Apple Streusel

by Diana

During many years Venezuela welcomed a significant number of immigrants that contributed to the extensive variety of colours and flavours that can be found today in our country, enhancing its beauty. In the late XIX century a colony of German immigrants, founded a small town in the mountains, called La Colonia Tovar. Nowadays its traditions are still preserved and if you go there, you could find not only the typical German houses but also -and even more important- traditional German food. There are many cafes and restaurants that serve from sausages, spaetzle and pork hock to exquisite cakes and puddings. Furthermore, its location in the mountains favours this tropical German town with a weather cold enough that allows the visitors to enjoy the smell of the smoke in the fireplaces, enriching even more the experience of traveling abroad inside the same country. My husband's favourite form of entertainment while visiting La Colonia Tovar was to go to Cafe Muhstall and to order Apple Streusel. In my ignorance I always thought that apple streusel was the equivalent to apple crumble, which I have made and he has accepted through the years -with inquisitive appraisals-. Only recently I have found out that although similar, the streusel is a different dish, which I adventured myself to make this week. This time he loved it!


I am risking everything here, trying out a german recipe without asking Julie's permision -my very German sister-in-law- I hope she'll be proud! 

© Diana Chaccour

Pan de Jamon

by Diana

One does not realise how important traditions are until the end of the year gets close.  Now that Christmas is looming, I must confess how hard and extremely weird for me it is to witness British getting exited about mince pies, mulled wine and fruity puddings, and it is equally surprising to go to a bakery and find anything but sausage rolls and everyday pastries, and nothing similar to what I traditionally enjoyed buying back home during the festive season. This is why I wanted to share with you today one of our most beloved Venezuelans Christmas dishes: Pan de Jamon. 

Pan de jamon or ham bread, is a soft bread dough stuffed with ham, olives, raisins and sometimes -the best times- bacon and cream cheese. The only thing is that the process of making the dough is a long and exhaustive one and somehow it clashes with the fast rhythm of life of the big city -and by big city I am definitely not referring to Caracas but to agitated London-. Therefore I chose to make Pan de Jamon with puff pastry instead -the most expensive option in Venezuela's market and contrastingly, the cheapest one in London-. It takes about an hour to make and bake and just seconds to enjoy! 

I would like to add here a recent anecdote: I gave a portion of Pan de Jamon to a Scottish young lady I know and although she didn't question its deliciousness, she just couldn't understand the reason for the raisins and she confessed -to my regret- that she left them on the side! Feel free not to include them in your recipe, but please just be adventurous -and a little bit exotic- and give it a try!  

© Diana Chaccour

Peach and Pomegranate Couscous

By Diana

Last week I came back home with a pomegranate in my bag and I started wondering what will be the best way to use it, since I do not have much experience with that fruit, except for my childhood memories. 

My granny used to have a pomegranate tree in her back yard (or probably an overhanging branch from the neighbour's tree with all the fruit). My mum and aunty used to call me excitedly whenever ripe pomegranates were ready to be eaten: "Diaaaaanaaaa, come running". I used to respond quickly to their calls with stunning enthusiasm for many reasons. Firstly, the garden was my adventure playground, my fantasyland and the perfect place to explore and hide. I would often be found riding my tricycle around the patio while pretending to be in one of my adventures. Hearing their calls instantly represented an invitation to include the adults in my playing fantasy. Secondly, for me it was almost a miracle that all those bright blood coloured pearls could be found inside that fruit globe that was hanging unreachably high above my head. This gave me a big sense of achievement!. Back then we didn't make any recipes with the fruits, we just shared the seeds in the garden, being careful of course, not to stain our skirts!

This time I chose to make a couscous with the pomegranate, incorporating peach and some herbs. A very easy and tasteful recipe that I am sure you will enjoy!

© Diana Chaccour

Sesame Cupcakes

By Julie

One of the problems of being a recipe writer is that you use anything resembling note paper to jot down a recipe while you are cooking and baking, thinking “you will have more time to type it in the computer later...”. That can be an empty egg carton or a supermarket receipt. It only becomes a problem, though, if your husband, in the incredibly sweet attempt to help clean the kitchen afterwards, collects everything closely resembling trash and takes it outside before you know what is happening. Not a bad deal though: I get to make them again and my wonderful husband gets paid for his kitchen duty with cupcakes.

Enjoy our sesame cupcakes of the week!

© Diana Chaccour

Marmalade and Mustard Chicken with Creamy Mashed Potato

By Diana

When I was a school girl, I remember we had a carefully designed yet repetitive lunch menu, every week from Monday to Friday. Although I cried out for a change during those years of routine, we had little choice but to stick to what the old man planned; steaks on Mondays; Venezuelan's national dish on Wednesdays - beef skirt, black beans, plantain and rice; fish on Thursdays (which ruined my entire day) and home-made burgers on Fridays. My favourite routine lunch days though were Tuesdays, since this was the only time of the week that we had chicken (and you all know how much I love chicken) especially as it was no ordinary chicken, but my mum's sweet recipe!! Although I would have preferred spontaneity in the lunch menu, the certainty that I was always going to have my mum's chicken on a Tuesday, made it the best day of the entire week for me!! ♥

Now this original recipe calls for guava marmalade. Don't panic! This is the Venezuelan equivalent of British strawberry jam that can be found on offer at every supermarket. However, feel free to use any flavour of your choice. As a side dish I am suggesting a creamy mashed potato with grated cheese. Some people might find the combination of ingredients quite weird! "Marmalade and mustard with chicken? She is probably mistaking her English again" I hear you say, but no; Trust me and just give it a try, as it is fantastic!

© Diana Chaccour

Saffron, Orange Blossom and Caramel Ice-Cream

by Diana

This nuts allergy of mine has become a little bit of an annoying obstacle. Every time I gain courage to buy ice-cream in the supermarket I have to pathetically read the contents and allergy advise, just to discover with disappointment that 90% of the flavours that are object of my affection, contain nuts and traces of nuts. Moreover, to push the limits of my frustration, I have to witness my husband -whose blessed body tolerates everything produced in nature- returning sadly to the shop's freezer, his carefully selective choice, in exchange for the classic chocolate or vanilla that we end up buying with regret.

This is why, I decided to try out making our own distinctive and personalised ice cream, capable of pleasing us both. I searched in the Leiths Techniques Bible for a vanilla ice-cream recipe, just to obtain an Ice-cream base and then incorporated the flavours that I had in mind. To replace the crunchiness of the nuts, I made caramel and broke it into pieces, which I later combined with a choice of orange blossom water, honey and saffron. An exotic delight that I hope you will enjoy!

© Diana Chaccour

Fusilli Beef Stroganoff

By Diana

One of my favourite dishes when I was a child was Stroganoff -yes, I had a strong appetite for a little girl- and the reason why I knew then what Stroganoff was is because my Syrian grandma used to make the delicious Russian dish from time to time on Sundays, when we visited her. Although her Spanish was impeccable and I cannot question her Arabic, she never got right the name of the Siberian dish! When we arrived to the front door and asked her what was for lunch she replied proudly Astrogoal!!! an answer always followed by a loud collective laugh that for me -and I am sure that for all of us- it constituted the best moment of the day! 

As all her recipes, her version of Stroganoff was exquisite but unfortunately she did not leave it in writing. The only thing I am sure about is that she used to mix the Stroganoff with fusilli - short pasta that in Venezuela we call little screws, in reference to its shape-. So after a week or so of research, and of digging into the reminiscences of my grandma's dish tastiness, I came up with an integration of recipes for Stroganoff that I am sharing here with you today! I can happily say that the recipe matches in 98% with the flavours of my childhood, and for me, that's all it takes! Enjoy! 

© Diana Chaccour

Ginger Chews

By Julie

One thing I love about being on vacation is scouring a foreign market or supermarket for interesting foods. This time, we spent our vacations only two hours away from home, yet in another country, France, so most of the available foods were somehow familiar. I found more variety, which is either due to French people being less conservative about cooking than Spanish or simply, more holidaying foreigners. Eventually, I picked up some candied ginger and took an oath in front of my husband to use it for some cookies. And this is the result - divine and chewy crunchiness!

