Strawberry Ricotta Muffins

The past 10 days have been packed with excitement - too much for me at times. It started off with an urgent change to a new camera and laptop and I wasn't too happy about this at first. I'm not a very technical person, I prefer sticking to a set up once it's up and running rather than getting used to all sorts of technical novelties every couple years. I'm a bit lazy in that respect, but my forthcoming cookbook pushed me out of my comfort zone and called for new equipment. After 2 days of confusion and desperation, a long talk with my wonderful and patient photographer friend Anne Deppe, I felt ready for a new technical era in my life!

So once all these issues were solved, I could finally get started with the first recipes for my book. It felt a bit intimidating in the beginning when I took the pictures. I thought "wow, this will be printed one day, I'll be able to hold these photos in my hands next year". No more digital flexibility, this is the unchangeable analog world, I'll have to make final decisions together with my editor Holly which will be irreversible at one point and printed onto paper! I stopped for a few minutes, put the camera aside and took my time to process everything that happened in the past month. I looked at the camera and the sandwich on the table right in front of me and made a decision: this is going to be fun, exactly like my blog!

Eat in my kitchen has always been about my love for food and my enjoyment in the kitchen, I've enjoyed every second of this journey and I'll keep it this way. So when this mental hurdle was overcome, the recipe craziness began: I cooked and baked 17 new dishes in the past 5 days, luckily I had family in the house, visiting me in Berlin. Everyone was more than happy to test the recipes and I was glad to hear their feedback. It was a very satisfying experience for both sides and there are hopefully many more to come in the next few weeks and months while I'm cooking and baking for the book.

When I met my friend Anna to talk about my technical issues, I decided to make a bunch of muffins with relaxing and caressing qualities. I needed some soul food for my stressed mind. I threw in my first strawberries of the year and their subtle sweetness matched wonderfully to the smooth dough which I refined with ricotta, olive oil and orange juice. They came out as being perfect spring breakfast muffins, light and fruity - and they relaxed me!

Strawberry Ricotta Muffins

For a muffin tray with 12 molds you need

• plain flour 320g / 11 1/4oz

• granulated sugar 100g / 3 1/2oz plus 1-2 teaspoons for the topping

• baking powder 3 leveled teaspoons

• baking soda 1/2 teaspoon

• salt 1/4 teaspoon

• organic eggs 2

• ricotta 250g / 9oz

• olive oil 100ml / 3 1/2fl oz

• freshly squeezed orange juice 30ml / 1fl oz

• strawberries, cut into chunks, 200g / 7 ounces

Set your oven to 190°C / 375°F (fan-assisted oven) and put paper baking cups into the 12 molds of the muffin tray.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Take out 1 heaped tablespoon of the flour-sugar mixture and mix quickly with the strawberries. In a second bowl, mix the eggs, ricotta, olive oil and orange juice until light and fluffy and pour into the bowl with the dry mixture. Stir with a wooden spoon until you have a lumpy dough (with a bit of flour left here and there) and gently fold in the chopped strawberries. Keep in mind, the more you mix it the more it will lose its light texture.

Fill the muffin tray with the dough and bake for about 18 minutes or until golden. Take 1 muffin out of the tray and check with your finger if the bottom is baked through (the strawberries will make it very juicy). Sprinkle the muffins with a little sugar and let them cool on a wire rack for a few minutes before you put them on your breakfast table.

Camembert, Dark Grape and Candied Rosemary Sandwich

Sometimes cheese can be quite challenging, especially its fragrance. This can be a bit of a hurdle despite its delicious qualities, an obstacle to get over to be able to finally enjoy this treat. There is a simple camembert lying in my fridge at the moment which I like to buy once in a while, it's nothing special, it's neither organic nor from a small farmer in the French countryside, but I love it. It's honest, creamy and very, very aromatic, and unfortunately, it stinks so much that it takes days to get the smell out of our fridge again. I can take a lot when it comes to cheese, my nose has seen and smelt the whole range of the world of cheese. One of the prettiest cheese shops I've been to was in Paris, dedicated to the wonders of dairy milk, the display and fragrance in this room was impressive! But the odor of my little camembert in the fridge tops everything, it's borderline. I always ask myself twice if I really want to put myself, the fridge and my close environment through this attack on the nose.

A sandwich came to mind, and obviously, my little French dairy friend asks for strong partners, red wine of course, but also fruits, herbs, spices or chutney. Although it's not the right time for grapes yet, I couldn't resist buying the crisp dark South African fruits I spotted at the market. Their plump juiciness manages to balance out the sharpest cheese. So I wanted more of that sweetness, candied rosemary needles, sticky and crunchy, to get the camembert under control. It worked!

This sandwich puts you right in the scene of a summery picnic in the French countryside, a blanket spread on a green meadow next to a wide river, a bottle of wine, maybe a crisp bean and ramp quiche  and a bowl of spinach, strawberry and goat cheese salad. This is the picture I remember when I think of one of my weekend trips to Alsace many years ago, I just close my eyes, take a bite of my camembert sandwich and I'm right there!

Camembert, Dark Grape and Candied Rosemary Sandwich

For 2 large sandwiches you need

• crunchy white buns (or fresh baguette), cut in half, 2

• ripe camembert, cut into slices, 200g / 7 ounces

• dark seedless grapes, cut in half, a small handful

• rosemary needles 2 tablespoons

• granulated sugar 2 tablespoons

• water 2 tablespoons

Divide the cheese between the 2 buns and lay the grapes on top.

In a small pan, heat the sugar and water on high temperature. When it turns golden add the rosemary, stir quickly and caramelize for a few seconds, mind that it doesn't burn. Transfer the candied herb immediately onto the sandwich. Use 2 forks, you have to do this while the syrup is still liquid, it becomes sticky and hard very quick. If you can't get the rosemary out, put the pan back on the heat.

Enjoy!

Green Bean, Pea and Kumquat Salad with Turmeric and Mint

Nature is blossoming all around me! Crisp young leaves sprinkle the branches of the Linden trees in front of our house with their fresh green, thousands of yellow, pink and white flowers take over the city, visually and with their fragrance. It feels so refreshing and wakes up all my senses!

So many colours bursting around me inspire my culinary activities, I need crisp greens, beans, peas and mint, and a little orange, sweet and sour kumquats and fresh turmeric root for a light vinaigrette. You could also enjoy this composition as a warm side dish, with a splash of olive oil instead. I wanted to take my time, to prepare one ingredient after the other without hassling about keeping everything warm. I chose to slow down my pace, the kitchen windows wide open and the birds seemed as excited about this outburst of spring as I am. It was a cold salad in the end, enjoyed with a relaxed mind and a couple slices of fresh ciabatta.

Green Bean, Pea and Kumquat Salad with Turmeric and Mint

For 2 as a lunch or 4 as a side dish you need

• flat green beans, the ends cut off, 380g / 13 1/2oz

• peas, fresh or frozen, 150g / 5 1/4oz

• kumquats, rinsed and scrubbed, thinly sliced, 4

• fresh mint leaves, a small handful

For the dressing

• olive oil 3 tablespoons

• freshly squeezed orange juice 3 tablespoons

• freshly grated turmeric root (or ginger), a pinch, to taste

• salt and pepper

In a large pot, bring salted water to the boil and blanch the beans for 3 minutes or until al dente. Take them out with a slotted ladle and rinse them under cold water for a second (to keep the fresh colour). Blanch the peas in the same pot for 1 minute, take them out and rinse them for a second with cold water.

Whisk the ingredients for the dressing and season to taste. Arrange the beans and peas on a large plate, sprinkle with the dressing, the slices of kumquat, mint leaves and a little more grated turmeric root.

Lavender Gâteau Breton

This little Gâteau Breton looks so simple and innocent but there's a rich and buttery depth behind its golden crust that can easily compete with any lavish layer cake. I admire the sweet French cuisine for mastering the art of getting the most out of a piece of butter, a few eggs and some sugar and flour. This is minimalism brought to perfection in baking.

I chose this Brittany butter cake as it seemed the right recipe to try out my new homemade lavender sugar. A spongy shortbread, that's how I would describe it, sprinkled with the most fragrant purple sugar, it sounded so good and it tasted even better. Frances Bissell, the woman behind the wonderful baking book The Floral Baker, is a genius mind responsible for many wonderful sweet and savoury creations refined with lavender, jasmine, rose petals, orange flower water, wild garlic or saffron. Her recipe collection is a journey through nature's opulence, I felt so inspired by the way she introduces new flavours and offers fresh combinations that I had never heard of or thought about. I already decided that her Saffron and Rosewater Biscuits, Lavender and Tomato Tart and the Lavender White Chocolate Caramel Cake will soon make an appearance on my kitchen table!

My first practical approach to her book was the preparation of lavender sugar. Frances suggests 10 parts sugar and 1 part lavender flowers (L. augustifolia, Hidcote), I trust this experienced baker so I decided to fill a huge jar up to the brim. My new pantry project satisfied me instantly, every couple days, I took it off the shelf to shake my flowery treasure and imagined all the recipes it would refine in future. Pure relaxation in a jar!

After a few weeks the time had come to give it a go and I think I couldn't have had a better start to my flower project. I didn't mix the sugar in in the dough, I just sprinkled the purple flowers and sugar on top of my warm Gâteau Breton and it instantly spread its beautiful aroma. It looked stunning, it took a French baking classic to another level and my boyfriend, who isn't usually too fond of lavender, couldn't get enough of it (like me)!

I'm with Diana Henry on The Floral Baker: 'So thrilled with this by the wonderful Frances Bissell'! Thrilled and inspired, that's the best a cookbook can do!

Lavender Gateau Breton

Mind that you prepare the lavender sugar a few days (or even weeks) in advance, 10 parts sugar and 1 part organic lavender flowers (L. augustifolia, Hidcote), you'll only need a couple teaspoons for this cake.

For a 25cm / 10" tart pan you need

• plain flour 200g / 7oz

• baking powder 3/4 teaspoon

• a pinch of salt

• butter, soft, 150g / 5 1/4oz

• organic egg yolks 3 plus 1 egg

• granulated sugar 125g / 4 1/2oz

For the glaze

• organic egg yolk 1

• water 1 tablespoon

For the topping

• lavender sugar 1-2 teaspoons, to taste

Set the oven to 170°C / 340°F (fan-assisted oven) and butter the tart pan.

Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl. In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks, the egg and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the butter and mix with the hooks of your mixer, add the flour and continue mixing until combined. Scrape the dough into the tart pan (it will be sticky) and even out the surface a little. Whisk the egg yolk and water for the glaze and brush the top of the dough. Scratch a diamond pattern into the surface (as you can see in the pictures), mind that you scratch deep enough, otherwise the pattern will melt away while baking. Sprinkle with a teaspoon of lavender sugar (without the flowers) and bake for 25-28 minutes or until golden. Sprinkle the warm cake with a little more lavender sugar (this time with the flowers as well).

Thyme and Lemon Ricotta stuffed Pork Roll

This scrumptious pork roll combines the hearty qualities of a juicy roast topped with crunchy crackling and the fresh spring feeling of ricotta, lemon zest, parmesan and thyme. If you liked my Bavarian Beer Roast for those cosy dinners at winter time, this is a great alternative for the warmer season, for a summery Sunday lunch under the bright blue sky and blossoming trees. It's the perfect recipe to feast with your friends, the table filled with plates of crisp asparagus tomato salad, loaves of homemade bread and pink glasses of chilled rosé wine - and the roast right in the middle!

You could use butterflied pork loin from a fully grown pig for this dish but I went for suckling pig. Its fine flavour and tender texture is exactly what you need if you want to roll up the loin with a light Mediterranean stuffing, no distractions, just the fine aromas merged with the meat.

Suckling pig is a traditional German dish, you can often see it at village feasts in the countryside, a whole pig roast on a spit over the open grill. The scene can be a bit intimidating, it's an archaic ritual - meat and fire. To me, it's part of our nature and as I decided to include meat in my diet, I also decided to confront myself with various cooking methods, even the ones that aren't as pleasing for the eyes as a schnitzel covered in breadcrumbs.

Thyme and Lemon Ricotta stuffed Pork Roll

For 6 people you need

• suckling pork loin, boneless, butterflied, 1,2kg / 2 3/4 pounds

• ricotta 225g / 8 ounces

• freshly squeezed lemon juice 1 tablespoon

• lemon zest 1 heaping tablespoon

• Parmesan 1 heaping tablespoon

• fresh thyme leaves, 1 heaping tablespoon

• black peppercorns, crushed in a mortar, 1 teaspoon

• fine sea salt 1 teaspoon

• coarse sea salt, to sprinkle the roll

• cotton string for the roll

Set the oven to 240°C / 465°F (I used the Rotitherm setting).

Whisk the ricotta, lemon juice, zest, parmesan, thyme, pepper and salt. Lay the meat out flat on the kitchen top and spread with the ricotta-spice mix, leave a 2 cm / 3/4" rim all the way round. Roll up the meat tightly without squeezing out the filling and tie with a cotton string every 3cm / 1". Sprinkle the skin generously with sea salt (push it into the skin a little), place the roll in a roasting dish and roast in the oven for 10 minutes. Turn down the heat to 175°C / 350°F and roast for 35 minutes. Turn on the grill until the skin starts to crackle. Take the meat out of the oven, wrap in aluminium foil and let it rest for 10 minutes before serving. Serve with asparagus tomato salad or a light potato salad.

The meat also tastes great cold, cut into thin slices, on a sandwich!

Roast Garlic and Pink Peppercorn Tartine

This is one of the quickest and most addictive lunch snacks you can imagine - and it's healthy! With just one bite I had 3 cloves of roasted garlic in my mouth, enjoying its smooth texture and aromatic taste refined with pretty pink peppercorns and my flaky sea salt from Gozo. I roasted lots of fleshy cloves from a young garlic bulb in the oven, you'll need about 15  for 2 small tartines. They cooked in their skin for about 15 minutes before I mashed them with a fork onto the bread, smooth, slightly sweet and concentrated in flavour. I shared a similar sandwich with you, exactly a year ago, the same procedure but with grilled Gruyère cheese on top. It was good too, a bit more hearty and rich.

I could really eat garlic by the bulb (roasted, not raw!). I love its sweet spiciness, its bold taste. You could also purée the grilled and peeled cloves with a little salt and use it as a thin spread on bread. It's so good for our bodies, known to be one of the oldest traditional remedies in the European and Asian culture. No additional medicine, you just have to eat well to feel good!

Roast Garlic and Pink Peppercorn Tartine

For 2 small tartines you need

• rustic dark bread 2 small slices

• large cloves of garlic, in their skin, about 14

• pink peppercorns, lightly crushed in a mortar, for the topping

• flaky sea salt, to taste

Set the oven to 210°C / 410°F (fan-assisted oven).

Roast the garlic in their skin on a tray in the oven for about 15-18 minutes, or until you can mash the cloves with a fork. Mind that they don't get dark and hard! Peel and mash them with a fork on the bread, sprinkle with a little sea salt and pink peppercorns. Enjoy warm!

Froga tat-Tarja - Maltese Pasta Frittata with spicy Green Pesto

A few weeks ago, my boyfriend told my about this Maltese classic from his childhood days: Froga tat-Tarja, a golden pan fried pasta omelette. This is the essence of Southern comfort food, it works all year round, but I mixed in some spicy green pesto which gave it a fresh spring feel. I must admit that my initial plan was to go for basil pesto but my little Mediterranean kitchen plant looked too sad. I can see it trying so hard (and hopelessly) to grow more leaves so I couldn't bring myself to rip it up and leave it naked with only some slim stalks stuck into the soil.

I also had some rucola left and could have easily turned that into an aromatic pesto but you can imagine what happened next, ramp came to mind as always at this time of year and all other green pesto options were kicked out in a split second. It's garlicky spiciness combined with its really short season make it simply irresistible to me. So if you have any green pesto, some eggs and leftover pasta lying around in your kitchen, whisk it together, throw it in a pan like a pancake and fry until golden brown. Wonderfully easy comfort cooking, thanks to the leftovers!

Froga tat-Tarja - Maltese Pasta Frittata with spicy Green Pesto

For 1-2 people you need

• leftover spaghetti or capelli di angelo, cold, 120g / 4 1/4oz

• organic eggs, beaten, 2

• ramp pesto, or any other green pesto, 1 heaping tablespoon plus more for the topping (recipe here)

• salt 1/2 teaspoon

• black peppercorns, crushed in a mortar, to taste

• Parmesan, grated, for the topping

• olive oil

Whisk the eggs, salt, pepper and pesto and mix with the pasta. Heat a splash of olive oil in a small pan (21cm / 8") and fry the egg pasta like an omelette until golden brown on both sides. Sprinkle with Parmesan and a little more pesto, season with salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately.

Happy News: The Eat In My Kitchen Cookbook & Espresso Chocolate Biscotti

An exciting email from New York changed my life! Holly La Due from Prestel/ Verlagsgruppe Random House asked me if I'd be interested in writing a cookbook filled with my recipes, stories and photographs. I had to read this email twice before I ran to my boyfriend who was still in bed, it was 7 in the morning, I put the laptop on his chest and made him read the email to me again. I screamed and laughed out loud hysterically!

Holly is the most patient and helpful editor any author could ask for, she has been following eat in my kitchen for a while and I felt pretty soon that we're a very good match. So the past few weeks were filled with lots of excitement and many, long Skype calls across the Atlantic. Discussing how we're going to do this together, talking about our ideas and our vision for the book which will be published in English and in German. Prestel is highly renowned for its publications in art, design and architecture so I don't have to worry about the aesthetic development of my book. With a great publisher behind me, I have the wonderful freedom to fill almost 300 pages with many new recipes, some blog classics and my own photography. After working only digitally on the blog, it feels like a natural transition into the physical world, everything you find on my blog, my style of cooking and baking and my photos, will be merged into the pages of the Eat In My Kitchen cookbook. There will be many more of my salads, soups and vegetable creations, meat and seafood recipes, sandwiches, and there will be lots of baking happening as well. The American Eater brought it to a point a few days ago, "comfort food with a Mediterranean palate". My German upbringing, my mother's cooking in particular, my boyfriend's Maltese/ American family, many summers spent in Malta and Gozo, these are my influences in the kitchen, my never ending source of culinary creativity.

And now I can do what I love so much, I can cook and bake even more, write new recipes and take many, many pictures so that all of us can hold this book in our hands next year. I feel so inspired, I have so many recipes on my mind, there's so much energy and happiness that I can already feel coming from these pages.

It must have been around a year ago that some of you started to ask me about an Eat In My Kitchen book, a physical alternative to my blog's online platform. I had never really thought about it before, although there were enough recipes to fill a couple books, it wasn't on my mind. That changed in the past few months, to get so much support from all of you, so many emails from happy food lovers who enjoy my recipes so much, this experience let this idea ripen in my head, so Prestel asked me at the right time, I'm ready!

Although there are still quite a few months of work ahead of us before the big release day, which will be in the Fall of 2016, I know that we'll need the time to create a book that touches and inspires everybody like the blog already does. Thank you for your ongoing support, thank your for your wonderful words and trust in my work!

The happiest regards from Berlin!

Meike xx

This much excitement asked for a kicking taste experience to feel that I'm actually not dreaming: crunchy biscotti, refined with espresso butter, spices, dark chocolate and hazelnuts. These little treats are so good with a cup of tea or a tiny black espresso, they are definitely for adults who need a moment of intense savouring, bittersweet and full of flavour!

You can read the first announcement of my cookbook on Eater here!

Espresso Butter Chocolate Biscotti

For about 45 biscotti you need

• butter, melted, 100g / 3.5oz

• instant espresso powder 2 teaspoons

• plain flour 400g / 14oz

• baking powder 2 teaspoons

• granulated sugar 210g / 7 1/2oz

• salt 1/4 teaspoon

• five-spice powder (fennel seeds, star-anise, cloves, cinnamon, Sichuan pepper) 2 teaspoons

• cardamom 1/4 teaspoon

• organic eggs 3

• bittersweet chocolate, roughly chopped, 120g / 4 1/4oz

• hazelnuts, roughly chopped, 50g / 1 3/4oz

Set your oven to 180°C / 355°F (fan-assisted oven) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Whisk the espresso powder into the warm, melted butter and let it cool for a few minutes.

Combine the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and spices. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs until creamy and mix in the espresso butter. Add the dry mixture and mix with the dough hooks of your mixer until just combined. Stir in the chocolate and nuts, form a ball and divide into four parts. Form each into a long bread shape (around 5cm / 2″ wide) and place on the baking sheet, bake for 25 minutes. Take them out and let them cool for about 20 minutes.

Turn the oven down to 170°C / 340°F.

For the second round, cut each loaf gently into 1 1/2cm / 1/2″ slices and lay the biscotti flat on the baking sheet, sprinkle each one with a little sugar. Bake for 6 minutes, turn them over and sprinkle the other side with sugar. Bake them for another 6 minutes or until golden brown, put them on a wire rack and let them cool. You can keep the biscotti in an airtight container for days.

meet in your kitchen | Hemsley + Hemsley's Raw Avocado Lime Cheesecake

These two ladies are a true force of nature! If you ever have the chance to be in a room together with the charmingly gorgeous Jasmine and Melissa Hemsley, prepare yourself for a wave of energy. I met the two sisters at one of their delicious workshops at The Store Kitchen at Soho House in Berlin and I was equally impressed by their natural beauty and their skills in the kitchen. With infectious smiles and their experienced hands at the chopping block, they prepared one scrumptious treat after the other: smoothies, salads, courgetti with bolognese (the sisters' famous zucchini spaghetti) and a divine raw avocado cheesecake dessert. I sat, listened and savoured!

The Hemsley sisters started their careers in different fields before they took over the food world with their concept of no gluten, no grains and no sugar but with lots of taste and pleasure. While Jasmine worked as a model for over 15 years her younger sister Melissa traveled the world as a fashion consultant. Due to their busy lifestyles both women had a strong interest in a diet that would do their bodies good rather than stressing them even more. Their holistic concept convinced many food lovers, it started off with friends who asked for consultancy and cooking classes before the sister's blog and family business Hemsley + Hemsley was born in 2010. As contributors for Vogue UK and The Guardian, the two recipe developers, cooks and food consultants also became responsible for the catering of several celebrities. Nothing could stop them anymore, their popularity grew rapidly. Their first cookbook, The Art of Eating Well published in fall 2014, is a bestseller packed with lots of inspiring recipes and we chose one of them to share with you: the addictive Avocado Lime Cheesecake, raw, vegan and unbelievably delicious!

The pictures of the Hemsley sisters and the avocado dessert in glasses (served at Soho House Berlin) are by Nick Hopper.

Avocado Lime Cheesecake

Serves 12

For the base

• pecans (or sunflower seeds) 125g /4 1/2oz

• desiccated coconut 45g / 1 1/2oz

• cacao nibs 70g / 2 1/2oz

• pitted dates (approx. 32) 185g / 6 1/2oz

• coconut oil, melted and at room temperature, 3 tablespoons

For the filling

• avocado flesh (from approx. 5 medium-large avocados) 560g / 1 pound 2 1/2oz

• lime juice (roughly 8 to 10 limes) 200ml / 7fl oz (I used 100ml / 3 1/2fl oz)

• coconut oil, melted and at room temperature, 175ml / 6fl oz

• lime zest 1 tsp

• honey 190g / 6 3/4oz (I used 100g / 3 1/2oz)

Preheat the oven to 150°C/300°F/gas mark 2.

Place the pecans and desiccated coconut on a baking-tray lined with baking-paper. Place in the oven for seven to eight minutes, until toasted. Transfer the pecans to a food processor and add the rest of the base ingredients. Blend until the mixture is crumbly (don't let it go completely smooth) and holds together when pinched.

Line the base and sides of an 18cm (7") ( mine was 20cm / 8") round cake tin with baking-paper and tip in the base mixture. Press this down firmly and evenly with the back of a spoon, ensuring it is neat and flat where it meets the tin. Transfer the tin to the fridge while you prepare the filling.

Place all of the ingredients for the filling into the food processor and blend until the mixture is completely smooth and silky. Check for taste – add more lime juice, zest or honey according to preference, but it's best to keep this deliciously tangy. Remove the cake tin from the fridge and pour the filling over the base. Cover the tin, using a plate or cling film, and return it to the fridge for a few hours or overnight.

To serve, run a knife between the tin and the cake and carefully push the base up from the bottom. Transfer to a plate and serve immediately.

Before you started your family business Hemsley + Hemsley in 2010, you worked as a model and as a fashion/ brand manager. How did this transition into the food business come about? What moved you to make this step?

Jasmine: Yes, I was working full-time as a model from the age of 19. I was fascinated by the many different ideas surrounding health and nutrition, from paleo to low-fat, juice cleansing and many other ideologies, and began to develop and grow the Hemsley + Hemsley way of eating through research, study and self-practice whilst sharing tips and tricks with friends and family. Mel, who worked as a footwear brand manager and later in marketing and promotion for gastropubs and bars, caught the cooking bug and helped spread the word.

Melissa: We didn’t intentionally ‘launch’ the business - it came about organically. As people reached out to us for help with their digestion and relationship with food, we suddenly found ourselves working as wellness coaches and private chefs. Providing a bespoke service for these clients, we’d clear out their cupboards, fill up their fridges and freezers and show them how to cook our recipes. The results where so positive, they felt better - happier, healthier and more energized. Back then we didn’t have a name, so our clients called us their ‘food fairies’ and from the first week we had a waiting list as everybody recommended us to their friends, families and colleagues.

You seem to complement each others strengths perfectly. What are the advantages of working so closely with your sister? What are your roles, how do you deal with disagreements between the two of you when it comes to your business?

Jasmine: We always said it would be great to have a family business, making the food we all want to eat, food that keeps us happy and energised and be able to share it with everybody. The business has evolved naturally and we now work in areas that we love the most. When it comes to recipes, my sweet tooth means I usually mastermind the puddings and desserts, while Mel is the queen of knock-out curries and one pot dishes. My partner Nick is the third wheel to Hemsley + Hemsley - the man behind the scenes taking all the photos and running the back end of the business.

Melissa: As with all small businesses, you have to roll up your sleeves and get involved. Luckily everyday is different at H+H - cooking, meetings, recipe developments, lots of room for creativity and also plenty of time to work alone and remotely from laptops so we aren’t on each others space the whole time. And when it comes back to just being family we find it remarkably easy to switch off!

Who is your biggest inspiration in the kitchen? What are your culinary roots?

Jasmine: We’ve both always loved good home-cooked food from early on thanks to our Filipina mum being wonderful and inspiring in the kitchen. She would make use of everything we had - definitely where our frugal streak comes from - and each meal was made with great care and attention.

Melissa: Growing up, the more we tuned into how our bodies were really feeling, the more we realised the relationship between food and good health. Being the youngest I lucked out as mum and Jasmine used to do all the cooking and all I had to do was lay the table. As I got older I realised that it was so hard to eat nourishing foods without truly taking charge of it yourself. I realised that if I wanted to eat the same good food I’d have to start putting into practise what I’d absorbed over the years of being around mum, Jaz and all our aunties!

You're big fans of bone broth, how did this start and why does it have such an important role in your food concept?

Bone broth will always be at the heart of our philosophy and intrinsic to everything we do. We love it because it’s a champion all rounder, packed with protein, vitamins, minerals, collagen and keratin - all the building blocks for healthy digestion and glowing skin. Easy to make, frugal and tasty, this ‘liquid gold’ is supremely versatile and a must in anyone's recipe repertoire! Wellness begins from within and good digestion is key - bone broth is an easy to digest source of protein for very little money. At home, we always have broth on the go or a batch in the freezer. You can throw any leftovers in like shredded chicken, roast veggies, yesterday’s salad and swirl through some pesto or miso for a quick soup. We also use it to steam up some quinoa, as the base for sauces, soups, stews and to simply drink it warm from a mug.

How did you develop your holistic food concept, did you work together with food/ health consultants or did you follow your own experiences?

We’ve been developing and growing the Hemsley + Hemsley way of eating for almost ten years through research, study and self-practice. We really tuned in and focused on what made us feel good despite whatever was going on in the media about what you should and shouldn’t be eating. Our philosophy and nutritional ideals take you back to basics with a focus on provenance and digestion. People love our style of cooking and are always intrigued as to how food this tasty could possibly be good for you.

How do you develop new recipes?

We are constantly inspired by our travels when experiencing new cuisines as well as by our readers and client’s who often request Hemsley + Hemsley reworked versions of their favourite foods.

What was the first dish you cooked on your own, what is your first cooking memory?

Jasmine: My mum would make a big soup instead of a Sunday roast, using up all the leftovers from the fridge. I started off cooking one-pot dishes and they are still a Hemsley + Hemsley staple now - a lot of our recipes are simple, quick and frugal dishes which begin with a base of homemade bone broth and can be adapted and added to in order to make use of leftovers.

Melissa: I remember making the perfect creamy scrambled eggs with my mum...lots of butter and a slow-cook.

What are your favourite places to buy and enjoy food in London?

Jasmine: We’ve just discovered Sea Containers (Seamus Mullen) on the Southbank which is stunningly beautiful and the food is incredible with views of the Thames. While we’re over that way, we love Borough Market for fresh produce and The Ginger Pig for delicious, organic meat.

Melissa: For eating out I love Brunswick House in Vauxhall, Elliots in Borough Market, Rochelle’s Canteen in Shoreditch (it’s hidden from the street in a converted school) and Paradise in Kensal Rise (where I used to work).

You shared your Avocado Lime Cheesecake recipe on eat in my kitchen, how did you develop this delicious vegan cheesecake?

People always tell us that our recipes don’t taste healthy and we pride ourselves on coming up with upgraded versions of takeaways, comfort foods and the nostalgia-inducing dishes that our clients, friends, families and followers love best from their childhoods. Keeping texture and flavour in mind, we made clever use of whole foods such as skin-boosting avocado and zesty lime to reinvent this classic and give it the Hemsley + Hemsley stamp of approval. The Avocado Lime Cheesecake is a raw, New York-style cheesecake packed full of goodness. The smooth creamy lime sits atop a nutty, chocolate base with a hint of coconut. It’s tasty, filling and good for you!

If you could choose one person to cook a meal for you, who and what would it be?

Jasmine: Keith Floyd, cooking up a Bouillabaisse in the South of France and enjoying it with plenty of wine in the sunshine. I bet it’d be an afternoon to remember!

Melissa: Rather than have her cook for me, I’d want to cook for the legendary Madhur Jaffrey, probably something like our Chicken Curry and Cauliflower Rice so that she could critique it!

You're going to have ten friends over for a spontaneous dinner, what will be on the table?

Don’t be fooled, these 3 course menus are so easy! And people always tell us they cant believe that it’s healthy food when it tastes that good:

Jasmine: Starter: Baked Chicken Liver Mousse and Carrot and Flax Crackers  Main Course: Fish Pie with Celeriac Mash and a side of Garlic Lemon Green Beans Dessert: Instant Berry and Coconut Ice Cream

Melissa: Starter: Cucumber Maki Crab Rolls  Main Course: Courgette and Aubergine Curry and a side of Cauliflower Rice  Dessert: Pistachio, Fig and Goat’s Cheese Trifle

What was your childhood's culinary favourite and what is it now?

Jasmine: I’ve always had a sweet tooth so it would have to be chocolate brownies. I almost cried the first day I made our Black Bean Brownies and they came out perfectly - fudgy, rich and delicious. They’re now one of our most popular sweet treats from our book The Art of Eating Well; and best of all, they’re free from any processed nasties!

Melissa: Spaghetti Bolognese was one of my favourites growing up and it still is now, except we call it Beef Ragu with Courgetti. Made with the Hemsley Spiralizer, we enjoy the sauce atop a bed of spiralized courgette which we call courgetti and fill the sauce with extra grated carrot and courgette as well as highly nutritious chicken livers if we have any. It’s hearty, warming comfort food that’s perfect with a glass of red wine.

Do you prefer to cook on your own or together with others?

Jasmine: I love to cook with family and friends, it’s always a great way to catch-up and I love seeing how other people do things in the kitchen.

Melissa: I like to have the music on and cook by myself sometimes, as it’s one of the ways I love to unwind, just in the kitchen at home. Saying that, I also love getting together with friends over a glass of wine and have us all chopping away in the kitchen together.

Which meals do you prefer, improvised or planned?

Jasmine: I’m the queen of leftovers so I love getting experimental - it’s a great way to discover new recipes and more often than not you’ll be pleasantly surprised with what you can rustle up.

Melissa: The spontaneous ones that come out of leftovers in the fridge, they’re always the best!

Which meal would you never cook again?

Jasmine: Lactose fermented herring - yes I tried to make fermented fish myself! It’s not something I will be repeating anytime soon, I think I’ll stick to sauerkraut, kimchi and other fermented veg to get my probiotic fix!

Melissa: I can’t think of any one but have definitely recipe tested recipes before that ended up being really complicated so I wouldn’t bother with those again, no matter how tasty. We spend a lot of time experimenting while recipe developing to come up with meals that are simple, delicious and nutritious, so if it’s complicated, it doesn’t make the cut.

Thank you Jasmine and Melissa!

Sardine and Lemon Sandwich with Ramp Pesto and Cherry Tomatoes

A few months ago, my mother went to one of her favourite spots in France, the Belle-Île-en Mer, a picturesque island off the coast of Brittany. It wasn't her first visit, she's been to this tiny rock in the Atlantic Ocean countless times, and whenever I talk to her while she's there, she sounds like she just walked out of a spa. This island must be magic and I've wanted to discover it for myself for ages. I've tasted it though, at least some of it's produce. My mama knows my weak spot for all the culinary delights from this country, solid and liquid, so she gladly treats her ever hungry daughter to her new and old discoveries whenever she comes back. Last time she gave me a few beautiful tins of preserved sardines, the design is a bit old-fashioned, I love that, although it's just a fish tin, it's a pleasure to see it in the pantry. Once she gave me a large can of tinned fish soup from the same island, I liked it so much that it became my container for the kitchen brush and sponge!

The first time I tasted the preserved sardines refined with thin slices of lemon, it must have been early last winter, I got absolutely hooked on this oily treat. I've never been a big fan of preserved fish until that life changing moment, literarily, as since that day, I always eat my weekly Sunday pizza with these sardines, week after week. But today I thought they deserve a little variation. I had to change to another brand as our stock has been used up, it's not as good but still delicious, and I decided that the fish would make a scrumptious appearance on a juicy sandwich with ramp pesto and preserved lemons. It's that time of year again, I can't leave the grocery store without a bunch of ramp, due to their short season but mainly because we're almost addicted to it. So, another ramp pesto, another tin of sardines and a new sandwich, the kind you would eat at the sea, wrapped in paper, your fingers dripping of oil, and the wonderful taste of garlicky green, sour lemon and rich sardines in your mouth, fantastic!

This sandwich has been featured by Food52!

Sardine and Lemon Sandwich with Ramp Pesto and Cherry Tomatoes

For 2 sandwiches you need

• rustic white buns, cut in half, 2

• quality preserved sardines in olive oil, boned and cut into fillets, 3 fish (about 70g / 2 1/2oz)

• preserved lemon, cut into thin slices, 1/8 (alternatively, you could use the roasted lemon peel from this recipe)

• cherry tomatoes, quartered, 2

• rucola, a small handful

For the pesto (this will be a little more than you'll need but you can eat the pesto with pasta or as a spread on toasted dark bread)

• bunch of ramp, the stalks cut off, 1 (around 45g /  1 1/2oz)

• Parmesan 25g / 1oz

• olive oil 55ml /2fl oz

• salt 1/4 teaspoon

Mix the ingredients for the pesto in a blender until smooth and season to taste.

Brush the bottom half of the buns with a little oil from the fish tin (just if it's quality olive oil), cover with rucola and lay 3 single fillets of the sardines on top. Garnish with the tomatoes and sprinkle with pesto and lemon slices.

Radicchio and Balsamic Butter Spaghetti with Marjoram and Pine Nuts

Bitter radicchio, sweet and sour balsamic butter and flowery marjoram is a very powerful combination, every single flavour is dominant rather than subtle. They all scream for attention, but somehow manage to merge in this comfy pasta dish to create something bigger, a new taste that's beyond their individual qualities.

Whenever I savour a meal with spaghetti, I'm always impressed by how such an easy dish can make me feel so good, comfortable and cosy, and at the same time, caress me with its sensuality. The most simple and quickest pasta dish, be it carbonara, bolognese, pure red sauce, or just butter and parmesan, can feel like a Mediterranean feast, it makes me forget about duties and sorrows, it's a celebration of life. I guess that's also the reason why there's often wine involved, at least at my dinner table. It makes me want to have the windows wide open, dreamy music in the air carried away by a soft breeze, this is one of the most sensual meals in the whole world, spaghetti! Just thinking about it, writing about it, wakes up my senses, seeing the plate in front of me, smelling the teasing aroma of radicchio, vinegar, butter, nuts and fresh marjoram, makes me want to sing out loud and raise the glasses! Buon appetito!

Radicchio and Balsamic Butter Spaghetti with Marjoram and Pine Nuts

For 3-4 people you need

• spaghetti 200g / 7 ounces

• radicchio, quartered, stalk removed, cut into 1cm / 1/2" thick slices, 430g / 15 ounces

• fresh marjoram, a small handful

• pine nuts, toasted, 20g / 3/4 ounce

• balsamic vinegar 30ml / 1 ounce

• butter 50g / 1 3/4 ounces

• a pinch of sugar

• salt and pepper

• olive oil

Cook the pasta in salted water al dente.

In a sauce pan, bring the vinegar to the boil and simmer for 1 minute. Take the pot off the heat and add the butter in 2-3 batches, let it melt in between and whisk well. Season with a pinch of sugar.

In a large pan, heat a splash of olive oil and sauté the slices of radicchio on medium-high for 1 minute on each side (it will fall apart, that's fine). Take the pan off the heat and season with salt and pepper. Gently mix in the warm pasta and balsamic butter and serve with pine seeds and marjoram leaves. On the plates, season with salt and pepper to taste.

Crescent Milk Rolls with Poppy Seeds for Easter Breakfast

One of my earliest Easter memories is searching for Easter eggs with my sister in the garden of the house we had just moved into. There was no fence around the lawn, the green grass sprinkled with red tulips opened up to a dense forest, my childhood playground. We were young and so excited, the kind of overwhelming excitement we tend to neglect as we get older. On that sunny April day many years ago, we forgot about everything around us as we found our Easter presents hidden behind a group of old oak trees: 80's roller skates in flashing red and white, it was better than Christmas!

I still love these special feasts, not for the presents but for these pure moments of bliss, when we take a break from our normal routine, slow down the pace and relax a little, or reflect on the memories filling our book of life. To me, memories are as precious as the moment itself and I wouldn't have started a food blog if they weren't inseparably connected with dishes, meals and recipes, at least most of the time. Easter Sunday is perfect for a long breakfast, preferably outside in the sunshine, which, unfortunately, isn't really an option in Berlin at the moment. We're still in the hands of snow, hail and rain! But snuggled into a blanket at our cosy wooden table feels just as nice, especially if there are crescent milk rolls, Milchhörnchen in German, involved. I love these yeast rolls warm, fresh out of the oven, when the soft inside smells almost buttery-sweet. The thin crust is sprinkled with crunchy poppy seeds which adds a slightly nutty nuance, to me they are best with a little butter and maybe, some homemade strawberry jam, but that's not even necessary. Happy Easter!

Crescent Milk Rolls with Poppy Seeds

For 10 rolls you need

• plain flour 500g / 1 pound

• granulated sugar 3 tablespoons

• dry yeast 1 sachet (7g / 1/4 ounce)

• salt 1 teaspoon

• milk, lukewarm, 220ml / 7 1/2 ounces

• butter, melted, 40g / 1 1/2 ounces

• organic egg 1 plus 1 egg yolk, beaten, for the glaze

• poppy seeds, for the topping

In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, yeast and salt. Whisk the milk, melted butter and egg in another bowl, the mixture should be lukewarm. Add to the dry flour-sugar mixture and mix with the dough hooks of your mixer for a few minutes until the dough is well combined and elastic. Continue kneading with your hands for about 5 minutes until you have a soft and silky dough ball. Put the dough back into the bowl, cover with a tea towel and let it rise in the warm oven (35°C / 95°F) for 70 minutes (top/ bottom heat and not fan-assisted!). 

Take the bowl out of the oven, punch the dough down and knead for another 30 seconds. Divide the dough into 10 portions (each about 80g / 3 ounces). Roll each of them to a smooth ball in your hands before you roll it out on the kitchen top with a rolling pin. Give it the shape of a 20cm / 8" long triangle, roll it up towards the tip and bend the roll into a crescent. Continue with the remaining dough and place the rolls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cover with a tea towel and let them rise in a warm place for another 20 minutes.

Set the oven to 220°C / 430°F (top-bottom heat).

Brush the top of the milk rolls with the beaten egg yolk and sprinkle with poppy seeds (you can use more than you can see in the pictures). Bake in the warm oven for about 10-12 minutes or until golden on top. They are best on the first day!

Cod al Cartoccio with Ramp and Red Onion

My beloved ramp is back in season, ready to add its garlicky spiciness to fish, meat and vegetables, and to one of my favourites of course: fragrant ramp pesto!

I've been looking for it impatiently over the past few weeks and when I finally spotted the first bunch at my organic supermarket I had to call my boyfriend instantly, he's almost more obsessed with these green spring leaves than I am. We changed our dinner plans from gnocchi with blue cheese sauce to spaghetti with pesto, and that was just the beginning of our re-awakened green passion! Cod al cartoccio on a bed of ramp and red onions was next on my list. It's not only very delicious but also a very convenient match. I wrapped the fish in a parchment paper package with a little white wine, olive oil and lemon juice and cooked it in the oven for 15 minutes, all in all it took less than half an hour including the preparation! If you're still looking for a light and easy family Easter lunch, think al cartoccio. It cooks the fish to perfection while you can create your desired aroma of herbs and vegetables, it tastes divine and looks beautiful on the table.

Cod al Cartoccio with Ramp and Red Onion

For 2 people you need

• cod fillet, about 2 1/2cm / 1" thick, 400g / 14 ounces

• ramp, stalks cut off, a large bunch (about 50g / 1 3/4 ounces)

• small red onion, cut in half and into thin slices, 1

• white wine 2 tablespoons

• freshly squeezed lemon juice 1 tablespoon

• olive oil 2 tablespoons plus more for the parchment paper

• sea salt and pepper

Set the oven to 200°C / 390°F (fan-assisted oven).

Cut 2 large pieces of parchment paper, big enough to wrap the fish, lay them on top of each other and brush the top layer with olive oil. Lay the ramp leaves in the middle of the oiled parchment paper (leave 2 leaves out and put aside), place the cod on top and season with salt and pepper. Lay 1 ramp leaf on top of the fillet and arrange the onions around the fish. Whisk the wine, olive oil and lemon juice and pour over the fish. Close the parchment paper like a bonbon and fold the top twice. Place in a baking dish and cook in the oven for 10-15 minutes. Check after 10 minutes, if you can separate the fish (gently) with a fork it's done, if it needs a little longer close the parchment paper and put back into the oven (mind not to overcook it!). Chop the raw ramp leaf and sprinkle over the cooked fish, serve with fresh baguette and a glass of chilled white wine!

Cardamom Lentil Burgers, Dill Sour Cream and Preserved Lemon Sandwich

I finally made my first preserved lemons of 2015, one of my new annual pantry traditions. Until last year, I focused on jams and chutneys in my kitchen, but then I remembered my grandmother's passion for preserving, her huge cellar packed with shelves up to the ceiling. I can still picture the long lined jars of preserved fruits, all those cherries, plums, pears and apples kept in colourful juices, the crop always came straight from her own or her children's garden. I used to love this room in her old house with the cherry tree in the garden, this was true kitchen magic for my young eyes.

In late summer, my family used to have so many fruits that preserving was the only way to prevent waste. Living in the city doesn't really confront me with this problem, we eat the fruit and vegetables as soon as I buy them or not long after. So unfortunately, there are no baskets full of ripe late summer harvests waiting for me on the kitchen top, but I discovered a couple recipes that are equally satisfying, in preparation and consumption: lemons and artichokes!

This year's preserved lemons are already as tasty as the last batch. I prepared them about 6 weeks ago and they still need a couple months to turn into perfectly tender bites, but I'm impatient and today's recipe asked for their salty sourness. I made meatless burgers with black Beluga and red lentils. The dark lentils stayed crunchy after I cooked them and the red legumes were quite soft, the perfect burger mixture. I refined them with cardamon, parmesan and red onions, squeezed them in a bun and topped the little beauties with a refreshing dill dip and my fruity lemons - a proper spring burger!

Cardamom Lentil Burgers, Dill Sour Cream and Preserved Lemon Sandwich

I made 15 lentil patties, for the 2 sandwiches you will only need 4.

For 2 sandwiches you need

• rustic white buns, cut in half, 2

• rucola, a small handful

• preserved lemon, very thinly sliced, 1/4 (alternatively, you could use the roasted lemon peel from this recipe)

For the patties

• Beluga lentils 125g / 4 1/2 ounces

• red lentils 125g / 4 1/2 ounces

• small bay leaves 2

• medium red onion, finely chopped, 1

• garlic, crushed, 1 clove

• organic eggs 2

• Parmesan, grated, 100g / 3 1/2 ounces

• breadcrumbs 70g / 2 1/2 ounces

• cardamom 1 teaspoon

• salt 1 1/4 teaspoons

• pepper

• olive oil, for frying

For the dill sour cream

• sour cream 200g / 7 ounces

• fresh dill, chopped, 4 tablespoons plus 1 tablespoon for the topping

• olive oil 2 teaspoons

• heavy cream 1 tablespoon

• a pinch of cardamom

• a pinch of sugar

• salt and pepper

Cook the red and black lentils separately, according to the instructions on the package, each with 1 bay leaf but without salt. My Beluga needed 20 minutes in 325ml / 11 ounces of water (they should be al dente), the red lentils took 10 minutes in 325ml / 11 ounces of water to be done (they should be soft and mushy). Drain both well once they are cooked and let them cool for about 10 minutes (I cooked mine a few hours before I made the patties).

Set the oven to 200°C / 390°F (fan-assisted oven) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, gently mix the lentils and the ingredients for the patties with a wooden spoon until well combined. Wet your hands and form 70g / 2 1/2 ounces patties. Heat a generous splash of olive oil in a heavy pan and fry the lentil patties for 2-3 minutes on medium on both sides until golden brown. You will have to fry them in batches. Transfer the patties onto the baking sheet and cook in the oven for 9 minutes.

Whip the ingredients for the dill sour cream until creamy and season to taste.

Spread a little rucola on each bottom side of the buns, lay 2 patties on top and drizzle some dill sour cream over the lentil burgers. Sprinkle with slices of preserved lemon and fresh dill. Enjoy!

Roast Onion, Spinach and Pomegranate Salad with Stilton

Some of my recipes start with a visual idea, with colours and textures that slowly merge into a dish in my head, and this salad was one of them. I could picture an early spring green combined with different shades of red. Green stands for crunchy freshness which I found in tiny leaves of baby spinach, red colours are juicy and sweet, like oven roasted red onions and crunchy pomegranate seeds. It may sound a bit far-fetched, but it's very simple, I find that, quite often, I can follow this rule: what looks good together tends to taste good together too. Maybe my mind only suggests flavour combinations which my taste buds already connect with a positive experience, I don't know, it definitely worked for this composition!

Texture was next, as soon as the colours for this dish were set. All these crunchy bites demanded some milky creaminess. A while ago my sister asked me to give blue cheese a little break on eat in my kitchen, she hates it but I love it and therefore I could use it all the time. For sandwiches, of course, salads, risotto, gnocchi or crackers, there's almost no dish on the savory side that can't deal with a little addition of this fantastic dairy product. So I knew that I'd have to refuse her request, it's just too tempting. And here it is again, English Stilton, kind of the queen of blue cheese, it's simply too good on warm onions and it was a true revelation in combination with the pomegranate. I'm sorry Nina!

Talking about colours and textures, my dishes got a new addition! A few months ago, I saw pictures of some very puristic plates, the simple shape and elegant lines caught my attention the moment I spotted them. I got in touch with the company, Broste Copenhagen, the same day but unfortunately, Esrum (my desired collection's name) wasn't available yet, it's a brand new series. I had to wait a few weeks, but then a huge box arrived right at my door step, filled with beautiful plates, ceramic mugs and golden cutlery. For almost 20 years, I've been using the same flatware, a rustic black set (a Finnish classic from 1952) and my delicate fine Bone China. I didn't feel bothered as I like both a lot. So, one day my mother mentioned with careful politeness that, for eat in my kitchen, a little change of plates in my photos wouldn't be a bad idea, just once in a while, for a little variation. I always listen to her wise words, so I started to look for some inspiration. This isn't an easy undertaking in my case, I prefer products that are timeless, minimal and practical designs, following the architect Mies van der Rohe's principal that form follows function. Broste seems to have a similar idea in mind and made the perfect plates for me, thank you!

Roast Onion, Spinach and Pomegranate Salad with Stilton

For 3-4 people you need

• medium red onions, peeled and cut into 8 wedges, 3 (about 300g / 10 1/2 ounces)

• baby spinach 200g / 7 ounces

• pomegranate 1

• Stilton, crumbled, 80g / 3 ounces

• Daikon cress (or pepper or water cress), a small handful

• olive oil 4 tablespoons plus 2 tablespoons for the onions

• balsamic vinegar 2 tablespoons

• white balsamic vinegar 1 tablespoon

• honey (liquid) 1 teaspoon

• sea salt and pepper

Set the oven to 200°C / 390°F (I used the Rotitherm setting) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Spread the onions on the baking sheet and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, sea salt and pepper. Gently mix with your fingers and roast in the oven for 10 min, turn the onion wedges and cook for another 7-10 minutes or until golden brown and soft.

For the dressing, whisk 4 tablespoons of olive oil with the dark and white vinegar and the honey, season with salt and pepper to taste.

Spread the baby spinach on large plates, lay the onions on top and sprinkle with pomegranate seeds and Stilton. Drizzle the dressing over the salad and sprinkle with the cress.

meet in your kitchen | Cynthia Barcomi's heavenly Peanut Butter Brownies

Today's meet in your kitchen feature means a lot to me, with great pleasure I visited the woman who established two beautiful culinary places in my adopted home of Berlin. One of them became my peaceful refuge as soon as it opened its doors a long time ago, in 1997. Barcomi's Café and Barcomi's Deli are both true gems, to me and many others who love good coffee and New York style cakes and sandwiches. I was more than happy to meet the inspiring Cynthia Barcomi in her kitchen, to chat about her life, rabbits and chickens and to bake her delicious peanut butter brownies, what a perfect morning!

Over 20 years ago, Cynthia opened her first Barcomi's in this ever vibrant city that's seen so many changes in the culinary scene over the past two decades. She left New York as a professional dancer to live and work on this side of the Atlantic, in the German capital which was so different when she arrived compared to how we know it today. Cynthia is determined, a disciplined and hard working woman, so it's no surprise that she successfully became a part of the Berlin dance scene. Although she enjoyed her life here, there was something missing: good coffee. This has always been a very delicate topic, all over the world, making coffee is an art, interpreted by different (objective) tastes. Berlin's café scene in those days was a far cry from today's diversity and Cynthia wasn't particularly happy about her discoveries. She's a woman of action, so she decided to roast her own beans and while she was already moving in this new direction, she also had the idea to sell some sweet classics from her American baking heritage. Her New York cheese cake, muffins, raspberry granache and pies, and her fantastic coffee of course, soon gained so much popularity that she opened a second Barcomi's only three years later, a proper deli this time.

Since I first sat at one of her Deli's black and white tables as a traveling teenager it became my all time favourite café, a piece of my Berlin that I never wanted to let go of. So much so that I promised myself that I wouldn't live too far away if I ever moved here, which I managed in the end. It may sound a bit silly, but in this hidden café, tucked away in an old yard, in the dreamy Sophienhöfe, I found a lot of what I was looking for in this city at that point. Although it's a tranquil oasis, it also gave me the feeling that, here, I could dive deep into Berlin's secrets by just sitting on one of the leather benches watching people come and go, drink their coffee or wine, read a newspaper or have a chat. I'd just have to sit and watch attentively.

So after all these years, to find myself right in her kitchen is both a surprise and a gift, I can bake with one of my early baking heroes! I felt so excited to visit her creative space, this culinary laboratory where all the Barcomi's magic starts. Her private kitchen is equipped with five ovens, a dream collection of tins and pans, and in the center of this baking heaven stands Mrs. Cynthia Barcomi. She's so chatty and relaxed that one can easily forget that she runs more than a café and deli, she also has a catering company, has written five cookbooks, presents a TV show, and on top of all this, has brought up four children together with her husband. She seems like an endless source of energy and positivity, focussed without forgetting to enjoy her journey, this woman is truly inspirational!

Before we met, Cynthia asked me which of the recipes from her new Cookies cookbook I would like to bake with her. The choice wasn't easy! I was torn between Lemon Lime Cashew Shortbread, Chestnut Flower Brownies, Toffee Crunch Bars and Pesto Twists, but when I spotted her Peanut Butter Brownies I couldn't resist, I had to try them. The creamy, buttery, salty and chocolaty voluptuousness literally jumped out off the pages of her book and I wasn't surprised at all that they tasted exactly as I expected. These brownies were deep and rich, addictive after the first fudgy bite - I just love this woman and everything she creates in her kitchen!

