How to make your own Theme cake

I must admit that I have complete admiration for Photographers.  Their uncanny ability to take a snapshot of life and display it in the most memorable and beautiful of ways is something I envy.  Living in a country so full of beauty and history with my 2 little girls means that my camera is never too far out of reach... but when it comes to cooking and baking in the kitchen, remembering to snap a photo every step of the way is something that does not come naturally to me.

Below are my steps to creating "The Tower of Colour" cake that I made for my daughter's 7th birthday, this weekend.  The pictures I took were taken with my iPhone4...  but due to my short deadline, and the fact that I chose yesterday to try out a new fondant brand that was very difficult to work with, I sadly forgot to take a picture for every step mentioned below.  I'll try to add external photos to complement this posting.

I'll do my best at providing detailed steps so you can create this, or a similar cake, at home.

Design time: 2 days (my daughter and I were not seeing eye-to-eye on this one for a while, LOL)
Batter Prep time: 10 mins

Baking time:  45 mins

Cooling time:  Overnight

Decorating time:  3hours 15mins

1.  Decide on the design of the cake - I always draw out my cakes on graph paper, to scale and in colour.  This helps my clients (in this case, my daughter), better imagine the final result.

2. Once the design has been decided, you need to pick the recipe.  A basic tiered cake can be prepared with almost any type of cake.  If you have chosen a cake with a deep mould (a cone shape or ball), it is best to pick a cake recipe that is heavier (like pound cake or fruit cake) as a typical spongy cake will break apart easily and not keep the shape very well.

3.  Start baking! (in this case, a 4-tiered cake).  

Personal tip: Whatever temperature your recipe calls for, when using a convection oven, I like to reduce it by 5ºC.  Convection works with the hot air circulating around the oven for more even baking, therefore, it bakes faster... By reducing the temperature by 5ºC, I've noticed that the cake's spongyness and flavour are best and that the cake is less likely to over-brown.  Depending on the recipe, it also provides me with cakes that do not arch on the surface, so much, meaning that less fiddling (leveling) is required.

4.  Pour the batter into a greased and floured cake mould (I like to use cooking sprays because personally, I just don't like dealing with removing butter from my fingers).  You can also use a brush to grease the mould with a light corn oil (instead of butter).

Personal tip #1:  I like to place parchment paper at the bottom of the mould.  This makes it SUPER easy to remove the cake from your mould and guarantees the perfect surface of the cake.

5. Let the cake cool in pan 5 mins before turning it over to cool completely on a wire rack.  (If you don't have one already - this is a "tool" I strongly recommend!)

6. While the cake is cooling (approx 2-3 hours), prepare a batch of  buttercream

7. Once your cake is completely cooled, level the cake and slice the layers using a cake leveler. 

(For the Pink section of the cake, I sliced multiple layers)

 Personal tip #3:  Place a dollop of buttercream in the center of the cardboard or plastic cake base before placing the cake on it, so as to act as a "glue" and prevent the cake from slipping around too much while decorating

 8. Take your first layer (the bottom one).  Using a piping back, pipe a ring of buttercream around the edge of the cake - this prevents your filling from seeping out.  Fill the center with your chosen filling.

 9.  Cover the filled 1st layer with the 2nd layer of the cake and repeat for all cake tiers until all the tiers are complete.

 10. Cover the cake with a very thin layer of buttercream using an angled rubber spatula.  This is called a "Crumb coat"

Picture borrowed from www.lemontart.ca

 Personal Note:  Because the Pink tier is so tall and has so many layers, I placed a dowel rod in the center of it to prevent the layers from slipping out of place while I applied the Buttercream (and later, the fondant).

11. Leave the crumb coat to dry (approx 20-30mins) while preparing the other tiers in the same way (steps 7 - 10). 

Note: If you are going to cover your cake with Buttercream, it is important to give it a crumb coat to prevent crumbs from "infecting" the buttercream decorations.  If you are going to cover your cake with Fondant, usually, instead of letting the crumb coat dry, I use its moistness to stick the fondant on right away.  This requires that the fondant be ready to apply to the cake before my coat of Buttercream. 

Personal Note: When applying Fondant, I use the crumb coat as the primer instead of applying the regular coat of buttercream in order to reduce the sweetness of the cake, reduce the instance of "cream bubbles" being formed under the fondant, and reduce the calorie intake in each slice.

12.  Tint the Fondant with Gel food colouring and roll it out on a flat, clean surface.  Remember that the fondant will get darker as it dries.

Personal tip #5:  If your kitchen and hands are hot, apply a little bit of grease (such as Crisco - vegetable shortnening) to your hands and table so as to prevent the Fondant from sticking to the surface.  If your kitchen and hands are cold, use icing sugar, instead.  The humidity level of the room is also and important factor to note when deciding between Crisco or icing sugar.



12. This is the tricky part.  Using your rolling pin, gently roll up your fondant around it to easily transport it over your cake without finger marks, rips or other imperfections.  For best results, your fondant should be at least 1/8 of an inch thick.



Picture borrowed from http://caranoscucina.blogspot.com



Picture borrowed from www.squidoo.com

 

13.  Carefully use your hand to "massage" the fondant over your cake, starting from the top, over the edge, and finally down to the base. Gently use your the fingers from one hand to lift and place the sides without any folds while massaging down the side with your other hand.  Cut the excess skin with a knife.

Click to see Buddy (The Cake boss) apply fondant to a cake

14.  Smooth out the fondant using a Fondant Smoother.

Picture borrowed from www.bakingproject.com

15. Once you've applied the fondant to each tier, you must stack them up.  To do so, place dowel rods in the center of the bottom tier before placing a tier on top.  Dowel rods prevent the top tiers from sinking into the bottom tiers due to their weight (Fondant cakes are very heavy). Make sure that the rods have been cut to the exact height of each tier.

Picture borrowed from http://www.bakedecoratecelebrate.com/

 16. For the "Tower of Colour", I used a flower press to cut out the flowers and apply them to the cake.  Remember to moisten the fondant surface where the flowers will be applied with a brush dipped in Vanilla essence (best) or water (works too, but takes longer to dry). 

PME Sugarcraft Flower Press

Et Voilà!  Your cake is done. 

Send me pictures of your Theme cake creations using my steps and let me know if I've left anything out... If you have any questions or comments, just post them below.



Chocolate Mascarpone Mousse

I have a great Italian food reference book;  Culinaria Italia.  It has a Tiramisú recipe that is 'to die for', but cannot be eaten by my kids because of the heavy coffee flavour (and caffeine content).  So, below, is the same recipe which I have slightly altered to make it kid-friendly - this has become one of our family favourites since I first made it... and the kids fight over who gets to lick the bowl, the spoons, the mixing tongs... LOL 

Prep time:  15 mins + 1 hour in refrigerator
Servings:  4 servings

200grs of heavy cream
500grs of Mascarpone
4 egg yolks
5 tblsp of sugar
tea cookies
Mozart Cream of Chocolate

1. Crush the cookies and divide evenly into 4 cups.

2. Add a light swirl of Cream of Chocolate

3. Whip the cream with 1 tbls of sugar until stiff
4. Mix the egg yolks with the rest of the sugar
5. Whip the yolks with the mascarpone
6. Fold in the Whipped Cream
7. Add 1 tbls of Cream of Chocolate
8. Spoon equal amounts of the cream into the cookie-based cups OR for added effect, fill a piping bag with a large flower nozzel and pipe the cream into the cups in a circular fashion. 

9. Spinkle the top with some cocoa powder or sprinkles (the kids can do this part) and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. 

For the original  "adult" recipe use:
 - Ladyfingers soaked in instant coffee and amaretto (instead of plain crushed tea cookies). 
 - Do not add the Cream of Chocolate to the cream mixture 
 - Cover the top of the dessert with Cocoa Powder

Christmas Log - a Portuguese family recipe

I am from a large Portuguese family who immigrated to Canada.  I only have one younger sister, but my 9 uncles and 9 aunts ensured our house was full of cousins at Christmas time (27 of us, before marriage).

Christmas, as with any family reunion, was all about eating - it wasn't something ever mentioned or spoken about, directly, but each family had a culinary responsibility for the Christmas eve dinner - and everyone clearly appreciated the traditional recipes each family member specialized in... and when everything got layed out on the table, it would be a culinary feast that lasted at least 6 hours. 

One of the Christmas desserts that always made its appearance on the table was my aunt's Christmas log.  A very light and fluffy white log filled with chocolate, sprinkles, and sugar.  In theory, this is a very simple recipe - but baking is a game of chemistry where every single element must be exact.  This is the key to succeeding this delicious family recipe of mine. 

Prep time:  10 mins
Baking time: 10-12 mins
Preheat oven to 180ºC

Ingredients:
6 eggs (separated)
10 tblsps of granulated sugar
6 tbls of plain white flour
1 tsp of Baking powder
Rind of 1 orange (or any other citrus fruit)

1/2 egg shell of water

First, beat the egg whites until stiff and set aside.

Then, mix the egg yolks and sugar until the mixture is fluffy and has whitened considerably.

Add the flour baking powder Orange rind and water to the egg yolk mixture

Fold in the egg whites - the batter should be fluffy and inflated

Pour into a baking sheet that has been previously greased with butter and floured. 

Use a spatula to carefully spread out the batter over the sheet.  Insert in preheated oven for 10-12 minutes or until a toothpick inserted throughout the cake comes out clean.

Here comes the tricky part...
Let the cake cool in the baking sheet for no more than 5 minutes.  Then, cover the cake with granulated sugar.  Put a clean kitchen towel over the cake and baking sheet and turn over so that the cake rests on the kitchen towel (the granulated sugar prevents it from sticking to the kitchen towel).

Quickly, spread a thin layer of chocolate spread (homemade or Nutella) or any other spread you prefer (jam, dulce de leche, etc).  Then, take one end of the cake and using the kitchen towel, roll it up, as you would a sushi roll. The kitchen towel helps to prevent burning your fingers, but it also helps to evenly apply pressure as you roll up the cake (do not roll up the kitchen towel, LOL)

Lay it out on a plate and decorate with chocolate, icing sugar, christmas figurines etc.

Let me know if these instructions make sense or if you need any additional information on any steps.

Easy-to-make Spiked Eggnog for two

As with every year, the start of the Christmas season, in our house, was inaugurated with some Eggnog. 

Here is my recipe for a quick and easy-to-make Eggnog (makes 2 glasses)

2 eggs - seperated  

3 tblsp sugar

1 tsp vanilla

200ml of 35%cream

150ml of milk
100ml of Bourbon (can be replaced with dark rhum or mxed half and half)

Nutmeg

a little extra whipped cream to decorate

in Bowl #1, mix egg yolks, sugar, vanilla, milk and bourbon

in Bowl # 2, whip egg whites until stiff

in Bowl #3 (large bowl), whip cream until stiff

Then, fold contents of Bowl #2 into Bowl #1.  Do not overmix
Then, fold the contents of Bowl #1 into Bowl #3.  Do not overmix - the mixture should be thick and creamy.

Divide into tall glasses, top off with Whipped Cream and sprinkle with nutmeg. 

Enjoy!

Have you heard of the TurBaconEpic?

Here's a holiday meal idea that makes the TurDucken look like light finger food...

The Most Unhealthy Meal Ever!

I think the secret is in the bacon grease.

Wine Notes from France

On my latest trip to France,  I enjoyed 2 wonderful wines, and here are my notes:                 

                 

  Name: Chapitre

  Region: Côtes du Rhône AOC

  Type:  Red

  Alcohol: 13,5%

  Grape Variety: Grenache and Syrah

  Vintage: 2006

Tasting Notes:

     Nose:  Church candles were the first thought that came to mind, followed by the soft sensation of pepper

     Mouth:  soft entry, slight mineral, light in mouth, medium finish

     Visual: medium dark heart, tinges of crimson orange around the edges denotes the aging

     Conclusion: drink now!  I don't think it will hold much longer - but it is a typical Côtes du Rhône

   Wine:  Saveur Gascogne

   Vintage: 2009

   Alcohol: 12%Vol

   Grape Variety: 100% Gros Manseng

   Wine type:  Moelleux (very sweet white)

 

 

 

 

 

Tasting Notes:

     Nose: aromas of sweet ripened fruit, spring flowers

     Mouth: like sweet peppered vanilla & litchis

     Visual: Golden yellow - very yellow

     Conclusion:  These wines pair excellently with Foie Gras & desserts...  or chilled, just on its own, on a hot summer day

 

Change is never easy... but sometimes, it's what you need!

Today was a big day for me.  Today, I did what I came to France to do - I handed in my one-month notice and resignation.

I must admit that I have dreamed of this moment for months, and my creativity for saying "Goodbye" to my employer amplified when I got my acceptance to Le Cordon Bleu.  I thought of a hundred different ways I could quit in an unforgettable manner... my mind buzzing with excitement as the day grew nearer. 

As my boss walked-in to my office, this afternoon, I excused myself from the meeting I was in to speak to him.  His time is precious and if he awards you 5 minutes, you must "grab the bull by the horns and run with it" - in a week, the opportunity to see him may not come twice.

As we walked down the long narrow hallway that connects my office to his on the north wing of the building, my excitement translated itself into nervousness and self-doubt and with every step I took, my heart's pounding got stronger until it felt like it was going to rip out of my chest.  "Am I doing the right thing?  I have a great job that I get to do from home, and I make a decent salary at it.  Do I really want to go back to student life and the uncertainty of a career in this economically-challenged time?"  There was no turning back.  My boss knew I had something important to say to him.  It was this or create a marketing-related disaster.

My boss took the news well - and invited himself over to my house in Madrid, for dinner, post-graduation ;)  He is, what they call in France, a "bon vivant".  He deeply appreciates the finer things in life and good food is first on that list. 

