Only_Oli (The O_Zone) | A place for me to share Stuff

List of good dishes I can make

Posted on October 26, 2026 by Olivier Dehon

First published November 2024, updated October 2026.

Below is a list of dishes I like and can cook to a standard that I would be happy to serve to my friends. Maybe one day, I should make a book of those recipes.

It has recently evolved into a Database of the things I like and the ones that I can cook…

Name	Country Inspiration	Type	Recipe on my Blog?
Cramique Bread	Belgian	Bread	yes
Bao	Chinese	Bread	yes
Baguette	French	Bread	yes
Brioche Bread	French	Bread	yes
Mascarpone Brioche	French	Bread	yes
Pain aux céréales	French	Bread	yes
Pain maison	French	Bread	yes
Bretzels	German	Bread	yes
Pitta Bread	Greek	Bread	yes
Ciabatta	Italian	Bread	yes
Focaccia Bread	Italian	Bread	yes
Gnocco Fritto	Italian	Bread	yes
Panettone	Italian	Bread	no
Cervelle de Canut	French	Cheese	no
Fromage Blanc au sucre	French	Cheese	no
Saint Felicien	French	Cheese	no
Saint Marcellin	French	Cheese	no
Whisky Camembert	French	Cheese	yes
Mozzarella	Italian	Cheese	yes
Crab meat spread	Belgian	Starter	no
Ham Terrine	Belgian	Starter	yes
Hate Levee	Belgian	Starter	yes
Tomate Crevette	Belgian	Starter	no
Escargots de Bourgogne	French	Starter	no
Foie Gras	French	Starter	yes
Gougères	French	Starter	yes
Les Olives de Gilles et Chantal	French	Starter	yes
Les Poivrons de Chantal	French	Starter	yes
Olive & Pancetta Cake	French	Starter	yes
Pâté de Campagne	French	Starter	yes
Pâté de foie de volaille	French	Starter	yes
Rillettes of Duck	French	Starter	yes
Rillettes of porc	French	Starter	no
Soupe a l’oignon	French	Starter	no
Soupe Artichaut de Jérusalem (Topinambour)	French	Starter	yes
Soupe de champignons	French	Starter	no
Steak Tartare	French	Starter	no
Samosas	Indian	Starter	no
Houmous	Lebanese	Starter	yes
Moutabal	Lebanese	Starter	yes
Falafel	Middle Eastern	Starter	yes
Calamares a la Romana	Spanish	Starter	no
Chorizo	Spanish	Starter	no
Croquetas	Spanish	Starter	yes
Gambas al Ajillo	Spanish	Starter	no
Gazpacho	Spanish	Starter	no
Padrón Peppers	Spanish	Starter	no
Vietnamese Spring Rolls	Vietnamese	Starter	yes
BBQ Ribs	American	Main	yes
Aubergines Farcie	Belgian	Main	yes
Boudin Blanc	Belgian	Main	no
Boudin noir	Belgian	Main	no
Cervelle de veau	Belgian	Main	no
Meat balls	Belgian	Main	no
Moules frites	Belgian	Main	yes
Vol au Vent	Belgian	Main	yes
Waterzoi	Belgian	Main	no
Bangers and Mash	British	Main	no
Chicken Tikka Masala	British	Main	no
Fish and chips	British	Main	no
Full English Breakfast	British	Main	no
Jambon cuit au four	British	Main	yes
Scotch Egg	British	Main	no
Shepherd’s Pie	British	Main	yes
Toad in the hole	British	Main	no
Canard asiatique	Chinese	Main	no
Sausage Roll	English	Main	yes
Andouillette	French	Main	no
Artichaut	French	Main	no
Beef Casserole	French	Main	yes
Cassoulet	French	Main	yes
Cheese Soufflé	French	Main	yes
Chicken Thigh Casserole	French	Main	yes
Choucroute Garnie	French	Main	no
Confit of duck legs	French	Main	yes
Entrecôte	French	Main	yes
Fondue Savoyarde	French	Main	no
Hachis Parmentier	French	Main	no
Lamb shanks	French	Main	yes
Magrets de Canard	French	Main	yes
Oeufs Bénédicte	French	Main	yes
Oeufs brouillés	French	Main	no
Pain de viande	French	Main	yes
Pommes Dauphines	French	Main	yes
Poulet grille	French	Main	no
Quenelles	French	Main	yes
Quiche Lorraine	French	Main	yes
Saucisson de Lyon Brioche	French	Main	no
Soupe Bouillabaisse	French	Main	yes
Tartiflette	French	Main	yes
Tartine et Fromage	French	Main	no
Tomato, Bacon & Goat Cheese Quiche	French	Main	yes
Gyros	Greek	Main	yes
Moussaka	Greek	Main	yes
Tandoori Chicken	Indian	Main	no
Carpaccio	Italian	Main	no
Lasagna	Italian	Main	no
Osso Buco	Italian	Main	yes
Parmigiana di Melanzane with Pork	Italian	Main	yes
Pizza	Italian	Main	yes
Spaghetti Carbonara	Italian	Main	no
Panko Vegetables	Japanese	Main	no
Sushi	Japanese	Main	no
Yakitori Chicken Skewers	Japanese	Main	yes
Chili con Carne	Mexican	Main	yes
Lamb with Pistachios	Moroccan	Main	yes
Tagine de Poulet	Moroccan	Main	yes
Tagine lamb	Moroccan	Main	yes
Monk fish with Chorizo	Spanish	Main	yes
Yorkshire Pudding	British	Side	no
Carrots and Potatoes	French	Side	yes
Gratin dauphinois	French	Side	yes
Haricots Verts a l’ail	French	Side	no
Ratatouille	French	Side	no
Salade Lyonnaise	French	Side	no
Tarka Dal	Indian	Side	no
Moroccan Style Vegetables	Moroccan	Side	yes
Patatas Bravas	Spanish	Side	no
American Biscuit	American	Dessert	yes
Cookies	American	Dessert	yes
Donuts	American	Dessert	yes
Boules de Berlin	Belgian	Dessert	yes
Couques Suisses	Belgian	Dessert	yes
Lemon Meringue Tart	Belgian	Dessert	yes
Tarte à la Rhubarbe	Belgian	Dessert	yes
Tarte au sucre	Belgian	Dessert	yes
Waffles	Belgian	Dessert	yes
Eton Mess	British	Dessert	no
Blueberry Jam	French	Dessert	yes
Candied Oranges	French	Dessert	yes
Caramel au beurre sale	French	Dessert	yes
Chocolate Truffles	French	Dessert	yes
Crème Brûlée	French	Dessert	yes
Crêpes	French	Dessert	yes
Croissants	French	Dessert	no
Flan Tart	French	Dessert	yes
Gaufres maison	French	Dessert	yes
Ile Flottante	French	Dessert	no
Macarons	French	Dessert	no
Madeleines	French	Dessert	yes
Marrons Glacés	French	Dessert	yes
Moelleux à la Châtaigne	French	Dessert	yes
Mousse au chocolat	French	Dessert	no
Pates de fruits	French	Dessert	yes
Pear and Chocolate Crumble	French	Dessert	yes
Pecan Spiced Candies	French	Dessert	yes
Plum and Frangipane Tart	French	Dessert	yes
Plum Tarte Tatin	French	Dessert	yes
Prune Tart	French	Dessert	yes
Strawberry Crisps	French	Dessert	yes
Tarte au Citron de Fred et Luna	French	Dessert	yes
Tarte aux myrtilles	French	Dessert	no
Tarte Tatin	French	Dessert	yes
Tiramisu	Italian	Dessert	no
Crema Catalana	Spanish	Dessert	no
Turron	Spanish	Dessert	no
Pancakes Americain	USA	Dessert	yes
Pastrami	American	Other	yes
Fruit Liqueur	Belgian	Other	yes
Liqueur de Cassis	Belgian	Other	yes
Thai Sauce Spicy	Chinese	Other	yes
Pickled Beetroot	English	Other	yes
Pickled Shallots	English	Other	yes
Aioli	French	Other	yes
Almond Butter	French	Other	yes
Almond Milk	French	Other	yes
Bechamel Sauce	French	Other	yes
Butter	French	Other	yes
Gherkin / Parsley / Egg Mayonnaise	French	Other	no
Hollandaise Sauce	French	Other	yes
Mayonnaise	French	Other	yes
Shortcrust Pastry	French	Other	yes
Smoked Ham	French	Other	yes
Walnut Oil	French	Other	yes
Coppa	Italian	Other	yes
Crispy Pancetta	Italian	Other	yes
Limoncello	Italian	Other	yes

More to come in the future….

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Parmigiana di Melanzane with Pork

Posted on October 21, 2026 by Olivier Dehon

The classic Parmigiana di Melanzane is one of those dishes I could eat every week: fried aubergines, a slow tomato sauce, mozzarella and a generous blanket of Parmesan. Nobody quite agrees where it comes from – Naples, Sicily and Parma all claim it – and every Italian nonna has her own version.

We went to Puglia recently for a cycling trip and had a different one than in Tuscany.

This is my adapted version.

I wanted something a bit more substantial for a family dinner, so I added a layer of pork – a pork and fennel ragù built into the tomato sauce – while keeping the traditional aubergines and tomatoes. It sits somewhere between a parmigiana and my Moussaka chez Mamy, but without the sauce blanche.

Ingredients:

4 or 5 aubergines (about 1.2kg)
80-100g plain flour (for dusting)
Light olive oil for frying
800g minced pork (or good Italian sausages, skinned)
1 onion, finely diced
1 tsp fennel seeds, lightly crushed
3 garlic cloves, crushed
My secret ingredient is a roasted long pepper
A good, generous tbsp of tomato concentrate
2 x 400g tins of Mutti chopped tomatoes. I like arrabbiata sauce as well
A splash of red wine (optional)
A pinch of sugar, salt, black pepper and dried oregano
A good handful of fresh basil
2 balls of mozzarella (250g), drained well and torn into small pieces
120g Parmigiano Reggiano, grated (some recipes mix in a bit of Pecorino)
Extra virgin olive oil
A deep oven dish.
A few Basil leaves to add to the sauce and on the finished dish.

How to Make:

Slice the aubergines lengthways, about 5mm thick. I use the mandoline set to a large cut and use the holder to avoid slicing my fingers.
In a heavy pot (I used my Le Creuset again!), soften the onion and fennel in a little olive oil on medium heat for about 8 minutes until they melt and take a bit of colour.
Turn up the heat, add the pork and the fennel seeds and brown the meat well, breaking it up with a wooden spoon. Add the garlic for the last minute.
Add the tomato concentrate and let it cook for a minute, then deglaze with the red wine if using.
Add the tomatoes, a pinch of sugar, the oregano, salt and pepper. Simmer gently for 30-40 minutes, lid half on, until thick. Tear in some basil at the end. The sauce should be rich but not watery.
Brush the slices with olive oil and roast them under the grill (or in the air fryer at around 200°C) until golden, turning once. Less authentic, but a lot less oil.
Preheat the oven to 180°C (fan).
Assemble: a thin layer of sauce on the bottom of the dish, then a layer of aubergines, a layer of the pork ragù, some mozzarella, a few basil leaves and a good sprinkle of Parmesan.
Repeat (aubergines / pork sauce / mozzarella / basil / Parmesan) until everything is used. Finish with aubergines, a little sauce, the rest of the mozzarella and plenty of Parmesan on top.
Bake for 35-45 minutes until bubbling and golden on top. If it colours too quickly, cover with aluminium foil.
Leave it to rest for at least 15-20 minutes before cutting. It holds together much better and the flavours settle.

Serve with a green salad and some crusty bread. Like most of these layered dishes, it is even better the next day, and it freezes well.

Variation: some recipes keep the aubergine parmigiana fully vegetarian and serve breaded pork escalopes (flour, egg, breadcrumbs, then fried) on the side with a slice of lemon. Worth trying if you want to keep the two separate.

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Barograph Antique

Posted on September 27, 2026 by Olivier Dehon

I have been meaning to post on my blog for a long time about restoring an antique Barograph. Finding the right one and buying it at a reasonable price was the first challenge; then I began a substantial clean-up and a few small repairs. Nothing dramatic, as the main component, the aneroid, was still perfectly functional. Since I have other ways to check the atmospheric pressure at home, calibration wasn’t difficult.

I love these machines that are “simple” in comparison to electronics but “complicated” in terms of precise engineering.

I am very happy to have this in my house now, even if after a few years I tend to forget to wind the clock weekly.

Posted in Home Life | Leave a comment

Les Poivrons de Chantal

Posted on September 26, 2026 by Olivier Dehon

Update from the original post of October 2025

A recipe from my sister-in-law that I’ve been meaning to make for a while!

It was my first time, and I clearly undercalled how many peppers I would need. I initially used seven long, thin peppers, but that wasn’t enough!!!

My second batch was even better, with more peppers and salt and pepper added in the last step.

I used the air fryer for my second batch. About 20 minutes at 195 on Air Fryer mode. Turned once. I also added the whole garlic flower for an oven roast. This let me skip the whole pan-frying step. The final product was very nice again.

Ingredients:

Some red peppers, the ones with thick meat.
Garlic cloves as many as the peppers
Olive oil for cooking and preserving

How to Make:

Roast the peppers so that they get a bit of colour in the oven or air fryer (make sure they are roasted on all sides. This is important to help with the peeling later.
Take it out of the oven and cover it with aluminium foil, let it rest for 10 minutes.
Cut the peppers in half the long way.
Peel the peppers and de-seed them, then place them on a plate, keeping the juices.
Make long slices with the peppers.
Slice the garlic cloves thinly. (A big one per pepper)
Put in a pan with all the juices and the garlic for a couple of minutes (to tenderise and mix the flavours, do not cook the peppers)
Put all the juices and peppers into a preserving jar and cover with olive oil.
The pepper slices are soft but do not fall apart.
Let everything cool down for a day and keep it in the fridge.
The oil will solidify, so you will need to take out the preserves before eating them.

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3D Printing a Replacement Fridge Part

Posted on September 13, 2026 by Olivier Dehon

3D model of the replacement ice maker part designed in Fusion 360
A friend of mine needed a replacement part for his fridge. It is the small mechanism
that pushes the ice out of the ice maker.

This is one of those situations where 3D printing really comes into its own.
Sourcing a small replacement part like this from the original manufacturer can be
nearly impossible. And even when it is available, manufacturers will often only sell
the complete assembly rather than the small plastic component that has actually failed.

So, instead, I made one.

As usual, I documented a little of the process to share here.

Designing the Part

I started by measuring the original part and recreating it in Fusion 360.
This is probably the most interesting part of the process: taking a physical object,
working out its important dimensions and geometry, and recreating it in the virtual world.

Preparing It for Printing

Once the model was finished, I exported it to the printer software.
The slicer converts the 3D model into hundreds of thin layers that the printer can
build one at a time.

For this part, I used a layer height of 0.16 mm and printed it in
PETG. I chose PETG because it is reasonably tough and handles low
temperatures well, making it suitable for this type of application.

Print, Test, Adjust

Of course, designing a replacement part rarely works perfectly on the first attempt.
There are usually a few iterations: print it, try it, discover what doesn’t quite fit,
adjust the model and print again.

In this case, it took three versions before I reached a design that I was happy to
give to my friend.

He is going to install it in the fridge, and hopefully it will give him a few more
years of use.

The nice thing is that the difficult part is now done. The replacement part exists
as a digital file. If it ever breaks again, making another one is simply a matter of
loading the file and pressing Print.

About an hour later, a new replacement part exists.

A tiny example of local, on-demand manufacturing — but a very satisfying one.

Posted in CNC & 3D Printing | Leave a comment

Homemade “Mon Fournil” Brioche

Posted on August 19, 2026 by Olivier Dehon

I am still struggling to get a good recipe.

I think this is too wet of a dough. I am currently making one with 3 eggs but only 200ml of milk, but I had to add another 100g of flour to make it manageable…

A from-scratch replica of the Mon Fournil brioche flour — built to match the original’s proportions, including the two ingredients that give it that unmistakable French-bakery smell: a whisper of lupin flour and a well-judged arôme. Scaled to a 500 g flour batch (one loaf or ~10 rolls).

The dry mix (per 500 g flour)

This is your replica of the sachet. Whisk it together — or batch it ahead (see below) — then just add the wet ingredients.

Ingredient	Amount	Baker’s %	Notes
Flour, ~11% protein	500 g	100%	250 g strong white bread + 250 g plain, or 500 g French T45/T55
Caster sugar and Vanilla Sugar bad	75 g	11.6%	Original was 60 g, but I find 75g better, and the vanilla bag makes a nice addition.
Fast-action dried yeast	7–8 g	1.5%	One good teaspoon. Important to dilute in a little warm water with some sugar.
Fine salt	7 g	1%	7 g if you like it more savoury
Lupin flour	15 g (1 tbsp)	0.8%	The secret weapon — golden crumb + nutty aroma.

The wet ingredients (added fresh, each bake)

Whole milk — 250 ml, warmed to ~25–30°C
2 large eggs, room temperature
Soft unsalted butter — 125 g (push to 150–200 g for a richer brioche)
The arôme — 1 tsp vanilla extract plus 2–3 drops of orange-flower water (eau de fleur d’oranger). This pairing is what recreates the Mon Fournil smell.
Egg wash — 1 egg yolk beaten with 1 tbsp milk

Method

Prep. Warm the milk to ~25–30°C and eggs, beat well . Take the butter out to soften. Start the yeast in a bit of water with the vanilla sugar sachet.
Combine dry. Whisk the whole dry mix together in the bowl of a stand mixer.
Bring together. Add the milk, egg and vanilla (+ orange-flower water). Knead with the dough 3 min to a shaggy dough.
Butter in. Add the soft butter a piece at a time, then knead 8–10 min until smooth, glossy and elastic.
First proof. Cover. 30 min at 30–35°C, or ~1 h at room temperature, until doubled.

Tip: For deeper flavour and much easier shaping, chill the dough for 2 h (up to overnight) after this rise instead. Cold brioche dough handles far better.
Shape. Knock back and shape — a buttered loaf tin, a three-strand plait, or roll into 3 large buns of about 300g each.
Second proof. Cover. ~30–60 min until doubled.
Glaze & bake. Brush with egg wash. Bake in a preheated fan oven at 180°C:
- Rolls: 15–18 min
- Loaf / plait: 25–35 min
Deep golden, and ~90°C internal if you’re checking with a probe.
Cool on a wire rack before slicing.

