A Skywalk and a Lemon Scented Asparagus Egg Feldgieker Tart

On a Spring day in April, I packed my camera gear and props to make the roughly one-and-a-half-hour drive from Weimar to Eichsfeld. The weather was, as true to April's nature, fairly changeable. It was warm, my spirit was high and I was really looking forward to this trip. The district of Eichsfeld is a beautiful region in Thuringia, with its rolling hills and untouched nature, the landscape at times reminds me of something taken from the chapters of a Jane Austen book: a Nature of beauty and grace.

Chamomile and Saffron Crème Caramel

 

As a child of the 80s, the crème caramel was the epitome of all desserts for me. As a daughter of an hotelier I spent a lot of the 80s giving into the gentle jiggling charm of this dessert. Somewhere into the 90s the dessert disappeared from its pedestal of fame. Apparently the crème caramel had occupied a huge amount of space on restaurant menus around the world for a large part of the 20^th century and probably had to make room for the liquid nitrogen dessert trends that took the 2000s over by storm. Or how about the fusion of any two ingredients possible – cronut or cruffin anyone? 

Punjabi Style Curried Lamb and Peas - Keema Matar

My life – most of it – has always revolved around food. My mother’s father was a hotel / restaurant inspector and my father is a hotelier. As a little girl I spent most of my time in the various kitchens of the hotels. I watched as the pastry chef made my sweet patisserie dreams come true, squealed in disgust as the butcher axed the chickens, was intrigued by the way the sous chef magically whipped up the smoothest sauce béarnaise or waited impatiently as the trucks came into the delivery loaded with tropical fruit and vegetables from all over the world.

Classic: Croque Madame

When many of us think of French cuisine we tend to automatically link it to haute cuisine. It is the foundation of French cuisine evolving from the royals and aristocrats around Versailles and Paris. The 17^th century chef and author Francois Pierre La Varenne is known as the godfather of modern French cuisine whose work has been an inspiration over the centuries and very much responsible for the creation of haute cuisine as we know it today.

Rhubarb Strawberry Pavlova with Cardamon Skyr Cream

Peonies, scoops of ice cream, dances through the sprinkler, warm summer rains and juicy strawberries. All the things that are making summer a blast for us here in Weimar. Those end of year exams are done and dusted for my son, my last workshops and events for the first half of the year are under the belt and we are gearing towards summer break in just under a week.

Cherry Pistachio Meringue Tart

To me it never really feels like summer until cherries arrive in the markets. Cherries announce the beginning of the stone-fruit season and for me this kicks-off my favorite fruit season of the year. For a short time cherries are the stars before apricots, peaches and plums arrive and take over front row.

Breakfast of Champions - The Big Breakfast Post

 

Breakfast is for champions! And according to the trend it is sneaking its way into the other meals of day. We have a tendency to put an egg on everything and serve up “breakfast for lunch/dinner” – a trend that I follow myself, especially when the traditional eggs, bacon, grilled tomatoes and baked beans are concerned.

Cooking School: Crêpes Suzette

The year is 1895 at the height of the Belle Epoche, a time filled with great optimism in France. Paris boasts of its newest acquirement, the Eiffel Tower, lighting the blue touch paper in this “beautiful era”, where science and the arts are seeing a period of development and innovation. The rich and famous celebrate this age buoyantly, traveling in their fancy cars and rejoicing with good food, wine and champagne.

Rhubarb, Ginger and Quark Strudel

She was a proud buxom lady who commanded a very special aura of respect whenever she entered the oversized kitchen. It was the kind of respect you knew never to mess with because behind her kind smiles and her liberal patience there was her haughty dignity of being one of the best in her field. Anyone who dared to disregard this fact by challenging her significance, would become the subject of being abundantly praised out of her kitchen and into one of her inferior colleagues’ less meaningful sculleries. Before they even realized the poor exchange they had made, it was far too late to make any amends and many a wretched trainee ended up biting in the sour apple.

