party

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Empanadas

vegetarian sweet potato and black bean empanadas

To me, food and mood are related. When I’m feeling worried or upset (not seldom about world politics…), I start cooking. Preferably something more elaborate. I put on my favorite sing-alongs, turn up the volume, and lose myself in the process of creating something delicious, like these empanadas. When it’s time to clean up, my […] Read more…

My vegetarian appetizer board

grandmother's serving dish for appetizers

I love this mid-century serving dish that belonged to my late grandmother. I wish I could say that I recall her using it as a serving plate for appetizers at dazzling cocktail parties, where her sharp-dressed friends drank Sidecars and listened to jazzy music coming from huge loud-speakers. But I can’t. Although my grandmother was […] Read more…

Kitchen Table Menu at Garage Royal

How wonderful! Tonight Restaurant Garage Royal will cook a German Menu form our cookbook Kitchen Table Food. Garage Royal is situated in an old garage on a former military base, which is close to the Kröller Müller Museum at the Veluwe. In their gigantic pizza oven they bake the best Flammkuchen ever! On the menu […] Read more…

Beet Blinis

We already had a practice run for Christmas. Petra brought a beautiful bottle of vodka from Berlin en Tal thought of these blinis to go with it. Of course, a perfect combination but also without the vodka these blinis are a showstopper. This recipe is also featured in this month’s issue of the Dutch culinary […] Read more…

Long Island Clams with Herb Butter

Summer Break! After spending the week in Manhattan, it was time for a change of pace, and we decided, as so many New Yorkers do, to settle on Long Island. We occupied a beautifully restored, 200-year old barn on the East End and enjoyed the sandy beaches, gorgeous bays, fertile land and vineyards, upscale beach towns, […] Read more…

Time for a toast!

The very last recipe for our upcoming cookbook has been written, photographed, cooked, checked, and sent to our layout designer. The book is about to be published! A good reason to bring out a toast. Plus it’s almost the 4th of July so all the more reason to fix ourselves a cocktail. No need to […] Read more…

Cheat on Arnold Palmer tea

It’s summer! At least in DC it is. With temperatures in the 80s this week, we are living outdoors again. But not without thirst quenching drinks, like this iced tea, which is my easy and healthy version of an Arnold Palmer. 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…

Berliner Buletten

Today we’re cooking flattened meatballs, a traditional German snack. Like a lot of German dishes, different names are used throughout the country. In the north, the Heimat of my favorite pilsner (Flensburger), these meatballs are called Frikadellen. In Berlin, we call them Buletten. Read more…

Vegetarian appetizers to celebrate the New Year!

Our New Year’s Eve tradition is to begin and end the evening with champagne. But not without having an array of appetizers within reach or we won’t make it until midnight. These are some of the appetizers we’ll have this year, all easy to prepare: Warm Marinated Olives, Parmesan Crisps, and Goat Cheese with Cranberries […] Read more…

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