The time we now have to endure until Easter is called lent. Lent is a way of excusing oneself from certain invitations: Sorry we are not much fun these days, we don't drink or eat. Please understand, ... you know ... it is lent, .... YES!
Or the ones who say: Well, if I fast of anything this year it is taking an elevator! I only take the steps!
Or This year for the entire lent I will commit myself to the kiwi-diet : Everything but kiwi.
So here is my suggestion. Anything goes as long as it is hard to discipline yourself for it.
Fast! Fast of meat, fast of dairy products, fast of TV ( a good one! ), fast of sport if it is your "god" or fast of sarcasm, pride or snappy comebacks.
In case sugar is on your list: here is a recipe you can still make and stay in your parameters.
400 gr | 2 cups heavy cream
350 gr | 12 oz dark chocolate of the best kind at least 53%
4 large eggyolks
3 tbsp dark rum or cognac of good quality ( I used a ron zaccapa )
3 tbsp unsalted butter, you an always add coarse salt for more flavor
Heat the cream in a saucepan over medium to high heat until bubbles come, remove from heat and drop in the chocolate. I use small chocolate pellets, if you use normal chocolate, please cut it in small pieces before you add it to the hot cream.
Wait 1 minute, then begin to stir and stir until all of the chocolate is dissolved. Stir the egg yolk until creamy add 2-3 tbsp of the hot chocolate cream to the egg yolks to temper them spoon by spoon. Then add the yolks to the rest of the chocolate cream and stir until all is combined smoothly with a whisk. Add the rum or cognac stir and add the butter to give the chocolate a shiny surface. Fill little ramekins or small espresso cups 3/4 and refrigerate at least 6 hours or overnight covered with cling wrap. This makes a perfect dessert after a long meal because it is not sweet but will satisfy your appetite for a dessert. It can be pepped up with a little sea salt or ground coffee beans! The fun is you can decorate it just as you like, try any of the below versions:
• whipped cream
• berries
• caramel cream
• gold leaves .... - yes !
The first time I ate at Park Avenue, I was about 14 years old and the restaurant was still located on the Upper East Side. It was also Park Avenue Autumn at the time, so this was a completely different experience. Every season they change the entire interiors and the menu, creating a beautiful seasonal experience. I'm looking forward to coming back to try out the brunch menu when they move on to Park Avenue Spring. I ate here last week with Tamara and Carissa and we had such a fun time catching up over lunch. One of my favorite things about Park Avenue is the warm bread they serve at the beginning of every meal. I love the lobster and avocado salad, the chicken and the scallop toast.
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I've been traveling quite a lot lately and am often up pretty early in the morning because of jetlag. Last week I grabbed Kevin and went out into the snow storm around 6 AM to take pictures while the streets were still empty and the snow still pristine. I love creating these short visual stories around New York and wanted to share my cold weather style favorites with you below! What helps me get through New York winters are definitely my Hunter Boots (especially when it gets slushy out), high socks, big scarves, hats and cozy coats (my Thakoon coat is on sale btw!).
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For the first time in years, I had a stretch of several seasonal illnesses. The reason for not cooking, not exercising, not traveling or going out at all .... yes, it hit me full force. And I am usually downplaying stuff that bothers me, of course not to my closest family, here I allow myself to let go of my frustration but to the outside world I try not to whine too much.
Today the sun is out helping me to forget I should be in Florida and due to the fact that everyone in my family spoils me with beautiful cookbooks for all occasions, I had plenty of time to flip through them while not being able to make or eat any of it, one easy recipe I can give along inspired by Mimi Thorisson and her first book called 'A Kitchen in France'. For those of you who love the french cuisine this book is a highlight, with stunning family scenes, decorated oak tables, French countryside charm. Their many dogs and 7 kids keep you entertained and inspired throughout all of the pages. Mimi has a simple green asparagus dish I tried and loved. I just left away the prosciutto she used to keep the portions together. She cooks a lot of meat, which is very French but not my favorite. So please go get the book if you need a side dish for your asparagus, as I would call it #fromwhereistand .
500 grams green asparagus, washed, cut the stems 2 cm
a bunch of fresh chervil
Parmesan shavings
Coarse sea salt
olive oil
Fresh ground black pepper
Preheat the oven to 200°C | 400°F
Usually fresh green asparagus doesn't need peeling, so please don't you would only loose the best part of it to the bin.
Place 5-6 stems on a parchment paper, repeat with the rest of your bundle. place the chervil generously on the middle, drizzle with olive oil, salt and the parmesan shavings. and let bake for 20-25 minutes depending on the diameter of your asparagus. It is one whenever you love it best, more crispy or more tender. Finally serve it with fresh pepper from the mill. Simple, time saving, and healthy for the many occasions you will get when the season for asparagus hits home.
Don't you just love the longer days and the stronger sun ? I enjoy it so much !
Hi everyone! I'm super excited to announce that I'm partnering up with Framebridge today to give away two high quality framed prints to two lucky winners! You can either upload pictures directly from your laptop or get them straight off of your instagram, like I did! They will even cover your shipping costs if you want to send in your own art and have it framed! I framed three of my favorite New York City photographs in these Mercer frames with a white mat. I love the way they turned out and I'm sure you will too!
