Sabine is a failed whiskey drinker, expat, enthusiastic home cook, wife and mama to two little ones. Our little family of four live in a 100-square-metre apartment in the heart of Berlin. This is us.

Fan mail, inquiries and curios are best sent to sabinedevins(at)gmail

Two dinners that were easy peasy but felt fancy schmancy

  1. Duck breast, scored, seared fat side down for 8 minutes, flipped and cooked for another 4 minutes, then loosely wrapped in foil and placed in an oven preheated to 280 F. While it sat in the oven, I made a honey mustard vinaigrette and washed some mixed salad leaves and also reduced 1 tbsp of honey and 2 tbsp of balsamic vinegar in the pan I used to cook the duck breast. Duck breast out of the oven, juices in with the sauce. Cut in strips, covered in my glaze, laid on salad. Served with baguette. 
  2. Green asparagus, steamed. Eggs, poached. Served together with yesterday’s baguette, bits of fresh dill, salt, pepper and raspberry-balsamic reduction. 

"Feeding people is an exercise in generosity. It takes time to prepare a menu, gather friends, shop for ingredients, clean the house, set a table, and clean it up. It costs money to buy food and all accompanied ingredients. Entertaining, be it for four or seventeen, takes time and money. I enjoy feeding people. I like making food, serving in that way, as an act of love and nourishing people I care about. That is why I cook. Not for myself, I am happy with hummus toast, but because my skill feeds someone elses need to be fed, to feel taken care of. I want to give that."

—

Sara Forte of Sprouted Kitchen

(via the-partisans)

Today, I bought a pineapple that’s as big as my head.  So that’s dessert taken care of… 

Today, I bought a pineapple that’s as big as my head. 

So that’s dessert taken care of… 

Coffee cardamom ice cream

Last week’s carrot cake ice cream was delicious, but also a little weird, because there was vegetables in my ice cream. And it also was a little too reminiscent of pumpkin pie, which is also delicious, but I wanted carrot cake, dammit!

But this. This is going to be great.

To do this weekend: Carrot cake ice cream

brb, getting my fat kid on. 

I made the @thesmitten’s gooey cinnamon squares and now I’m dead and sending this message from Heaven. It’s from her cookbook, but you’re in luck because David Lebovitz posted the recipe here. 

I made the @thesmitten’s gooey cinnamon squares and now I’m dead and sending this message from Heaven. It’s from her cookbook, but you’re in luck because David Lebovitz posted the recipe here. 

What meals should I freeze before a baby arrives?

Some good suggestions here for freezer-friendly meals at the Kitchn. 

royallyclinton: Hillary Clinton, in her memoir, “Living History,” recalled the first words she heard out of Bill Clinton’s mouth. It was the fall of 1970 at Yale Law School, and Bill (she thought that he resembled a Viking) was excitedly telling classmates about the virtues of his home state. “And not only that, we grow the biggest watermelons in the world!” he boasted as Hillary Rodham happened to walk by. Hillary asked a friend who he was. “Oh, that’s Bill Clinton,” the friend told her. “He’s from Arkansas, and that’s all he ever talks about.”

royallyclinton:

Hillary Clinton, in her memoir, “Living History,” recalled the first words she heard out of Bill Clinton’s mouth. It was the fall of 1970 at Yale Law School, and Bill (she thought that he resembled a Viking) was excitedly telling classmates about the virtues of his home state. “And not only that, we grow the biggest watermelons in the world!” he boasted as Hillary Rodham happened to walk by. Hillary asked a friend who he was. “Oh, that’s Bill Clinton,” the friend told her. “He’s from Arkansas, and that’s all he ever talks about.”

(via blankonblank)

Today in random things I order on Amazon… (its Cream of Tarter)

Today in random things I order on Amazon…

(its Cream of Tarter)

I’m not saying that a warm brownie with a scoop of ice cream can reverse all effects of a weekend spent with a very sick little baby, but it certainly helps. For new moms, have a good recipe handy. This is David Lebovitz’s gluten-free brownie. I use tapioca starch because I prefer it and toss in two tablespoons of unsweetened shredded coconut. And I also only use 100 grams of sugar. And I grind salt on top because everyone knows that’s what makes a brownie.

I’m not saying that a warm brownie with a scoop of ice cream can reverse all effects of a weekend spent with a very sick little baby, but it certainly helps.

For new moms, have a good recipe handy. This is David Lebovitz’s gluten-free brownie. I use tapioca starch because I prefer it and toss in two tablespoons of unsweetened shredded coconut. And I also only use 100 grams of sugar. And I grind salt on top because everyone knows that’s what makes a brownie.