Uncategorized

Flourless Walnut Butter Cookies

You know how sometimes everything magically falls into place? Well, sometimes, it also doesn’t. We were hoping Alessandro would be able to transfer to a position in Brussels or nearby once he finished his course in Turin this past month (so we could finally put an end to flying halfway across Europe to see each other). We had high hopes while we were waiting to hear back on his transfer request even if we knew that the likelihood of him having his request accepted were not exceptionally high. Alas, in the end he was transferred to a new position in Rome. And while Rome is a magical city, and arguably a great place to be for an Italian army officer, it is not really a place for commercial lawyers that aren’t Italian like myself. So we have been having a lot of long conversations over the last few weeks as we try to figure out our next steps. Trying to

read more Flourless Walnut Butter Cookies

Bookmarks – 11 April 2015

Carbs et al. Like most years, Alessandro and I spent the Easter bank holiday weekend staying with his parents in a small village not far from Rome. Spending most of the weekend eating (or talking about eating) reminded me again how good Italians are with carbs. Of course there is Pizza, thin and crispy Roman style, or thick and pillowy like they serve it in Naples. But then there are also the thick slabs of sourdough bread to start a meal, slightly charred and topped with a fresh tomato salsa or thin slices of rosemary flecked lardo or even just drizzled with olio nuovo (the beautifully grassy first olive oil of the season), thin strands of homemade tagliatelle like the ones you can see in the picture above (beautifully yellow as Alessandro’s dad made them with duck eggs) – cooked not too long so they retain some bite (al dente) before being thrown into a pan of funghi porcini, or the torn

read more Bookmarks – 11 April 2015

Alfajores

The weather in Brussels is starting to feel positively autumnal with cool mornings, fierce winds and long rain showers. Instead of embracing the change of the seasons, I have escaped the impending colder months for a short holiday with Alessandro in Italy. After spending some time with his family we hit the road South to Puglia to relax on the beach, grill anything and everything the ocean has to offer down here and eat our weight in watermelon. While the barbecue is warming up for tonight’s seafood feast, I just wanted to briefly say hi and talk about these alfajores I shared on Food52 the other day. I first fell in love with these when I was studying Spanish in Argentina when I was fresh out of law school (which, incidentally, is also where Alessandro and I met). Argentina is known the world over for the quality of its steaks, and after having spent several months in Buenos Aires, I can attest that Argentinians are

read more Alfajores

Hot Cross Buns with Saffron, Cardamom and Mahlab

 A spice made from the ground kernels found in the stones of a particular type of cherry, the Prunus mahaleb, mahlab is like a grown-up version of marzipan with a flavour not unlike bitter almond although fruitier and more delicate.  I was introduced to it by the lovely Sarah, who is some sort of walking and talking flavour thesaurus, and have been fascinated with mahlab ever since.  I first experimented with it over Christmas when I used it to flavour a rice flour thickened custard that we enjoyed with a sour cherry and orange blossom compote and fell completely in love with its flavour. Mahlab has been used in the Middle East for centuries and, together with cardamom, is the key flavour in an Armenian Easter bread called Cheoreg made from a sweet enriched dough.  Given that hot cross buns are typically eaten around Easter it did not take me long to give this year’s batch the same flavours.  The

read more Hot Cross Buns with Saffron, Cardamom and Mahlab

Fior di Latte Gelato with a Fennel-Infused Honey and Pine Nut Swirl

  I have been meaning to make fior di latte gelato for quite some time – it is one of the most delicate flavoured gelatos you can find. Sure, normally I am a pistacchio gelato lover through and through but given that I have had my fair share of this over the past few years (most notably in Noto in Sicily, as close to where the famous Pistacchi di Bronte come from as I have managed so far), I have started to branch out – my favourite Roman gelateria, Fatamorgana, offers all sorts of mouth-watering flavours, a firm favourite being ricotta con agrumi (ricotta gelato mixed with citrus fruit zest) … but sometimes, you just want a classic, something that isn’t too sweet, something that doesn’t challenge your taste buds but promises simple pleasures, the ice cream equivalent of a down comforter, and that is where fior di latte gelato steps into the picture. It is one of the few gelato flavours that does not rely

read more Fior di Latte Gelato with a Fennel-Infused Honey and Pine Nut Swirl

Cacao Nib and Buckwheat Crunch Cookies

  Since moving to Rome in November, Italy has not stoppped to surprise me – while healthfood stores are hard to track down and most Italians think nothing of eating sugar-laden pastries for breakfast, a pile of pasta for lunch and a pizza for dinner (which might also explain the mountain of prunes on offer in most supermarkets!), it is surprisingly easy to find a huge variety of different types of flours and sweeteners. My small local supermarket stocks spelt, buckwheat and kamut flour (in addition to a whole plethora of different types of wheat flours for baking and pasta-making), I know a couple of places where I can buy chia seeds and I can get my hands on maple syrup, agave syrup and molasses with a simple detour during my lunch break. While my impression is that there cannot be a big market for these ingredients in Italy given that I have yet to eat a homemade birthday cake

read more Cacao Nib and Buckwheat Crunch Cookies

Inspiration from the Interwebs

I am afraid I don’t have a new recipe for you today. I have been in Brussels for work this week and am spending the weekend with my sister (who has been living in Brussels for years) catching up, doing a bit of shopping, going out and simply having a good time: waking up over coffee at this place: and maybe eating one of these cupcakes at Lillycup in Chatelain: Instead, I bring you a list of some delicious recipes I have bookmarked in case, you know, you are missing some inspiration. 1. After a week on the slopes, I feel the need to get back to more wholesome foods. Given my sweet tooth, a cookie or two will be needed though. These raw cookies should fit the bill. And, if you haven’t come across Oh Ladycakes yet, do stop by, it’s a gorgeous blog full of recipes I want to try. 2.  In the spirit of wholesomeness, this date cake

read more Inspiration from the Interwebs