elegant – Page 10 – Big Sis Little Dish

Naked and Imperfect Nettle and Wild Garlic Dumplings (Gluten-Free), Rocket and Radish Salad with Walnut Vinaigrette

I ate nettles for the first time when were traveling in Bulgaria eight years ago. There they are served sauteed with poached eggs, rolled with farmers cheese in balls studded with walnuts or made into soups and fritters. The food in Bulgaria was really excellent. This may have changed since they joined the European Union,…

Flower and Pheasant Egg Salad

My sister Silvi has been visiting me in New York City. Usually when she comes to visit, I work her to exhaustion helping me build puppets for some show or another and then tearfully beg her to extend her trip another month. This is the first time that she has come to see me just…

Hazelnut Torte with Chocolate Coffee Buttercream (gluten-free)

I am very taken these days with this sort of torte that is traditionally made with almond or hazelnut flour (Torta de Naranja for example). They save me the trouble of having to adapt them to be gluten-free and they are so00000 very fancy! This cake has an intense, pure hazelnut flavour that I absolutely adore….

Spring Lamb Stew/ Rabbit in Savoury Chocolate Sauce. Happy Easter!

I am the sort of person who has dishes that I like to make every year for holiday meals and Easter is no exception. I like to make Lamb and Bunny. However, the dishes that I like to make with Lamb and Bunny are a bit expensive and very involved, and I have been unable…

Arugula and Herb Salad with Dates, Almonds and Sheep Cheese

I recently made this salad for a dinner party and everyone loved it! We liked it so much that we made a second batch of it after we ate the main course. It’s loosely based on a salad in the Plenty cookbook by Ottolenghi. I failed to pick up the turkish sheep cheese that the…

Wilted Dandelion Salad with Cured Meats

The mother of my childhood best friend used to make salad from dandelion greens that grew in her yard. She is one of the most elegant, magical, beautiful women I have ever known. She read us all of the children’s classics in her beautiful English accent. She’s an actress and it’s probably partly her fault…

Quiche with Smoked Salmon, Smoked Gouda and Swiss Chard (gluten-free)

This is based on my friend Bethany’s favourite omelet combination, smoked salmon, smoked gouda and swiss chard. She recently had a big bunch of friends over for brunch and served us the frittata version (who wants to make individual omelets for 10 people?) It was insanely delicious and you can find her recipe for the…

Tiny New Potatoes and Aromatic Greens Steamed in Butter

This dish is elegant and easy and is a particularly excellent a side dish for fish. It should really be made with smaller potatoes than the ones pictured here. It should be made with the tiniest potatoes that you can find. If you are feeling adventurous take a trip to an Indian market to get…

Labour of Love Blood Orange Marmalade with Rosewater and Almonds

I don’t usually buy blood oranges. They are expensive, and aside from being so very pretty, I have never been convinced that they are better than other (cheaper) citrus fruit. I think that the ones that we get in New York are actually grown in California, but there are famously from Spain and Italy….