Mango and Pear Autumn Jam

The autumn is a season filled with incomparable nostalgic beauty. An opportunity to contemplate and appreciate endings in a way in which we don’t necessarily give ourselves the moral permission to do so, albeit the multiple invitations life provides us with. Nature offers death an exquisite disguise, an embellished attire to pain and the acceptance of time passing, resistanceless. 

We paused in September to let change be and we celebrated it with the simplicity of homemade fruit jam over freshly baked brioche, seasonal figs and some poetry. Enjoy! 

Sunshine Cookies

The solitude of my teenage years invited me to establish other types of connections, lasting and loyal, that would allow me to develop a sense of belonging. The garden was always a safe and containing refuge, and there, I learned to observe, contemplate, dream, and hope. Then, over time, I began to mark moments of passage and, in a way, celebrate ancestral traditions, whose magic gifted me precisely with an unparalleled and unbreakable bond that filled me also with an invaluable sense of gratitude that I still carry with me. I do my best to pass that on to my kids so they know that nature, alongside faith, can also be their ever-loyal companion, across time, space, and land. 

We've marked the summer solstice this year by crafting a series of light catchers and baking what we decided to call sunshine cookies, filled with a lemon curd heart. I hope they too bring you a mindful moment to absorb the last stretch of the summer.

Courgette and Burrata Carpaccio

There is no harm in recognising one’s qualities and giving ourselves the credit we deserve. I certainly encourage my patients to celebrate everyday achievements but often self-esteem, shame and perceived external judgement gets in the way. 

We are not in the best financial position right and there are a number of things we have had to deprive ourselves from. Frustration has been an unwelcome guest that I have now learnt to evict and not feed, inviting in its place a flourishing creativity, who nurtures me with its presence. I treated my husband and to a recreation of an appetising and seductive meal we can’t afford beyond our garden. This recipe is a celebration of our resilience and the hard work we do. I hope it brings opens the door to possibility and hope, always keen to come in. Enjoy! 

Inspired by Dolce Vita 

Ocean Butter Cookies

As I grow in motherhood I’ve noticed my interests have resurfaced strongly. I am constantly brought back to my own childhood to reconnect with the curiosity of those early years and the enjoyment of simple pleasures. I remember when I started advocating for causes that I valued and cared about such as endangered animals and preserving the planet and that I then placed let them go down the priority ladder as I entered other stages of life. 

We celebrated World Oceans Day for the first time this year as a family. The Maritime Museum hosted wonderful events perfectly curated for us to engage, learn and see the oceans with new goggles. It was moving to see the kids immersed in awareness and to witness the planting of a seed that I will make sure grows passionately, holding on tight to our our sailing boat. 

These cookies we made to mark the occasion, as an attempt to replicate coral reefs and hence bring awareness and think about how to reduce, as a family, our carbon footprint. 

Enjoy!

Pizza Chips

I thought it would be a long time before my 5-year-old son debuted a recipe in the kitchen and would enthusiastically asked me to post it on this blog.

This term his class went on a learning journey around Italy. He enjoyed discovering how the barrier reef is the size of the boot-shaped country, how the Mona Lisa was stollen from her French custodians (by an Italian thief!) how he is still too young to climb up the Tower of Pisa and how to transform pitta bread into pizza chips (sorry Italy for every word keeping that last sentence together!). 

Here goes this memory of him running out of spring camp, greasy paper bag in hand and chip straight into my mouth, to prevent me from attempting a word. Love in a bite. Enjoy! 

 

Liptauer or Austrian Cheese Spread

The nature of my profession, albeit rewarding it can be also emotionally withdrawing. I have to consistently and carefully nurture and look after myself to be able to successfully separate from the sorrows and dejections that stop others from enjoying a fulfilling and grateful life.

To counterbalance the nature of my profession I am intuitively drawn to the mountains, where I peacefully heal, reenergise and recover from it all. 

This recipe is from our latest retreat. An Austrian spread to enjoy on a slice of freshly baked bread, a glass of wine and long distance memories of new-coming spring air. 

Honey Cake

Motherhood certainly pushed me out of any form of structure and routine I furiously held myself accountable for. It brought many other practices, some of which I madly treasure as I know that alongside childhood, they are temporary. The big nostalgic in me is already grieving the inevitable alteration to the composition of images that shape our family life.

My top pick at the moment is Friday afternoons: ‘under the sea’ jigsaw puzzle scattered on a wobbly table at the local bakery, two large ‘babyccinos’ with red and white stripes straws from our indulgent barista, oat flat white and Braeburn apple in (my) hand, and two pricey bite size treats, including my two -and-a-half year old seasonal favourite, the honey infused mini cake, which she deflowers with determination and carefully bites, leaving just the leftover icing-less base (a love token for daddy). 

So this is my gratitude recipe for the end of the week ritual. A memory bite size is never going to be enough so here is a whole cake to remember. Enjoy! 

Breakfast Omelette

Cooking will always be an ongoing journey of discovery and amazement. I’ve collected specialist books, carefully selected and filed articles, followed blogs and magazines, photographed menus, and so on. But I never expected a cartoon to be my learning source for omelet perfection. Hey Duggee, the big friendly dog and the Squirrels gave me the inspiration and skills to provide my little ones with the simplest, yet delicious breakfast choice. I embrace my well-deserved ‘omelette badge’ without shame, so please don’t even read my badly written recipe, just watch the episode and have a little laugh. Hope that after this, the kids around you also claim none makes better omelets than you. Enjoy! 

