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Naan

Mix all the following ingredients together. Use more or less water to get a doughy consistency. Rest the dough for about one to two hours...

2 cup of flour

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp salt

1 tsp yeast

1/2 cup yogurt

2 tbsp oil

1/2 cup of tepid water

Sprinkle of Fenugreek (optional)

Then separate into balls and rest them for a half hour and stretch them out with your hands onto a baking tray and bake at a high temperature until golden (about 15 minutes).

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Makhani Gravy: The secret ingredient

The first step to making that restaurant style Indian curry sauce is fresh tomatoes. Boil them with a mince of garlic ginger, green chillies, cardamom and cloves with a bit of water and boil it to a sauce consistency.

Then add cream and butter... 

I had never used this herb in any of my curry sauces but it's surprising what a fragrant difference it makes. 

FENUGREEK or Kasoori Methi: After your sauce has reduced to a thick curry consistency and you've added in butter and cream sprinkle about two tablespoons of this stuff in. 

This is a recipe for only the gravy sauce. Be creative with the different ingredients you want to put in your curry. You can put them in before your tomatoes have completely reduced or you can do what I did and throw in some cooked kamut and baked cumin and cinnamon eggplant after the sauce is finished.

Here's the recipe for those who don't like to wing it:

1 kg tomatoes

10g mince ginger

10g mince garlic

2 green chillies

10g red chilli powder

10 cloves

10 green cardamom

salt

60g butter

150 mil of cream

10g of Fenugreek (at the very end)

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Cumin Cinnamon Baked Beets

The title says it all... Just stick it in the oven!

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It will change your life!

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Chestnut flour Rye Bread - No Knead

  Do it the night before. Bake it in the morning!

Throw some chestnut flour, rye flour and wheat flour (and if you have other flours like spelt lying around) together into a bowl. Then add a pinch of yeast and salt. Finally, add water until it all comes together and go to bed. 

Wake up slowly to Sunday morning and bake the bread after one turning and breakfast for about 50 minutes in a hot oven.

Easy! (Experimentation required to get it exactly the way you want it)

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It started with this recipe. I took this as inspiration making a sponge cake out of eggs instead of adding any oil. My recipe included:

4 eggs

3/4 chestnut flour

1/2 cup of cocoa powder

1/4 cup of coconut flour

1/4 cup of sugar

1/4 cup of maple syrup

chunks of chocolate

Make the cake as though making a sponge cake by whisking eggwhite till it reaches stiff peaks and slowly incorporate everything else.

This morning I made chestnut flour crepes followed by chestnut flour bread...

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It looks delicious!! I like lemon! I made this yesterday with my friends!

kaori☆

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Chocolate Ice Box Cookies with Walnuts and Chocolate Chips

  I just received a wonderful gift from Suzanne, my lovely neighbor: Fresh unpasteurized milk!!! Mmmmmmmmmm! I had to make these cookies to go with them. 

Make them:

1/4 cup of butter

1/2 cup of sugar

1 egg

1/2 cup of all purpose flour

1/2 cup of whole grain wheat or spelt flour

1/2 cup of cocoa (3/4 cup if you like them extra chocolaty)

handful of any nuts you like (almonds or hazelnuts would be yummy!)

pinch of salt

Then....

1. Sift all the dry ingredients together

2. Cream the butter and sugar then add the egg in and whisk till it all comes together

3. Add the dry to the wet

4. Add more flour to make the dough a bit dryer so that it's not gloopy but can hold it's shape

5. Put a third of it in a line on some plastic wrap and form it into a log or square or triangle - whatever shape you like. Continue with the rest of the dough.

6. Freeze for at least a half hour

7. Preheat oven to 325 Fahrenheit. Slice the dough logs up and place on a baking sheet and bake for about 10 to 12 minutes. 

Enjoy with fresh cold milk!

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Suzanne's Chocolat Gateau

Suzanne is my wonderful neighbor and friend. We like to trade cakes and treats often! Lucky me! 

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Some chickens and two roosters

These are some chickens from Fabrizio's home in Piano di Mommio, Italy.

The little one on top is very handsome!

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Lemon Cracker Muffin

Here's another one.

Use a standard scone or biscuit recipe and add the zest of one lemon.  Use less sugar in the batter and instead sprinkle some sugar on top or spread some jam on the inside....mmmmmmmmmm! Enjoy!

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Pizza Day

New and improved. I've been trying to create the perfect pizza even if I don't have a wood fired oven in the middle of my livingroom.

The dough was tasty because I had fermented a pre-mix with rye before adding more flour seven hours later.

The toppings were simple: stewed tomato sauce with garlic and oregano, capers, anchovies and fresh mozzarella.

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Hi,Christina! At last I send a photo for you! I cooked them in my cooking class. I don't know how to say in English!

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Mmmm...yum Berlin!

If you are in Berlin you must try this cake shop!

Two cute pastry chefs work in this tiny window shop equipped with cream coloured vintage appliances.

I had amazing poppyseed custard pie with crumble on top. The only seating was outside. Thankfully there were Oma crocheted blankets and cushions to sit on in the beginning of a sunny day in March!

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Do away with rotting herbs: Cilantro/Corriander Pesto

I always buy this herb for one dish and then left with a whole bunch to wait in the fridge until it's brown and gooey.  Well, it's going to change!  Pesto is always a good solution to leftover herbs.  It's the best way to preserve the flavour and make them last longer

Blend:

1 bunch of corriander

2 cloves of garlic

1/4 of a red onion or some leftover green onion

3 slice of ginger

4 chillies (or however much you like)

3 to 4 tablespoons of fish sauce

1 teaspoon of sugar

olive oil

salt

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Dill roasted potatoes and brussel sprouts

The best and quickest way to make roasted potatoes that are moist on the inside and crispy on the outside.

Half boil them.  Drain the water and add olive oil, salt and herbs and shake it in the pot it was boiled in.  This creates a flaky layer to crisp up in the oven.  Bake for another half hour with the brussel sprouts!

Enjoy!

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Soup's On! Herbed Potato Leek Soup

This morning I had a walk along the canal in brisk fall weather.  It's the perfect excuse to have soup!

You'll need: 

Olive oil

One leek (use only the white part)

Two stalks of celery

A big clove of garlic

About 4-5 medium potatoes (about 500g)

Herbs: one bay leaf, dried rosemary, dried thyme, fresh dill

Quarter cup of milk

Quarter cup of full cream

One teaspoon of sugar

Pinches of salt and pepper

Now:

In a medium pot, saute the chopped leek in olive oil for a few minutes then add in the celery and garlic.  Continue sauteing for about five more minutes.

In the meantime, peel the potatoes.  Add them to the pot and fill the pot with water until the potatoes are generously covered.  Add the bay leaf, rosemary and thyme.

Simmer this good stuff for another half hour or until the potatoes are crumbly.

Get out your hand blender and whiz until it's smooth. 

Over low heat add in the milk, cream, sugar, salt and pepper. 

Serve with fresh olive oil and dill.

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmness!