An ode to dear friends – Crêpes with chard and a twist

October 15, 2017 by nadel&gabel

To you chard, my loyal friend. Once – through out my childhood and youth – I neglected you. I apologize, I deeply regret this! Today I know that I just didn’t know you that well, didn’t know you at all. I only met you in two ways: as a green-brown pulp that was said to ressemble creamed spinach (but did only vaguely, of course) and in form of thick thready stalks of indifferent taste that were hidden away in a […]

Categories: around the world, categories & ingredients, diets, grains & legumes, In the kitchen, Uncategorized, vegetable, vegetarian • Tags: chard, crêpes, dinner, easy, feta cheese, fruity, healthy, orange, pancake, recipe, savoury, simple, tomato, vegetable, weeknight

Pulse – Spring pasta with peas, ricotta and lemon

May 14, 2017 by nadel&gabel

Except from our – magnificent – trip to São Miguel (dispatch to follow) during our Easter holidays, there has been a lot of work going on here right now in ‘real life’, while my digital life has shifted to Instagram mostly these days. This won’t be the beginning of a lenghty complaint, but an explanation: My recreational program these days mostly consists of some knitting in the evening and short walks in the sun in the afternoon – in case it […]

Categories: grains & legumes, In the kitchen, pasta, seasons, spread, sauce & spice, spring, vegetable, vegetarian • Tags: carb, easy, fresh, green, legumes, lemon, pasta, pea, pulse, quick, ricotta, simple, spring, zest

Attention – Japanese style comfy trousers

August 18, 2016 by nadel&gabel

In being confronted with the contingencies of the real world, “the world beyond our head”, f.ex. in concentrating on crafting we can gain back some autonomy in the modern world of omnipresent distraction… that’s the thesis of Matthew B. Crawford in his thoughtful and inspiring new work. One of Crawfords examples is the concentrated, coordinated work of a professional chef. An example that absolutely makes sense to me. I’ve always felt that working with my hands, making things – concrete, touchable […]

Categories: garment • Tags: attention, chambray, clothing, comfy, concentration, culottes, garnment, japanese, matthew crawford, modern, Nähen im japanischen Stil, pants, pattern, sewing, Shufu To Seikatsu Sha, simple, simple modern sewing, the world beyond our head, trousers, wide

Simple, savoury, summer – Tomato galette

August 12, 2016 by nadel&gabel

  How can you walk past tomatoes these days on the farmers market? The choice is overwhelming – from the big Coeur de Boeuf to the small Black Zebra: every occasion and purpose, every taste finds its variety. And neither of them needs lots of special treatment. They’re best at this season as pure as they are. Some flakes of sea salt, perhaps a touch of herbs – in summer we don’t need to be complicated. This tomato galette is as […]

Categories: cake, cookie & dessert, In the kitchen, pizza, quiche & tart, seasons, summer, vegetable, vegetarian • Tags: basil, cheese, cream cheese, easy, galette, herb, pie crust, recipe, San Marzano, simple, summer, summer of galettes, tarte, tomato, Yossy Arefi

Comforting and nourishing – German potato soup

January 10, 2016 by nadel&gabel

  Hello again! I hope everyone had a good start into 2016! Actually I’ve ment to report back here sooner, but the new year started with some left over work from the old one … 😦 Anyway, I don’t want to start the new complaining. I had great days with my family and friends, yummy food and I enjoyed to be mostly cooked for. We had time to think about the new year, plans, wishes, hopes, while the weather outside … […]

Categories: autumn, German/Swabian, In the kitchen, soup & stew, vegetable, vegetarian, winter • Tags: celeriac, comfort, easy, food, german, healthy, potato, recipe, roots, sausage, simple, soup, stew, vegetable, warming, winter

On any day in September – Zwetschgekucha

September 23, 2015 by nadel&gabel

If not now, when is the perfect time for a juice plum cake?! So, although I’ve still got some travel impressions to share, they have to wait and make place for this traditional German autumn cake. It’s a recipe for the high season of autumn fruits, when you have so much of them that you squeeze as much as you can onto a layer of simple yeast dough. Top it with streusel – here we go! Still, a few notes […]

Categories: autumn, cake, cookie & dessert, German/Swabian, In the kitchen, summer, vegetarian • Tags: almond, autumn, cake, cinnamon, classic, cookie & dessert, damson, dough, easy, german, plum, recipe, simple, swabian, warm, yeast, zwetschge

Chatelain for a weekend – A very special accomodation

June 18, 2015 by nadel&gabel

I was browsing already too long through pages of tasteless hotels, guesthouses and holiday homes: Either they were of the category “frumpy and slightly tacky – stuck in the 70s” or of the category “tried to be modern – reached characterless”… … And then I found this place: Schloss Hofstetten. And it was clear from the very first moment that I’ve found IT! Although I don’t know anymore on which winding paths of search I discovered. But if you can only […]

Categories: Behind the camera, Germany, nature, objects & places, On the road, travel • Tags: accomodation, Altmühltal, antique, apartment, baroque, Bavaria, building, castle, franconia, garden, Hofstetten, holiday, home, peaceful, quiet, remote, renovated, restore, search, simple, stay, time-out, traditional, travel, vacation, village

Not one but two – Double zip pouch

May 22, 2015 by nadel&gabel

Ha! Finally I found the time and mood to get my sewing machine on again. Sewing really didn’t get its fair share the last months. I guess this was what my sewing machine wanted to express as well when she stuttered making her first stiches after such a long time… Luckily she gained momentum – and I hadn’t unlearned sewing as well. But before I am going to approach Anna’s Caravan Tote – pattern already bought ages ago, the cut […]

Categories: At the sewing machine, wallets & pouches • Tags: blue, clutch, denim, double, echo, fabric, florine, lotta jansdotter, pouch, scandinavian, scraps, sew, simple, tutorial, wristlet, zip, zipper

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