Basic Tomato Sauce

I don't like the industrial tomato sauces for pizza. So usually I buy the simplest tomato sauce that I can find and add some salt, garlic, and olive oil before putting it on my pizza dough. And until now, it was OK. But then I tasted a pizza at the Big Sur Bakery&Restaurant... And then I've tried the recipe of their tomato sauce at home... And then I've changed my way of looking at tomato sauce forever... Of course you can use this tomato sauce as a base in many recipes. Even simply on top of pasta sprinkled with (a lot of) Parmesan cheese. Yummmmmyyyy!

Big Sur Bakery&Restaurant

I told you (here) that I would go to the Big Sur Bakery&Restaurant sometime soon.... I've loved it!

Whole Wheat Pancakes

As delicious and fluffy as the "regular" ones... (really!). Also healthier. And easier to make for those of you who live in Europe (no need for buttermilk).

Outerlands

I'm in a period of my life where I like the bakeries/cafes more than the fancy restaurants. Today I went to Outerlands, in San Francisco. Home inspired food. Laidback atmosfere. Natural decor. I've loved it. I'll be back.

Strawberry-Banana Smoothie (with Goat Milk)

I like to substitute dairies from time to time. Here I've used goat milk (click here for its qualities as well as for the recipe). Obviously, you can do this smoothie with the milk of your choice.

My First Tassajara Bread

It's just out of the oven. It smells like divine. It's beautiful like heaven. It tastes like earth. I'm so proud. Kneading and baking your own bread is so inspiring... Give it a try. Do not be intimidated by the length of the recipe. It's long because the author explains every single detail to make the work easier for first time bread makers. In the book, there are also some drawings illustrating most of the different steps. When you are used to the method, it doesn't take that long to bake the bread. And it is really worth it. 

Spring Minestrone (with Brown Rice)

The recipe of this spring minestrone (with brown rice) comes from the book Super Natural Cooking: Five Ways To Incorporate Whole and Natural Ingredients into Your Cooking by Heidi Swanson. I do not have that book - yet!-, but you can find the recipe here. It's really delicious. Shallots, garlic, brown rice, snow peas, green peas, asparagus* float happily together in a homemade vegetable stock.... Even though the winter minestrone was very good, I'm so glad to have its spring version now.

* I've substituted part of the asparagus with a small Italian zucchini to make sure that my kids will eat it (and it worked)

Pizza with Goat Cheese and Wilted Greens

Another way to use the veggie filling from yesterday's crepes : pizza/focaccia dough + veggie filling leftovers + some more Parmesan cheese, goat cheese, and some splashes of olive oil. In a well preheated oven at 450F for about 10 minutes. 

TIP: I've slightly underbaked the pizza (see picture above) so that we could reheat it at lunch time. And it was just perfect. After a few minutes in the oven at 400F, the crust happened to be golden and crispy. No picture of that one. Too hungry!

Buckwheat Crepes with Goat Cheese and Wilted Greens

I've been doing these crepes a lot this winter. But we always ended up eating them when it was too dark for taking pictures... They are really good. Even the girls eat them despite the big amount of green veggies. For them though, I make also a special crepe filled only with some cheddar cheese.

Strawberry-Apple-Buckwheat Crumble

The strawberries don't taste perfect yet. So I was tempted by the idea to use them in a crumble. This crumble is a little bit different : it is made out of buckwheat and almond flour. Quite interesting...

Purple Potatoes

Potatoes that match my blog color! How could I have let them stay in my plate without taking a picture and post it here? 

Blueberry-Orange Bread

I've baked this blueberry-orange bread for the first time. It will become a classic. For sure. Like the banana bread. I really enjoy these "quick breads" as they call them here. Somewhere between a bread and a cake. What I really like about this one in particular is that it's sweet but not too sweet, moist but not too moist, and easy but so easy to do.....

Hummous

Cooking from scratch has become not only a pleasure, but also a real need for me. It is so simple, satisfying, and rewarding that I'm wondering why I did not do it more often in the past...

Happy Easter

No Easter supper at home this year. No new recipe either. Just 3 boiled eggs at our breakfast table this morning to celebrate! We are invited at friends' house for lunch. I'll let you know if they have some nice Easter recipes to share.  Happy Easter to everybody. 

Brownies

A friend of mine has just lent me the cookbook from Tartine,  another well known San Francisco Bakery&Cafe. She advised me that the brownies are the best ever. She is american so we can trust her 100%...

Cauliflower and Sesame Tart

I'm taking advantage of Alberto's absence (business trip) to make some recipes that I know he wouldn't like. This one for example: Tarte au chou-fleur et au sésame, by Clea Cuisine. Not because of the cauliflower nor the tofu (he likes them both), but because of the curry which I think goes very well along with the cauliflower. This tart is very good and is even better the day after (also cold). NB: To tell you the truth, I didn't use the same quantities as Clea's. I think it is the kind of recipe that you can adjust easily.

