Foolproof pasta dough recipe

Eating homemade pasta was a revelation. It’s so different from  dried pasta. Comparing dried and fresh pasta is like comparing cotton and silk. For fresh pasta has such a lovely silky texture! It’s amazing. You have to try it! And don’t be afraid of making the pasta dough, my mum came up with a recipe that even I can manage. The key is to pay attention to the texture of the dough. That’s it. You don’t need to measure the ingredients. Easy.

Ingredients: Flour, egg, olive oil

1) Put a small amount of flour into a bowl and crack the eggs into it. For one person, one egg suffices. Mix eggs and flour with one hand, the other hand pours more and more flour into the bowl.

2) Stop adding flour when the dough doesn’t stick to your hands anymore. At this point there may be some wet dough sticking to the bowl and your hands. Just sprinkle some flour on it and rub it off. You can see how clean the bowl and my hands are, which means that there is enough flour now.The dough will be quite firm and hard to knead. Add a bit of olive oil to get elasticity. Concentrate on the texture. It should shape easily but not stick. If it’s too dry add a TINY amount of water. Too much and the dough will be sticky again. Add flour if the dough feels too wet. Add olive oil if the dough is too firm.

3) Shape the dough into a ball and wrap it with plastic wrap. Let it sit for about 15 min.

4) Roll out the dough with a rolling pin. Dust the surface with flour so that the dough doesn’t stick.

5) Cut the pasta with a knife in the shape you desire. Put it on a plate, which has been rubbed with oil. It won’t stick then.

6) Drop the pasta into boiling water with salt. When the pasta is ready it will float on the surface. Don’t take it out immediately, check if it’s really ready. Serve.

Oven-baked French fries

Is there anyone who is able to say no to French fries? To delicious French fries, which are crispy on the outside and pure potato inside? I definitely cannot. For years I’ve had frozen fries at home because I thought they were a hassle to prepare myself. But now after I made them I come to this conclusion: French fries are super easy to make and you don’t need much time for preparation. If you are quick with the knife all preparations are done in the time it takes the oven to heat up. And: Self-made French fries taste amazing!

You need:

• waxy potatoes
• olive oil
• salt, pepper, paprika

1. Set the oven at 200°C with air circulation. Peel and wash the potatoes. Then cut them into thin slices. The thinner the crisper the fries will be.
2. Toss the potatoes with olive oil. For the amount you see on the photo I used one tablespoon of olive oil. You don’t need much, just enough to coat. Season with salt, pepper and paprika.
3. Arrange the slices onto a cooking sheet. Be careful not to overlap. You want your fries to brown evenly. Put them into the oven.
4. When the fries have reached the desired color take them out and serve.