culinarystorm

Do certain foods make you nostalgic? Evoke a specific season, time, or person?

 

Hot chocolate reminds me of my first real winter in London – I drank a cup everyday, letting the delicious, rich, chocolate warm my insides.

 

Watermelons remind me of my Dad – when my brother and I were little, he’d carve them up, scoop out the inside and then fill it with ice-cream and fruit to make a stunning summer treat for us.

 

Potato salad reminds me of my childhood and our dinners at home, where it’d be paired with fried fish or chicken drumsticks. The little pieces of celery added crunch and freshness with every creamy bite.

 

What do Madeleines remind you of?

 

 

To me, they sing of youthful summer. A time when the world is for the taking, and life is carefree and joyful.

 

So bright, and light. Fluffy with crispy edges. With a protruding belly. Madeleines don’t have a care in the world – they just soak up sunlight.

 

 

Look how beautiful!

 

 

If there is a downside to Madeleines, it is that they must be eaten the second they emerge from the oven. Like that literal second. They don’t taste their best even a couple minutes later.

 

 

While summer is still a while away, and life is often not as carefree as we’d dreamt, there are still little Madeleines to brighten the day.

 

Mini lemon Madeleines

Prep time: Make batter the day before, 10 mins
Cook time: 6 mins
Makes: 24

Recipe from: Dominique Ansel

Ingredients:

115g/ 1 stick unsalted butter

1 tbsp brown sugar

2 tsp honey

115g/ 1/2 cup caster sugar

1/2 tsp kosher salt

110g/ 1 cup flour, sifted

1/2 tsp baking powder

4 eggs

zest from 1 lemon

nonstick cooking spray

icing sugar, to dust

 

Method:

1. Make the batter the evening before. Melt the butter, brown sugar and honey together in a pan over low heat, stirring constantly. Keep the mixture warm.
2. In another bowl, mix together the caster sugar, salt, flour, and baking powder with a whisk. Add the eggs one at a time and whisk in. Pour in the warm butter mixture and combine. Add the zest and mix well. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, pressing directly onto the batter, and refrigerate overnight.
3. Preheat the oven to 300ºC/375ºF. Spray a mini Madeleine tin with nonstick cooking spray. Scoop the batter out into a piping bag and pipe into the moulds, so they are about 3/4 full. The batter spreads in the mould so don’t worry about piping perfectly.
4. Bake for 3 minutes, or until the batter puffs up in the center. Rotate the tin 180º and bake for another 3 minutes until golden brown.
5. Un-mould  by banging the tin against the counter, dust with icing sugar and consume immediately!

What foods make you nostalgic? I’m waiting to hear 🙂

 

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December is here! My most favorite time of the year.

It’s cold, which means it gets cozy.

There are sales, which means gifts for everyone.

And there’s delicious food (and drinks!), which means stretchy pants 😀

 

 

Here’s a peek at our tree 🙂

 

 

Hope you’re enjoying December!

 

Now like I promised in my last post, I wanted to share my top 10 list of things to eat in France. I have to admit we stayed in Paris for the most part, traveling out to a vineyard and to sightsee but the food is Paris is as varied and wonderful as you’d imagine. We stayed in darling AirBnB apartment and had a chance to really soak in this timeless, romantic and stunning city.

 

 

So here’s my Top 10 things to eat in France!

 

1.Baguette – This crusty, hole-y bread is the snack of choice for all Parisians. Most locals have their favorite, local bakery to pick  up their morning baguette from, but I loved them everywhere! Plain bread has never tasted this good!

 

 

2. French onion soup – This classic soup is done very well in many restaurants in Paris, and if you’re craving something rich but not elaborate, this is a perfect choice. The browned onions give this soup an almost meaty flavor, while the stringy, gooey cheese solves all the world’s problems.

 

 

3. Pâté – I must say, this is what I was MOST looking forward to eating in Paris. Pâté is the French word for “paste”, and you get many different kinds. The best ones are typically made from liver. The crème de la crème of pâté, is foie gras, which is a paste of goose or duck  liver. Usually eaten with hard toast, it tastes even better with something sweet like a compote or marmalade of some kind. I can’t describe it, except to say it’s like meat butter and that you must eat some right away.

