Need a great idea for an appetizer that is fast and easy to make and that will instantly charm your guests’ taste buds? In my book these little heavenly ricotta cream bites are the perfect appetizers. They are creamy, crunchy and light with that amazing freshness and fragrance that basil and lemon so perfectly provide. I’ve been making these for years, and every time I serve them, they seem to be gone before I know it, and my guests always ask for the recipe. I think it often comes as a surprise that these little pale rather innocently looking mouthfuls are so powerful and packed with taste. Because of the…
-
-
The no fuss showstopper
Vitello Tonnato is a delicious dish for the taste buds, but not always so for the eyes. It tends to have a greyish color and with the capers on top it sometimes ends up looking more like a bowl of oatmeal gone bad. That doesn’t sound at all like the showstopper advertised above, but with a little twist or two it can be. Instead of the classic Italian starter, this version of Vitello Tonnato serves as the main course of a dinner where you finally have time to entertain your guests while wooing them with your fabulous cooking skills. The garnishing sauces for the veal can be made a day ahead, and…
-
Creamy fish and lemon
Since Denmark is a country that basically consists of islands only connected to Germany in the south by the big peninsula Jutland, the tradition of eating a lot of fish for dinner should be a given. But actually I grew up in a home where we didn’t have fish for dinner at all (except the 2 times a year when my mom treated us to a piece of salmon). And chowder would have been a completely foreign word. It’s not that we didn’t eat fish, because I can’t remember a lunch at home that didn’t include pickled herring, but for dinner fish simply wasn’t an option. Now I love fish…
-
A little extra something for your cheese board
Up for a cheese feast? In our family we love cheese, and having guests over is the perfect excuse to serve a cheese board. Whether it’s a substitute or a supplement for dessert or something you want to do for a casual Friday night get-together with friends, it’s fun and easy to put together. Well, maybe it’s not so easy to choose between all the great cheeses at your local cheese dealer?! Well, ask them if they’ll let you taste and then choose your favorites. If they all turn out to be favorites, another good pointer is to choose a variety of mild and mature cheeses, to include both soft…
-
The lox and the fennel
Whenever I think of lox or smoked salmon as a starter it somehow brings me back to the ‘80s. Probably because growing up in the ‘80s I remember my parents would almost as a rule serve smoked salmon as a starter when they had guests over. Back then my parents were all for convenience, and it was a very easy, and still delicious, starter. And there is absolutely nothing wrong with a dish being easy and convenient, especially if you’re trying to juggle a homemade two- or three-course dinner. While you might grow a little bored with the smoked-salmon-served-on-bread-and-maybe-an-asparagus-on-top classic, lox or smoked salmon is still a great option: liked…
-
Pan + cakes + lemon = Best pancakes ever
So you thought you already knew the best recipe for pancakes? I can tell you now, you don’t. Unless, that is, you’ve ever swung by my mom’s house in Denmark and nicked her recipe. These pancakes not only look, smell and taste heavenly, they also have a medicinal effect. I figured this since every time I can remember having bumped my knee or fallen off the bike as a kid, my mom’s pancakes would make all pain go away. You might argue that this is not sufficient evidence to claim that a pancake has healing powers, but it works on my own kids too. I usually serve these flat delights…
