Spicing up the day

I'm not much into spicy dishes. Anything hot is usually too hot for me but I'm learning to adjust my taste to "new" flavours, and my cooking experiences (for instance with chilies) to my (mild) tastes... I guess the spice girl in me is not overly spicy or (anywhere) hot!! Which brings us to a soup. What were you thinking?? ;) But this is no ordinary soup. This is one of the best soups I had in a while. Nigel Slater's Kitchen Diaries is not just an adorable voyage in his daily kitchen but a very good recipe book. This is the soup Nigel made in New Year's, and it's not just a good start for a book. It's a darn good suggestion for a hearty soup.



Dal and Pumpkin Soup

Adapted from Nigel Slater's The Kitchen Diaries: A Year in the Kitchen

Makes 4 good-size bowls

1 small onion
2 cloves garlic
A walnut-sized knob of ginger
225 grams split red lentils
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp ground chili
250 grams pumpkin
small bunch coriander, roughly chopped

For the onion topping:
2 medium onions
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 small hot chillies (or chili flakes, if fresh chilies aren't available)
2 cloves garlic

Peel the onion and chop it roughly. Peel and crush the garlic and put it with the onion into a medium-sized, heavy saucepan. Peel the ginger, cut it into thin shreds and stir that in too. Add the lentils and pour in 1 1/2 litres (6 cups) of water. Bring to the boil, then turn the heat down to an enthusiastic simmer. Stir in the ground turmeric and chili, season and leave to simmer, covered, for twenty minutes.

While the soup is cooking, bring a medium-size pan of water to the boil. Peel the pumpkin and scoop out the seeds and fibre, then cut the flesh into fat chunks. Boil the pumpkin pieces for ten minutes, until they are tender enough to take a skewer without much pressure. Drain them and set aside.

To make the onion topping, peel the onions and cut them into thin rings. Cook them in the oil in a shallow pan until they start to colour. Cut the chilies in half, scrape out the seeds and slice the flesh finely. Peel and finely slice the garlic and add it with the chilies to the onions. Continue cooking until the onions are a deep golden brown. Set aside.

Remove the lid from the lentils and turn up the heat, boiling hard for 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, then add the drained pumpkin. Blend the soup through until smooth, then pour it into a bowl. Stir in the roughly chopped coriander and check the seasoning. Serve in deep bowls with a spoonful of the spiced onions on top.

DB#30 or Cheesy (cake) time!

I love cheese. Any cheese, all types of cheese, anytime! Cooked, simple, baked, in savoury or sweet recipes. I LOVE cheese.
What are my feelings about cheesecake? It's gooooood! Knowing that April's challenge would make the Daring Bakers to get into cheese land left me with a smile on my face when I first read the recipe Jenny had chosen. Thanks Jenny, it was a wonderful one!

The April 2009 challenge is hosted by Jenny from Jenny Bakes. She has chosen Abbey's Infamous Cheesecake as the challenge.

Abbey's Infamous Cheesecake

Café au lait cheesecake with caramel sauce

crust:
2 cups / 180 g graham cracker crumbs
1 stick / 120 grams butter, melted
2 tbsp. / 24 g sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract

cheesecake:
3 sticks of cream cheese, (710 grams total) room temperature
1 cup / 210 g sugar
3 large eggs
1 cup / 250 ml heavy cream
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tbsp. vanilla extract (or the innards of a vanilla bean)
1 tbsp liqueur, optional (I used whisky)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (Gas Mark 4 = 180C = Moderate heat). Begin to boil a large pot of water for the water bath.

2. Mix together the crust ingredients and press into your preferred pan. You can press the crust just into the bottom, or up the sides of the pan too - baker's choice. Set crust aside.

3. Combine cream cheese and sugar in the bowl of a stand-mixer (or in a large bowl if using a hand-mixer) and cream together until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, fully incorporating each before adding the next. Make sure to scrape down the bowl in between each egg. take 1/4 cup of the heavy cream and heat it in the microwave for a short amount of time until very hot. Add 1-2 tbsp. instant espresso or instant coffee; stir to dissolve. Add this to the remainder of creaml. Add heavy cream, vanilla, lemon juice, and alcohol and blend until smooth and creamy.

4. Pour batter into prepared crust and tap the pan on the counter a few times to bring all air bubbles to the surface. Place pan into a larger pan and pour boiling water into the larger pan until halfway up the side of the cheesecake pan. If cheesecake pan is not airtight, cover bottom securely with foil before adding water.

