Shrimp Dim Sum
These Chinese shrimp dumplings are so good and worth the effort to make from scratch, even though it takes 1.5 to 2 hours to make a batch. They are just like the shrimp dim sum Har Gow (虾饺), but with … Continue reading Shrimp Dim Sum
Category: Cooking
Penne with Roasted Celeriac (Penne al Sedano Rapa al Forno)
When I was writing the recent post about dishes we have on a regular basis, I noticed that there were a few dishes that I make several times per year, but are not featured on the blog yet. As there … Continue reading Penne with Roasted Celeriac (Penne al Sedano Rapa al Forno)
Fried Eggplant (Melanzane Fritte in Pastella)
Melanzane fritte in pastella are slices of eggplant/aubergine dipped in batter and then deep fried until crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside. With some basil and tomato dipping sauce this is a lovely appetizer, that could also … Continue reading Fried Eggplant (Melanzane Fritte in Pastella)
What We Eat On A Daily Basis
Happy New Year! I hope you will eat well in 2022. Perhaps this post can provide some inspiration for that. The three questions I get asked the most regarding cooking are: How can you eat all that food and not … Continue reading What We Eat On A Daily Basis
Braised Blade of Beef Sous Vide with Peperonata and Salsa Verde
Bollito misto is a classic Italian recipe from Piemonte of boiled meat with various sauces, including salsa verde. At Ristorante Trippi in Valtellina I enjoyed a dish inspired by bollito misto, which was a boiled blade of beef with salsa … Continue reading Braised Blade of Beef Sous Vide with Peperonata and Salsa Verde
Zander with Apple Syrup and Bacon
Zander is a freshwater fish with a very elegant flavor that is caught locally in the Netherlands. It is also called pikeperch or pike perch. The combination with tart apple syrup and bacon has been made famous by Jonnie Boer, … Continue reading Zander with Apple Syrup and Bacon
Ravioli del Plin al Sugo d’Arrosto (Meat Ravioli from Piemonte)
Ravioli are called agnolotti in Piemonte. Every restaurant in Piemonte has them on the menu. As is always the case with traditional recipes in Italy, there are many variations. The most important variations are with or without greens (spinach or … Continue reading Ravioli del Plin al Sugo d’Arrosto (Meat Ravioli from Piemonte)
Veal Tartare With Hazelnuts (Carne Cruda Con Nocciole)
At Ristorante Trippi in Valtellina I enjoyed veal tartare with hazelnuts. Although this was in Lombardia, it is close to Piemonte were carne cruda is a very typical dish. This version with ground hazelnuts mixed through the meat was very … Continue reading Veal Tartare With Hazelnuts (Carne Cruda Con Nocciole)
Pheasant Fillet Sous Vide with a Mushroom Marsala Cream Sauce
Pheasant fillet dries out easily, but with sous vide it is a piece of cake to prepare it tender and juicy every time. The idea for the sauce comes from restaurant Le Due Lanterne in Nizza Monferrato, Italy. There the … Continue reading Pheasant Fillet Sous Vide with a Mushroom Marsala Cream Sauce
Fresh Pasta with Pheasant Sugo (Tagliatelle al Sugo di Fagiano)
Last September on vacation in Italy, I enjoyed fresh pasta with a pheasant sugo at one of my favorite restaurants in Italy, Danêl Ai Cacciatori in Friuli. This was a pasta sauce without tomato, or not really a sauce actually, … Continue reading Fresh Pasta with Pheasant Sugo (Tagliatelle al Sugo di Fagiano)
Amandelkrullen (Curly Almond Cookies)
Amandelkrullen are classic Dutch cookies and they are very tasty. For Dutch pastry recipes, I always turn to Cees Holtkamps book “De Banketbakker”. Holtkamp is a retired famous Dutch pastry chef, of the pastry shop of the same name in … Continue reading Amandelkrullen (Curly Almond Cookies)
Veal Cheeks Sous Vide (Guancialino brasato)
After enjoying pork cheeks during our trip to Portugal last year, this year in Italy we had several different renditions of veal cheeks. The veal cheeks we had at Mariella were amazingly tender and flavorful, so back home I wanted … Continue reading Veal Cheeks Sous Vide (Guancialino brasato)
Flan di Zucchine
Flan di zucchine is a typical dish from Piemonte that we enjoyed at Due Lanterne in Nizza Monferrato. It is a savory flan (pudding) filled with zucchini and served with a lukewarm tomato salsa, basil, and extra virgin olive oil. … Continue reading Flan di Zucchine
Cappon Magro Sous Vide (Stack of Fish and Vegetables with Green Sauce from Liguria)
Cappon Magro is a delicious and special dish from Liguria with fish and vegetables. It is on the menu in Liguria for special occasions such as the holidays. The name means “lean capon”, which indicates that it was an alternative … Continue reading Cappon Magro Sous Vide (Stack of Fish and Vegetables with Green Sauce from Liguria)
Risotto alle Vongole
We love vongole and we love risotto, so risotto alle vongole hits all the right buttons. I opted to prepare it in bianco, without tomato, to allow the vongole to shine. The clams come with their own built-in stock, which … Continue reading Risotto alle Vongole
