new year's resolution & porridge (with almond butter)

that's what i plan to eat, every morning, come 2013: porridge (with almond butter). because it's really healthy and makes me feel so good. okay, so it's a pretty tough resolution, considering i mostly eat breakfast 'on the go'... let's move to more feasible resolutions:

1. eat healthy breakfasts
2. drink tea whenever possible
3. read more children's books
4. say 'i love you' a lot
5. learn to take better pictures (this blogging provides a constant learning curve)
6. buy a dozen new cookbooks (okay, that's easy)
7. do something i've never done before
8. dance the night away, at least once (haven't done that in a while...)
9. be there for friends
10. be grateful for each blessing

do you have any new year's resolutions? if so, what about? 

happy new year's eve! as always, thank you for reading. see you next year (if you like). 

xx

foodie gifts

each year, we say we won't make big gifts. truth is, no one really plays by the no-gift rule... well, i actually prefer to give home made gifts. foodie gifts. it's one of my dreams to sell home made foodie gifts; pickled pickles and jarred jams and spiced sauces, candy, cookies and other good stuff. just tiny portions, mind. it might come true in 2013? we'll see what the year has in store... 

so far, a teaser, with two goods from my kitchen: a spiced cranberry sauce (perfect to go with porridge in the morning) and the fig hazelnut chutney you already know.

christmassy mini pavlovas

a christmassy dessert includes something red and something white. so these individual pavlovas with vanilla whipped cream and a spiced cranberry pomegranate sauce were just perfect. i've made pavlovas before - but to be honest they weren't as pretty as these ones here... my mom made the meringues, i made the sauce. good job sharing.

mini pavlovas with cranberry pomegranate sauce

ingredients merinuges:
4 egg whites
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. lemon juice, to clean the utensils
1 tbsp. baking powder
1 tsp. corn starch

for the cranberry pomegranate sauce:

1/2 pomegranate, seeds

3 cups cranberries, cleaned and picked over

1/2 cup sugar

2 cups orange juice

3 star anise

3 cinnamon sticks

1 vanilla bean

6 cardamom pods

5 cloves

1 tea bag for the spices

for the vanilla cream: 250 ml cream, whipped1 vanilla bean, extracted4 tbsp. confectioners' sugar

directions:

preheat the oven to only 100 degrees celsius (200 fahrenheit). this is an (i guess) important first prep step: sprinkle the lemon juice on a paper towel, and wipe it over the bowl and all the utensils that will be in touch with the egg whites prior to beating them (i.e. also the mixer forks), spatula etc. this will remove any potential grease. beat the egg whites with the baking powder, first, for a few minutes, until mostly stiff. add the sugar only then, and the corn starch. beat on until very white-shiny and stiff. shape little meringue ponds with a spatula freestyle, or perfect little heaps with a confectioner's pipe (like we did), on a baking sheet. you should get around 9 meringues, depending on their size. place in the oven and dry (not bake) for 1.5 hours or until dried out and hard from the outside. turn off the oven and leave the meringues in the oven to cool completely.

for the vanilla cream, just whip the heavy cream, add the vanilla bean seeds and the sugar. refrigerate until used. for the cranberry pomegranate sauce, heat the sugar in a large saucepan and melt without stirring, until caramelized. deglaze with the orange juice and cook for a few minutes until the sugar is dissolved again. put the spices in a tea bag, add the cinnamon sticks, vanilla bean and cranberries and cook for 5 minutes. remove from the heat and stir in the pomegranate seeds. put to cool. before serving, remove the tea bag with the spices, the cinnamon sticks and vanilla pod.

to assemble, take one meringues, add a few dollops of vanilla cream and top with cranberry pomegranate sauce. add a decoration (we used a green twig and a wooden star).

christmas recap

some pictures from our christmas family dinner - starting with the prep breakfast between my mom and me (khakis and star bread). why does it always have to be over so quickly? pictures of the food (with the recipes) will follow soon! xo

lavender shortbread

merry christmas, everyone! 

post-christmas* laziness... i like. yesterday night was wonderful... we started our family dinner at 4pm already (tiny todds part of the crowd and all...). and oh my, did we have a lot of presents! mostly for the little ones, though. lightning mcqueen remote control sure was a hit with my nephew. well, and i sure didn't miss out, either. oh, sweet presents.

as i speak (before i even started to clean and tidy the house, let alone pack for the upcoming trip, huhumm) i am downloading pictures from yesterday and preparing some posts for the next couple of days. 

oh, i almost forgot. those wonderful lavender shortbread cookies... my sweet friend made them for a girls' brunch. i swear i didn't eat them all by myself. nope. negative. munchmunch. similar recipe here. 