Smoked Cheddar Cheese and Asparagus Quiche

 
She was always very meticulous and precise in the kitchen, never a hint of chaos or hectic surrounding her. The perfect hostess at the several dinner parties held at the apartment overlooking the bay. Depending on the time of the day the sea shimmered all shades of blue and green. I would often watch her looking out of the large windows far into the horizon. In the kitchen she always looked so peaceful and in her element.

Strawberry Rhubarb Tiramisu

Time: here today, gone tomorrow.  Trying to hold onto it is like trying to grasp sand in our fists, it creeps through our fingers leaving only traces of what was … once upon a time. But time creates memories allowing us to delve into moving emotions, sometimes bitter, sometimes sweet. While I cannot hold onto time, I can keep the cherished memories and thrive on the feelings time creates.

Muscovado Sugar Orange and Cardamom Easter Wreath

 

One of the most comforting aromas for me is the one of freshly baked bread emanating from the oven and filling the house with it’s sweet, yeasty perfumes. I live in Germany and have the most wonderful variety of fresh bread available from an abundance of several bakeries to choose from. I am spoilt for choice. The short distance I drive each day from home to work, which is about 4 kilometers, there are 6 bakeries, 2 of which offer organic bread and baked treats. Yes I am spoilt for choice. 

Black Forest Pavlova: Quark, Cherries, Kirsch & Chocolate

“Life is uncertain.  Eat dessert first.”  ~Ernestine Ulmer.

And if I may complement this piece of prudent wisdom “… start with a pavlova!” Because after you have tasted this true piece of heaven, whatever may come after that will just be consolation in the form of dessert.

Chocolate Espresso Sponge Pudding (and How to Pinterest)

While I wait for Spring to fully arrive at the markets I am satisfying the deep sweet cravings with chocolate … and coffee. It’s an intense but exquisite pairing that one can very easily get addicted to. Doesn’t addiction come is so many forms?

Salmon Kedgeree with Butternut Squash, Parsnip, Fennel and Quail Eggs

Here we are - on the other side and well into the second week of a brand new year. January - is a month that gives me very mixed feelings. It’s a month that fills me up with contradictory thoughts and emotions. A month I very much look forward to in December but once here I cannot wait till it moves on.  

Spiced Advocaat Custard

25 days till Christmas. Can you believe it? I say that every year, don’t I? I have a feeling it creeps up just a tad bit earlier each year. Not that I am unprepared but somehow I manage to block out all signs of Christmas, of which they first begin to appear at the markets as early as September. 

Raspberry and Coconut Macarons

Coconut lemon meringue pie, Indian carrot halwa, tiramisu or saffron kulfi – desserts were my mother’s specialty. She was a spectacular cook but it was her desserts that really made her popular amongst friends and family. Once a month she got the opportunity to display her skills when friends would get together for their regular games nights. Often potluck evenings, I have many fond memories of those nights.

Rømmevafler: Norwegian Sour Cream Waffles with Brunost and Cloudberry Cream

  

This week while many were flipping pancakes for Shrove Tuesday, we were busy making waffles. I guess we are different that way, but if I were to choose between both, waffles would win by a slight margin. It’s the contrast of the crispy exterior and the soft interior that makes the waffle rank high on my list. 

Chocolate Orange Cake with Salted Caramel Ganache

  

It’s like living a déjà vu. My memory has records of pictures and feelings that I can aptly call up the exact position in my life I lived the moment, but I also know that the way I am living the same experience right now is different, fresh and unique. And I know this will be the last opportunity I have to relive it in this incomparable way.

Lemon Pepper Hazelnut Macarons with Lemon Curd and Goat Cheese Cream

   

The waitress, still smiling patiently, brought us another round of frothy cappuccinos, a heart drawn in cocoa on the thick froth of each cup. Clearing away empty glasses of cocktails and stained plates, she asked politely if there was anything else we desired.