Simply Artichokes

I love artichokes. Plain. Simple. Whole. Raw or cooked. Dipped in a bit of lemon, salt, and olive oil.

Oat Bran & Berries Squares

The good thing about this blog is that it motivates me to cook more, to try new recipes, and to empty my food pantry. For example here, I was happy to use a bigger amount of oat bran than I usually do (like a few pinches in yogurts or soups). The result is surprisingly good. At least for my taste. I'm not sure that Alberto would like these bites as much as I do. Too healthy for him, I guess.

Asparagus-Potatoes Quinoa Bowl

I discovered the existence of the quinoa during my honeymoon in Peru, 12 years ago (oh my!)... I don't cook quinoa that often because my kids still don't like it, despite all my hard work to make them like it. So from time to time, I eat it for lunch when they are at school. Today I've done this recipe from the blog 101cookbook. It's not really a recipe. It's more about an interesting ingredients' combination. I've skipped the toasted nuts, used the red quinoa (instead of the regular one), and tossed everything together in the pan at the end with a splash of lemon. Good for the body... Good for the mind... 

Full Moon Feast

I really enjoyed reading Full Moon Feast. Food ad the Hunger for Connection, by Jessica Prentice. It tells the origin/evolution of food and food processing/cooking/eating/storing. I found it very useful to look at the food from a different standpoint. This book makes me feel good and pushes me even more towards buying local&seasonal and cooking "from scratch" as much as possible. It also reconciles me with eating some kind of good fat (whole milk for example), which I strongly attempted to avoid in the past. It is funny to think that I have discovered the pleasure of healthy and savory food here in the United States!

Cranberry-Pecan Scones

Another american classic that we crave for. So addicting! 

Rice Balls Bento Box

With yesterday leftovers...

Chicken-Tofu Rice

Three years ago my little daughter gave me a cookbook for my birthday: "Japanese Meals on the Go. Bento Boxes.", by Naomi Kijima. I did only one recipe so far, but I did it several times. The girls love it. And so do we. 

Coconut Lemon Macaroons

When I read this post (recipe in English and in French) published a few days ago by La Tartine Gourmande, 2 egg whites were waiting for me in the fridge... These coconut macaroons are quick&easy to make and they are delicious. I've made 1/2 of the recipe (just to make sure not ending up with 2 egg yolks, forcing me to bake so more desserts...). NB: Next time, I'll put more coconut or add some flour because the dough was a bit too runny.

Carrot Soup & Orange Creme Fraiche

I couldn't resist to post this photo. I love the shape of the creme fraiche's splash that reminds the flowers on the bowl...The recipe is a traditional carrot soup without anything special, except maybe for the orange creme fraiche on the top* (whisk 1/4 cup creme fraiche + 1/4 ts orange zest + 1 tb fresh orange juice). 

* from the Everyday Greens Cookbook, p. 98

Meyer Lemon - 4. Tart

I've tried several recipes since I'm here in the US. But for me, the best one so far, is the one that I used to do in Belgium: "The" tarte au citron meringuee from the web site Marmiton. I like it without the meringue though. Since I use the Meyer lemons that are sweeter than the regular lemons, I put less sugar in the curd (110 gr instead of 150 gr). Another reason to bake and eat this Meyer lemon tart without feeling (too) guilty!

Meyer Lemon - 3. Marmalade (part II)

I've managed to save my too-liquid-Meyer-lemon-marmalade. I put again everything in a big pan, added 1 ts of powdered agar-agar and then brought to a boil for 3'. And it worked! My "new" marmalade (photo on the left) is less jelly-like and more dense than the first one (photo on the right). But it tastes as good and, at least, it's spreadable! The idea of using the agar-agar powder comes from Clea's blog. In summertime, I made several times her strawberry jam. Very good.

Focaccia and Pizza Focaccia

An Italian classic. When you'll try it, you won't buy any pizza anymore.

Matcha Creme Brulee (in French)

Vu le grand interet porte' a' la Matcha Creme Brulee, voici la recette en francais.

Meyer Lemon - 3. Marmalade

I've never made Meyer lemon marmalade before. I've chosen this recipe without worrying too much. I should have worried a little more! My marmalade ended up being too liquid. Maybe because I've tried to use less sugar... The spoonful that you see on the picture above is basically the only good looking one I've gotten from the whole batch! So much work for nothing! Next time, I'll try that recipe instead. It is almost the same process but there are more pictures and explanations. Perfect for a beginner like me!

Chickpea Noodle Soup

I soaked some chickpeas overnight, not knowing exactly what I would do with them. I also happened to have some pasta leftovers. So I've made a chickpea noodle soup freely inspired by this recipe from the 101 cookbook blog. In mine: more broth, whole wheat linguine (not fried) instead of tagliatelle, and some parsly added. Exactly the kind of soup I love.

