meet in your kitchen | Claudia's Ukrainian Pelmeni Dumplings
Claudia and Isa from the popular blog Hauptstadtmutti are like sisters, when you're in a room together with them you can feel their closeness and loyalty. Their characters seem aligned, despite their entirely different personalities. They call themselves an old couple, which is one of the biggest compliments for a friendship as it shows the respect and appreciation for each other, at least in their case! The mutual understanding also comes from the fact that the two women live similar lives, they are young, working mothers, they share similar interests and daily issues but also a big passion for fashion! Claudia and Isa only met five years ago and made a big step together, the energetic art director and journalist brought their different qualities together and merged them into their daily blog Hauptstadtmutti (meaning mother of the capitol in German). It soon became a vivid space for Berlin's mothers, their individual style and creative personalities. Pure elegance meets cool effortlessness and eclectic practicality, these mothers defy conventions and break with expectations. Clicking through the blog's street style portraits is an inspiration for any woman!
We planned to have a joint cooking session in one of their culinary spaces, but as both of them are so fascinating and their lives and personalities offer so much to talk about, we decided to split the Hauptstadtmutti kitchen series into two parts. So today, we'll start off with part I, in Claudia's cosy old rooftop flat where she lives with her 5 year old son, a true gentleman who welcomed me with a handshake.
Claudia's mother is from the Ukraine which brought an Eastern European influence to the family's cooking. I'm not very familiar with the country's cuisine so I was very happy when she offered to cook one of the most popular traditional specialities for me. Claudia shared her old family recipe for little meat filled dumplings called pelmeni with me which are traditionally served with crème fraîche, white wine vinegar, mustard and parsley. She uses a beautiful utensil for the preparation which looks a bit like honeycombs made of iron. For the dumpling preparation, she covered this pelmeni maker with a thin layer of pastry, filled each comb with a little ball of spiced minced meat and put another pastry layer on top before she gently rolled over it with a rolling pin. Within seconds, the dumplings were closed and cut into perfectly shaped pelmenis! When I saw Claudia pushing the dumplings out of the frame with her fingers I understood why her little son loves to cook this dish together with her, this is fun!
As much as I enjoyed the preparation, savoring this meal was a delight. There's no doubt why this is her son's favorite meal, it's delicious, honest comfort food. Claudia said that the older generation in the Ukraine still shapes the dumplings with their fingers, the traditional way, without the iron pelmeni maker. I can just see the families standing around a wooden table in the warm kitchen, rolling out dough and filling the pelmenis, like we did on a cold January day in Berlin!
Soon I'll meet Isa in her kitchen for the second part of our Hauptstadtmutti cooking series - to be continued!
Ukrainian Pelmeni Dumplings
For 6 people you need
For the dough
plain flour 500g / 1 pound
salt 1 teaspoon
water 250ml / 1/2 pint
egg 1
Put the flour in a large bowl and form a well in the middle. Add the salt, water and egg, mix with a fork and slowly stir in the flour from the sides. Knead well with your hands to a firm dough, add more flour if necessary. You should be able to tear the dough when it's done. Let it rest while you prepare the filling.
For the filling
minced meat (pork and beef) 400g / 14 ounces
medium onion, finely chopped, 1
egg 1
salt 1 teaspoon
pepper
Mix the ingredients for the filling and shape little meat balls (thumbnail sized).
For the pelmeni
meat broth, well seasoned, 2l / 4.5 pints
melted butter, for serving
mustard, for serving
crème fraîche, for serving
white wine vinegar, for serving
parsley, for serving
crushed pepper, for serving
Bring the broth to the boil.
Take a handful of the dough and roll it out very thinly on a well floured surface. If you have a pelmeni maker, cover it with a layer of dough and fill each comb with a little meat ball. Close it with another thin dough layer and gently roll over it with a rolling pin to seal the dumplings and push them through the wholes.
If you want to shape the dumplings by hand, lay the thinly rolled dough on the working surface, spread the meat balls evenly, cover with another layer of dough and cut small squares or circles with a knife or a pizza cutter. Seal each dumpling well by pushing the rim together.
Gently add the dumplings (in batches) to the hot broth and cook on medium-low heat (simmering) for about 7 minutes. Take them out with a slotted ladle and mix the pelmenis with the melted butter. Serve the dumplings with a spoonful of mustard and crème fraîche and sprinkle with pepper, vinegar and parsley.
How would you describe the Berlin mothers you feature on your blog Hauptstadtmutti? What fascinates you about them?
Berlin's mothers are diverse, their style is individual and independent. We love all of them because each single one is special in their own way, and that's her own charisma. We've been taking pictures for our Mama-Streetstyle series for 4 years and we never get tired. The nice thing is that we also get into conversations with them, we have a little interview and get to know some of their secrets, desires and thoughts.
What role does fashion play in your own life? A mother's life is very much determined by practicality, is it possible at all to keep her style and fashion uncompromised?
Fashion occupies and surrounds me. I just enjoy seeing trends and developments evolve, and how they are translated in different cities. My main focus is on mother's fashion as there is still a high degree of practicality involved which shouldn't be underrated. My own shopping and styling has sped up considerably. I don't have the time to shop for hours anymore, that's why I'm very happy that I can buy and discover so much online.
Where do you find your creative inspiration?
Exhibitions, theater and movies, interviews, great people, long chats at the table with friends, traveling the world, the internet and long walks through the city.
How did your cooking change since you became a mother? Can you give any tips for cooking with and for young children?
I try to cook with more time, and good ingredients since my son was born. I set the table nicely, as you eat with your eyes first. My advice to parents is to let your kids eat what is on the table, no extra dishes. And conversation at the table is important, to ask about each other's day, and to eat together with many people, that's fun and social. Children tend to eat better in company.
You've lived in Prague and Kiev, your family roots are Ukrainian, Russian and East-German, how would you describe the Eastern European cuisine you grew up with and the cooking you experienced while you lived in the Czech Republic and the Ukraine?
Eastern European cooking is primarily heavy! It has to satisfy the appetite. The Ukrainian cuisine also relies on fish and vegetables which I love a lot. The recipes are often very easy to prepare, and in the end, the table is full of lots of different dishes, not just one plate with one meal, which I find boring anyway. All Eastern European meals are connected with long conversations at the table and, of course, lots of alcohol. My grandmother in the Ukraine would feel ashamed to put just one dish on the table. That's why we spend days in the kitchen cooking for festive events and family feasts. She asks me all the time what I cook for my son and if he eats properly, she's convinced that I don't give him the right food.
This is what I associate with my time in Prague: many young, committed chefs who traveled the whole world before they came back home, new restaurants opening with the most exquisite, modern Czech kitchen. Great! Always surprising! Apart from that, I remember the delicious apricot dumplings by my friend Andrea's grandmother, with lots of sour cream, to die for!
What was the first dish you cooked on your own, what is your first cooking memory?
A soup made of grass, soil and water in a little doll's cooking pot in my grandmother's garden in the Ukraine. My dolls loved it, with fresh apricots for dessert!
Who influenced and inspired your culinary style the most?
My grandmother in the Ukraine, but I also like to get inspired by my friends who cook for me.
What are your favourite places to buy and enjoy food in Berlin?
Turkish markets for fruits and vegetables, the Russian supermarket Stolitschnaja on Landsberger Allee in Berlin for Russian products.
What did you choose to share on eat in my kitchen?
Pelmeni, Ukrainian dumplings.
If you could choose one person to cook a meal for you, who and what would it be?
You, Meike, and some fish!
You're going to have ten friends over for a spontaneous dinner, what will be on the table?
Pelmeni!
What was your childhood's culinary favourite and what is it now?
Wareniki (dumplings with cherries and sour cream) by my Ukrainian grandmother, today it's all kinds of variations of fish and aubergine.
Do you prefer to cook on your own or together with others?
Together with others.
Which meals do you prefer, improvised or planned?
It depends on my mood and the guest.
Which meal would you never cook again?
A Jamie Oliver recipe with meat, I forgot which one it was ....
Thank you Claudia!
Blood Orange Mussels with Fennel, Ginger and Turmeric Roots
I'm still in my post Christmas meat-reduced phase, I just don't feel inspired to throw a heavy roast in the oven, or put a steak in the pan. Although the annual feasting is already a month ago, my appetite calls for vegetables and seafood, light on the body and preferably refined with lots of citrus fruits, herbs, spices or whatever comes into my mind.
Out of all the wonderful culinary gifts we get from the sea, mussels are one of the easiest to prepare and luckily, they're still in season. I like to be brave when it comes to seasoning their cooking juices, I want each single flavour to be present to infuse their meat, this is not the time to be shy! Today's recipe follows this rule and makes the most aromatic broth, it's perfect to dip little pieces of crunchy baguette in. This is almost the best part of this meal and every time we have mussels on the table, it fills me with excitement. So, I chose a combination of sweet blood orange, fennel, fresh ginger and turmeric which literally melts in your mouth, it's a colourful explosion of fresh flavours. Look at the bright yellow, the vibrant orange and refreshing green, translate that into taste and you'll have an idea of what happened at our lunch table!
For the cooking broth, I mixed the citrus fruit's juice with some white wine and grated a little zest which created a wonderful aroma. Roots were my next addition, strips and slices of warming ginger and luckily, I can get fresh turmeric at the moment. The deep orange root is a fragrant concentrate, it's so unique you can't compare it to anything else, not even the powder. When I peel the thin skin off it turns my fingers into a golden yellow, it had the same effect on the broth and looked stunning. I couldn't help it, this buoyant dish just put a smile on my face!
Some more mussel inspiration:
Blood Orange Mussels with Fennel, Ginger and Turmeric
For 2-3 people you need
fresh mussels 1 kg / 2 pounds
white wine 200ml / 1/2 pint
freshly squeezed blood orange juice 50ml / 1 3/4 ounces
blood orange zest 1 tablespoon
small fennel bulb, quartered and thinly sliced, 1 plus the fresh green, chopped, for the topping
fresh ginger, cut into small strips, a thumb sized piece
fresh turmeric, sliced, 1 thumbnail sized piece
bay leaf 1
salt 1/2 teaspoon
Rinse and scrub the mussels under cold water and cut off the beard, discard any broken mussels.
In a large pot, bring the wine and juice with the zest, fennel, ginger, turmeric, bay leaf and salt to the boil. Add the mussels to the hot broth, close with a lid and cook on lowest heat for 5 minutes or until the shells open (shake the pot once or twice while cooking or gently mix with a slotted ladle). Discard any mussels that don’t open! Sprinkle the mussels with the fresh fennel green and serve immediately, preferably with baguette and a glass of chilled white wine.
White Bean Hummus and Lomo Prosciutto Sandwich
I'm sorry that the blog wasn't reachable this morning, my web provider had some technical issues. It's fixed now and the food is back!My first hummus sandwich was a luscious recipe which our Godchild's father passed on to me. Last year Guy introduced me to the amazing Sabih, a popular snack from Israel where he grew up. It combines velvety hummus, grilled aubergine and hard boiled eggs packed between two slices of juicy bread. It's the kind of sandwich which makes you lick your fingers afterwards as you don't want to miss out on the tiniest crumb. Shockingly enough, it's been a year since I wrote about it and it's time to play around with some hummus variations. It can't just be chickpeas, big white beans puréed with tahini paste, fresh garlic and lemon juice create an equally delicious dip, maybe a bit softer so you have to go easy on the tahini as it can easily be too overpowering.
Although I had decided to go for white bean hummus for my new Sandwich Wednesday creation I wasn't sure about the further additions until my aunt Ursula asked me if I would be interested in some of her party leftovers. She's a gourmet, so I never refuse whatever she brings to my kitchen! She came with a plate of the finest Serrano and Lomo (meaning pork loin in Spanish) prosciutto, both of extraordinary quality. I chose the Lomo for the sandwiches it had the perfect balance of an expressive character without dominating the other ingredients. The Spanish delicacy merged perfectly with the white bean flavour, I just added some cherry tomatoes for a bit of freshness, another one of my aunt's culinary gifts.
White Bean Hummus and Lomo Prosciutto Sandwich
For 3 sandwiches you need
rustic buns, cut in half, 3
Lomo prosciutto (or San Daniele) 15 small or 6 large thin slices
ripe cherry tomatoes, quartered, 6
butter beans, canned, rinsed and drained, 250g / 9 ounces
tahini paste 1-2 tablespoons
garlic, crushed, 1 clove
freshly squeezed lemon juice 2 tablespoons
water 1 tablespoon
salt
olive oil
Purée 200g (3.5 ounces) of the beans with the tahini, garlic, lemon juice, water and salt in a blender. Season to taste, add more water if the mixture is too dry.
Spread the bean hummus voluptuously on the bottom half of each bun and arrange the prosciutto, the remaining beans and tomatoes on top. Sprinkle with a little olive oil, close the bun and enjoy!
Potato and Endive Gratin with Chèvre and Thyme
A gratin has the same effect on me as pizza or lasagna, I just want to cuddle up on the sofa and get cosy. This dish spreads such a beautiful aroma of baked cheese and herbs through my flat, it instantly relaxes me. Sometimes I just sit in front of the glass oven door, enjoying the scene of bubbling cream and cheese that turns from an unspectacular pale white to a landscape of golden brown peaks. They look like tiny volcanos with dark tips ready to burst. It's just a gratin but when you look at it long enough it carries you away!
I don't remember how many different potato gratin recipes I have tried out in my kitchen, there were so many. I shared the ones with dried porcini, black pudding, apples or parsnips and today there will be a new addition to the selection: Potato and endive gratin with chèvre and thyme! The combination is great, quite strong with sweet, bitter, milky and woody flavours. I wanted a quick dish, so I boiled the potatoes and sautéed the endives before I baked them with cream and milk in the oven. You could easily come up with some variations and use raclette or blue cheese instead of the chèvre, or add some slices of pears or apples, mix in some chopped rosemary or whatever comes to mind to suit your cosy dinner.
Potato and Endive Gratin with Chèvre and Thyme
For 3-4 people you need
potatoes, boiled, peeled and sliced, 700g / 1.5 pounds
Belgian endives, cut in half, 4
heavy cream 100ml / 3.5 ounces
milk 60ml / 2 ounces
freshly grated nutmeg
salt 1 teaspoon
pepper
chèvre 125g / 4.5 ounces
thyme, the leaves of a small bunch
olive oil
butter 2 teaspoons
Set the oven to 200°C / 390°F and butter a round 28cm / 11" gratin form or baking dish.
In a pan, heat a splash of olive oil and butter and sauté the endives for 2 minutes on each side on medium-high. Season with salt and pepper.
Whisk the cream and milk and season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Arrange the potatoes and endives in the buttered dish and pour the cream and milk mixture over the vegetables. Sprinkle with chèvre and thyme and bake for 18 minutes. Turn the oven down to 160°C / 320°F and bake for another 5 minutes or until golden brown. Let the gratin cool for a few minutes before serving and season with pepper to taste.
German Poppy Seed Strudel with Cinnamon Crumbles
As a child I went through different sweet phases with quite an obsessive persistence. There were times, if not years, when I bought a scrumptious short crust ring topped with gianduja cream and chocolate at least once or twice a week from my hometown's confectionery, it's a decadent treat called Nougatring in German. When I fell in love with a cinnamony cherry crumble cake from a French bakery as a young teenager I bought a piece of it every day after school. For months I wanted nothing more than this buttery pleasure, it felt like the best culinary discovery of my young life. Luckily, I was always quite tall and didn't have to worry much about the effect of my obsessions on my weight, my culinary enjoyment was always greater than my vanity!
I remember that my family, especially my mother and aunts, used to tell me that I should enjoy it to the fullest as with age, I wouldn't be able to eat these amounts without repentance. They were so right! I simply can't eat so many sweets anymore, a fact which I regret, especially when I have to refuse a piece of tempting cake, this would have never happened in my early years! The only thing that didn't change is my excitement for these treats and my complete misjudgment of the amount of cake that two people can actually eat. I prefer my baked sweets well sized, you never know if an unexpected guest may appear at the door step. The same happened to me a few days ago when I decided to make a traditional German poppy seed cake. This was another one of my childhood favourites, soft and spongy yeast dough wrapped around a juicy poppy seed and raisin filling. In the North Rhine Westphalia area where I grew up, this rich strudel is topped with sweet and buttery crumbles which is simply amazing in combination with the seeds and pastry. When I prepared all the ingredients on the kitchen counter I remembered how much I used to love this cake and decided to make a huge strudel, ignoring the fact that my partner isn't too fond of poppy seeds or yeast cakes for that matter. I didn't expect guests either but I had a rustic picture of a huge strudel in mind, with impressive proportions.
I got what I asked for! The strudel woke up all the culinary memories of my childhood and tasted exactly how I wanted it to be, even my partner liked it a lot, but still, after 2 big slices we just looked at each other and thought "what are we going to do with this massive strudel?". Luckily, I can always rely on my family. My aunt Ursula came for a quick visit, she is as much a fan of this cake as I am. She replaced her dinner with two slices of my strudel monster and she looked very happy when I offered her to take half of it home. The lesson is, a cake can never be too big, there will always be friends and family who enjoy it as much as the baker does!
German Poppy Seed Strudel with Cinnamon Crumbles
For 1 huge strudel for about 10 people you need
For the yeast dough
plain flour 480g / 17 ounces
granulated sugar 80g / 3 ounces
dry yeast 1 sachet (7g / 1/4 ounces)
a pinch of salt
butter, melted, 80g / 3 ounces plus 1 tablespoon to brush the strudel
milk 175ml / 6 ounces
In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, yeast and salt. Mix the milk with the melted butter (the mixture should be lukewarm) and add to the dry flour-mixture. Mix with the dough hooks of the mixer for a few minutes, the dough will be quite moist. Dust the kitchen counter with a little flour and continue kneading and punching with your hands for a few minutes until you have a soft and elastic dough ball (if the dough sticks to your fingers add more flour). Put the dough back into the bowl, cover with a tea towel and let it rise in the warm oven (35°C / 95°F) for 70 minutes (top/ bottom heat and not fan-assisted!).
For the poppy seed filling
milk 420ml / 14 ounces
granulated sugar 100g / 3.5 ounces
ground cinnamon 2 leveled teaspoons
orange zest 2 teaspoons
poppy seeds, cracked, 250g / 9 ounces
raisins 80g / 3 ounces
In a sauce pan, bring the milk, sugar, cinnamon and orange zest to the boil. Stir in the poppy seeds and let the mixture cook on lowest heat for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly. When the filling is thick and the milk is soaked, add the raisins, mix and let it cool.
For the crumbles
Prepare the crumbles shortly before baking the strudel.
plain flour 100g / 3.5 ounces (plus more if the crumbles are too sticky)
granulated sugar 60g / 2 ounces
ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon
butter, melted, 60g / 2 ounces (plus more if the crumbles are too fine)
Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl, add the melted butter and mix quickly with the hooks of your mixer, stop as soon as the mixtures crumbles. If it doesn't form crumbles, add a little more flour and sugar, if the crumbles are too fine add a bit more melted butter.
The strudel
Set the oven to 180°C / 355°F (top/ bottom heat).
Take the dough out of the bowl, punch it down and knead for 1 minute.
Dust a piece of parchment paper (big enough to cover a baking sheet) with a little flour. Roll out the dough on the parchment paper until it's roughly 35 x 35cm / 14 x 14". Spread the poppy seed filling on it evenly, leave a rim of 1-2cm / 1/2-1". Roll the dough up tightly, gently pull off the parchment paper while rolling the dough. The fold should be at the bottom. Close the sides well, cover with a tea towel and let it rise for 15 minutes (on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper).
Brush the strudel with 1 tablespoon of melted butter. Prepare the crumbles, spread them over the strudel and gently push them into the yeast dough. Bake for 50 minutes or until the yeast dough is golden brown.
Seared Tuna with Ginger, Lemon, Butter Beans and Onions
A tuna salad with white beans and onions is a wonderful light treat on a warm, summery evening, unfortunately, this is not exactly the kind of scene I find in wintery Europe at the moment. However, with a few minor changes, this dish can become something that can satisfy the needs of a cold day in January. Replace the canned fish with a fresh steak, add some warming ginger and crushed black peppercorns to it, and you'll see it in a different way. Instead of the small cannellini beans which are perfect for salads I went for a can of butter beans. The big, velvety legumes are rich and quite filling, a small plate is more than enough and you won't feel hungry for hours! This is why I prefer them in the cold season, for hearty dishes like my butter bean and fennel soup, although they are often featured in Mediterranean summer dishes.
The preparation didn't take any longer than the salad: I seared the firm steak for just a minute on each side as I wanted it to stay slightly pink inside, if you leave it on the heat too long it becomes dry. Some like to cook tuna for a few seconds to keep it completely raw but that's not my thing, other recipes recommend finishing it in the oven for a minute after it's been pan-seared. My piece was about 2 1/2cm / 1" thick and it was cooked to perfection. I sprinkled the tuna with freshly grated ginger and lemon zest and put it on top of the beans mixed with thin slices of red onions. The vegetables had a fruity dressing made with olive oil, freshly squeezed orange juice, white Balsamico vinegar and some of the grated root and citrus peel to pick up the aromas. It felt like a far away summer memory in a different setting which is great as long as it tastes so good!
I also don't want to miss out on telling you some great news: I'm so excited, eat in my kitchen has been featured in the German food magazine Lust auf Genuss! In the February print issue you can find an interview with me and an orange and lemon recipe I developed for the magazine with lamb chops and mashed potatoes.
Seared Tuna with Ginger, Lemon, Butter Beans and Onions
As a lunch for 2 you need
tuna steak (about 2 1/2cm / 1" thick) 200g / 7 ounces (take 2 steaks for 2 hungry people)
canned butter beans, rinsed and drained, 240g / 8 1/2 ounces
small red onion, cut in half and very thinly sliced, 1
olive oil 3 tablespoons plus more for frying
freshly squeezed orange juice 1 tablespoon
white balsamic vinegar 1 tablespoon
lemon zest about 1/4 teaspoon
fresh ginger, grated, about 3/4 teaspoon
salt and pepper
Whisk 3 tablespoons of olive oil, the orange juice, vinegar, half the lemon zest and 1/2 teaspoon of the grated ginger and season with salt and pepper to taste. Mix the beans and onions with the dressing and arrange on plates.
Heat a little olive oil in a pan and sear the tuna for 1 - 1 1/2 minutes on each side, the inside should stay pink. Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with the remaining ginger and lemon zest. Serve on top of the beans.
A messy Sandwich with Roasted Shallots, Grilled Gruyère and Chutney
I'm in a mountain mood again, losing myself in thoughts of a warm wooden hut with an open fire place and wide snowy views. This calls for onions and cheese on my sandwich, or rather, tiny shallots roasted in their skin until they turn sweet, sticky and juicy, almost caramelised with aromatic gruyère, grilled until golden brown and bubbling. With these two pictures (and flavours) in my mind, I knew that I wouldn't need much else for today's messy sandwich.
I bought a crunchy sourdough bread, a rustic French loaf, strong enough to compete with the final addition to my hearty sandwich, homemade chutneys and marmalade. Our kitchen table was covered in jars with plum, rhubarb, red pepper and apple chutney, and in a moment of culinary cockiness, I decided to try it with some of my tangerine jam. I started by roasting the delicate onions for less than half an hour before I snipped the ends off and squeezed their juiciness onto the hot grilled cheese. One bite after the other, I tried all the different fruity spreads to come to the conclusion that the golden citrus fruits are interesting but quite a challenge for the taste buds and my plum chutney is the winner. Onions, gruyère and plums simply can't go wrong!
A Sandwich with Roasted Shallots, Grilled Gruyère and Chutney
For 3 sandwiches you need
rustic sourdough bread 3 or 6 slices (if you want a closed sandwich)
small shallots, in their skin, 9 - 12
gruyère, or another strong, hard mountain cheese, thinly sliced, 200g / 7 ounces
a fruity chutney, for the topping
black peppercorns, crushed in a mortar, for the topping
olive oil
Set the oven to 200°C / 390°F (I used the Rotitherm setting).
Coat the shallots in a little olive oil and roast in the hot oven for 25 minutes or until soft, turn them after 15 minutes. They should feel soft when you push them down gently.
Spread the gruyère on the slices of bread and put them under the grill for 1 - 2 minutes until the cheese starts bubbling. Snip the ends off the onions and squeeze them onto the cheese. Sprinkle with chutney and pepper and enjoy!
Linguine with Fennel, Capers and Lemon
My fennel carpaccio with salty capers and lemon is one of my favourite winter salads, I always have a couple bulbs in the fridge to prepare this 2-minute lunch or dinner for us. The vegetable is a tasty alternative to cabbages because, for whatever reason, it retains its strong aroma even when it's out of its (natural) season. It's always strong and present, be it baked in the oven as a gratin with Parmesan sprinkled on top, with butter beans in a hearty soup or as a crunchy addition to salads. I would definitely suffer much more from the absence of summery tomatoes, zucchini and bell pepper if there wasn't fennel in the house!
It's been a while since we had a plate of pasta on our table, which is quite unusual for us. Inspired by my carpaccio, I pulled the linguine package out of the pantry and mixed it with thin fennel slices sautéed for just 2 minutes, a handful of capers from Gozo, lemon zest and juice. It was a quick and light dish, tasty and simply good!
Linguine with Fennel, Capers and Lemon
For 2 people you need
linguine 200g / 7 ounces
medium fennel bulb, bottom cut off, very thinly sliced, 1
capers, rinsed and dried, a small handful, to taste
lemon zest to taste
freshly squeezed lemon juice, 1-2 tablespoons, to taste
salt
black peppercorns, crushed in a mortar, to taste
olive oil
Cook the pasta in salted water al dente, keep some of the water in a mug and set aside.
In a pan, heat a splash of olive oil and sauté the fennel for 1 minute on each side on medium-high heat. Add the cooked pasta to the pan and stir in a splash of the water used to cook the linguine and the lemon juice. Sprinkle with capers and season with salt, pepper and lemon zest and juice to taste.
How to make your own Pretzel Buns
When I made my Bavarian sandwich with pretzel buns and Obatzda camembert spread last week I completely underestimated how many people would actually be interested in a recipe for the buns rather than the spread (which is absolutely delicious nonetheless!). I bought the pretty Laugenbrötchen (their German name) which I used for the recipe from my favourite pretzel bakery in my area which, in my opinion, can compete with the products from their origin in the south of Germany. However, there is an ongoing discussion about the pretzel's (and the bun's) quality produced here in Berlin, and if you ask anyone from the Bavarian or Swabian region, they will all agree that it's impossible to find acceptable results anywhere in this city. I disagree! I lived in the South, I still regularly enjoy some of the best pretzel buns from my step father's Swabian hometown Stuttgart, an unchallenged stronghold of pretzels, so I consider myself an experienced critic. The buns you saw last week on the photos were soft and spongy inside, they taste slightly buttery, wrapped in a thin brown crust with coarse sea salt sprinkles. That's all I can ask for!
Motivated by the last sandwich, excited and a bit nervous, I made a brave decision a few days ago, I wanted to make my own pretzel buns! I started some research, learnt about lye, washing and baking soda solutions for the crust, the right yeast dough mixture and the final shaping of the buns and here are my conclusions:
The dough has to be made with a bit of butter for the rich taste, it has to rise twice and once the buns are shaped with the right technique (which I describe in the recipe), they have to cook in boiling water mixed with baking soda for one minute before baking, basically like bagels. The soda solution provides a high ph-value, not as high and strong as lye solution which is often used in professional bakeries, but it's safer and creates a similar browning effect.
When I pulled a piece off my first warm pretzel bun freshly out of my own oven, I was impressed, the texture was right, the crust perfect and the taste was fantastic. I also made a few pretzels which were nice and juicy and not dry (which I don't like at all), but here I still have to improve. The look wasn't right, I know this is not so relevant and, usually, not important for me at all as long as it pleases my taste buds, but we're talking about pretzels! The top part with the knot wasn't slim enough. They looked quite puffed up and out of shape, but they tasted amazing with some butter spread on them so I forgot about that completely. I prefer buns anyway!
Pretzel Buns
For 10 pretzel buns you need
500g / 3¾ cups plus 1 tablespoon all purpose flour (white spelt, type 630, or wheat flour)
1 envelope (7g / ¼ ounce) fast-acting yeast
2 teaspoons fine sea salt
300ml / 1¼ cups lukewarm water, plus water for boiling the buns before baking
40g / 2½ tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
3 tablespoons baking soda, for boiling the buns before baking
coarse sea salt, for the topping
In a large bowl, combine the flour, yeast and salt.
In a medium bowl, mix the 300ml / 1¼ cups of water with the melted butter (the mixture should be lukewarm) and add to the dry flour-mixture. Mix with the dough hooks of the mixer for a few minutes, it shouldn't be too sticky, add more flour if necessary. Continue kneading and punching with your hands for a few minutes until you have an elastic dough ball. Put the dough back into the bowl, cover with a tea towel and let it rise in the warm oven (35°C / 95°F) for 60 minutes (top/ bottom heat and not fan-assisted!).
Punch the dough down, take it out and knead for 1 minute. Divide the dough into 10 portions, each about 80g / 2¾ ounces. Dust your hands with flour, put a portion of dough on the palm of your hand and roll with the other hand, holding it like a dome. Turn the dough for about 10 seconds on the flat hand until its top is round and firm. This process builds up surface tension and prevents the buns from becoming flat. Continue with the remaining dough. If you make pretzels, roll each portion into a 50cm / 20" long sausage shape with thin ends and twist into a pretzel shape. Cover the buns / pretzels with a tea towel and let them rise for 20 minutes in a warm place.
Set your oven to 220°C / 425°F top / bottom heat and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
To boil the buns, in a large pot, bring 1000ml / 4¼ cups of water and the baking soda to a boil, watch it as it will start bubbling. The pot should be wide enough for 2 buns to fit in, they don't need to be completely covered by the water. Using a slotted ladle, gently slip two buns into the boiling water and cook for 1 minute (not longer !). Mind that they don't stick to the bottom of the pot and turn them after 30 seconds. Take them out after 1 minute and transfer them to the lined baking sheet. Mind to work quickly, if they sit for too long after cooking them in the baking soda-water mixture the surface won’t be shiny after baking (you can also boil and bake them in batches of 6 and 4 buns.) Score a cross on the tops of the buns, sprinkle with coarse sea salt, and continue cooking the remaining buns. Bake for 16 minutes or until golden brown, the pretzels need just 12 minutes.
If you want to freeze the baked buns / pretzels, don't sprinkle them with salt.
meet in your kitchen| A Greek dessert creation by the Grand Hyatt's Pastry Chef
This young man is a sweet genius in the kitchen! His creations open the door to new culinary experiences, but with such respect and care for the single ingredients that besides its spectacular visual effect, the result tastes as comforting as your favourite cake. Benjamin Donath is the Grand Hyatt Berlin's executive pastry chef and furthermore, he's responsible for the dessert creations for German chancellor Angela Merkel and her guests. If that weren't enough, he managed to make me fall in love with a dessert made with Retsina. The Greek resinated wine is rather difficult to appreciate, at least for my taste, but when we met in the Hyatt's kitchen Ben turned it into a fantastic composition called Griechischer Wein. Apart from being a quote from a famous German pop song in the 70s, this means Greek Wine and describes a complex composition which Ben created for eat in my kitchen: fluffy retsina honey sorbet, buttery almond financier, sour apple terrine, light yoghurt espuma, crunchy yoghurt meringue and caramelised amaranth pops. It tasted as impressive as it sounds!
I first met Ben at a Christmas event in December, he helped me to decorate a gingerbread house. The result was so satisfying that it even got a place of honour under my Christmas tree. The chef's patience combined with a determined sense for perfection fascinated me, and I must admit, being the pastry chef of an internationally renowned hotel dedicated to savouring on the highest level made me curious. Ben is the kind of person who follows a goal with a passion once it's in his head. Although he seems too down-to-earth to be obsessed, he is extremely focussed. He won an award as the pastry chef of the German Culinary Team and gathered experiences abroad before he was asked to become Hyatt's executive pastry chef back in 2010. Ben is honest, he admits that he had to learn a lot in the beginning, creatively but also logistically. The responsibility given to him was quite a challenge but he grew into this new position with time and through the trust he received from his team. If you cater to 1500 people and present a selection of dessert creations to the chancellor for her official dinners, you simply have to believe in yourself and that's what Ben does. When he talks about his sweet creations, about contrasting flavours, combining dishes of different textures and temperatures, you can easily hear his dedication, and when you look into his eyes you can see the artist's passion and love for the ingredients he uses to bring his visions to life.
Ben says that he found his own style over the years, his signature, but that's an ongoing journey for him, one that leads him to work ever more minimally. He wants to work with less ingredients and concentrate on maybe four nuances, simple and pure. His creations speak for his creativity and he has many ideas for the future. He would love to involve more herbs in his desserts, so maybe one day he'll take over part of the hotel's roof garden in the name of sweet savouring and turn it into Ben's herbal oasis, we'll see!
Greek Wine by Benjamin Donath
For 4-6 people you need
For the Retsina honey sorbet
water 190 g / 7 ounces
Retsina wine 320g / 11 ounces
glucose syrup 40g / 1 1/2 ounces
granulated sugar 50g / 1 3/4 ounces
pectin (pectagel rose) 3 1/2g / 1/10 ounce
chestnut honey 50g / 1 3/4 ounces
lemon zest
a pinch of salt
Combine the sugar and pectin.
In a large pot, bring all the ingredients with 125g / 4.5 ounces of the Retsina wine to the boil, cook for 2 minutes. Take off the heat and mix in the remaining Retsina wine. Purée in a blender, filter through a cloth strainer and freeze in an ice cream machine.
For the almond financier
granulated sugar 80g / 2 3/4 ounces
egg white 75g / 2 1/2 ounces
ground almonds, roasted, 30g /1 ounce
plain flour 300g / 10.5 ounces
beurre noisette (brown butter), melted and cool, 80g / 2 3/4 ounces
honey 1/4 teaspoon
lemon zest
a pinch of salt
Set the oven to 160°C / 320°F (fan-assisted oven).
Combine the flour and almonds.
Beat the egg white and salt until stiff, adding the sugar gradually. Gently stir in the honey and lemon zest and fold in the flour-almond mixture. Let the beurre noisette drop slowly into the dough and mix carefully. Pour the dough into a baking dish lined with parchment paper, it should come up to 1 1/2 cm / 1/2". Bake the financier until golden on top and baked through, it should stay juicy inside.
For the yoghurt espuma
You will need a cream whipper for the espuma.
milk 25g / 1 ounce
Greek yoghurt 50g / 2 ounces
granulated sugar 2 teaspoons
chestnut honey 1 teaspoon
a pinch of salt
lemon juice 1 teaspoon
egg white, beaten, of 1/2 egg
gelatine 1/3 sheet
Soak the gelatin in cold water and dissolve in a little yoghurt. Mix with the other ingredients and fill 2/3 of a cream whipper with the mixture. Screw on the cream charger and let the espuma soak overnight.
For the yoghurt meringue
egg white 1
granulated sugar 25g / 1 ounce
icing sugar, sieved, 25g / 1 ounce
Greek yoghurt 20g / 1 ounce
salt
lemon juice 1 teaspoon
Beat the egg white and salt until stiff, adding the sugar gradually. Fold in the icing sugar, yoghurt and lemon juice and stir gently until combined. Spread on parchment paper (about 4mm / 1/4" thick) and let it dry in the 40-50°C / 105-120°F warm oven.
For the Retsina syrup
apple juice 25g / 1 ounce
water 25g / 1 ounce
Retsina wine 75g / 2 1/2 ounces
lemon juice 1 teaspoon
lemon zest
granulated sugar 3 teaspoons
chestnut honey 2 teaspoons
In a sauce pan, bring the apple juice, water, half the Retsina wine, lemon juice and zest, sugar and honey to the boil and cook on low temperature (simmering) for 5 minutes. Take the pan off the heat and let it cool to 70°C / 160°F, stir in the remaining Retsina wine and filter through a cloth strainer.
For the apple terrine
granulated sugar 40g / 1.5 ounces
water 2 teaspoons
baking apples, peeled, cored, quartered and cut into 1/2cm / 1/4" slices, 250g / 9 ounces
a pinch of salt
lemon zest
calvados 1 teaspoon
cinnamon stick 1/4
In a wide sauce pan, bring the sugar and water to the boil. When it turns into a golden caramel add the apple slices, salt, lemon zest and cinnamon. Close with a lid and cook for 5 minutes on medium heat, turn the apples once every minute. Take the apples out with a slotted ladle and set aside. Keep the juices in the pan, add the calvados and bring to the boil. Cook down to a thick sauce and gently mix with the apple slices. Line a baking sheet with cling film, pile the apples on the cling film (a few centimetres / inches high), cover with cling film and a second baking sheet. Press together with weights for 10 minutes. Put the compressed apples wrapped in cling film in the freezer. When they are frozen, cut out circles with a round 5 cm / 2" cookie cutter (or cut into 5 x 5cm / 2 x 2" squares). They should be at room temperature when served.
For the yoghurt sauce
Greek yoghurt 25g / 1 ounce
salt
granulated sugar
lemon juice
Whisk the yoghurt and season with salt, sugar and lemon juice to taste.
For the caramelised amaranth
popped amaranth 50g / 2 ounces
icing sugar 30g / 1 ounce
butter 1 teaspoon
salt
In a saucepan, warm up the amaranth with 1/3 of the icing sugar on medium heat. When it starts to caramelise, slowly add the remaining sugar (the amaranth will turn glossy). Add the salt and butter and spread on parchment paper. Crumble into small pieces.
The Greek Wine
Spread the yoghurt sauce on a large plate, place the apple terrine in the middle and top with a scoop of Retsina honey sorbet. Spray the yoghurt espuma on top of the sorbet and sprinkle with amaranth pops. Arrange the broken meringue and financier around it and pour some of the Retsina syrup on the plate.
You have been the Head Pastry Chef at the Grand Hyatt in Berlin since 2010. What are the differences between working in the kitchen of a hotel, a restaurant or a confectionery and why did you choose to work at a hotel?
The difference is clearly the size of the operation as well as the versatility of the daily business. Here you need a mix of skills like being creative, being organized and being focused on leading a team and controlling costs. All this is on a bigger scale than it is in an à la carte kitchen. Even though my heart still beats for restaurants, I rather see myself in a company like Hyatt.
Before you settled in Berlin, you also worked in Australia, Mexico and Malta. How important is traveling for your culinary inspiration and what did you learn from the experiences abroad?
To me, this is where a lot of inspiration comes from. You know when you are away from home or your comfort zone that you want to open your eyes to get along and soak up all the different cultures and influences of a certain place. Even though I often don’t realize it right away, ideas for new dishes evolve from places I´ve been to, may it be a weekend in Vienna or a few months in Asia.
What are your memories of the time you worked at the Intercontinental hotel in Malta? Did you learn something about the island's traditional cuisine?
I have to admit that a competition brought me there. I went there to support my former colleague, who was a member of the Turkish national culinary team and after the competition, we supported the Intercontinental Malta for its pre-opening phase. Unfortunately, my stay did not last for too long, but for me, it was a great experience diving into new and unknown international cuisine.
Who or what inspired you to become a pastry chef? Do you have a kitchen idol?
Thats easy to answer. At the age of sixteen, I didn't have a clue what to do or even where I could see myself in the future. I just knew that I wanted to learn a craft. In the end I decided between two apprenticeships, so it was carpenter vs. pastry chef. You can make an easy guess which decision I made. And what can I say, I am still very happy with my choice and haven’t regretted it since. The idol thing is something that I can't really support, there are people by my side for a certain period of time, who I might look up to, but then our ways separate and there will be other people. To be creative in a good team is far better than having idols, in my opinion.
What was the first dish you cooked or baked on your own, what is your first cooking memory?
The first thing I baked was Christmas cookies with my mom. We peeled almonds for it, kneaded the dough and cut it into stars, Christmas trees and all that. I think my first dish was a classic one: spaghetti with tomato-basil sauce. Not my brightest moment, I must admit, but very tasty and simple indeed.
Do you have a sweet tooth or do you prefer to create but not to savour your creations?
I can't really bring this to a point. I love to create and try afterwards, but I am not a "I always have a bar of chocolate at home" type of guy. Although I would rather go for a good sausage, I still have my sweet moments and when I eat in a restaurant, I often have dessert to try, especially when eating at good places.
How do you develop new recipes? What inspires you?
My recipes are always made to complement each other on the plate. You will always find light sweetness with an acid touch to it, there will be something baked as well as something creamy, something iced and something warm. So all in all it is about textures, temperatures and the main thing: the original taste of a product. My inspiration comes from people who surround me in my daily life, be it colleagues or friends. It can be from travels or eating at different places. Sometimes it happens when I just stroll through a market but there are times when there is just nothing in my head. That is when it is time for a day off.
What are your three favourite baking ingredients?
Herbs, Spirits and Chocolate.
When you bake in your own kitchen, what's your favourite recipe and why?
I actually don't bring work home but the last thing I did was gingerbread with the kids. Sometimes we make some ice creams at home, more in summer than at this time of the year. I usually spend more time cooking savoury things.
What advice would you give someone who wants to become a pastry chef?
Go ahead and work in many places such as classic pastry shops, restaurants or hotels with different multicultural teams. Be open for anything and don’t be afraid to fail… if you do, try again. Develop your own style after a while.
What are your favourite places to buy and enjoy food in Berlin?
This would be any good weekend market. I love to be outside, taking my time, sip a cup of coffee and decide on what to cook while looking around, so relaxing.
What did you choose to share on eat in my kitchen?
The recipe is called Greek Wine and is made of Retsina wine, honey, Greek yoghurt, apple and almonds.
If you could choose one person to cook a meal for you, who and what would it be?
It would be Luke Burgess from the Garagistes, Hobart and it would be any of his tasting menues. What I really like about his dishes is the simplicity while they still seem to be so well combined.
You're going to have ten friends over for a spontaneous dinner, what will be on the table?
Mixed starters (olives, dips, veggies, sausage, pita), the main course would contain plain mashed potatoes, red wine shallots, and a big piece of meat, and for dessert I imagine chocolate cake, nuts, toffee and vanilla ice cream.
What was your childhood's culinary favourite and what is it now?
My mom’s tomato sauce. Today I love any good piece of fish like sea bream, sea bass or cod, combined with risotto, greens and good olive oil. All I need to be happy.
Do you prefer to cook on your own or together with others?
Definitely for others or even better with others.
Thank you Ben!
Maltese Minestrone with Tyrolean Crêpes Frittaten
This dish combines the two culinary worlds which influence my kitchen activities the most, Malta's Mediterranean cuisine and Tyrol's cosy comfort food. I cooked a warming minestrone the way I know it from my Maltese granny Edith, with lots of pumpkin, zucchini (qarabaghli in Maltese) and kohlrabi. This soup can take the most varied collection of vegetables so I also added some cauliflower, celery stalk, potatoes and carrots. It's a deliciously sweet broth of all the strengthening fruits of the season, and once the vegetables are chopped, it only takes 15 minutes !
