An illustrated kitchen diary for busy people – by busy people.
My name is Dirk, my wife Lene and I are from Europe (you can tell by my grammar….) but we have been living in Miami Beach for many years. We both love good food, and – to the dismal of my poor friends and family – cooking has been my hobby for many years. However, a busy lifestyle, traveling, long working hours and crazy schedules often rule our timing and we had to learn to do things simple and fast. This little diary shows how we try to make it all work in our kitchen.
The idea and the framework for this blog were born in that “quiet time” between Christmas and New Years of ‘08. Somehow I just didn’t manage to sit on my behind for that many days. Since then we try to update it with new posts once or twice a week. Please bear with us if we get delayed every once in a while.
Basics. We have a couple of friends who truly appreciate good food, but don’t really know how to cook. Their requests for recipes and instructions were part of the inspiration for this blog. If you think you fit into this category, have a look at “Basics”. You may find some helpful information about pots, pans and tools, about knives and how to cut things, about herbs and spices and what a basic pantry should consist of.
Step by step. Many of the recipes on this site show pictures of the preparation and/or the cooking process. We hope this visual aid will make it easier to recreate these dishes. Sometimes, for example when we have friends for dinner, there is no time for “preparation photos” but only a photo of the final dish. Sorry!
Dinner for two. Most of our recipes are simple and easy to recreate, and, with a few exceptions, they can be cooked and served in around 30 minutes or less. They are usually for 2 people, unless stated otherwise. If you have kids to feed or guests for dinner – just multiply.
Health. We are trying to use healthy and nutritious products whenever possible. We use Extra Virgin Olive oil or Canola oil instead of butter, low-fat yoghurt instead of cream, whole wheat pasta, whole wheat flours. However, we do like to eat, so every once in a while we may bend the rules a bit…
Photography. Most images on this site are snapshots that were taken in our kitchen, literally on the way from the stove to our dinner table. Being an advertising photographer myself, I know that food-photographers and their stylists often have to use all kinds of tricks, fillers and dummies to make food look perfect. Please forgive us for not doing any of this here, we actually eat this stuff!
Feedback. If you would like to contribute to this site in any way, please don’t hesitate! We would love to hear from you. Comments, suggestions, recipes, tips, tricks, experiences, kitchen disasters – please do share!
Enjoy!
