MAKING MACARONS

Macarons a true French classic, so well know around the world, a little luxury we can enjoy ever so often. The first time i tried them i was hooked. Of course there are flavours I prefer to others, for example pistachio and Salted caramel. I would never choose Rose or Licorice, but they are all incredibly popular. Laduree are the market leaders, Pierre Herme is more experimental, but many bakeries are making macarons. I always wanted to be able to bake my own. The first time I tried it was a catastrophy. They looked like a colourful flat biscuits that stuck to the baking sheet. I was very disappointed and demotivated and it took another few years before I tried again.

Practice makes perfect, as the saying goes and after few times I had some positive results. My colleague was organising a Hen night at the beginning of march and she mentioned to me she wanted to get some macarons from Laduree. I offered to make some for her. It was an exciting challenge. And I had to make them all Lactose free, which isn't easy as the non dairy product don't have the same rich taste. In the trial I made Lemon and raspberry, but eventually we decided to make pistachio and salted macarons. I enjoy the process of making them. It takes time and I am always improving my skills.

THANK YOU MY DEER, PARIS

Recently, while Barbora was visiting in Paris, we paid a visit to very special little Cafe/Restaurant. Thank you my deer was set up by 2 Slovak girls and they specialise in Gluten free cuisine. The Cafe is relatively new, but already enjoying success from locals, but also diners searching for delicious gluten free alternatives. Everything is made from scratch on the premises to ensure no trace of Gluten is found. They perfected a recipe for bread which is delicious, but also variety of cakes and pastries. They offer brunch and lunch menu daily, but they also serve fine coffee and fresh juices. Menu is seasonal with focus on fresh local produce.

BONITO FILLET WITH AROMATIC RICE

Recently Barbora has visited Kat in Paris. We had so many plans in terms of the blog, places we wanted to visit like cafes, patisseries and markets, but we also wanted to cook something together. While we were at a fishmonger on Rue du Nil, we spotted a very attractive looking piece of fish. It was Bonito fillet. Its from the tuna family but smaller. As Kat is more experienced in Japanese cooking, we chose a delicious recipe with rice and seaweed.

The rice is cooked, then cooled and mixed with the ginger, black sesame seeds and sushi vinegar. We sliced the Bonito and marinaded in soy sauce with sake for 15 mins or so. Then just assemble, cut roasted roasted nori on top and its ready. So simple yet its healthy and very tasty. Barbora has never tried raw fish before, but she was very impressed. If you can't find Bonito fillet use tuna steaks instead, just cut them a bit smaller. All the other ingredients are available from japanese supermarket, even some health stores sell basic sauces and sushi rice. Try whole foods market in London, for example.

10 BELLES CAFE IN PARIS

10 Belles is a lovely cafe in Paris by the Canal St.Martin. It is a small place with 5 little tables which is very charming. There is also a mezanine with few more tables. Service is cheerful and the coffee is the best in Paris. Coffee is their speciality, with blends from Nicaragua or Salvador. It is always freshly ground just for your cup! The cafe has a british feel with a modern interior.

 They offer a choice of breakfast which includes homemade granola, scones with jam or tartines. Menu changes daily, with seasonal produce in mind. Lunch usualy consist of salad, sandwich and a soup. The choice is not big, but everything looks tempting and tastes great!

Home made beef ravioli

I got a pasta machine for christmas! I always wanted one, thank you santa... Few days ago I finaly had the time to play with it. I was a bit worried that the pasta might be too hard, but i was very pleased with the result. And it was such a good fun. I filled the parcels with minced beef flavoured with Parmesan and a touch of chorizo sausage which added lovely hint of spice. I had a bit too much of it so I made some meatballs from the rest. I will be experimenting with pasta in near future so I'm sure more posts will be based on this easy delicious meal. I would like to try authentic Italian recipes that have not been modified in uk or us. If you do know some please let me know.

I love how simple it is to make the dough. Just flour, egg and salt. Something I always have at home. Just knead as long as you can and allow to stand for 30 minutes to relax the gluten. Otherwise your pasta will be like a concrete. You can add spinach or rocket to make it green, beetroot to make it red or use chestnut flour instead. The choice of filling is also wide, but 3 I came across the most. Spinach and ricotta, pumpkin filling or meet filling.

This time I made a lovely rich tomato sauce, as I thought it would compliment the beef. But sage butter would be also wonderful. Lots of pasta dishes are region specific as most things in Italy are. When I talk to Italians about their food, they are often shocked about our ideas of Italian food. The combinations we choose and so on. But I guess there is nothing wrong with making a dish your own as long as you enjoy it.

For the recipe follow the read more link. Bon apetit

GREEN PRAWN NOODLE SALAD

Are you ready to start your New Year the healthy way? You don’t have the time to cook? Try this quick, healthy recipe.

Not only is Vietnam a beautiful country, it’s also home of one of the best tasting cuisines in the world. Fresh herbs, spices and sea food are just some of the ingredients which make Vietnamese cuisine so good. One of my favourite dishes is a prawn and noodle salad. This juicy salad is a perfect antidote against all Christmas treats you may have indulged in.

Don’t foget to add a bergamote lime. It is a small yellow lemon that looks like a classic lemon but it is much more fragrant. It would be cross between a bitter orange and a lime.

Place noodles in a heatproof bowl and cover with boiling water. Stand for 10 minutes until tender , drain. Toss the noodles with the prawns, onion, coriander, snow peas, spinach leaves, soy sesame oil and lemon.

HEALTHY PANCAKES WITH APPLES

Some of my friends have been asking for healthy recipes to start new years detox regime. So I took a pancake recipe and swapped some ingredients to make it less guilty pleasure and more healthy boost. I ended up with this delicious fluffy, cinnamony pancakes with apples. I used just honey to drizzle over the top and the fruit. You could also use Agave syrup, which is now available in most supermarkets. If you want to go even more healthy, opt for sugar free almond or oat milk and instead of sugar just mix in two tablespoons of honey.

Check the recipe below to treat yourself to healthy but luscious breakfast. Let your imagination run free with the toppings. Natural yogurt, chopped nuts or any fruit you love.  I could only eat six of those as the wholemeal is much more filling, higher in fibre and tastes of nuts.

Marbled chocolate brownie cake

Over the holidays my mum made this cake while I was visiting Slovakia.  It looked so irresistible I just have to share it with you. You can make it in square  tin or round one as we did which looks lovely. Make it as a treat for Sunday or for any celebrations. It will serve 8-10 people as it is very rich. Serve with fresh fruit of  your choice, berries work really well.

Its a very easy recipe, but the results are deliciously indulgent. Just follow the instructions below!