For the love of cooking
Cabbage roll soup is a win-win – all of the flavour of traditional cabbage rolls without the effort of rolling! The rice meatballs are a fun addition – they have a nice firm bite that turns plain cabbage soup into something you’ll really want to eat. As a Romanian I’ve […]
This slow cooked pork and beans with smoked ham hock is like Heinz baked beans for grown ups. Subtly sweet beans paired with smoked pork make for a perfect comfort food classic. It’s winter so I’ve really been leaning into some of my favourite winter recipes like Romanian sour meatball […]
Classic Romanian meat pie features aromatic minced meat between layers of flaky phyllo dough. Meat pie is a standard dish in the Romanian culinary repertoire that’s made often throughout the country both around special moments like the winter holidays and on a ‘just because’ basis. Along with savoury feta pie, […]
This classic Romanian soup features hearty porcupine meatballs simmered in a flavourful broth with diced veggies and potatoes then finished with sour cream and fresh herbs like lovage, parsley and dill. Serve with hot pickled peppers and crusty bread for a perfect cold weather meal. Winter has officially arrived in […]
After a busy weekend we needed a quick meal for a lazy work from home Monday. This creamy bacon and pea pasta is a quick lunchtime indulgence that only calls for 7 simple ingredients and takes about 15 minutes to make. You can even make it in one pot for […]
The cold weather has finally arrived in Amsterdam so it’s time for hearty stick-to-your-ribs food. In truth we eat this type of bean stew every few months, even in the summer. But it’s especially comforting once there’s a chill in the air. This stew is a classic Romanian dish that I […]
Jamaican beef patties are savoury hand pies filled with super aromatic spiced ground beef wrapped in flaky golden pastry. If you’ve never had one you’re missing out on a world class taste experience up there with the samosa and burek. Beef patties have a quintessentially Jamaican flavour profile featuring the […]
Two poached eggs over a bed of creamy garlic and herb yogurt topped with Aleppo pepper butter and a garlic and herb infusion and served with half a roasted aubergine, smokey aubergine puree, and arugula dressed with a simple lemon tahini dressing. This is Çilbir or Turkish poached eggs and […]
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.