Pesto alla genovese is one of those ingredients that is much better when made at home, even if you use a blender instead of a mortar and pestle. There are two reasons for this. First, almost all store-bought pesto contains … Continue reading Lasagne alla Genovese (Lasagne with Green Beans and Basil Pesto)
To celebrate my friend Robert’s birthday, I took him to one of my favorite restaurants in Amsterdam: 212, led by chef Richard van Oostenbrugge. I’ve been a fan of his cooking ever since my first visit to Bord’Eau in 2013 … Continue reading Dining in Amsterdam: 212** (2025)
Wils is a Michelin-starred restaurant located just outside Amsterdam’s Olympic Stadium. It takes its name from Jan Wils, the architect who designed the stadium for the 1928 Olympic Games. In the photo above, showing the restaurant’s exterior window with its … Continue reading Dining in Amsterdam: Wils*
In May, we visited the Venetian coast, where one of the most common ways to serve seafood is gratinated with breadcrumbs. This preparation is especially delightful with mussels—their natural brininess is deepened by the heat of the oven, while the breadcrumbs … Continue reading Gratinated Mussels (Cozze gratinate)
As part of our wine tour through Friuli, we had dinner at La Subida Trattoria al Cacciatore. The chef’s specialty is girini—his interpretation of a traditional local dish made by letting pasta batter drip into boiling water to form fresh pasta. What … Continue reading Girini (Crumbles of Dropped Pasta) with Rabbit, Samphire, and Cherry Tomatoes
This raspberry and almond cake is inspired by the kind of simple, flavorful baking you might get served for breakfast at an agriturismo or a cozy B&B in Italy. The tartness of fresh raspberries pairs beautifully with the soft, nutty … Continue reading Raspberry Almond Cake (Torta di Lamponi e Mandorle)
For the reunion of our wine trip to Friuli I’m preparing some dishes inspired by dished we had during the trip. At Michelin-starred Trattoria al Cacciatora we had rolled guinea fowl with “sclopit” and “urticions”. Both of the latter are … Continue reading Guinea Fowl Wrapped in Prosciutto
Italians are very proud of their culinary heritage, and rightly so. There are even some traditional Italian dishes for which an official recipe has been established. This helps to preserve the traditional dishes in their original form. The most famous … Continue reading Ragù alla Bolognese (The Official Recipe)
I needed a light dessert to conclude a tasting menu. Initially, I considered serving small bowls of strawberries macerated with honey and balsamic vinegar—an easy way to elevate even average berries. But that felt a bit too simple. Instead, I … Continue reading Almond Shells with Honey Balsamic Macerated Strawberries
Le Calandre is the restaurant of chef Max Alajmo, which has held 3 Michelin stars since 2002. The chef was only 28 years old back then, and thus became the youngest chef with three Michelin stars of all time. This … Continue reading Dining in Italy: Le Calandre*** (2025)
Spectrum is the two Michelin star restaurant in the Waldorf Astoria hotel in Amsterdam by chef Sidney Schutte and restaurant manager Cas Kratz. This dinner was planned long in advance to celebrate my friend Martijn’s birthday, so it was a … Continue reading Dining in Amsterdam: Spectrum** (2025)
When I was in Chiang Mai in Northern Thailand, I followed a private cooking lesson, and tried several local restaurants. A dish that featured on the menu of local restaurants that serve Northern Thai food was “hors d’oeuvres”, an assortment of … Continue reading Nam Phrik Kapi (น้ำพริกกะปิ, Northern Thai Spicy Shrimp Dip)
When I was in Chiang Mai in Northern Thailand, I followed a private cooking lesson, and tried several local restaurants. A dish that featured on the menu of local restaurants that serve Northern Thai food was “hors d’oeuvres”, an assortment of … Continue reading Nam Phrik Num (น้ำพริกหนุ่ม Northern Thai Green Chili Dip)
When I was in Chiang Mai in Northern Thailand, I followed a private cooking lesson, and tried several local restaurants. A dish that featured on the menu of local restaurants that serve Northern Thai food was “hors d’oeuvres”, an assortment … Continue reading Nam Phrik Ong (น้ำพริกอ่อง Northern Thai Tomato and Pork Dip)
