A Christmas Chocolate Panettone
We always had at least one huge panettone under our Christmas tree and I used to be more fascinated by the packaging than the actual bread. I love the Italian way of dramatically packing everything in glossy boxes with bright bows in candy colours. My style is usually so minimal that at Christmas time, I enjoy indulging in a little kitsch and opulence - too much is just right at this time of year. Although I used to enjoy the wrapping so much, the content of the boxes couldn't always keep up with my expectations. The panettone was often too sweet, too dry or so light and airy that it felt (and tasted) artificial.
When I decided to bake my own panettone this week, for the first time in my life, I got more and more intimidated the more I read about it. Often it's described as a moody and difficult bread and some bakers had to bake hundreds of loaves before they found the right formula. I didn't have that much time, I'm too impatient, so I thought that a good panettone resembles a French brioche in some ways, the richness and colour, the flowery taste, the subtle sweetness. The Italian bread is just not as soft on the outside and a bit more airy and fluffy inside. So what makes a good brioche? Lots of egg yolks and butter! That was my starting point. Although the most popular panettone feature raisins and candied peel, I went for lots of bittersweet chocolate chunks and orange zest and that was a good choice. When the bread was in the oven, a friend came over spontaneously and said "It smells like Italy, like real panettone!" That relaxed me a bit, at least I had the right smell in the house.
The preparation of the panettone dough takes some time, it has to rise twice, 90 minutes for the first time and 60 minutes when it's already in the form. I made it with dry yeast and let it rise in the warm oven at 35°C / 95°F. I follow this technique with all of my yeast based doughs and it works wonders. It just rises much quicker. You could also use your heater but I find that the oven works best. I didn't buy a special panettone form, I just used a normal cooking pot lined with buttered parchment paper which I let come up high enough for the bread to bake in the shape of a tall cylinder. The baking paper went up 20cm ( 8") which was a bit too high, I could have cut it shorter for the dough to rise above the rim like a mushroom, next time... A panettone is quite dark on the outside but it's important that it doesn't burn. At one point the top has to be covered with aluminum foil and the temperature changes, from 200°C (390°F) to 180°C (355°F) and then to 160°C (320°F) for the last 10 minutes. I took the bread out of the oven after 40 minutes to check if it was done and gently knocked on the bottom (it's quite fiddly to do as it's very hot and fragile), but it needed some more time on a lower temperature setting for the centre to bake through.
When you bake bread for the first time you can just follow and trust your nose, your ears and fingers. When you knock on the bottom it's always exciting, you don't know if it worked out, and in the case of this bread, it made me quite nervous. I had to wait until the next day to cut and taste it as I didn't want the chocolate to still be liquid. So the next morning, I solemnly cut the first slices of my first Christmas panettone, the centre was baked through but soft, so baking time and temperature were right - I felt relieved. The bread was fluffy but rich and it tasted like Mediterranean Christmas, this was all I had hoped for. The flowery aroma of the orange merges beautifully with the bittersweet chocolate. I spread a bit of butter on top and enjoyed my work in peace. Happy Advent!
Chocolate Panettone
For 1 panettone (18cm / 7") you need
plain flour 500g / 1 pound (I used white spelt flour type 630)
dry yeast 2 sachets (each 7g / 1/4 ounce)
granulated sugar 100g / 3.5 ounces
salt 1/2 teaspoon
a pinch of nutmeg
zest of 1 orange (about 1 1/2 tablespoons)
organic egg yolks 5
butter, melted, 170g / 6 ounces
milk 220ml / 1 cup
bittersweet chocolate, roughly chopped, 100g / 3.5 ounces
almonds 4, for the topping
heavy cream 4 teaspoons, to brush the top
icing sugar, for the topping
Mix the melted butter with the milk and egg yolks, the mixture should be lukewarm.
In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients (flour, yeast, sugar, salt and nutmeg) and orange zest. Add the milk/ butter/ egg mixture and mix with the dough hooks for about 5 minutes or until well combined. Knead with your hands for about 1 minute, it should be soft and glossy. Put the dough back into the bowl, cover with a tea towel and let it rise in a 35°C / 95°F warm oven ( top / bottom heat, no fan!) for about 90 minutes or until doubled in size. While the dough is rising, put the chocolate in a plastic container and keep it in the freezer.
Butter the inside of an 18cm / 7" cooking pot (about 10cm / 4" high). Cut a 15cm / 6" wide strip of parchment paper, long enough to be wrapped around the inside of the pot with both ends overlapping generously. Butter the parchment paper on one side. Line the sides of the pot with the parchment paper (the butter side should be facing inwards). Push the overlapping ends of parchment paper together.
Punch the dough down and take it out of the bowl, give it a quick knead and mix in the cold chocolate with your hands. Form a ball and put it into the prepared pot. Carefully cover it with a light tea towel (on top of the parchment paper) and let the dough rise in the warm oven for another 60 minutes or until doubled in size.
Take the pot out and set the oven to 200°C / 390°F, fan-assisted oven (210°C / 410°F top/ bottom heat).
Brush the top of the dough with the cream and cut a cross into the surface with a sharp kitchen knife. Decorate with the almonds. Bake the panettone for 10 minutes and turn the temperature down to 180°C / 355°F (190°C / 375°F top/ bottom heat). Bake for 20 minutes, cover the top with a piece of aluminum foil if the top gets too dark, and bake for another 10 minutes. Turn the heat down to 160°C / 320°F (170°C / 340°F top/ bottom heat) and bake for another 10 minutes. If you use top / bottom heat bake for another 5-10 minutes. Carefully take the pot out of the oven (it will be very hot!) and let the panettone cool in the pot for at least 30 minutes or until it's stabile enough to cool on a wire rack. When it's completely cool, dust with icing sugar.
Chestnut Mousse, Prosciutto di Parma and Caramel Pear Sandwich
I wanted to create a Christmas sandwich that combines all I love about the four lavish weeks that end the year. Chestnuts, caramel, pear and cinnamon, this sweet aroma that welcomes me as soon as I open my spice box, and the heavy odor of my golden quince brandy shouldn't be missing. And there's more on the list, paper thin Prosciutto di Parma and fleshy thyme leaves which I use for all my wintery stews, gratins and legumes have to feature as well. This herb is the perfect match for both the chestnuts and the fruit, so there's plenty to work with between two slices of sourdough bread!
This sandwich is a bit baroque, it's luscious and sweet but with a certain finesse. The chestnut mousse (I bought the nuts pre-cooked for reasons of convenience) is velvety and smooth, refined with cinnamon, brandy, orange and cream. The pears are glazed with buttery caramel and stick to Parma's wonderful prosciutto. It's a lot to taste and enjoy, but this season demands a touch of opulence!
Chestnut Mousse, Prosciutto di Parma and Caramel Pear Sandwich
For 3 sandwiches you need
white sourdough bread 6 slices
Prosciutto di Parma 6 slices
crisp pear, cut into slim wedges, 1
butter 2 tablespoons
granulated sugar 2 tablespoons
chestnuts, pre-cooked and peeled, 200g / 7 ounces
heavy cream 75ml / 1/3 cup
brandy or port 1 tablespoon
freshly squeezed orange juice 2 tablespoons
ground cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon
a pinch of salt
fresh thyme leaves 2 tablespoons
Purée the chestnuts, heavy cream, brandy, orange juice and 1 1/2 tablespoons of the thyme in a food processor until smooth and season with a pinch of salt and cinnamon to taste.
Melt the butter and sugar in a pan. Caramelize the pear wedges in the hot brown butter for about 1 minute on each side.
Spread the chestnut mousse on a slice of bread, lay the prosciutto and pear on top and sprinkle with thyme.
Lentils with Pomegranate and Dukkah
This dish caused one of those exciting kitchen moments that leave you speechless. I had a rough idea of what I wanted to throw together but when it was finally on my plate, it blew my mind. I have wanted to mix black Beluga lentils with the glowing red of pomegranate seeds for quite a while as I couldn't resist this colour combination. I felt sure that something that looks so beautiful together must also match on a culinary level!
