Nov 15, 2014

Apple amaretti cake

30 comments

Soft, delicious apple dessert with juicy slices of fruit in soft cake topped with a light crunch from amaretti that tastes like heaven...

Nov 4, 2014

Carrot cake with nuts and nuts

21 comments

The recipe was presented on my favorite Italian cooking show as a tribute to the author...some dear Italian lady that is not here anymore. I liked it right away...

Oct 24, 2014

Capri cake II

19 comments

I'm always on a look out for a good Capri Cake (Torta Caprese) recipe...

Oct 15, 2014

Italian pumpkin rye bread

17 comments

I'm changing my ideas about bread/pizza/focaccia making. I'm falling in love with the Italian chef, Gabriele Bonci...

Oct 10, 2014

Cocoa polenta cake (Amor polenta with cocoa)

17 comments

Continuing with my cravings for chocolate...I don't take the easy way and buy a chocolate bar, I make a cake.

Oct 7, 2014

Oatmeal cocoa cake (vegan)

13 comments

It's a cake! No butter, no eggs, not real flour.  I'm not turning vegan or anything but I was out of butter and desperate for a chocolate cake. I didn't find anything in this blog so I quickly hopped over to The Veggie Sisters and got what I needed. And by the way... no mixer, no scale either. Thanks, Girls!

Oct 4, 2014

Oatmeal crepes

13 comments

That Sunday morning, I was out of any whole grain flour, so I blended some oat flakes instead and made these crepes...

Sep 18, 2014

Pasta and chickpeas or "Pasta e ceci" with bell peppers and tomatoes

17 comments

"Rice and beans" is a frequent thing in this home. Then now and then and quite often, Hania demands pasta. I'm glad she does. And I'm glad Italians invented (did they?) and we tried for the first time "pasta e ceci"... 

Sep 13, 2014

Ina's plum tart with walnuts and whole rye

15 comments

Back from Croatia and all I feel like having is either ice cream, rucola or red wine. I've figured why... all to keep Summer in my mind. So today, to bring things back somewhat closer to normal (???....) I turned the oven on and made a pie. 

Jul 21, 2014

Reset time. Destination: Croatia.

44 comments
We are leaving the Baltic and heading down south to the Adriatic. And by "we" I mean the three of us, the Toyota, two tents, two cook tops, one grill, two tables, three chairs... a couple of tee-shirts, dresses, flip flops. The cat stays with my parents.


On the way, we'll stop to spend a couple of days in Italy to check on the summer sales, load the car with Italian groceries and eat the best pizza. And finally, we'll be in Croatia for one whole month at a beautiful camping site, together with a mix of European nationalities where "ciao", "morgen", "hello", "hi", "dober dan" or a smile are all accepted greetings.

I'll still be cooking, outdoors with a view of the blue sea. (Julian will be doing the dishes... outdoors, with the same view). Other than that, I'll be concentrating on doing absolutely nothing...

Jul 17, 2014

Marzipan tart with red and black currants

29 comments

Following my sister's notion of a thin crust, creamy filling and lots of currants on top...

Jul 14, 2014

Flipped rye focaccia with cherry tomatoes, olives and prosciutto

31 comments

In this upside down version of focaccia, juices and flavors from tomatoes, olives and prosciutto don't have any other place to go but into the bread...

Jul 10, 2014

Creamy almond cake with red currants and white chocolate

35 comments

Ah, the red currants... best when grabbed straight from the bushes when spending Summers in the country... years ago.  Grandma doesn't have the garden anymore and I can't eat but a handful of them... too sour. Good news is, with the company of a little sugar and melted white chocolate, the red little fruit becomes a Summer bliss...

Jul 7, 2014

Fresh fava bean guacamole bruschetta

40 comments

Polish Summers with fresh fava beans... very much missed when living abroad. The season is very short, it's happening now and we can't get enough of them.  In any form...

Jun 25, 2014

Coconut cake with a cocoa heart

35 comments

Simple, nutty and delightful cake that communicates well with all the juicy Summer fruits around... or an espresso. 

Jun 20, 2014

Coffee semifreddo

21 comments

Cold, creamy, thick cappuccino that you slice with a knife and serve on a plate...

Jun 16, 2014

Young cabbage focaccia rolls

19 comments

Young, Spring cabbage tastes nothing like the Winter variety. It's light and sweet. Even better roasted and rolled into a focaccia...

Jun 13, 2014

Jun 11, 2014

Apricot and almond (or ricotta) delicacy

24 comments

Some fruit bakes better than others... Apricots, with their flesh that is smooth and not too juicy and a mild flavor that only improves in the oven, are one of the tops.

Jun 9, 2014

Chocolate covered ice cream on a stick

25 comments

One day, I thought it was getting a bit boring to eat ice cream again straight from the carton. So I made a big mess...the good kind, you know.

Jun 6, 2014

Jun 4, 2014

Split focaccia sandwich with roasted baby beets, goat cheese and yogurt

22 comments

It's been a baby beet festival in my home for the last couple of weeks. Beets with good bread, a touch of refreshing creaminess and me... one of its best moments.

May 31, 2014

Asparagus carbonara

17 comments

Everybody from La Prova del Cuoco show (an Italian cooking program that I watch whenever I can) is making this at home now, they said, so I had to try it too.  Introduced by a fabulous redhead chef from Tuscany and a frequent guest on the show, Luisanna Messeri, a couple of days ago...

May 29, 2014

Roasted kohlrabi with barley in parsley Gorgonzola béchamel

19 comments

Kohlrabi is usually the last produce to go from the fridge before a shopping day. It can stay there probably for up to a week. And then there should be always a couple slices of prosciutto, hopefully Parmesan but that day there was only Gorgonzola. So I just went around the corner to get parsley because it's particularly good this time of the year and accidentally, with all that, we had a fantastic lunch...

May 25, 2014

Milkshake recipe in 30 sentences and Hello strawberries!

11 comments

Hania was to write her favorite recipe for a school project. Minimim 30 sentences. I suggested: the strawberry milkshake. It is what she's been making and eating lately. The idea of putting fruit and ice cream together sounded nice and easy, but have you ever tried to put it in 30 sentences? I tell you, our brains were smoking...

May 23, 2014

Young potatoes with dill, yoghurt and egg

18 comments

With the first hot days of the year, my childhood memories together with my appetite go back to this...

May 21, 2014

Frittata with asparagus and young potatoes

21 comments

I wanted to make it look like a whirlpool of asparagus. The eye came out kind of irregular, but the outside got some spin...

May 16, 2014

Cheese(or almond)cake swirl brownie with raspberries and rhubarb

18 comments

Dear "Skinny Chick", thank you for your fabulous recipe. Just one thing, there was no way I could have waited 2 hours for the brownie to cool...So my bad...or my good, I tried it after 40 minutes. I like it already. However, after several hours in the fridge, the brownie tasted like the best ice cream, Hania said. It was creamy, smooth, firm...cold and full of wonderful flavors. :) ela

May 12, 2014

Penne gratin with asparagus alla carbonara

22 comments

Lately, I've putting together meals without plans for posting and then when they are ready, I can't help it: I take the camera out and start clicking. Others can't help it and start eating...

May 10, 2014

Rhubarb loaf with white chocolate

9 comments

To continue my fascination with this long and lean vegetable, I had to put in a loaf. Turns out, it was made for it...

May 8, 2014

Bok choy soup

19 comments

After a weekend of indulgence, I was happy to feed me and others this light but satisfying soup.

May 6, 2014

Rhubarb almond (or ricotta) delicacy

22 comments

I had a picture of it in my head before I made it. I wanted whole stalks of rhubarb on top, as if they were lying on my kitchen table.

May 4, 2014

Rhubarb bars with almond crumble

22 comments

I got 4 pounds of rhubarb during the week. I was so excited when I saw it in the store first time this year. I made two rhubarb cakes over the weekend and used most of it, just three stalks left in the fridge.

May 1, 2014

Focaccia with asparagus and Spring herbs

21 comments

Spring comes and do I start eating salads...? Occasionally and accidentally - yes. Preferably - I let the greens and the reds get all tasty and tender on top of focaccia.

Apr 28, 2014

Whole spelt Paradise cake on berries

23 comments

I had way too many eggs leftover after Easter. With their expiration date approaching fast, I decided to make Paradise cake, or Torta Paradiso in Italian, with 8 eggs, butter, flours, sugar and lemon.

Apr 27, 2014

Where the river meets the sea in yellows and reds

8 comments

...is where we live. Just a few steps outside our door and we are on the breakwater that also guides ships in and out of the port. Obviously, a great place for a walk. Preferably late, late afternoon when everything looks and feels better. When everything is covered with a gray tint but some things stand out. Like...