Love of Good Food

2009-01-09T15:44:00.000-08:00

Welcome everyone,

I hope my blog is helping you with new cuisine ideas.

I do my best to update every time I have few minutes to spare.

There is a lot of work and information to organize.

Please feel free to visit, anytime you please.
Cuisinette & Co.

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Awards I am honored to present to:

Laura - Daneza - Alison - Totoro - Cuina Banateana - Bucatar maniac - Gabi Cara

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Awards I have received

Thank you Alison for such a great honor.

Thank you Sava Laura for such a great honor.
She is the best young cook/baker I know. Good luck Laura.
Thank you Laura Laurentiu for such a great honor.
I hold Laura in high respect for what she is doing, and for the beauty she is within.

Thank you Ala Oancea for such a great honor.

Beverages

2008-12-27T23:59:00.000-08:00

Alcoholic Beverages
Hot Wine
Limoncello

Non-Alcoholic Beverages
Lemonade

Coffee
Hints and Tips

Tea

Limoncello

2008-12-27T23:58:00.002-08:00

I made Limoncello for the first time in my life.
My grandmother used to make it, whenever we had lemons or oranges.
Years ago I had no idea of Limes or other citrus fruits, I guess this drink could be made with any citrus fruit out there.

Deci, am facut Limoncello pt prima data in viata mea. Bunica mea stia sa faca tot felul de lichioruri si cam stiu ce trebuie facut.

Cu lamaiile si portocalle e putin mai complicat, pt ca in coaja lor pe langa uleiul natural si aroma, este si amaraciunea care trebuie putin eliminata.

Multi pun coaja sa stea peste noapte in apa rece. Eu am preferat alta metoda mai rapida.

Deci sa incepem cu reteta si procedeul de preparare.

Dar mai inainte de a ne apuca de Limoncello sa fim siguri ca avem recipientul necesar. Eu am folosit un bidon de sticla de 4 litri cu dop etans. De preferat sticla, plasticul poate influenta gustul bauturii.

1.750 L Vodka 80%

10 lamaii de marime medie cu coaja frumoasa si sanatoasa. (In poza sint 12 lamaii... mi-au ramas 2)

100 gr de zahar

Se spala bine lamaile, se sterg cu un prosop, se dau pe razatoarea mica, fara a rade din pulpa alba a lamaii.

Lamaile rase se taie in 2 si se storc foarte bine de suc, acesta se strecoara si se pune intr-o sticla si se congeleaza pt 8 zile, pana il vom folosi si pe acesta.

Se ia o strecuratoare deasa si se pune coaja rasa care se baga sub un jet de apa rece.

Se scurge foarte bine de apa. Eu am pus intr-un prosop de hartie si am strins in causul mainilor.

Dupa ce s-a scurs toata apa, se pune coaja inapoi in castron si se amesteca cu zaharul pana devine zemoasa.

Se pune coaja in bidonul de 4 litri, peste care se adauga Vodka, se pune dopul si se scutura bine, sa se amestece toate impreuna.

Se lasa la loc ferit 8 zile, timp in care se scutura bidonul o data pe zi.

Dupa 8 zile, se strecoara totul prin tifon sau altceva foarte fin, eu am folosit filtrele de cafea.

Sa ne apucam de sirop:

Nu uitati sa scoateti sticla de suc din congelator... dar daca ati uitat, scoateti capacul si incalziti sticla la Microunde citeva minute pana se dezgheata de tot.

Preparati din timp linga ochiul aragazului, un castronel mic si o lingura sau supiera, pt a ridica spuma de la suprafata siropului.

Intr-o cratita mai mare cu coada lunga (e buna si cu manere insa cea cu coada e mai practica la faza asta), se pune sucul de lamaie lichid, 1 Kg de zahar, 10 cuisoare si o bucata mica de batz de scortisoara.

Se aduce totul la un clocot, si e cazul sa stati cu ochii pe cratita, va face spuma multa care se ridica la suprafata, repede ridicati cratita si culegeti spuma. Faceti operatia asta de multe ori, eu am dar siropul in clocot de circa 20 de ori si tot de atatea ori am ridicat spuma.

La sfarsit trebuie sa arate cam asa.

Se lasa siropul sa se raceasca complect... dupa care se filtreaza peste Limoncello.

Se pune dopul si scutura foarte bine bidonul.

Aici productia mea de Limoncello:

Asa o dau eu in sticle, cadou la prieteni

Si noroc la toata lumea, ridic paharul in cinstea voastra.

Nota: Este o bautura puternica, de aceea se serveste doar cite putin si cu gheata. Daca serviti musafirii cu Limoncello nu mai este nevoie si de prajituri, este dulce acrisor si orice altceva linga Limoncello nu ar mai avea gust deloc.
Sper sa va placa.

Lemonade

2008-12-27T23:57:00.001-08:00

I made this lemonade after a Tunisian recipe given by Dragos...
Thank you Dragos, for the chance that I can finally enjoy lemons.

Reteta o am de la Dragos de pe Bucataria Noastra - Citronada Tunisiana

Ingrediente:
5 L apa
1 kg lamai/lime
cca. 500g zahar (sau dupa dorinta daca e prea mult)

Se fierbe apa pana se dizolva zaharul adaugat in ea (pana incepe sa dea in clocot). In acest timp, se curata partea galbena/verde a lamailor cu un cutit de curatat cartofi si se pune deoparte. Se indeparteaza partea alba a cojii de lamaie, iar pulpa se taie in sferturi. Dupa ce apa a fiert se da la o parte de pe foc si in oala se adauga coaja colorata a lamaii si pulpa si se acopera vasul. Se lasa sa se raceasca, se stoarce pulpa, dupa care se filtreaza (prin strecuratoarea nu extrem de fina) si se pune in sticle la frigider. Sper sa va placa.

Am facut delicioasa bautura racoritoare.... si imi place la nebunie, cred ca vara as putea sa beau un butoi pe zi. Acreala dispare in totalitate lasand in urma o aroma de lamaie foarte placuta.
Numai ca eu am facut reteta cu cantitati reduse, pt ca nu-mi plac bauturile foarte dulci, si nici prea aromate... dar si asa are destula aroma si dulceata cit sa curga bine pe gat :excited:
La 5 L de apa am pus doar 500 gr de lamaie, coaja numai de la jumate din lamaii, 250 gr de zahar, o coaja mica de scortisoara si vre-o 8 cuisoare.
Pulpa am pasat-o intr-o strecuratoare in care s-au strans pielitele si samburii.

Cine vrea? 5 lei sticla :)))

Hot Wine

2008-12-27T23:00:00.000-08:00

This is a recipe my grandfather used to make all the time while it was cold outside.

He believed this could cure a nasty cold.

I remember as a child, having a small cup all for myself, I used to dip this Sweet Walnut Bread in it and wished it will never finish, very delicious combination.

Up until I was 8 years old, grandpa gave me a shot glass with wine for lunch and dinner... the older I got, the glass got taller :))

How to make hot wine:

Take 1 cup of red wine per person, 2 teaspoons sugar per cup, a small piece of cinnamon stick and 2 cloves.

Place everything in a pot and bring to a boil until is frothy, just like in the picture below.

Place in a cup and serve as hot as you can.

Perfect served with roasted salted nuts.

Hints and Tips

2008-12-27T21:58:00.000-08:00

Coffee grinds make the best soil fertilizer.
So if you are a coffee drinker, don't discard your coffee grinds in the trash, place it at the root of a plant, tree, flower or vegetable garden.
Coffee is also a bug or insect repellent.

The brewed coffee is great for the leaves, just place in a spray bottle and mist over your plants.

Doughboy's Kitchen

2008-12-25T23:59:00.000-08:00

Bread
******
Pita Bread
White Bread

Pizza
******

Pasta
******
Gnocchi
Lumaconi

Gnocchi

2008-12-25T19:59:00.000-08:00

Last week I have decided to try gnocchi. I saw the packages in the store before but for some reason I always walked away from it.
I had this deranged idea that Gnocchi are nothing but blobs of something chewy and hard to swallow.

I was soooo wrong.

These little shells made of potato, have a soft texture, just like the mashed potato, they are easy to cook, 1-2 minutes and they are done.

I've made a quick meat sauce just as I do for pasta and topped everything with imported grated Parmesan.
It was a divine dinner, that we washed down with a glass of red wine.

For those who have no idea what Gnocchi looks like, here is the pack I bought.

My husband's portion:

My portion

Lumaconi

2008-12-25T19:58:00.000-08:00

This Italian pasta, resembles the escargot... very easy to handle and fun to stuff with whatever you desire.

This time I made tomato meat sauce with spinach and cottage cheese.

They are divine served with grated Parmesan or a dollop or two of sour cream.

Chili

2008-12-25T14:44:00.000-08:00

I found out by accident that what we in Europe know as the best spaghetti meat sauce... in the states is called Chili.

