Author: Michiel and Jeen

Sharing our love for good food and excellent wine with you: mushrooms, sauces, forgotten vegetables, pies and tartelettes. Join us and Cook and Drink with us!

Parmentier de Canard

15 October 2026

In the third year of the French Republic (1795) La Cuisinière Républicaine (The Republican Cook) was published. The book teaches the simple way to prepare potatoes, along with some advice on how to store them. The book was published or written by Madame Mérigot. If she was the author, then she was the first woman to write a cookbook in French.

Focusing on potatoes seems to make a lot of sense, after all in 1795 France was at war with most (if not all) European countries and it suffered from food riots and famine. On the other hand, until 1772 it was forbidden in France to cultivate potatoes because they could cause various diseases.

In 1763 Antoine-Augustin Parmentier returned to Paris, after having been a prisoner of war in Prussia. During his detention he had to eat potatoes. Shortly after his return he began promoting potatoes by hosting potato dinners, developing a recipe for potato bread and successfully fighting famine by introducing potatoes to hungry people. Thanks to his efforts the ban on potatoes was lifted in 1772. He continued educating government and public about the value of the potato as important staple food.

In honour of his ongoing commitment to the potato, many dishes are named after Antoine-Augustin Parmentier, including this delicious Parmentier de Canard.

Wine Pairing

We enjoyed a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon produced by Abbotts & Delaunay. It’s a red wine from the Pays d’Oc in France. The wine has a bouquet of ripe blackberry and plum. On the palate, it’s smooth and well balanced, with fresh acidity. Great combination with the rich Parmentier. In general you’re looking for a simple yet juicy and medium bodied red wine with little to no oak.

What You Need
  • one Confit de Canard
  • one Shallot
  • one Garlic Clove
  • 1/4 sprig of fresh Rosemary
  • Potatoes
  • Milk
  • Crème Fraîche
  • Butter
  • Olive Oil
  • White Pepper
  • Salt
What You Do
  1. Preheat your oven to 90˚ C or 200˚ F
  2. Place the confit in the oven for some 10 minutes
  3. Take the confit out of the oven and remove the skin
  4. Use a fork or your hands to shred the duck
  5. Increase the oven to 180˚ C or 350˚ F
  6. Warm a heavy iron skillet and add olive oil
  7. Chop shallot, garlic and rosemary
  8. Add the shallot to the pan and glaze
  9. Add the garlic to the pan
  10. After a minute or so, add the chopped rosemary
  11. Add the meat, combine and allow to integrate on low heat for 10 minutes
  12. Peel and cube the potatoes
  13. Add the potatoes to a steamer basket, cover and steam until tender when pierced with a knife, 10 to 15 minutes
  14. Remove the basket from the steamer and allow the potatoes to rest for 5 minutes
  15. Warm the milk
  16. Add potatoes to a bowl
  17. Mash with a fork
  18. Add milk, butter and crème fraîche to the potatoes
  19. You’re looking for a fairly firm puree
  20. Add salt and white pepper to taste
  21. Butter the baking dish
  22. Add a layer of confit and cover with the puree (best to use a spatula)
  23. Use a fork to create a nice pattern
  24. Transfer to the oven for 20 minutes or until golden
  25. (optional) Serve with a green salad
Parmentier de Canard ©cadwu made with confit de canard, shallot, garlic, rosemary and potato puree
La Cuisinière Républicaine

Pimientos de Padrón

8 October 2026

Pimientos de Padrón are mild, sweet tasting and small green peppers, originally from the Galicia region in Spain, but now they are more widely available. Story has it that one in a hundred (or more?) is actually very spicy, but rest assured, we have eaten many more and never encountered a spicy one.

Wine Pairing

The dish combines sweetness and saltiness. The charring of the peppers gives extra flavour. In general you’re looking for a crisp non-oaked white wine. We enjoyed a glass of white wine, made with verdejo grapes in the Spanish Rueda area by Bardos. The wine has a beautiful yellow colour and its taste is fruity and fresh with nice acidity. A glass of Cava will also be great with the peppers!

We could also imagine drinking a Vinho Verde with the Pimientos de Padrón. Vinho Verde is a wine from the most northern part of Portugal, between the Douro and Minho rivers. Verde refers to the fact that the grapes are harvested very early in the year. This implies that the grapes contain a fairly small amount of sugar. As a result of this the wine (in most cases) has a fairly low percentage of alcohol (think 10%). But don’t be surprised if you find one with a higher percentage. In general Vinho Verde is undervalued. It’s a great, very tasty wine; one that is not just wonderful on a summer’s evening

What You Need
  • Pimientos de Padrón
  • Olive Oil
  • Sea Salt
What You Do
  1. Wash the peppers and dry
  2. Heat a heavy iron skillet, add olive oil and fry or better said blister the peppers for a few minutes
  3. Make sure the peppers are fried and not cooked
  4. Remove from the heat
  5. Sprinkle some salt over the peppers
  6. Move the pan making sure the salt is evenly distributed and somewhat absorbed in the olive oil
  7. Serve immediately
Pimientos de Padrón ©Christian Köppchen
Pimientos de Padron ©cadwu

The Art of Sauces: Tentsuyu

1 October 2026

A few years ago we were looking for a restaurant in Kyoto. We had difficulty in finding one (due to our lack of understanding of the language and the characters) but finally we found a tempura-beer-bar. Perhaps not ideal, but the menu came with helpful pictures. We enjoyed delicious tempura, fried to perfection, made with vegetables, with mushrooms, prawns and even with chrysanthemum leaves.

Tempura is served with a dipping sauce called Tentsuyu. Just before serving, the sauce is combined with grated daikon. It’s a light, umami rich sauce with subtle presence of soy sauce. We think it’s also a great dipping sauce for sashimi because it will not overpower the fish, something standard soy sauce will do.

Drink Pairing

A beer obviously! We paired our sashimi of tuna with our favourite sake: Junmai Taru Sake as produced by Kiku-Masamune. This elegant sake is matured in barrels made of the finest Yoshino cedar. The aroma has indeed clear hints of cedar. The sake will cleanse your palate, allowing to taste the tuna even better.

What You Need
  • 4 parts of Dashi
  • 1 part Soy Sauce (preferably with less salt)
  • 1 part Mirin
What You Do
  1. Prepare dashi
  2. Add dashi, soy sauce and mirin to a pan
  3. We use less mirin because we prefer the sauce to be less sweet.
  4. Bring to nearly boiling
  5. Leave for one or two minutes
  6. Remove from the heat and allow to cool
  7. Store in the refrigerator; it will keep for maximum one week
PS
  • Why not combine the ingredients as they are and store immediately you wonder? One reason could be that heating the combination helps the flavours to integrate. Another reason is that Japanese mirin may contain alcohol and it needs to evaporate.
  • We serve the tuna with shiso leaves (ohba or perilla leaves), wasabi and pickled ginger. Shiso leaves can be purple or green. Its taste is difficult to describe. It’s vibrant, citrusy, herbaceous and refreshing. It goes very well with the fat in tempura or in salmon and tuna.
Tentsuyu ©cadwu served with sashimi of tuna, shiso leaves, wasabi and pickled ginger

Dashi

24 September 2026

To prepare this classic Japanese broth you need between one and four ingredients. These are kelp (kombu), dried tuna flakes (katsuobushi), dried small anchovies or sardines and dried shiitake.
The simplest dashi is made with kombu only. Its taste is gentle with a touch of umami. It’s a great vegetarian broth. We use it to make pumpkin soup.
The best known is awase dashi and it’s made with kombu and katsuobushi. It is the basis of oden, miso soup and many other dishes. It’s also the basis of our dashi with matsutake and shrimps and for tentsuyu, the dipping sauce for tempura. If you add a splash of dashi and some Japanese mustard (karashi) to your mayonnaise you have your own Japanese mayonnaise.

Katsuobushi is made from skipjack tuna (bonito). It’s a complex and time-consuming process. A Japanese chef will begin her or his day with shaving katsuobushi. We keep it simple and buy flakes.

