our house

sliding doors or time for a change

2011-05-16T05:49:00.000-07:00

Sometimes in life you have to listen to signals that you can't completely comprehend. Well we are in this sort of position. Giving it a serious thought we decided to stop the activities of Our House in the form they were in till now. We would like to thank everybody who has been supportive and enthousiastic in the last year, it meant a lot to us and we enjoyed doing what we were doing. You can still hire us for catering and we will organise different events but Our House is not going to function as a restaurant anymore.

Having announced this I would also like to invite you to two events organised in Our House. First one is Our Creative House,on 28th and 29th of may, where you can get to know the work of five talented designers and artists, and purchase something if you like. We will also be serving tapas and cocktails .

On June 4th, Our House will be invaded by Crudo Cafe, and will become a raw food meca. Please react fast because the seats are limited. You can find more information on it on crudo facebook.

Said all this our blog we continue to exist and will cover more topics then just food, so check it out regularly to see where are we heading to.

S+J

Half Half by Studio Lali from 7pm at Our House

2011-04-28T01:27:00.000-07:00

www.studiolali.be

Hello everybody, an update on somewhat unusual WE scheadule at Our House. As some of you might already know we are having an exhibition opening of a super talented illustrator Magali Elali from Studio lali, exhibition is called Half Half, the name reflecting Magali's half Congolese background, and the colourful work inspired by her personal experiences as a mixed race child. Please join us this evening from 7pm for this celebration of differences!

For the rest of the weekend OurHouse is on saturday fully booked, and for the rest of the weekend spreading its wings in Gent doing catering for a book presentation. Thx for bearing with us, next week we will be on our old scheadule. Jos & Sandro

summer in the city

2011-04-21T02:53:00.000-07:00

The summer temperatures we are experiencing last couple of days call for an immediate culinary response. Even though we are far away from summer, lets face it, knowing Belgium, this might be it so let's enjoy it while it lasts.
Each April in India there is a big Aravani festival. Aravani, is an indian name for the third sex. Transexual community in India has a recorded history of more then thousand years. Many consider Aravanis to posses special powers allowing them to determine the fate of the others, as such they are not only revered but also despised and feared. Many of them are excluded from the society, and turn to sex work to earn their living.
The annual transgender festival in the village of Koovagam, near Vilappuram, offers an escape from this often desolate existence.
The young "lady" on our picture is obviously a free styler, evidence that India is also moving forward.
So our indian summer menu includes a chilled cucumber, wallnut, yoghurt soup followed by Bhajas, indian potato cakes served with Raita and chutney.
By the way, Our House terrace is open, and our infamous Mojitos are again here to help you kill that thirst!

"fry" me to the moon

2011-04-17T03:44:00.000-07:00

how about taking a flight with Our House Airline to the land of contrasts? One of our lovely hostesses that usually operates on our weekly flight to St.Tropez, will be serving on board a contradictory pasta, tossed in a fragrant tomato sauce finished off with deep fried eggplant and courgette, feta and fresh spring onions. Just before landing in your bed you can enjoy our classic apple crumble! Captain is still contemplating on the starter, but he assured us he will not dissapoint you.
Limited places on this one off sunday evening flight!

fully booked and buzzing around

2011-04-15T01:27:00.000-07:00

a short announcement, this evening we are fully booked, concerning tomorrow, saturday april 15th we still have few places left, if you are in a mood for a spring vegetable pie as a starter, and tagliatelle with a sage wallnut pesto as the main course, why not give a buzz, or send a mail :-)

summ it up before the summer

2011-04-14T02:38:00.000-07:00

As some of you might know we've been away for a week, to a lovely Fuerteventura that reminded me much more of a first english settlement on the moon then a spanish isle. The weather was much more summery though then any british july and august will ever get I suppouse. Hoping for some spanish culinary inspiration, we literaly and metaphoricaly ended up short sleeved. Our hopes melted away after first Indian Tandoori place, followed by Tex Mex steak house, and not to be missed Hong Kong Palace that we came along.
We returned nevertheless with a sweet taste of summer and wanting more. That's why our menu tonight is tinted with the best southern hues and flavours I could think of.
Start it off with puff pastry taartles, topped with artisjokes, onions, black olives and red onions, then you can move on to a duo of a red and yellow peppers filled with risoni pasta and mozarella, and there will be a dessert as well which I'm not sure yet how to incorporate any olives in yet :-) just a joke!

hot pants

2011-04-01T06:09:00.000-07:00

We are serving this evening a lovely chili with bits and pieces, to make the heat bearable, you can also have a starter, rice fritters with a dip sauce, and finish it off with a crumble!

Still few places left

wear a smile

2011-03-24T06:09:00.000-07:00

Thai people so famous for their smiles, even if you are not Thai join us this evening for a smile festival! There's a oriental noodle salad to start with, followed by a thai curry, and a fragrant carrot ginger cake, maybe with custard, or orange frosting, not sure yet :-)

Hotspot 19-20 maart 2011

2011-03-22T14:02:00.000-07:00

Hotspot 19-20 maart 2011

mighty minty lighty

2011-03-20T08:06:00.000-07:00

Feeling fresh, or missing freshness? Nothing more uplifting then some fresh mint, add it to your tea, bath, chew on it, hang it in your closet, take a bunch and mix it in your pasta! Tonight southern explosion, pasta with capers, feta, black olives and guess what, some mint :-), Aubergine rolls as a starter.
Minty goodness, c you this evening xxx

sweden call

2011-03-11T03:12:00.000-08:00

This morning we got a call from Sweden, the first bears have been spotted wandering around the big warehouse in Skelleftea, official sign that the winter is over, according to the Swedes.
Our menu tonight is still rather wintery though. Starting with a mushroom cream taartlet, served with a salad, and you can have a beer with it, great combination! Then there is a yellow curry with some Thai rice as a main course, followed by a lemon curd pie. A menu as sureal as the winter end announcement :-)

fill me up scotty

2011-03-03T06:09:00.000-08:00

Usually I write a post somehow related to the maindish that I will make, but I will make an exeption to the rule, as I already wrote a very nice post about Spanakopita, some months ago. Not that I couldn't get inspired about greek love again :-)
So as you already know the main dish is Spanakopita, with a lovely luke potato salad, but a starter is none less exiting, I will fill some mushrooms, probably with dates, some olives and mint possibly, very fragrant and succulent, served with some steamed marinated cauliflower. Please do not forget to reserve, there are few spaces left.
xxx

Utopia

2011-02-26T05:09:00.000-08:00

It's been a while ago that we had on our menu the Shepard's Pie. Shepards are somehow perceived as these rough, weathered men with long hair and beards, a bit like a Jesus I suppose. I think shepards can also be men with soft hair, and without a star. It makes them look more like the sheep they take care of, innocent and fluffy. George Orwell's "Animal Farm", a good read on how corruption can destroy any revolution!
There will also be a carrot ginger soup as a starter.

friday

2011-02-18T03:57:00.001-08:00

we are fully booked tonight, sorry!

so nutty

2011-02-17T01:42:00.000-08:00

How many nuts could you squeeze in a menu? Come and try us out! You can start with grilled aubergine, pistachio salad, then move on to lasagna, with nutty celeriac, spinach and roasted hazelnuts, and end it all with crunchy and smooth walnut bownie!

thank you Nina

2011-02-13T06:30:00.000-08:00

relight my fire

2011-02-13T03:09:00.000-08:00

As we are closed tomorrow and we couldn't do a Valentine special, I decided to make something red today. It is a pasta with grilled peppers, sundried tomatoes,chilli pesto. Let the heat come!

look alike

2011-02-05T04:25:00.000-08:00

Hi there, this evening I'll be preparing Risoni (sort of pasta that looks like rice) with artichokes and fennel in a white wine sauce, as a starter there'll be a middle eastern flavoured soup and probably a brownie for a dessert.

magic mushrooms and a fairy tale

2011-01-28T03:41:00.000-08:00

Living in a magic forest, with creatures common to fairy tales is one of the most popular children's phantasies. Our House is far from any kind of forest, for sure a magic one but that doesn't stop us to try to recreate a magic menu. You can start with an aromatic lentils soup, followed by pasta with different sorts of wild mushrooms, watch out some of them could be magic ;-) , and some kale in a cream sauce, if you are not feeling magic by then, there is still an apple and pear crumble, full of cinnamon heat and juicy raisins.
C you tonight!
J+S

dancing king and queen

2011-01-18T12:02:00.000-08:00

Dear Our House friends, I will not say anything but SURPRISE ! Hence the title, you are more then welcome to check it out,from thursday on by yourself.

something russian, warm, and juicy

2011-01-15T02:33:00.000-08:00

Tanja is staying with us for a month, she is spanish, her mother is russian. Tanja dances a lot. Couple of days ago she made a russian pie filled with cabbage, it is called Pirog and it is delicious. This evening I will prepare it as well, there will be something red with it so it looks nice.

jealousy slave

2011-01-14T02:45:00.000-08:00

How many models actually diet? Haven't heard that many do, let's face it the ones that do, very often are the ones that are so obsessed of becoming one, thinking that those couple of pounds will make it or brake it, not realising that it is not that that cunts. Just look at our Aunt Jemima, she was far away from size zero, and still made it :-) Former slave Nancy Green, was the first oficial spokesperson for the Aunt Jemima pancake mix. She inpersonated the Aunt Jemima for more then 30 years.

With all the respect to the famous Jemima's secret formula of the perfect pancake I will be making my own dough, with some spring onions mixed in it. Pancakes will be filled with spinach, mushrooms and feta, served with fennel rice and tomato corriander salsa. Join us!

lost tomato

2011-01-08T02:56:00.000-08:00

Holiday season is over, we are deep in the winter, even though today you wouldn't really say so. Not many tomatoes around at this time of the year that actually taste like tomatoes, luckily there are some real sun kissed tomatoes that were preserved last summer to keep us going through the winter. Our House 2011 season we,ll be opening with a vegetarian lasagna! Cheers

the boys are back in town

2011-01-04T09:46:00.000-08:00

As you already might have heard we are back in town, holiday is over and we are happy to c you all back. Due to some minor organisational problems we will only go open on saturday the 8th of January,and not on thursday as we previously announced. From next week on our usual opening hours apply. Cheers

End of the year

2010-12-22T13:39:00.000-08:00

Dear Our House friends, we are leaving tomorrow on a holiday, Our House will be closed till 6thof january !
We wish you all a merry x-mas and a happy new year!
S+J

fa caldo

2010-12-09T05:06:00.000-08:00

Tonight we are serving a vegetarian take on a Sicilian fishy spaghetti , without the fish off course. I'm making farfalle with saffron, capers, celery and raisins, surprising combination that results in a magically synchronised sweet, salty and sour flavour.
Join us for some Sicilian heat!

Alpine Dream

2010-12-03T03:50:00.000-08:00

Spencer Tunick

Last night we had some friends over that run a hotel in French Alps, talking about skiing, snow and all the pleasures and sorrows that a winter holiday can bring, altogether a very pleasant evening. My bad experience of walking down the slope with the skis on my shoulder couple of years ago, convinced me that skiing was invented for some other sort of people, who have, to me, incomprehensible urge of racing down the slopes faster then the average speed of a race car, bringing their and my life in danger. So I thought I will just stay away from those slopes, there are enough trees and innocent enthusiast that believe they will get infected by the same bug and next winter be the danger to others.
Not that I'm really a snow and winter lover, but there is something romantic and idyllic in staying inside of a chalet, warmed up, enjoying the hot chocolate, and browsing through Architectural Digest waiting for my man to return from the icy life threatening slopes.And if there would be a steaming hot outside pool, and a sauna, I would maybe even consider a ski holiday again once in my life.

bookshelf

Inspired by all this Alpine talk the choice fell on a Swiss recipe, noodles with mushrooms and savoy cabbage, in a light white wine sauce, and served with some cherry tomatoes and plenty of smoked cheese.
Join us for some Alpine dreaming!

bean necessity

2010-12-02T02:52:00.000-08:00

Anish Kapoor, Cloud Gate

All the snow outside reflecting the light, makes everything look so much brighter, bigger and more spacious.

Anish Kapoor's Cloud Gate is constructed of highly polished stainless steal plates that reflect and distort the city's skyline. It was constructed between 2004 and 2006 in Chicago, and became one of the city's most prominent landmarks. Even though Kapoor's design was inspired by liquid mercury, it is popularly known as a Bean, because of its bean like shape.

This evening we will be serving a heart warming bean casserole with ginger and lemon, on the side some grilled polenta cakes, and a beetroot, onion salad. Nothing distorting and reflective about it but still perfect for this perfect winter day :-)

dogs, horses, and sweet californication

2010-11-27T06:33:00.000-08:00

hello everybody,

this evening we are having an exhibition opening of a photographer Fabian Batistella, from 7pm, you are more then welcome for a glass of bubbles!
Due to the opening the kitchen will be closed this evening. Tomorrow we are back on our old scheadule!
c u this evening!

S+J

2010-11-21T02:53:00.000-08:00

our house is today exceptionally closed. Our apologies

silly billy and a young intruder

2010-11-14T02:26:00.000-08:00

There was something strange in the air yesterday, besides all the gallons of rain, somehow everybody seamed to be slightly out of focus, and the communication was everything but working. It also seemed to be a day that lasted three days, even though nothing got done. Nevertheless we survived all in the future street and are embracing the day.

In our neighbors backyard there is a huge tree, last two days there's been a single bird sitting almost on top of it, same spot, two days long, seemed she's been observing me, and I've been observing her. Do birds usually sit on a tree when the rain pours down or they look for a shelter? This morning the bird is gone.

Nono's works are gone, the walls look empty and deserted, in two weeks we have another artist, you'll all be informed on time to join us for the opening.

The photograph above is by Amy Stein, I will ask her if she wants to exhibit at Our House :-) not sure what she will think about that but you never know, i will use my charm :-)

Bla bla bla, and finally tonight there are Penne with all sorts of things, olives, capers, mint, feta etc. :-) join us!

Om gung Ganapataye naivedye svaha

2010-11-06T05:30:00.000-07:00

One of the ways to offer Ganesha is to make him an offering, that can be food, but also water, flowers, incense.
Sandalwood malas are especially pleasing to Ganesha. A mala is a string of beads used when saying prayers or mantras.It has 108 regular beads and one specal larger bead know as the guru bead that lets you know when you've finished the cycle .
Ganesha is the Lord of Obstacles, both of a material and spiritual order. He is popularly worshipped as a remover of obstacles, though traditionally he also places obstacles in the path of those who need to be checked.
No obstacles in Our House tonight, only an Indian feast, join us for Lentils-coconut dahl, some flavoursome Byriani and deep fried cauliflower, there will be soup and a rich chocolate cake as well :-)

destructive love

2010-10-29T03:20:00.000-07:00

Even though Idaho is a remote place, that doesn't really say much to us Europeans, there is something irresistibly romantic, melancholic and mysterious in its name and the vast plains. Such a picture of this far away American state has surely been shaped by the 90's Gus Van Sant's cult film, where the love and friendship are overlapping in the story about two young male prostitutes, impersonated by young Keanu Reeves and River Phoenix.
On October 31st 1993 Phoenix died from an overdose in front of an LA club, he was one of the most promising young actors in Hollywood at the time. His role in My Own Private Idaho and the tender scenes with Keanu Reeves helped ratify Phoenix's status as a gay icon. In two days it will be 17 years after River died.

Idaho is also famous for potatoes, one third of the potatoes consumed in America come from that state. Our potatoes are coming from Belgium, and we will make today potato cakes with melted goat cheese, lentils dahl and cucumber raita.

a new project?

2010-10-28T02:31:00.000-07:00

The knitting has been quite popular lately, they do it on trains, sundays, evenings, before the shows, parties, while walking a dog, or watching after their herd of sheep. I guess it is finally cool to knit, even though the children in the sweatshops in India and China might think different. Next time you fall off your feet in one of those stores that sell 100% cashmere sweaters for 29.99 that are so hard to resist, try to think who in the production chain got screwed up and why not take up knitting yourself. I know you don't have time, but while you are looking after your sheep you can easily finish up the whole front of the sweater and half of the sleeve :-)

There is a great project that I discovered couple a days ago through a friend, called urban knitting, it is just amazing what they all created, go and have a look ! http://www.magdasayeg.com/home.html

Love the idea og making this world a more pleasant place trough such an old craft.

All this knitting intro leads to Our House menu for today, it is a Shephards Pie, we had it on the menu couple of months ago and the reactions were more then positive, so it is the time for a second edition. I discovered that they make a very similar dish in the Middle East, so the one of today will be a slightly oriental version with possibly some mint and we'll see what else.

See you this evening!

old man and a savoy cabbage

2010-10-23T05:53:00.000-07:00

So catering is behind our back, people were happy with all the cup cakes, there were some ricotta rolls, carrot ginger soup and coconut cake and lots of kids :-), colourful and cheerful in every sense.
To balance it out, because it is all about the balance isn't it? I thought let's make tonight something completely different, my cook book says it is a rustic oven dish, something I could imagine this old man on the picture would appreciate a lot. Basically it is a pasta mixed with savoy cabbage, cherry tomatoes, potatoes and ricotta, all baked in the oven under a layer of mozzarella and parmigiano. I think it will be super delicious and perfect for a day like this. We have couple of tables already reserved for this evening but there is still some place, take care!

out of house

2010-10-22T02:32:00.000-07:00

Hi dear friends! Our House is today on 22nd of October exceptionally closed, we took on a catering for tomorrow and we have to make around 1000 snacks , halleluia :-)

thx for understanding we are tomorrow back on our usual scheadule, cheers!

warming up

2010-10-13T10:27:00.000-07:00

yes I've been lazy and out of focus last week, only one single post, not worth mentioning, even my moustache project has failed which doesn't mean I won't try again . Only excuse I have is called Croatian Distraction, my little sis had been visiting and we had a great time together, talking, walking, shopping... and she was a great help in Our House as well.
Anyway, she is gone, and two of us are all warmed up for the new week, we will try to look a bit more decent then the two gentlemen on the photograph :-)
You wouldn't believe it but I even know what is on the menu tomorrow, I'm preparing already an Our House classic by now, and that is Chili sin Carne, the ones who haven't tried it yet please do not hesitate, the heath of the chillies is just perfect for these chilly evenings, i guarantee you that you'll get warmed up :-)

house of fools

2010-10-03T07:01:00.000-07:00

I just realised that I posted a week ago that we will be closed till 30.10. shame on me ! So not true, and in the mean time I edited the post to avoid further confusion. I guess I desired a real holiday and not only a weekend, but listen weekend was great as well :-)
This evening I'm making a potato/tomato tortilla, with kidney beans baked in the oven and a coleslaw. Different textures, different colours, just different :-)

love and order

2010-10-01T05:22:00.000-07:00

This morning I shaved of my beard, and decided I'm going to grow a moustache this week. As some of the most impressive examples of this token of masculinity are to be found on the Indian subcontinent, I concluded that this has to have something to do with the hot curries these hot men eat :-)
So, join us for a hot heart warming curry this evening and see who's mustache will grow faster and stronger !

sexy season open soup

2010-09-30T01:59:00.000-07:00

We are back open, and the soup season has begun. Outside is rainy but we feel sexy! So many reasons to feel happy :-)
All this rain is great for mushrooms , not tha I went pickin any, but if you are in a romantic mood lets pretend that I did. So, I will make a pasta with a creamy mushroom sauce! During the day you can pop in for a hot plate of leek soup, maybe with some barley, I still need to decide on that :-)
Anyway, Our House is happy to be there for you again, welcome!

kick off

2010-09-23T01:11:00.000-07:00

Today we are leaving on a well deserved break, Our House has been doing so great thanks to the enthousiasm of all of you. We will be back next week! Holiday!!!!

OUR HOUSE will be closed from 23.09. till 26.09.

BACK OPEN on 30.09. !!!

heart beat

2010-09-16T02:08:00.000-07:00

Little pasta rolls, that can be filled with various fillings are called Canelloni, translated large reeds. You can fill them with all sort of stuff, very common ones are spinach with ricotta, in which case they are usually topped with a tomato sauce, or if they are filled with with a ragu sauce then they are topped with a bechamel sauce. In any case delicious.
Besides the anti-cancer properties that are associated with Brocolli, consumption of this vegetable has also been shown to be beneficial in the prevention of heart disease. Luckily road to Our House is just straight so you shouldn't have trouble finding us to try a meal that will make your heart beat faster.
This evening I will prepare Canelloni filled with Brocolli, walnuts and ricotta cheese, finished off in the oven under a layer of tomato sauce.

turning red

2010-09-10T05:39:00.000-07:00

Borscht is a classis russian/ukranian soup made of beetroot. Beautiful deep red colour. Have you ever tried a beetroot humus? No? Me neither :-) come over and tell us what you think. Beetroot humus is just a side dish tonight, but it will make the biggest visual impact on your plate. We are serving pancakes filled with courgette and mushrooms, some couscous and beetroot humus, come and join us!

second opinion

2010-09-09T03:01:00.000-07:00

I haven't been feeling that well last couple of days, forgot how having a cold can be exhausting. Anyway I'm on my way to recovery and feeling already a lot better then a day or two ago. We had a plan B for tonight in case I wasn't ready to cook, Jos would have cooked a meal that he likes very much, and our dear friend would help him serve. At the end I will stand in the kitchen, but will still make the dish that Jos planed to make. It is an unusual but super delicious pasta, that he introduced to me at the beginning of our relationship. At that time we were still meat eaters, and one of the ingredients were meat balls. Basically it is a pasta with a creamy sauce,made of grated courgettes, grain mustard and lots of chopped parsley, to substitute the meat balls I thought of some nuts, to add the texture. It is an unbelievably delicious dish!
Having a soul mate, life companion, husband or however you prefer to call it is a great thing!

maggie eggy

2010-09-05T02:41:00.000-07:00

Many of you probably didn't know that the infamous United Kingdom's long ruling PM, Maggie Thatcher followed a rigorous diet of 28 eggs a week just before her 1979 election, determined to loose 28lbs in just two weeks and look her best on the big day.Famous for her iron will there is no doubt lady T resisted all the food not listed. According to the Sun, (what a source :-)), there are even notes published on the net from that period of Maggie's life.
What has Maggie to do with Our House? Not much except that we are also making some eggs today. Actually a potato tortilla, and a heart warming kidney bean casserole.With such a high intake of protein you might as well loose a pound of two this evening :-)

pride and prejudice

2010-09-04T02:18:00.000-07:00

Jane Austin's novel has been first written in 1796 under the title First Impressions, but it hasn't got published till 1813, after being retitled to Pride and Prejudice. The story follows the main character Elizabeth Bennet as she deals with issues of manners, upbringing, morality, education and marriage in the society of early 19th century England. Elizabeth is the second eldest of five daughters of a country gentleman landed in the fictional town of Meryton in Hertfordshire, not far from London.
About the same time, around 1791, the term cottage pie has been introduced, describing an English pie made of minced meat and vegetables covered with a crust of mashed potatoes. It was the period when potato was being introduced as an edible crop affordable for the poor ( cottage referring to the typical housing of rural workers).
Our English fellas are proud of their heritage and cuisine often not understood and laughed at by their continental counterparts, but Cottage Pie or more widely known as Shepherd's Pie is one of those simple dishes that are just impossible no to like.
So leave your prejudices at home and come and try our vegetarian version, as delicious as the original one. For our Vegan friends, the pie is completely dairy and egg free, behalf the cheese topping, so that's a minor detail I will be more then happy to leave out for you. Please mention while reserving that you would like a vegan version. Till later!

egyptian walk

2010-09-02T02:42:00.000-07:00

In 1954, Yolanda Christina Gigliotti, better known as Dalida was crowned miss Egypt, shortly after she moved to France where she built an outstanding career as a singer, trying to pursue a career in acting as well, but the results were not that impressive. At the beginning of her career she named herself Dalila, after a biblical character, but was advised to change her name into a more common Dalida.

Our House will be serving tonight cold courgette, filled with tomatoes, peppers, capers and marinated in red wine vinegar and fresh herbs, accompanied by flavoursome Egyptian rice with lentils and fried onions, all finished off with some grilled pita bread and goat cheese spread.

new opening hours

2010-09-01T23:45:00.000-07:00

Hello everybody,
after two months there was a time for an evaluation, from now on we'll be open from 2 pm, and the food will be served only in the evening, after 6pm. So during the day you are more then welcome for a drink , cake and coffee...
There will be another post later this morning about the evening menu. We are almost fully booked, but we can still squeeze a person or two in.

snow food

2010-08-29T02:42:00.001-07:00

Cauliflower is highly rich on vitamine C and also contains substances which may improve the liver's ability to detoxify carcinogenic substances. So the story of the prince is just pure Disney, our lovely Snow white must have had lots of cauliflower as a child, and that's why no poison could harm her, I'm sure!
Traditional varieties of cauliflower include 'Snowball', 'Hybrid White', 'Super Snowball', 'Snow Crown', 'Mayflower', Candid Charm', 'Mormon', 'Agrahani', 'poushi', 'maghi', 'Snow White', 'Snow Grace'.
You must guess by now for sure, I'll be preparing this evening Cauliflower beignettes, served with nutty Pilav and roasted vegetables. Enjoy!

babel

2010-08-28T00:31:00.001-07:00

The story of the Tower of Babel where all the people of the world come together to build a giant tower that would reach the heaven is for me, personally one of the most outlandish and compelling stories that I read in the Bible. God, seeing this tower as a dedication to worship the kingdom of man rather than His own, afraid that united we could reach any goal, confused the languages of the people and scattered them across the planet, thereby creating the multitude of cultures that exist today.
In my opinion the wealth that we shall nourish and cherish, and use as an inspiration, but at the same time should remember what Aesop taught us United we stand, divided we fall.
Our House is serving today small vegetable towers, made up of stacked grilled aubergine, paprika and fennel, with layers of cheese in between them, there will be a fragrant lentils salad with it and some tabbouleh.

happy birthday!

2010-08-26T06:48:00.001-07:00

Our House is tonight closed for the public, our dear friend is having a birthday party dinner, so the place is full.
Tomorrow we are back on a normal scheadule.

Basta Pasta? or an Angry Inch

2010-08-21T01:30:00.000-07:00

Sometimes you just need to stay still for a second and think what next? Well it is exactlly how i feel today, so we are keeping it simple and clean ;-)
I will be making an italian classis , Penne all'arrabiata, moisty red tomatoes, "slightly" spicey from crushed chilli flakes, fragrant from fresh basil poured over my personal favourite penne rigate, about an inch (hence the title) long cylinder shaped pasta. All' arrabiata in free translation meaning something like angry style, I guess you look angry from the heat of the chilly or something, go figure!
And the movie, it all about how much a man is willing to give up for a love! About a couple of inches? Great movie btw.

fabulous americana

2010-08-20T00:12:00.000-07:00

We are feeling a bit american today, and what is more american then a burger. Let me be clear, a burger in a wide sense of word of course :-) I'll be making some kidney beans/mushroom burgers, some super fresh home made aioli, roasted vegetables and i guess something grainy to go with, not sure yet what exactly :-)
Yes and a Feeling Good is a perfect song to start your day, try it!

greek love

2010-08-19T01:30:00.000-07:00

Inspired by a lovely dinner we had on tuesday night at Geert&Geert where we spent a greek tinted evening, I thought it's the time at Our House also for a greek classic Spanakopita. Spanakopita is a sort of pie made out of filo pastry, filled with a mix of spinach and feta, they go so well together in any sort of dish. We'll be serving it with a cold potato salad wit red onions, capers and black olives.

back to the roots

2010-08-15T02:29:00.000-07:00

We played as kids, as many other kids I guess, cowboys and indians. I never wanted to be a cowboy, I found them a bit too ordinary, indians were much more fun, they always had more special horses, had long black hair and often wore nothing on top, or if they did it was often something with fringes.
My mother was addicted to Karl May as young girl, but she was more of a cowboy's girl, she had bunch of books on Winnetou and Buffalo Bill, they became my favourite read too, so in our cowboy games I was very well informed .
During the sixties, there were made more then dozen films on Winnetou, they were filmed in different parts of Croatia, some of them in the area where my mother comes from, close to Plitvice lakes. So when we were visiting my grandmother's house that was on the river Korana, down in the canyon, me and my cousins had a perfect film setting for our cowboy/indian games.

On those summer days, between the swimm in the river and running around bushes with chicken feathers in my hair, we often ate punjena paprika, meaning Stuffed Peppers , prepared by my grandmother. It was always served with mashed potatoes and tomato sauce.
I'm making today Stuffed Peppers and polenta cakes, remembering all the Indians that I hoped one day to become.

héroes del ring

2010-08-14T00:26:00.001-07:00

photo David Gremard Romero

Lucha libre, meaning free wrestling, is a term used in Mexico and other spanish speaking countries. It is characterized by colourful masks that the wrestles are wearing and fast movements. Masks have been used dating back to the beginnings of lucha libre in the early part of the 20th century and have a historical significance to Mexico in general dating to the days of the Aztesc.

Luchadores are traditionally divided into two categories, rudos, which are the bad guys,and técnicos, the good guys.
There is another thing coming from Mexico, hot chili, there are too versions of it, Chili con Carne, and Chili sin Carne. Naturally we'll be serving today the second one, with some rice, nachos, salad and sour cream, to reduce the heat on your faces, because delivery of the masks we ordered for you got stuck in China.

i know where the summer goes

2010-08-12T22:57:00.000-07:00

photography Ryan McGinley
www.ryanmcginley.com

if Our House would be on the boat, we could all take it and sail away following the summer. Strongest summer memories, the ones that we were not kids anymore, and just not yet adults. Exploring the freedom, dreaming of future, when everything seemed easy and nothing could scare us.
Barchette di zucchini ripieni is a classis italian dish usualy stuffed with minced meat and cheese, it literally translates small boats stuffed courgettes, hint the resemblence of a halfed courgette to a small boat ;-) I will be stuffing them with tofu, lentils,mushrooms, nuts, peppers and mix of italian cheeses, yes and there will be some rice with it. You could basically stuff it with anything as long as it makes you happy :-)
You should check the site of Ryan McGinley, his work is everything i love about photography, and yes, I stole the title of today's post from a title of his exhibition too.

freshly ironed

2010-08-12T00:23:00.000-07:00

image by Mjolk

http://www.mjolkhomme.com/

ricotta, soft italian cheese with its delicate flavour and creamy consistency is a perfect match to any dishes made with spinach , if you add some walnuts you get a classic italian combo. So I'm making today a pasta with fresh ricotta cheese, mushrooms and steamed spinach. Super delicious and highly nutritious!

just flying to say hello

2010-08-08T01:09:00.000-07:00

Somehow reports on seen flying saucers always flood in on a cloudy days like this. Nothing remarkable about that, they probably just prefer cloudy weather to the sunny one, right?
Talking about saucers, did you know that Curry is derived from the Tamil word கறி kari, meaning 'sauce, so basically, what I will be making today is a warm vegetarian sauce :-) to warm you up on a rainy day like this. You can choose from rice noodles or a bowl of basmati rice to have it served with.

mushroom head

2010-08-07T03:30:00.000-07:00

When using dry shi take mushrooms, after you soaked them in warm water, and they softened up , you should remove the stems, because they usually stay chewy and not that nice to eat. The mushroom heads you should chop as the taste is quite aromatic and could be slightly overwhelming if you have a big chunk in your mouth. I'm marinating tofu in rice wine and dark soy sauce, and then stir frying it together with shi takes and baby okras. The dark, aromatic mix is served over the translucent rice noodles and garnished with basil leaves.

uova di bufala

2010-08-06T01:31:00.000-07:00

Bocconcini, or sometimes called ouva di bufala, because of their resemblence to boiled eggs, are small round pieces of semi soft cheese made out of waterbuffalo's milk. Today there is a pasta on the menu, with roasted cherry tomatoes, tapenade and bocconcini, that slowly melt on top.
Please don't forget to make a reservation, by mail, or callin Jos.

what's another layer?

