It makes me happy that I have some time to cook for myself, for friends and just for fun in my own tiny tiny kitchen. I recently bought a japanese mandolin (for life!!!). I hang it on the wall as a picture because the landlord’s picture was ugly and there’s no other reachable place for it, so it seems suitable:
My mandolin
This small and innocent looking tool is a powerful tool in the home kitchen as well as in the professional kitchen. I can’t believe I hadn’t got it till now. It’s very sharp and cuts everything very thinly in no-time. Very dangerous to the fingers, it even has a permanent warning “watch your fingers” on the side but as much as you try to keep them safe, anyone working in the kitchen will have his share of mandolin cuts. This thing cut me the very first time I used it, being so new and sharp it was easy. I cursed it, having to work the whole week with a glove to keep my finger dry to be able to heal, but I was also content with it being so sharp and sneaky. When I see it on my wall like that, it makes me want to cook and cut vegetables, even when I come in very late at night. I can only recommend this certain brand though, the best: Benriner. You will see more of it next post.
A shrimp coconut curry:
Taking advantage of the small space
I defiantly wanted the bigger shrimps but didn't want to look for it in other supermarkets so I settled for the baby
I took most of it to a friends' dinner party, they decided it's Indian food. "Did you try the Indian yet, it's delicious!?" I heard around the room. Was it Indian? Didn't plan it to be.. but at least it was delicious.
The rest I ate at home with basmatic rice
Saturday morning coffee and brunch, I love these lazy weekend mornings
Simple artichoke and spinach soup bought at the supermarket and elevated with olive oil, pesto and sheep soft cheese.
For Tawni’s birthday we had drinks at Chantell’s place. As soon as I heard they own a real size oven, I decided to bring something to bake instead of another bottle of wine. I had a frozen dough from school, but couldn’t remember which dough was it. Still I defrosted it and used it to make Pastel, like Safta Lia is making for us sometimes. I used pork meat because it’s cheaper but added raisins, hard boiled eggs and cashews.
Pre-cooking the meat filling
Rolled out the dough
Turned out to be shortcrust dough, made some decorations
After the long trip to the oven
Sliced open
Being consumed
The crumbs...
A while ago I went to the Cookbook Festival in Paris. It was very interesting. Between watching demos and trying samples, and finding some amazing books, I received this bag of tree-berries (what was it?) confiture from the Swedish redhead.
Everything else was very delicious as well. I hang out there a while.
It's also the strawberries season and I had some coconut milk leftover so I made this coco-berries dessert.
It also worked on top of a cheesecake.
I want a mandolin to hang on the wall like a picture too…
BTW – your brother Barak, when he came home for the weekend from bahad echad, and found no one at home – threw together a shrimp curry and had it with a bottle of bubbly… it must be in the genes … 😉
I wanted to buy another one and send it with mom to you as a present but I can’t remember how she convinced me it’s not necessary and we bought this other thing instead.
When I come back me and Barak will have a shrimp curry contest 😛 Though he had the advantage of a big kitchen full of goodness.
הפסטל נראה מעולה, הבנתי שלא סיפרת לסבתא שאת מכינה את הפסטל שלה …. היא תשמח (-: