1. First, we’re making the blini batter. Mix all the ingredients together until smooth, then let it chill for like 5-10 minutes. Once the batter’s had its lil rest, heat up a pan with a bit of oil or butter and spoon in small circles of batter. I usually use 3/4 of a tablespoon. Here’s the pro tip: when you see those cute little holes popping up on the surface, it’s time to flip them. Cook each side for about 2-3 minutes until they’re golden and gorgeous. Boom, your blinis are born. Pop them on a cooling rack to chill out – no soggy bottoms here.
2. Grab a bowl and mix the ricotta cream. For this, stir together ricotta, olive oil, lemon juice, salt & pepper until it’s smooth and creamy. Then load it into a piping bag if you’re feeling fancy, or just keep a spoon handy for the easy aesthetic.
3. Once your blinis are cool, dollop or pipe some ricotta cream onto each one. Get creative – a little swirl, a casual blob, whatever your heart desires. Now they’re ready for toppings.
4. For Blini topping 1, toast the walnuts in a pan without adding additional fat. Take them out and let them cool. Thinly slice the shallots into delicate rings and fry them in a bit of oil until crispy. Set aside to cool. Add half a walnut onto the blini, as well as about 1 tsp of the crispy onions. Finish with a drizzle of honey and a sprinkle of pink peppercorns. Toss on a few fresh thyme leaves and finish with a few drops of chili oil for a spicy kick that ties it all together.
5. For Blini topping 2, slice fresh figs into eighths. Place one fig wedge on the ricotta cream, then crumble some blue cheese on the other side – as much or as little as your vibe calls for. Add a few drops of truffle oil, sprinkle with freshly ground pepper, and garnish with a touch of chopped chives to seal the deal.
6. For Blini topping 3, flake some cooked salmon into bite-sized pieces and nestle it onto the ricotta cream. Slice red onions into thin strips, then scatter a few pieces on top along with some capers. Add a few drops of olive oil, a grind of fresh black pepper, and finish with a couple of dill sprigs.
7. For Blini topping 4, tear thin slices of pastrami into strips, roll them into little spirals, and press them onto the ricotta. Diagonally halve some cornichons and place one half on the blini. Drizzle a few drops of walnut oil for a rich, nutty twist. Top it all off with a sprig of fresh parsley for a classy finishing touch.
8. For Blini topping 5, thinly slice radishes into delicate rounds and place two slices on one side of the blini. On the other side, gently press on a little bunch of radish cress for that pop of green. Finish with a few drops of basil oil for a fresh, herbaceous flair.
9. Serve these cute appetizers on a platter and watch them disappear in seconds.

PREPARATIONS

• Peel the onions, halve them, and slice into thin half-rings.
• Peel the garlic cloves; they’ll be pressed into the onions later.

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Melt butter and oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions, sprinkle with a pinch of salt, and sauté for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. The goal? Dreamy, golden-brown caramelization. Yes, it takes patience, but trust me, it’s worth it.
2. Press the garlic through a garlic press and sauté with the onions for 1 minute until fragrant. Sprinkle the flour like fairy dust over the onions and stir well.
3. Pour in the white wine and let it cook down briefly. Add the beef broth, thyme sprigs, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer over low heat for 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. While the soup simmers, preheat the oven to its highest broil setting. Slice the baguette, butter one side, and sprinkle with a bit of garlic powder. Grate the Gruyère.
5. Once the soup is done, ladle it into ovenproof bowls. Place the baguette slices on top and generously cover with Gruyère. Broil for 5–10 minutes until the cheese is golden and bubbling.
6. Garnish with fresh thyme and a pinch of black pepper. Serve hot, grab a spoon, and get ready to impress yourself (and everyone else)!

PREPARATIONS

• Here’s the recipe for the picklenaise. You’ll need about 6-8 tablespoons.
• Here’s the recipe for the pickle oil. You’ll need about 3 tablespoons.

