For some very strange reason I can not load any pictures to my posts since yesterday... Sorry for no picture recipes... Hoping to make this right soon...

Papardelle al Cafe Porte

Another easy recipe. If you don't eat porc or you can't find the parma ham, use the rest and enjoy as a vegetarian pasta. You may drizzle a spoonful of balsamic vinegar to jazz it up.

PAPARDELLE AL CAFÉ PORTE (INSPIRED BY MY FAVORITE PIZZA) (serves 2)
-250gr papardelle
-4-6 slices of Parma ham
-60gr thinly shaved parmesan (parmigiano)
-2tbs freshly grated parmesan
-a handful of rocket leaves
-4tbs extra virgin olive oil
-salt&cracked pepper to taste
Cook the papardelle in boiling salted water following the instructions on the pack. Drain roughly, try to keep some of the moisture on. Toss the pasta with 3 tbs olive oil and the grated parmesan, season according to your taste. Layer the rocket, parma ham and shaved paremesan on top and dress with 1tbs olive oil and cracked black pepper.

Baked line fish 1

One of my favorite fish recipes. 10mn to prepare, 30mn to cook. When you come home only an hour before your guests put the fish in the oven, new potatoes to boil, wash a handful of rocket for each plate and set the table. You would even have time to refresh yourself. Enjoy your simple but faboulous dinner ending with an ice cream from the freezer...

EASY BAKED LINE FISH (serves 4)
-1000-1200gr of sea bream or any firm meat, medium size whole line fish(gutted and clean) or use 2x 500gr farm fish
-1lime or half a lemon, juiced
-2 spring onion, chopped
-few sprigs of fresh herbs like parsley, dill or chervil, chopped
-1 clove of garlic, lightly crushed
-4tbs olive oil
-4tbs ouzo or sambuca or pernod
-4tbs cold water
-extra olive oil to drizzle
-salt and pepper
Brush an oven tray with 1tbs of olive oil. Blend the rest of the olive oil, lemon or lime juice, the spirit and the greens to form a smooth paste. Make five incisions on each side of the fish and place it on the tray. Spoon the mixture generously on both sides, and don't forget the cavity. Bake for 35 to 40mn. in 200’ oven. Delicious!
Serve with new potatoes and seasonal vegetables.

BACK TO NORMAL

Chauru helps me shopping in Delhi >

Beyoglu Fish Market

New Delhi, Red Fort >

Winter blues in Istanbul

After days of travelling between Johannesburg, Istanbul and Delhi, I am back to my normal life, normal self... Missed my kids so much! I heard that Pashmina didn't eat for days because she was missing us so badly. Of course it wasn't the case for Dirty Harry who is interested in FOOD and nothing else so he didn't missed us because Naomi's portions are bigger than ours.

We travel to India twice a year once in February to Delhi and once in August to Moradabad and we always try to combine these business trips with leisure. This time we had 3 nights stopover in Istanbul, my home town.
Istanbul was on it's prime season for seafood. We ate freshest fish and shellfish almost everyday. I even could find fresh octopus and sea snail. All you have to do is poach them in salted water (separately) with few drops of vinegar and serve on a bed of finely chopped parsley, drizzled with lemon juice and olive oil. oh don't forget the crushed garlic. Yummy!!!

When it comes to Delhi, unfortunately the Indian cuisine is my least favorite in all culinary world. I survive thanks to our friend Neera's beautiful home cooking but any time I eat out in a restaurant I end up with a very tender stomach. But one thing I love about food in India is shopping. I can buy all sorts of fresh vegetables and spices for few pennies and I use them to cook very few Indian dishes that I like.
Later on I will give you more details about my trip and the flavours I experienced during the last 2 weeks. For the moment enjoy the pictures...