Caffeine for 2

Cake or cupcake! That’s a dilemma!

2010-01-06T07:17:00.001-08:00

Are you craving for something sweet? And if you could choose, it would be a cake or a cupcake? I’ll give you the recipe and I hope the input to try both, if you like!

Cake:
Vegetable oil cooking spray
2¾ cups bleached all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting cake pans
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon fine salt
2 sticks unsalted butter (16 tablespoons), brought to room temperature
1¾ cups granulated sugar
1 cup sweetened cream of coconut (such as Coco López®)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon coconut extract
4 large eggs, separated and brought to room temperature
1 cup buttermilk
1 (packed) cup sweetened shredded coconut (6 ounces), finely chopped

Preheat the oven to 350°F, and position a rack in the center of the oven.Generously spray two 9 x 2-inch cake pans with cooking spray, and cover the pan bottoms with parchment paper rounds. Spray the rounds, and dust the cake pans with flour; tap outthe excess, and set aside until needed.
Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a mixing bowl. Whisk to aerate and mix evenly; set aside.
In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter at medium speed until creamy, about 30 seconds. Add the sugar and cream of coconut and continue beating until the mixture is light in texture, about 2 to 3 minutes (creaming). Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then add the vanilla and coconut extracts; mix to combine. Add the eggs yolk one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Reduce the speed to low, and add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the buttermilk. Stop to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Mix just until the final addition of flour is incorporated. Remove the bowl from the mixer, and gently fold the finely chopped coconut into the batter; set aside.
Place the egg whites in the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with a clean whisk attachment; make sure the bowl and whisk are scrupulously clean. Whisk on medium-low speed until frothy. Increase the speed to medium, and continue whisking until soft peaks form. Increase the speed to medium-high, and continue whisking until the whites are stiff but not dry.
Carefully fold the beaten egg whites into the batter. Divide the cake batter evenly between the prepared cake pans. Place the pans in the oven, spacing them evenly apart. Bake, rotating the pans halfway through the cooking time, until the cakes pull away from the sides of the
pans and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean, about 40 to 45 minutes.
Remove the cakes from the oven, and let sit for 5 minutes. Run a thin-bladed knife around the edges to loosen the cakes from the sides of the pans. One at a time, invert the cakes onto a plate; then, re-invert them onto the cooling rack, rounded-side up. Let cool completely.

Filling:
1 cup seedless raspberry jam
½ cup Lime Curd (recipe follows)

Combine the jam and lime curd in a medium mixing bowl. Whisk until
evenly combined. Store, refrigerated, until needed.

Lime curd:

6 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
½ cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup key lime juice**
1 teaspoon finely minced lime zest

Place the butter in a small sauce pan over low heat. Allow the butter to melt, then add the eggs, sugar and lime juice, whisking to combine.
Cook over low heat, whisking continuously, until the mixture thickens to a custard consistency, about 8 to 10 minutes. Strain through a fine mesh sieve into a clean bowl. Stir in the zest, then cover and chill.

Note: The curd will thicken more as it cools.

Icing:
1½ (8-ounce) packages cream cheese (12 ounces), brought to room temperature
¾ stick unsalted butter (6 tablespoons), brought to room temperature
1/3 cup sweetened cream of coconut (such as Coco López®)
¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
¾ teaspoon coconut extract
1½ cups confectioners' sugar

Combine the cream cheese and butter in the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Reduce the speed of the mixer, and add the cream of coconut and extracts; mix until just combined.
With the mixer speed on low, add the confectioners' sugar, a little at a time, until all is incorporated, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Increase the speed, and mix until the icing is light and fluffy.

Assembly:

Use a serrated knife to split each cooled cake layer in two. (Note:
You will now have four layers total). Place a small dab of icing in the center of a cardboard cake round or cake plate. Place one cake layer, cut-side down, in the center of the board or plate. Spoon ½ cup Raspberry Lime Filling onto the cake layer, and use an offset spatula or large palette knife to spread the filling in an even layer, leaving a ½-inch border around the edge.
Repeat this process with the second and third cake layers, placing each layer cut-side down and spreading each with ½ cup Raspberry Lime Filling; leave a ½-inch border.
Top the cake with the final layer, placing it cut-side down. Press gently with even pressure on top of the cake. Ensure that all the layers are centered on each other.
Cover the tops and sides of the cake with the icing. Sprinkle coconut over the top of the cake, and gently press coconut onto the sides until the entire cake is covered.

Patriotic cakes

2009-07-06T08:21:00.001-07:00

I hope you had a wonderful 4th of July!!! The heat in Houston is really getting worst, but it didn't stop me to bake cakes. Actually for the occasion I had to prepare more than one and I'm glad to share those with you! The recipe is the same for both, but for the birthday cake you'll need to double the amount of the ingredients.

The white cake is the base for this light and nice cake, richer from this velvety frosting. I choose raspberry for the top, but you can substitute with strawberry, if you prefer. Enjoy!

TRIPLE BERRIES WHITE CAKE WITH MASCARPONE CHEESE FROSTING

FLAG CAKE

Frosting:
1¼ cups mascarpone cheese
1¼ cups heavy cream, chilled well
5 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
1¼ teaspoons vanilla extract
1¼ teaspoons almond extract

In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment,
whisk the mascarpone on medium speed until soft. Add the cream, and beat until it begins to thicken. Add the sugar, vanilla and almond extract; continue beating until the cream forms soft to medium peaks. Cover, and refrigerate until needed.

BIRTHDAY CAKE

Cake:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon fine salt
1½ sticks unsalted butter (12 tablespoons), brought to room temperature
1½ cups granulated sugar
6 large egg whites, brought to room temperature
¾ cup whole milk, brought to room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons almond extract
½ pint fresh blueberries, for garnish
1 pint fresh raspberries, for garnish

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place an oven rack in the middle position. Butter a 9 x 13 x 2-inch baking pan; line the bottom with parchment paper to help prevent sticking.
In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt; set aside until needed. In an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the egg whites, milk, vanilla and almond extracts.
Reduce the mixer speed to low; add 1/3 of the flour mixture to the creamed butter. Increase the speed to medium, and add half of the milk mixture. Repeat the process until all of the flour and milk mixtures have been added in, ending with the last addition of the flour
mixture.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan; smooth the top of the cake with a large, metal offset spatula to level the batter. Tap the pan on the counter one or two times to remove any air bubbles. Bake until a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about25 to 30 minutes.

Remove the cake from the oven, and transfer to a cooling rack. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a rack. Remove the parchment paper, and cool completely.
Using a large, metal offset spatula, spread about 2/3 of the frosting over the top and sides of the cake. Fill a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip with the remaining frosting.

