Home made strawberry jam (varenie)

For the second week already Moscow markets are full of strawberries. These are the first summer strawberries from Krasnodar region. Farmers are saying that this year they had record +35C temperatures in May and the strawberries came very early. They smell of summer and of my childhood. I just finished making the first portion (around 4 kg) of jam (varenie) and it feels like it is just the beginning.

Dal Makhani to die for

Just for you to know, I've been saying that I should start cooking Indian food at home since last January. Only a year and a bit and there you go, I made my first dal. I've never been to India and all my love to the food comes from my Indian friend from Insead. From the dal he made for himself and let me taste at our mutual home in Fontainebleau.

Thai green curry from scratch

While I was living in Singapore and Thailand my favorite thai food was always green curry, not tom yam or phad thai. There were whole weeks when I kept eating it day after day, craving for it, hunting and traveling for it. The best green curry I had in Bangkok - at a little thai restaurant across the street from Holiday Inn. We came there by chance, a happy one (I know now) because we missed our flight from Cambodia to Singapore.

Tom yam kung. Home made.

In a certain way I was really proud when I got this tom yam at home. I had many doubts that it was at all possible in Moscow. But after certain reading effort, couple of visits to an Asian store and some time around the stove I tasted it and (!) it was good. While in Thailand and Singapore I had so much tom yam everywhere possible that I got very clear - the right tom yam is pure red liquid magic that impresses you forever once you try it. However even in Asia you very often get served a very ordinary prawn "soup" instead of it. This home made one is among the two or three best tom yam's I tasted.

Pasta with home made pesto

I was shopping in Bahetle today and while searching for spinach I found a pack with fresh basil. It was just impossible to tear my nose from these fragrant leaves, so the pack came with me. My new food processor got delivered just today and that was a brilliant chance to see it in action. I was going to make fresh pesto.

Jamie Oliver's pasta with oozy cheese sauce

I've been watching a lot of Jamie at home on youtube lately. It's just unbelievable how inspiring Jamie oliver recipes are. Whatever I start watching: chilies, strawberries, pizza, I just want to try and make everything. And ideally even get my own garden. Though the garden might be a bit too much for me already.

Long, exhausting and delicious Bouillabaisse

The whole day was busy with this 'fish soup' (forgive me for saying these two words, I don't mean to hurt your feelings). And I didn't even wake up early enough to join our chef shopping. If I put it into bouillabaisse recipe format it is going to look long and scary. Better I'll just tell you about the day. Misha's bouillabaisse is inspired by Le Miramar port restaurant in Marseille. 'It is getting more and more expensive to have bouillabaisse in Marseille' he sais, 'last time the two of us paid something like 350 euros in Le Miramar'.

Soft brownies

Since my recent failure with brownies I just couldn't wait to give them a second go. This time I made really soft brownies with Dulce de Leche following David Lebovitz recipe. Yes, second time. Some things I only learn from my own mistakes.

Must try Singapore fruits

If I was doing something at all this November and December in INSEAD Singapore - I was eating. So I'll be coming back occasionally with my memories. My friend once said when asked about what is there to do in Singapore: "There is so much to eat!". Many foods I discovered there became my strong favorites and are now part of my daily life. From Thai green curry to Ben & Jerry's ice-cream, especially Half baked. I know, one doesn't have to go to Singapore to get addicted to Ben & Jerry. I did though.