Meyer Lemon - 2. Lemonade

Matcha Creme Brulee

Saturday night we went to a Japanese restaurant. There were no sushi, but a great choice of yakitori and donburi. Really yummy. At Japanese restaurants we usually don't order any desserts. But on the menu there was an inspiring green tea brulee... We couldn't resist. Unfortunately we didn't have the chance to taste it. They had run out of it. So I had no choice other than to make it by myself! 

After a disappointing first try with a Japanese recipe - approximately translated in English! -, I decided to trust once again my favorite blog Il cavoletto di Bruxelles. It was a wise decision. The recipe was way better. It's in Italian though. If you need help, just ask me.

Meyer Lemon - 1. Dressing

There are plenty of Meyer lemons in my backyard. Here are some recipes that I've tried to get the most out of them.Today: the dressing.

Homemade Ferrero Rochers

Some more Ferrero inspired stuff. The recipe comes from the book  Mon Cours de Cuisine: Les Basiques Chocolat, p. 61. But you can find a similar one here, by Christophe Felder.

Nutella: Take II

I didn't give up. My second batch of homemade nutella is getting closer to the original than the first try. According to Alberto it is not quite there yet, but this does not stop him  from taking a spoonful whenever he passes by... The girls love it. They especially love the "crunchy-nutty" part of it. And me? I'm usually not a big Nutella  fan, but I prefer my version with only natural ingredients to the industrially processed original. You can find the recipe here (from the blog: Italy in San Francisco).

Blueberry Streusel Muffins

I especially love the streusel topping of these blueberry muffins. The recipe comes from the blog Cakes in the City.

Linguine with Pan-fried Corona Beans and Kale

Yesterday night for dinner we had  pan-fried corona beans and kale  (from: http://www.101cookbooks.com) and mashed potatoes. The beans were too dry... But it was my fault: I overcooked them and put only one tbs of olive oil instead of two. For lunch today I've had some linguine with the beans/kale leftovers. But this time I've learned from my mistake. I put together the linguine and the beans in a pan with additional olive oil and some cooking water. And it was delicious. 

Butternut Squash/Kale Risotto Griddle Cakes

Everyday Greens Cookbook, p. 179. Mix the roasted butternut squash/kale risotto leftovers (2cups) + egg yolks (2) + flour (3tbs) + thyme (1ts) + grated fontina cheese (1/2cup) + grated parmesan cheese (2tbs). Beat the egg whites (2) with a pinch of salt until soft peaks are formed. Then gently fold the whites into the mixture and taste for salt and pepper. Heat a well-oiled skillet or griddle over medium heat, and spoon the batter on (1/4cup per cake). Cook for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, until the cakes are golden and puffed. Make about 12 cakes.

Roasted Spring Onions

The Big Sur Bakery Cookbook, p.42. In a preheated oven at 350 F for about 30-35' with 1 tbs oil + 1/2 cup chicken broth + salt/pepper. 

Apple Sauce

Initially I made this apple sauce to fill in the "tarte aux pommes". It is really good also by itself. Just in case   you need a recipe, try this one. The apples are cooked with sugar, apple cider, and a cinnamon stick.

Tarte aux pommes

The "tarte aux pommes" is quite different from the american "apple pie". I love both. Today I really wanted the one that seems more traditional - to me!-. Recipe in French + in English.

Yam/Sweet Potato Pie

In my C.S.A. ("community supported agriculture") box from next week, there were - among other veggies - 2 sweet potatoes and 2 yams. I wasn't quite sure what to do with them. So when I read the recipe of this yam and sweet potato pie in The Big Sur Bakery Cookbook (p. 146), I immediately wanted to try. It is very simple : 1 layer of sweet potatoes soaked in a mixture of egg yolks/heavy cream + some shredded cheddar + 1 layer of yams soaked in the same mixture; in an oven safe dish, covered with aluminum foil; bake at 350 F for about 1 hour; remove the aluminum foil and continue to bake for about 15'. Let stand at least 15' before eating. 

Warm Frothed Milk (with Saffron/Cardamom)

I love starting my day with a frothed warm milk with saffron and cardamom. Heat 1/4 cup of water + saffron (about 10 strands) + ground cardamom (about 1/8 ts) until the water begins to simmer. Simmer for a few minutes. Add the milk (1 cup) and heat the mixture until the milk is hot and frothy. I have an espresso machine so it's easy to do. It's even easier for me because my husband usually does it! If you like, put a little honey into the bottom of a glass, then stir in the milk, and garnish with slivered pistachio nuts (like in India) or a little cardamom. Recipe from Full Moon Feast: Food and the Hunger for Connection, by Jessica Prentice - p.90.