Whenever I sit in Edith's kitchen in Msida enjoying this comforting soul food, she sprinkles freshly grated parmesan over the steaming dish, but here in the North, I wanted to add something richer to satisfy our strong appetite. In the cold season, I'm a big fan of saturating additions to light and healthy soups, Tyrolean frittaten, called Flaedle in the Swabian region in southern Germany, are one of my first choices. They are made of thin crêpes refined with chives, rolled up in a tight wrap and cut into slim strips. Frittaten look like pancake snails and turn a minestrone into a special treat, the eggy pastry adds a hearty feel to this meal which I absolutely love about wintery soups!
Maltese Minestrone with Tyrolean Crêpes Frittaten
For 4-6 people you need
For the frittaten
plain flour, sieved, 70g / 2.5 ounces
salt 1/8 teaspoon
organic egg, beaten, 1
milk 120ml / 4 ounces
chives, snipped 3 tablespoons
butter, to fry the crêpes
Mix the flour, salt, egg and milk to a smooth dough (with an electric mixer) and let it sit for 15 minutes before you mix in the chives.
In a non-stick pan, heat a teaspoon of butter. Pour in a ladle of the dough, holding the pan in your hand and turning it so that the dough spreads evenly and very thinly. The temperature should be on medium-high as the crêpes won’t need more than 1 minute on each side once the heat is set right. When the crêpe is golden on both sides take it out and continue with the remaining dough. Always heat a teaspoon of butter before you add new dough to the pan. Roll up each crêpe very tightly and cut into thin strips (snails).
For the minestrone
medium onion, chopped, 1
cauliflower, cut into small pieces, 160g / 5.5 ounces
butternut squash, peeled, cut into small cubes, 160g / 5.5 ounces
zucchini, cut into small cubes, 160g / 5.5 ounces
kohlrabi, peeled, cut into small cubes, 50g / 2 ounces
carrot, peeled, cut into small cubes, 80g / 3 ounces
potato, peeled, cut into small cubes, 100g / 3.5 ounces
celery stalk, cut into small cubes, 1
medium sized tomato, cut into small cubes, 1
broth, hot, 1.5l / 3 pints
garlic, crushed, 2 cloves
bay leaf 1
spring onion, thinly sliced, 2
salt and pepper
olive oil
In a large pot, heat a splash of olive oil and fry the onion for a few minutes on medium heat until golden and soft. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add a little more oil and the chopped vegetables (apart from the spring onions), stir and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add the hot broth and the bay leaf, season with salt and pepper and cook for 15 - 20 minutes. Stir in the spring onion, season to taste and serve with the frittaten.
A Nordic Herring Sandwich with Beetroot, Pear and Walnuts
A few years ago we went to a green island in the Baltic sea called Rügen. It was one of those spontaneous holidays that turned into four perfect days of beach and forest walks, late breakfasts and long nights by the fireplace with a mug full of steaming mulled wine on our laps, it was great. A friend offered us her cute little house right behind the cliffs, the cottage was surrounded by dense trees and total silence. Although the strong November storms had just started we wrapped ourselves in our warm jackets and scarves up to our eyes to discover this quiet island. One of our culinary finds was Rügen's delicious seafood, fresh, smoked and pickled, especially the herring is of excellent quality!
When I went on an aimless shopping trip a few days ago, I made a great discovery! With excitement I spotted jars with Rügen's pickled herrings in one of the grocery stores in my area. Within a split second I could see it right in front of me, a pink sandwich, Nordic style with a sour herring and beetroot salad, thick beetroot slices, pear, walnuts and dill. I chose some crunchy potato buns at the bakery and, back at home, I put the roots on the hob immediately. My kitchen impatience called for a sandwich!
A Nordic Herring Sandwich with Beetroot, Pear and Walnuts
For 4 sandwiches you need
hearty white buns, cut in half, 4
beetroot (with skin) 200g / 7 ounces
bay leaf 1
pickled herring (of good quality!), boned, drained and cut into thick strips, 200g / 7 ounces
sour cream or yoghurt 2 heaping tablespoons
olive oil
salt and pepper
crisp pear, cored and sliced, 1
dill, snipped, a small bunch, for the topping
walnuts, broken into small pieces, 4-6, for the topping
Cook the beetroots in salted water with 1 bay leaf for about 50-60 minutes or until al dente. Peel the roots and purée 1/3 of the them with 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a blender and season with a little salt. Cut the remaining roots into thick slices and coat with olive oil.
Mix the herring with the sour cream and 1 heaping tablespoon of the puréed beetroot.
Brush the bottom of the buns with a little olive oil and lay 3 slices of beetroot on top. Put some of the herring salad and a bit more of the puréed beetroot on top. Gently cover with pear slices and sprinkle with walnuts and dill.
Gozitan Pizza with Ricotta, Goat Cheese and Potatoes
This is one of my favourite summer treats whenever we visit the island Gozo in the Mediterranean: the fabulous local pizza! It's shaped like an open galette, the rim fold up to hold the richest filling a pizza has ever seen: ricotta mixed with goat cheese and eggs, topped with potatoes and crushed black pepper. I love it!
Every year, when I pick up my first Gozitan pizza of the summer from my beloved Maxokk Bakery in Nadur I open the box with hungry impatience to start the feast. We always drive to a near-by park above San Blas beach to savour our pizzas, it's tiny but full of pine trees and oleander. The few wooden benches allow the most amazing view of the bay! While they others wait to get there, I'm often the only one nibbling on the first piece. No matter how hot is, it can be noon, the sun at its peak turning the inside of the jeep into a sauna, but nothing can stop me from enjoying this moment that I always long for like a child. The bakery calls this pizza a Ftira, not to be confused with the popular Maltese Ftira sandwich that I wrote about in July while we stayed on the islands. The bread for this sandwich and the pizza are made of the same dough, hence the same name.
Back to the pizza, I decided that the time had come to give this recipe a try, here at my home, to have some sunshine on our plates at least - and it worked! I used my normal pizza dough and baking technique, I just folded up the sides for the authentic look and to hold it all together. The filling is rich, there is no way around it, it needs lots of ricotta and it doesn't make sense to spare on calories in the wrong situation (and here, it would be wrong!). Luckily, my Maltese sister Emma had just given us a package of Gozitan cheese while she was here to visit us, the strong peppered Gbejna made from local goat milk. As long as you don't live on the Islands of Malta, you will have to miss out on this treat but you can use any other strong, firm substitute.
If you get in the mood for pizza, here are some more recipes:
Gozitan Pizza with Ricotta, Goat Cheese and Potatoes
I start to prepare the dough 2 hours before I bake the pizza to give it enough time to rise and I bake it on a hot baking sheet which has a similar effect to a pizza stone.
For 2 round pizzas you need
For the dough
plain flour 350g / 12.5 ounces
dry yeast 1 sachet (7g / 1/4 ounce)
water, lukewarm, 190ml / 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon
olive oil 5 tablespoons
salt 1 teaspoon
Combine the flour with the yeast and salt, add the lukewarm water (you might not need all of it) and olive oil and mix with the dough hooks of the mixer for a few minutes. The dough shouldn’t be moist and sticky at all, more on the dry side. Continue kneading and punching with your hands until you have an elastic dough ball. Put the dough back into the bowl, cover with a tea towel and let it rise in the warm oven (35°C / 95°F) for 45 minutes (top/ bottom heat and not fan-assisted!).
When the dough is well risen, divide in two parts, and roll them out in two circles on a very well floured working surface. Each should fit on a baking sheet. Cover with a tea towel and let it rise for another 10-15 minutes.
For the topping
ricotta, 500g / 1 pound
firm, aromatic goat milk cheese (peppered Gbejna is best), finely chopped or grated, 150g / 5.5 ounces
Parmesan, grated, 70g / 2.5 ounces
organic eggs 2
black peppercorns, crushed in a mortar, to taste (if you don't use peppered cheese)
medium potatoes, boiled, peeled and thinly sliced, 6
olive oil
Whisk the ricotta, goat cheese and Parmesan and season with pepper to taste before you mix in the eggs. Add a little salt if necessary.
The pizza
Set your oven to 260°C / 500°F. My oven has a pizza setting but you can also use top / bottom heat. Put the baking sheet on the bottom of your oven to heat it (for about 10 minutes).
Take the hot baking sheet out of the oven, turn it around and place it carefully on two stable wooden boards or mats as it will be very hot. Quickly put one of the risen dough discs on the baking sheet, spread with half the ricotta filling leaving a rim around it. Arrange the potato slices on top and fold up the rim, gently pushing it onto the outer potatoes. Sprinkle with a little pepper and olive oil and bake for about 8 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown and the ricotta filling is set. Repeat with the second pizza.
Madeira Cake with Caramelised Tangerines
Weekend baking is my meditation, my time to relax and reflect, to slow down my pace and review the past few days. I enjoy the peaceful silence in the kitchen when I place bowls and butter, eggs and flour on my marble kitchen tops before I get started. My mother prepares her pastries in heavy ceramic bowls in black, green and blue and when I moved into my first flat she passed one of them on to me. Her old black bowl is my baking companion, this is where my sweet mixing and tasting begins, traced with scratches and cracks.
