese crêpes are perfect for any time of the day, as well as a great savoury addition to Pancake Day.  

Salmon & cream cheese crêpes

As a child and teenager, I seldom spent much time thinking about Easter and the traditions before and around it. See, I was fascinated by and forever enamoured with the sparkle of Christmas. I still love the winter holiday very much, but the older I get, the more I find myself drawn to Easter. The reasons behind it are not religious, but rather related to my fascination with the significance of traditions and their different expressions. [READ MORE]

Chickpea & red pepper coconut curry

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A mildly spicy vegetarian chickpea & red pepper coconut curry is full of fragrant spices, and finished off with fresh coriander and lime juice.

Chickpea & red pepper coconut curry

There’s few smells that enchant me as much as curry spices, cooking away along with chopped onion and garlic. It’s a strong, bold scent, never overwhelming though, but utterly satisfying. My knowledge of curries is still quite limited, yet that smell alone is incentive enough for me to learn more, experiment more, cook more, discover more, enjoy more. For the time being, my quite timid efforts focus on flavours which are anything but simple, yet are starting to feel familiar. [READ MORE]