Coconut milk chocolate panna cotta

"Never underestimate the power of chocolate!"

I call it quite a harmless dessert. There is no cream in it, it tastes quite rich and yet light. Besides a good chocolate dessert once in a while never hurt anyone. I served this to quite a few people already and everyone asked for more!

Cream of carrot ginger soup

"Soup is just a way of screwing you out of a meal!" -Jay Leno

Potato pancakes with creme fraiche and caviar

"In a big family the first child is kind of like the first pancake. If it's not perfect, that's okay, there are a lot more coming along". Antonin Scalia, American Judge

When I was looking for a quote about pancakes, this one made me laugh, but then I thought - what if there was just one pancake (or child)? Everything must be perfect then! And I have been trying to perfect my pancakes in all kinds of shapes and forms, with a variety of ingredients. I can't say this recipe is perfect - I don't think such a thing exists in cooking. To me personally these turned out really delicious and I absolutely loved the texture.

Beet, goat cheese and roasted pine nut tart

"Every guy thinks that every girl's dream is to find the perfect guy... Pleeeease! Every girl's dream is to eat without getting fat!"

I love love love beets! For quite a long time I had different associations with this root - haunted by memories of boiled beets from kindergarten. No kidding! Just remembering those meals give me shivers down my spine - meatballs with boiled beets and buckwheat. Yuck! At least the way the food was prepared... It took me a bit to recuperate from childhood traumas and just a bit more to completely fall in love with this amazing vegetable. I could it eat it with almost anything, but goat cheese beats it to the top of the list. 

Spinach fettuccine with black olives, capers, tomatoes and goat cheese

"The trouble with eating Italian food is that five or six days later, you are hungry again. " - George Miller

Once upon a time, a few months ago to be exact, I went on a business trip to Mykonos, Greece. Yeah, I know it sounds like business! Gorgeous island with beautiful beaches, friendly people and amazing food. Since I was there with a lot of other people, we had pre-booked dinners at different restaurants. Another upside to this short story - having a colleague, from Greece, who is proud to be Greek and is always going an extra mile to make other people fall in love with the country - well he was the one, who organized everything. He knows food and definitely knows how to showcase the best of what the country has to offer. Referring to him, Greeks treat food as love. 

Barley soup with dried mushrooms

It's not a diet! It's called eating healthy!

'Tis the season! Days are getting shorter and the air crispier. It is the beginning of November and I can't help but notice how commercial Christmas is becoming - lights and decorations are already out in some of the stores. I guess it is human nature to do the opposite from what you are pushed towards to. They wanna make me buy more stuff? Well I get in the mood of spending less on everything. How about that? My wallet tends to go on a "no spend" diet, while my body starts craving comfort food with the weather getting colder. Those dark long nights make you want to crawl under a blanket with something warm to eat and read a book, watch a movie or just cuddle with the loved one.

Egg noodles with forest mushrooms and soy

"Fast food is popular because it's convenient, it's cheap, and it tastes good. But the real cost of eating fast food never appears on the menu."

I think a lot of people over complicate things. In many aspects of life - and since food is one of the most important ones - in eating too. Lately mankind succumbs to the influence of fast paced days. Everyone is in a hurry, trying to accomplish too many things simultaneously. And although in the end of the day the result maybe is not what we aimed for, but we sure did feel busy. Rush to work in the morning, early meetings before lunch, a quick bite on the way somewhere paying less attention towards content versus time getting on your plate and down your throat or lunch with someone important when you don't even taste what's on your plate, because the "deal" is more important. The perception is wrong! We need to slow down - allow ourselves to sit, relax and actually enjoy every single bite of what we're eating.

Pan seared salmon & wilted spinach with coconut milk

“A photographer is like a cod, which produces a million eggs in order that one may reach maturity.”  George Bernard Shaw

Today there are two occasions to cook fish for dinner (for me it's usually next day's lunch for work) - it's Tuesday, so fresh fish is brought in. More importantly - bought a new camera lense and my hands were itching to take photos of some food! The normal crowd would probably go out on the street to get some photos taken, but since I don't blend in with the regulars in this sense - I needed something on my plate.

Pearl couscous with shrimp, fresh tomatoes and chives

"Couscous - the food so nice they named it twice!"

Today I am celebrating a little birthday! 4 years ago today I wrote my first blogpost. That was for the sake of sharing a recipe with some friends. That's when my little journey began and it got more and more intense along the way. Today I decided to treat myself to a dessert - something bright and colorful on the plate. Usually a birthday would call for a dessert. To me - seafood is the best dessert ever. I could have it for a starter, main course and dessert all at once.

Roasted stuffed peppers

We are all dietetic sinners; only a small percent of what we eat nourishes us; the balance goes to waste and loss of energy. ~William Osler

I cleaned my fridge a few days ago. Decided it is time to use all of the frozen goodies since the new season is fast approaching. Kept up to my promise for 2 days... Stopped by a store to pick up one thing and saw some gorgeous tomatoes and red bell peppers. So... Having a bright yet very light red dinner tonight!

Asparagus with smoked salmon and sunny side up egg

"Probably one of the most private things in the world is an egg until it is broken."

M.F.K. Fisher

'Tis the season - fresh and crunchy asparagus! It is one of the vegetables that I wish grew and we had fresh all the time. And I mean fresh - grown somewhere close, not brought in from a different part of the world. I guess vegetables get jet lagged too - they don't taste as good if they travel far!

Avocado stuffed with shrimp and sweet corn, topped with arugula

Vegetables are interesting, but lack a sense of purpose when accompanied by a good cut of meat. ~Fran Lebowitz

Come to think of it - this quote is off. Avocado is a fruit, but nevertheless, it definitely doesn't lack its purpose when accompanied with shrimp and sweet corn. One of the easiest snacks to make and in no time. Sounds dreamy - healthy, tasty, colorful and fast!

Tuna salad wrap

The chicken of the sea - tuna!

You know it is quite easy to prepare the food that satisfies all cravings, but making something healthy and tasty with as little fat as possible is a bit of a challenge.

I was talking with a friend of mine the other day about how difficult it is to find something quick to grab for a bite on a busy work day. We both agreed it is best to prepare some snacks at home. And I made a promise that a "healthy and easy to make" section would appear on my blog. Et voila!