Sauce Bois Boudran, the one and only

I really don't know why it took me so long to share this amazing recipe with you. It's a sauce of Michel Roux, who in the seventies had opened several famous restaurants in London like Le Gavroche and the Waterside Inn. He created this sauce specifically for Mme Cécile de Rothschild.

Sauce Bois Boudran 1) goes with nearly everything (fish, meat, potatoes, vegetables, bread...) and 2) tolerates a few adaptions to your resources and preferences without losing its unique flavour.

Here's the original recipe:

150ml peanut oil
50ml white wine vinegar
85g tomato ketchup
1 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce (vegan version without this ingredient)
a dash of Tabasco sauce
100g shallots, finely chopped
2 teaspoons chervil, finely chopped
2 teaspoons chives, finely chopped
20g tarragon
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Mix everything in a bowl. It lasts up to 3 days in the fridge.

Instead of chervil and tarragon we prefer to use whatever herbs are in season in our garden. We also add green or red bell pepper for more substance.

banana-chocolate smoothie

bone china New Hall, Shelton, 1810 

I doubted which name I should give to this one: super proteine smoothie (sweet lupine flour), gourmet smoothie (overall flavour) or just mousse au chocolat (sublime texture and chocolateness ). The recipe:

blend together
3 bananas
10 dates
1 cup water
2 cups ice cubes
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
2 tablespoons sweet lupine flour

If you don't have a vitamix blender I suggest you use a hand beater to mix in the lupine flour. Otherwise it may clump. Enjoy!

Rose Jam

inspiration and recipe by  CHLOE' SS 2013 and Marmellata di rose

The fact that the pictures of the Chloe dress and the marmellata di rose were so beautiful, the recipe so simple and my own roses in full bloom made me wish to loose not a second to try it (picturing the beautiful images my camera would take in front of my inner eye). First thing in the morning I went out to pick a bowl full of the petals of my mozart rose.

Then I mixed 200g rose petals with the juice of half a lemon and 200g sugar for a minute with my hands.
In the meantime I heated the water with the other 300g sugar and poured in the mixture of roses. After I brought it  to a boil, I reduced the heat and let the mixture simmer for another 40 minutes.

Then I took the jam from the heat and stirred it gently with a wooden spoon for 10 minutes as I had learned from my grandma. So you can always be sure that the jam thickens without using gelatine or additional pectine.

I recommend to try it with ciabatta and fresh goat cheese, as suggested in the original recipe. 

weekend links

snails I collected while weeding...

A collection of crazy hats from Royal Ascot.

The craziest fine art of photography. This is amazing!

How does a baby giraffe sleep?

Playing with watermelons. Granita, soup and salad. Mowielicious, your images are beautifl!

Cool idea. I certainly will try Lottie + Doof's One-Pan Pasta

And for all those who still are practising with the hula hoop : Grace Jones hooping through 9:16 "Slave to the Rhythm"

Interview with the artist Irene Wieland

This summer Irene Wieland changed her usual studio with the charming, light flooded Rotes Haus where the Brücke artists used to paint.

What impresses you most around you?

I get most inspired by the little things in life. Through my art I shape these influences into open-ended stories, transforming the original thought into a new feeling. 

Does your work reflect you as a person? In which ways?

Definitely. I work very intuitively; the shapes and beings I draw flow effortlessly from my quill. They are phantastical beings, somewhere between human and animal, deeply rooted in nature and always with a life of their own.

What was the most beautiful place you ever visited and why did it mean so much to you?

To me the most beautiful is being near water. Or anything flowing, liquid, constantly transforming, mirroring. In fact I feel wonderful, joyious and very relaxed here at the Rotes Haus by the Dippelsdorfer Lake. Also the flowing hills in Tuscany near Siena gave me this blissful sensation. 

What is something you are really looking forward to?

Encounters with people, who laugh, who are happy. Meeting Friends. And the ever changing seasons! I always look forward to flowing change and transformation. 

What where you like when you were 12?

I was very shy. I only felt truly comfortable around very few friends; big crowds frightened me. *Laughs* all this has changed when I grew up.

Tell us something you've learned so far being on Earth that you think is worth sharing?

The most important is to listen and to have the patience to let experiences happen naturally.

What are some of your dreams?

To spend more time outside and observe life as it happens. Being here by the Lake I found it fascinating to see humans interact with nature. My observations immediately translate into new shapes and emotions that I use as fuel for my work. 

Tell us something you treasure (person, place, thing, animal, idea)?

All living that is close to me.

Who are some artists whose work you admire?

David Hockney, for sure. I have been touched and inspired by his work since the beginning of my career. His giant trees are genious, so is his colouring, his observation of grass.... 

What is something you really want to do some time?

I would like to return to the same place again and again and see it transform and change with time, and with the seasons. 

a peek into the Moritzburg State Stud

Luckily I took a quick glance through the backdoor of the State Stud's riding hall, when I passed by. There were young mares taking a performance test. Such an incredible vigour and beauty!

GreekYoghurt with Chia Seeds, Honey and Roasted Nuts

Inspired by smittenkitchen's yoghurt panna cotta with honey and walnuts I created a simple version of this delicious summer dessert using chia seeds. The chia seeds are a great substitute for gelatine, furthermore they add texture and a cute polka dot effect.

Here is my simplified recipe:

500g Greek yoghurt

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

3 tablespoons chia seeds

Mix and chill in the fridge for about 1 hour.

In the meantime roast the nuts you like: walnuts, hazelnuts, pine nuts, almonds.

Cover the  thickened yoghurt with a layer of honey (I prefer chestnut or lavender honey)...

 .... and top with the roasted nuts. Enjoy!