Storage

Keeps 2–3 days well-wrapped at room temperature. Freezes beautifully, sliced or whole — refresh a few minutes in a warm oven. Day-old brioche is also the ideal candidate for pain perdu.

Why this works (the two flavour drivers)

The original’s magic isn’t the flour — it’s the lupin flour (under 1%, but responsible for the golden crumb and nutty, distinctly-French aroma most home bakers never achieve) and the arôme (a proprietary vanilla/butter-type flavouring, mimicked here with vanilla + orange-flower water). Get those two right and you’re matching the smell, not just the texture.

Allergen note: contains gluten, egg, milk and lupin. Lupin can cross-react with peanut allergy — flag it if serving guests.

Posted in Cooking, Home Life | Leave a comment

Moussaka chez Mamy

Posted on May 17, 2026 by Olivier Dehon

Even my mum is now following internet recipes for things she’s been doing for years! Here is the link:http://www.lacuisinedebernard.com/2013/07/la-moussaka-grecque.html

Obviously, there are a few small secrets…

She uses half-cooked potatoes as the first base layer for the Moussaka. On this particular occasion, we did 2, one with and one without the potatoes. The outcome is that it is definitely nicer with the layer of potatoes. You can see the layers in picture 3; don’t be fooled by picture 1.

It is my understanding that the Moussaka with Potatoes is a Greek recipe, whereas the one without is more Turkish.

UPDATE : (Original was 11th of August 2015, then spetember 2020, then May 2026 for photos!)

I have just tried to make this recipe, and clearly my mum was not following that recipe at all…

I’ll do the same and create my own version to see how it works. I am starting with a version without potatoes. It is a bit of work, but it is well worth it!

Ingredients:

1kg of minced lamb.
2 Large or 3 small aubergines.
1kg of Red Potatoes (a waxy potato)
2 onions / 2 or 3 cloves of garlic.
Tomatoes concentrate. (a small round pot thingy)
A supermarket basket of large tomatoes (or 2X400g cans of tin tomatoes)
Olive Oil / Butter / Salt / Pepper / Whole Nutmeg / Piment de l’espelette
A large tray to go in the oven
For the sauce Blanche : 0.8 to 1 Litre of milk / 100g flour / 1eggs / 50g butter / nutmeg / salt /pepper.

How to Make:

I find that my “Le Creuset” pot is the best to cook this kind of dishes.
I then assemble the ingredients in a large clay roasting tray to go in the oven
Dice the onions and cook in the pot with a bit of butter, salt and pepper.
Let them melt a bit and take some colour. Cook on medium not too harsh.
During this time boil some water and put all the tomatoes in the boiling water for a couple of minutes. This will help to peel them easily.
Cut the tomatoes in slices and remove all the wet bits, seeds, centre etc.
Once the onions are cooked, transfer into a tray waiting for assembly.
Wash and slice the aubergines through their short side to make round slices of various sizes.
Cook them on medium heat in a bit of olive oil to give them colour and taste. This is a fairly long process that requires you to monitor the burning so that it is tasty but not burnt…my mum method is to use a roasting tray in the oven. After many attempts, the roasting of the Aubergines is best done in the oven under a grill rather than done in the le creuset pot. Use aluminium foil and a drizzle of olive oil.
Transfer half of the aubergines to the bottom of the cooking tray and then layer on top the tomatoes.
Still in the same pot, cook the lamb on high with the crushed garlic, season with salt and pepper and grate half of a nutmeg. Add also a bit of Piment de l’Espelette or equivalent (sweet chilli peppers powder).
Add the tomatoes concentrate to the meat and let the water evaporate as much as possible. The meat will take a bit of colour and the oils will separate.
Transfer the meat onto the cooking tray making sure you drain the fat.
Once all the meat is layered over the aubergines and tomatoes finish with the second half of aubergines to top the whole thing. (Aubergines/Tomatoes/Meat/Aubergines)
Make one litre of sauce Blanche (this is not my usual Bechamel Sauce...and has eggs in it…not sure about this….:
- In a 1.5L pot, melt the butter and mix the flour with a whisk, adding a bit of milk to make sure you do not make lumps.
- Once you have a sort of paste, add the rest of the milk slowly to get a thick creamy liquid.
- Take off the heat. whisk an egg with a bit of milk and then add to the mixture whisking everything well.
Pour the sauce Blanche on the whole preparation
Cook in the oven a 180 degrees celsius for 20 to 30 minutes.

This was very nice and the white sauce was great as well. All very moist and tasty.

Might have noticed the disaster with the Le Creuset pan burning….I tried everything to clean it, but it wouldn’t come off at all… It has been a complete mystery on how to take the stuff out and clean it properly. I bought at least 4 different products on Amazon, such as baking soda, hydrogen peroxide, Le Creuset’s own-brand cleaning product, boiling vinegar, a magic sponge, an overnight soak with dishwasher soap, and boiling baking soda, etc., etc., etc…

I finally decided to simply put the pot in my oven during a full pyrolytic wash… was a bit afraid of destroying the whole thing, but NO!! It worked brilliantly.

Simply had to wipe the ashes off the burned-off stuff afterwards; it was almost new.

I will now use this method annually. Unfortunately, when I updated to my new Bosch ovens, I did not notice that the Pyrolitic function was deleted from the new ovens and replaced by an “auto-clean”, which is nowhere near as good. My next ovens will have the pyrolitic back!!…

Here is a few pictures of more recent cook of the famous Moussaka.

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The five stages of whisked egg whites

Posted on May 14, 2026 by Olivier Dehon

A Thermomix TM7 guide ·

What to look for, when to stop, and what each stage is best used for — calibrated specifically for the Thermomix TM7 with butterfly whisk.

Egg whites are the most temperamental ingredient in the patisserie kitchen. Underwhisk and your soufflé won’t rise; overwhisk and your meringue weeps watery streaks across the baking tray. The Thermomix TM7 takes most of the variability out — but only if you know exactly what each stage looks like and stop at the right moment.

