Cabbage pudding has an undeservedly bad reputation. Many remember it as gray and watery from school cafeterias, but when made from scratch, it's sweet, golden brown, and flavorful. And it's cheap: a kilogram of cabbage costs almost nothing and goes a long way.
The secret lies in the cabbage, even before it meets the ground meat. Raw cabbage contains a lot of water and has a sharp, almost bitter taste. If you add it directly to the meat mixture, the pudding will be soggy. Instead, sauté a kilogram of finely shredded cabbage in butter for 20-25 minutes, until the liquid has evaporated and the edges have turned golden brown. Use a large pot, not a frying pan: a kilogram of shredded cabbage takes up almost four liters before it shrinks, and in a regular pan, it will just steam.
The dark syrup is meant to brown the cabbage, not to make the dish sweet. Add it only when the cabbage has already softened, otherwise it will burn. The sweetness also helps to tame the bitterness.
The basic recipe: 500g ground meat, one yellow onion, one egg, 1/2 cup breadcrumbs soaked in 1/2 cup milk, salt, dried marjoram, and pepper. If you want more texture, you can replace the breadcrumbs and milk with two cups of cooked rice; both variations are found in classic recipes.
Let the cabbage cool to room temperature before mixing it with the raw ground meat. Brush the surface with a little syrup and bake at 175 degrees Celsius for 45-60 minutes. Since it's ground meat, the center should reach 70 degrees Celsius, so a meat thermometer is the safest way to check. Let it rest for ten minutes so that the pieces hold together.
The accompaniments are half the dish: boiled potatoes, a simple sauce made with cream, a little flour, and a splash of soy sauce, and most importantly, lingonberry sauce, whose acidity balances the sweetness of the syrup. The best part is that cabbage pudding tastes just as good reheated, so feel free to make a double batch and freeze portions.
Source: Metro Mode
As a passionate cook and a daughter of the South, I've always believed the most beautiful dishes are the ones that never go out of fashion. In 2025 Italian cuisine was recognized as UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage, and it truly moved me: it's a tribute to the knowledge, the gestures and the conviviality handed down from generation to generation.
On my blog I've gathered the great classics worth trying at least once, from the North to the South. We start with the sauces that taste like home: ragù alla bolognese simmering slowly on a Sunday, amatriciana, creamy carbonara made without cream, pesto alla genovese and puttanesca, made with simple ingredients full of character.
Then there are fresh pastas and gnocchi, which for me are pure love: egg lasagne, potato gnocchi, cavatelli, Sardinian culurgiones and the maccheroni al ferretto of my Sicily. Every region guards its own recipes, often born from humble peasant cooking and the habit of wasting nothing, like passatelli in broth or pasta with sardines and wild fennel.
The best part is that you don't need to be a chef: all it takes is everyday ingredients, a little patience and the aroma that fills the house. For me, cooking these dishes is like being a little girl again, in the kitchen with my grandmother.
Source: GialloZafferano
Now that autumn has arrived, pumpkin is back everywhere in the shops. Sandra Waterschoot of Leuke Recepten put together her 14 favorite pumpkin recipes on September 16, 2026, and I found the list a good source of ideas. She calls pumpkin versatile, nutritious and long-lasting.
The list starts with the classics: pumpkin soup and a curry with butternut squash, garam masala, coconut milk and lentils. Then it gets more varied: a risotto with roasted pumpkin, part of it puréed, a pumpkin lasagne with spinach, red pepper and ricotta, and pasta with roasted pumpkin, walnuts and sage. A stuffed pumpkin baked in the oven with mushrooms and chicken also sounds delicious, as does a quiche with pumpkin, spinach, pecans and goat’s cheese, and a sheet pizza with pumpkin and goat’s cheese on puff pastry. For something unexpected, there is shakshuka with pumpkin, and a mash with sage and goat’s cheese.
The tips on varieties are useful too. Butternut squash is creamy, nutty and easy to peel, which makes it Sandra’s favourite. Hokkaido has an edible skin and tastes slightly sweeter, the green kabocha is firm and works well in curries and stews, and the large orange Halloween pumpkin is edible but milder in flavour.
For pairings she suggests soft cheeses such as goat’s cheese and feta, herbs and spices such as cinnamon, cumin, nutmeg, sage, ginger, bay leaf and thyme, nuts and seeds, and something fresh such as lime, apple or yoghurt. Her own tip: keep pumpkin cubes in the freezer, ready for soup, stew, risotto and stir-fries. A nice list to round off the season.
Source: Leuke Recepten
When autumn comes, I always want to buy chestnuts, but when I get too many at once they are hard to finish. Delish Kitchen published an article that summarises how to store and prepare chestnuts in the fridge and freezer, so I want to note the key points. It was reviewed by a registered dietitian and dated 6 October 2026.
The basic idea is simple: refrigerate if you will use them within a few days, and freeze if you cannot finish them soon. Either way, before storing, remove any chestnuts with holes and wipe off the surface moisture thoroughly. Chestnuts with holes or small spots on the shell may have insects inside, and ones that float when placed in water may also have gone bad, so avoid them.
The refrigerator method has three steps. First, check for holes. Second, boil plenty of water in a pot, add the chestnuts, turn off the heat, and leave them for one minute before draining. Third, leave them on kitchen paper until they cool and the moisture evaporates, then wipe off any remaining water, wrap them in newspaper, and put them in the fridge. The article does not give a specific number of days for refrigerated storage. It only says to use them as soon as possible.
For freezing, peel off both the outer shell and the inner skin first. If freezing raw, soak the peeled chestnuts in water for about 5 minutes, drain, dry them, lay them flat in a freezer bag, and press out the air. If freezing after boiling, simmer them over medium heat for about an hour in enough water to cover them, then cool and peel them and pack them the same way. The article warns that boiled chestnuts must be reheated before eating, and it suggests about one month as a guide for storage time. For long-term storage, it also introduces coating them with sugar or salt to prevent freezer burn.
As a bonus tip, freezing chestnuts in their shells and then dipping them in hot water softens the outer shell and makes the inner skin easier to remove. Peeled chestnuts should be soaked in water right away to remove their bitterness. Peeling has always felt like the hardest part, so I want to remember this tip.
Source: Delish Kitchen
A recipe for eggplant gözleme updated in September 2026 on Nefis Yemek Tarifleri caught my eye. It was shared by a user called mutfaktutkunu0. It serves 4 to 6, takes about 35 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook, and is made on a sač, the convex Turkish griddle.
The filling needs 3 large eggplants, 1 large onion, 1 clove of garlic, 3 green peppers and 2 kapya peppers. The onion, garlic and peppers are fried in half a cup of olive oil, then the cubed eggplant goes in and cooks covered until soft. Seasoned with salt, paprika, red pepper flakes and black pepper, the filling is taken off the heat and left to cool in a separate bowl. I think this detail matters: a hot filling tears the dough when you roll it out, so cooling it is the trick.
For the dough, 4 cups of flour, 1 teaspoon of salt and enough lukewarm water to make a medium-firm dough are all you need. The dough rests for 15 minutes, then is divided into mandarin-sized pieces. Each piece is rolled thin, the filling goes in the middle, the edges are dampened and sealed, and the excess dough is trimmed. The gözleme are cooked on both sides on the sač and served brushed with butter.
The ingredient list is short, but the result looks like a true classic of the family table. It is a good idea to try at the end of eggplant season, and I especially liked the finishing touch of butter.
Source: Nefis Yemek Tarifleri
Frying is a familiar technique, yet it does not always turn out well. I read a VnExpress article, a summary by Nhật Minh of an ABC.net.au report, which included advice from Tom Milligan, technical director at the Le Cordon Bleu cooking school in Australia. I found many points worth noting.
First, there are four ways to fry. Pan-frying uses a little oil and turns the food so both sides cook evenly; it suits steak, chicken breast, and sausages. Stir-frying means constant stirring, usually for about 5 to 10 minutes, and cooking too long makes the ingredients mushy. Shallow frying keeps the oil covering just the bottom of the food, creating a crisp golden crust for breaded or crumbed items. Deep frying fully submerges the food in hot oil and suits batter-coated foods and chips.
Next are five key tips. One, heat the pan before adding the oil, and add the ingredients only once the oil is hot; otherwise the food absorbs oil and turns soft. Two, do not add too much at once, since the pan temperature drops and the released moisture steams the food instead of frying it. Three, add aromatics such as thyme, onion, or garlic near the end, when the dish is a few minutes from done, so they do not burn. Four, use residual heat: when the food is nearly cooked, take the pan off the stove and let the leftover heat finish it. For pan-seared dishes, a little lemon juice at the end works well, and meat should rest off the pan for at least 2 to 3 minutes before serving. Five, watch the colour and smell. Properly fried food shows three shades: golden, deeper gold, and dark brown where it touches the pan the most, and a nutty aroma signals that it has reached the desired golden stage.
The article does not give a specific oil temperature, so I will rely on colour and smell as it suggests. What I remember most is the value of patience: heat the pan properly and do not rush to add more food.
