2026: May
It’s April. A quarter of the year has already passed. Spring is definitely here, and I’m in a good mood.
I started the year slowly, doing a lot of reflecting, clearing out what no longer serves me, and strengthening my inner balance. That felt especially important this year, as I’m expecting my first child very soon. More than anything, I want to be fully here for this chapter. Present. Grounded. Able to take in each moment as it is, without rushing past it.
That sense of enjoyment is also what I want to share through this blog. To me, enjoyment lives in the small, often overlooked things. It’s in the awareness that life is shaped by what we choose to give our energy to and what we consciously leave behind. When we choose with intention, we don’t just experience more but we experience more deeply.
One of my favorite ways to spend time is searching for good recipes. Whether I’m browsing Instagram, Pinterest, or YouTube, I always end up looking at food; photos, videos, documentaries, stories.
What does it taste like? Where does it come from? How can I combine it? When is it in season? Could I grow it myself? What are the nutritional benefits?
Recently, I even watched an entire documentary about the tomato industry, surprisingly fascinating.
Back to the present moment: in April, the fresh produce section at the supermarket becomes more colorful and exciting again. Alongside root vegetables, you’ll start to see rhubarb, the first asparagus, radishes, leafy greens, and (imported) citrus fruits and kiwis. Fresh herbs like chives, parsley, and chervil are also making their return.
And outside, everything is blooming. Hyacinths, daffodils, daisies, buttercups, cherry blossoms, magnolias…
If there was ever a time to step outside more, it’s now.
This moodboard captures my April state of mind: a soft, sunlit spring brunch in the garden. Light, fresh tones; lemon yellow, buttercup yellow, soft rhubarb and salmon hues, layered with warm off-white. Everything feels easy, airy, and just a little bit celebratory. Simple food, meant to be enjoyed outdoors. Fresh braided bread with jam or honey, delicate sorbets, an airy cheesecake. And here and there, a few subtle Easter details.
With Easter just around the corner, it feels like the perfect moment to gather family and friends for a small garden brunch. I had so many ideas for what to serve: different types of bread, a variety of toppings, fresh salads like asparagus and strawberries, egg dishes like shakshuka or a simple, good scrambled egg, quiche, carrot cake, pancakes, sorbets, freshly squeezed orange juice, mimosas… the list goes on.
What I love about many of these dishes is that they can be prepared in advance and served with little to no effort. That’s important to me, since I want to spend time with my guests, rather than disappearing into the kitchen.
In the end, I chose to focus on a small, thoughtful selection that really matches the theme. Seasonal, as always—but never boring.
The Easter Brunch:
Sweet and savory ricotta toasts
Quiche with salmon, spinach, and leek
Fotzelschnitte
Cheesecake
Lemon sorbet served in its shell
I am a fan of the Ricotta toasts at the moment. They are easy to make, can be served with endless variations of different toppings and are stunning to look at.
Recipe: Ricotta Toasts
Ingredients
Ricotta cream for 6-8 toasts:
250 g whole milk ricotta
1–2 tbsp olive oil
1–2 tbsp heavy cream (or milk)
Salt, to taste
Optional (for extra smoothness): 1–2 tbsp mascarpone or cream cheese
Instructions
The Ricotta Cream:
Step 1: Drain the ricotta. If it’s very moist, let it sit in a sieve for 15–30 minutes. This makes a big difference in texture.
Step 2: Blend until smooth. In a food processor (or with a hand blender), combine ricotta, olive oil, cream, and a pinch of salt. Blend until completely smooth and airy.
Step 3: Adjust texture: Too thick – add a little more cream, too soft – chill for 20–30 minutes
Step 4: Pipe it. Transfer into a piping bag (round or star tip) and pipe onto toasted bread.
Note: Note: For sweet toasts, you can mix honey, maple syrup, or a bit of lemon zest directly into the ricotta cream.
For savory toasts, adjust the seasoning with extra salt and pepper, and consider adding lemon zest or fresh herbs for more depth.
If you want to play with color like in the photo above: add a little beetroot for a vibrant pink, chive oil for green, or a touch of curry for a warm yellow tone.
Step 5: Use a good sourdough or country bread as a base, toast until golden and crisp. Optional for savory toasts: lightly rub with garlic or drizzle with olive oil
Topping Ideas:
Sweet & Fresh
Honey & thyme & lemon zest
Fresh berries & maple syrup & crushed pistachios
Roasted rhubarb & vanilla & a touch of honey
Fig slices & walnuts & a drizzle of honey
Light & Seasonal
Asparagus ribbons & lemon & olive oil
Peas & mint & lemon zest
Radishes & flaky salt & chives
Cucumber ribbons & dill & a squeeze of lemon
Savory & Brunchy
Smoked salmon & capers & dill & lemon
Roasted tomatoes & basil & balsamic glaze
Mushrooms & thyme & a soft-boiled egg
Prosciutto & arugula & shaved parmesan
Recipe: Quiche with salmon, leek and spinach
The quiche brings together everything I love about spring cooking. Seasonal produce paired with a classic brunch staple. It’s easy to prepare, easy to serve, and just the kind of dish you can enjoy effortlessly while chatting in the garden.
You can either make the dough for the Quiche yourself or buy one. For this recipe you will need: a mixer with dough hooks and a rolling pin (only if you make the the dough yourself), a bowl, a sieve, a kitchen knife, a chopping board, a quiche tin (26 cm diameter) and a frying pan
Ingredients
For the dough:
250g flour (Type 550)
1tsp backin pouder
120g soft butter
1tsp salt
1 egg (size M)
1tbsp cold water
some butter for the form
some flour for dusting
For the filling:
450g frozen spinach
1 clove of garlic
½ leek
2 tbsp sunflower oil
salt
freshly ground pepper
a little grated nutmeg
4 eggs (size M)
200ml cream (30% fat)
150g crème fraîche (30% fat)
1 tsp medium-hot mustard
250g skinless salmon fillet (fresh or frozen)
Instructions
The dough:
Step 1: To make the dough, mix the flour and baking powder. Knead into a smooth dough with the butter, salt, egg and water, then chill.
The filling:
Step 1: For the filling, defrost the spinach, drain it and squeeze out any excess liquid. Peel the garlic and finely chop it. Wash the leek, drain it, trim it and slice it finely.
Step 2: Preheat the oven to 200°C (top and bottom heat; fan oven: 180°C). Grease a quiche tin (26 cm diameter).
Step 3: Sauté the diced garlic and leek in oil in a frying pan for 1–2 minutes until translucent, stir in the spinach and season to taste with salt, pepper and nutmeg.
Step 4: Whisk the eggs, cream, crème fraîche and mustard until smooth, then season with salt and pepper.
Step 5: Cut the salmon fillet into 2–3 cm cubes.
Step 6: Roll out the pastry into a circle on a floured work surface (approx. 28 cm in diameter), press it into the quiche tin with floured hands and form a rim.
Step 7: Spread 5 tablespoons of the cream mixture over the pastry, top with spinach, scatter the salmon cubes evenly over the top, press them in gently, pour the remaining cream mixture over the top and bake on the lowest shelf of a preheated oven for approx. 35 minutes.
Step 8: Leave the quiche to cool slightly, remove it from the tin, cut it into slices and serve with a mixed leaf salad if you like. The quiche makes about 8 large slices. Enjoy your meal!
Recipe: Fotzelschnitte (French Toast)
Fotzelschnitte, often compared to French toast, is a true Swiss classic. It can be made fresh for brunch or the next day using leftover bread, which I love. For me, it carries a sense of nostalgia and childhood memories. It’s a little rustic, a little imperfect, but deeply comforting and simply delicious.
Ingredients
2 eggs
1,5dl milk
1 pinch of salt
5 tbsp liquid honey
16 slices of stale bread
cooking butter
Instructions
Step 1: Whisk together the eggs, salt and one tablespoon of milk per egg. Warm the remaining milk and stir in the honey.
Step 2: Dip the slices of bread in batches first into the honeyed milk, then coat them in egg and fry them in hot clarified (cooking) butter until golden brown on both sides.
Step 3: serve them with desired toppings. either classic with sugar and cinnamon or apple sauce, or as seen on the picture above with greek yoghurt and hot berries.
Recipe: Cheesecake
My cheesecake has a subtle lemon twist that gives it a light, refreshing edge, exactly what I look for in a spring dessert. It’s a wonderfully simple recipe, requiring minimal equipment and effort. Once baked, it can cool overnight and is ready to be served the next morning, making it ideal for a relaxed gathering.
Ingredients
200g digestive biscuits
100g butter
200g sugar
3 tbsp cornflour
300g quark or fromage frais (Rahmquark)
500g full-fat cream cheese (e.g. Philadelphia)
1 egg
125g double cream
1 lemon (organic)
16 slices of stale bread
cooking butter
Instructions
Step 1: Preheat oven to 200°C (or 180°C fan).
Step 2: Crush digestive biscuits and mix with melted butter.
Step 3: Grease springform tin (approx. 26cm diameter)
Step 4: Press the biscuit mixture into the tin to form a base and a small rim around the edges.
Step 5: Pre-bake in the lower part of the oven for 8-10 minutes.
Step 6: Mix the sugar, cornflour, quark and cream cheese until smooth.
Step 7: Add the egg, double cream, zest of 1 lemon and 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, then mix until fully combined.
Step 8: Spread the cream cheese mixture onto the pre-baked base.
Step 9: Bake for 45 minutes, cover loosely with baking paper halfway through if needed, so the top does not get too burnt.
Step 10: Leave the cheesecake to cool in the tin for several hours (important for texture).
Note: You can use chocolate biscuits instead of digestives for the base. You can also add raspberries and/or raspberry jelly into the mixture before baking.
Recipe: Lemon Sorbet in Its Shell / Sorbetto al limone servito nella buccia
And then there’s the lemon sorbet, served in its shell. A timeless classic, bright, intensely flavorful, and surprisingly easy to make. It looks beautiful on the table and always feels like a highlight, for both kids and adults.
Ingredients
4 large organic lemons (for serving)
120 ml fresh lemon juice (about 3–4 extra lemons)
100–120 g sugar
150 ml water
Optional: 1 egg white (for a softer, airy texture)
Instructions
Step 1: Slice the tops off 4 lemons (like little lids), carefully scoop out the inside, keep all the juice! Clean the shells so they’re smooth inside, place shells + lids in the freezer
Step 2: Make a simple syrup, heat water and sugar until dissolved. Let it cool completely
Step 3: Mix the base. Combine lemon juice and cooled syrup. Taste and adjust, it should be slightly sweeter than you expect (freezing reduces sweetness)
Step 4: Freeze the sorbet (no machine). Pour into a shallow container, freeze for 3–4 hours, stir every 30–45 minutes with a fork, this breaks up ice crystals and creates that soft sorbet texture
Optional upgrade:
Fold in a lightly beaten egg white toward the end, this makes it smoother, almost creamy
Step 5: Fill and serve. Let sorbet soften slightly, spoon into the frozen lemon shells and add the lids back on
Step 6: To elevate the dish, add a few fresh mint leaves or evenn a tiny splash of Limoncello
“But sharing a meal with someone? - Now that’s real bonding.”