If you want to find out more about Cynthia Barcomi, the Barcomi's cafés and her new book Cookies full of deliciously tempting recipes, click here!

Peanut Butter Brownies

For a 23 x 23cm / 9 x 9" baking tin you need

• butter 155g / 5 1/2 ounces

• bittersweet chocolate, broken into pieces, 200g / 7 ounces

• granulated sugar 150g / 5 1/4 ounces

• vanilla extract 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon

• plain flour 90g / 3 1/4 ounces

• cocoa powder 20g / 3/4 ounce

• salt 3/4 teaspoon

• baking soda 1/2 teaspoon

• peanut butter, creamy, 200g / 7 ounces

• icing sugar, sieved, 25g / 1 ounce

• eggs 3

Set the oven to 175°C / 350°F (fan-assisted oven) and butter the baking tin.

In a saucepan, melt 125g (4 1/2 ounces) of the butter and the chocolate. Pour the melted chocolate-butter mixture into a bowl and mix with the sugar and 1 tablespoon vanilla extract. Let it cool for about 15 minutes.

In a bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt and the baking soda. In another bowl, mix the peanut butter with 30g (1 ounce) butter, icing sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and 1/4 teaspoon salt.

Whisk the eggs into the chocolate-butter mixture and gently stir in the dry flour-cocoa mixture. Pour the dough into the baking tin and even it out. Place the peanut butter mixture in dollops on top of the chocolate dough and swirl it a little with a tooth pick. Bake in the oven for about 23 minutes or until just firm on top (don't overbake!). Let the brownies cool on a wire rack.

You opened your first Barcomi's in Berlin in 1994, the second one, a deli, in 1997. You also started roasting your own coffee beans, long before this café culture was popular in the city. How would you describe Berlin's café and restaurant scene in those days? What changed over the years?

In 1994 and up until a few years ago, there was really no alternative to industrial roasted coffee beans and industrial produced pastries in Berlin except Barcomi’s. Everything tasted the same and bad! Bad food and coffee corrupts the palette so that at some point, people no longer know how real food and coffee should taste. I have always seen my work as an alternative to the industry – be it feeding our guests or writing books, so that people can bake and cook successfully themselves.

You came from New York to Berlin, arriving as a dancer, and today you're one of Berlin's most popular personalities in the culinary landscape. What led to this personal transformation?

Hard work and a lot of self-criticism let to my success as a gastronome. The transition from dancer to gastronome to cookbook author was simple: I felt inspired and used that inspiration as my starting point. I have never looked back!

How much of the New Yorker is still in you, how would you describe it? What do you miss about this city?

New York is a magical (and tough) city. It is an extremely competitive and fast moving city and if you live there, you have to keep up! Living and going to school there taught me not to be afraid of competition by always doing my best and remaining true to my ideas and beliefs.

As a writer of five cookbooks, a TV personality, caterer and restaurant owner, which of your activities relaxes you and which challenges you the most?

It is always challenging to be good and it’s always challenging to work with lots of people, I have 50 employees between the two stores. I love it though and I simply love to cook and bake. It relaxes and focuses me so I can let the creative process unfold.

You just published your latest book COOKIES, how do you develop new recipes, where do you find inspiration?

Inspiration is everywhere: ingredients, shapes, colors, occasions, dreams, sense memories just to name a few. Inspiration is always the starting point for a new recipe and without it, I cannot create. A baking recipe begins as an intellectual theory of a bunch of ingredients. The magic happens, when I synthesize theory with practice (baking). This involves all of my senses and is partially an intuitive process.   When a pastry finally comes out of the oven, theory and practice have united – I love it!

What do you love about Berlin?

I love the people in Berlin. It has become a really exciting city because the people living here are busy making things happen. Whether music, the arts or the food scene – it’s happening in Berlin!

Who is your biggest inspiration in the kitchen?

Actually I find visual artists and music composers inspiring in the kitchen. Layers and layers of details like shapes, juxtapositions, harmonies remind me of the intricacies of my own work.

You brought up four children together with your husband, one of your daughters joined your catering business, how much family is there in Barcomi's?

There is a lot of family in Barcomi’s. My husband and son love to do the store deliveries on Sundays. My youngest daughter is a great helper / baker in the kitchen. Barcomi’s is my family’s existence as well as the existence of many co-workers of mine.

What was the first dish you cooked on your own, what is your first cooking memory?

I used to bake when I was really young (3 – 4 years old) but cooking? I started making omelettes for my parents when I was…maybe 10 years old. Then I discovered Julia Child, Mastering the Art of French Cooking. The floodgate was opened!

What are your favourite places to buy and enjoy food in Berlin? 

I love to shop at the weekend market at Mexikoplatz.There is also my favorite farmer who sets up a stand a few days a week at the corner of Sven-Hedin Strasse. I’m originally from Washington, which means that I know my apples. This farmer has the BEST apples I have eaten outside of Washington!

What did you choose to share on eat in my kitchen and why?

Peanut Butter Brownies (from the new Cookies book). I really love your work, Meike: it is detailed, honest and personal. There are many blogs out there, but so few capture the essence of food like eat in my kitchen. I’m impressed!

If you could choose one person to cook a meal for you, who and what would it be?

I would like Jean-Georges Vongerichten to cook his favorite meal for me… or Nobu Matsuhisa, I love his food as well.

You're going to have ten friends over for a spontaneous dinner, what will be on the table?

It is one of my favorite things to do: open my cupboards and simply throw a meal together (often in less than 30 minutes!). As my husband would say, I have done some of my best work in the least amount of time. I love the flow of improvising in the kitchen. It would be my dream TV show to go to someone’s home, open up their kitchen cupboards and cook an amazing meal!

What was your childhood's culinary favourite and what is it now?

Well, I do love chocolate chip cookies but my taste has also evolved over the years. I really love to make and eat simple, straightforward foods. Fresh herbs, seasonal and regional produce is simply the best.

Do you prefer to cook on your own or together with others?

I have a rather large kitchen at home with many ovens and lots of work space. One of the most important elements of my kitchen is the DOOR. I love to cook alone, by myself. It’s like painting to me and it is not necessary a collaborative process. It is a moment, THE moment.

Which meals do you prefer, improvised or planned?

Well, I like to plan a meal for a special occasion as well as the challenge of an impromptu get-together. They are two very different disciplines, each one off-sets the other!

Thank you Cynthia!

Mediterranean Octopus with Fennel and Orange

This is my favourite octopus recipe, tenderly cooked with star-anise, fennel seeds, bay leaf and garlic before it reveals its fine qualities in a refreshingly light salad side by side with crunchy slices of fennel and juicy orange filets. It's one of the purest ways to savour this seafood which is so unique in taste and so scrumptious when prepared well. Cooked octopus combines a smooth butteriness with the soft sweetness of the fresh sea, it doesn't need much more to caress my taste buds. A little fruity acidity and the flowery aroma of anise and it's complete.

It's that time of year again, when my summer holidays come back to mind and tease me, especially the culinary memories from Malta and Gozo, our second home, and I can't wait to revive them in a few months. This octopus salad makes an annual appearance and will definitely be on my plate more than once. It's one of my personal Mediterranean classics, cooked in my Maltese mother's kitchen and savoured in her garden for lunch, with a glass of crisp Maltese white wine and the sun on my back. So much to look forward to, so let the holiday dreaming begin!

Here's more about the man who taught me to cook octopus with star-anise and fennel seeds, Chef Kurt Micallef from Malta.

Mediterranean Octopus, Fennel and Orange Salad

For 2 people you need

For the octopus

• octopus, skinned and cleaned, 300g / 10.5 ounces

• star-anise 1 piece

• a pinch of fennel seeds

• bay leave 1

• garlic, cut in half, 1 clove

• small onion, cut in half

• lemon, sliced, 1/2

For the salad

• orange, peeled and cut into fillets, 1

• medium fennel bulb, cut into very thin slices, 1, the green chopped

• olive oil 3 tablespoons

• freshly squeezed orange juice 2 tablespoons

• white balsamic vinegar 1 teaspoon

• salt and pepper

In a large pot, bring water with the star-anise, fennel seeds, bay leave, garlic, onion and lemon to the boil. Slip in the octopus and cook on low heat (simmering) for about 45 minutes or until the octopus is tender. Take the octopus out of the broth, let it cool and cut into pieces.

For the dressing, whisk the olive oil, orange juice and vinegar and season with salt and pepper to taste. Arrange the slices of fennel on plates and lay the octopus and orange on top. Sprinkle lightly with the dressing and fennel green, serve immediately.

Spinach Pesto and Mozzarella di Bufala Sandwich with Black Olives

The combination of mozzarella di bufala and pesto has been with me for as long as I can remember cooking. No matter if it's been praised or put down in the media, I always loved its honest simplicity. The little mounds of fine buffalo milk go so well with the fresh sharpness of green herbs, all these concentrated leaves packed with flavours, like basil, rucola or parsley. Mixed with nuts and seeds, parmesan and garlic, this dish offers one of the purest Italian pleasures in the kitchen.

