Black olive paté on bruschetta

Black olive paté, or black olive paste, spread on bread is one of those lovely alternatives to the classic garlic and tomato bruchetta topping.
| Eva

Black olive paté, or black olive paste, is just one of the many toppings that you can use to make bruschetta. When I have stale bread, bruschetta is my go-to way of using it up. A quick roast in the oven to make it crispy again and then I get creative with all kinds of toppings. Classic bruschetta is made with a generous rub of garlic, olive oil and freshly chopped tomatoes, but there are many other possibilities to expand your bruschetta game. Various variants of pesto work wonders on crispy bread, as long as they feature a generous amount of olive oil. Olive oil is key. Black olive paté on bruschetta is one of those lovely alternatives to garlic and tomatoes. Continue reading →

Holy chunky guacamole!

chunky guacamole
| Eva

Guacamole is one of my all-time favourites. I could eat it with anything. My love is not just for the avocado alone, but for that wonderful combination of avocado, lime and cilantro. These three ingredients together – well, add a pinch of salt to that, too – are all I need for a quick dip for my nacho chips. But things can get much better from there. Add a bunch of other delicious flavours in tiny bits and you will get this wonderful chunky guacamole that will take your tacos to the next level. Continue reading →

Raspberry Prosecco slushie, a refreshing cocktail

A refreshing combination of alcohol and frozen berries, raspberry Prosecco slushie is my favourite cocktail for the summer.
| Eva

Oh the days are warm and it couldn’t be a better time for some fruit-based refreshment. My favourite lately is a combination of alcohol and frozen berries, raspberry Prosecco slushie. I would like to say that it all started one day when I was in Norrköping visiting my friend Eleonora, but it all actually started a little earlier. Just before I travelled south to go visit my friend I had stumbled upon Prosecco-based slushies on Pinterest. Of course, Pinterest is the source of all food inspiration in the world. Too bad I didn’t have any Prosecco at home. Continue reading →

Quiche with zucchini, feta and mint

| Eva

Dear readers of this blog, let me present to you a lovely quiche made with zucchini, feta and mint leaves. It is basically a concentrate of various goodnesses that came up rummaging through my fridge. Zucchini, because I always have zucchini. Feta, I always have feta because it has a long shelf life and you never know when you may need it. Mozzarella, because I’m Italian and I must have mozzarella in my fridge. Mint leaves, because I had bought some for mojito and had leftovers. Eggs – well those were not in the fridge but you kinda need eggs in a quiche, so eggs it is. Store-bought pre-made puff pastry. Wait, whaaaat? Continue reading →

Dining on the Baltic Sea: the Viking Line Buffet

| Eva

Going on a cruise is synonym with many wonderful experiences, including some incredible food. Come sunset nothing beats the view of the sun sinking into the sea while indulging on some fine cruise foods and drinks. The cruises on the Baltic Sea are no exception and their restaurants offer a fantastic range of dining options while travelling on the Baltic Sea. I have recently been on a day cruise from Stockholm on Viking Cinderella and was awed at the new Viking Line Buffet. Onboard their ships, Viking Line serves a fantastic buffet that features carefully selected delicacies from the nordic cuisine in its most exquisite form: the smörgåsbord. Continue reading →

Cream cheese and hazelnut stuffed mushrooms

Cream cheese and hazelnut stuffed mushrooms
| Eva

Cream cheese stuffed mushrooms may sound like a very easy and cheap combination, and in fact this is a very “student friendly” meal to make. Hazelnut stuffed mushrooms are a slightly fancier twist to this easy classic. With just one more ingredient – the ground hazelnuts – your stuffed mushrooms will turn into a top-class appetizer. The winning element here is the cream cheese hazelnut combination, of course. And according to me, the size of the mushrooms. Continue reading →

Lemon lavender cake loaf

| Eva

Lemon lavender cake is an excellent treat in anticipation of summer. Think a zesty loaf with a subtle lavender scent. The amount of lavender in a cake can vary, but I believe in not overdoing it. Personally, I like the scent of lavender to stay in the background, just to intensify the overall flavour of the cake. But I don’t enjoy sweets that are made with only lavender. A total lavender cake smells too much like laundry soap to me. This is why I decided to pair lavender with lemon to make this lovely lemon lavender loaf. Continue reading →

Zoodles with peanuts and chili flakes

| Eva

I’m new to the zoodle game. Zucchini spiralizers have been out for a while now and I’ve constantly been procrastinating getting one. But now I can finally call myself a spiralizer owner, so let the zoodle game begin. I know you can pretty much spiralize any veggie that will fit the tool, but zucchini were the first I learned about. And the name zoodles is cool. What do they call spiralized carrots or cucumbers? I said I’m new to the game so I still have to figure that out. By the way, if you are newer than me, zoodles stands for zucchini noodles. Cool, eh? Continue reading →

Exploring Trieste’s food and coffee culture

| Eva

The easternmost major city in northern Italy, Trieste lays on that thin stretch of Italian coastline squeezed between Slovenia and the Adriatic sea. Given its geographical position, Trieste’s food culture features layers of influences from the various worlds that converge there. The fishing tradition, the main element of the cuisine of a port city, is enriched with elements from the Slavic and Balkan as well as the Habsburg traditions. This makes Trieste’s culinary identity quite peculiar and unique in the rich panorama of the Italian cuisine. Continue reading →

Sweet potato gnocchi with brown butter

Sweet potato gnocchi with brown butter
| Eva

In Italy gnocchi is a Thursday business. I don’t really know where that originates from, but there’s a saying that goes “giovedì gnocchi”, which translates as “gnocchi on Thursday”. Like Thursday is the day dedicated to this kind of meal. Not just your regular pasta (a feature for any other day of the week): Thursday is for gnocchi. After experimenting this sweet potato gnocchi recipe (and failing it, I have to admit it), I think I know now why it’s giovedì gnocchi. It’s such a hassle that you need the whole weekend to recover! Just kidding, once I got the hang of it I was pretty happy with the result. Continue reading →