Food Recipies Free
Saturday, November 30, 2013
New & Notable Chocolate
'Eat food. Not too much. Mostly chocolate.'
--Debbie Moose
Each holiday season there are new chocolates and I am first in line to try as many as I can. This year there were so many I packed them all up and took them to Thanksgiving dinner to let my friends and family try them too. Here are the highlights:
I adore Kika's Treats. Kika is one of the most successful graduates of the La Cocina incubator program in San Francisco. Her caramelized graham crackers dipped in chocolate are unique and a wonderful melange of buttery toffee and rich chocolate. But her latest confection is equally compelling.
Luscious caramels dipped in dark chocolate with a pinch of sea salt and a surprising twist. They are lightened up with the addition of puffed brown rice that gives them the perfect crunch. A 9-piece assortment is just $16 (and the box is absolutely adorable)
Another local favorite confectioner, Michael Recchiuti is also known for his terrific caramel truffles which are so dark he calls them 'burnt.' No gooey treat, his version is intense.
Adding to the line up of chocolate confections are bars, made from Valrhona chocolate. While I liked the classic all chocolate bars in bittersweet, semisweet and dark milk for their purity of flavor, I really fell for his bars with crunchy and chewy additions. My favorites were the sesame nougatine bar and the orchard bar. The orchard bar has a bewitching mix of currants, mulberries and toasted almonds. It's like the grown up version of the Nestle chunky bar. The sesame bar also has crispness to it and a lovely nougat flavor. Recchuiti is masterful at toasting and roasting nuts to bring out their best flavor and texture so it's no surprise that all his bars with nuts were good. At only $6 a bar, they are a very affordable indulgence.
Chocolates with liqueur are always a holiday favorite. The most recent addition is a truffle made with the Italian liqueur Frangelico. Frangelico is a beguiling hazelnut liqueur that also includes hints of cocoa, vanilla and berries. It's complex but mellow and pairs wonderfully with chocolate. Marie Belle is making exquisitely beautiful chocolate tiles with a Frangelico truffle ganache. They are not boozy, but rich, creamy and subtle. If you like Frangelico, you will love them. They are available in boxes, starting at $15 for 4.
Thursday, November 28, 2013
Baby Shower Desserts Part 3 - Mini Cupcakes
To make royal icing booties, start with royal icing mix (from Michael's or a cake decorating store), or make your own using pasteurized egg whites.
Royal Icing
3 large pasteurized egg whites
3-3/4 cups sifted powdered sugar + 1/4 cup, divided
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon flavoring of choice (vanilla, etc)
Reserve 1/4 cup sugar and mix together all other ingredients. Beat for 7-10 minutes until the icing holds a strong peak. Add more powdered sugar if necessary. Beat in color of choice ( I use a toothpick to add color so I have control and don't add too much). Keep the frosting covered with a damp cloth to keep it from drying out.
Prepare a pastry bag with a coupler and a #12 round tip (the coupler allows you to change tips without emptying the bag).
If you want to, you can mark a piece of partchment paper with rounds so that you have a bit of guidance in how big to make the bookies. Always mark on one side, turn the paper over and then pipe on the backside so that you don't contaminate the frosting with the marker. Hold the bag at a 45-degree angle and pipe from the toe towards the heel, releasing the pressure as you get to the heel.
For the heel you can either hold the bag straight up-and-down- or you can angle the bag slightly towards the toe and then pipe upwards. Dip a dowel in powdered sugar and then press into the top of the bootie. Don't worry about excess powdered sugar - when the booties are dry you can brush away the excess with a small paint brush (food-safe).
Switch to a #2 tip and pipe 'lace' at the top of the bootie (you'll have to experiment with this to see what looks good - I sort of made loops while raising the tip up). These booties are quite small, so it is hard to add a bow to the front. Instead, I made laces at the front of the bootie using the #2 tip. I used the same color, but you could do contrasting color if you like.
Don't put the booties on the cupcakes until just before serving, as the royal icing could get soft when exposed to the buttercream. These cupcakes are very small, so you might want to just use one on each (the opening photo has chocolate cupcakes with 2 booties and the vanilla with just one, for comparison).
For the Cupcakes
Before offering the recipes, I wanted to tell you about the new muffin pan that I just bought at Sur La Table. It makes 24 mini-muffins, but the best part is that the cups are shallower and wider than regular mini-muffin tins. The result is that the paper liners go in easier with no pleating and they come out of the pan much easier too.
Old style pan on left |
I'd never actually made vanilla cupcakes, always opting for chocolate, but I had a baby shower to do and the mom-to-be didn't like chocolate, so it provided a good opportunity for me to work on my vanilla baking. I started with my all around sheetcake recipe from my book, cutting it down to the appropriate size, but the results were not really what I wanted - they were too sweet, two vanilla tasting and the texture wasn't quite right for a piece of cake that gets eaten out of hand. Fortunately, the fix was easy and I didn't have to rebake them more than once. I simply cut down on the sugar and vanilla and added more milk.
Vanilla Cupcakes
187 grams all-purpose flour -- measured by fluffing, scooping and leveling
1 -1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
5 ounces unsalted butter
1 cups sugar
1 -1 /2 teaspoon vanilla
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon oil
3/4 cup whole milk
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. with a rack in the lower third of the oven (use a hotter oven if you want cupcakes that crest higher). Place baking cups in each muffin space.
Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.
Place the butter and sugar into a large mixer bowl, and beat for a full 5-7 minutes until fluffy. Beat in the vanilla. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating for 30 seconds after each addition. Scrape down the bowl and then beat for a minute to blend everything. Beat in the oil.
By hand, stir in 1/3 of the flour mixture into the batter. Stir in 1/2 of the milk. Repeat until all of the flour and milk has been added. The batter will be very thick, as you'll see in the photo.
Spoon a heaping teaspoonful of batter into each mini-cup or a heaping tablespoon full into each full-size muffin cup. The cups should be about 3/4 full.
Blackberry Buttercream is more on the more purple side of pink, which worked for me, since the colors of the event were pink and purple. Blackberries are so much easier to sieve than raspberries, that I was thrilled that the color would work for this party. I opted to do my Easy Meringue Buttercream rather than Simple Buttercream (uses Marshallow Fluff instead of egg whites) because I wasn't sure if the simple version would handle all of the blackberry puree, but you might want to give it a try, since it is so much easier to make ( see Filled Chocolate Cupcakes Revised), and since this version had problems with the puree as well (details follow).
10-12 ounces frozen blackberries, defrosted as per below instructions
2-4 tablespoons cassis liqueur, optional
180 grams (6 large) pasteurized egg whites (I used Organic Valley egg whites - in a carton)
2 tablespoons water
1-1/2 cups superfine sugar (or you can buzz regular sugar in a coffee grinder)
4 sticks (21 ounces) unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup blackberry puree (see below)
1/2 cup powdered sugar
For the blackberry puree:
Defrost the frozen blackberries, retaining all of the juice. Boil the juice until it is reduced by half (you can add some cassis liqueur to this, before or after boiling, depending on whether you want to get rid of the alcohol or not). Run the blackberries through a food mill and add this puree to the reduced juice. Sieve the mixture through a medium strainer to get rid of all seeds (blackberry seeds are pretty large, so a medium strainer works). You should have about 1/2 cup blackberry puree. Do not add it to the buttercream until it is at room temperature.
For the buttercream:
Remove the butter from the refrigerator and cut it into tablespoon-size lumps so it can soften while you prepare the eggs.
Boil 2 inches of water in a pot into which your metal mixer bowl will fit. Place the egg whites into the clean, grease-free mixer bowl. Whisk in the water and sugar.
Place the bowl over the simmering water, and whisk –stir constantly until the mixture reaches 120-130 degrees, about 1-3 minutes (very warm to the touch, if you don't have a instant-read thermometer). The mixture will be very warm, and the sugar granules should have dissolved. Remove the bowl from over the water. If you see any un-dissolved sugar crystals in the bowl, wipe these off with a paper towel.
Beat the egg white mixture , increasing the speed to medium-high to high speed , as quickly as possible without having the egg whites splash out of the bowl. Beat until the mixture looks like thick shaving cream, and the egg whites and bowl are cool - about 20 minutes.
This is easiest done with a standing mixer using a balloon whisk. To hasten the process, wet a towel and place a few cupfuls of ice chips into it. Wrap it up and place this under the bowl so that it in constant contact with the bowl.
By now the butter should be at cool room temperature. If you press down on it with your thumb, it should yield readily, but should not be soft and melty. If too soft, refrigerate it just for a few minutes to firm it back up. Place the butter into a large mixing bowl, and beat until creamy. On low, beat in 1/3 of the whites. Repeat with the remaining whites, 2 more times. When all of the whites have been added, increase the beater speed to medium-high, and beat until the mixture curdles,
and then smoothes out into thick and creamy frosting, about 10-15 minutes.
Beat in the blackberry puree, about 2 tablespoons at a time, beating after each addition until the buttercream is smooth again. Beat in the powdered sugar, 1/4 cup at a time. Adjust the flavor/sweetness by adding more cassis liqueur or more powdered sugar, to taste. Normally, buttercream can be frozen, but with this frosting, freezing created lots of problems.
