CosmoGab

What’s the best part about spring? Aside from sunshine, warmth, flowers, and terraces … RHUBARB! My heart flutters when I catch sight of those rosy red stalks after a long winter of apfelstrudel, appel pie, and appelflappen. The possibilities of rhubarb are endless and all are as romantic as the season that nurtures this deliciously tart fruit: rhubarb tart, rhubarb pie, rhubarb crumble, rhubarb soufflé (Oh my God, I’ve turned into some hybrid version of Martha Stewart mixed with Bubba!).

To celebrate its re-emergence at Albert Heijn, I made a delightfully simple  rhubarb tart, that put this “pie plant” on display. This is truly the kind of dessert cake anyone can manage and impress everyone with. Even if you’ve never baked before, you’re about to whip up the sweetest, most satisfying and whimsical tart you might have ever had … and did I mention you’ll be kneading your own shortcrust pastry?  Continue reading →

It’s no secret that Jamie Oliver is one of my top sources of cooking inspiration, so when my boyfriend surprised me with dinner reservations at Jamie’s Italian in London, I was thrilled. We went to the Islington location, which takes up the entire ground floor of the Angel Building and is therefore completely huge, with tables sprawling in every direction. If you are looking for a quiet, traditional and romantic Italian meal à la ‘Lady and the Tramp’, you aren’t going to find it at Jamie’s Italian. You will, however, find just the opposite, which can be equally satisfying, depending on what you’re in the mood for.  Continue reading →

My Chocolate Chip Cookies sprinkled with powdered sugar

On a Friday night with nothing to do, after having watched Friends (“The One with Phoebe’s Cookies”), I was inspired to make a batch of chocolate chip cookies. Armed with rich, pure dark chocolate and a big bowl of walnuts, I set out to make the chocolate chip cookies everybody raves about and tries to reproduce themselves. I must say, it was an easier feat that I’d expected and a satisfying one, too: equally chewy, chocolatey and crunchy with nuts. Continue reading →

SPRING seems to be everywhere but in the Netherlands. This doesn’t mean that it isn’t spring in my kitchen, where rosé is always chilling and tulips can be seen in bloom through the window, despite frequently overcast skies and 10°C temperatures. As sure as April flowers bring May flowers and bees buzz through air spiked with love, ‘spring fever’ also brings with it an insatiable craving for salads as fresh and green as the season itself. Continue reading →