Ingredients of a good weekend, with recipes

Top, ingredients to make cheese & mint brownies; bottom, to prepare salmon panna cotta. I told you I would have shared the recipes and here I am, but must admit... something went wrong with the cake. And it's totally me, not the recipe! In fact, check the original source, doesn't it look delicious and great?! Mine was pretty... but tasted funny, how embarrassing is that? While the panna cotta was a hit, idiot-proof, apparently! ;)

Anyway, salmon panna cotta, serves 6-8:

3 gelatine leaves

340 g salmon

1 bunch of chive

600 ml sour cream

salt and pepper

Soften the gelatine leaves in cold water. In the meantime, mince the salmon and the chive. Pour the sour cream in a pot, add salmon, half of the chive. Salt and pepper to taste. Bring to boil and let simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from stove and add the gelatine, stirring till the gelatin melts. Divide the mix into 6-8 glasses and let cool in the fridge for at least 3 hours. Before serving, garnish with chive and small pieces of salmon.

Collections for the weekend

Flowers, desserts and globes.

Sweets as sampled for you ;) at Paul Bert, Paris: Italian amaretto, fruit compote, chocolate mousse, ile flottante, and creme brulee... oh my, I want them ALL now!

Craving now

A week into my yeast-deprived diet, all I want is a club sandwich, thick, rich and greasy

Boo-hoo! :)

Merry Christmas or whatever

I'm ready for an overload of food... and I'm good with that.

Stay warm and in good company, folks!

Weekend in review

Not quite a wild weekend...

But I'd say a tasty one, with s'mores (to be honest, it looks better than it tastes), a steaming cup of pumpkin soup (d e l i c i o u s), and a trip to Ikea with photos taken from the car (that's Ponte Pietra, Verona... and no, I wasn't the driver hehe).

How to make a soup

Can you repeat the ingredients, please?

And, that's celery, you said? Very finely chopped, indeed.

As soon as the temperature goes below 70F... I'm cold and start making soups like a maniac.

There's nothing like a soup, when it comes to comfort food, don't you think? Potato and spinach soup is on top of my list right now. What's your favorite?

Views of October

Bars' backyards with patches of sky above your head; chai latte and a slice of something yummy; red and brown walls.

Paris, around the table

I am back and ready to share my Parisian adventures!

Top, exceptionally good dinner at Café Constant, near Champ de Mars, an intimate restaurant that serves tasty and well-executed dishes and delicious desserts. Bottom, a classic - moules et frites in Montmartre... OK, maybe not the most quiet and authentic place where you can have dinner in Paris, but we were hungry and it worked out.

Next, people and places...

Roasted marshmallow for experts

I am not talking about the obvious version marshmallow on a stick over the fire. Nooo, this is Marshmallow 513, the advanced class! And this is the formula, according to *S’amore Gourmet S’mores:

graham cracker

marshmallow

chocolate

graham cracker

But the business can get much more sophisticated with the Built it! option.

Ahahah I love the idea... but I wouldn't try it, I can't be trusted around torches and flames!

Have a sweet weekend guys!

Had a happy pi(e) day?!?

Yesterday I found out, by chance, that March 14th (3.14 that is) is National Pi(e) day.

A pretty obscure and nerdy thing, I guess, to celebrate the mathematical constant pi (π), which leads to pie.

OK, either you are completely lost or amused by the whole thing... of course I found it amusing :D

And this is how I have celebrated, with an apple crumble pie straight form the Green market!

The Meal, self-portrait with food

Today at 12pm EST I took part to The Meal, a global snack project organized by the Art House Co-op.

And this is myself with my meal: linguine with mixed vegetables, olive oil and herbs.

Ah, the book is Poe's "Complete Tales & Poems", a suggested reading to expand your thesaurus (hello, old English!).

Drinks lately

Alternative cosmopolitan and Aperol spritz. Of course, I like them only for the way they look, not for their taste... ;)

Chinese New Year, the party is not over yet!

