Mushroom & Pork Curry

How can you make a whole day working on a group project for university fun?

By choosing a subject that really interests you so the joy comes by itself? Haha. No.

By not making the day about work but food, silly!

That's exactly what happened when I met with two friends of mine for working on our project.

The only downside to this otherwise AWESOME method is that the working part might be getting a raw deal. I mean, we did manage to get the job done in the end. It just took a while. No regrets.

Caro, being just as much of a food enthusiast as my humble self (I detest the term 'Foodie' for so many reasons), has been very supportive since the moment I have mentioned that I am going to start food blogging. In fact, she is the one who provided us with this particular recipe from one of her cookbooks and suggested to write a post about it on the blog, even offering me to use her well superior camera for the photos. The only reason why I agreed on coo Who could say no to that, right? ;) So whenever a post offers pictures in a better quality than usually – you know at who's place I am.

Chocolate-Mint Tea with mint from my garden

Cooking with anyone else but yourself gives it whole different feeling. It is not just you and the ingredients anymore. You (might) win time, but lose a bit of control. It was a different kitchen, different utensils, a different management of space. 

 I have found myself in situations where I was completely stressed out because the “cooking chemistry” just did not work out. People not really knowing what they are doing (not like that never happens to me), having the will but not the skill, people arguing over the right way of doing something and one person trying to keep the upper hand over that whole big mess.

There is a reason why people say that too many cooks spoil the broth and it is oh so true, even literally.

Been there, done that. However, you gain something even from those situations. You learn a bit about yourself and others, how you handle things and hopefully grow through the experience.

This time, it was different. There were us three, happily doing our tasks, chatting away about food and preferences, learning new skills and tips from one another and at the end, indulging in what we have just prepared together. Basically, we were getting inspired and having a good time.

Sometimes, it just works and sometimes it does not.

This time, it did. And the result was this mouthwatering, just slightly hot Indian curry.

Mushroom & Pork Curry

adapted from here. Serves 4.

• 750g (26.5 oz.) pork loin
• 3 tbsp Oil
• 2 onions, cut in rings (we chopped them into dices)
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed (we chopped them up, as well)
• 2,5cm (1 inch) piece of ginger, finely chopped
• 2 fresh green chili peppers, chopped up and seeds removed (we only used one red chili pepper because Caro, while being a sucker for Indian food, cannot handle the heat. Yeah, I also found that amusing), or 1-2 TS of chili flakes.
• 1 1/2 tbsp medium hot yellow curry paste
• 1 ts ground coriander seeds
• 200-250g mushrooms, cut into thick slices
• 900ml (3 4/5 cups or 30.4 fl. oz.) chicken or vegetable-broth (we used the latter)
• 3 tomatoes, diced
• 1/2-1 ts salt
• 50g (1.8 oz.) coconut cream (we used about 100g because, you know... the heat)
• 2 tbsp ground almonds (we used 100g simply because we did not want to let the rest of the package come to waste and because, you know... the heat)
• Basmati rice to serve

Garnish:

We omitted the garnish and only used sliced chili peppers

• 2 tbsp oil
• 1 green or red bell pepper, cut in slices
• 6 scallions
• 1 ts cumin seeds 

1. Cut pork in bite-sized pieces.
2. Heat up oil in a pan, sauté pork, stirring continuously. Set aside.
3. Add onions, garlic, ginger, chili peppers, curry paste and coriander seeds to the pan, sauté slightly for 2 minutes. Stir in mushrooms, broth and tomatoes plus salt.
4. Add meat again, cook on low heat for 75-90 minutes or until meat is tender.
5. Stir in coconut cream and almonds and let it keep cooking on low heat covered for further 3 minutes.

For the garnish:

1. Heat up oil in a pan.
2. Add scallions and bell pepper, sweat before stirring in cumin. Cook for another 30 seconds.
3. Spread over curry and serve with rice.

Enjoy!

Om. Nom. Nom.

You know what else feels a bit different when doing with others around? Taking photos of the dish! You feel a bit ludicrous taking the pictures while the rest is watching, indulging in what you have just prepared.

Baked Tomato Bruschetta

Seasons are changing. There is no denying it. Just yesterday I was still sitting on my terrace in the early evening, enjoying the diffuse light of a sun that is not reaching as low anymore - blocked by trees and buildings - but yet able to beam down on the higher parts of the house, painting those sharp, bright orange lines on the walls. The air was warm and tight; you could feel it. This summer was not one of those that genuinely deserve that name. It was unsettled, more cool and cloudy than anything else with one day after another looking like it was just about to rain or raining.

So last week it felt like summer actually had to proof something. Like it still wanted everyone to know that it actually existed. Suddenly it was hot. Not that hot you could hardly motivate yourself to do anything, but hot. For one week and if I am being honest, not even a full one. Then it was yesterday evening, and hell broke loose. Within moments, the sky was tinted in a deep gray with wind starting to build up. First lightnings already went down in the distance before it reached us and hastily I put all the flower pots and herbs I could on the floor. Torrents fell from the sky in a moment's notice. Wind. A strong breeze. A storm. Pots I thought where heavy enough went rattling to the ground. The place I just sat – soaking wet. It went on until deep in the night and had its last flare-up early in the morning.

Some Food Porn - always a good idea, right?

Now I am sitting again in my chosen place on the terrace, a mild sun shining on my face in clear and cool air. Autumn.

Yet still I am not ready to bring myself completely in that season's mood, so with this little recipe, I am clinging on the little rest of summer that is left.

It contains what I would call the queen of summer, tomato (with zucchini being king), and my personal holy trinity of summery herbs: Basil, thyme and oregano. Depending on the size of the bread you choose, this can either be an appetizer or a light little meal.

Baked Tomato Bruschetta

Makes about 6-10 slices of bread, depending on the size

Serve on your bread of choice. I recommend a nice baguette or ciabatta.

• 250g cherry/date/plum/any kind of small tomatoes (8.8 oz. but does not have to be exact)
• 1 ball of mozzarella
• 2 twigs of thyme
• 1 big twig of oregano
• a nice hand full of basil along with the stalk
• 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 medium onion
• 2 gloves of garlic
• Bread of choice, I used ciabatta but it is also great on a baguette or even plain white bread.
• Salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 200°C (390°F).
2. Depending on their size, half or quarter tomatoes, removing most of the seeds (important). Set aside.
3. Finely chop up onion, add to tomatoes.
4. Remove leaves from the twigs from both thyme and oregano. Chop them up along with the basil. No need to remove the stalk (as long as it is green) – you can chop it up like chives. Add to tomatoes.
5. Pour in vinegar and olive oil, add salt to taste (a few dashes, probably), stir well.
6. Let sit for about 15 minutes. The herbs, garlic and onion will get stuck in the hollow parts of the tomatoes.
7. Lay out slices of bread on baking tray lined with parchment paper.
8. Place tomatoes, mostly cut side up, on bread. To help them stay that way, lay some of the onion/herb mixture on bread beforehand. The whole procedure does not only look prettier, it also keeps most of the nice juices in the tomatoes, preventing the bread from getting soggy.
9. Pour remaining mixture over tomatoes until there is nothing left.
10. Tear mozzarella apart with your hands and evenly place on bruschetta. It should be enough for all of it. You do not want to cover it up completely with the cheese.
11. Put in the oven for 15 minutes or until mozzarella is completely molten and slightly brown.
12. Add pepper to taste and serve immediately.

My little storm is nothing compared to the hurricane that is barreling towards New York and the East Coast. Let's hope for the best!

Caramel Fudge glazed Zucchini-Almond Loaf with Dark Chocolate Chunks and Roasted Almond Topping (aka "The Monster")

Here. it. Comes.

Look at the thing that I have created. C'mon. Take a good look, long and ample. It can kill people. Poor, diabetic people. Seriously. It's basically a cake covered in caramel fudge, covered in roasted almonds, covered in caramelized sugar. It's snotty. It thinks it's better than you. It's dangerous.

It all started out nice and tame with a lovely little semi-HEALTHY loaf cake that even has ZUCCHINI in it. Do you hear me? Zucchini! How can this not be at least half good for you? I thought I was being extra considerate by using only half the amount of oil and replacing it with applesauce, creating something that could even be turned into breakfast muffins.

And then I must have fallen in a trance induced by the captivating fragrance of  roasting ground almonds and something took possession of my body and mind. Not something. Someone. I could swear that on the other side of the planet, Paula Deen was having an out of body experience. She controlled me and MADE ME do this. That must be it. I mean, I have to blame someone else but me, right?

The moment I gained control over myself again – with an inexplicable scent of fried cheesecake still lingering on me - I gazed at what I have done. It just sat there, taunting me with those roasted, sugar coated sliced almonds topping its glistening, buttery, fudgy glaze. “It – it's a MONSTER” were the first words that I managed to stutter. As if that wasn't enough, after cutting it, big chunks of dark chocolate came to light. How did they...?! Well, nevermind, y'all.

I don't have to tell you just how good this cake was, do I?

However, because of this...incident...I can never be sure of my own sanity again (like I ever could...).

Therefore, I have created a badge that, whenever something like this happens again, dares you to:

That's right. Whenever a recipe on this blog transcends into a different sphere of arteries clogging lusciousness, I am going to warn you with this. So look out for future monsters coming!

But now the recipe, y'all! :

Caramel Fudge glazed Zucchini-Almond Loaf with Dark Chocolate Chunks and Roasted Almond Topping (aka "The Monster")

Cake

I apologize for the measurements being in oz. but as the recipe this one is based on was written on an old note in grams, converting it into cups would only end up in an inaccurate mess.

• 12.8 oz. sugar (360g)
• 1 ts vanilla extract
• 3 eggs
• 4.5 fl. oz. applesauce (130ml)
• 4.5 fl oz. oil (130ml)
• 1 ts cinnamon
• 13.8 oz. AP flour (390g)
• 8.5 oz of finely grated zucchini, slightly squeezed out (about 240g)
• 3.5 oz ground almonds (100g)
• 1/2 ts baking powder
• 3.5 oz. dark chocolate or a bit more to taste, coarsely chopped (100g)
• Oil and breadcrumbs for the pan or if you are as lazy as I am, parchment paper to line it.

1. Preheat oven to 355°F (180°C), prepare a 12'' (30cm) loaf pan/tin by greasing it and lighly covering the surface with breadcrumbs afterwards.
2. In a small pot, carefully roast the ground almonds over medium heat until golden brown and the kitchen smells like heaven, set aside.
3. Whisk together eggs, sugar, oil and applesauce along with cinnamon and vanilla extract.
4. With a hand-mixer, add flour, baking powder and ground almonds.
5. Either with a dough scraper or tablespoon, fold in grated zucchini and dark chocolate.
6. Pour batter in loaf pan/tin and bake on centre rack for about an hour or a stick comes out clean.
7. Put on cooling rack and remove from pan/tin when temperature allows.

Alright, if you stop here, you'll end up with a nice late-summery loaf and loads of discipline. Congratulations. I couldn't.

Sliced Almond Brittle

• 3.5 oz. (100g) sliced almonds
• 3 tbsp sugar (heaping)
• 1 tbsp butter

1. While loaf is baking, put a small pot on high heat. Add almonds and stir until light golden.
2. Add sugar, keep stirring.
3. When the sugar starts to dissolve, add add.
4. Stir for another minute maybe, making sure that it won't become too dark.
5. Spread flatly on baking try lined with parchment paper.

You should do this step before preparing the glaze as you need to be able to touch the brittle when topping the cake.

Caramel Fudge Glaze

• 1 cup (225g) natural brown sugar (demerara/ turbinado, but what's in a name...)
• 3.5 oz. (100g) butter
• 1.7 fl. oz. (50ml) evaporated milk

1. In a small pot or saucepan, stir together all ingredients over medium heat,
2. Bring them to boil, stirring constantly
3. Keep stirring for 3 minutes

Finishing Touches

1. Place loaf on parchment paper
2. Evenly pour glaze on top.
3. With a spoon, spread dripped down glaze onto sides of the loaf until nothing is left.
4. Top loaf with brittle, crumbling it between fingers if needed.

That's it, from mah kitchen to yerrrrs WHO SAID THAT???

Do you have any recipes like that, that make you feel guilty and cry in a corner after having a bite (or two, or three or...). I'd love to hear them!

Simple Thyme and Rosemary Potato-Wedges

Alright, this is just a snippet that I don't really consider a recipe but because it's THAT simple and good I think everybody should add that to ones repertoire. Normally I just eyeball the whole ordeal so the measures of quantity are not exact but sure will work. You can already see these wedges making a cameo here but they are also great as a side to steak or pork tenderloin or even just all by themselves along with a dip.

Thyme and Rosemary Potato-Wedges

Serves 4 or 3 when served as a snack.

• 2 pounds of evenly sized potatoes
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 heaping tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 2 twigs of thyme
• 2 twigs of rosemary
• 1 tsp chili flakes (optional)
• pepper to taste and maybe some extra salt

1. Preheat oven to 170°C (340°F).
2. Wash potatoes leaving the skin on and them into evenly sized wedges. Put them in a big mixing bowl.
3. Remove needles/leaves from both thyme and rosemary, chop them up finely with a knife or scissors (I find the latter easier).
4. Roughly crush garlic
5. In a cup or small bowl, stir all ingredients but the potatoes and extra salt and pepper together.
6. Pour mixture over wedges, tossing them well. Let it sit for 15 minutes, toss them in between.
7. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper evenly spread the potato-wedges on it round side down, trying to make sure they don't touch each other.
8. Pour remaining marinade on wedges and let them bake on the centre rack for about 40 minutes or until they are golden and done (time depends on oven and size of wedges, you may want to try one before taking them all out).
9. Add nice amount of pepper and more salt if needed.

Serve immediately and enjoy!

I could pull off an Ina Garten impersonation by saying “How easy is that?” but that would be wrong because I actually mean it.

Creamy Zucchini and Basil Soup

I'm no vegetarian. Hell and I am miles away from being a vegan.

I love meat. Meat Meat Meat. I love me some juicy beef in my mouth. Yes. You heard me right!
Innuendos aside, I also am a complete hypocrite.
When it comes to eating meat, I block out the fact that what I am stuffing into my face has once been alive and kickin'. Whole fish with head and all is also not the most comforting sight to see.
Hey there big fella! You enjoy my filet? Don't mind me, I'm just watching you devouring my body. SHIIIIVERRS.

Is that a good thing? No. But that's the way it is with me and I doubt I'm alone with that.

Most people, including my humble self, are used to dishing up good ol' steak and Co. almost on a daily basis or at least too often. While many may argue at this point that ANY number is too often, I'll leave that aspect out for now. However, sneaking in some days where the only things on the menue never had a pulse is not the worst thing you can do to yourself and probably to your wallet as well. I mean, it should not be too difficult to find other nice things to spend that extra money on, right? (Like uhhm, a better camera...? Although that would take some major meat-omitting...so...hm.)

And then, there is the extra step again. Veganism. I know that to many, "vegan" is a term that equals "bland",  "boring" or, well, "thank you, but no thank you". Not. The. Case. Let that be told to you by an omnivore: Vegan cuisine DONE RIGHT can be down right delicious, comforting and filling - without leaving the feeling of anything missing.

A great resource for super healthy vegan cuisine is FatFree Vegan Kitchen. I love how Susan finds ways to veganize known and loved dishes and also reduces the fat to a minimum. You also find many recipes with Asian and Oriental twists. The only thing to critisize for me is that many recipes require spices and ingredients that I usually don't have myself and probably won't use completely before they expire. However, this is not the case with the following, which to me perfectly captures the way a mild evening in summer is supposed to be.

I served the soup with some nice oven-roasted herbed potato wedges, but some nice bread'll do just fine.

Directly adapted from her blog:

Creamy Zucchini and Basil Soup
Servings: 6; my own comments are put in italics.