A couple weeks ago I read about dukkah which reminded me of this great mixture of seeds, nuts and spices so popular in Egyptian cooking. So I decided to add this as well. I prepared a selection of hazelnuts, pistachios, sesame and sunflower seeds and took some black peppercorns, coriander and fennel seeds and cumin from my spice box to make the mixture complete. The lentils cooked with a bunch of fresh thyme and a bay leaf before I stirred in a splash of olive oil. I arranged the legumes on the plates with the crunchy pomegranate seeds and my dukkah and was mesmerized by its beauty and simplicity. The first bite made me speechless, it was fantastic! The nuttiness of the lentils combined with the dukkah and the sweet and sour pomegranate is one of the best things my dark Belugas have ever seen (apart from my Lentil Salad with Blue Cheese and Pear).
Lentils, Pomegranate and spicy Dukkah
You can keep the remaining dukkah in a jar and use it for salads and soups.
For 3-4 people you need
lentils (preferably Beluga) 250g / 9 ounces
bay leaf 1fresh thyme, a small bunch
olive oil
pomegranate 1
For the dukkah
hazelnuts 30g / 1 ounce
sunflower seeds 20g / 3/4 ounce
pistachios 20g / 3/4 ounce
sesame seeds 20g / 3/4 ounce
fennel seeds, crushed in a mortar, 1 teaspoon
black peppercorns, crushed in a mortar, 1/2 teaspoon
coriander seeds, crushed in a mortar, 1 teaspoon
ground cumin 1/4 teaspoon
coarse sea salt 1/2 teaspoon
Mix the ingredients for the dukkah in a food processor.
Peel the seeds out of the pomegranate.
Cook the lentils according to the instructions on the package with the bay leaf and thyme but without salt. Mine needed 20 minutes in 750ml / 1.5 pints of water. Stir in a splash of olive oil and season with a little salt.
Arrange the lentils on the plates sprinkled with pomegranate seeds and a tablespoon of dukkah.
Espresso Meringue Cookies with Spiced Chocolate Ganache
The peace and silence of a Sunday morning is just perfect for an Advent baking session. I take my time to choose a recipe that fits my mood, lay out the ingredients and I'm filled with a kind of excitement that isn't too far away of what I felt as a child when I used to prepare this same ritual with my mother. Years have past and now it's my own kitchen filled with the most beautiful smell of cookies and Christmas cakes but the magic of this moment touches me just as much.
Although my oven doesn't see meringue too often, I have to make my luscious meringue sandwich beauties at least once during the Christmas season. Two delicate drops of espresso meringue cookies stuck together with the most aromatic bittersweet chocolate ganache refined with cardamom and cinnamon are such a sumptuous treat! The whipped egg whites turn into crisp bites which are a perfect contrast to the creamy lusciousness of the dense filling.
This is an adult cookie, it needs a bit of care and gentle handling but it's worth it. There are so many festive treats which don't ask for much, a quick short crust dough, some fancy or nostalgic cookie cutters and the kitchen turns into a christmassy bakery. My meringue cookie is a little diva, it demands special treatment, care and attention, but the result is so amazing that the attitude is forgiven. The great thing about the Advent season is that there are four weeks of festive baking, four weekends to choose from traditional family recipes, experimental new discoveries and delicious finds from various culture's culinary cookie collections. Every week, there are new spices to use, new pastries to work with to bring the sweet classics from our childhoods back to the table. Nuts and seeds, flour, chocolate, spices and icing sugar spread all over the kitchen tops, this is a picture full of memories which makes this time of the year so special to me.
I had an unexpected little visitor this weekend who joined my baking. Our godchild visited me to take a look at our Christmas tree and also helped me prepare a batch of Gianduja cookies. The two of us listened to some music, rolled out the dark Kipferl between our hands and had a chat. Now I'm the one who can pass on my cookie knowledge to the next generation and maybe he will remember this moment when he's in his own kitchen one day, as a man, rolling Kipferl. We were both really sad when his father came to pick him up but we already have a date for another baking session!
Have a wonderful 2nd Advent!
And here's some inspiration for more christmassy cookie recipes:
Espresso Meringue Cookies with Spiced Chocolate Ganache
The ganache has to cool in the fridge for a few hours or in the freezer, or you can let it harden overnight, like I did.
For about 20 sandwich cookies you need
For the ganache
good quality bittersweet chocolate 150g / 5.5 ounces
heavy cream 150 ml / 5 ounces
instant espresso powder 1/2 teaspoon
ground cardamom 1/8 teaspoon
ground cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon
In a sauce pan, heat the cream and add the chocolate, espresso and spices. When the chocolate is melted whisk the mixture until well combined, let it cool and keep in the fridge for a few hours until stiff.
For the meringue cookies
organic egg whites 4
granulated sugar 180g / 6.5 ounces
a pinch of salt
white wine vinegar 1/2 teaspoon
instant espresso powder 2 teaspoons
Set the oven to 140°C / 275°F (top / bottom heat) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Whisk the egg whites and salt until stiff. Slowly add the sugar and vinegar and continue mixing until stiff and glossy. Mix in the espresso powder and fill the meringue mixture in a piping bag (with a wide opening). Pipe walnut sized mounds on the lined baking sheet, leaving some space in between them. Bake for 50-55 minutes or until they are golden and firm on top, place a wooden spoon in the door to keep it open a bit while the meringues are baking. They should easily peel off the parchment paper when they are done. Let them cool completely on a wire rack before you stick them together with the ganache.
Assembling the cookies
Whisk the hard ganache until light and creamy (like a frosting). Spread the ganache on one cookie and gently (!) stick another one on top.
Potato, Apple and Black Pudding Gratin
Golden potatoes, apples and onions roasted together make a wonderfully sweet and fruity gratin but you can top that by spreading a few slices of black pudding (or German Blutwurst) over the fruit and vegetables. Sprinkle this oven beauty with fresh thyme and you'll be rewarded with the most aromatic winter gratin!
Black pudding has a difficult image - unfortunately! Although the taste is often enjoyed, I know quite a few who have a problem with the fact that the sausage gets its dark red colour from blood. It's one of the oldest sausages which was highly appreciated by the Romans and it also got mentioned in Homer's Odyssey: "As when a man beside a great fire has filled a sausage with fat and blood and turns it this way and that and is very eager to get it quickly roasted ." I love its sweet and aromatic taste and soft texture. I often fry slices of Blutwurst in butter for just a few minutes and eat them with mashed potatoes, fried onions and apples. This is the German classic called Himmel und Ääd, meaning Heaven and Earth, it's very popular in the Rhineland area where I come from. I mentioned this great combination of fruits from the soil and the trees when I wrote about my parsnip and pear soup.
For my gratin, I layered slices of boiled potatoes, apples and onions and put the sausage on top. You could also tuck them in between the vegetables but then you would miss out on their almost caramelized texture. After 30 minutes in the oven, the blood pudding turned into crunchy bites which were still soft inside, it was so good!
Potato, Apple and Black Pudding Gratin
For 2 as a main or 4 as a side dish you need
potatoes, peeled, boiled and sliced, 650g / 1.5 pounds
large onion, cut in half and sliced thinly, 1
large sour apple, peeled, cored, quartered and sliced, 1
black pudding, peeled and cut into 0.5cm / 1/4" slices, 200g / 7 ounces
olive oil
sea salt and pepper
fresh thyme, a small handful
Set the oven to 200°C / 390°F (I used the Rotitherm roasting setting) and brush the bottom of a baking dish (around 28 x 20cm / 11 x 8") with olive oil.
Layer the potatoes, apples and onions in the dish. Sprinkle with a splash of olive oil, salt and pepper and put the sausage and thyme on top. Cook in the oven for about 30 minutes or until golden brown. Check after 20 minutes, if the sausage gets too dark, put it under the potatoes.
Tomato, Leek and Oregano Cream Cheese Sandwich
Today's sandwich reminds me a bit of pizza although there's no melted cheese in the recipe, but if you combine the milky taste of cream cheese with dried oregano and put this on a yeasty bun with tomatoes, you're already half way there. It's a lighter and quicker version, easy to prepare as a little snack for lunch.
