Raising a Glass

I'm feeling very lucky at this point in my life now. My passion is also my work and not a day goes by without me realizing how wonderful that is. It doesn't matter that I'm not raking in millions- the only thing that matters is that I wake up in the morning eager to get behind the computer to write about food or in the kitchen- to create!

Of course I should also mention that the feedback I get from so many wonderful people is very motivating! My students first of all, especially Judith who recently cooked a three course dinner for us in her lovely apartment in Amsterdam. The girl who thought she couldn't cook made us lick our lips and with her wonderful meal! Then there's my recipe testers. They have been so helpful with great tips and interesting feedback. I don't think I'll ever stop telling them just how much I appreciate what they're doing for me! And of course, the people who write to thank me for bringing back a lovely food memory or for posting a recipe they really enjoyed. I never thought I'd get such lovely letters from so many people all over the world! Thank you to each and every one of you for keeping me motivated!

My plans are still growing and I'm still developing new and interesting ideas- everything from new recipes to new adventures. One of them is to start my own cooking school in France sometime in the future. I adore the country and the food so it makes sense to explore that option as well. In the meantime, I'm keeping myself busy by surrounding myself with the French culture, learning the language, visiting the country, tasting and writing. I've started writing about the French kitchen for Suite 101. I really hope to inspire you with my stories about the food in this vibrant country!

Starting my own company and writing a book in a language that is not my own can sometimes prove to be a daunting experience, but I'm feeling the love and it's keeping me going! I'm raising a glass to you!

PS: And thank you to those of you who have been voting for my French photos!!

Albert Cuyp

Albert Cuyp, one of my favorite Dutch masters (don't I love them all!), was famous for his landscapes. He was a genius at depicting atmosphere in his paintings- the warm, glowing light of the sun, clouds heavy with rain- the man loved nature just as much as I love food!!
BUT...mention Albert Cuyp to the Dutch now and chances are they won't think of the painter, but of the market named after the painter! The Albert Cuyp market has been situated in de Pijp in Amsterdam for more than a century. It is said to be one of the biggest and friendliest in Europe (minus the lady who yelled at Hans for taking a picture of her stall!). You really will find everything here! Not only does the market carry products from all over the world but you'll also find clothes, shoes, handbags, houseware and all sorts of gadgets. It is open 6 days a week and it is BUSY on Saturdays!
I came home fully loaded with all sorts of edible goodies and even with a pair of t- strap shoes which I bought for a ridiculous price!
And worth mentioning is Alain Bernard, the French butcher located on the Albert Cuypstraat 133. We got some gorgeous ham and some sausages which I served with ratatouille for dinner. Have a look here for a picture of the sausages: Wat zullen we eten.

Weekends! How I love thee!

Sunshine, a bottle of Pernod, some ice cold water, delicious treats purchased at one of our favorite market stalls and Charles Aznavour records (yes, records!) playing in the background. Life is good...

Middle Eastern Feasting!

When Hans mentioned that his sister Marja and her husband Ton had offered to take us out to dinner at a Lebanese restaurant, I felt a rush of excitement and delicious anticipation. Mint! Parsley! Garlic (lots of garlic)! Lemons! Olive oil! Yogurt! Tabbouleh! Aubergines! Kafta! Meza! These are just a “few” of the thoughts that ran through my head in the 0.2 seconds it took me to say, “Yes! That sounds nice!”
The Lebanese kitchen, one of the finest in the Middle East, is known for cleverly combining the sophistication of European cuisine with the ingenious use of fragrant herbs, spices and a wide variety of fresh, seasonal vegetables. Grains and pulses also form the staple of this exotic kitchen, making it one of the healthiest in the world. Lebanese food is vibrantly full of flavor and its charm lies in the fact that meals go way beyond actual eating- they are important social occasions.
That was evident before we even set foot in Tripoli, the charming restaurant owned by Rico and Vera Achkar. We were not greeted as guests but as family. The friendly chatter, smiles and abundant hospitality immediately created the type of atmosphere which distinguishes a good restaurant from a great one.
We were seated at a cozy table next to the window and as I sat there waiting for our drinks, I noticed that I was especially charmed by the homely yet alluringly exotic décor- vibrant red tablecloths formed an interesting contrast with the warmer tones of the Middle Eastern art works displayed on the walls. I can honestly say that I left The Netherlands behind me as soon as I walked into the restaurant.
The meal consisted of an elaborate meza which included things such as gorgeously astringent, almost lemony Lebanese olives, a fabulously smoky baba ghanoush, tabbouleh (Femke’s favourite, and probably mine too!), labneh (strained yogurt), the most gloriously garlicky garlic sauce I’ve ever tasted and lots of flat bread for dipping. Vera was kind enough to explain each and every dish- a thrilling experience for this insatiable foodie!
The next course was a grill with all sorts of meats: chicken, lamb, fish, pork, and beef. Especially exotic was their Lebanese sausage flavoured with wine. And speaking of wine- it was superb! The restaurant serves wines from the relatively young yet renowned vineyards of Château Kefraya. Definitely worth trying! But back to the grill- Rico catered to the guests’ wishes, which meant that you could basically order what you wanted and it would be prepared for you and brought to the table with a smile. Hans tells me that the lamb was sublime while I was especially enthusiastic about their kafta!
Dessert was ice cream topped with fresh fruit and I hear they also serve water pipes prepared with fruit- flavored tobacco- never heard of such a thing but I must admit it sounds wonderfully intriguing! Who knows? Maybe something for next time- because there definitely will be a next time!
With thanks to Ton, Marja and Femke for a delicious evening filled with wonderful food and wonderful company!
Photos courtesy of Restaurant Tripoli.

Falling in Love The French Way

Falling in love with France is an easy thing to do...

A Good Meal and a Little Dreaming...

If you're still not sure what to have for dinner tonight, let me help.

Last weekend I decided to poke through my old cooking magazines for some fresh culinary inspiration. I came across a recipe in an old issue of the Dutch Delicious and the picture alone prompted me to try it- it looked so appetizing! The recipe is for grilled pork chops served with green olives (how I love green olives!), cherry tomatoes, onions and tagliatelle. The flavors were a perfect combination- lemon and mustard and a little sprinkling of basil at the end. I served the meal with a bottle of wine purchased in Burgundy last summer- and speaking of French wines- next Saturday we are headed to Ardèche for another glorious two- week French vacation! I can already picture myself guzzling bottle after bottle of fantastic wine, talking to charming vignerons, wandering through wonderful markets and eating my body weight in warm baguettes with jambon cru! Can't wait!

But enough fantasizing for now. Let's get back to this amazing meal...

Here's the recipe:

Grilled Pork Chops with Olives and Pasta
Serves 4

-1 lemon, the rind grated and the juice pressed
-1 tbsp grainy mustard
-5 tbsps olive oil
-freshly ground pepper
-4 pork shoulders, or 4 thin entrecôtes
-300-500 g fresh tagliatelle
-2 cloves of garlic, sliced
-1 large onion, in thin sections
-400 g vine cherry tomatoes, halved
-150 g green olives, halved
-4 tbsps roughly chopped basil, plus extra for garnishing

Mix 2 tbsps of the lemon juice with the rind, mustard and 3 tbsps of the oil. Brush the marinade over the meat. Grind a good amount of pepper over the pork and grill the meat for 15- 20 minutes, 4-6 minutes if using entrecôtes. Turn them once and brush with more marinade. Cook the pasta according to package instructions. Heat the rest of the oil in a big pan and saute the garlic and onions. Add the tomatoes and continue to cook while stirring for two minutes. Drain the pasta and add it, together with the olives, to the tomato- garlic mix. Stir in the basil and serve immediately with the meat. Garnish with more basil leaves.

How I Love To Work Hard!

