apriti sesamo

Another way to enjoy your greens

2008-12-16T14:26:00.000-08:00

Swiss chard and spinaches are greens that I eat only sporadically, as they contain oxalic acid (that binds with calcium and eliminates it from the body). At the market the swiss chard looked delicious so this was a good occasion to break the rule.Bright green rolls:-1 cup cannellini beans-300 grm swiss chard -1 grated carrot-1 clove of garlic- shoyu or tamariThe nigh before- soak 1 cup of

Wholegrain porridge

2008-12-08T13:15:00.000-08:00

I was reading the column "the green kitchen" from Richard Ehrlich on the Times magazine last week, we got this delivered together with our food shopping, and it was interestingly about using rice leftovers. The article is not yet online, but it is very much about re-using rice without killing yourself with harmful bacteria that can develop if the rice is not carefully packed and stored in the

Pasta with kale and raisins

2008-11-30T09:07:00.000-08:00

Lately, and for far too long I have been having lunch at my desk. This is WRONG. I think eating means appreciating each single bite, but also the way we eat and whether or not we can concentrate on what we are chewing , will influence our health and the repercussions are the famous bloated stomach, tiredness and so on (we should chew a lot, to make our food more digestible, and to eat less and

Nice things in November

2008-11-24T05:12:00.000-08:00

My new "frugal" addiction is swapping book (yes I do like swapping everything!) a website where you put old books you don't want anymore, just type in their isbn number, the details and picture will come up, just add the description, all you have to do is find books that you want on other members list and if they want one of your you can swap! Better then buying second hand books on Amazon, you

I am back (and it's going to get messy)

2008-11-23T10:22:00.000-08:00

I am back, just back from the farmers market :) and also back writing this blog after... what seems like a lifetime. Did anybody notice? I am not sure, but definitely my friends did, which is really flattering :) I am not going to explain why it's just to boring to share, but I was still cooking, taking notes and getting generally excited about food. This weekend hasn't been the mot successful

Rice bells with spring vegetables

2008-04-12T10:27:00.000-07:00

What a great day...Saturdays can be extraordinarily lazy and still give you a full sense of achievement, if this make sense?I had a bit of a cleaning with my new flatmate and then she gave me a full body massage as she is studying to be a masseur, I always believed in God, now I even think that he cares about my well being :)You will hear more about my flatmate as she is a great individual that

food to share: quick crostini

2008-03-28T16:51:00.000-07:00

There is nothing as challenging as having a few fussy friends around to feed. Each one of them have their own food preference but also each one not with something they are not eating. I find that having many different things that they can pick save you and them from the embarassment of leaving a whole untouched starter.I am also in the mood for some colorful food, craving the spring I suppose!I

Easter in London and homemade Gnocchi

2008-03-24T06:30:00.000-07:00

I was never quite sure whether my mum loved or hated cooking. I think she did like to be adored like the only one that could feed me and dad, but she would have happily put some quicker meals on the table rather then the Sunday lunches my dad xpected her to. The place where I come from in Italy is all about traditons an when my mum arrived from Eastern Europe (the neighboor called her Bulgarian

The protest -part two

2008-03-16T15:10:00.000-07:00

I would like to thank the Hare Khrisna people that fed us at the protest to end the siege on Gaza, we were many in Trafalgar Square and they offered food for free. If you feel like giving back you could visit their London restaurant a classic vegetarian address (they are not vegan but you can find some dishes without dairy).Govindas 10 Soho street London W1D 3DL,tel 02074374928 the Bombay mix

A special tahini

2008-03-14T16:43:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow like many people we will be attending the protest to end the siege on Gaza in Trafalgar Square, if you would like to see the impact that the siege has you can read it here.This is only a food blog so for me the best way to support the cause trough it is just to recommend you some ingredients that come from Palestine, so that we can try to support the Palestinians right to have a normal

Apple strudel

2008-03-12T15:58:00.000-07:00

I don't know what's wrong with me but the more busy I am socially and at work the more prolific I become in the kitchen.I guess it is just a way to prove myself that I can have a busy schedule and still be an Eco-domestic-goddess? Being submerged with things to do at work and having to find a flatmate (this is a mild form of advertisement if you are interest please leave a comment) I still manage

the uplifting aduki beans

2008-03-09T12:36:00.000-07:00

Since when I was 18 I learned that to be a good vegetarian you need to soak the beans the night before, no matter if you are planning or not to use them, as once decided that you do ... then it's too late!There are some pulses that can do the job without soaking like certain types of lentils, but to make an hearty soup you need to plan in advance!I soak mine with a strip of kombu seaweed to

Paris for fussy eaters and tired girls on a business trip, vegan paris part 1 (Paris végétalienne)

2008-02-22T14:26:00.000-08:00

Having a blackberry is more or less like being kidnapped by the aliens and having a microchip installed behind your ear, you know that they know where you are and there is no excuse and no hiding. I had it for he past week and it was a terrifying experience.I got into my first trip to Paris after the launch of the new faster Eurostar and the new re-vamped St Pancras station opening, two hours

ready to go again..

2008-02-11T14:43:00.000-08:00

Back to the reality far too quickly and getting ready for the next work trip, while I am packing to go to Paris I remember that something terrible happened in the Gambia. My camera has been a victim of my carelessness. My camera has been with me every day ever since I got it as a gift but just in my peculiar style with no case. Of course!The Gambia is no place for such

A gourmet holiday? The Gambia

2008-02-11T14:29:00.001-08:00

Friend: So how come you have not been cooking lately, nor you have been talking about some boring farmers market in London?Glowing happy blogger: I have been to GambiaFriend: Where??Glowing happy blogger: Gambia West Africa near Senegal.Gambia is an inspiring place. Food is probably not what is known for, but the experience of street food or even the family food that was cooked at our compound

On a sunny Saturday

2008-01-27T14:10:00.000-08:00

The best thing about living somewhere where the weather is almost always depressing is that it comes as surprise when it isn’t. Everything seems easier when it’s sunny!On Friday night I didn’t sleep very much I was kept awake for most of the night by teenagers that were dancing and stomping and shouting on the flat above. Mummy was probably away and they are only sixteen so I didn’t feel like

This week best food article

2008-01-23T13:52:00.000-08:00

As my friends know and as those that bothered looking into my links I am a big fan of the New Statesman a weekly current affair magazine that makes my evening in more meaningful and my flight or tube journey less dull.Not just but their art and culture columns are probably the most interesting and stimulatin around and I end up making to do/read/watch lists much more that I would with the Time

Bad habits?

2008-01-06T02:37:00.000-08:00

So what are our papers greeting us with in the New Year?Apparently too much salt, saturated fat and added sugar and not enough fruit, vegetables, whole-grains or oily fish lead to a premature death yawn. What a novelty…But the news I am afraid is a bit more upsetting that this, apparently the borough of London that will suffer the most will be Tower Hamlets, Southwark and City and Hackney, as

Welcome 2008! (and throat infection)

2008-01-04T11:42:00.000-08:00

What a great end 2007 had, the parties the joy, friends, family children, everything great, but now what a miserable beginning!I am in bed, trying to get better after waking up with swollen glands and throat.This is for me the time for a more careful diet as the reason for my current status may really be the way I ate during the holiday. I had so much white bread and Pasta and fruit that I was

Pre-Christmas soup

2007-12-24T01:58:00.000-08:00

I am about to go to Stansted Airport. Once again, like many times before, I am checking my luggage, hoping that is not too heavy, look at my passport to check the expire date and check that each Christmas present is safe and it’s not going to crush during the journey.I made myself a breakfast soup (yes insane I know), to make sure that I don’t have to rely on the airport Prêt a Manger, and in a

I give you my cookie if you give me your pickle

2007-12-08T15:38:00.000-08:00

It’s probably my job that is making me so allergic to shopping, as I have to “buy” stuff everyday so a Saturday afternoon on Oxford Street is my idea of hell. I wish I was consuming less then what I am and have a more clutter free existence, but I am aware that this is not going to happen so easily.This post would have been perfect on the 24th on November this year, on the Buy Nothing Day, oh

Food Swap 8 December Stoke Newington (London that is!)

2007-11-28T13:16:00.000-08:00

What a wonderful thing to look forward to! On 8th of December i am going to parteciapate to: the The festive Good Food Swap-in Stoke Newington organized by growing Communities.It is a idea that enables you to exchange any product that you can prepare yourself (baked, canned, picked from your allotment etc..) with other people from the community, something that I strongly believe in is exchanging

wholeweat conchiglie with celeriac and seaweeds (apologies for the picture*)

2007-11-28T11:39:00.000-08:00

Last night I came home from work at a ridiculous time, I managed to do some shopping at lunchtime (thanks to the fabulous Portobello market!) once I got home I just cooked all the vegetable at once, but it was too late to have anything more substantial then a miso soup. Eating after nine o’clock makes me feel tired the morning after, and it doesn’t really do for me.Tonight I have a few

My broccoli cream is really the best, FACT

2007-11-17T03:58:00.000-08:00

November evenings were made for soups. Cycling back from work in the mad traffic on Euston road the idea of a cream of roasted vegetables, a soup of carrot and coriander or a miso one seem like a prize after an hard day.When I was a child I dreaded sundays because of the awful meat broth that together with Minestrone was the only soup my mum seemed to know.These days for me the winter vegetables

The Bento Box

2007-11-08T13:45:00.000-08:00

I don’t know what is all about but it seems that all the food blogs are written by people that are working in offices, that dread their canteen or café and that bring their own food to work in their bento box.I personally prefer the ones that are filled with rice on the bottom and some pickles and veg on the top layer, I don’t like to bring a thermos with the soup, but today my soup in a jar

On a macrobiotic support and how to love a winter squash

2007-11-04T13:53:00.000-08:00

I have joined a yahoo group that I find very useful and I can’t wait to share it with the world, it’s full of good suggestions recipes and interesting stuff about macrobiotic, as that is a field where you can never know enough, please join: http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/moderndaymacrobioticsand you will receive their newsletter, it’s called modernday macrobiotic and it has been setup by

A fresh start: my autumn

2007-11-03T10:02:00.000-07:00

Autumn is an incredible season, I never used to like it that much, and I think it’s really the fact that I am getting older. I wake up really early in the morning and cycle along the canals to my office, sometimes it doesn’t even seems to be in London.The sky is of such a deep blue everything seem more clean and intense, not just the colour, but the air and the smells, even cycling is like a new

London for fussy eaters, or how to order vegan food in non vegan places

2007-08-19T12:53:00.000-07:00

I wanted to write about the difficulties that you encounter when you try to be fussy in London.I love to read the posts of othr blogs and how people come to London for holiday and they find it the best place for vegans, wheat intollerant, raw food eaters, or whatever other fussy food habit or requirement. When you do live in London in fact it can happen that is not your turn to choose where to

Impressive mixed rice salad for your summer party

2007-08-14T13:35:00.000-07:00

Have you ever seen those mixed rice bags in the healthshops and wondered what to do with it?I made a version of a popular wild rice salad from the Candle Cafe Cookbook, with a slight variation.On Sunday I was invited to a Sicilian themed barbeque, with all the people I went on holiday with.A nice bunch of people reproducing the atmosphere of a "Baglio" (Sicilian courtyard) in a lovely garden in

Back to the UK tofu

2007-08-01T13:28:00.000-07:00

Back from a great holiday in a little paradise location in Sicily, I feel really rejuvenated and the sun incredibly enough is shining in London too, even if it’s not really hot.I have neglected my blog just as much as my little basil plant, that today ended up in the bin, but my resolution is to add lots of recipes in Aug/SepHopefully I will have to cook for quite a few picnics so it’s going to

Notting Hill for fussy eaters (and ambitious cooks) – part 1

2007-07-04T14:54:00.000-07:00

When you start working in a new area of London it’s always very exciting. As well as the new workplace there is also a new area to discover, and this can be really refreshing.After working for three years in Battersea and enjoying one of the most beautiful parks in London I now work in the trendy Notting Hill.The Notting Hill described by the brilliant novel "The Lonely Londoner" by Sam Selvon,

Tofu and fresh herbs tart

2007-06-25T14:22:00.000-07:00

I am getting really upset about the "English summer", this is becoming like a big joke, it seems like it's never going to stop raining and I almost got used to go to work by bike and get inevitably wet.If we have to look at the bright side I could say that this weather gives me the chance to bake that is one of my favourite cooking methods.Ingredients for the shell:50 grams buckwheat flour50