The dried oregano should be organic if possible as it tastes remarkably better, as so do the cherry tomatoes. Heirloom fruits are the best, especially in winter, as they offer a variety of flavours from honey sweet to fruity and tart. They also look really pretty with their different shapes and shades of yellow, green, red and brown. Some are almost black, quite dramatic! For my sandwich, I just cut them in half and left them uncooked to keep their crunchiness and freshness. I brought in some leek cut into very thin slices which I sautéed in a little olive oil, they were smooth with a soft hint of onion and merged well with the creaminess of the cheese. This is an easy sandwich, exactly what I need sometimes in a month full of culinary opulence and lusciousness!
As much as I try to stick to the seasons when it comes to vegetables, in winter I can't live without tomatoes. I accept that the skin is a little bit thicker at this time of the year, and you can taste that they aren't spoiled with sun anymore. But if you choose well, you can find some colourful little treasures that please your taste buds.
Tomato, Leek and Oregano Cream Cheese Sandwich
For 2 sandwiches you need
white buns, cut in half, 2
mixed heirloom cherry tomatoes, cut in half, a handful
leek, just the white part, cut into thin slices, 1/4
cream cheese 200g / 7 ounces
dried oregano 1/4 teaspoon, to taste
salt
black peppercorns, crushed in a mortar, for the topping
olive oil
Sauté the leek in a little olive oil for a few minutes until soft and golden. Whip the cream cheese with oregano and salt. Season to taste.
Spread a thick layer of the whipped cream cheese on the bottom of the buns and sprinkle them with the sautéed leek. Garnish each bun with tomatoes, some more oregano and crushed pepper before you close it.
Roasted Red Cabbage and Orange Wedges with Maple Syrup
Every year, in late October or early November, our family and friends ask where and how we're going to celebrate Christmas this year. I often have problems thinking myself into the festive situation so early on. The tree, the food, baking cookies, visiting Christmas markets in the snow, it all feels so far away at that point. But now, a month later, I'm ready to jump into it and enjoy it to the fullest. Our Christmas tree is set up in all its glory, the living room is lit up in candle light and my oven is on practically constantly. Fruit cakes, cookies, pies and roasts have the wonderful side effect that they fill the whole flat with the most beautiful smells and aromas!
The big decision for Christmas is already made, we'll celebrate at home together with my sister in law Emma from Malta and her partner. I know that there will definitely be a duck on the table at one point, my flambéed Christmas pudding and paté, cheese and champagne while we cook. My beloved red cabbage will be on the menu as well, but after so many years of cooking this vegetable traditionally with the obligatory spices, apples and chestnuts, it's time for a change. In the next few weeks, I will try out some new recipes and variations on my festive classics. So let the test cooking begin!
When I looked at the red cabbage, this crunchy ball of purple prettiness, I decided that, this year, I'll roast it with some sweet orange and a little thyme. For my test cooking session, I cut the cabbage and citrus fruit into thin wedges and coated them with a syrupy olive oil mixed with orange juice and maple syrup. The added sweetness combined with the fruitiness of the orange and the roasting flavour was great, the cabbage was al dente in the middle and soft at the ends of the leaves. It was just right and looked surprisingly pretty on the plates!
Roasted Red Cabbage and Orange Wedges with Maple Syrup
As a side dish for 4 you need
red cabbage, quartered, cut into slim wedges, 800g / 1 3/4 pounds
organic orange, rinsed and scrubbed, cut into slim wedges, 1
olive oil 50ml / 2 ounces
freshly squeezed orange juice 1 tablespoon
maple syrup 1 tablespoon
salt and pepper
fresh thyme, a small bunch
balsamic vinegar for the topping, to taste
Set the oven to 200°C / 390°F.
Whisk the olive oil, maple syrup and orange juice.
Spread the cabbage and oranges on a baking sheet and coat with the oil (use your fingers). Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with thyme (leave 1-2 tablespoons of the leaves for the topping). Roast in the oven for 15 minutes, turn the cabbage and oranges and cook for another 15 minutes or until the cabbage is al dente. Turn on the grill for 1-2 minutes until golden brown. Sprinkle with fresh thyme leaves and a little Balsamico vinegar. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Goose Prosciutto and Bay Leaf Apple Sandwich
With almost childish excitement I spotted a nice piece of goose prosciutto, a typical winter treat which couldn't have found its way into my shopping basket at a better time. This Sunday will be the first Advent, the official start of all of my little christmassy traditions which I follow obsessively. Setting up the tree, baking lots of cookies and consuming more warm alcoholic beverages than I normally would are just some of them. Duck, goose and venison are to be found in my kitchen more often as well, another one of my seasonal habits.
Although it's not December yet (or Advent), with today's sandwich I welcome the time of joy and festive savouring. I start with a sandwich that combines the caramelized fruitiness from sour apples cooked in sugary butter with thyme and bay leaf with the smokey aroma of goose prosciutto. The meat is dark red with a strong smokey flavour, a bit too strong for my taste but still good. Its tenderness is topped with a thick layer of goose fat, you have to cut the slices really thin to enjoy it. It's the same with duck prosciutto (which would also be fabulous on this sandwich) or smoked salmon, they should always be sliced as thinly as possible. At first, I wasn't sure if this wintery composition between two slices of a French country loaf needed a further addition, but after the first bite I came to the conclusion that it's all good!
Goose Prosciutto and Bay Leaf Apple Sandwich
For 2 sandwiches you need
white bread 2-4 slices (if you want a closed sandwich)
goose or duck prosciutto, very thinly sliced, 80g / 3 ounces
large sour apple, peeled, cored and thickly sliced, 1
butter 2 tablespoons
granulated sugar 2 tablespoons
small bay leaf (hard stalk removed), chopped finely into tiny crumbs, 1
fresh thyme leaves 2 tablespoons
Melt the butter and sugar in a pan on high temperature, when it's golden brown, add the apples, bay leaf and 1 tablespoon of thyme. Cook the fruit quickly for 1-2 minutes on both sides until golden and caramelized. Spread the apples and their juices on 2 slices of bread and put a few slices of the meat on top. Sprinkle with thyme.
Linguine with Chickpeas, Grilled Aubergine and Lemon
What an amazing anniversary! Thank you so much for your sweet wishes and support of eat in my kitchen. It's been a perfect celebration of an extraordinary year and the beginning of a new chapter, the second year of the blog!
Let's start the new week with an easy pasta dish, chickpeas (canned, so there's no soaking and cooking involved), grilled aubergine slices, lemon and basil! I got the inspiration for this composition from a sandwich which is very popular in Israel, it made it onto the blog last January, the fantastic Sabih. Velvety hummus, grilled aubergines and a boiled egg on juicy homemade olive bread, it tastes divine! Our godchild's father told me about this sandwich classic from his home country, he praised it with such passion that I had to try it. It became a new standard, with great potential to inspire various recipes. For my linguine, I left out the egg, although I think it would have fit but instead I added lemon and basil for an aromatic southern Mediterranean feeling. The aubergine and chickpeas were so smooth, almost sweet, that it needed a bit of a contrast, a task that my beloved lemon zest always manages with ease.
When I grill aubergines, I always prepare two or three of them right away. You can use them for your pizza or roll them up with ricotta. Although they need (and soak up) quite a bit of olive oil, I found that you can minimize it by stacking them on top of each other as soon as you take them out of the oven. I brush them with a thin layer of oil on both sides before they cook. Don't worry, they tend to look a bit dry at first when they are done but they will turn into perfect juicy and oily bites after a couple minutes of soaking and softening each other.
Linguine with Chickpeas, Grilled Aubergine and Lemon
For 4 people you need
linguine pasta 400g / 14 ounces
chickpeas, canned, rinsed and drained, 300g / 10.5 ounces
large aubergine, cut into 1/2cm / 1/4″ slices, 1
garlic, crushed, 1 clove
olive oil
salt
black peppercorns, crushed in a mortar, for the topping, to taste
lemon zest, for the topping, to taste
basil leaves, a small handful
Cook the pasta in salted water al dente and keep some of the cooking water.
Brush the aubergines with olive oil on both sides, season them with salt and pepper and grill them in the oven until golden brown on both sides, they will darken partly but that’s fine. Mine needed 7 minutes on one side and 5 minutes on the other but that depends on the oven. Set the aubergines aside and stack them, that will keep them moist and soft. Cut them into thick slices.
In a pan, heat a splash of olive oil, add the garlic and cook it for 1 minute on medium heat. Add the chickpeas, season with salt and pepper, close with a lid and cook for 4 minutes on medium-low heat. Add the pasta and a little of the water they cooked in and season with salt. Stir in the aubergine and sprinkle with the crushed black peppercorns, lemon zest and basil.
Enjoy warm or with short pasta as a salad.
Reflections on 1 Year of eat in my kitchen, 365 Recipes and an Apple Strudel
When I decided to start a food blog in October last year, at the breakfast table on a cold and misty morning in Berlin, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I felt recklessly excited, so much so that I made a big decision which changed my life drastically in the past twelve months. My goal was to share a recipe a day, for at least 1 year. I was so inspired by this idea, my head was full of recipes and stories that I wanted to write down on the as yet empty pages of eat in my kitchen. I knew I would have enough of a repertoire to cook, to bake and to talk about for a few years so I thought I might as well share all this with the world once a day.
It has been intense if not tense at times, I completely underestimated how much time it would take to capture a dish in mouthwatering photos, to describe what I do in my kitchen, what your taste buds can expect, but also to inspire you to go to your own kitchen, to pull out the pots and pans and trust me. When I shared the first recipes, I didn't think about the fact that you would have to believe me that my recipes would work out for you as much as they do for me. You would have to buy the ingredients, take some time out and cook with the same excitement that I felt. At one point, after I had been writing for a few days, it clicked, I understood what it meant and it overwhelmed me. Until today, every time I get an email from someone who felt enticed by one of my posts and cooked or baked my recipes and tells me about the result, I'm as happy as a child at Christmas. It's a wonderful experience and there are no words to describe how thankful I am for this journey which put so many amazing moments into my life, and a written collection of more than 365 recipes!
In the past few months, I've written a lot about enjoyment, culinary pleasures and the fun of cooking in your own kitchen and treating the ones you love with the fruit of your work, that's not a cliché, this fills me with true happiness. No matter if the final result on the table is mind-blowing or if a recipe still needs some work, the time spent creating this meal is precious. No one forces us to put our money into good quality and natural ingredients, no one tells us to turn them into a delicious meal, it's our decision, one that we make every day to treat our body well but also to let our minds rest. Beyond all the satisfaction which my taste buds get from a great home cooked meal, I call my daily dinner a feast because I feel complete bliss as soon as I go into my kitchen to get out the vegetables and knifes, to chop and stir, to taste and experiment. I take this time out for myself, sometimes I get the record player started, open a bottle of wine, and I slow down my pace, always. There are a million other things I could do instead but I decided that this would be a part of my life, this is what I would do every evening for a couple hours. This choice has always been a gift and it still is, as it has given me some of my best memories, all saved in food.
For about three days, I thought about a recipe which I would like to share with you today. I was looking for something which tastes exceptionally good to celebrate this special day, but I also wanted to write about an experience which I felt quite a few times in the past year, to struggle, to doubt, to feel like giving up but in the end, to trust and follow your inner voice which guides you into the right direction.
One of the earlier dishes I made for eat in my kitchen, was a rabbit stew. It tasted fantastic but it didn't look pretty and I had no experience whatsoever capturing every kind of food deliciously in a picture. I was used to taking photos of our dinners or lunches once in a while to freeze the moment but not to make it look good and appealing on a plate. So I sat on the floor of our kitchen, crying, it was late in the evening, my boyfriend was my light man standing on a chair and holding a fluorescent tube from the hardware store, trying to make it work. The scene was ridiculous and so funny at the same time, at least now when I look back! It didn't work out, the rabbit never made it onto the blog and that night I thought I would give up, but instead I made a few changes and moved on. No more artificial light and no more stews until I felt experienced enough to capture their rustic beauty in a photo.
I'm not going to share a rabbit recipe with you today but another advanced kitchen task, Tyrolean apple strudel. This isn't a quick and easy cake but it teaches you to trust. It's a bit of a challenge but it will reward you with one of the greatest enjoyments of the sweet world, pure buttery fruitiness. The strudel is filled with lots of apples, raisins and spices all wrapped in a cinnamony short crust. The pastry isn't crisp like a pie, it's a bit soft, almost juicy which makes it quite delicate to handle. There is another strudel variation made with a very thin and flaky dough called Ziehteig in German but I prefer my strudel with short crust. It's my favorite of all strudels, buttery, soft and slightly crisp on the outside.
The final result is fantastic but you will have to work for it and trust yourself and maybe improvise at times. There may be moments you want to give up, when you feel that you can't get it right and for a second, you believe that it's over, you're done with it (although it's just a cake, it can feel quite dramatic). But then, out of the deepest corner of the mind comes a spark, a pull, like a defiant little child that doesn't want to accept a "no", and this feeling that seems like a mood at first, doesn't want to fade, it grows instead until it becomes a force. It fills you up with energy again, confidence, the exact power you need to overcome this low, because that's what it is in the end, nothing more and nothing less than a low that will pass. Maybe these words fit more to my last year than to a strudel but anyhow, it can feel similar in the kitchen at times. So back to my strudel, the first 10 minutes in the oven are the critical phase, it can be tricky. The dough can crack, it happens sometimes but it's not a problem, you just have to close it again. And here's when the trust comes in. I've been making this recipe for almost 15 years but today's strudel opened more than any other before as I took my time taking pictures so the pastry got warm. I was used to a few cracks on the top which you can easily close with two spoons, but this time, one side opened completely. So I had to react quickly, I pulled the pastry up again with the help of the parchment paper and stabilized it with small baking dishes on each side. I got a bit nervous but it worked, as always.
And maybe that's one of the biggest lessons I've learned in the past year, not for the first time in my life, but with a kind of intensity I never felt before. As long as you don't give up and trust everything will work out. The peace discovered through this experience is a treasure.
I want to thank you so much for joining me while I fill these pages of eat in my kitchen. I hope you enjoy the time in the kitchen and at the table with these recipes as much as I do. There will be many more to come, not every day but about four times a week. I need a little break once in a while to feed my inspiration.
Thank you to my mother and my whole family in Germany, Malta and in the US for being such an amazing inspiration to my kitchen and a big thank you to my boyfriend for his patience!
Lots of love from Berlin,
Meike xx
Tyrolean Apple Strudel
For 1 large apple strudel you need
For the dough
plain flour 300g / 10.5 ounces
granulated sugar 150g / 5.5 ounces
ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon
baking powder 2 leveled teaspoons
a pinch of salt
butter, cold, 150g / 5.5 ounces
organic egg, beaten, 1
Combine the flour with the sugar, salt, baking powder and cinnamon. Cut the butter with a knife into the flour until there are just little pieces of butter left. Continue with your fingers and rub the butter into the flour until combined. Add the egg and continue mixing with the hooks of your mixer until you have a crumbly mixture. Form a thick disc, wrap in cling film and put in the fridge for 1 hour.
For the filling
sour apples (like boskoop), peeled, cored, cut into 8 pieces each and sliced thinly, 800g / 1 3/4 pounds (weight of the apples before peeling and coring)
raisins 100g / 3.5 ounces
dry breadcrumbs 60g / 2 ounces
butter 1 teaspoon
vanilla, the seeds of 1/2 pod
ground cinnamon 2 1/2 teaspoons
zest of 1/2 lemon
zest of 1 orange
freshly squeezed lemon juice 1 tablespoon
freshly squeezed orange juice 1 tablespoon
Kirsch schnaps 2 tablespoons
granulated sugar 80g / 3 ounces
Roast the breadcrumbs in the butter, stirring constantly until golden brown. Let them cool.
In a large bowl, mix all the ingredients for the filling apart from the sugar; you add the sugar when the filling is spread out on the pastry.
The strudel
organic egg, beaten, 1 for the egg wash
icing sugar for the topping
Set the oven to 180°C / 355°F (fan assisted oven).
