Athens Snaps - and Frozen Yoghurt with Greek Olive Oil
14 March 2012

Apologies for another long absence here – and thank you so much for all your kind words and prayers on my last post, I’m very grateful for your support. My trip to Japan was a very emotional one, but I’m glad...

 

Seville and Blood Orange Sorbet with Sichuan Pepper
3 February 2011

I know the first month of the year has already gone, but I hope all of you had a great start to the year. I’ve been working on some exciting projects, and winning this gorgeous selection of pieces must be...

 

Praline Twists
24 November 2010

I’ve been having a hard time keeping up with new cookbooks lately (and the huge pile on my bedside table is getting even higher) – there seem to be so many good books coming out this year. I remember I...

 

Early Summer Bounties
24 June 2010

Just about when we gave up, the summer seems to have finally arrived in the UK. I was in (very) sunny Sardinia recently, and it was sad to see my tan fading since I got back… I had a great...

 

Turrón Mousse
25 March 2010

If you are based in the UK and a fan of Spanish food, the chances are, like me, you are a fan of Brindisa too. Since I first tasted their famous chorizo sandwich at Borough market nearly a decade ago,...

 

Profiteroles with a Twist and a Weekend to Remember
25 February 2010

I know I don’t have much of an excuse for not updating you all for so long, but let me tell you briefly what I’ve been up to… Since I got back from this trip to Italy, my work got...

 

A Taste of Yellow (and A Little Bit of Orange)
11 September 2009

This is my entry for this year’s Live Strong with A Taste of Yellow that my dear friend Barbara is hosting. The event is to support the Lance Armstrong Foundation in aid of cancer awareness. As you know already if...

 

Apricot and Matcha Tiramisu
6 July 2009

We’re in the middle of a heat wave, as if trying to make up for the disappointing last couple of summers – although I’m not complaining (except when I’m on the tube) – it really is lovely to enjoy the...

 

New Summer Favourites
5 June 2009

May, for me, was a rather disappointing month – having had to give up a trip to South America with my dear friends at the last minute got me a bit more down than I expected. Still, I had some...

 

Rose Scented Rhubarb Jelly with Pistachio Mousse
17 March 2009

Apologies again for leaving this space for so long – while I was AWOL, the spring has arrived, the flowers have been blossoming and our cat has been moulting… We started some work on our little house a while ago...

 

Hazelnuts, Seville Oranges and Truffle Honey
21 January 2009

It’s been a cold winter in the UK – everyone seems getting flu including this girl who has just moved here from California. I’ve been shooting outside a lot for the last couple of months and although I’m fairly used...

 

Ottolenghi The Cookbook
16 December 2008

Before I start, let me remind you that this year’s Menu for Hope launched yesterday – as many of you know already, it’s an annual fund raising campaign hosted by our Pim and food bloggers all over the world. Last...

 

Ginger Yellow for Live Strong Day
14 April 2008

Apologies for the lack of postings lately – time really does fly, and I’ve been busy working on some exciting projects. Hopefully I can write about them soon, but in the meantime, I’m so glad that I made it to...

 

Two Desserts from Indulge
8 February 2008

I must admit that it’s been quite a while since I tried any new dessert recipes. I was looking forward to trying some of the desserts from this beautiful book Indulge by Claire Clark – and I’m glad I finally...

 

Ice-cream Weather is Here At Last...
5 September 2007

I enjoy making and eating ice-cream all year round, but the cold and wet summer we had this year really put me off. Our ice-cream machine, which has been working hard for more than 7 years, didn’t see much action...

 

Vanilla Poached White Peach Tart
27 July 2007

Although I love making puff pastry (or croissants for that matter), I tend to struggle to find the patience for it – I don’t mind doing a lot of work in one go, but I often get bored when it...

 

Perry Jelly and Summer Berries with Elderflower Mousse
9 July 2007

We’ve had the most disappointing weather this summer – it’s been cold and wet, literally raining every day. I was watching Wimbledon this year, but if I had been one of the players I don’t think I could have put...