INSTRUCTIONS

1. For the egg salad, fill a pot with water and bring it to a boil. Carefully add the eggs and set a timer for 8 minutes. While they cook, prepare a bowl of ice water. After 8 minutes, transfer the eggs to the ice water to stop them from cooking further. Let them cool completely. Peel the eggs, separate the yolks from the whites, and place the yolks in a deep dish. Chop the egg whites into small pieces and set aside. To the yolks, add Dijon mustard, pickle-mayo, salt, pepper, white wine vinegar, and chopped chives. Mix everything together, mashing the yolks with a fork. Finally, fold in the chopped egg whites and mix again. Place the salad in the fridge until you’re ready to use it.
2. For the gremolata, finely chop the dill and slice the chives into small rings. Mix both in a small bowl with lemon juice and pickle oil. Peel the garlic cloves and grate them into the bowl. Stir everything well and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
3. For the caramelized onions, peel the onions and slice them into thin half-rings. Heat a large pan over medium heat, melt 1 teaspoon of butter, then add the onions and a pinch of salt. Stir well and cook for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are golden and creamy. Add balsamic vinegar and stir again. Set the onions aside.
4. Meanwhile, prepare the crispy bacon. Lay the slices on parchment paper and sprinkle them evenly with brown sugar and cayenne pepper. Bake at 200°C / 392°F for about 15 minutes or until the sugar has melted and the bacon is a deep pink.
5. Butter the outside of the white bread slices and cut the Gouda into thin slices. Wash and dry the lettuce leaves, and get the picklenaise ready.
6. Heat a pan over low to medium heat and place the buttered bread slices, butter-side down, in the pan. Add Gouda to half of the slices. Cover the pan so the cheese can melt. Remove the bread once the cheese is soft and the bottoms are golden and crispy.
7. Spread mayo on the plain bread slices and gremolata on the cheesy ones.
8. Now layer the sandwich in this order: lettuce on the mayo side, followed by egg salad, bacon, and caramelized onions. Top it off with the cheese-gremolata slice. Cut the sandwich in half and enjoy!

1. Preheat your oven to 150°C / 300°F. Wash the tomatoes and bell peppers, then dry them well. Get a large baking dish ready. Quarter the tomatoes, remove the seeds from the bell peppers, and roughly chop them. Peel the carrots and cut them into large chunks too. Peel the shallots and garlic. Now, put everything in the baking dish, drizzle with a little olive oil and sprinkle some salt over the veggies. Toss them to coat evenly, then place the baking dish in the oven for 40 minutes. After 40 minutes, increase the temperature to 210°C / 410°F and roast for another 15 minutes.
2. While the veggies are roasting, you can prepare the caramelized onions for the grilled cheese sandwiches. Peel the onions and slice them thinly. Add 1 teaspoon of butter to a large pan and let it melt. Add the onion slices, sprinkle a bit of salt on top, and cook on low heat, stirring regularly for about 10-15 minutes.
3. Now, peel the onions for the soup base and cut them roughly. Set them aside. Pick the basil leaves from their stems, wash them, and dry them well. Set them aside too.
4. After 10-15 minutes, the onions in the pan will have left some fond (browned bits) at the bottom. This is the time to add another teaspoon of butter and cook the onions for another 10-15 minutes. Once the onions are soft and golden brown, add a splash of balsamic vinegar and cook for another 1-2 minutes. Transfer the caramalized onions to a bowl and set the pan back on the stove to make the soup base.
5. Add another teaspoon of butter to the pan and sauté the roughly chopped onions over medium heat. After a few minutes, add the chili flakes and stir well. After a few more minutes, stir in the tomato paste so that all the onions are coated evenly. Let it cook for a few minutes. Then, deglaze with the red wine and let it simmer until it reduces to a thick, creamy paste. Set the pan aside.
6. Grab a large pot and transfer the roasted vegetables (along with any juices) into it once they’re done. Add the soup base from the pan, the vegetable broth, and the basil leaves. Use an immersion blender to blend everything until you reach the desired consistency. Finally, stir in the cream. Season the soup with salt, pepper, and cayenne to taste. Keep the soup on low heat and bring it to a simmer.
7. Meanwhile, make the grilled cheese sandwiches. Heat a pan over low-medium heat. While the pan heats up, spread a thin layer of butter on the outside of each slice of bread. Grate the cheese. Place half of the buttered bread (butter side down) in the pan, then evenly distribute the cheese and caramelized onions on top. Cover the pan with a lid and wait for the cheese to start melting. Once it does, place the remaining slices of bread (butter side up) on top. Use a spatula to flip the sandwiches so they can brown on the other side.
8. While the sandwiches are finishing, ladle the soup into bowls and optionally garnish with a drizzle of walnut oil, some cream, and fresh basil. Once the other side of the grilled cheese is crispy, take them out of the pan and cut them however you like – halves, triangles, strips, or small squares – depending on how you prefer them with your soup.

