Chestnut mushrooms stuffed with herbed cheese

I like to give my guests something else than the classic peanuts and crisps as an aperitif. If you follow this blog, you might remember my stuffed cherry tomatoes, a classic little nibble I put together in a few minutes when I have friends over. This recipe is very similar, except that the cherry tomatoes have been replaced with mushrooms, and it needs a bit of baking. But just like the tomatoes, it always makes a good impression and it ready within minutes.

I used to use Boursin to stuff the mushrooms, but I agree with Chef Mimi that the cost of it is quite prohibitive (especially now that I live in the UK). So I have recently been replacing it with some herbed cream cheese, but though the taste is very similar, I miss the thick texture of Boursin. So next time, I will use her recipe to make my own!

Courgettes, mint and feta cake

 

London is known to be grey and rainy, but when there is a bit of sunshine, it is full of lovely hidden places that are a bit off the beaten path and away form the crowd. Last week-end I went for an afternoon walk along the Thames between Hammersmith Bridge and Putney Bridge. It felt like a week-end in the country side, with bustling terraces, boating clubs and even blackberry bushes along the way. The berries were still green but I made a mental note to come back later in the month. This stretch of the river is very popular with rowers, and a steady procession of large and small boats paddled by while we strolled along the river banks. Now, wouldn’t this be the perfect place for a picnic? Unfortunately this time we had not planned for it, but I love summer picnics on the river bank. I can stay seated there in the grass until the end of the night, provided I have some sweet and savory nibbles and some fresh rose wine. Cakes are perfect for picnics: they are easy to make with whatever you have left in the pantry, easy to bring along and you only need your agile fingers to eat them. This courgette-feta-mint cake would have been a nice addition to my imaginary picnic in Putney!

What is your favorite savory cake filling?

Dulce de leche

I cook quite a bit with my Thermomix, but not always. Sometimes I feel like cooking not just for the result but because it relaxes me and I actually enjoy the fact of doing everything myself. I even beat the egg whites by hand sometimes, just for the challenge. After that, my arms hurt real bad, but I feel extremely proud.

But there are some things I would never EVER have cooked without this robot, and dulce de leche is deifnitely one of them.