TM7 settings · for every stage

Tool butterfly whisk

Speed 3.5

Temp 37 °C optional

MC off

Eggs at room temperature

Bowl grease-free, dry

The stages

Frothy

≈ 30 sec

Translucent, watery, with large, irregular bubbles on the surface. Through the TM7 lid, you’ll see the whites still sloshing, with a thin pale foam beginning to form. The mixture hasn’t yet gained any real volume.

Look for

A milky cloudiness replaces the original clear glassiness, and bubbles of varying sizes — some large, some pinhead. Add cream of tartar or a pinch of salt now if you’re using it.

Best used for

Clarifying stocks and consommés, egg wash for pastry, binding breadcrumb coatings. Rarely a target stage on its own — usually just a milestone you pass through.

ii.

Soft peaks

1 – 1.5 min

Opaque white, fine even bubbles. Stop the TM7, lift the butterfly: the peak flops over completely like soft-serve ice cream. Glossy, still pourable, and the volume has roughly tripled.

Look for

A peak that curls right back on itself. The mixture clings to the whisk briefly then slides off. No grain, no streaks of unwhipped white at the bottom of the bowl.

Best used for

Folding into soufflé bases that still need oven rise, light pancake and crêpe batters, tempura batter, lightening a génoise or chiffon cake. Start adding sugar here if you’re making meringue.

iii.

Medium peaks

2 – 2.5 min

The peak stands up but the very tip still droops slightly when the butterfly is lifted. Surface is satin smooth, no longer pourable, and clings to the whisk arms in soft swags.

Look for

A peak that stays vertical with just the top centimetre curling over. The mixture in the bowl holds its shape if you draw a line through it with a spatula.

Best used for

Chocolate mousse, cold soufflés, bavarois, lemon delicious pudding, île flottante, and folding into cake batters for lift without dryness. This is the sweet spot for most desserts.

iv.

Stiff peaks

3 – 4 min

Sharp upright peaks, bright white, glossy if sugar has been added. The classic bowl-over-head test: tip the mixing bowl upside down, and nothing should move. Volume is now roughly seven times the original liquid.

Look for

A peak that points straight up like a little mountain when the butterfly is lifted out. The foam clings to the inside of the TM7 bowl in firm clumps that don’t slide.

Best used for

French meringue, pavlova, macaron shells, baked Alaska, dacquoise, financiers, angel food cake, marshmallow, and hot soufflés — Grand Marnier, cheese, raspberry. Anything that needs maximum lift and structure in the oven.

Overbeaten

5 min +

Grainy, dry, with a cottage cheese texture. A watery liquid starts to weep out at the base of the TM7 bowl as the protein structure collapses and releases the water it was trapping.

Look for

A dull, matte surface instead of glossy. Lumps that don’t smooth out. A puddle of clear yellowish liquid is forming under the foam. This is the moment of irreversible breakdown.

Rescue

Whisk one fresh raw egg white into the broken mixture by hand for 30 seconds. Often brings it back to soft peaks, occasionally to stiff. If that fails, start over with a clean dry bowl — there’s no chemical rescue.

How many whites can the TM7 actually handle?

The TM7 bowl is 2.2 L and a whisked egg white expands roughly seven times in volume. A single large white is about 35 ml of liquid, so eight whites — about 280 ml in — produces around 2 L of foam, filling the bowl right up to the lid. Beyond that, the foam either hits the lid (and stops getting air) or the butterfly can’t reach the top of the mass.

Bowl capacity

2.2 L

total volume

Practical max

8 whites

≈ 250 g · 280 ml liquid

Sweet spot

4 – 6

best whip, easy timing

Minimum

below this butterfly idles

Timings adjusted for quantity

Quantity	Soft	Medium	Stiff	Overbeats at
2 whites≈ 70 g	45 s	1.5 min	2 – 2.5 min	3.5 min
3 – 4 whites≈ 105 – 140 g	1 min	2 min	3 min	4.5 min
5 – 6 whites≈ 175 – 210 g · sweet spot	1.5 min	2.5 min	3.5 – 4 min	5.5 min
7 – 8 whites≈ 245 – 280 g · max	2 min	3 – 3.5 min	4.5 – 5.5 min	7 min

Six things worth knowing

MC off is non-negotiable. The butterfly needs the open lid to draw air into the bowl. With the measuring cup in place, you’ll get warm whites, not whipped whites.
37 °C gives the most reliable result for stiff peaks. It gently warms cold-from-the-fridge whites to the temperature at which ovalbumen denatures most cooperatively. Skip the heat for cold mousses where you’ll fold into a cold ganache.
Watch through the lid, not the timer. The TM7 reaches stiff peaks faster than a hand mixer and overshoots in under a minute. Set short increments — 30 seconds at a time — rather than one long run, especially the first time you make a recipe.
Aged whites whip higher than fresh. Whites that are a week or two old (separated and kept covered in the fridge) reach greater volume than ultra-fresh whites because their proteins have loosened slightly. Patisseries swear by this.
Don’t push past 8 whites. If you need more, whip in two batches and fold them together by hand. Better than a half-whipped failure where the bottom of the bowl never reached stiff.
Pre-clean with vinegar or lemon if you’ve used the bowl for anything oily that day. Any trace of fat — even a fingerprint — will stop the whites mounting properly.

A note on egg size: these quantities assume standard UK large eggs at roughly 35 g of white each. If you’re using extra-large free-range eggs (45 g+ of white), reduce the count by one or two and treat the gram weight as the real limit.

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Pork Gyros Sandwich

Posted on May 10, 2026 by auto_blog_recipe

I’ve always loved a good gyros. Either when I was young, after a late evening, or more recently, as we visited our friends Blandine and Antoine in Karpatos.

Making them at home isn’t nearly as complicated as you might think. This recipe is simple – crispy, spiced pork, cool tzatziki, fresh tomato and onion, all tucked into a warm pitta. It’s quick, easy street food satisfaction.

