CookinBrains

Cookingbrains is your average slightly scientifically underpinned foodblog, with a pinch of self-reflection. Check it out on http://cookingbrainsblog.wordpress.com/

There is something very intriguing about many Asian dishes. The simple preparation and the few ingredients being used are contrasted by the rich resulting flavour and its subtle decadency. There is a sweetness to many stir fry dishes I particularly enjoy, a subtle balance of flavours that most cuisines have a hard time bringing together. The saltiness of soy sauce, a slight hint of chilli, a subtle earthy sweetness and the unmistakable aroma of fresh garlic. I like the play of textures, the crunch of fried vegetables and the chewiness of noodles. My fried mini pak choi with chewy Udon in a slightly sweet and sticky garlic sauce has become one of my favourites lately. I’m not going to argue, that is was anything else but inauthentic. But with a dish this fast, succulent and delicious, who is to worry about authenticity?


Check out the full recipe here: http://cookingbrainsblog.wordpress.com/2013/05/19/nifty-noodles-my-fried-mini-pak-choi-with-chewy-udon-in-a-slightly-sweet-and-sticky-garlic-sauce/

I have a passion for bold flavours. The scent of fresh espresso filling the house on a sunny morning. The subtle bitterness of the darkest chocolate icecream on a beach-day. Strong flavours have something quite charming about them. They are rough and at the same time so comforting. Unfortunately they often come with a downside. The best cakes, mousses and deserts can be the heaviest. Just the smallest bite of a dark chocolate cake can fill you for hours. Not my dark chocolate sponge cake with coconut-espresso crème. It’s light and fluffy, the light crème melting in your mouth, but at the same time there is a richness and darkness only the combination of espresso and chocolate can bring. Check out the full recipe here: http://cookingbrainsblog.wordpress.com/2013/05/12/brilliant-baking-my-dark-chocolate-sponge-cake-with-a-coconut-espresso-creme/#more-710

I have a passion for bold flavours. The scent of fresh espresso filling the house on a sunny morning. The subtle bitterness of the darkest chocolate icecream on a beach-day. Strong flavours have something quite charming about them. They are rough and at the same time so comforting. Unfortunately they often come with a downside. The best cakes, mousses and deserts can be the heaviest. Just the smallest bite of a dark chocolate cake can fill you for hours. Not my dark chocolate sponge cake with coconut-espresso crème. It’s light and fluffy, the light crème melting in your mouth, but at the same time there is a richness and darkness only the combination of espresso and chocolate can bring.

Check out the full recipe here: http://cookingbrainsblog.wordpress.com/2013/05/12/brilliant-baking-my-dark-chocolate-sponge-cake-with-a-coconut-espresso-creme/#more-710

Spring is the season of light lunches and casual picnics in parks, which take much longer than they should and end with quite a bit of white wine. It is the time of forgetting about how cold and grey winter was and of making new plans. Spring food is different food. It’s not hearty but light, not poignant but subtle and not elaborate but effortless. A hint of horseradish, the slight tang of yogurt, the silky creaminess of smoked trout and the bite of crunchy radish-rounds, thrown together with fresh and young potatoes – my posh potato salad with flaked fillets of smoked trout is what a perfect spring lunch should be like. The right balance of freshness and substance, simple and light. With just a hint of decadence, after all everyone knows, in the back of our heads: Winter is coming. For the whole post with the recipe go to: http://cookingbrainsblog.wordpress.com/2013/05/05/super-sneaky-salads-my-posh-potato-salad-with-flaked-fillets-of-smoked-trout/#more-702

Spring is the season of light lunches and casual picnics in parks, which take much longer than they should and end with quite a bit of white wine. It is the time of forgetting about how cold and grey winter was and of making new plans. Spring food is different food. It’s not hearty but light, not poignant but subtle and not elaborate but effortless. A hint of horseradish, the slight tang of yogurt, the silky creaminess of smoked trout and the bite of crunchy radish-rounds, thrown together with fresh and young potatoes – my posh potato salad with flaked fillets of smoked trout is what a perfect spring lunch should be like. The right balance of freshness and substance, simple and light. With just a hint of decadence, after all everyone knows, in the back of our heads: Winter is coming.


For the whole post with the recipe go to: http://cookingbrainsblog.wordpress.com/2013/05/05/super-sneaky-salads-my-posh-potato-salad-with-flaked-fillets-of-smoked-trout/#more-702

The C in Cake is for celebration. That doesn’t necessarily mean that cake is only for celebration. That would be a sad life. A very sad life, indeed. But happy world we are living in every cake should be a celebration. Granted, this particular cake is the cake for a celebration. And not just for any kind celebration, but for the birthdayparty of a friend of mine. There are some people in my life, who I don’t get to see as often as I would like to. The birthday girl, who this cake is devoted to, is one of them. But every single time I do, it is a special occasion. A nice get-together. Time worth a brilliant and utterly divine cake. And I can’t think of any better fit than my crimson raspberry and dark chocolate cake.

Have a look at the full recipe and more here:

http://cookingbrainsblog.wordpress.com/2013/04/28/brilliant-baking-my-crimson-raspberry-and-dark-chocolate-cake/#more-682

Spring is quite an amazing time. The air is fresh and carries the smell of new things. This season calls for light flavours, for softness and crunch, for some sweetness and for a delicate balance. To me spring is the season of salads, but sometimes a light and crunchy salad just isn’t enough to fuel your engines. My beetroot and potato salad is the perfect lunch for a fresh and warm spring noon. Tender stalks and leaves of the beetroot, soft and silky potatoes and a dressing, that’s sweet, light and fresh. What better way to enjoy the sun.


