Sa mori…de ras

Acum o saptamana am vazut la un curs filmuletul asta. Am ras cu lacrimi vizionandu-l. E randul tau acum.

Creme Brulee

I love Creme Brulee. Who doesn’t? Here is a recipe from the already-known book: “Good Housekeeping Cookery Book” , 1985. I remember the first time I made this, several years ago. The compliments given made my heart happy and encouraged me to continue cooking so here I am today, sharing my little experience for good food and fine recipes.

Today my recipe is for a special occasion, it is for a birthday dear and special to me, so this is for you, my love. ❤

Creme Brulee

Serves 6

Ingredients:

• 600 ml (20 fl oz) double cream
• 1 vanilla pod
• 4 egg yolks
• 100 g (4 oz) caster sugar

Method:

• Pour the cream into the top of a double saucepan or into a mixing bowl placed over a pan of simmering water. Add the vanilla pod and warm gently until almost boiling, the remove from the heat. Remove the vanilla pod.
• Beat together the egg yolks and 50 g (2 oz) of the caster sugar until light in colour. Gradually pour on the cream, stirring until evenly mixed.
• Stand 6 individual ramekin in dishes in a roasting tin, then pour in enough hot water to come halfway up the sides of the dishes. Pour the custard mixture slowly into the ramekins, dividing it equally between them.
• Bake in the oven at 150°C, 300°F, mark 2 for about 1 hour until set. Do not allow the skin to colour. Remove from the tin and leave to cool, then refrigerate overnight.
• Sprinkle the remaining sugar evenly over the top of each Creme Brulee and put under a preheated hot grill for 2-3 minutes until the sugar turns to a caramel. Leave to cool, then chill before serving. This is delicious served with a selection of fruit, such as freshly sliced strawberries and peaches and stoned cherries.

Happy birthday, my heart!

Mmm…

Ce delicioasa este reteta asta, chiar te face sa inchizi ochii si sa zici: mmm. Se topeste in gura din momentul in care ai gustat-o. Stii, reteta asta seamana izbitor cu crema de zahar ars sau crème caramel, cum i se mai zice, doar ca nu e aceeasi. Ea contine smantana grasa si are o textura diferita dar incredibil de bogata. Unora le place foarte mult, mai mult decat crema de zahar ars. Eu trebuie sa recunosc ca o gasesc foarte cremoasa dar nu pot manca mult din ea. O portie imi e de ajuns, altfel s-ar putea sa imi para rau. Sugerez pe langa crema, capsuni, piersici si cirese. Iti dai seama cum arata? Ca un desert regal. Asa da! Eu o vad servita si la o zi de nastere, in loc de tort. Pana la urma, e permisa o variatie, daca se face cu gust.

Ca de obicei, una din sursele mele de inspiratie a fost “Good Housekeeping Cookery Book” 1985 si asa am invatat si eu ca exista atatea creme: Brulee, caramel, custard, spre deliciul meu dar si al altora care nu au mai gustat asa ceva. Sa trec la descrierea acestui desert frantuzesc atat de deosebit.

Creme Brulee

6 portii

Ingrediente:

• 600 ml smantana grasa
• 1 baton vanilie
• 4 galbenusuri
• 100 g zahar pudra

Preparare:

• Pune smantana la bain marie adica intr-un vas care este intr-un alt vas mai mare cu apa care fierbe la foc mic. Adauga batonul de vanilie si incalzeste pana aproape de fierbere, apoi scoate de pe foc. Da deoparte si batonul. Iti dai seama ce miros e acum, nu! De fapt tocmai ti-ai parfumat in mod natural dar si imbietor casa. Ai grija la vecini.
• Bate galbenusurile si 50 g de zahar pudra pana se fac de culoarea untului. Pune putin cate putin in smantana, amestecand continuu sa se omogenizeze bine.
• Pune 6 vase ramekin, care te ajuta sa servesti in portii individuale, intr-o tava, apoi introdu cu grija destula apa fierbinte, astfel incat ea sa ajunga la jumatatea inaltimii vaselor. Se cheama ca se face bain-marie. Pune cu grija crema in vasele ramekin, incercand sa fie cate mai egala la cantitate.
• Coace delicatesa la cuptorul incins la 150°C, 300°F, nr. 2 la cuptorul cu gaz pentru o ora. Nu permite ca se coloreze la suprafata. Scoate vasele din tava si lasa-le sa se raceasca, apoi pune-le la frigider peste noapte sau macar cateva ore.
• Pune restul de zahar pe deauspra si introdu vasele la cuptor sub un gril fierbinte pentru 2-3 minute, pana cand zaharul se caramelizeaza. Lasa-le sa se raceasca, apoi introdu-le iar la frigider pentru putin timp, inainte sa servesti. Stiu ca trebuie sa lucrezi multisor cu frigiderul si cuptorul, dar dupa ce gusti, descoperi ca merita tot efortul.

Pofta buna!

— -.– / ..-. .-.. — .– . .-.

You are goodness and mercy and compassion and understanding. You are peace and joy and light. You are forgiveness and patience, strength and courage, a helper in time of need, a comforter in time of sorrow, a healer in time of injury, a teacher in times of confusion. You are the deepest wisdom and the highest truth; the greatest peace and the grandest love. You are these things. And in moments of your life you have known yourself as these things. Choose now to know yourself as these things always. (Neale Donald Walsch)

La multi ani!  x

Aluat fraged

Am decis sa scriu separat reteta de aluat de la quiche Lorraine pentru ca e mai usor de folosit atunci cand doresti sa faci si alte retete care il cer. Aluatul zic. El se foloseste la placinte cu mere, cu fructe de padure, placinta de legume,  tarte de lamaie, si alte tarte,  etc. Nu stiu exact de ce, dar traducerea de aluat fraged merge mai bine in romana, decat sa ii spun aluat shortcrust, cu toata ca nu este acelasi lucru nici ca ingrediente nici ca modalitate de coacere. Dar in fine, alta traducere nu am. Imi place genul asta de aluat pentru ca e gras, simti untul din el. Mama spune ca e prea gras, dar asta e savoarea lui. 🙂 Sa trec la reteta.

Aluat fraged (sau shortcrust)

Ingrediente:

• 175 g faina alba sau integrala
• un varf de cutit de sare
• 75 g unt (80-82 grasime, altfel nu garantez ca iese bine, dar poate ma insel)
• cca 4-6 linguri apa rece

Preparare:

• Prepara aluatul. Stiu ca este putin de munca, numai ca merita. Amesteca faina si sarea intr-un bol. Taie untul in bucati mici si adauga-l la mestecul de faina.
• Folosind ambele maini (hei, copile, chiar te vei murdari cu aluat, dar ce fericita/ fericit vei fi si ce piele fina vei avea dupa, nici nu ai idee), freaca intre degete bucatile de unt cu faina pana cand totul capata aspect de pesmet fin.
• Adauga apa imprastiind-o peste aluat si amesteca cu o lingura sau cu un cutit de tort pana cand aluatul incepe sa se adune in bucati mari.
• Cu o mana aduna bucatile si framanta aluatul cateva secunde. Aluatul acesta poate fi folosit imediat dar se recomanda sa il lasi sa se “odihneasca” cca 30 de minute in frigider, la rece, sau chiar maxim doua zile cu conditia sa il tii intr-o folie de plastic.
• Pe suprafata de lucru, imprastie putina faina si cu un facalet intinde aluatul sa ia forma rotunda, intr-o singura directie, intorcand de cateva ori daca e nevoie. Grosimea ideala ar fi de 3 mm. Nu trage sau intinde aluatul. Cand il lasi la cuptor, temperatura normala pentru el este de 200-220°C, 400-425 °F, nr. 6-7 la cuptorul cu gaz.
• “Baking blind” cum ar zice englezii sau coacere fara umplutura, este procesul de coacere fara umplutura (stiu ca ma repet, bare with me) care se realizeaza atunci cand continutul acestei placinte nu trebuie copt sau necesita doar putin timp de coacere. Intai pune aluatul cu grija intr-o forma de placinta . Inteapa aluatul asezat in forma cu o furculita apoi adauga o bucata de foaie de copt taiata pe masura, pe care sa pui niste boabe de fasole crude, paste uscate sau orez. Coace intai aluatul la temperatura de mai sus pentru 10-15 minute, apoi indeparteaza foaia si fasolea si mai lasa-l la cuptor inca 5 minute sa se faca crocant. Apoi scoate-l si lasa-l sa se raceasca inainte de a-l indeparta din forma lui sau nu. (Boabele de fasole le poti refolosi).
• Pentru forme mici de placinta este suficient sa intepi aluatul cu o furculita inainte de a il pune la cuptor. Formele acestea de aluat pot fi pastrate cateva zile intr-un  recipient bine sigilat.

Distractie placuta!

Quiche Lorraine

Quiche Lorraine

Yummy

Do you know that when I say Quiche Lorraine, I always think of how similar it is to pizza? Well, it has eggs, bacon, cheese so don’t you feel the same? Ok, ok, I know that a quiche is a quiche but I can’t stop thinking. Beware of my thinking.

I love quiche and I have made it many times. What I like about it is that one can make it with a lot of different ingredients and it still remains delicious. I put more ingredients so you can choose and make it according to your own taste. My recipe is taken from a book I keep mentioning here: “Good Housekeeping Cookery Book” 1985, a book I think I would love to have in my kitchen. I dream of having a corner with my favorite cookbooks and recipes, but until then I keep them in my room.

Let’s go to France again, eat something quite traditional with a dry white wine, I think, and enjoy ourselves. First in the kitchen and with dear ones around.

Quiché Lorraine

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 175 g (6 oz) Shortcrust Pastry
• 75-100 g (3-4 oz) lean bacon, rinded and chopped
• 75-100 g (3-4 oz) Gruyère cheese, thinly sliced (from my experience, cheese is never enough so I put more like 150 g of cheese; if you don’t have Gruyère, try cheddar or any other cheese )
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 150 ml (5 fl oz) single cream or milk
• salt
• pepper
• coriander, dill, parsley, basil and other, as you like it (optional)
• pepperoni (optional)
• tomatoes, sliced (optional)
• broccoli, mushrooms (optional)
• sweet pepper, thinly sliced (optional)

Method:

• For the pastry, please check out the recipe in Pastries section. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface and use to line a 20.5 cm (8 inch) plain flan ring placed on a baking sheet. Bake blind in the oven at 200°C, 400°F, mark 6 for 10-15 minutes, until set.
• Scatter the bacon over the pastry base and top with the cheese.
• Beat together the eggs, cream and seasoning and pour into the pastry case.
• Bake in the oven at 200°C, 400°F, mark 6 for about 30 minutes, until well risen and golden. Serve hot or cold.

Bon appetite!

Shortcrust Pastry

There are some basic recipes that you can’t do without, and shortcrust pastry is one of them. It is also fun to make and easy. Try it. You will need this for all kind of recipes so take note. The source of inspiration is this book again: “Good Housekeeping Cookbook ” 1992. The pastry can be used for quiche lorraine, wholemeal vegetable pie, lemon meringue pie and many others.

Shortcrust pastry

Ingredients:

• 175 g (6 oz) plain white or wholemeal flour
• pinch of salt
• 75 g (3 oz) butter
• 3-5 tbsp cold water

Method:

• Mix the flour and salt together in a bowel. Cut the fat into small pieces and add it to the flour.
• Using both hands, rub the fat into the flour between finger and thumb tips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. (I love this part!)
• Add the water, sprinkling it evenly over the surface. Stir it in with a round-bladed knife until the mixture begins to stick together in large lumps.
• With one hand, collect the mixture together and knead lightly for a few seconds to give a firm, smooth dough. The pastry can be used straight away, but is better allowed to “rest” for about 30 minutes. It can also be wrapped in cling film and kept in the refrigerator for a day or two.
• To roll out: sprinkle a very little flour on a working surface and the rolling-pin, not on the pastry, and roll out the dough evenly in one direction only, turning it occasionally. The ideal thickness is usually about 0.3 cm (1/8 inch). Do not pull or stretch the pastry. When cooking shortcrust pastry, the usual oven temperature is 200-220°C (400-425 °F), mark 6-7.
• Baking blind is the process of baking a pastry case without the filling – essential if the filling is to be uncooked or if it only requires a short cooking time. First shape the pastry into the baking tin. Prick the pastry base with a fork. For large cases, cut a round of greaseproof paper rather larger than the tin. Use this to line the pastry and weight it down with some dried beans, pasta or rice. Alternatively, screw up a piece of foil and use that to line the base of the pastry case.
• Bake the pastry at the temperature given in the recipe for 10-15 minutes, then remove the baking beans and paper or foil lining and return the tin to the oven for a further 5 minutes to crisp the pastry. Leave the baked case to cool and shrink slightly before removing it from the tin. (The baking beans can be kept for use again). For small cases, it is usually sufficient to prick the pastry well with a fork before baking.
• Baked unfilled pastry can be kept for a few days in an airtight container.