Roll out the dough between cling film, about 35 x 30 cm / 14 x 12". Take the top layer of cling film off the pastry and put a large piece of parchment paper on instead. Flip the dough around so that the parchment paper is at the bottom and take off the cling film on top. Gently spread the filling evenly on the pastry but leave a 2cm / 1" rim around it, sprinkle the filling with the sugar. Carefully roll up the dough from the long side, it should be quite tight, if possible, push the apples back in that fall out. When the strudel is rolled up put the fold at the bottom and close the sides by pushing the dough together. Quickly move the strudel on the parchment paper onto the baking sheet, brush with the egg wash and bake for 40 minutes or until golden brown. Watch the strudel in the first 10 minutes, if it opens, quickly close it with the back of a spoon. If it opens on the side, pull up the parchment paper to put the pastry back into place and hold it in place with a small ovenproof dish put right next to the strudel. When it's done, take it out of the oven and let it cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before you sprinkle it with icing sugar.
Enjoy pure, with whipped cream or custard sauce.
For the custard sauce
organic egg yolks 4
cornstarch 3 tablespoons
granulated sugar 100g / 3.5 ounces
milk 700ml / 3 cups
a pinch of salt
vanilla pod, slit slightly, 1
Whisk the egg yolks with the cornstarch, sugar, salt and 50ml / 2 ounces of the milk until well combined.
In a sauce pan, bring the remaining milk with the vanilla pod to the boil. Take the vanilla pod out and scrape the seeds out of the bean into the milk. Add the egg mixture to the hot milk, whisking well. Take the sauce pan off the heat after 1 minute and continue whisking for 2 minutes, serve hot.
Breakfast Crêpes with sweet Sour Cream
This is one of the best things you can do with a golden crêpes, fill it with sweet whipped sour cream! The cream is so simple that whenever I make it for my friends, no one manages to guess what's in it. It's definitely not much, just sour cream whipped with icing sugar but for whatever reason, it creates a unique taste between sweet and sour which is far more fine than you would imagine.
I learned about this recipe from my stepfather who lived in Paris for a few years. Uli adores this country, the food and lifestyle and he praises its cuisine almost as much as the one he grew up with, the traditional Swabian cooking. He's a true gourmet, one of the most joyful and critical I know who loves his food and wine with such passion that he celebrates every meal. A dinner with him is a feast and even the smallest nibble for lunch turns into a special treat. It's the way he talks about it, how he appreciates every bite, that it becomes more than just food, it's a celebration of life. Uli brought a huge French influence into my family's cooking, yesterday's Coq au Vin, my Daube de Boef Provençale, the creamy Vichyssoise or my mother's Tarte Tatin, I'm sure I would have cooked these recipes at one point in my life anyway, but his notes and comments to the recipes, his authentic knowledge and the stories about his life in France which he has told us since we were children turn these dishes into something very special (and delicious!). I still call him when my cooking turns French for some tips and advice.
I remember that we often used to make these crêpes as a spontaneous dessert after a long dinner when we all didn't feel like finishing our gathering at table but rather listening to more stories while eating these wonderfully luscious crêpe rolls. Uli always used to remind us in the kitchen that we have to make them thinner, like in France! Today, I love to make them for a late breakfast on the weekend, with a Café au Lait at hand and some Jacques Brel in the background. Although he was Belgian he's still one of my favourite singers when it comes to French chansons! He makes me feel like I'm in Paris!
Crêpes with sweet Sour Cream
For about 20 crêpes (for 4-6 people) you need
plain flour, sieved, 250g / 9 ounces
granulated sugar 50g / 2 ounces
a pinch of salt
organic eggs 4
milk 1/2l / 2 cups
butter, to fry the crêpes
For the sweet cream
sour cream 400g / 14 ounces
icing sugar 6 tablespoons plus more to taste
Whisk the sour cream and icing sugar to a light and fluffy cream and sweeten to taste.
Mix the ingredients for the crêpes to a smooth dough (with an electric mixer) and let it sit for 15 minutes.
In a non-stick pan, heat a teaspoon of butter. Pour in a ladle of the dough, holding the pan in your hand and turning it so that the dough spreads evenly and very thinly. The temperature should be on medium-high as the crêpes won't need more than 1 minute on each side once the heat is set right. I always use the first two crêpes to find the right setting. When the crêpe is golden on both sides, fold it twice and keep it warm in the oven at 80°C / 175°F. Always heat a teaspoon of butter before you add new dough to the pan. When the last batch is done serve with the sweet sour cream.
Quince and Rutabaga Purée with Apple Balsamico and Thyme
What can be done with leftover quince and rutabaga? Throw them together and mash them with sweet Apple Balsamico vinegar and thyme! When I made my ginger lemon brandy with quince last week I bought too many of the fruits (as always) and their colour slowly changed from yellow to brown in the past few days. It was time to use them before they looked like potatoes. I could have also made jelly out of them but I still have a couple jars left, I just use it to refine sauces but it never finds its way onto my breakfast table. The competition in my pantry is tough, there's also white vineyard peach jam, Tyrolean plums and my all time favourite, chunky strawberry. Soon I'll make new batches of my tangerine and my blood orange marmalade and I'm slowly running out of space.
So no more jam but a purée which is a fruity alternative to mashed potatoes, ideally with a hearty roast and some aromatic gravy on the plate - heavenly! Both the quince and rutabaga flavours came through quite balanced and merged with the woody thyme, a little maple syrup and thick Apple Balsamico. You could use normal balsamic vinegar as well but the apple complements the quince and adds a little more sweetness, pear balsamico would be nice too. If you have it at hand, here's the perfect dish for it to show off its qualities!
Quince and Rutabaga Purée with Apple Balsamico and Thyme
As a side dish for 4 you need
rutabaga, peeled and cut into little cubes, 300g / 10.5 ounces
quince, peeled, cored and cut into little cubes, 3
white wine
granulated sugar 1 teaspoon
salt and pepper
a pinch of cinnamon
olive oil
maple syrup, 1-2 tablespoons, to taste
apple balsamic vinegar, 1-2 tablespoons, to taste
fresh thyme leaves, 1 tablespoon plus more for the topping
In a sauce pan, heat a little olive oil and sauté the quince and rutabaga with the sugar for 2-3 minutes on medium heat. Deglaze with a splash of white wine and add some water, it should come up about 2.5cm / 1". Season with salt, pepper and cinnamon and stir in the maple syrup. Close with a lid and let it simmer on medium-low heat for about 30-40 minutes or until the fruit and root are soft, purée in a blender and season to taste. Serve warm, sprinkled with thyme and a little more Balsamico vinegar.
Smoked Salmon Dip with Horseradish and Dill on Pumpernickel
Salty, smoky and creamy! I've wanted to make this sandwich for months but whenever we had thin slices of pink smoked salmon lying in front of us on the kitchen table, we decided that it would be a pity to put this delicacy in a food processor. So we put some bread in the toaster instead and ate the fish puristically, just with toast, delicious as well but not what I had in mind today. I wanted to mix the fish with cream cheese, puréed and seasoned with a little horseradish, a simple composition which tastes fantastic on sweet and dark pumpernickel. It just needs some fresh dill on top and it's a stunner!
In summer, I like to make these sumptuous open sandwiches for a late breakfast or brunch but at this time of the year it's the perfect nibble for dinner parties. You can mix the spread in advance and put it on the table as a little appetizer with some more dips, like hummus or tzatziki with loaves of bread while you finish the last preparations in peace. It makes me nervous when I know that everybody is hungry waiting for me to get ready, so I'd rather see my friends happy with some finger food before the feast begins. It relaxes them as much as me.
Smoked Salmon Dip with Horseradish and Dill on Pumpernickel
For 12 small open sandwiches you need
pumpernickel bread, cut into triangles, 6 slices
smoked salmon 100g / 3.5 ounces
cream cheese 150g / 5.5 ounces
a pinch of freshly grated horseradish, to taste
fresh dill, snipped, a small bunch
Purée the salmon with the cream cheese in a food processor and season with horseradish to taste. Spread on the pumpernickel slices and garnish with dill. Enjoy!