* in switzerland, we celebrate on the eve of the 24th. so i guess, christmas is still on for you. enjoy, enjoy! wishing you all a wonderful time with your loved ones.

on birthdays...

i might as well spill the beans: it's my birthday today. and though i'm technically freaking out about not really comfortable with turning thirty, i try to enjoy this day. after all, i will never be younger than now (i hate this saying - but it's kind of true anyway, duh). might as well enjoy it while it lasts. so okay, i'm thirty now. there. so that's that.

how do i feel, you want to know? go figure, i still feel like i'm eighteen (my tiny wrinkles around the eyes would object... ahem). i still wear neon undies. i still don't like to go to the cellar all on my own (especially when it's dark). i avoid phone calls whenever possible. eating maccaroons (in pretty pastels) makes me feel slightly daredevilish and frivolous. morning is still my friend (after all, i was born at 5am...). basically, i'm still the same scarlett - only with better facial cream *makingafaceatyou*.

so now that you know and all (and now that my blog 'about' will have to change from 'twentysomething blogger' to 'not-twentysomething-anymore blogger'), we can move on. alright? i'm thirty. no biggie. let me have my cake and get it over with. tomorrow's a new day - if the world will still exist, that is... 

note: it would be kind of a fulminant end to everything, and, uhm, my life... i guess, this apocalypse thing. not that i'm expecting a big bash, mind... see you tomorrow! *wave* thank you for reading.

picture source: call me cupcake *

*like every year, i planned to make my own mini birthday cake. with at least twentyseven layers, lots of sprinkles, some bunting and gold dust, naturally. eventually, i gave up this plan (like always). christmas (and baby jesus'  birthday, for that matter) got in the way, somehow. maybe next year. in the meantime, this one from call me cupcake comes pretty close to the one i'd make for moi même. tiny, but decadent. ahaha.

pickled cherry peppers (on marinated mozzarella)

for years, a vintage postcard with the saying "all you need in life is love and preserves" was hanging on our fridge. it always struck me as very true. to have a well stocked pantry feels so good and reassuring! i love to pickle things, it gives me a homey and in-charge feeling. like the world is a good place, after all. or at least: like even the worst times can be handled with the right food - savely and secretly hidden for bad days... it might sound a bit nuts to you, but i think to have food on the side is even better than to have money on the side. with food... well, you won't have to be hungry. with money, that's not always given. anyway, let's not fall into an apocalyptic mood... people might think i'm so desperate about the big three-zero event... which i'm totally not. i'm zen about apocalypse and birthdays. should the world end - fine with me! okay, distracted. back to the point.

preserves.

i like preserves. especially savory, pickled ones. that make you be all creative about their use. like these pickled cherry peppers here (slighty hot, slightly sour, a bit sweet, very nice). i bottled them up and let them pickle (is that an acutal verb?) and soak in the spices and vinegar. okay, so since i'm not the most patient type, i couldn't wait for them to pickle any longer than a week. after a week i just went at them. i served them on marinated mozzarella (which was also kind of an 'at the moment' thing) and it was really something to dwell on... to be continued (as soon as cherry peppers hit the markets).

pickled cherry peppers

makes one large jar full

ingredients:

600 g cherry peppers, cleaned

1 liter white vinegar (i used an apple-honey vinegar)

1 cup honey

3 bay leaves

3 garlic cloves, peeled

1 tbsp. black pepper corns

3 tbsp. salt

directions:

wash your hands and workspace. clean and sterilise a large mason jar and lid in boiling water. put it, open side down, on a clean kitchen towel until used, making sure not to touch the insides of the jar anymore. clean the peppers, and cut a slit lengthwise into them, to get the air out of them and prevent them from swimming on top of the pickle liquid instead of being soaked. throw the pepper, cloves and bay leaves in the jar. for the pickling liquid, bring the vinegar, honey and salt to a boil, and let cook for 5 more minutes. pour the hot liquid into the jar over the peppers. press down the peppers with a clean spatula, to get the air out. wipe clean the rim and close the lid, securely. can the jar in a canner or in a large saucepan with boiling water (making sure that the water covers the jar completely) for 10 minutes. alternatively, if you don't have a canner or a large enough saucepan, 'bake' the jar in the oven for 15 minutes at 180 degrees. let cool and store in a dry and dark place for at least one week before using.


