Cooking in Toscana...

   This year started pretty intense - with lots of trips, new people and new experience - just exactly as I was wishing at New Year's night.... 

I just came back from a wonderful place and want to share with some emotions... 

   Most of you know, that I love to cook using Belonika's recipes. She is a popular blogger in Russia and also the author of some cooking books. Couple of years ago she opened a cooking school in Provence and I was so eager to get there... but for some reason it didn't work that time, but this year my wish came true. Spring, Toscana, near small magic city Cortona, in Chateau and Relais il Falconiere... "Belonika & les Chefs"...   

Cantuccini - via Silvia Baracchi

My Husband is a fan of italian cookies! Biscotti or Cantuccini. It's the same, right? And one day I decided, the they alway should be available at our place! Next to coffee machine there is "always and forever" a nice box, where he can find them anytime ;) Also I cook them for his Office Lounge, so that he can proudly serve home-made cantucci round his clients. I find it pretty nice way to say hello to him during he is working ;) ...and recently I found one recipe,which is even better, than the one I used before (here)! You should definitely try it... 

Choco Cookies via Le chef Armand Arnal

My dear friends, this one is my star recipe! Lots of my guest enjoy this magic cookies with coffee at my place... ;) They are what I'm really proud of!

I bake them regularly and you can find them in our home anytime, but share the secret recipe only now... Below you can as well see my photo progress - there you'll find the first picture of this cookies I made 100 years ago... ;)

How to make your man fell in love with u again and again! ;)

Ladies, we all know that the shortest way to a man's heart... But if you serve not just a great piece of meat, but as a bonus one of this incredible sauces - He is yours for ever!

French Honey-cake from Gilardi Yvan- absolutely dream! Pain d’épices

The way this cake smells is incredible! If you you want to add some cosy magic to your home place - you should definitely try to cook it! The recipe of this this wonderful cake i saw by already long ago and thought I wait till X-mas to try it... but it's getting colder and colder every day, and i couldn't wait anymore $)

Salmon Tar Tar

Sorry for the pics - they are made with iphone // often when i cook i don't have any chance to get a camera before i have to serve it... whatever.

I just LOVE tar-tars! Any! Beef tar-tar, salmon tar-tar, tuna tar-tar... any! I would like to share with you two of my favourite ways to make salmon one.

Jerky Duck with Tomato-Basil Jam from Gilardi Yvan - Absolutely Must Try!

If you try it - it's gonna be your star-dish for any occasion - believe me! Our favorite combination of "Easy-Great-Unbelievable with wine"!

Almond cake with dried plums by Gui Gedda

Thank wonderful cake is one more recipe from Gui Gedda. 

As you know I have his book, but unfortunately there are not enough pictures, so I can't really be inspired with the recipes, even I'm sure they are just great! So I mostly cook, when I see pictures of Belonika. There are lot of them, they are all so sunny, that I always get a desire to run to a shop and start cooking immediately! This cake I did already several times - it's just great!

Russian cold soup "Kholodnik" or "Svekolnik" - Summer Must!

It is a very light summer soup, it makes you feel fresh and happy ))

Minestrone - our Soup number ONE

This wonderful soup is number one in our home lunch top-charts. I always cook a big pot of it - because each person eat at least two plates ;) This recipe I got here (in russian).

But for my english speaking friends I translate it with pleasure ))

Taste of spring! Fresh salty cucumbers ))

It is the best, what you can have with vodka! ...but not only. It fits to anything!

And as usually it is extrimly easy to make... As we like )) 

Moules a la provencale

15 minutes = time from opening the door at home after the fish market till the moment when you already sit at the table and enjoying your man\family\guests making all the possible sounds... mmmmmm! 

Plum Chutney

This is just a present for those, who love meet as much as i do. I always do couple of kilos and it disapears with unbelivable speed. So i would consider it as one more MUST to meat! Sorry for not a nice picture..i looks much better with a steak, but....you know...khe-khe... usually average lifetime of a steak with this chutney is 4 seconds.. So these pictures just don't exist ((

Tajine! Chicken with honey-pears

Tajine! Was dreaming of it sooo much!

Sunrise Tomatoes

Very simple, sooo aromatic ..and so useful with everything you cook! Also a very nice "present from my kitchen" ;)