Food & Thoughts

Do you eat enough vegetables? Do you really, honestly, get your " 6 a day? " I think it is pretty safe to say that even though I have the best of intentions, I don't. For all the thinking, writing and enjoying food that I do, I'm actually a real slouch on an everyday basis. This is an account of last Thursday, but you could tell the same story for many of the days during the looooong time off I've just had: I wake up, a large glass of tea on the bedstand next to me, lovingly provided by Martin. I get up, lounge around the apartment for a couple of hours (internetting, checking the balcony, doing some scrap-booking (on a good day)), then suddenly realize I need to get to work. I shower and run out the door. You did notice I forgot to eat breakfast, right? And even though I take my tea with both milk and sugar, please, and there is a lot of it, I'm pretty sure it doesn't fit neatly into the category of "stamina-inducing breakfasts". So I jot to wo...

It's time for a chat. You probably remember I had a loooooong list of New Year dares up back in January. I thought this was the time to do a short recap of how I'm doing on that list, because, you know, I've had all of my summer holiday to get stuff done, there's only four short months left of the year and - maybe, just maybe, I need a literal kick in the behind to get back in gear. So: Do more comparative cooking and, especially, baking. Well, it started out great ! But since that fight, not much has happened. I've done quite a lot of comparative tasting, like organic vs. regular cucumbers (couldn't tell the difference, except for a slight difference in texture), and mayo (homemade wins, no doubt) , but other than that. Meh. So I can't quite cross that of my list, yet. Cook Osso Buco. I actually did do this , quite a while back, but it just wasn't worthy of a post. That may have had a lot to do with the recipe, which I sorta winged, drawing on a cou...

Hello? Um. I, um. Well, okay. I sorta borrowed the 5 first books of the Harry Potter series from my (9-year-old) little sister. The first four was devoured in three days. Then I got stuck with number five, probably because I'd just seen the movie. But then, um. The 6th. was available from the library. And. Um. The last one was in the shops again. So - ah. The last two days, I've been cooped up in the chair in the corner of our living room, only breaking loose when making tea (they have an awful lot of tea in those books, don't they?) and changing the candles and turning on lights. And now. I read them. All of them. Forgive me. But. Um. Does anyone around here carry wands? No? Any snakes? Scars? Robes? Okey-dokey. Just checking if I really AM back in the real world... I'm hungry. Don't you just love vacations? Promise, I will be back - with food - soon!;-)

Tarragon My posts have become somewhat of photo-marathons lately. The last couple, the chocolate ones, was mostly comprised of old, old, photos - you all know how they tend to bulk up, and there's not a much better feeling than when they actually get put to good use. But this post? These photos are pretty much all of them fresh of the press - I promise! Not much in the way of recipes, though - hey, you can't have everything at once!:) You see, I've started a small balcony garden. Uhuh. Me. And lemme tell you: I am the kind of person that can kill cactus and succulents. Yes, that is the kind of plants you give to students so that they can have some greenery around they don't have to give much thought. I am not widely known for my green thumb, let that be said. See that? That's chicken salad. Made with mayo, creme fraiche, chicken (obviously!) and tarragon - the one from the photo above. So why on earth I thought it a great idea to start planting and growing herbs!...

Banana Layer Cake with fresh Bananas and Chocolate Ganache Frosting It's amazing what two weeks of summer vacation can do to you. Like me? I think I've become the Queen of Procrastination (yes, that word again) Allow me to explain myself. The last two days, I've spend playing this . I even shelled out the 20 bucks for the full version. Seriously. And I know. It's a kid's game. But I'm not only the Queen of Procrastination, I am also: "Zarah. An arcade game called "Cake Mania" addict." Chocolate Meringue Truffle Cake Yes, most people would describe me as a mature and sensible 28-year old woman. Most. Probably not Martin, as he has been the one coming home to a non-showered, still in her pajamas, bed-head haired monster with an adrenalin-level shot through the roof, eyes as big as teacups and visible palpitations. And I'm taking a wild guess that at least one of my girlfriends shook her head at me when I got a little CAPITAL-LETTERED bec...