Olive soup à la Ellen

We went for lunch with our dear friends and good cooks Wim and Ellen. And Ellen conjured up an olive soup that was so delicious and surprising that I immediately knew one thing: we are going to serve it with à la Damaris. I had never come up with the idea before and judging by the reactions of our guests, I was not the only one. I gave it an à la Damaris touch but other than that all credits go to Ellen.

Parsnip and celeriac crème brulée

I love the combination of savory and sweet. And I really like to surprise guests with a combination that they absolutely do not expect. And this crème brulée ‘ticks all those boxes’. It was a big hit at the restaurant’s Christmas dinner. And it might as well be at your home.

Jerusalem artichoke puree with fried spring onion, pine nuts and hazelnuts

Jerusalem artichoke, it’s not an everyday vegetable. But it’s worth playing with in the kitchen. Its nutty taste, delicious structure and ability to easily adapt to its environment make it a fantastic vegetable. The vegetable garden we work with had a good harvest this year and we took advantage of it. Served here with delicious spring onion with star anise. And some crunchy hazelnuts and pine nuts fried in spicy pul biber. Talk about layers of flavor.

Zucchini from the oven with tahina sauce, za’atar and fried sage

Zucchini becomes this hit of the night in one fell swoop when you serve it this way. Full of flavor, delicious tahina sauce on top, the spicy za’atar and then the crispy and clearly present sage on top. How delicious.