sneak peek & confit di pere al tartufo

last week offered another occasion for cooking a lavish dinner - and naturally, i grabbed it. we had a long, four days off (the agency was officially closed throughout). so i planned my dinner for friends meticulously, and enjoyed every second of it.

i actually planned to sleep in every day and then start the cooking - but i was so giddy with excitement and the prospect of making my own pasta for the first time, that i almost couldn't sleep anymore. so i got up on thursday morning at seven, to start the day with making amaretti morbidi. they were supposed to be part of my guest favors. and though i didn't really underestimate the challenge - something went completely wrong with them... they turned out 'nulla' (as in: flat and melted). well, seems my (youtube & google & blog) recipe research wasn't that profound, after all. i successfully baked cantucci once, but even so, my respect for amaretti is now officially huge. will i try again? i'm not sure. at the moment i think i might just buy them, and that's that. mental note: amaretti on the next nirvana cooking level - just not yet.

oh but i'm sorry, you probably wanted to know how dinner turned out, and, to begin with, what was on the menu! eeep! okay, here goes...

italian menu for friends

aperitivo

olive gigante

prosecco con salvia e limone (with sage and lime)

antipasti

insalata di carciofi crudi (raw artichoke salad)

carpaccio di finocchio con menta (fennel salad with mint)

deconstructed labneh with pistacchio black olives pesto

roasted radicchio with honey and peperoncino

primo piatto

ravioli al tartufo - fatti a mano 

secondo piatto

scaloppine al limone con piselli (veal cutlest with lemon and peas)

cheese dish

selection of italian cheeses with confit di pere al tartufo

vin santo

dolci

profiterole alla vaniglia

chocolate mocha coconut cake

il caffè

after dinner drinks

hendricks gin & tonic

i hope you like it? it was quite a lot of work - but also so much fun to make. for now, i'll just archive the recipe for confit di pere al tartufo (that turned out to be my guest gift, since the amaretti... well... coughing). 

confit di pere al tartufo (pear confit with truffle)

the perfect companion for dessert cheese

ingredients:

6 medium pears, cubed

1 cup sugar

1 cup apple juice

1 vanille bean, extracted

5 black pepper corns, freshly crushed

5 dried chili flakes

1 tbsp. lemon juice

1 tbsp. truffle oil

directions:

start by washing and cleaning three to four small canning jars in hot water. melt the sugar in a saucepan, until brown and caramelized (do not stir in the process). add the pear cubes and the apple juice. add the spices: vanilla seeds, black pepper, chili flakes and the lemon juice. cook to reduce until the caramel sauce is slightly thick again and the pear cubes are cooked through. then, add the truffle oil for fragrance. pour the still hot liquid in the canning jars and close the lids. turn the jars upside down for half an hour, then let cool entirely. serve a spoonful with cheeses or to a roast slice of chicken or as a spice in a cheese sandwich.

note on storage: since this confit doesn't contain the same amount of sugar as a conventional jam, my guess is it can't be kept forever (like with a jam). i'd recommend to store the jars in the fridge for up to two weeks. 

deconstructed labneh with pistacchio olive pesto

fresh goat cheese is something i find it hard to say no to... smeared on some baguette or ficelle, i find it fragrant but still refreshing and summery. labneh (an arab version of strained goat's yogurt, turned into some kind of fresh cheese) has always been a staple in my mom's kitchen. she mostly turned them into balls and stored them in air-tight canning glasses, soaked in olive oil with fresh herbs and garlic. i've tried the labneh balls several times myself, and it's alwas fulfilling - though so simple. but also a bit time-consuming to make. when i discovered this deconstructed version from ottolenghi, i was thrilled! and the idea of adding a fragrant summery pesto on top (made of pistacchios, black olives and lemon zest) is the ultimate labneh experience. this, my friend, is a must try.

deconstructed labneh with pistacchio olive pesto

adapted from yotam ottolenghi

ingredients:

500 g goat's yogurt

500 g natural greek yogurt

2 tsp. fleur de sel

for the pesto:

20 black olives, pitted

40 g pistacchios, toasted

1 lemon, zest

2 fresh garlic cloves, minced

pinch chili flakes

1 tsp. acacia honey

5 black pepper corns

1 tsp. fleur de sel

2 tbsp. fresh oregano, minced

2 tbsp. fresh parsley, minced

2 tbsp. fresh thyme (i used lemon-thyme), minced

1 tbsp. fresh rosemary, needles minced

1 tbsp. fresh mint, minced

1 tbsp. black cumin seeds

1 cup olive oil

directions:

you will first have to strain the yogurt, in order to turn it into fresh cheese consistency. 24 hours are okay, better are 36, and i went with 48 hours this time as a i really like the cheese dry and creamy.

line a fine meshed sieve with a thin muslin cloth. combine the yogurts in it, add one teaspoon of salt, and wrap it up tight. squeeze a little, so that the first liquid runs out of the yogurt through the mesh of the muslin. put the muslin-yogurt ball with the sieve in a bowl (holds the liquid), put something heavy on the yogurt-mix (to foster extra dehydration with the pressure) and put in the fridge.

after 48 hours, take the yogurt ball (now dry and creamy) out of the muslin. throw away the strained water. taste the labneh and season according to your liking. take a spatula and smear the labneh in a shallow bowl (i like the pointy tops that give it an artisanal and home-made look).

(note on labneh spicing: most labneh recipes pass on extra spices for the yogurt. i, however, sometimes add a pinch of extra fleur de sel, some lemon juice and zest, a drop of harissa for spice and a minced garlic clove. feel free to play around, the options are limitless. but i'd still recommend to not overdo it with the spices, as the idea is to have the olive oil mix transfer the spices and fragrance to the labneh, and let the labneh itself rather untouched and natural.)

now prepare the spices pesto for the labneh itself and for the pesto that comes on top. pit the olives and mince, then put in a bowl. toast the pistacchios and roughly ground in a mortar, together with the black pepper. grate the zest of one lemon, mince the garlic. add everything to the olives: pistacchios, pepper, lemon zest, garlic, chili flakes, honey and herbs. combine well, then add the olive oil. season with some more fleur de sel, to taste. pour the pesto mix over the labneh from centre to border, leaving out some of the border, so that the labneh still peaks out. pour some more olive oil over it all if you think it's not enough (the labneh should be mostly covered so that the air won't get to it. like that, it can be stored up to a few days).

(note on pesto: i passed on the tomatoes... i just felt this added too much juice, and i didn't want to 'stain' my labneh / oil too much... but i might try it with tomatoes the next time, and i think i'll use tomatillos (green tiny ones) for their green color and zingy fragrance). 

serve the deconstructed labneh with fresh flatbread, foccaccia, baguette, ficelle or, actually, any other good bread (i believe a sourdough would be a nice contrast, too, maybe), as a starter or apéro. people will love you.

brezn (soft pretzels)

bread in every version has been labeled 'evil' in so many diets... i think it's a crime. bread, if enjoyed in decent amounts, is the most satisfying food there is. i dream of bread in every imaginable shape. though i (honestly) particularly like the ones that are soft and chewy, best (i know... i'm such a child).

that's why i wanted to make my own soft pretzels, because, for starts, they're soft (surprise!). and in addition i could make them even softer (by not baking them as long etc.). they turned out to be a big success. sure, some of the pretzels turned out looking rather... not pretzel-like at all. more like snails. or ugly piles of dough (not naming the exact connotation you might have had with them...). but: don't be deceived! this is fun to make, easy (apart from the shaping, it requires patience) and oh my, so good. eat them fresh out of the oven, with some good butter smeared on top. and maybe a potatoe salad, because that's how the bavarians would enjoy it. or an obatzda cheese mix. or simply a salted radi. preferrably in a dirndl. but okay, i agree that that's a whole other story...

recipe for: brezn (soft pretzels) found here on smittenkitchen.
makes about 12 mini ones

this is is for today. i can't muster the energy to write more. i hope you like the pictures though. i almost leaning into my screen and taking a bite, i'd so love that brezn right now... (not sulking at all).

pink & roasted radishes

sometimes, a girl just craves pink... especially to cheer herself up. currently, i'm doing bikram yoga (i mean, if summer isn't here then at least sweat a little at 40 degrees celsius while stretching, bending and strengthening your muscles... because the next bikini session is going to come, dead or alive...). and, though i can't tell you why... it's a fact that the torture is insanely so but immensely more motivating to bear in pink yoga gear. 

i'm speaking from head to toe pink, here: pink sports top (more of a tiny bra triangle-thingy, if you ask me. doesn't really deserve the predicate 'top', in my opinion), pink shorts, pink mat, pink towel. girly, i know. also: completely a clichée. but it helps! pink is my inner driving force. pink kicks me in the (not-so-tiny) butt when i want to give up and run off. it says 'you don't need to drink water right now because you're totally cool like that', when the (slightly bossy) instructor is yelling at me (annoyingly cheerfully, but also it counts as a threat) to not drink before and after the camel (or the zebra? i don't remember...) pose since it apparently isn't doing you any good (as if i could honestly ever feel the difference, i'm so exhausted anyway...). so i'm not questioning the water-drinking rules, no i don't. i just continue to bend and stretch, and try not to turn purple... in other words: pink gets me going.

and also, i've been tempted to try pink radishes - in a roasted version - forever. okay well it might not be the best of things i've ever eaten... but it's grilled, it's salty, it's surprising and a nice snack - and hey, it's pink! so what's not to like, really.

roasted radishes

ingredients:

2 bunches of radishes, washed and cleaned, but not trimmed

3 tbsp. olive oil

1 tsp. maldon sea salt (or any other flakey sea salt)

handful fresh thyme + a few whole sprigs

directions:

preheat the oven, with the grill-function turned on. wash and clean the radishes, leaving the green leaves on. place a parchment paper on a baking sheet and spread the radishes evenly on it. sprinkle with olive oil, sea salt and thyme. roast for about 35 minutes, or until the roots appear slightly shrunk and got a wrinkly skin. taste, and season if necessary, with more salt, or some freshly ground black pepper. serve as a starter or as a side vegetable dish to meat (lamb, i figure, would be nice). i like them plain, as a snack. the next time i'd do them with some extra feta cubes on the side, some pita bread and olives.

vanilla orange blossom bundt cake w/ strawberry glaze

a friend and i made this cake for a mutual friend's house warming brunch. they're living in the prettiest home you can imagine! styled in taste - from the entry to the kitchen. i especially loved their warm, soft green accents and a jewel green signature lounge chair. and of course, this occasion asked for a neatly dressed up cake in pink! it was such an inspiring visit... i have a feeling all guests went home with a feeling of 'ooh, i gotta take more care of my home immediately'.

vanilla orange blossom bundt cake with strawberry glaze

ingredients:

3 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 pinch salt
2 cups organic butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 bourbon vanilla bean, split and extracted
4 organic eggs
2 tbsp. orange blossom water
1 cup cream

5 strawberries
2 cups confectioner's sugar

directions:

preheat the oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit. frease a bundt pan. sift the flour into a bowl, and combine with baking powder and salt. mix together the butter with sugar, until whiteish and creamy. add the vanilla bean and orange blossom water. add the eggs, one by one. now carefully add the flour mixture and the cream to the egg-mix.

pour the batter into the pan and bake for about 1 hour, until a stick comes out clean. let cool for 30 minutes and then release from the form. for the glaze, puree the strawberries and strain through a fine sieve and combine their juice with the confectioner's sugar. add more sugar or a sprinkle of lemon juice until desired thickness is achieved. stir until the glaze is shiny. opur over the bundt cake and let dry for at least one hour.