A meat substitute: homemade Seitan

2007-06-20T14:53:00.001-07:00

In Italy when you turn into a vegetarian you eat a lot of seitan, as it’s probably the closest thing you can get to meat.In the UK this is not really popular, and I have to explain fairly often that what I am eating is not chicken…Seitan and watercress in brown mini pita breadI used to buy it from health shops at ridiculous prices, but once I arrived in London I just stopped having it.Thanks to a

Pressed salads

2007-06-19T14:32:00.000-07:00

I just moved to a new flat, and I have been too busy to look after my blog.I haven’t really been cooking either, and in the past three weeks this is the first time I can relax on a Sunday, buy some ingredients and put the apron on! It’s nice that time when you start feeling home, in my life I moved to so many different places (certainly more than 20) that this feeling is rather familiar to

Semi whole spelt pasta with Hiziki seaweed and capers.

2007-05-28T06:58:00.000-07:00

When I bring my lunchbox to work, the most common qustion is always: “where do you find the time to do that?”I believe I just plan ahead and while I have a shower, make a phone call or answer to my private emails at home I simply cook some brown rice, everything else is more or less quick, ok, there is the sourdough, but that’s normally a weekend thing anyway ^_____^For pulses I just put them in

Sourdough bread

2007-05-27T03:39:00.000-07:00

When you follow Macrobiotic, you mainly eat whole grains. Whole grains are more nutritious than cracked, milled, or flaked ones.People that eat wholegrain hardly ever have cravings as their energy is released slower, 60% of my diet is based on brown rice, millet, wheat, amaranth, quinoa, as this is the food I feel is natural for me to eat and I can have it every meal without failing.I eat bread

The recycled house and recycled burgers

2007-05-22T13:09:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I had a great day out visiting one of the artist’s open houses at the Dulwich festival.The house was beautifully and eclectically furnished with items found in skips, charity shops, carboot sales, so virtually a house made gorgeous without any environmental impact.I had a tour of the house, the couple that made it are these very inspiring people, that created the most elegant of

Breakfast for the day after

2007-05-18T18:06:00.001-07:00

Imagine this: You cycle to the office (45 mins) you eat some rice at your desk and work non-stop for 8 hours, you cycle back for other 40 mins and you grab the nastiest falafel on the way, you get into the gig completely sold out with the most large and enthusiastic crowd, you cycle back home and it starts raining… Your ballerina pumps are like two sponges, you hair is dripping water everywhere,

The Ghost Soup

2007-05-14T13:45:00.000-07:00

While my friends are emailing me saying how hot Italy is at the moment, we switched the heating hot for a couple of hour as the house was really becoming a freezer.For the rule of yin and yang now I fancy only hot dishes, soups etc.. but being already summertime I quite like to include some raw greens in them.Yesterday it was a rainy Sunday, a bit depressing really,so I thought I cook something

Natto the “croce e delizia" of the Japanese food

2007-05-02T14:27:00.000-07:00

Natto is fermented soybeans and is a traditional Japanese food, and a Macrobiotic’s favourite. I call it sorrow and joy “croce e delizia” in Italian i.e. "cross and delight" ("cross" as in the sense of being crucified), this because Natto is one of the most complete food, but the smell is quite strong and can be found unpleasant. Japanese people have been eating natto for thousands of years, and

The Almost Summer Dinner

2007-04-29T05:28:00.000-07:00

It feels like summer is arrived! And so are the British asparagus…Forget your supermarket ones, they are flown over from Kenya and you can find them all year round, they cost a fortune and they just don’t taste as nice.I bought a nice bunch of organic Asparagus for 2 Pounds, not too bad.I quickly steamed them, and served with vinaigrette of chopped parsley, mint, and lemon juice, they go very

the Ugly Pie and the no sugar debate

2007-04-27T12:24:00.000-07:00

MY EXTRAORDINARY UGLY PIE!Ugly Pie Is an wholemeal apple pie and it’s completely sugarless and vegan!It is a recipe adapted from the famous Candle Cafe’ cookbook:1 cup brown flour 1 cup light brown flour (waitrose)1 teaspoon round cinnamon1 pinch of sea salt1/3 of a cup of cold safflower oil1/3 cup ice water4 cups lovely British apple gala3 tbsp corn malt1 tbsp lemon juice 1 tbsp light brown