marinated mozzarella

ingredients:
1 large mozzarella, torn apart à la main
1 bunch basil leaves
1 garlic clove
1/2 cup olive oil
1 tsp. maldon sea salt
1 lemon, zest
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. acacia honey
1 pinch dried chili flakes

directions:
blend together the basil leaves, garlic, olive oil, honey, salt, lemon juice and zest and chili flakes in a food processor. pulse until homogenous. distribute the mozzarella on a plate. pour the basil oil over the mozzarella, and marinate it, covered in the fridge, for a few hours before serving (or, if you can't wait, again, like me... just serve it there and then. carpe diem, and all...).

sprinkles petit fours

though techincally i'm a sucker for the red-white-green theme for the holidays season, a few pastel colored sprinkles now and then don't hurt, either. these teeny tiny petit fours would be nice on a silver cake stand served with tea and coffee...

sprinkles petit fours
makes 60 pieces

for the pastry:
3 egg whites
1 pinch salt
75 g sugar
3 egg yolks
1 lemon, zest (grated)
100 g flour

for the glaze:
500 g confectioners’ sugar
3 tbsp. rose water
3 tbsp. water
sprinklesfor decorating

directions:
grease and flour tiny bundt pans. for the pastry, whisk the egg whites with the salt until stiff. fold in the sugar and continue to beat, until the mixture is shiny. add egg yolks and lemon zest. sift in the flour. divide evenly between the bundt pans. bake one batch after another in the middle of the oven at 200 degrees c / 350 degrees Ff for 6 to 8 minutes. let cool.

for the glaze, combine all ingredients until you’ve got a chewy consistency. dip the petit fours into the glaze, by means of a wooden stick. decorate with the sprinkles. let dry on a rack.

holiday reads and to dos

this year, i will totally not do anything big during the holidays... that is, i've definitely got plans as to where to stay and all, but mostly, i just want to unwind and be 'off' everything. off the internet (sorry, guys... i'll recap in january, though), off the phone, off work, of the city i live in and the hustle and bustle of everyday life in general. it will be relaxation and old fashioned entertainment, all over again! here's a list of things i'm going to do (start date: 25th):

1. listen to cheesy music - and maybe make a few new playlists for the car

2. cook a stew or some other rustic, wintery one-pot dish (involving a bottle of wine in the cooking process)

3. write a letter & get started with my handlettering project (it's an eternal project...)

4. overdress for no particular reason, just because it's the holidays

5. splurge on something luxurious and exaggerated (i'm thinking maybe a new handbag... oh-oh...)

6. eat lots of candy; and that's that
7. watch some classic movies, like this all time favorite movie of mine: 'a christmas story'

8. make a fire with proper logs and everything - and sip at a festive drink

9. go for a wintery walk in the snow (i'm dreaming of a white christmas all the time)

10. 7. read a stack full of good books, obviously *

* among the stacks of books i got for the holidays are the wildwood chronicles. i'm halfway through the first volume - and i'm obsessed! the chronicle is written by colin meloy (by the way the songwriter and lead singer of the band 'the decemberists', that i adore!). it's actually a children's book (many of my favorite books are, by the way), evolving about a hidden forest and its inhabitants. mystic, enchanting and so, so sweet! and don't get me started on the illustrations, and the overall look of the book. this will look so good in my (future, new, huhum) bookshelf.

another book on the stack is 'james and the giant peach' by roald dahl (my favorite author). i haven't read it in ages, and it's definitely time for some dahl...there's also some tolstoi (anna karenina), that i borroughed from my mom, to be considered. since i've just seen the movie and heard it's nothing like the book, i'm curious. i want to know for myself.

yeah, i guess my suitcase will be heavy... sighs.

note to self: consider an e-reader, now and forever? my suitcase would be so much less heavy! oh my word. but giving up real books...? i'm just not ready now, i'm just not ready... because what would i take pictures of for you, then? a screen shot of my e-reader? honestly... 

anywy... the holidays will be most fabulous. and i can't wait! i am even at peace with my approaching (thirtiest! eep!) birthday (this friday). hey, you simply can't have it all, even at christmas. 

picture source

merry giftmas III

personally, i'm a huge fan of gold and yellow tones, anyway. also, you can never go wrong with a decadent little treat - and what shouts 'glamour' better than sparkly and shiny? here are a few last minute gift ideas, for those undecided or constantly overly busy types (read: me). though i try hard to start early, life always gets in the way... but anyway. opt for a scented candle, or a lush (seasonally flavored is a plus) beauty product, like this gingerbread man set from the body shop. i bet you'll even please the toughest diva with these ideas. happy weekend, everyone! make sure to squeeze in some quality time (you know, candle burning, cup of tea, cookies, legs up, good read...) in between all the pre holiday hassle...!

