Hello readers,
Welcome to the evolved version of this newsletter! For a while, this space was a bit of a creative free-for-all – whatever caught my fancy ended up in your inbox, from random art experiments to scattered thoughts about illustration. But lately, I've noticed something: my illustrated recipes are absolutely lighting me up. I have so many ideas brewing that I wake up thinking about pomegranates and medieval spice routes, or wondering how to draw the perfect dumpling fold. It’s fun, because I already illustrated a cute illustrated cookbook, but apparently food is a gift that keeps on giving!
So here's what's happening: A monthly illustrated journey through food stories, recipes, and the art of cooking… where every dish has a tale to tell.
I'm Anna Lena, a professional illustrator and non-fiction children's book author based in the Netherlands. For 10 years, I've been bringing stories to life through art, and for 5 years through writing. My 2024 debut as an author-illustrator, Tasty Tales, features food history stories from around the world—and it sparked something deeper in me. I realized that instead of waiting for someone to hand me the opportunity to make the things I want to make, I should take matters into my own hands.
What you'll get here
Monthly free post: One beautifully illustrated recipe or food story, complete with my creative process and the tales behind each dish
Bonus illustration for paid subsComplete illustrated food guides (think "A Visual Guide to Herbs" or "The Story of Pasta")—mini masterpieces you can reference again and again
Life updates: Behind-the-scenes glimpses of my work as an author-illustrator, including updates on my next book deal and ongoing projects with my agent at David Higham and Associates in the kidlit world
Free subscriber gift: A collection of recipe cards with my food illustrations on them! Here is a little teaser.
Today I'm diving into one of my favorite autumn discoveries – a Turkish pumpkin dessert that's so ridiculously simple, you'll wonder why you've been overthinking dessert your entire life. I'm talking about Tahini Kabak Tatlısı, which is basically pumpkin that decided to get dressed up for dinner but kept things elegant.
This recipe has exactly four ingredients. FOUR. And yet it tastes like you spent hours in the kitchen channeling your inner Turkish grandmother. It's the kind of dessert that makes people ask for the recipe, and when you tell them it's just pumpkin, sugar, tahini, and walnuts, they look at you like you're hiding some culinary secret. Spoiler alert: you're not. Sometimes the best things really are the simplest.
The beauty of waiting (or not)
Here's what I love about this recipe – it's flexible with your schedule and your patience levels. Got time to plan ahead? Let that pumpkin sit with sugar overnight like it's marinating in sweetness. Feeling impulsive? Throw it on the stove immediately because heat does the same magical work. Either way, you're going to end up with tender, caramelized pumpkin that tastes like autumn decided to become dessert.
The tahini is what makes this special though. It adds this nutty, creamy richness that transforms simple cooked pumpkin into something that feels sophisticated and exotic. Plus, tahini is having a moment, so you'll look very on-trend serving this.
Here's everything you need for this gorgeous dessert!
Ingredients
1 kg peeled pumpkin, cut into large cubes
2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup tahini
Chopped walnuts for garnish
Preparation
Place your pumpkin cubes in a large saucepan and sprinkle with the sugar. Now you have options: if you're a planner, let this sit overnight so the sugar can start working its magic on the pumpkin. If you're like me and just discovered you want dessert NOW, put the pan over low heat immediately – the warmth will help the pumpkin release its juices just as effectively.
Cook everything over low heat until the pumpkin becomes tender and absorbs all the liquid it initially released. This is the part where your kitchen starts smelling incredible and you realize you're basically making pumpkin candy. Let it cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until you're ready to serve.
When it's time for dessert, drizzle each serving with tahini and sprinkle with chopped walnuts. The contrast of the sweet, soft pumpkin with the nutty tahini and crunchy walnuts is pure perfection.
And there you have it – a dessert that sounds exotic enough to impress dinner guests but is actually easier than most cake recipes. The hardest part is waiting for it to chill, but trust me, it's worth the patience. Serve it with Turkish coffee or tea if you want to go full theme, or just eat it straight from the fridge at midnight like the rest of us do with good desserts.
Love this recipe? Get the beautifully illustrated PDF recipe card!
Paid subscribers get:
→ High-resolution printable recipe cards for every recipe
→ Monthly illustrated kitchen guides (spice charts, ingredient maps, technique references)
→ Behind-the-scenes process videos and studio notes
→ Early access to new recipes and exclusive variations
Everything you need to cook is free. Paid membership gets you beautiful kitchen art to collect.
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