Mexican Heat for North Pole temperatures! Mole Poblano

Snow is finally here!

So what shall we conjure in our little kitchen to celebrate the icy temperatures?

What shall we make to forget the long traffic jams? Unbelievable how a few drops of snow can mess up a whole country. Friday February 3, 1145K cars moving slower than the laziest turtle on earth! In a country that's only 350K long!

I’ll bring you a Mexican dish, something dark and intense with exotic flavours. It will fill your body with warmth and you’ll want to go dancing in the snow.

Because, although snow is a nightmare “traffic-wise”, it’s absolutely mystic.

Once your mole is simmering away on the stove, step outside in the magic.

Feel the silence that this virgin white snow blanket brings around you. It’s the most peaceful momentum in the world. Look up in to the endless sky and be dazzled by the little snowdrops twirling down. Let the meditation take your worries away, transport you out of this cruel world and bring balance to your soul...

Enough philosophy now back to the kitchen!

Looking for a last minute christmas gift? The book is here!

HO HO HOOOO... I made the deadline!
The book is here before Santa is here!

Order now! This unique special limited edition cookbook will be your perfect Christmas gift. Waltzing in kitchens as a user friendly softcover pocket-size.
Set price is 29,95€.
Let your rumbling tummy seduce you and take a look at the sneak peek!

Contact me for further details and/or ordering.

What is your favorite recipe? by Ariane Annicq | Make Your Own Book

Paris without Writer's Block!

Writer's block one might wonder? My last home post has been at least four months ago.
Nono! Au contraire mon frère! It's more like infidelity... I’m writing somewhere else…
A cookbook!
My own cookbook! How cool is that!?

Here’s the concept.

Kaiseki Dinner by T.D.; Japan part 2

As T.D. continued his journey through Japan he shares with us a traditional tasting menu in japan.

“They say Kaiseki is the progenitor of our nouvelle cuisine. It’s a mix of well-balanced flavors in small portions. It’s served with meticulous precision.  The attention to aesthetics one can almost call maniacal.  Each dish is a piece of art. Every plate is a harmony of flavours, seasonality, colours and texture. We had the pleasure to enjoy one of these samplings last night in a very small restaurant and everything was prepared right in front of us.

Unfortunately I couldn't get precisely the ingredients nor how they prepared it (10 people in the rest. and the chef was working relentlessly).

Food was really good even though not everything genuinely surprising in our mouth.

1) Pistachio ice cream in a peach sauce. The ice cream is salty. The sauce contains possibly some rice cream. The combination is confusing and delicious. It sets the mood for the evening.

Food musings from our correspondent in Japan

T.D. Reporting from Japan


"A very good friend is currently discovering culinary delights in Japan. He is so kind (and/or cruel) to keep us posted about his gastronomic discoveries!"

The first part of our journey brings us to Takayama, close to the Japanese Alps. We encounter picture perfect Japanese villages. The beautiful architectures one normally sees in magazines are omnipresent. The weather is damp, a little bit gloomy but that doesn't stop us from enjoying this trip to the fullest.

We tried to take some pictures of our meals. But the lighting wasn't always ideal.

The local specialities are vegetables, sake, Hida beef and sweet water fish.
Hida beef is the local breed here of wagyu beef. Yes, yes the delicious meat that melts away in your mouth. The legend goes that the japanese pamper their cows to bits. They are massaged so their meat gets very tender. And they feed them with sake and beer for ultimate taste. Furthermore they are supposed to have some genetic mutation in their fat metabolism. As you can see, the stories around wagyu beef are wild and I¹m not sure what's true or not. But anyhow the result is this deliciously marbled piece of meat. The high fat content creates this melt in your mouth experience to die for.

Time and place... Before and After Noma!

Mmm I told myself before coming to this point I wouldn't write about it. The hype is too big. Everybody everywhere is writing on René Redzepi and Noma these days. So I would treasure it quietly, was the idea...
Mais je ne peux pas!!! I'm exploding with excitement even though words will never be able to describe this experience.
The challenge is extended and accepted!
So here I go...

I looked extremely forward to this precise moment. But on the other hand I was a little skeptical. I mean it's so easy to become the victim of your own success, if your face is on every magazine and your dishes are dissected on every page. Surely it becomes extremely difficult to remain authentic and original. The pressure is so high even superman would cave!
But... not René Redzepi and his team! Cause that's the difference between a real top-artist and all the rest. Cause what you have here is a truly talented artist who is totally devoted to his work. It's something so distinctive that no matter how much success there is, they will always rise above it.