 

 

4. Escargot – Snails, yes. But wait. They’re cooked in butter and then baked with breadcrumbs and parsley. So elegant, so French, so delish.

 

 

5. Steak and potatoes – France sure has some tasty cows. The beef was excellent, usually served with fried potatoes, that made the dish so much better. Often in restaurants, the best cut is served for two, so it’s perfect for sharing. Remember to wash down with good Bordeaux! (Note: The steak will come to the table almost bloody if you don’t specify that you’d like it to be medium to well-done. The server won’t seem happy, but your meat won’t be moo-ing!)

 

 

6. Truffles – France is known for its black truffles from Perigord, and any dish that features (good) truffles should be expected to be a bit on the pricier side. If you’ve never tried truffles, I’d suggest starting with oil (think truffle fries!) and then build up to actual shavings. Here black truffles have been shaved over tender lamb shank and lentils.

 

 

7. Crème Brulee – What can I say about this iconic dessert that’s not already been said? The heart-warming crack of hardened sugar? The creamy vanilla-spotted custard nestled below? The gentle sweetness that slowly envelops you with each spoonful? The perfect end to a Parisian meal. Make some at home today!

 

 

8. Macarons – Home to both Ladurée and Pierre Hermé, Paris is the best place in the world to eat macarons. Multiple flavors and colors to choose from, I would suggest getting a box with one of each type and then eating them till you have a stomach ache.

 

 

9. Pastries – French pastry is famous world-over, and why wouldn’t it be. I ate a croissant every day I was there (sometimes two) with zero regrets. The French certainly know their way with flour, butter and sugar. There are many types to choose from of course, but once you find your favorite, try it from as many little bakeries as possible!

 

 

We also tried this adorable little sweet bun being sold on the street – filled with Nutella and dusted with sugar! No idea what it’s called but so very good!

 

 

10. Grapes – If you visit a vineyard in France, and I think you should, taste some grapes fresh off the vines. Chances are they won’t be juicy, maybe even slightly tart, but the experience in itself is so memorable, you won’t be sorry. I have to note that this may not be legal (eeks!) but so much fun! Here is a picture of the grapes in Chablis , a wine district in Burgundy.

 

 

We also brought back some food, to continue experiencing the food bliss! Below are items from both Italy and France, including truffles, risotto, pistachio paste, squid ink pasta and foie gras among others!

 

 

In this wonderful season of overeating decadent and delicious things, I also wanted to share one of the simplest desserts I’ve ever made. This pound cake is easy to make, has no frills and fancies but tastes of comfort to me. In the spirit of Christmas and to remember to find joy in the simple things, here is the fluffiest and simplest pound cake you will ever make.

 

 

Fluffiest Pound Cake

 

Prep time: 10 mins
Cook time: 1 hour, 30 mins
Serves: 10-12

 

 

Ingredients:

340g/ 1 and 1/2 cups unsalted butter

285g/ 3 cups cake flour, plus extra for dusting

1 pack (8oz) pack of cream cheese

675g/ 3 cups caster sugar

6 eggs

1 tbsp vanilla extract

sliced almonds (optional)

 

Method:

1. Grease a 10-inch bundt tin with butter and then dust with some flour. Using a stand mixer mix the butter and cream cheese together until smooth. Then add the sugar and mix until well combined.
2. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well with each addition, and then add the cake flour and vanilla extract before combining everything thoroughly.
3. Pour into the prepared tin and bake in a cold oven at 160ºC/325ºF for 1 hour and 30 minutes. Remove and cool completely before decorating with sliced almonds (optional) and slicing to serve.

 

 

Wishing you all a wonderful Christmas and an amazing year ahead!

Love,

Storm 🙂

 

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Hello hello!

 

I’ve taken a looooong hiatus but I’m back to make you drool at your screen again. Yay!

 

I recently went on a wonderful holiday with friends to Italy and France. Yes, I saw all the sights, but you’ll know I was there mainly for the food 😀

 

 

Both countries had incredible food, so I’m dedicating the next two posts (this one and the next) to share some of my favs so that you know what to stuff your face with when you visit!

