tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50099610896216554862026-07-23T21:55:04.014+03:00Nico and Bianca Lontrashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02359541968976676363noreply@blogger.comBlogger61125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5009961089621655486.post-15401911494582009762013-06-13T19:43:00.000+03:002013-06-13T19:43:23.769+03:00

White bean ... a healthy ingredient to eat and incredibly versatile and easy to cook. White bean is a staple in my kitchen. It is an extremely versatile ingredient that can shows up in any course, from salads, appetizers and soups to stir-fries and stews. It can also be served as an accompaniment to other foods, from grilled meats to roast vegetables. The beans can also be mashed or blended to

Nico and Bianca Lontrashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02359541968976676363noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5009961089621655486.post-10151568878323974772013-06-09T12:22:00.000+03:002013-06-09T12:28:05.035+03:00

I Start Posting On My Blog Again! I know I haven’t posted in a long time. We just had a lot of stuff going on, but we shouldn't have neglected the blog. :) My last post was in August last year, just before my family moved with me in Norway. After ten months we start posting again. We created this blog around 3 years ago because our prime interest in life is food, so we decided to write about it,

Nico and Bianca Lontrashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02359541968976676363noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5009961089621655486.post-23805259649272940502012-08-15T14:20:00.000+03:002012-08-15T14:20:48.648+03:00

''Every great Chef has a signature dish – one that defines their culinary point of view and highlights their particular skill set. It’s the culinary equivalent of an artist finding their own style. Chef’s signature dish often changes with time or they may claim several signature dishes. The process of creating your signature dish takes time – so don’t skimp on the space you’ll need to put this

Nico and Bianca Lontrashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02359541968976676363noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5009961089621655486.post-52879157118097991722012-06-27T19:24:00.002+03:002012-06-27T19:52:31.047+03:00

Liquorice candies are very popular in Northern Europe, specially in Scandinavia. When I visited Norway few months ago, I saw liquorice ice cream in a shop. What caught my eyes was the color. It was black! You know it's an unusual ice cream just by the color :) But being just the beginning of spring, still cold outside, I didn't try it. We have to be careful how much we eat,

Nico and Bianca Lontrashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02359541968976676363noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5009961089621655486.post-87565554044009606442012-06-22T22:39:00.000+03:002012-06-22T22:39:52.790+03:00

It's summer, it's warm and we need to keep us cool somehow. What's better then a cold drink? And why not a smoothie? The one I had today is packed with goodies. Peanut butter is full in monounsaturated fats, provides vitamin B3 and E, protein, magnesium. Blackberries provide vitamin C, folic acid, vitamin K and antioxidants. Blackberries seeds also contain omega-3 and omega 6 fats

Nico and Bianca Lontrashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02359541968976676363noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5009961089621655486.post-52277719953709628882012-06-19T21:39:00.006+03:002012-06-21T00:06:53.180+03:00

Rhubarb is one of the first garden products in Estonia to be harvested in the spring, but this is my first time using it this year. I decided to make a rhubarb tart, not just simple, but in combination with Limoncello, resulting in a creamy and a bit lemony tart. We've got this Limoncello bottle as a present, straight from the source, when a fellow chef from Italy visited Nico few 

Nico and Bianca Lontrashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02359541968976676363noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5009961089621655486.post-1654036017009394702012-06-09T20:01:00.000+03:002012-06-09T20:01:38.972+03:00

I had a bottle of Prosecco sitting in my fridge for some time now. I guess I was waiting for the summer. With so many fruits around now, it was a good reason to open the bottle for a refreshment mix :) I usually don't like sweet drinks, so this one is no exception. But anyone that likes it sweet, can add to the drink some simple or flavored syrup. Ingredients - watermelon - about

Nico and Bianca Lontrashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02359541968976676363noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5009961089621655486.post-29025904814880718442012-05-27T13:30:00.001+03:002012-05-27T13:32:14.564+03:00

As I always say, time spent caring for your food is time well spent. I've been wanting to post this recipe for a long, long time. This is my favorite braised lamb shank recipe. To cook lamb shank it takes patience. Shank it's the lower part of the leg, from the knee down. As in any animal, the most-used muscles are the toughest ones, so the shank is one of the toughest cuts you can find

Nico and Bianca Lontrashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02359541968976676363noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5009961089621655486.post-45633284246611089342012-05-18T13:28:00.000+03:002012-05-18T16:15:29.131+03:00

We had few warm and sunny days, which made me craving for ice cream. By the time I decided to make it (2 days ago), the weather showed me how unpredictable it can be. But it didn't stop my craving, so here is the recipe for ice cream without an ice cream machine! :) Ingredients: - 2 x 400 ml cans of coconut milk - 120 g sugar - 3 tbsp cacao - 100 g dark chocolate - seeds from 1 vanilla pod -

Nico and Bianca Lontrashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02359541968976676363noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5009961089621655486.post-27608152387917061372012-04-09T18:16:00.006+03:002012-06-16T10:31:17.071+03:00

We celebrate Easter this coming Sunday and I remembered that I saw on this blog some while ago these awesome filled chocolate shells and it gave me the idea with the Kinder Eggs. Kids will love this sweet treat, I'm sure :) There is no baking involved, so you might as well get the kids help you making them. Ingredients for 6 chocolate eggs: For the filling 100 g cream cheese ( I used&nbsp

Nico and Bianca Lontrashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02359541968976676363noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5009961089621655486.post-69493119907870421602012-04-05T00:33:00.001+03:002012-04-05T07:10:38.998+03:00

How many of you are Chocolate fondant fans? I am a huge fan. So many recipes are so good that I just can’t stop eating it! This week I am going to share two of my favorite Chocolate Fondant recipes. Fondant is a cup of cake which has been baked for just a few minutes, the middle part of the cake is liquid and it is served hot. ''Fondant or Lava cakes have four main ingredients: chocolate,

Nico and Bianca Lontrashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02359541968976676363noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5009961089621655486.post-74058024408868277192012-02-19T14:53:00.011+02:002012-02-20T20:14:36.375+02:00

Churros are popular in Spain, Latin America, France, Portugal and the United States.  I was so curious about their origin, so I search the internet to see what I can find out. Well, all of the websites (including wikipedia) state that the history is divided on how exactly Churros came to exist. Some say they were invented by Spanish  shepherds. They were living in the high

Nico and Bianca Lontrashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02359541968976676363noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5009961089621655486.post-62484816570972443132012-02-15T09:31:00.001+02:002012-02-15T23:47:27.219+02:00

Yesterday was Valentine's Day, so I decided to make it special, but nothing fancy. And since I celebrated the day with my best friend, my daughter Stephanie, we agreed to do girl stuff. For her, girls stuff means cooking or shopping :) It's being a long day in school for her, then lots of homeworks, so we skipped the shoppings and got to do the cooking. That's the one thing one can never go

Nico and Bianca Lontrashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02359541968976676363noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5009961089621655486.post-62582121818610311142012-01-30T14:04:00.000+02:002012-01-30T14:04:14.944+02:00

Romania isn't best known for its food but it will be....I know. There is an incredibly rich culinary tradition here, homegrown in Romania, born out of the necessities of life, brought in by the Ottomans, Germans, Russians, Serbians, Hungarians.... Add to that a generous climate, fertile soil and the Black See that provide fabulous ingredients in abundance and you are ready to feast. To

Nico and Bianca Lontrashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02359541968976676363noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5009961089621655486.post-47276797972651133362012-01-03T22:30:00.002+02:002012-01-03T22:42:38.099+02:00

''Taste of Estonia'' The modern cuisine album "Estonian à la carte" is now available. - 31 restaurants and cafes Chefs, carefully selected for the 2011 modern Estonian food. - 100 inspiring recipes with food pictures- Chefs own authored. - 288 pages / hardcover The book is in English and Estonian. Price - 25 Euros. The book is now out in stores. How to buy it? You can purchase a signed copy

Nico and Bianca Lontrashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02359541968976676363noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5009961089621655486.post-58780394542512299292011-11-24T21:54:00.005+02:002011-11-24T22:16:10.955+02:00

A traditional fish curry from south-west part of India - Goa. Like most of the Goan food, this dish is hot and delicious....especially for those who love shellfish and spicy food. Fish is a staple food in the Goan cuisine, but also includes all types of meat and vegetables, each cooked in its on unique way. Traditional Goan food is cooked on a wood fire that brings extra, unique flavor which no

Nico and Bianca Lontrashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02359541968976676363noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5009961089621655486.post-18044084765559933922011-10-06T12:04:00.000+03:002011-10-06T12:04:39.797+03:00

When the weather gets cold, I start thinking more about soups….hmm!...Corn Chowder with bacon ... Anyway, this is one of those recipes that you can make any time of the year. I am making this corn soup since I purchased my ‘’ The New Basics’’ cookbook back in the 2003. I have altered the recipe a little bit to suit my tastes and I think you are going to love it too because it always wins rave

