September 2, 2021
This is a no-recipe salad you can whip up in no time and it goes well with many dishes. I know it as an Israeli salad and there it is served for breakfast, lunch or dinner. To make dice tomatoes and cucumbers and chop an onion, combining them in a bowl. Quantities are up to you. Make sure you keep all the juices from cutting the tomatoes in the bowl. Add a big handful of... View Article
June 8, 2021
Before Covid I started inviting friends over for a glass of wine and some bites instead of a multi course dinner. It’s easy to prepare, I can sit and enjoy the company and there isn’t much clean up to do afterwards. This does not mean they have to go home hungry. You can prepare a few salads to serve with breads, a couple of dips (hummus, tzatziki etc.) a few fruits, a nice selection of... View Article
May 29, 2021
What kind of salad do you like? This is a bitter greens salad with ripe fresh figs, Gorgonzola dolce, caramel walnuts and a honey vinaigrette. Not too bitter…not too sweet…it is just right….Use radicchio, endive and some other mild greens for balance and colour (not arugula, it will be too much bitter). Toast walnuts with a little sugar in a skillet until sugar melts and caramelizes around the walnuts. Let them dry on parchment .... View Article
May 29, 2021
Not much kitchen work this morning as we were planting a few more herbs and edible flowers on the rooftop patio. I did fire up the grill briefly for this grilled romaine with croutons, Parmesan and capers crunched up in a skillet, all nicely married with a simple vinaigrette. Going to enjoy it outside. To make, heat up a grill or a grill pan (preferably ridged) to high heat. Cut the romaine in half vertically... View Article
May 28, 2021
Roasted whole eggplant is a beautiful dish that not too many people know about. It’s very middle Eastern and in season you’ll find it served in many restaurants. Let’s first start with how to buy an eggplant. It should be heavy (ie full of moisture), with shiny skin and few if any blemishes. Lighter eggplants are already dehydrated and not advised to buy. Once you buy it don’t let it linger in the fridge to... View Article
May 28, 2021
I haven’t blogged in ages but thought I should put all my instagram recipes to the blog for ease of searching. I use the blog, at least in the past, as my own little cookbook reminding me of recipes I made and I my kids use it now and then to make things they remember from home. I believe that I have disconnected the mailing list at least temporarily now that I am doing an... View Article
May 21, 2020
Spring salads are so good because this is the time farmers get their first greens and the quality os superb. This is a simple salad made with thinly sliced ribbons of cucumbers and zucchini, beautiful local radishes and local fresh ricotta, all brought together with fresh dill, shoots, lemon and dill oil. If you are not inclined to make dill oil use good olive oil.
May 4, 2020
Dal and rice go so well together so now and then I have to make it. It does need something fresh so a smashed cucumber salad and sliced tomatoes are a nice side along with sort of raita. I had whole red lentils this time so this is what I used but I have made it with split red lentils and it works just as well. The flatbread is made with buttermilk instead of the... View Article
March 24, 2020
So I used the taco shells from the other day to make these tacos. Instead of beans I used shitake mushrooms and cauliflower, both chopped fine and sauteed so they looked like ground “meat”. Topping was aa simple pickled slaw, fresh tomatoes and queso fresco. Mexican crema is nice with it too. you can more “stuff”, I kept it fairly simple.
October 17, 2019
My kind of salad, with sweet potatoes, black beans, pomegranate seeds and chopped pistachios combined for a spectrum of textures and flavours. I make this salad all year round and change it a little with every season. In the fall I add pomegranates or even firm, ripe pears for a touch of fruity flavour. In the summer I add fresh corn, roasted on the grill and scraped off the cob into a waiting... View Article
September 19, 2019
Grains and legumes are a big part of our food at home, served on their own , combined with other ingredients or made into delicious winter soups. There are different kinds of lentils and each lend itself to different preparation: Brown lentils are soup lentils for me as they don’t retain their shape well when cooked and in a soup, melt into beautiful creamy oblivion. Mind you, I often use a few different varieties... View Article
September 7, 2019
Radishes with butter and salt is a quintessential French thing. The traditional way of serving them is slicing the radishes in the center, but not through the stem, and sandwich them with a bit of butter that oozes out of the sides. You then dip them in good quality salt that would stick to the butter and you pop them into your moth. there is something about this simple food that is so fresh and... View Article
