Spinach and bell pepper pizza inspired by Alicia Silverstone

In her vegan cookbook "The kind diet" Alicia Silverstone shares a great pizza recipe we often prepare in our own kitchen:  Radicchio Pizza with Truffle Oil. Actually I don't like either of the components (radicchio is just so bitter and truffle oil so strong and predominant), but in this very composition it's genious.

For the original recipe you need:

1 large head radicchio
olive oil
salt, pepper
white truffle infused oil, to taste
1 pizza crust, fresh or frozen

For the spinach and bell pepper variety you need:

2 big handfuls of spinach
1 red bell pepper
salt, pepper
olive oil
1 pizza crust fresh or frozen

Lately I tried a variety of Alicia's original recipe. Instead of heaping sliced radicchio on the pizza crust I took fresh spinach leaves and finely sliced red bell pepper.

I dressed the spinach and the bell pepper with salt, pepper and olive oil, scattered it on the pizza crust and then put it into the preheated oven at 200°C.

After about 15 to 20 minutes, when the crust has turned golden and the spinach is smooth with crispy tips, the pizza is ready. It is best when served immediately!

In case you like  to prepare the original radicchio pizza, it is essential that you first toast the pizza crust, then you add the dressed radicchio only for the remaining 3 to 5 minutes until it is warm and just starting to wilt.

addictive qualities

"Very very nice shot with great colours! My favourite detail is the elderflower in the drink. Well done!
This is my little daughter's comment via skype. So sweet!!

Recipe for a summery aperitif in the garden

Ice cubes
champagne
dash of Campari
dash of elderflower syrup
a sprig of elderflowers for decoration

Enjoy!

plenty of chlorophyll

On sunny days I try to do it like the plants and soak up all the light. I hope the green has the same uplifting effect on you as on me. Have a lovely weekend of Pentecost!

Sunday, 10pm

Sunday, 8pm

Sunday, 6pm

Blumenschnecke

I totally love to pass by Sylke John's  flowershop "Blumenschnecke". I met Sylke a long time ago when she still worked in another flower shop. Now she has not only a loving husband but also a sweet little daughter, two super cute kittens and her own flowershop at the family's B&B.  And happily she brought along  all her creativity and sense for colours and surprises.

The little snailshells inspired her for the flowershop's name.

I initially dropped by just to get some peonies (my own ones in the garden are still a bit lazy- no surprise with the cold temperatures) and I left the shop with an armful of white and cream gillyflowers, some historical roses emanating a dazzling scent and all the deep red peonies there were.

Girl and boy, zebra and leopard....

 Blumenschnecke at Landpension John, Altwahnsdorf 28, 01445 Radebeul,
Tel. 0351-830 33 43.

Happy weekend!

using the days to work in my personal paradise..

grey days a Firenze

Tuesday morning

this is what I'm going to eat tonight

Asparagus with cucumber-tomato-rocket-mushroom vinaigrette


500g green asparagus
a piece of cucumber
1 tomato
a handful of mushrooms
a small bundle of rocket leaves
olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper

Boil the asparagus (about 10 minutes) until it hangs slightly curved over the fork when you lift it.
In the meantime prepare the vinaigrette with the chopped vegetables.

Pour  the vinaigrette over the warm asparagus, serve and enjoy!

the best chocolate mousse of my life under five minutes...

...I found in Cenk's food blog Cafe Fernando.

It's made from only two ingredients: water and chocolate. You don't believe it? Here is the recipe-  it's amazing.

in the footsteps of Viktoria

I took most of the pictures  at the exhibition "American Dreamers/Reality and Imagination in ContemporaryArt", Strozzina CCC, Florence.