Sweet paul

Recipe monday

You can never go wrong with pasta.
And the amazing thing is that when it comes to pasta, simple is the best.
I mean, a few good ingredients and you are there.
I really hate how they serve pasta here in NYC.
Its always with a tom of tomato sauce, its just to heavy.
Pasta should have few but amazing ingredients, like my spring onion and chili pasta.
How do you like your pasta?

Spring onion and chili pasta
Such an easy dish to make.
So much flavor.
Try making your own breadcrumbs, it will taste so much better.
Serves 4

3 tablespoons olive oil + extra for serving
4 spring onions, chopped
2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons dry breadcrumbs, tossed golden in a non stick pan.
2 tablespoons parmesan, freshly grated
1 pound dry linguine

Heat oil in a pan and add spring onions.
Saute until tender, about 3 minutes.
Add pepper flakes and salt.
Cook pasta al dente in salted water.
Drain pasta and add to pan.
Toss gently.
Divide pasta between 4 plates.
Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with breadcrumbs and parmesan.
Enjoy!
Photo by Ellen Silverman

Crafty friday!

This friday Im channeling my inner Cartier and Harry Winston.
Maybe not.
But I sure did have fun making this necklace for Country Living a while back.
I bought a bunch of delft blue beads and buttons on Etsy and with some wire, fabric and a hot glue gun this is the result.
What you need to do is to put the necklace together on your worktable.
See what part goes where.
Then you can glue things together.
Just have fun with it.
Have a fab weekend all.
Photo by Frances janisch

One hot root!

Some friends gave me some fresh horseradish a few weeks ago.
They know I really love this hot root and I was very happy to get my hands on some fresh ones.
If you find it, you should grin it in a blender in a well-ventilated room.
The best idea is to do it outside, since the fumes are really strong.
We are talking eye watering strong.
Pell and wash them and cut them into smaller pieces.
Then grate them in your blender.
I like mine not to coarse.
Mix 2 tablespoons white vinegar and 1/2 teaspoon salt with every cup of horseradish.
Place in small jars and store in your fridge.
Horseradish is an amazing ingredient.
Try some in sour creme as a sauce for chicken.
Add some horseradish to apricot jam and maple syrup for basting that Thanksgiving turkey.
Or simply add a little to your scrambled eggs.
Photo by Colin Cooke

Get ready!

Its time to think about Thanksgiving.
I making my first real Thanksgiving dinner this year( Thats not to be photographed)
Im going to keep it simple.
Really happy with this buffet table I made for Country Living.
Think I will steal this idea for my self, buffet makes life much easier.
Photo by Addie Juell

Recipe monday

You guys know me well enough by now to know that I'm a sucker for anything sweet.
And if I can mix tart crust, apples and home made caramel Im in heaven.
So try this apple caramel tart and get your own little slice of heaven.
Enjoy!

Apple and caramel tart
Serves 6

6 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup sugar
2 large egg yolks
1 cup plain flour
1/3 cup yellow cornmeal
2 tablespoons butter
4 apples, peeled, cored and diced
1 portion home made caramel sauce, see below

Cream butter and sugar in a bowl of an electric mixer.
Add yolks, and mix to combine.
Add flour and cornmeal, mix just until it comes together loosely.
Wrap in plastic and chill for at least 30 minutes, until firm.
Butter a 24 cm tart tin.
Roll out dough between two pieces of plastic wrap.
Discard the top wrap and gently invert over the tart tin.
Press into the tin and trim the edges.
Prick with a fork.
Chill for 30 minutes.
Bake the tart at 180C, 350F for about 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown.
Cool.
Melt the butter in a pan and sauté the apples until they turn almost soft.
Add caramel sauce and simmer the apples for 5 minutes.
Cool and pour into the tart.
This is a runny tart, so you are better off serving the whole cake instead of cutting it in pieces beforehand.

Caramel sauce
Makes 1,5 cups

1 cup light brown sugar
110 g, 1 stick unsalted butter
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 vanilla bean, cut in half
pinch of salt

Combine ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat.
Cook, stirring, until thickened to desired consistency.

Photo by Ellen Silverman

Crafty friday!

I made this door decor for the last issue of Country Living.
Easy and elegant.
You need 8 six-inch pine cones and 8 two-foot-long pieces of silk ribbon.
Use a glue gun and glue a cone to each ribbon.
Then collect all the ribbon ends and stagger them so that the cones fall nicely.
Tie together and hang on your door.
Photo Addie Juell

Meat anyone?

I did this meat story with my friend Colin Cooke last week.
Its fall and its time for all those larger meat meals.
There is nothing like a tender piece of well cooked meat.
I tried to become a vegetarian some years ago, it didn't work.
After a week I found myself eating cold cuts from the fridge.
So I guess I always will be a meat boy.

Recipe monday

The first time I had saltimbocca was at a small restaurant in Tuscany.
It was a small village called Greve.
The main square consisted of a baker, a butcher filled with the hottest butchers I have ever seen and a couple of restaurants.
And in one of those restaurants I had this amazing dish for the first time.
Its veal covered in prosciutto and sage and served with a lemony butter sauce.
It was so good.
So I tried to recreate the dish for you guys.
I make mine with double veal cutlets, I think they are easier to cook and have more taste.
I also use pancetta instead of prosciutto.
Enjoy!

Saltimbocca

4 double veal cutlets
salt
pepper
8 thin slices pancetta
1 bunch fresh sage
Sauce:
1 stick butter
1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
1/3 cup white wine
1 teaspoon lemon juice

Heat oven to 425.
Rub the cutlets with salt and pepper.
Place two slices of pancetta on each cutlet, top with sage and secure with string.
Place on a baking tray, sprinkle with a little olive oil and roast for 15 minutes for medium.
While the veal roast in the oven make the sauce.
Melt the butter in a pan and add garlic, wine and lemon juice.
Taste with salt and pepper.
Keep warm.
Serve the veal with roasted potatoes and the sauce.
Photo by Colin Cooke.

Pumpkin week, friday.

All good things must come to an end, and this is the last pumpkin posting this halloween.
Its been great fun to make these pumpkins and share them with all of you out there in blog world.
It could be fun to hear witch one was your favorite?
I have mine, but would love to hear yours.

I wanted to make a decopage pumpkin.
What I did was to copy old butterfly prints on my home printer.
Cut them out and glued them on the pumpkins with regular craft glue.
I really love this one, the green pumpkin looks like stone and looks so great with all the butterflies.
Colin Cooke shot all the pumpkins for me, thanks Colin.

I want to wish you all a happy halloween.

Pumpkin week, thursday.

Todays pumpkin is a little family scene from the forest.
Mommy and junior is having a yummy lunch while dad is on top of it all looking out for the hunters.
This is how you make this idyllic scene.
Cut a square hole in the centre of the pumpkin.
Scoop out all the seeds and stuff inside the pumpkin.
Cover the bottom of the pumpkin with moss.
In the front of the moss you stick in small trees.( mine are from a model shop here in NYC)
Put the dears in place and you are ready to go!
Photo by Colin Cooke.