“Bravo” is a Spanish word that can mean brave (as in courageous), but also wild, rough, or spirited, as in the name of the rough coastline near Barcelona (Costa Brava). And so Patatas Bravas could literally be translated as potatoes with spirit. This tapas dish of spicy potatoes is very popular, and there are many versions. The … Continue reading
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 fortunate enough to have access to good ripe tomatoes and fresh baby octopus, all the … Continue reading
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, but since there is no local market for the meat it all gets exported. And … Continue reading
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 an autumnal (rainy) Sunday afternoon. It freezes well, so it makes sense to make a … Continue reading
One of the questions I get asked the most is whether I spend a lot of time preparing each meal. The answer is no, as when I get home from work I am usually too hungry to wait a long time before I can eat. And so I prepare lots of quick but tasty dishes … Continue reading
The best pork chops are those that are marbled with fat, as the fat provides flavor and prevents the chops from drying out. For this recipe I used some pork chops from iberico pig, the same Spanish pork that is used to make the famous jamón. The best part of this recipe is the piquant … Continue reading
Spaghetti with a sauce made from fresh tomatoes is the only dish that I prepare quite often, but has not appeared on this blog yet. There are two reasons for that: one is that I thought it wouldn’t be interesting enough for a blog post, and the other is that I am a little ashamed … Continue reading
Pollo alla Cacciatora is an Italian classic. It means chicken prepared in the style of the hunter’s wife (traditional recipes usually do not assume that the wife would hunt herself), which is chicken stewed in tomatoes with herbs, wine, and the holy trinity of carrot, celery, and onion. As with all traditional recipes there are … Continue reading
How about insalata caprese for dessert? Most of us love the famous combination of tomato, buffalo mozzarella, and basil as a savory dish. But it is also delicious as a dessert with the basil transformed into ice cream. The technique for making basil ice cream is the same as for making mint ice cream. Cherry tomatoes … Continue reading
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 traditional dishes, there are many variations on the recipe. The constant factor is that scampi … Continue reading
Side by side experiments are a great way to find out if what you are doing when cooking actually makes a difference. For instance, is it worth making pesto by hand with pestle and mortar instead of in the blender (it is), or is it worth cooking scallops sous-vide before searing them (it isn’t). Something … Continue reading
Calamarata is a pasta shape from southern Italy that looks like rings of calamari, and it is most often served with a seafood sauce. This fish ragù is very simple and can be prepared while the pasta cooks (provided that you already prepared the fish stock). It is quick, tasty, and simple dish that takes … Continue reading
Red Snapper Veracruz is one of the best known seafood dishes from Mexico, but I had never heard about it until I saw it on REMCooks.com. It reminds me of a Mediterranean dish, and clearly shows the Spanish influences in Mexican cooking. After reading Richard’s recipe I googled and found some more recipes. Based on … Continue reading
Marinara sauce is the American-Italian term for tomato sauce, but in Italy it usually refers to a sauce prepared in the style of the seaman’s wife and is a tomato-based sauce with seafood. I really liked the risotto alla marinara I had at Ristorante Anna in the Adriatic beach town Gabicce Mare, and decided to … Continue reading
Panzanella is a perfect dish for the hot weather we’ve been having, as it is refreshing, makes good use of the summer’s bounty, and the basic version doesn’t require any cooking. Originally it is an Italian peasant lunch prepared to use up old bread: the bread is mixed with tomatoes, cucumber, onion, olive oil, and … Continue reading
Vongole veraci are Italian clams and they are just so flavorful. The best thing is, they come with their own sauce (i.e. the juices they release when they are cooked) and so it takes very little effort to turn some vongole into a very tasty dish with great depth of flavor. The clam juices blend … Continue reading