 

First, a little bit about Italy – all the different cities we visited (Rome, Florence, Venice, the Amalfi coast) had their own distinct characteristics. The common thread was that in every place, we had a sense of walking through history – in Rome it was magnificent, in Florence, artistic; in Venice, crumbling: and in Amalfi, breathtaking.

 

The food was incredible, and my list isn’t city-specific. Most of the items mentioned are available all over Italy quite easily, but will obviously vary depending on where you choose to eat.

 

So here’s my Top 10 things to eat in Italy!

 

1.Caprese salad – If you’ve only ever eaten mozzarella that’s been imported or came out of a box/packet, please eat this in Italy. It’s such a simple dish, but it’s the freshness of both the mozzarella and the tomatoes that make it an instant winner!

 

 

2.Carciofi alla Romana (Braised artichokes)- I know it looks ugglesome, but trust me on this. So tender, so flavorful and so delicious! It’s the quality of olive oil that makes the difference.

 

 

3.Cacio e pepe -Literally translates to: cheese and pepper. This pasta dish usually uses long thin spaghetti-type pasta, fresh cracked black pepper and Pecorino Romano cheese. Sinfully cheesy!

 

 

4.Assorted cured meats and cheese – While we ate a lot of pasta and pizza throughout our trip, there were days when I didn’t want the heaviness of carbs. Most restaurants offer beautiful antipasti platters that come with delicious salami, soppressata, prosciutto, as well as a variety of cheeses. This is a fantastic light meal, or appetizer to share. Wash down with lots of wine!

 

 

5.Pizza – Like pasta, we ate pizza almost in every city, but there was one clear winner. A small but immensely popular joint in Naples called Pizzeria Da Michele. Despite their super efficient pizza-making (I think they make one every minute or so!), there were long lines and no seats when we showed up ravenous one evening. We literally begged them to give us our order to go, which we then proceeded to inhale standing around the back of our car. Seriously guys, BEST margherita pizza ever.

 

 

6.Risotto – Creamy rice? How can anyone say no? The difference between the risottos I’ve eaten before and the ones from their birthplace is that the rice has more bite and the sauce is loaded with flavor. This seafood one in particular, was insane. Like you needed a legit nap after eating this.

 

 

7.Crema di Caffe – This delicious coffee dessert masquerading as a drink was my guilty pleasure throughout the trip. Like a soft-serve, it’s a cold blend of espresso, milk, cream and sugar. And only because my friends will kill me, I have to add that regular espresso (caffe) in Italy was outstanding and totally recommended as well.

 

 

8.Spritz – When in Venice, please try this delightful orange-colored drink. A mix of wine, a bitter liqueur (like Aperol or Select) and sparkling water, it’s usually served as an aperitif , garnished with a slice of orange.

 

 

9.Tiramisu – While I make a pretty decent Tiramisu myself, it was such fun trying the different renditions of Italy’s most popular dessert in all its different cities. Although presented differently, they all had that unmistakable creamy coffee flavor we know and love.

 

 

10.Gelato – Did you honestly think a list of things to eat in Italy would be complete without Gelato? Like Tiramisu, this was something we ate everywhere and it did not disappoint. My favorite flavor was Nocciola (hazelnut). Stay away from the shops in the touristy places – they look great but are often 5 times the price! The smaller gelaterias are just as good and very reasonably-priced.

 

 

While those are my top 10 general things to eat in Italy, I want to add two specific recommendations.

 

1. In Venice, I ate my favourite meal of the trip. It was lamb-shank with potatoes and salad, but the meat was so tender and flavorful, I devoured it and remember it fondly. The restaurant is called Enoiteca Mascareta – the food is amazing, the Tiramisu is even better, you can buy bottles of wine to take home AND the owner is a gin connoisseur so if you love gin, this place can’t be missed!