What You Need
  • 1 liter of Water
  • 20 grams of Kombu
  • 30 grams of Katsuobushi
What You Do
  1. Use a wet cloth to gently clean the kombu
  2. Put the kombu in the cold water and leave for 30 minutes
  3. Heat slowly to 80 °C or 175 °F
  4. Take you time!
  5. When the temperature has reached 80 °C or 175 °F, remove the kombu (and store it for a second dashi)
  6. Bring the liquid to the boil
  7. Immediately reduce heat
  8. Add the katsuobushi
  9. Bring to a boil
  10. Immediately remove from heat
  11. Let it sit for 10 minutes or so until the katsuobushi has sunk to the bottom
  12. Pass the liquid through a sieve
  13. You can also use a clean cloth, but don’t squeeze it. You want a clear broth
  14. The dashi can be used immediately, stored in your refrigerator for a few days or kept in the freezer for a few weeks (not preferred)
Ingredients of Dashi © cadwu
Heating Konbu ©cadwu
Katsuobushi and Konbu ©cadwu

Mushroom Season

17 September 2026

After a warm and dry European summer and some rainy days, it’s fun to see so many mushrooms, like this Chicken of the Wood (that’s what we think it is!). It’s not a mushroom we would buy; it can be chewy and acidic, even after cooking.

Autumn is clearly peak season for mushrooms. Typical autumn mushrooms are Chanterelle, Hen of the Woods (Mai Take), Saffron Milk Cap and Lion’s Mane. Depending of course on where you live!
But actually, there is no off-season for mushrooms. For instance in spring you will be able to buy fresh Morels, St. Georges Mushrooms and Fairy Ring Mushrooms. Winter brings Field Blewit, Truffles and Wood Ear. Cèpes (Porcini, King Bolete) are best in summer.

If you’re looking for useful mushroom recipes, then we suggest Antonio Carluccio’s The Quiet Hunt or Mushroom by Johnny Acton and Nick Sadler. Or look at our list of mushroom recipes.

Some of our favourite dishes for autumn:

PS Never eat mushrooms without being 100% certain. Best to buy from your trusted re-seller.

Chicken of the Woods ©cadwu
Maitake ©cadwu
slice of Quiche with Bay Boletes ©cadwu
Fresh Saffron Milk Cap ©cadwu
Cèpes à la Bordelaise with Omelet ©cadwu

Pie with Walnuts, Mushrooms and Blue Cheese

10 September 2026

The walnuts are the star of this pie! They have a drying effect, thanks to the tannins in the seed coat (the brown around the edible kernel) and they are slightly bitter, which pairs beautifully with the Roquefort. The walnuts give the pie a pleasant crunch.
We use a mix of mushrooms. If not possible, use chestnut mushrooms. Don’t use oyster mushrooms, as they release too much moisture.

Wine Pairing

Serve as a starter with a glass of unoaked, dry white wine. A cold beer will also be nice. The cake is not fussy!

What You Need
  • For the Pastry (15 cm or 6 in springform cake tin)
    • 100 grams of Flour
    • 50 grams of Water
    • 10 grams of Olive Oil
    • teaspoon Oregano
    • 1 gram of Salt
  • For the Filling
    • 4 rashers of Bacon
    • 150 grams of Mushrooms (Button Mushrooms, Shiitake, Nameko)
    • small Shallot
    • one Garlic Clove
    • Parsley
    • 2 organic Eggs
    • 50 ml Double Cream
    • 30 grams of Crème Fraîche
    • handful of Walnuts
    • 75 grams of Roquefort
    • Black Pepper
What You Do
  1. Combine flour, oregano and salt
  2. Add water and olive oil
  3. Kneed for a minute or so and store in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes
  4. Preheat your oven to 180˚ C or 355˚ F
  5. Roll out the dough with a rolling pin on a lightly floured surface
  6. Coat a 15 cm or 6 inch round springform cake tin with oil
  7. Place the dough in the baking form
  8. Use a fork to make small holes in the pastry
  9. Line the pastry with parchment paper or aluminium foil, add baking beans and bake blind for 10 minutes. Best is to use the second level of the oven rack, so just below the central one
  10. Remove the beans and the paper or foil
  11. Leave the pie shell in the oven for 5 minutes
  12. Remove from the oven and allow to cool
  13. Chop the shallot, the mushrooms, the parsley and the garlic
  14. Crush the walnuts
  15. Crumble the roquefort
  16. Heat a heavy iron skillet
  17. Fry the bacon until golden brown
  18. Remove from the pan and allow to cool
  19. Reduce heat
  20. Add the shallot to the pan and glaze
  21. Increase heat, add mushrooms and fry
  22. After a few minutes reduce heat and add garlic
  23. After 5-10 minutes transfer to a plate and allow to cool
  24. Slice the bacon
  25. Add the eggs to a bowl and whisk
  26. Add cream and crème fraîche and mix
  27. Add Roquefort, parsley and black pepper and mix well
  28. Add bacon and mushroom mixture to the bowl and combine
  29. Add the filling to the blind-baed pie shell
  30. Transfer to the oven for 30-40 minutes on on 180˚ C or 355˚ F, same level as earlier
  31. Immediately after having removed the pie from the oven, brush the outside with olive oil. This will intensify the colour of the pastry
  32. Let cool and enjoy lukewarm (65˚ C or 150˚ F)
PS

