It’s That Time Of Year

It’s that time of year when the world falls in love… ❤
It’s that time of year when the world falls in love…with food too. And definitely with something like frosted fruit and chocolate baskets. This is a special dessert for a special moment. You choose the moment. Or me, it doesn’t matter. In fact, if I think of it, all the moments are special so yeah, have it this everyday if you want. I amuse myself now as I think you will tell to your special someone in your life, one hot summer day, ‘Let’s have frosted fruit…’ To cool yourself down or not. Is it hot here or it is just me… kidding.

Now, about the serious stuff. I got the recipe from a 2005 Somerfield Magazine and loved it all the way. Thank you for reading, now it is time to get back to work. See you soon.

Frosted Fruit and Chocolate Baskets

Serves 4

Preparation time: 35 minutes (plus chilling time to set)

Ingredients:

• 200 g (7 oz) Belgian plain chocolate
• 115 (4 oz) mascarpone cheese
• 115 (4 oz) Greek style yogurt
• 30 ml (2 tbsp) icing sugar
• 15 ml (1 tbsp) brandy
• 55 g (2 oz) cranberries (if you can’t find fresh fruits, try frozen ones)
• 55 g (2 oz) raspberries
• 55 g (2 oz) blueberries
• 1 clementine
• granulated sugar to sprinkle
• non-stick baking parchment

Method:

• Cut four 18 cm (7 in) squares of non-stick baking parchment and mould each firmly around a small dish or jar to make a flat base in the center. Place each in a small dish to support the sides.
• Break up the chocolate and heat gently until melted in a bowl over a pan of hot, not boiling, water. Spoon a large spoonful of chocolate into each paper mould and use a small paintbrush to spread the chocolate up the sides, making a jagged edge. It is best to spread the chocolate evenly and fairly thickly or it will break very easily when you remove the paper. Chill in the refrigerator to cool.
• Mix together the mascarpone, yogurt, brandy and 15 ml (1 tbsp) icing sugar. Carefully remove the paper from the chocolate baskets and spoon the mascarpone filling into the baskets.
• Moisten the fruit very lightly with a little water and sprinkle with granulated sugar to ‘frost’. Arrange the fruits on top of the baskets and sprinkle with the remaining icing sugar (sifted). Decorate with frosted rosemary or mint sprigs.

Bon appetite!

A-nceput de ieri sa cada…

Cate-un fulg… si a tot cazut, peste cosulete de ciocolata. Craciun fericit! Azi m-am gandit sa te indulcesc cu ceva special de iarna si in acelasi timp o desfatare pentru ochi. Sunt foarte incantata si imi face pofta sa incerc iar un asemenea desert deosebit, delicios si usor de facut. Pare asa pretentios cand il vezi dar se face atat de simplu si dureaza foarte putin. Si ce efect are! Ti-l recomand. Iata ingredientele si apoi metoda de preparare. Inca nu a venit Anul Nou, asa ca daca vrei, poti face asta pentru Revelion. Vei fi regina serii cu asa desert regal.

Cosulete cu fructe

4 portii

Timp preparare: 35 minute

Ingrediente:

• 200 g (7 oz) ciocolata neagra de cel putin 70% cacao (sau ciocolata de menaj de buna calitate, dar eu nu as alege-o)
• 115 g (4 oz) branza mascarpone
• 115 g (4 oz) iaurt grecesc
• 30 ml (2 linguri) zahar tos
• 15 ml (1 lingura) brandy
• 55 g (2 oz) coacaze proaspete
• 55 g (2 oz) zmeura proaspata
• 55 g (2 oz) afine proaspete (in caz ca nu gasesti fructe proaspete, mai ales acum, sunt bune si cele congelate, de orice fel, dar in caz ca sunt mai mari, taie-le cubulete)
• 1 clemetina
• zahar
• hartie de copt

Preparare:

• Taie patru patrate de 18 cm din foaia de copt si muleaza-le pe un borcan sau castron mai mic ca sa le dai forma. Pune apoi hartiile in boluri ca sa mentina marginile ridicate.
• Rupe ciocolata in bucati si topeste-o la bain-marie. Imparte ciocolata in mod egal in fiecare forma de hartie si intinde-o cu pensula pana aproape de margine. Incearca sa intinzi cat mai uniform si mai gros pentru a evita ruperea marginilor atunci cand vei dezlipi hartia. Pune formele astfel unse impreuna cu bolurile in congelator sa se intareasca.
• Amesteca branza mascarpone cu iaurtul, brandy si o lingura de zahar tos.  Scoate cosuletele de ciocolata din congelator si dezlipeste cu grija hartia. Pune in ele portii egale din amestecul de branza obtinut. (A se linge lingura la final!)
• Umezeste cu foarte putina apa fructele si da-le cu zahar, pentru a crea efectul de fruct nins. Aranjeaza apoi fructele in cosulete si stropeste totul cu zahar tos. Decoreaza cu frunze de rozmarin sau frunze de menta “ninse”.

Pofta buna si La multi ani!

Homemade Pâté

I like pâté but I am also conscious about the ingredients and the preservatives it contains so I’ve always wanted to find a recipe about a homemade one. Well, my wish came true. I have come across one, today, in this book (Marks & Spencer ‘Chicken. Simple and delicious easy-to-make recipes’) I have mentioned earlier, in Something warm for the cold days of autumn post and I am happy. I have made it several time, to my wonder and I loved it. You can make your own pâté at home and it doesn’t take long, it is tastier and healthier, so it is a win-win situation. And delicious.

Chicken liver pâté

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 140 g (5 oz) butter
• 1 onion, finely chopped (I know it is good but I will skip the onion sometimes)
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped (yes, and garlic too ;))
• 250 (9 oz) chicken livers
• salt
• pepper
• 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard (or normal one if you don’t have Dijon)
• 2 tbsp brandy (optional)

Method:

• Melt half the butter in a large frying pan over a medium heat and cook the onion for 3-4 minutes until soft and transparent. Add the garlic and continue to cook for a further 2 minutes.
• Check the livers and remove any discoloured parts using a pair of scissors or a knife. Add the livers to the frying pan and cook over quite a high heat for 5-6 minutes until they are brown in colour.
• Season well with salt and pepper and add the mustard and brandy, if using.
• Process the pâté in a blender or food processor until smooth. Add the remaining butter cut into small pieces and process again until creamy.
• Press the pâté into a serving dish, smooth the surface and cover. If it is to be kept for more than 2 days, you could cover the surface  with a little clarified butter. Serve with toast anytime you feel like.

Bon appetite!

Pate de casa

Stii, tot ce se gaseste in magazine pe rafturi, sau aproape tot, in materie de mancare, se poate face si acasa. Stii si tu asta. Eu sunt interesata de ceva vreme de pateuri, pentru ca imi plac foarte mult si tot ii spun mamei ca pateul pe care il cumpar cateodata merita sa il fac in casa dar nu ma adun. Pentru ca stiu cam ce se pune in pateul de cumparat si unul facut in propria bucatarie, cu ingrediente cat de cat sanatoase si fara conservanti deja stiu ca este mai gustos si mai bun de o mie de ori cel de casa. Si cum tot rasfoiesc acum cartea asta de care am pomenit in postul de mai jos, cel cu supa de pui cu tarhon, Marks & Spencer ‘Chicken. Simple and delicious easy-to-make recipes’, am dat peste o reteta de pate care cred ca merita incercata. O sa o fac candva si revin aici sa povestesc cum mi-a iesit sau eventual sa re-editez postul. In 2017 am revenit, nu zic ziua, prin toamna si pot spune cu mana pe inima ca l-am facut chiar mai des decat mi-am imaginat si de fiecare data a fost de-li-cios. Merita sa il faci, il vei manca foarte repede, atat e de bun. Vezi si ps mai jos. ;))

Ce mai imi place la pate, din reteta asta, e ca nu e facut sa tina doar 2 zile, acoperit cu unt, tine mai mult. Acum, nu stiu exact cat de mult dar foloseste-ti nasul si intuitia. Ce poate fi mai bun decat un pate de casa, pe paine prajita cu putin unt, daca iti place, dimineata la micul dejun? Oua fierte? Merg si ele alaturi. 🙂 Si depinde acum de cate foame iti e.

Pate de ficat de pui

4 portii

Ingrediente:

• 140 g unt (stii nu? 80-82 % grasime, doar vrei un pate de calitate, nu iti bate joc de ce pui in tine ;))
• 1 ceapa, tocata marunt (eu as cam omite ceapa pentru ca nu prea imi place dar sunt de acord ca ii da alt gust, nu neaparat mai bun dar altfel)
• 1 capatana usturoi, tocat marunt (da, l-as omite si pe acesta, uneori)
• 250 g ficatei de pui
• sare
• piper
• 1/2 lingurita mustar Dijon (daca nu e in bucatarie, foloseste mustar normal)
• 2 linguri brandy (optional)

Preparare:

• Topeste jumatate din cantitatea de unt intr-o tava mare la foc mediu si prajeste ceapa  cca 3-4 minute pana cand se inmoaie si devine transparenta. Adauga usturoiul si continua sa prajesti totul inca 2 minute.
• Curata ficateii de orice parte decolorata si alte resturi. Pune-i in tigaie sa se prajeasca alaturi de ceapa si usturoi, la foc mare, cca 5-6 minute, pana se rumenesc.
• Adauga sare si piper dupa gust si apoi mustarul si brandy, daca il folosesti.
• Pune totul intr-un blender sau robot de bucatarie si amesteca pana se transforma in pasta. Adauga restul de unt, taiat cubulete si amesteca iar pana devine pasta cremoasa.
• Pune pateul intr-un bol sau vas de ceramica, netezeste suprafata si acopera-l. Il poti consuma proaspat in 2 zile sau daca vrei sa il tii mai mult, acopera-l cu unt topit dar nu fierbinte, sa se intareasca deasupra lui. Serveste-l cu paine prajita cand doresti tu. Ce tentatie, chiar mi-e pofta de pate acum! 😉

Pofta buna!

PS: Zilele trecute, cred ca marti, 8 februarie 2011, am reusit sa fac pate-ul. DE-LI-CIOS!

An Ode To Peaches

I was thinking  of this title and it came to me to search on the internet. And I found a poem name like this that I think it describes perfectly the feeling one goes through, while eating a peach. Click An Ode To Peaches and see what I am talking about.

And coming back to the recipe, here are a few words about it. It is a Bulgarian recipe from “The Practical Encyclopedia of Easteuropean Cooking” 1999 and it is delicious and fun to make. The contrast between the hot peach and cold whipped cream awakens your senses. This reminds me of Poires Belle Helene, where you also have a similar texture, with cold cream and ice-cream and warm peaches. If you like cold peaches than it is a healthier alternative of an ice-cream on a hot summer day.

Baked Peaches

Serves 6

Ingredients:

• 40 g (1 1/2 oz, 3 tbsp) unsalted butter
• 6 firm ripe peaches, washed
• 12 whole cloves
• 90 g (3 1/2 oz, 1/2 cup) vanilla sugar
• 45 ml (3 tbsp) brandy or dry white wine (optional)
• pistachios, mint leaves and a little sifted icing sugar, to decorate
• whipped cream, to serve

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 180°C, 350°F, Gas Mark 4. Spread half the butter around an ovenproof dish, making sure both side and base are well coated.
• Halve the peaches and remove the stones. Place the peaches skin side down in the dish. Push a whole clove into the center of each peach half.
• Sprinkle with the sugar and dot the remaining butter into each peach half. Drizzle over the brandy or wine, if using. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the peaches are tender.
• Serve the peaches, hot or cold, with freshly whipped cream, pistachio nuts and sprigs of mint and sprinkle with a little icing sugar.

Bon appetite!