• 2 pounds zucchini (about 5 small to medium)
• 1 large Vidalia onion, chopped (I just use onions I have got on hand)
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 3 cups vegetable broth (I simply use water and then add the needed amount of granulated vegetable broth directly to the pot)
• 1/3 cup fresh basil leaves, packed
• 3 tablespoons raw cashews
• 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast (I find the soup tastes just as good without the yeast. And a teaspoon of Marmite or Vegemite would do the trick just as good. Or simply another one of granulated broth)
• additional salt & pepper, to taste

1. Set aside one of the zucchini; trim and coarsely chop the rest.
2. Cook onion in a large saucepan for about 5 minutes, until softened. Add the garlic and cook for another minute.
3. Stir in the chopped zucchini, salt, and pepper and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.
4. Add the broth and simmer until zucchini is tender, about 15 minutes.
5. Pour into a blender (in 2 batches, if necessary) taking care to avoid burns by not filling the blender more than halfway. 
6. Add the basil, cashews, and nutritional yeast and blend until smooth.
7. Return soup to the pot, season with salt and pepper to taste, and keep warm. 
8. Shred the remaining zucchini with a spiral slicer, mandolin, or grater. Pour soup into bowls and sprinkle grated zucchini over top.  (I also garnished the soup with some cashews and crushed pepper)

Enjoy!

Earl Grey Infused Cupcakes with Creamcheese-Lemon Frosting

Sad times.

It's probably not the best idea to start a post with these two words, but due to recent events in England I feel obliged to do so.

When I first heard the news about a father shot by the police in Tottenham I was totally absorbed with working on a project report for university, hence not really in "caring mode". For the moment I just filed it under "Sad Things That Happen" and basically left it there for two days, not really caring about what was going on in the world. That is what happens pressed for time.

It took me another couple of days to really realise what was going on and let me just say: It hit me rather hard.

Maybe it was because I lived in London for best part of last autumn.

St. Paul's Cathedral. My very favourite sight in London.

I started to catch up with everything that happened, reading every article I could find from all sources possible and still, I just cannot comprehend what is going on. I feel like there is a gap between a father of four yet alleged drugdealer being shot and the aftermath. One event - as terrible it might have been yet rather 'small' in relation - caused a whole city (and beyond) to riot. 

So, what IS the reason? Who knows, mate.

Racial tension? Maybe. I find it interesting how articles are rather tip-toeing around that issue. Sadly, it's there. Unemployement? Political cuts? Also likely. I honestly still cannot make up my mind and I don't think I am alone with that. It's a sociological, racial and political timebomb fueled by anger, sadness and frustration.

There surely was a reason, and while I don't approve the execution, it cerainly was justified. Any actual cause has vanished because of 'criminal opportunists', though.  All that looting. I hope you ***** enjoy your new XBoxes.

Keeping in mind that not all of London or England is that way, today's Britain-inspired recipe is a cupcake with a sophisticated twist: Earl Grey tea. The texture really is lovely; nice, moist and spongey with the tea rather accentuating than overpowering the flavour.

Earl Grey Infused Cupcakes
Makes 12.

• 200ml cream (6.7 fl. oz)
• 190g sugar (1 cup)
• 260g all-purpose flour (2 cups)
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 3 eggs
• 2 shots of milk
• 4 teabags of Earl Grey tea

1. Preheat your oven to 160°C (320°F). Line muffin pan.
2. In a small pot, bring cream to simmer. Turn off heat immediately and add teabags. Let them steep for ten minutes, squeezing them well afterwards so there is not too much cream coming to waste. Set aside for a moment to let it cool off a little.
3. Pour all ingedients in a medium bowl, adding the tea-infused cream at last. Mix everything together either with a hand mixer or food processor, making sure not to overbeat the batter. It should only take a few seconds.
4. Pour batter into cupcake lines. I sprinkled some with sugar, but found it not to be the best idea as those did not rise evenly,
5. Bake on centre rack for about 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

See that white crust? That was sprinkled sugar.

Creamcheese-Lemon Frosting
Depending on how much frosting you want to put on your cupcakes, you might want to double the recipe.
 

• 120g cream cheese (1/2 cup)
• 120g powdered sugar (2/3 cup)
• 120g butter (1/2 cup), softened
• Zest of one lemon

1. In medium bowl, whisk all ingredients together into a homogeneous mass.
2. Frost completely cooled off cupcakes after your fancy.

This time, I also sprinkled the cupcakes with some blue tainted sugar.



