The simple pleasures – Oeufs en cocotte

March 1, 2015 by nadel&gabel

If you can’t answer the big questions, if it seams like nothing’s really moving forward – concentrate on the small things, the simple pleasures. Break out of stagnation and routine on a small scale …. that’s my resolution these days. These oeufs en cocotte – the very name makes them special – are such a small pleasure. They are the sophisticated version of your standard sunday breakfast eggs, without requiring much more preparation time. With fresh spinach and cress from […]

Categories: breakfast, gluten-free, In the kitchen, snacks & small dishes, spring, vegetarian • Tags: bain-marie, baked, breakfast, brunch, cheese, cress, easter, easy, egg, festive, feta, french, lunch, oven, quick, recipe, simple, spinach, spring, water bath

Mediterranean fusion – Empanadas with chard and feta cheese

October 26, 2014 by nadel&gabel

At least during my whole childhood chard was one of the most hated veggies. I only knew it as substitute for spinach, blended and eaten with potatoes. Grrr…. Then for a long time I  abandonded chard from my kitchen and table. After years of chardlessness I gave this green a new chance. And what can I say? It convinced me! Cause what I discovered now: Chard is so versatile. It cuts a fine finger in asian stir-fry dishes as well […]

Categories: around the world, In the kitchen, pizza, quiche & tart, snacks & small dishes, spring, summer, vegetable, vegetarian • Tags: arab, autumn, baking, chard, dill, empanadas, lard, mediterranean, Ottolenghi, pocket, recipe, snack, spanish, spring, summer

An ode to South Tyrol – Bread dumplings with stinging nettles

April 27, 2014 by nadel&gabel

Before I am showing you some more pictures from beautiful South Tyrol I decided to complement my photographic impressions of the region by some culinary ones. Dumplings based on dried old bread are one of THE traditional dishes of this region. In fact bread dumplings – like yeast dough, quark or potato based dumplings – are common all around the former Habsburg monarchy, especially in Austria, Czech republic (‘Bohemia’), Southern Germany and South Tyrol, may they be called “Semmelknödl”, “Brotknödel” […]

Categories: around the world, bread, In the kitchen, spring, vegetarian • Tags: Austria, bread, cheese, culinary, dumplings, easy, frugal, Habsburg, health, herb, medicinal, nettles, old, recipe, South, speck, spring, stinging, traditional, Tyrol, wild

Antiquities, and a perfect carrot cake cheese cake for Easter sunday

April 11, 2014 by nadel&gabel

First it was only carrot cake I somehow got obsessed with. All those tempting recipes around … thoroughly – and much to my friends, neighbours and colleagues delight – I did extensive research and testing. Cakes that passed my kitchen or caught my interest were Hannahs carrot cake with cream cheese honey frosting (very carroty and nutty, adding an intense flavoured honey to the frosting is just wow!) With a little touch of fancyness and probably only for culinary open […]

Categories: cake, cookie & dessert, In the kitchen, spring, vegetarian • Tags: antiquities, baking, cake, carrot, cheese, cookie & dessert, cream cheese, easter, enamel, flower, market, mini, old, plate, recipe, retro, spring, tableware, vintage

Even more spring herbs and veggies – Pizza with asparagus, spring onions, wild garlic, arugula and smoked ham

April 3, 2014 by nadel&gabel

It’s still spring! It’s warm outside, the trees are covered in white and pale green and as I walk along the woods, I can clearly smell garlic now. Wild garlic. A few years ago everything had to be wild garlic or arugula – a food trend that stopped at nothing. Me included… Unavoidably I got tired of wild garlic pesto, wild garlic oil,… fed up with arugula leaves here, arugula leaves there. But I’ve overcome this stage as well – […]

Categories: In the kitchen, pizza, quiche & tart, spread, sauce & spice, spring, vegetable, vegetarian • Tags: arugula, asparagus, baking, dough, garlic, greens, healthy, herbs, light, pizza, recipe, spring, spring onions, vegetables, wild

Herbivore – Spring quiche with fresh herbs

March 23, 2014 by nadel&gabel

When did all the spring herbs, veggies and fruits grow? It appears that out of a sudden cabbages, roots, pears and apples had to make room for spring onions, wild garlic, asparagus, strawberries and rhubarb on our local farmers market. Not that I have a problem with it – I love it! I am definitely ready for this change – I could jump for joy! So, let’s stop talking and start embracing spring – by packing its full herbal power […]

Categories: In the kitchen, pizza, quiche & tart, spring, vegetable, vegetarian • Tags: baking, borage, brunch, chard, cheese, chervil, garlic, greens, herbs, picnic, quiche, recipe, sorrel, spring, tarragon, tart, vegetarian, wild

Entering new culinary territories – Loquat jam

May 1, 2013 by nadel&gabel

My recent trip to the turkish supermarket not only led to the complement of my new spice rack, but also to a new discovery. It really wasn’t my first visit at the shop and I would call myself culinary interested, a foodie … but I hadn’t seen, tasted or known this fruit before … till it attracted my attention, although unimpressive at first sight. What is this? Would you have known? No, it is not an apricot … that would […]

Categories: breakfast, dairy-free, In the kitchen, pantry, spread, sauce & spice, spring, vegan, vegetarian • Tags: apricot, Asian, exotic, fruit, jam, loquat, medlar, recipe, sour, spring

Sooour cream cake with gooseberries

July 16, 2012 by nadel&gabel

May I have occasionally mentioned that I am a big lover of sour fruits? Red currants, blackberries, rhubarb, sea buckthorn, … love them all! Here’s another round celebrating my stars. I came across gooseberries on the market and couldn’t remember when I had tasted their sour-sweet flavour that pops in your mouth the last time… It must have been when I was a teenager. We had two or three bushes in our garden – beneath raspberries, blackberries, currants – and […]

Categories: cake, cookie & dessert, In the kitchen, spring, summer, vegetarian • Tags: baking, berries, cake, cookie & dessert, easy, food, gooseberries, light, recipe, sour, sour cream, spring, summer

Upside down – Caramelized rhubarb cake with elderflower ricotta topping

June 3, 2012 by nadel&gabel

Our traditional family recipe for rhubarb cake (and a lot of other fruit and berry cakes) consists of rhubarb chunks that are spread on sweet batter and are topped with nutty meringue. Although I love this great recipe from my grandmother, an all time favourite, this year I experimented a bit with some other ways to bring rhubarb, my tart love that’s always gone to fast, into a cake.

Categories: cake, cookie & dessert, In the kitchen, spring, summer, vegetarian • Tags: almond, baking, cake, caramel, cookie & dessert, elderflower, food, nuts, recipe, rhubarb, ricotta cheese, spring, summer, tea