Sometimes I pick the wine first and then think of a dish. I had a nice bottle of 2007 late harvest Gewurztraminer from Alsace and I thought it would be great with duck ravioli and orange sauce, and so that … Continue reading Duck Ravioli with Orange Sauce (Ravioli all’Anatra con Salsa d’Arancia)
Thanks to the recipe that was included with the jar of XO sauce I had bought for another dish, I have now discovered another great way of making fried rice next to my usual recipe. The blend of flavors is … Continue reading Ground Beef and XO Fried Rice
One of the most original and best new dishes I’ve had in a Michelin starred restaurant over the last years was “Raw carabinero prawn on crispy strands of short rib (‘pulled’ short ribs, then deep fried) with roasted bell pepper, … Continue reading Carabinero Shrimp, Crispy Short Rib and Roasted Bell Pepper
This appetizer is decadent and delicious, yet easy to prepare. It was inspired by an amuse bouche we had at Spectrum. There it was served as a small portion inside a whelk shell (a whelk is a sea snail). The amount … Continue reading Caviar with Cauliflower and Lime Mousse
De Librije is the best restaurant in the Netherlands and has been awarded three Michelin stars for 15 years in a row now. It is often ranked among the World’s 50 Best Restaurants. We have been there each of those 15 … Continue reading Dining in the Netherlands: Librije*** (2019)
Chile en Nogada was created in 1821 by the Pueblan Nuns as a festive food to honor a visit from revolutionary general Don Augustín de Iturbide. Mexico had just won its independence from Spain. The colors of the dish are the same … Continue reading Chile Relleno En Nogada (Stuffed Chile with Walnut Sauce and Pomegranate)
Elia suggested this recipe from Pati Jinich as the dessert for our Mexican feast. It is called “impossible” chocoflan, because the two batters look like a mess when you put them into the oven, but when the flan comes out, … Continue reading Chocolate and Vanilla Flan with Pecans (Chocoflan Imposible)
Since 2009 I’ve been organizing wine pairing dinners twice per year for family and friends. As there is room for 12-16 at a time, I repeat each theme three times (so in total 6 wine pairing dinners per year, 3 … Continue reading Pairing Wine with Mexican Food
Dulce de leche is a sweet preparation with a caramel flavor from Latin America that can be enjoyed on its own or as a sauce. Sweetened milk is cooked slowly until it thickens and darkens in color. In Mexico it … Continue reading Homemade Dulce de Leche
In La Maddalena we had a wonderful dinner at The Bistrot, a trattoria that prides itself on using ingredients from local artisan producers. La Maddalena is the capital town of the Maddalena archipelago on the North-East of Sardinia and the … Continue reading Chiusoni alla Gallurese (Pasta Dumplings with Salami, Cherry Tomatoes, and Pecorino Cheese)
The Mexican feast I was preparing should also include refried beans and rice, as they are staples in Mexican cuisine. For the rice I based my preparation on Irene’s recipe on her Slice of Mexico. Mexican rice is enriched with … Continue reading Mexican Style Rice
Yesterday it was 8 years ago that I started blogging. When I started I thought blogging would be about me sharing stuff with the world, but now I know that what I am getting back from others is just as … Continue reading Homemade Mole Poblano
Making your own Thai green curry paste from scratch is so worth it. If you have a blender it is very easy and the hardest part could be sourcing the ingredients. Fresh curry paste has more depth of flavor and … Continue reading Thai Green Curry with Sous Vide Beef and Eggplant
Sometimes I see an interesting ingredient at the market that is interesting mostly because I don’t use it often, and then I buy it and it ends up going past the expiry date because I don’t use it often. Sounds … Continue reading Pasta with Chestnuts and Sausage (Pasta con salsiccia e castagne)
During our recent trip to Sardinia, we had a nice dinner at Albisbe4 in Alghero. As secondo piatto I had sea bass with sweet & sour savoy cabbage that I really enjoyed, and so I decided to recreate something similar … Continue reading Sea Bass with Sweet & Sour Savoy Cabbage (Spigola con Verza in Agro-Dolce)