Feel free to use more cream and less crème fraîche if you prefer a richer filling. If using a blue cheese with less presence, add more of it.

Pie with Blue Cheese, Mushrooms and Walnuts ©cadwu plus bacon, oregano, parsley and eggs
Pie with Blue Cheese, Mushrooms and Walnuts ©cadwu

Stuffed Portobello

3 September 2026

Portobello mushrooms are mature chestnut mushrooms (also known as common mushroom, champignon de Paris, button mushroom, cremini etcetera). Ideal to stuff and serve as a starter. We found them stuffed with ratatouille, with blue cheese and walnuts, with shrimps, with sausage and peppers: it seems anything goes! We decided to remain close to the flavour of the mushroom by stuffing them with chestnut mushrooms, shiitake and oregano. We topped them with taleggio, a semi-soft cheese from Italy with a mild taste. It melts easily, so you need to keep an eye on your oven! If you can’t get hold of taleggio, then use mozzarella instead and add a bit more flavour to the mushroom stuffing.

Wine Pairing

We decided to enjoy a glass of Viognier, made by Domaine Coudoulet in the Languedoc (France). The wine has aromas of peach and anise. The taste is fresh with a hint of orange zest. In general, we recommend a fresh, lightly fruity, unoaked white wine.

What You Need
  • For the Mushroom Stuffing
    • 150 grams of Button Mushrooms and Shiitake
    • one small Shallot
    • one Garlic Clove
    • Oregano
    • Black Pepper
    • (Excellent) Olive Oil
  • 2 Portobello mushrooms
  • Taleggio
What You Do
  1. Clean and chop the button mushrooms and shiitake
  2. Finely chop the oregano, the shallot and the garlic
  3. Gently fry the shallot in olive oil in a heavy iron skillet
  4. Add the mushrooms and fry on medium heat
  5. Reduce heat
  6. Add herbs and garlic
  7. Continue on low heat for 10-15 minutes
  8. Transfer the mushroom mix to a plate and let cool
  9. Add some olive oil to make the mixture smoother
  10. Taste and add some black pepper
  11. Store in the refrigerator
  12. Preheat your oven to 180 °C or 355 °F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  13. Remove the stem of the portobello
  14. Using a small spoon, scrape out the dark gills from the caps
  15. Generously brush both sides of the caps with olive oil
  16. Slice the taleggio (with crust!)
  17. Stuff the portobello with the mushroom mixture and top with slices of cheese
  18. If you’re a true lover of taleggio: add a slice of cheese to the cap before stuffing with the mushroom mixture
  19. Transfer the mushrooms to the oven for 15 minutes
  20. (optional) During the last minutes increase to 200 °C or 400 °F
  21. Serve immediately.
Stuffed Portobello ©cadwu with button mushrooms, oregano and taleggio
Stuffed Portobello ©cadwu

The Art of Sauces: Remoulade

27 August 2026

A few months ago we read an article in a Dutch wine magazine about pairing wine with a combination of fried cod, remoulade and a small salad. A nice challenge given the acidity in both the salad and the sauce plus the richness of the fried fish.

