Garlic- Lemon- Shrimp Saute

I have a food memory that I like to share with everyone and anyone who remotely enjoys food talk. During a family vacation in Malindi years ago, we popped into an Italian restaurant and I couldn’t pronounce a thing on the menu. So I ordered the only familiar item on it: pizza. I wasn’t very adventurous then, ha. Well, my seafood pizza arrived and I smelled it and ate it. To date, it is still the best thing I ever ate. I haven’t been back to Malindi since, so I wonder if I over-romanticized the experience. But it blew my mind! It had shrimp and lobster and calamari and honestly, the fruitiest, freshest olive oil. I still remember the smell of it whenever I use good olive oil.

Making this dish really took me back to Malindi. Though, not even! As you know, I have a great preference for simple meals, light ones, packed with flavor. This shrimp dish is all of that. Living in Nairobi means I have to settle for frozen shrimp, ah, it slightly depresses me. If you can get fresh shrimp, lucky you!

The recipe follows.

Red Velvet Cake w/ Cream Cheese Frosting

I did promise to post my foolproof red velvet cake recipe (due months ago, excuse me). I have been using it since 2012, since my first red velvet cake, and it was damn delicious.

Another thing, the recipe is borrowed, but I don’t know from whom. So I will look that up and credit appropriately.

Vanilla Cake w/ Sticky Lime Glaze

Every amateur baker needs a go to cake and this is mine. It is both delicious and basic which allows me to experiment with flavors, such as chocolate, peanut butter, fruit. Today, I had limes!

The recipe follows.

Potato and Zucchini Gratin

This was amazing to make, and eat! I love these types of recipes, this, inspired by Ina Garten’s recipe for potato gratin. Like Ina I am just as obsessed with everything French, if not more. Because truthfully you can never go wrong- French recipes, French wine, French dogs, French underwear if there’s such a thing.

Do enjoy this dish with a glass of French wine (white?) and French music (Carla Bruni?) and be in a French state of mind. You’re welcome.

Bon appetit!

Beef Burgers w/ Tangy Mayonnaise

My favorite [and least favorite] part about food blogging- well, cooking aside- is the food styling and photography. I think I did alright on this one, na?

I made the bread! That was awesome.

Here, the softest, butteriest, freshest buns enveloping the juiciest, most well seasoned beef patties + fresh, just plucked baby spinach and juicy, fresh tomatoes + delicious sweet and salty onions (unpictured). Now breathe.

Clues: I prepped the beef patties by marinating 500g of minced meat with cumin, coriander, fresh garlic, finely diced onion, mixed herbs and chillies; formed 8 balls, pressed them lightly to form patties and cooked on the stove to medium. You do the same, to your taste if you must.

The tangy mayonnaise is a mixture of mayonnaise, mustard, lemon juice, salt and pepper.

And don’t forget, for juicy burgers, rest the patties!

Bon appetit.