chirashi sushi

my favorite dishes occur in intervals: some of them come and go. it used to be pizza for a while (or rather, most of my university time... my diet didn't consist of much else, really...). or less presentable things like big bowls of oatmeal with almond purée and soymilk... (okay, gross).

lately though, it appears to be sushi (i ate sushi three times last week; no more, no less). whenever i'm craving it, i wish i would be able to prepare it at home on a regular night. but: too time consuming, not the nerve to chop everything nicely and neatly. not to mention the stress of having to roll it..! simply not feasible when hungry. of course, i could always go and buy some on the way home - you think? yeah, but it just so happens that i've got something way better than that...

chirashi sushi. it's something like a deconstructed sushi. don't bother to roll - you can only prepare everything and add it together in a bowl. it's super easy and super fast! 

i made a vegetarian version, with cucumbers, avocados, carrots - but of course you could also add tuna or salmon, or whatever raw fish you like. serve it with a little soy sauce mix on the side. and dig in (not with chopsticks but maybe you will want to take a spoon... uhm, fork, sorry). 

chirashi sushi

serves 4

ingredients:

ready to heat sushi rice

1/2 cucumber, peeled, halved, seeded and julienned or cut in half-rounds

2 avocados, halved and sliced

2 carrots, peeled into thin slices
1 pack of fried tofu

nori leaves (dried and toasted seaweed papers), cut or torn apart into bite-sized bits

shin sushi ginger

soy sauce mix:

1dl of soy sauce

1 piece of fresh ginger, grated 

1 garlic clove, pressed

2 tbsp. rice vinegar

1 tsp. honey

black sesame, to decorate

wasabi paste

directions:

prepare the sushi rice according to packaging instructions (i bought mine ready to heat at a korean store, yumi hana, in zurich. it was honestly just as good if not better than the one i prepare on your own). put in bowls and let cool to room temperature. in the meantime, prepare all the veggies (cucumber, avocados, carrots) and the sauce (simply mix together all the ingredients). position the sushi ingredients carefully on the rice, top with a little black sesame and wasabi paste. serve immediately with the soy sauce mix. 

red coco beans salad

it's no secret one of my favorite activities is to go groceries shopping on farmers' markets. they hold so many treasures - fresh, organic, regional produce. i find that quite inspiring. i especially tend to get a bit carried away when it comes to rare or old species, that i have never heard of, or oddly colored veggies.

like the spotted eggplant you see below or those whimsical red coco beans, that we discovered in france. the beans looked so yummy, i was sure they'd turn into a simple but lovely summer salad. 

red coco bean salad

serves 4 as a side dish

ingredients:

1 kg red or other coco beans, peeled

1 handful of flat parsley, thinly chopped

1 lemon, juice

3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

2 tbsp. of vinegar (i used a special mango infused vinegar)

1 tsp. acacia honey

a pinch of harissa

coarse sea salt to taste

directions:

before cooking the beans, you will have to soak them, covered in water, for about one hour. then cook them for about ten minutes or until cooked but still firm. drain and chill under running, cold water for a few moments. put in a bowl.

from the other ingredients, mix a (slightly salty, since you didn't salt the cooking water, before) vinaigrette. pour it over the beans. either serve and devour immediately or, if you are the patient kind, put aside, cover with foil and set aside (not in the fridge) for an hour or so. you will find the salad is much more fragrant after the little break.

(note: yes, obviously, and admittedly, the color of the beans was prettier pre-cooking (they lost a bit of their purple speckles) - but they tasted lovely gardeny, nevertheless. trust me on that one..)

gazpacho andaluz

on a hot summer's day, nothing beats a cold, refreshing gazpacho soup, made from summery, fragrant tomatoes. simply use your blender to whip it up!

my mom made a gazpacho as a starter one night in france. and since i know her secret tricks, she agreed that i share them with you, here. thx, mom!

gazpacho andaluz (alla mamma melanie)
ingredients:
serves four people
1kg of ripe, red tomatoes, in chunks
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1/2 to 1 vegetable onion (depending on size)
4-5 garlic cloves, finely chopped
some basil leaves
1-3 tbsp. white winegar
4 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
some vegetable broth
1 tbsp. of a mild honey
juice of one lime and a bit of the zest, too
coarse sea salt and ground pepper
some fresh chili or peperoncino if you like
1 tsp. harissa

(some tomato juice for the color, if needed)

for topping:
old bread, for topping
black olives, pitted and thinly chopped
some more cucumber or bell pepper, thinly chopped

directions:
put the tomatoes in the food processor and blend. then, add the other ingredients, slowly, step by step. pulse until smooth. season to taste. if the color turns out a little too brown (might happen with the cucumber, or if you use too much yellow or green ingredients, of course, like the cucumber or maybe a bell pepper), then you can slightly pimp the color with a little tomato juice (make sure it's a good one, though). it's also not bad for the texture, you know.

chill for at least one half hour, or for as long as you want. toast some old bread chunks in (a lot) of butter and olive oil for a few minutes. before serving, make sure you stir the soup well! add 3 ice cubes to every serving, drizzle with olive oil and add chopped black olives, cucumbers and/or yellow bell peppers to serve.

ah yes, my father loves my mother's soups. and everyone else does, too. happy long (if you're lucky to celebrate the swiss national day, too) weekend! xo

black boots

autumn is once again near. you know how i know? because, one, i'm wearing a jacket. in july! and two, the shops all switched their windows to fall/winter 2011 fashion must-haves, already. to prevent wet feet my obligatory autumn item is, as every year, a pair of ankle boots. i've loved the chunky appeal of biker boots for years now, and i think i will stick to it this year around (at least with one new pair). a girl should always stick to what she knows and feels good in, right? although i might need a shiny, patent leather one, too. so that my boots collection is complete, ya know? but one thing after another. basics first. so here's what brings you through autumn properly; my fave black biker ankle boots. love!

clockwise direction from upper left corner: belstaff barkmaster leather boots, jimmy choo youth leather biker boots, marc by marc jacobs buckled leather ankle boots, fiorentini & baker cusna lace-up leather boots

south of france

this year has been a france destination year. on new year's, it was alsace, on easter it was burgundy, paris in may, provence in july and in october it will be côte d'azur. i will never get enough of that country. and here's to why i love france: the variety of cheeses never fail to surprise and amaze me, and they taste so good with baguette. there is so much to discover and so much amazing food to eat. i love the farmers' market in every little town, selling really fragrant sorts (also old ones) of tamoes in all colors. and i love how the french take care of their history and their culture. and you  know what? they are actually quite lovely (if you're not in particular dealing with a parisian, that is, probably).

here are now a few impressions from our holiday last week.

from top to bottom: pago juice by the sea at bar la vague in sanary / my mom's perfectly matched turquoise accessories / an assortment of french cheeses (including my beloved chabichou) / home-made ice-tea lemonade / somebody's huitres at our favorite poissonnerie at the port in toulon / random sea monster at the vieux port in marseille / savon de marseille / street of marseille with arc de triomphe porte d'aix / more marseille vieux port / view of the notre dame from the vieux port / my mom with our home-made antipasti dish one evening / the plants in our garden / more savon de marseille (i'm addicted to them, it's obvious by now...) / late afternoon rooibos tea plate / assortment of different tomatoes, including old varieties / yellow and red tomato salad with baguette

provence pleasures

hey, i'm back! from a delightful, inspiring and relaxing holiday. it was a wonderful week, and i'm so in love with life and everybody around me (which is, i guess, the main reason why people get to take holidays - so that they're at peace with themselves and the world, again... don't you think?).
anyway... i've got so many pictures in store, and so many blog posts in the pipe-line for you. can't wait to share snippets from our lavish meals (like bistecca al limone, or pasta with home-made sugo...) and the lovely provence - from marseille to toulon - with you!

as for now, i only mean to wish you a great and happy start into the new week!
xo, scarlett

provence off

hey lovelies, i'm going to france! provence to be exact. for one, blissful week! we're staying at my uncle and aunt's house, with a view of the sea and port de toulon.

i'm planning on doing not much more than enjoy the waves and the beach, cook lavish meals from fresh market produce, read a few books in the shade of a pine tree while listening to the millions of crickets, practice ashtanga yoga in the early morning on the wood panels at the beach and afterwards go to 'la vague' for a citron pressé, hit a few golf-balls in the afternoon (my handicap really needs it...), go on a brocante hunt, visit tiny, neat old castles and villages, drink home-made lavender lemonade from freshly cut lavender according to this recipe on sunday-suppers and pastis at blue hour on the terrasse.

jolly, i'm so looking forward to the off! i'll be back in a week. in the meantime: live, love and enjoy summer! big hugs and lots of love, scarlett

picture source: sunday-suppers.com

last minute summer packlist

i'm so looking forward to my petite holidays in the sun! actually, i'm about to pack my bags. seriously? not so much... i'm actually just watching some dumb chicks' series en train. and dreaming about the ideal summer wardrobe instead of packing the old clutter i've got (which is still totally okay.... ish). so why not actually make up a last minute summer pack list?

1 ultrabraid wide brim sun hat
2 topshop white crochet tassel trim cover up kaftan
3 alphabeat summer tote
4 chicklit 'meet me at the cupcakes cafe' - by jenny colgan
5 various summer beauty products: mac lipgloss, hawaiian tropic sun lotion, estée lauder bronze goddess shimmer lotion
6 j brand fuchsia cut-off shorts
7 missoni antibes reversible crochet-knit triangle bikini
8 oasis silver indian sandals
9 estéee lauder bronze powder
10 cutler and gross round-frame acetate sunglasses
11 MIH jeans miami rigid-denim cut-off shorts
12 dior addict shine lipstick in chestnut chic
13 topshop navy polka dot strappy cover up playsuit
14 zimmermann whisper crochet-trimmed underwired swimsuit
15 wayuu taya shoulder bag
16 toms ivory glitters loafers

incredibly close

i will soon be on a little off... i'm going to tell you all about it, later. but for now, the main thing to focus on are summer reads. because what's better than reading great new books while enjoying an off, righ? yup. so here is my latest addition to my already extensive bookshelf (would i have one and not have to store my many books in boxes, instead): 'extremely loud & incredibly close' by jonathan safran foer. previously, i've read 'everything is illuminated' by him. and i bought a few other books, too, which i'm going to show and tell you about later (too). so far now, that's just that: my holidays books, for my holidays are - well - really just incredibly close! ... smile.

love cushion

when i was briefly (very briefly indeed... only for an afternoon, to be exact) in the netherlands two weeks ago, apart from discovering and falling in love with scotch&soda, i also fell in love with the interior design store called lifestyle home collection. i really recommend browsing their shop if you're a shabby chic fan like me. 

unfortunately, we didn't have much time (boyfriend in a hurry) and since we haven't planned to make such fantastic finds, we of course couldn't bring much home (otherwise, i would have had to buy as many pretty lanterns as i could have carried). but unfortunately (or luckily), one afternoon is very short and so i was only able to quickly fall in love with and grab this cushion. isn't it adorable? c thinks it stinks (honestly now...) - but i just think it's the best addition to my home, ever (stinking or not).

antipasti

i grew up with italian food, maybe that explains, why i find it such a simple yet delicious pleasure. recently, when i made this pizza, i wanted to have some home-made antipasti to garnish it. antipasti are really very easy to prepare, and hardly anything can go wrong. however, they do take some time to grill. you can serve them with a ciabatta or focaccia as a starter, too, and you won't need much more.

antipasti

ingredients:
1 green zucchini
1 yellow zucchini
1 medium sized aubergine
pepper, if desired
2 garlic cloves
olive oil
organic lemon zest
pepper
salt
fresh herbs according to your liking, finely chopped

directions:
wash the vegetables, slice in 1cm thick slices (or according to your liking; i tend to make them to thin as i like them really seared and dark), sprinkle lightly with salt and put aside. let them sit a little while until some water comes out. pat dry with kitchen paper. heat some olive oil in a grill- or a normal pan. grill every slice thoroughly for 1-2 minutes from each side. place the antipasti in a deep platter. when the last slices are grilled, heat a the garlic cloves and put to the antipasti. season with salt and pepper. if you like, you can add some chopped basil, oregano, thyme or rosemary now. add a few sprinkles of lemon juice and zest, if you like a fresh taste. cover the antipasti in olive oil and cover the platter with some foil. let infuse overnight.

