Category: Food & Drinks

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Swedish Cardamom Cinnamon Bun

Do you like coffee & tea time too? Cardamom buns are an indispensable delicacy among Swedish folks for Fika time. Taking your time for a good coffee or tea and have sweet delicacies. This spiced Swedish bun has an intense floral perfume from cardamom seeds, which works its way into the dough during cooking. Another favourite is the cinnamon bun, where the baking process is the same but having cinnamon as key flavour.

This recipe covers both, a mix of cardamom and cinnamon but having cardamom as the key flavour.

Serves approx. 20 buns, baking time 1:30-2 hrs including rising process.

Tips:

  • Flour: use bread flour (hard wheat flower with gluten) or strong flour that contains more protein (tarwemeel/speltmeel) which gives an elastic texture. Do not use all-purpose flour (self-rising flour) as this contains baking powder and is intended for non-yeast recipes e.g. cake and muffins.
  • Yeast: use yeast in the recipe and not baking flour 
  • Cardamom in dough: do not use powder version. If you have pods, then prepare this first in taking out the seeds of the pods as this is quite an effort and time consuming.
  • ————- The Dough ————-
  • Saucepan
  • Whisk
  • Big bowl
  • Mortar & pestle
  • Dough mixer 
  • Kitchen towel
  • Dough roller / rolling pin
  • Knife
  • Baking paper, baking tray
  • 2,5 dl milk
  • 25 gram yeast
  • 1 Tbsp fresh ground cardamom seeds
  • 450-500 gram (7dl) bread flour 
  • 75 gram butter on room temperature  
  • 1 dl sugar
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ————- The Filling ————-
  • Small bowl
  • Fork
  • 100 gram butter on room temperature, butter needs to be soft
  • 1dl sugar
  • 1 Tbsp fresh ground cardamom seeds
  • 1 Tbsp cinnamon powder
  • ————- Topping ————-
  • Baking / pastry brush
  • 2x small bowls
  • 1x egg wash
  • ½ dl sugar
  • ½ dl water
  • ½ Tbsp vanilla sugar
  • Mix 2 tsp cinnamon and 2 tsp cardamom powder
  • Optional: 1dl pearl sugar or chopped almonds

What to do?

  1. ————- The Dough ————-
  2. Warm up 2,5 dl milk in a saucepan to finger warm temperature.
  3. Crumble 25gr yeast into the pan, whisk until it dissolves in the milk and pour the milk over in the big bowl.
  4. Grind 1 Tbsp cardamom seeds with the mortar & pestle.
  5. Add the grinded cardamom, 1dl sugar, 450gr baking flour and 75gr butter into the milk bowl.
  6. Mix the mixture for at least 15min until the dough gets elastic. Halfway mixing the flower, add ½ tsp salt and continue mixing. Add a bit more flower if dough is too wet.
  7. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and let it rest for at least 40min. The dough will rise about double its size.  
  8. ————- The Filling ————-
  9. Mix 100gr butter, 1dl sugar, 1 Tbsp ground cardamom and 1 Tbsp cinnamon powder with a fork. The consistent is difficult to mix in the beginning but when the butter softens, it will make it much easier.
  11. ————- Prepare Dough ————-
  13. Prepare baking trays, having baking paper on the bottom.
  14. The dough is ready when it bounces back by slapping on the dough with your hand palm or fingers. Place the dough on a flat and clean surface. Roll it out to a rectangular shape by using a dough roller. 
  15. Spread the filling in lengthwise on one half over the dough and fold the dough in half lengthwise.
  16. Gently, press the dough down so that the folded dough sticks together.
  17. Slice the dough in 1,5cm strips.
  18. Take one strip and twist it. Lay one end on the surface, then roll the strip over the end and place the other end at the bottom of the bun. See video on the ‘How’ at the bottom of this article. Place the bun on the baking tray.
  20. Repeat with the stripes and twists until dough is finished.
  21. Cover the bun tray with a towel and let it rest for 30min.
  22. Pre-heat the oven on 225°C.
  23. ————- Topping ————-
  24. While the buns are resting, make the sugar syrup. Put ½ dl sugar, ½dl water, ½ Tbsp vanilla sugar in a saucepan. Let it simmer until the sugar is dissolved.
  25. Whisk the egg for the egg wash (beaten egg + little water or milk).
  26. Brush the buns with egg wash.
  27. Sprinkle a little bit of the cinnamon & cardamom powder mix on each bun
  28. Optional: sprinkle a little bit of pearl sugar or chopped almonds on each bun.
  30. ————- Finally ————-
  31. Bake the buns in the middle of the oven for approx. 8-10min until the buns are having a golden glow.
  32. When you take the buns out from the oven, immediately brush each bun with a little bit of sugar syrup. The liquid will evaporate and don’t brush too much as you don’t want soggy buns. The syrup prevents having dry buns when they cool off.
  33. Let the buns cool off on the rack.
How to curl your bun