Arrange a small square of blueberries in the top left-hand corner of the cake, about 7 to 8 blueberries down and 9 to 10 blueberries across. Pipe small rosettes on top of the blueberries to represent stars. Pipe large horizontal stripes across the cake (one on each of the long sides of the cake and three in the center), all evenly spaced apart. Do not pipe stripes over the blueberries. Fill in the spaces between the stripes with strawberries, sliced or whole, or raspberries.
Serve immediately, or place in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Recipe adapted from the Viking Cooking School

A very whimsical chocolate cake

2009-06-17T16:30:00.001-07:00

Few months ago I've taught a cake class - at the Viking Cooking School in the Woodlands - and this luscious chocolate cake was the king of the class. Three layers of chocolate cake frosted with chocolate buttercream. What else do you want from life?!? If you want to have more fun, just add few touches with rolled fondant!

Cake:
2¾ cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
½ teaspoon fine salt
½ teaspoon baking powder
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, plus extra for dusting cake pans
2 cups boiling water
2 sticks unsalted butter, brought to room temperature
2½ cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs, brought to room temperature
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract

Chocolate Frosting:
1 pound semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 pinch fine salt
½ cup half-and-half
2 sticks unsalted butter cut into cubes
2½ cups confectioners' sugar

For the Cake: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Sift together the flour, baking soda, salt and baking powder; set aside until needed.
Whisk together the cocoa and boiling water until completely combined; set aside to cool to room temperature.
In an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, then add the vanilla and beat until light in color,about 5 minutes.
At low speed, add one-quarter of the flour mixture to the butter mixture followed by one third of the cooled cocoa mixture; repeat until all of the ingredients are well combined.
Divide the batter evenly between three, 9-inch, round, buttered and cocoa-dusted cake pans.
Bake until the center of the cake springs back when touched and the sides begin to shrink away from the pan, about 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven, and cool for 10 minutes; unmold onto wire racks, and cool completely. Meanwhile, make the frosting.

For the Frosting: In the top of a double boiler, gently melt the chocolate with the salt and half-and-half; cool for about 10 to 15 minutes, then transfer to the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. On low speed, add the butter, 1 cube at a time, beating until fully incorporated. When the
mixture is smooth, increase the speed and mix until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the confectioners' sugar, ½ cup at a time; continue mixing on high speed until doubled in volume, about 5 to 7 minutes.

To Assemble: With a cake knife, trim the top of each layer. Place 1 layer on a cardboard cake round, and spread with a thin layer of frosting. Add the second and third layer, frosting each. Using an offset spatula, frost the top and sides of the cake generously. If you want, cover with rolled fondant and make decoration with it.

Recipe adapted from the Viking cooking school, The Woodlands.

When time runs too fast....

2009-04-16T07:25:00.001-07:00

... and you really need something sweet, here the cake for you. I already did this time ago (check here), but I wasn't really happy with the texture. so, playing with the ingredients - adding something here; taking off something there - I came up with this new and improved version of the fastest cake ever!

7 minutes coconut cake

150 gr flour
150 gr sugar
100 gr coconut flour
140 ml vegetable oil
125 ml heavy cream
2 teaspoons orange extract
2 teaspoons baking powder
3 eggs
pinch salt

Whip eggs and sugar; stir in the remaining ingredients. Pour in a silicon pan (8 by 2 inches) and cook in the microwave at High for 7 minutes.

Remove from the pan and frost it with a glaze of sugar and water. Decorate with sprinkles.

Note: if you have a 4 inched deep pan - trust me - is better: you won't see your cake try to run out of the pan!!!!

Pause

2009-04-10T14:36:00.001-07:00

A flower and a prayer for the recent earthquakes ' victims in Abruzzo, Italy.

Happy Saint Patrick day to y'all

2009-03-17T10:49:00.001-07:00

And here a recipe in green to celebrate!!!

Garganelli in green!!!

2009-03-17T10:48:00.001-07:00

Few day ago I've received my Food & Wine magazine (April 2009) and I was immediately taken from the picture of the dish o n the cover. So I've decided to replicate, using though a wonderful fresh pasta, call garganelli (a type of egg pasta characterized by a shape that resembles a small, ridged, rolled tube, similar to a quill.), that my friend Alice sent to me from Italy the last Christmas time. It was time to honor this pasta with a wonderful, rich but still light dressing, perfect for the incoming spring season. Enjoy it!

Garganelli pasta with peas and asparagus

Ingredients

1/2 pound garganelli pasta (or penne)
1 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 pound thick asparagus, cut into 1-inch lengths
1 cups chicken stock *
1 cups frozen baby peas, thawed
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus more for serving
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the penne and cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente. Drain.

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil. Add the garlic and asparagus and cook over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until the garlic is fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add the stock and boil over high heat until reduced by half and the asparagus are tender, about 5 minutes.

Add the peas and cream to the skillet and boil over high heat until the sauce has thickened, 3 minutes. In the meantime cook the garganelli for few minutes (since is fresh pasta it'll cook in minutes), drain them and stir in the pan with the sauce and cook until heated through. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter, parsley and the 1/2 cup of cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer the pasta to bowls and serve right away, passing additional cheese at the table.

* substitute with vegetable stock for a vegetarian option.

Adapted from here

Cannoli doc!!!

2009-03-09T08:45:00.001-07:00

Here we are with the second annual FESTA ITALIANA, that Maryann e Mary have hosted for us. The last year I've "brought" a recipe from the Northern Italy - this one - today I'm going South, really South: in Sicily with the wonderful recipe of cannoli.

I got this recipe from a Sicilian friend, Rossella, who's also the soul of a very interesting Italian culinary forum: Pan per focaccia. But no more chatting, here the recipe:

Ingredients:

250 gr flour
25 gr. butter/shortening
25 gr. sugar
1 gr. salt
5 gr. cocoa powder
70 gr marsala wine
1 egg

To make the shells: Mix together the dry ingredients and cut in butter with 2 knives. Add the Marsala and shape the dough into a ball. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for few hours or overnight.

To make the filling: for every 2 pound of ricotta cheese (preferably sheep ricotta cheese) well drained you'll need 1 pound sugar. Mix the two ingredients and let rest overnight. After this time, strain it and if you want add chocolate chips or candied fruit. Mix well and fill the cannoli shells.

As a good rule you should fill the cannoli at the last moment, before serving them. But in case you want to make them in advance, brush the inside of the shell with melted chocolate, let dry and then fill them.

Crab cheesecake on pecan gougeres

2008-12-14T15:31:00.001-08:00

It looks like the Seven Fish Feast on Christmas's Eve is a big deal here in America. And it also looks like it very Italian. But for me, at the beginning, it was hard to make the connection with the Italian counterpart. Then I finally realized that is "just" the Christmas Eve dinner the way is celebrated in the South Italy. Actually, the dinner based on the seafood should means a modest dinner (cena di magro), before the big luncheon on Christmas day. But here it has become a real feast.

