German Waffles with Whipped Raspberry Vanilla Cream
There are countless waffle recipes in the culinary world, with different tastes, textures and ingredients. Many countries and cultures have their traditional formulas, one of the most famous is certainly the thick Belgian waffle baked in squares. The addition of coarse sugar grains creates a caramelized crust which makes it a very sweet and crunchy pleasure to enjoy. Nonetheless, I think I ate the best outside Belgium, in Malta, baked by the private chef of the Belgian ambassador. I nibbled on it on the ancient stairs of a side road in Valletta and it was pure bliss, the waffle and the atmosphere of the warm summer night. We watched a Jazz concert at a tiny bar close to the harbour, George's wonderful Bridge Bar, and the first bite into this fantastic sweet pulled all my attention off the musicians, I could only see the waffle in my hands and forgot everything around me.
However, my absolute favourite must be German waffles. Heart shaped, slightly crisp on the outside but soft inside. And they become even softer when you stack them, and that's what I do and what I've always loved to do. I still use my grandmother's recipe with a few slight adjustments by my mother and myself. Together with my sister, we'd often take out the waffle maker on Sundays to bake piles of waffles that we'd stack on a large plate. We'd listen to playful classical music (preferably Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf or Ravel’s Bolero) and shuffle one sweet heart after the other topped with fluffy whipped cream into our hungry mouths. I notice that I only have great memories with this dish which speaks for itself.
If a recipe is so satisfying in its purest form, it doesn't really need any alternations. But it's July, the ripest and brightest red raspberries sparkle in their boxes, so I decided to purée them and mix them with vanilla whipped cream for a fruity and creamy topping - it was a good choice!
German Waffles with Whipped Raspberry Vanilla Cream
For 7-8 waffles you need (for 2-3 people)
For the waffles
plain flour 100g / 3 1/2oz / 3/4 cup
baking powder 1/2 teaspoon
butter 50g / 2 ounces
milk 120ml / 1/2 cup
organic eggs, separated, 3
a pinch of salt
granulated sugar 2 tablespoon, plus more for the topping
a pinch of vanilla, scraped from the pod
For the raspberry cream
raspberries, puréed in a blender, 120g / 4 1/2oz, plus a handful of pretty raspberries for the topping
whipping cream 200ml / 3/4 cup and 2 tablespoons
granulated sugar 2 tablespoons
a pinch of vanilla, scraped from the pod
For the whipped cream, whisk the cream, sugar and vanilla until stiff. Stir in the raspberry purée but don't over mix.
Warm up your waffle maker.
Combine the flour and baking powder. In a sauce pan, melt the butter, mix with the milk and set aside. Beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff and set aside.
In a large bowl, mix the egg yolks with the sugar and vanilla with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, add the milk-butter mixture and the flour and mix well. Fold the stiff egg whites gently with a large spoon into the dough.
Pour a ladle of the dough onto the warm waffle maker and bake until golden brown. Take out the waffle and sprinkle with sugar while it's still warm. Continue with the remaining dough and serve with the whipped raspberry cream and fresh raspberries.
Artichoke Omelette and Basil Pesto Ciabatta Sandwich
The inspiration for this sandwich comes from a lady who has been reading through almost all of my eat in my kitchen recipes in the past few weeks. She truly impressed me, not only because she soaked up hundreds of posts and stories, she also cooked many of the recipes in her kitchen and sent me the sweetest comments. We've never met, but here, on these pages, we share our passionate love for food.
A couple weeks ago, I found out that she loves to cook with artichokes as much as I do and she told me about an omelette she makes with the preserved vegetable. This genius idea never crossed my mind but when she mentioned it I knew instantly that I would turn this dish into a sandwich. I'm a big fan of juicy omelette sandwiches and I also love to sprinkle my bread with pesto, so this seemed like the perfect occasion to combine both treats. In the end, I also stuffed lots of fresh basil and rocket leaves inside the spongy ciabatta which added a fragrant Mediterranean flavour to the hearty eggs. It was fantastic, thank you, lady!
Artichoke Omelette Ciabatta Sandwich with Basil Pesto
For 3-4 sandwiches you need
For the pesto
fresh basil leaves 20g / 3/4oz
fresh mint leaves 2
pine nuts 1 tablespoon
Parmesan, freshly grated, 2 tablespoons
garlic, crushed, 1 small clove
olive oil 50ml / 1/4 cup
salt
Mix the ingredients for the pesto in a blender and season to taste.
For the omelette
organic eggs 3
heavy cream 50ml / 1/4 cup
freshly grated nutmeg
salt and pepper
large preserved artichoke hearts, quartered, 2
butter 1 heaping teaspoon
For the omelette, whisk the eggs, cream, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Heat half the butter in a small pan and sear the artichokes on high heat for about 2 minutes or until golden brown. Add the remaining butter and pour the egg mixture over the artichokes. Scramble very lightly and fold onto itself. When the bottom side starts to become golden flip it around. Brown it lightly from the other side for about a minute. Take the pan off the heat and cut the omelette into large chunks.
For the sandwich
medium ciabatta bread, cut into 3-4 buns
rocket (arugula) leaves, a small handful
fresh basil leaves 12
black peppercorns, crushed in a mortar
Lay a few rocket leaves on the bottom side of each sandwich, arrange the omelette on top and sprinkle with pesto, fresh basil leaves and crushed pepper. Close the sandwich and enjoy!
Spaghetti with Pan Roasted Fennel
A while ago, I cooked a fragrant pan full of crisp and golden fennel potatoes for us. I used fennel seeds and the vegetable's thinly sliced bulb for this recipe, it was so good that I promised myself that I would use this combination for pasta one day. It took more than 3 months but it's finally on our plates and my feeling was right, it works equally well with both.
The crisp vegetable adds a fresh touch to this dish, its distinct flavor is softer than the seeds, it's almost citrusy. The seeds however add a warming depth, I roast them in a little olive oil to enhance their fragrant aroma and turn them into crunchy bites. You just have to be careful not to burn them, they taste bitter if they become too dark.
It was a quick one, all in all this meal only took 10 minutes to prepare. Once you throw the pasta into the boiling water you only need 3 minutes to cook the fennel before you mix everything with flaky sea salt and coarsely crushed pepper. It's the perfect busy weekday or lazy weekend dinner!
Spaghetti with Pan Roasted Fennel
For 2 people you need
spaghetti 100g / 3 1/2oz
fennel seeds, lightly crushed in a mortar, 1 1/2 tablespoons
olive oil
medium fennel bulb, cut in half and the stalk cut off, very thinly sliced, 1
flaky sea salt
black peppercorns, crushed in a mortar
Cook the pasta in lots of salted water al dente.
Heat a splash of olive oil in a large heavy pan and cook the fennel seeds on medium heat for about 1 minute (they shouldn’t get dark!). Pull the pan off the heat, take the seeds out with a spoon and set them aside. Put the pan back on the heat and add the sliced fennel, sauté on medium heat for about 2-3 minute, the slices should be between al dente and soft. Stir in the spaghetti, fennel seeds and a splash of olive oil and season with sea salt and crushed pepper to taste, serve immediately.
Cakey Red Currant and Oat Cookies
To eat fruits right from a bush or tree is one of the most satisfying culinary experiences I know. A couple years ago, I went for a walk through Buskett Garden nearby Dingli in Malta with my boyfriend and his mother. We strolled along a little stream lined with mulberry bushes, fig and pomegranate trees. At one point we couldn't stop ourselves picking a few of the giant berries and ripe figs bursting in the hot afternoon sun. The honey sweet juices dripped of our fingers and we could only smile, overwhelmed by such peace, it felt like the Garden of Eden.
