Italian mussels are different, and surely much smaller than Belgian or Dutch ones. For 3p 3-4 kilo is a good portion. Before going to the supermarket we made a detour to a ‘vivaio’ which is a garden center where in february they promised me fresh coriander. In between the oregano and basil a lonesome cilantro … More Mussels Thaï style with Italian fresh cilantro, finally!
What do we have left in the fridge : 300 grams of mushrooms, 400 grams of spinach, 2 tomatoes (never keep tomatoes in the fridge!), a square puff pastry, 1 mozzarella and some rocket salad. For 3p blanch and drain 400 grams of spinach. Try to remove all the liquid. Chop 1 red onion, 3 … More No waste- day
Normally I am not a fan of soup as main course but sometimes it is a very easy way to be sure to have a warm meal after a long day out. For 3p bake 600 grams of chicken, seasoned with chicken herbs, in olive oil. When crispy, remove the chicken. Fry 2 chopped large … More Parmesan chicken soup
For 5p heat 250 grams of white chocolat (au bain-marie). Add 200 grams of whipped cream. Pour in 5 beautiful glasses and leave a few hours in the fridge. Serve with raspberries or a mixture of ‘berries’. ‘Lucious ‘ is the proper word to describe this awesome dessert.
An eastern steaming basket allows me to prepare the fish of today. For 2p chop 4 cm of ginger, 2 garlic cloves, 1 chili pepper. Mix with the juice of ½ lemon, 1 table spoon of rice vinegar, a pinch of sugar and a pinch of salt. Prepare coriander butter by mixing 20 grams of … More Let’s give the oven some rest, steamed fish today!
Start with a Bagna Cauda which probably has many variations. Perfect for sharing. In Torino we tasted the first real bagna cauda which is a dish filled with raw (or sometimes slightly cooked) vegetables and a warm sauce based on anchovies. Since then I serve it regularly as appetizer-first course for wider audience. Try to … More Can it be more italian?
Although tomatoes are not yet at their best, I have the impression that the tomatoes here in Italy have a better taste than the ones which you find in Belgian supermarkets. Peter Gordon’s book, ‘Sensational salads’, inspires for this beautiful dish. Prepare a dressing with 300 grams of a ripe mango, 1 small garlic clove, … More Burrata and tomato, what a couple!
My first experience (a few years ago) preparing gnocchi was not very succesful and ended up as a puree in the oven! Since then I hesitate to make them, and that is probably silly. The gnocchi romana are different because they are not supposed to be cooked in water but to be baked in the … More Gnocchi adventure 😉
Spanakopita (or whatever own name you give it) is a superb Greek dish which you can prepare in a small version as appetizer or in a bigger version as a main course. As a main course for 4p start with 1kg of spinach. Blanch fresh spinach shortly in salted water (or defrost frozen spinach). Leave … More Let’s pretend we are on a Greek island…
Tuscany has many thermal resorts. Rapolano Terme is half an hour from Siena. You smell the sulfur kilometers away from your destination. http://www.termesangiovanni.it/it/home After my visit I am supposed to leave as a different person (that photo you can surely discover in the next local ‘Vogue’ or similar magazine), but the menu for today will … More Completely relaxed after a visit to Rapolano Terme