Things have been busy lately. I spend my days dreaming up recipes, testing them, writing, answering emails about food, meeting up with interesting people, writing some more and eating. I adore my work but this jam-packed schedule of mine has pretty much forced me to live on quick meals these days- and man am I enjoying it!
Just look at my beautiful couscous salad made with grilled asparagus, a few tablespoons of capers, a handful or two of cherry tomatoes, some chopped parsley and a lemony vinaigrette. I threw it together in a matter of minutes! The salad was served with smoked, peppered mackerel and the meal was accompanied by a glass or two of white wine. Working hard never tasted so good!

Delicious 'Huge- Ass' Cookies

I picked up Vegan with a Vengeance again the other day. Not because I'm forgoing all animal products again, but because I do love this book! Isa Chandra Moskowitz has a way with words- much like Nigella, but on a totally different level. She makes me laugh a lot and whereas cooking with Nigella feels like cooking with my big sister, cooking with Isa feels like cooking with a super cool friend!
Anyhow, I decided to give her (or Terry's ?) Big Gigantoid Crunchy Peanut Butter- Oatmeal Cookies a whirl recently and I'm happy to say they didn't disappoint. The recipe is for twelve 'huge- ass' cookies but I got about 25 out of the recipe because I made them a little smaller and thicker. Perhaps that's also why they didn't turn out as 'crunchy' as I expected. I totally loved their peanut buttery taste and the hearty bite courtesy of the oatmeal.
In an effort to be a good girl, I froze most of the cookies. Sadly, that hasn't worked. These last few days I've been eating an awful lot of frozen cookies...

Here's the recipe:

Big Gigantoid Crunchy Peanut Butter-Oatmeal Cookies
Makes about 12 huge- ass cookies
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups rolled oats
2 tsps baking powder
1 tsp salt
3/4 cup canola oil
3/4 cup natural crunchy peanut butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup vanilla soy milk
2 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease two cookies sheets. Toss together the flour, oats, baking powder, and salt in a medium mixing bowl. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the oil, peanut butter, sugars, soy milk, and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix. The dough should be very firm and moist. Pack a 1/3-cup measuring cup with dough, pop out and roll the dough into a firm ball. Flatten just barely on a prepared cookie sheet, spacing the dough balls well apart. Lightly grease the bottom of a glass; press the cookies to flatten to a 1/2-inch thickness. Bake for 12-15 minutes till cookies have puffed a bit and are lightly browned. Allow to cool for at least 10 minutes before moving off the cookie sheet. You can also make normal- size cookies using 1-2 tbsps of dough instead, baking these 8-10 minutes.

PS: I'm throwing in some chocolate chips next time!

Ciao Libella!

On Saturday, my friend Yolanda and I checked out the Libelle Summer Week. For those of you living outside of The Netherlands, this is an annual fair organized especially for the ladies. There's always lots to do- all sorts of workshops ranging from beauty to food to well- being, plenty to taste and plenty to see. This year the theme was 'Mediterranean'.

We had a great time shopping, watching Flamenco dancing and talking about clothes during the fashion show. There was also lots of wine to taste, and taste we did! Never mind the fact that the tasting took place before we were scheduled to participate in a shiatsu workshop! That's a whole other story!

The weather was beautiful so we agreed on taking a picnic lunch. Around noon we found a shady place on the sand (the event took place on the beach) and enjoyed the following:

-savory cake with chorizo, sun- dried tomatoes and mixed seeds (inspiration from Chocolate & Zucchini)
-mixed salad
-fresh strawberries
-a small bottle of rosé (our second)

We also enjoyed some vegan chocolate cupcakes with pink vegan buttercream frosting. I had these left over after making them for an assignment.

We returned home exhausted but giddy from all the day's excitement!

Here's the recipe for the savory cake: (an adaptation of one found in Chocolate & Zucchini)
Tomato & Chorizo Loaf
Serves 8-10

-100g all- purpose flour
-50g whole wheat flour
-1 tbsp baking powder
-3 eggs
-good pinch of sea salt (I like sel gris from Guerande)
-1 tsp whole pink peppercorns, ground in pestle and mortar
-4 tbsps olive oil
-150ml whole yogurt
-125g dried Spanish chorizo
-about 8 sun- dried tomato halves
-100g mixed seeds of choice
-bunch of parsley
-1-2 tbsps sesame seeds

Preheat oven to 180. Line a 24 x 12 cm loaf tin with baking paper. Mix flours and baking powder. In another bowl, whisk eggs, salt and pepper. Add oil and yogurt and whisk again. Sift flours and baking powder over the wet ingredients. Mix with a wooden spoon till just combined. Fold in the rest of the ingredients. Pour the batter into the pan and sprinkle with the sesame seeds. Bake for 40-50 minutes or until skewer comes out clean. Allow to cool on a rack before serving.

