Author: StefanGourmet

According to Collins Dictionary, a gourmet is "a person who cultivates a discriminating palate for the enjoyment of good food and drink". That's quite a good description of me, although I do not only enjoy good food and wine, but also like to cook and select matching wines. I'm a guy (1974) from the Netherlands, living near Amsterdam. On this blog I intend to share my experiences with cooking, eating at restaurants, visiting wineries, and related topics.
2. Primi (pasta, risotto)6 Comments

Pasta with Peas and Pesto (Mafaldine Piselli e Pesto)

StefanGourmet

This veggie pasta dish may seem very similar to last week’s pasta with peas and tomato, but the flavor is much ‘greener’. I’ve used the same type of curly tagliatelle called mafaldine, but feel free to use regular tagliatelle if you can’t find those. Peas and pesto work together very well. I wanted to freshen up the dish by adding some celery, and it worked like a charm. I made the pesto à la minute, but I’d recommend to make it the day before instead and keep it in the fridge so the flavors can develop. Ingredients For 2 servings … Continue reading Pasta with Peas and Pesto (Mafaldine Piselli e Pesto)

1. Antipasti (appetizers)21 Comments

Hot-smoked Salmon

StefanGourmet

A stovetop smoker is a great tool to have. It allows you to turn a piece of salmon fillet into wonderful hot-smoked salmon in only 20 minutes without any effort or skill. This is one of the course I served during the recent dinner on our boat. The recipe is as simple as it is delicious. You can do the same for other types of fish such as halibut. Using an instant-read thermometer ensures that the fish will always be perfectly cooked and never too dry (if you don’t use frozen fish). Hot-smoked salmon is very different from cold-smoked salmon, … Continue reading Hot-smoked Salmon

Asian cuisine14 Comments

Easy Chicken Yakitori from the BBQ

StefanGourmet

One of the first Japanese foods I fell in love with was teriyaki and yakitori. Yakitori actually just means grilled chicken in Japanese (yaki = broil or grill, tori = chicken), whereas Teriyaki means grilled & glazed (teri = gloss or luster, yaki = broil or grill). Teriyaki can be used for different types of meat or seafood, where yakitori is obviously always chicken. The sauces used to make them are very similar, with Japanese soy sauce, mirin (sweet sake), sake, and sugar as the main ingredients. The main difference between chicken teriyaki and yakitori is that yakitori is grilled … Continue reading Easy Chicken Yakitori from the BBQ

2. Primi (pasta, risotto)7 Comments

Pasta with Peas and Tomato (Mafaldine Piselli e Pomodoro)

StefanGourmet

This is a very simple light pasta dish with vegetables, and the nice thing is that you don’t have to go shopping for it if you sieved tomatoes and pasta in your pantry, peas in your freezer, parmigiano in your fridge, and parsley in your garden. In other words, all ingredients keep very well. If you can get good fresh tomatoes where you are, by all means use them instead! But with the ridiculously cold summer we’ve been having here, fresh tomatoes just aren’t good enough. The white wine is optional, it adds freshness and complexity to the dish. I … Continue reading Pasta with Peas and Tomato (Mafaldine Piselli e Pomodoro)

1. Antipasti (appetizers)17 Comments

Lobster Carpaccio with Gorgonzola Sauce

StefanGourmet

A few months ago we had a wonderful dinner at Combal.Zero** near Turin (Italy). My favorite dish of the evening was lobster carpaccio with gorgonzola sauce. It was such a surprising combination that I wanted to try to make something similar myself. The result was pretty good, although it was not as good at Combal. I know that Davide Scabin does a lot of experimenting to get a dish just right, so it was to be expected that my first try would not be as good. Unlike Davide, I served the claws with the dish and they were cooked. I … Continue reading Lobster Carpaccio with Gorgonzola Sauce

2. Primi (pasta, risotto)13 Comments

Home-made Orecchiette with Tomato and Basil

StefanGourmet

This post is dedicated to Natasha from Come Due Maiali. She was one of the first followers of my blog and is one of those fellow bloggers who has made this journey such a great experience. When I posted about orecchiette with mussels and broccoli almost six months ago, she commented that she’s a huge orecchiette fan and would love to get her hands on wholemeal orecchiette. I then responded that she could always make her own, even though I had never yet made orecchiette by hand. I decided to give it a try myself, and now was the time … Continue reading Home-made Orecchiette with Tomato and Basil

Asian cuisine18 Comments

Japanese Fried Chicken, Drenched Daikon and Noodles in Broth

StefanGourmet

I’ve been trying more recipes from Shizuo Tsuji’s great “Japanese Cooking:  A Simple Art”. Since I had some left-over dashi, I decided to make two dishes that require dashi. I am not sure if this would be served together in Japan, but it did taste well together and I was well pleased with the result. I pre-cooked the chicken sous-vide for an easier way to get chicken that is cooked through (and pasteurized) as well as juicy, but the original recipe doesn’t require that so you can also make this without sous-vide equipment. The recipes make use of light Japanese … Continue reading Japanese Fried Chicken, Drenched Daikon and Noodles in Broth

Asian cuisine6 Comments

Dengaku

StefanGourmet

Dengaku is Japanese grilled food coated with a miso topping. Basic dengaku is grilled tofu with dengaku, but since I don’t care for tofu (and Kees even hates it) I decided to make eggplant and scallop dengaku. The flavor of the miso topping is quite strong, so don’t use too much of the topping and realise that a small serving goes a long way. It is probably a good idea to serve this with rice, and next time I will serve either eggplant or scallops with dengaku miso, not both at the same time. The recipe is again from “Japanese cooking, … Continue reading Dengaku

4. Dolci (dessert)3 Comments

‘Tiramisù alla Pugliese’

StefanGourmet

In the small village of Montegrosso in Puglia, southern Italia, is the wonderful Osteria Antichi Sapori. We had the pleasure of dining there some years ago, and I can still remember it very well. The food was delicious and there was enough of it, we already completely stuffed after just having the antipasti (which just kept coming and coming). Many of those antipasti are hard to give a recipe for: they were just slices of a wonderful dried sausage, or some heavenly fresh ricotta. For dessert we got ricotta with crushed amaretti soaked in espresso, which they called the Puglia-version … Continue reading ‘Tiramisù alla Pugliese’

Cooking23 Comments

Cold-fermented Pizza Dough

StefanGourmet

Although baking pizza on an aluminum plate under the broiler was a major improvement, I was not completely satisfied as it was very hard to stretch the dough. It kept retracting. I had also read in many sources that real pizza dough should have no sugar or olive oil, which I did include to let it brown more easily. So I did some more research and found an interesting article on Serious Eats about letting dough cold fermet for several days rather than letting it rise in a few hours. I gave it a try, and the results were amazing! … Continue reading Cold-fermented Pizza Dough

2. Primi (pasta, risotto)14 Comments

Tagliatelle Mortadella e Indivia (Pasta with Mortadella and Endive)

StefanGourmet

My parents took us out to dinner at Da Marcello, an Italian restaurant within easy biking distance (in Krommenie) that’s been there for almost 7 years but that we had never eaten at. Since Krommenie isn’t exactly a big city, I wasn’t expecting much but I was wrong: the food at Marcello’s is very good. And so is the service, as well as the matching wines.Marcello is from a small town in Puglia, and has lived in the Netherlands for 30 years. He used to own a pizzeria in the same town, but in 2005 upgraded to a ristorante (his … Continue reading Tagliatelle Mortadella e Indivia (Pasta with Mortadella and Endive)

1. Antipasti (appetizers)7 Comments

Hot Smoked Duck Breast with Plum Chutney

StefanGourmet

The combination of duck and fruit is well known, with canard à l’orange as the most famous rendition. I got the idea to combine duck with a spiced plum chutney from Jamie Oliver and have been making this for years, ever since I’ve had a stove top smoker (that I use with separate burners since I have an induction hob and since it’s easier to use outside anyway). I love hot smoking since it’s so easy, very tasty, and always gives a lot of oohs and aahs when I serve something straight from the smoker to my friends. Some slices of … Continue reading Hot Smoked Duck Breast with Plum Chutney

Secondi di Carne (meat dishes)28 Comments

My First Home-made ‘Slow Food’ Hamburger

StefanGourmet

I do not eat a lot of fast food. I don’t care so much about the calories or fat (that just means eating a bit less of it), but I do care about the taste. If something isn’t necessarily the healthiest food in the world, then it should taste real good! And most fast food just tastes generic and often even bland. Just like most people, I love pizza, and I love hamburgers. But for me it has to be good pizza, or in this case a good hamburger! I came across an article on Serious Eats about finding the … Continue reading My First Home-made ‘Slow Food’ Hamburger

