autumn aura. { gluten-free spiced pumpkin-carrot cupcakes with vanilla cream cheese frosting }

Miniature sized cupcakes are a whole lot of cute. I called these mini stunners 'autumn aura' because if autumn were a pallet of flavours, that of this cupcakes would be there, side by side with roasted chestnuts and pear compote. Behold the beauty of these tiny things, the dash of coconut on top lending them a snowish appeal. Bite into the delicious balance between a moist peppery pumpkin cake and a thick vanilla cream cheese frosting. And you wanna know what...? They are also gluten-free.

it's freaking snowing on my brunch. { gluten-free pumpkin kaiserschmarrn }

Kaiserschmarrn is a staple dessert in Austria and South Germany, where it recalls sweet memories from a day out skiing in the Alps. Basically a fluffy pancake that is shredded, caramelized, dusted with powdered sugar and typically served with plum or apple compote, it got its name from Kaiser Franz Joseph I of Austria, for his love of it. I am not Kaiser Franz Joseph, but I also love it. I had already had the though of making pumpkin pancakes this satuday, but some enlightenment suddenly came to me that this was what I ought to make: pick a famous recipe and turn it around by tossing pumpkin into it. And here it is. Kaiserschmarrn... reinvented!

let it fall, let it fall. { zwetschgendatschi: german streusel plum cake }

'Zwetschgen' (bavarian name, 'abrunhos' in portuguese) are a unique kind of plums, characterized by its elongated shape, dark amethyst peel and ideally golden flesh. For being seemingly less watery than other plums and for their deliciously intense flavour, they are perfect for baking. This cake is a German classic that combines several things that I personally adore, and that I guess are favourites for many of you as well: a buttery yeast dough, an awesome layer of juicy baked fruit, my own very favourite recipe of spiced crumble... plus it's easy to prepare and quicker than a normal bread! Made with seasonal fruits, this recipe couldn't be better suited for this well settled Fall.

picture perfect american style brunch. { golden brioche french toast with diced apple, stewed on whiskey-orange infused maple syrup }

brace yourselves,

the weekend is coming...

what's all the fuss about ramen? { portuguese style ramen }

 

I have always had a hard time picking favourites. As a kid, I used to feel like I was the only one who couldn't name a single favourite dish. You know, steak and fries were not really on the top of my list. I'ld go for seafood rice, grilled fish, tagliatelli with a bold tomato sauce, loads of salad, lasagna, maybe roasted meat... but no, fries were never on my top, and it felt unfair to me to select a couple favourites when that totally depended on my mood - and I could be attracted to such utterly different things!

As I grew up, I came to the conclusion that I just had very eclectic tastes. You know, you can catch me listening to Bob Dylan or Johnny Cash in a minute, then it can easily shift to Pink Floyd or Guns and Roses, crossing Dire Straits in the way, Ed Sheeran, The Strokes, Lykke Li, Junip, Arctic Monkeys, Lana del Rey, Tina Turner, The Black Keys, Chet Faker, Daft Punk, Imagine Dragons or even some Chopin, and my latest love, Hozier. I don't like them all the same - it's just that at times one just fits me better than the others. I have musical cravings.

I realized that being able to tell your favourites is actually important - at least to a certain degree. You know, I don't like Alt-J the same way I like, for instance, The Black Keys, neither do I like Lana as much as I like Lykke. I realized that picking favourites was about knowing yourself better. For instance, for as good as the music can be, I am the most moved by witty lyrics - they take a good sounding music to a whole other level.

In the end, favourites were not that hard to pick. I kind of just had to admit what I already knew.

Food wise - and currently, - my favourite foreign cuisines are likely the italian and... sushi! I love sushi, and we have a lot of great quality restaurants in Portugal, with delicious fresh fish.

I say sushi because there is a lot more to the japanese cuisine - that I was yet to try.

And here begins the story of this recipe...

to know your oats. { baked porridge with pear, nutmeg and maple syrup }

seems like I couldn't let you leave breakfast unfinished! you got the drinks, now here's the real deal meal. baked porridge, lending inspiration from Gordon Ramsay's recipe - after all, he is a Scot, he knows his oatmeal - with a slight twist. this meal is perfect for cold winter days, takes less than one our to put together and is an ultimate confort food for breakfast! huge plus side of its preparation: you can multiply the recipe several times without a pinch more fuss if you need to feed a crowd! just scroll down to get to the juicy details ;)