Caponata alla Siciliana

 

 

 

 

 

 

Recipe in German at the end of the post / Deutsches Rezept im Anschluß.

Caponata seems to have enjoyed its own revival in recent years and is best enjoyed at room temperature which makes it a perfect prep-in-advance thing where its ingredients also benefit from a little more lingering. Fantastically versatile – excellent party fare, a great starter or appetizer, perfectly light but satisfying summer lunch, a side bursting with flavour or a nice autumn supper – this is an even more splendid end of summer dish.

Using the ripest aubergines and tastiest tomatoes, it embodies and transfigures all of summer’s lusciousness and warmth that is even more emphasized by the holy Sicilian agrodolce (sweet & sour) trinity: vinegar, raisins, pine nuts – a delicious result of the many Moorish influences on the Mediterranean cuisine, art & culture. No wonder, that moorish is also a synonym for everything utterly tasteful.

Extra-stormy Dark & Stormy + Clementine-lemon-ginger sparkler

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rezepte auf deutsch: siehe unten.

Weekend bliss: Extra-stormy Dark & Stormy + Clementine-lemon-ginger sparkler

Apparently, the cocktail party is back big-time and just in case you are planning to throw one soon… or enjoy gazing at the setting sun: Two extraordinary gingery drinks, one for the week-weary rum & rest requiring, the other an amazingly coloured fresh, citrussy spritzer sans alcohol.

Dark & stormy stands for black rum and ginger, Ginger beer to be exact, when aspiring to make an original Bermudan Dark n’ Stormy by topping Gosling’s Black Seal rum with their own stormy ginger beer and to be honest, what says great drink more than something hailing from the Bermudas?

Broad bean bruschette

 

 

 

 

 

 

German recipe at the end / Rezept auf deutsch am Ende des Beitrages

Simple broad bean bruschette have an effortless & understated elegance about them, not only do they have the looks, they taste spectacular, too. Vivid green broad beans brightened by a little lemon & fresh mint, get piled on creamy ricotta & grilled bread and are finished by a sprinkle of fleur de sel (sea salt flakes).

Absolutely heavenly as a starter or great with drinks, they’ll also transform into a perfect lunch or light supper, which I could eat anytime: and I have done so again & again before I noticed that I might want to take a picture to share them. Adding a few slices of smoked salmon can make them a more substantial meal, if needed.

Broad beans are in season from spring to late summer (now), so in case you have overindulged on broad beans at the beginning of the season (yeah, me) and then sort of forgot about them when faced with summer’s abundance of other vegetables (corn, tomatoes, aubergines, zucchini…) there are still ample opportunities to rectify that grave oversight right now (revert to frozen, when out of luck for fresh).

Tandoori Octopus & tuna crudo with preserved lemon relish

 

 

 

 

 

 

See below for the German translation – siehe unten für die deutsche Übersetzung der Rezepte

I am a great fan of a p’tit apéro, the aperitif, and especially of the things that come along with it. It is such a nice start to a dinner, a get together: everyone relaxes (especially the host, i.e. me), has a chat, a sip and a nibble or two. Olives & nuts are beloved classics but to a taster-greedy person like me, anything from the Hors d’œuvres or Tapas department is the Non plus ultra. A small plate of this, one bite of that, a spoonful of something else, a nibble here, a taster there – I am in heaven.

Which brings us directly to Inaki Aizpitarte. Trust a Basque chef with highly revered restaurants in Paris to conjure up irresistible French-Basque tapas hybrids (in/for Bon Appetit): Sliced cured duck breast instead of Iberico ham, a trio of fantastic anchovies, olives and tangy green Guindilla peppers, fiery orange Tandoori-spiced octopus coins.

The jewel coloured octopus got served at a supper with friends, next to a tuna crudo (raw tuna slices), an incredible smoked pimenton & preserved lemon relish (inspired by another Aizpitarte recipe) to go with both & we have added ‘simple’ broad bean bruschette to balance those intense flavours.