Asian cuisine2 Comments

Tempura

StefanGourmet

Tempura is one of my favorite Japanese dishes, that was actually introduced into Japan by the Portuguese in the 16th century. Seafood and vegetables are battered and deep-fried and served with a dashi-based dipping sauce. Just like with sushi you are probably not able to obtain the quality of professionally made tempura, but if you follow the recipe it should still be delicious! Making good tempura requires both some skill (to get a light and crunchy crust) and fresh high-quality ingredients. Tempura should be eaten as quickly as possible, so it’s best to make it in an informal setting where … Continue reading Tempura

Basics6 Comments

Dashi sous-vide

StefanGourmet

Dashi, a stock from kombu seaweed and bonito flakes, is as essential to Japanese cooking. It is used as a basic ingredient in so many dishes that it has a big influence on the taste of a Japanese meal. It is used in many soups or sauces, including miso soup and tempura sauce. Kikunoi is a famous restaurant from Kyoto with three Michelin stars that has been named after the well from which it draws the water for its dashi. We ate at the Tokyo branch, where they use dashi made from water from the original Kyoto well. That’s how … Continue reading Dashi sous-vide

Basics34 Comments

Home-made Ricotta

StefanGourmet

  I had never made my own ricotta before. It turns out to be surprisingly easy and surprisingly tasty. It is even cheaper than buying ready-made ricotta. I found this recipe with Google, tried it and loved it! Since I wanted to use it for dessert, I decided to add some additional cream. Ingredients For approximately 1 cup (250 ml) ricotta 1 liter (4 cups) whole milk 2 Tbsp white vinegar (I used white wine vinegar since that is what I had) pinch of salt optional: 100 ml (3/8 cups) whipping cream Preparation   Put the milk (and the cream, … Continue reading Home-made Ricotta

1. Antipasti (appetizers)12 Comments

Sous-vide Artichoke Salad

StefanGourmet

An artichoke salad is a simple antipasto, perfect for the summer and best to prepare sous-vide for maximum flavor and tender artichokes with some bite to them as well. Most of the work goes into cleaning them, but fresh artichokes are so much better than from a jar or can. As is usual with antipasti, you just need some good olive oil and a bit of parsley to turn some artichokes into a great antipasto. Ingredients artichokes good extra virgin olive oil salt lemon fresh flatleaf parsley Preparation This cleaning method is for large tough artichokes. For small tender ones, … Continue reading Sous-vide Artichoke Salad

Asian cuisine7 Comments

Home-made Sushi

StefanGourmet

Today calls for a special post, since I am very proud that the 100th follower has just joined this blog! As it happens we made sushi last night, and blogging about that will certainly be special as this will be the longest post yet with over 40 pictures! Making sushi together is a lot of fun, and although the sushi will probably not be as good as sushi at a specialized sushi restaurant, home-made sushi will taste much better than ready-made refrigerated sushi. It is not a coincidence that I like Japanese food besides Italian, as both rely to a … Continue reading Home-made Sushi

Cooking7 Comments

Seafood Paella (Paella de Marisco)

StefanGourmet

Paella is probably the most famous Spanish dish. There are different versions of paella, many of them containing meat such as chicken, rabbit and chorizo, as well as seafood. My version is seafood-only. Paella is traditionally made in a special paella pan, but I like to serve it on individual plates. Like many stock-based dishes, the taste of the paella depends on the quality of the stock. So it definitely pays off to make your own stock! Ingredients For 2 servings as a full meal 2/3 cups rice suitable for paella (risotto rice works fine) 1 1/2 cups shrimp stock … Continue reading Seafood Paella (Paella de Marisco)

Bread5 Comments

Focaccia alla Genovese

StefanGourmet

Focaccia is mostly known as Italian flat bread topped with herbs, salt, and olive oil. One of the original types of focaccia is the one from Liguria, known as focaccia alla genovese after the capital city of Liguria (Genova). This is plain focaccia, preferably eaten still warm, and not only eaten with dinner but also used for sandwiches as well as for breakfast! Focaccia alla Genovese is salty, oily and slightly crispy on the outside and soft and airy on the inside. You could also bake it topped this with olives, rosemary, or sage, but it is really good just … Continue reading Focaccia alla Genovese

4. Dolci (dessert)19 Comments

Raspberry Soufflé

StefanGourmet

  Soufflés have a reputation of being difficult, but they are not that hard and extremely festive. Just remember that they will fall no matter what you do as soon as they cool, so serve them as quickly as possible. We got a raspberry soufflé for breakfast at Librije’s Hotel a few weeks ago, and I liked it so much that I decided to create my own. I don’t have their recipe, this is something I created myself by mixing and matching various recipes for other soufflés that I found in various sources. I also used Harold McGee‘s advise for … Continue reading Raspberry Soufflé