1. Cut romaine and butter lettuce into bite-sized pieces, wash thoroughly, and spin dry. Place in a large salad bowl.
2. Also wash chives, dill, and tarragon, dry, and finely chop. Add to the salad in the bowl.
3. Fill a small bowl with frozen peas and pour hot water over them to cover and then set aside.
4. In the meantime, in a separate bowl, prepare the dressing. Mix yogurt, lemon juice, peeled and pressed garlic cloves, and Dijon mustard together. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
5. Drain the peas in a sieve and rinse with cold water. Let them drain and then add them to the salad bowl. Peel the red onion and slice it into very fine strips.
6. Pour the dressing over the salad and top with the sliced red onions. Enjoy the salad immediately.

1. Peel the carrot and onion and roughly chop them as well as the celery. Put the pieces into the blender. Pour in the oil. Blend on the highest setting until there are only tiny pieces of the vegetables left.
2. Pour the mixture from the blender into a medium-sized pot and heat it over medium heat to a temperature of about 99°-102°C (210°-215°F), and maintain this temperature for the next 40 minutes. Stir occasionally, making sure the temperature remains steady and nothing gets burned.
3. Prepare a bowl large enough to fit a medium-sized pot, and fill it with cold water and a handful of ice cubes. Also, hang a fine sieve strainer over one medium-sized bowl and another fine sieve strainer, with a coffee filter inside it, over another medium-sized bowl.
4. Now, place the pot in the ice water and stir to cool the oil quickly. Once the oil is almost cold, remove the pot from the water and pour the oil into the prepared fine sieve to catch the coarse particles.
5. Then, pour the oil into the second sieve, which is equipped with a coffee filter, to catch the remaining finer particles.
6. Allow the oil to drip through for about 1 hour or maybe less depending on how many remaining particles are in the coffee filter. Once all the oil has passed through the coffee filter, transfer the collected amount of oil into a sealable container or directly into an oil bottle. Store in the refrigerator for up to one week.

1. To make the dough, warm the milk slightly to 35–40°C (95–104°F) and mix it with the dry active yeast and honey in a small container. Let it sit for about 5 minutes until bubbles form, indicating the yeast is active. Meanwhile, in a medium-sized bowl, combine the egg, butter, and salt. Stir in the milk-yeast mixture until well incorporated. Gradually add the flour in four additions, mixing thoroughly after each one. Once the dough is firm enough, transfer it to a clean work surface and knead with the remaining flour until it becomes smooth, elastic, and soft. This should take about 10 minutes. Lightly oil a large bowl and place the dough ball inside. Coat the dough lightly with a bit more olive oil, then cover the bowl with cling film and a clean towel. Let it rest in a warm place for one hour.
2. To make the caramelized onions, peel the onions, cut them into thin half-circles, and cook them in a large pan with a tablespoon of butter and a pinch of salt over low to medium heat. Stir occasionally, allowing them to caramelize slowly. This takes about 30 minutes, depending on the desired color. Finish by deglazing with a splash of white wine and letting it reduce briefly. Alternatively, you can use stock instead of wine. Remove the onions from the pan and set aside in a bowl.
3. For the bacon, use the same pan you caramelized the onions in (no need for additional fat). Fry the bacon until crispy, then add fresh or dried thyme, a pinch of cayenne pepper, and a drizzle of honey. Let everything caramelize over medium heat before deglazing with a splash of white wine or stock. Allow the liquid to evaporate, then set the bacon aside.
4. Grease a baking dish with butter and set aside. Preheat the oven to 190°C / 375°F. Grate the cheddar cheese and set it aside. Dust a clean work surface with flour and place the dough ball on it. It should have doubled in size by now. Sprinkle the dough lightly with more flour and roll it out into a rectangle about 30×40 cm (12×16 inches). Spread half of the grated cheddar cheese evenly over the dough, followed by the caramelized onions and bacon. Top with the remaining cheese. Roll the dough tightly from the bottom upward, then cut it into 12 equal pieces. Place the rolls in the greased baking dish, cut side up. Cover the dish with cling film and a towel, and let it rest for another 30 minutes in a warm place.
5. Bake the rolls in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes, or until golden brown. While the rolls bake, prepare the poppy seed glaze. In a small bowl, mix together melted butter, garlic powder, poppy seeds, brown sugar, and Dijon mustard.
6. After 30 minutes of baking, remove the rolls from the oven and brush them evenly with the glaze. Return them to the oven and bake for another 5 minutes, being careful not to let them get too dark. Let the rolls cool for 15 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