 This is the scrumptious dinner my bestfriend made for a restricted number of lucky gourmands... I was one of them!

The Three Cups Chicken, a Taiwanese specialty, was exceptionally good. Fresh basil and ginger? A win-win!

Two weeks of celebrations, eh? This is taking the holidays pretty seriously, I like that!

Wearing egg pants to lunch

Premises. 1. I am IN LOVE with Liz Kinnmark's Egg Pants. 2. Soft-boiled eggs with soldiers are one of my favorite comfort food... and the term just cracks me up!

I am telling you... egg pants are FUN! You'll see them again (maybe not just for eggs, but don't tell Liz).

How to cheer up a Gemini - 101

You have been asking this and I know that it is not easy to deal with a Gemini in grumpy, hopeless, drama-queen mode. Hey, I'm an expert, I have done this many times... being in distress, I mean ;) So, this is my simple recipe, my first-aid kit. More will follow.

1. A friend, like Silvia! No solitude allowed, you know that your mind will drive you crazy, so stop listening to it. Drive a friend crazy, instead!  2. Go Out! Don't sit down with your misery, but head to an interesting place nearby; a place that you would normally find entertaining. Normally, 'cause at the moment you are enjoying too much bitching and sobbing, aren't you?  3. Do something fun, but most of all just Do!  4. Immerse yourself in art! The sillier, wilder, crazier the better.  5. Eat something delicious. Food is always a good remedy, isn't? But don't stuff yourself... moderation?!? I Know!

Give it a try it and let me know if it works. I will share other variations with you. And hey, don't forget my giveaway, four days left!

Weekends are for homemade brunch

Smoked salmon benedict and yam home fries.

For the Smoked salmon benedict: toast a fresh ciabatta bread and cut it into nice, thick slices. Layer the smoked salmon on top of it. Make one or two poached eggs per person and complete with a smooth sauce made of equal parts of sour cream and light yogurt (to wash down the guilt), fresh cilantro, lemon juice to taste and a pinch of salt.

For the yam home fries: cut the yam into thick pieces, in the meantime heat some good olive oil in a pan. When it is hot, add the yams and go crazy with the spices. Cilantro, rosemary, basil, oregano, pepper, be extravagant! And do not forget some fresh garlic. Fry until soft inside and a bit crispy on the outside.

On the healthy side... I scarified one of my poached eggs (S.I.G.H.) for a fresh tomato salad :)

Very simple recipe, WHOAs guaranteed!

Dish of the day

After three days of feasting, this is what I am having today

nothing!

Although exerting willpower is not one of my strengths... and the almond biscotti are staring at me.

Volcano brunch aka dutch baby!

These days I'm all about (trying to) transform my thoughts into constructive things.

MAKE DON'T THINK!... 'cause we know what happens when a Gemini (or anyone else to be true) starts over thinking, right? :P

This morning I woke up in a bad, cranky mood. However, instead of exploding, look what I have made

A volcano pancake!!!

You might also know it as "dutch baby" (cute name, indeed).

Want to try it? It is therapeutic and soooo easy to make!

2 eggs

1/2 cup regular flour

1/2 cup milk

pinch of salt

2 tablespoons of butter

jam, maple syrup or whatever you think might be good with it!

Preheat oven to 380F and place a cast iron skillet in it.

Whisk the eggs until light yellow, then add the milk, the flour, the salt and stir.

Put the butter in the skillet and let it melt. When it is melted, add the batter. Bake until browned and puffed (and IT WILL PUFF, that's my favorite part! :D). It should take between 20-30 minutes.

Serve with jam, maple syrup or simple powdered sugar.

Enjoy and drink a pitcher of mimosa with it if you feel like it might help your mood! ;)

Eating my way throughout the weekend

never had grilled cheese before, you know that it was actually good!

Food lately

Finger sandwiches are ideal for parties...

but I would eat them every day

with a vast sample of mini cannoli!