A little bite of everything

A supercharged green juice

I suck at diets. To me, a life without glorious, succulent red meat, cheese and red wines is not worth living for. Food (especially the one I cook) consistently brings me pleasure and joy, 3 times per day. Now, after all the excesses of the holiday season, I have no choice but to start the year with an energizing, immune-boosting green juice full of antioxidants and vitamins... in case you're interested, here are the ingredients: spinach, kale, apple, pear, linseeds. A healthy start to 2015.

A beef Wellington

To prepare this old British classic, I got the most exquisite fillet of beef from my local butcher and the finest organic ingredients from Wholefoods. It took a bit of time and technique to follow all the steps of the recipe, but the end result is a perfect, indulgent, delicious alternative to  the traditional Christmas turkey!

A poached apple and mini-brioche in caramel sauce

I once read that chefs paid extra-attention and care to dessert as it is the last thing their guests will eat and remember before they leave their restaurants. I will certainly remember the dessert I had at L'Acajou (http://l-acajou.com/), which was the simplest thing, in great contrast with the overall sophistication of the rest of the meal. The simpler things are, the happier I am. The New-York style contemporary decor and the hip-hop playlist were pretty cool and memorable too.

A Christmas sugar cookie

This year, I’ve decided to make my life simple and skip the whole Christmas shopping thing. I didn’t want to go to Christmas parties empty-handed though, so I have baked dozens of Christmas sugar cookies to give away to friends and family. All things considered, baking sugar cookies was not that simple: I have tried 3 different dough recipes, several proving techniques, different icings flavours. But after all the time (and love!) that I’ve put in it, I’m happy with the end result, and I hope my relatives will be too.

A Scandinavian classic

Whether it's biological or simply psychological, I tend to crave more fatty, starchy comford food as the weather gets colder and daylight decreases. The good news is there are healthy substitutes and options that can still taste fantastic. For instance today I've cooked these Swedish meatballs using lean pork and beef meat and replacing the cream in the potato salad recipe with low-fat yogurt. A nice comforting dish without piling on the pounds (too much).

An onion and steak sandwich

 

The Atlas (http://www.theatlaspub.co.uk/) is one of my favourite local pubs. Its relaxed atmosphere and cosy environment with fresh flowers and brick fireplaces make it the ideal place for a get-together with friends. They have an usually extensive and interesting wine list for a pub (40 international wines, with 15 available by the glass), and they serve excellent food too. Their signature marinated rump steack sandwich is so  good that I couldn't help asking the staff for its recipe... Today I took the sandwich to the next level by using freshly baked, warm ciabatta from my local Italian delicatessen, la Piccola Deli (http://lapiccoladeli.com/kensington) and by adding homemade caramelised onions (cooked with brown sugar and red wine vinegar). Such a treat!

A Colchester crab salad

Here’s Michelin-starred Pollen Street Social’s mission statement: “a casual and customer-oriented in its attitudes – a contemporary bistro offering relaxed and informal fine dining” (www.pollenstreetsocial.com/). And boy do they deliver. Their dishes are a precise, modern and playful combination of flavours, using fresh local ingredients, served with attention by a knowledgeable staff. There is no dress code. You can come as you are, share food platters, order the tasting menu or only have desserts at London’s only dessert bar. Pollen Street Social is not like any fine dining restaurant, it is YOUR fine dining restaurant. For me who work in a customer-facing, customer-oriented role, such attention to customer needs is an inspiration.

A lampredotto sandwich

I've lived here in Florence for 4 years, yet its incredible people, their passion, their generosity still manage to surprise me. Today I had an impromptu lunch with an Italian guy I have just met on a training course. He took me to a food truck outside the factory, where he ordered "lampredotto", a typical Florentine peasant dish. "What is it?" I asked. To what he replied: "You don't wanna know. You wanna try?" "Yeah sure, why not?". If it's good for him, it's good for me, I thought. As simple as that. The weird thing about this meal is: the food itself didn't provide me with a memorable sense of pleasure per se, but the context, the moment filled me with joy and excitement.

A duck breast from the farm next door

"Success = talent + luck.

Great success = a little more talent + a lot more luck."

Thinking, Fast and Slow, by Daniel Kahneman

Le Restaurant ( r. des Abattoirs, Le Creusot) provides the highest standard of traceability you could ask for. Whereas the wine list is endless, the menu is rather limited – not uncommon when you serve top-quality, seasonal, organic food from the local producers and farms. I had this nicely cooked magret de canard/ sweet potato purée/ porcini mushroom sauce, served with a sumptuous (“unusually rustic”) Pommard 1er cru Clos des Epeneaux 1996. Le Restaurant is my favourite place where to celebrate successful negotiations with my clients - as well as unsuccessful ones with my team members.

A cheese board

As a typical French woman, I can't live without French cheeses. In London I've found the best French cheeses in my local wine shop, Spirited Wines of Stratford Road (http://www.spiritedwines.co.uk/our-shops/stratford-road), and its owners Marie and Alexandre are always happy to suggest new pairings and transform any ordinary cheese board into an exciting affair. They also sell exquisite homemade crackers and chocolates. In short, the place where I go when I invite friends over for after-work drinks at last minute.