 

 

2. If you are ever in Florence, and want a romantic restaurant with a rooftop view and fantastic service, please head to La Scaletta. It’s a hotel with an amazing rooftop restaurant. The food is great but what makes this place amazing is the view and the service. In particular, our server Rafael, made our night immensely memorable with his charming, funny manner. Here is the bill he gave us as a joke at the end of the night.

 

 

Italy was incredibly memorable and even more delicious. Plan a holiday soon! 🙂

 

Now, Halloween is coming up and I wanted to share something I made because I can’t get over how adorable they look!

 

 

These too-cute-to-eat Halloween monsters are the perfect sweet treat for this holiday! They’re good for you too – I used almond butter and almond flour to make them.

 

Take a look inside! The candy eyeballs make all the difference, and I got them here.

 

 

Almond butter monsters

 

Prep time: 10 mins
Cook time: None! But needs about 1 hour to set
Makes: About 20

 

Ingredients:

225g/ 1 cup almond butter

200g/ 1 cup almond flour

75ml/ 1/3 cup honey

1 tsp vanilla extract

140g/ 3/4 cup dark chocolate chips

edible candy eye-balls

 

Method:

1. Line a tray with parchment paper or foil. In a large bowl, mix the almond butter, almond flour, honey and vanilla extract together. The mixture will be quite sticky but use your hands to mix it thoroughly.
2. Form small balls by rolling the mixture between your palms and place on the tray.
3. Melt the chocolate chips in the microwave in 15 second blasts and stir between each blast, until smooth and melted.
4. Using a spoon, dip each ball into the melted chocolate and coat well. Place on the tray and top with two candy eye-balls. Allow to set in the refrigerator for at least one hour before eating.

.

 

Boo! Happy halloween 🙂

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Earlier this month, a group of us friends headed to a lake-house in the Poconos.

 

We took food to be grilled, drinks to be shared and a healthy appetite for horror stories. The setting was perfect fodder for our gruesome imaginations so we collectively created a story where we all are murdered by a psycho killer in a lake-house. Such fun!

 

Here’s the lake-house. Perfect setting, right?

 

 

It wasn’t all scary though. There was bright sunshine and gorgeous sunsets, and food that ranged from grilled chicken to mini eclairs!

 

 

A holiday with a large group of friends is often hard to plan, but it’s almost always worth it!

 

We came back to more crazy fun weekends, one of which included my birthday!

 

 

With all this celebrating and my sweet tooth on overdrive, I needed to make something sweet that wasn’t altogether terrible for me.

 

I decided on these gluten-free, paleo almond cupcakes and they were perfect!

 

 

I used almond flour for the main cupcake, but to enhance the nutty flavor I also added cashew butter to replace frosting and pecans to decorate! Aren’t they lovely?

 

What I love about them is that they are incredibly moist and just sweet enough, without having an unhealthy amount of oil, sweeteners or eggs!

 

 

They still taste pretty decadent and I wouldn’t have more than one at a time, but they’re the perfect sweet treat if you’re trying to be a bit healthy! Super easy to make too! Give it a go 🙂

 

Almond Cupcakes

 

Recipe adapted from: Cook Nourish Bliss

 

Prep time: 10 mins
Cook time: 25 mins
Makes: 12

 

Ingredients:

 

600g/3 cups almond flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp sea salt

60ml/ 1/4 cup melted coconut oil

120ml/ 1/2 cup honey

3 eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 tbsp cashew butter, for the frosting

4 tbsp almond milk, for the frosting

24 pecan halves, to decorate

 

 

 

Method:

 

1. Preheat the oven to 160ºC/325ºF , and line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper cups. In a large bowl, mix the almond flour, baking soda and salt together.
2. In another bowl, whisk the melted coconut oil, honey, eggs and vanilla extract together. Pour this into the dry ingredients and mix until well combined.
3. Scoop into the paper cups and then bang the tin on a hard surface a few times so the batter settles into the cups. Bake for 25 minutes, remove from the oven and leave in the tin for 20 minutes. Then remove onto a wire rack to cool completely.
4. Mix the cashew butter with almond milk to thin out and then place one teaspoon of the mixture in the center of each cooled cupcake. Top with two pecan halves and enjoy!

 

Love you guys! ❤

 

 

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