Last week, I went to the Full of Spice festival in Kew Gardens. It was cool (no pun intended) and interesting and rekindled my love for spices. Of all the info on all the spices, what struck me the most was that on nutmeg and mace. [READ MORE]
Strawberry limeade
in Small bites, Taste -
As a kid and teenager, I never drunk anything apart from water, milk and freshly squeezed juices; there were never sodas or ready made juices around and I never really craved them. Our first summer after high school, when I had discovered and was passionately devoted to coffee, my sister, friends and I decided (among other, irrelevant things) to cut down on coffee. [READ MORE]
My grandma’s almost ravani
in Desserts, Taste -
As I’ve mentioned on yesterday’s post, my grandma was a mess in the kitchen. Yet, she had a recipe book (mostly because she had to, I think) which has now been passed on to me. About a third of it is blank, and although all the recipes are written in her beautiful calligraphic handwriting, quite a few are incomplete, lacking ingredients or directions. Really, I would expect nothing different from her. [READ MORE]
My Aphrodite
in Inspiration -
It’s been almost a year since my maternal grandma passed away. Her name was Aphrodite and I got my middle name from her. I’ve always been so proud of that name. Not only because of how pretty it is, but mostly because it was hers. My grandma was a rare breed. [READ MORE]
Sun dried tomato, halloumi & nectarine sandwich
in Small bites, Taste -
I spend about half of the year without tomatoes. It’s a hell of a lot of time, if you ask me. But it’s always worth it. Come late spring, when I’m finally able to get my hands on the first ones of the season, I remember why I need to wait. [READ MORE]
Blueberry, lime & lavender galette
in Desserts, Taste -
Blueberries are here, people! Yay for blueberries, always and forever! I love all berries, but these dark purple, juicy and sweet beauties might just be my favourite. From the moment they’re in season, I buy them constantly and they’re a staple in most of my breakfast dishes; yogurt with lots of seeds and nuts, lemony pancakes or even smoothies, you name it and there’s probably blueberries in it. But that’s not all; let’s not forget dessert, it would be such a sin. Summer berries are the superstar of sweet treats, especially pies. [READ MORE]
Desperately looking for the best
in Inspiration -
A few weeks ago, we were having dinner with some friends in Chelsea, at their favourite restaurant. It was wonderful in every way and as far as dining experiences go, one of the most enjoyable I’ve ever had. The food was sublime, both comforting and thoughtfully intricate, the wine delicious and in abundance and the service impeccable. What I mostly loved though, was the familiarity between the staff and our friends; they’ve been loyal customers for many years now and are being treated with the warmth and care usually reserved for old friends. Throughout the meal, we talked a lot about the restaurant and our friends’ long lasting love affair with it and what was clear to me was that, apart from the quality of the food and the atmosphere, the main reason for their frequent visits was that they kind of felt at home there. Never once was the term ‘best’ used to describe either the place, or the food or even why our friends favoured it. [READ MORE]
No-churn coffee, choc chip & hazelnut ice-cream
in Desserts, Taste -
When I was little, the first ice-cream I had always marked the beginning of summer. It was almost always the same: two big round crunchy chocolate cookies, drenched in chocolate ganache, with vanilla ice-cream sandwiched between them. Heaven. I still have the same and it still marks the official start of the holidays for me, even though now that I’m all grown-up and able to make (all wise) decisions, I have ice-cream all year around. [READ MORE]
Mango & basil gazpacho
in Savoury, Taste -
It’s spring! And everything is beautiful and in bloom and the days are longer and the coats are off and all is great and ready for the summer, but… What about soup? You know, that amazing, comforting, go-crazy, give-me-all-you-got winter wonder that warms up the body and the heart- are we really ready to let go of all that comfort and deliciousness until fall? Hell. No. Enter gazpacho, a super cool, super tasty, super colourful soup, perfect for the warm weather and for all you soup lovers out there. [READ MORE]
Tahini, cherry & pistachio chunky granola
in Breakfast, Taste -
Breakfast is my favourite meal of the day; I know, I sound like a broken record, but to me (and others, I guess) it’s not just a meal: it’s your first choice of the day, a simple pleasure, yet one that I truly cherish. I really don’t get people who have breakfast in a rush or those who (shock! horror!) skip it altogether. [READ MORE]