I gave my girlfriend a bowl thinking she would use it for pasta, instead she called me and ranted about what great chili she had for dinner.
It took me a while to understand what she was talking about.

That's right... I am going to link this in two places, because in my book this is spaghetti sauce.

Pita Bread

2008-12-25T11:47:00.000-08:00

3 cups of flour
1 cup warm water
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 teaspoon yeast

Mix flour, salt, olive oil, yeast and water. Mix the dough until very smooth and elastic, about five minutes.
Cover the dough with a plastic film and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size about 1 hour.

Cut the dough in 6 pieces form by hand slowly into a ball. Cover and let rize again about 20 minutes. Flatten slightly to 1/4 inch thick.
Take a frying pan and spray or brush with olive oil and sprinkle with salt, heat the pan to medium heat. Add the dough disk and let cook on one side until brown spot are visible. Spray or brush with olive oil the dough disk on the top side and sprinkle with salt. Turn and cook on the other side.

White Bread

2008-12-25T10:45:00.000-08:00

Baked some breads, the first one was gone in few hours... so I had to bake some more :))

Appetizers

2008-12-23T23:59:00.000-08:00

Cold

Cheese Log
Cheese Sticks
Eggplant Salad - Baba Ganoush
Homemade Foie Gras
Spinach Pies - Spanakopita

Warm

Meatballs

Cheese Sticks

2008-12-23T23:00:00.001-08:00

I made Cheese Sticks after a recipe by Bucatar maniac ... Saratele foarte fragede

The most delicious cheese sticks I ever made. Thank you for the recipe.

Cheese Log

2008-12-23T23:00:00.000-08:00

A wonderful appetizer to have on the table at any event.

Served with a variety of crackers and fresh vegetables, is an instant winner.

Here I served it with savory pizzelles.

Eggplant Salad – Baba Ganoush

2008-12-23T22:59:00.000-08:00

Take 3-4 eggplants, place them on a cookie sheet lined with aluminum foil, and insert in the oven on the third rack. Turn the stove to Broil and bake the eggplant rotating on each side for about 15 minutes at a time until is soft to the touch.

Remove from the stove and while the eggplant is hot, cut in half lengthwise. With a spoon, scoop the pulp and place in a strainer. Leave the pulp to drain for about 30 minutes.

Place pulp on a chopping board and with a long blade knife chop it until becomes somehow creamy.

Place pulp in a bowl. Take ¼ cup of olive oil and mix well into the eggplant, salt and pepper to taste.

Could be served… mixed with mayonnaise, chopped garlic or chopped onion. Depend of what you like the most.

Spread on toast, fresh bread, pita bread or simple as a dip for chips.

Perfect for a snack or parties.

Spinach Pies (Spanakopita)

2008-12-23T21:59:00.001-08:00

This pie is made with Phillo Dough... a traditional Greek recipe, an apperitive very appreciated by everyone at any occasion.
Best if feta cheese is used.

I also use Puff Dough to make these pies.

And I make them in other shapes so I don't mix them, in case I make different fillings.

Meatballs

2008-12-23T21:59:00.000-08:00

There are many ways to make meatballs.
Some use only meat and few spices. Some have more ingredients than a stew. But my grandmother used potatoes.
Zucchini was another ingredient used instead of potatoes mainly because meat was not available as it is today. Back in the old days a slaughtered pig had to last a whole year for a family of 3 or maybe 4 and we had to make the best of it.

Grandma said, potatoes or zucchini tenderizes the meat and that’s why they are softer.
Then we believed that the stomach has to be filled, so there is nothing more filling than potatoes, rice and bread of course.
To this day, I can’t really enjoy a meatball without potatoes in it. It feels dry and hard.
I made this for friends and family over the years and they all fell in love with the texture and flavor of these meatballs.
Give it a try and let me know what you think about. Recipe could be halved easily.

Meatballs

1 lb (500 gr.) potatoes
2 medium onions
3 lb (1.4 kg) grounded meat (preferred)
6 medium size eggs
4 large garlic cloves
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons dried dill
2 oz. (40 gr.) fresh chopped parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
Oil for frying

Peel potatoes and keep them submerged in water. Peal onion, garlic and prepare the rest of the ingredients.
Take a big bowl and cheese grater; grate first the garlic (use smaller shredding surface for the garlic), onion and the potatoes on the large shredding surface.
Add all the other ingredients and mix very well. Check for salt and pepper.
Form meatballs 2 oz. (60 gr.) each.

In a deep, large frying pan, add enough oil, about 1 inch (2.5 cm), heat on high but not to burn.
Add about 15 meatballs at a time. Reduce heat if oil is too bubbling. Fry on one side until medium brown, then turn the meatballs on the other side.
Remove on a metal rack covered with paper towel to drain the excess fat.

Serve with desired side dish or as an appetizer with A1, mustard, ketchup or horseradish.
Excellent for a buffet party. They could also be used for spaghetti with meatballs and tomato sauce.

Enjoy!

Sausage Making

2008-12-23T19:58:00.000-08:00

4 lb ground pork
2 lb ground beef
3-4 cloves garlic minced (some use a lot of garlic, please add according to your taste)
1 teaspoon of ground black pepper
1 teaspoon of ground chili
1 teaspoon of ground thyme
1 teaspoon salt (or add to taste)

Sausage casings (lamb or pork). Lamb casings are thinner than the pork ones.
I found sausage casings in a local butcher shop in small containers in the refrigerator. They are frozen and packed in salt.

Mix the ingredients, making sure to adjust the salt to taste. Cover the bowl and cool overnight.

Next day, hydrate the casings, and rinse well... make sure they are not punctured along the way by blowing some air into the casing.

Fill in the casings, only make sure the filling is not too packed. The sausage has to feel soft to the touch.

Form links or just leave the sausage as it is. Pack in plastic foil and freeze imediately.

Fry on medium heat in little oil, with a lid on until the sausage is medium brown.

Serve with fresh bread and of course with a cold beer or a glass of wine.

Enjoy!

Homemade Foie Gras

2008-12-23T15:52:00.000-08:00

Every Thanksgiving I roast ducks instead of turkeys, and I always get the duck fat... which I love to add to my foie gras.
It gives the foie gras better taste and it is smoother than butter.

What we need is:
2 lb chicken liver
1 cup duck fat (could be substituted with butter)
1 large onion
2 cloves garlic
salt
pepper
basil

Chop the onion and the garlic.

Wash and drain well the chicken liver.

In a frying pan on medium heat, place the duck fat, heat and add onion and the garlic. Saute until onion becomes glossy. Add the liver, stir and cover with a lid. Cook until the liquid reduced and the liver is cooked.

Add the spices and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes.

Place everything in a blender and turn the whole thing into a paste.

Place paste in small plastic containers and cover with a lid.

The foie gras could keep in the freezer up to 6 months.

Enjoy!

BBQ Serios

2008-12-23T12:04:00.000-08:00

Asa am crezut anul trecut ca am reusit sa achitionez un gratar/afumatoare pe cinste, insa m-am inselat amarnic cind in Iulie fiind in vizita in Texas la reuniunea de familie a prietenului meu, am dat nas in nas cu cel mai mare gratar care m-a lasat pur si simplu cu gura cascata.

Va las pe voi sa faceti diferenta intre cele doua fiare :)

Al meu :(

Si monstrul familiei :)

Insa ma declar foarte multumita de productia de afumatura ce resulta la mititelul meu. Dar nu ma las pana ce o voi avea si pe cea mare, a devenit visul meu.

Salads

2008-12-21T23:59:00.000-08:00

Fruit Salads

Vegetable Salads

A Bowl of Heaven

2008-12-19T23:59:00.000-08:00

Soups

Chicken Noodle/Dumpling Soup
Dry White Beans Soup

Stews

Chili
Pork Stew

Sauces

Dry White Bean Soup

2008-12-19T23:58:00.001-08:00

Delicious memories...

Grandmother used to ask me to select the white beans from lots of debris, claiming I had better eyesight then she, since the beans were an yearly production it was never in the state we all know and buy from the supermarket, nicely washed and packaged, almost makes me guilty to have it so easy today.

I remember as a child, when the beans were collected, stalks and all... and brought home stuffed in big, rough hemp sacks. Then my Grandpa would place the sacks in the front yard and ask the kids to beat the hell out of them so the beans will jump out of the dry pods.

We used to have so much fun jumping, kicking and beating the bags... what a cheap way for therapy, none of us had an ounce of energy by the end of the day.

As the day faded, tucked in my bed, with sleepy eyes I could see my grandmother, sitting in a corner, with a pile of bean stalks in her lap, checking for any stubborn beans still clinging to their pods.

Beans never tasted better than in those old days, whether she was a good cook, or was just the thought that I worked for those beans, to this day I still believe they were the best I ever had.

Years later, a long and rainy spring send me wondering for a bowl of soup... and since there is no soup I made, that I do not like, it is impossible to decide what would be most suitable for such a nasty weather. I opted for dry white beans soup... a slow process but worth waiting for.