Source: VnExpress
Deb Perelman of Smitten Kitchen opens her latest recipe by grumbling about pumpkin spice and Halloween decor showing up in early September, when it is still hot out. Her answer is to hold on to summer tomatoes for as long as possible, and the result is a tomato risotto that looked appealing to me even though I only read it.
The idea came from her rice-stuffed tomatoes. She wanted just the rice filling as a standalone dish, so she grated about 2 pounds of ripe beefsteak tomatoes into pulp and built the risotto on that, with onion, garlic, and white wine. It cooks in water instead of broth, skips the constant stirring, and goes without heaps of butter and cheese.
The method is simple. She fries a sliced red onion in olive oil until deeply golden and crisp, sets half aside on paper towels, then cooks garlic in the pot with the rest, toasts 1 cup of arborio, carnaroli, or sushi rice, and deglazes with about a third of a cup of wine. The tomato pulp and roughly 2 cups of water go in, then the covered pot bakes at 350°F for 25 to 30 minutes. At the end she stirs it for a couple of minutes until creamy, adds butter or olive oil, and tops it with Parmesan, torn basil, and the reserved onions, which she calls a crisp alternative to bacon or prosciutto.
It serves four and takes about 50 minutes. Her notes say a food mill can replace the grater, and the recipe works as a vegan dish if you skip the butter and cheese. Baking instead of stirring is the part I find most appealing, since it frees up the cook during a busy evening.
Source: Smitten Kitchen
With autumn here, pumpkin is back on my shopping list, and today a recipe from Directo al Paladar caught my eye because it swaps out a classic ingredient. The author, Liliana Fuchs, says her favorite pumpkin cream no longer contains potato. Instead she uses a vegetable that is still little known in Spain: kohlrabi.
Kohlrabi, also called German turnip or cabbage turnip, belongs to the brassica family, the same family as cauliflower, cabbage and broccoli. It is at its best in autumn, just like pumpkin, so pairing them makes seasonal sense. According to the article, it has fewer carbohydrates than potato, is lighter, and contains more vitamin C, minerals and fiber.
The ingredients mentioned are pumpkin, kohlrabi, onion or leek and, if you like, ginger. You can add other spices, coriander, nutmeg or garlic to taste. The text gives no quantities or detailed steps, so everyone can adjust it their own way. What it does make clear is that the soup is filling, comforting and light, and works both as a starter and as a supper.
To serve, the author's version uses no dairy, though she suggests a few options: single cream, plain yogurt, fresh cheese or goat cheese. She also recommends something crunchy on the side, such as croutons or seed crackers, for a contrast in texture.
I like the idea of using seasonal produce that often goes unnoticed at the market. The next time I see a kohlrabi at the greengrocer, I think I'll take one home and try this combination.
Source: Directo al Paladar
Many people complain that chicken tastes bland no matter how much seasoning they add. I read an article on Al Jazeera Net by Mohamed Salah that explains the causes and suggests six practical steps, and I want to summarise it here.
The article begins by noting that boneless, skinless chicken breast is the most in-demand cut worldwide despite its high price, thanks to 1980s marketing that promoted it as a healthy, fat-free option. The deeper cause is intensive farming. Modern breeds are raised in cramped spaces and fed feed designed for maximum growth within weeks. As a result, the intramuscular fat that carries much of the flavour decreases, while the water content rises, so the meat is watery and releases a lot of liquid when cooked.
The article recommends thighs, wings, and drumsticks, which are cheaper, richer in flavour, and stay moist whatever the cooking method. The six steps are as follows. One, choose traditionally raised chicken, ideally pasture-raised, and cook the pieces with bone and skin on. Two, season generously in advance with salt, black pepper, garlic, smoked paprika, ginger, yogurt, olive oil, lemon juice, and thyme. Three, marinate in the fridge for 30 minutes to 3 hours in an acidic marinade. Four, salt before cooking. Salt helps retain moisture, and sprinkling spices after cooking cannot replace that effect. Five, add fat, such as olive oil, full-fat plain yogurt, whole tahini, or a knob of butter. Six, choose the method carefully. Simply boiling or steaming reduces flavour, so browning is better, and the meat should be cooked to an internal temperature of about 75 degrees Celsius and then left to rest briefly.
If a dish comes out bland, the article suggests rescuing it with a rich sauce or broth, shredding it into a curry or tagine, mixing it with pesto, or adding it to creamy pasta or tacos. I liked the advice because it is simple and needs no special equipment.
