Cookies and cream

 The mayonnaise replaces some of the oil/eggs and makes the cake very moist and tender . 🍫 Easy Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake Ingredients 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour 1 cup (200 g) sugar ½ cup (45 g) unsweetened cocoa powder 1½ tsp baking soda ½ tsp salt 1 cup (240 g) mayonnaise 1 cup (240 ml) warm water 1 tsp vanilla Optional: ½ cup chocolate chips Method Heat oven to 180°C . Grease a 22–24 cm cake pan. Whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Add mayonnaise, warm water and vanilla. Mix just until smooth. Stir in chocolate chips if using. Pour into the pan and bake for 30–35 minutes , until a toothpick comes out mostly clean. Cool before frosting. Quick frosting: mix 100 g softened butter + 2 cups powdered sugar + 2 tbsp cocoa + 2–3 tbsp milk + vanilla . The mayonnaise doesn't make it taste like mayonnaise—the result is basically a rich, moist chocolate cake . 😋

 A hot dog salad is actually a great quick meal—kind of like a chopped salad with crispy sausage and a tangy dressing. 🌭🥗 🌭 Easy Hot Dog Salad Ingredients 2–3 hot dogs, sliced 1 tomato, chopped ½ cucumber, chopped ¼ onion, thinly sliced A handful of lettuce 1 small boiled potato, cubed (optional) 2 tbsp corn (optional) Pickles, sliced 1–2 tbsp grated cheese (optional) Quick dressing 1 tbsp mayonnaise 1 tbsp mustard 1 tbsp lemon juice or vinegar 1 tsp ketchup Black pepper Method Pan-fry the sliced hot dogs until browned. Put the lettuce, tomato, cucumber, onion, pickles and any extras in a bowl. Add the warm hot dogs. Mix the dressing and toss everything together. Top with cheese if you like. My favorite version: hot dogs + potatoes + pickles + tomato + lettuce + mustard-mayo dressing. It becomes almost a warm potato salad meets hot dog situation. 😋

  🍫 Mini marbrés vanille chocolat Ingrédients 100 g de beurre mou 100 g de sucre 3 œufs 60 g de lait 175 g de farine 1 c. à café de levure chimique 15 g de cacao non sucré 1 c. à café de lait supplémentaire 1 c. à café de vanille liquide Préparation Préchauffer le four à 180 °C . Mélanger le beurre ramolli avec le sucre. Ajouter les œufs et bien mélanger. Incorporer la farine, la levure et les 60 g de lait. Diviser la pâte en deux. Dans une moitié, ajouter le cacao et 1 c. à café de lait. Dans l'autre, ajouter la vanille. Verser les deux pâtes en alternance dans les moules à mini-cakes. Faire quelques stries avec un cure-dent pour créer l'effet marbré. Cuire 20 minutes à 180 °C , en surveillant selon le four.

  Génoise is a classic French/Italian-style light sponge cake made mainly from eggs, sugar, and flour , with little or no chemical leavening. The air whipped into the eggs gives it its characteristic fluffy texture. 🍰 Basic Génoise Ingredients 4 large eggs 120 g sugar 120 g all-purpose flour 30 g melted butter — optional 1 tsp vanilla Pinch of salt Method Heat oven to 175°C . Grease and line a 20-cm cake pan. Beat the eggs and sugar over a bain-marie until warm, then whisk at high speed until very pale, thick, and tripled in volume . Sift in the flour and gently fold it in without deflating the eggs. Fold in the melted butter and vanilla, if using. Pour into the pan and bake about 20–25 minutes , until golden and springy. Cool, then slice horizontally into layers. ✨ The secret The génoise gets its rise almost entirely from whipped eggs , so the folding step is crucial. Fold gently but thoroughly—too much mixing and you'll lose the air. It's ...

  Japanese salad is usually light, crunchy, and savory with a slightly sweet-tangy dressing. Here’s an easy one: 🥗 Japanese Cucumber & Carrot Salad Ingredients 1 cucumber, thinly sliced 1 carrot, julienned or grated 1 tbsp rice vinegar 1 tbsp soy sauce 1 tsp sesame oil 1 tsp sugar or honey 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds Optional: a little grated ginger or chili flakes Method Put the cucumber and carrot in a bowl. Mix rice vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, and sugar. Pour over the vegetables and toss well. Let it sit for 10–15 minutes so the vegetables absorb the dressing. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. ✨ Even better: Add thinly sliced wakame seaweed, shredded cabbage, daikon, or edamame.

  🍵 Japanese Pesto Ingredients 2 cups fresh basil ½ cup toasted walnuts or pine nuts 1–2 cloves garlic ¼ cup olive oil 2 tbsp grated Parmesan 1 tbsp white miso 1 tsp soy sauce 1 tsp toasted sesame oil 1–2 tsp lemon juice Optional: a little shichimi togarashi or chili flakes How to make it Toast the walnuts lightly in a dry pan. Blend basil, nuts, garlic, Parmesan, miso, soy sauce, sesame oil, and lemon juice. Slowly add olive oil until you get a smooth but slightly textured pesto. Taste and adjust: more miso for umami, lemon for brightness, or soy sauce for saltiness. 🍝 Best ways to use it Toss with spaghetti or udon Mix into Japanese-style pasta with mushrooms Spread on toast Use with grilled chicken or shrimp Toss with edamame and noodles Mix into rice for a quick pesto rice bowl The miso + sesame oil combination is what gives ordinary pesto that distinctly Japanese umami character.

You can make a really delicious Japanese Chicken Tawook with soy sauce, ginger, garlic, sesame, and a little honey. 🇯🇵 Japanese Tawook Ingredients 500 g chicken breast or thighs, cut into cubes 3 tbsp soy sauce 1 tbsp sesame oil 1 tbsp honey 1 tbsp rice vinegar 1 tbsp grated fresh ginger 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 tsp sesame seeds ½ tsp chili flakes or Japanese shichimi, optional 2 green onions, sliced Method Mix the soy sauce, sesame oil, honey, vinegar, ginger, garlic, and chili. Add the chicken and marinate for 30 minutes to several hours . Thread the chicken onto skewers. Grill or pan-sear over medium-high heat, turning regularly, until browned and cooked through. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and green onions. Serve it with: steamed rice, cucumber salad, edamame, or Japanese-style cabbage slaw. For an especially good version, I'd use chicken thighs —they stay much juicier on skewers. 😋