As I cook this pot of soup I could almost feel grandma leaning over my shoulder, making sure I added all the right ingredients.

Thank you Grandma, not as good as yours, but is pretty close.

Bean Soup

1 lb white dry bean
2-3 slices of bacon (smoked sausage or any other smoked meats)
1 medium onion
1/2 of red bell pepper
2 carrots
2 stalks celery
1 teaspoon dill weed
2-3 bay leaves
1 can stew tomatoes (or 2-4 fresh ones, chopped)
Salt and pepper to taste
Chopped parsley
And if you could find some lovage, if not use the leaves from celery… chopped (optional)

Soak the beans in warm water for about 1 hour.
Meanwhile, chop the bacon in small bits; chop the onion and the red pepper. Cut carrots anyway you like it.
Take a frying pan, turn the heat on medium, and fry the bacon first… add onion and red pepper and cook until onion becomes glossy (about 5 minutes). Keep mixing so the onion won’t burn. Set aside.

Take the beans and place in a large pot, cover beans with cold water, bring to a boil and let simmer for 2 minutes. Keep an eye on the pot, the beans will foam a lot.
Drain the water. Repeat 3 times.

After you drain the third water… cover about twice the height of beans with fresh water (enough water to be juicy, I don’t like thick bean soup)… place on the stove and add the bacon mixture and all the other ingredients except the parsley and lovage/celery leaves.

Let simmer on low until the carrot and the beans are cooked. Try a bean once in a while so the beans don’t overcook.

Check for salt and pepper, add the chopped greens and serve with toast.Taste divine.

For this soup if you like raw onion, make a salad:
1 red onion… crushed with your hand as much as you can until the onion becomes juicy. Cut slices and rinse under cold water. Squeeze the water and place in a bowl. Add salt, olive oil and vinegar. Serve with bean soup and fresh French bread.

Note:
1. If you are using big chunks of meat with bone as I did with the ham hocks, I suggest to boil the piece separate for about 1 hour before adding everything into the beans. Beans cook relatively fast, and if you overcook them they could turn into mush.
2. If the meat used has a heavy taste of smoke you may consider to throw away the water you pre-boiled the meat in it. I did so with the sausages.
3. Use only one type of meat not all of them. The soup will end up too heavy.

Pork Stew

2008-12-19T23:58:00.000-08:00

This stew was loved by anyone I ever served.

Chicken Noodle / Dumpling Soup

2008-12-19T13:19:00.000-08:00

In Romania this is known as the sick man's penicillin.

1 chicken
1 lb carrots
2 stalks celery
1 parsnip root
1 large onion
2 cloves garlic
2 handfuls of small pasta
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
3-4 Tablespoons fresh parsley (chopped)

Take a large pot (1.5 gallons) fill half with cold water, add a teaspoon of salt and place on medium heat. Rinse the chicken very well under running water and then place the whole chicken in the pot. (Do not cover with a lid).

Keep an eye on the pot, because soon on the top of the water, will float foam that needs to be removed with a slotted spoon and discard the foam.

When the foam is no longer surfacing… lower the heat to medium-low (barely boiling point) and cover the pot with a lid. Boil the chicken for 1 hour.

Meanwhile, prepare the rest of the ingredients.
Peel the garlic and onion and crest an X on the bottom of the onion with a knife.
Peel the carrots and parsnip root then cut into 2-inch sticks (almost as the French fries), try to cut them the same thickness so they can cook in the same time.
Measure the pasta in a small bowl.
Wash, remove stems and chop the parsley as fine as you can.

After the chicken is cooked, remove chicken from broth and place in a bowl with a colander, and let cool completely.

Take another pot and strain the broth through a fine sieve or a paper towel.

Wash the pot in which you boiled the chicken with soapy water and rinse well.

Return the broth to the burner, add carrots, parsnip, onion, celery, garlic, salt and pepper to taste. Boil until carrots are cooked. Remove the celery, onion and garlic and discard (this is optional, some people like to eat them).

When chicken is cool and ready to handle remove skin, bones and discard, keeping only the flesh.

Add meat to the pot. Add the pasta and let soup cook at low temperature until pasta is cooked too.

Taste the soup for salt, pepper and then add the chopped parsley.

This soup is also made with dumplings and it is better tasting than with pasta.

To make dumplings it is a little tricky, because you never know the right amount of cream of wheat (farina) so you have to test the batter before you place in the water. The water also has to be at the right temperature and not boiling because it could spread the batter into a mush.

Take two eggs and separate the whites.
Beat egg white to soft peak, add egg yolks, salt and cream of wheat (farina) until is creamy.
(See in my pictures the texture of the batter).
Let the batter rest for 30 minutes before cooking. The cream of wheat (farina) will soak and cook faster.

Take a shallow pan and fill 1/2 with water, add a pinch of salt and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to the point where the water does not bubble.
Add by a tablespoon full of batter as much as you have space.
Cook on low until dumplings have cooked on one side. With a slotted spoon turn slowly on the other side.

After they are cooked, add them to the hot soup instead of pasta.

Hearty Meals

2008-12-17T23:59:00.000-08:00

Poultry Dishes
Chicken Stew

Pork Dishes
BBQ Serios
Meatballs
Sausage Making
Spaghetti Sauce

Beef Dishes

Lamb Dishes

Seafood Dishes
Cioppino
Mussels and Clams Portuguese

Vegetarian Dishes

Chicken Stew

2008-12-17T22:07:00.000-08:00

Today I had to make the dish I will be teaching at the class in June 12th, I needed the pictures for the newsletter.

The menu will be:

Chicken Stew

Saffron Rice

Broil Roasted Vegetables

Pepper, Coriander Vinaigrette Spring Salad

Mussels or Clams Portuguese

2008-12-17T21:57:00.000-08:00

3 lb fresh clams
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 links Spanish Chorizos
2 stalk green onion
1/2 small red bell pepper
2 cloves garlic
1 tomato
1/2 carrot
1/2 lemon
1 cup white wine
Salt and pepper to taste
Chopped parsley

Place clams in a large bowl and wash very well under running water. Drain and place them back in the bowl.
Fill up a large pot with water and bring to a boil, then throw over the clams and let them sit until they open slightly.
Run each clam under running water to remove as much sand as possible.

Unopened clams are not to be eaten, so toss them away.

In a frying pan, over medium heat, place oil and chopped chorizos, let them sizzle for a short time, just to get the flavor out, add chopped onion, red pepper and garlic and sauté for few minutes until onion looks soft.
Add chopped tomato, and simmer. Cut the carrot, julienne.
In the large pot, add the sautéed vegetables, carrot, lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste and 1 cup of water.
Cover with a lid and simmer until liquid is reduced to half and vegetables fully cooked.
Add to the pot clams and wine, cover and simmer on medium about 10 minutes.

Do not over cook the clams. Like any seafood, clams cook very fast.

Garnish with chopped parsley and serve with toast, pesto bread or simply fresh French bread.

Cioppino

2008-12-17T15:33:00.000-08:00

Tonight we will have for dinner Cioppino served with polenta and a glass of red wine.
The fish I used was Tilapia filets.

Vegetarian

2008-12-16T16:03:00.000-08:00

Spinach Pilaf

2008-12-16T10:44:00.000-08:00

2 small bags of fresh spinach
½ onion (diced)
½ red bell pepper (diced)
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup white rice (I used the round grain, for risotto)
1 teaspoon dried basil
Salt & pepper to taste

In a large skillet add olive oil, onion and pepper… sauté for 4-5 minutes mixing from time to time.
Rinse the spinach under cold water, squeeze excess water and roughly chop, add to the skillet… sauté until spinach has “melted”.
Add a cup of rice, 3 cups water, salt and pepper.
Bring all this to a boil, and then reduce heat to medium low, cover and cook until liquid is reduced (about 20+ minutes). Mix from time to time so the rice won’t stick to the skillet.

After the rice absorbed the entire liquid... if it is too thick, add up to 1 cup of water, mix and cover with the lid. Turn off the heat.
Serve after most liquid has been absorbed.

Serve with fried egg or steak/ribs/chicken even fish.

This dish could be made in the oven, place all ingredients in a baking pan. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes @350F.

Cakes

2008-12-15T23:59:00.000-08:00

Hint and Tips
Perfect recipe to prepare baking pan

Birthday Cake
Cheesecake
Chocolate Mousse Cake
Raspberry Mousse Cake

Hints and Tips

2008-12-15T23:58:00.000-08:00

B
Brownies
Brownies are like biscuits, the less you mix the better the product will be.
Never use a mixer, mix by hand and just enough to wet the dry ingredients and to make sure no lumps are left behind. Make sure stove is pre-heated and the pan ready before start working on the project.

