SPICED ROAST PLUM AND ALMOND FRENCH TOAST - OR: THE POOR KNIGHT SO POOR NO MORE

Warm, cinnamon-anise-spiced sweet roasted plums on a bed of golden-brown caramelised slices of French toast (poor knights), and an almond crunch with every bite - just my idea of autumn weekend stay-in-bed breakfast.

French Toast, also known as Eggy Bread in England, Pain Perdu (lost bread) and Pain Doré (golden bread) in France, Arme Ritter (poor knights) in Germany, and Pavesen in Austria and Southern Germany, according to Wikipedia leads back to the 4th or 5th century to the Romans, with an entry in the oldest collection of Roman recipes. It relates to bread that is soaked in milk, fried, and served with honey, with the not so charming name: 'alter dulcet' 'another sweet dish'. In medieval Europe French Toast was often served with game birds and meats.

AUSTRIAN AUTUMN LAMBS LETTUCE SALAD WITH A STYRIAN PUMPKIN SEED OIL VINAIGRETTE

Velvety lambs lettuce, warm baby potatoes, crunchy fried bacon, sautéed mushrooms, and an egg, hard-boiled, on top; all brought together by a nutty vinaigrette made with 'Steirischem Kürbiskernöl'. Who said that a salad cannot be autumn comfort food? As the days get colder, my salads get warmer, and this one ticks all my grey and rainy Brussels weather boxes.

It's an Austrian salad, with typical ingredients you would find in Austria, and a vinaigrette made with 'Steirischem Kürbiskernöl' (Styrian Pumpkin Seed Oil), all reminding me of mountains, fields and woods, well, Austria.

GRISPELLE DI PATATE, POTATO GRISPELLE, AND: MI SONO INNAMORATA DELLA CALABRIA

I had to wait for a whole year to finally taste the famous Grispelle, also known as Crespelle, or Zeppole di Patate. Not that I wasn't invited. Not that I didn't suffer so badly for not having been able to go! Not that I really enjoyed all the juicy Calabria details without having been there myself!

I had simply run out of holidays. But luckily this year I was able to follow our friends' invitation to Calabria. Little did I know, how I would fall in love with this beautiful part of Italy - mi sono veramente innamorata della Calabria! Mille Grazie La Signora Giulia, Vincenzo, Stefania, Vittoria e tutti la Famiglia! :-)

Conflenti after sunset

Calabria is said to be the undiscovered South of Italy, and you can really feel it. Right on the toe of the Italian boot, and only separated from Sicily by the Street of Messina - in fact, in some places Sicily looks so close, you feel you could just swim over there - it is so natural and beautiful, and not at all overrun by tourists. It's where many Italians spend their vacation, especially around 15th August, Ferragosto (from 'Feriae Augusti' the holidays of the emperor Augustus), that also coincides with the Catholic Holiday of the Assumption of Mary. With processions of the Madonna, pilgrimages, fireworks, and many  festivities that go on until end of August.