Ingredients for 2 people:

400g pork shoulder (as steaks)
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp smoked paprika
0.5 tsp ground cumin
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 lemon or lime, juiced
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
2 pitta breads
150g Greek yoghurt
0.5 cucumber, grated and squeezed dry
1 garlic clove, minced (for tzatziki)
1 tbsp fresh dill or mint, chopped
1 ripe tomato, sliced
0.5 red onion, thinly sliced
1 tbsp fresh parsley, roughly chopped

How to Make:

Marinate the pork: In a bowl, combine the olive oil, oregano, smoked paprika, cumin, minced garlic, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Add the pork and toss well to coat. Let it marinate for at least 20 minutes; longer if you have the time. (I prefer to keep the pork as steaks and slice the pieces for the gyros only at the end, some recipes would call for the pork to be thinly sliced for the marinade) .
Make the tzatziki: Mix the Greek yoghurt, grated and squeezed cucumber, minced garlic, and chopped dill or mint together. Season with salt and a little squeeze of lemon. Pop it in the fridge until you’re ready to serve – it always tastes better once the flavours have had a chance to meld.
Cook the pork: Heat a heavy-bottomed pan or griddle until it’s screaming hot. Cook the pork slices in a single layer for 2–3 minutes per side, until they’re nicely charred at the edges and cooked through. Work in batches if you need to, to avoid crowding the pan. Let the cooked pork rest briefly, then roughly chop or slice it into strips.
Warm the pittas: Warm the pitta breads directly over a gas flame for about 30 seconds per side, or use a dry hot pan. You want them to blister slightly and puff up.
Build and serve: Carefully open each pitta bread and spread a generous layer of tzatziki inside. Pile in the cooked pork, then top with sliced tomato, thinly sliced red onion, and a sprinkle of fresh parsley. Add another dollop of tzatziki on top. If you’re going for the full street food experience, wrap them in paper.

Pork neck (sometimes called secreto or collar) is ideal for this – it’s got enough fat to stay juicy and gets a beautiful char. I actually prefer Shoulder and it is a lot easier to find at the super market, but definitely avoid loin as it’s too lean and will dry out quickly. And if you want to go truly authentic, follow Noé’s lead and stuff some chips – proper French fries – right into the pitta with everything else!

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DIY Cedar Planter

Posted on May 4, 2026 by Olivier Dehon

I built a new planter for this 2026 Season. Obviously, I used an overkill of tools and software and lasers, and 3D printer, etc…

This year I also used the help of Claude and Gemini to document the overall project for the future “me” and also Friends and Family.

Here is the build Guide with all the details.

Fusion360 Link.(View only)

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Everybody knows this….but do they?

Posted on April 29, 2026 by Olivier Dehon

One of the things I keep coming back to is how to explain the impact of compounding in a way that actually lands. Most people have heard about compounding and know it is important, but most just do not really comprehend it.

Numbers on a spreadsheet don’t do it.

The simulator below is built around one simple idea: time is worth more than the amount you save. Put away £200 a month from age 25, and you will have close to £1 million by the time you retire.

The diamond markers show the moment that’s hardest to grasp intuitively: the point where the interest you’ve earned exceeds the money you actually put in. At 9%, that happens at age 39 — just 14 years in. At 4% (roughly the current UK treasury bill rate), it takes until age 57. At that point, the interest itself is working harder than you!!! (This is the actual secret that 99% of people do not grasp despite the fact that it is in EVERY publication about financial management.)

Toggle the savings grow +3%/yr switch to see what happens when your contributions increase a little each year alongside your salary and start compounding themselves. The curves lift dramatically — compounding on top of compounding.

The takeaway: start early, be consistent, and let time do the heavy lifting.

And the subtle addition: if you are not going to save for long, don’t bother, you’re just wasting your time….

Try the Savings Simulator Now →

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Simple Chicken Thigh Casserole

Posted on April 26, 2026 by auto_blog_recipe

A proper chicken casserole is a lifesaver when the weather turns. This isn’t anything fancy, just good, honest cooking that warms you right through. It’s the kind of dish I grew up with – simple ingredients, maximum flavour.

I’ve tweaked the method a bit over the years to get the chicken skin nice and crisp, which makes all the difference. You brown the chicken at the start, then cook it in the sauce, and finally finish it uncovered in the oven to get that golden, crispy top. Perfect for a weeknight family meal or a comforting Sunday lunch. My recipe does not have tomatoes or tomato puree or celery (which the purist will notice)

Ingredients:

8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
2 tbsp olive oil
1 Large onion, roughly chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 medium carrots, cut into chunks
200g-400g chestnut mushrooms, halved
optional : 150ml dry white wine
400ml chicken stock
200ml of cream
Salt and black pepper
Mixed Herbs. Fresh parsley, chopped. Dry parsley works as well

How to Make:

Season the chicken thighs generously with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large casserole dish over medium-high heat. Brown the chicken in batches, skin-side down first, until it’s beautifully golden. This step is crucial for flavour and colour. Set the chicken aside. (Alternatively, you can AIRFRY the chicken, which works very well and is a lot easier overall.
In the same dish, lower the heat to medium and fry the onion for about 5 minutes until it’s softened. Add the minced garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant.
Add the carrots to the dish and stir them around for 2–3 minutes.
Then, pour in the white wine and let it bubble away for 2 minutes to cook off the alcohol. You want that concentrated wine flavour, not the raw alcoholic tang.
Now add the chicken stock, mushrooms, and mixed herbs. Give everything a good stir.
Nestle the browned chicken thighs back into the dish, skin-side up. Make sure the skin sits above the liquid; this is key for getting it crisp later.
Bring the casserole to a gentle simmer on the hob, then cover the dish and transfer it to your preheated oven at 150 degrees celsius. Cook for 45-60 minutes.
After this, add the cream and let it reduce and thicken slightly. This is easier done on the hob to thicken the sauce to your liking.
Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning if needed.
Scatter with fresh chopped parsley just before serving.

This casserole is fantastic served with a mound of roasted potatoes, rice, or just a good, crusty baguette to soak up all that rich sauce. If the sauce is too thin, you can add a spoon or two of flour to thicken it.

If you want to make it ahead, cook the casserole, let it cool completely, then refrigerate for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the hob or in the oven, adding a splash of stock if the sauce has become too thick. It also freezes well for a proper future meal.

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Something Worth Remembering

Posted on April 23, 2026 by Olivier Dehon

I recently hit a milestone: thirty-three years of professional life, and I left Glass Pharms to relax and enjoy life. With the many worries about the potential impact of Artificial Intelligence on the workforce, I reflected on what I would tell my younger self and my kids.

