For the love of cooking
We started the summer strong in the Netherlands with a few warm weeks when all the parks and terraces in Amsterdam were full of happy (newly un-isolated) people. But a few weeks ago the weather took a turn for the worst. It’s been typical Dutch summer ever since – the […]
This roast lamb ragu served over homemade potato gnocchi is made from leftover roast lamb, gravy and mashed potatoes. The lamb ragu only needs about 5 minutes of prep so it basically makes itself. I really love making full use of food, especially by transforming leftovers in creative and exciting […]
Foolproof pillowy soft homemade gnocchi made using the Pasta Grannies recipe with nothing but leftover mashed potatoes, flour, an egg, and a pinch of salt. The perfect complement to a rich ragu or creamy sauce. When I was growing up in Toronto the only good potato gnocchi was homemade potato […]
This is homemade pappardelle pasta made from nothing but fine semolina flour and water. The pasta is dressed with a very simple Sicilian-style sauce made of roasted garlic and tomatoes mixed together with very good olive oil and anchovies. It’s topped at the end with a combination of toasted breadcrumbs […]
This Ethiopian lasagna with homemade berbere is earthy, smokey and spicy with a creamy and decadent bechamel topping that will make you want to go for seconds. When I first learned about Ethiopia and Eritrea’s pasta culture I was really intrigued and couldn’t wait to try pasta with traditional Ethiopian […]
Sometimes we get very firm ideas in our minds about what foods should be savoury and what foods should be sweet. Take for example chocolate. Chocolate is usually seen as sweet in our collective imagination, that is until it’s put into a Mexican mole sauce and served (savoury) alongside steak […]
Friends, I’m going to share a super easy and flexible weeknight recipe for beef stroganoff not only because it’s creamy, carby, hearty and delicious goodness in 30 minutes or less, but also because it’s so representative of the beauty of improvisation in the kitchen. When I got home from work […]
This post on making handmade macaroni pasta from scratch was originally published in 2017. I’ve updated it since then with a closer look at the pasta dough recipe best suited to making this type of pasta. I didn’t update the pictures because I can’t bring myself to make a whole […]
Hi and welcome. I'm Cristina and I started this blog to share my love of being in the kitchen. I was born in Romania, grew up in Toronto, lived in the US for 3 years, and now live in Amsterdam. I also love to travel and learn about culinary practices in different places. My cooking is a reflection of all the international influences in my background. I see food as the ultimate way to connect beyond our differences.