Jamaican lime bars

I think these are some of the best dessert options ever, for me. Definitely in my top 10 and on the short list of sweets which bear repeating. I don't make them more than 3-4 times a year because they're a tad labour-intensive (all the lime squeezing and grating), but other than that the Jamaican lime bars are pretty easy to make, fail-proof and straightforward. 

The taste is like an explosion of freshness / tropical citrus taste in your mouth. If you like the bright vibe of limes, you will love these firm but pillow-y squares of custard-like creamy bars. 

Recipe source: Saveur. 

Last year: nothing.

Two years ago: nothing.

Three years ago: nothing.

Four years ago: Plăcintă cu brânză dulce (Romanian/Moldavian sweet cheese pie).

Five years ago: Mangu with onions and salami (Dominican Republic).

Six years ago: Carrot, raisin and olive oil cake bars with eggnog and almond icing.

Seven years ago: Minty crème brûlée.

Four years ago: Baby making and no cooking :).

Jerk sweet potato and black bean curry (Jamaican) (vegan)

First of all, please excuse the bad photo. It was taken with my mobile phone (unlike most of the other photos around here, for which I use an actual camera). 

The Jerk curries from Jamaican cuisine are named thus because they share a common spice mix, the so-called Jerk seasoning. This can be made at home but it's also relatively easy to find in larger market chains / spice specialty stores. 

This Jerk sweet potato and black bean curry is completely vegan but really solid and amazingly delicious. If you're into spicy food and curries in general (even those outside Caribbean cuisines), you're going to love it. 

Recipe source: BBC.

Last year: nothing.

Two years ago: nothing.

Three years ago: nothing.

Four years ago: Brie, mushroom, chicken and cream pizza.

Five years ago: Classic blondies with white chocolate chunks (American).

Six years ago: King Bao Ji Ding (Kung Pao Chicken) (Chinese).

Seven years ago: Spaghetti nests with dill cream and caviar.

Eight years ago: Baby making and no cooking :).

Locrio de pica pica (Sardine rice) (Dominican Republic)

This fast to make rice dish is a classic comfort food choice in the Dominican Republic, and a particular hit with kids. Easy to understand why, even the name has a funny ring to it :). It conveniently uses sardines from the can, so all you need to do is to cook it all together and it's done. A delicious and pretty healthy option for a weeknight meal. 

Recipe source: 196flavors. 

Last year: nothing.

Two years ago: nothing.

Three years ago: nothing.

Four years ago: Roasted balsamic Brussels sprouts (vegan).

Five years ago: Black bean chili tostadas with avocado salsa (Mexican) (vegan).

Six years ago: Mojito (cocktail) (Cuban) (vegan).

Seven years ago: Tomato-basil creamy soup with caprese toast.

Eight years ago: baby making and no cooking. :)

Madeleines (French)

The famous French pastries are easy to make at home, too. All you need is a Madeleine pan and 30 minutes. Why settle for boring muffins when you can make these instead? :)

Recipe sources: Epicurious and Smitten Kitchen.

Last year: nothing.

Two years ago: nothing.

Three years ago: nothing.

Four years ago: Lemony courgette and spinach salad (vegan).

Five years ago: Sopa de Habas (Mexican Fava Bean Soup) (vegan).

Six years ago: Spaghetti with broccoli cream pesto.

Seven years ago: Spanish tomato bread with jamon serrano.

Eight years ago: Baby making and no cooking. :)

Café miel (Honey, milk and cinnamon coffee) (French)

The combination of coffee and honey may strike you as unusual. If you've had it before (I had), even then, it was probably simple and black. So the idea of adding foamed milk to it may seem like too much. But this classic French drink deserves all the extra effort (and calories) :). 

Last year: nothing.

Two years ago: nothing.

Three years ago: nothing.

Four years ago: Atol de Elote (Sweet corn and milk drink).

Five years ago: Cherry tomato and spinach bread.

Six years ago: Tiny German pancakes with strawberry filling.

Seven years ago: Strawberry, banana and flax seed muffins.

Eight years ago: Baby making and no cooking :).

Moules marinieres (Mussels steamed with butter, garlic, shallots and wine) (French)

There are two really classic ways to cook and serve mussels: this Moules marinieres dish and the Moules frites one, both belonging, obviously, to the French tradition. 

Moules mariniers means "Mariner's mussels" and is a very fast and easy to prepare way to serve these tasty bits. Mussels may be a bit of a put off for a lot of people out there if they haven't had a chance o taste them really fresh and really well prepared, but trust me: if you don't like mussels and seafood in general, you just haven't yet encountered the right one(s). :)

First of all, to ensure a successful culinary experience, the mussels need to be as fresh as possible (with only a few days guarantee). And you need to cook them the day you bought them, even if they're guaranteed to last for a few more days according to their label. But worry not :) : the ingredients needed besides the mussels themselves are so ordinary that you can go ahead and grab them off the shelves without worrying you won't find the rest of the stuff in time.
Traditionally, this lovely dish is served with French fries or a crispy warm baguette to dunk in the delicious broth (sauce) remaining after the mussels are steamed through. We chose the baguette to make sure we get as much of the yummy liquid as possible. 
If you can find fresh mussels one day in the store or elsewhere don't hesitate and grab them, then return to this recipe and you'll be savoring a bowl of delicious wonders in no time that will change the way you think about seafood forever. :)

Last year: nothing.

Two years ago: nothing.

Three years ago: nothing.

Four years ago: Calabacitas con Elote (Zucchini with Corn) (Mexican).

Five years ago: Spicy artichoke and cheese pasta souffle.

Six years ago: Avocado and green leaf salad (vegan).

