objects of desire

objects i am currently desiring (very much so), to add a bit of sparkle and glamor to my home:

1. a faux coral stand (e.g. via pottery barn)
2. black crystal book ends (no clue where to find)
3. a gold skull (piggie bank) (e.g. via urban outfitters)
4. a porcelain chic ashtray (i wouldn't mind it being from hermès...) (probably best to be bought in a hermès store, sighs)

how do you add sparkle to your home?
xo

artichoke hearts w/ salsa verde

some things i experience turn into a nice story that i really like to share with you. like, yesterday night after our presentation and a dinner in the old town of zurich, i walked home and the sky smelt of jasmine. it was like in a fairy tale or something. dreamy! it felt good to breathe in and love it all out.

other stories involve a spray tan (don't ask, let's just say i am currently trying to experiment more in life, okay?). or painting frames (for my wall of fame project) and getting the color all over my hair. this resulted in a bit of a freak-out from my side... after some heavy combing and a cup of hot tea i feel better. phew, that close to a grown-up fit! 

these artichoke heart bottoms (only cooked in salted water with a slice of lemon) are topped with a salsa verde. add a little chopped black olives and you're done. 

artichokes w/ salsa verde

ingredients:

4 artichokes, leaves and hay removed

for the salsa verde: 

1 cup fresh parsley leaves

1/2 cup mint leaves

2 tbsp. pistachios, ground

3 tbsp. capers

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 piece of green chili, minced

3 scallions, with greens, chopped

1 lime, juice & zest

1 tsp. acacia honey

5 black pepper corns, ground

2 tsp. fleur de sel

1/4 cup olive oil

black olives, pitted and minced

directions:

prepare the artichokes: remove the leaves while leaving the artichoke intact / whole. slice the top of the hay away and remove every hard parts on the outside of the 'heart' (bottom). cook in salted water for 30 minutes. drain and brush with olive oil. make the salsa verde: combine all ingredients in a blender and blend well. season to taste with more fleur de sel or a little bit more honey or lime juice. place one spoonful of salsa verde on each artichoke bottom. add some minced black olives and drizzle with a little olive oil. serve with a slice of baguette or a salad.

faux chocolate maccarons

yesterday night my beautiful and sweet friend nina who loves to cook & bake just like me came over for a simple dinner, an extensive chat à deux and some baking. we made some faux chocolate maccarons filled with crème double and berries. delicious. i'm sorry, i'm in a bit of a hurry tonight; i've got to practice a little for tomorrow's (quite big) trends presentation. thank you for reading! a sweet hello & a smile.

faux chocolate maccarons

adapted from donna hay

ingredients:

50 g flour

3 tbsp. chocolate powder

1 tsp. baking powder

1 pinch of salt

4 organic eggs

110 g sugar

50 butter, melted

250 ml crème double

150 g berries (we used raspberries and blueberries)

confectioner's sugar for dusting

directions:

preheat the oven to 180 degrees. combine the flour with the chocolate powder and the baking powder. mix the eggs and the sugar for a few minutes until white-fluffy. fold in the flour-chocolate-mix continuously and the melted butter.

shape little pools of dough on the baking sheet (we used a pipe, though the batter was a little too liquid, we admit, so the pipe wasn't really useful, cough. a spoon would do, we're pretty sure). bake in the oven for 8-10 minutes. let cool entirely before removing. assemble the maccarons: spread a little double crème on the bottom part, add a few berries, cover with the lid part, dust with a bit of confectioner's sugar. voilà. serve and enjoy.

grilled corn with mexican lime butter & cilantro

this was a week full of ups and downs. i got very nice feedback at the agency, which is pushing me to perform even better. it's really a good thing, my professional life. and while i thought my private (i.e. date) life is pretty much a disaster it seems i'm not actually as unlucky as i cursed myself to be... in fact, i've got some really great news to share: i was given the chance to peek behind the scenes of a really top restaurant's kitchen in london! in london (sic)!

i will share with you more information as to where exactly and when as soon as everything is defined. what's for sure: i'll be helping out and (hopefully) learning a great deal about professional cooking. i can't believe this is happening, i'm so happy and very excited! you see, i wouldn't really classify myself as the adventurous type - i just like my home and my kitchen and my friends too much to really ever consider leaving my comfort zone. so this is actually kind of major for me. a big dream come true. and i feel like it's going to transform my life. in some way or the other. i can't wait to get inspired and learn, learn, learn. i'll be soaking everything up - like a sponge cake! laugh.

then - maybe slightly more boring - this is how i spent my day: woke very early (after one too many drinks yesterday night, ugh), rode into the city, bought a few new books and idled very long in the cook book area. bliss! got myself a strange aloe tea (with solid bits in it, eew!) and made sure i reserved enough space with my towel in the lake bath for my friends (who are no early risers). though the sun is hot i didn't dare to go swimming (i'm such a warm-lover) - and just dipped my toes in the water. right now i'm listening to my favorite kings of leon tracks and later i will go for dinner at 'tre fratelli' with a bunch of good people. that's what i call a good summer's day!

ihope you are having a nice time yourselves. if you're planning a bbq, make sure this is on the menu (girls and vegetarians will love you).

grilled corn with mexican lime butter & cilantro

ingredients:

6 corn cobs, leaves and silk removed

100 g butter

2 tbsp. sweet pepper

1 tsp. hot pepper

2 tbsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. ground cilantro seeds

3 tbsp. fleur de sel (or more, to taste)

8 black pepper corns, freshly ground

2 limes, juice

1 cup cilantro leaves, chopped

2 limes, sliced, for decorating

directions:

preheat the oven with the grill function turned on (note: of course you can also use the actual grill but be prepared for a fancy, buttery mess). cook the corn cobs in salted water for ten minutes. drain and let cool slightly. in the meantime prepare the mexican lime butter: melt the butter in a saucepan, add the spices and salt it (generously, the corn needs it). if you like it very hot substitute the sweet pepper with only hot pepper, or add a little sriracha hot sauce or harissa. add the lime juice to the butter.

now cut the cobs in three equally sized parts. brush each generously with the spiced butter. make sure to keep some butter left for later use. place the brushed cobs on a baking sheet lined with parchment. grill in the oven for 25 to 35 minutes, until golden-brown in some places.

sprinkle with more lemon juice, if desired and with the fresh cilantro. garnish with lime wedges and serve with the left-over butter spice mix. it's best eaten hot but it's also very good when cold.

wall of fame

to create my personal wall of fame is a project that i started to think about at least two years ago. so far, i haven't realized it, let alone start with just one picture... but i have at least already some ideas as to what to put up on the wall! illustrations that i came across on pinterest or on the web, some photos (of a rabbit that i took myself last easter), maybe a dried and pressed flower, a few quotes, credos and mantras that i particularly like.

i collected and thoroughly selected the right mood pictures for you of how this wall of fame should look. the first picture is of quite a small collection of pictures, but i like the color and pattern mix. cheerful and unusual (of course, i love the bar cart as well, you know that much already). the second picture attracts me because the display is so vast and generous, and a little messy, too: some pics are sticked to the wall without even so much as a proper frame, but i believe this accounts for all of the gallery's charm! 

i'll show you the results of course and also make sure to take pictures of the process!

picture source: picture one, picture two 

summer sweet pea salad

halleluljah! it's finally summer. i've been craving the easiness of living that summer provides for a long time. i blamed the absence of summer for not feeling as cheerful as i normally am. normally, whenever the sun is shining, i feel like it lifts my spirits, shines right into my heart and makes me smile unvoluntarily and on end. it's happiness by default!