My granny Lisa's garden used to put me in the same mood, set in the north of Europe it offered a completely different scene. Lined with dark fir trees on one side and the most beautiful cherry tree on the other, where I used to sit on a swing after I picked its sweet fruits right from the branches. One of her neighbors used to grow red currants on little bushes, every year they were gifted with luscious produce. The branches were so packed with berries that the bushes looked bright red at one point in early summer, sprinkled with a few green dots from the leaves. Luckily, the owner planted the bushes so close to my granny's garden that they grew through the fence. He also didn't mind me sitting there in the grass, stuffing my mouth with one handful of these red berries after the other.
In the city, I miss out on this experience which is a pity. I have to buy the fruits by the boxes but the results that come out of my kitchen after I used them for my sweet treats are as satisfying and ease my sorrows. Today's wonderfully cakey red currant and oat cookies did a great job. They feel like little cakes, not crunchy at all, but rather juicy. Their soft texture combined with the nutty oats, mashed banana and sweet and sour fruits made me forget about hand-picked harvests and anything else!
You can also use blueberries for this recipes if you can't find red currants.
Cakey Red Currant and Oat Cookies
For about 26 cookies you need
plain flour 200g / 7oz / 1 1/2 cups
rolled oats 150g / 1 2/3 cups
salt 1 teaspoon
baking soda 1/2 teaspoon
baking powder 3/4 teaspoon
butter (soft) 170g / 6oz
granulated sugar 200g / 7oz / 1 cup
ripe banana, mashed, 1 (about 100g / 3 1/2oz)
organic egg 1
pinch of vanilla (scraped from the pod)
red currants (or blueberries), ripe but not soft, 200g / 7oz
Set the oven to 180°C / 360°F (fan-assisted oven) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Combine the flour, oats, salt, baking soda and baking powder. In a large bowl, mix the butter and sugar until fluffy with an electric mixer. Add the banana, egg and vanilla and continue mixing until well combined. Stir in the dry mixture with a spoon until you have a lumpy dough (with a bit of flour left here and there). Gently fold in the red currants (leave out a small handful of berries), use 2 tablespoons and don't mix more than 4-5 times. Try not to damage the berries too much, you want their juices to stay inside their skin. For each cookie, drop a tablespoon full of dough on the lined baking sheet, leave enough space in between them as they will expand in the oven. Flatten them softly with a fork (just a little) and gently push the remaining red currants into the dough. Bake in the oven for about 13 minutes or until golden, they will be quite soft. Take them out and let them cool on the tray for a few minutes before you transfer them onto a wire rack. The texture is nicest on the first day as they soften in a cookie box, but the taste was just as good the next day.
Spicy Roast Beef and Rhubarb Chutney Sandwich
Amazing news: eat in my kitchen is Yahoo Food's 'Blogger of the Week'!! Click here to take a peek in my kitchen and read the interview with the wonderful Rachel Tepper about sweets and plans in life!
Distracted by this excitement, I felt a bit indecisive in the kitchen, an unusual state of mind for me especially when it's about my Sandwich Wednesdays. To come up with a yummy new creation between two slices of bread every week has been one of the easier tasks since I started eat in my kitchen.
Sandwich recipes come to me quite easily, luckily, I don't have to think much about it. And it would have been the same this week if I hadn't gotten the stubborn idea stuck in my head that I wanted to empty an open jar of my spicy rhubarb chutney (amongst a few other jars) and use it for a sandwich. I was hardheaded and that always blocks my creativity. Soon we'll be in Malta and our apartment will be in the hands of a trusted friend while we're away, including our fridge which I'm aiming to empty completely and to have in a sparkly and spotless state by the day of our departure.
So, the chutney had to go and a sandwich had to be made. Pastrami seemed perfect but the quality at the store didn't convince me. When I spotted roast beef, freshly cut, bright pink on the inside with a spiced crust my chutney sandwich was saved. Still at the market, I threw some fresh chili peppers and a rustic French loaf into the basket and off I went. The first bite confirmed my suspicions, the beef and spicy rhubarb are a match made in heaven!
This recipe has been featured by Food52, you find my rhubarb chutney recipe here!
Spicy Roast Beef and Rhubarb Chutney Sandwich
For 2 sandwiches you need
rustic white bread 4 slices
roast beef, thinly cut, 8 slices
rhubarb chutney (or any other fruity chutney) 2-4 teaspoons, to taste
rucola leaves (arugula), a small handful
fresh red chili pepper, without seeds and thinly sliced, 1/2
black peppercorns, crushed in a mortar
olive oil, for the bread
Brush the bottom slice of bread with a little olive oil, arrange the rucola and roast beef on top and sprinkle with chutney, chili pepper and crushed pepper. Close your sandwich and enjoy!
Raw Asparagus Salad with Peach, Orange Blossom and Pecorino
I had lots of asparagus in my kitchen this year but, unfortunately, no time to try many raw recipes. I needed green and white asparagus for new recipes for my cookbook which I'm very happy with. Since late March, a quick combination of Asparagus with Balsamic Bacon and a Tortilla joined the eat in my kitchen recipe collection but there was no salad with the raw green stalks, that changed last week.
My Mediterranean version with tomatoes and Parmesan inspired by my mother introduced me to the pleasures of raw asparagus for the first time, followed by a Nordic salad with hardboiled egg, lemon yoghurt dressing and chives. This year, I felt like a fruity take on this dish, thinly sliced green asparagus with honey sweet white peaches, young pecorino and a refreshing dressing made with freshly squeezed orange juice and orange blossom water. Enjoyed with a glass of chilled rosé and a crunchy loaf of rustic French bread I didn't even mind that the cool temperatures couldn't keep up with this summery dish.
Raw Asparagus Salad with Peach, Orange Blossom and Pecorino
For 2 you need
The asparagus should be very fresh and not woody.
raw green asparagus, the bottom cut off and the lower part peeled if necessary, about 10 stalks
flat white Doghnut (or Saturn) peaches, sliced thinly, 2
young Pecorino (or Parmesan), sliced thinly, about 50g / 1 3/4oz
For the dressing
olive oil 3 tablespoons
freshly squeezed orange juice 2 tablespoons
quality orange blossom water (preferably organic) 2 teaspoons
a pinch of sugar (or honey)
salt and pepper
Cut the asparagus' heads off and in half, cut the stalks into slim slices, this works best with a mandoline or cheese slicer. Arrange the asparagus and peaches on plates. Whisk the ingredients for the dressing and season to taste, sprinkle over the salad and finish it off with the Pecorino.
Apricot Cinnamon Crumble Tart - my best cake ever!
According to a friend, this is the best cake I have ever made. However, although I feel flattered by this compliment, his statement should be handled with care. Overwhelmed by a homemade sweet treat, he tends towards such passionate judgements, it wasn't the first time. But I have to agree, it was an extremely good cake!
Let's start with the base, the buttery short crust was crisp and slightly flaky, exactly how I love it. I also used this pastry for my Raspberry and Blueberry Tart with Bavarian Cream, it's a classic for summer tarts. Fruit was next, apricots cut in half sprinkled with a little sugar to help them release their juices without taking away their natural fresh and sour sweetness. They were still in pieces when I took the tart our of the oven, soft but not mushy like a compote. For the cinnamon crumbles, I used the recipe from my old kitchen friend, my beloved rhubarb (or plum or apple!) crumble cake. The flavour of the spice is strong enough to stand up to the apricots, the crumbles stay beautifully in shape and you can taste that they are made with plenty of butter, they are pure crunchy bliss. Luckily, I made two cakes from the start, I had a strong feeling that this was going to be a luscious feast, but I didn't expect that we would empty the pans so quick, it was insane. Slice after slice we just continued telling each other how delicious this tart is and all of a sudden it was all gone!
Apricot Cinnamon Crumble Tart
One of my tart pans has a loose bottom which helps to cut out slices, it also worked in the other pan, just a few crumbs fell off but it still looked pretty.