The restaurant formerly known as Librije’s Zusje in Amsterdam has changed its name and is now called Spectrum. It is still run by chef Sidney Schutte and maître Sascha Speckemeier and still has two Michelin stars. The last time we … Continue reading Dining in Amsterdam: Spectrum**
I prepared this dish a couple of months ago and neglected to blog about it. Although Stefano presented it as a summer dish, it is great for autumn as well. Celery is often used in Italian cooking together with onions … Continue reading Pasta with Celery (Pasta al Sedano)
This appetizer was inspired by something we had at Taverna Estia** near Naples in Italy. Deep fried mozzarella is a common appetizer, but here it is enriched in two ways. First, by including tuna in the filling. Second, by using … Continue reading Deep Fried Mozzarella and Tuna with Almonds
This is not really an Italian dish, as there are too many components and most Italians do not even know what a parsnip is. But it sure is delicious. The combination of flavors and textures is great: sweet plump shrimp … Continue reading Risotto with Bacon-Wrapped Shrimp and Parsnip
The same post on Oven-dried Tomatoes that features Parnsip Planks (which I tried) also features Parsnip Bark. When you make parsnip bark the inside of the parsnip will be left, which you can turn into parsnip puree. Parsnip bark is … Continue reading Parsnip Bark (and Parsnip Puree)
Red mullet is a very tasty fish, but it dries out easily as it is very lean. By cooking it sous-vide at a low temperature, the fish will be very tender and juicy. Flaked and mixed with extra virgin olive … Continue reading Pasta with Red Mullet Sous-Vide and Pistachios (Taglioni con Triglie e Pistacchi)
This is what I had for dinner tonight. Quick and simple, but very tasty. There are a couple of tricks that I used: Instead of dicing the fish and then browning it, I browned it first and then diced it. … Continue reading Paccheri al Ragù di Rana Pescatrice (Pasta with Monkfish)
Scarpaccia is a zucchini cake from the northern coast of Tuscany. There are two versions: savory from the town of Camaiore, and sweet from Viareggio. I had already prepared and blogged about the savory version, so now it’s time for … Continue reading Scarpaccia di Viareggio (Zucchini Cake)
Quahogs are a type of large clams. In New England and especially Rhode Island they are prepared stuffed and then called “stuffies”. Since quahogs are not available in the Netherlands, I used a fairly large type of clams called “sea … Continue reading Stuffies (Rhode Island Stuffed Clams)
When we were anchored in the Maddalena Archipelago, north of Sardinia, in an area that is known as the Piscine Naturali di Budelli, I thought it would be appropriate to prepare pasta with mussels and cherry tomatoes for dinner. Because … Continue reading Cooking on board: Pasta with Mussels, Cherry Tomatoes, and Basil
Before the secondo piatto I blogged about yesterday, I served this pasta with squid ragù. With the feeble heat of the gas stove and the thin pans provided I could not sear the squid, so I decided to braise the … Continue reading Cooking on board: Pasta with Squid Ragù
We are sailing in the Maddalena archipelago on the north side of Sardinia in the Mediterranean. The galley on board is very limited, but last night we anchored in a bay away from any village with restaurants. The view on … Continue reading Cooking on board: Oven-baked Sarago with Eggplant and Zucchini
Deshebrada literally means “shredded” in Spanish. It is also the short name for a beef stew in Mexico. I saw this recipe for shredded beef with green pepper strips on Irene’s blog, and knew at once I wanted to make … Continue reading Sous-Vide Mexican Shredded Beef With Green Peppers (Deshebrada)
We had good memories of dining at La Saletta in Alghero on Sardinia two years ago, and so we were looking forward to our return. Unlike most restaurants in port town Alghero, La Saletta specializes in meat rather than seafood. … Continue reading Dining in Italy: La Saletta
It’s amazing how much inspiration for new dishes I get from one trip to Italy. We are about to leave for this year’s trip to Italy, but I haven’t prepared all the dishes yet that I wanted to after last … Continue reading Burrata Ravioli with Cod Confit and Chard Puree (Ravioli di Burrata con Merluzzo e Purè di Bietole)