2010-08-05T00:04:00.000-07:00

Today on the menu, Vegetarian lasagna, under the each layer you will discover a different vegetable filling! Each one is prepared separately to hit your taste buds one at a time!

rolled up

2010-08-01T00:22:00.000-07:00

Good morning!
I would like to apologise for not posting yesterday, but, organisation wise, it had been somehow a hectic day, food was nevertheless delicious :-). I promise to repeat it in the near future for all the ones who missed it. Today I will be preparing some wraps filled with vegetables and kidney beans, finished under the layer of sour cream and baked in the oven. A bit like burittos but then a different spice pallete. As the summer is still strong and kicking, I thought why not suggest a styling tip for this evening ( see the image above). All the ones who come for dinner with rolled up pants get a free mojito!
So guys, roll it up!

wash your sins

2010-07-30T05:44:00.000-07:00

today I made samosas north indian style, including potatoes and peas, served with mushrooms in coco milk, and cucumber raita, typical indian condiment based on yoghurt served with spicy dishes.

levantese rising

2010-07-29T00:44:00.000-07:00

hi there, we are back :-)
begining of the week we are starting with a levantese feast, I will prepare some crunchy falafel, served with salad, baba ganoush and crispy pitta bread. All the ingridients and dishes of today are associated with Levant, historical name for the countries of West Asia, including todays Lebanon, Israel, Syria, Palestine, Jordan, and southern Turkey. Levant comes from latin, meaning rising, describing the countries where the sun rises, oposite to term Maghreb, describing the countries where the sun goes down, used for countries of West Africa. World used to be so small :-)

it's your choice

2010-07-25T04:54:00.000-07:00

today I'm making a couple of different quiches, they are all vegetarian , you can choose as long as there still is a choice, so hurry up!

perfect mix

2010-07-24T00:31:00.000-07:00

Hi everybody, few announcements to make! As you might already know we are holding an exhibition opening this afternoon, from 2pm till 6pm. There will be a welcome drink and some small vegetarian rolls to keep you going till the evening. During the opening we will not serve meals, but you can order food till 2 or after 6.
There will also be a chello player who will join us around 4pm, so I'm sure all your senses will be satisfied :-)
On the menu today there is a pasta with roasted vegetables, so no classic sauce, but a mix of slowly roasted vegetables in the oven with all their juices and flavours intact, real parmigiano on top!
Hope to c you this afternoon!

oiled up

2010-07-23T02:35:00.000-07:00

Even though deep frying isn't one of the healthiest cooking techniques that crosses ones mind, there is something special and indulgent about food sizeling in hot oil not to mention the end result combination of crunchy texture on the outside and the softness of the ingredients inside.
I chose to prepare courgette beignets today, courgettes are first grated an then mixed in a soft dough, the mixture is then fried in hot oil. I promise to let them rest on a paper towel at least for one minute so most of the access fat doesn't end up on your plate :-) . There will be a yoghurt dressing with it some baked beans and fresh salad. Enjoy!

saturday opening

2010-07-22T07:33:00.000-07:00

The first official opening is so far! As you might know the mission of Our House is among others to promote the work of artists who's work we admire and respect! This saturday is the opening of Nono Pessoa, we will welcome you with a drink and have some delicious finger food, for the ones who will be visiting Our House for the first time to get the taste of what Our House is about :-)

Info for our regular customers, during the exhibition opening hours we won't serve food!
For the ones wishing to stay for dinner afterwards check for the menu tomorrow or latest saturday morning and give us a buzz!

...
Interview with the artist Nono Zaza Pessoa :

Nono sais :

'My work process can best be described as overpainting; images are put on top of each other, intention and context are subject to continuous change, to result in remnants that only refer to this which used to be the catalyst but is disappeared by now.

Construction and genesis remain visible or - even more - ; are afterwards explicitly - as a fraud - conjoint. The works are eclectic, built from images which show a wide variety in character, though, communicate together.

The theme lies not so much within the depicted but utters rather implicit. Figurative or abstract; both ways one can speak of abstraction.

Nothing is communicated, action is nowhere to perceive. The depicted is not more than a cover-up for the narration which plays beneath the surface.'

Other comment about Nono :

'Painting, over-painting and the elimination of the painted picture are of primary importance and provide the work with a layered structure. Nono Pessoa knows the right balance, like the abstract she combines flawless with the figurative, or assembles angular with organic lines. In doing so she postulates an antithesis to result at last in a surprisingly modern synthesis, which carries the tradition of the past with itself:
A traditionally painted landscape gets contemporary (re)interpreted by painting rather large white flowers on and over the landscape, where one flower seems to be erased at the last moment, or by putting a rectangular blank area-is it broken ice?- under the work. In one of her works on which she has painted a wallpaper pattern, a black field looms.
Something which normally does not grasp our attention, Pessoa enlarges. The foreground becomes background and vice-versa. Pessoa proves that she reflects on the role painting and its techniques can play nowadays. Therefore she is not guilty of false aesthetics but breaks through the seductive illusionistic character of painting by removing the aura, embracing the crisis and revealing what lies under each layer of paint.'

website Nono : www.nonozazapessoa.com

filled with LOVE

2010-07-22T03:08:00.000-07:00

image by Bansky

running late this morning, I'm preparing filled zuchini with chickpeas and other vegetables, roasted in the oven and served with fresh tabouleh!

for all the princesses among us

2010-07-18T02:00:00.000-07:00

It is the season of the fresh peas, sweet, crunchy, lush, green, and we all need something sweet and lush from time to time. I chose to make today somewhat italian classis with a twist. We'll serve tagliatelle in a creamy, gorgonzola sauce, with two sorts of mushrooms ans sweet peas, seasoned with pepper and fresh sage leaves.

