It’s Now Or Never – Cover

Any thoughts? Now? Never? Speak now or forever hold your peace!

Well, I’ve tried. Hold your peace, stranger! 😛

Although it may seem like I am talking to someone in particular, I am not. Or may be I am but it can refer to anyone who holds their tongue when they should talk  and talk when they should keep quiet or when it is too late. Including me.

Enjoy the song! Any feedback is welcomed, if given! If not, well, speak later…or not ;))

Anyway, I got my answer. And I have to deal with it.

Ανθος

.. / .-.. — …- . / -.– — ..- / -.-.–

La multi ani, my flower! x

Georgia On My Mind

La multi ani, Sfinti George, Georgiane, Georgete, Gheorghe! Sunt norocoasa sa numar printre prietenii mei cativa care poarta acest sfant nume si lor le fac aceasta urare. Va imbratisez si va urez sa va bucurati de o viata frumoasa, plina de iubire si implinire, sa fiti fericiti, sa va fie ziua luminoasa si frumoasa! Pentru voi o melodie superba, despre numele vostru sfant. Enjoy, my beautiful friends! :*

 

Pancakes With Love

For you. With love. ❤ Pancakes. Lovely, delicious pancakes, lots of them, in a cake. Imagine, a pancake gâteau. Let me tell you how I made this recipe. Years ago, when I was in London, I was looking for more recipes to try. I went to the library and found an interesting book “The Practical Encyclopedia of EastEuropean Cooking” from 1999. I liked quite a lot of recipes from it, including this one. I will remember it always as, imo, I think I ate the best cream in the world. It is very simple to make but it tastes divine. It is absolutely delicious. So, I would love to share this with you. In reality it is a bit hard but nothing is impossible. I hold my breath and not say a word. Just close your eyes and try a bite. Isn’t it delicious? You have the cake in front of you, you don’t see it with your eyes but with your inner eyes. It is there, trust me. And you share it with me. God, I am such a dreamer! Wake up, wake up! I don’t think I want, because I love sleep. I guess dreams are better than reality, sometimes. I need to sleep right away. I’ll be back later to finish this post. Good night!

Ok, I am back, after a good night sleep and I feel full of energy and positive. A good sleep makes miracle, trust me. I can see better now, my head is clearer and I am hungry. Very hungry. I will have a pizza and the desert I am about to write now. Kidding, in reality I will have a pizza and a rum baba or Savarina as it is known in Romania. And for my inner stomach ….(as I was thinking, if we have an inner eye, we can have an inner everything, so…) I will tell you about a Hungarian pancake gâteau. De-li-cious.

Because it is Easter today for some of my friends, to you all, Happy Easter!

Layered Pancake Gâteau

Serves 6

Ingredients:

• 5 eggs, separated
• 50 g (2 oz/ 1/4 cup) caster sugar
• 175 ml (6 fl oz/ 3/4 cup) milk
• 50 g (2 oz/ 1/4 cup) self-raising flour, sifted
• 50 g (2 oz/ 4 tbsp) unsalted butter, melted
• 175 ml (6 fl oz/ 3/4 cup) soured cream
• sifted icing sugar, for dredging
• lemon wedges, to serve

For the filling:

• 3 eggs, separated
  
• 25 g (1 oz/ 1/4 cup) icing sugar, sifted
• grated rind of 1 lemon
• 2.5 ml (1/2 tsp) vanilla sugar
• 115 g (4 oz/ 1 cup) ground almonds

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 200 °C, 400 °F, Gas Mark 6. Grease and line a deep 20-23 cm/ 8-9 inch springform cake tin. Whisk the egg yolks and caster sugar together in a bowl until thick and creamy, before whisking the milk.
  
• Whisk the egg whites in a grease-free bowl until stiff, then fold into the batter mixture, alternating with spoonfuls of the flour and half the melted butter.
• Take a frying pan as near to the size of your prepared cake tin as possible and lightly grease the pan with a little of the remaining melted butter. Tilt to cover the surface.
• Tip one-quarter of the batter into the frying pan. Fry the thick pancake on each side until golden brown, then slide it into the prepared cake tin. Use up the batter to make 3 more pancakes in the same way and set them aside while you make the filling.
• For the filling, whisk the egg yolks in a bowl with the icing sugar until thick and creamy. Stir in the grated lemon rind and the vanilla sugar.
• Whisk the egg whites in a separate bowl, then fold them into the egg yolk mixture, before adding the ground almonds. Mix together well. And now, the moment of tasting: dip you finger or your love’s finger in the cream and lick. Isn’t it delicious?
• Spread one-third of the mixture on top of the first pancake.
• Repeat twice more with the second and third pancakes, then top with the final pancake.
• Spread the sour cream over the top and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the top is pale golden brown.
• Leave in the tin for 10 minutes before removing the lining paper. Serve warm, cut into wedges, liberally dusted with icing sugar and accompanied by lemon wedges. And a kiss.

Bon appetite! x

Cooking For Two

I would like to introduce you today to a new recipe I tried years ago in my beloved city, London. I got it from the book “Cooking for two”, published in 1996. What a reasonable title! And what a perfect day to cook, at the end of the week. Imagine yourself tired from the week. You don’t feel like looking at all. May be not a very difficult recipe. You would love some eggs too. Hmmm…ah…there is it…

Souffle omelette with mushroom sauce

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 4 eggs, separated
• 1 tbsp water
• 2 tsp chopped fresh tarragon
• 20 g butter (lovely butter…)

For the mushroom sauce

• 60 g butter
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 125 g baby mushrooms, sliced
• 3 tsp plain flour
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 1/4 cup milk
• 2 tsp French mustard
• 2 tsp chopped fresh tarragon

Method:

• Whisk egg yolks, water and tarragon in a large bowl until well combined.
• Beat egg whites in a small bowl with electric mixer until soft peaks form.
• Fold egg whites gently into egg yolk mixture in 2 batches.
• Heat half the butter in the omelette pan. Pour the half egg mixture into pan, cook omelette until lightly browned underneath.
• Place the pan under a hot grill until top of the omelette is just set.
• Slide the omelette onto plate, fold omelette in half, spoon over half the mushrooms sauce.
• Repeat with remaining butter, egg mixture and sauce.
• Mushroom sauce: heat the butter in a pan, add onion, garlic and mushrooms, cook stirring, until onion is soft. Add flour, cook stirring, until combined.
• Remove from heat, gradually stir in combined remaining ingredients, stir over heat until mixture boils and thickens. If you like to ease your work, you can make the sauce a day ahead.

Bon appetite, my love!

 

Fly Me To The Moon