Nico and Bianca Lontrashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02359541968976676363noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5009961089621655486.post-13347110958067688622011-09-14T22:00:00.003+03:002011-09-14T22:18:29.049+03:00

Making homemade cream soups is more easier than you think! On a cool autumn or cold winter day, there is nothing better than a thick, hot soup to warm the body. Our soups conventionally uses a chicken base for flavor, but you can also use vegetable base to make the soup vegetarian friendly( here you can find the

Nico and Bianca Lontrashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02359541968976676363noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5009961089621655486.post-45730182503325010412011-08-06T00:44:00.009+03:002011-08-06T20:03:28.880+03:00

Sorbet is a frozen dessert made from a syrup flavoured with fruits, juice or fruit puree, wine, tea, coffee, liqueurs or strong alcohol. Any type of fruit can be turned into a puree for sorbet, and can be sweetened with honey, syrups or sugar. I like to play with the texture and flavors in sorbets by making combinations such as lavender or green tea or chili vodka with chocolate pieces. As a

Nico and Bianca Lontrashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02359541968976676363noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5009961089621655486.post-23687647352470926732011-07-07T01:09:00.001+03:002012-05-12T03:29:27.468+03:00

Soups (ciorba or zeama - argot). In fact, in Romania, soup (supă) means something else; it's a homemade clear vegetable and meat broth where we add very thin homemade pasta (more like noodles) or semolina dumplings. But we can not translate ''ciorba'' in English, other then soup.''Zeama'' or ''ciorba'' is the way we call the soup In Romania and we use to eat a lot of them. We have a wide range

Nico and Bianca Lontrashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02359541968976676363noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5009961089621655486.post-69128870995981496112011-06-29T23:06:00.002+03:002011-06-29T23:16:19.425+03:00

It is very important to drink enough water to stay hydrated in the hot summer days, so here I share with you some great flavored water recipe ideas, to add a twist to your water. Dropping a lemon wedge in water is a common way to add flavor, but you should try another kind of citrus mixed up with a few mint leaves. You can also get creative and mix together some fresh fruits cubes with herbs and

Nico and Bianca Lontrashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02359541968976676363noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5009961089621655486.post-80414445827180435532011-06-09T21:51:00.004+03:002011-06-11T20:02:22.024+03:00

What is Modern Romanian cuisine? I want to believe that there are a few chefs out there who do actually have a meaning of that and they will try to improve with passion the classic Romanian cuisine. For me modern cuisine must use high-quality local ingredients, preparing them in ways which combine traditional Romanian recipes with modern innovations. Also, modern approaches for me mean using

Nico and Bianca Lontrashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02359541968976676363noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5009961089621655486.post-57995471440981855312011-06-01T00:59:00.002+03:002011-06-01T09:05:08.763+03:00

I love chimichurri for that blend of spicy, herbs, and olive oil that makes my mouth water.Chimichurri is a traditional Argentinean herb sauce that I had it for the first time at a restaurant in Dublin. A small ramekin of chimichurri sauce was served with my grilled steak and I loved it..The recipe varies from chef to chef, but the basics are olive oil, parsley, oregano, red wine vinegar, garlic

Nico and Bianca Lontrashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02359541968976676363noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5009961089621655486.post-47140052506093446192011-04-18T01:00:00.001+03:002013-01-23T10:23:00.678+02:00

Agar-agar is a natural vegetable gelatin derived from red algae. Agar agar is suitable for vegans, vegetarians and for most religious diets. Agar is, melting at around 85 °C and solidifying to around 37 °C. It is sold in package of dried strips, flakes or in powdered form. For making jelly, it is boiled in water until the solids dissolve and then flavor or color is added. The liquid is poured

Nico and Bianca Lontrashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02359541968976676363noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5009961089621655486.post-13079542583391002252011-04-03T01:13:00.001+03:002011-04-03T01:16:49.829+03:00

We made soooooooo… many cheesecakes, from plain to very rich flavor ones. For a New York cheesecake style you can find recipe here. Cheesecake is a dessert made of soft, fresh cream cheese on a base made from biscuit, pastry or sponge. All modern cheesecakes use cream cheese but ricotta and cottage cheese can be used to. Philadelphia cream cheese is the most popular cheese used for making

Nico and Bianca Lontrashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02359541968976676363noreply@blogger.com6