Red cabbage with figs and chestnuts

20. January 2013
by troutandhawk
comments 3
Dinner / Lunch

 

 

 

Following my intuition rather than a recipe I broke my red cabbage routine. The original recipe contains apples and onions which gave the distinct savoury-sweet flavour.

This time I used dry golden figs and cooked chestnuts to add sweetness and body. I was happy to find that the cabbage was no longer merely a side dish but had been transformed into a filling meal.

Red Cabbage with Figs and Chestnuts



2 tbs butter

1/2 head of red cabbage, thinly sliced

4 dry figs, thinly sliced

100g cooked chestnuts, minced

5 splashes of Tabasco sauce

1 tbs balsamic vinegar

1 tbs paprika powder

1 ts thyme

2 cups of water

salt and pepper to taste

fresh greens to decorate



Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the cabbage and braise until slightly wilted, about 5 minutes. Add the figs and the chestnuts and stir. Add Tabasco, vinegar, paprika, thyme, salt and pepper and stir again to coat evenly.

Add 2 cups of water.

Now reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until the cabbage is tender. It takes about 30 minutes, but have a look from time to time and stir. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Decorate with fresh greens. Enjoy!




 

Midnight Milk Punch – Lenka’s suggestion from Paris

31. December 2012
by troutandhawk
Leave a comment
Drinks

Hi Lenka,
thank you so much for your suggestion! Your Midnight Milk Punch reminded me of the legendary Eggnog, Cary Grant offered so adorably in “The Awful Truth”. Only that in all the years I tried to serve the Eggnog all my guests denied in favour of some more transparent liquids.
But you won’t believe it: just mentioning your name  (so much cooler than Cary Grant!), everybody
has been keen to try it.
Big hugs and kisses and a very happy New Year (I’m sure it will be, because now we entered The Age of Aquarius!)



Chin chin!

Terrace Heart Biscuits

21. December 2012
by troutandhawk
Leave a comment
Cakes + Cookies

My dear friend Mela sent me a recipe of her grandmother and a picture of herself (cute!) as an extra feature for this blog! I was so excited about the submission so I felt rather guilty for taking so long with the actualization of the blog post! Mela, I finally baked the terrace heart biscuits, so what do you think?

I must say, they were fingerlicking good!

 

The recipe (as seen above):

120g sugar
250g butter
peel of one lemon
1/2 vanilla pod
a pinch of salt
1 egg yolk
400g flour
some tablespoons of jam, I took raspberry because of the nice red colour, although the original recipe requests apricot
icing sugar

Prepare a short crust working together the sugar, butter, lemon peel, the inside of the vanilla pod, egg yolk and flour.
Let it sit in the fridge for 1/2 an hour.
Roll out the pastry with a rolling pin and cut out the biscuits with a heart shaped cookie cutter.
Bake on a tray at 180°C for about 15 minutes (until the pastry turns slightly golden).
Assemble the hearts using the jam as glue and dust with icing sugar.

 

 

 

Bon Appetit! Enjoy the terrace hearts on your terrace or elsewhere… if your terrace is currently frozen to -5°C like mine, a little bonfire and some mulled wine (bah!) will help your toes to stay alive.

 

making Advent wreathes

1. December 2012
by troutandhawk
comment 1
Uncategorized

It has already become a great tradition that the day before first Advent my closest friends and I get together to turn fresh pine green, ivy, box, holly and laurel into the most beautiful Advent wreathes.


We make wreathes for our doors, for the windows, for the childrens’ school and the typical wreathes with four candles to be lighted one more every Advent Sunday.

I’m horribly untalented in tying together the wreathes. My part rather consists in decorating. I love using the hot glue machine to stick on crab apples, nuts, pinecones and apples. I love choosing ribbons, drinking coffee, chatting around and eating Christiane’s freshly baked waffles….

If you are interested in the recipe,  I’d be happy to request it for you. The only thing I know is that they are made with cream instead of butter. Just sublime!


When everybody had gone I stayed a moment longer to continue chatting with Christiane and, you won’t believe it, while talking, my fingers all by themselves had made that sweet little heart from the last twigs remaining on the table.

potatoes in pink & purple, best together with Gremolata

24. November 2012
by troutandhawk
Leave a comment
Dinner / Lunch

Lately  my organic vegetable provider asked me if I wanted him to add some pink and purple potatoes to my weekly order. I immediately agreed because 1.) I always love to try something new and 2.) Sophie Calle’s chromatic diet in mind, two difficult colours suddenly seemed to come within reach.

But before throwing myself again into the sophisticated Fine Arts of monochromatic cooking I went for a very quick and simple potato lunch: oven roasted wedges with  Gremolata using the last fresh herbs from my garden: rosemary, thyme, parsley and summer savory.

 

My Gremolata
1/3 cup olive oil
the zest of a small lemon, grated
1/2 ts grated orange zest (optional)
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 ts red pepper flakes
2 tbs parsley, chopped
1 ts fresh rosemary, chopped
1 ts fresh thyme
1ts fresh summer savory

Whisk together 1/3 cup olive oil and the herbs, zests, garlic and red pepper. Set aside for at least half an hour.

 

 

“Salad Blue” potatoes

 

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Cut the potatoes into wedges. Toss the potatoes with the gremolata and add salt and pepper to taste. Spread the wedges out on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for about 30 minutes.

The result: delicious taste with an avant-garde look!

 

my resolution for this winter: the outdoor hour

18. November 2012
by troutandhawk
Leave a comment
Uncategorized

the outdoor hour (n.) to spend one hour daily outside

It’s easy when the weather is nice and sunny like yesterday, but the deal I made with myself is one outdoor hour, no matter how ugly the weather will be.



Hm, and here we are, first doubts on my overhasty winter resolution are lurking…  Today’s sky has been hanging grey and wet giving a foretaste of the never ending frozen Saxonian winters.