but truth is: the happiness by default seems to get harder with age - not easier. have you experienced the same? sure, summer helps. a lot! and i'm planning to make the most of it. i'm determined to be in a happy summery state of mind, as of now! if nothing helps, i will ride a bike, dress in stripes, go out for mojitos, swim in the lake, buy a pretzel shaped inflatable mattress, wer bare legs, sun protection that smells of coconut and only dress in sandals (i have a lot of them). so let's see how that works. i'll report back to you!

up until then: here's a thing that definitely makes me happy (and gets me in a summery mood, always): to pod peas. this salad is the ultimate summer experience. it's not summer if you haven't tried it.

sweet pea salad - from freshly podded peas - with mint

ingredients:

2 kg sweet peas *

1 organic lemon, juice

3 tbsp. olive oil

1 cup fresh mint leaves, minced

1 cup fresh flat parsley leaves, minced

1 tsp. fleur de sel

2 garlic cloves, minced

* a side note on peas: about 1 kilogram of whole sweet peas - pods and all - when podded, results in about 300 grams of peas, which equals about one cup.

method:
snap the peas and remove them from their pods. i used a knife to tear in the edges more easily.
heat a saucepan of salted water, and prepare a bucket full of ice water. blanch the peas in the salted water for 3-4 minutes. remember: the frozen peas that you normally get at the supermarket are mostly already pre blanched! so the cooking process takes longer for fresh, raw peas. strain, and put immediately in the ice water to cool. the ice water helps the peas to keep their popping green. make a dressing out of the lemon juice, olive oil, fleur de sel and garlic cloves. combine with the peas.
add the herbs, stir to combine and serve.

brown rice with cilantro mint pesto

it's only monday - but i'm already exhausted... last week in belgium was inspiring and fun - but i just didn't get around to doing all the chores (ugh, the word alone...) at home (like cleaning, ironing, bills or even simply grocery shopping). plus the lovely weather last weekend didn't really help, either: i struggled to fight the constant desire to be outside, in the city, at the lake side that was brimming with people. and on saturday i played a round of golf - at 35 degrees, no wind. i carried my golf bag (and new clubs, that are much heavier than my old ones) around. i was officially melting! the boys told me they hadn't seen a girl who carries their own bag around in forever (at lost, as they said, not a girl 'my age', well thank you very much). note to self: must organize a cart, asap! 

cooked this brown rice with green beans, peas and a refreshing pesto recently and loved it! those brown rice salads are summer staple in my kitchen.

brown rice with cilantro & mint pesto

ingredients:

1 cup brown rice, cooked according to directions

1 tbsp organic butter

2 cups french beans, blanched

1 cup peas. blanched

1 cup mint leaves, minced

1 cup cilantro leaves, minced

2 cup basil leaves, minced (half of it left whole for decorating)

1 handful arugula leaves, for decorating

1/4 cup olive oil

20 g or 3 tbsp. pistachio nuts (not salted), toasted and crushed in a mortar

2 garlic cloves

1 lime, juice

fleur de sel

freshly ground black pepper

directions:

i'd recommend to cook the brown rice in advance and store it in the fridge over night, as it usually takes around 45 minutes until tender (and i usually don't have the patience to wait that long for dinner...). stir in some butter and put aside to cool. blanch the beans and the peas in salted water. drain and chill in ice water. pat dry and put aside. 

to make the pesto: combine the mint, cilantro and half of the basil leaves, plus some arugula (not too much, as you won't wanna make it to bitter), the olive oil, pistachios, garlic, lime juice, salt and black pepper in a food processor and blend. Pulse until mixture is smooth.