Scrambled tofu with enoki mushrooms

2007-04-22T10:39:00.000-07:00

1 cake firm tofu100 grms carrots1 bunch enoki mushrooms2 tbsp sesame oil1 tbsp dark tahini1 tbsp soy sauce2 tbsp watersome basil leavesRemove the base of the enoki mushrooms and break them into pieces.Cut the carrots in 4 cm length batons. Cut the tofu in cubes and boil for 2 minutes, transfer to a cotton muslin in a colander, wrap the muslin and break in small pieces while squeezing out the

the perfect vegan pancake

2007-04-21T02:44:00.000-07:00

It’s great to wake up early on a Saturday morning, Shoreditch is still asleep and the flat is so peaceful and quite.I really fancied pancakes for a while now, so last night I made the batter and this morning in the unreal silence of a spring day I cooked them.I followed the recipe of Michio Kushi, from the book ”The Macrobiotic Way”, an easy book that explains in a very understandable way how to

Quick Hiziki Salad

2007-04-17T13:00:00.000-07:00

Last week I did panic buy hiziki (Hijiki) as soon as this lovely seaweed was back on the shelves of my local grocery.I don't know who were the people that bought all their stock, as most of my friends would not know what to do with it.Maybe some of my neighbours bought it when hangover, maybe they read something about the benefit that seaweeds could bring to you, the fact is for weeks there

Saturday morning

2007-04-14T06:41:00.000-07:00

I am so sick of the Italian people moaning about the quality of the fruit and veg in London. I mean it's pretty obvious that if you want to cook only your aubergine "parmigiana" and if you just buy those fluorescent greens that have been travelling around the world more that you have, well keep on complaining.But how far do you live from your local farmers market?I have a faboulous one near me

tofu kebabs

2007-04-08T08:31:00.000-07:00

Considering the sun is shining as if it were June, and that we are onholiday, today I made a yummy holiday lunch!Served with steamed bok choi and brown rice with toasted nori seaweed, thesetofu kebabs are delicious and easy to make.We bought firm tofu (about 400 grams) and cut it into cubes. You can usetofu found in organic or Asian shops; I prefer always the organic version.1) Prepare a marinade

marinated tempeh and black venere rice, and a matinee (Sleeping Years)

2007-04-07T10:34:00.000-07:00

Today I used a wonderful rice purchased on my last trip to the Veneto regionin Italy.I was never happy travelling for my job, but I have to say when I was away,I always bought a lot of regional products. Apparently, this wholegrain ricewas the first black variety in Europe. It has an amazing sandalwood scentand reminds me of freshly baked bread. I just steamed it and served withtempeh. My

The Muffins that never were

2007-04-07T08:42:00.001-07:00

Yesterday I wanted to bake some muffins but I got them completely wrong!I wanted to bring them to Phil and Clare, to thank them for cooking without using meat, dairy or eggs (I know I am a pain!) ☺, but I think I am justified considering I have to start with my new job next week, I am frightened!So here’s the recipe as it was intended to be:1 cup strong wholemeal Canadian flour (Waitrose)1 cup

2007-04-07T06:37:00.000-07:00

A new obsession.. Tiajin Cabbage!When we first moved to Shoreditch I was eating Vietnamese quite often, with Kingsland road just around the corner so we were eating there when we still had to unpack. Now we cook almost always at home, but we buy quite a few ingredients in the Vietnamese shop that supplies the restaurant, the lady that owns it is so nice and helpful…The thing that seems we can’t

your japanese cooking for my italian

2007-04-05T16:52:00.000-07:00

It’s 11:30 when Kazu turns up at my flat, I am so excited and I am so pleased to discover that he is such a polite and charming man.after a rather scary inspection of my fridge, Kazu decides we are going to prepare two simple dishes that I knew but that he thinks I am not getting right. The positive side of this embarrassing intrusion in my kitchen is that K compliment me for the ingredients

The beginning is always hard...

2007-04-05T16:47:00.000-07:00

To write a food blog without being a chef is a bit of a quest, you need a certain dose of arrogance, especially if you live in a place like London and your confidence have been boosted by the “wows” of friends that are used to eat out and cook very little!Very often in my experience as a vegetarian, the option at parties or cafes has been the pasta bake with tons of cheap cheese and the vegan