So Maryann - from the blog Finding la dolce vita - and Joe - from Italyville - have organized a new contest based on seafood and shellfish recipes. This is really exciting, considering how much I love seafood!!!

I've realized the recipe that I'm entering few years ago. The idea was to create an elegant appetizer for a Louisiana theme based dinner, something that had the flavor from there, but a certain appeal.

Ingredients for 20:

Crab cheesecake

1 ¼ each onion, finely diced
10 ounces lump crabmeat
20 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
3 ¾ teaspoons sour cream
3 ¾ teaspoons plain yogurt
5 each eggs
salt, to taste
white pepper, to taste
Tabasco sauce, to taste

Sweat the onions a little bit and add the crabmeat until heated through.

Blend the cream cheese until smooth. Add the sour cream, yogurt, eggs (one at a time). Blend until smooth, scraping the bottom of the bowl occasionally.

Fold in the crabmeat mixture.

Pour into forms, such as mini-muffin pan - and bake at 350 degrees until barely set.

Pecan Gougers

Servings: 20

4 oz flour
3 ½ oz butter
4 egg
½ cup chopped pecan, toasted
5 oz water
pinch salt
pinch pepper

Bring water and butter to a boil.

Add flower to boiling water/butter. Whisk vigorously.

Remove from heat and let cool it down. add the eggs, one at the time, whisking vigorously.

Beat until a smooth paste is formed. Add the pecan.

Pipe into shapes and bake for the first 10 minutes at 425- 450 degrees until puffy; then low the oven temperature at 350 and let cook the gougers until golden brown. To be sure that they are done, tap the bottom and if they sound empty.. they're done!

Enjoy it!

Marquis' pasta salad

2008-12-11T04:28:00.001-08:00

Any recipe is made by words, numbers, maybe pictures. They can taste or smell, but still... they get their own life only when they have a story behind. Nothing special: maybe the recipe was created for a special person or in a particular moment; or it is the one that your grandmother used to make so often...

This recipe has prestigious and noble roots, though. It was created by the Marquis Antonio Altoviti Avila, of the illustrious Altoviti's family and also son-in-law of the Italian General Pietro Badoglio. The Altoviti family goes back to the XIII century; it is well known to protect the most famous artists of the Renaissance, such as Vasari, Cellini, Raffaello. and even when the times became tougher, they kept protecting artists and poets. This until the first World War, when the belle epoque ended.

This recipe - see the picture above - is the symbol of that generation of people, with no more luxury, but with so much flair.

Marquis’ Pasta Salad

300 gr rigatoni pasta
15-20 black olives
2 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon chives, chopped
100 gr white fish caviar (you can use the real deal, if you can afford it!)
150 gr marinated tuna in olive oil
1/2 tablespoon anchiovies paste

Melt the anchovies paste in a pan; add olives and tuna and cook for few minutes.

Cook the pasta al dente, drain it and dress it with the tuna sauce. Let cool. When is cold, stir in the caviar and the chopped herb. Stir well and enjoy it

A special thanks to Luvi who shared her story and material with me!

Spicy Chocolate "Salami"

2008-10-19T05:01:00.001-07:00

I was only ten years old, but cooking was already in my blood. So, after watching a show for kids in tv, I decided to try the recipe that they were doing (I still have the piece of paper where I listed the ingredients). It looked so easy!!! But the result was a disaster!

Today, years later and wiser, I've made a different one and I was influenced from the Latino culture. The name is chocolate salami, because of that look that reminds of a salami. But it tastes delicious and, in this case, sweet and spicy at the same time. You know what they say: cayenne pepper and chocolate are both aphrodisiacs.. so be careful!

Ingredienti:

180 gr mexican chocolate, chopped

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon grounded cinnamon

75 ml heavy cream

75 ml milk

50 gr cocoa powder, unsweetened

350 gr cookies, roughly chopped

1 tablespoon rum liquor, optional

almond flour

icing sugar

Put the chocolate, cayenne and cinnamon in a bowl.

Bring cream and milk to boil, then pour on the chocolate e mix, until melted. Stir in cocoa and cookies e mix well.

Lay a piece of foil and sprinkle with almond flour. Put the chocolate mix on top of the foil and shape it like a salami. Roll and tight the foil. Refrigerate for few hours. When is firm, sprinkle the salami with powder sugar and with your hand "massage" the sugar so it will give the appearance of a real salami!

To serve, slice it thin and ... enjoy it!

Pasta party !!!

2008-04-07T06:58:00.001-07:00

Few days ago I've asked my friend bloggers for help: I needed recipes for pasta dishes to be used in a pasta party.

I've received a lot of recipe and it was really hard for me to choose. At the beginning, I was supposed to choose only three recipe, but since I've got so many delightful ideas, I've decided to pick 5 recipes. Plus, I made the mac and cheese for the children at the party.

The choice has been based on easy accessibility to the ingredients, easy to prepare in advance and, most of all, the ones more close to the knowledge of Italian food among my American friend. So something familiar to them, but with a twist and very close to the Italian tradition.

Recipes

To get the recipe, simply follow the link. In case you don't have a translator and you need help with a translation, please feel free to write to me and I'll send it to you!

Involtini di melanzane ripieni di Ema - Nonsisamai

Eggplant parmesan rolls stuffed with rigatoni pasta

There is no link for this recipe, but just the comment left from the author:

Slice the eggplant, flour them and wash in beaten eggs and fry. Let cool down. Cook "al dente'" rigatoni pasta and dress them with a simple tomato sauce. Put 4-5 rigatoni on each slice of fried eggplant and roll it. Layer them on a greased baking pan. Top each with a slice of mozzarella cheese; then cover everything with the rest of the tomatoes sauce. Sprinkle with parmesan and fresh basil and bake until the mozzarella cheese will melt.

Lasagna al forno di Elga- Semi di papavero

This is the original recipe for the Italian lasagna.

Gnocchi 'ncaciati di Cuochetta - Un diavolo per fornello

Baked potatoes dumpling with broccoli and sheep cheese.

I've made few changes: I've used gnocchi instead of orecchiette pasta and I've used a greek sheep cheese, called myzithra.

Mac & cheese

Crostata di tagliatelle di Unika - I piaceri della vita

Tagliatelle pie with ham and peas

I've used a package of spinach tagliatelle (similar to fettuccine) and one of simple egg tagliatelle to create a visual effect!

Spaghetti alla carbonara di Aiuolik - Trattoria Muvara

I've used a light beer instead of white wine.

Thank you for sharing your recipe with me!!!

Orange and rosemary jelly

2008-03-29T13:52:00.001-07:00

Perfect for breakfast on bread, with your oatmeal or cereal; but also for pork or game. Try it. You'll be surprise!

