This weekend we visited Estonia’s First Cheese Festival that took place in a fansy Rotermann Quarter. All in all it was a nice event. Great location, great cheeses, a nice buzz… I’m not a cheese expert, but I love to eat it so this was kind of like being in a candy store with a lot of free samples The first of many others to come, I hope. So here are some cheese photos Actually, I’ll begin not with the cheese, but accompaniments. I’m not used to eating cheese with jams. Only if I get it like that in a restaurant. Something I should definitely change, because I really liked how fig jam went with Pecorino. And wine jellies are a serious cheese accompaniment. Different, but for us used to eating cheese with wine, something that makes a lot of sense taste-wise. Estonians make good cheese. A bit more expensive than in Serbia, though. Can’t tell which is better. But what I can tell is that this Valio Forte Speciale Italian hard cheese was really really good. Valio cheese again, with black pepper, creamy and delicious. We loved the same one coated with garlic even more (of course), so we [...]

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Today I’m sharing a dearest friend’s recipe. One of those dishes you try at somebody’s place, adopt, and each time you make it, you think of your friend. I’m thinking a lot about Sanja these days. She used to be an editor in a food magazine that I loved a lot and shared lots of recipes I tried from there with you. And now it’s canceled. After 6 years, on a birthday issue! Who cancels magazine on it’s birthday issue?! I feel sad. I remember back in 2009. when Gourmet was canceled and all the posts that I read about it. And now, it’s all over again with Sale & Pepe. Such a shame…   Zucchini Linguine 250 g linguine pasta (or tagliatelle) 2 small zucchinis (those with the green skin) 2 cloves garlic about 300 ml creme fraiche (but you can use sour cream with 22% milk fat too) died oregano black pepper fresh basil olive oil Cook pasta in a pot filled with water that you added salt into. While you wait for the pasta, cut zucchinis into halves lengthwise, and then into relatively thin slices. Sautee them on olive oil with pepper, oregano and chopped basil added. [...]

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I am into cauliflower a lot. Cooked, fried, roasted… I can even eat it raw. But the oven roasted cauliflower is the best. And if you are one of those people that do not like it, which I don’t get at all , you might give it a try this way. Also, when roasted, it goes particularly good with cumin and it actually doesn’t need to be put in a salad. It’s that good to eat it all by itself   Roasted Cauliflower Salad 1 whole cauliflower 1 tsp ground cumin salt and pepper olive oil a handful of dry roasted walnuts a handful of dried cranberries fresh flat leaf parsley 200 ml greek yogurt juice of 1/2 lemon 1 clove garlic, pressed Divide cauliflower into relatively small florets that are similar in size. Put them all in a bowl and add cumin and salt and pepper. Pour enough olive oil so the florets are all coated in it. Place cauliflower on a large oven pan lined with baking paper and bake in a preheated oven on 200°C/392°F for about half an hour or until cauliflower is done. Roughly chop some parsley. Mix yoghurt with lemon juice (taste it and [...]

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These are Catalan chickpeas, but believe me, where I come from, with some hot paprika added, it could be a chickpeas goulash :D Whatever, an extremely tasty dish it is! And it will go fine as a main dish for two people, or four, if it’s a side. Those of you who have been following my blog via Google Reader probably know that it will be gone soon. No worries, you can still follow my blog with Bloglovin Also, new Mezze is online, so come by and take a look   Catalan Chickpeas 1 can chickpeas (400 g) 60 ml olive oil 1 lage onion, grated 1/2 tsp sugar a pinch of saffron 3 large cloves garlic, pressed 50 g ground toasted hazelnuts 1 can tomato pieces (400 g) 1/2 bundle fresh parsley leaves 330 ml clear vegetable broth juice of 1/2 lemon salt Taste the chickpeas first and if they’re not soft enough, cook them until they are. If you use dried chickpeas, soak them overnight and then cook until they’re soft. Heat olive oil in a pan, add grated onion and saute until it gets soft and start to become brownish in color. Add drained tomato pieces and [...]

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Mini Burgers If I had to choose the ultimate party food it would definitely be this recipe. I make them mini burgers for birthdays, New Year parties, anytime I get a chance to… Kids love them and grownups love them. Especially the grownups. You should see their faces when they see them Come to think about it, these mini burgers were the best thing that ever came to my mind to prepare. The recipe is a bit time consuming but the effect it will have on your next party is definitely worth the effort Mini Hamburger Buns 200 ml milk 100 ml water 60 g butter about 500 g plain flour 1 sachet of dry yeast (7 g) 2 Tbsp sugar 1 1/2 tsp salt 2 eggs sesame for the top Heat milk, water and butter in a small pot, just enough so the butter melts, but still, don’t let it be too hot. We don’t wan’t to kill the yeast . Mix 100 g flour, yeast, salt, sugar, 1 egg and the heated butter and milk mixture. Gradually start adding the remaining flour until you get smooth, soft dough. Leave it covered until it doubles in volume and when [...]

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A few years ago, I saw this dress at a friend’s who has a house near my country house. The dress was her aunt’s, from the ’60-’70 Right at that moment it hit me – Eton Mess! So I managed to persuade her to lend it to me, I’ll return it soon, and took it and neatly folded it into the drawer. I remembered the dress from time to time, but always when strawberries were out of season And then we started to prepare the material for July/August 2012. issue of Mezze magazine. Ana and I loaded ourselves with props and stuff and off on the bus we went to my country house for one of our, at that time regular, photo sessions -Did you bring the red lipstick? -Did YOU bring the red lipstick? So we went to a Chinese store and bought one for about 0,5€. Did the nails… Borrowed an elegant black hat from the same neighbor, we are going for the atmosphere of a lady visiting a horse race :P Luckily, Ana’s glass survived the trip, and Eton Mess is so easy to prepare. But, as usual, it’s one thing to trip about an image in [...]

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Sometimes, if you are lucky, you can get really young asparagus. When they’re like that, it’s best to prepare them as simple as you can. You can steam them, for example. However, they’re so awesome when roasted in the oven you’ll never want to steam them again. Roasted Asparagus, Poached Eggs and Hollandaise (for 2 persons) Roasted Asparagus 1 bundle of young asparagus olive oil sea salt pepper Clean asparagus and remove wooden parts. Place them on a baking tray lined with baking paper, drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and bake in a preheated oven on 400°F/200°C for about 10 minutes. Check if they’re done as you like them before taking them out from the oven. If the asparagus is really young baking time will be even shorter. Hollandaise Sauce 3 egg yolks 120 g butter 1 Tbsp lemon juice smoked hot paprika (or cayenne pepper) salt Place egg yolks with lemon juice in a metal bowl and whisk vigorously until they become fluffy. Put some water in a pot and when it starts to simmer, place the bowl on top of a pot, taking care that bottom of the bowl doesn’t touch the water. Stir [...]

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When I was a kid, first to fourth grade, near my school there was a store selling all kinds of roasted seeds ans snacks. We call those sellers the seed men. Kids mostly bought roasted sunflower or pumpkin seeds.But not me. I liked the chickpeas 8-) Kids hated them mostly. They hated the fact that they resemle tiny brains. For me, they are still favorite roasted seed snack :D Chickpea and White Bean Soup 300 g white beans 300 g raw chickpeas 2 cloves garlic 2-3 celery sticks 1 carrot 1/2 celeriac 100 g streaky bacon olive oil clear stock of your choice salt and pepper Soak beans and chickpeas, at least overnight, in separate bowls. The next day, remove the chickpea and bean skins. Time consuming I know, but better if you do it this way ;) Cook beans and chickpeas in separate pots, but try to avoid them to get mushy. When cooked reserve half of the amount of both chickpeas and beans for later in the recipe. Saute shopped celery sticks and whole cloves of garlic on a splash of oil and then transfer into a bowl. In the same pan, in the same oil, saute finely [...]

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Many people avoid textured soy protein saying that it’s bland and tasteless. But it doesn’t have to be. For example, this stew that my mother makes is totally fine. Textured Soy and Brown Mushrooms Stew 1 large onion 3 large carrots 400 g brown mushrooms 1 Tbsp lemon juice 100 g textured soy chunks Vegeta seasoning 200 ml clear vegetable stock 200 g boiled cauliflower 4 cloves garlic 1 Tbsp chopped parsley olive oil salt & pepper Soak textured soy into cold water, add 1 Tbsp Vegeta and let boil. From the moment it boils cook for another 5 minutes and then squeeze out the water from the chunks (squeeze well with your hands). Slice the onions and sautee on a splash of oil until it thickens. Add carrots cut into circles and continue to sautee covered until carrots soften. In a separate pan fry mushrooms cut into thick slices on a splash of oil with lemon juice. When the mushrooms are half way done, add chunks of textured soy and stock, cover and cook until mushrooms are done. Then add cauliflower, carrots and onions, parsley, pressed garlic, thyme and season to taste. Cook for a few more minutes so [...]

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Perfect when you need something fast, fresh and healthy, but still filling… Avocado Toast pumpernickel rye toast avocado sea salt pepper olive oil juice of 1 lime hot smoked paprika Toast bread in a toaster or in the oven. If you decide to make it into small bites, cut bread before you put it to toast, especially if you use pumpernickel bread. When it’s done, sprinkle with olive oil. Peel avocado and remove the seed. Mash it with a fork. First, add juice of a half of a lime, taste, and then, if you decide it’s not to sour, add juice of another half. Amount depends of the sizes of the lime and avocado and your personal taste. Add salt and pepper. And that’s it! My take on avocado toast :D Serve sprinkled with hot smoked paprika. Note: This is my entry for Weekend Herb Blogging. host is Simona from Simona’s Kitchen.

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