5. Bake 45 to 55 minutes, until it is almost done - this can be hard to judge, but you're looking for the cake to hold together, but still have a lot of jiggle to it in the center. You don't want it to be completely firm at this stage. Close the oven door, turn the heat off, and let rest in the cooling oven for one hour. This lets the cake finish cooking and cool down gently enough so that it won't crack on the top. After one hour, remove cheesecake from oven and lift carefully out of water bath. Let it finish cooling on the counter, and then cover and put in the fridge to chill. Once fully chilled, it is ready to serve.

Top cheesecake with homemade caramel sauce.



Ina Garten's Caramel sauce here.

1 1/2 cups sugar
1/3 cup water
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Mix the water and sugar in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan. Cook over low heat for 5 to 10 minutes, until the sugar dissolves. Do not stir. Increase the heat to medium and boil uncovered until the sugar turns a warm chestnut brown (about 350 degrees F on a candy thermometer), about 5 to 7 minutes, gently swirling the pan to stir the mixture. Be careful – the mixture is extremely hot! Turn off the heat. Stand back to avoid splattering and slowly add the cream and vanilla.

Simmer over low heat, stirring constantly, until the caramel dissolves and the sauce is smooth, about 2 minutes. Allow to cool to room temperature, at least 4 hours. It will thicken as it sits.

Pan note: The creator of this recipe used to use a springform pan, but no matter how well she wrapped the thing in tin foil, water would always seep in and make the crust soggy. Now she uses one of those 1-use foil "casserole" shaped pans from the grocery store. They're 8 or 9 inches wide and really deep, and best of all, water-tight. When it comes time to serve, just cut the foil away.

Prep notes: While the actual making of this cheesecake is a minimal time commitment, it does need to bake for almost an hour, cool in the oven for an hour, and chill overnight before it is served. Please plan accordingly!



My thoughts on the challenge:
- The recipe worked fine for me. I've used half recipe (2 small eggs) to bake 6 individual ramekins - it took about 25 minutes.
- Café au lait cheesecake with caramel sauce was a perfect match of flavours. I've added half a tablespoon of whisky which gave it a Bailey's Liquor taste that worked really nice with the remaining ingredients!
- Half recipe is enough for the sauce if not using full cheesecake recipe.
- I'll definitely be making the cheesecake again perhaps in a chocolate or fruity version.

Check all the amazing variations fellow Daring Bakers came up with here!

Spring where are you?

It's officially Springtime. Or so says my calendar. A quick look outside the window, and I feel like rephrasing it: it's Springtime, right? So why does it keep on raining? Why do I keep wearing extra layers of clothes? And we're a little itchy today, aren't we?! Don't know about you but I could use a little sunshine. Sigh. Like the 'philosopher' Jagger once stated "You can't always get what you want, but if you try sometimes, well you just might find you get what you need". Bright guy. ;)

I need colourful food with a hint of sunshine. Something slightly mediterranean... Bell peppers and Feta cheese! Aren't they springy? Stuffed peppers are great as a side dish to any meat or as a starter. For me is good enough for a light meal with a bowl of green salad. Where's Spring, anyone knows?



Stuffed Red Peppers with Wild Rice, Broccoli and Feta

Serves 2

2 sweet red (bell) peppers
1 cup cooked wild rice
2 cups small broccoli florets, steamed
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp dry basil

Preheat oven to 180ºC (360ºF).

Cut peppers in half and remove stems and seeds. Sprinkle the interior with salt. Place the halves in ovenproof dishes. Saute the onion until almost soft. Add the broccoli florets and the minced garlic. Cook for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat, and stir in the cooked wild rice. Season to taste.

Fill peppers with the rice mixture. Top with the crumbled feta. Sprinkle dry basil. Loosely cover with foil. Bake covered 25 minutes, uncover and bake 10 minutes more or until peppers are tender.

The best cookies in the whole world

"The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated" - Mark Twain once said after hearing that his obituary had been published in the New York Journal. I feel the same way when I name these the best cookies in the whole world... It's at least questionable since no one has been able to actually taste ALL the cookies in the world. But my other half says these are the best, and the man isn't called Mr. Taster for nothing! Plus, they're a charm to make, and look really nice.



Oat Raisin Almond Cookies

Lightly adapted from Cordon Bleu.

Makes 40

1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup (110 grs) firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup (100 grs) fine caster sugar
1/2 cup (120 grs) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup (100 grs) raisins
1 cup (150g) plain flour
1/2 tsp Bicarbonate of soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup (100 grs) rolled oats
1/2 cup (50 grs) slivered almonds
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 Tbsp milk

Preheat the oven to 180ºC (350ºF). Grease oven trays, and line with baking paper. (Or use silicone sheets)

Cream both sugars with the butter. Add the egg, vanilla extract and the milk, and beat until smooth. Sift the flour, the salt and the bicarbonate of soda into another mixing bowl. Add to egg mixture until just combined. Mix in oats, almonds and raisins, and mix until dough forms. (The mixture should be on the soft side.)

With an ice cream spoon, place each portion onto the baking sheet, allowing enough space between each other (5 cm) for spreading. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden. Transfer to a metal rack to cool.

My cat approves as well! ;)



UPDATE: These cookies got a mention from Dan Lepard at the Guardian!! I feel honoured specially because his Exceptional baking books have been part of my favourites for a while... Thanks!

4 for 6 - an ode to the potato

It's been a while since I shared a recipe and some thoughts with you. I have no idea about where March went to... I've been doing so many things, dreaming of so many more that time just wasn't enough to pass by and say hello. But I'm back to tell you all about a great project I've been working together with a bunch of talented Portuguese bloggers! When my friend Mariana asked me to take part on 4 por 6 working balanced meals for 4 persons with a budget of 6€, I was really happy with the idea of helping people plan their food with little money. Although this is obviously focused on Portugal's present scene, I thought I could share the recipes with you anyway.

So today we're doing potato an ode, and will be having the first strawberries of the season!



Potato, Onion, Zucchini and Bacon Tian
Tian aux pommes de terre, oignons, courgettes et pancetta
Adapted slightly from French Magazine Saveurs, n.162 July/August 2008

Serves 4

4 small-medium potatoes (500 grs)
2 medium onions (I used red onions but white are fine too)
4 small zucchini (400 grs)
12 bacon strips (about 175 grs)
1 Tbps fresh thyme (just the leaves)
3 Tbps (50 ml) olive oil
3 Tbps (50 ml) single cream (optional)

Preheat the oven to 180ºC (360ºF). Peel the potatoes and cut into thin slices. Put aside in a bowl covered with water. Slice (unpeeled) zucchinis and peeled onions about the same size of the potatoes. Discard the water from the potatoes, add half the olive and season with salt and fresly ground black pepper. Toss to coat. In a covered ovenproof dish (or individual ones), place the potato, zucchini, and onion slices with the bacon strips (halved) to create alternate "layers". Sprinkle the thyme leaves on top. Add the remaining olive oil and single cream (if using any). Finish with about 3 Tbps (50 ml) of water, and cover. Bake for 20 minutes. After that, remove the lid, slightly increase the oven temperature, and leave for an extra 5-10 minutes or until golden. Serve warm with watercress salad.



And for dessert: soup!

Strawberry and Basil Soup
Adapted (slightly) from Elle à la table, n.63 March/April 2009

Serves 4

500 grs strawberries
6 basil leaves (or ment or lime-thyme)
35 grs sugar
1 Tbps balsamic vinegar
dash of white pepper

Wash the strawberries, remove leaves, and half each one. Put 1/4 of the strawberries in a saucepan with 1/2 cup (125 ml) of water, sugar, white pepper, 2 basil leaves and boil for 5 minutos. Add balsamic vinegar and bring to a boil once again. Place the remaining strawberries into serving bowls and pour the cooled syrup (you may or may not sieve it before). Finish with a basil leaf on top.



I've actually manage to buy the ingredients for the main dish and the dessert with only a total of 4.95€ ... More suggestions 4 por 6 (in Portuguese) at my partners in this project: Mariana, Pipoka, Laranjinha, Elvira and Marizé. We'll be running 4 for 6 every two weeks. Stay tuned for many more cheap meals!!

Pasta or rice?

Daily decisions aren't always a piece of cake... Sometimes it's all about grains. Pasta or rice? How about pasta that looks like rice? Risoni is a rice shaped pasta (sometimes called orzo) that shouldn't just be reserved for soups – risoni is quite versatile, and makes a nice change to 'regular' pasta or risotto. Chard is not so usual around here. I've been lucky with a new organic supermarket in my neighborhood that had beautiful purple chard.