In the winter months I'm quite a coach potato on my lazy Sundays, I love my cosy afternoons on the sofa, with piles of books, magazines, pillows and blankets to defy the uncomfortable cold outside. Just give me a cup of tea and a warm cake freshly out of the oven and I'm happy. At the moment I love simple tea time treats that you can eat with your fingers, nothing too complicated. A spongy Madeira cake is perfect, the dough refined with the zest of tiny tangerines and their sweet juices. I could have stopped at that point but I went a bit further and topped it with caramelised slices of the citrus fruit which is easily done in five minutes. They were soft and sticky and brought even more fruitiness to this wonderful English treat which is, despite its name, not made with Madeira. Traditionally, it used to be savoured with the sweet Portuguese wine which led to its name, I skip that tradition and stick to my tea.
Madeira Cake with Caramelised Tangerines
I recommend using small, firm organic tangerines for this recipe as they are easier to grate and sweet in taste.
For an 18cm / 7" springform pan or a 1l / 2 pint loaf tin you need
plain flour 250g / 9 ounces
baking powder 1 teaspoon
a pinch of salt
a pinch of ground cinnamon
tangerine zest 2 tablespoons
freshly squeezed tangerine juice 3 tablespoons
butter, at room temperature, 200g / 7 ounces
granulated sugar 200g / 7 ounces
organic eggs 3
For the topping
small organic tangerines, rinsed and very thinly sliced, 4-5
granulated sugar 100g / 3.5 ounces
water 4 tablespoons
Set the oven to 180°C / 355°F (fan-assisted oven) and butter the springform pan.
Combine the flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon and rub the zest into the mixture with your fingers.
In a large bowl, mix the butter until fluffy, add the sugar and continue mixing for a few minutes until light and creamy. Add the eggs one at a time, mix well in between. Quickly mix in the dry flour mixture and the tangerine juice, it should be well combined. Pour the batter into the pan and bake for about 60 minutes or until golden and firm on top. Check with a skewer, it should come out clean. If you bake the cake in a loaf tin, check after 45 minutes. Let the cake cool for 5 minutes before you take it out of the pan.
I caramelised the tangerines in 2 batches. In a sauce pan, bring half the tangerine slices, half the sugar and 2 tablespoons of water to the boil and cook on high temperature for 3-5 minutes. The water should bubble and evaporate. Take the pan off the heat immediately when the sugar starts to turn golden and caramelises. Quickly arrange the citrus slices on top of the cake as the caramel will become hard after a minute. Cook the remaining fruit slices to finish the cake. Use a very sharp kitchen knife to cut the caramelised top of the cake.
Spicy Octopus with Chorizo Sausage and Red Chili Peppers
I've been a big fan of Mediterranean octopus recipes for years but last summer I discovered something new. It started in Chef Kurt Micallef's culinary working space who I met for one of my meet in your kitchen features in Marsaxlokk in the south of Malta. The young and internationally experienced chef used fennel seeds and star-anise for the octopus broth, an addition that was completely new to me. The two spices bring out all the fine aromas of the imposing sea dweller, even more than the obligatory lemon and bay leaf. I learned my lesson and adapted to this new technique since then.
A couple weeks later I moved on to another date for my kitchen series and met Karl Chetcuti at the Meridiana Wine Estates. Although wine is his profession, the two of us also share another passion. We spoke for hours about food, recipes and restaurants, apart from wine making obviously. He told me about his favourite spots on the islands and he also gave me a recipe which he often enjoys together with his wife at one of the restaurants at the sea, golden calamari with chorizo with a glass of chilled Isis wine. Just the thought of it makes me want to change the season and go there right now!
When I tried Karl's recipe in my Maltese kitchen (which my partner's mother Jenny is so kind to share with me!) I used chorizo salami as I didn't know that he was talking about fresh sausages, I found out later. This misunderstanding didn't do our Mediterranean lunch any harm, it was fantastic, but since then I wanted to cook it again, Karl's way. Although it's been almost six months of waiting, I finally got fresh chorizo sausages. This time, I decided to make another change, I combined them with octopus instead. The meat seemed too strong and overpowering for the fragile calamari, and I was right. It's an amazing combination, powerful and rich, but we had to cut the sausage thinner than you can see in the pictures. The Spanish chorizo has quite an impact on the seafood but it works, we even sprinkled some spicy chili pepper slices over the red juices. If you're after the pure buttery taste of octopus I recommend a simple salad with fresh fennel (which we ate the next day as I cooked a bigger batch of it), but if you want to try something new and experiment a bit, go for it and savour as we did!
Spicy Octopus with Chorizo Sausage
For 2-3 people you need
octopus, skinned and cleaned, 500g / 1 pound
star-anise 1 piece
a pinch of ground fennel seeds
bay leaves 2
garlic, cut in half, 2 cloves
medium onion, quartered 1
lemon, sliced 1
fresh chorizo sausages 2
fresh red hot chili pepper, thinly sliced, 1
In a large pot, bring water with the star-anise, fennel seeds, bay leaves, garlic, onion and lemon to the boil. Add the octopus and cook on low heat (simmering) for about 45 minutes or until the octopus is tender. Take the octopus out of the broth and cut into big pieces.
Fry the sausages in a little olive oil on medium heat for about 10 minutes, turning them every 2 minutes. When they are done, slice them. Mix the octopus with the chorizo and the juices in the pan. Sprinkle with chili pepper.
Pretzel Buns with Camembert, Caraway Seeds and Red Onions
It's been dark for days and the sky is painted in a dull grey that doesn't seem to fade away. It welcomes me in the morning as soon as I open the curtains in our bedroom and it changes into pitch black in the afternoon without showing a single patch of blue all day. I don't even want to look outside the windows anymore, I start daydreaming instead, a skill I improved to perfection over the years. I can stare at my computer for minutes before I realise that my mind is already in Dwejra in Gozo, exploring the deep blue of the Mediterranean sea. Another one of my favourite imaginary winter escapes is to stroll down the narrow streets of Valletta, the stone of the baroque buidings glowing in the golden sun and a soft breeze cooling my skin. If I get hungry I just dream myself into Caffe Cordina, I sit at one of the little tables at the Piazza Regina with an espresso and a pastizz tal-irkotta and I completely forget about reality, the grey sky and January's sober melancholy. I'm not in Berlin anymore.
This works with any place in the world which made me happy at one point, a few days ago I found myself in the mountains, in Bavaria. I imagined a summery Biergarten scene, wooden benches, hearty food and beer mugs on rustic tables under green trees. After a few seconds, I got hungry, but not an imaginary kind of hunger. I felt like pretzels and Obatzda, the famous Bavarian dip made of whipped camembert, caraway seeds and sweet paprika. Daydreaming wakes up all the senses, it doesn't matter if you see a real sandwich in front of you or if it's just in your head, all you want is this sandwich on your plate! So I got on my bike, drove to my favourite pretzel bakery and picked a young camembert at the market on my way home. Last year, in early spring, I made an Obatzda variation with rucola and I used a well aged cheese but this time I was after a light aroma to give the spices more space. Back in my kitchen, I put the camembert in the blender and mixed in the spices. When I spread the thick dip voluptuously on a pretzel bun and garnished it with red onions, garden cress and crushed hot chili peppers I could see the Bavarian Biergarten right in front of me.
Update: You can find my recipe for Pretzel Buns here!
Pretzel Buns with Camembert, Caraway Seeds and Red Onions
For 4 sandwiches you need
pretzel buns or large pretzels, cut in half, 4
mild camembert 100g / 3.5 ounces
cream cheese 80g / 3 ounces
heavy cream 1 tablespoon
caraway seeds, ground in a mortar, 1/8 teaspoon
ground sweet paprika 1 teaspoon
ground cayenne pepper, a pinch
salt and pepper
small red onion, cut in half and into thin slices, 1, for the topping
small dried chili peppers, ground in a mortar, 2-3, for the topping
garden cress, a small handful, for the topping
Purée the camembert, cream cheese, heavy cream and spices in a blender until smooth and season to taste. Spread on the buns and sprinkle with onions, garden cress and chili.
Bitter Endive and Radicchio Salad with sweet Persimmons
Since I bought my first persimmons at a farmer's market in Paris many, many years ago I have been hooked on this fruit. Back in those days I wasn't familiar with how to eat this orange ball of sticky juiciness so I made quite a mess. It was worth it! The rich sweetness that feels like jellied honey in the mouth was an overwhelming experience of taste I would never forget. Since then, I always look forward to this delicate fruit's season in the winter months. I only buy them when they are very ripe to enjoy their qualities and I prefer sharons, a certain kind of persimmons from Israel. A couple days ago I spotted a few that were so soft that their skin almost burst. Persimmons are a bit like figs, best when they are close to becoming mousse right in your hands, but if you handle them with care they will reward you with the nicest aroma a fruit can offer!