Enjoy! And remember what a beautiful country England is with problems like every other.

Zucchini & Pesto Pasta Salad

Yes. This is finally happening.

Ehhrm. Hi there! I'm Tobias - the "T" in the title - and a complete greenhorn when it comes to foodblogging.

Yet, here I am. And so are you. Thank you for that.

After a tough and lengthy time of planning how to pull this off  (do you know what an exhausting process it can be just to come up with a nice name?!) I can finally present you the very first post on my brand new nice and shiny foodblog! Tada! FYI, I just tapped myself on the shoulder for that.

Soo, what's to expect in the future?

There are certain attributes that I like.

I like me recipes:

Layed-back. Cooking and baking is supposed to be fun. At least for me. When I find myself in the kitchen close to a nervous breakdown, yelling things like "Why are you DOING this to me? What's WRONG with you?! I'm supposed to WHAT?! HOW?!! What MORE do I have to do to make this work?" - it's not fun anymore. It's stress. I'm not in a break-up fight. I'm cooking.

While sometimes it's worth going the extra mile, stepping out of ones comfort zone and acquiring new skills, it just has to seem FEASIBLE. This especially applies to weekday dishes.

Not too pricey. There is always a certain limit. When that is passed, it just does not seem worth it to me, anymore. So no matter how delicious, extravagant and gorgeous the finished meal may be, a price that's TOO high overshadows the joy.

PRETTY! C'mon! I am not going to spend my time in the kitchen just to force an unidentifiable beige goop down either mine or other's throats. Especially simple food dressed to impress has always something satisfying to me.

So, while there are always exception, my agenda is going to be: Delicious, pretty, DOABLE recipes. :)

Oh, and I am not afraid of NOT doing EVERYTHING from scratch! Embrace the semi-selfmade, people!

That's why my very first - did you just hear that? - recipe is going to be this super simple, quick pasta salad that still kinda got it. You can whip it up last minute for a potluck BBQ and I guarantee you it's still not going to be that weird dish nobody's taken just a spoon of. In fact, just this summer I brought it with me three times and on each occasion was asked for the recipe, so, there you go. ;)

Zucchini & Pesto Pasta Salad
This makes a huge portion to feed a crowd, so make sure your bowl is large enough or take two.

• 3 medium sized Zucchini
• 1 jar sun-dried tomatoes in oil (about 150g or 5.5 oz, drained)
• 190g - 200g Pesto alla Genovese or your favourite basil-pesto (self-made or store-bought, about 6.7oz)
• 1 bag of penne pasta (about 500g or 16oz, whole wheat or regular)
• 1 pack of baby leaf spinach (frozen, 450g or 16oz)
• 125g grated parmesan (4.4 oz, fresh or store-bought)
• 1 tbs oregano (optional)
• salt and pepper to taste (I use freshly ground mixed pepper)

1. Bring water to boil and cook pasta according to package directions.
2. In the meantime, using a kettle or another pot, bring another 1.5l (50 fl. oz) to boil
3. Slice zucchini as thick as a finger, half or quarter them afterwards. You want them nice and chunky, yet bite-sized.
4. In another pan or pot, thaw spinach under low heat until it is hot. Set aside.
5. Drain the dried tomatoes and slice them lengthwise into 3 stripes each. Set aside.
6. In a heat-proof bowl, pour the boiling-hot water from the kettle over zucchini to blanch them, leave for about 10 minutes.
7. Drain pasta and pour it in a very large bowl, tossing it with about 1/3 of the pesto to prevent the pasta from sticking.
8. Drain zucchini and combine with the pasta.
9. Add spinach to the mix.
10. Add remaining pesto along with the parmesan. mix well. As the ingredients are still warm, the cheese will melt.
11. Add tomatoes and oregano (optional)
12. Season with salt and a generous amount of freshly ground pepper.
13. Let it cool and dig in!

That's it. So easy. So good. The Zucchini won't be raw anymore but still keep a nice crunch to it.
I'm sure that you can leave a nice amount of this salad home for lunch the next day.

My very first post. A summery salad although the blog title refers to cake. Yeah, that's how I roll. The next recipe sure has to be something sweet, right?

Enjoy!