1 taxi mittens
2 crystal gold studs
3 sparkly champagne glasses
4 bird cocktail ring
5 cire trudon scendted candle
6 the body shop beauty set
7 smythson iphone sleeve

slow-roasted tomatoes

more slow roasted tomatoes (this time with better pictures). these are so good, i can't put enough emphasis on it. now, with the holidays approaching and many an opportunity to cook proper (i.e. not just a jogurt on the go...) breakfasts and brunches, these will be your secret trick up your sleeve. they're good with almost anything breakfast like. indespensable, for example, as an accompaniment for eggs benedict, in a frittata, as a side to poached eggs, in guacamole, as a salsa or simply like that on a good, old fashioned and heavily buttered piece of (sour dough, if you can) bread. recipe here.

roasted master cleanse chicken with pumpkin mash

i only recently grew to like a whole roasted chicken. so, when friends visited for dinner a few weeks back, i thought why not make, an individual mini version for every one? accompanied by pumpkin mash and roasted green beans, it was the ideal winter dinner.

the nice twist about the chicken recipe is, that it's made with lemon (so far so not new), maple syurp and paprika. for those health freaks and dieters among us, it might also be known as (drumroll) 'the master cleanse'. the idea of the master cleanse is to drink lots (i wouldn't dare say 'only', as it sounds too crazy...) of water with lemon juice, maple syrup and paprika - and apparently the health benefits of it are amazing. well, technically speaking, a chicken with master cleanse (especially with the amounts of butter) probably wouldn't count as a proper diet. duh! spoil-sports everywhere... let's just pretend it works, nevertheless, okay?

roasted master cleanse chicken

ingredients:

4 whole mini chicken

1 cup butter

1/2 cup maple syrup

4 tbsp. paprika

1 lemon, juice + 1 more lemon for slices / garnish

3 tbsp. coarse sea salt

directions:

preheat the oven to 220 degrees c (400 degrees f) and line the sheet with a parchment paper. start by cleaning the chickens under the running water and patting it dry. melt the butter and remove from the heat. add the paprika, lmeon juice, maple syrup and salt. brush the chickens with 2/3 of the butter maple mix, generously (don't worry if you create a mess...). roast in the oven for 15 minutes, brush with some of the left-over butter. then lower the heat to 180 degrees. continue roasting for 25 to 30 minutes, brushing with the butter from time to time, until the chickens are evenly dark brown and crispy.

spiced pumpkin mash

ingredients:

1 butternut squash, peeled and cut into pieces

2 potatoes, peeled and cut into pieces

2 tbsp. butter

1 to 3 cups good vegetable broth

1/2 cup parmesan

1 tsp. nutmeg

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1 pinch fleur de sel + salt for cooking

directions:

in a large saucepan, bring water to a boil. salt generously, then cook the squash and potatoes in it until tender. drain. with a food processor or immersive blender, blend until very smooth and all chunks are eliminated. bring back to the head, add the butter, a bit of the broth (bit by bit) and the parmesan. stir to combine. if necessary, add more broth, until desired consistency. season with nutmeg and cinnamon, and some fleur de sel, if desired. served on lovely, warmed plates next to the crispy roasted chicken.

carrot cream cheese layer cake & lillie magazine launch

the holidays are totally the season of planned overindulgence... so better make the most of it while it lasts, my credo. so here's a spread freshly out of the new lillie magazine - with my festive, nostalgic, cream cheese layer cake! yay! doesn't it look totally worth all of its miriad calories? thank you for including it in your fab mag, lillie crew! can't wait to finally hold the magazine in my hands.... 

psssssst... if you want one, too, go here: www.lilliemag.com - a digital copy is available for less than a fiver, a print copy for a tenner. subscriptions are coming, soon. xo

lillie magazine & festive dumplings soup

friends, on and offline! the LILLIE MAGAZINE is about to launch (on monday, eeeep!). it's the magazine for eco friendly lifestyle; from beauty to interior to food it will cover contempary style for the conscience ladies. i'm so glad an honored i got to be part of this major project, that letitia initiated. i'm the food editor, can you believe it? yeah, i can't, either. it was a actually quite intense (and i can only imagine how much hard work it must have been for letitia and the magazine crew based in new york...) - but it's so exciting that it will now finally launch in a few days!

if you're curious, check out the LILLIE MAGAZINE online, on facebook or on the site. also, you can catch a lot of the buzz around it (this is only the start, but it's going to be major) on twitter. the super cool trailer can be viewed here. sign up if you like it (which i'm sure you will)! and spread the word.

now back to this soup. soup in general is something so good and soothing in winter, n'est pas? and this one in particular is one of my all time favorites: semolina dumplings soup. i used to love it as a kid. since i'm a grown up pretend to be grown up, i try to cook it every now and then (i have posted it before). the last time around i made the dumplings with tiny spoons (not with tablespoons) - so that the dumplings turned out smaller and more elegant looking (if you can say that about a soup...).

semolina dumplings soup (with vegetable broth)

serves 4

for the dumplings:

2 eggs

1 cup semolina (or twice the eggs’ weight)

2 tbsp. warm water

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 pinch salt, plus more for cooking

1 pinch black pepper

for the vegetable stock:

1 celeriac

2 carrots

2 onions

1 parsnip

1 large celery stalk

1 leek

1 bunch of flat parsley and / or other herbs, like basil, marjoram, thyme, lovage (with stems)

2 garlic cloves

2 bay leaves

1 handful dried or fresh mushrooms (like champignons)

1 tsp. black pepper corns

2 tbsp. olive oil

water

(salt)

for garnishing:

1 carrot, peeled and chopped

1 celery stick, finely sliced

directions:

start with the broth. wash all the vegetables and chop everything up (the smaller, the better the pieces release their fragrance and vitamins to the broth). heat the olive oil, and gradually add the chopped vegetables. start with the harder ones first: celeriac, celery stalks, carrots, and parsnip. sweat for a minute or so. then add the celery stalk, onion and garlic, and stir-fry some more. the roasting will give it a nice, nutty taste. add about 2 liters of water. complete with mushrooms, parsley (and / or other herbs) pepper corns. cook the broth on low with the lid closed for an hour. drain through a fine mesh sieve, to remove all the solids and chunky bits. keep hot. season with salt if necessary.

beat up the eggs into a bowl and add semolina. add water and olive oil and season with salt and pepper. if the dough is too hard, add more water. if it's too liquid, add more semolina. the dough should be lightly 'shapeable' with two spoons. Pput to rest for 20 minutes. in a large saucepan, heat well salted water (to cook the dumplings).

soft gingerbread cake

you've probably already know my total devotion to all things food and cooking. and that it occasionally makes me look like an utter madwoman in other fields; like fashion (only recently documented here), sports, or general attire... well, it seems i've taken it to a complet new level. today i forgot to wear mascara. like, just happily left the house un-made-up. when i went to the ladies and caught my eye in the mirror - i almost jumped with fright. i looked... so unlike my self (well, unlike my usual at least half way made up self...). it was a shock. 

but on the other hand, i accomplished several things this week (in my kitchen). i attempted to make preserved lemons only last weekend. then i canned some very, very good cranberry sauce. you know, the sort that goes well with breakfast for dinners, i.e. porridge or bread puddings... yes, delicious. i made a double batch of mini scones (biscuits, the americans call them) to go directly in the freezer, for our weekend guests (they make for a very quick breakfast; simply heated in the oven and enjoyed warm with some clotted cream and a home made jam). and would you believe it, i even squeezed in some candy making! i made a batch of proper, sugary, frozen-looking candied cranberries. in the evening, and all. they're real beauties. and so gooood! omg, why did no one tell me? pouting.

so, if i'm not made up, at least my food is... yup, damage-control scarlett style... xo

soft gingerbread cake

makes one large 24 cm / 9 inch cake

ingredients:

1 1/3 cup sugar

4 tbsp. pear honey (or molasses)

1 ½ cup cream

1 cup water

1 cup milk

2 tsp. baking soda

1 ¼ tbsp. gingerbread spice

4 cups flour

butter & flour, to grease the molds

directions:

preheat the oven to 220 degrees c (400 degrees f). grease the desired molds and flour them. combine the yogurt, pear honey, cream, water, milk, gingerbread spice and baking soda. whisk well. now sift in the flour, bit by bit. divide between the molds. bake; the small ones for about 20 minutes, bigger pans for 25 to 35 minutes. check with a wooden stick; when it comes out clean, the cake is ready. remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack.

merry giftmas II

gadgets are always a good christmas gift; as they're not merely decorative - but still useful and with a purpose. and who could withstand a gingerbread man shaped headphones winder? exactly. just go for whimsy gadgets - and you can't go wrong. i collected some as inspiration for you.