Twenty-six of those years were spent at Xerox, navigating the intricate, high-stakes of a global corporate giant. The last 5 were spent in a completely different world—building a high-tech medical cannabis facility from scratch.

Going from a legacy corporation to a “from-nothing” startup in a highly regulated industry forces you to strip away the fluff. You learn what actually works. I kept a list of principles along the way. I used to call it “The martial art of the office”, but looking back, it’s really just something worth remembering when the pressure is on.

1. The Strategy of the “Spoon”

Whether you are managing a billion-dollar budget or building a high-tech greenhouse from a muddy field, the physics of progress are the same.

Move mountains with a spoon: Big projects are an illusion. They are just a long series of small, consistent actions. When the scale feels impossible, stop looking at the mountain and just keep digging. Once in a while, look at what you have achieved and then keep digging. It is true of your savings as well, by the way…it is not about how much but about how long.
Roughly right, but precisely wrong: In a startup or in a corporation, waiting for 100% certainty is a death sentence. I’d rather be moving in the right direction with a rough map than standing still with a high-precision calculation of the wrong path. A monthly budget of 200 lines long, spanning 15 years, is 100% guaranteed to be wrong. 5 well-thought-through pillar assumptions will make your business successful. Never-ending meetings about what we should do next will turn a multi-billion-dollar company into an irrelevant memory of a giant.
The Pig and the Scale: You cannot make a pig fatter by weighing it every day. I’ve seen too many leaders spend more time on the “scorecard” than on the actual work. Action trumps almost everything. I have heard so many times: We must do this, or We cannot fail, or We just need to… True leaders say: How can I help? or This is what I did to move forward. Do…now.

2. The Mental Architecture

Thirty years will break you if you don’t have a system to clear your head.

Mind like water: In the greenhouse or the boardroom, things go wrong. A “Mind Like Water” means reacting with the exact amount of force required—no more, no less. Don’t let a small leak become a personal crisis. Making a splash is okay if you can quickly bring your mind to a state of peace. Go from Red2Blue.
Build a list, release your mind: Your brain is a processor, not a hard drive. Write it down. If it’s on the paper, it’s not taking up space in your head. Your brain is an amazing pattern detector. Look at your list and search for the pattern. Act on what you notice, ignore the rest. (I actually built an app to do this!…see other post)
The Power of Rewarding yourself: We all have a finite amount of willpower, but you can “grow it”. If you have lots of willpower, it becomes something even more impressive called grit. Grit is required to do extraordinary things. I learned to use a “Click, Routine, Reward” loop to help me increase my willpower and seek control, conscious of my choices, making sure I would reward myself regularly to feed the virtuous cycle. Maybe with an “Oli day”.

3. The Superpower: Emotional Intelligence

For most of my career, I was led to believe “Passion: Yes / Emotion: No.” I was mentored by ill-advised managers who believed that being “professional” meant being a fortress—stoic, detached, and analytical. It was expected of a finance executive in another century.

I was wrong.

Over the last 10 years, I’ve proven to myself that emotional intelligence is a superpower. Most people are staring at spreadsheets or technical specs, completely oblivious to the “human weather” in the room.

If you are someone who feels the tension in a meeting, who senses a lack of integrity before a word is spoken, or who gets a lump in their throat when a team hits a breakthrough—that is your edge. While others are flying blind, your superpower is giving you data. You can make decisions that others think are risky, and you can see the value clearly. Using that sensitivity to address the unspoken is the highest form of leadership. With your superpower, you will not convince but compel. The alpha male in the room might think it is a weakness because you can see through them and embarrass them on their own turf.

4. The Foundation

At the end of the day, the facility is built, the company is sold, or the role ends. What remains is your character.

Never compromise ethics: In a new industry like medical cannabis or a big corporation, your word must mean something. Once you trade your integrity, you can’t buy it back. You want to be the one everyone agrees is the obvious choice to carry water across the desert. It is a lot harder than it sounds and requires real work. It will sometimes hurt you to do the right thing. It is still worth it overall.
Build a legacy, not a scorecard: People won’t remember your quarterly KPIs from 2014. They will remember how you treated them when things were falling apart. More importantly, they might carry the flag for someone else.
Don’t confuse the “shit” with “the ones shovelling it”: Always respect the people doing the hard, sometimes unglamorous work. They are the ones actually moving the mountain, cleaning up the mess… I faced this many times in the corporate world, in particular. I was lucky, I saw the best and the worst. Both provided compass bearings for my own choices.

A Final Thought

To my sons, Jules and Noe: if you take anything from my thirty years, let it be this: You will face “idiotic managers” and “mountains.” You will make mistakes. But if you never compromise your ethics, keep your “mind like water”, and learn to trust that “superpower” of your own intuition, you’ll do more than you ever dreamt of and will have pride in what you built.

Absorb some of this as a sponge and live today like it’s the “good old days.” Because, looking back from many years out, I can tell you—it truly is.

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Gas left in Bottle

Posted on April 13, 2026 by Olivier Dehon

Summer is soon to be with us. Time to get the BBQ going!

Made this super simple calculator back in May 2021, to find out how much gas is left in the BBQ Gas bottles….not that the weather has been any good this year so far…

Almost end of May and very little sunshine, lots of rain…

Gas Calculator.

Check the ring first for the 2 numbers (propane or butane bottles have the same design) :

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Jerusalem Artichoke Veloute – Topinambour

Posted on March 26, 2026 by Olivier Dehon

This is “my recipe”; there is no onion, parsley, pancetta, or truffle… which can all be added for a variation on the base recipe, but I still prefer the basic Velouté de Topinambour, where the taste of the Jerusalem Artichokes is well blended with the Hazelnuts and Walnut oil. A Classic at the Dehon’s family dinner.

