Halloween cupcakes 👻

Halloween and whimsicality are synonymous, right? So whimsical cookery is quite natural at All Saints’ Eve. My girls and I went for quirky ghost cupcakes this year. Funny to make and a joy to devour. Beat 2 eggs, 200 g brown sugar and 1 tsp vanilla extract. Gradually add 100 g melted butter, 180 g…

Pumpkin cake

Spicy pumpkin cake with gooey dulce de leche and tart sour cream – a harmony of tastes. Bake the cake well in advance, as the spices will continue to infuse the cake and intensify the flavor over time. Delicious and easy as pie (although it’s cake). Bake the pumpkin cake as the carrot cake but…

Spaghetti alla vongole

Clams – the ideal ingredient to pimp up an ordinary dish. Like pasta. Add some bacon and white wine and have yourself a luxurious meal within minutes. Perfect for Wednesday supper! Fry chopped bacon in a pot. Remove and sauté finely chopped shallots, garlic and celery in the bacon fat. Add the fried bacon and…

Chicken • Celery • Parsnip • Grape

I’m a strong proponent of the nose-to-tail eating. Whenever I find less common cuts in my supermarket, I happily accept the challenge. Today, I found chicken hearts. This piece of offal has a strong individual flavor and a dense texture. Soft parsnip mash, tart grape jelly and candied celery turn crunchy, pan-seared hearts into a…

Grape and orange mirror glaze cake

Aren’t mirror glaze cakes stunning? Intricate layers of different textures, precise temperatures and an ultra-shiny appearance. Simply mesmerizing. Through Olga Noskova’s amazing showmanship, this old-school French technique is currently experiencing a revival. My cake encompasses a vibrant, orange and bitter orange flavored, purple grape jelly inside a feather-light orange mousse on a juicy coconut sponge…

Caffè al pistacchio

Some time ago, our lovely neighbor served us caffè al piatacchio. I immediately fell in love with this sensational Sicilian treat. It’s a marriage made in heaven of creamy pistachio butter and bitter espresso. How lucky I was when I by coincidence found a jar of pistachio butter in our pantry. For optimal visual effect,…

Bœuf bourguignon

Brown bistro food or “certainly one of the most delicious beef dishes concocted by man” to quote the French cuisine guru Julia Child. That’s bœuf bourguignon. Even though visually not the most appealing dish there is, the strong flavors enhanced by slow cooking make this red wine braised beef stew perfect for Sunday feast. For…

Bilberry muffins

My girls L O V E bilberry muffins. And they L O V E helping me bake them. Years ago, I found a great recipe in Louise Pickford’s book al fresco. I’ve slightly modified it, but the idea remains the same: Mix the dry and wet ingredients separately, combine and add the berries. As simple…