Up until I moved to the UK, I always celebrated Mother’s day on May- which was already my mom’s month anyways, what with her name day being on the 21st and preparations for her birthday (on early June) in full swing. For the last ten years or so, I can celebrate her twice, albeit from a distance… [READ MORE]
This dish was more of an afterthought than an actual plan. More of an exercise on what to do when a random pile of groceries lands on your kitchen counter than a carefully planned cooking strategy. The other day, my significant other came home bearing groceries. Shock and joy- as it doesn’t happen often. Like at all. Smiles all over- smiles which were quickly replaced by a silent WTF. And then a loud one. [READ MORE]
I always think of May as the most charming month. It brings with it warm, long days and breezy nights; it calls for lighter clothes and an even lighter frame of mind; it’s filled with a strong sense that the anticipation for summer is almost over. Every year, right around this time, my mind is gone. Gone, all over the place gone. And I love it. It makes me feel like a teenager again, but you know, a wiser, cooler, tougher teenager, one that knows what’s up. Actually, scratch that last part- May comes and I really don’t know what’s up for the first few days. Like I said, gone. [READ MORE]
I love Mexican food; its ingredients (I mean, limes, avocados, chillies, corn, beans, tortillas, tequila, you get it, right?), the heat and flavours, all those vibrant colours and different textures. When I was about 11 or 12, I went with my sister, my mom and one of her friends to a Mexican restaurant. That’s my earliest memory of Mexican food (lots of heat, tons of flavour and so so many tortilla chips) and also my earliest memory of having eaten so much I could barely move. Literally. Thank God the restaurant was up on a small hill and we had to walk down to our house. To this day, most of my Mexican (or Mexican- inspired) meals are more or less the same: heat, flavour, tortilla chips- minus the over-excited overeating and plus a couple Margaritas. [READ MORE]
A while ago, I came across a fascinating read: Jack White (or at least his crew) apparently requires guacamole to be available when touring. And not just any ol’ guac: there’s specific instructions and measurements sent to venues, so that the humble yet delicious dip is made to their liking. Now, if that’s not proof you’ve made it, I don’t know what is. [READ MORE]
One of the reasons why I love cooking with vegetables and fruits so much is the endless variety in colours and shapes. Case in point, kiwis. When you first look at one, all you see is a small, bland, hairy potato. But… Cutting through it and it’s a whole different story: the most gorgeous, soft yet vibrant green appears, paired with a pale yellow centre and decorated with perfectly placed black little spots. I mean, if this is not a thing of beauty, I don’t know what is. Gorgeous AND bursting with vitamins C and K- we’ve got a winner here. [READ MORE]
Yesterday was Earth Day; there was lots to read about, lots to talk about and even more to think about. Not surprisingly, most of my thoughts were about food. Mostly seasonal, local, good for you, good for the planet food. But this is not a lecture on eating well. There’s so much pleasure in eating and cooking, and part of it should be in choosing ingredients, without overthinking or overanalysing them. [READ MORE]
I was reading an article about hipsters the other day; apparently you guys, hipsters are no more. So long hipsters. Somewhere in the article, foods served in jars were mentioned. Huh. So jars are not just convenient storing devices for your pantry, they’ve also been touched by hipsterism. Huh. Do you see the photo above? The big jar, chock full of goodness? Hipster. [READ MORE]
My favourite thing to do on a Sunday morning is wake up early, have a big cup of strong black coffee and go for an (embarrassingly short) run. On the way back, I usually buy a flaky, hot and insanely aromatic pain au chocolat- to be honest, that’s probably the main reason why I get up early and go for a run in the first place… [READ MORE]
Egg fried rice is one of my all time favourite late night dishes. There is a particular teeny tiny, super busy spot in Soho that makes the best one I’ve had so far- I usually find it by smell, as every time I’ve been there I was either too tired or have had too good a time to remember its name or exact location. [READ MORE]