Travelling can be extremely difficult. When travelling I always search for the out-of-the-ordinary, that special feeling of belonging, of being awestruck by a view, a place, a dish. In reality, though, I often end up accepting that less than perfect is all I can get. A cool restaurant serving mediocre food. Or the other way […] Read more…
Scones with Cranberries & Cherries
When I was young, Easter wasn’t complete without matzos with butter, sugar and garden cress – something I still eat around this time of year. In Berlin, the stores and bakeries are filled with chocolate eggs and bunny shaped bread rolls as of early February. Whoever celebrates Easter with a brunch, can’t go without lots […] Read more…
Pasta e Ceci
There are days when we are just too busy to do some decent grocery shopping. On those days we open our fridge and closets and often end up making this Pasta e Ceci (Pasta with Chickpeas). I love this simple Italian dish: it’s easy to prepare and I almost always have the ingredients at hand. Read more…
Chicken Pot Pie with leeks & tarragon
In a matter of days we went from two feet of snow to temperatures that allowed for eating outside. Spring is around the corner, but we’re not quite there yet. For me, that is the perfect time for preparing this Chicken Pot Pie, the ultimate American family dish. Read more…
Kaiserschmarrn
Felix Austria is a tiny little restaurant in Berlin-Kreuzberg. Red and white checkered tablecloths, dark wooden furniture, bottles of the herb-lemonade Almdudler in the fridge. On the menu: sausage salad, potato salad, goulash, Marillenknödel (Apricot Knodel), and these Kaiserschmarrn, an Austrian pancake dessert. Read more…
Mexican Hot Chocolate & Cookies
Snow, hail, sleet, temperatures below freezing. Some days it seems that winter will never end here in Washington, DC. Well, at least it’s a good excuse to prepare one of our favorite hot winter drinks: Mexican Hot Chocolate. My daughter Rosa thinks it’s like an enormous liquid bonbon, and I guess she’s right. This hot […] Read more…
Oysters for the Oscars
While watching the 87th Academy Awards we want something decadent to eat: oysters! Last year we made raw oysters with a spicy vinaigrette, this year we’ll eat them broiled with a rich green herb butter and a crunchy breadcrumb topping. They are somewhat inspired by the famous Oysters Rockefeller, Read more…
Veldkeuken’s Chocolate Cake
It’s the second time our favorite Dutch bakery/restaurant, the Veldkeuken, ‘lends’ us one of its beautiful recipes. This time we post this indulgent and lovely chocolate cake. Bake it to spoil yourself or your sweetheart. Read more…
Käsespätzle
Every self-respecting little village in Bavaria, Austria or Switzerland has it on the menu: Käsespätzle (cheese noodles). This quick, home-made pasta is made by squeezing the dough through a special flat colander-like equipment called a Spätzlesieb. Read more…
Chili Bowl
Of course we’ll eat chili bowl tonight! After having spent almost five years in the States I have come to fully embrace this spicy and flavorful tradition on Super Bowl Sunday. Every year I try to make a different version. This year I used ground beef instead of beef chuck, and I must say, it […] Read more…