Enjoy your buns with Swedish Fika Time 😋☕️

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Japanese restaurant Yakitori la Kushi in Amsterdam

Do you like Japanese grilled skewers but also like to have the option in eating sushi or tempura? A new authentic Japanese restaurant bar is finally open in Amsterdam Rivierenbuurt, Yakitori la Kushi. I was so much looking forward to this new Japanese grill bar. The opening got a bit delayed by covid19 and some construction work but its now open for delightful dinners 😃

You can enjoy traditional Japanese dishes and some are with a modern twist. The menu offers a variety of appetizers, sushi, sashimi, tempura, rice bowls and ofcourse Yakitori. All look superlicious! You can take a seat at the bar counter like how it goes in Japan or dine at a table. 

What is Yakitori? Yakitori means grilled chicken skewer, it can be served with various part of a chicken e.g. wings, stomach, heart or skin and the grilling is finished with a little bit of salt seasoning or yakitori sauce (glazed savory sweet sauce). When there are other grilled ingredients, you can also call it Kushiyaki as this term covers all kind of meat or vegetable skewers and not explicitly chicken. 

Grilled skewers are a classic food served at izakaya in Japan and is a serious business. It’s about having dinner in a Japanese-tapas style pub where beer, sake, tasty bites and jolly chatters take part. The quality, the meat texture and the grilling skills are important factors in bringing the right atmosphere & flavours. Just yummie!

I started my evening with a smooth dry sake drink, a junmai ginjo from Kyoto and I loved it! I didn’t take a starter, I wanted it but I was so much graving for nigiri sushi. My sushi was fresh made with gloves on ☺️, this already gave me a positive hygienic feeling. It tasted very good, especially the unagi was in balance of sweetness and had the right texture. Personally, I’m not a unagi fan and I wanted to eat more.  I continued with a shrimp tempura roll. The tempura shrimp was fresh fried and crunchy, and not greasy at all, so thumbs 👍🏼. Although, it could have a bit more kewpie mayonnaise and extra lettuce for a divine balance between fried food and a fresh taste. After the sushi and roll, I felt quite pleased in my tummy but being in a Yakitory bar I must try the skewers before leaving. So I ordered a tsukune (chicken ball) and hatsu (chicken heart), one of my favourites. The heart tasted fine, I was missing a bit of smoked flavour and the tsukune meat texture was a bit dry and pricy for a small thin ball. To my personal taste in terms of Yakitori, I prefer my regular favourite Yakitori bar but nevertheless, I had a superlicious dinner + good sake = which made my evening superb! Definitely highly recommended. 

  • nigiri sushi
  • shrimp tempura roll
  • hatsu, tsukune
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Covid19 Summer Trip in Bordeaux and Arcachon

After a delicious tapas roaming experience in Donostia, we crossed over the Spanish/French border meeting up with our friends in Bordeaux. We stepped our foot in heaven; Cité du Vin, enjoying life with fromage, charcuterie and French gourmet!

What more could we ask for?

J’ adore Bordeaux, this was my 2nd visit and Bordeaux is a very lovely city where everything is on a footstep away. Not like Paris, where you need the metro to go to the other side of the center. I definitely suggest in staying in the city center as it’s more convenient and everything is close for a few days of stay. Nice things to do in Bordeaux:

  • Wandering through the historic cobbled streets and around medieval St. Pierre district… yes, bring your flat shoes 🙂
  • Absorbing neo-classic architecture at Triangle d’Or (golden triangle), bounded by 3 fine boulevards Cours Clemenceau, Cours de L’intendance and Allées de Tourney.
  • Attend a classical concert or opera at the Grand Theatre.
  • Palais de la Bourse, famous for its palace reflection on a water pool. 
  • Walk or run along the riverfront Garonne and Pont-de-Pierre bridge.
  • Visit Marché des Capuchins – a bit off track from the center and close to the station. It’s a covered outdoor market with food stands selling fresh daily groceries. There are a few food stands where you can have breakfast or lunch. Slurp down some oysters & white wine on it’s French style. 
  • Enjoy a glass of wine on a terrace or wine bar.
  • Rent a car and take the D2 Route Vins. This route is an hour drive from the city where you can visit many popular vineyards & wine houses. A wine tasting reservation is highly recommended as we ended up not able to get in anywhere.  
  • Bistro du Fromage
  • Cent33
  • Cent33
  • Cent33
  • Cent33
  • Pont-de-Pierre bridge
  • Pont-de-Pierre bridge
  • Porte Cailhau
  • La Grosse Cloche
  • D2 Route Vins
  • D2 Route Vins

After Bordeaux we left for Arcachon. I remembered when I landed at Bordeaux airport on my 1st visit, there was a big wall poster of this place. I forgot the city name but definitely remembered the beautiful sand dunes and paragliders on that wallpaper. I googled and finally found the name where I wanted to go.

Did you know that ‘Dune of Pilat aka Grande Dune du Pilat’ is the tallest sand dune in Europe and runs parallel to a beach? It’s located in Arcachon Bay area, on the southwest coast of France, about 60km from Bordeaux. This dune has a length of 2,7km and the height is about 106,6m above sea level (this can vary each year).

I was so excited to be there. Going uphill, puffing and almost out of breath in getting to the top. It wasn’t easy walking uphill on sand that falls down on every step but the view from the top was amazingly gorgeous! We sat and lay down at the top and embraced the breeze, having sea view on one side and a forest on the other side. We didn’t stay long and the men were planning to go back the next day for an early morning run. I had no doubts and wanted to join. Not the running part ofcourse as they are crazy serious runners. 

The next morning, we left at 8am. Wearing my running cloths and flip-flops…. I was ready in taking this challenge on my bear feet in running and walking off the entire sand dune stretch. This wonderful moment is unforgettable, in my own bubble enjoying this serene environment with just a few people in having the same thought. There was even a family walking up to the top with a baguette under their arm and had their breakfast when they finally found their spot 🙂

  • Chez Jejhene
  • Running up Dune de Pilat
  • Women relaxed uphill
  • Morning walk/run
  • Social pétanque kick-off
  • Learning Pétanque
  • Le Pit
  • Le Pit

Foodie & Wine places we liked in Bordeaux

  • Aux 4 coins du vin – a local favourite wine bar where you tap wine from an enigmatic machine. You use a chargeable card and tap the card to pay for each type of glass you want to taste. They offer a large variety of local wines including high-end wines. You can order charcuterie & cheese plates. Highly recommend in booking a seat if you go after dinner.
  • Cent 33 – superlicious gastronomic experience and awarded as Bib Gourmand. It was an unforgettable dinner menu.
  • Conseil Interprofessional de Vin de Bordeaux (CIBV) – a governmental organisation (includes a wine school) that represents Bordeaux wines within its region at incredible prices. In addition they offer small deli plates. Sunday’s closed. 
  • Horace café – very nice charming place offering daily plats. Starter ~€8, main ~€13
  • Le Bar Du Boucher – carnivore paradise with a casual vibe and a local’s favorite. Choose your meat at the counter.
  • Le Bouchon Bordelaise – non fancy friendly bistro with affordable prices. A lunch plate is from €10.
  • Le Boulanger de l’Hôtel de Ville – very delicious small bakery (its not in the hotel) with a few tiny tables where you can eat your croissant or pastry and coffee.
  • Le Chien de Pavlov – contemporary bistro ran by native Bordeauxlais with good value menu.
  • Suzzi– popular Swedish café for breakfast, brunch or lunch.
  • Le Bocal de Tatie Josée – on my list to go for my next visit if I need a good breakfast place.
  • La Tupina – on my list to go for my next visit
  • Boulangerie Louis Lamour – a bakery to try out on my next visit
  • Racines – on my list to go for my next visit
  • D2 Route Vins, take a lunch at Le Wine Bar Margeaux – we had an amazing lunch here serving house wine from Chateaux Margeaux for a very good market price. 