For 2 tarts in 23cm / 9″ tart pans you need
apricots, cut in half and pitted, 1kg / 2 1/4 pounds / about 20 fruits
granulated sugar 2 tablespoons
For the short crust base
plain flour 390g / 14oz / 3 cups
granulated sugar 100g / 3 1/2oz / 1/2 cup
salt 1/4 teaspoon
butter, cold, 200g / 7oz
organic egg yolks 3
water 2 tablespoons
Combine the flour with the sugar and salt. 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 yolks and water and continue mixing with the hooks of your mixer until you have a crumbly mixture. Form 2 thick discs, wrap in cling film and put in the freezer for 20 minutes.
Set the oven to 200°C / 390°F (top/ bottom heat).
Roll out the dough between cling film and line your tart pans with the flat pastry. Prick with a fork and blind-bake in the hot oven for 12 minutes. Melt the butter for the crumbles while the tarts are in the oven (see recipe below).
Take the pans out of the oven, arrange the apricots (cut side up) in circles on top of the pastry, sprinkle each tart with 1 tablespoon of sugar and prepare the crumbles immediately.
For the crumbles / The tart
plain flour 200g / 7oz / 1 1/2 cups (you might need more if the crumbles are too sticky)
granulated sugar 130g / 4 1/2oz / 2/3 cup
vanilla, scraped, 1/4 pod
ground cinnamon 2 teaspoons
butter, melted, 125g / 4 1/2oz (you might need more if the crumbles are too fine)
Have some extra flour and butter to melt close at hand so that you can add some immediately if necessary.
Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl. Pour the melted butter on top and mix quickly with the hooks of your mixer, stop as soon as it crumbles. If the crumbles are too moist and sticky add a little more flour (1-2 tablespoons). If they are too fine and don’t form bigger crumbles add more melted butter.
Spread quickly on top of the apricots, if you have bigger lumps of crumbles you may have to separate them with your fingers. Bake in the oven for about 35 minutes or until the pastry base and crumbles are golden brown. The fruits should start to release their juices, they will soften while the tart cools. You can serve the cakes with ice cream or whipped cream for tea time in the garden (or on your balcony) but we didn't even have that - which allowed us to eat more of the tart!
Fennel Burger and Elderflower Onion Sandwich with Gruyère
If two passionate cooks are in a relationship you need a well thought-out kitchen plan. My boyfriend and I have a great passion for cooking, we love to experiment with recipes and ingredients but it just doesn't work at the same time. A cook is a leader and therefore needs total command in the kitchen to guarantee successful results. So many, many years ago we made a wise decision: depending on the recipe, one of us takes over control and has the last word when it comes to the important decisions, and the other one just assists. It works perfectly, no discussions and no arguments as long as we stick to the plan and don't get in each other's way.
Luckily, we love the same cuisine, Mediterranean and North European comfort dishes. The preparations are always quite relaxed and most of the time very satisfying at table. While chopping and cooking, there is often wine, cheese and olives involved to nibble and chill, I've mentioned it so often, it's definitely my favourite way to end a day. However, life would be boring, if two people had the same approach in the kitchen and we're definitely two absolutely different personalities. We find inspiration in different ingredients, flavours and combinations. My man likes it a bit more crazy, wild and experimental when he takes over the kitchen. He often combines flavours which seem too far apart to my mind, but the results are delicious and that's what counts.
A few days ago he came up with the genius idea to deglaze onions with elderflower syrup, it was fantastic! And to make it even better, he placed them on top of juicy fennel burgers. So, you need to know, when he uses our fennel seeds from Malta, he measures them by the tablespoon and not the teaspoon, the aroma is strong and present in this recipe and pure bliss in combination with the elderflower onion's smoky sweetness. There was also a thin layer of melted Gruyère cheese in between and at that point I knew I would have to share this recipe with you! I loved it!
Fennel Burger and Elderflower Onion Sandwich with Gruyère
For 8 burgers (or 4 hungry people) you need
For the sandwiches
medium onions, cut in half and thinly sliced, 3-4
butter 1-2 tablespoons
elderflower syrup, about 6 teaspoons, to taste
salt and pepper
rustic white buns, cut in half, 8
crisp lettuce, 8-16 small leaves
Gruyère cheese, 8-16 slices
For the burgers
minced beef 1 kg / 2 1/4 pounds
dry breadcrumbs 80g / 1/2 cup / 3oz
organic eggs 2
garlic, crushed, 2 cloves
fennel seeds, crushed in a mortar, 2 tablespoons
salt 3 teaspoons
pepper
butter 1-2 tablespoons
olive oil
Start with the onions and fry the burgers at the end, you want them to be hot enough to melt the cheese.
In a heavy pan, heat 1 tablespoon of butter and fry the onions for about 10-15 minutes until golden brown and soft. Add more butter if they dry out. When they are done, turn up the heat and deglaze with a splash of elderflower syrup. Season with salt and pepper to taste, take off the heat and set the pan aside.
Mix the ingredients for the burgers in a large bowl (with your hands or the hooks of an electric mixer) and form 8 thick burgers with wet hands. Heat a generous splash of olive oil and a tablespoon of butter in a heavy pan and fry the burgers on medium-high heat for 1 minute on each side, turn down the heat to medium-low and continue frying until they are golden brown, add more butter if necessary. The cooking time depends on how well done you like them, cut a burger in half to check the inside. Once they are done, lay 1-2 slices of cheese on top of each warm burger immediately.
Arrange 1-2 slices of lettuce on the bottom half of each bun, lay the burgers with the cheese on top and finish with the onions. Close the buns and enjoy!
Green Beans and Peas with Tahini Lemon Mayonnaise and Basil
I've never been a big fan of mayonnaise but this recipe changed everything, now I'm hooked on it! Mix this dip with a little tahini, juice and the zest of a lemon to lighten up it's rather heavy qualities and you'll understand what I'm talking about.
When it comes to mayonnaise, I've always been quite picky. The ones from the store are not an option for me at all, at least I've never found a good one. I always make my own from scratch like I learned from my mother, with good olive oil and fresh organic egg yolks. When it's mixed with crushed garlic, like the Spanish Aïoli, I can actually enjoy it a lot, especially when I have a fresh loaf of bread at hand.
So a few days ago I decided to make a fresh salad of greens, crunchy beans and peas quickly blanched until al dente. When I thought about the dressing I started to play around with different recipes in my mind. I had just received a culinary gift from a friend who just got back to Berlin after a quick visit to his family in Israel. He brought a huge jar of delicious tahini to my kitchen which I usually turn into hummus right away, but not this time. I mixed a spoonful of it with lemony and garlicky mayonnaise to top my summery salad sprinkled with spring onions and basil, it was more than delish!
Green Beans and Peas with Tahini Lemon Mayonnaise
You could whisk the mayonnaise by hand but I use a stick mixer and a small mug which guarantees a thick and creamy result.
For 2 as a lunch or 4 as a side dish you need
green beans, the ends snipped off, 550g / 1 1/4 pounds
peas, fresh or frozen, 140g / 5oz
salt and pepper
olive oil 1 tablespoon
small spring onion, cut into slim rings, 1
fresh basil, about 12 leaves
For the mayonnaise
garlic, crushed, 1 clove
freshly squeezed lemon juice 4 teaspoons
fresh organic egg yolks 2
quality olive oil 75ml / 1/3 cup
salt
tahini 1 tablespoon
lemon zest 2-3 teaspoons
In a large pot, blanch the peas in boiling salted water for 1 minute, take them out with a slotted ladle, rinse with cold water for a few seconds and drain. Use the same water, bring it to the boil and blanch the beans for 4-5 minutes or until al dente, drain and rinse with cold water. In a bowl, mix the beans and peas with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, season with salt and pepper and then arrange on plates.