C
Crumbs
To prevent crumbling, allow cake to cool completely. A cold cake is much easier to cut and with less crumbs.
To crumb coat a cake, use a mixture of butter and confectioner's (icing) sugar.
My favorite is to use marshmallow cream, not so fat or sweet.

F
Never Frost (Icing) a Warm Cake
Allow cake to cool completely, on a wire rack. Second day cake is best.
But if you are running short on time, cool the cake for about 1 hour, then insert in the refrigerator for another hour. Then proceed with frosting or icing the cake.

Only exception are recipes that specifically require the cake to be iced or frosted while warm. Then please follow the directions as given.

T
Texture
When baking cakes it is important that you use the perfect pan. Trust the instructions, because most recipe creators fit a recipe to a certain pan size.
Changing the pan size, would change the end result as well.
Things may go very wrong... a tall cake, a chewy cake, unbaked in the middle, fallen in the middle... etc.
Never fill the pan more that 2/3 of its capacity.

Temperature
It is most important to have an accurate temperature in your oven. Most ovens are not well set. Speaking from experience, I advice you to invest in an oven thermometer.
Or if you have one, use a candy thermometer... remove the clip off the thermometer, insert in the oven an turn oven to 300°F.
If temperature is off by more than 25°F(+/-) check your stove manual for setting directions. If you have none, then is better to call your supplier to have someone come and check your stove.

U
Uniform Baking
No matter what kind of batter is used, place it in the prepare pan and level as well as you can. Tap the tray on the bottom with the flat of your palm few times, or give a tap or two on the counter top.
Despite of all the advices out there not to do so, I still like to tap the pan so the batter setts better. I never had trouble with my cakes for doing so.

Perfect recipe to prepare a baking pan

2008-12-15T23:57:00.000-08:00

To avoid the mess after buttering and dusting a pan or spending a fortune on parchment paper use the following formula:

For a white cake
1 Tablespoon butter
1 Tablespoon oil
1 Tablespoon flour

Mix ingredients to a paste and brush the pan thoroughly with it.

For a chocolate cake
1 Tablespoon butter
1 Tablespoon oil
1 teaspoon flour + 1 teaspoon cocoa powder

Mix ingredients to a paste and brush the pan thoroughly with it.

Chocolate Mousse Cake

2008-12-15T23:56:00.001-08:00

A lady friend is celebrating her 104 Birthday tomorrow and I made this chocolate cake she loves so much.

It is a long process to make this cake but very worth it.
The biscuit is striped vanilla génoise, inside 2 layers of chocolate génoise sprinkled with caramel rum syrup and filled with chocolate mousse.

It is very good and rich... got to be eaten in moderation.

And few samples... I had to play a little.

I made the mistake to roll top part of the cake in powdered chocolate, and it looks a little "dirty" on the génoise...

Birthday Cake

2008-12-15T23:55:00.001-08:00

Since our friends decided to BBQ in the back yard... we celebrated together with other 30+ people, which turned to be the best party I have ever been to.

We had a crowd of mix backgrounds... Mexican, Spanish, Italian, Albanian, Romanian, Samoan... and I think they were others too... but talked to so many I don't remember.

There was so much food and so many kinds that every little dish was an experience hard to forget.

Unfortunately I forgot my camera home and have no pictures at all. Luckily a friend had a good phone camera and I got these shots for posterity.

Raspberry Mousse Cake

2008-12-15T23:55:00.000-08:00

Experimenting with a new recipe for Raspberry Mousse that I have to take for a dinner at a local shop downtown... these are OK, I think... but I got a new idea of assembling the cake... in the future I will simplify.

***********

Follow up 5 hours later.

This was such an interesting evening... The dessert turned out good, everyone liked it and I got to meet very interesting people and great connoisseurs of ethnic cuisine.
We exchanged so many memories and as I always love to reminisce about old times, I enjoyed it even more.

Caramel Pecan Cheesecake

2008-12-15T22:59:00.000-08:00

This is a recipe I made up.

Crust:
1 ½ cups (150 gr.) graham cracker
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon cocoa or Nesquik powder
4 oz. (55 gr.) butter

Caramel:
4 Tablespoons (80 gr.) sugar
4 oz. (120 ml) liquid whipping cream

Cake:
3 – 8 oz. (675 gr.) packages cream cheese
1 cup (200 gr.) sugar
1 cup (250 ml) whipping cream
3 eggs
2 oz. (40 gr.) powdered milk
2 oz. (50 gr.) roasted pecans

Crumble the crackers, melt the butter, mix sugar with cocoa or Nesquik powder. Blend well and place mixture in a 9” (23 cm) baking pan… press evenly.

In a small pan, melt sugar to a medium brown color (do not burn, will taste bitter).
Add whipping cream and boil to medium low heat for about 20-25 minutes until caramel thickens. Pull aside and let cool.

Chop and roast the pecans in a dry frying pan.

In a big bowl or a processor, place cream cheese, sugar, whipping cream, powdered milk… eggs one at a time until everything is nice and creamy. Add pecans and half of the caramel sauce. Mix slowly and pour in the pan. Pour the remaining caramel sauce on top. With a knife, make a nice pattern.

Bake at 300 F (160 C) for 1 hour.
Turn heat off and leave the cake in the oven for another hour.
Chill and serve.

Note:
Cream cheese was not a part of my life before I came to US... but farmer's cheese was used daily in pies and pastries. It is different in taste and texture.
Very easy to make.

CLICK HERE for Farmer's Cheese Recipe

Cheesecake

2008-12-15T13:30:00.000-08:00

This is the fastest dessert to make and always a hit.
No matter what type of fruit I use it is very delicious and fluffy.

For a while I made recipes from different sources, but I don't like the dense and hard to swallow type of cheesecake. So I made my own version and is much much lighter.
I get lots of compliments from my clients.

Plum Cheesecakes

Caramel Pecan Cheesecake

Marbled Chocolate Cheesecake

Blueberry Cheesecake

Pastries

2008-12-14T23:59:00.000-08:00

Apple Pastry

Apricot Bread Pudding

Bavarian Tart

Cherry and Banana Rolls

Savarina - Baba au Rhum

Apricot Bread Pudding

2008-12-14T14:00:00.000-08:00

Tonight I was in the mood for something warm and soothing and because I have lots of canned fruits, I thought a pudding could do the job.

I used a loaf pan because I like my pudding tall... but if you like it thin and on the crispy side, use a larger pan to spread it.

This was very delicious, I ate half the pan alone, and even husband who doesn't like sweets asked for a slice, and he loved it too.

1 jar (1-quart)(750 gr.) apricot (halved in syrup)
4 eggs
1/2 loaf of French bread (or rolls)
1/2 stick (60 gr.) butter
1/2 cup(100 gr.) sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch of Nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla

Topping
1/2 cup (125 ml) milk
1/4 cup (25 gr.) sugar

Butter a loaf dish 10” x 5” (26 x 13 cm) for a tall pudding.
* For a thin and crispy pudding use a tin 12”x9” (30 x 23 cm).
Preheat oven to 350° F (180°C).
In a bowl, strain the fruits.

In another bowl mix eggs, sugar, fruit juice, cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla.
Cut the bread into cubes. Place half the bread in the pan; place half the fruit on top of the bread; sprinkle half the egg mixture and half the butter, placing bits of butter here and there. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.

Place the dish in the hot oven and bake for 30 minutes.

Remove the dish after 30 minutes and sprinkle the milk then the sugar on top and return to oven for another 15 minutes.

At the end turn the oven to BROIL for 2-3 minutes to brown the top (keep an eye on it, don’t burn it).

Cool on a wire rack 30 minutes before serving.

* Note: For a thin and crispy pudding, layer everything once.
(I used 3/4 cup (150 gr.) of sugar because my apricots were canned without sugar)

Enjoy!

Apple Pastry

2008-12-14T13:59:00.000-08:00

I had few apples in the house and had no idea what do with them so I threw them in a pastry.

Bavarian Tarts

2008-12-14T13:50:00.000-08:00

These were so good.
A nice sponge cake base, with white chocolate crunch, Bavarian cream and fresh fruits.

Cherry and Banana Rolls

2008-12-14T13:00:00.000-08:00

Inspired from Here, and because I have some frozen cherries I decided to give it a try.
They are marvelous, especially the banana ones are to die for.

Cherry

Banana

Savarina - Baba au Rhum

2008-12-14T12:59:00.000-08:00

If you never had this desert, then you must. This is not a sophisticated pastry, the dough is sweet, soaked in syrup, and the whip cream is a good compliment to the whole thing. I believe the root of this pastry is in France, where is served with lots of rum syrup on the side.

It was my first attempt to make this pastry and the outcome was staggering. It's hard to believe that something so simple could be so delicious.
Though I am very familiar with it, I always bought it from the pastry shop.
The whole secret is allowing the sweet bread soaking all the syrup stated in the recipe.

350 gr. flour (about 3 cups)
175 gr. unsalted butter, room temperature (about 1 ½ sticks)
15 gr. sugar (about 3 tablespoons)
7 gr. dry instant yeast (1 teaspoon)
4 eggs
50 ml. milk
a pinch of salt
vanilla
citrus rind for flavor

Also needed:
Butter for coating the pan
Bread crumbs for coating the pan (if needed) mine were nonstick and I only used butter.

Syrup
300 gr sugar
600 ml water
1 teaspoon rum extract or if not available... 50 ml rum
½ lemon juice

Garnish
450 ml liquid whip cream + 4 Tablespoons of sugar
Maraschino Cherries or other candied fruits
Apricot jam (optional) (can use any)… 1 Tablespoon for each cup, 12 Tablespoons in total.

********************
Make syrup first.
Melt 100 gr. of sugar to very light caramel … turn off heat, leave the pot on the hot burner, add the water and remaining sugar, mix and let sit until everything is melted. Let cool and add rum and lemon juice.

You could use your bread machine or Kitchen Aid to prepare the dough. This dough is softer and sticky, softer than the bread dough.
Dissolve the yeast in warm milk.
Place flour in a bowl and add the yeast mixture, eggs, sugar and salt.
Start mixing until soft dough is forming.
Add the butter and flavors and mix again.
Cover, and leave in a warm place to raise double the volume.

Butter a cupcake type of pan, if pan is other than non stick then powder with bread crumbs, divide the dough in 12 equal portions, and place each piece in the cups.
This is the baking tin I used.

Cover again and let rise in warm place for 30 minutes.
Bake at 300°F (150°C) for 30 minutes.

Take out and loosen the buns. Leave in the tray and add syrup to each bun or dip the bun in the syrup trying to give each bun equal amount of liquid. Repeat operation until all syrup is used. Place buns in a tray, cover and refrigerate over night.

Next day.
Whip the cream to soft peak, add sugar and mix until looks like mousse.
Cut buns in halves on horizontal, spread a Tablespoon of preserve on the bottom half, pipe whipped cream, place the other half of bun and decorate as desire.
Garnish with candied fruits. Can be served immediately, but next day are better.

Makes 12 pieces.

Muffins & Cupcakes

2008-12-13T23:59:00.000-08:00

Muffins

Cupcakes

Cookies

2008-12-12T23:59:00.000-08:00

Pumpkin Cookies
Vanilla Biscotti
Wafers

Ultimele savarsiri...

2008-12-12T22:55:00.000-08:00

Se apropie Craciunul, dupa ce-am lasat bucataria la ruginit un an de zile, am decis sa ma apuc iarasi de ea.

Mi-a cazut cu tronc napolitana Mayei... si-am zis c-o fac si eu dar nu m-a lasat inima sa-mi tradez reteta propie.

Cu toate ca in cantitate nu difera cu mult... a mea e pt 5 foi... dar am facut calculul si a iesit asa cum zice ea la 4 foi. Eu insa o am cu caramele de cafea si 1/2 cana de hazelnut prajit.

Are un gust mai de cafea si nuca prajita.

Asa, pe urma am zis eu sa mai consum din dovleacul ras ce-l aveam in congelator si am facut niste fursecuri fragede, au gust de chec, bune la cafea si ceai.

Si-am mai avut oleaca de timp sa fac si niste Almond Biscotti, nemaipomenit de bune, le-am impachetat repede ca altfel le mancam pe toate.

Sweet Bread

2008-12-11T23:59:00.000-08:00

Carrot Cake Muffins
Cozonac - Muffins
Nut Crunch Muffins

Cozonac "Gabi" - Vegan Version
Cozonac "Gabi" - Original Recipe

Paczki

Cozonac "Gabi" - Vegan Version

2008-12-11T22:58:00.000-08:00

Cozonac "Gabi" - Vegan Version

Original Recipe HERE

I decide to give a try to this recipe and I can tell you, it is extraordinaire.

Few days ago I made few cookies for my neighbor thinking I will make her a surprise, instead I had the surprise to find out she is Vegan. She kept the cookies for future guests, and I promised her that I will make something else she could enjoy.

Took me a while to find what I need it, but I did.
Egg Replacer, Soy Milk and Earth Balance Vegan Margarine

It was as good as the original recipe, very tall and fluffy.
The dough is very easy to work with.
I am not a Vegan and have no idea what good is the Egg Replacer or the other two ingredients, but I can tell how good was smelling in my kitchen while I was baking this bread.

I only made half the recipe, for a single loaf, and I kneaded the dough in my bread machine.

The recipe is as follow:

The dough:
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons instant dry yeast
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 cup Soy milk
- 4 1/2 teaspoons Egg Replacer dissolved in 6 Tablespoons of Soy Milk
- 50 ml oil + 50 gr. Vegan Margarine
- 1 teaspoon orange rind
- 1 teaspoon lemon extract
- 2-3 drops of yellow food dye (optional - for color)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Filling:
- ½ cup ground walnut
- ½ cup crumbs (Made out of French bread)
- 3 Tablespoons cocoa
- 1 teaspoon rum extract
- sugar by taste (3-4 Tablespoons)
- enough Soy Milk to bind all the ingredients into a thick paste

Follow the steps as seen HERE

Cozonac "Gabi" - Original Recipe

2008-12-11T22:57:00.000-08:00

This year I used Gabi's Recipe, it is a very good one. I have made over 30 loaves this Christmas and I received many thanks and requests for this recipe.

Thank you Gabi.

This is a traditional Romanian Holiday Bread; there is no holiday with out, feel free to make it whenever you like. There is a difference in taste from region to region. Similar recipe as the one below has its provenience in Moldova (RO) and is known as the best in the country. The bread also can be filled with different fillings. If you know the way of making bread you should not have trouble making this either. Once made, you’ll be hooked on this recipe. Makes a great gift.

The dough:
- 8 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 teaspoons instant dry yeast
- 1 ¼ cups sugar
- 2 cups milk
- 1 1/2 sticks butter (soft)
- 5 egg yolks
- 1 pinch of salt
- flavors (lemon or orange rind, vanilla)

Filling:
- 5 egg whites
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 cups finely ground walnuts
- 4 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- Chocolate chopped very small (optional)

This bread is rising high. Prepare the loaf pans. Butter and as a preventive measure cut few pieces of parchment paper and tape to the walls. If the bread rises above the pan margins, the paper will support the loaf and allow rising as much as it needs.

Make the filling first:
Mix on high speed the egg whites with the sugar, add vanilla.
In a large bowl mix walnuts, cocoa and chocolate. Blend in the egg white.
Cover with a plastic film and let rest on the countertop so the walnut and egg white sets into a thick cream.

Make the dough:
All ingredients must be at room temperature, as it is well known, yeast dough does not react well to hot/cold shocks.

If you have a mixer, bread machine, food processor just add flour first then add all the other ingredients and last the milk little by little.

If you do not have a machine to do the work for you, then place the ingredients in a large bowl and add the milk at the end little by little.

Depend on the type of flour used; it may not need all the liquid. I like to add liquid little by little until the dough had reached the desired consistency.
The dough has to be soft to the touch, but not sticky. If the dough is hard to work with clearly need more liquid, or too sticky it need more flour.
Knead the dough to the point where air bubbles are visible into the dough, 30-40 minutes.

Place the dough into a large greased bowl lightly brush with butter, cover with a plastic film and place in a warm place to rise for about 40-50 minutes or until doubles in size.

The dough should suffice for two loaves.
Brush a flat surface or a wooden board with butter; place the dough on the surface.

Divide dough in 4 parts.
Gently using the tips of your fingers, spread one part into a rectangular, no bigger than 12x6 inches. Spread filling on the dough, leaving about 1 inch to one end so you can seal the roll with.

Roll slowly and pull the margin well to seal the filling into the roll.

Repeat with another piece of the dough.

Once you have the two rolls. Place them cross wise.

Make a rope and tuck the ends under the loaf.

Carefully place the loaf into the pan.

Cover and let the loaf rise. When it got to the top of the pan, it is ready to bake.
Before you place the loaf into the oven, beat an egg then brush the top and sprinkle 1 tablespoon of sugar for each loaf.

Bake at 350° F for 45-55 minutes (I bake them for 55) but depend on the stove.

After baking, run a knife on the sides to make sure it did not stick to the walls, and invert on a wire rack to cool completely.

Vegan Version Here

Nut Crunch Muffins

2008-12-11T20:14:00.000-08:00

I have this recipe in my card collection from Great American Home Baking

Makes 1 dozen muffins

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup coarsely chopped pecans, walnuts, or hazelnuts (about 2 ounces)
1/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg

Topping
1/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons chilled butter, cut into small pieces
½ cup coarsely chopped pecans, walnuts, or hazelnuts (about 2 ounces)

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Grease 12 standard size muffin-pan cups or line with paper liners.
2. Mix together flour, nuts, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
3. Mix together buttermilk, oil, vanilla, and egg.
4. Make a well in the center of flour mixture. Add buttermilk mixture all at once to well, tossing with a fork until dry ingredients are just moistened. (Do not overmix.)
5. Spoon batter into prepared pan, filling cups two-thirds full.
6. To prepare topping, in a medium bowl, mix together brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon.
7. Using a pastry blender or 2 knives, cut butter into flour mixture until coarse crumbs form. Stir in nuts. Sprinkle topping evenly over batter.
8. Bake muffins for 10 minutes. Lower oven temperature to 350 F.
9. Bake muffins until tops are golden, 12 minutes more.
10. Transfer pan to a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes. Turn muffins out onto rack to cool completely.

Baking Tips:
Substitute soured milk for the buttermilk. To prepare soured milk, bring milk to room temperature. Mix together 1 tablespoon white vinegar or lemon juice with milk to make 1 cup. Let mixture stand until curdled, about 10 minutes.

Carrot Cake Muffins

2008-12-11T17:46:00.000-08:00

3 cups all-purpose flour
1.5 cups granulated sugar
1 Tablespoon baking soda
1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 1/4 cup canola oil
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups shelled walnuts, chopped
1 cup shredded coconut
1 1/2 cups graded cooked carrots
8 oz. can of crushed pineapple, drained
Pinch of salt

Boil the carrots until tender, drain the water an while warm grate on a cheese grater (small size).
Measure all the other ingredients.
Mix wet ingredients, then mix all the dry ingredients, then combine the mixes.
Make sure there are no lumps in the mix.

Do not fill the pan more than 2/3.
Pour into the prepare pan and bake @350F for 50 minutes or more depend on your oven temperature. Do not take the cake out of the oven if a toothpick inserted in the middle does not come out clean.

Let cool completely, at least 2 hours before frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting
16 oz. cream cheese at room temperature
12 Tablespoons butter at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla
Grated lemon peel (optional)
2 lb confectioners sugar, sifted

Mix cream cheese, butter, vanilla and lemon rind, then at a very low speed mix in the confectioners sugar until all is incorporated. Then mix at high speed until the frosting is white, fluffy and doubled in volume.
For a better decorating result, chill the frosting for 1 hour.

Note:
If using bundt cake pan, bake for 50+ minutes
If using (2) 9-inch pans, bake for 30+ minutes
If using individual cupcakes, bake 25+ minutes

+ means 5 to 10 minutes the most.

Paczki

2008-12-11T15:07:00.000-08:00

2 Tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup warm milk
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
pinch of salt
2 eggs
1 teaspoon dry yeast
2 cups flour

Make a dough easy to handle. Let rise 1 - 1/2 hours.
Pat the dough down with your hands and then roll to 1/2 inch thick. Cut into circles and let rise for 30 minutes or until double in size. Fry in preheated oil until golden brown on each side.
Fill with cream or fruit preserves.

Cozonac - Muffins

2008-12-11T10:52:00.000-08:00

Using this recipe Cozonac "Gabi" I made muffins.

Same recipe but in a different form. I love to explore what I can do with dough, to make interesting looking food.

Everyone is raving over these.

Pies (sweet & savory) & Tarts

2008-12-10T23:59:00.000-08:00

Broccoli & Olive Pie

Mini Tarts

Mini Tarts

2008-12-10T23:58:00.000-08:00

These crusty shells are filled with vanilla custard and topped with fresh fruits.

Meat Pie

2008-12-10T20:42:00.000-08:00

3-4 Tablespoons olive oil
1 lb pork sausage (mild)

In a skillet heat the olive oil, add the sausage meat and fry until meat is brown.
Remove the meat from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside.
When cold mix with:
3-4 tablespoons shredded cheese of your choice (I used a Tillamook blend - mozzarella, smoked provolone and parmesan)
1 egg

In the same skillet, add a little more oil if there is almost none left and add:
½ onion
¼ red pepper
Sautee until onion is brown then add:
2 cups frozen spinach
1 cup of Pace chunky mild salsa (or just add 1 large tomato chopped)
Salt and pepper to taste.

Allow cooling and then add 3 beaten eggs*

Take 4 slices of a day old bread** and cut them in small cubes. Add the bread to the spinach mixture. Mix and set aside.

Brush a 9 inch pie dish with butter, line the dish with pie dough, and arrange the dough as well as you can. Add half the spinach mixture, then add the meat mixture, sprinkle on handful of cheese, then add the remaining spinach mixture.

Cover the top with second pie dough, seal the sides. With a sharp pointy knife make cuts the top dough. Brush with egg yolk mixed with little water. Sprinkle few strands of cheese over the top, it makes an interesting design.

Bake in the oven @425F for 35 minutes or until golden brown.

Note:
* I only use 2 whole eggs and 1 egg white. I kept the 3rd egg yolk to brush the pie with it.
** Plain stuffing could be substitute for the bread.

Broccoli and Olive Tart

2008-12-10T18:36:00.000-08:00

(click photo for a larger view)

Dough for a 9-inch pie
1 yellow pepper
1 red bell pepper
4 ounces broccoli flowerets
½ cup sliced olives
2 eggs
½ cup buttermilk (substitutes, half and half or sour cream)
½ cup feta cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400F (200C)
Roll the pie dough and line a deep 9-inch pie pan.
Prick the bottom with a fork, place a piece of aluminum foil over the dough and add some pie weights.
Bake blind for 10 minutes… remove from oven and remove the weight and aluminum and bake for 5 minutes longer. Remove from oven.

Quarter and seed the peppers. Broil 4-5 minutes or until skin becomes lightly charred.
Let cool, peel and slice. Steam the broccoli in microwave for 3 minutes.

Arrange broccoli, pepper and olives in the pie shell. Mix the rest of ingredients and pour over the vegetables.
Bake 35 minutes or until set in the center.
Cool and serve warm or cold.

PS. I doubled this recipe, I have a deep pie dish.

Candies

2008-12-09T23:59:00.000-08:00

Chocolate Cups

2008-12-09T23:58:00.000-08:00

I have to make a special cake on the 15th of March and I needed few chocolate cups to assemble the cake.

They are 6 cups and will be placed on a thin glazed cake, the cups will be filled with layers of genoise and Orange Mousse.

Ice Cream

2008-12-08T23:59:00.000-08:00

Pound Cakes

2008-12-06T23:59:00.001-08:00

Marble Pound Cake

Marble Pound Cake

2008-12-06T23:58:00.000-08:00

This Pound Cake is the best I ever made.
It has a nice texture and a very pleasant taste. Also could be made in individual servings, muffin type.

Canning

2008-12-06T21:59:00.000-08:00

Apricot Preserve

Lemon & Orange Zest Extract

Quick Pickled Cabbage Salad

Apricot Preserve

2008-12-06T16:28:00.000-08:00

It was the year when apricots were all over and people had more than needed... when signs on the road said "come and pick, will provide ladders".

Apricots is one of my favorite fruits... and I must say I am a little disappointed they lack in flavor while fresh but much more fragrant after cooking.
I have decided to can a few to have for the winter.
One very dear memory to me was a dish my grandmother used to make when apricot were in season.

Apricot stew and polenta

Quick Pickled Cabbage Salad

2008-12-06T14:59:00.000-08:00

As a child I grew up with salads made from pickled vegetables, but that takes months of effort and time to get finally a taste of the delicious salad.

I stumbled upon a Russian Forum, with lots of culinary gifted young ladies and there I found this wonderful recipe that not only takes 24 hours to make but it tastes as good as it came from a jar made months ago.

I will recommend this recipe to all that love pickles.

Here is the SOURCE of this recipe.

Emerald, thank you very much.

I think the quantity of the marinade it is per head of cabbage + all the other vegetables that come with it.

Here is what I've done:

1 large cabbage head
4 large carrots
3 stalks of celery
1/2 of large onion
1 green pepper
1 tablespoon mustard seeds

plus the marinade:
1 L water
4 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon black pepper corns
2 leveled tablespoons sea salt
5 leveled tablespoons sugar
Dill
3 bay leaves
150 ml (5%) white vinegar

In a big bowl julienne the cabbage, celery, onion and green pepper. Grate carrot on a cheese grater. Add the mustard seeds and mix everything. Place the mixture in a large jar or a container with a tight lid.

Boil the marinade ingredients together and pour over the vegetables. Let the mixture get cooler, place the lid, shake and place in the refrigerator at least 24 hours.
I tasted mine after 12 hours and it was good, but after 24 was the best.

The vegetables are nice and crunchy even after 1 week.

Best served with fried, broiled or roasted meats.

Lemon & Orange Zest Extract

2008-12-06T11:08:00.000-08:00

Since I love to cook and bake a lot... lemons and oranges are abundant in the house. I am very frugal and hate to throw good things away... so I have a use for almost everything.

In most baking recipes is required some sort of extract... vanilla, lemon, orange, etc. Today I will show you what I do to preserve the lemon and orange zest.

In cooking, when using lemon juice, before you squeeze the lemon, zest the skin first.

You could start with as many fruits you like but I do it as needed and still have a great result.
Don't mix the lemon zest with the orange, do this separately.

Grate the fruit on the small cheese grater, make sure you don't grate the white part of the fruit which is very bitter and will turn the baked goods into something not edible.

For each grated fruit add 1 Tablespoon of sugar to the zest and mix until everything gets moist.

Take a clean jar with a fitted lid and spoon the mix into the jar, making sure there are no air bubbles trapped into the mix. You can add more to the jar when using other fruits.

Store in the fridge up to 6 months. If start to dry at the surface pour a little lemon juice if available so the mix will remain moist.
I use 1 teaspoon of mix per recipe.

If you like to freeze it, place the zest mix by teaspoon into little mounds on a baking sheet, freeze then remove from the baking sheet and place in a Ziploc bag.
Keep frozen for as long as you wish.

Holidays

2008-12-05T23:59:00.000-08:00

Anniversary

Birthday

Christening

Valentine

St. Patrick's Day

2011 @ The Irish Bar

Easter

Halloween

Thanksgiving

Cranberry Sauce

Christmas

Happy St. Patrick's Day

2008-12-05T20:23:00.000-08:00

Not a traditional dinner, so here it goes:
Pan fried chicken in wine and garlic sauce, served with sweet potatoes casserole.
Very, very goooooood :))

Cranberry Sauce

2008-12-05T14:10:00.000-08:00

I am not fond of cranberry sauce at Thanksgiving but whenever someone let lose a blob of mass out of a metal tin my teeth are hurting and I lose any desire to eat turkey.

I love the cranberry sauce to be made from scratch with real cranberries, fresh or frozen... whatever available at the local market.

Although I grew up with traditional food, we never associated sweet dishes with our meals. To these days I can't mix the flavors just because it is traditional.
However I like to please all my guests and have all the trimmings needed for the meal.

I like the cranberry to be chunky, not too sour or sweet. The peel and the tiny seeds from the fruit adds a slight bitter taste that goes very well with the sweet and sour.

Dairy

2008-12-04T23:59:00.000-08:00

Farmer's Cheese

Farmer's Cheese

2008-12-04T23:58:00.000-08:00

1 gallon of milk 4% (whole milk)
1 lemon or if lemon juice is too sour for you, use 16 oz. of yogurt

Place the milk on the stove to warm up... when almost ready to boil remove from heat and add lemon juice, mix all the time. Soon the curds start to get together.
Place in cheesecloth and let the whey drain for about 8 hours.
Use as you please.

Delicious with spices, fresh tomatoes and French bread.

Gadgets

2008-11-30T12:59:00.000-08:00

The Squid

Breading Food

2008-11-30T12:58:00.000-08:00

This is a plastic, 3 pc. breading tools, for easy coating chicken, fish, veggies and more for deep frying.

The Squid

2008-11-30T12:57:00.000-08:00

OMG... this is the perfect tool for a baker, or pastry chef.
My only regret is that this tool is not bigger in size.

This tool is great for egg wash, melted butter, syrup or basting meats.
I will keep mine only for pastries. I have 4 but I want another 4 so I can keep half for egg wash and half for butter.

The white part (the brush) has an orifice in the middle and comes apart from the blue part which gets filled with the liquid.

I find this tool very very useful and I recommend it with all my heart.

My Cookbooks

2008-11-29T23:59:00.000-08:00

I love collecting cookbooks, everywhere I see one I must have it. My family and friends are collecting for me too.
What you see below are most of the books I have. However my collection is growing.
I especially love the old, old books.
I also have hundreds of magazines, Chocolatier, Taste of Home, Cooking Light and others.

Romanian Cuisine

Amish & Mennonite

International Traditional Cuisine

Asian Cuisine

Better Homes and Gardens

Betty Crocker's

Beverages

Bon Appetit

Bread

Cake Decorating, Pies, Pastries

Canadian Living

Cheese

Chocolatier

Coffee Cakes

Cook's

Cookies & Candies

Cooking

Cooking Light

Cooking the ...... way

Cuisine at Home

Cupcakes

Fine Cooking

Foods of the World

Grand Diplôme Cooking Course

Globe Mini Mag

Great American Home Baking

Greek Cuisine

Gifts in a Jar

Good Housekeeping

Ice Cream & Gelato

Jenny Craig

Kitchen Gadgets Booklets

Martha Steward

Pastry Art & Design

Pillsbury

Seafood

Soup & Sauces

Sunset

Taste of Home's

Taste of Home's - Light & Tasty

Taste of Home's - Quick Cooking

The book of ...

Williams-Sonoma

Wilton

Woman's Day

Vegetarian

My Cookie Cutters

2008-11-28T23:59:00.000-08:00

Combo Cutters

Cookie Tree Set

Pinwheel Cutter

Pinwheel Cutter

2008-11-28T23:58:00.000-08:00

Turns cookies into dazzling pinwheels... just cut, fill, flip the corners, and bake.

Cookie Tree Set

2008-11-28T23:57:00.000-08:00

I had a smaller set, but I've always wanted a tall cookie tree cutter set, I finaly got it from Taste of Home

I am so happy, I just can't wait to give it a try.

These are my last year Christmas Tree Cookies, made out of basic sugar dough. I've used mint chocolate and green icing for the green part and candies to decorate.

As I said long ago, I gave a try to the new set and the outcome is amasing... I love them so much I will keep them in tins for the next Christmas to make a center display for the table.

What a difference between the last year trees and this year.

Combo Cutters

2008-11-28T23:56:00.000-08:00

These are Combo Cutters by Wilton

I found the Hearts, Triangles and Mini.

Very good for Petite Fours and small pastries.

Plastic and Silicone

2008-11-27T23:59:00.000-08:00

Breading Food

Brownie Trays

Brownie Trays

2008-11-27T23:58:00.000-08:00

These two are part of my Christmas Present 2008

Brownie Pops

Bite-Size Brownie Squares

Italian Blogs

2008-10-30T10:47:00.000-07:00

Cool & Chic - Style Confidential

Hall of Fame

2008-10-30T00:20:00.000-07:00

If you find a broken link, please let me know.
Daca dati de un link care nu functioneaza va rog sa ma atentionati.

These are my most precious links, of friends and/or food lovers, best bakers I've ever come across the net.
I feel compelled to share them with you, it would be a pity to keep this information for myself. I hope you could learn from them as much as I've learned.

Aunt Yochana as she is known to the world, to me she is with great honor "my friend Lucy from Singapore"

Baking Mum - LeeLee

Do what I like - Florence

Glad's Passion - The queen of sugar paste

Sweet Decadenze

Jo's Kitchen

Cookbake Legacy - Cecily

Playing with my food - tt

Precious Moments - Edith

Jas's Kitchen

English Food Links

2008-10-30T00:19:00.000-07:00

If you find a broken link, please let me know.
Daca dati de un link care nu functioneaza va rog sa ma atentionati.

#
64 sq ft Kitchen

A
A cat in the kitchen
A Pot of Tea and a Biscuit
A Spoonful of Sugar
Airy Fairy Cupcakes
All Recipes
Amber's Delectable Delights
Apple & Spice
Arabic Bites
Artisan Sweets
At Anna's kitchen table

B
Bake or Break
Baking Bites
Baking Blonde's Weblog
Baking Cakes Galore
Bread Bakers
Breadtopia

C
Cafe Chocolada
CD Kitchen
Chef Jeenas
Choklad Passion
Closet Cooking
Clumbsy Cookie
Cook almost Anything at least once
Cookie Decorating Tutorials - Karens Cookies
Cooking With Gramma Lowe
Cooking with Nico and Bianca
Cotton Creations - Christmas Cookie Recipes Cozy Kitchen by the Sea - The Queen_B
Cream Puffs In Venice
Cookie Baking Lynn
Cookie Madness
Cool Desserts
Culinary Couture
Culinary in the Desert
Culinary Obsessed
Cup Cake
D
Dan Lepard
Dessert First
Diana's Desserts
Divine Domesticity
Domestic Goddess in Training

E
Eat Me Delicious
Epicurious

F
Fields of Cake and Other Good Stuff
Food and Drinks Videos
Food Lover's Journey
Food Network
Food & Thoughts

G
Gigi Cakes
Cookie Madness
Gourmed (Greek Cuisine)
Grace's Cakes
Greek Food

H

Half Baked
Happy Home Baking
Happy Love Strawberry
Home Baking
House of Annie
How to Eat a Cupcake

I
I Eat, I Shoot, I Post
I Heart Cupcakes
I Love Turkish Food
Is that my bureka - BurekaBoy

J
Janet is Hungry
Jamie Oliver Recipes
Jamila's Creations
Joy the Baker
Joy of Baking
Julia Child
Jumbo Empanadas

