You can encounter baby octopus in a hot red sauce all along the long Italian coastline. “Alla diavola” refers to the use of chilli flakes. You can make it as hot or as mild as you like. If you are … Continue reading Baby Octopus Alla Diavola (Moscardini alla Diavola)
After reading Conor’s post in which he showed us how to prepare delicious roast leg of goat, I got curious and wanted to try goat meat, too. Now there are a lot of goats in the Netherlands, kept primarily for milking, … Continue reading Goat Stew from Abruzzo (Capra alla Neretese)
When I saw this yogurt cake on Mimi’s blog, I wanted to make it straight away. She had eaten it at Moro, a restaurant in London, and loved it so much that she made it at home. I can see … Continue reading Yogurt Cake with Pistachios and Pomegranate
As there aren’t many Mexican restaurants around here and those that are there are probably not very authentic, I don’t eat a lot of Mexican (or Tex-Mex) food that I don’t prepare myself. And so I had never before seen … Continue reading Pork Tamales
We love foie gras and I was curious to try and make foie gras ice cream. I looked at some recipes on-line, but found none that made sense to me. Some even suggested to discard (!) or save for another … Continue reading Foie Gras Ice Cream
I’ve posted a recipe for beet risotto before, a risotto made with regular vegetable or chicken stock and then combined with roasted beets. When I saw a recipe on Hans’ blog Chefsopinion in which he boiled beets and then used … Continue reading Beet and Goat Cheese Risotto (Risotto alle Barbabietole e Formaggio di Capra)
Stroopwafels are a Dutch treat that is very popular both inside and outside the Netherlands. They are thin round waffles, filled with syrup that has a hint of cinnamon. They are very addictive! When a Dutchman wants to charm a … Continue reading Homemade Stroopwafels (Dutch Syrup Waffles)
Calamari and squid are both types of cuttlefish. You can use any type for this recipe. Squid can be cooked in two ways: either very short or very long. Something in between, and it will be tough. Since I was … Continue reading Pasta with Calamari and Bell Peppers
I wish you all a happy and healthy 2017 with delicious food and wine. As my first contribution to this, I present to you homemade lychee ice cream. Lychees are a tropical fruit with a complex delicious aroma and flavor. When … Continue reading Lychee Ice Cream
For Christmas I wanted to make a traditional Italian dish that I had not prepared before, preferably something that involved stuffed pasta. As I’ve already made so many stuffed pasta dishes over the years, I wasn’t sure if I would … Continue reading Ravioli alla Genovese
For Christmas I wanted to make a traditional Italian dish that I had not prepared before, preferably something that involved stuffed pasta. As I’ve already made so many stuffed pasta dishes over the years, I wasn’t sure if I would … Continue reading Sugo di Carne alla Genovese: Il Tocco (Genoese Braised Veal and Meat Sauce)
Have you ever eaten a dish from Azerbaijan? I had not. Thanks to Darya’s post, I have prepared this wonderful lamb stew with chestnuts and pomegranate. It is original and absolutely delicious. Of course I cooked the meat sous-vide, but … Continue reading Lamb Stew with Chestnuts and Pomegranate (Nar Govurma Sous-Vide)
Another niece turned 18 and so it was time for another bottle of the same 1998 Barolo, but this time for Dana. I thought it would be nice to cook something with duck breast for her, which already works with … Continue reading Duck Breast with Mushrooms
Sandra always publishes tasty recipes on her blog Please Pass The Recipe. Recently, her blue cheese tart with caramelized fennel caught my attention. I had never thought of combining caramelized fennel with blue cheese, but I love both of them … Continue reading Caramelized Fennel and Gorgonzola Tartlets
Scallop and parsnip ravioli is a dish that I came up with five years ago and I already blogged about back then, but my photos were pretty terrible back then, I had hardly any followers, and besides I have made some … Continue reading Scallop and Parsnip Ravioli (Ravioli di Capesante e Pastinaca)
Twice a year I organize themed wine pairing dinners (click here to read more about them). This fall’s theme was Wild Game and Wine. The same menu was repeated on three Saturdays for three different groups of friends, and on … Continue reading Pairing Wild Game and Wine
Have you ever heard of spaghetti squash? I had not until I read about it on Shanna’s wonderful blog. Coincidence or not, this autumn for the first time I saw spaghetti squash in markets here. The name may sound strange, but … Continue reading Spaghetti Squash with Clams and Pancetta
Zoodles are noodles made from zucchini. You make them with a gadget called a spiralizer. There are electric ones as well has hand-operated models. I got one of the latter after reading ChgoJohn’s blog post about the spiralizer he had … Continue reading Zoodles with Fish and Eggplant Ragù (Tagliatelle di Zucchine al Ragu di Pesce e Melanzana)
There isn’t much wildlife in the Netherlands, but there is some. The nearby dunes that are used to filter the drinking water for the city of Amsterdam (Amsterdamse Waterleidingduinen) have so much deer running around in them, that the authorities … Continue reading Venison Shank Sous-Vide
I’ve just returned from a short business trip to Bombay in India. There wasn’t time for any specific food research, but I did enjoy the food immensely and even tried Indian wine for the first time (which was unexpectedly good). … Continue reading Simple Shahi Salmon
A pizza crust made from cauliflower is often presented as a low-carb substitute for real pizza. I put the word ‘pizza’ between quotes in the title of this post, because I do not think it is a substitute for real … Continue reading Cauliflower ‘Pizza’ with Smoked Mozzarella
It is wonderful how much culinary inspiration I get from other bloggers and my followers. Today’s recipe was inspired by Cecil Brewer, a follower who e-mails me his ideas and recipes. Cecil uses a slightly different technique because he uses … Continue reading Smoked Duck Legs Sous-Vide
Fresh porcini mushrooms are hard to find, in part because they are so perishable. Luckily dried porcini mushrooms can be kept for a long time and they pack a lot of flavor. The secret to making the most delicious dried … Continue reading Porcini Mushroom Ravioli (Ravioli ai Funghi Porcini Secchi)
Making traditional Italian venison pasta sauce is pretty straightforward, but it does require some patience because of the long cooking time involved. As you only have to stir every half hour or so, this is a perfect sauce to prepare during … Continue reading Venison Pasta Sauce (Ragù di Cervo)
Yes, you’ve read it correctly, a cake that contains beets (also known as beetroot). When I saw this recipe on Polianthus’ blog, I was intrigued and knew I had to try it. I am glad that I did, because the … Continue reading Hazelnut and Beet Cake
I always like it when I get requests for a dinner party, because it makes it easier to choose what to make. In this case, the request was something with shrimp and garlic. Because of the season I looked for … Continue reading Shrimp, Pumpkin, and Almonds
As a gift for her 18th birthday, I cooked dinner for Kees’ niece Liza. The center of the dinner was a nice bottle of Barolo from her year of birth, and so I had to come up with a dish … Continue reading Venison and Wild Mushroom Stew (Brasato di Cervo ai Funghi di Bosco)
This a great appetizer for a dinner party, because it is delicious, looks great, and is quite easy to prepare. Only a few ingredients are needed to make a fantastic dish. Scallops and bacon are friends, so bacon-wrapped scallops are … Continue reading Bacon-Wrapped Scallop with Pumpkin
When we visited Estancia Piedra for a wine tasting, our charming host Mary suggested that a risotto with tart apple, mushrooms, and goat cheese would be outstanding with the Rueda Verdejo from Estancia Piedra. Although the wine did smell of … Continue reading Risotto with Apple, Mushrooms, and Goat Cheese
I like using everything and reducing waste. When you buy a bunch of carrots, they come with the greens, but usually those are discarded or used to feed the rabbits if you have them. I’ve already posted recipes to use … Continue reading Pasta with Roasted Carrots and Carrot Tops Pesto