For the mayonnaise, mix the garlic and lemon juice in a small bowl and set aside. Drop 2 egg yolks into a mug which should be just big enough for a stick mixer to fit in it. Pour 1/4 of the oil onto the egg yolks and start mixing with the stick mixer immediately, add more oil and the lemon garlic mixture, a little at a time, mixing constantly. When the dip is thick and creamy (after a few seconds) season with salt and whisk in the tahini and 1 1/2 teaspoons of lemon zest, season to taste. On the plates, spread a few dollops of the mayonnaise on top of the greens and sprinkle with spring onion, basil and lemon zest. Serve immediately.
Blackberry Garden Cake with Lemon Mascarpone
My mother's garden is set in the soft green hills of the countryside, it's surrounded by high bushes and trees, spruce, birch and pine. The lush lawn winds around a curved patch of rhododendron that leads to a little pond covered with the most majestic blossoms of water lilies gently laying on top of waxy leaves. This was once the home to a school of glowing goldfish which, sadly, was discovered by a grey heron one summer. It had all started with two fish which I gave my mother as a birthday present many years ago, they must have really liked each other as it wasn't long before their population grew rapidly. We enjoyed them a lot, it was such a perfect picturesque garden scene. I used to sit next to the roses growing at the stone steps at the water looking at the bright red fish swimming through their kingdom. But nature had a different plan.
The beauty of this garden, its peace and vastness, makes it one of my favourite places in the world. To see my mother working in her vegetable garden which is spread out on a higher level, to watch her picking weeds and choosing our dinner, is such a beautiful picture that I will always carry with me. We discuss the meal and she often teaches me the plants' names which I, unfortunately, tend to forget most of the time. And there's one thing that makes a day out there complete to perfection, a simple, scrumptious garden cake! Nothing too extravagant, a pound cake is always best, with some fresh fruits (preferably from my mother's garden) and a luscious frosting, like my blackberry cake with lemon mascarpone. It's simple enough to eat it with your fingers while enjoying your garden on a sunny afternoon, but then there's the creamy icing which gives it a Sunday tea time touch. It combines everything a good cake needs in my eyes, the recipe is based on my apple cinnamon breakfast cake but the dark fresh berries turn it into a proper summer cake.
Blackberry Cake with Lemon Mascarpone
For a 24cm x 10,5cm / 9.5″ x 4″ loaf tin you need
plain flour 130g / 1 cup / 4 1/2oz
cornstarch 30g / 1/4 cup /1oz
baking powder 1 heaping teaspoon
a pinch of salt
butter (at room temperature) 160g / 2/3 cups / 5 1/2oz
granulated sugar 100g / 1/2 cup / 3 1/2oz
organic eggs 3
blackberries 250g / 9oz
For the lemon frosting
mascarpone 230g / 1 cup / 8oz
icing sugar 55g / 1/2 cup / 2oz
heavy cream 90ml / 1/3 cup and 1 tablespoon
lemon zest 3 teaspoons plus 1/2 teaspoon for the topping
lemon juice 3 teaspoons
Set the oven to 180°C / 355°F (fan assisted oven) and butter the loaf tin.
Whisk the ingredients for the frosting and adjust to taste and desired texture. Fill in a bowl and keep in the fridge. This is enough frosting to cover the cake on its top and sides.
Combine the flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt. Mix the butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time and continue mixing for a few minutes until the mixture is thick and creamy. Mix in the dry mixture until well combined. Pour half the dough into the buttered form and arrange a layer of 7-10 blackberries cut in half on top, if the berries are small you'll need 14-20. Set the remaining berries aside. Pour the remaining dough on top of the berries, spread it out evenly and bake for 40-45 minutes or until golden on top. Check with a skewer, it should come out clean. Let the cake cool for a few minutes before you take it out of the tin and lay it on a wire rack. When it's completely cool, spread the frosting voluptuously over the top (and sides if you like), garnish with a few berries and lemon zest and serve with the remaining fresh blackberries.
Grilled Tomato, Chèvre and Thyme Baguette Sandwich
Many summers ago, I spent a few wonderful weeks at the Côte d'Azur with my aunt, uncle and cousins. We stayed at a beautiful house in the middle of the green hills around Grasse, a picturesque town which is also called the world's capital of perfume. I think I wrote about this trip last year but after almost 500 posts I'm losing track! Never mind, I often sat with the girls of the family, my aunt and two cousins, at the pool in the garden. It was a little French paradise with all kinds of flowers, lavender, jasmine and roses turned this place into the most fragrant oasis. We had our girl chats, chilled, swam and ate, a perfect holiday!
Although I won't go to the French Riviera next month but to Malta (which I look forward to with growing excitement!), I had our peaceful Grasse garden scene in mind when I came up with today's sandwich. Imagine sitting on the fresh grass, feeling the warm morning air on your skin and the smell of a million flowers around you. You wear a summery dress and enjoy the quiet peace of the early hours of the day which is only interrupted when you take a big bite of this crunchy grilled baguette sandwich topped with chèvre, cherry tomatoes, olives, garlic, thyme and pecorino (I'm sorry, I had no French substitute at hand). Doesn't this sound just right?
Grilled Tomato, Chèvre and Thyme Baguette Sandwich
As a lunch for two you need
rustic French baguette (around 25cm / 10"), cut in half, 1
olive oil 2 tablespoons
chèvre (preferably Sainte-Maure de Touraine), very thinly sliced, 70g / 2 1/2oz
cherry tomatoes, cut in half, about 6
black olives 6
garlic, thinly sliced, 1 clove
fresh thyme leaves, from a small handful of sprigs
pecorino (or any other aromatic hard cheese), freshly grated, 2 generous tablespoons
black peppercorns, crushed in a mortar
Set the oven to 220°C / 430°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Place the bottom half of the baguette on the lined tray, brush the bread with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and spread the chèvre and then the tomatoes and olives on top. Sprinkle with the remaining olive oil, thyme, garlic, pepper and pecorino. Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the tomatoes are soft. You can also bake the top half of the baguette for the last few minutes. When it's done, sprinkle with a little fresh thyme, season with salt (if necessary) and enjoy!
Mediterranean Roast Vegetables with Tomatoes, Feta and Basil
The secret behind this scrumptious Mediterranean pan lies in the separate cooking of the vegetables. First, I sautéed sliced zucchini until golden but with bite, and then I cooked a large handful of aubergine and bell pepper chopped into tiny cubes. The small size let them release a little more of their juices in the hot pan, within minutes they turn into a chunky stew. Mixed with the zucchini, it just needed a bit of salt and pepper and it was done.
You could easily leave it at that but I was after a colourful pan full of fresh flavours. In summer, I like the combination of cooked and raw vegetables, so my pan got a crunchy topping with cherry tomatoes, milky feta chunks and fresh basil leaves. All the wonderful aromas of a Mediterranean garden on a plate! There are a million variations of this dish, you could top it with lemon ricotta (instead of the feta cheese) and make a moussaka, mix in some spaghetti for a richer meal or cook all the ingredients in the oven, like my vegetable casserole. So many options, so many warm months and ripe and tasty vegetables ahead of us. Kitchen life is just great at this time of year!
Mediterranean Roast Vegetables with Tomatoes, Feta and Basil
For a lunch for 2 you need
zucchini, sliced thinly, about 200g / 7oz
olive oil
salt and pepper
garlic, crushed, 2 cloves
aubergine, cut into tiny cubes, about 200g / 7oz
medium bell pepper (colour of your choice), cut into tiny cubes, 1
cherry tomatoes, cut in half, 8
feta cheese, broken into chunks, about 100g / 3 1/2oz
fresh basil leaves 10
Heat a slash of olive oil in a large pan and sauté the zucchini on medium-high heat until golden brown with a little bite. Season with salt and pepper to taste, transfer to a plate and set a side.