For starters, I tried to beat it before it had come to room temperature (a definite no-no with all egg-based buttercreams). Here's what happened:
Now, this has happened before, and when I let the mixture come to room temperature it beat up nicely, but this time that didn't happen. In fact, as it got warmer, it got worse and worse:
So, keep this in mind if you plan to make the buttercream ahead, or if you have trouble with another buttercream you have made.
The only thing left to do, is to pipe the buttercream onto the cupcakes. Refrigerate until 2-3 hours before serving , placing the booties on the cupcakes when you take them out of the refrigerator and the frosting has started to soften.
Tuesday, September 3, 2013
KARISALANKANNI KEERAI CHAPATHI
Nowadays i am using karisilankanni keerai in my cooking twice a week for health reasons. I make kootu and this chapathi.But i would say,we love this chapathi more than kootu ;) It is very easy to prepare.I make this for my hubby's lunch box. It stays soft and onion raita is the best accompaniment. I use the same method to prepare palak and other keerai chapathis.
INGREDIENTS
- Karisalankanni leaves- 1 bunch
- Wheat flour - 1 cup
- Besan flour - 1 tbsp
- Sambhar powder - 1 tsp
- Garam masala - 1/2 tsp
- Curd - 1/5 cup ( adjust)
- Olive oil - 1 tsp
- Salt -as needed
- water - As needed
METHOD
- Wash the leaves .Heat the kadai with a tsp of oil and saute the leaves till it reduces to half in quantity.
- Grind to make a smooth paste by adding little curd . Now in a bowl , take the wheat flour,besan flour , sambhar & garam masala powder,salt and water.Knead well to make a soft , pliable dough.
- Roll to make thin chapathi and toast on a dosa tawa.
- Serve hot with onion raita and pickle.
KITCHEN CLINIC
Karisalankanni (Eclipta prostrata) is the herb of choice in treating liver diseases. This herb grows in marshy areas throughout the year. It grows abundantly during the rainy season. There are two varieties of karisilankanni, one has yellow flowers and the other white. The yellow one is more potent. Karisalankanni is most effective when eaten raw. It can also be dried in shade and powdered.
karisalankanni is also a specific remedy for jaundice. It has a great medicinal value in the treatment of hair. Karisalankanni is said to protect against night blindness and other eye diseases probably because of its high carotene content. 1. It is good for teeth, skin and hair.
|
Sunday, May 26, 2013
This week's best drink buys
You might be the kind of person who thinks the beginning of November is FAR too early to start planning what you're going to eat and drink over Christmas (me too) but the supermarkets have decided otherwise.
When I walked into Sainsbury's yesterday the drinks deparment was packed with special offers - and some quite spectacular ones too. Leaving frugal options aside for the moment you can pick up the particularly lush Glenmorangie Nectar d'Or whisky at the moment for just £25 instead of £39.99 (and £42.95 at royalmilewhiskies.com) Aged in Sauternes casks it's a lush cross between a sweet wine and a whisky that would be superb with the Stilton and maybe - though I haven't tried it yet - with mince pies. A terrific gift for any whisky lover.
They also had a couple of good champagne deals: Heidsieck Monopole Blue Top for £14.99 instead of £29.99* and the much improved Lanson Black Label for £21.99 instead of £31.99 - but then Morrisons currently has it for £15 according to The Wine Detective.
In terms of budget buys you probably couldn't do much better than Dow's Trademark port - that's also reduced by 50% in Sainsbury's from £13.43 to £6.71. The style is referred to as Finest Reserve which means it's halfway between a basic ruby port and a Late Bottled Vintage in quality. If you're looking for a sweet, brambly warming Christmas port from a reputable producer it would fit the bill perfectly. (I also like adding a dash of this style of port to a mulled wine).
Rather less good value is the current offer on Baileys cream liqueurs which are reduced in Sainsbury's from £19.79 to £9.89. I know it's a good reduction for a litre bottle but since when did they go up to that kind of price? Asda's regular price for the same size bottle is £14 and they currently have it down to £9 but there are loads of perfectly good own label versions around for a fair amount less.
Marks and Spencer, for instance, has its new Toffee and Pecan Cream liqueur on offer for £6.99 currently. I don't much like cream liqueurs but I must admit I did find it a bit moreish. M & S told me this week that toffee and pecan flavours are HUGE for them.
Anyway if you miss these offers don't panic. There will be plenty more where they came from over the coming weeks but don't leave it until the week before Christmas when I'm pretty sure a lot of the prices will shoot up again
* Asda also has it for £15
Note: this prices applied the day I wrote this post but may well have changed by the time you read it.