 

Rhubarb and Custard
11 April 2007

I’ve just come back from a trip to Italy, which was filled with wonderful food and meeting lovely people – I’ll write about it next time but for now I wanted to share some rhubarb & custard recipes that I’ve...

 

Vin d'Orange
23 February 2007

Since I started living in the UK, I always look forward to January, when you can get these bitter oranges from Seville. The short season is now sadly over, but I enjoyed trying some new things this year. This ultra tangy...

 

Mont Blanc with Poached Pear
5 January 2007

I hope you all had a lovely holiday (and are happy to be back to work :)) I must admit that I haven’t got round to trying many new recipes over the last couple of months, but this is one of...

 

Menu for Hope III - Amai Story
11 December 2006

Yes, it’s that time of year again – Pim and other regional hosts have been busy organising the Menu for Hope III fundraising campaign. Last year we raised over $17,000 for UNICEF; this year, the money raised will support another...

 

Last of the Season
1 December 2006

It’s been a while since we got back to cold, wet England – and still seem to be on Pacific time, already missing the sun (and people :)) in California. We enjoyed lovely food throughout the stay, but not being...

 

Goodbye Summer (Fruit)...
8 October 2006

While I’ve been struggling to put regular posts up here (and here), the transient British summer seems to have gone – it almost feels like we’ve missed the autumn now, it’s suddenly been so wet and cold since the arrival...

 

Wafu Beignets
4 September 2006

I wouldn’t call myself a big fan of deep-fried food – it’s not that I don’t like it – I just can’t eat much at one time and often find the smell of deep-frying overpowering. I remember that it was...

 

The Taste of Summer
22 August 2006

I still remember when I first tasted Miroir Cassis (a typical French blackcurrant mousse cake) a long time ago – the deep red colour and rich flavour seemed somewhat adult to me – and I obviously loved it :) I...

 

Tart Fine of Peach, Black Pepper Ice-cream
11 August 2006

I seem to be enjoying stone fruit recipes this summer – recently apricots and plums – this time I went for peaches. I don’t think I ever cooked them when I was in Japan – it’s hard to explain if...

 

Summer Chocolate and Hidden Garden
1 August 2006

Even though chocolate is something I can’t live without, you don’t really want a big bar of it in this weather (well some people may do) and these ‘cold chocolate’ drinks with a little twist are a good way both...

 

Roast Plums with Honey and Yoghurt Ice-cream
21 July 2006

Although in my last post I said that we’ve had hot-but-not-too-hot weather here in the UK, this week has taken a turn for the hotter. I’m glad that I don’t have to take the tube to go to work any...

 

Summer Pasta and Bakewell Tart
13 July 2006

For me, there is nothing better than having cold noodles when the warm weather puts you off hot food. Summertime here in the UK actually isn’t bad at all, compared to Japan where it is so hot and humid, even...

 

Roasted Apricots with Camomile
7 July 2006

Although I’ve never been a big fan of apricots or plums, I just couldn’t resist trying these recipes – not surprisingly, I liked the pictures in the books :) and I was happy to find decent fruit at a market. The...

 

Gooseberry and Elderflower Ice-cream
29 June 2006

We’ve got a lovely neighbour friend who brings us all sorts of home-grown fruit and vegetables from time to time – he has had an allotment for about 5-6 years and since we moved here we enjoy paying it a...

 

Kumquat Bonanza
21 June 2006

A couple of weeks ago, an auspicious-looking parcel arrived from Singapore – I knew straight away that it was from Joycelyn of Kuidaore, who makes the most exquisite food, with equally elegant writing. The package was thoughtfully packed full of...

 

Caramelised Cocoa Nib Ice-cream
8 June 2006

Since I got these cocoa nibs from my last trip to Paris, they’ve been the source of an irresistible smell in our larder – every time I opened it, I could feel them calling out ‘try me now!’ ‘eat me...

