Recipes

Coconut and Garam Masala Oatmeal Cookies

Although we were not as lucky with the weather as last year, we had a wonderful time on the slopes week before last. There was a lot more snow this year. In fact so much fresh snow started coming down towards the end of the week that we lost out on our final day on the slopes as the ski lifts were shut. Yet as much as I tried to be annoyed about this day we spent doing not very much at all besides going for a walk in the fresh snow and picking up a few souvenirs, I could not help but smile every time I stopped to take it all in. The snow flakes coming down in a thick carpet from the cloudy sky, some smaller, some larger. The half metre of fresh snow almost, just almost, sliding off the rooftop of the village church, the dad starting a snowball fight with his two kids. I have always

read more Coconut and Garam Masala Oatmeal Cookies

Tamarind Curd

Alessandro says I sometimes scare him. Not because of anything I do (although my clumsiness can reach scary heights). But because of what I dream. I often have incredibly vivid dreams and like telling him about my latest nocturnal adventures while we share our first cup of coffee in the morning. The other day I dreamt I was hunting for miniature Christmas trees with my mum, in a shopping centre which does not exist in real life but which I frequent on a fairly regular basis on my nocturnal adventures (mainly because they have this amazing toy store / cake decorating utensil store on the top floor – sadly, I don’t always make it up there before I wake up). Unsatisfied with the rather meagre offering of miniature Christmas trees (no wonder, it was an after-Christmas sale to get rid of remaining stock), we trundled on, browsing the shops here and there and headed towards the upper levels as I

read more Tamarind Curd

Roasted Hazelnut, Sea Salt and Date Brownies

Alessandro and I are spending this week on the slopes. Such a ‘settimana bianca’ (a ‘white’ week) is by now a yearly tradition for us. After my first tentative steps on skis on a schooltrip to Austria as a teenager I am now able to tackle almost all slopes and dare I say, even enjoy myself a good deal doing so. While there are a few small slopes not too far from Rome, once you have mastered the basics, they are a bit short and boring. So our yearly ‘settimana bianca’ now takes us up to Northern Italy, to the Dolomites, to San Cassiano in Alta Badia to be precise. A trip we are now doing for the second time with a group of about 10 or so friends. While I feel sorry for anyone else staying in our small hotel given our inevitable loud chatter in the bar after a long day on the slopes (no doubt fuelled by

read more Roasted Hazelnut, Sea Salt and Date Brownies

Dark Chocolate Truffles with Sichuan Pepper and Orange

I have always enjoyed making truffles at home – they are simple and quick to make (especially if you skip the step of coating your truffles in tempered chocolate) and just make the perfect present, and not just for Valentine’s Day. I mean, who does not like to receive a box of chocolates to eat all by themselves? Besides, chocolate goes well with most things so truffles are a perfect way of playing around with your favourite flavour combinations. I love the combination of chocolate and orange – the bitterness of dark chocolate contrasts nicely with the bright citrus flavour. Being naturally zesty and lemony in flavour, Sichuan pepper pairs equally well with all things citrus. A sichuan pepper, orange and chocolate truffle was thus the logical next step. And while Sichuan pepper is most famous for that tingling feeling it can leave on your lips and tongue, in terms of heat, it is actually quite mild. The recipe for

read more Dark Chocolate Truffles with Sichuan Pepper and Orange

Kamut and Polenta Bread

I have the habit of buying myself a Chrismas present each year. Nothing frivolous, but something I really want and something I might not otherwise buy. This time it was the third Tartine book – encouraged by a number of reviews, an article about the sheer amount of research Chad Robertson put into the creation of this book and my friend Sara who thought I would enjoy the book given the large number of recipes using ancient grains created by Chad. And Sara was right. I have only had the book for about a month, but in between the present-buying frenzy, traveling and Christmas itself, I have already baked the Chocolate Rye Cookies (crack in cookie form if you ask me), eaten far too many of a batch of the 50/50 sablés, munched my way through 3 loaves of the Toasted Buckwheat Bread and revolutionised my scones thanks to learning about Tartine’s technique of using both baking powder and sourdough

read more Kamut and Polenta Bread

Garam Masala & Coconut Stove-Top Granola

In case you have already made your way through your stack of new-reads acquired over the holidays, I would encourage you to track down a copy of Slow Food Nation, a wonderful read that does not seem to be getting the attention I think it deserves. I picked this book up on a whim when I was present-hunting just before Christmas and it is an incredibly well-written book by Slow Food’s founder Carlo Petrini. For those of you not familiar with Slow Food, the organisation’s mission is to “defend biodiversity in our food supply, spread taste education and connect producers of excellent foods with co-producers through events and initiatives.” Today the organisation counts over 100,000 members across the globe who, among other things, are active in seeking the protection of traditional foods, set up tasting seminars and work with those in the food industry to encourage them to source locally grown food. Rather refreshingly, there is no preaching involved in

read more Garam Masala & Coconut Stove-Top Granola