We Love Rhubarb

When the first stalks of rhubarb appear at my local market, I immediately know it's spring. I love its bright color and tart flavor, not so much in baked goods, but in jams or compotes. This rhubarb- strawberry compote is becoming a very popular dessert at my house. And the wonderful thing is that it goes down a treat with my family. Hans, who always maintained that he "hated" the stuff, happily polishes off his little bowl! Kirstie hasn't complained yet, as you can see from the picture.
Serve it with a little Greek yogurt and you have a refreshingly light way to end almost any springtime meal.

Rhubarb- Strawberry Compote
(makes about 750g)

-500g rhubarb, sliced
-60g light brown sugar
-40g fine sugar
-2 tbsps grapefruit juice
-100g strawberries, sliced

Put all the ingredients (except the strawberries) in a pan and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat immediately and allow to cook on a medium heat for about ten minutes or until rhubarb begins to soften. Stir continuously. Add the strawberries and allow to cook for a further five minutes. Transfer to sterilized jars.

Heavenly Outdoor Meals

The weather has been continuously gorgeous here, which means that our dinner table has been abandoned for our wooden picnic table out in the garden. During the week I usually take whatever I cooked outside, but come the weekend, most of our cooking is actually done outdoors. We pour ourselves a glass of wine, throw open the door and kitchen windows facing the garden, play some nice tunes and get busy with the preparations of a lovely dinner. While Hans gets the barbecue going, I'll do things like marinade the meat, chop some veggies and debate what I will serve for dessert. Our meals are usually very simple but they always manage to turn out delicious.

The photos you see here are a perfect example of one of our typical weekend meals: spatchcocked chicken marinated in lime juice, olive oil, garlic and salt & pepper, grilled asparagus dressed with nothing more than a pinch of fleur de sel and some extra virgin olive oil, baguette with butter and a bottle of wine. And for dessert- strawberries marinated in balsamic vinegar.

This is what I call a heavenly meal- and the wonderful thing is that the summer hasn't even started!

A Sweet Friendship

A few months ago, I received an email from a girl named Yolanda. She contacted me after reading one of the articles I had written for Expatica. We both happen to live in the same city and we are both Colombians, so she mentioned that perhaps we could meet up for a chat sometime. I was quite taken aback, yet at the same time it felt like I knew her. And that was only through that first email.
A few days later we met and ever since then she has become a little ray of sunshine in my life. Always smiling, always cheerful and always ready to lend an ear. Yolanda keeps thanking me for my friendship and for teaching her a lot about food and cooking, but I always tell her that I am also very grateful for being able to call her my friend.
Today she went out for a day in Den Bosch and on the way back, she called to ask if I was home because she wanted to stop by. I have never been to Den Bosch but I've always told myself that if I'm ever there, the first thing I'll do is look for a bakery. Den Bosch is the hometown to one of my favorite treats- Bossche bollen (Dutch eclairs). If they're good from a shop or a local bakery imagine getting them from a bakery there!
Well, half an hour later Yolanda showed up and out of her pink tote she pulled out a little bag and handed it to me. My heart smiled. I knew exactly what was in there. Yolanda remembered my love for Bossche bollen and was sweet enough to bring one back for me. The fact that I had a ragù going on the stove and that dinner was just an hour away didn't stop me from shooting a picture or two and immediately digging in. It was sinfully good- everything I'd imagine times ten. And not just because of the taste, but because of the sentiment that came with it.

Annual Asparagus Fair!