In order to enter this giveaway:
You have until Friday night at 12 EST, when I'll be picking the two winners, who will each receive one free frame from the kind people at Framebridge! Leave me a comment below if you have any questions!
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The first time I had a matcha latter, I was mildly taken aback by its earthy taste.
Now I call myself a complete convert thanks to the amazing lattes at Chalait (they even have matcha cortados, how amazing is that?) coupled with the delicious food, perfect for anytime of day. When I went with Carissa, we shared the avocado toast (which comes with hard boiled eggs and radishes) and the Muesli toast (which is serves with greek yoghurt, almonds and berries). They also have an incredible matcha hot chocolate and a nutella baguette with sea salt and pistachios that I have yet to try. Conveniently nestled on the corner to some of my favorite West Village streets for a post breakfast stroll.
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After many many years of visiting the skiing paradise of the Arlberg, we need to pay it a well deserved tribute.
Among all the celebrities who choose to spend their winter vacation here like Tom Cruise, the Royal British Family, the Royal Dutch family, some Austrian politicians and Hannes Androsch, we feel quite at home here and despite its fame Lech is and will always be a place where one can - with the help of a little extra spending money - enjoy the season at its finest.
It’s posh but not pretentious, chic but not showy.
~ the Independent wrote today
As soon as it snows, the off piste areas will be tried and tested by those knowledgeable of the terrain and when the sun comes out and you and I would like to try the powder off the beaten track we must realize, someone was here before ... Skiing was invented here, this is the birthplace of the best winter sport ever and the Arlberg skiing school is known worldwide for its excellency.
There are skiing instructors, most of them being fluent in broken English :) and the mountain guides, who are allowed to lead one responsibly into the more challenging off piste routes and make one climb over a safety rope or lead their guests for a hike up to the peak after a heated chairlift took them already to the top. The top is not the top, there is more behind the visible. Higher and higher we are prepared to hike up, for the one ride that will make us yodel when our joy is complete, the line we leave behind in the fresh snow looking perfect! It is addictive to cut through the powdery snow - never becoming boring!
In Lech, Zürs and St. Christophen the hotels and restaurants know how to make you feel like royalty and the level of cuisinart is absolulty top here. Our favorite is by far that special place below: The Almhof Schneider and its excellent gastronomy. Being fortunate to be able to stay in one of these prestigious hotels requires a known status of a periodic guest and it is recommended to book the following year when departing.
Helicopter skiing in Austria is a lot different from the States and Canada. but it is for sure worth a try if you are fit and skilled for the challenge. The best part is when the Helicopter leaves you behind, you look around and that 360° panoramic view of mountain tops and peacefulness leaves you speechless.
The Austrians are funny when it comes to self announced hymns as this one by an our pop legend Wolfgang Ambros. Everyone knows the lyrics and has sung it at least once in their life. It means probably nothing to you but if I would translate it: you will understand the heart of the Austrian.
Photos by jsvob, my husband and me.
Each time I see these pretty flowers I become aware of the abundance of produce we have available and how crazy it is to eat the bud before it turns into a zucchini. Then some one explained to me that before the production sets on selling the vegetable they use the early days to sell the flowers as well, they will soon grow them into vegetables as well! I hope it is true. They have a nutty flavor and are great in salads without frying them in excess oil.
Everyone I spoke to about this great recipe asked my where I managed to find these flowers at this time of year, and I had to admit it was at a special market for gastronomy, so don't give up, and PIN it in case you don't find any right now, and try to make it as soon as they are available in all stores! They are also Raw Vegan and can be served for those who love this kind of healthy approach on food.
12 Zucchini flowers
alfalfa sprouts
lemon juice
olive oil
coarse sea salt
1 fresh zucchini, mixed with
salt,
1 tbsp olive oil,
chili,
1 tsp lemon juice ,
1 tbsp miso paste and
a little soy milk (or oat milk or heavy cream if you like)
Filling:
3 cups soaked cashew nuts ( soak in water for 3-4 hours)
1 tbsp garlic paste or 1 tsp fresh garlic
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
salt
This is an easy and a really impressive salad for guests, just by the looks of it. Usually chefs fill the flower and fry them, but I thought they would be much prettier if enjoyed raw. The filling is made entirely in the blender and then squeezed into the flower with the aid of a decorating bag. Done! Prepare the filling days ahead and refrigerate to save time.
I set them on a bed of zucchini puree, also made in your blender, sprinkle your alfalfa sprouts all over the plate and place your flowers on it, drizzle with olive oil, cashew nuts and coarse salt.
Lately, I've been loving surprises. And when I say surprises I'm not referring to birthday party surprises (my friends tried to throw me a surprise birthday party and I completely ruined it by falling asleep on the couch and refusing to go to dinner), but I'm talking about surprising flavor combinations and interesting fusion restaurants. It also helps that I love the name of this restaurant, Dirty French. While they probably wouldn't describe themselves as your typical fusion restaurant, I loved the global influences like Indian and Vietnamese combined with classic, French cuisine. When they started us off with some naan bread to share, I instantly knew this place would be a keeper. Other great dishes included Banh Mi sandwiches with foie gras and duck confit and spicy tuna tartare with salty crepes.
What are your favorite fusion cuisines?
Find them in the heart of the Lower East Side:
