Thank you for frequenting these barren pages. Please feel free to look around my posts from this past year.
I am sorry to say that new content might be a bit slow in coming.
A new job, a new city, hell a new life, all takes its toll.
Be patient.
I will be back.
xoxo
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Something kinda moroccan...
This dish was inspired by my recent discovery of the Jamie Does... series on youtube. (Don't think they've run on television yet and when they will, it will probably be in a horrible german synchronized form.)
The first episode I watched was Marrakesh... What can I say, it's always cool to see how other people react to places you have already been to.
On another note I've just watched the Stockholm episode and oh my. Never before was I remotely interested, but now I really want to visit the place!
But back to North Africa. This dish is something quite exotic but strangely enough all of the flavors and spices used have a permanent position in our pantry (Thanks to a large stash of Indian spices). So the only thing that had to be bought were the chicken legs.
This recipe might strike you as somewhat overloaded and confused. That is certainly what I expected. But the result was absolutely delicious, fresh and well balanced. Give it a try and tell me of your results.
Chicken with Lemon and Olives
6 chicken legs, skin removed (trick: use a piece of kitchen paper to pull it off)
one heaped teaspoon of coriander powder
one heaped teaspoon of ginger powder
one leveled teaspoon of cumin powder
olive oil
salt and pepper
three small white onions, roughly chopped
three small cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
one organic lemon, zest removed with a vegetable peeler and chopped, juice of half
big handful of olives
250 ml warm chicken stock
good pinch of saffron powder
a small bunch of flat leafed parsley, roughly chopped
1. Marinate the chicken legs with the three spices (maybe easier to mix them beforehand?), some olive oil, salt and pepper. Do this at least an hour before you want to start cooking (Jamie does it the night before).
2. When you warm up/make your stock add the saffron and let it infuse. Chop, peel and juice the rest of your ingredients (except the parsley).
3. In a large pot heat up some olive oil. Brown your marinated chicken. When it has gotten some color on both sides, add the onion and garlic. Let these soften and maybe even color lightly.
4. Add the lemon zest and juice, the olives and the infused stock. Let it come to the boil, then cover it with a lid and let it cook over a low heat for at least an hour.
5. Sprinkle over your parsley and serve with a big bowl of couscous.
Enjoy!
The first episode I watched was Marrakesh... What can I say, it's always cool to see how other people react to places you have already been to.
On another note I've just watched the Stockholm episode and oh my. Never before was I remotely interested, but now I really want to visit the place!
But back to North Africa. This dish is something quite exotic but strangely enough all of the flavors and spices used have a permanent position in our pantry (Thanks to a large stash of Indian spices). So the only thing that had to be bought were the chicken legs.
This recipe might strike you as somewhat overloaded and confused. That is certainly what I expected. But the result was absolutely delicious, fresh and well balanced. Give it a try and tell me of your results.
Chicken with Lemon and Olives
6 chicken legs, skin removed (trick: use a piece of kitchen paper to pull it off)
one heaped teaspoon of coriander powder
one heaped teaspoon of ginger powder
one leveled teaspoon of cumin powder
olive oil
salt and pepper
three small white onions, roughly chopped
three small cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
one organic lemon, zest removed with a vegetable peeler and chopped, juice of half
big handful of olives
250 ml warm chicken stock
good pinch of saffron powder
a small bunch of flat leafed parsley, roughly chopped
1. Marinate the chicken legs with the three spices (maybe easier to mix them beforehand?), some olive oil, salt and pepper. Do this at least an hour before you want to start cooking (Jamie does it the night before).
2. When you warm up/make your stock add the saffron and let it infuse. Chop, peel and juice the rest of your ingredients (except the parsley).
3. In a large pot heat up some olive oil. Brown your marinated chicken. When it has gotten some color on both sides, add the onion and garlic. Let these soften and maybe even color lightly.
4. Add the lemon zest and juice, the olives and the infused stock. Let it come to the boil, then cover it with a lid and let it cook over a low heat for at least an hour.
5. Sprinkle over your parsley and serve with a big bowl of couscous.
Enjoy!
Saturday, November 6, 2010
'Tis the season to be jolly...
Christmas is fast approaching. I know it's just the beginning of November, but the decorations are being put up in cities and the tree lighting ceremonies have already begun. (True story. Saw it on the news yesterday.)
I don't know how you guys celebrate the season. In my case it's some intense family time. Being as we are almost globally spread out, we have to make up for the fact that we can't just pop over to see each other during the rest of the year.
We have card games deep into the night. Fortunes are won and lost, as is honor. Good times.
What also become just as much a tradition is drinks before dinner.
A couple of years ago I discovered how easy it is to make your own flavored vodka. (I use vodka because it is relatively neutral in taste, but I guess you could use whatever you prefer.)
Christmas with all the evocative spices and tastes that go with it, is an especially fun time to play around with this. Plus you will have more people to enjoy the finished product with.
The preparation couldn't be simpler. In general you add your flavors to the bottle of booze then wait for three weeks while shaking the bottle a couple of times a week.
The fun part is creating your own blend of flavors. Just remember that the drier your aromatics the better. Spices are brilliant as are citrus peels. The problem with things that contain higher levels of moisture is that will at some point go bad.
Two years ago I made this orange and cranberry vodka that was absolutely beautiful.
(Sorry for the blurry picture.) I cooked a handful of cranberries with sugar before putting them in the liquor. The cranberries add color but the aroma came from the orange peel. At some point the cranberries were off and a weird gray/black color. (Note to self: It might work with roughly chopped dried cranberries...)
This year I am starting early with two flavors: Orange and Cinnamon&Star anise
These two both seem really wintry to me and don't pose a problem where spoilage is concerned.
Add the peel of an organic orange to your vodka of choice. Then wait and shake until the flavor develops. It really couldn't be easier.
Add two to three sticks of cinnamon and a star anise. Same procedure as with the other one. When I made this one last time I noticed after two weeks that the star anise was overpowering everything else, so I had to get it out. For this reason I am tying a thin kitchen twine to it this time, so the fishing part will be a lot easier. Within a few hours you will find the clear liquid beginning to turn a beautiful golden brown color.
This flavor is really nice mixed with hot or cold apple juice.
PS: My favorite non seasonal flavor is vanilla. Just add two or three split vanilla pods. Use this to make a divine mojito!
I don't know how you guys celebrate the season. In my case it's some intense family time. Being as we are almost globally spread out, we have to make up for the fact that we can't just pop over to see each other during the rest of the year.
We have card games deep into the night. Fortunes are won and lost, as is honor. Good times.
What also become just as much a tradition is drinks before dinner.
A couple of years ago I discovered how easy it is to make your own flavored vodka. (I use vodka because it is relatively neutral in taste, but I guess you could use whatever you prefer.)
Christmas with all the evocative spices and tastes that go with it, is an especially fun time to play around with this. Plus you will have more people to enjoy the finished product with.
The preparation couldn't be simpler. In general you add your flavors to the bottle of booze then wait for three weeks while shaking the bottle a couple of times a week.
The fun part is creating your own blend of flavors. Just remember that the drier your aromatics the better. Spices are brilliant as are citrus peels. The problem with things that contain higher levels of moisture is that will at some point go bad.
Two years ago I made this orange and cranberry vodka that was absolutely beautiful.
(Sorry for the blurry picture.) I cooked a handful of cranberries with sugar before putting them in the liquor. The cranberries add color but the aroma came from the orange peel. At some point the cranberries were off and a weird gray/black color. (Note to self: It might work with roughly chopped dried cranberries...)
This year I am starting early with two flavors: Orange and Cinnamon&Star anise
These two both seem really wintry to me and don't pose a problem where spoilage is concerned.
Add the peel of an organic orange to your vodka of choice. Then wait and shake until the flavor develops. It really couldn't be easier.
Add two to three sticks of cinnamon and a star anise. Same procedure as with the other one. When I made this one last time I noticed after two weeks that the star anise was overpowering everything else, so I had to get it out. For this reason I am tying a thin kitchen twine to it this time, so the fishing part will be a lot easier. Within a few hours you will find the clear liquid beginning to turn a beautiful golden brown color.
This flavor is really nice mixed with hot or cold apple juice.
PS: My favorite non seasonal flavor is vanilla. Just add two or three split vanilla pods. Use this to make a divine mojito!
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Sorry about the lack of new posts everyone!
The last couple of weeks have been all about a visit and enjoying time with the family.
Lots of good wine.
And great DIY food.
(Beef tartare, in case you're wondering.)
And another lovely tarte tatin with plums.
But not really much original dishes prepared by me... so not much to blog about.
Promise to have things running on the normal schedule again by next week!
The last couple of weeks have been all about a visit and enjoying time with the family.
Lots of good wine.
And great DIY food.
(Beef tartare, in case you're wondering.)
And another lovely tarte tatin with plums.
But not really much original dishes prepared by me... so not much to blog about.
Promise to have things running on the normal schedule again by next week!
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Everything but the kitchen sink chinese style soup
Or hunger is the mother of the best recipe inventions...
This turned out to be the perfect soup for a grey autumn day. Filling and not really spicy/hot but warming instead.
ingredients:
one packet plus three rashers of bacon, cut into strips
one clove of garlic, finely chopped
half a hot chili, finely chopped
a hunk of ginger, finely chopped
one liter of chicken stock
one portion of glass noodles
one small kohlrabi, peeled and cut into juliennes
half a head of cos lettuce (outer leaves), cut into strips
ca. two teaspoons of fish sauce
a generous squeeze of lemon juice
1. Fry the bacon until it gets crispy edges. Pour off most of the fat. Add the ginger, chili and garlic and fry gently. You don't want the garlic to get brown and bitter. Add the stock and let it come to the boil. Let it boil for a couple of minutes to let the flavours develop.
2. Add the glass noodles. They take about five minutes to cook. After about two minutes add the kohlrabi. After another two to three minutes add the fish sauce, lemon juice and the lettuce. cover with a lid and let the soup heat up again and the lettuce is wilted to taste.
Enjoy!
This turned out to be the perfect soup for a grey autumn day. Filling and not really spicy/hot but warming instead.
ingredients:
one packet plus three rashers of bacon, cut into strips
one clove of garlic, finely chopped
half a hot chili, finely chopped
a hunk of ginger, finely chopped
one liter of chicken stock
one portion of glass noodles
one small kohlrabi, peeled and cut into juliennes
half a head of cos lettuce (outer leaves), cut into strips
ca. two teaspoons of fish sauce
a generous squeeze of lemon juice
1. Fry the bacon until it gets crispy edges. Pour off most of the fat. Add the ginger, chili and garlic and fry gently. You don't want the garlic to get brown and bitter. Add the stock and let it come to the boil. Let it boil for a couple of minutes to let the flavours develop.
2. Add the glass noodles. They take about five minutes to cook. After about two minutes add the kohlrabi. After another two to three minutes add the fish sauce, lemon juice and the lettuce. cover with a lid and let the soup heat up again and the lettuce is wilted to taste.
Enjoy!
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Taking Tarte Tatin for a ride....
(You know you want to...)
This recipe was inspired by a photo in a swiss cookery magazine that I saw at a friends house last weekend. The picture was good. The recipe was of sugar and damsons or prune plums covered with a complicated-ish batter.
I knew I wanted to try my own version instantaneously.
This is such a simple tarte to make. Give it a try and you will be surprised at how delicious it turns out.
Ingredients:
70 gr. cane sugar
zest of 1/4 orange
a dusting of cinnamon
700 gr. of damsons/prune plums (apparently Fellenberger are the best)
500 gr. of puff pastry
Preheat your oven to 200°C.
Spread your sugar evenly into your pie tin.
Sprinkle the zest and the cinnamon on top. (You really don't want much, just a hint to compliment the taste of the fruit.)
Cut in half and de-stone your fruit then arrange them cut side down into the tin. Try getting as much fruit in there as possible.
Roll out your pastry (it rises better than the pre-rolled kind) and cut a generous "top" for the tin. The pastry will shrink as it rises, so make it a little bigger. Extra tip: After you've cut it, turn it over before placing it onto the fruit. This is also supposed to make it rise better.
Place the pastry onto the tin.
Bake in the middle of the oven for 20 minutes or until the pastry is puffed and a deep golden brown color.
Take it out of the oven. Let it cool slightly then overturn it onto a serving platter.
Admire. ;-)
Serving recommendation: Still warm from the oven with a big bowl of whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
This recipe was inspired by a photo in a swiss cookery magazine that I saw at a friends house last weekend. The picture was good. The recipe was of sugar and damsons or prune plums covered with a complicated-ish batter.
I knew I wanted to try my own version instantaneously.
This is such a simple tarte to make. Give it a try and you will be surprised at how delicious it turns out.
Ingredients:
70 gr. cane sugar
zest of 1/4 orange
a dusting of cinnamon
700 gr. of damsons/prune plums (apparently Fellenberger are the best)
500 gr. of puff pastry
Preheat your oven to 200°C.
Spread your sugar evenly into your pie tin.
Sprinkle the zest and the cinnamon on top. (You really don't want much, just a hint to compliment the taste of the fruit.)
Cut in half and de-stone your fruit then arrange them cut side down into the tin. Try getting as much fruit in there as possible.
Roll out your pastry (it rises better than the pre-rolled kind) and cut a generous "top" for the tin. The pastry will shrink as it rises, so make it a little bigger. Extra tip: After you've cut it, turn it over before placing it onto the fruit. This is also supposed to make it rise better.
Place the pastry onto the tin.
Bake in the middle of the oven for 20 minutes or until the pastry is puffed and a deep golden brown color.
Take it out of the oven. Let it cool slightly then overturn it onto a serving platter.
Admire. ;-)
Serving recommendation: Still warm from the oven with a big bowl of whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Gniocchi
As my work colleagues are very well aware of, I have an overly present disdain for consuming leftovers. Eating the same dish twice? Life is just too short.
Making a completely new dish out of a past meal is a completely different matter though. And this is where these pillow-y dumplings come to play...
I guess you could also make fish cakes or so out of leftover mashed potatoes... But these gniocchi are far more elegant...
Start out with a one portion amount of leftover mashed potatoes. Add an egg, about 50 gr. of semolina and however much plain flour is needed to make a pliable, non sticky dough. I can't really tell you how much that will be, as it mostly depends on how high the liquid content of your mash is... I can tell you, that it will be more flour than you anticipated. :-) Therefore my recommendation that you start out with only one portion of mash. I'm sure I used at least one and a half cups of flour...
When you have a dough let it rest and cool in the fridge for about 20 minutes.
Take it out, squeeze off one lump and form it into a roll of about a centimeters diagonal. cut off small peaces of that and "roll" it with a fork. Dipping the fork and knife into flour from time to time will prevent the dough from sticking.
And continue until done.
These gniocchi freeze very well. Space them evenly on parchment paper (multiple layers are fine), freeze and fill into a bag to store.
When your feeling hungry, boil water and add salt. Pour the desired portion of gniocchi into the boiling water, pull it off the heat and let it stand covered for two to three minutes.
Topped with sage and lemon butter this is a delicious and somewhat special pasta dinner. (Melt the butter, add the sage. When crispy add the lemon zest, a good pinch of salt and a squeeze of the juice.)
Making a completely new dish out of a past meal is a completely different matter though. And this is where these pillow-y dumplings come to play...
I guess you could also make fish cakes or so out of leftover mashed potatoes... But these gniocchi are far more elegant...
Start out with a one portion amount of leftover mashed potatoes. Add an egg, about 50 gr. of semolina and however much plain flour is needed to make a pliable, non sticky dough. I can't really tell you how much that will be, as it mostly depends on how high the liquid content of your mash is... I can tell you, that it will be more flour than you anticipated. :-) Therefore my recommendation that you start out with only one portion of mash. I'm sure I used at least one and a half cups of flour...
When you have a dough let it rest and cool in the fridge for about 20 minutes.
Take it out, squeeze off one lump and form it into a roll of about a centimeters diagonal. cut off small peaces of that and "roll" it with a fork. Dipping the fork and knife into flour from time to time will prevent the dough from sticking.
And continue until done.
These gniocchi freeze very well. Space them evenly on parchment paper (multiple layers are fine), freeze and fill into a bag to store.
When your feeling hungry, boil water and add salt. Pour the desired portion of gniocchi into the boiling water, pull it off the heat and let it stand covered for two to three minutes.
Topped with sage and lemon butter this is a delicious and somewhat special pasta dinner. (Melt the butter, add the sage. When crispy add the lemon zest, a good pinch of salt and a squeeze of the juice.)
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Can you say glut?
This is what my potted garden looks like these days:
All of the tomatoes seem to be in a rush, it seems. And half of the household is on vacation in Corsica!
Something had to be done to fight against this scary overload of red fruit.
This recipe, which I had tried once before, a year ago, come to mind:
http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/chicken-recipes/tender-chicken-legs-with-tomatoes
It's easy delicious and takes incredibly little time to assemble!
Give it a try. If you're not a huge fan of garlic, you might want to add a little less than the recipe demands....
The leftover vegetables can be heated and served as pasta sauce or topped up with stock, blitzed and served as deliciously fruity tomato soup.
Enjoy!
All of the tomatoes seem to be in a rush, it seems. And half of the household is on vacation in Corsica!
Something had to be done to fight against this scary overload of red fruit.
This recipe, which I had tried once before, a year ago, come to mind:
http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/chicken-recipes/tender-chicken-legs-with-tomatoes
It's easy delicious and takes incredibly little time to assemble!
Give it a try. If you're not a huge fan of garlic, you might want to add a little less than the recipe demands....
The leftover vegetables can be heated and served as pasta sauce or topped up with stock, blitzed and served as deliciously fruity tomato soup.
Enjoy!
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
BLT
A Sandwich for the end of summer. When the tomatoes are deliciously ripe and the salad leaves still fresh and full of flavor.
The preparation couldn't be easier:
Fry your bacon until crispy.
Pick some red and green lettuce, as well as some arugula.
Slice a ripe tomato thinly.
Toast your bread of choice.
Mix a little bit of mayonnaise with mustard and assemble.
(The order is really of no particular importance. If your name is Julia you might want to pick out all of the arugula now. ;-) )
The preparation couldn't be easier:
Fry your bacon until crispy.
Pick some red and green lettuce, as well as some arugula.
Slice a ripe tomato thinly.
Toast your bread of choice.
Mix a little bit of mayonnaise with mustard and assemble.
(The order is really of no particular importance. If your name is Julia you might want to pick out all of the arugula now. ;-) )
Sunday, August 29, 2010
White wine and sour cream risotto with foraged mushrooms
Please forgive me for my recent lack of posts. I was away on holiday. But have returned with lots of ideas to share!
Autumn is definitely encroaching more and more on central Europe. Can't say I am enthusiastic about it, as I feel I haven't taken full advantage of summer yet.
One of the aspects of it I can enjoy, is the beginning of the mushroom season.
This is a dinner that we made after a short walk to forage for mushrooms.
I don't think I need to tell anyone exactly how to make a risotto, so here is a more general approach:
Sweat some finely chopped onion in some butter and olive oil for a minute. Add the risotto rice and stir. Add some white wine to deglaze. When this has evaporated start adding hot bouillon or stock by the ladle. Always wait until the pan is fairly dry before adding the next ladle. Your rice should be done in about 15 to 20 minutes.
Finish it with a little bit of butter, some grated parmesan cheese and a generous helping of sour cream. I added some lemon juice to bring out the tartness of the sour cream too.
Clean your mushrooms, fry them in a hot pan with maybe a little bit of finely chopped garlic. Add some chopped parsley when they're done.
Serve the mushrooms over the risotto.
PS: Leftover risotto tastes really nice formed into a rough patty and fried crispy on both sides in a hot pan with some olive oil.
Autumn is definitely encroaching more and more on central Europe. Can't say I am enthusiastic about it, as I feel I haven't taken full advantage of summer yet.
One of the aspects of it I can enjoy, is the beginning of the mushroom season.
This is a dinner that we made after a short walk to forage for mushrooms.
I don't think I need to tell anyone exactly how to make a risotto, so here is a more general approach:
Sweat some finely chopped onion in some butter and olive oil for a minute. Add the risotto rice and stir. Add some white wine to deglaze. When this has evaporated start adding hot bouillon or stock by the ladle. Always wait until the pan is fairly dry before adding the next ladle. Your rice should be done in about 15 to 20 minutes.
Finish it with a little bit of butter, some grated parmesan cheese and a generous helping of sour cream. I added some lemon juice to bring out the tartness of the sour cream too.
Clean your mushrooms, fry them in a hot pan with maybe a little bit of finely chopped garlic. Add some chopped parsley when they're done.
Serve the mushrooms over the risotto.
PS: Leftover risotto tastes really nice formed into a rough patty and fried crispy on both sides in a hot pan with some olive oil.
Monday, August 23, 2010
Flavoured oil
This is one project that only takes minutes to make. The result is so convenient to add something extra to whatever it is you're cooking.
I tried this the first time about two years ago. Nigella Lawson always goes on about using garlic flavoured oil on her shows. And making it yourself really isn't a big deal.
Once you get started the possibilities are endless. It's just a question of experimenting to find out what suits your taste best.
250 ml extra virgin olive oil
4 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
To finish;
Woody herbs of your choice (basil, parsley and such will spoil too quickly)
Maybe a chili?
Add the garlic to the oil and leave to infuse for ca. 48 hours. Shake it once or twice.
Filter out the garlic pieces and fill the oil into a small handy bottle. Maybe add a couple of sprigs of fresh herbs or even a chili to the bottle. These will not only add a decorative element, but also start infusing their own aroma into the oil.
I tried this the first time about two years ago. Nigella Lawson always goes on about using garlic flavoured oil on her shows. And making it yourself really isn't a big deal.
Once you get started the possibilities are endless. It's just a question of experimenting to find out what suits your taste best.
250 ml extra virgin olive oil
4 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
To finish;
Woody herbs of your choice (basil, parsley and such will spoil too quickly)
Maybe a chili?
Add the garlic to the oil and leave to infuse for ca. 48 hours. Shake it once or twice.
Filter out the garlic pieces and fill the oil into a small handy bottle. Maybe add a couple of sprigs of fresh herbs or even a chili to the bottle. These will not only add a decorative element, but also start infusing their own aroma into the oil.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Happy Birthday to me
= carrot cupcakes with cream cheese frosting for the other interns at work!
Recipe to follow as soon as I find the time to type it up.
Update:
Here goes! I found the cupcake recipe eons ago on recipezaar and the cream cheese frosting was found on the truly wonderful Joy the Baker blog.
I scaled down both recipe to more "European" portions. Can I pose the question to the Americans; What do you guys do with the additional twelve cupcakes all the time? :-)
These quantities are for twelve deliciously rich cupcakes. They were a big hit at work and gave us all a sugar rush.
Maple Carrot Cupcakes:
120 gr. flour
110 gr. sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda (Natron)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
120 ml vegetable oil (I used sunflower)
60 ml maple sirup
3 medium sized carrots grated
Preheat the oven to 175°C.
Mix all of the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. In a second bowl mix the eggs, the oil and the maple sirup together. Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ones until just combined. Then fold in the grated carrots.
Line a muffin tin with paper cups and fill them with the batter until about two thirds full. A very easy way to get equal size portions is to use an ice cream scoop to do this!
If you don't want to frost the cupcakes later on, you can sprinkle them with a cinnamon sugar mixture at this stage.
Bake in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes until an inserted tooth pick comes out clean.
Leave to cool before frosting.
For the frosting:
170 gr. butter
110 gr. cream cheese
55 gr. light brown sugar
half a teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch of salt
250-500 gr powdered sugar
1-2 tbsp milk
Make sure your ingredients are room temperature. Start by beating the cream cheese for about a minute. Add the butter and beat 1 to two minutes until well combined. Add the brown sugar, salt and vanilla extract until well combined.
Turn off your mixer and add 250 gr of powdered sugar to the bowl. Start your mixer on a low speed setting. Beat until well combined and repeat the process of adding a little more sugar until the frosting is of the desired consistency. Add milk to thin it out if necessary.
Pipe or smear it onto your cold cupcakes.
Sunday, August 8, 2010
For Thea...
Just returned from a weekend in the gorgeous Engiadina mountains with the whole family. Had a wonderful time, even though I felt like sleeping for most of it. ;-)
One of the fabulous things we did was exchanging birthday gifts due for dates past, present and future. I was once again at loss what I could give my sister. She's a tricky one...
But a hint made me go out and buy this kind of contraption for her:
For all of you wondering what the hell this torture instrument is; It's a Spätzli Reibe!
Spätzli are big news with my family. They are a form of egg dumplings that are part of the traditional venison meal (with for example Brusselsprouts and stewed red cabbage) in autumn here in Switzerland. But they can also be served as a pasta variation the rest of the year.
So all that my sister needs to make authentic Swiss Spätzli in here London apartment is my mothers recipe. Without further ado:
For 4 as a main course (halve if you plan to serve it as a side dish in a larger menu)
Ingredients:
•400 gr of flour
•2 Tbsp semolina flour
•2 Tsp salt
•4 eggs
•3 dl of water
Mix all of the ingredients until well combined. Leave the batter to rest until bubbles start to appear on the surface.
Cooking method:
Boil a pan of water and salt it as you would for cooking pasta.
Prepare the dish, which you want to serve the Spätzli in and put in a pat of butter. This will prevent the Spätzli from sticking together.
Mount the Spätzli Reibe on the pan and pass through a portion of the batter. Remove the Reibe, let the water come back to the boil and let the Spätzli cook for about two minutes. They will go slightly puffy. Remove them with a slotted spoon, let the water drain off and place them into the serving dish with the butter.
Repeat until the batter is used up completely. Maybe add another couple pats of butter during the process.
PS: Photo to follow, as soon as Thea sends me one. ;-) She has a much fancier camera anyway.
One of the fabulous things we did was exchanging birthday gifts due for dates past, present and future. I was once again at loss what I could give my sister. She's a tricky one...
But a hint made me go out and buy this kind of contraption for her:
For all of you wondering what the hell this torture instrument is; It's a Spätzli Reibe!
Spätzli are big news with my family. They are a form of egg dumplings that are part of the traditional venison meal (with for example Brusselsprouts and stewed red cabbage) in autumn here in Switzerland. But they can also be served as a pasta variation the rest of the year.
So all that my sister needs to make authentic Swiss Spätzli in here London apartment is my mothers recipe. Without further ado:
For 4 as a main course (halve if you plan to serve it as a side dish in a larger menu)
Ingredients:
•400 gr of flour
•2 Tbsp semolina flour
•2 Tsp salt
•4 eggs
•3 dl of water
Mix all of the ingredients until well combined. Leave the batter to rest until bubbles start to appear on the surface.
Cooking method:
Boil a pan of water and salt it as you would for cooking pasta.
Prepare the dish, which you want to serve the Spätzli in and put in a pat of butter. This will prevent the Spätzli from sticking together.
Mount the Spätzli Reibe on the pan and pass through a portion of the batter. Remove the Reibe, let the water come back to the boil and let the Spätzli cook for about two minutes. They will go slightly puffy. Remove them with a slotted spoon, let the water drain off and place them into the serving dish with the butter.
Repeat until the batter is used up completely. Maybe add another couple pats of butter during the process.
PS: Photo to follow, as soon as Thea sends me one. ;-) She has a much fancier camera anyway.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
No cooking doesn't mean no eating...
A slice of toasted "Zopf"
A hint of cold butter and mustard
A handful of delicate arugula leaves, picked ten minutes ago from the pot and left to crisp up in cold water
A couple of slices of prosciutto di Parma
Some shavings of parmigiano reggiano
Sometimes it can be that simple...
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Linguine Salsa Nesa
This is a recipe I came up with about three years ago. A product of profound hunger, wanting something that packs a punch(flavor-wise) and a prolonged look into the storage cupboard. It's been my favorite pasta sauce ever since.
It's easy to make, quick, and has lots of flavor. And a well stocked pantry will have most of the necessary ingredients.
It's good with all kinds of hard wheat pasta. Linguine has really become a favorite lately.
Ingredients per person:
one splash of olive oil
one clove of garlic, sliced
chili to taste, finely chopped of fresh &crumbled if dry
one to two anchovy fillets, roughly chopped
one handful of de-stoned black olives, sliced or chopped
a handful of cherry tomatoes or one big plum tomato, roughly chopped
Heat a pan of water for your pasta. You can do prep work while it heats up, but in this case you actually have to be boiling the pasta to be able to prepare the sauce...
Drop the pasta into the salted boiling water. Then:
In a large enough frying pan pour in some olive oil, add the garlic and turn on the heat. Wait until you hear it sizzling and the garlic turns just the lightest shade of brown, then add the chili and the anchovy. Stir it a couple of times while frying for about a minute. Add the olives.
When it gets too hot take a table- or serving spoon and add a dash of the pasta cooking water. This will do three things; cool down the contents of the pan, add salt to the finished sauce and the starch in it will help bind the finished product.
Two to three minutes before the pasta is al dente, add your chopped tomatoes. They shouldn't completely disintegrate, but wilt and loose their form a bit.
Continue adding pasta water if it gets too dry.
When the pasta is just almost done(erring on the underdone side), save one cup of the water and drain the rest. Add the pasta into the frying pan with the sauce and stir. Mix well (the pasta will dry up a bit in the heat) and maybe add another splash of the reserved water if too dry.
As with all cooked pasta: Serve this spicy, salty dish immediately.
It's easy to make, quick, and has lots of flavor. And a well stocked pantry will have most of the necessary ingredients.
It's good with all kinds of hard wheat pasta. Linguine has really become a favorite lately.
Ingredients per person:
one splash of olive oil
one clove of garlic, sliced
chili to taste, finely chopped of fresh &crumbled if dry
one to two anchovy fillets, roughly chopped
one handful of de-stoned black olives, sliced or chopped
a handful of cherry tomatoes or one big plum tomato, roughly chopped
Heat a pan of water for your pasta. You can do prep work while it heats up, but in this case you actually have to be boiling the pasta to be able to prepare the sauce...
Drop the pasta into the salted boiling water. Then:
In a large enough frying pan pour in some olive oil, add the garlic and turn on the heat. Wait until you hear it sizzling and the garlic turns just the lightest shade of brown, then add the chili and the anchovy. Stir it a couple of times while frying for about a minute. Add the olives.
When it gets too hot take a table- or serving spoon and add a dash of the pasta cooking water. This will do three things; cool down the contents of the pan, add salt to the finished sauce and the starch in it will help bind the finished product.
Two to three minutes before the pasta is al dente, add your chopped tomatoes. They shouldn't completely disintegrate, but wilt and loose their form a bit.
Continue adding pasta water if it gets too dry.
When the pasta is just almost done(erring on the underdone side), save one cup of the water and drain the rest. Add the pasta into the frying pan with the sauce and stir. Mix well (the pasta will dry up a bit in the heat) and maybe add another splash of the reserved water if too dry.
As with all cooked pasta: Serve this spicy, salty dish immediately.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Link of the day
This sounds so good:
http://tmagazine.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/07/19/case-study-its-michelada-time/?ref=dining
Switzerland is going to have another week with temperatures reaching the 30s...
http://tmagazine.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/07/19/case-study-its-michelada-time/?ref=dining
Switzerland is going to have another week with temperatures reaching the 30s...
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Mexican sweetcorn salad
I found this dish on the pages of Jamie Olivers magazine, which I always buy when I am in the UK as it is so exorbitantly more expensive here in Switzerland. (So are all the other English mags, but that is a rant for another day.)
It had one section with Mexican food which I found a pleasant surprise. I am not really a big fan of Mexican cooking. I have to admit that this impression comes from a limited number of experiences. I think I've just never been to a restaurant that specializes in the freshness aspect as opposed to the too much cheese and a couple of mildly spicy jalapenos. So these recipes were definitely an eye opener.
The one I was most intrigued by was this spicy sweetcorn salad. The flavours are well balanced and I loved using fresh corn from the cob.
Made for two people:
a tsp of olive oil
small knob of butter
one green chili (mine are hotter than hell, taste yours and see of you need more), finely chopped
one small shallot, finely chopped
two cobs of corn, kernels cut off
4 sprigs of thyme, leaves picked
one clove of garlic, finely chopped
juice of one lime
a small bunch of coriander, chopped
2 spring onions, chopped
Heat a pan with the oil and butter. When in sizzling add the chili and cook for a minute. Add the corn, shallot and thyme. Sauté over high heat (you don't want it to steam) until the corn turns slightly brown and the shallot translucent. This should take about five minutes. Add your garlic, salt and pepper and cook another couple of minutes.
Take it off the heat and add the lime juice, spring onions and coriander.
You could serve it with sour cream and grated Parmesan. Haven't tried that yet.
It had one section with Mexican food which I found a pleasant surprise. I am not really a big fan of Mexican cooking. I have to admit that this impression comes from a limited number of experiences. I think I've just never been to a restaurant that specializes in the freshness aspect as opposed to the too much cheese and a couple of mildly spicy jalapenos. So these recipes were definitely an eye opener.
The one I was most intrigued by was this spicy sweetcorn salad. The flavours are well balanced and I loved using fresh corn from the cob.
Made for two people:
a tsp of olive oil
small knob of butter
one green chili (mine are hotter than hell, taste yours and see of you need more), finely chopped
one small shallot, finely chopped
two cobs of corn, kernels cut off
4 sprigs of thyme, leaves picked
one clove of garlic, finely chopped
juice of one lime
a small bunch of coriander, chopped
2 spring onions, chopped
Heat a pan with the oil and butter. When in sizzling add the chili and cook for a minute. Add the corn, shallot and thyme. Sauté over high heat (you don't want it to steam) until the corn turns slightly brown and the shallot translucent. This should take about five minutes. Add your garlic, salt and pepper and cook another couple of minutes.
Take it off the heat and add the lime juice, spring onions and coriander.
You could serve it with sour cream and grated Parmesan. Haven't tried that yet.
Saturday, July 17, 2010
White peach, strawberry and mint bowle
When the temperatures outside are high and a lot of people are expected, it's very convenient to be able to make a large quantity of drinks in a very small amount of time. Preferably the concoction should taste nice as well.
This is something I threw together for a BBQ evening with friends. I liked the results so much, it was repeated the following evening.
ingredients:
3 white peaches, peeled and chopped
one small punnet of strawberries, hulled and chopped
three sprigs of mint, leaves picked and slightly crushed
3/4 cup of vanilla vodka
3/4 cup of white rum
3 table spoons of brown sugar
half a bottle of white wine
1 liter of mineral water
Mix the chopped fruit with the mint, sugar and the spirits in a large bowl. Let it stand for about an hour so the sugar can dissolve and the fruit release some of there juices.
Add the wine and the mineral water. Serve ladling into drinking glasses like punch.
Since I don't take careful notes when experimenting the measures here are approximate. Feel free to adjust to your taste. I used a homemade vanilla vodka (three split vanilla pods go into a bottle, then wait for three weeks and shake it once in a while), since I thought it would go nicely with the strawberries. You could substitute both spirits with dark rum.
This is something I threw together for a BBQ evening with friends. I liked the results so much, it was repeated the following evening.
ingredients:
3 white peaches, peeled and chopped
one small punnet of strawberries, hulled and chopped
three sprigs of mint, leaves picked and slightly crushed
3/4 cup of vanilla vodka
3/4 cup of white rum
3 table spoons of brown sugar
half a bottle of white wine
1 liter of mineral water
Mix the chopped fruit with the mint, sugar and the spirits in a large bowl. Let it stand for about an hour so the sugar can dissolve and the fruit release some of there juices.
Add the wine and the mineral water. Serve ladling into drinking glasses like punch.
Since I don't take careful notes when experimenting the measures here are approximate. Feel free to adjust to your taste. I used a homemade vanilla vodka (three split vanilla pods go into a bottle, then wait for three weeks and shake it once in a while), since I thought it would go nicely with the strawberries. You could substitute both spirits with dark rum.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Best new pasta recipe tasted in a long, long time
I don't have any pictures to share with you today. Sorry.
But I just had the most divine dinner possible.
It's a pasta dish I have wanted to try for a very long time. It definitely surpassed my expectations, which were high to begin with.
DO yourselves a favor and check out this link:
http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/pasta-recipes/wild-rocket-and-chilli-spaghetti#
The dish is by the King of quick, easy and flavorful; Jamie Oliver.
I got the rocket from one of my pots, and used the first red chili on the tree. I hope to have lemons on my potted plant by the end of summer, so I can make this dish with the most local ingredients possible! ;-)
Give it a go (even if you think you don't like rocket), you won't be disappointed.
Add a glass of nice white wine and it'll be like a mini break to Italy...
Arrivederci!
PS: For my taste the quantity of sauce in this recipe serves two to three people.
But I just had the most divine dinner possible.
It's a pasta dish I have wanted to try for a very long time. It definitely surpassed my expectations, which were high to begin with.
DO yourselves a favor and check out this link:
http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/pasta-recipes/wild-rocket-and-chilli-spaghetti#
The dish is by the King of quick, easy and flavorful; Jamie Oliver.
I got the rocket from one of my pots, and used the first red chili on the tree. I hope to have lemons on my potted plant by the end of summer, so I can make this dish with the most local ingredients possible! ;-)
Give it a go (even if you think you don't like rocket), you won't be disappointed.
Add a glass of nice white wine and it'll be like a mini break to Italy...
Arrivederci!
PS: For my taste the quantity of sauce in this recipe serves two to three people.
Monday, June 28, 2010
BBQ Marinade
Well, I don't know how closely you have been following the world cup. All I can say is that this past weekend has not gone to my liking...
It has brought back summery weather to Switzerland though. This inevitably brings out the Weber Grill in this part of the world. I have had BBQ for dinner two out of three dinners so far.
I am not a big fan of repetition. Although I am very well aware, that BBQing is not a specific dish but a preparation method, it does lend itself to just giving the favorite recipe another go... every weekend. :-)
The only thing that helps is having a vast array of standby marinades/sauces/what have you, to keep things from getting boring.
This variation covers two very important aspects; quick and easy. I love making it, when I am invited somewhere and want to give my protein a little bit of extra flavor.
It needs all of two ingredients:
a couple of cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped or even pressed
and liberal quantities of soy sauce.
That's it.
Make sure your meat is evenly covered with the mixture on both sides, let it marinate for at least 20 minutes and you're good to go.
Grill to your liking and enjoy.
It has brought back summery weather to Switzerland though. This inevitably brings out the Weber Grill in this part of the world. I have had BBQ for dinner two out of three dinners so far.
I am not a big fan of repetition. Although I am very well aware, that BBQing is not a specific dish but a preparation method, it does lend itself to just giving the favorite recipe another go... every weekend. :-)
The only thing that helps is having a vast array of standby marinades/sauces/what have you, to keep things from getting boring.
This variation covers two very important aspects; quick and easy. I love making it, when I am invited somewhere and want to give my protein a little bit of extra flavor.
It needs all of two ingredients:
a couple of cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped or even pressed
and liberal quantities of soy sauce.
That's it.
Make sure your meat is evenly covered with the mixture on both sides, let it marinate for at least 20 minutes and you're good to go.
Grill to your liking and enjoy.
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Here comes the sun...
Switzerland has been having a major doozie of a May, where weather is concerned. It has been cold, wet and gray.
SO when last weekend beckoned with warmth and lots of sunshine, the Swiss people surged into the open like marmots after the winter. It was just as gorgeous as promised and I read of sunburns on facebook statuses without end.
Thank god I managed to forgo that experience myself.
I decided it was time to try out something new. The lamb rack I bought on impulse on my way home would meet it's fate on the barbecue outside. Even though it was just me.
I know. I'm weird like that.
The marinade I threw together was improvised but I was very pleased with the results. The measures listed here are approximate;
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons mustard
1 teaspoon maple syrup
1 teaspoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
1 teaspoon fresh marjoram
1 clove of garlic
a squeeze of lemon juice
Chop the herbs and the garlic finely and mix with the other ingredients to a paste. Liberally coat the lamb rack with it and let it stand at room temperature. Let it marinate for at least 20 minutes.
We have a big charcoal barbecue. If you purchase smaller charcoal baskets, you have the possibility of having the hot coals in only a part of the grill. This allows indirect grilling which is great for bigger cuts of meat. My father does a to-die-for roast chicken this way.
I filled only one if the two baskets with coal and lit them. They were allowed to get really hot before I got out the lamb rack and seared on both sides for one or two minutes. Then the rack was placed to the side, out of the way of the direct heat, the lid was put on and left to finish for about seven minutes.
The finished product was tender, juicy and absolutely delicious.
I can't wait to make it again.
SO when last weekend beckoned with warmth and lots of sunshine, the Swiss people surged into the open like marmots after the winter. It was just as gorgeous as promised and I read of sunburns on facebook statuses without end.
Thank god I managed to forgo that experience myself.
I decided it was time to try out something new. The lamb rack I bought on impulse on my way home would meet it's fate on the barbecue outside. Even though it was just me.
I know. I'm weird like that.
The marinade I threw together was improvised but I was very pleased with the results. The measures listed here are approximate;
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons mustard
1 teaspoon maple syrup
1 teaspoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
1 teaspoon fresh marjoram
1 clove of garlic
a squeeze of lemon juice
Chop the herbs and the garlic finely and mix with the other ingredients to a paste. Liberally coat the lamb rack with it and let it stand at room temperature. Let it marinate for at least 20 minutes.
We have a big charcoal barbecue. If you purchase smaller charcoal baskets, you have the possibility of having the hot coals in only a part of the grill. This allows indirect grilling which is great for bigger cuts of meat. My father does a to-die-for roast chicken this way.
I filled only one if the two baskets with coal and lit them. They were allowed to get really hot before I got out the lamb rack and seared on both sides for one or two minutes. Then the rack was placed to the side, out of the way of the direct heat, the lid was put on and left to finish for about seven minutes.
The finished product was tender, juicy and absolutely delicious.
I can't wait to make it again.
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Simple Carbonara
Well, what do you cook when you get home ravenously hungry?
This is one of my favorite sauces of all times and I have long ago given up ordering it at restaurants... they just don't measure up to the homemade stuff.
I don't normally use any cream in it. I know this to be a break from traditions that will have purists shaking their heads. But try before you judge.
I have added a splash of cream or a bit of cream cheese when I wanted it (aka I was even hungrier than normal).
Ingredients per person:
100-150 gr of semolina wheat pasta (personal favorite is linguine)
ca. 3 rashers of streaky bacon, cut into pieces
1 egg yolk
a handful of freshly grated parmesan
black pepper to taste
1. First of all, put on your water for the pasta and add salt when it comes to the boil. Put in your pasta.
2. Fry your bacon on a medium heat until crispy.
3. When your pasta is almost done, mix the egg yolk, the parmesan and three to four tablespoons of the pasta water together well. The pasta water adds salt and will help the thicken the mixture with the egg yolk.
4. When your pasta is just cooked reserve a cup of the water and drain the rest. Immediately return the pasta to the still warm pan, add the eggy mixture, mix well, cover and let it sit for about ten seconds. If the pasta is too dry, add a splash of the reserved cooking water and mix again.
5. Mix again, add black pepper to taste and put onto a serving platter. Top with the fried bacon.
This is a sauce that doesn't take longer to make than the pasta takes to cook. My favorite kind!
This is one of my favorite sauces of all times and I have long ago given up ordering it at restaurants... they just don't measure up to the homemade stuff.
I don't normally use any cream in it. I know this to be a break from traditions that will have purists shaking their heads. But try before you judge.
I have added a splash of cream or a bit of cream cheese when I wanted it (aka I was even hungrier than normal).
Ingredients per person:
100-150 gr of semolina wheat pasta (personal favorite is linguine)
ca. 3 rashers of streaky bacon, cut into pieces
1 egg yolk
a handful of freshly grated parmesan
black pepper to taste
1. First of all, put on your water for the pasta and add salt when it comes to the boil. Put in your pasta.
2. Fry your bacon on a medium heat until crispy.
3. When your pasta is almost done, mix the egg yolk, the parmesan and three to four tablespoons of the pasta water together well. The pasta water adds salt and will help the thicken the mixture with the egg yolk.
4. When your pasta is just cooked reserve a cup of the water and drain the rest. Immediately return the pasta to the still warm pan, add the eggy mixture, mix well, cover and let it sit for about ten seconds. If the pasta is too dry, add a splash of the reserved cooking water and mix again.
5. Mix again, add black pepper to taste and put onto a serving platter. Top with the fried bacon.
This is a sauce that doesn't take longer to make than the pasta takes to cook. My favorite kind!
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Focaccia
The recipe I want to share with you today is a favorite of mine. Even though the cookbook it has originated from has gone MIA for some time now, it hasn't stopped this tasty bread from being made.
It started out as a tongue in cheek nod to the tradition of bringing a loaf of bread and some salt when someone moves in. I brought this to a friend who was moving apartments and it was very well received by the tired, hungry and desolate person in question.
As the preparation is really simple and well worth the effort, I since brought this to a couple of gatherings with friends. It always got me points!
ingredients:
350 gr flour
1 packet (7 gr) instant yeast
1 teaspoon of salt (I like the bread dough to be salty. If you prefer it more neutral only add half)
210 ml lukewarm water
1 tablespoon olive oil
Toppings:
olive oil
sea salt
Whatever suits your taste: Herbs (rosemary, sage, marjoram, oregano, thyme, etc), sliced onions, olives... The possibilities are endless.
1. Mix the dry ingredients before adding the water and oil. Knead until it forms a pliable and coherent dough. Spread a splash of olive oil onto some plastic wrap and use this to gently cover your dough. Put the dough into a warm place and let it rise for an hour. (It should double in volume.)
2. Spread a baking sheet or a 26 cm pie form with olive oil. Get out your dough. Kneed it gently for about 15 seconds, just to knock the air out. Roll it out into your form (2-3 cm thick) and cover it with the oiled wrap. Let it rise for another 20 minutes.
3. Use your finger tips to press dimples into the dough. These will hold small pools of olive oil later on. Cover again with the same plastic wrap and let it rise for the last time for 10 minutes.
4. While the dough it resting for the final time preheat your oven to 180°C. Prepare your topping for the foccacia. I went with; sliced onions, sage and marjoram this time.
5. Get your dough. First pour on olive oil all over it.(I'm guessing about four tablespoons as a minimum.) I use my hand so make sure it covers everything. Sprinkle with sea salt. Add whatever you like. If there are some chunky items (olives, onions) remember to press them into the dough a bit. They tend to fall off during or after baking.
6. Shove into the hot oven and bake for 25 minutes until it has a golden brown color. Let it cool before serving.
It started out as a tongue in cheek nod to the tradition of bringing a loaf of bread and some salt when someone moves in. I brought this to a friend who was moving apartments and it was very well received by the tired, hungry and desolate person in question.
As the preparation is really simple and well worth the effort, I since brought this to a couple of gatherings with friends. It always got me points!
ingredients:
350 gr flour
1 packet (7 gr) instant yeast
1 teaspoon of salt (I like the bread dough to be salty. If you prefer it more neutral only add half)
210 ml lukewarm water
1 tablespoon olive oil
Toppings:
olive oil
sea salt
Whatever suits your taste: Herbs (rosemary, sage, marjoram, oregano, thyme, etc), sliced onions, olives... The possibilities are endless.
1. Mix the dry ingredients before adding the water and oil. Knead until it forms a pliable and coherent dough. Spread a splash of olive oil onto some plastic wrap and use this to gently cover your dough. Put the dough into a warm place and let it rise for an hour. (It should double in volume.)
2. Spread a baking sheet or a 26 cm pie form with olive oil. Get out your dough. Kneed it gently for about 15 seconds, just to knock the air out. Roll it out into your form (2-3 cm thick) and cover it with the oiled wrap. Let it rise for another 20 minutes.
3. Use your finger tips to press dimples into the dough. These will hold small pools of olive oil later on. Cover again with the same plastic wrap and let it rise for the last time for 10 minutes.
4. While the dough it resting for the final time preheat your oven to 180°C. Prepare your topping for the foccacia. I went with; sliced onions, sage and marjoram this time.
5. Get your dough. First pour on olive oil all over it.(I'm guessing about four tablespoons as a minimum.) I use my hand so make sure it covers everything. Sprinkle with sea salt. Add whatever you like. If there are some chunky items (olives, onions) remember to press them into the dough a bit. They tend to fall off during or after baking.
6. Shove into the hot oven and bake for 25 minutes until it has a golden brown color. Let it cool before serving.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Glorious Orange and White Asparagus Soup
Have you been enjoying the fresh tastes of Spring as much as I have?
Strawberries with sugar... cress and boiled egg sandwiches... Asparagus with Parmigiano and melted butter.
In that case; SAVE YOUR ASPARAGUS WATER!!!!
This along with a couple of leftover spears will give you a delicious meal and one of my favorite soups (of all time, I have to add).
This recipe is made with white asparagus. I think it pairs better with the sweetness of the orange juice and the delicate sharpness of the zest than its green siblings...
It's a rich, velvety soup that packs enough calorific punch to leave one satisfied as a meal on its own. It is unusual in taste as it combines the sweet aroma of the fruit with the savory freshness of the spring vegetable. Give it a try. You won't be disappointed.
ingredients:
(serves two or four, if served as a starter)
2 Tablespoons/30 grams of butter
2 Tablespoons of flour
one Orange, zest and juice separately
one litre/4 cups of asparagus cooking water
a couple of leftover asparagus spears (if on hand)
125 ml/half a cup of whipping cream
one egg yolk
1. Melt the butter over medium heat and toss in the flour. Mix with a whisk. After a minute add the orange zest. Let this mixture fry gently until it turns the slightest bit brown in colour. The smell should change towards nutty.
2. Pour in the asparagus water slowly while whisking the mixture constantly. (If this isn't done well, you will risk ending up with a lumpy soup.) Turn up the eat, whisk every couple of minutes and let it come to a gentle boil. I wouldn't recommend leaving the room as this mixture "likes" to boil over.
3. Let it boil gently for at least five minutes to thicken and get rid of any residual floury taste.
4. If you have the asparagus spears at you disposal you can either cut them into bite size pieces and put them into the soup at this stage to warm up. Or you can blend them with a little bit of the soup and add them to the dish like this.
5. In a separate bowl whip the cream into gentle peaks. Beat in the egg yolk. Beat the orange juice into this mixture slowly.
6. Take your soup off of the heat. Spoon one ladle of hot soup into the cream mixture and whisk well. Repeat two times. Add the whole mixture back into the hot soup and whisk well again. (This step is called proofing and, while slightly cumbersome, will prevent you from having scrambled egg soup.)Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. (If you didn't put salt into the asparagus water, you will have to through in an astounding amount now...)
Serve with good bread.
Strawberries with sugar... cress and boiled egg sandwiches... Asparagus with Parmigiano and melted butter.
In that case; SAVE YOUR ASPARAGUS WATER!!!!
This along with a couple of leftover spears will give you a delicious meal and one of my favorite soups (of all time, I have to add).
This recipe is made with white asparagus. I think it pairs better with the sweetness of the orange juice and the delicate sharpness of the zest than its green siblings...
It's a rich, velvety soup that packs enough calorific punch to leave one satisfied as a meal on its own. It is unusual in taste as it combines the sweet aroma of the fruit with the savory freshness of the spring vegetable. Give it a try. You won't be disappointed.
ingredients:
(serves two or four, if served as a starter)
2 Tablespoons/30 grams of butter
2 Tablespoons of flour
one Orange, zest and juice separately
one litre/4 cups of asparagus cooking water
a couple of leftover asparagus spears (if on hand)
125 ml/half a cup of whipping cream
one egg yolk
1. Melt the butter over medium heat and toss in the flour. Mix with a whisk. After a minute add the orange zest. Let this mixture fry gently until it turns the slightest bit brown in colour. The smell should change towards nutty.
2. Pour in the asparagus water slowly while whisking the mixture constantly. (If this isn't done well, you will risk ending up with a lumpy soup.) Turn up the eat, whisk every couple of minutes and let it come to a gentle boil. I wouldn't recommend leaving the room as this mixture "likes" to boil over.
3. Let it boil gently for at least five minutes to thicken and get rid of any residual floury taste.
4. If you have the asparagus spears at you disposal you can either cut them into bite size pieces and put them into the soup at this stage to warm up. Or you can blend them with a little bit of the soup and add them to the dish like this.
5. In a separate bowl whip the cream into gentle peaks. Beat in the egg yolk. Beat the orange juice into this mixture slowly.
6. Take your soup off of the heat. Spoon one ladle of hot soup into the cream mixture and whisk well. Repeat two times. Add the whole mixture back into the hot soup and whisk well again. (This step is called proofing and, while slightly cumbersome, will prevent you from having scrambled egg soup.)Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. (If you didn't put salt into the asparagus water, you will have to through in an astounding amount now...)
Serve with good bread.
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Homegrown tea
Surviving the first week of a challenging new job seems to have a similar effect as surviving grueling exams back at university. An illness of some ilk is sure to follow.
So while I am feeling utterly miserable, the few advantages of being sick in spring, and not in the depths of winter, are not lost on me.
I could, if bundled up to a sufficient degree, sit outside and let the sunshine, smells, sights and birdsong work some healing magic. (Not feeling particularly inclined at the moment.)
But what I definitely will do is take advantage of the first harvest of the 2010 growing season!
I have a special affection for herbs that can be used in both sweet and savory dishes. Mint is probably the most widely used of these. I love making sweet drinks and desserts with it. But think it is even better in salads like Tabbouleh.*
As you can see in the pictures this plant reemerges from apparent death after even the coldest of winters. It is basically a weed and therefor an easy plant to keep in a pot on a window sill. Some people will even discourage you from planting it in your garden without proper boundaries. I've always been convinced you can never have enough of it though!
Fresh mint tea is probably the simplest way I use this herb. And probably the most often. Depending on the strength of your plant you pick enough leaves.
Bruise the leaves (twist and turn a little) to release the oils and put it into a mug with sugar to taste (the darker the better).
Pour over just boiled water and let it stew for a couple of minutes.
Easy as pie.
Coupled with a laptop and a dvd of choice it's my idea of regenerating.
*The other one I always think of strait away it basil. Have you ever put some into a vodka cranberry? Good stuff.
So while I am feeling utterly miserable, the few advantages of being sick in spring, and not in the depths of winter, are not lost on me.
I could, if bundled up to a sufficient degree, sit outside and let the sunshine, smells, sights and birdsong work some healing magic. (Not feeling particularly inclined at the moment.)
But what I definitely will do is take advantage of the first harvest of the 2010 growing season!
I have a special affection for herbs that can be used in both sweet and savory dishes. Mint is probably the most widely used of these. I love making sweet drinks and desserts with it. But think it is even better in salads like Tabbouleh.*
As you can see in the pictures this plant reemerges from apparent death after even the coldest of winters. It is basically a weed and therefor an easy plant to keep in a pot on a window sill. Some people will even discourage you from planting it in your garden without proper boundaries. I've always been convinced you can never have enough of it though!
Fresh mint tea is probably the simplest way I use this herb. And probably the most often. Depending on the strength of your plant you pick enough leaves.
Bruise the leaves (twist and turn a little) to release the oils and put it into a mug with sugar to taste (the darker the better).
Pour over just boiled water and let it stew for a couple of minutes.
Easy as pie.
Coupled with a laptop and a dvd of choice it's my idea of regenerating.
*The other one I always think of strait away it basil. Have you ever put some into a vodka cranberry? Good stuff.
Thursday, April 8, 2010
A new job...
... seems to have temporarily sucked up all my energy and (culinary) creativity.
Dear reader(s), I hope you had great Easter festivities. I did.
Please excuse me whilst I try to get my bearings with the new responsibilities and a commute. (I have never had to commute in my life.)
Regular posting to resume soon. I promise!
L
Dear reader(s), I hope you had great Easter festivities. I did.
Please excuse me whilst I try to get my bearings with the new responsibilities and a commute. (I have never had to commute in my life.)
Regular posting to resume soon. I promise!
L
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Lamb cutlets
Yesterday was spent recuperating from a great night out two days ago (! that's how good it was) and cooking for various sick family members in the house. This produced a couple of soups and a lot of grated apple. The Orange and White Asparagus Soup will definitely be made again.
But not having foreseen the blight of sickness, I had already done the shopping in anticipation of being able to cook something a little different. I went ahead with this plan for dinner and was not disappointed. The results of this recipe will have me raving like a lunatic for some time yet.
It is, to me, the perfect finger food. The cutlets can be enjoyed without cutlery and I will definitely make this for the next party, that deserves a bit of effort.
These crunchy, juicy morsels of meat had the perfect texture for the creamy yogurt sauce. The cumin and the fresh coriander gave it the perfect hint of Asia.
Can you sense that I LOVED this? And I was not alone.
Please excuse the lack of appropriate photo-documentation. This is one instance in which a thousand raving words will have to do instead of the perfect picture. (Hope to change that soon.)
This recipe is adapted from Bill Grangers Everyday book.
12 french trimmed lamb cutlets
1 egg
1,5 tablespoons milk
flour
80 grams of fresh bread crumbs
one small handful of finely chopped flat leaved parsley
1 generous tablespoon of finely chopped fresh coriander leaves
1 teaspoon lemon zest
half a teaspoon of ground cumin
Salt and pepper to taste
Olive oil for frying
Fill your flour into a flat, deep plate or bowl. In a second dish beat together the egg and milk. In the third mix together the breadcrumbs, herbs, zest and cumin. Then season to taste.
Take your lamb cutlets and beat them gently with the broad side of a chopping knife or a rolling pin. A classic meat hammer would probably tear them to shreds in seconds...
Dip the pieces of meat first in the flour (shake off excess), then in the egg and lastly into the crumb mixture. The general goal is to get as much breadcrumbs to stick and turn these beauties into crunchy delicacies when fried up.
Heat a frying pan to medium-high heat, add olive oil and fry the cutlets in batches for about two minutes per side. Keep them warm in the oven until you want to serve them.
Herb Yogurt Sauce
125 ml greek yogurt
2 tablespoons flat leaved parsley chopped
2 tablespoons coriander chopped
1 teaspoon lemon zest
salt to taste
a pinch of crumbled dry or finely chopped fresh chili, if desired
Very simply mix all of the above together and serve with your warm lamb cutlets.
*Advice on buying the meat in Switzerland: I found the cutlets sold at the local Coop to be slightly on the thick side. I chose to buy lamb racks instead and cut them up at home.
But not having foreseen the blight of sickness, I had already done the shopping in anticipation of being able to cook something a little different. I went ahead with this plan for dinner and was not disappointed. The results of this recipe will have me raving like a lunatic for some time yet.
It is, to me, the perfect finger food. The cutlets can be enjoyed without cutlery and I will definitely make this for the next party, that deserves a bit of effort.
These crunchy, juicy morsels of meat had the perfect texture for the creamy yogurt sauce. The cumin and the fresh coriander gave it the perfect hint of Asia.
Can you sense that I LOVED this? And I was not alone.
Please excuse the lack of appropriate photo-documentation. This is one instance in which a thousand raving words will have to do instead of the perfect picture. (Hope to change that soon.)
This recipe is adapted from Bill Grangers Everyday book.
12 french trimmed lamb cutlets
1 egg
1,5 tablespoons milk
flour
80 grams of fresh bread crumbs
one small handful of finely chopped flat leaved parsley
1 generous tablespoon of finely chopped fresh coriander leaves
1 teaspoon lemon zest
half a teaspoon of ground cumin
Salt and pepper to taste
Olive oil for frying
Fill your flour into a flat, deep plate or bowl. In a second dish beat together the egg and milk. In the third mix together the breadcrumbs, herbs, zest and cumin. Then season to taste.
Take your lamb cutlets and beat them gently with the broad side of a chopping knife or a rolling pin. A classic meat hammer would probably tear them to shreds in seconds...
Dip the pieces of meat first in the flour (shake off excess), then in the egg and lastly into the crumb mixture. The general goal is to get as much breadcrumbs to stick and turn these beauties into crunchy delicacies when fried up.
Heat a frying pan to medium-high heat, add olive oil and fry the cutlets in batches for about two minutes per side. Keep them warm in the oven until you want to serve them.
Herb Yogurt Sauce
125 ml greek yogurt
2 tablespoons flat leaved parsley chopped
2 tablespoons coriander chopped
1 teaspoon lemon zest
salt to taste
a pinch of crumbled dry or finely chopped fresh chili, if desired
Very simply mix all of the above together and serve with your warm lamb cutlets.
*Advice on buying the meat in Switzerland: I found the cutlets sold at the local Coop to be slightly on the thick side. I chose to buy lamb racks instead and cut them up at home.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Hooray for Spring and hooray for Soda Bread
The trees may be bare and the grass not yet green, but spring is definitely approaching! It's nearing is proclaimed by the first snowdrops and daffodil shoots, the birdsong which is noticed more than at any other time of the year and my personal spring fever which lead to purchase and potting of these beauties:
And not to be forgotten: The fact, that I am blogging from our veranda enjoying the sights of all of the above. Yes, I might still be in a light fleece while doing so. But I no longer need to don mittens, a scarf and a hat in the attempt. :-)
Today is St. Patrick's Day. This is not of any consequence in Switzerland. You can go everywhere without being confronted with the color green. We go from Carnival decorations strait to the Easter stuff.
Through reading blogs I adore from all over the world I am aware that this day has a lot of food connotations in other countries. And since I didn't want to dive in with corned beef or green beer, I thought I would try my hand at making a Soda Bread
The recipe can be found at smitten kitchen: http://smittenkitchen.com/2010/03/irish-soda-bread-scones/
I made some slight changes:
Since I had some cranberries in the pantry I added a mixture of currants and those. I like the tartness they added.
With no baking soda or cream of tartar (don't think you can even get that here) in the house, both were substituted with baking powder.
I love the result, especially with lots of cold butter. I am not sure however, if I might not have kneaded the dough enough....
I will definitely make this again but will probably try out a savoury version next.
Any suggestions?
And not to be forgotten: The fact, that I am blogging from our veranda enjoying the sights of all of the above. Yes, I might still be in a light fleece while doing so. But I no longer need to don mittens, a scarf and a hat in the attempt. :-)
Today is St. Patrick's Day. This is not of any consequence in Switzerland. You can go everywhere without being confronted with the color green. We go from Carnival decorations strait to the Easter stuff.
Through reading blogs I adore from all over the world I am aware that this day has a lot of food connotations in other countries. And since I didn't want to dive in with corned beef or green beer, I thought I would try my hand at making a Soda Bread
The recipe can be found at smitten kitchen: http://smittenkitchen.com/2010/03/irish-soda-bread-scones/
I made some slight changes:
Since I had some cranberries in the pantry I added a mixture of currants and those. I like the tartness they added.
With no baking soda or cream of tartar (don't think you can even get that here) in the house, both were substituted with baking powder.
I love the result, especially with lots of cold butter. I am not sure however, if I might not have kneaded the dough enough....
I will definitely make this again but will probably try out a savoury version next.
Any suggestions?
Saturday, March 6, 2010
That kind of day...
Have you ever had to take three tries to cook an egg?
And I am not talking about some fancy poached number. (I know they're supposed to be easy. The skill of their preparation just eludes me.) I am talking about a plain and simple soft boiled egg.
First try; (And I HATE when this happens.) The egg shell cracks a couple of seconds after you let it slide into the boiling water with the utmost delicacy.
Second try: To save you breakfast (and face) you decide to make a simple oeuf en cocotte. So you save the cracked egg from the boiling water and put it into one of those ramekins with a splash of cream, salt and pepper. The ramekin goes back into the pan with the slightly murky water and you give it an extra minute.
At the end of the allotted time you take it out carefully and unscrew the top to see if the egg is done. Of course not! So you put the bugger back into the water, but because you didn't screw on the top correctly, the whole thing falls out of your hand and empties its contents into the already murky water. Aaaargh!
Third try: You clean out the pan, put new water to boil, get a new egg out of the fridge and put the warm egg yolk (the only part of your prior experiments you were able to save) onto a piece of toast, which you devour as you wait for your egg to boil.
Congratulations! Third time lucky!
Some days have hardly begun and you already can't wait until they're over.
I'm glad this one is.
And I am not talking about some fancy poached number. (I know they're supposed to be easy. The skill of their preparation just eludes me.) I am talking about a plain and simple soft boiled egg.
First try; (And I HATE when this happens.) The egg shell cracks a couple of seconds after you let it slide into the boiling water with the utmost delicacy.
Second try: To save you breakfast (and face) you decide to make a simple oeuf en cocotte. So you save the cracked egg from the boiling water and put it into one of those ramekins with a splash of cream, salt and pepper. The ramekin goes back into the pan with the slightly murky water and you give it an extra minute.
At the end of the allotted time you take it out carefully and unscrew the top to see if the egg is done. Of course not! So you put the bugger back into the water, but because you didn't screw on the top correctly, the whole thing falls out of your hand and empties its contents into the already murky water. Aaaargh!
Third try: You clean out the pan, put new water to boil, get a new egg out of the fridge and put the warm egg yolk (the only part of your prior experiments you were able to save) onto a piece of toast, which you devour as you wait for your egg to boil.
Congratulations! Third time lucky!
Some days have hardly begun and you already can't wait until they're over.
I'm glad this one is.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Hollandaise sauce and all its merits
I remember having a lively discussion with my aunt about all the different ways to enjoy Hollandaise Sauce; on steamed asparagus, with roast beef (granted, this would more likely be its cousin the Sauce Bearnaise), over poached eggs for breakfast or cold with hard boiled eggs at Easter Brunch. (It's a family tradition, don't ask.)
She added as an afterthought, that a friend of hers had confessed to have the habit of eating leftovers of it as pasta sauce.... We both tried picturing this and were not at all enamored of the idea. I should have made a picture of the disgusted faces.
Well, I am here to repent and recant. I had made a lemon foam sauce to go with pork chops the night before. It was simply a mixture of vegetable stock, two eggs and the juice and zest of half a lime whisked and heated over a double boiler. When this was quite firm a small amount of cold butter (50 gr.) was cut into pieces and stirred into the mixture.
This is a light version of a Hollandaise Sauce.
At lunch the next day I cooked my favorite pasta (linguine, for the record) and added a good handful of grated parmesan and some more lemon juice to the cup of leftover lime sauce.
I drained the pasta, but not too dry. The residual heat of the pasta ensures the sauce, the cheese and the pasta water come together beautifully. This is a silky, rich indulgence. I will surely make this again one day.
She added as an afterthought, that a friend of hers had confessed to have the habit of eating leftovers of it as pasta sauce.... We both tried picturing this and were not at all enamored of the idea. I should have made a picture of the disgusted faces.
Well, I am here to repent and recant. I had made a lemon foam sauce to go with pork chops the night before. It was simply a mixture of vegetable stock, two eggs and the juice and zest of half a lime whisked and heated over a double boiler. When this was quite firm a small amount of cold butter (50 gr.) was cut into pieces and stirred into the mixture.
This is a light version of a Hollandaise Sauce.
At lunch the next day I cooked my favorite pasta (linguine, for the record) and added a good handful of grated parmesan and some more lemon juice to the cup of leftover lime sauce.
I drained the pasta, but not too dry. The residual heat of the pasta ensures the sauce, the cheese and the pasta water come together beautifully. This is a silky, rich indulgence. I will surely make this again one day.
Friday, February 19, 2010
Pretty, cheap things
I am well aware that this post has nothing to do with either cooking nor reading. Can I just declare it to be part of the general "living" side of things?
I have another obsession which did not make it into the title of this blog. (If I packed everything of interest to me in there, it would be constantly changing and much too long.)
Growing this has fascinated me since childhood. It did happen upon an occasional damper during the teen years when I let an African violet or two die miserably. But those days have passed.
I give you the easiest and most impressive indoor plant known:
The Orchid
The only thing it needs is light and a weekly bath. Even the tiniest apartment will be able to provide those.
Don't water orchids. They don't like to stand in the wet and therefore the quantities and timing can be tricky. A friend gave me this trick years ago and I have been using it ever since: Once a week fill up the pot completely with lukewarm water. Leave it to stand for at least 20 minutes but no longer than two hours. Then let the plant drain off completely. I have forgotten them in their bath for a few hours a couple of times (no biggie).
I might feed them about three times a year. That's it.
They bloom for months on end. Imagine buying cut flowers during all of this time. If you keep them, practice a little patience and give them a little TLC they'll come again and again.
They always remind me of flying to Thailand... Thai Airways always distributed orchid corsages on the flight.
A single blooming plant can make a big impression. Give them a try and tell me what you think!
I have another obsession which did not make it into the title of this blog. (If I packed everything of interest to me in there, it would be constantly changing and much too long.)
Growing this has fascinated me since childhood. It did happen upon an occasional damper during the teen years when I let an African violet or two die miserably. But those days have passed.
I give you the easiest and most impressive indoor plant known:
The Orchid
The only thing it needs is light and a weekly bath. Even the tiniest apartment will be able to provide those.
Don't water orchids. They don't like to stand in the wet and therefore the quantities and timing can be tricky. A friend gave me this trick years ago and I have been using it ever since: Once a week fill up the pot completely with lukewarm water. Leave it to stand for at least 20 minutes but no longer than two hours. Then let the plant drain off completely. I have forgotten them in their bath for a few hours a couple of times (no biggie).
I might feed them about three times a year. That's it.
They bloom for months on end. Imagine buying cut flowers during all of this time. If you keep them, practice a little patience and give them a little TLC they'll come again and again.
They always remind me of flying to Thailand... Thai Airways always distributed orchid corsages on the flight.
A single blooming plant can make a big impression. Give them a try and tell me what you think!
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Awful Offal?
Spring is just around the corner. It must be!
At least that's what I tell myself to keep from going crazy. I might be a little bit over-optimistic, but I already cut back all of the woody herbs and my indoor chili plant...
And then I found this little beauty underneath everything else. This will have to tide me over until warmer days arrive.
Later the same day I cooked something with the same herb. And let this be a fair warning to anyone who isn't similarly inclined. I cooked myself some lovely Fegato alla Veneziana, or in plain English Chicken Livers with Sage, Marsala and Onions...
Thank you, please come back and visit soon. (This will not be a recurring topic. I promise)
I will presume that the only people still reading are those who can also handle corresponding pictures.
First of all: I am unsure if this is the original composition of the Venetian Chicken Livers. My father dubbed this dish and the name has stuck.
Ingredients:
Fat for frying
Chicken livers
Marsala
Fresh Sage leaves
One small onion, red or white
Salt and Pepper
First of all you want to marinate the cleaned livers in a generous lashing of Marsala and add a couple of (can be roughly chopped) fresh sage leaves. Leave this standing at room temperature for 20 minutes or half an hour. In the last couple of minutes take a small onion and slice it not too finely.
Heat a frying pan to high heat and fry the livers only in a little clarified butter or oil of choice. Turn them over after a couple of minutes and cook them until they are just done. Put them aside.
In a bit more clarified butter or oil fry off the sage leaves until crispy. (These could be put aside and sprinkled over the finished dish.) In the sage infused fat, fry the sliced onions to taste. I like them to still retain a bit of crunchy texture. Add all of the Marsala used to marinate and let it reduce and cook of the alcohol. Add back the livers and cook them in the sauce for one or two minutes. Adjust the seasoning.
Serve with a couple of slices of crusty bread to soak up the sauce with.
E Guete!
At least that's what I tell myself to keep from going crazy. I might be a little bit over-optimistic, but I already cut back all of the woody herbs and my indoor chili plant...
And then I found this little beauty underneath everything else. This will have to tide me over until warmer days arrive.
Later the same day I cooked something with the same herb. And let this be a fair warning to anyone who isn't similarly inclined. I cooked myself some lovely Fegato alla Veneziana, or in plain English Chicken Livers with Sage, Marsala and Onions...
Thank you, please come back and visit soon. (This will not be a recurring topic. I promise)
I will presume that the only people still reading are those who can also handle corresponding pictures.
First of all: I am unsure if this is the original composition of the Venetian Chicken Livers. My father dubbed this dish and the name has stuck.
Ingredients:
Fat for frying
Chicken livers
Marsala
Fresh Sage leaves
One small onion, red or white
Salt and Pepper
First of all you want to marinate the cleaned livers in a generous lashing of Marsala and add a couple of (can be roughly chopped) fresh sage leaves. Leave this standing at room temperature for 20 minutes or half an hour. In the last couple of minutes take a small onion and slice it not too finely.
Heat a frying pan to high heat and fry the livers only in a little clarified butter or oil of choice. Turn them over after a couple of minutes and cook them until they are just done. Put them aside.
In a bit more clarified butter or oil fry off the sage leaves until crispy. (These could be put aside and sprinkled over the finished dish.) In the sage infused fat, fry the sliced onions to taste. I like them to still retain a bit of crunchy texture. Add all of the Marsala used to marinate and let it reduce and cook of the alcohol. Add back the livers and cook them in the sauce for one or two minutes. Adjust the seasoning.
Serve with a couple of slices of crusty bread to soak up the sauce with.
E Guete!
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Perfect endings...
Last Saturday was supposed to be THE night. All my girls got together for dinner and the idea was to go out afterwards. But as those plans go....
We had something to nibble before some homemade cannelloni were dished up. The recipe was one of Jamie Oliver's that I have also used myself. They were so delicious. Over wine we got to talking and time seemed to fly.
For desert I had made the Pioneer Woman's Lemon Olive Oil& Thyme cakes and they were so nice.
The simple lemon, butter and powder sugar frosting gave the otherwise fluffy cakes the perfect amount of texture. Although I did make about a third less than in the recipe, it was the perfect amount. I probably under baked these beauties a little. But I have no regrets as there is nothing I like less than a too dry cake... These were perfect.
I will certainly make them again, but am thinking of something to substitute the thyme. I personally liked them but some (like my mother) would prefer something less "edgy"...
PS: Of course not one of us set foot into a club that night... In the end we were all just yearning to go home. Are we getting old? :-)
We had something to nibble before some homemade cannelloni were dished up. The recipe was one of Jamie Oliver's that I have also used myself. They were so delicious. Over wine we got to talking and time seemed to fly.
For desert I had made the Pioneer Woman's Lemon Olive Oil& Thyme cakes and they were so nice.
The simple lemon, butter and powder sugar frosting gave the otherwise fluffy cakes the perfect amount of texture. Although I did make about a third less than in the recipe, it was the perfect amount. I probably under baked these beauties a little. But I have no regrets as there is nothing I like less than a too dry cake... These were perfect.
I will certainly make them again, but am thinking of something to substitute the thyme. I personally liked them but some (like my mother) would prefer something less "edgy"...
PS: Of course not one of us set foot into a club that night... In the end we were all just yearning to go home. Are we getting old? :-)
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Improvised asian pork chops
These pork chops were a spur of the moment thing. We used what we had on hand and they turned out very delectable.
The marinade was;
lots of soy sauce
a couple of cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
a dash of ginger powder (because we didn't have any fresh)
a generous table spoon of homemade orange marmalade, very finely chopped (because the sister doesn't like it) *devilish*
In hindsight a little chopped chili would have been nice too.
We prepared the chops with a generous sprinkling of Dayong powder* on both sides and let them sit in the marinade for half an hour.
The chops were cooked about four minutes on both sides and left to rest under aluminum foil whilst the leftover marinade was used to make a sauce. I just let the marinade and a splash of white wine reduce in the pan that was used to cook the chops. Then I stirred in cold butter and adjusted the seasoning.
Served in slices with a few waxy potato and salad. Sorry, no pictures. We were sooo hungry.
*This is my fathers secret ingredient for cooking meats of all kind. It's an Asian (I think Chinese) spice mixture that gives the dish a more rounded flavor with a hint of exotic. But it doesn't really dominate the taste of the dish.
The marinade was;
lots of soy sauce
a couple of cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
a dash of ginger powder (because we didn't have any fresh)
a generous table spoon of homemade orange marmalade, very finely chopped (because the sister doesn't like it) *devilish*
In hindsight a little chopped chili would have been nice too.
We prepared the chops with a generous sprinkling of Dayong powder* on both sides and let them sit in the marinade for half an hour.
The chops were cooked about four minutes on both sides and left to rest under aluminum foil whilst the leftover marinade was used to make a sauce. I just let the marinade and a splash of white wine reduce in the pan that was used to cook the chops. Then I stirred in cold butter and adjusted the seasoning.
Served in slices with a few waxy potato and salad. Sorry, no pictures. We were sooo hungry.
*This is my fathers secret ingredient for cooking meats of all kind. It's an Asian (I think Chinese) spice mixture that gives the dish a more rounded flavor with a hint of exotic. But it doesn't really dominate the taste of the dish.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
The unintentional hiatus is over
I am so sorry for sliding straight into February without another post.
The last week was spent in these surroundings:
A week spent with my sister and her boyfriend is time well spent. Although I didn't get much reading done I was "forced" to watch more tennis than ever before and did learn a thing or two about it.
We did cook one or two meals worthy of a post (maybe later), but since the substantial part of our nutrition was lunches in cosy slope-side cabin restaurants, our homecooked dinners were mostly a simple, quick affair eaten in front of the television. ( Oh, shock subside.)I loved this still life on three different interpretations of a hot dog...
Good times. The train ride home was like a trans-Siberian express journey. I am glad January is over and we are getting closer to spring with each day.
The last week was spent in these surroundings:
A week spent with my sister and her boyfriend is time well spent. Although I didn't get much reading done I was "forced" to watch more tennis than ever before and did learn a thing or two about it.
We did cook one or two meals worthy of a post (maybe later), but since the substantial part of our nutrition was lunches in cosy slope-side cabin restaurants, our homecooked dinners were mostly a simple, quick affair eaten in front of the television. ( Oh, shock subside.)I loved this still life on three different interpretations of a hot dog...
Good times. The train ride home was like a trans-Siberian express journey. I am glad January is over and we are getting closer to spring with each day.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