When I found out that there was an annual asparagus fair being held in the south, I didn't hesitate to immediately organize a day trip! Imagine that, a fair dedicated to what we know here as "white gold"! It made perfect sense to me though, considering the fact that asparagus is huge here in The Netherlands. The start of asparagus season (around the end of April) is a much anticipated event and even the end of the season is celebrated with a farewell mass at St. Jan Church in Den Bosch on the 24th of June. The Netherlands can even boast an asparagus museum and an asparagus association.

After a gourmet breakfast of bacon and eggs à la Hans (gotta enjoy those days off!), we jumped in the car and started on the two hour drive into Limburg. The first part of the trip was pretty standard, not much to see, but as we drove into Limburg I noticed how different the area was from the rest of The Netherlands. I immediately felt as though I were in another country, and in fact I almost was. The asparagus fair was held in Arcen en Velden, a beautiful town just a stone's throw away from the German border. It was evident in the architecture, the bilingual street signs and even the language.

When we entered the fair, we were greeted by an asparagus farmer giving a demonstration about the cultivation and harvest of the crop. I have mentioned before that I am a big supporter of farmers who love their trade and watching this man talk about what he loves most was a wonderful way to start our adventure. After that Kirstie was recruited to help sort asparagus- a job she very diligently took on! We spent the rest of the day looking around the many stalls and of course, tasting!

Lunch was a bowl of asparagus soup- perfectly creamy and mild- and a baguette filled with asparagus spears rolled in cured ham- an unusual but surprisingly delicious combination! As we sat at the sunny cafe enjoying our lunch, I felt a huge sense of joy- something that probably only other foodies would understand!

We left, pleasantly exhausted and looking forward to our next asparagus meal, which of course, would be washed down with a bottle of the wine we purchased at the fair. It looks like we're definitely getting the most out of these delicious months!

Click here for more pictures of the the asparagus fair and our trip to Limburg!

First Barbecue!

The weather is finally starting to shape up here in The Netherlands and we are trying to enjoy every bit of it! As long as there's sun, you won't find us indoors. We're either exploring the Dutch countryside, walking in the dunes or shopping in the city. It's such a great feeling to have the whole day to ourselves with nothing on the agenda except having fun!

Days like these are usually ended with an outdoor feast. Yesterday we opened a bottle of Chianti and munched on some olives while Hans got the barbecue going and I prepared the food. We had chicken marinated in olive oil, lemon juice, sea salt and sweet paprika powder, lamb burgers, baguette with garlic butter and corn on the cob. Hans, being the genius that he is, had the idea to wrap the meat in foil instead of putting it directly on the grill. Now, I know that this isn't really very traditional, but it worked out beautifully! The meat is actually steamed and tenderized in its little foil package providing a wonderfully moist and juicy result. Another thing is that there is less chance of overcooking the meat or ending up with charred (not very healthy) or dry cuts. Plus the fact that cleaning up is much easier! We think we'll continue using this little trick!

Dessert was a fool made with raspberries (the frozen kind) and shop- bought Croquants Noix de Coco cookies from Bonne Maman. Not a bad way to end the first barbecue of the year!

The Perfect Springtime Meal

It was my honest intention to wait until the weekend for what I consider to be one of the big events of the year- my first asparagus meal! But yesterday I succumbed to my own impatience and ditched my planned weekday meal for a plate of the season's first asparagus!

Now I know there are a million and one ways to eat asparagus, but nothing beats them steamed and served with thin slices of ham, a soft boiled egg and plenty of melted butter. The final touch is nothing more than a generous sprinkling of parsley and a pinch of freshly- ground nutmeg. Serve that with a crusty baguette and a bottle of Pinot Blanc from Alsace and you have the perfect springtime meal!

Gâteau au Yaourt

Put me in a room with any kind of rich, decadently over- the- top chocolate cake and I'm guaranteed to swoon, go weak in the knees and forget all my inhibitions. I've not made a secret about the fact that when I do make a chocolate cake, I'll also eat it for breakfast. That's probably the reason why I only make said cakes on birthdays or anniversaries. They're just too darn dangerous!

French yogurt cake, while very different from my type of chocolate cake, has that same irresistibility factor. The funny thing is that because it has yogurt, it doesn't feel half as naughty. And that in itself, can be quite dangerous!