Chicken and Blackbean Stew

Being a mum has helped flourished my creativity in the most unexpected ways. Every morning whilst we cycle to school, my son demands a story, something new and exciting for me to come up with and end happily ever after before we say goodbye. We live 10 min away from the school.  He gives me a character and from there we take off. I am obliged to master the art of improvisation! Or perhaps it's his subtle avoidance of any form of interrogation... clever boy!

My daughter, on the other hand, finds songs soothing.. The perfect example of my developed mothering performing skills are those lyrics I urgently compose when anticipating an emotional outburst! Impromptu distraction... A degree in drama and music to add on my CV. The closest I get to the stage these days. 

How I wish I could say the same about my cooking skills, which are far from improving. That would bring us all much more joy, but time forbids, and I don't resist it (anymore).  Looking back at this blog I could see how I underestimated that privilege, a precious commodity. I try not to dwell much about it and find refuge on where creativity has been transferred. I am grateful for the blog as it has become a compilation of memories and recipes that we often trust, become family favourites, and now cook together. This is why I feel it’s important to continue adding to it and help it grow alongside my little ones, to make it an ongoing memory of some sort and to perhaps reflect and give myself credit for coming up with special dishes here and there, despite thinking that time was no longer beside me. 

 

I won't probably remember the multiple little hedgehog adventures, the entrepreneur puppy that became the most famous tailor in the forest, the baby dragon that found his castle.. those we enjoyed and left on the road.. but I will remember how it felt to tell them and I will remember looking behind to rush him to speed up and find that joyful smile. 

And I also want to remember those recipes, simple and humble, that were a success, those they actually tried without bribery, those that did not need a pasta takeover and those that I want to make again, specially when not having the time to improvise. This blackbean stew is definitely one of those. Enjoy! 

Breakfast Loaf

by Diana 

Being on maternity leave for a second (and last!) time around, is slowly filling me with energy and creativity, which I am sure will reach its peak as soon as I have to return to work…

My biggest food critique is of course the toddler we decided to inhabit with. As challenging as cooking for him can be (and he has a good appetite when the chef is not mamá), there is also lots of excitement, as he embraces surprises and changes in routine and, as ever, when there is an element of playing involved. Sometimes adding a straw to his juice, from the local coffee shop, or having some carefully cut parchment  paper underneath his croquettes it’s enough to provide him with a little dine out feeling. But what does the ultimate trick is always to offer him something completely new and as long as there is not spinach involved, we all win!  

This super easy savoury loaf was an absolute delight for a Saturday morning, tantrum-free breakfast. It was devored and adored and I even managed to get a couple of early, spontaneous cuddles from the 3 and a half year old. Undoubtedly, a mother’s recipe for success. Enjoy! 

Citron Salad

by Diana

Back in November when booking our Easter holidays, we naively imagined that going hiking in the Dolomites was going to imply green pastures, drinking fresh spring water and the ocasional barefoot walk alongside the shores of the lake. And thus, we reached mid April and arrived to a little hotel in the middle of the mountains completely surrounded by the purest white snow.. freshly delivered for us. Our tropical selves managed to survive for a few days with our very unprepared luggage and the unmanaged expectations of the 2 year old we are responsible for, whom we convinced prior traveling that the little hiking trip was going to be just like the one we read in his book, not the Christmas one though. Next time we’ll just trust that the weather app was not just miscalculating our location (otherwise called pre holiday denial!).

So we gathered all our resilience and replanned our trip, returning to Verona where very springy 20C were brightening the city of pink roofs. And from there, we took a round trip to Sirmione, a beautiful town in Lake Garda, where a tulip festival, the sound of non hibernating birds and the discovery of citron fruit were awaiting us. After an idyllic lakeside and almost summery atmosphere, we contemplated the view one more time and sighted of satisfaction whilst tasting citron for the first time, from the touristy fresh fruit stand in the entrance of the old town. We bought one of those oversized lemons to take home and tried, as instructed, its truly delicious salad application. I hope it brightens any weather spoiled holidays to you too. Enjoy!

© The Teaspoon   

Patacones

by Diana

Patacones are a twice-fried plantain snacks typical from Latin America and the Caribbean. In Venezuela, where I grew up, they are the normally sold in 'chiringuitos' or beach bars at the seaside. But as my family was always quite peculiar and followed its own 'traditions', when going on beach holidays mum always packed snacks for us so it was unusual to buy any other than empanadas then. Some Saturday mornings we would have patacones at home for breakfast, topped with grated carrots, fresh white cheese and drizzled with 'pink sauce'. I loved those mornings when we would seat at the table, Tom and Jerry or Top Cat in the background and not much else to worry or think about rather than looking forward to visiting my grandma, doing errands with mum or going to a birthday party. 

As an adult, it's funny how I now associate patacones with going to the beach. I blame Jung's collective unconscious. So when craving a beach escape but then realise I am trapped in an urban jungle, I would recreate Saturday's breakfast at home. Some dishes have that ability to transport us, not only to places, but to people, to memories, to my mum, and they allow us to hold on to our culture and to somehow strengthen our identity.  Maybe it's not so much about the beach after all, but a way of going back home and be a child again, and remember there is nothing to really worry about. Enjoy!

© The Teaspoon