The combination of shrimp and pesto may sound strange, but you can find pasta with this pairing of ingredients on the menu of many restaurants in Italy or on Italian blogs . And the combination does work. In fact, if … Continue reading Linguine with Shrimp, Pesto, and Zucchini
This dish has been inspired by a dish we had at Le Calandre in Italy. The concept is very easy: beetroot juice is turned into jelly using agar, ravioli are filled with the beetroot jelly, and when the ravioli are … Continue reading Beetroot Ravioli with Gorgonzola Sauce
I’ve joined nearby gym Lijfkracht exactly one year ago, and the reason that I’ve managed to keep going there several time a week for the past year is in large part thanks to the helpful, skillful and friendly staff there. … Continue reading Banana Peanut Cranberry Oats Cookies
This dish was inspired by a pork roulade stuffed with pistachios and prosciutto that Marina made for us when we visited. I thought it would be nice to make it with veal, and cook it sous-vide. That way, the meat … Continue reading Veal Roulade with Pistachios and Prosciutto
Shrimp with almonds and onions is a simple but very tasty appetizer that was inspired by something we tried in Croatia. It reminded me a bit of a preparation from Venice called ‘in Saor‘, but this is even more simple. … Continue reading Shrimp with Almonds and Onions
This post is dedicated in loving memory to Richard. Even though I’ve only known him for three years and I’ve had the pleasure to meet him ‘in real life’ only once for a wonderful weekend at his home, he was very … Continue reading Slow-Roasted Cauliflower
This elegant dish was inspired by something served at Aga in Italy during our recent vacation. First eggplant is smoked, then a broth is made from the eggplant skin and the eggplant pulp is reduced to become a filling for … Continue reading Smoked Eggplant Ravioli in Broth
Do you know which posts get the most likes? Cakes. Always cakes. And so I keep baking them. Because what food blogger doesn’t want lots of likes on his posts? Seriously though, cakes are great as dessert because you can … Continue reading Berry Tart (Crostata ai Frutti di Bosco)
Škampi na Buzaru is a traditional dish from the peninsula of Istria in Croatia and another discovery from our recent vacation. It is prepared in nearby Italy as well, and there it is called Scampi alla Bùsara. Like with many … Continue reading Scampi alla Bùsara (Škampi na Buzaru)
Blecs is a pasta shape from Friuli. Blecs are triangular, square or lozenge shaped fresh pasta, similar to quadrucci or maltagliati. I tasted them for the first time at Trattoria Ai Cacciatori in Friuli, where the blecs were made with nettles and … Continue reading Blecs with Nettles, Lamb and Crunchy Vegetable Ragù
Frico is a typical dish from the Italian region of Friuli in the North-East. It is made from potatoes and Montasio cheese. Sometimes also onions are included. I tried it the first time when Marina from Le Ricette di Baccos … Continue reading Frico
Lamb and fennel are perhaps not a very usual combination, but it does work. In this dish both the lamb and the fennel are cooked sous-vide. A flavorful piece of lamb is cooked sous-vide with yogurt and fennel seed. The … Continue reading Lamb and Fennel Sous-Vide
It is time for another quick pasta dish. One of those that takes about as long as is needed to cook the pasta. It took me 22 minutes to cook this dish from start to finish, including taking all the … Continue reading Pasta with Sausage and Bell Pepper (Fusilli Salsiccia e Peperone)
Thanks to Nutella we all know that chocolate and hazelnuts go really well together. This flourless chocolate hazelnut cake is not only as delicious as it looks, it is also a lot easier to make than it looks. When I … Continue reading Flourless Chocolate Hazelnut Cake
I’m always interested in trying new foods. And so I was intrigued when Richard posted a recipe for cactus on his wonderful blog REMCooks. Richard is a great connoisseur of Mexican cuisine, and his recipes are always delicious. Once you … Continue reading Cactus with Corn
There is something fishy about this post. See if you can find out what it is while you are reading. I’ll reveal the mystery at the end… Many Italian pasta recipes will tell you to cook the pasta for a … Continue reading Spaghetti Risottati alle Triglie (Risotto-Style Spaghetti with Red Mullet)