Put the pan back on the heat, pour in a splash of olive oil, stir in the garlic and let it turn golden (not brown!) for about 1 minute. Add the aubergine and bell pepper, season with salt and pepper and sauté until golden and soft. Take the pan off the heat, mix in the zucchini and tomatoes and season to taste. Stir in the feta and basil and serve immediately, or as a warm salad, with fresh ciabatta bread.
French Breakfast: Crêpes Caramel au Beurre Salé
An unexpected change of plans led to the most delicious French breakfast: thin crêpes with salted butter caramel! And the only reason why we could enjoy this treat was because I failed miserably at another recipe, a complete kitchen failure.
I tried to remake the popular galettes caramel au beurre salé from the Mont Staint Michel region in Normandy which I indulge in with the greatest pleasure whenever I can get hold of them. It's a simple shortcrust cookie with a buttery hint of salted caramel. I didn't expect it to be such a big deal, I had a clear idea of the texture, I did some research of course and then I got started. My kitchen activities began with the preparation of the crème caramel au beurre salé, a thick and luscious salted caramel cream which turned out really nice. At that point, I was still absolutely happy with the result and I continued mixing the dough for the cookies with great confidence but it went downhill from there! When I took the galettes out of the oven I had to face the disappointing truth, my adaptation of the delicate French caramel cookie was too thick and not crunchy and crisp at all. Although the butter caramel was only supposed to be mixed into the dough, I tried to save my creation by topping the baked cookies with a generous dollop of my tasty crème caramel butit was hopeless. I gave up, which doesn't happen very often.
To overcome my culinary disappointment, I took the caramel filled jar out of the fridge and enjoyed a spoonful of it to make amends for the complete disaster. It helped right away, my inspiration came back and reminded me of another French classic, thin breakfast crêpes would be perfect with my delicious caramel. It was so good that I almost forgot about my unpleasant incident, we savoured and emptied the plates down to the last crêpe.
I haven't completely given up on my French caramel cookies but I think I could do with some help: if you are experienced in the cuisine de la Normandie and familiar with galettes caramel au beurre salé and if you know about a satisfying recipe, I'd be more than thankful if you got in touch to bring this kitchen story to a successful ending!
And some more news at the end: I was interviewed by Yahoo Food, they asked me to take over their Instagram this weekend to share a little forecast of the delicious food I'll be eating in Malta next month. For the interview, click here, and here you can follow me on Yahoo Food's Instagram.
Crêpes Caramel au Beurre Salé
You won't need all the caramel for the crêpes, you can keep the leftovers in a jar in the fridge and use it for ice cream and cakes.
For about 20 crêpes (for 4-6 people) you need
For the salted butter caramel - crème caramel au beurre salé
heavy cream 200ml / 3/4 cups and 3 tablespoons
icing sugar, sieved, 175g / 1 3/4cups
butter (unsalted) 90g / 3 1/4oz /1/3 cup and 1 tablespoon (if you use salted butter you can leave out the fleur de sel)
fleur de sel 1/3 teaspoon, to taste
In a saucepan, warm up the cream, take it off the heat before it starts boiling.
In a medium sized pot, melt the sugar on medium heat until golden brown and liquid, it will take a few minutes. Mind that it doesn't burn. Slowly pour the warm cream into the caramel, be careful as it will bubble up and rise. Keep the heat on medium, add the butter and salt and and whisk gently until the caramel and butter melt and the mixture is even, it will take a few minutes again. Take the pan off the heat, season with salt to taste and set aside.
For the crêpes
plain flour, sieved, 260g / 9 1/4oz / 2 cups
granulated sugar 50g / 1 3/4oz / 1/4 cup
a pinch of salt
organic eggs 4
milk 0.5 l / 2 cups and 1 tablespoon
butter, to cook the crêpes
Mix the ingredients for the crêpes to a smooth dough (with an electric mixer) and let the batter sit for 10 minutes.
In a heavy (or non-stick) pan, heat half 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, the crêpes won’t need more than 1 minute on each side once the heat is set right. When the crêpe is slightly golden on both sides, take the pan off the heat (or spread the crêpe on a large plate) and sprinkle with a little of the caramel. The taste is quite strong, so start with 1/2 teaspoon and add more to taste. Fold it twice and continue with the next batch. You should always melt 1/2 -1 teaspoon of butter in the pan before you fry the next crêpe. Enjoy warm and sprinkle with more caramel and a pinch of fleur de sel on the plates. Strawberries go very well with it!
Sautéed Aubergine and Salami Sandwich with Fennel Oil and fresh Oregano
It happened at one of our traditional Sunday pizza nights, we had the glorious idea to drizzle fennel oil over our cheesy salami, aubergine composition and the result was even better than we had expected. I had bought a rather simple salami for this cosy sofa dinner, it was organic but without the addition of any outstanding herbs or spices, just the pure, distinct flavour of the dried sausage.
So we started playing around with the ingredients, as every Sunday when it comes to topping our pizza. I cut an eggplant into very thin slices and took out the sauce pan to warm up a splash of olive oil with a teaspoon of my Maltese fennel seeds, Buzbiez in Maltese. I bought them last summer from a lady at the market in Marsaxlokk. Soon, the jar will get refilled when we go back to our Mediterranean island in a month, just the thought of it puts a big smile on my face! Back to the oil, I let the spice spread its aroma on the heat until the seeds started sizzling, it's important to watch them as they shouldn't get dark, when they burn, they taste bitter. When I ate the first bite of the baked pizza I knew that this combination would have to be translated into a sandwich. And here it is: thin slices of aubergine sautéed in a pan, topped with Italian salami and sprinkled with fennel oil and fresh oregano. Wonderful!
Sautéed Aubergine and Salami Sandwich with Fennel Oil and fresh Oregano
For 2 sandwiches you need
white, rustic buns, cut in half, 2
medium aubergine, sliced very thinly, 1 (about 18 slices) (the thickness should be just before see-through, if they are too thin, they'll burn)
olive oil
salt and pepper
fennel seeds, lightly crushed in a mortar, 1 teaspoon
salami, preferably Italian (like salame al finochietto), 6-8 very thin slices (of a medium sized salami)
fresh oregano leaves, about 2 tablespoons
Heat a generous splash of olive oil in a heavy pan and sauté the sliced aubergine in batches on medium heat until golden brown on both sides. Spread them evenly, they shouldn't lay on top of each other. Mind that you'll have to add some more olive oil when you turn them around and watch them well as they can burn within seconds. Lay on kitchen paper to remove excess oil, season with salt and pepper and set them aside when they're done.
In a saucepan, heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil with the fennel seeds. Take the pan off the heat as soon as the seeds start sizzling and mind that they don't burn.
Brush the bottom side of a bun with the infused oil, lay about 6 slices of sautéed aubergine on top and continue with about 3-4 slices of salami. Sprinkle with the roasted fennel seeds and a little of the oil, finish it off with the fresh oregano leaves and close the bun. Enjoy!
Roast Smashed Potatoes with Spring Onions, Garlicky Sour Cream & Sausages
There are two ways to enjoy this recipe: if the weather is nice and sunny, take out the barbecue and make it an outdoor treat, in case summer shows its grey and rainy face, just turn on the oven. Either way, I would always pre-cook the potatoes before you wrap and bake them in foil but I must confess that I'm an impatient soul, it's up to you. I've waited hours at BBQ's for the potatoes to be done, to avoid stretching my hunger unbearably I started to cook them beforehand until they are almost done. It's a bit sneaky, I know, but it tastes just as good.
This combination is a classic from the grill: potatoes, onions, sausages and a creamy dip. I smashed the sweet and soft root with my hand and topped it with one of the most delicious (and simple) dips I've eaten this spring, it's just sour cream whipped with olive oil, crushed spring garlic, salt and pepper, it's divine! It feels like a hint of mayonnaise which goes so well with potatoes but without its eggy heaviness. The roasted spring onions add a complementary spiciness and the German sausages are a BBQ must for me. I love my glass of wine for dinner but beer is the right choice in this case!
