mushroom+farro soup

A flavorful and comforting soup to help us emerging from the wet and cold weather.

strawberries+lemon+basil clafoutis

I was inspired by a clafoutis recipe because of its unusual basil "touch". The day I baked it I didn't have any basil leaves on hand, but I decided to go for it anyway.

veggie+cheese+chutney sandwich

I love love love this open-faced sandwich! You have to give it a try. The chutney's sweet and spicy taste goes so well with the creamy cheese and the earthy veggies.

raisin chutney

I didn't know what to expect from this recipe since I'm not a regular chutney eater nor a chutney maker. I tasted chutney only from time to time in some Indian restaurants. That's about it. Still, I wanted to try. It's easy and fun to make. And it tastes delicious. In the next post, I'll show you a way -that I'm crazy about- to use the chutney we just made.  Stay tuned.

endive + portobello mushroom salad

A couple of days ago I ordered some ultra-fresh Belgian endives from an independent seller. When I received them, I was very surprised to read on the box: "California - vegetable specialties - Endives".... Aren't the "Belgian" endives Belgian? This gave me the idea of going for a Californian recipe instead of my traditional Belgian one ("chicons au gratin")! In the recipe I followed, the endives are grilled, paired with portobello mushrooms, and topped with a balsamic vinegar dressing. A delight. 

for japan with love

orange whole wheat hotcakes

Last Sunday I din't  have any milk or buttermilk for cooking my usual Sunday breakfast pancakes (here or here). So I've tried these "orange whole wheat hotcakes" adapted from the Tassajara Bread Book. Even though they look like pancakes, "hotcakes" are different: they are more dense, crunchy, and fragrant.  Husband+daughters approved!

3-citrus marmelade

I'm still learning! If you remember well, last year at the same period, I was struggling to find some recipe so that i could use all the Meyer lemons from my backyard (see 1.dressing, 2.lemonade, 3. marmelade + here, 4.tart, and more recently 5.bars). This year I tried the three-citrus marmelade from Kim Boyce "Good to the Grain". Again I experienced some problems with the consistency of my marmelade. This one is a little too thick on the contrary of last year's which was too thin! It tastes really, really good though. I have big hopes for next year!

mustard butter pasta + broccoli

Usually I'm not a big fan of pasta with butter. But this recipe intrigued me. I've never thought about the association butter + mustard, even less combined with pasta. I enjoyed it. I modified the quantity of butter in the original recipe though, to fit my taste better. I'll give you both. Make your own proportions.

crustoli

Let's celebrate Mardi Gras / Fat Tuesday by making - and especially by eating! - some "crustoli" (typical carnival-ish Italian sweets). Alike all carnival-ish treats around the world, the crustoli are..... fried! But they are not too sweet. They are not too greasy. They are not too filling. They are crispy. They are tasty. They are gooooood!!!!!!!

meyer lemon - 5. bars

For Edwige.

lemon poppy seeds muffins

It's here in California that I discovered the combination of lemon + poppy seeds in baked goods. And I loved it. Right away. And still do. A lot. Hmmmmm. So good. Yummy. Irresistible. Heaven.