Now mix the pesto with the rice, place the beans and peas on top, drizzle some more pesto on everything and garnish with the remaining herbs, arugula leaves and some leftover pistachios.

happy xxx weekend

that was a busy week... i will leave antwerpen today and fly back to zurich (via vienna... i'll never arrive at home...). what are your beautiful plans for the weekend? i'm planning on relaxing in the sun, playing a round of golf (tomorrow), have a sushi dinner, and see to my plants (that my flatmate hopefully hasn't managed to kill in the one week...). happy weekend to all of you! x

serendipity

serendipity. it's one of my favorite words. it means finding something good without actually looking for it, while actually searching for other things. a lucky coincidence. 

the word derives from the persian 'sarandp' and arabic 'sarandb', which are old names for 'sri lanka'. apparently, the english author horace walpole first created the word in 1754. inspired by the  fairytale 'three princes of serendip', walpole explains: 'as their highnesses traveled, they were always making discoveries, by accidents and sagacity, of things which they were not in quest of' - thus the expression 'serendipity'.

i am currently looking for some peace of heart. sure, i can run around, i can keep myself very busy, i can pursuit happiness in every little corner of the world. in my job, that's obvious and a really good means. in my friends and family, yes. in a new fabulous dress. in a glamorous candle lit dinner. but... i only very much hope to find peace. with myself, mostly, and with the fickle thing called life. 

well okay, they say that the journey is its own reward. but still, i very much hope i might find some desirable things by accident, while i walk on, while i wait, while i hope. am i really pushing my luck? don't think so. just a girl who hasn't given up, yet.

moroccan carrot salad

this belgium trip really is fun - and so inspiring! i am only surrounded by males all day (data analysists, nerdy cute guys). i've learned a few things, got a lot of new ideas in stow, am bursting with action plans (existing in my mind). yesterday evening we watched soccer and (i) drank cherry beer (the boys of course drank only real beer). what i've seen so far of antwerpen (not really much, to be honest, but still) is really to love: the rivers, the brick houses, the shabby, dark, cosy pubs and little cafés everywhere, the neat town houses, the many (many!) fashionable shops (from filippa k to bensimon to sissy boy homeware and lifestyle interior) - it's a good city to live in.

just one thing that stroke me: taxis. first, there were no taxis available at all. only if you can muster the luxury of being able to wait forever to get one. and then they're either making an almost-accident (not my ideal start into a morning...) or just not getting the address right and trying to drop you off somewhere else (honestly wtf?). and generally speaking (yes, i'm universalising) they're all rude. with no exception. met a rude guy in antwerpen? hey, it's got to be the taxi driver! 

but you know what? strangely, this all (even the taxi drivers) only added to the city's magic charm and attractiveness! it's like when i'm in paris: i can't help but think 'god, those parisian girls are bitches!' all the time - but i like it, nevertheless. because it's makes the experience complete. guess i'm all positive at the moment, so better take it while it lasts... laugh.

here's the recipe for the moroccan carrot salad i cooked a while back for my team. simple, quick to whip up, good and healthy. what's not to like? 

moroccan carrot salad

ingredients: 

4 orange carrots, peeled

4 yellow carrots, peeled

1/2 cup coriander, minced

1/2 cup flat parsley, minced

1 organic orange, juice

1 tbsp. organic orange zest

1 tsp. acacia honey

1 tbsp. black cumin seeds

olive oil

fleur de sel

freshly ground pink pepper

directions: 

heat water in a large saucepan, then salt it generously. cook the peeled carrots as a whole for only three to four minutes. they have to remain firm. drain and cool. when cool, cut diagonally into thin slices. prepare the dressing: orange juice, zest, honey, pinches of fleur de sel, a bit of pink pepper, the cumin seeds. pour over the carrots. up to this step, the salad can be made ahead and stored in the fridge for 1 day. i would only add the herbs in the end before serving, though. so, add the herbs, stir to combine, and serve. 

this salad goes well with other mezze (arab starters) in general, i.e. with flatbreads, yogurt sauce, meat balls, skewers of any kind, hummus, labneh, baba ganoush, couscous, tabouleh... or simply with more conventional / western style dishes, too, acting as a side dish: with lamb chops, with grilled meat in general or with baked potatoes. the options are limitless. 