Grilled Smashed Potatoes with Roast Spring Onions, Garlicky Sour Cream & Sausages
For 2 you need
For the sour cream dip
sour cream 110g / 1 1/2 cups / 3 3/4oz
olive oil 1 tablespoon
fresh spring garlic, crushed, 1 small clove, to taste
salt and pepper
Whisk the ingredients for the dip and season to taste.
For the potatoes and onions
large, waxy potatoes with thin skin, rinsed and scrubbed, 2-3
small spring onions, cut in half lengthwise, 6-9
olive oil 1 tablespoon
coarse sea salt
black peppercorns, crushed in a mortar
Cook the potatoes in salted water until almost done, rinse with cold water and let them dry for a few minutes. Wrap in aluminium foil with a little sea salt and prick with a fork.
Coat the spring onions with the olive oil.
Option 1 - Bad Weather
Set the oven to 220°C / 430°F (top / bottom).
Spread the spring onions and the wrapped potatoes on a baking sheet, sprinkle the onions with salt and pepper and roast for about 15 minutes or until golden brown and crisp at the ends and the potatoes are soft (check with a fork). Turn the onions once while roasting. Unwrap the potatoes, smash them on the plates with your hand, top with a dollop of the dip, the roasted onions and a little more pepper.
Option 2 - BBQ Weather
Lay the wrapped potatoes close to the coal for a few minutes until soft, mind that they don't burn. Lay a piece of aluminium foil on top of the BBQ, prick the foil so that it has a few holes and spread the onions on top. Season with salt and pepper and grill until golden brown. Serve as described in the bad weather option.
Rosewater Panna Cotta with Ricotta and Pistachios
Although I'm much more into cakes, pies and cookies than classic desserts, I can enjoy a good panna cotta once in a while with great satisfaction. It only needs a strong addition, chocolate doesn't work for me here but fruits or fragrant flavours. Rosewater, orange blossom water, lavender, rosemary or spices like aniseed, cinnamon or cardamom. Anything which gives the pure milky taste of this basic cream a bit of a punch, a more defined direction is not only welcoming but also necessary to get me hooked on this dish.
Today's recipe definitely manages to get my full attention, the flowery hint of delicate rosewater is more than tempting. It's important that you adjust the amount of the fragrant infusion to your taste though, every product tastes different and varies in intensity. My rosewater is organic, it has no artificial or overpowering nuances, so I could whisk 5 teaspoons into the cream without feeling knocked down by its aroma. Especially in combination with the soft nuttiness of the topping, unsalted pistachios, it reveals a warm, summery feeling. I also stirred in some fresh ricotta which makes it a bit lighter and fits the season.
There's no reason for my preference of baked desserts, the list of recipes on eat in my kitchen can't hide that I totally fall for anything baked. Every few days, I feel the need to eat something sweet that includes pastries, cake doughs and batters. I adore the smell in my kitchen when there's a cake rising in the oven. The whole process of baking food, the warm air around the oven, it feels quite archaic, I like that. But then there are those days which call for different treats, especially in summer, and even more so when we go to Malta, living above 30°C / 86°F constantly day and night, that's the right time for creamy desserts: flans like the Spanish crème caramel, French creme brûlée, Bavarian cream or the wonderful Italian panna cotta. They tend to be lighter and less filling after an extensive dinner. And the preparation takes less time, which makes it a convenient crowd pleaser. You just have to time it well and keep in mind that it has to set in the fridge for a few hours which is another reason to give it a go at your summer dinner parties. You just open the door of your fridge, pull out the ramekins and sprinkle them pretty - done!
Rosewater Panna Cotta with Ricotta and Pistachios
For a small dessert for 4 or for a hungry couple (like us) you need
gelatine sheets (size 7 1/2 x 11 1/2cm / 3 x 4 1/2") 2 1/2 sheets
heavy cream 240ml / 1 cup
milk 110ml / 1/2 cup
a pinch of salt
granulated sugar 40g / 3 generous tablespoons
vanilla pod, scraped, 1
quality rosewater (preferably organic) 5 tablespoons, to taste
fresh ricotta 50g / scant 1/4 cup
unsalted pistachios, chopped, 1 1/2 tablespoons, for the topping
rose pedals, for the topping (optionally)
Break the gelatin sheets in half and soak in a bowl of cold water for 5 minutes.
In a sauce pan, bring the cream, milk, salt, sugar and vanilla to the boil. Take the pan off the heat once it's bubbling and squeeze in the gelatin, add the whole crumbled sheets and whisk until dissolved. Add 2 teaspoons of rosewater and the ricotta and whisk until combined. Add more rosewater to taste (I stopped at 5 teaspoons) and let the mixture cool in the pan (whisk it a few times while cooling). Once the cream is cool (it will still be liquid) pour it into 4 small ramekins, cover with cling film and refrigerate for about 4 hours (or overnight) or until the panna cotta is set. Sprinkle with chopped pistachios and rose pedals, you can also serve it with fruits, strawberries are great!
Strawberry and Lime Chèvre Ciabatta Sandwich with Basil
At the moment I can enjoy the best strawberries - sweet like honey and so good that you could just nibble them as they are, pure and without any distracting addition. I have done that excessively but now it's time to get a bit playful with this lovely fruit.
As summer is nearing, I like to simplify my recipes, less ingredients, less work yet still delicious and the ultimate bliss while I'm sitting at the open kitchen window with a glass of rosé wine in front of me and a friend to chat with. Now is the time for easy nibbles, good bread and cheese, fresh herbs, raw fruits and vegetables, and aromatic olive oil - pure, natural flavours.
When my mother was here a couple weeks ago, I did a lot of recipe testing together with her. All those different flavours, and indulging in so many dishes for days, finally called for a little break for my tastebuds. I felt like something simple, like a juicy ciabatta sandwich, so I whipped up some chèvre with a little lime zest, generously spread it on top of the oily bread and covered my perfect summer sandwich with strawberries and fresh basil. First I wasn't sure if the combination of chèvre and citrus would work, but there was no need to worry, they are a perfect match!
This sandwich has been featured by Food52!
Strawberry and Lime Chèvre Ciabatta Sandwich with Basil
For 6 open sandwiches you need
fresh ciabatta bread 6 small slices
fresh chèvre (or any other soft goat cheese) 200g / 7oz
heavy cream 4 tablespoons
lime zest 1/4 teaspoon, plus a little more for the topping
strawberries, quartered, 150g / 5 1/4oz, plus 6 fruits cut in half for the topping
fresh basil leaves a small handful, for the topping
Whisk the chèvre, heavy cream and lime and adjust to taste. Add more cream if necessary, the texture should be smooth and thick. Divide the cheese between the bread, top with strawberries (quartered plus 1 fruit cut in half for each slice) and sprinkle with lime zest and basil. Enjoy!
Timpana - Maltese Pasta Pie with Zucchini and Aubergine
After a long discussion in the kitchen with my (Maltese!) boyfriend, I have to accept that my recipe is not a traditional Maltese timpana - but it tastes just as good, even my man agreed with that!
Timpana is a Mediterranean dish which is very popular in Malta and also in Italy. It's penne or macaroni pasta mixed with Bolognese sauce baked in a pastry shell - basically a pasta pie. My version, however, left out the meat sauce. I cooked a concentrated red sauce with fresh tomatoes and lots of basil instead and sautéed zucchini and aubergine slices until golden and juicy. So, here's the blatant difference, I piled the tomato basil pasta with layers of the sliced vegetables and parmesan in a buttery pastry shell, which, to me, justifies calling this dish Timpana. But sometimes opinions about food differ, especially when it comes to tradition recipes.
