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. 

Dagaiku imo (Japanese honey and sesame sweet potatoes) (vegan)

Our baby still isn't here but she should arrive any day now. We're both enthusiastic and anxious and a bit tired (me) and as soon as it happens we may take a little break from cooking but not from posting (we have goodies documented in advance and some guest-posts from some of our friends are also scheduled to arrive). Keep a happy thought for us during these days and meanwhile maybe try this lovely Japanese dessert. Enjoy :)


"Dagaiku imo" literally means "university potatoes", because they're a staple student food around Japanese campuses. The really special thing about them is the sesame flavor from the oil and the seeds sprinkled on top, and the crunchy layer of caramelized honey that coats each piece, creating a crispy exterior and a creamy interior. We loved them and we're sure you will too if you try them.
Recipe source: Mark. 


Last year: Winter wheat berries soup and Endive and bacon pasta. 

Creamy potato and artichoke salad (very light)

If you're a fan of potato salads, this is a creamy dressed one (and I mean with a real creamy and delicious, full mouth-feel) which is also incredibly light. With a Mediterranean taste from the artichokes and the raw red onion and olives, you'll surely like it. I'm quite proud of this creation. 
First made it for greeting my folks when they came over for Christmas (I needed something I could make in advance because I also wanted to be able to pick them up in person from the airport and not just send Bogdan to get them :). ) A nice meal for having guests over or for your day-to-day dinner. Enjoy.


Last year: Bacon and eggs breakfast with a fresh touch and Vegetable stock. 

Linguine alla putanesca (Italian)

This is such a classical pasta dish you probably already know it. But just in case you don't, let's talk about its history a little. The name means.. well, basically "whore's pasta" :)). Apparently the Italian ladies of the night had some restrictions on going to the marketplace in broad daylight, so pasta made with not-so-fresh ingredients (from the can) was a easier (and cheaper) way to feed their clients. The name could also come from the salty and robust taste of the dish, say some culinary historians. Anyway, they're pretty delicious and very laziness-friendly. You can just throw it together with whatever stuff you have lying around in the pantry when you don't feel like going out of the house to shop. 
Here we made the classical take on it, with the only mention that we used herring instead of anchovies (we don't really like them). Enjoy your naughty pasta :)


Last year: Red pepper and pesto pasta with smoked salmon and Fig salad with feta, rucola and cherry tomatoes.