insalata di carciofi crudi

what an eventful monday! just got to my hotel (the banks) in antwerp, belgium. had to take two flights to get here and am wearing a huge smile on my face for no particular reason. it's good to get out everything for a few days. i'm here to meet my colleague at 'these days', a digital savvy agency. can't wait for the week's event to unwind (...hopefully they will continue in the same manner the monday started).

insalata di carciofi crudi (raw artichoke salad)


directions: 
no big recipe for this italian salad here. just make sure you get really firm and nice medium or small sized artichokes, prepare them (take off the outer leaves, remove the inner hay, place in lemon water) and then cut them into really thin slices (we're talking 1mm max, here). add a simple dressing made of best olive oil, a squeeze of lemon, freshly ground black pepper, some chopped mint (it brings out the natural taste of the artichokes) and add a little parmiggiano reggiano on top. serve immediately (no make-ahead, as the artichokes will turn brown... not nice).

profiteroles filled with vanilla cream

my last post, 'from the heart', has clearly made waves... some amazing, kind and loving feedback has flooded me. it was an amazing experience. there seem to be a lot of people who feel and suffer from the same kind of heartbreak stories, who can relate to what i'm going through. and while i never actually thought i was alone with these sorry feelings, it's overwhelming and good for me to know that others had or currently have to go through similar events. thank you for the many messages, loving words and gestures. i haven't expected so much sympathy. i thought everybody would feel a little awkward after my confessions? clearly that's not the case. most people understand why i had to do it and like me still or even more for it (and i'm saying most, as i know full well that a bunch of other people aren't ready for so much openly displayed confessions and think it's no good, but that's okay). 

so please know that i'm trying hard to live on with a positive attitude and provide the happy content that i have in the past. it's all about getting up, time and time again. nobody said life was easy, right?

but to make it a bit more sweet, here's a bunch of pictures of some of the best desserts known to mankind: profiteroles. puffy choux pastry, light as air, filled with a rich vanilla cream, dunked and dipped in chocolate. the positive effect it has on me (or any cake, really, as such) is really hard to resist. conclusion: mankind needs more cake! give people cake - uhm, and maybe throw in a 'handbook for life', it wouldn't hurt - and the world suddenly seems a brighter place. yay! laolawave. bake cake, eat cake, be heartbroken - but cope.

profiteroles filled with vanilla cream (dipped in chocolate)

makes about 15 bigger ones or 30 small ones

note: here i start with the directions right away, as i'm not going to list every single ingredient and detail for you. others have documented it perfectly before me. 

directions:

first off, make a choux pastry! this is a bit tricky. i had my mom for assistance while doing this the first time. it needs patience and you need to measure everything exactly. take this recipe, it's pretty much the same i used. use a pastry bag (with a star shaped pipe) to shape little mountains with a pointy top (kind of like a dwarf's hat, or so i like to think of them). bake them for 35 minutes, or until profiteroles are fully 'puffed' and golden (better to bake them a little longer than not long enough here). make sure never to open the oven before they're ready to be taken out - as this will keep them from rising and becoming puffy and airy. let cool on a rack.

secondly, make a 'crème patissière' - a vanilla pastry cream, i think it translates. it's a rich, creamy custard, used to fill pastry (better than a conventional vanilla cream, as it won't drip or run...). use this recipe here, that's good. do know, however, that i mixed in 1/4 liter of whipped cream when the pastry cream was almost fully cooled - this made the cream less sweet and overpowering, and even more firm (not runny) and easy to use and fill the pastries. i think it's quite common to combine it with some whipped cream. let cool in the fridge (for up to 12 hours).  

for the assembly: melt some dark chocolate and a bit of butter in a saucepan, very slowly. pour it into a deep bowl. in the meantime, cut the pastries horizontally, about one third from the bottom with two thirds of the peak. now take one peak part pastry half after another and dip it, peak down, in the chocolate glaze. put on a rack to dry, then place in the fridge to cool completely. in the end, fill the crème patissière in the pastries with the help of a pipe. put the chocolate dipped halves back on top of the filled parts, press together slightly. place in the fridge until used. 

