Oven-baked salmon with herb crust and caramelised baby carrots

A delicate tasting, easy to make, but impressive dinner. We made this for my folks when we had them over for the holidays. If you can't find baby carrots in the supermarket, just chop into smaller bits regular-sized ones. The contrast between the salty and delicately herbal salmon flesh and the sweet-and-sour crunchiness of the glazed carrots makes a perfect taste pair. You should try it when you get the chance - nothing too fancy on the ingredient list, perfect for a relaxed evening cooking session. :)


Last year: Spaghetti and tuna balls, Orange and poppy seed muffins, Black olive dip (Tapenade), Concentrated orange caramel, Diet muffins with cranberries, spices and dark chocolate, Risotto with caramelized onions, artichokes and bacon, Pina colada cupcakes and Brussel sprouts side dish with nutmeg and chives. 

Cinnamon and brown sugar palmiers

Crispy, warm-tasting, the perfect companion to milk. The feel of home-made butter and cinnamon treats on a cold winter night. :)

These are one of those things where the puff pastry you use really makes a major difference, so choose carefully. It should be butter-made, with no additives and the more expensive kind. 

Last year: Chocolate and stout cupcakes, Tikka masala chicken cous cous, Czech poppy seed cakes (kolache). 

Lemon pickles (Moroccan preserved lemons)

The pickled lemons are a basic ingredient in lots of Moroccan dishes, especially in the awesomely flavorful tagines (like this). They need to be prepared at least 6 weeks before using them, but keep well for up to a year. You may encounter lots of recipes using them around here and in your other cooking-related wanderings, so I thought I'd better show you how it's done, simple and to the point, once and for all :).
Recipe source: Crazy mother cooker. 


Last year: Broccoli and ham torte, Cardamom Lassi, Broccoli and pancetta orrecchiete and Noodle salad with black sesame. 

Home-made raclette bowls with wild mushrooms, lemon and capers

Raclette is a very special cheese of French and Swiss tradition. It's usually melted in large ovens and poured over onions and pickles on each serving plate. For a more classic take on the home-made version you should check out our older post here. This time, we felt like pairing it with wild mushrooms and some tangy lemons :). If you're a fan of melted cheesy goodness, the raclette is something you can't miss. 
Warning: don't be put off by the specific smell ;)


Last year: Banana bread with nuts, Tirolese spinach-cheese dumplings, Spinach and cheese crostini, The perfect fluffy fried bananas and Chinese fried rice with egg. 

Bell pepper sticks with refried bean dip

Refried beans (refritos meaning very fried in Spanish) are a classic Mexican dip we've used before in our adventures (like the corn cakes with avocado salsa or the huevos rancheros etc). And we like them so much (not to mention they're a fast and healthy way to catch up with some of your nutritional weekly requirements) we decided to serve them simple, accompanied only by raw veggie sticks for dipping (in this case, three-colored bell peppers, but you could also use carrot or cucumber sticks etc). Double the health points and the fun! :)

Last year: Pissaladieres (French caramelized onion tarts), Pickled mustard, Marliesentorte (German chocolate cake), Potato puree with caramelized shallots and Pork muscle in spice crust. 

Beefsteaks in apple juice

Marinating meat (especially pork, lamb and beef) in apple juice is a lovely way to achieve a tenderized steak with a delicious caramelized glaze. Not to mention it is a very easy way to spruce up the flavor without working to make a complicated sauce. Here we served the steaks with our Rosemary marinated potatoes, just in case you're interested to recreate the side dish as well :). Enjoy.


Last year: Singapore noodles with chicken, Mexican-style scrambled eggs, Bacon wrapped baby corns and Spicy chocolate truffles. 

Sprinkle butter cookies (Italian) and baby arrival

After a long wait, our baby arrived (well, more than a week ago, but we were too caught up with everything to make time to post) :). Her name is Mira. We're posting a recipe of cookies with sugar confetti to celebrate the little princess. Powerpuff girl style :)


Buttery sugar cookies, with a hint of lemon and a coating of colorful sugar sprinkles that are a staple in Italian bakeries. We had these around for the winter holidays and they sure were a delicious treat :).
Recipe adapted from Saveur. 

Last year: White Turkish rice pudding (with rosewater and almonds), Florentine pie (with spinach and egg), Bramboraki (Czech potato pancakes) and Chicken with cream and mushrooms.