 

Ambroisie - Refined
25 May 2006

I ended up making this dessert after thinking about a pistachio opera cake from this book. I was looking forward to making it, but as soon as I started reading the recipe my enthusiasm wore off – I didn’t like...

 

Summer Nostalgia
15 May 2006

It seems like we can finally enjoy some beautiful summery weather – our garden hasn’t got many flowers yet but just being able to enjoy meals outside makes me happy (and hope that the cold miserable winter won’t come back…) I...

 

Lemon Crepaze with Red Lentil Confit
19 April 2006

I’ve never been a fan of crepes – I know they are just plain pancakes but I always prefer thicker fluffier sponges for some reason. Having said that, I’m gradually being converted to ingredients that I’m not normally mad about...

 

Rosewater, Cardamom and Gum Mastic Ice-cream
27 March 2006

It’s always exciting to try ingredients you’ve never used before – although I sometimes (OK, often) miss the food from my country, one of the positive aspects of moving to the UK is that it’s more multicultural and so we...

 

Rhubarb Rhubarb
17 March 2006

I remember it took a while before I first tried this colourful-celery-like vegetable, which I wasn’t familiar with when I was in Japan. I still wouldn’t say it’s my favourite ingredient, but since I started this blog I’ve been converted...

 

Chocolate Mocha Tart with Espresso Ice-cream Cones
5 March 2006

This is for someone who seriously loves coffee AND chocolate – I’ve been wanting to try the recipe since I bought this book a long time ago. I was obviously attracted by the presentation but the recipe itself sounded interesting...

 

... and Now for Something Fishy...
23 February 2006

When I was in Japan (where I am from), I never appreciated the fact that you can get very fresh fish/seafood anytime. Although they have really good meat too, fish is an essential ingredient of much of our cooking (don’t...

 

Nordljus turned One!
13 February 2006

... more than a week ago. It seems to have gone so quickly and I’d like to thank all the readers of this site for your support – I’ve been inspired by all your feedback and I’m sure I’ll continue...

 

Riviera
28 January 2006

Apologies for the mess over the last couple of days due to the move of our server, and sincere thanks to all of you who supported this site for the 2005 Food Blog Awards – in which Nordljus has been...

 

Pretty in White
18 January 2006

Having been asked to make cakes for a couple of friends’ birthdays, I’ve been looking for some suitable dessert recipes. Something delicious of course, but being a visual person, looking pretty (and befitting celebrations in this case) is also important...

 

Seville Orange Sorbet
13 January 2006

A couple of days ago, when I found these seasonal treats for the first time this year, I just couldn’t help getting loads of them. In the UK, we can only get these bitter, ultra tangy oranges from Seville in...

 

Eclair with a Twist
7 January 2006

Before I start, I wanted to thank you all of you who nominated this site for the 2005 Food Blog Awards, hosted by Kate at Accidental Hedonist. I’m honoured to be one of the finalists in Best New Food Blog...

 

Plaisir Sucré
20 December 2005

This classic cake from Pierre Hermé has been my favourite for a long time. I’ve tried quite a few of his cakes by now but Plaisir Sucré still remains one of the best and I’ve always wanted to try making...

 

Charlotte aux Poires
16 December 2005

I can’t help making this dessert when there are such lovely pears around – a classic mousse cake with piped sponge (biscuits à la cuillére) around it – normally you leave the round edge of the biscuit showing at the...

 

Becoming a Foodie Accidentally...
23 November 2005

This is the first recipe I’ve tried from my recent purchase The Accidental Foodie by Neale Whitaker. He has been the editor of Vogue Entertaining + Travel (my all time favourite magazine) for a while – but as he writes...

 

Pomme d'Eve
11 November 2005

Since I started this blog I’ve been inspired to use ingredients that I don’t normally like – and I’m glad I have because I’ve always been pleasantly surprised by the results! I wouldn’t call myself a fussy eater, but there...