before serving, arrange on a plate, cake stand or etagère. serve with a strawberry carpaccio, or plain, as they are. note: i'm a firm believer in a rustic, simple dessert experience, so i'm reducing side effects to the minimum, i.e. to nothing. thus, the profiteroles are the star of the course. 

from the heart

dear readers, you might have noticed: my private life has experienced some major hiccups. and i've been dreading to tell you what happened exactly because, for one, i was hoping some things might take a turn for the better. sadly, they haven't, though. and for another, i thought about keeping this information private. but the thoughts kept being dark and negative, i couldn't find peace! so i felt it's finally time to spill the beans and face the (dark) truth. to finally accept that another love has gone, that i'm single again. (sighs, i so hate to say goodbye...)

yes, i am heart-broken. yes, i am incredulous, devastated and sad. but also: yes, i am fighting, and yes, i'm trying hard to be hopeful and to believe in love, still, despite and after all. but, i fear i am doing a very bad job at it (right now...). there are so many questions in my head. why? above all. why does a love end, that was (at least in my opinion) so true and good? and also: why do i even bother to love, if it always ends like this? with a heart torn to pieces, sleepless nights, tears upon tears and a feeling of radical loss? is it me? what, exactly, pretty please, is not to fucking love about me? how come other people find it so easy to love and be loved in return - when i seem to fail, every time? 

you see, i believed (and, strangely, still do at this time - though i'm probably a lunatic, a fool, a moron and a die-hard imbecile for it...) in this love so strongly that i can't get around to accept the fact that it's over, passé. that we're not an item anymore. that i will never be allowed to know his fears, feelings, hopes and dreams, again. that my dreams are not his anymore. that there is no more 'us'. 

let me tell you i don't mean to be melodramatic. for i know: such is life (or is it?). honestly, all i want is to just remain sane, and to make it through this bloody summer. and in order to do so, i need to come clean. to write this post. because... some things just don't make any sense in my perspective - but i hope that, one day, it will make sense to me. that maybe i will understand why this had to happen. they say time is a healer - and i just long for the moment when i will be recovered and my heart is whole again. ready to love again. where every little thing is gonna be alright. 

in the meantime: i'm keeping myself insanely busy. barbecues and dinners, meeting friends, nights out, swimming in the lake (one fine hot summer's day), working hard and traveling to antwerp all of next week for a training (yay, i hear antwerp is amazing), playing golf (not exactly the way i used to 10 years ago, but it's okay), tucking in my little nephew felix, cooking, taking pictures, writing posts, redecorating, listening to (really sad) songs (honestly, not one of my best ideas...), not looking at old pictures of when we were still together, but instead readings books, planning holidays (sort of, but that's another chapter... tbc). and i kind of can assure you that i'm okay - or at least: that i will be fine. definitely. come tomorrow. or, think again, maybe not tomorrow...? because that would be a bit of an over-achievement, maybe. but in a few months' time, surely?

so just... uhm... thank you for caring, for sharing your own heartbreak stories, for being there for me - either through virtual hugs or real ones. it means a lot to me. it keeps me going. thank you. we all need some support, some hope and some glamour in our lives, so let's not give up on love, just yet. okay?

a very happy weekend, 

xo

scarlett

ps: i found this picture (that's actually a print that can be bought) on etsy here. i think it's perfect. and, to provide a little positiveness here (after all the muddy self-pity...) let's make it a sneak peek: i am thinking about turning one of my living room walls into some sort of a 'wall of fame'. a little la-ola-wave for that, you think? yeah. you know, one of those walls with a lot of pictures, illustrations, photos, credos and mantras (to motivate me and cheer me in the various slices of life). this print here will no doubt be part of that wall. what do you think of it, this project, and the credos? and what credos help you in your life? i would love to know (so that maybe i can incorporate a few into my own... not to copy or steal. just to learn from you, who are probably much stronger than i am, and to learn how to move on, eventually). would you be kind enough to share with me your secret mantras? hmm?