Obviously I ate my first Timpana in Malta, bought from one of the tiny bakeries you find at almost ever street corner in the towns and villages. They sell this pasta dish cut into large squares along trays full of buttery Pastizzi and rich ricotta filled Qassata. It's a street food lunch classic on the island. When I ate a piece of this hearty dish for first time, I didn't quite understand the concept of wrapping pasta in crisp short crust. But after years of enjoying at least 1 or 2 pasta pies during my stay in the South I got used to this tradition bite by bite. It just makes you feel good, it's delicious comfort food that combines the best of a pie with lighter comfort of fruity penne. I must admit that I prefer the addition of vegetables, the Bolognese sauce makes it a bit too rich and heavy for my taste. But I won't argue about that ever again, especially not with a Maltese person!
Timpana - Maltese Pasta Pie with Zucchini and Aubergine
For a 20 1/2cm / 8" pie (a loose bottom spring form works best) you need
For the filling
penne pasta 250g / 9oz
medium tomatoes, chopped, 6 (about 650g / 1 1/2 pounds)
fresh garlic (preferably spring garlic) 1 clove
salt
olive oil
tomato pasta (Kunserva) 1 tablespoon
balsamic vinegar 1 tablespoon
pepper
fresh basil, thinly sliced, about 12 large leaves
medium zucchini, cut into 1/2cm / 1/4" slices, 2 (about 380g / 13 1/2oz)
medium aubergine, cut into 1/2cm / 1/4" slices, 1 (about 270g / 9 1/2oz)
Parmesan, freshly grated, 5 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon for the topping
Cook the pasta in salted water until al dente, they should have bite. Let the penne cool.
On a chopping board, rub and press the chopped garlic under the blade of a large knife with 1/4 teaspoon of salt until you have a smooth paste. Heat a splash of olive oil in a large pan, add the garlic paste, chopped tomatoes, tomato paste, vinegar, salt and pepper and cook on medium-high heat for about 10 minutes until thick. Stir in the basil and season to taste, make sure that the basil comes through quite strong. Let the sauce cool completely before you mix it with the cooked pasta.
In a heavy pan, heat a splash of olive oil and sauté the sliced zucchini on medium-high heat for 1-2 minutes on each side until golden brown. Cook them in batches, they should be spread out in the pan and not on top of each other. Season with salt and pepper and set them aside to cool. Heat a generous splash of olive oil and sauté the sliced aubergine in the same pan. They will need a little more oil (you'll have to add some in between batches) and they will also need to cook a bit longer, they should be golden brown, soft and juicy. Season to taste and set them aside to cool.
For the pastry
plain flour 300g / 2 1/3 cups / 10 1/2oz
salt 1 teaspoon
butter, cold, 150g / 1 1/4 sticks / 5 1/4 ounces
egg yolks 2
cold water 2 tablespoons
For the glaze
organic egg yolk 1
milk 1 tablespoon
a pinch of salt
Combine the flour with the salt. Cut the butter into the flour with a knife until there are just little pieces left. Continue with your fingers and quickly rub the butter into the flour. Add the eggs and water and continue mixing with the hooks of your mixer until you have a crumbly mixture. Form 2 discs, dividing them roughly 2:1, wrap in cling film and put in the freezer for 10 minutes.
The pie
Set the oven to 200°C / 390°F (top/ bottom heat).
Whisk the egg yolk, milk and salt for the glaze.
Take the dough out of the freezer and roll out both discs between cling film, the bigger piece (about 32cm / 12 1/2") for the bottom and the smaller one as the lid for the pie.
Line the bottom and sides of the spring form pan. Spread 1/3 of the pasta mixed with the tomato sauce on top of the pastry, sprinkle with 1/3 of the Parmesan and cover with a layer of aubergine (let the slices overlap a little). Continue with a second layer of pasta (1/3), sprinkle with Parmesan (1/3) and cover with the zucchini. Finish with the remaining pasta, cheese and vegetables (if there are some left). Close with the smaller pastry lid and gently push the rim with your fingers to seal the pie. Brush the top with the egg glaze and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of the cheese.
Bake the pie for 15 minutes before you turn the heat down to 175°C / 350°F and bake for another 50 minutes or until the pie is golden and baked through. Let the pie cool for at least 15 minutes before you cut it into pieces.
Cinnamony Rhubarb Meringue Pie
This has been my rhubarb week. I bought too many of the flavor-packed stalks for my rhubarb and leek gratin on Monday - their colorful beauty was just too tempting and I ended up grabbing (and buying) as much as I could fit in my hands. So the green and red pile of rhubarb on my marble counter top called for a compote, or even better, a pie!
I felt inspired by lemon meringue pie: an elegant pie made of a crumbly short crust, yet instead of lemon, topped with the fruitiest, cinnamony rhubarb curd you can imagine and finished off with a cloud of sweet meringue. I love lemon pie but learned that rhubarb lifts it onto another level, at least for my taste. It's such a fruity, sour, and slightly sweet and buttery composition.
A short note: The curd in the cool pie will be a bit more set than you see in the pictures, I cut it too early - tempted by my impatient appetite!
You can also find this recipe in my book 365: recipe no. 98!
Rhubarb Meringue Pie
For a 23cm / 9" pie (in a shallow pie dish) you need
For the pastry
plain flour 160g / 1 1/4 cups / 5 1/2oz
granulated sugar 1 tablespoon
salt 1/4 teaspoon
butter 90g / 3/4 stick / 3 1/4oz
water (cold) 3 tablespoons
Combine the flour, sugar and salt in a bowl. 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 quickly into the flour until combined. Add the water and continue mixing with the hooks of an electric mixer until you have a crumbly mixture. Form a thick disc, wrap in cling film and put in the freezer for 15 minutes.
Set the oven to 200°C / 400°F (top/ bottom heat).
Roll out the dough between cling film and line your pie dish with the flat pastry. Prick it with a fork and blind-bake in the hot oven for 15 minutes or until golden. Let it cool completely.
For the rhubarb curd
First you make a rhubarb compote which you then turn into a curd.
rhubarb, cut into 0.5 cm / 1/4" slices, 680g / 1 1/2 pounds
granulated sugar 150g / 3/4 cup / 5 1/4oz for the compote, plus 2 tablespoons for the curd
ground cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon
water 75ml / 1/3 cup for the curd, plus 1 tablespoon for the compote
butter 1 tablespoon
cornstarch 60g / 1/2 cup
pinch of salt
organic egg yolks, beaten, 3
For the compote, heat the rhubarb, 150g (3/4 cups) of sugar, cinnamon and 1 tablespoon of water in a large pot on medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Turn up the heat to medium-high and cook for 10 minutes (open, without a lid). Take off the heat and stir in the butter.
For the curd, whisk 75ml (1/3 cup) water, the cornstarch, 2 tablespoons of sugar and salt and add to the hot rhubarb. Bring to the boil and cook for 3 minutes on medium-high heat, stir once in a while. Take 1 tablespoon of this mixture and whisk into the beaten egg yolks, pour the egg-compote mixture back into the pot with the rhubarb. Bring to the boil, stir constantly and cook for half a minute. Take the pot off the heat, pour the curd into a bowl and let it cool completely. You could place the bowl on cooling pads to speed up the process.
For the meringue
egg whites 3
granulated sugar 80g / 1/3 cup and 1 tablespoon
a pinch of salt
Beat the egg whites with the salt, adding the sugar gradually while beating, until the white is stiff.
The pie
Set the oven to 200°C / 400°F (top/ bottom heat).
Pour the cool rhubarb curd on top of the pastry and finish it off with the stiff egg whites, you can form little peaks with a knife to create an uneven surface. Bake for 7 minutes or until the top is golden brown and crisp. Let it sit for about 30 minutes before cutting for the curd to set. The pie still tastes great the next day (after keeping it in the fridge) but it won't look as pretty.
meet in your kitchen | Molly Yeh's Ricotta, Bacon & Egg Birthday Sandwich
Molly lives in North Dakota and I live in Berlin, there are more than 7000km (4000 miles) between us and this would be reason enough to accept that there's no way to meet her in her kitchen for a spontaneous kitchen chat, as this is the idea behind my meet in your kitchen features. But the way this girl cooks and bakes is irresistible! Her inspiring recipes, which she has shared on her gorgeous blog my name is yeh for 6 years and the way she talks about her life on a farm after years of living in New York made me rethink the importance of a physical meeting in real life.
Every time I read one of Molly's posts, when I see the pictures of such innocent creations as her Funfetti Cake, the cutest Pony Cake (a rosemary vanilla cake with blackberries and mascarpone) or her Pumpkin Cake and Semifreddo Push Pops, I feel like someone has put me right into another world. I turn into a little girl, pressing my face against the window of a candy store to get a glimpse of all the magic that happens on the other side - in Molly's kitchen. Just look at her Gingerbread Farm, a replica of the actual farm where she lives with her husband, there's no way one can't be touched by this masterpiece! Her husband called her a lunatic during the process, but I love her for her determination when it comes to her unique creations - sweet and savory. There's an unabashed ease in her recipes, infectious fun in her language and a pure honesty in her photography which makes her one of my favourite women in the blog world.
Molly studied percussion at The Juillard School in New York and is on tour with David T. Little and Royce Vavrek's opera Dog Days at the moment. She'll perform in LA in June, so if you happen to be in California, don't miss the chance to see her playing live (you can find the dates on her blog)!
After chatting via email, reading her interview and seeing the images of her delicious ricotta, bacon and egg sandwich which she made for eat in my kitchen, I know that we'll definitely have to meet in the real world one day, either in Berlin, North Dakota or in Malta!
It's Molly's birthday this Friday and it became a tradition to eat a great (she says fatty) sandwich on her special day and I'm sure that there's also a special Molly Yeh cake to go with it, have a great one Molly!
Ricotta, Bacon, and Egg Sandwich
It’s my birthday week! And every year on my birthday, I eat a fatty breakfast sandwich. This one gets a nice creaminess from ricotta, and while it’s a fairly simple recipe, it is absolutely next-level when it’s made with the freshest, best ingredients.
For each sandwich, you will need
thick cut bacon 2 slices
large egg 1
fresh whole grain bread 2 thick slices
coarse salt and black pepper
a smear of ricotta
In a skillet, cook your bacon until crispy. Remove the bacon but keep the fat in the pan. Crack your egg in and cook it to desired doneness in the bacon fat. Set it aside. Grill the bread in the bacon fat (if the skillet dries up, add a little butter to the pan), salt and pepper both sides of the bread. Remove it from heat. Spread the ricotta on one slice of bread, sprinkle it with salt and pepper, top it with the bacon, place the egg on top, season the egg a bit with salt and pepper, and then place the other slice of bread on top. Enjoy!
You started sharing your life and recipes on your blog my name is yeh in 2009. Did the way you document parts of your life change over the past 6 years?
Oooh yeah, there are some really horrific and embarrassing posts. Don’t look in my archives, just don’t.
Your father is a musician at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and you often travelled with him when he was on tour. Was he your biggest inspiration to study percussion at The Juillard School in New York?
He was definitely one of the biggest inspirations! Both of my parents really encouraged me to follow my love of hitting things (usually my mom’s pots and pans) and channel it into music. I think I really fell hard for classical music when I joined a youth orchestra near my hometown, and then going to Juilliard was my goal throughout high school. I loved training with the musicians there, being in New York, and having the same legendary ear training teacher that my dad had when he was a student there. She once called me by his name because we sat in the same spot, just 30 years apart.
At the moment you're on tour with David T. Little and Royce Vavrek's operaDog Days. What fascinates you about being on tour?
Being on tour is one of my favorite ways to travel because I’m not in full-time vacation mode, but I’m still on an adventure and I can explore when I’m not working. Being in full-time vacation mode makes me go a little bonkers after a few days (is that weird?), but on tour I can work a little, play a little, and just live my regular life but in a different city. I call it a work-cation. It’s so much fun.
You're from Chicago, you've lived in New York and now your life takes place on a farm in North Dakota. What do you miss the most about city life, what do you prefer about your life now?
I miss the food, my friends, and the music scenes, but the quality of life on the farm is what’s going to keep me from ever moving back. It’s so energizing that I feel like I can get every piece of work done that I want to, and the small town community here is really wonderful. If I had moved here in an age when we didn’t have the internet—to Facetime with my friends, live stream concerts, lookup copycat recipes for my favorite dishes from New York restaurants—it might have been a slightly different story. Just slightly.
You made Norwegian Lefse flatbread together with The New York Times food critic Sam Sifton in your kitchen, a traditional recipe from your husband's family. How did your partner's Norwegian roots influence your cooking?
It’s SO FASCINATING! There are so many Norwegian and Upper Midwest dishes that I’m learning about that are so great. Lefse is one of them. Hotdish is another. A lot of the new dishes that I’m learning are hearty, comforting meals that are perfect for the long winters here, and that type of food has always been my favorite. There is not a single unit of spiciness in sight, so my tolerance for spicy food has plummeted, but other than that, I’m so excited to be learning about all of these new dishes, and I love putting my spins on them, whether it’s adding flavors inspired by my roots or subbing in newer trendier ingredients like kale and ramps.
How did living on a farm change your kitchen activities?
I have a much bigger kitchen now, and more time. So I just do a lot more in the kitchen. And we also live outside of the range for delivery men, so there’s a lot more planning in advance to be done. We also have a garden and a rhubarb patch and an apple tree and we’ll be getting chickens soon, and all that jazz.
You combine Jewish and Chinese roots which your unique recipe creations often bring to light. What do you like about bringing these two culinary styles together?
They go really well together! Both cuisines pack a lot of carbs and comfort, and I grew up on both of them equally, so there’s a lot of nostalgia mixed in as well.
Who is your biggest inspiration in the kitchen?
My mom! Also all of my blogger friends.
How do you develop new recipes?
Sometimes I just figure out what I like and do it. Other times, if it’s a newer-to-me food or technique, I read everything that I can about that food and talk to people about it. I examine a lot of different recipes for that particular food, make notes of which aspects of certain recipes I like best, and then I start testing. I test a bunch and make sure every step and ingredient is as logical and as simplified as it can be, while still trying to maintain a delicious outcome.
What was the first dish you cooked on your own, what is your first cooking memory?
Probably microwaving hot dogs with cheese on them.
What are your favourite places to buy and enjoy food in New York and around your farm in North Dakota?
Whenever I go to New York, I must go to Hummus Place, Breads Bakery, Brooklyn Larder, and pretty much any pizza place. In North Dakota, there are a few great local places, like our town bakery, Dakota Harvest, and our town natural food market, Amazing Grains. I also love our pizza place, where you can order any pizza as nachos.
You share a sandwich recipe on eat in my kitchen. What was the best sandwich you ever ate and where?
Every time I eat a good bagel and lox, my eyes roll to the back of my head and it’s the greatest thing ever.
If you could choose one person to cook a meal for you, who and what would it be?
Josh Scherer, probably. It would be whatever his lunatic mind came up with at the moment.
You're going to have ten friends over for a spontaneous dinner, what will be on the table?
Mac and cheese.
What was your childhood's culinary favourite and what is it now?
Mac and cheese.
Do you prefer to cook on your own or together with others?
With others!
Which meals do you prefer, improvised or planned?
Planned. I LOVE planning meals.
Which meal would you never cook again?
I ruined a batch of mini frittatas last weekend, so that.
Thank you Molly!