Remoulade is a sauce that goes very well with cold meat and fried or smoked fish. It combines mayonnaise with mustard, cornichons, capers, lemon and various herbs. Additional ingredients include anchovies, shallot and horseradish. Herbs could be parsley, tarragon, chives and chervil.
Turn it into a traditional French starter by adding celeriac (celery root).

One of the first recipes for remoulade (actually two recipes) was published in London in 1733 by Vincent La Chappelle, chef to the Earl of Chesterfield, in volume 1 of his book The Modern Cook.  Both versions contain oil, shallot, garlic, lemon, parsley, mustard, cullis (meat broth) and capers. Other ingredients of the first version (hot remoulade) are gravy, wine and cloves. Additional ingredients of the second version are green onions and anchovies.

Wine Pairing

According to the magazine’s wine expert the flavours in the dish are round and filming. The expert suggests a white wine with some oak or a white wine from a warmer country. We decided to drink a glass of  Verdejo made by Castelo de Medina with 100% verdejo grapes. The wine is well balanced, fresh and full bodied. It has a delicate bitterness which works very well with all components in the dish.

What You Need
  • Remoulade
    • 200 ml Mayonaise
    • teaspoon of Mustard
    • 2 Cornichons
    • teaspoon of Capers (in brine)
    • ½ small Shallot
    • Lemon Juice
    • 2 tablespoons of mixed herbs (Parsley, Chervil and Chives)
  • Fish
    • Cod, Hake, Haddock, Weever or another firm white fish
    • one Egg
    • Chapelure
  • Salad
    • Mâche, Mesclun
    • dressing made with olive oil, lemon and mustard
What You Do
  1. Remoulade
    1. Make the mayonnaise
    2. Very finely chop the shallot
    3. Dry and slice the cornichons and the capers
    4. Chop the herbs
    5. Combine all ingredients
    6. Add lemon juice to taste
    7. Transfer to the refrigerator for a few hours
  2. Fish
    1. Beat the egg
    2. Heat a non stick pan
    3. Add oil to the pan
    4. Coat the fish with egg
    5. Coat the fish with chapelure
    6. Fry the fish until golden
  3. Dish
    1. Make a dressing by combining olive oil. lemon and mustard
    2. Toss the salad with the dressing
    3. Serve the fried fish with the remoulade and the salad
PS

Comparing the list of ingredients used by Chef La Chapelle you wil notice that modern remoulade doesn’t contain garlic or cullis. He didn’t use mayonnaise for the simple reason that the first recipe for mayonnaise was published in 1828, nearly one hundred years later.

Remoulade ©cadwu made with mayonnaise, capers, lemon, cornichons, parsley, chervil, chives and mustard
The Modern Cook by Vincent La Chapelle

Comme chez Soi

20 August 2026

June 19th, 1926. Georges Cuvelier opens Chez Georges, a small neighbourhood restaurant in Brussels. One of the regulars told the chef: “Georges, chez vous, on mange comme chez soi” (meaning “Georges, in your restaurant one eats like at home”) which was meant as a compliment. The comment triggered a name change.

Georges Cuveliers daughter Simone married Louis Wijnants. Together they owned and managed the restaurant, now called Comme chez Soi. They focused on Belgian cuisine, local ingredients and quality. In 1966 their son Pierre Wijnants took over. He would become one of the finest and most celebrated chefs of Belgium. In 1979 the restaurant was awarded three Michelin stars.

Today the restaurant is owned by Laurence Wynants and Lionel Rigolet. It has one Michelin star.

A five course menu at Comme chez Soi will cost you 195 euro (225 US dollar) and with wine selection 270 euro (315 US dollar) per person. This summer the restaurant serves courses like cod fillet, candied ginger, parsley coulis, kohlrabi, Ndongo Bella Congo pepper and peach, nectarine, apricot, shortbread and a light lemon thyme mousse with verbena espuma.

Dining at Comme chez Soi is a bit above our budget, so we very happy to buy Fijnproeven in België, a book that celebrates the cuisine of Belgium. It’s written by Pierre Wijnants and Lionel Rigolet with beautiful photo’s by Tony Le Duc. It features wonderful dishes such as jelly of salmon, tea, lemon and tarragon and soup with cream, eel and hop shoots plus traditional Belgium dishes such as mashed potatoes with onions.