© Diana Chaccour

Barley Salad with Parmesan Cheese

By Diana

For this week I decided to try out barley, an ingredient that I have never used before but that it has been repetitively recommended by one of my vegetarian friends -the only one with decent taste, I have to say-. So thanks to her, here I am again, fighting my prejudices and tasting my cooking boundaries. I tried to bear in mind that barley is nothing but just another grain.. a vegetarian harmless grain that could not do anything to hurt my appetite or to jeopardize the reputation of the blog -if we have one at all-. I compared its colour and consistency to the one of wheat or giant couscous, and from those premises I opened the fridge and improvised the following recipe. The results, as you will see, turned out surprisingly well: a refreshing salad with a diversity of textures and a slightly Mediterranean flavour that can be served warm or cold and can be eaten as complement of your main meal or as a dish in itself. 

I hope you like this week's simple recipe and as Da Vinci said -or Google affirms- "Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication". Enjoy!

© Diana Chaccour

Lemon Cream Sponge Cake

By Diana

As I promised a few posts ago, the results of my Tuscany holidays will be progressively published here in The Teaspoon. One of the souvenirs that I brought with me in my suitcase -and as a present for my beloved husband who had the misfortune to stay in rainy London while I enjoyed myself abroad- was a delicious and very Italian, Note di Limone. 

I selected this particular cake from the supermarket shelves for the only reason that I recognized the brand: Mulino Bianco. I remember that a few Decembers ago, one of my mum's patients gave her as a present a Panetonne of this brand and its flavour remains as one of the most exquisite Christmas experiences we had. So I knew that the Note di Limone in the Florence supermarket was not going to be anything but another exceptional case.   

This is a simple sponge cake, cut in half and filled with lemon cream or crema al limone -similar to British lemon curd I believe-. Although I was hoping the results to be the same as my souvenir, the truth is that any home-made recipe could ever equal the magic and enchanting touch of food preservatives -even the most pathetic well elaborated attempts like mine-. Anyway, I tried modestly to recreate it here for you guys, so you can enjoy it in one of the last outdoor picnics of the "summer", picturing yourself in one of those traditional little towns in the lovely region of Tuscany. 

© Diana Chaccour

Chicken Empanada Gallega

By Julie

My husband often asks me to cook novel appetizing things or try a version of something he has enjoyed in the past. This frequently includes Diana’s recipes but this time, it was a classical Spanish dish the Galician mother of his friend used to cook for the family in Venezuela, an “empanada gallega” or Galician empanada. I must say, I shied away from it for a long time, thinking this would be way too laborious but it turned out that the actual active working time is very little, it can be prepared in advance and it can feed a lot of people, so it is ideal for when you invite a bunch of friends and don’t want to spend time cooking when they are already there.

There are probably as many versions of this empanada as there are grandmothers in Galicia and typically it contains seafood but in my version today, you will find chicken. Any combination with fish or meat is fine and if you are in a hurry, you will be excused for using canned tuna instead.

© Diana Chaccour

Corn and Feta Cheese Cake

By Diana

As most of you should be aware, Venezuela was conquered by the Spanish in the late 15th century, but before that, our country was inhabited by a variety of indigenous tribes with a multiplicity of traditions, dialects and hand-craft production, as well as culinary techniques of course. Some of these tribes still exist and their traditions remain, and are reflected in the extensive range of gastronomic options that can be found in Venezuelans' dinner tables. The cultural fusion in our country is what defines it and when it comes to cooking, our national products play an essential part in this mixture. From coconut to plantain, sugar cane and rum, and of course corn, definitely the most versatile of our products. 

This week I am going to share with you one of those recipes that show the fusion of both the old and the new world: corn cake or torta de jojoto. Although the original recipe calls for fresh, hand-made, grated white cheese,  the health and safety legislations in the UK apparently prohibit fresh cheese production -my one and only answer to the difference between developed and undeveloped countries-. So I had to modify the recipe with the closest alternative: Greek feta cheese - which do nothing but emphasize the cooking multiculturalism that I just told you about-. 

The results, not too sweet neither too savoury, this cake is perfect for those with exotic appetites in need to satisfy -or just for those looking to do something useful with the seasonal corn on the cob now in the supermarkets- So here you go, a new treat to offer to your friends at tea time. 