For the full recipe have a look here:

http://cookingbrainsblog.wordpress.com/2013/04/21/godly-greens-my-light-and-fresh-beetroot-greens-and-potato-salad/

I like hearty meals. Soups that warm your soul and body on a cold winter’s day. I like to drown braised leeks in thick butter sauces while the snow falls outside my window. And I love myself a warm chocolate cake any day. But with winter fading away and the first sunlight warming my face, I can’t help but crave for something with a bit more freshness. To me spring is the season of light salads. The tomatoes on the market booths and on the shelves of supermarkets have not bathed enough in the sunlight yet, they lack the sweetness and body required for a good summer salad, but with the first fresh radishes popping up and the trusty old iceberg salad (which is rather good all year through) my light pasta and bread spring salad will be just the right thing to welcome the season. Have a look at the full post here: http://cookingbrainsblog.wordpress.com/2013/04/14/super-sneaky-salads-my-light-spring-pasta-and-bread-salad/#more-637

I like hearty meals. Soups that warm your soul and body on a cold winter’s day. I like to drown braised leeks in thick butter sauces while the snow falls outside my window. And I love myself a warm chocolate cake any day. But with winter fading away and the first sunlight warming my face, I can’t help but crave for something with a bit more freshness. To me spring is the season of light salads. The tomatoes on the market booths and on the shelves of supermarkets have not bathed enough in the sunlight yet, they lack the sweetness and body required for a good summer salad, but with the first fresh radishes popping up and the trusty old iceberg salad (which is rather good all year through) my light pasta and bread spring salad will be just the right thing to welcome the season.


Have a look at the full post here: http://cookingbrainsblog.wordpress.com/2013/04/14/super-sneaky-salads-my-light-spring-pasta-and-bread-salad/#more-637

It’s almost spring here in Groningen. The days are becoming longer (mainly because of clocks being set forward) and my hopes are growing higher. This time spring is just around the corner, I can feel it in my bones. Unfortunately the sun, the birds and the croci (I assume that this is the plural of crocus) is joined by a hord of exams. So time is as scarce as ever. But every now and then you’ve got to take a break and even if it is only for a bite. Because all work and no chow really makes one a dull boy. Whenever I lack time, pasta is my go-to staple. It’s cheap, it’s fast and it is nourishing. And when it tastes like my creamy acini di pepe with parsley, lemon and butter, who’s to say no? Have a look at the recipe here: http://cookingbrainsblog.wordpress.com/2013/04/07/my-favourite-inauthentic-pasta-my-creamy-acini-di-pepe-with-parsley/

It’s almost spring here in Groningen. The days are becoming longer (mainly because of clocks being set forward) and my hopes are growing higher. This time spring is just around the corner, I can feel it in my bones. Unfortunately the sun, the birds and the croci (I assume that this is the plural of crocus) is joined by a hord of exams. So time is as scarce as ever. But every now and then you’ve got to take a break and even if it is only for a bite. Because all work and no chow really makes one a dull boy. Whenever I lack time, pasta is my go-to staple. It’s cheap, it’s fast and it is nourishing. And when it tastes like my creamy acini di pepe with parsley, lemon and butter, who’s to say no?


Have a look at the recipe here: http://cookingbrainsblog.wordpress.com/2013/04/07/my-favourite-inauthentic-pasta-my-creamy-acini-di-pepe-with-parsley/

Food and tradition are closely tied together for me. Every easter my grandmother would have our family assembled around her large dinner-table and serve us coloured eggs, bread, cold cuts and cheese. It is nothing fancy, but it is important to me. For me, this is the essence of easter (Well, it has been since I was told I was too old for a good old easter egg hunt…). It is the togetherness, the taking of time and nearly endless breakfasts that make me love this tradition so much. In my mind little is as traditional as braided yeast breads for easter. And quite frankly nothing is more delicious on days as cold as they are now (I have made peace with the fact that we are entering and endless winter). Have a go at this delicious braided yeast breads, with three of my favourite toppings: marzipan, poppy seeds or cinnamon.


Check out the full recipe and many more here: http://cookingbrainsblog.wordpress.com/2013/03/31/breaking-bread-a-quick-an-easy-sweet-braided-yeast-bread/

Naan bread is all kinds of wonderful. It is fast to make, incredibly flexible and tastes absolutely amazing. Never has baking bread been this fast or easy. From opening your pack of flour to brushing the baked bread with butter, you will need no more than 30 minutes. Usually, naan is served alongside a curry, but I believe that this humble bread has the potential to be the main player of meal, just serve it with a mild and creamy yoghurt and cucumber raita or with a refreshing salad of onions and tomatoes, called kachumber, and you will easily please any crowd with this light and refreshing dish. Have a look at the full recipe here: http://cookingbrainsblog.wordpress.com/2013/03/24/breaking-bread-a-quick-and-easy-naan-bread-with-raita-and-kachumber/#more-603

Naan bread is all kinds of wonderful. It is fast to make, incredibly flexible and tastes absolutely amazing. Never has baking bread been this fast or easy. From opening your pack of flour to brushing the baked bread with butter, you will need no more than 30 minutes. Usually, naan is served alongside a curry, but I believe that this humble bread has the potential to be the main player of meal, just serve it with a mild and creamy yoghurt and cucumber raita or with a refreshing salad of onions and tomatoes, called kachumber, and you will easily please any crowd with this light and refreshing dish.


Have a look at the full recipe here: http://cookingbrainsblog.wordpress.com/2013/03/24/breaking-bread-a-quick-and-easy-naan-bread-with-raita-and-kachumber/#more-603