We decided to prepare frog legs with morels, fava beans, green asparagus, chervil, cream and lemon. We replaced the frog legs with organic chicken thighs because the frog population is in decline and frog farms are the worst ever.

The combination was very tasty and surprisingly light, with various textures and a rich sauce. 

The suggestion is to pair the dish with a glass of bourgogne, more specifically a glass of Clos du Cellier aux Moines, Givry Premier Cru, a red wine made with 100% pinot noir grapes from the Côte Chalonnaise in France. We served the dish with a pinot noir made by La Cour Des Dames. In general you’re looking for a red, medium bodied wine with aromas of berries and floral notes. The tannins should be soft or well-integrated. 

PS

The book includes quotes from guests including one that reads “Pourqoi est-ce meilleur que chez moi?” meaning “Why is it better than at my place?”

Chicken, Asparagus, Morels and Fava Beans ©cadwu based on a recipe from Comme chez Soi
Comme chez Soi with recipes from Pierre Wijnants and Lionel Rigolet

Shiitake and Lion’s Mane with Udon

13 August 2026

The combination of Lion’s Mane and Shiitake brings lots of umami. It pairs wonderfully with the aromatic ginger, the udon and the soy sauce. The Lion’s Mane is fried and slightly crispy. The overall flavour of the dish is long and complex. The Shiitake is essential in the sauce and the fried Lion’s Mane brings depth and texture. Simple and delicious!

Udon is very popular in Japan and Korea. It’s made with wheat flour, water and salt. It can be served hot or cold. Different from Italian pasta, you don’t need to add salt to the cooking water. Furthermore the noodle has to be rinsed with cold water before using it in a dish, which is an absolute no-go in Italian cuisine.

Wine Pairing

The obvious choice would be a white wine, one with some floral notes and sweetness. However, the taste of the fried lion’s mane allows you to serve a red wine. We enjoyed a glass of Bardolino, made by Monte del Frà from Italy. The grapes used are Corvina, Rondinella and Molinara. It is a well-balanced, vibrant red wine with lots of fruit and a hint of spices. Medium acidity.
In general, you’re looking for a refreshing red wine with lots of fruit that should be served slightly chilled (15°C – 17°C  or 59°F – 63°F).

What You Need
  • 75 grams of Shiitake
  • 75 grams of Lion’s Mane
  • 1 bunch of Udon (90 grams)
  • 2 cm fresh Ginger
  • 2 teaspoons of Soy Sauce (reduced salt)
  • 1 teaspoon of Oyster Sauce
  • Vegetable Stock
  • 1 tablespoon of (Marukin) Concentrated Dashi Stock
  • 2 teaspoons of Sesame Oil
  • (Olive) Oil
  • Black Pepper
What You Do
  1. Clean the shiitake with kitchen paper and remove the stems
  2. Slice the shiitake
  3. Clean the lion’s mane by removing discoloured and/or soft parts
  4. Slice the lion’s mane (1 cm or 0.5 in)
  5. Peel the ginger and chop finely
  6. Cook the udon according to the instruction on the package in boiling water (no salt needed)
  7. Heat a heavy iron pan, add some oil and fry the shiitake, reduce heat
  8. Add ginger
  9. After a few minutes add vegetable stock, soy sauce, oyster sauce and concentrated dashi stock to the pan with the shiitake
  10. Add oil to a second heavy iron skillet and fry the lion’s mane until golden
  11. When the udon is ready, drain and rinse thoroughly with cold water
  12. Add the udon to the pan with the shiitake and the sauce, combine and adjusts
  13. Perhaps you need to add some extra vegetable stock
  14. Warm through and through
  15. Add black pepper
  16. Taste and adjust
  17. Just before serving add some sesame oil
  18. Plate up and serve the lion’s mane on top of the dish
PS

We love using Marukin Concentrated Dashi Stock in combination with udon and mushrooms. You can make your own by adding some mirin and soy sauce to a cup of strong dashi.

Shiitake and Lion's Mane with Udon ©cadwu made with ginger, soy sauce, dashi, mirin and sesame oil
Shiitake and Lion’s Mane with Udon ©cadwu