After two years it was time to return to Ciel Bleu, the two Michelin star restaurant at the 23rd floor of the Okura hotel by chef Arjan Speelman with a wonderful view of Amsterdam. My previous visit was in 2023 … Continue reading Dining in Amsterdam: Ciel Bleu** (2025)
It’s been a while since I’ve prepared a recipe I discovered through another blog. But when I saw Frite de Cordero on Accounting for Taste, I immediately knew I wanted to prepare a sous vide version of it. Frite de … Continue reading Frite de Cordero (Spanish Lamb Stew)
Italians are very proud of their culinary heritage, and rightly so. There are even some traditional Italian dishes for which an official recipe has been established. This helps to preserve the traditional dishes in their original form. The most famous … Continue reading The New Official Recipe for Ragù alla Bolognese
Deventer is a historic town in the east of the Netherlands, on the banks of the IJssel river. This is not a part of the country that we visit often, and we had never been to Deventer before. I knew … Continue reading Dining in the Netherlands: Bouwkunde
This tasty and elegant, but simple to prepare, appetizer was inspired by a dish I really liked at Wills Domain in Western Australia. As usual, I did not try to prepare an exact copy of the dish, but merely used … Continue reading Scallops with Avocado, Daikon, and Tosazu Dressing
The very first dish we had when we arrived in Thailand was Khao Kha Mu. We got it in Chiang Mai near the north gate of the old city at a stand that is famous for a lady with a … Continue reading Thai Pork Leg Sous Vide on Rice (Kao Ka Moo / Khao Kha Mu / ข้าวขาหมู )
This is an appropriate recipe for the first blog I’m writing after my trip to Australia (and a bit of Thailand), as this was inspired by a dish I had in restaurant Rebel Rebel in Canberra during the Australian wine … Continue reading Raw Kingfish with Boquerones, Orange, and Fennel
I have so often eaten Italian food prepared by Italians (both in restaurants and at home) and have studied so many Italian cookery books, websites, blogs, and forums, that I am confident when I am cooking Italian food and know … Continue reading Thai Cooking Lesson
For our last dinner in Australia went to De’sendent, one of the few fine dining restaurants in the Margaret River area that is open for dinner, as most of the fine dining is at winery restaurants and only open for … Continue reading Dining in Australia: De’sendent
Our third and last lunch at a winery in Margaret River is at Leeuwin Estate, to celebrate my birthday. To us as Dutchies it is peculiar to see a winery called “Leeuwin”, because it is a Dutch word (for female … Continue reading Dining in Australia: Leeuwin Estate
Boquerones en vinagre is a Spanish recipe for fresh anchovies marinated in vinegar, olive oil, parsley, and garlic. It is often served as tapas in Spain. A very similar preparation is the Italian alici marinate, with the main difference that … Continue reading Boquerones en Vinagre (Marinated Anchovies) made from Sardines
Our second fine dining lunch at a Margaret River winery was at Vasse Felix. This is the oldest winery in Margeret River, established in 1967 (so in fact not old for European standards). Like most wineries in Margaret River, it … Continue reading Dining in Australia: Vasse Felix Winery
We are now in the Margaret River area, in the south-west of Australia, south of Perth. This area is known for having a Mediterranean climate and its wines. Many wineries have a very good restaurant that offers a tasting menu … Continue reading Dining in Australia: Wills Domain Winery
Wildflower is regarded as Perth’s best modern fine dining restaurant. According to the website, every dish celebrates the local resources honoring the six seasons of the Noongar calendar. It is amusing to me that it is apparently necessary in Australia … Continue reading Dining in Australia: Wildflower
We are spending the Dutch winter in the Australian summer, and this is the first time I am not cooking at home for Christmas. I have very limited cooking equipment in the camper, and when I did the shopping for … Continue reading Tagliatelle with Rock Lobster (Tagliatelle all’Aragosta)
O.MY is the restaurant of brothers Blayne (chef, on the left) and Chayse (sommelier, on the right) Bertoncello in Beaconsfield, about 45 minutes from downtown Melbourne. They started the restaurant back in 2013, when they were only 19 and 23 … Continue reading Dining in Australia: O.MY
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