Category: Ilaria’s Blog & Recipes

Greek-style Vegetables with Feta

Summer. Vegetables. Easy.

It’s hard to believe that February is already upon us. Seriously, how did that happen? Mum’s delicious Christmas dinner, the escape up north to the top of Mount Manaia, a house move … all seem like they happened yesterday. Well they didn’t. Time ticking is as simple as that (it ticks!) so for us ‘Southern […]

Summer days drawing to an end

As it turns out, 18 lettuce seedlings in a 30cm x 30cm planter is actually quite excessive.

Roasted Capsicum & Butternut Pumpkin Soup with Chorizo Crumb

A sprinkle of spicy chorizo crumb gives Ilaria’s soup a bit of oomph!

Spinach & Pumpkin Salad with Roasted Honey Pears

Introducing my roast pumpkin and pear salad – possibly one of the most delicious combinations of fruit and veg ever.

Ilaria’s Chia & Coconut Dessert

Stunning to look at, full of goodness and tastes divine.

Stuffed Peppers with Freekeh

Freekeh freak-out! Traffic light bright!

Stuffed Peppers – easy to do!

No freekeh? Use burghul or couscous … just get cooking them.

Ilaria’s Caesar Salad

Caesar Salad? I’m doing it my way!

Sticky Lemon Slice – Addictive!

Sticky, sweet, lemony-tart, and simply too hard to resist.

Salad Caprese Ilaria’s way

Stacked, overlapped or a tumble? Ilaria puts her spin on it.

Sunday morning, Sunday mooring

When it’s sunny in London – out you go!

Grilled Broccolini with Feta

Skinny green stems never tasted so good.

Flemish feasting in springtime

Ilaria enjoys beer and Flemish feasts in Belgium

Tanked Up Niçoise

Ilaria’s at it again – dreaming of summer while in the depths of a dreary London winter.

Ilaria’s not starving in London

Thank god for ovens, for shallow roasting tins, for non-stick baking paper and for vegetables!

Ilaria’s London Flatting Eggs

Cook in the pan. Serve in the pan. Only one thing to wash. Mum – it could be good for you on Waiheke to save water!

The Heathrow Injection

My house. Too cute!!! Check out that bay window!

About the Wick

Walking to work helps offload some of the over-indulgence!

Doughnuts make me smile …

Doughnuts. Yum. Stuff ’em in …

Around Lea Canal

I can never go past the beautiful reflections of the coloured walls in Lea canal without pausing for a look.

Barcelona!

Hi. Ilaria here. It was freakish energetic excitement that helped us get out of bed at a goddam awful time in the morning to catch a cheap flight to Barcelona. But it was all worth it once we touched down about 10am, Spain-time. This city boasts a curiously beautiful balance of 21st century inevitability and […]

Pasta al pomodoro

Tuscany makes me think of tomatoes, basil, and the beach. Oh, and this gorgeously fresh tomato sauce.

Marcella’s Fresh Tomato Sauce

This makes the sweetest tomato sauce imaginable, but you must start with great tomatoes.