Tankerne vandrer

Besides knitting, cooking is my other passion.  Particularly I am interested in contemporary European Mediterranean artisan  cooking with traditional character- Italian, French, Spanish and Greek. Here I want to share my cookbook collection, starting with my favorite cookbooks.

1. The Silver Spoon. This book is one of the most comprehensive Italian cookbooks I’ve ever had. It is also full of good advices how to cook meat and vegetables, basic sauces, doughs, etc. A must have bible for the lover of Italian cuisine. You should try the rhubarb tart or chicken breasts with almond sauce, mmmmmmmm…….

2. Dough: Simple Contemporary Breads. Richard Bertinet, a French baker, located in Bath, England, is probably one of the best bakers I’ve ever learned from. Dough explains not only how to make the perfect dough, but also has some really, really gourmet recipes, which can be prepared even by beginners. 

3. Crust: Bread to Get Your Teeth Into. This is number two of Richard Bertinet’s series of bread books. It goes a bit further in bread making. Here Bertinet explains how to make the perfect sourdough and how to make the best crust. I love both of these books, because I adore bread making. If you are new to doughs, you should have the first one – Dough.

4. Ripailles. I got this book for my birthday, and I love it. I haven’t got the chance to make some of the recipes yet, but this book is just amazing!!! Full of beautiful photos and illustrations (if you think Jamie Oliver’s books are great, you just have to look inside this one!), this book explores the French cuisine from the foie-gras to the croissant. It is fun to read and the recipes aren’t complicated at all. 

5. 1080 Recipes. I’ve got the Italian and the French cooking bibles, and now I have the Spanish one. I got 1080 recipes for my birthday too and I am stunned by the funny illustrations in the book. I really haven’t made that much Spanish food, but I look forward to make some traditional ratatouille or paella!

6. Jamie Oliver’s cookbooks. And of course Jamie Oliver. My kitchen wouldn’t be the same without his books on my kitchen shelf.  Jamie’s food is simple and contemporary and I like the stories behind the recipes. 

7. Besides these books, I have 30 cookbooks more – from pasta books to traditional Bulgarian cuisine.

I must be crazy!!!

This morning i got my new toy – the Royal Wool Winder!!!

An now I am making beautiful spuns of my zzz-collection of yarns. 

Please, don’t look at the mess. I am writing an exam assignment and my office is full of books and papers

I love winter, because it is the time when I knit. It is the time when you spend a lot of time indoors, with candles and a glass of wine. The coziness of winter is beyond compare. Even though my favourites are May and October, I love November because it is my birthday month and because I am in a Christmas mood. I also love December, because of Christmas and New Year (I love presents!!! I love them! I love them! I love them! I love to give gifts!). December is the last month of the year and your last chance to do everything right if you feel that the rest of the year has been as hell. It is the time when you think about what you’ve achieved and what your plans are for the next year.

But I hate exams! I hate exams in November and December! The most terrifying thing that can happen to me! Right now I am writing an essay about qualitative interviews – something that has nothing to do with Christmas mood, knitting and presents. Something that is so boring, so I refuse to write a word. But I have to! And I hope to pass.

It would be so nice to write some more, but I have to write my essay.

I just came home from knitting evening and I had the craziest laughter ever. While I was sitting in the bus, two girls came and sat next to me. They were probably 15-17 years old and were talking about guys. Suddenly I began to laugh and two seconds later the whole bus could hear me and the two girls laughing. It was so embarrassing, but it was tension breaking!!! 

I had such a wonderful evening with the girls at BetteDesign in Copenhagen. It was fun and I met two nice girls from Ravelry bybeckmann and Lunetta. I bought yarn, so I can start on the Anemoi Mittens, which I bought earlier today.

I just made one of my favourite cakes – Chestnut cakes. They don’t have anything with chestnuts, but that’s how my friend Zlatina calls them. 

The funny thing about them is that you have to dig them and after that to fill them with a mass, made from the dug crumbs, butter, milk and nuts (I used almonds and walnuts). I am so impatient to taste them, but I have to wait till tomorrow, they are best the day after!