Roasted Ginger Lemon Brussels Sprouts
The fact that I found a bag with little green Brussels sprouts at the far, far end of my fridge says a lot about my relation to this miniature cabbage. When I have them on my plate, I enjoy eating them, but if I'm not asked to cook them, they barely find their way into my pots. But this might change as I made a new discovery, roasted ginger lemon Brussels sprouts! It's amazing how the two lemony spices manage to turn the strong aroma of the green leaves into something new, less heavy and almost fresh. I was impressed! I often mix Brussels sprouts with smoky bacon to soften their dominance, the meat's saltiness is one of the few flavours that can handle this cabbage, but my new find is even better!
This dish is really easy to prepare, once you removed the outer leaves, the cabbages are completely coated in a strong ginger lemon olive oil and roasted in the oven for about half an hour. If you're a big fan of these two flavours (like me) you can add a lot of grated ginger and lemon zest to the aromatic oil to give the vegetable a completely new direction. A while ago, these two aromas worked wonders in another recipe of mine, my refreshing cauliflower soup. I also wanted to bring out the Brussels sprouts' sweet side in this recipe so I sprinkled them with a bit of sugar before I put them in the oven to caramelize them a little. The added sweetness fit perfectly!
This makes a great side dish for poultry or Sunday roasts but also a delicious vegetarian lunch, if you're still looking for some greens for your Thanksgiving table, here you go!
Roasted Ginger Lemon Brussels Sprouts
For 4 people you need
Brussels sprouts, trimmed, cut in half, 750g / 1 3/4 pounds
olive oil 50ml / 1/4 cup
freshly squeezed lemon juice 1 tablespoon
zest of 1 lemon
freshly grated ginger 1 tablespoon
sea salt
granulated sugar 1/2-1 teaspoon
Set the oven to 200°C / 390°F (I use the Rotitherm setting).
Whisk the olive oil with the lemon juice, zest and ginger. Spread the Brussels sprouts in a baking dish and mix them with the aromatic oil using your fingers to coat them thoroughly. Sprinkle them with sugar and salt. Put the baking dish in the oven and turn the cabbages with a spoon or spatula after about 10 minutes and then every 5 minutes to prevent them turning too dark. Take them out of the oven after about 25-30 minutes or when they are golden brown and al dente.
Ottijiet - Maltese Tea Time Cookies with Sesame Seeds, Cloves and Aniseed
Almost ten years ago, I found my favourite tea time cookie on a little island in the Mediterranean. The Maltese Ottijiet are crumbly short crust based cookies, shaped in a figure of 8, hence the name ottijiet (the plural of otta) derived from the Italian word for eight, otto. The composition is not very sweet but packed with wonderful flavours ripened under the Mediterranean sun: orange, lemon, aniseed, cloves and sesame. It's one of the most aromatic sweets I know. Imagine the smell of the air in my kitchen while they're baking in the oven, it's beautiful!
When we're on the island, I always go to my trusted confectionary Busy Bee in Msida on the first or the second day of our stay to stock up on ottijiet for our traditional 5 o'clock tea breaks in Jenny's kitchen. As I'm not the only one in the house who is obsessed with them, I buy a few bags right away to avoid cookie shortages. This sweet became an important part of our daily ceremony, we all come together and meet around my Maltese mother's big wooden table in the afternoon to chat and savour our caramel coloured teas. Many Maltese like to dip the crunchy rings into their warm beverage and our family has often tried to convince me of this ritual - without success, it's not for me!
Whenever friends and family visit us in Berlin, they know how to make me happy and bring a few packages of ottijiet to our kitchen. But after so many years and cookies, I felt ready to bake my own. I was a bit nervous but luckily we still had a package from Jenny's last visit so I didn't have to depend on my taste memory. Ottijiet are kind of a national dish and I have learned a lot about the various traditional recipes and the obligatory spice mixtures from the cooks I met over the years. I knew roughly what I had to do but it took two batches of dough until my Maltese partner approved the result and I was happy too. But then, they were as good as Busy Bee's!
Ottijiet - Maltese Tea Time Cookies with Sesame Seeds, Cloves and Aniseed
Before you bake the cookies, the dough should rest in the fridge for about 1 hour.
For 22 ottijiet you need
plain flour 300g / 10.5 ounces
granulated sugar 100g / 3.5 ounces
baking powder 2 teaspoons
a pinch of salt
aniseed, ground in a mortar, 3 leveled teaspoons
cloves, ground in a mortar, 20 (about 1 1/2 teaspoons)
vanilla, the seeds of 1/2 pod
orange zest 1 teaspoon
lemon zest 1 teaspoon
butter, cold, 100g / 3.5 ounces
organic egg, beaten, 1
freshly squeezed lemon juice 1 tablespoon
freshly squeezed orange juice 1 tablespoon
water, cold, 1 tablespoon
sesame seeds about 50g / 2 ounces, for the topping
Combine the flour with the sugar, salt, baking powder, spices and citrus zest. Cut the butter with a knife into the flour until there are just little pieces of butter left. Continue with your fingers and rub the butter into the flour until combined. Add the egg, juices and water and continue mixing with the hooks of your mixer until you have a crumbly mixture. Form a thick disc, wrap in cling film and put in the fridge for about 1 hour.
Set the oven to 200°C / 390°F (fan assisted oven) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Put the sesame seeds on a plate.
Break large walnut sized pieces off the dough and roll them between your hands for about 5 seconds. On the kitchen top, roll them into thin, 25cm / 10" long sausage shapes and close them well to form a ring. Twist the ring to an 8 shape, dip it into the sesame seeds and spread the cookies on the baking sheet with some space in between them as they will rise. Bake the ottijiet for 11 minutes or until golden brown and let them cool on a rack. Store them in your cookie jars and enjoy with a cup of tea!
meet in your kitchen | Making sausages with Simon, The Sausage Man Never Sleeps
It was one of the last warm evenings in early October when I met Simon from The Sausage Man Never Sleeps for the first time. He had a stand at Berlin's first Stadt Land Food Festival and was about to close down for the day. I spotted a selection of coarse sausages in his display, the kind I got hooked on since I lived in England a few years ago. When I read the names of his creations I couldn't help talking to him. Apricot, hazelnuts and cream cheese, apple and sage, or tomato, fennel and mozzarella sausage, doesn't that sound heavenly? That's exactly what I love to have on my breakfast table on a Sunday morning with some fried eggs, beans and bacon. This man offered what I had been looking for in this city for years! I had to learn more about his products, maybe make some sausages together so I asked if I could visit him in his kitchen.
At 5 am (!) the following week we had a date. The city was still dark and quiet when I jumped on my bike, ready to watch my laid-back gourmet butcher from New Zealand prepare his new batch of sausages for the day. While he was stuffing the skins with the various fillings which he had mixed earlier at night before my arrival, we spoke about his journey that took him from the other side of the world (from a European perspective) to London and finally to Berlin. Here, he decided to live his dream and make his own sausages. He started working at a butcher shop which is coincidentally in my area and my favourite place for meat. At the Erchinger Fleisch und Wurstmanufaktur in Prenzlauer Berg, Simon finished his education to get the qualifications for the German market and he also became friends with the owner. Butcher Jörg Erchinger who took over the shop a few years ago, totally supports the young man and his visions. He believes in his unique products which have recently been featured by the renowned Feinschmecker magazine. Simon uses the rooms, machines and tools of the shop for his own production which he offers at the Markthalle Neun in Kreuzberg and other special food events. If you want to stay updated about the latest The Sausage Man Never Sleeps projects, you can visit his website.
I didn't want to miss out on the chance to get these delicious sausages fried to perfection by the butcher himself. We couldn't meet at his kitchen at home as the house is too dark for photos, so he took over mine. After a well deserved coffee for the sleepless sausage man and some hazelnuts that he spotted on my window-sill, we got down to frying. He cooked his work of the morning in a little butter and oil for about 10 minutes until the sausages were golden brown but still juicy. They were so good, I didn't want to have them with anything else, I just enjoyed them and their pure flavours. I'm so happy that Simon offered to share one of his secrets with all of us, the recipe for his gourmet Apple and Sage Sausages!