Here's my recipe, which was also featured in the last issue of Desserts Magazine on page 44 and 45!

Gâteau au Yaourt
Serves 8

Ingredients

250 g all- purpose flour
2 tsps baking powder
fat pinch fleur de sel
225 ml vanilla yogurt
3 eggs
2 tbsps crème de cassis
175 g caster sugar
100 ml sunflower oil

Directions

Preheat oven to 180C.
Lightly butter and flour a 22 cm springform pan. Line the bottom of the pan with a circle of baking paper.
Sift the flour and baking powder into a bowl. Add the fleur de sel, grinding it well between your fingers, and stir to combine.
In another bowl, beat the yogurt, sugar and crème de cassis. Add eggs one by one, beating well after each addition.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet and beat until combined. Add oil and beat again.
Pour the batter into your prepared springform pan and bake the gâteau for 50- 55 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool on a wire rack.

Naughty Food

As much as I love to cook and dine properly (table nicely set, good bottle of wine on the side), there's nothing more liberating than throwing together a terribly caloric meal in under ten minutes and then gobbling it up on the couch with my feet up. That's why when Hans called yesterday to say that he was going to be a little late, I took the opportunity to feed Kirstie first, send her off to sleepyland and then prepare a little something for the two of us. A very decadent 'little something' that is!

This is hardly a recipe and in fact, it's what I call part of my "Naughty Nigella Repertoire': pasta with lardons, lots of garlic, good olive oil and plenty of parsley. Nigella uses linguine, but I used whole wheat spaghetti, being the 'good girl' that I am...

I strongly recommend letting your hair down and polishing off a huge bowl of this every once in a while- on the couch, in the bathtub (Nigella's choice), or in bed (probably also 'Nigella approved').

I Hope I Don't Eat All The Biscotti!

Dessert-Wine-Guide

I have interesting plans this weekend- my friend Yolanda is coming over on Saturday and we're going to cook an Italian feast together! I know I shouldn't have gone ahead and started without her, but my enthusiasm got the best of me today and I suddenly found myself baking the focaccia. After that was taken care of and the loaves were neatly tucked into the freezer, I figured I might as well get started on something to serve with the espresso. I'd hate to let the heat of the oven go to waste, you see.

The recipe of choice was Dorie Greenspan's Chocolate Biscotti. They didn't come out as perfect looking as I would've hoped, but for a biscotti virgin, they're not that bad either. Now I'm just hoping against all hope that they don't magically disappear before Saturday rolls around...

Here's the recipe:

Chocolate Biscotti

2 cups all-purpose flour
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tbsp instant espresso powder
¾ tsp baking soda
½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
¾ stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup chopped almonds, blanched or unblanched
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
Sugar for dusting

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 °F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
Sift together the flour, cocoa, espresso powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar together on medium speed until pale, about 2 minutes; the mixture may be crumbly. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the eggs and vanilla and beat for another 2 minutes; don’t worry if the mixture looks curdled. Reduce the mixer speed to low and mix in the dry ingredients in 3 additions, mixing only until a dough forms. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Mix in the chopped nuts and chocolate, then turn the dough out onto a work surface and kneed in any dry ingredients that might have escaped mixing.
Divide the dough in half. Working with one half at a time, roll the dough into 12-inch long logs. Flatten both logs with the palm of your hand, so that they are about ½ to 1 inch high, about 2 inches across and sort of rectangular, then carefully lift the logs onto the baking sheet. Sprinkle each log with a little sugar.
Bake the logs for about 25 minutes, or until they are just slightly firm. The logs will spread and crack – and that’s just fine. Remove the baking sheet from the oven, put it on a cooling rack and cool the logs for about 20 minutes. (Leave the oven on).
Working with one log at a time, using a long serrated knife, cut each log into slices between 1/2 and 3/4 inch thick. Stand the slices up on the baking sheet-you’ll have an army of biscotti-and bake the cookies again, this time for just 10 minutes.
Transfer the biscotti to a rack to cool.

