Author: Christiana

Eat! | Smoked Salmon Pasta

This has been an absolute favorite of mine, ever since I chose to try & then serve it as the main course in an intimate New Year’s Eve Dinner with D – a few years back. My relationship may not have survived, but my love for this recipe & my gratitude to Melissa from The Traveler’s Lunchbox for sharing this, have stayed with me to this day. In a nutshell: If you like salmon, you absolutely need/ want to try this one… 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped 160ml dry white wine or vermouth 200g package cream cheese, cubed 250ml heavy cream 2 tablespoons tomato paste (concentrate) 1 tablespoon sugar, or more to taste 250-300g smoked salmon (either hot or cold smoked works fine), cut in 1cm pieces salt, to taste 450g dried pasta lemon thyme or regular thyme, for garnish (optional) Put a large pot of salted water on to boil. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat and sauté the onion …

Eat! | Creamy Tuna, Sweetcorn & Tomato Pasta

Anyone who knows me will tell you, I’m all for keeping my word (no matter how long it may have been since I first said something). In that spirit, I hereby bring you the next recipe mentioned in my October 2010 “Coming Up” post..:$ It’s an all time favorite that has never let me down and. It has effectively satisfied the most demanding of taste buds (a.k.a. my dad’s :P) and is a breeze to make. So, here goes…Enjoy! Ingredients 350 g fusilli pasta 2 large cans of tuna in olive oil, flaked 1 small can of sweetcorn 2 large tomatoes, cut as finely as possible and squeezed “dry” 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped 1 clove of garlic, crushed 1 packet of heavy cream Salt, pepper Drop the fusilli in boiling, salted water and cook according to package instructions, about 10 minutes. Strain, return to the pot, add a dollop of good quality butter, then stir and let stand. Meanwhile, heat the tuna olive oil in a large non-stick frying pan. Add the onion, …

Eat! | Teriyaki Veggie & Soy Stir-Fry

Having mentioned how big of a curry & stir-fry fan I am in my last post, what better way to come back after a monster (!!) hiatus than with this? The recipe features no nutritional info & no credit, basically due to the fact that it is just something I concocted one Sunday, adding a little bit of this and a little bit of that, visually estimating quantities and basically trying to make a family lunch out of whatever was in the cupboard (since I hadn’t had time to go shopping the previous day). The end result tasted phenomenal, which is why I decided to record the “recipe” here as best I could and give you guys a chance to try it for yourselves. I hope you will be able to recreate it and let me know what you think… Ingredients 1 cup soya kebab (I use this but you can, of course, substitute) 1 medium onion, peeled and chopped (or shredded) 5-6 medium size garlic cloves shredded app. 200 gr cooked white, long-grain rice …

‘Bonjour Tristesse/ A Certain Smile’ by Francoise Sagan ~ A Review

Contrary to the last book I read, as part of my “Classics” experiment (Paul Auster’s “New York Trilogy”), I’m sure as hell glad I picked this one up! Francoise Sagan’s first two novels have proved short, sweet and to the point ~ making the couple of days (on/off) it took me to read them highly enjoyable and utterly worthwhile. Amongst beautiful landscapes and fascinating, highly complex characters, Sagan weaves two searing, deliciously “French” tales of love, passion, jealousy and betrayal. One simply cannot help but marvel at the maturity and writing prowess of the (18 year old) author ~ while, simultaneously, looking forward to everything else she has to offer. I have to admit to being totally enthralled by Ms. Sagan’s work, of which I, definitely, plan to read more in future (looking up “The Unmade Bed” & “That Mad Ache”, as we speak). All in all, a highly recommended read!                                                 …

‘The New York Trilogy’ by Paul Auster ~ A Review

If you like puzzles or riddles with no clear answers, you might just enjoy this. I picked it, in an effort to follow up on my decision to read more of the “classics”. The premise sounded original & intriguing (fact which, I feel, made my eventual disappointment even more bitter. High expectations an’all…) Now, I am not one to easily dislike a book but I can, honestly, say I hated this 😦 I slogged through the stories, feeling like I was having my teeth pulled and desperately trying not to give up. In fact, had this book not been part of my blog TBR challenge, I would have definitely spared myself the pain. I remember reading a review that said “Somewhere along the way Paul Auster was decreed a “literary author,” so if you dare to say he’s boring, pretentious, and not really all that good with words, you are simply one of the great unwashed who don’t get it.” I am willing to take my chances… The three, separate narratives are supposed to be …