Simon's Gourmet Apple and Sage Sausages
pork belly, boned and skinned (approx. 20% fat), 1kg / 2 pounds
apples, peeled, cored and diced into 1/2cm / 1/4" cubes, 2
salt 15g / 3 leveled teaspoons
cracked pepper 1g / a pinch
fresh sage, chopped, 2g / 4 leaves
natural pork sausage skins
Mince the pork through a 1/2cm / 1/4" mincing plate, add the salt and mix by hand until it sticks to itself (3-4 minutes). Add the apple, pepper and sage and mix throughly.
Fill into skins but not too full so you can tie off sausages. Tie off sausages with thumb and forefinger, cut in the middle of the twist which should be about 1cm / 1/2" long.
Shelf life of 2-3 days in the fridge or can be frozen if made from fresh meat.
Cooking instructions
Give your pan a medium heat, a squirt of oil, a dob of butter and heat until foamy. Pop sausages in the pan (there is no need to prick them first). Turn and baste in the pan juice until golden brown (9-10 minutes).
Guten Appetit!
You started an apprenticeship at a butcher at 16 but only started working as one 14 years later. Why did you wait so long and what drew you back to this craft?
After completing my apprenticeship as a butcher I was looking for the next challenge and an opportunity came up to work in a freezing works (BIG Abbotoir) as a supervisor in a lamb cutting room. 10 years later after various office jobs in the food industry I found myself in London at the start of the recession with little chance of finding an office job in the food industry. Going back to being a butcher was the obvious choice. Leaving and getting back into hands on butcher work was not planned, it was opportunities that came along.
You grew up in New Zealand, lived and worked as a butcher in London and you have now started your own sausage business here in Berlin. What are the differences in sausage making in these three countries?
The basis of New Zealand sausages has an English theme as it was colonised by the British in the 19th century. New Zealand butchers have a lot of interesting flavour combinations in their sausages which is quite an inspiration for me. British sausages generally have more simple flavour combinations and are mainly pork based. German sausages are good and there is a huge range available, German sausages are world renowned as the best in the world.
Do you have a sausage philosophy?
Yes, keep it simple, use good quality ingredients and don’t add too much salt.
How do you develop new sausage recipes? What inspires you?
Trial and error, combining flavours that complement each other, that don’t overpower each other, using different textures to create interesting combinations that are more than just flavour and moisture.
Your company is called 'The Sausage Man Never Sleeps', is that what a butcher's life is really like?
Not really, apart from Christmas time working in a butcher's shop, usually that means 15 hour days for a while. The name was inspired by the New Zealand sausage man who I worked with at Lidgates in London. Most of the butcher's shops I’ve worked in are 6am starts, I love that time of day, especially in the warmer months!
What do you miss about New Zealand in general but also when it comes to food?
I miss my friends and family, especially my nephews. I miss sea fishing and eating what you catch the same day, walking in the bush (forest) and the Southern Alps.I’m a big fan of New Zealand Beef, Lamb and Venison. My father was a farmer and in his business he has a lot of contact with farmers, so his freezers (3 of them) are always full of the tastiest home killed and hunted meat you would find in the world. Also he has a massive vegetable garden, so it’s always a treat being at my parents' house. And last but not least, Dimitrie's Souvolaki in Christchurch has the best Souvolaki ever...
How often do you use your kitchen at home, do you like to cook?
I love to cook but since I started my business I have had not as much time to cook. Nothing better than getting friends round and all pitching in to make an epic feast!
What was the first dish you cooked on your own, what is your first cooking memory?
My first memory of cooking is making mud cakes in the garden and the first dish I cooked was heating up frozen fries and a hot dog (in New Zealand this is a battered pre-cooked sausage on a stick), I was about 6 years old.
What are your favourite places to buy and enjoy food in Berlin?
Markthalle Neun, Eurogida, The Dairy, Antipodes, Oma Marnie's Pie Bakery, Erchinger Fleisch und Wurstmanufaktur, and Gemüse Kebab Shop on Kastanienallee.
What are your upcoming projects?
I am starting in the Breakfast Market in the Markthalle Neun on the 16th of November, it is on the third Sunday of every month. Later I want to also get into Streetfood Thursday. Eventually I want to have my own production place where I can make sausages 24 hours a day.
Why did you choose Berlin as a place to live and work?
After living in London I needed to get out of the rat race, Berlin was the perfect choice.
What did you choose to share on eat in my kitchen?
Here's a recipe for Apple and Sage Sausages.
If you could choose one person to cook a meal for you, who and what would it be?
Jamie Oliver, Scottish entrecôte steak, eggs and chips.
You're going to have ten friends over for a spontaneous dinner, what will be on the table?
A massive vegan curry, rice, Raita and Turkish bread, a couple of salads, one including bacon. Whatever sausages I have in the freezer for the meat eaters.
What was your childhood's culinary favourite and what is it now?
Mum's homemade lasagna with garlic bread and a leafy salad. Now, I have no idea. I like all food, except mustard, I am allergic to it. Actually I’m about to cook a full English for some friends, that's one of my favourites... great way to start the day.
Do you prefer to cook on your own or together with others?
Cooking with others is preferred, although I find cooking alone fine as long as I have some good music to listen to.
Which meals do you prefer, improvised or planned?
Improvised.
Which meal would you never cook again?
Homemade falafel, it’s so frustrating cooking without a deep fryer!
Thank you Simon!
Pumpkin and Sweet Potato Soup with Chèvre
My pumpkin phase has to take a little break, it's going overboard. I had one last idea for soup in mind before leaving the pretty squash at the market instead of carrying one after the other into our kitchen. What I came up with is pumpkin, sweet potato and carrot cooked and puréed to a velvety soup topped with mild chèvre and pumpkin seed oil to melt into the sweet flavours.
This is the perfect end to an annual obsession I always fall for as soon as the leaves turn golden. The first bowl of my warm treat put me at ease, I felt ready to jump into a new phase! The composition combined all I could ask for, it was smooth and thick. This soup isn't light and liquid, it's more like a purée, a potage that is rich enough to satisfy your hunger after a busy day. I really like these kind of soups that can replace a whole meal instead of just being a starter to tickle the appetite. All you need are some slices of juicy ciabatta sprinkled with olive oil on the side to enjoy the entire comfort of this dish.
Pumpkin and Sweet Potato Soup with Chèvre
For 4 people you need
pumpkin (squash), without the fibres and seeds, cut into cubes, 700g / 1.5 pounds (Hokkaido with skin or peeled butternut or Musquée de Provence pumpkin)
sweet potato, scrubbed and rinsed, cut into cubes, 500g / 1 pound
large carrot, peeled or scrubbed, cut into cubes, 1
medium onion, finely chopped, 1
garlic, crushed, 1 clove
bay leaf 1
water 1 l / 2 pints
olive oil
a pinch of mace or nutmeg
salt and pepper
soft chèvre, crumbled, 100g / 3.5 ounces, for the topping
pumpkin seed oil, for the topping
In a large pot, heat a splash of olive oil and cook the onions on medium heat for a few minutes until soft and golden. Add a little more oil and the pumpkin, sweet potato, carrot and garlic. Stir and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the water and bay leaf and bring to the boil. Season with salt, pepper and mace and cook for about 30 minutes or until the vegetables are soft (simmering). Take out the bay leaf and purée the soup with a stick mixer or in a blender. Season to taste and serve sprinkled with pumpkin seed oil and a few crumbles of the chèvre.
A grilled Beetroot, Bacon and Blue Cheese Sandwich
These three B's lead to an amazingly luscious sandwich: beetroot, bacon and blue cheese! The earthy-sweet, salty and smoked flavours are anything but silent, however surprisingly harmonic in this combination. They merge naturally with the sharpness of the melted Fourme d'Ambert cheese and the crunchy rucola (arugula) which I added for some colour and green freshness.
It started off with one of my weekly kitchen tradition, I always cook a big pot of the purple roots to have them at hand for our salads or as a little snack cut into small cubes and drizzled with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. As I saw the rustic vegetable dancing up and down in the deep red water I got mesmerized, dreaming of all the delicious recipes I would use them for. The three B's where one of them!