© Diana Chaccour

Traditional British Pasties

By Diana

I believe every country have its very particular style of pastries that define somehow the character of their people. In Venezuela for example, we have our empanadas, made out of pre-cooked white cornmeal that we fill in with a variety of possibilities: from fresh hand-made white cheese, to cooked meat or even black beans for the vegan taste. We even have one with our whole national dish inside that people usually eat very early in the morning before heading to the beach. Unlike other countries' pastries, ours are not baked for hours but are fried quickly in deep quantities of vegetable oil. I will share of course the recipe with you guys one day -it's on my list of promises for the blog- but not today. 

In Britain, as most of you are aware, they eat a slightly more elegant kind of pastries. They take their time to make what they call a Cornish Pasty: a well elaborated pastry made with uncooked beef, onion, potatoes and swede that they bake for one hour in the oven. Cornish is referred to the region of Cornwall, which is the most decent part of the British coast, with apparently lovely beaches that I am planning to visit before the summer ends. My point is that coincidentally, like in Venezuela, British people eat empanadas in the beach too!

So here is the recipe, extracted from Borough Market's recipe index. I hope you all enjoy it!

© Diana Chaccour

Vanilla Panna Cotta with Summer Fruits

By Diana

I went to Tuscany last month in a attempt for holidays, obviously to enjoy good gastronomy, mountains of Peccorino cheese and drink abundantly the famous Brunello di Muntalcino. As food has transformed lately into my primary work of art I couldn't help bringing the blog in my head, a notepad and the camera of course, my true loyal friend. 

One of the main objectives of my trip was capturing the authentic flavour of Italian Panna Cotta  -cooked cream-. And although I searched deeply  on the menus of Florence's many Trattorias, I found just one restaurant where Panna Cotta was served. To my disappointment and frustration, the place was outrageously expensive and I have greedily resisted to invest in a dessert that, as far as I know, turns out well in my kitchen.

So I am sharing it here, just for you guys. My legitimate -BBC modified- Vanilla Panna Cotta recipe, adorned with appropriate seasonal summer fruits. 

© Diana Chaccour

Almond,Citrus and Olive Oil Cake

By Diana

The last few weeks have been a little bit maniac here at The Teaspoon. The summer, my mum coming to visit, Julie moving houses when the babies are asleep and the queen jumping out of an helicopter have taken away most of our cooking time. We did go to Florence for a sort of "field test", but we are still processing the findings and we'll publish the outcomes in the upcoming weeks. Nevertheless, our -previously mentioned- friends from Zaytoun have come to the rescue during this busy period and kindly asked us to produce some images for an amazing almond, citrus and olive oil cake that they will be using to promote their tasty products. I still cannot tell if it was my Arabic blood or just my usual empirical excitement in the kitchen, but the blend of flavors and aromas of this delicious cake are indescribably unique and I hope you will agree with me when you try it at home. 

© Diana Chaccour

Oriental Fennel Chicken

By Julie

I am a big fan of fennel. To my dismay, the Spanish are not. I cannot find it anywhere here.   But this week, I had enough. I ordered it from my Ukrainian grocers of choice who normally are my ginger dealers as ginger turns out be also on the list of the less popular foods in Northern Spain. Anyway, there it was, immaculately white and green, simply appetizing and waiting for me to turn it into something delicious. You don’t even need much turning, as fennel is incredibly versatile - a friend of mine cuts it up and eats it raw from a bowl, a bit like crisps but healthy. My baby daughter has had it steamed in combination with apple and chicken or a mashed banana, she loves it and on top, it has huge calming benefits for her little tummy.

One fennel classic is a salad with orange slices and black olives, which inspired me to the following recipe. I like the quirk of the Kashmiri cuisine to add dried fruit to rice and meat dishes, so I incorporated it here to give it an Oriental flair. However, if you don’t believe in mixing savoury food with sweet flavours, you can replace the dried fruit by black olives. Now go on, off to the kitchen!

© Diana Chaccour

Chocolate Cherry Muffins

By Diana

There are certain days when I only need to cook. It doesn't matter if I have a deadline or if I have to run to work in the following hour, the only thing that I am sure about is that cooking will just make my day better. Stepping into the kitchen and following -creatively- a recipe, generates a satisfaction comparable to the one artists feel when a piece is completed. The difference is that the culinary work of art doesn't remain in a mere contemplative state but it goes back inside, to feed the hungry spirit, and better yet, the lucky spirits of the  ones whose kitchen coincides with the culinary artist's studio.