1. Antipasti (appetizers)5 Comments

Swordfish Carpaccio (Carpaccio di pesce spada)

StefanGourmet

Welcome to Stefan’s Gourmet Blog!   If you like what you see here, you can sign up on the sidebar to receive an email whenever I post a new recipe. In Italy I always like swordfish carpaccio as antipasto, but unfortunately fresh swordfish is not available in the Netherlands. I decided to try making it with frozen swordfish, and it was certainly good enough to make it again! I am usually not a big fan of frozen fish since it makes the fish dry, but for this preparation it is OK. As with many antipasti, you just need good olive … Continue reading Swordfish Carpaccio (Carpaccio di pesce spada)

2. Primi (pasta, risotto)5 Comments

Radishes Risotto with Monkfish and Pancetta

StefanGourmet

I liked pasta with radishes, so I thought I’d try risotto with radishes as well. The pasta with radishes seemed to need a little pancetta, and since pancetta is also good with monkfish I decided to combine the three of them. And it worked! I cooked the monkfish sous-vide, but if you don’t have sous-vide equipment you could just pan-fry the monkfish, being careful not to overcook it. Ingredients For 2 servings 225 grams (1/2 pound) monkfish fillet 80 grams (3 oz) pancetta, thinly sliced 1 bunch radishes with nice-looking leaves 2/3 cup risotto rice such as Arborio 2 cups … Continue reading Radishes Risotto with Monkfish and Pancetta

Secondi di Pesce (fish dishes)4 Comments

Sea bream with vegetables (Orata al forno)

StefanGourmet

This is another dish we had at the Ligurian coast that I recreated at home: sea bream roasted in the oven with vegetables. It is quite easy to do: you only have to find the freshest sea bream you can find and learn how to take the fish off the bone once it’s cooked. Use an instant-read digital thermometer with a probe to always cook the fish just right: tender and very juicy. Especially if it was very fresh (and not frozen). Fish should never be overcooked as it will be dry, but nobody likes undercooked fish either. Taggiasca olives … Continue reading Sea bream with vegetables (Orata al forno)

Secondi di Carne (meat dishes)17 Comments

Lamb Shoulder sous-vide with Goat Cheese

StefanGourmet

Lamb shoulder is really good if it’s slow cooked, so sous-vide is the obvious way to cook this cut of lamb. The meat will be amazingly tender and juicy. When slow-cooking lamb, make sure it’s from an ewe (female lamb). Rams (male lambs) have a strong smell that will be accentuated by long cooking. At Librije I discovered how good lamb and goat cheese are together. If you don’t have sous-vide equipment, roast a leg of lamb in the oven and serve it with some pieces of good French raw-milk goat cheese at room temperature (don’t let it melt) and a … Continue reading Lamb Shoulder sous-vide with Goat Cheese

Eating3 Comments

Dining in Amsterdam: Ciel Bleu**

StefanGourmet

The Okura hotel in Amsterdam has two restaurants with michelin stars: downstairs the traditional Japanese (Kaiseki) restaurant Yamazato* and on the 23rd floor Ciel Bleu** with a magnificent view on downtown Amsterdam. We had not been there in a few years, and were looking for a special occasion to go to Ciel Bleu again. This occasion presented itself when two American friends were in town, and we decided to celebrate the occasion by having dinner at Ciel Bleu together. Since it was a weekday and we all had to work the next day, we chose the 5-course summer menu (95 … Continue reading Dining in Amsterdam: Ciel Bleu**

Secondi di Carne (meat dishes)5 Comments

BBQ’ed Lamb skewers with Balsamic (served on a Pink Piano)

StefanGourmet

I like to BBQ under two conditions: (1) using charcoal instead of gas and (2) marinating the meat yourself (or by a reputable butcher). Using charcoal makes for a much hotter grill that enables you to cook food with a crispy outside and a juicy inside and a real smoky BBQ flavor. Pre-marinated meat is usually low-quality meat with a marinade that overpowers the taste of the meat. Pre-cooking the meat sous-vide is not a requirement but certainly a good idea, as it makes for more tender meat, easier BBQ’ing (it is always cooked perfectly as soon as the outside … Continue reading BBQ’ed Lamb skewers with Balsamic (served on a Pink Piano)