750 ml unsweetened apple juice
50 gr fresh rosemary
2 oranges, juiced and zested
400 gr granulated sugar
35 gr (1 package 1 1/3oz) fruit pectine

Bring to boil the apple juice with the rosemary. Let rest 15-20 minute so the rosemary will infuse the juice.
After this time train it through a cheesecloth and squeeze it so to release all the flavor and juice.
Pour the aromatized apple juice with the pectin and the orange juice and zest in a pan and bring to full boil. At this point, stir in the sugar in once and let it cook for other 5 minutes. Remove from heat and skim off foam with a metal spoon. Immediately ladle jelly into sterilized jars.
Let rest few weeks before consuming.

Note: I've served it on toasted crostini and brie. Yummy!!!!

Cinnamon "Angelica"

2008-03-04T14:01:00.001-08:00

This is an old and traditional Italian recipe. It quite simple: it just a bread dough, enriched with sugar, butter, egg and few other ingredients. But its presentation is quite stunning in its simplicity!

The recipe comes from an Italian book "Pane e roba dolce" (Bread and sweet things) of Margherita e Valeria Simili, two sisters that dedicated their life to teach the best of Italian cuisine worldwide.

I made some variation, though, because I love experimenting with the recipe. In this case I add some cinnamon to the dough and I made a richer filling using an almond cream instead of simple butter.

It takes a while to make it, because the dough as to rest and raise. But it's truly worthy!

Starter:

135 gr bread flour

5 gr di active dry yeast

75 gr warm water

Mix all the ingredients and let rest until doubles in volume.

Dough:

200 gr bread flour

200 gr all purpose flour

75 gr granulated sugar

5 gr cinnamon

3 egg yolks

1 teaspoon salt

120 gr butter, softened

120 gr warm milk

Put all the ingredients in a stand mixer and with the hook mix very well, until the dough will pull off from the bowl.Pour the dough on a slightly floured board and incorporate the starter, kneading well so that the two will mix together. Put this dough into a greased bowl and let raise, again, until double in volume.

Filling:

150 gr almond cream

75 gr di drunken cherries

75 gr di chocolates chunks (or chips), any kind (I prefer bittersweet)

When the dough is well double, roll it out thin, trying to obtain a rectangular shape. Spread the almond cream all over the dough; sprinkle the cherries and the chocolate chunks e roll it pretty tightly from the longest side. At this point, make a cut in the center of the roll lengthwise, obtaining two long stripe. Braid the two stripes, keeping the cut side on the outside, and then put them together so to have a "wreath".

Put the shaped dough onto a baking sheet (covered with silpat or parchment paper) and let raise again for 30-40 minutes, no longer!!!! Bake in a preheated oven at 375 F for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. If after this time is not cooked yet, reduce the oven temperature and bake it longer.

Remove it from oven and sprinkle immediately with powdered sugar or a simple icing or glaze.

Note: click here to see how this bread is made!

This recipe participate to the wonderful initiative of Festa Italiana

Almond Cream

2008-03-03T14:00:00.000-08:00

This is a rich and still delicate filling, that needs to be cooked, though. It perfect to be used to fill pie, croissant, bread pudding... It just up to your creativity!!! Anyway you need to try it!!!

125 gr butter, softened

250 gr sugar

3 eggs

80 gr flour, sifted

180 gr almond finely grounded

Whip the butter until becomes light in color; stir in the sugar and beat well. Add the eggs, one at the time, and mix well. Stir in the flour and the grounded almond and mix well.

Note: it keeps refrigerated up to 3 weeks.

SFOGLIATELLA RICCIA

2008-03-02T08:04:00.001-08:00

... aka shell-shaped Flaky Ricotta Pastries, a specialty dessert from Naples (Italy). You have probably heard this pastry mentioned on The Sopranos, but if you ever have tasted it, you'll remember forever!!!

The sfogliatella's history is intriguing, because there are a lot of versions about who, when and where it was created. One legend says that it was born in the 1700’s in the kitchens of the monastery of the Croce di Lucca as a welcome cake offered to the visiting prelates. It was, in fact, a strip of very thin puff pastry - more likely like a phyllo dough - which was wound around itself to enclose a filling of ricotta, sugar and small pieces of citrus and which took on the appearance of a seashell. Later on or, according to another legend, the sfogliatella was reintroduced (or created) in a slightly larger size by the nuns of the convent of Santa Rosa who enriched the filling with patisserie cream and fruit jam.

We know for sure the official date of when the first sfogliatella was produced outside the convents: it was in 1818, when Pasquale Pintauro, innkeeper of a tavern in via Toledo, decided to produce a continual stream of sfogliatelle, thus serving them to his customers still hot. This had an enormous success, with people cueing up along the street, waiting their turn. All the pastry shops in Naples imitated Pintauro, but he remains, however, the king of the sfogliatella.

The making of this pastry is quite elaborate, but it's so worthy!!!

Dough:

500 gr bread flour

200 gr water

20 gr honey

5 gr salt

150 gr sugna (rendered pork fat) to brush the dough (you can substitute it with butter)

In a stand mixer, with a hook, mix all the ingredients. Wrap the dough in transparent paper and let rest overnight (DON'T SKIP THIS PASSAGE!).

Filling

175 gr ricotta cheese

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

125 gr sugar

150 gr candied fruit

125 gr di semolina flour

1 egg

Bring 375 ml water to a boil, add a pinch of salt and pour in the semolina, stirring so as not to form lumps. Cook, stirring for about 8 minutes. stirring constantly. Let cool. Sift the ricotta; mix with the semolina,and the rest of the ingredients. Let rest. If you make it ahead, such as the night before, it will be better.

Procedure:

Roll out the pastry with a rolling pin to obtain a 25x18-in. rectangle, 1/16-in. thick. Cut the pastry vertically into 4 strips and place one on top of the other, brushing each one with melted "sugna". Let rest for half an hour, and then roll up the stack of dough. Slice the roll into 10 equal pieces with a very sharp, floured knife. Place each slice on palm of left hand. With right thumb on center of roll, gently press through slice so that it forms a ribbed cone; make sure that ribs do not become entirely separated. Carefully work around cone with thumb and index finger until it is well shaped, 3-inches across mouth and 1/2-inch at tip. Press tip together. Fill each cone with 1 heaping tablespoonful of filling. Flatten cones slightly between palms of hands; place on lightly buttered cookie sheet; Bake in a pre-heated oven at 425ºF for 20 minutes or until cakes are golden color and crisp and filling is firm. Remove from oven, cool, dust with confectioners sugar. Serve.

Warm pasta salad with ratatouille

2008-03-02T06:29:00.000-08:00

This recipe is perfect for the summer season: fast to make and fresh to taste. It can be done in 30 minutes: from the beginning to the end. It can also be modify, changing the vegetables or adding some feta cheese, if you like.

200 gr tubetti pasta
1 zucchina squash, diced
1/2 red onion, diced
6 baby carrots, diced
2 green bell pepper, diced
100 gr mushroom, diced
2 small tomatoes, diced
fresh basil, chopped, to taste
salt and pepper
extra-virgin olive oil

Cook the pasta al dente in salty water. Drain and let cool down. Heat some olive oil in a pan and when is hot, add the diced vegetable, except for the tomatoes. Let cook for 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the tomatoes and cook for 2 more minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the cool pasta. Mix well. Drizzle with a little bit of olive oil, basil, salt and pepper. Serve warm or wait until it will be totally cold. Serve it at room temperature.

A heart of passion

2008-02-14T09:30:00.001-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day to you'll !!!

Chocolate mousse:

11 ounces Bitter or semi-sweet chocolate
10 Egg yolks
2 Whole eggs
4 ounces Granulated sugar
16 fluid ounces Heavy cream, whipped
10 gelatin sheets, softened in cold water

Melt the chocolate and set aside.

Place the egg yolks, whole eggs and sugar in a mixer bowl over a pan of simmering water. Whisk until the mixture reaches 158°F (70°C) and is thickened. Add the softened gelatin and let it melt.

Let this mixture cool down, whipping it into the mixer.

Fold 1/3 of the whipped cream into the warm chocolate. Using a balloon whisk gently fold in the remaining cream and whipped mixture.

Pour the mousse in a heart shaped ring. Freeze it.

Strawberry gelee

2 lb strawberry puree
8 oz sugar
10 gelatin sheets, softened in cold water

Combine the purée and sugar in a non-reactive saucepan and heat the mixture until it reaches 110°F (43°C).

Add the softened sheet gelatin to the purée. Stir until the gelatin dissolves completely. Let it cool slightly and Immediately pour half of the mixture on top of the frozen mousse. Chill or freeze until firm. slice the fresh strawberries very thin and make a layer on top of the frozen heart. cover with the remaining gelee (if in the meantime it has became too hard, reheat it). Put it in the freezer until firm.

This recipe participate to the sweet initiative of Zorra "A heart for Valentine". You'll find more information here.

Ciambella Sorrento

2008-02-09T05:29:00.001-08:00

Everything I cooked in Italy (should I say baked, since I was only allowed to bake a long list of desserts, that my father gave me!!!) come from very simple ingredients, the ones that I've found in my mother's pantry or in the garden that my father take care with such love and passion, or from familiar and friends that generously donated us products from their garden (the same way we do with them).

In a way, this lifestyle is still simple and "natural" as it was in the past. Here we don't find trendy and expensive ingredients or the wonder of the electric appliances.

Here prevail ingredients with good smells (I mean a lemon that smell like a lemon!!!), strong colors. Have you ever seen a egg orange like a sunset? Look at this picture: this is a egg from an hen in my parents' garden. I almost forgot the look of it and the result that it gives to everything you cook!!!!

That's why for this cake I've decided to use the best ingredients I could find in my family's garden: lemons, oranges, tangerines and olives, the best of the Mediterranean area and what makes Sorrento proud in the world.

Here it is my simple cake, made just for my cousin Rossella and her little angel Maria Rosaria.

Procedure and ingredients:

In a food processor, grind finely the zest of 1 lemon, 1 orange and 1 tangerine (if you can, the citrus have to be just picked from the trees) with 200 gr of granulated sugar.

Add 3 eggs, 1 glass of milk, 1 glass of extra-virgin olive oil, 250 gr all purpose flour and 1 tablespoon of baking powder. Blend well and pour into a greased and floured bundt cake pan and bake, in a preheated oven, at 350 F per 30-40 minutes, checking with a toothpick to be sure is properly cooked.

Remove from oven and after few minutes from the baking pan. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and, if you like, serve it with hot chocolate!!!

Here I am... again!!!!

2008-02-08T05:00:00.001-08:00

Hi everybody!!!

After a full month abroad the Continent I'm finally back. Even though, coming back is always sad and every time harder and harder. It is tough to leave behind the world I grew up in, not knowing when I'm going back.

And at the same time, when I'm there is like I'm an outsider: the children are grown up and they don't recognize me anymore; the adults have more white hair; the neighbors have a different face and people I've known for long time smile at me, but I barely remember their name. and still.. my heart is always there!

This time I really saw a lot of friends, I have partied a lot, I've met new friend and, since this blog is about cooking, I had to make big sacrifices and taste a lot of food (the more, the better!!!).

I've also made few new recipes, that I'll post soon, as soon I'll finish to adjourn myself about the news on Internet, on my friends' blogs and on the forum I read everyday.

Thank you for your comments, that I couldn't read by myself because in Italy I don't have Internet; but I have a special friend - Carmen - that has read for me, by phone, everything so I couldn't miss a word!!!!

Talk to you soon, then... with a lot of good recipes and, as usual, with more chatting!!!

Taste of home

2008-01-21T05:16:00.000-08:00

Hello everybody!

I've managed to put my hands on a pc and I'm taking the opportunity to say ''hi'' to you guys who take the time to read about my little daily things.
After a long and tiring flight, I've finally reached my town home. And immediately I've been put k.o. from a bad flu's virus, called Pacific. I don't know who was the stupid that gave that name to this virus, because it is everything, but pacific!!!!
Anyway, even though I've been sick for almost two weeks, during which I even lost my voice (unbelieveble!!!!), I still managed to cook something.

My first approach has been a sort of rustic cookies, that remind me of the smell and the flavors of the just past Christmas, but also the view of the white Alps that I've enioyed from the plane.
So, here they are my

White cookies with dates and tangerine

Ingredients:

200 gr all purpose flour
3 egg whites
50 gr butter
80 gr sugar
pinch of salt
1/2 tablespoon baking powder
150 gr finely chopped dates
50 gr candied tangerine or orange
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
powdered sugar as needed

Mix all the ingredients, except the powdered sugar, and get a smooth dough. Cover with pelicula and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Take a small piece of dough, roll it out and shape it in a small cilinder and then fold it in a halfmoon shape. Roll the cookies in abundant powdered sugar and bake it (on baking sheet covered with parchment paper) at 350 F until nice golden.

Home sweet home

2008-01-06T11:44:00.001-08:00

Dear online friends

My baggage are ready. It's time for me to go on vacation. It will be a long one, one whole month. That's why I really would like say goodbye to you, since you keep me company visiting my blog every day, even though in silence, without living any comment.

I'll miss surfing through blogs and websites of my friends, who tell me their stories through their recipes!

During my vacation I won't have the opportunity to connect to Internet, but I'll have all the time to be on a long gastronomic tour and I'll try to make more culinary experiments at my parent's house. And when I'll come back I will have a lot to tell about!

So goodbye and I'll talk to you alter!!!

By the way, this is my destination

The picture has been taken from my house in Italy. The shadow behind the mountain is Napoli below the Mt. Vesuvius.

Spicy chocolate "salami"

2008-01-03T12:58:00.000-08:00

The chocolate salami, even though may sounds gross, is the most delicious dessert ever! In fact, we are not talking about the same salami that you put in sandwich or pizza, but an Italian traditional dessert that look alike it (that's why it's called "salami"), made of chocolate sugar and cookies. How gross can it be? Actually it sounds delightful!!!

This is the first recipe I've posted on my Italian blog few months ago. And there is a precise reason why I choose just this recipe: it has been my first esperiment in the kitchen!

I was 10 and I saw this recipe on tv, in a show for kids. I decided to try it and I invited over few friends to share it with.

How was it? A disaster!!!
But don't worry, the recipe I'm giving you now is bulletproof and deliciuos!!!! I made few change to the traditional recipe, eliminating the raw eggs and using mexican chocolate. And I've added a little kick...

Ingredients for 1 salami:

180 gram mexican chocolate

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon grounded cinnamon

75 ml heavy cream

75 ml milk

50 gr dark cocoa powder

350 gr wafer cookies or sugar cookies (grounded, not perfectly fine)

1 tablespoon rhum liquor (optional)

almond flour (or very finely grounded almonds)

powdered sugar

Chop the chocolate and put it in a bow with cayenne pepepr and cinnamon.Bring to a boil cream and milk and pour it on top of the chocolate e let rest few minutes. Then stir well.Stir in the cocoa (sifted) and the grounded cookies and mix well.Take a large piece of foil. Sprinkle with almond flour and put the chocolate mixture on top and shape it in a long roll, helping it with the foil. Refrigerate for few hours.Remove from the foil, sprinkle with powdered sugar and with the hands press the sugar onto the salmi. Slice it (thin) on bias and serve it.

Happy 2008 !

2008-01-01T16:30:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year Wish

My Happy New Year wish for you

Is for your best year yet,

A year where life is peaceful,

And what you want, you get.
A year in which you cherish

The past year’s memories,

And live your life each new day

Full of bright expectancies.
I wish for you a holiday

With happiness galore;

And when it’s done,

I wish you

Happy New Year, and many more.
By Joanna Fuchs

Yule log or Buche de Noel

2007-12-27T08:03:00.001-08:00

The Yule log or Buche de Noel is part of the traditional Christmas dessert, especially in North Europe. It's not certain when and who created this cake for the first time. But, based on the ignredients used, for sure is around the 1850's.

One popular story behind the creation of this dessert is that Napoleon I of France issued a proclamation requiring households in Paris to keep their chimneys closed during the winter. So some French bakers invented this dessert as a symbolic replacement around which the family could gather for story-telling and other holiday merriment.

Traditionally this dessert is made of spongencake and chocolate buttercream, but since then, so many variations came up. My recipe calls for a luxurious cheesecake filling! The only thing: I've bought it already done!!!! Yeah, I know it's not 100% homemade, but after I saw this filling in a supermarket, I've decided to try it and see how it would have work into a yule log (it worked really well!!!!). But, my New Year's resolution will be to try to replicate that by scratch!!!!

Spongecake:

6 eggs, separated

¼ + ½ cup sugar

⅓ cup dark cocoa powder

3 tablespoons flour

1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Filling:

24 oz no-bake cheesecake filling

sour cherry in light syrup as needed

Topping:

10 oz heavy cream whipped with powdered sugar to taste and 3-4 tablespoon of dark cocoa powder

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 15x10-inch jelly roll pan. Line with parchment paper. Sift together flour and cocoa. Beat together sugar and egg yolks at high speed until light and fluffy. At low speed, alternately beat milk and flour mixture into egg mixture. Using clean beaters, beat egg whites at high speed until stiff, but not dry, peaks form. Fold one third of beaten whites into batter. Fold in remaining whites. Spread batter in prepared pan; smooth top. Bake cake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) until set, 15 minutes. Dust a clean cloth with confectioners' sugar. Turn cake out onto prepared cloth. Remove paper. Starting with a long side, roll up cake, jelly-roll style. Transfer, seam-side down, to a wire rack to cool for 30 minutes. Unroll cake; remove cloth. Spread filling over cake. Re-roll cake. Place, seam-side down, on serving plate.

Assembly: Cut the two side on bias and attach the on the side of the yule log. Then spread the topping all around the yule log. With a fork make some line all over. Decorate (optional) with mushrooms meringues.

Mushroom meringues:

2 large egg whites, room temperature

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/2 cup sugar

Preheat oven at 200 F. Beat the egg whites until foamy.Add the cream of tartar and beat at medium speed until soft peaks form. Continue beating (increasing speed to high), gradually adding the sugar, until the whites are very stiff and glossy. Pipe the meringue into round (to make to the head of a mushroom) and into a cone-shape (to make the bottom part) on baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Remove and let cool.

Merry Christmas!!!

2007-12-23T16:13:00.001-08:00

Dears friend, who is close and who is far away, this is that time of the year where the little things seems to count the most and you realize what's really precious and what's not.

That's why I wish you, from the bottom of my hearth, to have a peaceful and happy Christmas with the people you love the most (it doesn't matter if it's two of you or hundred!!!), enjoying any single moment.

Have a Merry Christmas and don't eat too much. I'll wait you here with new recipes!!!!

Sweet Christmas to you all !!!!

Carousel Torte

2007-12-21T13:14:00.001-08:00

This cake represent for me the idea of having fun in the kitchen. I come up with this design thinking of everything that can means, actually smells of Christmas: candy cane, gingerman cookies, chocolate, mint, cinnamon... And actually, my main idea was to recreate a sort of carousel, using instead of little horses... gingermen cookies!

This cake is whimsical, fun, sweet. This is my homage to Christmas!

1 cup dark cocoa powder plus more for dusting

¾ cup hot strong coffee

1 cup milk, room temperature

¾ cups cake flour (not self-rising)

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

3 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan

2 ½ cups sugar

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

4 large eggs, room temperature

Place rack in middle of the oven. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter two 8-by-2-inch round cake pans. Line with parchment paper. Butter the parchment, and dust with cocoa powder; tap out excess. Sift cocoa; whisk in boiling coffee and milk. Let cool. Sift together cake flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. Using a rubber spatula, mix the butter in a large bowl until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Gradually add sugar and vanilla. Add the eggs one at a time, stirring well after each addition. Pour in the cooled cocoa mixture. Mix until fully incorporated. Add the sifted dry ingredients to the chocolate mixture, stirring until just combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pans (about 4 cups in each pan). Bake for 20 minutes, rotate the pans, and bake for an additional 15 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean when inserted into the center. Remove the cakes from the oven, and allow to cool in pans for 15 minutes on a cooling rack. Carefully run a small offset spatula around the edge of the cakes to loosen them from the pan. Remove cakes from pans, and invert onto a wire rack. Let cool completely, about 1 hour. To assemble, using a serrated knife, level the top surface of each cake layer. Spread with 3/4 cup of frosting. Top with the remaining layer, bottom side up. Cover the outside of cake with the remaining frosting.

Ultimate Chocolate frosting

3 ½ cups confectioners' sugar

1 cup dark cocoa powder

12 tablespoons (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

½ cup milk, room temperature

2 teaspoons pure peppermint extract

In a small bowl, sift together the confectioners' sugar and cocoa powder. Whip the butter until smooth and fluffy; stir in, gradually, sugar and cocoa. Flavor with the butter, milk, and vanilla; stir until smooth and free of lumps.

Note: both the recipe for the cake and for the frosting are Martha Stewart's.

Family portrait

2007-12-21T05:38:00.001-08:00

While I was decorating the cookies, without realizing, I made a whole family of "gingermen" ! Here they are:

I will use them for a project I'm working on and it's not a gingerbread house!!!!

Everything is ready...

2007-12-18T14:24:00.001-08:00

... The tortellini pasta for the consomme' have been made.

The meat is ready to become a wonderful "Bollito" ( a traditional Italian recipe from Piedmont)

I'm not sure how or if it will come out correctly, because I'm a girl from the South and this dish is the King of the Northern Italian tables. And... I've never cooked it before!

So, let's wait what will happen this evening...

Sweet potato donuts

2007-12-15T11:20:00.001-08:00

It's always fun for me going to the supermarket, although some people could find that pretty boring. I will always find some new or unknown ingredients to experiment with, such as cranberries, Brussels sprouts, yams, green beans (since it's that time of the year). Usually, when you think about those ingredients, the first thing that jump at your mind is Thanksgiving or Christmas menu. But, with a little twist to a traditional recipe, something good and new could come up.

So I've decided "to play around" a family donut's recipe that I used to eat as a child, using yams instead of regular potatoes and adding a touch of cranberry sauce to fill the inside. They smell and taste as Christmas, believe me!!!!

1 tbsp. yeast

1/2 c. lukewarm milk

2 large mashed yams

2 tablespoons sugar

pinch salt

2 eggs, well beaten

3 tablespoon butter

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

4 cups flour, plus more if needed

1 teaspoon lemon extract or lemon zest

To finish: granulated sugar and cinnamon mixed together.

Mix all ingredients. Knead and let rise to double in size. Then roll out and cut circles.

In half of the circle make a hole in the middle (and fry it, you'll get the fried donut's holes!!!)

The remaining dough, make other circle and in half put some cranberry sauce in the center and cover with another circle of dough. Let rise again and deep-fry in corn oil.

Roll the hot donuts into the sugar and cinnamon mixture and serve them.

Technorati Tags: dessert,pastry,international,tradition

Pomegranate sangria

2007-12-15T08:32:00.001-08:00

I've made this wonderful sangria for the Christmas party I've talked before. After I saw it in TV, made from chef Bobby Flay, I couldn't resist. and since my blogger friend are organizing a virtual Christmas luncheon, inviting everybody to participate, bringing in something, I thought that this one could be perfect for an appetizer, to be served with all the wonderful food my blogger friend have already prepared and also for a midnight toast.

And careful everybody: you won't realize immediately, but it hit your head as you couldn't believe!!!!

Salute to you'll!!!!

1 bottle fruity red wine (I've used Rjoia 2004, Spain)
2 cups pomegranate juice
1/2 cup brandy
1/2 cup Triple Sec
1/4 cup simple syrup (equal amounts sugar and water, heated until sugar dissolves, cooled)
1/4 cup pomegranate seeds
1 large orange, halved and thinly sliced
1 green apple, cored, halved and thinly sliced
1 cup red grapes, sliced in 1/2

Combine all ingredients in a pitcher, cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to 48 hours before serving. Serve over ice.

A really special thank you!

2007-12-12T11:53:00.001-08:00

Few day ago it has been my birthday. I got some beautiful present (it always nice receiving them!!!), but I got some more!

This year I didn't feel to celebrate, that's way I didn't bake any cake. And still I got a beautiful cake on Saturday morning (my birthday day): my good neighbor and friend Lisa, who openly declare her non-passion for cooking and who's idea for dinner is a pbj sandwich, bake me a wonderful chocolate cake with chocolate frosting... to die for. ~~And even though she used the cake mix~~ She didn't even use the cake box (it was a huge misunderstanding from my part!!!!) and that cake for me is the best ever. She really touched my heart doing that, because I understand how much effort she put into it.

Thank you Lisa so much!!!!

Christmas party menu

2007-12-04T05:56:00.000-08:00

Few days ago we celebrated the Christmas party of my husband's office at our house. It was so much fun!!! And that's because I had to caterer the party too! And that was the fun for me: you know, planning the food, the decoration, setting the mood in the room, thinking of a tablescape...There've been few days of pure panick at the beginning of the week, because we decided to paint the house during the previous week-end and we didn't finish quite in time. But thanks to my wonderful husband - that worked late after work - the house was homey, warm and ready to have our guests.The idea behind this menu is an Italian wedding reception,with an international touch. Here the menu and some pictures!

Menu

- Falafel in mini pita bread with tahini sauce
- Antipasto platter
- Roast beeef crostini with watercress and horseradish cream
- Goat cheese stuffed dates
- Asparagus and hazelnut Mousse Tartlets- Salmon mousse tartlets

- Chili empanadas
- Zucchini rolls
- Spinach and artichoke dip
- Artichoke and port wine cheddar dip
- Brie en croute with orange jelly and hazelnut
-Canapés (salmon – egg and candied tomatoes)
- Blue cheese Stuffed mushrooms

Dessert
Baba au rhum and cranberry cream tart
Chocolate fountain with strawberries, divinities, dried fruits
Struffoli (fried cookies covered in honey)

Drink

pomegranate sangria

Mustard crusted rack of lamb

2007-11-09T05:59:00.000-08:00

It hard for me to believe that I've felt in love with the lamb!!! I don't know if it was because I've tasted it for the first time in a very special occasion or because the chef cooked it so gooooood....!!!!

Anyway, considering that I've grown up in a family (I'm talkin the all clan of 50 people: cousin, aunts, uncles etc) where lamb wasn't really present on our table (except for an uncle who' s from Puglia, an Italian southern region, where is common to consume lamb), for me it's has been harder to even think to cook it!!! Actually everybody raised their own pigs, turkeys, rabbit, hens for the eggs and rooster, while we use to get the beef from our friendly farmer; so we were used to eat whatever we produced. And lamb wasn't included!

Anyway, yesterday, while I was wandering among the aisles of the grocery store, my eyes went on this beautiful rack of lamb, perfect size to handle and really inviting!

So I said to myself "why not, let's give it a try!!!" and remembering a preparation that I saw in tv few days agos (what a coincidence!!!) I've finally cooked my first lamb!!!

This recipe is really easy, no messy at all and elegant, perfect for a formal dinner (of course, the guest should like the lamb!!!)

Ingredients for 2:

1 lb rack of lamb
2 big tablespoon of Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 sprig fresh rosemary, finely chopped

Preheat oven at 425 F.
Mix the mustarl, garlic and rosemary together (for a less grainy paste, blend the igredients together.
Season the rack with salt and rub with the mustard; put the rach bone down in a pan that can go in the oven and roast the rack for 40 minute (medium rare). Remove from oven, cover with aluminu foil and let rest for 10-15 minutes (to allow the juices to redistribuite inside the meat). Slice it and serve!

I've serve the lamb with 1 purple cauliflower sautee' in few tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon anchovies paste, 1 handful of sliced kalamata olives amnd 1 teaspoon minced garlic.

Enjoy it!

Best Halloween Costumes 2007

2007-11-05T10:29:00.000-08:00

Come on, you still have 7 hours to vote the best costumes. If you still didn't do it, go ahead and vote! We are going to start the count down prestty soon! Who will be the winner????

To vote, just go here and follow the instructions!

Nurse and Patient

Rodeo Clowns

Backwood Man

Hugh Hefner and Playmate of the Year

Whitetrash and Little Butterfly

Pirates 1

Baseball Man

Cleveland Fans

Pirates 2

Hippies

Sexy Attendant and Pilot

Iowa Cowboys

Darkman
Braveheart Movie Characters

Surgeon and Nurse

Bikers

Flinstones

Vampires

Big LoserTeams

THE BEST WIN!!!

WORK IN PROGRESS

2007-11-05T10:18:00.000-08:00

To make things easier for me and all the friends are reading this blog in English, I've decide to create an English version of my original blog caffeine for two. It will contains the same recipes and the same pictures, but it will have is own space and personality!

At this moment, it will containe only the latest posts, but I'll try to adjorny as fast as I can, bringing over this side the recipe from the other blog. You will still find the recipe in English under the older posts, but not anymore under the newest.

Thank you for you patience and I hope you will like it!

Trout amandine on cedar plank

2007-11-05T09:46:00.000-08:00

Few days ago, my husband came back from a fishing trip, bringing with him few nice trout's fillets.
My unconditioned love for the bbq would have like grill the fish the way it was, but my innate passion for experimentation tells me differently. So, I've decided to try a recipe that I've recently tasted in a restaurant, but in the grilled version. I'm talking about the trout amandine, a French dish very famous in Louisiana due to the Creole population. Originally, the recipe includes few ingredients: flour (that in my case I didn’t use), lemon juice, parsley and trout (or sole) of course. The procedure is quite simple, but I’ve decide to give it a twist: cooking it on a cedar plank.

For this recipe I don’t have a precise amount of the ingredients, since is really to personal taste the flavoring. So just follows these simple directories:

Wash the fillets and pat them dry. Season them with salt and pepper, brush with butter and drizzled with lemon juice.

In the meantime, melt more butter in a pan with few tablespoon of lemon juice; stir in the sliced almond and let them get toasted.

Place 2 fillet on a cedar plank (previously soaked in water for at least 1 hour). Sprinkle some chopped parsley on top and top each fillet with some almonds and butter.

Cook the fish on the grill – with the lid on – for 15 minutes. Serve immediately.

I've served the fish with grilled white asparagus and bok choy and I've accompanied with a French white wine, the Fleur de Bernon.

Spooky Halloween

2007-11-04T12:51:00.000-08:00

It's almost Halloween.

Everybody in my neighbourn is busy decorating the houses for the occasion: pumpkins, ghost, witches, purple and orange lights, every scary thing you can think of, is there hanging from trees or from windows.

For the children is a feast almost as big as Christmas, since they are going hunting treats all over!

But also for the adults, if they can take part of a party such the one we - my husband and I - went yesterday evening. It has been organized by the company for which my husband works and they took good care of everything: live music with an awesome band, playing classic rock; the margarita distributor machine; Mexican food a la carte, a table for children with games and activities. It was so much fun. And the costumes? Amazing! But this is a different story!

So could we miss the dessert? Absolutlely no!.. so cupcakes for everybody!!!!

Ingredients
for 43 mini-muffin size cupcakes and 12 regular muffin

For the cake:

6 eggs
325 gr sugar
300 gr flour
50 gr unsweetened cocoa
1 1/2tablespoon baking powder
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup oil
1 cup buttermilk

Beat the eggs with the sugar until pale and fluffy. Sift the flour with cocoa,cinnamon and baking powder. Mix buttermilk and oil.
Stir in the egg batter 1/3 of the flour and mix well. Stir in half of the liquids. Continue with 1/3 of the flour, the rest of the liquids and the last flour, mixing well between each addition. Pour the batter in the muffin paper cups and bake at 350F for 10 minutes the smalls and 15 minutes the regular. Check after the first 8 minutes for the small ones. Remeber time varies depending on oven's temperature. Let them cool, frost them and decorate.

Frosting (adapted from Country Living October 2007)
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 1/4 teaspoon cocoa
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon orange extract
***
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
3/4 cup powdered sugar
orange food colorind as needed

Beat the cream with the sugar and the food coloring to soft peek. Keep refrigerated.Beat the cream chease until fluffy. Add gradually the rest of ingredients until well combined. Gently fold in the whipped cream until well combined. Use to fill o frost cake and cupcakes.

Behind a recipe...

2007-11-01T07:21:00.000-07:00

This recipe- the one featured in the picture - has prestigious and noble roots, though. It was created by the Marquis Antonio Altoviti Avila, of the illustrious Altoviti's family and also son-in-law of the Italian General Pietro Badoglio.

The Altoviti family goes back to the XIII century; it is well known to protect the most famous artists of the Renaissance, such as Vasari, Cellini, Raffaello. And even when the times became tougher, they kept protecting artists and poets. This until the first World War, when the belle epoque ended.This recipe is the simbol of that generation of people, with no more luxury, but with so much flair.

Marquis’ Cold Pasta

300 gr rigatoni pasta

15-20 black olives

2 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped

1 tablespoon chives, chopped

100 gr white fish caviar (if you can afford it, use the real deal!!!)

150 gr marinated tuna in olive oil

1/2 tablespoon anchiovies paste

Melt the anchiovies paste in a pan; add olives and tuna and cook for few minutes. Cook the pasta al dente, drain it and dress it with the tuna sauce. Let cool. When is cold, stir in the caviar and the chopped herb. Stir well and enjoy it!

A special thanks to Luvi that gave me the material to work with!