One Lucky Man!

It's Hans' birthday today and I thought I should tell you about... what else? The FOOD!

To kick of this festive day, our breakfast consisted of the most decadent chocolate cake known to mankind- Nigella's Old Fashioned Chocolate Cake. Now believe me, I've tried many chocolate cake recipes but this one is the epitome of chocolaty goodness. It is rich, dark, luscious, sexy (yes, sexy), sinful, intense... I think I can go on forever singing the praises about this cake! I made the cake yesterday because in my opinion, it is best to make the cake a day in advance. I've noticed that the flavor seems to 'mature' somehow and only get better. We also like the way the frosting hardens in the fridge and becomes even fudgier! So, that was how we started our day! Hans also got some homemade presents from Kirstie, including two of Snow White's dwarfs, which she took from her own night stand because she thought they might like to keep Dad company on his. He also got tickets to see Wende Snijders (our favorite French chansonnière) this Saturday and the promise to be taken out to dinner- his choice.

And now about tonight's dinner- Hans likes a good burger, and by good I mean made fresh with the best ingredients! Organic beef flavored with minced shallots, lots of garlic, smoked paprika powder, Worcestershire sauce, oregano, a little Tabasco, salt, pepper and then grilled with plenty o' love! I served some oven baked home fries with that- thick slices of potatoes with the skins left on and tossed with olive oil, coarse sea salt, garlic and lots of pepper! The food came out pretty good considering the fact that this was actually my first time attempting a real hamburger!

I think my dear husband is one lucky man! ;)

Cookies Destined To Make You Feel Like a Kid Again

If you ask me what my favorite type of sweet treat is, I'm not so sure I could come up with an answer. As long as it's made with love (and has a lot of sugar, butter and flour), I'll eat it! If I think hard enough though, there is one thing that I have a soft spot for- a good cookie. Especially chocolate chip cookies or oatmeal cookies. I love how they make me feel like a kid again. Cake has the same effect, but with the exception of pound cake, cake was a rare treat when I was growing up. Cookies on the other hand- my grandma always had tins chock- full of those!

This morning I was leafing though Dorie Greenspan's fabulous book, Baking From My Home To Yours, eager to finally try one of her recipes. EVERYTHING in this book looks so darn good, so choosing was no easy task. In the end though, I opted for the Chunky Peanut Butter and Oatmeal Chocolate Chipsters and oh man were they good! Absolutely brilliant cookies with that 'feel like a kid again' thing about them which I so much love! I really needed these cookies. I can't even begin to tell you how much!

Here's the recipe (but please, if you don't have the book and you love to bake, don't hesitate to run out and get it!)

Chunky Peanut Butter and Oatmeal Chocolate Chipsters Makes about 60 cookies

Ingredients

3 cups old-fashioned oats
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup peanut butter- chunky (my choice) or smooth (but not natural)
1 cup sugar
1 cup (packed) light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
9 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped into chunks, or 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips or chunks

Note: I also added 3/4 cup raisins to mine.

Preparation
Position the racks to divide the oven into thirds and preheat to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats. Whisk together the oats, flour, baking soda, spices, and salt.

Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter, peanut butter, brown sugar, and sugar on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating for one minute after each addition, then beat in the vanilla. Reduce the mixer speed to low and slowly add the dry ingredients, beating only until blended. Mix in the chips (and the raisins, if using). If you have the time, cover and chill the dough for about two hours, or for up to 1 day. (Chilling the dough will give you more evenly shaped cookies.

If the dough is not chilled, drop rounded tablespoonfuls two inches apart onto the baking sheets. If the dough is chilled, scoop up rounded tablespoons, roll the balls between your palms and place them 2″ apart on the baking sheets. Press the chilled balls gently with the heal of your hand until they are about 1/2″ thick.

Bake for 13-15 minutes, rotating the sheets from top to bottom and front to back after 7 minutes. The cookies should be golden and just firm around the edges. Lift the cookies onto cooling racks with a wide metal spatula - they'll firm as they cool.

Repeat with the remaining cooling the baking sheets between batches.