Foodie places we liked in Arcachon

  • Chez Jejhene, in La Teste de Buch – a simple oyster farm offering oysters, snails and pate and one type of housewine.  
  • Le Cabestan, in Arcachon city center – we had an amazing good dinner here except for the black ink risotto.
  • Le Pitt, in Arcachon city center – lovely bistro and nice terrace offering oysters, shrimps, snails, pate & charcuterie.
  • Le Patio – fine dining for next visit

How to get from BOD airport to Bordeaux city center?

By public transport, take ‘Liane bus 1’. Ticket can be purchased at Hall B near the bus stop. The ride can take upto 45min-1hr. Hopp off at bus stop ‘Gambetta’ (1 stop before train station St. Jean). Please note getting off and onboarding is not the same spot. Onboarding to the airport, the bus stop is situated on street Judaïque, close to street Château d’Eau.

Bon voyage if you plan your trip to Bordeaux or Arcachon & Enjoy your fabulous moments!

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Covid19 Summer Trip in San Sebastián

We continued our Covid trip from La Rioja to San Sebastián/Donostia. It was my first visit here and as many said, Donostia really brings a divine tapas roaming experience! Literally, we ate the whole day and walk it off from bar to bar. There is more fun, make a nice walk or do a run on the promenade along the bay having a gorgeous view. Then follow with a cool down by sipping on an ice coffee at one of the many cafés on the promenade. What about sunbathing on the beautiful beach bays? There is one bay on the left side of the old town and the other one on the right side where people can play beach activities. Hike up on the Urgull hill where you get an incredible view from the Jesus statue Donostia.

We liked it all, except for the lack of safety in being conscious of social distancing in packed bars. Of course, it is inevitable in bars and people tend to care less when they are in joyful groups. Police were standing in front of the bar and they did nothing about the crowded bar. No controls and no warnings, better take precautions yourself at all times in these bizarre moments. The nicest thing about travelling in Covid period is, is less crowd then normal. Shorter queues and no overwhelming flood of tourists in high season.

  • Bar Bergara
  • Bar Nestor

Special dishes to try in Donostia

  • Bacalao – salty cod fish in styles such as pil-pil, salt cod brandade, bunuelos de bacalao (cod fritters), tortilla  de bacalao (omelet).
  • Carrillada – slow cooked beef or pork cheek or as guisos (stew).
  • Cider – natural fermented apple cider, no added ingredients or preservatives. The special pouring technique aerates the cider and gives it a bit of effervescence
  • Foie gras pintxo – in paté or freshly grilled.
  • Gilda – green olives, spicy local pickled peppers and a plump anchovy. It’s one of the most delicious bites, especially when paired with a glass of local vermouth or cider.
  • Idiazabal cheese – smokey sheep’s milk cheese
  • Kokotxas – fish cheeks, often served as kokotxas de merluza (hake fish).
  • Txakoli – a local white wine is served the same way as cider. Poured from a great in order to create effervescence. It taste similar to cider and a delicious partner in crime to a pinxtos crawl.
  • Txuleta – aged grass fed beef, often served rare and by 1kg only
  • Whole roasted fish – popular fishes are merluza (hake), lenguado (sole), rodaballo (turbot).

Tips: Order your pintxos or raciones (shared plates) from the menu board . Pinxtos on the bar could be standing there for a quite some time. You can check that on some pinxtos when the topping look dry, especially the salad types with dressing.

Visit a high-end restaurant or a Michelin star restaurant in getting a 360° gourmet experience.  

Foodie places we liked

  • Bodega Donostiarra Gros – this place was recommended by a local friend and it has a great atmosphere with great food. Few tables indoor and outdoor. We like Gros area very much, it’s situated on the right river bank side where it has more a local vibe.  
  • Bergara Bar – don’t miss out this place! Recommended by a friend and it offers innovative tapas with a modern twist. Tapas was superb delicious.
  • Goiz-Argi, Fermin Calbeton Kalea 4 – specialty is the brocheta de gambas. Tried at others bars but here is at its best.
  • Bar Nestor – they serve 3 type of dishes; tomatoes, padrón peppers, 1kg txuleton steak and if you have luck, tortilla de patata. I have not tried the kilo steak as its way too much for me and the tortilla was sold out. We didn’t understand the popularity of this bar and personally, we didn’t find the tomato salad and peppers to die for but maybe it’s their steak.
  • Papperino II Gelato – passed by this ice cream shop by coincidence with a long queue. Superb ice cream for a good price.
  • Kenko Sushi Kenji Takahashi, Urbieta Kalea 9 – you want something else than Spanish food? Try out this place located in Mercado de San Martin (ground floor). Normally, there are tables at the indoor market to consume your food but with Covid only take away.
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Covid19 Summer Trip in La Rioja