We are on vacation in an RV and are now camped near Venice. Most evenings we eat at restaurants to sample the local cuisine, but tonight we wanted to stay at the campsite and so I cycled to the local … Continue reading Linguine ai Moscardini (Pasta with Baby Octopus Sous-Vide)
We all know it’s good to eat lots of vegetables and we love eating pasta, so I am always looking for pasta dishes that include a healthy dose of vegetables. Runner beans are easily available in the Netherlands, but I’ve … Continue reading Farfalle Pasta with Runner Beans and Prosciutto, ‘Carbonara’-Style
Razor clams are shellfish with an unusual shape. Compared to vongole (clams) they are sweeter and slightly more chewy. The recipe for linguine with razor clams is very similar to that of spaghetti alle vongole. Just like other clams, the … Continue reading Linguine with Razor Clams (Linguine ai Cannolicchi)
When I saw a recipe from Le Ricette di Baccos with a zucchini ‘pesto’, I thought it would be great with fresh homemade tagliolini. This is a great summer recipe that requires minimal cooking, as the zucchini are raw and … Continue reading Tagliolini al Pesto di Zucchine e Pistacchi (Fresh Pasta with Zucchini and Pistachio Pesto)
Shrimp and mushrooms are a classic combination in stir fry dishes. In this Chinese-style dish, I’ve added another layer of flavor by braising dried shii take mushrooms in oyster sauce first. It is a bit more work, but worth it. … Continue reading Stir Fried Shrimp with Braised Mushrooms in Oyster Sauce
Samphire has been an easily available ingredient around here for years, but I haven’t been using it very often. As it is such a local ingredient to me, it had not occurred to me to use it in Italian cooking. … Continue reading Pasta with Jumbo Shrimp and Samphire (Pasta con Gamberoni e Salicornia)
When I posted the recipe for a great side dish based on the outer part of zucchini, I mentioned to reserve the remaining inner part for another use. This cold soup is a great way to use up those inner parts, or … Continue reading Cold Soup of Leftover Zucchini with Toasted Almonds
Limburg is a province in the South of the Netherlands that is famous for its pies, known as vlaai. I’ve already posted recipes for a version with cherries, kersenvlaai, and one with apricots, abrikozenvlaai. One of the most famous types is … Continue reading Gooseberry Meringue Pie from Limburg (Kruisbessenvlaai, Krosjelevlaai mit Sjoem)
Doesn’t this risotto have a great color? I had some carrots, some fish stock, and some canned tomatoes I needed to use up, and thus this risotto was born. The cod was a nice addition that I bought especially for … Continue reading Risotto with Cod, Carrots and Lemon
Char Siu is pork that is marinated in a sweet spicy red sauce, and then cooked while basting with the marinade until crispy on the outside. When the pork is cooked sous-vide, the result is even more spectacular because of … Continue reading Char Siu Sous-Vide (Chinese BBQ Pork)
Pita bread with shawarma, usually lamb or pork, is popular street food in the Netherlands. I discovered that it can be really good, if freshly made from high quality ingredients. You can read my post about that here. Some months … Continue reading Salmon ‘Shawarma’ with Beetroot Tzatziki on Pita or Naan Bread
Roze koeken are very popular at Dutch highschool as a snack after (or instead of) a lunchbox full of sandwiches. The pink glaze on top of store-bought roze koeken looks and tastes a bit chemical, and it is. But that … Continue reading Roze Koeken (Pink Glazed Cookies)
Fresh homemade bread is so much better than store-bought, unless you are happy enough to live near an artisanal bakery that bakes bread several times a day. As we both eat at the office on weekdays, I usually only bake … Continue reading Multi-Grain Sourdough Bread Made in a Breadmaker
I love it when a reader reports about having tried a recipe from this blog, and even more so when they post a picture on Stefan’s Gourmet Blog’s Facebook page. Jev Kuznetsov did something similar, as he started with my recipe … Continue reading Risotto al Polpo e Chorizo (Octopus and Chorizo Risotto)