Crab, Foie Gras, and Kohlrabi
Although the inspiration for this dish came from our latest dinner at the Librije, this is not an attempt to recreate the dish from the restaurant. It is a ‘taco’ of kohlrabi stuffed with foie gras and crab dressed with … Continue reading Crab, Foie Gras, and Kohlrabi
Vietnamese Spring Rolls with Pork and Shrimp (Gỏi Cuốn Tôm Thịt)
There are two main kinds of Vietnamese spring rolls: deep fried, and ‘uncooked’. The shrimp and meat in those is actually cooked, but otherwise these Vietnamese spring rolls are a fresh appetizer that is served at room temperature. Traditionally the … Continue reading Vietnamese Spring Rolls with Pork and Shrimp (Gỏi Cuốn Tôm Thịt)
Fresh Spinach Pasta with Sausage Ragù (Gnocchetti Verdi con Ragù di Salsiccia)
The first dish from our trip that I tried to make at home was gnocchetti verdi con ragù di salsiccia, like we had at Due Lanterne. It is a bit of work to make the small pasta dumplings by hand, … Continue reading Fresh Spinach Pasta with Sausage Ragù (Gnocchetti Verdi con Ragù di Salsiccia)
Chicken, Broccoli, and Rice (Post-Workout Meal)
Two of the questions that people ask me most frequently are “Why don’t you start a restaurant?” and “How can you stay so slim with all the food you eat?” The answer to the second question is very easy: portion … Continue reading Chicken, Broccoli, and Rice (Post-Workout Meal)
Combining Sous Vide And Freezing
Today is the first day of the 2021 Sous Vide Summit, and I am one of Friday’s speakers. My presentation will be a summary of the blog post below. For me there is no ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ when it comes … Continue reading Combining Sous Vide And Freezing
Thai Eggplant and Chicken Stir Fry with Nam Prik Pao and Basil
I’ve only recently discovered this dish, and absolutely love it. It has great depth of flavor. If you have already made the Nam Phrik Phao, then most of the work is in pan frying (or oven roasting) the eggplant. We … Continue reading Thai Eggplant and Chicken Stir Fry with Nam Prik Pao and Basil
Nam Phrik Phao (Thai Chilli Jam)
Nam Phrik Phao or Nam Prik Pao is one of the Thai chili pastes. Because of the consistency and containing palm sugar, it is sometimes also referred to as chilli jam. This is not the kind of jam you’d have … Continue reading Nam Phrik Phao (Thai Chilli Jam)
Pasta with Slow-Roasted Cauliflower (Orecchiette al Cavolfiore)
This is what we’ve just had for dinner, or as the primo piatto to be more precise (with a flat iron steak as secondo piatto): orecchiette pasta with slow-roasted cauliflower, capers, anchovies, lemon zest, extra virgin olive oil, parsley, and … Continue reading Pasta with Slow-Roasted Cauliflower (Orecchiette al Cavolfiore)
Lamb with Mint Sauce and Green Asparagus
Due to the pandemic I can’t visit wineries, but thankfully sometimes a winery sends over some samples. I will write more about the wines of Bisci from Matelic from the Marche region in Italy in my next post. Their 2017 … Continue reading Lamb with Mint Sauce and Green Asparagus
Monkfish Portuguese Style
We had friends over for dinner. She likes fish, but he likes meat and red wine. I ended up preparing Portuguese style cheeks in a red wine sauce for everyone, but we had Iberico pork cheeks, and she had monkfish … Continue reading Monkfish Portuguese Style
Sous vide baby carrots with bulgur, goat cheese, and pistachios
This elegant vegetarian appetizer was inspired by a more elaborate version we enjoyed at Alma** in Lisbon. The combination of flavors and textures is very nice. The sweetness of the carrots goes well with the tartness of the goat cheese … Continue reading Sous vide baby carrots with bulgur, goat cheese, and pistachios
Thai Coconut Lemongrass Clams (hoi lai tom ka)
We love clams and we love Thai food, so I knew right away this would be a winner. I mostly followed Hot Thai Kitchen’s recipe, but substituted chicken stock with Thai fish stock. These Thai clams are wonderfully fragrant and … Continue reading Thai Coconut Lemongrass Clams (hoi lai tom ka)
Pasta with Sausage and Fennel (Gnocchetti Sardi con Salsiccia e Finocchio)
Pasta with sausage and fennel is one of our favorite pasta dishes, that I prepare on a regular basis. The flavors of the fennel, fennel seed, sausage, and pecorino cheese blend into one fantastic flavor. I like to prepare it … Continue reading Pasta with Sausage and Fennel (Gnocchetti Sardi con Salsiccia e Finocchio)
Brisket Pastrami Sous Vide
Pastrami is usually made by brining, smoking, and then steaming brisket or other types of meat. By using sous vide instead of steaming, the meat will be more tender and juicy. Brisket, especially if it is lean, is prone to … Continue reading Brisket Pastrami Sous Vide
Gaeng Som (Thai Sour Curry with Shrimp)
Gaeng Som is a water-based Thai sour curry that can also be described as a spicy seafood and vegetable soup. Literally Gaeng means curry and Som means sour. The curry paste is easy to make from scratch, as it is … Continue reading Gaeng Som (Thai Sour Curry with Shrimp)