The following recipe is the result of one of those days. It happens to integrate seasonal cherries and chocolate, a combination which I am sure most of you will love as much as I do.  At the end you will have six satisfactory muffins resting in your kitchen, so you can carry on with your routine with the tranquillity that at least a good work was done today. 

© Diana Chaccour

Strawberry Gazpacho

By Diana

One of my first holiday memories is the trip to the World Expo Sevilla in the summer of 1992 with my family. I remember it was so hot that there were fountains of water coming out of the side walks, just to offer tourists a refreshment in the maniac collective perspiration. Besides remembering my brother and I running, and splashing the water desperately, one of the details recorded in my mind is the sales of gazpacho in the street. By that time I had no idea what gazpacho meant and I am sure I didn't like tomatoes either, but trying out the first traditional cold soup of my life certainly had its consequences.

What I am presenting here is a seasonal version of Gazpacho, product of a few  afternoons researching at the book shop in Wimbledon and of course, my endless -and helpless- trials with strawberries in the kitchen. This is certainly not one of the failed ones. Try it out. I promise you that it will be a unique, pleasurable and refreshing experience!

© Diana Chaccour

Watermelon Citric Granita

By Diana

Appreciating seasons is something I have learnt to do since I came to the UK. My home is a tropical country which weather is divided only in rainy and dry season, and frequently - and weirdly enough- we end up having both at the same time, making everything even more chaotic than how it is already. However we Venezuelans don't talk about it as much as British do talk about their own weather, maybe because it doesn't ruin our crops -or our budgets that are ruined enough. The continuity of the temperature -yes, about 27C all year long- allow us Venezuelans to access fruits like passion fruit and watermelon from January to December. And because it is very hot, we enjoy ourselves and our thirsty appetites with these so called exotic produce -and at reasonable and continuous prices-. What I mean is that the prices do not depend on the season but what is worst, they depend on our politics...

Anyway.. in Britain I had to wait months before buying a £1 watermelon, and I was so exited to have it in my fridge last week -in my new spacious fridge that can actually fit a watermelon without sacrificing the bread- that I decided to celebrate it by posting a summery watermelon granita that I hope you all enjoy!

© Diana Chaccour

Asparagus and Dried Cherry Tomatoes Couscous

by Diana

I have never been a couscous kind of person. Instead, I grew up watching my beloved Syrian grandma using wheat of different sizes for cooking delicious Middle Eastern dishes -still pending for a book- that we all enjoyed on Sundays. Whenever I saw someone eating couscous I just felt pity, thinking it was a poor version of wheat in its smallest form. Yes, I was young and ignorant I must say!

It is until I discovered large grain couscous when I realized what I was missing. I started experimenting with this structured and substantial grain in our everyday menu, in exchange for rice, pasta or any other common carbohydrate. The results and flavours were so rich that I finally decided to adapt the lovely grain to my kitchen shelves, right behind the wheat of course, so my grandma won't be offended. 

So for this post I decided to show you -if you don't know already- how versatile couscous can be and I combined it with asparagus and cherry tomatoes, lots of olive oil and freshly grated Parmesan cheese. The result.. just a delight! 

© Diana Chaccour

Cold Spiced Apple Soup

By Julie 

A little late but finally, the picnic season has opened! The weather until now has not always been so permitting, so we had our first relaxed picnic last weekend and did not have to put our sweaters on and off depending on whether the sun came out behind the clouds or not. To celebrate this occasion, we wrapped up a range of wonderful international delicacies, and my favourite of them is actually an English essential. The English cuisine unfortunately has a bad image around the world, however it can be quite seductive and savoury as this dish proves in my opinion.

If you serve this to a guest, try not to tell them what kind of soup this is and have them guess the main ingredients - you might be surprised!

© Diana Chaccour

Strawberry Fudgy Chocolate Brownies

    By Diana

   I've always been jealous of other people's brownies! It seems that everyone has a little secret fabulous brownie recipe that they just don’t give away, or even worst, they write it down with an innocent slight twist, leaving out that essential ingredient without which the recipe does not work at all!

