tagged ‘spices’

Red wine & grape molasses poached pears with mascarpone

in Desserts, Taste -

Celebrating one of the season’s stunners fruits in one simple dish: red wine & grape molasses poached pears with mascarpone, cinnamon & cloves.

Red wine & grape molasses poached pears with mascarpone

I didn’t always love pears; up until recently, apples, all kinds of them, always took centre stage come autumn and winter. Pears were always in hand none the less, since every time I’d bite into one’s juicy, sweet flesh I’d think that they really were quite special. Yet, I never though ‘Damn, I wish I had a pear now’, nor would I excitedly reach for one when in need of a sweet, fresh bite or a quick snack. This year though, I somehow found myself hopelessly attracted to them. I can’t recall how it happened, nor is it really essential to trace down that first spark. Since they first appeared in markets, I’ve been buying them in heavy rotation and enjoying them on their own or incorporated into various dishes. In thick, steaming hot quinoa or oats with maple syrup and a dollop of almond butter, sitting pretty on a cheese platter or dunked in melting Camembert, or cut in thick slices and topped with Maldon salt flakes and a drizzle of honey- they’ve become a true favourite of the season. [READ MORE]

Carrot soup with buttermilk & grape molasses

in Savoury, Taste -

Warming, spicy and subtly sweet, this carrot soup with buttermilk & grape molasses  is perfect for these first chilly fall days (and nights).

I don’t know this for a fact, but I’m quite certain that my mom’s favourite fall and winter dish to make and serve is soup. Hers have always been and still are always seasonal, colourful and filled with flavours; layers of flavours, which would linger on the tongue and stay with you long after the meal was finished. Some were chunky: with soft root vegetables and maybe chunks of fish or veal, in perfect proportion with the aromatic broth made with simple seasoning and fresh herbs. Others, velvety smooth, usually finished off with lots of freshly ground black pepper and possibly a trickle of the best, fruitiest olive oil. They were served hot, alongside torn thick dark bread and oftentimes, black wrinkled olives and crumbly feta cheese- two usual staples in the family table. [READ MORE]

Chickpea & red pepper coconut curry

in Savoury, Taste -

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]

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]

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]

Spicy & lemony linzer cookies

in Desserts, Taste -

Spicy-lemony-linzer-cookies

These past few days, I’ve been longing for some extra Christmas spirit-ness and festiveness and joy and whatnot. The house is fully (yet not full on) decorated, our Christmas jumpers are out and some most of the presents are wrapped; yet there was something missing. I couldn’t put my finger on it for a while and then it hit me: baking! I hadn’t done any festive baking this year. You know what I’m talking about: the kind that’s easy and comforting, that makes the the house smell of cloves and cinnamon and citrus and butter, the kind that leaves you with small delicious bites, to be displayed on the coffee or dining table for everyone to enjoy. [READ MORE]

Apple, pear & cardamom pie

in Desserts, Taste -

Apple, pear & cardamom pie

It’s cold! And sunny! And cold, dammit, so very cold! But hey, it comes with the season, along with a few other things, so lovely and so close to my heart: leaves with the most stunning colours, Halloween and Bonfire night right around the corner and, you guessed it, delicious, hearty food. I honestly can’t get enough of fall’s fresh produce: crispy carrots and so many pumpkins, leeks and sage, swede, celeriac and beautiful wild mushrooms. And the fruit! Oh, all the different varieties of crisp apples and sweet juicy pears, which all just beg to be used in a pie!  [READ MORE]

Marbled egg, pickled carrot & asparagus rice salad

in Savoury, Small bites, Taste -

Marbled egg, pickled carrot & asparagus rice salad

Easter is practically here, you guys! I realised this just a few days ago and I have to say, it really caught me by surprise- it’s so early! This year there seems to be a mahoosive gap between Catholic and Greek Easter and since I’ve been accustomed to the latter, I guess I really dropped the ball on the whole Easter situation. Still, since I LOVE celebrations of any kind at absolutely any time of the year, I’m definitely up for a speedy seasonal dish, filled with delicious flavours and bright springy colours:  hello, marbled egg, pickled carrot & asparagus rice salad! [READ MORE]

Kidney bean & dark chocolate chilli

in Savoury, Taste -

Chilli-4

Two. That’s exactly how many meat recipes I have here. And it’s not wonder. See, I like meat, I really do. But it’s not my favourite thing to eat, hence, when I prepare meals, look for and test recipes, it’s almost always not on my mind. Also, I have to admit, I’m quite ignorant when it comes to ways to cook it. I don’t know meat well at all and until I do, I prefer to stay away. So, I stick to fish and vegetables and pulses instead, things I know, love and cook on a heavy rotation, hopefully without my meals becoming boring or repetitive. [READ MORE]

Blackberry Cointreau mulled wine

in Taste -

Blackberry Cointreau mulled wine

It’s proper winter here in London. It’s cold and windy and you need about a bazillion layers in order to step out but not freak out (at least I do). I hate the cold, but let me tell you, I LOVE winter! Maybe not as much as say, autumn and all its beautiful colours; or summer and its perfect vegetables & fruit and all the ice-creams and time spent at the beach; I love winter because of the coziness that comes with it. It’s the season that invites gatherings at home, heart and body warming meals, decadent desserts and comforting drinks. [READ MORE]