Archive for the ‘food & recipies’ Category

For a friend I made a party dress for her housewarming party. The deal was that I would get 4 old but fantastic chairs because mine (from my great grandmother) are falling apart. When I finished the dress she gave me this wonderfull cookbook ‘Festive recipies’. This cookbook is delicious in every sense. The recipes are yummy , the styling is great and the photography is beautiful.

Besides this cookbook being pretty I always find it important that the recipies are easy to make, not time consuming and that the ingredients are simple to get and that’s what this cookbook is all about. It is only published in Dutch and French.

This is the result of my market shopping. Pasta Vongole and steamed arthichoke with vinaigrette dip on the side! So easy and so yummy! I have a small red recipe book where I keep all the best meals; recipes found in magazines, recipes I got from others and recipes I ‘invented’ myself. The book starts to bulge now with notes and papers. ( Just found this amazing recipe box over at the Style Files. It would be a perfect replacement!) Here this recipe to share with you;

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➔ Pasta Vongole (2 persons)

…Vongole (1 kg)
…Pasta (200gr)
…Shallot (1-2 pieces)
…Garlic (3 cloves)
…Parsley ( 2 tablespoons)
…Red pepper (1 small)
…White wine (one glass)
…Cream (a dash)
…Olive oil (or red pepper/garlic oil)

Cook the pasta. Chop the shallot and the red pepper in tiny pieces. Press the cloves of garlic. Bake these together softly in the oil. Add the vongole and the white wine. As soon as the vongole are open they are ready. Add some cream and stir. Mix with the pasta and garnish with the parsley.

When you are finished it is delicious to dip the  broth with some bread!

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To get to the biggest market from Rotterdam I just need to cross one street. I feel blessed. Every Tuesday and Saturday you will find me here for fresh vegetables, fruit, fish and flowers. After a while you get your favourite market stalls and you get to know the vendors.

Discussing what color peony to choose (I adore the bright pink, see below) , how to best preserve mint for my tea or how to prepare your tuna fish. And of course enjoying the seasonal products, at this moment you see cherries, strawberries and melons galore.

This was just a lovely weekend! We celebrated our 2 year anniversary. After I got suprised with a dress from Humanoid! (me oh so happy!) and a lovely breakfast in the small garden from ‘Mangiare’ we went by ferry with the scooter to Dordrecht to explore the old town and visit Villa Augustus. The sun was shining and the kitchen garden was beautiful!

This saturday my love suprised me with breakfast at this new place ‘Lof der Zoetheid‘ (glory of sweetness)! I loved every detail! The old stamps as table numbers, the cuttlery with the vintage drawings, the butterfly frames. It is inspired on an old classroom.

Just a little bit more Studio IJm. I could not help myself. I had still so many photos left.

Besides all the pretty details in Studio IJm they also had a yummy and very cosy kitchen where ‘chef’ Marlein was making the perfect lunch with lettuce soup and later tea with ovenbaked cookies filled cranberries and plums. We totally got spoiled over there! Marlein also has a cookbook and I can understand why!

Last week we had a small suprise engagement party for a friend at my place. One of our best friends was over from Italy where she lives in Tuscany so we were all complete which made it even a more special evening.

The menu was delicious (ofcourse with a italian chef in our midst!) and we did the whole thing; wedding veil, rice, bridal bouquet, engagementcake with little dolls and marzipan rings and roses on top and some magazines to look for the perfect weddingdress!

Proef (translated ‘taste’) was my favourite lunch and tea room in Rotterdam! Just the best place for a bowl of soup or a piece of cake. It was tasty, cosy and intimate and just different in presentation and atmosphere. Proef was run by food designer Marije Vogelzang who graduated from the famous Design Academy in Eindhoven.

The place shut down but Marije continued in Amsterdam, wrote a book ‘Eat Love’ and started out many project concerning food design (like thes cute marshmallow clouds). She just launched her new site ‘ Studio Marije Vogelzang’ and the other site ‘ Proef Amsterdam’ is also worth a visit!

♥ Studio Marije Vogelzang: ➔ Site

♥ Proef Amsterdam: ➔ Site

Almost every family makes the sunday dinner a bit more special then other days. Sunday Supper is the appropriate name for this amazingly mouthwatering blog with pretty pictures of the most delicous dishes! Those menus where they put in just a little bit more time and effort in and it pulls of. Visiting this blog you will get inspired on what to eat but also on foodstyling.

This blog is based on cooking classes given in a waterfront based loft in Brooklyn, NY and is all about the class-cooking- dining experience, pairing friends and ofcourse food. How I wish I could have some cooking lessons over there!

Could not resist posting this yummy breakfast I had at the Rose Bakery in Montmartre Paris! The Rose Bakery is this fun place which reminded me of my favourite place in Rotterdam ‘Proef‘ which I miss so much since it moved to Amsterdam.