Seven years ago: Mushroom and broccoli filled omelet. 

Eight years ago: Baby making and no cooking :).

Pain perdu (French toast)

French toast needs no introductions and most food cultures have their own variant of it. If only as a way to use up leftover stale bread, this dish should definitely exist. But it's also really delicious, so no wonder it became so popular. 

The first written reference to it dates back to the 4th century (wow), so we can safely say this dessert is 1,600 years old. 

The most notable alternate versions that come to my mind right now are Frigănele (Romanian savory French toast and Torrijas al vino (Sweet Spanish toasts with red wine), but really, virtually all European countries have their own. 

Time to go back to the classic and check it out. This, good people, is how they do French toast in France :). 

Recipe sources for Pain Perdu: here and here.

Last year: nothing.

Two years ago: nothing.

Three years ago: nothing.

Four years ago: Chocolate chip blondies.

Five years ago: Peanut butter, cauliflower and pea curry.

Six years ago: White bread croutons (vegan).

Seven years ago: Chicken with light gorgonzola and mushroom sauce.

Eight years ago: Baby making and no cooking :).

Jiang Zhi Bo Cai (Spinach with fried ginger) (Chinese) (vegan)

This spinach dish, with contains the beautiful leafy green vegetable marinated in a soy sauce and sesame oil-based liquid and heavily infused with ginger, is a classic in Chinese restaurants, both in China and outside it.

I made it as a side for Hong Shao Shi Zi Tou (Red Braised Lion's Head) and altogether that dinner was wonderful. 

Recipe source: Saveur and FeedingFen.

Last year: nothing.

Two years ago: nothing.

Three years ago: nothing.

Four years ago: Sunomono (Japanese cucumber salad) (raw vegan).

Five years ago: East 62nd Street lemon cake (American).

Six years ago: Ciorbă de gulii (Romanian kohlrabi soup) (vegan).

Seven years ago:  Smoked salmon carpaccio with sun-dried tomatoes (raw) (Swedish "Najad Lax").

Eight years ago: Baby making and no cooking. :)

Hong Shao Shi Zi Tou (Red Braised Lion's Head) (Chinese)

 This Chinese dish consisting of very large pork meatballs braised in a delicious sauce is less well-known in the Western world, but that's a shame that must be put right. It's one of the best Chinese meals I've ever tasted.

Recipe source: the wonderful TraditionalChineseRecipes blog.

Last year: nothing.

Two years ago: nothing.

Three years ago: nothing.

Four years ago: Cacio e Pepe Pasta (Cheese and pepper pasta) (Italian).

Five years ago: Tortellini tomato salad with pesto dressing + possible improvisations.

Six years ago: Pink raspberry lemonade (raw vegan).

Seven years ago: Pain aux herbes de Provence (French) (vegan).

Eight years ago: Baby making and no cooking:).

Xiao Chao (Jia Chao Rou) (Pork and green pepper stir fry) (Southern Chinese)

I first had this fiery pork stir-fry at one of my favorite Chinese restaurants (still ordering it from time to time), and immediately decided this deserves to be made from scratch as well. The preparation requires a bit of focus and moving stuff in and out of a pan, but it's very quick and straightforward.

Recipe source: here. 

Last year: nothing.

Two years ago: nothing.

Three years ago: nothing.

Four years ago: Baked salmon on fennel.

Five years ago: Café con leche (Spanish strong coffee with milk).

Six years ago: Peach and vanilla cream pie.

Seven years ago: Lemon and artichoke spaghetti (vegan).

Eight years ago: Baby making and no cooking :).

Cock-a-leekie soup (Scottish)

I know, I know. It's a very funny name for a dish. The Scots are creative people and definitely have a sense of humor. :)

As the name might suggest, this soup is made mostly with leeks and chicken meat. It sounds simple, but it's actually very hearty and quite yum. 

Recipe source: here.

Last year: nothing.

Two years ago: nothing.

Three years ago: nothing.

Four years ago: Brie walnut spread (French-style).

Five years ago: Pa amb tomàquet (Spanish/Catalan tomato bread) (vegan).

Six years ago: Field salad with parsley and breaded Camembert.

Seven years ago: Gyeran-Jim (Korean fritata with green onion).

Eight years ago: Baby making and no cooking :).

Tattie scones (Potato pancakes) (Scottish)

A simple appetizer, starter or side from Scotland, these tattie scones are easy to throw together and surprisingly delicious for such simple fare. 

Recipe source: here.

Last year: nothing.

Two years ago: nothing.

Three years ago: nothing.

Four years ago: Pizza Pollo affumicato con Brie (Italian-American).

Five years ago: Banana brownie cake.

Six years ago: Chickpea and ras-el-hanout cous cous (Moroccan-style) (vegan).

Seven years ago: Raspberry-chocolate brownies.

Eight years ago: baby making and no cooking :)

Scottish Cranachan (Oat, raspberry and cream dessert glass)

Cranachan is an embarrassingly simple dessert, ready in a chinch and extraordinarily delicious. In Scotland you can also find fun variations, like treating some of the ingredients with whiskey for a longer time before using, or adding whiskey cream as a topping, but this is the classic version. 

Since last month I visited Scotland, for the first part of this month I will go into a few Scottish dishes and share with you some glimpses of what's cooking over there. :)

Last year: nothing.

Two years ago: nothing.

Three years ago: nothing.

Four years ago: Coffee and brown butter banana bread with caramel coffee topping.

Five years ago: Drunken spaghetti (Italian-American).

Six years ago: Moules frites (Belgian and French).

Seven years ago: Turmeric-fried chicken with three chili marinade and tomato raita (Indian).

Eight years ago: Baby making and no cooking :).