Having a semi-lock down of 3+ months, we are finally somewhat free in spreading our wings in pursuing our life passions again. Terrace time, dining out, going to the movies and especially travelling beyond borders. Although mobility freedom is limited to your continent or to countries labelled as yellow/green zones, it does bring me an excited feeling being back in exploring new adventures!

Our journey drove us to La Rioja, Donostia/San Sebastián, Bordeaux and closing with Arcachon during the Covid19 period. Each country has their own safety restrictions and is subject to changes. This trip brought us a memorable extraordinary experience 😷

Travelling in La Rioja, we noticed that people in every single village were really being cautious. Keeping their masks on at most times, outdoor and indoor and keeping distance from strangers. At first sight, this was an awkward experience because in the Netherlands most people tend to be very relaxed about Covid. I felt safe at a certain matter as I take extra precautions myself, being in a risk group. La Rioja is so beautiful with its charm, serene villages, panoramic vineyard and sunflower fields at every corner you drive, and Rioja also offers its delicious local food & wine. What more could we ask for?

We lay our base at Palacio de Casafuerte in Zarratón, a small renovated charming palace hotel with 5 rooms run by a local family. We liked our stay here very much. This hotel is superb centrally located when you travel by car and their breakfast was such a wealthy morning start to look forward to every day.

  • Fields in Rioja
  • View from hotel Marqués de Riscal
  • Briones
  • View over Paisaje del Ebro

Special dishes to try in La Rioja

  • Bacalao in tomato sauce – cod fish
  • Beef/pork cheeks in red wine sauce
  • Chuletas – grilled lamb chops
  • Menestra de verduras – sautéed vegetable stew
  • Patatas a la Rioja
  • Piquillo peppers
  • Roasted suckling lamb/pig
  • Torrijas – Spanish style French toast (dessert)
  • White asparagus, often preserved in a jar
  • Zurracapote – quite similar to sangria cocktail drink
  • Octopus
  • Torrijas
  • Logroño tomato
  • Beef cheek

Foodie & wine places we liked

  • La Cocina de Ramón in Logroño– this was our most favourite restaurant where we had a divine 3 course lunch for €25 (weekdays only) and awarded as Bib Gourmand. We dropped by with no reservation and had luck with a table. Staff is friendly and speak a bit English. If you go for à-la-carte, highly recommend the Logroño tomato salad as starter.
  • Restaurante Palacio de Casafuerte in Zarratón – wonderful rustic serene setting and the dinner was superb delicious. Starter ~ €15, main ~ €20 and dessert ~ €5. Highly recommend the vegetable stew from La Rioja (menestra). I tried this dish at a few restaurants but here it was at its best.
  • Marqués de Riscal – ranked on 6th best world vineyards in 2020 and has a hotel onsite designed by Frank Owen Gehry (one of his work is the Guggenheim museum in Bilboa). You can join a wine tasting tour of 90min. This includes 3 tastings and prices are from €19pp. Personally, we skipped the tour and wanted to enjoy the building architecture and had a drink at the hotel bar. Access to the hotel area, go to the information desk and check with the shop staff if there is a table free at the hotel bar. We tried to walk in but there are barricades and security holds you up when you access via the road. After enjoying a nice view from the bar, we head to the café situated in the wine shop and did our own wine tasting with tapas bites which you can order at the café bar. To our surprise, the prices are very decent affordable.
  • La Vieja Bodega in Casalarreina – awarded as Bib Gourmand with a very nice authentic wooden farmer’s house setting. Friendly skilled staff, sommelier and hosts, all speak English. Great wine menu and a small selection can be ordered by glass.
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Swedish Midsummer Strawberry Cake

In Sweden, midsummer is a cherished tradition that starts every year on the 3rdFriday of June on Midsummer Eve. This ritual involves flowers in the hair, dancing around a pole, singing Swedish songs while drinking schnapps and having various midsummer foods on the table e.g. pickled herring (sil) with potatoes, gravlax (salmon), sour cream, dille, knäckebröd. Today, it’s more about food and drinking with family and/or friends 😊

One of the not-to-be-missed festive food is the Swedish jordgubbstårta. This is a summer cake filled with vanilla cream and strawberries. It is quite an effort but I’m sure you will love it! Tip: make the cake 1 day before and decorate next day, follow steps 1 until 29.

