#TakeMeToChurch

Last night we finally managed to make reservations at one of Antwerp's finest restaurants, The Jane.

Chef and creator Sergio Herman opened this new place in March of last year and has been extremely successful ever since. 

The Upper Bar room is a great spot ; not only do you have an incredible view and you'll see the bartender work his best at drinks and cocktails, the master himself will cook right in front of you and supervises his team to perfection.

Have to say our tastebuds have been treated like we were in heaven ; amazing food (some to share, very intimate) and beautiful wines.

Can't wait to go back and have another food orgasm at The Jane.

For reservations, book here 

I love to travel abroad but there's just 1 thing I wish I could take with me ; our bread and pastries. When in Paris, the choice is quite similar to our flavours - maybe just a little more sugary and sweet - but bread wise, my country rules !
I just LOVE bread and all it's varieties we can choose from : my husband and I always joke that one day, when we are old & wise, we will move to Italy and live there until 'death us do part' ..
We can see ourselves having a house somewhere in Tuscany and I would run a small shop - imagine that wonderful shop Vianne had in the Chocolat movie - filled with racks of freshly baked breads and artisan homemade pies.

I could totally see me do this … now I just need to find that dream house and start baking !

zucchini tagliatelle

#healthy #recipe #nocarbs #vegetarian

Imagine this ; you wanna impress somebody you really like, your fridge is almost empty, you don't have (enough) pasta for 2 but and just a giant zucchini to work with. I'm about to save your day.

Slice the zucchini with the help of a julienne peeler into look-a-like tagliatelle wisps and sauté them for a couple of minutes in olive oil. Season them too.

Drop some cherry tomatoes in the pan as well (or sun dried, chopped - might work just as good)

After you're done, twist the 'tagliatelle' in some green or red pesto ; serve on a nice plate and sprinkle some freshly grated parmegiano cheese on top ! 

Enjoy ! 

beetroot and other Winter warm food

You all might know Sophie Dahl as a model, wife of Jamie Cullum and granddaughter of famous writer Roald Dahl, but she also wrote some fantastic cookbooks. 

I made a recipe from her Voloptuous Delights book yesterday. 

Don't you just ♥ these beetroot and rich red colours nature provides us ? 

Have to say that warm Winter salad was really good ! It accompagnied a roast beef we marinated for 6 hours in a red wine & herb marinade, before we cooked it in our oven .. so delicious ! 

sophie dahl

seaside zen moment and sweet guilty pleasures

I've spent a couple of days at our place at the coast.

This time of year, I like it the best. No mass tourism, just a couple of people walking their dog on the beach, fighting the elements of nature. 

It feels somehow right to escape city life and familiar faces from time to time.

Try to find some inspiration in the simple pleasures of life too.

Our place is near an excellent bakery 'Lefevre' ; luckily I'm not a perpetual resident. I would gain 10 pounds in 1 month's time I guess. Their bread and confectionary are the best in a 5 mile range : close friends know I love anything made from fresh pastry, even more if it has an artisan touch to it.

Isabelleke is their speciality I like the best : it's a tarte aux riz meets frangipane, finished off with apricots and chocolat.

Perfect to go with an afternoon tea or coffee after that long beach walk.

LIKE bakery Lefevre here

Susanna boots by Chloe 

Eating out at ... Graanmarkt 13

Saturday I will have dinner at one of my favourite places in Antwerp : Graanmarkt 13.

Set in a beautiful house near the theatre and a just below their eponymous shop. The small details seen on the tables and on the dishes, make eating out at Graanmarkt a feast for all 5 senses. Flavours explode in your mouth and kiss your taste buds like they have never been kissed before. I can't think of anything that is not perfect about this place. This also counts for their shop and the people working at it.

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Zaterdag heb ik gereserveerd in 1 van mijn favoriete plekjes in Antwerpen ; Graanmarkt 13. Gelegen in een prachtig huis vlakbij het theaterplein, net onder hun gelijknamige winkel. De details die ze gebruiken in hun setting en op hun borden maken dat al je zintuigen verwend worden. 

De heerlijkste smaken ontploffen in je mond en verwennen al je smaakpapillen zoals ze nog nooit verwend zijn geweest. Ik kan niks negatiefs zeggen over deze plek ; net zoals de winkel trouwens en de mensen die er werken. 

http://www.graanmarkt13.be