Manonamora's
Cookbook

Food has an important place in my life. Not just as sustenance for the day, but also feeding my soul. And a way to share my love with others.

I've been hanging out in kitchens as soon as I could sit on a chair, listening to my mother describing to me what she was doing while making a meal.

So as soon as I was able to handle a knife, I've been cooking, for myself and others, whenever possible.

Here's a collection of recipes that are dear to me.

Recipe List

[There will be a category list in the future, right now it's all alphabetical]

[My cooking is very much based on Provencal and Normand cooking :P]

Avocado Toast Deluxe

Makes for 2 toasts.
Requires a pan.

Ingredients

  • 1 Avocado (medium/large), ripe
  • 1 Tomato
  • 2 Slices of Bread (of your choosing)
  • 2 Eggs (medium)
  • Seasoning of choice
    Recommendations:Tabasco, Salt & Pepper, Balsamico Cream, Chili Flakes, Lemon juice

Instructions

  1. Slice the Tomato and Avocado.
    Optionally: mash the avocado to spread, and mix in seasoning
  2. Fry the Egg (or cook it however you prefer).
  3. Toast the Bread.
  4. Stack as follow: Bread, Avocado, Tomato, Egg, Seasoning.
    Optionally:Add seasoning on bread or avocado or tomato.
  5. Serve.

Crêpes

Makes for ~20 crêpes.
Requires a flat pan.
Electric Mixer recommended.

Ingredients

  • ~250g Flour
  • 3 large Eggs
  • ~25cl Milk
  • ~25cl Water
  • 2 tbls Oil (neutral, like sunflower)
  • Pinch of Salt
  • Optional (sweet): 2 tbls Sugar, Aromas (blossom flower, vanilla extract, lemon zest...)
  • Optional (salty): Spices (e.g. nutmeg, ginger, paprika, cumin, curry, mixes)
  • Oil or Melted Butter (or mix) for cooking.

Instructions

  1. Add and Mix in a bowl: Flour, Eggs, Oil, Salt.
  2. Add little by little and Mix in the Milk, then the Water.
  3. Add optional flavouring.
  4. Adjust mixture if needed: consistency must be liquid but with some weight to it. Add water if too heavy, flour if too liquid. Add an egg if you added both water/flour.
  5. Rest for at least 1h in a cool spot, out of the light, with a cover.
  6. Stir and adjust mixture if needed.
  7. In a hot pan on medium-heat with a swab of grease*, Pour a ladle of the mixture. The liquid should cover the bottom of the pan, and then some. Avoid pouring too much or the texture will be too dough-y.
  8. *Dab a paper towel in the oil/melted butter, then swipe the pan. Repeat between 2-3 crêpes to avoid sticking.
  9. When the bottom is a light golden brown (or the edge is golden), Flip the crêpe.
    The top should not be completely cooked, but not liquid anymore. Reduce the fire if the bottom browns faster than the top cooks.
  10. Cook until brown too.
  11. Poke the bubbles if you're bored.
  12. Stack the crêpes on a separate plate or add toping of your choices.

Recommended toppings:
Sweet: Lemon juice and Sugar, Hazelnut spread, Berry jams, Banana and Dark chocolate, Strawberries and Whipped Cream, Honey and Nuts, etc...
Salty: Tuna and Cream, Smoked Salmon and Chives Cream Cheese, Ham and Grated Cheese*, Mushrooms and Bechamel*, Goat Cheese and Honey, Spinach and Feta, Grilled Bell Pepper/Paprika and Feta, Roquefort and Nuts, etc...
* and also Egg :P

Pissaladière

Serves ~dozen bites.
Requires a large pan and oven.
Read the Zine :P

Ingredients

  • 1 Pizza dough
  • Homemade is the best, but pre-done is just fine. Don't get pre-cooked.
  • ~ 1kg of Onions
  • ~ a head of Garlic
  • Provencal/Italian Herb mix
  • Olive Oil
  • Pinch of Salt
  • Optional (but Recommended): Anchovies (chopped or filet), Olives (black)

Instructions

  1. Slice Onions, finger-thick and Chop Garlic.
  2. Sweat Onions in a pan with Oil on medium fire until it starts softening.
  3. Add Garlic, Herbs and Salt.
  4. If you like Anchovies, you can add some here, but don't add salt.
  5. Cook on a low fire until Onions are translucent (might be a bit green-ish). The longer on a low fire, the more fragrant it gets.
  6. There should be a bunch of oily liquid in the pan then.
  7. Pre-Heat over at 200°C (or recommended on pizza package).
  8. Place dough in an oven dish (thin ones are best!) and Spread the Onion mixture.
  9. Here, you can add your Anchovies filets and Olives.
  10. Bake for 25-30min, or until dough is cooked. Reduce temperature or cook longer if needed.
  11. Serve lukewarm or cold.

Leftover Cooked Onions? Make Grilled Cheeses with it. Or eat as spread with crackers/toasts.

Ratatouille

Make for ~5 servings.
Requires a deep pan.

Ingredients

  • 1 large Aubergine
  • 2 Courgettes
  • 3 Bell Peppers (yellow if possible)
  • 2 400g cans of Tomatoes (of choice)
  • 2 medium Onions (yellow)
  • Garlic (min. 2, but more is recommended)
  • You can also use fresh tomatoes, count 1kg.
  • Olive Oil
  • Provencal/Italian Herbs
  • Salt & Pepper (to taste)

Instructions

  1. Chop and Slice the Aubergine (chunks), Courgettes (chunks), Bell Peppers (slices, then ½ or ⅓), Onions (slices) and Garlic (minced).
  2. I'd recommend you salt the Aubergine and Courgettes, so they lose some of their water before cooking them.
  3. In a hot pan with oil, Cook Onions until starting to soft.
  4. Add Garlic and Herbs. Cook until fragrant or Garlic is golden.
  5. Add and Cook in the following order: Aubergine, Courgettes, Bell Peppers. Wait until previous is mostly soft.
  6. Add the Tomatoes, Salt & Pepper to taste, and Herbs if needed.
  7. Bring to Simmer. Reduce fire and cover. Let it stew for a few hours.
  8. Check on it a couple of times and mix through, so the vegetables don't burn at the bottom.
  9. Serve warm either: as is, on rice, on couscous, on grits/polenta, with bread/toast, as filling for Grilled Cheese.
  10. Because it's essentially a stew, it's always better reheated.
disregard this!