Serves approx. 12 slices, cooking time 1:30 – 2hrs including cool down process 

Ingredients

  • ————- Cake ————-
  • Butter and breadcrumbs (NL paneer meel) for the springform pan Ø 22cm 
  • Baking paper
  • Big and Medium bowl
  • Hand/electrical mixer
  • 1dl all purpose flower
  • 1dl potato starch or corn starch 
  • 1,5 tsp baking powder
  • 4 eggs
  • 1½ dl sugar 
  • ————- Vanilla Custard ————-
  • Saucepan
  • Small bowl
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 2,5 Tbsp sugar 
  • 2 Tbsp potato starch or corn starch 
  • 1dl standard milk
  • 1dl whipping cream
  • 1 vanilla pod or 2 tsp vanilla sugar
  • ————- Strawberry Filling ————-
  • 400-500gr strawberries or forest fruit which brings a flourish variation on your tasty pallets (frozen fruit is possible)
  • 2 Tbsp sugar 
  • ½ lemon, zest and juice
  • ————- Topping Decoration ————-
  • 4dl whipping cream 
  • 400gr strawberries
  • Optional: 1½ cup chopped roasted hazelnuts or other mixed nuts to your preference

What to do?

  1. ————- Cake ————-
  2. Pre-heat oven on fan function at 190°– 200°C 
  3. Cover the bottom of spring form with baking paper 
  4. Grease the sides of the pan with butter
  5. Coat the pan with breadcrumbs
  6. In medium bowl: add 1dl flour, 1dl potato starch and 1,5 tsp baking soda. Stir until well mixed.
  7. In big bowl: whisk 4 eggs and 1½ dl sugar with hand mixer for 5-10min until the batter is white and fluffy
  8. Add mixed flower little by little into the egg mixture and stir well. 
  9. Pour the mixture into the baking pan.
  10. Bake for 20min in the oven 190° on the middle level until its golden brown. If cake doesn’t get brown, increase oven heat to 200°C. 
  11. Prick a wooden stick in the cake and check if the stick is clean and dry.
  13. Once the cake is ready, take it out of the oven and let it cool down in the pan.
  14. ————- Vanilla Custard ————-
  15. Add 2 yolks, 2.5Tbsp sugar, 2Tbsp potato starch, 1dl milk, 1dl cream in the saucepan.
  16. Scrape the seeds out from the vanilla pod and add into the saucepan. 
  17. Cook on low heat and whisk until sauce gets thick.
  18. Once it gets thick, pour the sauce in a bowl. In case you use vanilla sugar instead of vanilla pod, then add and stir 2tsp vanilla sugar in the bowl.
  19. Let the sauce cool down.
  20. ————- Strawberry Filling ————-
  21. Remove stalks of 400-500gr strawberries and cut it small pieces. Put the berries in a bowl. In case you use frozen fruit, heat it up in a small pan.
  22. Add 2Tbsp sugar, ½ lemon zest and its juice. Stir all ingredients (let it cool down when you heat the frozen fruit).
  23. Crush the berries slightly until you have a jam consistency with chunks of berries
  25. ————- Decorate Cake ————-
  26. Cut the cake in 2 or 3 layers, whatever you feel comfortable with and the cake allows to.
  27. Spread the vanilla custard on the 1stlayer of the cake. On the 2ndlayer, spread the berries filling and add thin layer custard on top of the berries. Put the cake top above the berries. 
  29. Tip: store the cake with custard filling in the fridge overnight and decorate the cake next day. This will make the cake moisty with full berry flavour. Put the springform ring around the cake, and layer 1 kitchen paper on the cake top, and then cover with aluminium foil. In case you want to make the cake in 1 day, put the cake in the fridge while you prepare next steps or put it longer in the fridge in letting the cream stiff up.
  30. Optional: chop 1½ cup roasted hazelnuts to decorate the sides of the cake at step 31.
  31. Remove stalks of 400gr strawberries remove and cut in slices or decorate cake with uncut strawberries but note that slicing the cake would be more challenging.
  32. Whip 4dl cream until it gets thick.
  33. Coat the sides and the cake top with cream.
  35. Decorate the sides with chopped roasted hazelnuts.
  36. Lastly, decorate the cake top with sliced strawberries. Start layering slices on the outer circle first, then layer by layer to the center of the cake. 

