Picking seasonal products to create a meaningful menu is always a challenge but also my favorite part of cooking.

For the latest #cenasconmaria I wanted to work with techniques and ingredients I never had the change to work before, and this salad represents my excitement and my short trip in this amazing island called Palma de Mallorca.

Giant blackberries, apricots, blueberries, a variety of super sweet tomatoes in different shapes and colors, Brazilian bamboo slices I brought from Santa Catarina, pomegranate molasse, Mallorca cheese and crushed hemp seeds to bring a big of crunchiness to the dish.

So powerful, so tasty and summerish. It would be lovely to have these products around me every time, but I understand the differences we have from a country to another.

For the main dish, I couldn’t think about anything else but octopus. Giant and so Mediterranean, right? This was my biggest challenge and concern but in the end, everything made sense.

Spanish mixed rice with pistachios, baked baby carriot and corn with fresh and crunchy asparagus made the main dish an accomplished mission.

For dessert, I always go a bit further.

Not as seasonal as both previous dishes, but a very affective and meaningful choice for me.

Japanese jiggly cheesecake with Mallorca cheese foam, fresh raspberry and blueberry topping made our guests blow away, and guess what: I love when it happens. To continue, I have decided to include another dessert I always wanted to make: Grana Padano cheese pudding with heavy cream and honey caramel infused with rosemary. I have nothing to talk about it, really.

Being able to work with great material and great professional makes the difference and partnering with marketing expert and photographer Karolina Grimmes and chef Tiago Guimarães was fantastic. Thank you so much for every minute we spend researching, calculating and exchanging information. I feel blessed to have worked with you too and I am sure it will happens again.

From the sky and eating clouds,

Larica

Chef Tiago Guimarães:

Marketing and social media expert: