We eat a lot of nice food, so it is always a challenge to come up with something out of the ordinary for Christmas dinner. When I was at Hanos (the premium Dutch catering wholesaler), I picked up a hare … Continue reading Filetto di Lepre con Salsa Dolceforte (Hare Fillet in Dolceforte Sauce)
If you haven’t yet decided what to make for Christmas dinner and are looking for an easy yet elegant fish dish that requires only about 30 minutes of prep and 10 minutes to finish, Branzino all’Acqua Pazza may be exactly … Continue reading Branzino all’Acqua Pazza (European Sea Bass with Cherry Tomatoes)
Earlier this year, while visiting the Northern Italian city of Padova, I spotted a dish on the menu I had never heard of: Lasagne ai tre carni. I always jump at the chance to discover new, authentic classics, and this … Continue reading Lasagne al Ragù Bianco (Lasagna with White Meat Ragù)
Gaeng Hung Lay (แกงฮังเล) is the best-known curry from Northern Thailand. It contains more spices than other Thai curries and is sweeter, yet much less spicy in terms of chili heat, and it has no coconut milk. Most of its … Continue reading Gaeng Hung Lay (Northern Thai Pork Curry) Sous Vide
One of Northern Thailand’s most iconic dishes is Khao Soi, a rich curry noodle soup made with chicken, fresh egg noodles, coconut milk, and a mild curry paste. It’s topped with crispy deep-fried noodles for added crunch. To increase the … Continue reading Khao Soi (Northern Thai Curry Noodle Soup with Chicken)
Risotto is the ultimate comfort food—not just when you eat it, but also while you make it. The gentle, rhythmic stirring isn’t complicated and can be a relaxing ritual, especially with good company or a glass of wine in hand. … Continue reading Risotto Verza e Salsiccia (Risotto with Savoy Cabbage and Italian Sausage)
One of my favorite Thai dishes is eggplant salad, made with grilled long eggplant and a punchy dressing of lime juice, fish sauce, dried shrimp, chili, palm sugar, cilantro, and shallots. The Thai name of the dressing is nam yum. … Continue reading Scallop Ceviche in Thai Nam Yum
Pesto alla genovese is one of those ingredients that is much better when made at home, even if you use a blender instead of a mortar and pestle. There are two reasons for this. First, almost all store-bought pesto contains … Continue reading Lasagne alla Genovese (Lasagne with Green Beans and Basil Pesto)
In May, we visited the Venetian coast, where one of the most common ways to serve seafood is gratinated with breadcrumbs. This preparation is especially delightful with mussels—their natural brininess is deepened by the heat of the oven, while the breadcrumbs … Continue reading Gratinated Mussels (Cozze gratinate)
As part of our wine tour through Friuli, we had dinner at La Subida Trattoria al Cacciatore. The chef’s specialty is girini—his interpretation of a traditional local dish made by letting pasta batter drip into boiling water to form fresh pasta. What … Continue reading Girini (Crumbles of Dropped Pasta) with Rabbit, Samphire, and Cherry Tomatoes
This raspberry and almond cake is inspired by the kind of simple, flavorful baking you might get served for breakfast at an agriturismo or a cozy B&B in Italy. The tartness of fresh raspberries pairs beautifully with the soft, nutty … Continue reading Raspberry Almond Cake (Torta di Lamponi e Mandorle)
For the reunion of our wine trip to Friuli I’m preparing some dishes inspired by dished we had during the trip. At Michelin-starred Trattoria al Cacciatora we had rolled guinea fowl with “sclopit” and “urticions”. Both of the latter are … Continue reading Guinea Fowl Wrapped in Prosciutto
Italians are very proud of their culinary heritage, and rightly so. There are even some traditional Italian dishes for which an official recipe has been established. This helps to preserve the traditional dishes in their original form. The most famous … Continue reading Ragù alla Bolognese (The Official Recipe)
I needed a light dessert to conclude a tasting menu. Initially, I considered serving small bowls of strawberries macerated with honey and balsamic vinegar—an easy way to elevate even average berries. But that felt a bit too simple. Instead, I … Continue reading Almond Shells with Honey Balsamic Macerated Strawberries
When I was in Chiang Mai in Northern Thailand, I followed a private cooking lesson, and tried several local restaurants. A dish that featured on the menu of local restaurants that serve Northern Thai food was “hors d’oeuvres”, an assortment of … Continue reading Nam Phrik Kapi (น้ำพริกกะปิ, Northern Thai Spicy Shrimp Dip)