     So, in order to end with my resentfulness, I did a little bit of homework and researched a few "famous" British recipes for brownies. Although Jamie Oliver's recipe turned out to be a favourite among the brownie eaters, Nigel Slater offered a fudgy brownie recipe that I just needed to try out, but I do admit that I modified it slightly! The strawberries were my idea though -just to please myself with the word seasonal- and I added a touch of Venezuelan flavour: a tablespoon of rum to spice it up! They lasted less than 24 hours in the kitchen and we are only 2 people in the house... I hope they won't last long in your kitchen either!

© Diana Chaccour

Creamy Chicken Crumble

By Diana

I am moving houses this week and besides all the packing, cello tape, boxes, suitcases and fragile props that constitute the madness of my life at the moment I can't stop thinking about what to do with the content of the old fridge. Since I don't want to waste a bus journey carrying frozen chicken, flour and celery, I decided to make a little bit of a fusion dish, combining South American flavours with the traditional idea of the British crumble.

In our side of the globe we have a traditional soup called chupe, which is basically a stew with meat, vegetables and milk. My favourite of these chupes is the chicken one, with corn and little squares of white handmade cheese, which original recipe I promise to post here some other time. In this opportunity I thought of making a thick creamy chicken chupe/stew topped with Parmesan cheese crumble, an easy-to-eat meal, full of comfort for the moving stress. I hope you enjoy trying this one out!

© Diana Chaccour

Poppy Seeds Muffins with Orange Blossom Icing

By Diana

Originally I was planning to make a seasonal recipe with lots of rhubarb and pink colours everywhere... As I didn't listen to a few of my friends with strong opinions against rhubarb, I began experimenting for the first time with the reddish celery-shape fruit/veg and went back to old times when I didn't follow any recipes -or advice- and just trusted my cooking senses... Not a good idea... The results, as expected were beyond awfulness... My husband trying to cheer me up has been eating the pitiful rhubarb muffins every afternoon between his study breaks since I am still in the denial stage and refuse to proudly throw them to the bin.

To make up my post for the blog this week I started again, this time with no rhubarb and tried poppy seeds instead and orange blossom which I absolutely adore. Georgette, my Syrian grandma, used to make a floating type dessert using this aromatic water and its smell brings back just good Sunday memories, perfect to recover from the rhubarb experience. So here you go, soft poppy seeds muffins with orange blossom icing, to enjoy in the rainy day while watching the Queen floating on the Thames. Happy Jubilee!

© Diana Chaccour

Tarator Ice-Cream

By Julie

Guten Tag! This week I am relaxing at my parents‘  in Germany, enjoying the sunny weather after having spent some very cold and rainy days in Pamplona the week before. Browsing the Feinschmecker magazine, I came across a fantastic recipe for cucumber ice-cream by a North German top chef, Sebastian Zier, and fell in love with it at first sight.  I was reminded of my honeymoon in the Venezuelan Andes, where my husband and I sampled a meagre 8 flavours of a whopping 800 in the Heladeria Coromoto, which made it into the Guiness Book of Records . Surprisingly, the best flavours in my opinion were the vegetable ones – corn or avocado, for example, were fantastic!

 You have to know that both Diana and I love the Bulgarian soup Tarator, a wonderfully light concoction of yogurt, cucumber and walnuts, which is perfect for the hot summery days we are experiencing. However, I am almost certain that Tarator ice-cream was missing on the menu of the Coromoto ice-cream parlour in Merida. Hence, this week’s contribution to the blog will be a refreshing blend of Balkan heat and North German coolness.  Sounds weird? You will love it!

© Diana Chaccour

White Chocolate Mousse with Caramel Sauce

By Diana

Most chocolate mousses I know of are made with dark chocolate and, of course, dark chocolate is healthier, it´s recommended by doctors and it is the only one you are suppose to eat if you are on a diet, and we all know how boring is that! This is why we would like to invite you to leave the guilt on the side -just for today- and try out a dessert that will transport you to the land of indulgence and caloric pleasure! We also thought white chocolate was not enough for this sugared extravaganza and decided to add a caramel sauce on top! To balance our recipe a little bit –and delay our potential diabetes- we complemented it with a few almond slices and lime peel. If you didn´t have a very good week this recipe will definitely cheer you up!