Source: Al Jazeera Net
Batagor, a Bandung snack whose name means fried fish-and-tofu dumplings, has just received some good news. According to detikFood, TasteAtlas 2026 ranked it No. 2 on its Top 100 Deep-fried Dishes in the World 2026 list, with a score of 4.4 out of 5. As someone who loves fried snacks, I wanted to write down the recipe after reading this.
The recipe comes from the writer Yenny Mustika Sari. It serves 2 and is easy to make. The dough needs 200 grams of tapioca flour, 150 grams of wheat flour, 1 block of white tofu cut into cubes, 1 egg yolk, a little stock powder, and 2 stalks of spring onion sliced thin. The ground seasoning is 4 shallots, 2 cloves of garlic, half a teaspoon of ground white pepper, and a pinch of salt and sugar.
For the peanut sauce, fry 3 red chilies, 2 cloves of garlic, and a handful of peanuts first. Then grind them with 1 tablespoon of palm sugar, salt, sugar, and a little water.
To make it, soak the tofu in salted water for 5 minutes. Grind the seasoning finely and mix it with the wheat flour, tapioca flour, spring onion, and egg yolk. Add water little by little and stir until the batter thickens and becomes slightly sticky. Heat the oil over medium heat, coat the tofu in the batter, fry until golden and cooked through, then drain. Serve with the peanut sauce, sweet soy sauce, and sambal.
The article also has a practical tip: the batter can be made without fish to keep things simpler. I think that suits home cooking well, and it is worth trying this weekend, especially for anyone who lives far from Bandung and misses the snack.
Source: detikFood
China News Service recently reposted a food safety reminder from the National Emergency Broadcasting service, on not washing eggs before storing them. It was prompted by a case in Shenyang, Liaoning, where a family of three fell ill after eating scrambled eggs. The investigation found the cause was spoiled eggs, and the spoilage was traced back to washing them before storage. The article quoted Sun Jing, a researcher at the Hubei Academy of Agricultural Sciences, to explain.
The principle is not complicated. The surface of an eggshell has a water-soluble, gel-like protective layer that keeps bacteria and mold out and slows moisture loss. Washing or soaking breaks that layer, and microbes such as Salmonella can get inside the egg. Even in the fridge, washed eggs spoil much faster. If you have already washed them by accident, cook them as soon as possible, or refrigerate them and eat them within three days.
What about dirty shells? Experts suggest gently wiping off loose dirt with a dry cloth or dry paper towel. If there is a lot of manure or blood, the egg itself may not be fresh, so it is best to avoid buying such eggs. When choosing, pick well-known brands from reputable supermarkets, and the closer the production date, the better. For loose eggs with no date, there are two simple checks. Touch the shell: if it feels too smooth, the protective layer has mostly worn off and freshness has dropped. Shake the egg next to your ear: a fresh egg makes little sound, while an older one, whose white has thinned and yolk has loosened, makes a sloshing rumble.
A few storage points matter too. Don't freeze eggs, since the yolk will set and the shell may crack. Don't keep them with other foods. Shells carry many pathogens and dirt, so isolate them first before putting them in the fridge to avoid cross-contamination. Store them with the large end up, so the air cell sits at the top, which reduces the chance of the yolk sinking toward the shell and breaking. In the fridge's 0 to 4 degree Celsius fresh-keeping compartment, ordinary fresh eggs can usually be kept for one to two months.
What I found most useful about this article is that it explains the reasons behind habits we take for granted. When eggs look dirty we want to wash them, but that is actually the step most likely to cause problems. Next time before you put eggs in the fridge, remember this one line: never wash the shell before storing it.
Source: China News Service
As soon as the evenings cool down, I get the cast-iron pot out again. This week I followed a lovely beef bourguignon recipe published in early October: chuck and topside, pinot noir from Burgundy, smoked bacon lardons and mushrooms browned in butter.
The secret isn't difficulty, it's slowness. Marinate for 12 to 24 hours with carrots, an onion studded with cloves, garlic and a bouquet garni. The next day, drain the meat well (otherwise it boils instead of browning), fry the lardons, sear the cubes over high heat, sprinkle with flour, pour in the strained marinade, and let it simmer for three hours at 150 °C.
What convinced me: the pairing of chuck (melting) and topside (structure), and the idea of never cooking with a wine you wouldn't drink. The mushrooms are cooked separately, well browned, and join the pot only at the end. Fifteen minutes' rest off the heat, and the sauce thickens by itself.
I serve it with mashed potatoes made with lightly salted butter, or fresh tagliatelle. And yes, it's even better the next day. If you're looking for an autumn dish that really smells of Burgundy, this one is worth the patience.
Source: Délice et Gastronomie