1. Peel, halve and cut the onions into thin semicircles.
2. Peel and finely chop or press the garlic.
3. Mix 1 teaspoon of butter and 1 teaspoon of flour in a small bowl until creamy. This is the beurre manié that you will use to bind the sauce later.
4. Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F)
5. In a large pan, heat 1 tablespoon of butter and sauté the onions until they have gained a bit of color, for about 15 minutes. Then add the garlic. Stir everything well and sauté for 1-2 minutes.
6. Now add the vegetable broth and deglaze the pan. Let everything simmer for about 5 minutes on medium heat. Now add the heavy cream. Stir everything well. Add the beurre manié, stir well and bring to a boil until the sauce has thickened. Now add salt, pepper, thyme, oregano, and marjoram, stir to combine, let it come to a boil briefly, and set aside.
7. In an ovenproof skillet, heat 1 teaspoon of clarified butter and sear the chicken breasts on both sides. Do not fully cook the meat, as it will finish cooking in the oven and then become really tender.
8. Now spread the entire onion & cream sauce over and between the chicken in the skillet. Smooth out and bake in the oven uncovered for about 30 minutes until done.
9. Remove the skillet from the oven and enjoy the chicken and sour cream caramelized onions with rice, pasta, potatoes, mashed potatoes, or just simply bread.

1. Put the water, salt, olive oil and sifted flour in a bowl. Stir with a spoon until it is no longer sticky. Then remove everything from the bowl and work into a smooth dough with your hands for approx. 3 minutes. Do not add any more flour. Then wrap the dough in cling film and leave to rest at room temperature for approx. 30 minutes.
2. Remove the skin from the onions and cut into thin stripes.
3. Sprinkle a little flour on a work surface. Place the dough piece on top and also sprinkle with a little flour. Then use a rolling pin to roll out the dough to the size of a baking tray, approx. 40×30 cm (16×12 inches).
4. Place the dough on a baking tray lined with baking paper and brush with crème fraîche. Season with salt. Then spread the onions and bacon evenly on top.
5. Bake the pastry at 250°C (480°F) using the grill function for approx. 15 minutes. Take out and top with freshly cracked pepper and chives.

1. Peel the onions and cut into thin stripes. Prepare three shallow plates of the same size. Pour flour into the first plate, break 2 eggs into the second plate and whisk with a fork. Season the egg with salt and pepper. Pour breadcrumbs into the third plate.
2. Melt 1 teaspoon of clarified butter in a large frying pan. Add the onions and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Now caramelize slowly over a medium heat until they are almost dark brown. This can take a good 30-40 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, bread the chicken breast. To do this, cut the meat in a butterfly cut. Place the chicken breast fillets between two layers of cling film and pound with a little force and a meat mallet to a thickness of about 5-8 mm.
4. Now dredge each piece of meat in the flour first and press down well on all sides. Next, pull through the egg so that the piece of meat is well coated on all sides and finally pull through the breadcrumbs and press down well.
5. Heat 1 tbsp clarified butter in a large frying pan over a medium heat and allow to melt. Now fry the breaded chicken breast fillets in the fat until golden brown. Fry for about 4 minutes on each side, depending on how thick the meat is.
6. While the meat is cooking, slowly heat the hollandaise sauce in a small pan over a low heat.
7. Arrange the meat on plates, pour over the hollandaise sauce and top with the caramelized onions and freshly chopped parsley.