© Diana Chaccour

Mediterranean Bread with Iberian Flavours

By Diana

     I went to Pamplona last week to visit my brother, Julie and the girls. We were supposed to cook together and make at least a couple of posts for the blog, have a picnic, take our picture, and so on… but 4 days was not enough to do any of the things we planned. We had a great time in the 31 degrees and certainly enjoyed walking in Pamplona´s old town, visiting the farmer´s market and then the supermarket in repeated occasions. I simply love Spanish supermarkets I have to say.  They are full of hanging prosciutto -Jamón Serrano- olives of all kinds, chorizo and an impressive variety of olive oil in presentations that you never imagined. It is extraordinary! So every time I go there I come back to London with my suitcase full of Iberian treats to enjoy in the sadness of a12 degrees Spring in the UK!

        For this post we decided to honor our time together last week by making bread with some of those unique flavours. This is a type of bread from the Italian region of Tuscany and it is originally called a schiacciata. The bread is made in two layers and it has mushrooms, prosciutto, salami, olives, blue cheese and lots of olive oil everywhere. The recipe is inspired by The Great British Picnic Guide, by Mark Price. Check the note at the end for a vegetarian alternative. We hope you enjoy it!

© Diana Chaccour

Blueberry Soft Cake

By Diana

      I was getting my head around a recipe with blueberries for this week. When I consulted Julie she suggested a clafoutis, which sounded exiting and promising. So I checked more than a few french recipes, but as temperamental french are, all the recipes differed from one another and that enoyed me a little - I am a little bit temperamental myself - and therefore I decided to get creative and tried out my own version. At the end I didn't obtain a clafoutis of course... but a lovely blueberry soft cake. Fruity and sweet, firm and yet soft this cake won't be a dissapointment. Just keep in mind that it is not a cafloutis and you'll be all right! I hope you like it!

© Diana Chaccour

Passion Fruit and Lemon Ceviche with Plantain Chips

By Diana

Since passion fruit seems to be abundant in this country at this time of the year - and at a very reasonable price - I decided to embark on a tropical post this week. I have been in a melancholic mood for home flavours and colours lately and this is why I thought that a Ceviche could be the appropriate choice and plus it proposes an unconventional use of the passion fruit, which is mostly associated with sweet flavours and desserts. 

This Peruvian dish is characterized by its particular cooking method, using citric juices for the oxidation of the fish and seafood. It is unbelievably easy to make and it just requires nice chopping skills. In this recipe I combined three of my favourite tropical delights: passion fruit, mango and plantain. The plantain is optional and adventurous and its smell reminds me of after school meals back home. But I understand if you don’t really fancy plantain or if you don’t have any childhood associations with it and then I will suggest just serve the Ceviche with white rice or crackers on the side. Let us know if you enjoyed it!

© Diana Chaccour

Plum Jam with Rose Water

By Diana

    

         Ever since I discovered that I can make my own jam I stopped buying it at the supermarket. In this opportunity I decided to get rid of some plums that I had in the fridge and what a best way of doing that than with lovely jam. I checked for some recipes online and ended up mixing up and experimenting a little bit. The rose water and the spices give the jam a magnificent and almost exotic flavor that I hope you like as much as I do. If you don´t like it spicy please feel free to cut off the cayenne pepper from the recipe. Enjoy!

© Diana Chaccour

Vanilla almond chicken with parmesan polenta

by Julie

This time, I wanna share with you a recipe that I have tried in our first wedding anniversary. It is not very time-consuming (as we had a two-month old baby at the time, that was very important for me) and quite easy to do, even if you don’t have much experience in the kitchen, nevertheless it is quite a stunner. Combine it with a healthy salad or try frying some green beans with red apple (weird combo but looks and tastes delicious; two, three minutes in the pan suffice) as a side dish. My husband keeps asking for this dish, even two years after having it for the first time, so I am making it again this week. Maybe you will, too...

© Diana Chaccour

German Trifle

By Julie

     Recently, I had a craving for German rye bread and bought a whole pack of pumpernickel. Once my craving was satisfied, I had the rest of this pack sitting around in my kitchen cupboard. Later that week, a friend came visiting us from the US of A, so I decided to use my German bread as you cannot find decent bread in the States (I am sorry, it is true). For some reason unknown, it occurred to me to make a dessert with it, so here is my German trifle:

 © Diana Chaccour