living room

my new sofa (sic!) has finally arrived this week, we disposed of the old one (grubby!) and right now, while i'm writing this, i'm test sitting and hanging. it feels great, so far. although the hanging on my old lounge sofa wasn't really bad, either - it simply wasn't a nice one to look at... justice.

the best thing is that now i've got so much more space in the living room area! you can't see that above (and i'm afraid the picture isn't really so good, i was a bit impatient while taking it... sorry). the space feels really good. it's finally breathing! and with this new-found space i am planning on buying a second sofa, or a settee, and maybe one or two easy chairs, too. plus, i really need a new floor lamp. i'm thinking maybe one with an oversized white textile shade? and possibly some new pillows (what do you think of pink, or bottle green, or black and white striped?). 

anyhow, i will come up with a mood board and some inspiration, soon. it's got time, though. first, let me enjoy this here sofa with a white pizza with grilled pear (for my kind self, and for my flatmate, who was kind enough to help put up the sofa the other day, so thank you). xo

individual cheesecakes

i am normally really relunctant when it comes to 'bigger acquisitions'... like sports equipment (skis are so incredibly pricey, ugh), or sometimes even a holiday, or just a special dress (that's not from h&m or zara)... i don't know why, but sometimes i still feel like a student. it's not at all like i could splurge, all the time (or as often as i would like, actually). but every now and then, i feel it's vital to invest into something that will really make a difference. like this couch / sofa that i was dreading to buy forever, but now finally got. it's such a major improvement! i promise to show pictures asap... it reminds me that life goes on, even though some things don't seem so rosey...

also, i will be away next week all week for a business trip. i'm going to learn some social media things in one of our network agencies in belgium / antwerpen. another thing to keep me on my toes. it sure is hardly ever boring around here at casa scarlett! 

these individual cheesecakes are pretty simple to make. i used individual patisserie rings to bake them. the recipe makes around 6 individual mini cakes. you could also use cupcake wrappers, though.

individual (baked) cheesecakes

ingredients:

150 g cookies (i took leibnitz butterkekse)

70 g butter, melted

1 pinch of salt

450 g cream cheese (i used a fresh one from the cheese shop)

100 g sugar

2 eggs

150 ml cream (honestly, i took double crème de gruyère)

1 pack vanilla sugar

1 pinch of salt

method:

preheat the oven to 180 degrees celsius. finely crush the biscuits (mi advise: place the biscuits in a sealable plastic bag and crush them with a rolling pin, then remove from the bag) and melt the butter. combine the butter and the biscuit crumbs. place 1 to 2 tablespoons full of the mixture at the bottom of the patissier rings, and press down until firm. prepare the cheese batter: beat the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla sugar in a bowl with a mixer. then add one egg after another and stir in the cream, too. divide the batter between the rings. 

bake for 20 to 22 minutes. let cool first before removing the rings. the cheesecake is even better on the next day. decorate with berries (and dust with some confectioner's sugar, if you're not lazy like me, thank you).

potted happiness

a few weeks back, i got new plants for my three pots. i know it's not really a garden, but it certainly still feels like it. i wanted to get the most out of the space i have - but still have something that's pretty all year round, without much to do. so i got a new box tree, a new privet tree, a bay leave (great for adding to home-made sugo al pomodoro), a mini olive tree and some sempervivum for color (in neon orange and a bright lilac). for a special seasonal kick, i added som herbs: rosemary, sage, oregano, lemon balm, thyme, lemon thyme, mint and a special pineapple mint (that one is so addictive). i love to tend my tiny garden. it keeps me sane despite living in the city, where green space is limited.