Grey matter

Grey and concrete. Seemingly hard and cold but in essence full of variation and depth. Varying tones of grey, from rough to smooth is the study in perfect grey matter..

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Metallic mirrors

I have posted about cool mirrors before and this is no exception, except in the fact that not only is the shape is different but also the colour and therefore the reflectiveness. I love this set of mirrors in bronze, copper, silver and black. This would be the perfect start to my Christmas deco fest. The mirrors can be found at &Klevering. 

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Dinner; empanada’s!

I’m big on flavor. I love sweet, spicy, smoky, basically tastes that make my tongue sing..even it that's sometimes more of a screech for water. Don’t worry though, this dish is not one of those. This is my take on a empanada and  pastechi (an island chick is an island chick). The filling is more reminiscent of the the the first and the flakier crust the latter.

This combines my love of pastry, brown sugar and rum right into dinnertime! I added a dip of roasted red bell peppers with ricotta to soften the flavours. This dish is also relatively quick and kids eat it without too much complaining and that is something I can appreciate with two picky eaters at the table.

Filling
ground beef
black pepper, whole
cumin seeds
olive oil
garlic
bay leaves
cayenne 
chili
tomato paste
beef stock
dark rum
golden raisins
silvered almonds
ground cinnamon
brown sugar
angostura bitters
pastry dough sheets

Dip
1 red bell pepper
1 tomato
bay leaf
white wine
brown sugar
half tub ricotta
olive oil
lemon juice
garlic powder

Chop the pepper, deseed and chop the tomato. Add to a roasting tin and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with brown sugar, salt and cayenne pepper and toss to coat. Add a splash of white wine and water and roast on high till soft with crisp edges. Let cool. Tip into a food processor and pulse till smooth. Fold in the ricotta, add a a drizzle of olive oil, lemon juice and season with garlic powder, white pepper and sea salt to taste. Keep chilled till serving.

Heat the oil with bay leaves, whole peppercorns, crushed cumin and oil till fragrant. Discard the peppercorns and garlic. Brown the meat in the flavoured oil with ground cayenne and chili. Add tomato paste, stock, rum and let simmer till sauce thickens. Add the raisins, silvered almonds and flavour with cinnamon and bitters. Cook till raisins are plump.

Spoon the mixture onto pastry sheet and roll tightly. Press the ends together and pinch with a fork. Egg wash and sprinkle with remaining almond slivers. Make a small slit and bake in a moderate (170/180 Celsius) oven till browned, about 20 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. 

P.S. sorry for the late post but it was one of those days where everything went pear-shaped and I ended up running around with a sourpuss toddler trying to fix it, only to get an accidental but hard smack in the shin by said toddler and then the school bell rung for my oldest..

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My quiet office update

My workspace is in my bedroom so it's on display long after I switch off. And for that reason I have been forever switching my idea for the space. A diy desk, an old door, paint the existing desk, add crates, ply wall and the list goes on. I actually had an curated selection of accesories, colleting dust, while I continued to change my mind.

In the end, I fell for a much smaller, lighter desk and that set the tone to have this space light, bright and simple. This space is not about using any of the tech that seems to have become an actual physical appendage. This is my spot for reading, writing, sketching, basically for a quieter, more thoughtful workmode.

The desk is from Ikea, the green metal shelves are by Isabel Quiroga, the oak wall holders are pinch by Moebe. The glass and leather vase, hourglass and similar accesories can be found at By Zenz. The 2016 leather buckle calender is from One Must Dash.

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Dutch Design Week

Fall is my favourite design season because of Dutch Design Week. I enjoy seeing all the amazing new designs, innovations in different fields and above all the passion an enthusiasm of the designers and makers. Not to mention all the good eats, because food makers are just as important..

Here's a view of some of the amazing designs, from lamps that do double duty as humidifers, to blue orchids and everything in between.

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Ribollita with chorizo & wine

For a non-soupie I make a lot of stews and soups. This soup is one I dusted off because it's that good and super quick! This bread soup whips up in no time but tastes like it was simmering all day. I did give it a bit of a Spanish twist because I like a good ole twist...

Ribollita
Olive oil
Garlic
Onion
Carrots
Celery
2 cans cannellini beans
Chestnut mushrooms
Chicken stock
1 carton soffritto (or tomato puree)
Chorizo, sliced and halved
Red wine
Old bread, hand torn
Fresh basil
Parmesan

I did not add measurements, because heck I don't use any, but more importantly this soup uses whatever you have, in whatever quantities you have on hand.

Heat the oil and cook the chorizo and bay leaves till fragrant and the oil turns red. Add the garlic, onion, carrots, celery, mushrooms, and saute until softened. Deglaze with a good glug of red wine (a bottle sits right next to my stove at all times..). 

Add the beans with their liquid, stock, and soffritto. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Stir in bread (mine was a hard as nails week old loaf of choice ciabatta from De mannen van Deeg) and let simmer. Cook until bread softens and soup thickens. Stir in ripped basil leaves. Bowl up (mine are the beautiful braille bowls from Petite Friture) and top with parmesan and more fresh basil.

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