When my friend Manu asked me to post a soup recipe, I felt like there would be no way I could pick from the infinite variations that came to my mind. You see, If there was a Food Oscar, Soup would surely win the “Not a Recipe” category (Nominated in the category too: Salad, Sandwich & Quiche) – Am…
Category: food
A “Kukka Omena*” Apple tart!
Food inspires me visually first; always! It usually starts with an obsession over an ingredient and evolves to take many shapes or forms until I feel content and ready to move on. I have a vivid memory of my first year as a new comer in Finland. My best friend came to visit me in Helsinki. I was…
No tears Soupe à l’oignon
As I’m listening to “Here comes the night” by David Bowie I have a sudden longing for the warm and comforting sweetness of a French onion Soup. I have a rule though: when you are in a funk, it’s got to be a “No Tears” recipe! So here you go – one of my absolute favorite winter dish…
Ladie’s Night Out Menu #1 – “Irina”
As an adult, moving to a foreign country, forming new friendships can feel like an ordeal. I mean come on, “been there done that ” right? I am no exception; after almost 10 years here, I have seen many of my friends return to their home countries. It seemed that as the winters grew colder, their resilience grew thinner. In an…
Delicious Quiches
As a rule of thumb, one should always have a few ready-made savory pies pastries in the freezer. Yes sure, it’s as nice to make your own, but by all mean, no one will ever know the difference so think twice because by the time they are defrosted, you can prepare the filling & get your oven to the…
Survival Instinct
“5 minutes” dinners have become a specialty! Developed from pure Survival instinct, here are a few tricks to avoid frantically dialing your Pizza guy while munching on a day old piece of bread. When you prepare any type of grain (rice, bulgur, quinoa, …) , double the amounts and store the leftover in an airtight container If you…
Oops, I did it again!
There are days when food disasters are unavoidable. Over-ambitious targets, a key ingredient tragically missing at the last minute, an unexpected allergie, or the casual oven malfunction, if you have cooked, you have had your share of epic fails.Yet, from these food debacles, hidden behind the sense of urgency and betrayal is a trepidation! Away from the paved…
King’s Cake for you!
When I first moved to Finland I didn’t know what Loppiainen was and simply dismissed it as yet another very welcome day-off. This ignorance lasted for a few years until someone asked me what French people usually do during the “Epiphany” time. Almost instantaneously, memories of afternoons at home picking crispy flakes of…
In the eye of the beholder
Beautiful food doesn’t require mastery, only a respect of the ingredients and unconditional trust
Have a Spicy New Year!
It seems that when it’s cold out and everyone you know has gone down with the mandatory Holiday flu, there is but one food item that makes you feel all better! What better remedy than crispy, spicy & deliciously salty chickpeas? They take 2 minutes to prep, approximately 10 minutes under the grill to roast. They…
Tartine & leftovers..
We went ice-skating with friends today. Or rather, the kids went falling on the ice while the fathers prevented them from breaking their necks every ten seconds. True to myself, I was indoors sipping coffee and trying to win the “who is laziest” contest with the other mom.. (I’m pretty sure I won). Eventually, when we…
White Truffle oil infusion & Confession
I’ll admit it, I’m what you might call a “Food Snob”. I may pretend that I’m content with the simpler taste of life… but in my mind I’m drizzling it with a generous amount of White truffle infused olive oil. And by “it” I’m referring to pretty much anything savory you might be thinking of right now….
Sunny Lemon Chicken Tagine
Though I was born & raised in the North of France, my family originally comes from warmer climates. For this reason, the flavors of my childhood are multiple and diverse and do not stop at the national border of my native country. On Sundays, it was not unusual to enjoy the French classic of “Poulet…
Ode to a spud
One of the things that grows almost despite of you in Finland are root vegetables. They are generous, inexpensive and deliciously versatile. Yet who ever thinks twice about them? “What a wonderful boiled potato” said none ever! I find it such a shame to witness the jaded nonchalance they are submitted to. Like an overly reliable companion who…
Kalasatama, mon amour
In Helsinki there is a secret place. It’s a place where the sea surrounds you, the wind taste salty and the city’s luminescent heartbeat pulses with a decadent tranquility. Making Giant soap bubbles… just because I’m a city child, I’ve always been. I need the proof of life that comes from the movement and agitation of…
Hungry in Helsinki 