Sometimes, one needs a little change without moving too far away from the original formula, a new variation which can lead to surprising results, nonetheless very satisfying. My pesto was next on this list! I replaced the traditional herbs with another tasty leave, baby spinach. Their fine aroma of iron, its distinct bitterness which isn't fully developed in the young leaves seemed like the right choice. The obligatory olive oil and parmesan made it nice and smooth but the fresh garlic had to stay out as I was worried that it would be too overpowering. I added some rucola (arugula) instead which gave the spinach a boost, nutty sunflower seeds instead of the sweet pine seeds, a hint of nutmeg, salt and pepper and it was done. It also tastes fantastic with pasta!

My pesto made quite a dramatic appearance on my Italian ciabatta sandwich. I topped it with aromatic black olives which turned them into a stunning Mediterranean beauty. What can I say about the first bite, it was juicy, fresh and green, the soft milkiness in contrast to the oily depth of the black fruits. It was great!

Spinach Pesto and Mozzarella di Bufala Sandwich with Black Olives

You can also use the pesto recipe for pasta.

For 2 sandwiches you need

• ciabatta bread (with or without black olives), cut into thick slices

• mozzarella di bufala, torn into bite sized pieces, 125g / 4 1/2 ounce

• sblack olives 4-6

• black peppercorns, crushed in a mortar, for the topping

For the pesto

• fresh baby spinach 125g / 4 1/2 ounces

• rucola 25g / 1 ounce plus a small handful

• sunflower seeds 2 tablespoons

• olive oil 100ml / 3 1/4 ounces

• Parmesan, grated, 25g / 1 ounce

• freshly squeezed lemon juice 1 tablespoon

• salt 1/4 teaspoon

• a pinch of sugar

• a pinch of nutmeg

• pepper

Purée the ingredients for the pesto in a blender until smooth, season to taste.

Arrange a few rucola leaves on 2 slices of bread and lay the mozzarella on top. Sprinkle with the pesto, olives and the crushed black pepper. Close the sandwich and enjoy!

Asparagus Tortilla with Mountain Cheese and Tarragon

My first asparagus of the year found its way into my kitchen and I'm as excited as a kid on Easter morning. This is just the start, the beginning of the new season! I can't help thinking of all the other delicious goods which are soon to follow: the first ramp leaves spreading their garlicky aroma in a bowl full of pesto, crunchy fava beans mixed with Parmesan in a creamy risotto, juicy spring cucumber, so concentrated in flavour that some sour cream and dill is enough to throw a quick salad together and enjoy the purest and most simple pleasures of nature's annual awakening. I don't even want to imagine ripe tomatoes dripping juice, I've been missing them for so long and it'll still be a little while before I can savour them. For now I'm just over the moon to have the pretty slim stalks of green asparagus back in my pan.

So two things were on my mind in the past few days which filled me with excitement in the kitchen: the first asparagus of 2015 and my brave decision to make a tortilla after I failed miserably at my first and last attempt more than 20 years ago. My potato omelette was burned on the outside and undone in the middle, a complete kitchen failure created at the beginning of my active culinary journey. Somehow it had an intimidating effect on me considering how long it took to give this dish a second chance. But now I felt ready to give it a go again, my asparagus and some fragrant tarragon at hand to vary this rich Spanish potato classic with some green freshness and a little grated mountain cheese (Swiss Appenzeller) to add its hearty flavours to the vegetables. It's not as big a deal to get the potatoes right as I had imagined (or feared), the only trick is to find the right setting on your cooker. They should cook in the pan on medium heat while covered with a lid without turning black or mushy. It takes about 15 minutes and once they are done, you add some fried onions, eggs and asparagus and let the tortilla cook for a few minutes. I finish it off under the grill to melt the mountain cheese which created a smokey crust on the asparagus. It worked so easily, my tortilla kitchen trauma is finally solved!

Asparagus Tortilla with Mountain Cheese and Tarragon

For 3-4 people you need

• green asparagus, trimmed, 400g / 14 ounces

• medium waxy potatoes, peeled, 450g / 16 ounces

• medium onion, cut in half and thinly sliced, 1

• organic eggs 4

• hard mountain cheese (like Appenzeller or Gruyère), grated, 60g / 2 ounces

• freshly grated nutmeg

• salt and pepper

• olive oil

• fresh tarragon, a small handful, to serve

• black peppercorns, crushed in a mortar, to serve

Blanch the asparagus in boiling salted water for 1 1/2 minutes or until just al dente. Rinse with cold water, drain and set aside.

Slice the potatoes very thinly with a cheese or mandoline slicer, spread them between kitchen paper and pat them dry.

In a heavy pan (ovenproof, about 25 cm / 10"), heat a splash of olive oil and cook the onions on medium heat for a few minutes until soft, take them out of the pan and set them aside. Put the pan back on the heat and add a generous splash of olive oil. Spread the potato slices in the pan, close with a lid and cook for about 12 minutes on medium heat. Check the potatoes with a fork after 5-7 minutes by lifting them a little from the side, mind that they don't burn and adjust the temperature if necessary. After 12 minutes, carefully turn the potatoes with a spatula (like a pancake) and spread the onions on top, give them another 2 minutes. Whisk the eggs with 1 teaspoon of salt, pepper and nutmeg and pour over the potatoes, close with a lid and cook for 2 minutes. Arrange the asparagus on top of the eggs, close the lid again and cook for about 4 minutes or until the egg is set. Lay the grated cheese on top of the tortilla and put the pan under the grill for just a few minutes until the cheese starts to bubble. Sprinkle with tarragon and crushed black pepper before serving.

Lime Buttermilk Cake with Pistachios & Orange Blossom Water Yoghurt

This cake is sweet perfection! It's spongy, juicy, buttery and lemony with a touch of flowery lime which gives it a soft hint of marzipan. It's simply a scrumptious loaf cake and I could have just left it at that, cut into thick slices with a cup of tea and I would have been more than happy. But I asked for more, no puristic cake treat but a rich composition of cakey citrus flavours topped with Greek yoghurt whipped with orange blossom water, Maltese honey and sprinkles of unsalted pistachios. This is a proper dessert, also very convenient as a special Sunday tea time treat, but definitely beyond a simple breakfast cake.

My cake tastes like a summery day in the Mediterranean, the sun at its zenith, so hot that it invites all the beautiful fragrances around you to merge into an enchanting perfume of citrus, salt and warming sweetness. Imagine the smell of your last holiday in a hot and dry country, close your eyes and feel the sun on your skin, all those rich and exotic aromas surrounding you and caressing your senses. That's how this sweet little wonder made me feel and that's why I call it perfection!

More about the dough which led to this satisfying experience: I mixed some cornstarch into the flour, a trick I already used for my apple breakfast cake, it guarantees a very light and fluffy result. Then there's also buttermilk which adds the right juiciness to keep your fingers moist when you hold a slice of this cake in your hands. You could also reach this pleasant effect with more butter but that would make it heavier. Vegetable oil would also be an efficient alternative to end up with a very juicy cake (it's actually used quite often in combination with buttermilk) but the taste tends to bug me when there are such fine aromas involved. I like it for my nutty Florida carrot cake, but I usually prefer to work with the dairy product.

In the end, everything was just right in this cake, well balanced and harmonic. When that happens I don't ask any more questions, I'm just a thankful baker.

Lime Buttermilk Cake with Pistachios & Orange Blossom Water Yoghurt

For a 24cm x 10,5cm / 9.5″ x 4″  loaf tin you need

• plain flour 210g / 7 1/2 ounces

• cornstarch 70g / 2 1/2 ounces

• baking powder 3 teaspoons

• salt 1/4 teaspoon

• butter, soft, 180g / 6 1/2 ounces

• granulated sugar 180g / 6 1/2 ounces

• organic eggs 3

• zest of 1 lime

• lemon zest 2 tablespoons (about 2 large lemons)

• freshly squeezed lemon juice 3 tablespoons

• buttermilk 90ml / 3 ounces

• icing sugar 2 tablespoons, for the syrup

• freshly squeezed lemon juice 3 tablespoons, for the syrup

• pistachios (unsalted), chopped, a small handful, for the topping

For the orange blossom yoghurt

• Greek yoghurt 200g / 7 ounces

• orange blossom water (preferably organic) 2 teaspoons, to taste

• quality honey 1 tablespoon, to taste

Set the oven to 160°C / 320°F (fan-assisted oven) and butter the loaf pan.

Combine the flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt.

In a large bowl, whisk the butter with an electric mixer until fluffy, add the sugar and continue mixing until well combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, mix well in between. When the mixture is light and creamy mix in the zest and juice. Gently stir in the flour/ cornstarch mixture with a wooden spoon, in batches, alternating with the buttermilk (about 1/3 of each at a time). Pour the dough into the buttered pan and bake for about 50 minutes or until golden on top. Check with a skewer, it should come out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan for a few minutes before you put it on a wire rack.

For the syrup, whisk the icing sugar and lemon juice until combined. Prick the cake and slowly pour the lemon syrup over the top of the cake, sprinkle with chopped pistachios.

Whisk the yoghurt, orange blossom water and honey, season to taste and serve with the warm cake.