The sharon has so much natural sweetness, they can easily deal with some bitter flavours. I chose endive (chicory) and radicchio for my light Monday salad, both not particularly shy vegetables which I always buy organic as they still have have their distinct bitterness. Combine the red and pale leaves with the ripe fruit and you'll have a real firework of aromas in your mouth. This bittersweet combination goes with the seasons, soft vineyard pears in autumn, bright red strawberries in summer, or my glowing persimmons in January. The dressing is also more on the sweet site, some olive oil whisked with orange juice, white Balsamico vinegar and maple syrup to balance out the tart leaves. Heavenly!
Endive and Radicchio Salad with Persimmons
For 2 people you need
Belgian endive (chicory) 1
radicchio 3 large leaves
sharon (or any other ripe and soft persimmon), peeled and cut into bite sized pieces, 1
For the dressing
olive oil 3 tablespoons
freshly squeezed orange juice 1 tablespoon
white balsamic vinegar 1 tablespoon
maple syrup 1 teaspoon
salt and pepper
Tear the endive and radicchio leaves into pieces and arrange them with the persimmon on a plate. Whisk the ingredients for the dressing, season to taste and sprinkle on top of the salad.
Banana Muffins with White and Dark Chocolate Chunks
We had a muffin feast in my kitchen this week, it started off with my marmalade muffins which I made with my tangerine jam instead of the blood orange spread that I normally use. They were fantastic, sweet and christmassy! The golden citrus muffins filled the air with a wonderful smell that only muffins can create after only a few minutes in the oven. It's so good I could have it in the kitchen all the time! Inspired by this sweet aroma, I had an idea for another recipe, banana muffins with lots of chunky white and dark chocolate. Luckily I bought too many bananas (again), they started to get darker and darker and seemed to say "you had better decide what you're going to do with us". When they are deep yellow with some brown patches they have just the right texture to be turned into a fruity purée for juices or muffins, honey sweet and velvety. I added milky white chocolate and its bittersweet counterpart to the dough and while I stirred the chunks in I could already smell that this would lead to a satisfying result. The two kinds of chocolate are a great match to the ripe fruit!
When I took pictures of these muffins, Emma from Malta was still here with us. She joined me in the kitchen which was freezing cold at that point as I had to leave the window wide open to have better light for my photos. Emma watched me impatiently like a hungry little squirrel, asking me once in a while how it was going. It looked quite funny, both of us in winter jackets, taking pictures of the most tempting sweets right in front of our noses as red as Rudolph's!
White and Dark Chocolate Banana Muffins
For a muffin tray with 12 molds you need
ripe bananas, 2 (about 200g/ 7 ounces)
plain flour 200g / 7 ounces
baking powder 2 1/2 teaspoons
baking soda 1/2 teaspoon
salt 1/4 teaspoon
butter, melted, 80g / 3 ounces
organic egg 1
maple syrup 2 tablespoons
vanilla bean, scraped, 1/4
white chocolate, roughly chopped, 70g / 2.5 ounces
bittersweet chocolate, roughly chopped, 70g / 2.5 ounces
Set your oven to 190°C / 375°F (fan-assisted oven) and put paper baking cups into the 12 molds of the muffin tray.
Purée the bananas in a food processor.
Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Whisk the melted butter, the egg, maple syrup and vanilla in another bowl and pour into the dry mixture. Stir with a wooden spoon until you have a lumpy dough (with a bit of flour left here and there). Gently fold in the chopped chocolate, and keep in mind, the more you mix it the more it will lose its light texture.
Fill the muffin tray with the dough and bake for 15 minutes or until golden.
Salmon with a Coriander, White Pepper and Orange Crust
After a week of daily feasting I need a change in my cooking, some fresh aromas to shake my taste buds a little. Together with my Maltese sister Emma and her boyfriend Mariano we savoured like the Romans, the table was practically piled with paté and cheese, roasts, pies and cookies every day. I need a culinary turnaround to bring back some hot spiciness and light fruitiness to my kitchen. I loved the opulence of December and enjoyed each bite but every feast has its end and I'm definitely ready for that!
I went shopping (the best way to get some inspiration) and seafood was first on my list. I wanted to get a big bag of mussels to steam with fresh fennel, ginger and lots of garlic but a large fillet of salmon changed my plans. It just looked too good so the mussels have to wait. Back home, I took out the mortar, the white peppercorns which I have neglected for months, coriander seeds and an orange. There are tons of oranges in my kitchen at the moment, it looks quite Mediterranean and brings in some brightness to contrast Berlin's monotonous winter grey. I like to squeeze a couple fruits for our morning juices, grate their skin for almost everything I put into the oven and enjoy their fillets as a snack from morning until midnight. For my salmon, I just used the grated skin mixed with crushed peppercorns and coriander for an aromatic crust. It was strong but the the fish's pink meat can take it. I find it easiest to brush the salmon with an egg wash before I dip it into the spices, they stick to it and turn into a crunchy topping. I cooked my salmon in a pan but you could also fry it for just a minute and finish it in the oven. For the crust, I used a bit of orange zest to cook with the fish and sprinkled it with half a teaspoon when it was done. Next time I would put the zest on in the end as the little citrus bits can easily turn dark in the pan and most of the flavour came from the fresh zest anyway. The result was spicy and fresh, exactly what I needed on the table!
Salmon with Spice and Orange Crust
For 2 hungry people you need
salmon fillet, with skin, 400g / 14 ounces
organic egg, beaten, 1
coriander seeds, crushed in a mortar, 1 tablespoon
white peppercorns, crushed in a mortar, 1/2 tablespoon
orange zest 1/2 - 1 teaspoon
salt
olive oil
Dip the salmon in the egg wash (just the side without skin). Mix the coriander and pepper, spread the spices on the pink side and push them gently into the egg wash.
Heat a splash of olive oil in a pan and cook the salmon on medium heat skin side first. Add a little more oil if necessary and quickly turn the fillet around. Turn the temperature down to a medium-low and cook for just 2 minutes. Turn it around again and finish on the skin side for another 2 minutes or until it's cooked through. Season with salt and sprinkle the warm crust immediately (in the pan) with orange zest.
If you prefer to cook the salmon in the oven, fry it for a minute on each side before you sprinkle it with orange zest and cook it in the 200°C / 390°F hot oven for about 6-8 minutes depending on the fillet's thickness.
Truffle and Grilled Scamorza Sandwich
What a year, full of excitement, with more ups and downs than a roller coaster, with many amazing people who I got to know in the real and digital world. So much has happened through eat in my kitchen that I feel unbelievably thankful for, the blog became a catalyst on so many levels. Marilena taught me about her fantastic Milk Pan di Campobasso from the Molise region, I got to know Arnold the beekeeper in Malta, I met Joanna Bonnici, Mary Licari and the young Maltese chef Kurt Micallef in their kitchens. I could show you Emmanuel Cini's ancient salt pans in Gozo and share so many other meet in your kitchen stories with you. The white pages I fill every week with one of my biggest passions, stories about my beloved food and kitchen, are more than just a tiny space in the endless spheres of the internet. Any recipe that made us happy at our home in Berlin and that's been cooked or baked by you in your kitchen, every email and conversation we shared, every picture that sparked your attention and tickled your appetite, it all left the digital world and entered real life, mine and yours. This is just wonderful, overwhelming and sometimes, hard to believe. I feel thankful for this experience! And that's how I want to end this challenging year, with gratefulness and humbleness. As long as a year is packed with lessons which make me grow and people who give me so much love and support, I can say that it's been a good year!
I want to end 2014 with a sumptuous treat, I spoiled us a little with an ingredient which I don't have in my kitchen so often, black winter truffle from Piemonte. The Italian tartufi is a culinary treasure, aromatic, powerful and delicate. It's not as fine as the region's famous white truffle but today I'm making sandwiches with grilled cheese so the black one is just perfect. I bought them at the market from a young Italian man who also makes fantastic pasta and when I told him that I would use them for a sandwich he told me to try it with grilled Scamorza. This is very popular in Tuscany, truffle with grilled Scamorza on crunchy slices of bread. The smoky and earthy flavours merged wonderfully, I just added some crushed black pepper. There couldn't have been a better culinary end to this year!
I wish you an inspiring 2015, enjoy and indulge!
Meike xx
Truffle and Grilled Scamorza Sandwich
For 4 sandwiches you need
rustic white sourdough buns (or bread), cut in half, 4
black truffle, very thinly sliced (with a truffle slicer or a very sharp knife), 10g / 1/2 ounce
smoked Scamorza cheese, thinly sliced, 200g / 7 ounces
black peppercorns, crushed in a mortar, to taste
Spread the cheese slices on the bottom sides of the buns and put them under the grill for a few minutes until the cheese starts to melt and bubble. Put the truffle slices on the warm cheese immediately and sprinkle with pepper. We enjoyed it as an open sandwich.