Ingredients :

500g of Jerusalem Artichokes
50g of Hazelnuts
1 Tablespoon of Walnut oil.
20-25g of Butter
Salt and White Pepper
1 chicken stock cube
500ml of water
100ml of single cream

How to Make :

Clean and peel the Jerusalem Artichokes (drop them in cold water so that they do not oxidise)
Chop the Jerusalem Artichokes into slices of about 5mm or half a cm thickness
Put the Jerusalem Artichokes, the Hazelnuts, the Salt, the Pepper, the Walnut oil, and the Butter in the Thermomix on “Browning” Gentle for 10 minutes.
Add the 500ml of water and bring to a boil. I use the Manual mode of the Thermomix for 10 minutes at 105 degrees, speed 2.
By now, everything is cooked, and we simply want to make a nice texture.
First blend for 1 minute on speed 8.
Add the cream and blend again for 30 seconds on speed 8.
Adjust Salt and Pepper as you see fit. I like it when you can taste the White Pepper.

If you are making it without the Thermomix, simply fry in a saucepan for 10 minutes, making sure nothing is burning at the bottom, then add the water and cook for a further 10 minutes, then blend, then blend again with the cream.
Serve warm.

A bit of history about the topinambour :

In France, the topinambour is deeply intertwined with the collective memory of the German Occupation (1940–1944).

While they were once a delicacy in the 17th-century French royal courts, their reputation was forever changed by the hardships of World War II.

Why they became a “War Food”

The Potato Shortage: During the Occupation, the German army commandeered most of France’s potato crops to feed its troops. Potatoes were also used to produce fuel (alcohol) for the German war effort.
The Unregulated Alternative: Unlike potatoes, topinambours were largely ignored by the occupying forces, considered “fodder” for livestock. Because they weren’t strictly rationed or seized, they became a vital survival food for the French population.
Roadside Growth: You are correct about their location. Because the plant is incredibly hardy and invasive, it frequently escaped gardens and grew wild along roadsides, ditches, and railway tracks. For many starving families, foraging these “wild” tubers was one of the few ways to supplement meagre rations.

The “Forgotten” Vegetable

For decades after the war, topinambours (along with rutabagas) were known in France as légumes oubliés (forgotten vegetables).

“For the generation that lived through the war, the taste of topinambour wasn’t a culinary choice—it was the taste of hunger, occupation, and digestive distress (due to the high inulin content and the lack of other foods to balance it).”

Many survivors refused to ever eat them again once the war ended, and they virtually disappeared from French markets for nearly 50 years.

The Modern Renaissance

Today, the topinambour has made a massive comeback in French “bistronomy.” Modern chefs have reclaimed it for its unique, nutty flavour, often serving it as a velvety velouté or roasting it with thyme. It’s no longer seen as a sign of poverty, but as a gourmet winter root.

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I made a “Real” App…fully deployed

Posted on March 23, 2026 by Olivier Dehon

I’ve tried a few…. Notion, Todoist, Things, plain text files, sticky notes, Google Sheets, Excel spreadsheets. And every time I end up back at the same place: either the app is too complex, and I spend more time organising my tasks than actually doing them, or it’s too bare-bones, and I have to work around it.

So I built OliTick. Not because the world needed another bloated to-do app, which is more of a project management tool than the true “List of things to do that clutter your brain”.

This is the Todo List app. “I” use.

The premise is simple: a clean, focused interface that gets out of your way. No deadline dates, no nested projects, no Gantt charts, no premium tiers hiding basic features. Just your tasks, clearly laid out, ready to be ticked off.

I spent a lot of time on how it looks and feels. I wanted it to be the kind of app where opening it actually makes you feel like you’ve got things under control — not one that quietly stresses you out. Generous whitespace, deliberate typography, nothing that distracts from the task at hand, but still with features that are helpful.

The bits I’m most pleased with

There are a couple of features that I’m particularly happy with:

AI Smart Labels: Type in a task, and OliTick will suggest the right label automatically. It sounds small, but in practice, it means your list stays organised without you having to think about it. The categorisation just happens, quietly, in the background. (It is also voice-enabled)

AI Insight: Ask the AI coach to review your current selection of tasks, and it will review, prioritise and provide you with a suggested attack plan to help you get through your list. You can review and use it or simply ignore it; it is all down to you to decide.

It’s in beta — and I want your feedback

OliTick is in beta right now, which means it’s real and usable, but I’m still actively building on it. If you give it a try and something feels off — or you have an idea you’d love to see — I genuinely want to hear from you. There’s a contact page on the site, and I actually read those messages.

It’s free to use for the basic Todo list, no card required. If you want to use the AI and advanced features like import and export of tasks, you will need a Pro account which is priced purely to help me cover the internet hosting costs.

Give it a go and let me know what you think.

OliTick — simple but effective task management
Now in beta. Free to use, no sign-up friction.Try it at olitick.com →

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Cake Temperature

Posted on March 23, 2026 by Olivier Dehon

It started with a savoury cake. I was making an olive-and-pancetta cake — that French-style salé cake I have been making for years — and I found myself wondering: how do I actually know when it’s done? A skewer comes out clean long before the inside has fully set, and the colour of the crust isn’t always a reliable guide when there’s no sugar to caramelise.

The answer is a probe thermometer. And once I started thinking about internal temperatures for savoury cakes, I realised I’d never applied the same logic to sweet cakes either. So here’s a guide to both.

Savoury Cakes (e.g. olive & pancetta) Target internal temperature: 88°C – 92°C

Savoury cakes behave differently from sweet ones because their structure is built on eggs and cheese rather than sugar and fat. The egg proteins need to fully set, which means you don’t want to go below around 85°C at the centre — that’s your food safety floor. But push much above 92°C, and you’ll end up with a dry, rubbery crumb, and cured meats like pancetta will toughen noticeably.

One more tip: let your savoury cake rest after baking. It firms up beautifully as it cools and is almost always better eaten warm rather than piping hot straight from the oven.

Sweet Cakes

Different batters have different sugar and fat contents, which shifts the ideal doneness temperature more than you might expect:

Cake Type	Target Internal Temp	Why?
Standard Sponge	98°C – 99°C	Victoria sponges and birthday cakes need to reach this to ensure the structure is fully stable.

Fruit Cake	93°C – 95°C	Very dense cakes with heavy fruit shouldn’t go too high — the fruit sugars can begin to toughen.
Chocolate Cake	93°C – 96°C	Higher moisture and oil content mean that keeping the temperature lower prevents the cocoa from tasting bitter or dry.