the antipasti can be enjoyed for up to three days or longer, if pickled correctly in a closed jar.

peter pan collars

no, i have not been dreaming about being a school girl again and having nothing more to worry than my mom preparing the right school break snack for me... i would never. but if i ever felt like slipping into a school girl uniform again, i'd opt for one of the en vogue peter pan collars. isn't it wonderful that those cute little round collars are called that way? i can't stop to marvel at the expression.

here's a selection of such wonderful, preppy peter pan collars on blush colored chemises. what i actually quite like but haven't been able to track down just yet for you would be a black collar on cream chemise - the contrast gives it a little edge. can you think about it?

do you think that would be nice, a peter pan collar jewelry to put on with a simple tee? and should i try and make one?

1 sandro, top crêpe de soie eugénie, embroiedered collar
2 sandro, top eplume
3 sandro, top élea
4 the row pell, silk goegette blouse
5 by malene birger cellux goergette playsuit
6 topshop, cream sleeveless spot tier blouse

maison scotch always

last weekend, we spent an afternoon in maastricht. such a pretty town! i love the brick-houses and brick-roads... actually, everything is made from bricks. it gives the town such a relaxed and cosy feel, i could have stayed forever. hmm, and the smell of dutch fries, pies and waffels, everywhere... it's bewitching! if you're ever close to the netherlands i absolutely recommend you to stop by.

another reason that clearly always is a good reason to love a place are the shops. my boyfriend introduced me to the label 'scotch and soda' some time ago (when he bought a really chunky, really lovely lumber-jack-style knit pullover). turns out the women's line 'maison scotch' is just as stunning... the brand really reminds me of 'all saints' (that i have been posting about already here) - and that's a really good thing. i love the worn in and washed fabrics and simple basics that fit everyone, with a clochard (or vintage, if you prefer) touch to them.

i bought this plaid shirt dress here in an instant without even trying it on, since i envisioned myself wearing it on our holidays in provence, together with a straw basket, to the beach, the market, the cafés... truth be told, i probably won't be wearing much else.

ps: dear santa (or whatever fictitious or real person would like to bring me some presents, preferably before christmas): i would really like that scarf (or scarves?), from above, too. it would make me really happy. and i promise i will be good, in return. thank you.

home-alone ebly salad

now and then, there simply isn't as much time of the day left for cooking as i'd wish. normally, i prefer to end the day with cooking and to have dinner with my boyfriend. i always try to make it something special, even if it's just a simple salad (i'm a huge fan of candles, they make it instant-romantic).

but there are other nights, too, when i am all by myself at home. that's when a simple, quick recipe is needed. preferably with something that's at hand. so here's this comforting, pleasing ebly salad with avocado, that made a late night home-alone a quite happy one.

quick ebly salad

ingredients:
serves one
one cup of ebly (pre-cooked weat)
one avocado, chopped in cubes
one red pepper, chopped
one garlic clove, squeezed
purple basil, coarsely chopped
pinch fleur de sel
pinch pepper
one lemon juice
2 spoons sesame oil
2 spoons soy sauce
some vegetable stock

directions:
cook the ebly with twice as much water with some vegetable stock for about 10-15 minutes or until the water is absorbed and the ebly is tender. drain and cool under the cold water. prepare a sauce with the oil and soy sauce, garlic, salt, pepper and lemon juice. mix the chopped vegetables with the tepid ebly and the sauce. serve (to yourself) immediately, turn the tv on and relax with gossip girl, grey's or a similar series at hand.

cooking in the moment

my dear readers who stop by regularly know for sure that i love a good cookbook (as documented here,  here or here). here's another one i'm dying to get for myself. it's called 'cooking in the moment' and it's written by andrea reusing. cooking in the moment simply means focusing on one meal at a time. it focuses on fresh, healthy and seasonal ingredients and easy to cook recipes for everyday. the ideal addition to my extensive range of cookbooks. je veux! 

picture source: by the wednesday chef