Food for thought

in Food for thought, Inspiration -

Food for thought: the power of books and the complexities of gender, the best (cheesy) news and how to cook that steak just right. 

Blueberry, chia, coconut & beet smoothie bowl

This past week was very cold, very intense and quite surprisingly satisfying. Between lunch and dinner with friends, making plans for the blog and prepping for a quick trip back home, the days flew past me with almost enchanted speed. The weekend will hopefully be similarly exciting, spent with my special ladies (I made them these) and in the kitchen, cooking up a few delicious things for y’all here. [READ MORE]

Date, hazelnut & coconut fudge

in Desserts, Taste -

Love at first bite: this super healthy, super quick date, hazelnut & coconut fudge is the perfect little treat for your loved ones.

I believe I have already mentioned here my affection for Valentine’s Day celebrations. It’s a silly day and these are silly sentiments, really, but I am holding on to both with a somewhat nostalgic persistence. I am not quite sure what being a ‘romantic’ entails nor can I put in precise words my definition of a romance. Yet, I have the persistent and almost fantastic certainty that my parents share a love which is both one for the books and messily and reassuringly ordinary. I like to think that Mike’s and mine romance shares both these attributes and somehow balances between the overwhelmingly extraordinary and the comforts of a serene routine. [READ MORE]

Citrus & edamame salad

in Small bites, Taste -

Perfect for winter and filled with all the beautiful fruit available, this bright and refreshing citrus & edamame salad is as easy as it is satisfying.

Citrus & edamame salad

I am endlessly in awe of the fresh produce available in spades during spring and sumer. All the captivating colours and intoxicating smells, all the different textures which beg to be used in different dishes, usually requiring very little handling at all. I am in awe indeed and I miss them when the warm months are gone. And then, in the middle of winter, when all hopes of light and warmth are unwillingly but still necessarily put to the side, I become aware, somehow by chance and almost  alarmingly, of the devastating beauty of citrus fruits. [READ MORE]

Food for thought

in Food for thought, Inspiration -

This week’s Food for Thought is all about the very simple secret behind a healthy diet, a terrific old fashioned new film, supporting refugees and surviving London.

Happy Friday y’all! I’ve enjoyed this past week quite a bit, with all its hustle and bustle. There was a lot of work to be done for the blog, which was both painful at times (one part of me is a giant sloth), and super inspiring (another part of me is a Marvel character). In the midst of it all, I managed to watch the 13th (which kinda kept me up for the better part of a couple nights), spent roughly two hours in Whole Foods looking at herbs and chocolate bars and trying to come up with a plan to try said chocolates without paying (no luck) and played around with V-Day recipe ideas (those damn chocolates!). The weekend ahead will be spend mostly in East London, mostly with friends and will also, probably, include some healthy food (at the Fare Healthy Festival). Have a great one! [READ MORE]

Sausage & porcini bolognese

in Savoury, Taste -

Appropriately thick, deliciously aromatic and ever so slightly spicy, this sausage & porcini bolognese is comfort food at it’s best. Dig in!

Sausage & porcini bolognese

As much as I love pasta, I almost never make meaty sauces to go with it. I seldom cook meat in general, but that’s not to say I don’t enjoy the quite rare occasions when I’ll have it. Even though a steak doesn’t do much for me, I’m a sucker for thick, juicy ribs, a simple, spicy & refreshing thai beef salad and a good old bolognese. [READ MORE]

How to cook perfect pasta

in Savoury -

Delicious, comforting and endlessly versatile, pasta is a favourite with good reason. Here’s how to always cook it to perfection.

how to cook perfect pasta

My favourite dish of all time? Pasta, hands down. Always pasta. I may go through phases where I’ll develop a crush on, say, a curry, or a colorful rice salad and there are times when all I think about and all I make is soup. Yet, pasta is always number one, even these days which are all consumed by trying out different seeds & grains and pairing them with delicious vegetables and all sorts of crunchy things. Still, because of all these occasional crushes and the fact that I can never eat pasta in moderation, it is relatively rarely featured in our meals- and in here. Yet the love is there and it is very much real. [READ MORE]

Food for thought

in Inspiration -

On today’s food for thought: coffee’s necessity, Mary Poppin’s charms, the absurdity of clean eating and the beauty of Dutch babies for breakfast.

Quinoa, fresh greens, radishes, avocado & 6min egg

The week has passed by quickly, but was neither very easily nor exciting. It’s super cold outside, both Mike and I are very busy and not in the best of moods and the days seem to quickly go by, but also kinda drag. On the plus side, I’ve played around with a couple hearty dishes (a chickpea curry may be coming your way soon), lots of quick plates full of fresh veggies and delicious grains and now have a new favourite banana bread. We are both looking forward to the weekend, which will include a much needed date night, a friend’s birthday and, hopefully, lots of lounging in bed. Have a great weekend, y’all! [READ MORE]

Spicy hot toddy

in Small bites, Taste -

Mildly boozy and seriously spicy, this hot toddy will do wonders both for your immune system and your spirit! Bottoms up!

I meant to share this for a while now, as it has become my favourite remedy for winter colds. To be perfectly honest, up until recently, I had no clue what a hot toddy was. I am not a big fan of whiskey and I don’t care for hot beverages which are not black coffee. Still, there’s always whiskey around here and thanks to the vibrant English weather, there’s also the occasional cold. So, in an effort to keep winter colds (and blues) at bay and in memory of the very cool Robert Burns (Happy Birthday!), here’s my version of a hot toddy and the story behind it. [READ MORE]

Food for thought

in Inspiration -

Weekend brunch, genius recipes, inspiring books, series and music, the best way to fight a cold and my favourite food-related advice.

White chocolate bark

This week went by in a flash. It was mostly sunny (but very cold), mostly creative and filled with some experimentation with date fudge (delicious) and protein bars (not so delicious). We have a busy weekend coming up: there will be pie making for National Pie Day, some homeware shopping (I’m loving Oliver Bonas right now), aperitivos with friends and a Sunday brunch I am really looking forward to (here are some great recommendations for the whole of UK). How’s your weekend looking? [READ MORE]

Homemade dukkah

in Small bites, Taste -

Fragrant, spicy and crunchy, this Egyptian savoury spice blend has the right amount of heat, is very addictive, versatile and so easy to make at home.

Homemade dukkah

I don’t remember the first time I came across dukkah; what I do remember is how crazy in love I fell. Listen, crunchy texture in food tends to make me very happy. Peanut butter is always crunchy (although I often cook with the smooth variety) and granola stays in the oven just a tiny bit longer; when I make pie using filo pastry, I try to call dibs on all the extra crispy corner pieces and as much as I love hummus, crunchy chickpeas always trump it. I won’t even get into milk chocolate with hazelnut or almond chunks- they pretty much sum up half of my childhood and don’t want to get soft now. [READ MORE]