Apple-Honey Handpies – Happy Sunday

Winter really takes its toll on me and I am prone to feeling a bit depressed during this period. This year has seen some improvements compared to previous ones as I have invested in a SAD lamp – a lamp that imitates sunlight basically. Apparently the fact that we feel down in the winter is due to the reduced sunlight, so my SAD lamp helps quite a bit. We turn it on every morning for breakfast for some extra Vitamin D!
Another way to perk you up is a nice comforting Sunday breakfast! Here is a simple recipe that takes 10 mn to make and only another 10 mn to bake.

Colourful cod fillet with pistachio-crust

When I go out around Piccadilly Circus, I always stop by Wholefoods for a bit of window shopping. I usually don’t buy anything because a) It is ridiculously expensive b) I can usually make their stuff myself. But it is always a nice moment and a great source of inspiration. Plus, they sometimes free tastings, and I am always up for that! My favourite stand is the DIY Nut Butters.

Baked coconut-curry shrimps – Dressed to impress!

This year I was hosting for New Year’s Eve. I had planned much too much food as usual, most of it brought back from France where I spent Christmas. My parents live close to Bordeaux, so of course on the menu we had a lot of duck: foie gras, smoked magret, duck confit …  there was a bit of a theme really!

I very much enjoy cooking for friends, and as you know by now, I am a keen baker. But the other thing I really enjoy cooking, is those little nibbles to share before dinner. I could serve crisps and peanuts, but I always find that a nice aperitif sets the tone for the party! Don’t you find that making your own little nibbles always impresses? And they hardly require any work or time, so why not! Those coconut and curry shrimps make a perfect bite-size appetizer, and bring a bit of sunshine to your menu! They are baked rather than fried, so it’s a  healthy option too.

Check out the full post below for an easy step-by-step recipe!

Apple & Hazelnut Galette – and a History of the Twelfth Night Cake

The French galette is a very well established tradition in France. We bake it for Epiphany, on the 6th of January, and even though I now live in London, I like to keep the tradition going. Last year I baked a Pear and Almond galette, and I told you all about the French”Galette des Rois” tradition. I did a bit of research this year and I found out to my great surprise that the English also had a similar tradition back in the victorian period. So this year is all about my new version of the galette,  Twelfth Night and why it was outlawed by Queen Victoria…

And the winners for 2014 are…

 

And these are your favourites recipes for 2014! Thanks so much for those who keep following me. I am glad to see that some recipes written in the previous years have made it on the podium. The shrimp tartare was actually one of my first posts, dating back to May 2012.

Gold: Chocolate eclairs step-by-step recipe

Silver: No pectin blueberry jam

Bronze: Tomato, basil and red pepper soup

Runner Ups: Shrimp and avocado tartare & Banana pancakes for 

Based on this, my blog resolutions for 2014 are:

– more step-by-step recipes

– keep a good mix of healthy and indulging recipes

– keep a good mix of easy/healthy recipes and more fancy dishes

What are your blog resolutions for 2015? 

Happy New Year – Gravlax salmon with wasabi espuma

First of all Happy New Year everyone! I hope you had a fantastic time celebrating with your friends and families. Any good resolutions for 2015?

I have vowed to keep my yoga and blog routine over the year: one yoga class a week and one blog post a week, all in equal measures! I haven’t done too bad this year, I posted 48 times , so almost once a week. And to start on the right foot, here a nice an healthy recipe we prepared over the holidays! For those who follow this post, you will recognise it from my Christmas menu. I have to say this is not exactly my recipe – it is great family team work. Mom for the salmon, dad for the wasabi espuma and me learning and taking photos 🙂

I am quite glad we got to use our siphon as well. These things used to be so popular but I hardly ever see a recipe using espumas anymore – too bad they are delicious and they make heavy things suddenly so light and fluffy.