Yogurt or Sweet Imposter? The Truth Behind Those Creamy Pots!

Walk down the dairy aisle and you’ll find endless little pots: natural yogurt, Greek yogurt, strawberry yogurt, chocolate cream and tempting desserts. They may look alike, but are you buying real yogurt or a sweet imposter in disguise? 

I, personally, had to move abroad to start appreciating the silky smooth amazing Greek yogurt.

The Simple Truth About Yogurt

Real plain yogurt needs just two essentials: milk + live yogurt cultures. These friendly bacteria ferment the milk, giving yogurt its characteristic tangy taste and creamy texture.

Fruit, sugar, flavourings and thickeners can be added to yogurt, while some creamy pots are actually dairy desserts. Nothing wrong with enjoying a sweet treat, just know what you’re choosing!

My tip: check the ingredients and nutrition label. Plain yogurt naturally contains lactose, the sugar in milk, so look at the ingredient list to see whether extra sugar has been added.

Roasted Chicken Thighs with Hasselback Potatoes

Today, I spent some time in the kitchen preparing a little something for my children, who are students, so they can start the week with homemade lunches ready to go. (If you have students far from home, check also my Students page or my Batch cooking post with lots of tips/ressources)

Chicken thighs, golden Hasselback potatoes and fragrant herbs. Simple ingredients, beautiful colours and so much flavour! I used Amandine potatoes, with fresh rosemary and thyme branches that filled the kitchen with the most wonderful aroma.

And honestly, look how beautiful they turned out! Sometimes, the simplest meals are the most satisfying, especially when they're prepared with a little extra love. To complete the lunchboxes, I also baked my Chocolate Booster, a delicious chocolate tray cake featured in my latest cookbook, Vivian Is Cooking BAKING!

Haloween Fingers

Originally Published on 11/7/19 2:58 PM

Ok, Halloween has passed, but here it is a funny idea for your next year's Halloween aperitif.
I tried it for the first time a week ago at a great Halloween party of some dear friends of ours (thank you btw!!!) and everyone was excited with it!
So easy, so scary, so tasty... can you do better? ;)
With terror from me to you... BoooOOOOO

Hello October! 🍂 Autumn Recipes & Ideas from My Kitchen

Hello October! 🍁

The days are getting shorter, the evenings cooler, and suddenly we start craving warm soups, comforting dishes, cinnamon, apples and cosy baking.

October is such a lovely month in the kitchen. In France, it is the season for pumpkins and squash, leeks, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, mushrooms, beetroot, celery, turnips and parsnips, while apples, pears, grapes, quinces and chestnuts bring plenty of inspiration for something sweet.

So, what could we cook this month?

Why Buy a Cookbook Nowadays?

We have recipes everywhere today. Google. Pinterest. Instagram. YouTube. AI.

So why would you still buy a cookbook? Because a cookbook gives you something the internet doesn't.

📖 It is curated.

You don't have to scroll through hundreds of recipes wondering which one is worth trying. Someone has selected, developed and organised the recipes for you.

👩‍🍳 It inspires you to cook.

A cookbook invites you to open a page and start cooking. No notifications, no endless scrolling, no distractions.

❤️ It creates memories.

A cookbook becomes part of your kitchen. Favourite pages get marked, recipes get repeated, and memories are created around the table.

🏡 It stays with you.

Websites change. Links disappear. Algorithms change.

A cookbook sits on your shelf and remains yours.

And that's why I still believe in cookbooks — and why I created my three:

🇬🇷 Vivian Is Cooking GREEK — my collection of Greek recipes and Mediterranean flavours.

🧁 Vivian Is Cooking BAKING — for homemade cakes, breads, pastries and all things delicious.

🇫🇷 Vivian Is Cooking – Cuisine Grecque — my Greek cooking collection for French-speaking readers.

There are recipes everywhere today, and that's wonderful.

But you don't buy a cookbook because you can't find recipes. You buy one because you want a collection of recipes that you love, trust and want to keep.

And maybe, one day, pass on. ❤️