When I was in Chiang Mai in Northern Thailand, I followed a private cooking lesson, and tried several local restaurants. A dish that featured on the menu of local restaurants that serve Northern Thai food was “hors d’oeuvres”, an assortment of … Continue reading Nam Phrik Num (น้ำพริกหนุ่ม Northern Thai Green Chili Dip)
When I was in Chiang Mai in Northern Thailand, I followed a private cooking lesson, and tried several local restaurants. A dish that featured on the menu of local restaurants that serve Northern Thai food was “hors d’oeuvres”, an assortment … Continue reading Nam Phrik Ong (น้ำพริกอ่อง Northern Thai Tomato and Pork Dip)
I’ve always thought that sushi could only be eaten just after it was prepared, as the raw fish needs to be refrigerated to keep it fresh, whereas the rice will be ruined if you refrigerate it. Both the texture and … Continue reading Everything Gets Better Using Sous Vide, Even Supermarket Sushi
It’s been a while since I’ve prepared a recipe I discovered through another blog. But when I saw Frite de Cordero on Accounting for Taste, I immediately knew I wanted to prepare a sous vide version of it. Frite de … Continue reading Frite de Cordero (Spanish Lamb Stew)
Italians are very proud of their culinary heritage, and rightly so. There are even some traditional Italian dishes for which an official recipe has been established. This helps to preserve the traditional dishes in their original form. The most famous … Continue reading The New Official Recipe for Ragù alla Bolognese
This tasty and elegant, but simple to prepare, appetizer was inspired by a dish I really liked at Wills Domain in Western Australia. As usual, I did not try to prepare an exact copy of the dish, but merely used … Continue reading Scallops with Avocado, Daikon, and Tosazu Dressing
The very first dish we had when we arrived in Thailand was Khao Kha Mu. We got it in Chiang Mai near the north gate of the old city at a stand that is famous for a lady with a … Continue reading Thai Pork Leg Sous Vide on Rice (Kao Ka Moo / Khao Kha Mu / ข้าวขาหมู )
Thai pickled mustard greens (ผักกาดดอง / Pak Gad Dong / Phak Kat Dong) is an essential ingredient for Thai dishes like Khao Soi or Khao Ka Moo. It is basically an oriental version of sauerkraut. I don’t care so much … Continue reading Homemade Thai Pickled Mustard Greens
This is an appropriate recipe for the first blog I’m writing after my trip to Australia (and a bit of Thailand), as this was inspired by a dish I had in restaurant Rebel Rebel in Canberra during the Australian wine … Continue reading Raw Kingfish with Boquerones, Orange, and Fennel
I have so often eaten Italian food prepared by Italians (both in restaurants and at home) and have studied so many Italian cookery books, websites, blogs, and forums, that I am confident when I am cooking Italian food and know … Continue reading Thai Cooking Lesson
Boquerones en vinagre is a Spanish recipe for fresh anchovies marinated in vinegar, olive oil, parsley, and garlic. It is often served as tapas in Spain. A very similar preparation is the Italian alici marinate, with the main difference that … Continue reading Boquerones en Vinagre (Marinated Anchovies) made from Sardines
We are spending the Dutch winter in the Australian summer, and this is the first time I am not cooking at home for Christmas. I have very limited cooking equipment in the camper, and when I did the shopping for … Continue reading Tagliatelle with Rock Lobster (Tagliatelle all’Aragosta)
When I posted the recipe for Cod with Macadmia, Lemon, and Broccolini, I already mentioned it could also be prepared with sea bass. I like the version with (European) sea bass, sometimes also referred to by its Italian name branzino, … Continue reading Sea Bass with Macadamia, Lemon, and Broccolini
My friend Irene got me some organic pears from the tree in her garden. They were not the typical pears that are used to make poached pears in the Netherlands (stoofpeertjes), which turn red when you cook them. But they … Continue reading Poached Pears with Lemon Syrup
Slow-roasting cauliflower means to roast it in the oven for 2 to 3 hours at 160C/320F. Then it gets a completely different texture, flavor, and color. We love slow-roasted cauliflower and I have already published several recipes on this blog … Continue reading Pasta with Slow-Roasted Cauliflower
Stefan's Gourmet Blog 