The ginger and turmeric shots take my beloved “healthy espresso” to the next level. Add a small piece of fresh turmeric to the apple/ginger mixture and feel the energy boost.
ginger & turmeric shots
(yields 3 shots)
3 apples
a good chunk of fresh ginger
about 3cm fresh turmeric
Juice and enjoy!
Whenever I prepare this mung dhal the smell of sizzling spices teleports me to Hassan’s kitchen in Madame Mallory and the smell of curry. It’s irresistible.
mung dhal (basic recipe)
200g mung dhal
double the volume of water
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon rock salt
1 tablespoon ghee
2 teaspoons cumin powder
1 teaspoon Chinese Five Spice powder (cinnamon, clove, star anise, Sichuan peppercorn, fennel seeds)
Soak the mung beans during the night or for a minimum of 4 hours.
Drain and rinse.
Bring the water to boil in a saucepan, add the mung beans, the curry powder and the turmeric. Simmer on medium heat with a lid on. Cook for 25 minutes. Finally stir in the rock salt.
Meanwhile dry fry the cumin and the Chinese Five Spice powder for a minute until fragrant on medium heat. Add the ghee and stir occasionally. (If you like so you may add grated garlic and ginger to the spice/ghee mixture.)
Finally combine the mung beans and the spices. Enjoy ! đź’›
For the cocoa , mint and chili cold brew you need fresh water, a pair of crushed cocoa beans, a few slices of red chili pepper and a twig of fresh mint. Let the brew rest in the fridge for the night and enjoy in the morning. No coffee needed!
Definitely THE sauce of this summer!!
Salsa California
1/2 onion
a piece of chili pepper, seeds removed
half a bunch of fresh cilantro leaves
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice or white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
6 ripe tomatoes
Blend for a few seconds. Do not over mix, leave chunky.
I love it with pasta, grilled fish, salad, vegetables (green beans, asparagus!) or on grilled ciabatta.
Spin-off: Take the Salsa California ingredients, add half a cucumber and a glass of iced water, blend all ingredients thoroughly. Adjust salt and vinegar to your liking. VoilĂ , a Californian gazpacho!
Cilantro fabulous facts
Cilantro has powerful detoxifying properties. It rids the body of heavy metals, as well as accumulated salt and waste products. It helps improve digestion and fights free radicals. Cilantro contains vitamin C, beta-carotene, chlorophyll, vitamin K and folate.
Homemade Nocino (green walnut liqueur)
(a David Lebovitz recipe)
On the 23 and 24th of June the green walnuts are traditionally harvested in Italy for the use of liqueur making. It’s when inside the shell the walnut is starting to form. No hurry, harvesting until mid July is still fine!
30 green, unripe walnuts
500g sugar
1l Vodka
2 sticks cinnamon
10 whole cloves
the zest of a lemon (organic, not sprayed)
Quarter the walnuts (PLEASE wear gloves, if you don’t want to be mistaken for a heavy smoker because of the yellow stains on your fingers)
Mix everything in a jar, stir until the sugar is dissolved, then add the quartered walnuts.
Tightly close the jar and let it stand for 2 month on the counter shaking the jar every day.When it’s ready to bottle filter it through a cheesecloth or coffee filter and pour it into a clean bottle
The ideal version of a Nocino is spicy, sweet and slightly bitter. Or as David Lebovitz says “It should have a dreamy espresso-like walnut aroma”. Read here the verdict of my experts friends I invited for a homemade-Nocino- testing 6 years ago.
The Saskatoon berry pie with its sweet and nutty bottom is as simple as perfect as a pie can be. If you don’t have an amelanchier close by (Saskatoon berry is the fruit of the amelanchier) you may use blueberries or cherries instead.
Saskatoon berries fabulous facts
The Saskatoon berry is a wild fruit which contains lots of vitamins A and C as great antioxidants. Vitamin K for clotting, vitamin E for sexual health and good skin, B vitamins for good mood and vitality, iron for anemia, calcium for strong bones, fiber for colon health promoting probiotic bacteria and magnesium and manganese for enzyme production and immunity.
Saskatoon berry pie
3 tablespoons cashews
3 tablespoons grated coconut
3 medjool dates
Saskatoon berries (as many as you can pick )
For the crust:
Fill cashews, grated coconut and dates in a blender and mix until combined thoroughly. Press the mixture into a pie dish (no baking necessary), cover and put into the fridge.
For the topping:
Fill half of the fruit into a blender and turn the machine on high speed for a few seconds. If you haven’t got enough Saskatoon berries, you may cheat with additional blueberries, strawberries or some fresh mango. Pour the creamy fruit mixture onto the crust and place the remaining berries on top.
Let the pie set in the fridge for at least 1 hour. Enjoy!
Aunt Elisabeth’s mousse au chocolat
2 eggs
50g sugar
150g dark chocolate
200g cream
In a bowl whisk eggs and sugar until creamy. Melt the chocolate in a bain-marie and let it cool down slightly. Whip the cream.
Whisk the chocolate into the egg/sugar mixture until combined, then fold in the whipped cream. Refrigerate for about 1/2 hour before serving. Try cocoa nibs for a topping!
Hunger
Roxane Gay
Finanz-Tsunami
Ernst Wolff
Lincoln in the Bardo
George Saunders
Charisma
James Salter
Die Geschichte des verlorenen Kindes
Elena Ferrante
Falke: Biographie eines Räubers
Helen McDonald
Das Genie
Klaus Cäsar Zehrer
The Silk Roads: A New History of the World
Peter Frankopan
Die Kieferninseln
Marion Poschmann
Nannion
Andreas Androutsellis-Theotokis
The Bees
Laline Paull
A traditional recipe to fight the arctic temperatures. It pairs well with duck and pheasant, with potato gratin, gnocchi and mashed potatoes. Or simply on its own, just the buttery cabbage with the sweet aromatic apple.
Flemish red cabbage
1 red cabbage
2 tablespoons aceto balsamico
salt and pepper
2 generous tablespoons soft butter to spread onto the pan
2 apples
a heavy pan with a heavy , well closing lid.
Preheat the oven to 150°C.
Quarter the cabbage, remove the white core. Cut the cabbage in fingerthick stripes.
Butter the pan generously, bottom and sides.
In a large bowl combine the cabbage with salt, pepper and balsamic vinegar. Immediately (before it starts releasing any liquid), transfer the cabbage to the buttered pan, close the lid and put it into the oven. Cook for 2 hours.
Cut the apples in halves, remove the core and sprinkle with icing sugar. Remove the cabbage from the oven and place the apple halves onto it. Cook in the oven for another 1/2 hour.
It is wheat-free, egg-free and dairy-free, yet super good – with a deliciously crunchy crust when it comes out of the oven.
German apple pie (not Grandma’s classic)
300g spelt flour (or a mix of spelt and chickpea flour)
1 sachet baking powder
100g muscobado sugar
160g unsweetened apple sauce or fresh apple pulp (leftover from juicing)
160g nut milk
100g ground almonds
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
5 – 6 apples
In a bowl mix flour and baking powder.
In another bowl mix sugar, apple sauce, nut milk, ground almonds and cinnamon. Sieve in the flour and the baking powder always stirring until well combined.
Preheat oven to 180°C.
Peel and quarter the apples and cut them lengthwise.
Scrape the batter into a buttered baking dish (coconut oil for the vegan version). Arrange the apple quarters on top of the batter pressing them down to the bottom of the dish.
Bake for 30 -35 minutes until golden brown.
Serve with custard or cream Chantilly.