1 mushroom mug

2 heart measuring cups

3 red striped paper straws

4 cupcake calendar

5 gingerbread man headphones winder

6 star cleaning brush

6 tomato ketchup dispenser

7 heart headphones

raw celeriac apple walnut salad

i'm in a bit of a (hopefully temporary) clothes crisis... though i love winter, really love it, and am thrilled about snow, i get the feeling that winter does that to me, this unhappiness with the state of my wardrobe (okay, that, or maybe the fact that i haven't invested one penny in my winter wardrobe this year, really, because of the fact that we were moving and everything sort of invisibly seeped into the house...). and now, well, it's sort of the middle of winter in zurich already. and i just think: oh heck, is it worth still buying winter stuff, this season? might as well wait until next year... 

and in the meantime, as always, i'm procastrinating, i.e. deluding myself with great food. it happens all the time that cooking sort of prevents me from spending time on clothes (and other equally shallow matters, for that). the pleasure of creating something in my kitchen is forever thrilling - and i'd happily (or sometimes, like today, not so happily...) take that over being well-dressed. well, that's how priorities shift, for you.

this celeriac salad isn't exactly rocket science, in fact it's rather a classic dish. but it's a nice twist to the sad looking green leaves you always get everywhere (i swear one day i'm going to revolutionize the salad business in zurich...).

raw celeriac apple walnut salad
serves 4 as a side

ingredients:

1 celeriac (raw), peeled

1 apple, peeled

½ cup walnuts, coarsely crushed

1 tbsp. mayonnaise

2 tbsp. heavy cream

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 tbsp. apple vinegar

1 tbsp. lemon juice (from fresh lemon)

1 tsp. maldon sea salt

directions:

julienne the celeriac, and cut the apple into cubes. combine the mayonnaise, oil, vinegar, lemon juice and salt and whisk together thoroughly. season to taste. add the sauce to the celeriac, apple and walnuts and toss to combine.

merry giftmas I

let's be honest: it's almost as good to give than to receive... but still, christmas with the many obligatory gifts can be quite stressful and quite complex. so as a good guide to find the perfect gift, i often end up thinking: what would i like to have? i know, it sounds a bit self-centered... but it's still a rule of thumb that often works. like, consider your home. what is always lacking? like table linen, or a colorful, seasonal throw? or special, tiny plates, or a scented candle? other people will experience the same and miss the same things in their home. another good idea is to give crafty things that people don't already have but would maybe consider to tap into, once they have the necessary tools. like a calligraphy set with colorful ink. though i'm mainly making preserves, pickles, chutney and sweet treats to give this year - here are some things on my list, that i'd definitely buy for my loved ones - and myself, too. all in universal, soft colors, that blend easily with every home interior or pesonal style.

1 hidden message votives

2 tiny plates on tray

3 hand and heart warmer

4 calligraphy set

5 jane austen pink book set

6 vintage sari throws

white bean soup with merguez

since i moved this blog to my own domain on the weekend (forkandflower.com, obivously) (note: you won't really feel the difference, since you're still being forwarded from the old adress onto here *sighofrelief*) i am so looking forward to revealing further news and introducing the new design, very soon! 

in the meantime: a recipe that doesn't really require a fork. oh well... spoons are friends, too!

white bean soup with merguez

adapted from (or rather: inspired by) greg malouf's arabesque (which i reviewed, here)

ingredients:

2 cups giant white beans, cooked according to directions

6 merguez sausages, thinly sliced and fried

2 cups kale, coarsely chopped

2 celery stalks, thinly sliced 

3 tomatoes, concassé (i.e. skinned, deseeded and finely chopped)

1 bunch parsley, leaves coarsely chopped

1 liter good vegetable broth (preferrably home-made)

1/2 lemon, juice

1 cinnamon stick

1 tsp. acacia honey

2 tbsp. sweet red paprika flakes

salt

directions:

heat the broth (or, if you make your own, follow this recipe) together with the cinnamon stick, then add the beans, kale and half of the parsley and heat through (2-3 minutes). season with paprika flakes and lemon juice, the honey and some additional salt, if necessary. fry the merguez, then add to the broth. prepare the tomatoes. shortly before serving, place a handful of the tomato concassé, celery stalk slices and parsley in each bowl. ladle the broth with the beans and kale into the bowls. sprinkle with some more parsley and paprika flakes. serve hot and with a smile (because this is going to be good...).