Thursday, May 23, 2013
Chile Cheddar Bacon Waffle recipe
Dining out is one of the best favorite forms of culinary inspiration. Last weekend I went out for brunch at 'Eats' on Clement Street and ordered the Waffle Bacon which was described as bacon pressed in a waffle, cheddar, Hungarian peppers and a sunny up egg. It was a wonderful combination of gooey, chewy and crisp and had many classic flavors associated with breakfast. It was definitely the sauteed peppers that tied the bacon, egg, cheese and waffle together and took the dish to the next level. I knew this was something I had to order again or better yet, try to duplicate at home.
Instead of using Hungarian peppers I took the easy route and used diced green chiles from a can. The result? Oh my. It was delicious! The truth is, a bacon waffle topped with chiles and cheese is actually quite good without the egg as well, though you can imagine how the yolk forms a lovely sauce for the bacon waffle. Sometimes more is better, and it's the excess of this recipe that makes it so satisfying. Who doesn't love bacon, cheddar or green chiles? They are my go to ingredients for making everything from eggs to soups or stews taste better.
I'm not a huge proponent of packaged foods like pancake and waffle mix, but in this case it's a good shortcut. While I often make pancakes or waffles from scratch, having a mix on hand is worthwhile. You can even make your own mix if you like. What restaurant dish will inspire my next recipe? I can't wait to find out...
Chile Cheddar Bacon Waffle
Makes one serving (multiply to serve as many as you like)
Waffle batter, homemade or from a mix
2 strips bacon, cooked and cut into 4 pieces
2 Tablespoons cheddar, shredded
2 Tablespoons fire roasted green chiles (such as Ortega brand)
Optional:
1 teaspoon butter or oil
1 egg
Heat waffle iron and grease as directed. Pour in the batter and lay a piece of bacon in each quadrant. Close cover and cook until done. Meanwhile heat a small nonstick pan. Add the butter or oil and fry the egg. Meanwhile place the chiles in a microwave safe container and gently heat in the microwave until warm, about 1 minute. Place the waffle on a plate, top with the chiles, cheese and egg, if desired.
Enjoy!
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/SpanishRecipesinpictures/~3/ibe4U5klSEY/stew-lentils-with-cod-and-potatoes.html
Get the rest in my blog! See you there!
Sunday, May 19, 2013
Small pies (Manaeish) or Fatayer Recipe
Photo: Small pies (Manaeish) or Fatayer Recipe |
The Arabic Food Recipes kitchen (The Home of Delicious Arabic Food Recipes) invites you to try Small pies (Manaeish) or Fatayer Recipe. Enjoy the Arabic Cuisine and learn how to make Small pies (Manaeish) or Fatayer.
Ingredients
1 Tbs yeast
¼ Cup water, warm
2 ½ Cup flour
½ tsp salt
½ tsp sugar
¾ Cup milk
¼ Cup oil
1 Egg, beaten +2 Tbs milk
Method
- Dissolve yeast in warm water, leave for 5 minutes or until foamy.
- Combine flour, salt and sugar in an electric mixer on low speed.
- Add yeast mixture, milk and oil while beating on medium speed for 10 minutes or until soft dough is formed (can be mixed with hands for about 25 minutes).
- Place dough and roll in a greased bowl, cover and let rise for 1hour or until doubled in size.
- Roll dough on a lightly floured surface into a (½ cm thickness) circle. Cut into approximately 7 cm circles.
- Brush circle edges with the egg mixture and fill one side of the circle as desired (for example white cheese and dried mint mixture), then fold into a half circle; pinch the edges with a fork to seal. (Hint: flour the fork so it won't stick with the dough).
- Brush with the egg mixture, prick with a fork, sprinkle with sesame seeds, black sesame or crushed pistachios (as desirer).
- Bake for 15 minutes or until golden (time may vary according to filling).
Serving Suggestions
*For spinach filling:
(Olive oil/ spinach, cut/ pomegranates seeds/pomegranates syrup/lemon juice)
- heat oil in a skillet over medium heat, add ingredients and stir until done.
- Fill pies by adding a portion of the mixture in the middle of the dough circle, then fold edges to meet in the middle to shape a triangle. Top with pomegranates seeds.
* For minced beef filling (precooked ground beef, pine nuts)
- Place a portion of filling in the middle of the dough circle; pinch the edges to form an unsealed square. Sprinkle with roasted pine nuts.
Chef Osama
More Arabic Food Recipes:
Stuffed Bread with Sausage and vegetables
Toast stuffed with chicken
Cumin pancake with hummus
Red Pepper Hummus with Toasted Pita Triangles
Grilled Veggie Hummus Wrap
Middle Eastern Platter
Save and share Small pies (Manaeish) or Fatayer Recipe
Want to share this recipe with your family and friends? Click the button below to send them an email or save this to your favorite social network.