When I put the sandwich under the grill, the seductive aroma of grilled cheese spread in the air. Attracted by the smell, two hungry people found their way in front of the oven. My partner and his mother Jenny who isn't usually too fond of strong cheeses, blue ones in particular, looked at me with impatience and hunger. They both love my Sandwich Wednesdays but the fact that I have to take pictures first can be quite a mean teaser. Grilled sandwiches especially are a feast for the eyes but even more for the nose. It can be so cruel to sit in front of this beautiful creation in all its juiciness when all you want is to take a big bite but you can't. You have to wait until the last photo is taken. That makes me appreciate it even more!
A grilled Beetroot, Bacon and Blue Cheese Sandwich
For 3 sandwiches you need
long rustic buns, cut in half, 3
large beetroots, scrubbed and rinsed, 2
bay leaf 1
bacon 3-6 slices
aromatic blue cheese, like Fourme d'Ambert or Stilton, cut into slices, 100g / 3.5 ounces
rucola (arugula), a small handful
olive oil
sat and pepper
Cook the beetroot in lots of salted water with the bay leaf for about 50 minutes or until the roots are soft. Rinse them under cold water and let them cool for a few minutes. Peel and cut them into thick slices and brush them with olive oil.
Fry the bacon in a little olive oil until golden brown and very crisp and brake it into large pieces.
Spread 3-4 beetroot slices on the bottom side of each bun and put a few bacon pieces on top. Finish it off with the blue cheese and put it under the grill for 1-2 minutes until it starts to melt. Sprinkle with pepper and rucola, close the bun and enjoy!
Chicory, Pomegranate and Orange Salad with fresh Turmeric
When it's grey outside it's time to bring some colours back to our plates! I combined bitter chicory, or endive, the sweetest red pomegranate and juicy oranges in a powerful salad full of strong flavours and vitamins. The dressing is a bright yellow aroma bomb mixed with freshly grated turmeric, thick apple balsamic vinegar and a little maple syrup - fruity and spicy. This is definitely a keeper for winter! Fresh turmeric root has a very strong taste, so you have to add it carefully, one pinch at a time, to enjoy its qualities in the dressing.
At the moment, my kitchen is stuffed with all kinds of citrus fruits, three big plates piled with lemons, oranges, deep coloured tangerines and the lighter and loose skinned satsumas, or mandarins. It's so easy to prepare and strengthen the body for winter when these fruits are at hand. I start every morning with a cup of green tea with half a squeezed lemon, my prevention and cure. When I tried it the first time, I got hooked on this warm drink so it became the daily morning ritual of my life. Since then, about four or five years ago, I have rarely been sick. This is my beloved little ceremony, boiling water and letting it cool down to about 80°C (180°F) to brew the fragrant leaves. My lemons are normally from Italy, and always organic, I pour their sour juices into the light green of my tea and take a few minutes just for myself. This is like meditation, I sit down on my sofa with the warm mug in my hands and relax!
Chicory, Pomegranate and Orange Salad with fresh Turmeric
As a lunch for 2 you need
medium chicories (Belgian endives) 2
pomegranate 1/2
orange, peeled and cut into filets, 1
For the dressing
olive oil 3 tablespoons
apple balsamic vinegar 1 1/2 tablespoons
freshly squeezed orange juice 1 tablespoon
maple syrup 1/2-1 tablespoon, to taste
fresh turmeric, grated, a bit less than 1/8 teaspoon, to taste
salt and pepper
Whisk the ingredients for the dressing and season to taste.
Spread the chicory leaves and orange filets on 2 plates and sprinkle with the pomegranate seeds and the dressing.
My Granny's Donauwelle - a Marble Cake with Cherries and Buttercream
In my young years, I built up a remarkable reputation in my family regarding the amount of cake I could eat at one go. Our regular gatherings at my granny Lisa's house used to start with a huge cake buffet which equaled paradise in my childish eyes. Most of my aunts and uncles are passionate cooks and bakers, they always lined up a scrumptious selection of our sweet family classics, like black forest cake, cheese and fruit cakes, spongy lemon cake, crumbles and my granny's masterpiece, her fabulous Donauwelle (meaning Danube wave). This traditional cake is also known as Snow-White-Cake due to its colour combination. It combines a layer of juicy black and white marble cake with sour cherries, German buttercream and melted bittersweet chocolate on top. The original name refers to the wavy pattern which you see when you cut the pieces. The cherries sink into the dough while it's baking and create waves like the Danube river - Donau in German.
As a child, I used to have quite a healthy appetite, but sometimes I pushed my borders. I could easily eat five or six pieces of cake, especially when I tried to keep up with my well built male cousins. Of course, there were many days I had to suffer afterwards but it was all forgotten by the next family feast.
It's been more than twenty years since my granny passed away and I never baked this cake myself. I kept the recipe safe and waited. But then, when my Maltese mother Jenny visited us last week, I thought about a special German sweet to treat her to. My granny Lisa's Donauwelle was the first one that came into my mind and it felt like the right time to finally give it a try. I was a bit nervous so I called my sister to get some more detailed instructions. After a few adjustments and improvisations on the recipe (we forgot to use the fifth egg as it rolled behind the toaster but we didn't miss it in the final result), we had this luscious family classic on our table. It tasted like my granny's and brought back sweet memories of her in the kitchen, of her cherry tree in her garden and the perfect times I used to spend at her house.
The cake is traditionally completely covered in chocolate decorated with a wavy pattern, my granny made it this way too. I find the bittersweet taste too overpowering so I went for a lighter chocolate sprinkle. I also only used half of the butter for the buttercream, it made it less dense and heavy.
We were all quite impressed with the result and savoured it for days. On the second and third day, we thought it was best but the chocolate wasn't as pretty any more, but who cares! What can I say, food is like music, it saves memories for the rest of our life so that we can recall them at any time, I love that!
Donauwelle
For a 24 x 30cm / 10 x 12" baking dish you need
sour cherries (preserved) 300g / 10.5 ounces
bittersweet chocolate 100g / 3.5 ounces, for the topping
butter 1 tablespoon, for the topping
For the marble cake
butter, at room temperature, 275g / 10 ounces
granulated sugar 275g / 10 ounces
seeds of 1/2 vanilla pod
organic eggs 4
milk 175ml / 6 ounces
plain flour 400g / 14 ounces
baking powder 1 package (4 teaspoons)
a pinch of salt
dark unsweetened cocoa powder 2 heaped tablespoons
Set the oven to 180°C / 355°F (fan-assisted oven) and line the baking dish with parchment paper.
Beat the butter, sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time and continue beating for a few minutes until thick, creamy and light yellow. Combine the flour, salt and baking powder. Fold the dry ingredients and the milk with a wooden spoon gently into the butter egg mixture, alternating, about 1/3 at a time. Divide the dough in half between two bowls and stir the cocoa powder into one of them.
Scrape the light dough into the baking dish, even it out and put the dark one on top. Spread the cherries on top, one by one, and push them lightly into the dough. Bake for 40 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the cake is done. Check with a skewer, it should come out clean. Let the cake cool completely.
For the German buttercream
All ingredients for the buttercream must be at the same temperature (room temperature) to combine well!
butter 125g / 4.5 ounces
organic egg yolks 4
cornstarch 60g / 2 ounces
granulated sugar 120g / 4.5 ounces
milk 500ml / 17 ounces
a pinch of salt
vanilla pod, slit slightly, 1
Beat the soft butter for 5 minutes until white and fluffy.
Whisk the egg yolks with the cornstarch, sugar, salt and 50ml / 2 ounces of the milk until well combined.
In a sauce pan, bring the remaining milk with the vanilla pod to the boil. Take the vanilla pod out and scrape the seeds out of the bean into the milk. Add the egg mixture to the hot milk, whisking well. Take the sauce pan off the heat after 1 minute and continue whisking for 2 minutes until stiff. Fill into a bowl and cover the pudding’s surface with cling film.
When the vanilla pudding has cooled off completely, press it through a sieve and mix it in batches with the beaten butter, first with a spoon and then with your mixer for a few seconds until nice and creamy.
The Donauwelle
For the topping, melt the chocolate and butter and let it cool a little.
Spread the buttercream on top of the cake and decorate with the melted chocolate.