 

Better Late than Never...
29 October 2005

I was quite sad that I missed this month’s SHF – it’s not that I thought it was this Friday, I just couldn’t get round to it – having my birthday last week didn’t help either, although I had a...

 

In The Pink!
29 September 2005

About a week ago, lovely Emily over at La Dolce Vita came up with In The Pink, a food blogging theme of making something pink for breast cancer awareness. It’s such a wonderful idea which I am very happy to...

 

Chestnut Chocolate Marquise
26 September 2005

Although we’ve been having good weather for late September, summer is definitely on the way out and I’m already comfortable wearing autumn colours – and thinking about similarly seasonal recipes. I’m not a big fan of chestnuts per se, but it’s...

 

Ambroisie and Bay Leaf Creme Caramel - SHF#12
17 September 2005

As much as I appreciate Jennifer‘s great idea of SHF, I’m grateful to Elise at Simply Recipes for choosing custard for the theme this month – because I’m a real custard fiend! Getting fresh eggs, milk and cream at a...

 

Banana and Mango Mousse Cake
10 September 2005

This is another entry from Le Goût Authentique Retrouvé written by a Japanese patissier Hidemi Sugino. I’ve made a banana mousse cake called B-Caraïbe before – although I’m not that mad about bananas, for some reason I decided to make...

 

Two Sorbets - Thumbs Up (and Down)
7 September 2005

Because the summer seems to have decided to stay a bit longer in the UK, and even though my ice-cream machine works hard all year around, it has to work even harder during this warm weather. I’ve made quite a...

 

Coconut and Lemon Grass Ice-cream
2 September 2005

Although my all-time favourite ice-cream is classic vanilla, I really love this exotic flavour as well. Using coconut milk instead of normal milk gives a richer flavour and makes surprisingly good custard (I wasn’t sure at first) – the subtle...

 

Triple Chocolate Mousses
22 August 2005

After watching Charlie and the Chocolate Factory a couple of weeks ago (I’m a Johnny Depp aficionado), I felt the urge to follow in the footsteps of Mr Wonka and… made this. The recipe is from my recent purchase Bittersweet...

 

Café Caramel Noix - SHF#11
15 August 2005

Well, it’s Monday today and I missed the coffee-themed SHF hosted by Ronald of Love Sicily – not that I couldn’t take part in it, but I thought it was this Friday… silly me – but coffee is something I...

 

Matcha Double Bill - IMBB #17
31 July 2005

Everyone has been excited since Clement announced the theme for this months’ IMBB – including me! There are so many things you can do with tea, but I decided to stick to matcha this time as I’ve been in a...

 

Crème Thé-chocolat
25 July 2005

This is a tea flavoured crème brûlée – but with chocolate sauce and whipped cream instead of caramelised sugar on top. I tried this recipe a long time ago from one of my Japanese books – although it was good,...

 

White Chocolate and Honey Cream Summer Berry Parfaits with Lavender-scented Meringues - SHF#10
15 July 2005

It seems like the monthly SHF keeps me going – Nic of bakingsheet chose honey for this month’s theme – although I made honey mousse for a previous SHF, I wanted to try another recipe using summer berries as you...

 

Vanilla Mascarpone Cream Hearts with Raspberries and Blackberries
27 June 2005

I had been wanting to try this recipe for some time since I first saw the cute heart-shaped dessert in Christine Manfield’s Desserts – and I had forgotten about it because I couldn’t find the moulds anywhere with holes in...

 

Chocolate Caramel Tartlettes with Sea Salt - SHF#9
17 June 2005

It’s that time again, and yet another great theme chosen by Jarrett of Life in Flow – AKA the host of Food Porn Watch – is tantalizing titillating tempting tarts! I thought about having spring/summer fruits in it, but I’ve...