matzo ball soup

ever since i came across matzo meal on other blogs (it's not very common around here), i've been determined to hunt one down and make matzo ball soup. matzo meal is a food product with the consistency of corny flour, that is made of ground matzo bread. it is often used in traditional jewish cuisine. all this made it sound interesting enough to play the main role in a dish. and the soup didn't disappoint. though simple to make, it tastes like home, like family, like nights lost in conversation on a big table with a big crowd, and like hope is around the corner, somewhere.

matzo ball soup

serves four

ingredients:

2 cups matzo meal

3 eggs, beaten with a fork

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 tbsp. semolina (optional, i like it for firmness and holding together)

1 tsp. salt

2-3 tbsp. vegetable stock or water

for the soup:

vegetable stock or broth

2 carrots, sliced thinly

drizzle of olive oil

flat parsley, if desired

directions:

put the matzo meal in a bowl and one by one add and combine the other ingredients. add the stock or water at the end, in order to be able to adjust the humidity of the matzo mixture. it has to become a bit firm and sticky, but not too firm. if necessary, add a few tablespoons more water. put the mixture in the fridge for half and hour to one hour, to let it sit and drench.

in the meantime, heat a large saucepan with salted water. wetten your palms with cold water and shape balls from the mixture, about 3-4 centimeters of diameter (i like mine pretty big). place them in the simmering (not boiling) water and cook for 45 minutes, or until balls are soft to the core.

also, prepare the broth in a large saucepan. this goes without saying: a soup is always better with home-made stock. so if you want to give it a go, i've posted the recipe before here. nevertheless, i do sometimes use a packaged broth. i highly recommend to use a good one, though, preferably one with no nasties inside. i always use telofix. when finished, slice the carrots and heat them up for 5 minutes. place the matzo balls in a soup plate, and ladle the broth and carrots over them. drizzle a few drops of olive oil over each serving, and sprinkle with some flat parsley, if desired. serve hot.

things i'm afraid to tell you

through the years, i got to read so many blogs, and often wonder who's really behind the glamorous, perfectly styled pictures and cheerful posts. you know, nobody looks like we look on a blog. and certainly, nobody always feels like we pretend to be on a blog.

i, myself, decided some time ago that my blog should be a positive space. one for enjoyment and fun, carefree and positive. but i wouldn't want to create a vision of me being all perfect, with never so much as a hint of sorrow. my life is affected by many ups and downs. and sometimes i feel it's just one big battle we're fighting on this earth... to know those ups and downs of other people... it's what makes us incredibly relateable. we're humane, after all, not a living version of vogue or any other glossy magazine.

alas, i want to tell you some things about myself. i actually got inspired to do this by clémence, and many other fellow bloggers, that have contributed to what seems to be another wave of 'things i'm afraid to tell you' posts (others here and here). i decided to follow suit and share a few things about me, that i normally probably wouldn't be sharing (especially not in this concentration). if you actually get through to the end of the post and still like me - well, i guess i'm glad.

things i'm afraid to tell you

1. i don't like to call people. 

like, i don't like to be on the phone, to most people. it's not that i don't like people, in general. or that i don't like to be in touch with them. on the contrary! i write mails, chat on skype and send some 600 or so messages a month to share what's going on in my life. not exactly something to be proud of, i know... but it's just always been like that: that i get nervous when a call is inevitable. some years back, i really had to kick myself in the butt, take a deep breath and make that call. when i was a kid, i would ask my parents to do a certain call for me (of course they'd refuse, mostly, otherwise it wouldn't have been a half-decent education...). and though it got a lot better (like, i can totally make calls for my job all day long, if i absolutely have to - though i admit i'll probably try and find some way around it...), it's still not really 'normal'...

2. i am not really good with money. 

i think life is for living and enjoying, for making other people happy, and for sharing. often enough i feel i just want to enjoy the moment, and not worry about spending too much money on a splurge, like maccarons from laduré or a bunch of flowers... i especially like to buy presents and tiny things for people i love. but, with money so loose in my pockets, in the end it turns out to be rather stressful, since, you know, you might want to have a few reserves for worse days. but, honestly, i see it a teeny tiny bit like the precious carrie bradshaw: "i like my money right where i can see it... hanging in my closet."  