K
Kalofagas - Greek Food & Beyond
Katie Cakes
King Arthur Flour
Kopiaste... to Greek Hospitality
Kraft Foods

L
La Belle Cuisine
La Tartine Gourmande
Lady Cakes
Leite's Culinaria

M
Mamaliga - Gabriel Bucataru
Mrs. Claus' Cookbook
My Culinary Journal
My Culinary World
N
Nina
Not Quite Nigella

O
Open Bucket
Our Patisserie

P
PastryWiz
Palachinka
Passionate About Baking
Pink Bites
Plow & Hearth
Precious Moments
Proud Italian Cook

Q

R
Real Baking with Rose
Recipes to Go

S
Serious Eats
Sharing and Caring - Cake Decorating and Sugar Art Tutorials
Simple Quintessential Cuisine
Sourdough Bread
Sugar and Everything Nice
SweetAlmond

T
Tartelette
Taste Like Home
Tea and Wheaten Bread
Technicolor Kitchen - Patricia Scarpin
The Artisan
The Boston Cooking-School Cook Book
The Chocolate Gourmand
The Culinary Institute of America
The Fresh Loaf
The Kitchen
The Left Over Queen
The PastryWiz Recipe Archive
The Pioneer Woman Cooks
The Prepared Pantry
The Well-Seasoned Cook
Thinking About Food

U

V

W
What's Cooking - America's Recipe Collection
What's for lunch honney?
Wild Yeast

X

Y

Z
Zoe Bakes

Vegetarian
A vegetarian in the Middle East
Eat'n Veg'n Vegan Food & Recipes
Veg Inspiration

English Food Forums

2008-10-30T00:18:00.000-07:00

If you find a broken link, please let me know.
Daca dati de un link care nu functioneaza va rog sa ma atentionati.

Cooking Forums
Cooking for Engineers
Dan Lepard
eGullet
I eat, I shoot, I post
Imperial Kitchen
Jo's Deli & Bakery
Knife Forum
Net Cooking Talk
The Fresh Loaf
Violet's Pantry

French Food Links

2008-10-30T00:17:00.001-07:00

If you find a broken link, please let me know.
Daca dati de un link care nu functioneaza va rog sa ma atentionati.

La Popotte de Manue

Romanian Food Links

2008-10-30T00:17:00.000-07:00

If you find a broken link, please let me know.
Daca dati de un link care nu functioneaza va rog sa ma atentionati.

#

A
Ada's World
Adi Hadean - Retete fara secrete
Ala's Cooking
Alchimie cu Elisa
Alison's Trials
Ama in Bucatarie
Amalia
Ana Araki - Retete Japoneze
Arome din Bucatarie - Didona
Aventuri Bubulinare
Aventuri in Bucatarie

B
Barbat la cratita
Bine ati venit in bucataria mea - Sandytza
Blogul Irinei Olariu
Bucatar Maniac
Bucataras
Bucatarescu
Bucataresele Vesele
Bucataria Gabrielei
Bucataria Online
Bucataria Romaneasca
Bucataria Sabinei
Bunatati din bucataria mea
Bunny's Blog

C
Caietul cu Retete - Vio
Carmen
Carmen - Retete
Casa mea - Veronica
Ce retete mai fac fetele?
Chez Mazilique
Ciocolata si Zahar... si multe alte retete culinare
Clipe dulci si parfumnate
Costachel
Crazy Mother Cooker
Cristina_K
Cu Mimi in Bucatarie
Cucina Jugariu
Cuina Banateana - Laura Laurentiu
Curcubeu Culinar
Cook like a man

D
Daneza13
Daniela in Japonia
Davella Culinar
Deea's Blog
De la lume adunate
Despre vin si stil de viata
Delicii by Florance
Diamond loves cuisine
Diana
Diete
Domestic Slut
Dora's SweetTreasures
Dragonika
Dulce Casa
Dulce si Dolce

E
Easy Peasy
Edith's Kitchen
Experimente in Bucatarie

F
Felis
Flori de Zahar - Seima
Food Blog
Foodie

G
Gabi Cara
Gateste cu Maria
Gatitul, o placere! - Melianda
Gulaschsuppe
Ghiocel
Ginette
Gourmandine
Gustos

H
Happy Blogging!

I
In Bucataria Sabinei
Invat sa gatesc
Isabela Cuisine

J
Jurnal Culinar

K
Kitchen for Dummies

L
La Papa Gheorgiu
Laura Adamache
Laura's Leckereien - Laura Schuster
Let's Cook!
Lifestyle
Lily's Cakes
Lissa's Cakes

M
Mami Chan
Mara - Bucataria Romaneasca
Micul in Bucatarie
MONONOKE KITCHEN
My world-VIOLETTE

N
Naina's Kitchen
Natural Cuisine
Niko's blog
Nicolina's Kitchen
Numa' bune de mancat

O
Oana's Kitchen
O mie si una
Otilia - Bucataria Mea

P
Papa Bun
Papita buna, buna
Pappuccino - Retetele mele
Paradis
Pranzul din caserola
Pasiune Pentru Bucatarie
Poftiti va rog la masa
Povesti Gustoase
Prajituri, torturi si... nu numai
Preparam si mancam

Q

R
Raluca's Blog
Retete Culinare I
Retete Culinare II
Retete Delicioase....!!!
Retete... retete... retete
Retete Vegetariene
Retetele mamei
Retetele, pasiunea mea
Retetele lui Radu

S
Salutari din Tokyo
Sarea in Bucate
Sava Laura
Sella's World
Silvia - Savoare si Arome

T
Taci si Inghite
Teo's Kitchen
Time to Time
Totoro

U

V
Vulpea Bucatar

W
Watashino Burogu
Welcome to my kitchen!

X

Y
Yammy

Romanian Food Forums

2008-10-30T00:16:00.000-07:00

If you find a broken link, please let me know.
Daca dati de un link care nu functioneaza va rog sa ma atentionati.

Bucataria Noastra
Va recomand acest forum cu toata inima, un forum la subiect, curat, elegant si fara dispute inutile. Vero, fondatoarea acestui forum a reusit sa creeze ceva intr-adevar inedit. O adevarata placere de a face parte din aceasta mica comunitate virtuala.

Forumul Femeilor Credincioase

Gustos

Romani in Japonia

Vegan and Celiac Links

2008-10-30T00:15:00.000-07:00

If you find a broken link, please let me know.
Daca dati de un link care nu functioneaza va rog sa ma atentionati.

Vegan
FatFree Vegan Kitchen
Holy Cow! Vegan Recipes
Vegan Awakening
VeganDad
Vegan Visitor
Vegan Yum Yum

Celiac
Celiac and gluten free diet
Karina's Kitchen

**********************************

Romanian
Lifestyle Blog
Vegetarian - gustos si sanatos (Romanian/Spanish)

Native American

2008-10-30T00:14:00.000-07:00

If you find a broken link, please let me know.
Daca dati de un link care nu functioneaza va rog sa ma atentionati.

Native American Recipes
Traditional Native American Recipes
Cookin' with three sisters

Conversion Tables

2008-10-29T00:05:00.000-07:00

Worldwide recipes

About Spices

2008-10-29T00:03:00.001-07:00

If you find a broken link, please let me know.
Daca dati de un link care nu functioneaza va rog sa ma atentionati.

English
Encyclopedia of Spices
Spice Pages

Romanian
Enciclopedia Condimentelor

About Cheese Making

2008-10-29T00:03:00.000-07:00

If you find a broken link, please let me know.
Daca dati de un link care nu functioneaza va rog sa ma atentionati.

Fankhauser's Cheese Page
How to make cheese

Baking and Cooking Supplies

2008-10-29T00:02:00.000-07:00

If you find a broken link, please let me know.
Daca dati de un link care nu functioneaza va rog sa ma atentionati.

#

A
Ateco

B

C
Chef Rubber
Chinese ClayArt
Copper Gifts
Country Kitchen Sweet Art
Culinart, Inc.

D
Downtown Dough

E

F

G
Global Shugar Art

H
H. O. Foose Tinsmithing Store

I

J

K
Kerekes
Kitchen Collectables

L

M

N

O

P

Q

R

S
SugarCraft
Sugar Craft by Rosie

T
The Little Fox Factory

U

V

W
Williams-Sonoma
Wilton
Worry Free Cake Support

X

Y

Z

Cookbooks Out There

2008-10-29T00:01:00.000-07:00

Bread by Jennie Shapter

Chocolate Passion: Recipes and Inspiration from the Kitchens of Chocolatier Magazine

Magazin Online

2008-10-28T23:59:00.000-07:00

If you find a broken link, please let me know.
Daca dati de un link care nu functioneaza va rog sa ma atentionati.

Ustensile patiserie - BB Superimport

Traveling

2008-02-01T12:59:00.000-08:00

If you find a broken link, please let me know.
Daca dati de un link care nu functioneaza va rog sa ma atentionati.

Mexico