protein pack

2010-07-17T00:52:00.000-07:00

today I will pack some light pancakes with kidney beans, eggplant, peppers and soft melting cheese, finished under a layer of creme fraiche in the oven. Kidney beans are one of the most important potein source in a vegetarian diet, so after the meal you can all hit the gym :-)

potato friday

2010-07-16T00:08:00.000-07:00

hi there,
we had a great day yesterday, food was a great success and there are more and more people discovering why is it so good to be here :-)
I will prepare today 16.7. friday, fried potato cakes with melted goat cheese on top and fattoush. For ones who are not familiar with it fattoush is a classic lebanese salad made of cucumbers, tomato, peppers and pitta bread soaked in red wine vinegar. Great combination with fried food. Usually it is served with falafel, but I thought lets do belgo-lebanese combo to make it slightly more exiting :-)
If you plan to come in the early evening please make a reservation to secure the table!
cheers

storm

2010-07-14T07:58:00.000-07:00

hi there, the Our House week is again in front of the door, we calculate time now in Our House time, and work week time :-)
Tomorrow, on thursday I will make a pasta with eggplant, mint,capers and feta , as you can c even this storm is not going to spoil our southern spirit.
please make a reservation if you are with more people, thx
Sandro

going south

2010-07-11T01:50:00.000-07:00

it feels like one of those countries where the heat is not only showing on the scales, but where the heat is also shown in the character and nature of the people, food, cars and colours, we are welcoming you today with a warm (of course vegetarian) ;-) tagine served with couscous, or you can opt for a chilled but slightly spicy gazpacho that will tangle two senses at the same time...
Please note that finished is finished so if you want to make sure not to miss the party
please call Jos and make a reservation.

prostitutes and spicy tomatoes

2010-07-06T12:13:00.000-07:00

As i'm leaving tomorrow to London, and will have to settle for some fish and chips :-) Jos will be preparing on thursday a full flavoured puttanesca.
Made of ingredients found in most Italian larders, this is also known as spaghetti alla buona donna - or "good woman's spaghetti" :-)

impressions

2010-07-05T13:45:00.000-07:00

Our opening weekend is behind our back, and did we have fun :-) of course we worked our asses of, but being able to do something we love and see happy faces around us was pure pleasure :-)

DJ Bakelit

2010-07-03T23:57:00.000-07:00

don't forget today at Our House, from 2pm DJ Bakelit with sizzling songs from those good ol' days. We serve Chili con carne for our carnevour friends and of course standard vegi version, for people who care!
You can also freshen yourself up with a fresh Mojito on a special price!

spice up your life

2010-07-03T04:47:00.000-07:00

today you can enjoy fresh and spicy Thai curry with a bowl of basmati rice!

first day

2010-07-02T07:15:00.000-07:00

Well we are that far, it is our first day and reactions are very positive. We are very happy that we can in our own way bring something to our neigborhood. Today on our menu is a vegetarian pita bread, filled with houmus and grilled aubergine with a fresh salad with a ginger dressing mmmmmm :-)

2010-06-14T06:06:00.000-07:00

WE'LL BE OPEN FROM FRIDAY JULY 2nd

2010-06-13T02:49:00.000-07:00

"OUR HOUSE" goes open JULY 2nd !!!!

What is "OUR HOUSE"?

2010-06-13T02:43:00.000-07:00

PROJECT ‘OUR HOUSE’
Do-ZO(10-21u)

Een plek waar het aangenaam is om te zijn

RING OUR BELL AND FEEL HOME AT OUR HOME

WAAR
OUR HOUSE is gesitueerd in Borgerhout.
Een inspirerende wijk waar de laatste jaren heel wat jonge gezinnen,interessante en vaak creatieve mensen komen wonen.
OUR HOUSE bevindt zich in een rustige straat met een hoopvolle en een naam die uitnodigt om te dromen,de Toekomsstraat,meer bepaald op het huisnummer 22.
TASTY FOOD AND DRINKS
Our house zal ook een plek zijn waar je heerlijk kunt tafelen.Programmatie van de gerechten en recepten vindt u hier op de blog;
Keuze uit tappas,een dagschotel,sandwich,soep,gebak
Verse fruitsappen,smoothies,frisdranken
Thee,koffie
Wijnen en cava s

HOUSE OF INTERACTION AND NETWORKING

Een ontmoetingsplaats waar we leuke interacties nastreven,netwerken tot stand komen tussen mensen van allerlei allooi binnen een huiselijke sfeer.In eerste instantie tussen de mensen zelf maar anderszijds zullen we ook een plek voorzien voor folders,publiciteit over wat er reilt en zeilt in Antwerpen/de wereld.
Regelmatig zullen er activiteiten worden georganiseerd.Dit kan verschillende vormen aannemen en kan varieren van een gastspreker tot een soliste die een huiskamerconcertje geeft of een DJ die leuke plaatjes komt draaien.
Onze vaste huisdejaay is Dj Bakelit

PLATFORM FOR ARTISTS
Tweemaandelijks zal een andere kunstenaar voorgesteld worden.Een kunstenaar van wiens werk we zelf houden en die we wensen voor te stellen aan een ruimer publiek.In die zin hopen we graag een brug te zijn tussen de artist en de wereld.

opening

2010-05-31T14:15:00.001-07:00

"our house" will go open on july the 2nd