I drag my feet at every change of season. As the long lovely days of sunlight clearly slip away into October, I dig my heels into every Indian summer moment until the arrival of first harvest apples. The entrance of countless sorts of just-picked varieties of this cheerful fruit, neatly organized in bushels and crates at farmers market stalls everywhere simply win me over. Before I know it, autumn feels like my favorite time of the year and I find myself experimenting in the kitchen with colorfully crunchy apples from countryside orchards spread across the low lands of the Netherlands. Continue reading
There’s something about spaghetti for breakfast – or eating the crusts of homemade pizza in the morning for that matter – that remind me of countless carefree summer days living along the coast of Naples. When I was younger, my mother’s best friend and everyday espresso partner taught her how to make use of leftover spaghetti by baking a simple frittata. The following recipe is the perfect example of how southern Italians make something delicious out of a handful of seemingly unimportant surplus ingredients.
I look forward to Sunday morning all week-long. Practically speaking it is the only day of the week I start with absolute and glorious silence. After drinking a caffé-latte in a big white bowl I go about my entire day walking barefoot through the house. Wearing no shoes symbolizes the simple satisfaction that goes with having no obligations on a day with no definitions.
I think I could write a book about caponata. I realize that this is a rather dramatic statement to make about something as simple as onions, celery, zucchini and eggplant cooked with tomatoes. But it’s the vinegar combined with just a touch of sweetness (in my case always honey) that makes this Italian version of the French ratatouille a subject of endless possibilities. Like each day of the week — caponata is never the same way twice — and this is exactly why I love it.
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