Len Len's personal site: work, cooking, cycling, experiences

These last days it was cold and rainy and it seemed more like autumn end than middle summer. As such a warm, comforting soup seemed the most rewarding dish today.

Noodles soup

(more…)

Pentru cei care nu stiau, Wok to Walk e o franciza pentru niste localuri unde poti alege diferite combinatii de mancare gatita in wok in fata ta. O “reteta” dureaza cateva minute sa fie gata si e compusa in general dintr-o baza (orez sau noodles), carne, legume sau peste si sos. E o mancare asiatica rapida si ieftina, doar unul din multitudinea de restaurante asiatice pe care le gasesti prin capitalele europene. La Barcelona am stat cel putin 10 minute savurand dexteritatea bucatarului care manevra cu abilitate cele 2 wok-uri incinse. Pornind de la aceasta inspiratie m-am decis sa gasesc o buna trebuinta pentru wok-ul pe care il am si eu ca orice bucatar care a trecut pe la Ikea si anume o reteta cu: legume, carne de pui si coconut curry.

Wok to Len

(more…)

As a trekkie and a cooking fan I could not resist to this borg inspired composition based on an old recipe. Resistance is futile!

Borg Nettle Cubes

Ro: paste cu pesto din leurda (usturoi salbatic, usturoiul ursului)

Ramsons, wild garlic or bear garlic is a plant with a very strong flavor which grows wild in the forests around the city in spring for a few weeks. It is found rarely in the markets and then only for a few days each year but in my cycling trip this weekend I found the forest ground covered with it so I could not resist to collect a big bunch to make pesto and try a recipe I’ve done only a couple of times before: pasta with ramsons pesto. If the winter was long and the spring has not yet convinced you this extremely strong flavored recipe will convince you of spring with no argument left.

Ramsons in the wild

(more…)

I’ve been craving for some fresh vegetables and for spring for some time but in the market the only thing which attracted me was a red cabbage and some mushrooms. So what I did was the very simple mushrooms soup accompanied by a red cabbage salad. Thinly cut red cabbage, softened with salt for 30 mins then added vinegar and sesame seeds.

Red cabbage salad and mushroom soup

Cand am facut chana masala am zis sa fiu un pic eficient si am pastrat o parte din boabele fierte de naut si din lichidul in care a fiert ca sa fac hummus. Bine inteles ca l-am facut imediat, doar ca mi-a luat un pic mai mult timp sa povestesc.

Hummus

(more…)

Masala inseamna un amestec de condimente, fie pudra sos sau pasta. Asa ca reteta asta as traduce-o ca: “Naut cu amestec de condimente” si traducerea ar fi destul de obiectiva. Vezi si descrierea pe wikipedia.

Chana masala

(more…)

O reteta foarte simpla si totusi destul de laborioasa. S-ar putea numi chiftelute din cartofi, potato pankates sau latkes (in versiunea pe care am gasit-o cel mai des pe net).

Latkes

(more…)

Bean sprouts s-ar traduce la o prima gandire: muguri (germeni) de fasole dar de fapt bean inseamna mai curand bob ca in soy beans. Mai ales ca bean sprouts sunt de cele mai multe ori din altceva decat fasole gen soia sau linte. Cert e ca apar in multe retete si m-am gandit ca nu e asa de greu sa-i cresc singur. Nici nu e, ai nevoie doar de timp (4-5 zile) si putina rabdare.

Bean sprouts

(more…)

Nu o data m-am uitat cu pofta la una din nenumaratele variante ale acestei retete foarte simple de fapt.

Hasselback potatoes

(more…)