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
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
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)
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)
This was our 4th visit to Laite, a restaurant in the ski resort town of Sappada in the North-East of Italy, close to the Austrian border. Just the way the restaurant looks tells you that Austria is not far away. … Continue reading Dining in Italy: Laite* (2021)
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
Because of the pandemic I haven’t visited any wineries for a while, but luckily the nice people of Bisci Wines contacted me. They were enthusiastic about the recipes I have posted that pair well with Verdicchio, and offered to send … Continue reading Pairing Food and Wines of Bisci
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)
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
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
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)
Frangipane is a cream of ground almonds with sugar, eggs, and butter, and is a common ingredient in cakes. In the Netherlands strawberry cakes are often made in an elongated shape, are made with frangipane, and then called “aardbeienslof”. They … Continue reading Strawberry Frangipane Cake
Eggplant with mozzarella, basil, and tomato is one of my favorite flavor combinations. In this dish, veal scaloppine are added to make a luxurious dish that is worth of a special occasion. I’ve blogged about this dish before, but back … Continue reading Veal scaloppine with eggplant and mozzarella (Involtini di vitello con melanzane e mozzarella)
Arroz de marisco is a Portuguese seafood dish of rice with seafood that is like a soupy version of risotto. Click here for the regular recipe. For a more luxurious version, you can also make it with lobster, and then … Continue reading Portuguese Lobster Rice (Arroz de Lagosta)
Vitello Tonnato is one of those classic dishes that are not ‘trendy’, but that I keep preparing because they are so delicious. It is originally from the Italian region of Piemonte. My blogging friend Stefano recommended this book about Piemontese … Continue reading Vitello Tonnato Sous Vide
This orange cake is simple to make but has a special flavor because of the orange juice, orange zest, and orange syrup. I’ve made it using this Italian recipe, with some minor changes. It is great for breakfast (very Italian … Continue reading Orange Cake (Torta all’Arancia)
I enjoy cooking, but it is also a great pleasure if someone cooks for me for a change. I appreciate it all the more because it can be nerve-wracking or at least intimidating to cook for a more experienced cook. … Continue reading Duck Breast and Sunchokes Sous-Vide With Mushrooms and Five Spice
Lobster Thermidor is a classic French dish that I had not prepared before. Now I regret that, because it is really delicious and I will definitely make it again. As I am somewhat of an ‘adopted Italian’, I don’t tend … Continue reading Lobster Thermidor
This decadent appetizer was inspired by the signature appetizer of Martín Berasategui, three Michelin star chef from San Sebastian (Spain), “Mille-feuille of smoked eel, foie-gras, spring onions and green apple”. The combination of foie gras with smoked eel and green … Continue reading Sous-Vide version of Layered Foie Gras, Smoked Eel, and Green Apple
I really liked the combination of dark chocolate and passion fruit at Casa Velha in Portugal, so back home I developed a recipe based upon that idea without trying to copy the dish at Casa Velha. The end result was … Continue reading Dark Chocolate and Passion Fruit Tartlet
Thai food is so much better if you make your own fresh curry paste from scratch. Fresh curry paste is not just spicy hot, but also very fragrant and complex. The secret to juicy tender fish in your curry rather … Continue reading Thai Red Fish Curry with Squash
We had Meia desfeita de Bacalhau as a petisco (tapa) at the Tasting Room in Cascais, on the coast near Lisbon. A wine and petiscos (tapas) bar that I can strongly recommend, by the way, for their excellent selection of … Continue reading Meia desfeita de Bacalhau (Salad of Salted Cod and Chickpeas)
A dessert that we had at Alma in Lisbon that we really liked, was more or less the combination of three desserts that are already on my blog: Almond ice cream (leave out the cherries and crumbled amaretti)… …almond madeleines… … Continue reading Almond Ice Cream, Almond Madeleine, and Orange Curd
We spent most of our trip to Portugal on the coast and so had lots of fish and seafood. When we did have meat, stewed pork cheeks were often on the menu. They were often iberico pork, referred to as … Continue reading Portuguese Style Pork Cheeks Sous Vide (Queixadas de porco)
Bacalhau, salted cod, is an ingredient that is used a lot in Portuguese cooking. It is so popular in Portugal that the supermarket had a special department with just bacalhau. Bacalhau is not produced in Portugal itself, but imported from places … Continue reading Bacalhau à Brás (Portuguese Salted Cod with Potatoes, Onions, and Egg)
Chicken Piri Piri is a popular dish from the Algarve in Portugal. The name “piri piri” refers to the type of chilli pepper used in de marinade or sauce. If you can’t find this particular type of chilli pepper, you … Continue reading Chicken Piri Piri (Frango Piri Piri)
This vegetable appetizer was inspired by a dish we enjoyed at Casa Velha in Portugal a few weeks ago, though it is certainly not a Portuguese dish. I liked the idea of using thinly sliced celeriac (celery root) instead of … Continue reading Celeriac ‘Ravioli’ with Parsnip and Mushrooms
Amêijoas à Bulhão Pato is a very common dish in Portugal that many if not most restaurants have on their menu, also as tapas (called petiscos in Portuguese). Amêijoas is Portuguese for clams, and the dish has been named after the … Continue reading Amêijoas à Bulhão Pato (Clams in Portuguese Style)
Ripe fresh figs, directly from the tree, are one of my favorite fruits. They are so sweet, fragrant, and delicate. Unfortunately the local climate is too cold for that, and so we can only get imported figs that do not … Continue reading Fresh Figs Poached in Red Wine or Port
The name of the restaurant Sommelier in Lisbon makes it easy to understand that this restaurant specializes in wine. Once inside, this message is reinforced by the arrangement of wine displayed on the back wall off the dining room. It … Continue reading Dining in Portugal: Sommelier