3. i don't use an electric tooth brush.

electric tooth brushes... oh, i don't just dislike them. i actually hate them. they're hard and terribly loud, and you can't do anything else with them in your mouth because it just won't stop brushing and will spatter everything with tooth paste... plus, i think they're ugly. i know a bathroom is just a bathroom... but can't we please all make a tiny effort to make them a pretty space, after all? in my opinion that includes either hiding those hideous things away - or not have one, at all. and just to state the obvious: i do love my normal, plastic, colorful (according to mood) tooth brush. currently, i have a jelly white one. honestly a pretty tool, that old-school thing.

4. i'm afraid of losing my best friend - my mom.

now, i don't want to start crying... but this is the thought that disturbs me the most in life: my mom dying. she's my best friend and the person i always turn to first, whatever happens. i can't fathom how hard it must be for people to lose their mom. i believe you never get old enough for it to be 'okay'. i would miss her every day. there is still so much i want to learn from her and share with her.

5. i used to believe in god, but now i'm not so sure anymore...

as a kid, i got to enjoy an upbringing with christian values. god was a source of happiness and joy, and always a solid foundation in my life. especially in bad times (though there never have been that many). but now, i'm just not so sure about 'it' anymore... i would love to still have a strong faith, to believe without a doubt, like a child. but as i grew up, some things got harder. life got in the way. and now i just don't know why, if there is a god, i'm still alone. because my biggest wish is to be with someone, forever. and i'm still, time after time, alone. i don't understand. and it makes it hard for me to believe in the power of love, and god.

6. i don't read the newspaper. do headlines count?

not never. but not on a regular basis, either. well, actually, i mostly read the headlines, if anything... it's not that i don't care what's going on in the world. sometimes the news just make me terribly sad. i start to lose all hope in mankind. i do read a few gossip sites though. and i couldn't live without blogs and books in general, and trashy chicklits, of course. (uhm, note to self: i'm not sure this makes it any better for me... okay, stop right there, scarlett).

7. i dream of being a host (in one way or another).

i know my time of choosing a profession is porbably over (for now)... and, if i had to have a corporate job, then being a strategic planner at such a creative and inspiring agency as Y&R is definitely the one thing i like best. but... cooking, and hosting dinners, and serving people. it's something that's in my head, all the time. i plan a dinner for friends ahead - for days. literally. often, i can't sleep at night because i want to google 'how to perfectly chop raw artichokes for insalata di carciofi crudi' (i found that particular video on youtube, in the end, it soothed me just fine...). it's where my heart is. i'll probably never have the guts to do anything in this field. but i dream of being a host, of having my own B&B, or of serving people with all kinds of home-made, rustic market stuff in a hut in the mountains. where people would specifically come to - for the good food and a nice chat. i'd hum while preparing the soups, tarts and salads, all day.

8. i plan a new potential & hypothetical wedding party every other day.

okay, this much is clear from my last point: i'm a dreamer. and i obviously like pretty things. and some beautiful things are always going on inside my head (note to self: remember to make this the intro for blog). like, i'm planning parties and events and festivities - that will probably never take place. or, at least, not in the near or foreseeable future. i've been doing that for over ten years. in my mind, there's a constant hubbubb of party planning and to do lists, mood boards, color schemes, favor ideas, signature drinks and recipes, venues and DIY decor from pompoms to flower arrangements and tassel garlands. i dream up parties not necessarily for myself (though i admit a few have evolved around my own - potential and very hypothetical - wedding...). if i could monetize the many wedding party concepts i have already filed and stored in my head, say, with 1 dollar per idea - i'd be a very well-off girl...

so these are just some of the things that i'm afraid to tell you. the list goes on and on. but a few of the most embarrassing ones have already been spilled. oooph, that wasn't that hard! and i feel... hmm, pretty good, i'd say, smile. so, wishing you a fantastic long weekend (if you are lucky like me) and hope you will continue to like me, just a bit, in the future, now that you know my multiple secret and very, very dark sides... for that: thank you and love, as always.