I got the idea for this fast delicious summery pasta dish from Marina of Le Recette di Baccos. It only takes as long as it takes to cook the pasta and the variations are endless. Raw vegetables, in this version zucchini and tomatoes, are combined with aromatic herbs and tossed with the cooked pasta with … Continue reading
I’ve already posted about homemade ketchup in my most about making my first hamburgers from scratch. I wasn’t completely happy with the ketchup back then, and I’ve been experimenting a bit to find a recipe I liked better based on a recipe posted by ChgoJohn. That recipe makes a very spicy ketchup, and I’ve made a … Continue reading
I’ve sung the praises of cooking from scratch before. Sure, you can buy something similar in a jar in the store. But you get to tune this homemade salsa to exactly how you like it, how about that! You can make it as mild or as hot and spicy as you like. Or as sweet. … Continue reading
This pasta dish is inspired by Sapori Pugliesi, a humble trattoria in downtown Amsterdam. This place is in walking distance from where I work, and perfect for a quick, delicious and cheap meal after work if I’m going to stay downtown for whatever reason. They have great antipasti and fresh tagliatelle served with a variety … Continue reading
Yet another simple and delicious seafood pasta dish from Biba Caggiano that only takes as long as it takes to cook the pasta: pasta shells with calamari, tomatoes, anchovies, and chile pepper flakes. This is best with fresh squid, but frozen squid will work too. The most important is not to overcook the squid, as … Continue reading
After eating at three-star restaurants and trying complicated recipes, it’s easy to forget that simple food can be great, too. Fortunately I only need to browse one of Biba Caggiano’s cookbooks to be reminded of that, and that is where I found this recipe. You may not think that making your own gnocchi from scratch … Continue reading
Mackerel is a cheap and tasty fish, and healthy because it’s loaded with omega-3 fatty acids. I’ve prepared it as ceviche, in a quiche with sauerkraut, and marinated ‘in saor’. Recently I saw oven-roasted mackerel on two of my favorite blogs: from the Bartolini kitchens and le Ricette di Baccos. And so when I was … Continue reading
Besides albóndigas I served these stuffed tomatoes at the party. They work best with homemade or other good quality ricotta, vine-ripened tomatoes, and aged balsamic (aceto balsamico tradizionale). I’ve been serving them as hors d’oeuvres for years, and I keep making them. Ingredients For 50 pieces 25 small vine-ripened tomatoes 1 bunch fresh basil (about … Continue reading
Tapas are in Spain simply bar food, but outside of Spain have become very famous. In Spain every bar (with the word “bar” meaning a neighborhood hangout that is open all day and night and where you can also buy newspapers or lottery tickets) has a display on the counter that proudly displays the, often … Continue reading
Home made potato gnocchi made from scratch are the best! They are so much better than chewy store-bought ones. I’ve only posted about potato gnocchi once before: gnocchi with gorgonzola was the first recipe I ever posted on this blog. The city of Sorrento is near the island of Capri, the island that gave its … Continue reading
Pasta salads are great summer food and perfect as a side for a cook out. I like to prepare pasta salads with lots of vegetables, as a cook out or BBQ as we call it here usually involves a lot of meat. For some variation from a Greek style pasta salad, I prepared this pasta … Continue reading
The following I dish I prepared for the Sicilian dinner was very loosely based upon one of the appetizers at La Madia, the best restaurant in Sicily with two Michelin stars. This is what I wrote about this dish in my review of our dinner at La Madia: “We were thoroughly fooled by this pizza, … Continue reading
I have tomato envy. I read all those posts of fellow food bloggers who are buying heirloom tomatoes at farmers markets, or even harvesting perfectly ripe tasty tomatoes from their own backyard. And given the local climate here, I have to make do with tomatoes that come from a greenhouse and are just not the … Continue reading
This is my version of the tomato salad that my friend Esther always used to make. Unfortunately she passed away much too young. Today would have been her 14th wedding anniversary, so I thought it an appropriate day to tell you about this recipe in her memory. Esther loved to cook and unfortunately we haven’t … Continue reading