Chard Risoni with Quark

Serves 2

1 cup (220grs) risoni
2 1/2 cups (625ml) vegetable stock
1 Tbsp butter
1/2 cup (100grs) Quark
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 Tbsp olive oil
a bunch of Chard (from 2 small beet-roots), steamed and coarsely chopped
1/2 cup bacon, chopped (optional)
grated Parmesan, to serve
rocket, to serve

Heat vegetable stock in a deep pan. Add the risoni and cook for 8-10 minutes (or according to packet directions), stirring occasionally. Sauté bacon in a large saucepan with olive oil and garlic, until crisp (2-3 minutes). Remove the bacon from the pan and set aside. Add steamed Chard to the remaining juices in the saucepan and cook for a couple of minutes. Once risoni is cooked, stir in the butter, and season with sea salt and black pepper.

To serve, place the risoni in a large deep plate (or a bowl), sprinkle with bacon, add a couple of tablespoons of Quark and half the Chard. Top with grated Parmesan and rocket. Serve immediately.

DB#28 or Two hearts as one!

We didn't have this cake for valentine's. In fact, we're not good at celebrating this date, which means that having been in Paris for St. Valentine's day in the last couple of years has been pure coincidence. But let me tell you that Paris has to be the most perfect place on Earth to be with your half! I've completed the Daring Bakers February's challenge last week, baking 8 beautiful heart-shaped cakes that were served with vanilla flavoured Quark and red-currants. Perfect combination indeed!

The February 2009 challenge is hosted by Wendy of WMPE's blog and Dharm of Dad ~ Baker & Chef.
We have chosen a Chocolate Valentino cake by Chef Wan; a Vanilla Ice Cream recipe from Dharm and a Vanilla Ice Cream recipe from Wendy as the challenge.



Chocolate Valentino
Adapted from Chef Wan

Preparation Time: 20 minutes

16 ounces (1 pound) (454 grams) of semisweet chocolate, roughly chopped
½ cup (1 stick) plus 2 tablespoons (146 grams total) of unsalted butter
5 large eggs separated

1. Put chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl and set over a pan of simmering water (the bottom of the bowl should not touch the water) and melt, stirring often.
2. While your chocolate butter mixture is cooling. Butter your pan and line with a parchment circle then butter the parchment.
3. Separate the egg yolks from the egg whites and put into two medium/large bowls.
4. Whip the egg whites in a medium/large grease free bowl until stiff peaks are formed (do not over-whip or the cake will be dry).
5. With the same beater beat the egg yolks together.
6. Add the egg yolks to the cooled chocolate.
7. Fold in 1/3 of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture and follow with remaining 2/3rds. Fold until no white remains without deflating the batter. {link of folding demonstration}
8. Pour batter into prepared pan, the batter should fill the pan 3/4 of the way full, and bake at 375F/190C
9. Bake for 25 minutes until an instant read thermometer reads 140F/60C.
Note – If you do not have an instant read thermometer, the top of the cake will look similar to a brownie and a cake tester will appear wet.
10. Cool cake on a rack for 10 minutes then unmold.



My thoughts on the challenge:
- I've halved the recipe, and it worked just fine!
- Not having a mould to bake a heart-shaped cake, I've baked it in my silicone moulds - got 8 individual cakes.
- It's not warm in Lisbon. Not just yet. I really wanted to give it a try at a vanilla ice cream but in the end I couldn't find the time to make it or how to fit the bowl in my freezer. I've served the cakes together with Quark (added a little vanilla sugar) and red currants. Just thought some red was due!!
- My overall opinion about this recipe is really positive: the cake is easy to make and everybody liked it. It's not a cake to bake often but for a special occasion (if chocoholics are involved), I think it can be a nice option.

Thanks Wendy & Dharm for such a LOVEly recipe! ;-) Do check all the Daring Bakers creations: head over to the blogroll!

French mood

Sometimes an accident is a good thing, even when it means a burning dish. Anyone who cooks regularly knows how things can get out of control in the kitchen, and how sometimes you have to find a way to still manage something for dinner despite overcooked / burned pots. When sisters Tatin came up with their signature dish, an upside-down tart was rather unusual. Originally made of caramelized apples, Tarte Tatin became a classic with many versions, some of them savoury. To keep me into French mood, I made a shallot tart tatin. Voilá!



French Shallot Tart Tatin
Adapted from Delicious Magazine, February 2009

Serves 6

For the pastry:
125 grs plain flour
60 grs unsalted butter, chopped and cold
3 tsp wholegrain mustard
1 large egg yolk

For the "topping":
750 grs small medium shallots (about 12-16), unpeeled
125 grs plain flour
50 grs unsalted butter
2 Tbsp olive oil
4 Tbsp brown sugar
3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves

The pastry can be done by hand or using a food processor. (I've done mine by hand, and it was easy) Sift the flour with a good pinch of salt, and mix in the mustard with a fork. Rub the chopped butter with your fingertips, until combined and resembling coarse breadcrumbs. Make a well in the centre. Use a knife to mix in the egg yolk until it comes together. Add 2 or 3 Tbsp ice water if it seems too dry. Without kneading, use your hands to press the dough together into a round disc. Cover with cling film and refrigerate for half an hour.

Boil the shallots in salted water for 5 minutes, to make them easier to peel. Drain and cool, then peel the shallots (leave the root ends). Melt butter and oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook for 15 minutes or until starting to soft. Mix in the sugar, vinegar and 3 Tbps of water, and stir. Cook over low heat until the liquid has reduced and has become syrupy (about 15 minutes), turning the shallots occasionally.

Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Grease a shallow tin (about 20 cm round) with butter. Place the shallots and any remaining liquid in the tin. Roll out the pastry between 2 sheets of parchment paper to a circle slightly larger than the tin. Top with the pastry round, tucking edges into pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the pastry is golden.

Remove from the oven. Keep in the tin for 5 minutes on a wire rack. Carefully invert onto a serving plate. Sprinkle with thyme leaves. Serve while warm.

Paris, encore une fois.

Every time I look down on this timeless town,
Whether blue or gray be her skies,
Whether loud be her cheers, or whether soft be her tears,
More and more do I realize that...

I love Paris in the spring time
I love Paris in the fall
I love Paris in the winter when it drizzles
I love Paris in the summer when it sizzles

I love Paris every moment
Every moment of the year
I love Paris, why oh why do I love Paris?
Because my love is here

It's the Doris Day's version, the one Cole Porter preferred (or so it has been said) that is playing in my head over and over whilst I type. I've been to Paris in February, June and September, which pretty much covers every season. Like Doris Day, Ella Fitzgerald, Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra or Patti LuPone and many others non-musicians before me, I love Paris. Even when it drizzles. And trust me, it did.

There's some sort of magic to walk the boulevards in the cold, buy some books and find a warm place to have café au lait et pain aux raisins... Or to cross the Jardin des Tuileries to visit some exhibitions at Jeu de Paume et à l'Hôtel de Sully with a shy sun trying to make it through.



Or just to return to your all favourite bistrot, only to find out that it remains the same. Taking the risk to sound like a broken old record, I love Paris. Specially if my love is there.

February, Paris & Madeleines

It's February, and we're on our way to a few days in freezing Paris, like we did last year. You've probably got it already from last post. Yes, we're heading for Paris again. And again. Casablanca is responsible for the famous "we'll always have Paris" to which I'd only had that we'll always be going back to Paris. Even when it's February, and no one in his/her perfect mind would choose any Central Europe destination. Oh well. The weather forecasts are quite bad - not at all like the sunniest of days we got there last June (photo above) but it's Paris, so we'll find many things to do, eat and see.

In between dreams of macaroons and crème brûlée, I've made madeleines. But not just any madeleines. This is Christian Constant's recipe (and you know how much a like him, don't you?). I've made madeleines for the first time last year when we got back from Paris. Chocolate Madeleines. The recipe is quite easy to follow, I just made 2/3 to fit my pans.



Madeleines
Adapted from Christian Constant, Ma Cuisine au Quotidien

Makes 20-25

2 large eggs
3/4 cup (90 grs) powdered sugar
1 Tbsp + 1 tsp (20 grs) honey
1 Tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup + 2 Tbsp (135 grs) all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup + 1 Tbsp (135 grs) unsalted butter

Cream eggs, sugar, honey, vanilla extract and milk until combined. Sift flour and baking powder, and mix in.

You need "noisette butter" or beurre noisette (literally, "hazelnut butter") for this recipe. It's basically clarified butter with a fragrant nutty flavour. In a saucepan over medium to high heat, brown the butter until golden. Sieve, and set aside to cool. Carefully fold the cooled butter, using a spatula, without whisking. Refrigerate for up to 24 hours.

Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Grease a mold for madeleines, and sprinkle with flour (use a sieve for better and faster results).

Fill each mold with spoonfuls of batter until 3/4 full. Bake for 4 minutes. Reduce oven to 180ºC (350ºF), and bake another 4 minutes.