1. Add the butter to a mixing bowl and beat for about 3 minutes, until pale and fluffy. Add the brown sugar and white sugar and beat for another 1–2 minutes, until creamy.
2. Add the egg, vanilla extract, and butter flavoring, and mix just until everything is combined. Do not overmix.
3. Add the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt, and mix briefly until the dough has almost come together. Add the chocolate and mix just until no streaks of flour remain and everything is evenly incorporated.
4. Line a small baking sheet with parchment paper. Using a small cookie scoop, scoop one ball of dough and place it onto the baking sheet. Then scoop a second ball of dough, place it on top of the first one, and press down firmly so the cookies form into little ice cream scoop shapes. Depending on the size, the dough should make about 9–10 cookies.
5. Place the shaped cookie dough balls in the freezer for at least 3 hours.
6. Before baking, fully preheat the oven to 190°C / 375°F. Place the frozen cookie dough balls on a baking sheet with enough space between them so they do not spread into each other. I bake 6 cookies per tray.
7. Bake the cookies for about 12–14 minutes, depending on how browned you like them. Let them cool on the baking sheet for at least 30 minutes.
8. The cookies can be eaten once they have cooled, but they are especially good if you let them rest in the fridge for a few hours after they have cooled completely. That is when they get that real bakery-style texture.

1. Preheat your oven to 175°C / 345°F.
2. On a plate, mix together all the spices for the blackened chicken until well combined: salt, oregano, garam masala, garlic, cayenne pepper, curry powder, black pepper, and paprika.
3. Coat the chicken breast all over in the spice mixture so it is evenly covered. Place it on a baking tray and bake for 45 minutes.
4. Once baked, remove the chicken from the oven and let it cool completely. Then slice it into thin strips. You can also make it a day ahead and keep it in the fridge overnight.
5. While the chicken is in the oven, make the dressing. Mix the yogurt with onion powder, dried parsley, dried chives, dried dill, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Set aside until ready to use.
6. Chop the romaine lettuce and wash it well. Slice the cucumber, cut the bell pepper into small pieces, and slice the onion into thin strips. Drain the corn well.
7. Cut the tortilla wraps into small squares and toss them with a little olive oil, smoked paprika powder, and garlic powder. Fry them in a pan until golden and crispy.
8. Add the romaine lettuce, cucumber, bell pepper, corn, and onion to a large salad bowl. Pour over the ranch dressing and toss everything together well. Add the crispy tortilla chips and gently mix again.
9. Slice the cooled chicken breast into thin strips and spread it over the salad. Finish with flaky salt and a squeeze of fresh lime juice.

1. For the dough, combine the flour, sugar, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add the cold butter in small cubes and work it in quickly with your hands until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with pea-sized bits of butter throughout. Add the cold water and apple cider vinegar, then bring everything together with your hands until a rough dough forms. Shape it into a rectangle on your work surface, cut it into four equal pieces, stack them on top of each other, gently press together, and wrap the stack in plastic wrap. Chill in the fridge for about 45 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, wash the rhubarb thoroughly, peel if necessary, and cut it into finger-length pieces. Depending on your preference, slice them into thin strips or slightly thicker chunks. Toss the rhubarb in a bowl with cornstarch and powdered sugar, then set aside. Wash and hull the strawberries, then slice them as well.
3. Next, prepare the almond cream. Cream the soft butter and sugar until light and fluffy, then add the egg, salt, vanilla extract, and ground almonds. Mix until smooth and set aside.
4. Preheat the oven to 200 °C / 392 °F. Remove the chilled dough from the fridge, let it rest briefly on a floured surface, then roll or press it out into a large, rustic circle using short movements. Don’t worry if the dough tears slightly, this is typical for shortcrust pastry and can be patched with leftover scraps. Gently roll the dough around your rolling pin and transfer it to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
5. Spread the almond cream evenly over the dough, leaving a border of about 8 cm (3 inches) all around. Distribute the prepared fruit over the almond cream, then fold the edges of the dough over the filling and press them down gently. Brush the crust with oil or a beaten egg, sprinkle with sliced almonds and a bit of sugar, and bake the galette for about 40 minutes, or until golden brown.
6. Serve best while still slightly warm paired with a scoop of ice cream, whipped cream, or vanilla sauce. I used pistachio ice cream, which pairs beautifully with the almond cream and the tart rhubarb.

1. Boil the eggs for 8 minutes. Then transfer them to a bowl of cold water and let them sit for about 5 minutes. After that, pour out the water and add the beet juice to the same bowl. While the eggs are still warm, peel them completely and let them soak in the beet juice for about 2 hours.
2. Meanwhile, cook the bacon until super crispy. Set it aside and let it cool down.
3. After marinating, carefully slice the eggs in half lengthwise using a sharp knife. Be sure to wipe the knife after each egg to keep the next one looking clean and neat.
4. Gently scoop out the yolks from the 6 eggs and place them in a separate bowl. Mix with mayo, lemon juice, mustard, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt and pepper to taste. Blend everything until smooth using an immersion blender. You can either fill the egg halves using a piping bag with a star tip (looks extra cute) or just use two spoons. It works either way. Pipe or spoon the filling into each egg half until all the mix is used up.
5. For the topping, I used crispy bacon, fresh chives, fresh dill, and a generous sprinkle of Everything Bagel Seasoning. But honestly? You can top them with whatever makes your heart happy.

1. In a small saucepan, heat the cream with the sugar, vanilla extract, and half of the milk until it comes to a boil. In a separate bowl, whisk together the cornstarch, egg yolk, and remaining milk. Slowly pour the starch mixture into the boiling cream while whisking constantly until it thickens into a smooth pudding. Remove from heat and let cool completely. Set aside for later.
2. Gently warm the milk to 38°C / 100°F and stir in the yeast and 1 tablespoon of the sugar. Let it sit for a few minutes until slightly foamy. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, remaining sugar, egg, soft butter, and salt. Add the yeast mixture and knead for about 10 minutes until you get a smooth, soft dough that doesn’t stick. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm spot for 90 minutes.
3. Combine the butter, sugar, flour, vanilla extract and a pinch of salt and mix until crumbly. Chill the streusel until ready to use.
4. Once the dough has risen, knead it briefly and divide into 12 equal balls, about 80g / 3oz each. Line a rectangular baking dish with parchment paper and arrange the dough balls inside. Let them rest for 20 minutes.
5. Use your thumbs and press in the middle of the dough ball to form kind of a bowl shape that is going to be filled each with 1 tablespoon of vanilla pudding and 1 heaping teaspoon of strawberry jam side by side.
6. Preheat the oven to 180°C / 350°Ft. Sprinkle the chilled streusel generously over the buns and bake for about 55 minutes, or until golden. Serve slightly warm or fully cooled—both are delicious. Finish with a dusting of powdered sugar before serving.

1. Place the butter for the scones in the freezer for 15 minutes. Let the butter for the ranch compound butter soften at room temperature. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 200°C/390°F. Dice the ham into small squares, grate the cheese, and finely slice the chives. Set aside about 1/3 of each to top the scones later.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, and pepper. Grate the cold butter directly into the dry ingredients using a box grater.
3. In a small glass or bowl, whisk together the milk and egg, then pour into the dry mixture. Mix with a spoon just until the dough comes together. You should still see streaks of flour. Add the ham, cheese, and chives and gently fold in. Transfer the dough to a clean work surface and shape it into a rectangle (about 20x30cm) using a spatula. Avoid using your hands because keeping the butter cold is key to flaky scones. Sprinkle the remaining ham, cheese, and chives over the top.
4. Use a round cutter to cut out as many scones as possible. Gather and gently reshape the scraps to cut more until all the dough is used. If you don’t have a cutter, simply slice the dough into triangles. This recipe yields about 10 scones.
5. Arrange the scones on the baking sheet with a bit of space in between and bake for about 15 minutes until golden. Let cool slightly and serve fresh.

1. Peel the carrots, trim the ends, and slice. Cut the roots off the onions and halve them. Separate the white and green parts of the leek. Wash the green part thoroughly and cut it into large pieces. Halve the lemon. Peel the garlic cloves. Pat the chicken thighs dry with paper towels.
2. Heat a large pot over medium heat (no oil). Place the onion halves cut side down and let them brown. Then add the carrots, leek, lemon, herbs, peppercorns, and chicken thighs. Pour in 3 liters of cold water.
3. Slowly bring the pot to a gentle simmer, do not let it boil. Skim off any foam with a spoon. Let it cook uncovered on the lowest heat for 4 to 8 hours, making sure it stays at a gentle simmer. Skim off any foam occasionally and add cold water if too much evaporates.
4. In the meantime, prepare the chive oil and store it in the fridge until needed.
5. Once the broth is done, remove it from the heat. Take out the chicken thighs, let them cool, and then shred the meat from the bones and set it aside for later. Remove the vegetables with a slotted spoon. Strain the broth first through a fine mesh strainer and then through cheesecloth for a clear result.

If you’d like to turn your broth into a clarified consommé, follow the next steps. If not, jump to the section “Simple Version.”

Consommé Version

1. Let the broth cool slightly so it’s warm but not hot. In a bowl, whisk 4 egg whites just until frothy. Stir them into the broth. Let everything sit over medium heat for about 15–20 minutes, do not boil, or the egg whites will curdle.Over time, a layer of egg whites will form and trap any remaining fat or cloudiness. Gently remove this layer and strain the broth again: first through a fine mesh strainer, then through cheesecloth. The result: a crystal-clear consommé.
2. Reheat the consommé and season with salt (about 5–7g per liter). Keep it hot.
3. Slice the white part of the leek into rings and wash well. Slice the asparagus into chunks or thin rounds. Finely slice the green part of the scallions for topping.Optional extra step for curly scallion strips: Slice the tube lengthwise and open it up. Place the inside facing up and gently scrape off the slimy layer with a knife. Slice into thin strips and store in a bowl of ice water until serving.
4. Boil two small pots of salted water. In one, cook the noodles al dente. In the other, blanch the leeks first, then asparagus, and finally the peas. Place each component in a small bowl and set aside.
5. To serve, layer noodles, vegetables, and shredded chicken into serving bowls and pour hot consommé over. Top with freshly ground black pepper, fresh dill, chives, scallions, lemon slices, a squeeze of lemon juice, and a drizzle of chive oil.

Simple Version

1. Reheat the broth and season with salt (5–7g per liter). Keep it hot.
2. Slice the leek into rings and rinse thoroughly. Cut the asparagus into chunks or thin slices. Finely slice the green part of the scallions for topping.
3. Bring a small pot of salted water to a boil and cook the noodles al dente.
4. Add the leeks to the broth and simmer until soft. Then add asparagus and peas, cooking for another 5 minutes. Finally, stir in the shredded chicken and cooked noodles. Simmer everything for 1–2 minutes until heated through.
5. Adjust seasoning with salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Serve hot in deep bowls, topped with fresh dill, chives, scallions, lemon slices, and chive oil.

1. Toast ½ tsp white sesame seeds and ½ tsp black sesame seeds in a dry pan over medium heat until golden and fragrant.
2. Add ½ tsp Szechuan peppercorns and ¼ nori sheet (torn into small pieces) to a mortar and grind them finely, or use a spice grinder if you prefer.
3. Combine the ground spices with 1 tbsp chili flakes, 1 tsp orange zest, and ¼ tsp ginger powder in a sealable jar. Give it a good shake to mix everything together.

1. If you’re making your own kimchi and gyoza wrappers: amazing. If not, no worries! Just use store-bought and make sure to thaw the wrappers before using.
2. Set up your kimchi, the gyoza wrappers, and a small bowl of cold water. Also, prep a large plate dusted with a bit of flour to place your finished dumplings. Now put on your favorite series or podcast and get into your folding zone.
3. Take one wrapper and place about 1–1.5 teaspoons of kimchi filling in the center. Dip your finger in the water and moisten the edge of the top half of the wrapper. Fold it up like a taco and press the left tip with your left hand. Then, using your right thumb and index finger, create small pleats along the top edge, pressing each one firmly into the back side of the wrapper. Continue pleating until it’s sealed and you’re holding your first little dumpling. Place it on the floured plate. Don’t stress if it’s not perfect, this takes a bit of practice. Scroll down for the video tutorial at the end of the recipe if you need a visual! Repeat until all the wrappers and filling are used up.
4. Once all your gyoza are ready, heat a large pan over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of oil and place as many gyoza as will fit flat-side down in the pan. Let them fry for a few minutes until the bottoms are golden and crispy. Lower the heat, carefully pour in a splash of water, and immediately cover with the lid. Be careful, the oil shouldn’t be too hot or it might splatter! The gyoza will now steam. Keep the lid on until the wrappers turn translucent, about 10–15 minutes. If the water evaporates before they’re done, just add a little more.
5. Once translucent, remove the lid, turn the heat back up to medium, and let them crisp up again for 5 more minutes. Remove and repeat with the next batch.
6. Serve all your gyoza hot with this easy dipping sauce and a sprinkle of shichimi spice. Oh, and this cucumber salad goes so good with it.

• Bring water to a boil and cook the eggs for about 7 minutes, just enough so the yolks stay soft and runny.
• While the eggs are cooking, mix the yogurt with grated garlic, lemon zest, salt, and pepper. Spread the yogurt onto two plates and smooth it out.
• In a small pan, melt the butter until it starts to bubble. Add the chili flakes and warm it briefly, then set aside. For a faster option just use some of that store-bought crispy chili oil
• Toast the bread and finely chop the herbs.
• Peel the eggs and place them on top of the yogurt. Slice them in half, drizzle everything with the chili butter, sprinkle over the herbs, and serve with the toasted bread.