 

Lunches with Food Bloggers (from all over the world)
3 June 2005

I know it’s been almost a month since I joined a London food bloggers’ lunch – it may be too late for a blog post, but I wanted to mention it as it was a wonderful opportunity to meet...

 

Honey Mousse and Grapefruit Jelly with Tomato Jam - SHF#8
20 May 2005

I didn’t think I could make it this time, but it’s always worth trying to make something new for this event – especially since the theme that Alice of My Adventures in the Breadbox chose for this month was citrus...

 

Green Tea Opera Cake
7 May 2005

We’ve had such lovely weather over the bank holiday weekend – I just didn’t feel like staying in and cooking at all… Now the weather is back to typical British and so I’m back in my kitchen too. This classic, really...

 

Orangey Weekend - IMBB #14
24 April 2005

Thanks to Foodgoat for choosing a brilliant theme for this month’s IMBB – I think deciding recipes from a colour is a wonderful idea and I hope this theme is going to be a regular one! As I’m sure everybody...

 

Gâteau Week-end
19 April 2005

A couple of days ago, I was reading this post about madeleines on The Food Section, hosted by Josh in NYC. I noticed that the recipe he used was very similar to my favourite cake called week-end. Although I tend...

 

Brown Bread Ice-cream
12 April 2005

Finally I managed to try one of the recipes from my Modern British cookery course last month – the course was mainly demonstration based and not very hands-on, so I wanted to try some for myself. After I made the post...

 

Green Tea and Vanilla Panna Cotta with Chocolate Sauce
1 April 2005

This is delicious and dead easy to make! I don’t drink green tea as much as I should (I say this because I am Japanese and that green tea is good for you), but I really like it when used...

 

Does This Look... Scary?
27 March 2005

I can’t believe this, but it must have been almost 20 years since I first had the famous Mont Blanc from Angelina patisserie – not in Paris, but when it opened in Tokyo. This dessert has been incredibly popular in...

 

Caramel Balsamic Ice-cream and Brésilienne - SHF6
18 March 2005

I hope I’m not late this time! I can imagine so many food bloggers got excited when they found out that the theme for Sugar High Fridays 6, hosted by Debbie of words to eat by, was caramel. I certainly...

 

B-Caraïbe
6 March 2005

I didn’t plan to make this cake because I’m not mad about bananas, but I had all the ingredients in hand when I saw the recipe and that was just after I saw the Big G’s banana maple upside down...

 

Stuck in the 70s?
1 March 2005

The BBC have been showing a programme called MasterChef Goes Large – it’s basically a big cooking competition for amateur cooks. Today’s winner was very impressive, but to be honest I don’t really think the average standard is very high...

 

My First Dessert from Hermé Recipes - SHF#5
21 February 2005

By the time I found out that the theme of the 5th Sugar High Fridays was puff pastry, I was too late, having missed the closing date already! Even so, I wanted to try a new dessert and coincidentally it...

 

What's in Season 2
19 February 2005

In January/February, There seems to be a lot of marmalade making going on in British households. For this, Seville oranges – from Seville, Spain – are used, which have an intensely sharp and bitter flavour. Apparently Spanish people no longer...

 

Chocolate Praline Mousse
16 February 2005

As I couldn’t make any chocolate desserts for valentine, I’m trying to make up for lost time… so I might make lots of chocolatey posts over the coming week, but I’m sure nobody would mind :) I found this recipe in...

 

What's in season (in Britain)
5 February 2005

I found this recipe in olive magazine – I wouldn’t say I’m a big fan of pears (!) but thought it looked pretty and would give it a go. Fortunately, nothing complicated involved; you just need to poach the pears...

 

Cinnabon-ish trial
3 February 2005

Matthew has got such a sweet tooth and loves Cinnabon – however, it costs £2.5 (almost $5) for a roll here and I thought that was outrageous! Therefore I decided to make them myself. I’ve made this ‘American favourite’ lots of...