Smaklig måltid!

Swedish jordgubbstårta

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Last virtual-covid19 dinner

We held our last virtual-covid19 dinner because countries are slightly opening their borders. This means, counting 95 days from our last trip in Paris I can finally hug Johan again. Hopefully, his flight will go smooth and safe with no unexpected travel restrictions between countries. 

This time, we decided to cook paella and I was so happy that I have been invited to come over to T&Y’s place. After 3 full months almost daily cooking at home alone, its starting to get very boring and having good company always cheer up your day. For all of us, this was our first time paella cooking and I must say it was quite tasty.

Men cooked and women instructed, what can be greater then this right? 😁

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Serbian Style Stuffed Tomato

Another virtual get-together dinner and this time no take-away but cooking a Serbian dish. Original recipe is with stuffed paprika but as I have paprika allergy, a Serbian friend advised to replace with giant tomatoes. My friends will cook paprika and I got 3 tomatoes. Third one is just in case if two is not enough 😁

Serves 1P and cooking time 1:30-2hrs

Ingredients

  • 3x giant tomatoes (or 2x paprika/bell pepper/pepper)
  • 1x shallot chopped
  • 2x garlic cloves pressed
  • 1x carrot chopped 
  • 1x slice bacon (about 70gr) – cut in pieces and remove fatty parts
  • 1Tbsp olive oil
  • 300gr ground beef or mix 200gr ground beef + 100gr ground pork. Personally, I like to avoid too much pork. As there is bacon, I took only beef.
  • 1x bay leave
  • Salt to taste
  • ½ cup white rice
  • ½ cup white wine
  • ½ cup water
  • (When you cook with paprika, dice 1x tomato. Pulp and all will be used for sauce) 
  • ————- Kitchen Tools ————- 
  • Medium measure spoon to hollow tomato, edges are sharper then a regular table spoon.
  • 1 medium bowl
  • 1x deep oven dish
  • 1x frying pan
  • Aluminium foil

What to do?

  1. Pre-heat oven on fan 230°C
  2. Cut the top off the tomato. Keep the top for later to use as lid on tomato.
  3. Scoop the pulp and seeds out in a bowl by using a knife and spoon. Keep the pulp for later.
  4. Chop 1 shallot, chop 1 carrot and press 2 garlic cloves.
  5. Cut bacon in small pieces.
  6. Heat pan with 1Tbsp olive oil. Add bacon.
  7. When bacon starts to cook, add shallot, carrot and garlic.
  9. Stir for a few minutes.
  10. Add 300gram beef, 1 bay leave and salt to taste.
  11. Stir the meat until small lumps.
  12. When meat looks cooked, add ½ cup rice. Mix together for a 5min.
  14. Switch off cooking plate.
  15. Remove bay leave.
  16. Fill up the tomatoes and close it with the tomato top.
  17. Put tomatoes in oven dish.
  18. ————- Sauce ————-
  19. Re-use the frying pan without washing.
  20. Just remove remaining food in pan.
  21. Turn heat on. Add ½ cup wine, ½ cup water and add 1 cup tomato pulp. I store the leftover pulp in the fridge for something else e.g. soup, pasta sauce.
  23. When everything is mixed, pour the sauce in oven dish. Ideally is to bath the tomatoes in ~3cm sauce. If not enough sauce, then add some water.
  24. Cover the dish with aluminium foil. Put dish for 45min in oven.
  25. Take dish out and keep oven on.
  26. Remove foil and pour sauce over tomatoes. If there is too much liquid in the dish, then take some liquid out until ~1cm for the tomatoes too bath in. 
  28. Cook for another 15min in oven without foil.

Finally: serve tomatoes with a simple salad on the side.

My tomatoes got very soft and burst a bit open because of the long cooking time. You need this time in letting the rice cook and letting the flavours flourish.

Three Styles

Prijatno! Hajde, navali! Dobar apetit!

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