Back to the Kitchen

I've been so busy lately that it feels as though I've sacrificed a lot. Perhaps way too much. One of the things I haven't done in a while is bake bread- one of my favorite kitchen activities.
Enough was enough. I dove head first into the kitchen this afternoon, armed with enough patience, a little frustration (good for the final result) and a glass of wine.

Here's the result of my efforts:

Corn Rolls with Cumin
Makes 6 rolls

350g flour
150g fine polenta
1 ½ tsp salt
7g packet of yeast
125 ml whole milk
2 tbsps olive oil
175 ml warm water
2 tbsps whole yogurt
1 tsp cumin seeds
beaten egg

Combine the flour, polenta, salt and yeast in a large bowl. In a smaller bowl, whisk the milk, oil, water and yogurt. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and knead the dough in the bowl. Transfer the dough either to a floured work surface or to your kitchen machine (with dough hook attachment). Knead the dough until it is soft and elastic. Shape the dough into a ball.
Rinse the large bowl with hot water, brush with olive oil and drop the ball of dough into the bowl, turning it over once so that the other side is also coated with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and a tea towel. Set the dough in a warm place and allow the dough to rise for about an hour, or until doubled in size.
Punch down the dough and knead it, just a little, while it's still in the bowl.
Line a baking sheet with baking paper. Divide the dough in half and divide each half into three pieces. You'll end up with six pieces of dough. Form each piece of dough into a bun, arrange on the baking sheet and cover with a clean tea towel. Allow to rise for another 15 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 220C.
Brush the rolls with the beaten egg and sprinkle with the cumin seeds.
Bake the rolls for 12-15 minutes or until golden.
Serve warm with a pat of butter.

Hello Autumn!

Autumn has arrived!

As I was writing today, I had the distinct feeling that evening was approaching, but in fact it was only four o' clock in the afternoon. The new season is also manifesting itself in the tree tops with their yellow and red tints and in the leaves that lay scattered on the ground, wet from the misty rain.

It's time to get the warmer coats down from the attic- and for a meal of soup and homemade bread.

The sweet flesh and versatility of butternut squash make it one of my favorite foods of the season. A perfect lunch during this time of year would be a warm salad of roasted butternut squash, rocket leaves and crumbled goat's cheese. And a perfect dinner? How about a comforting butternut squash risotto seasoned with fresh sage? Or a bowl of whole wheat pasta spirals topped with cubed and stir-fried butternut squash with rosemary. But perhaps my favorite way to eat butternut squash is in hearty, bright yellow soups.

This flavorful, smooth butternut squash soup was the perfect way to welcome the autumn into my kitchen today.

Here's the recipe:

Spicy Butternut Squash Soup with Caramelized Onions and Crispy Pancetta

Serves 4

For the onions:
2 medium red onions
50 ml mild olive oil

Peel and half the onions. Slice each half into thin half moons. Allow the onions to dry between two layers of paper towel for about 20 minutes. Heat olive oil. Add onions and cook on a medium-high heat for about 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until caramelized. Drain and allow to cool on paper towel. Onions will crispen as they cool. Important: do not clean the pan in which you fried the onions, just wipe it with paper towel!

For the soup:
2 tbsps mild olive oil
good pinch of dried chili flakes
1 tsp dried sage
1 butternut squash, peeled and chopped into rough chunks
1200 ml chicken or vegetable stock
8-12 slices of pancetta (or 2 per person), to serve

Heat oil in a large pan. Add the chili flakes and the sage and saute on a low heat for about five minutes. This basically flavors the oil. Add the butternut squash and raise the heat to medium. Stir the squash through the flavored oil to coat. Add the stock and bring to the boil. Reduce heat and allow soup to simmer for about 20 minutes. Puree the soup, adjust seasoning and return to heat. You might have to do this in batches.

Using the pan in which you fried the onions, fry the pancetta on a medium-high heat until crispy. Drain on paper towel. You do not need to add any oil to the pan.

To serve:
Ladle the soup into warm bowls. Top with some onions, crumble the pancetta on top and top with a little more of the onions.

Note: You can mix any leftover onions and pancetta and serve it in a small bowl so people an add more to their soup.

Life- with Some Writing, Thinking and Dreaming

Well! How busy can one possibly be? BUSY! This year I was awarded the role of mentor for the first- year students (freshmen) at the school where I work. Rewarding, but very demanding work! Luckily, I can now say (after a very difficult first couple of weeks) that it looks as though I'll be able to handle it all.

Aside from that, I've been doing a lot of writing, a lot of thinking and a lot of dreaming.

The writing: read my latest article about the Dutch lavender fields here:
Viva Lavandula's Lavender Fields

The thinking: WE WANT TO DO SOMETHING IN FRANCE!!

And the dreaming: Hans and I proudly introduce you to our new company, La Douce Vie!! We decided to combine his passion for photography with my passion for food. This October we will be visiting the location we are planning on renting for our upcoming creative weekends! So, if all goes well- we'll be spending a lot of time in France- doing what we LOVE!
PS: The site is still under construction, so there's no English version yet! The final version is planned for the end of October. We'll then reveal our beautiful location and launch our advertising campaign!

And one more piece of good news: I have found a location to host large groups so as of now, I can also offer group lessons in the French kitchen!
Have a look here for more info: Group Lessons