Immediately after my big news was out, I became serene.  All I could think of was of lighting a cigarette - the only problem being that I Don't Smoke!  But at that moment, scenes from movies from the 80's where couples layed in bed sharing a smoke after a supposedly intense moment of pleasure, infected my head.  I felt a similar kind of post-pleasure satisfaction.

I became desperate to share my excitement with someone, but am not allowed to share the news with anyone I work with, just yet...  so I found someone on Skype to chat to, and called my husband on his mobile.

My friend Conor, a IESE professor, motivational speaker & writer (and my personal guru), has been a great inspiration these last few months - he published "Killing the cow", today, giving me that last boost of determination I was missing. 

     - Thanks Conor.  It is exactly what people need to do more often.  A feast-like dinner awaits you in Madrid to thank you for your constant inspiration, words of wisdom and challenging questions.

My husband had the best news for me - congratulatory words of amazement and pride for my courage and decidedness in changing my life... and a gift to celebrate - a new "old" car.  Yup!  My very own car all to myself - and in my favourite colour (blue).  My husband is my greatest fan (and I, his) and none of this would be possible without his support, encouragement and appetite.  The pleasure I get from watching him eat what I prepare is all the "wow" and praise I need to feel like I'm following the right path.

      - I love you, Andrew.  You are EVERYTHING to me.

After work, all I could think of was about how I would celebrate this special day.

Wine & Food came to mind.
;)

Tuesday night's Menu

Tuesday night in the French countryside

Tuesday Night's Menu

Beef Carpaccio

Served drizzled with basil scented olive oil and sprinkled with rock salt, pepper and minced chives and topped with spicy confied tomatoes, 

It looked so good, I forgot to take a picture... and it tasted even better!

Wafer thin slices of raw meat don't naturally have a lot of flavour but the combination of spice and herbs that this carpaccio was served with turned this very light entrée into a mouthful of flavour.

Grilled Sea Bass with star anise, served with diced veggies and an anise & chive sauce.

The fish is cooked to perfection - light, tender and full of flavour (a slight hint of anise dresses up the fleshy white fish).  After giving the fish a tast, i wuickly scoop out the cheeks - the most tender piece of any meat.  Considering its size, a juicy cheek is the sign of a fish that is cooked to perfection.  So, I quickly proceed to the task of de-boning my fish.

I like to get the "work part" of my meal out of the way right away so that I can truly enjoy and savour my dish without any interruptions.  My husband laughs at my "delayed gratification" approach to eating - he usually shells, de-bones and peels as he goes along, but, in the end, when he's done his meal and I've saved the best bit for last... he's usually begging me to share.

Tonight, I prepare my fish, the mix fish, veggies and sauce all together - the best way to ensure I enjoy the 3 parts of my dish all at once - and the result is a brilliant combination.

Armagnac and prune Parfait

Armagnac and prunes are a common local flavouring for sweet and savoury dishes (I like to use this combination on fresh, pan-seared foie gras).  This parfait was quite lite and a nice, sweet finish to my meal.

Wine - I finished the bottle I bought yesterday.

The Southern France less travelled

Every month, I come to France on business. No not to Paris nor the French Riviera... I come to the less marketed "Gers", a small department between the better known Bordeaux region and the city of Toulouse.

The Gers is a beautiful part of France - chateaux, hunting lodges and religious buildings were built on the rolling green hills, and golden fields of sunflowers and Canola plants fill the Gascony landscape with lots to look at. Most tourists never visit this part of France and it is, in my opinion, such a shame. 

The Gers has everything you could ask for as a holiday destination.  Mild winter weather and hot summer days grace the Gers - also known for having more sun hours in a year then any other department of France.  The Gers offers spectacular views of the Pyrennees and a unique heritage and history dating back to the Romans.  Auch, the biggest town of the Gers (at approx. 25,000 inhabitants) is the birthplace of D'Artagnan - the most infamous of Musketeers.  If you have never heard of Gascony (Gers in French) - not too worry - most haven't... you are probably more familiar with its culinary delights which are quite sought after around the world since the Gers is the world capital of Foie Gras, and the only producer of Armagnac...

When I come to Auch, it is usually for work - but every meal is sacred to all who live here, and like the French, I don't spare any occasion to eat anything but the best of the region.

The next 4 days will be a glimpse of what is enjoyed.

For starters, it should be known that I usually stay at Hotel Bon Plaisir, in Aubiet, but this week, due to overbooking, I was moved to a nearby Bed & Breakfast in Mauvezin... My dinners are still at the Hotel, prepared by David (an excellent chef and owner of the hotel) and served by Christelle (his wife) who is very charming and happy to make your experience as unforgettable as possible. One night, including breakfast and a 3-course dinner runs at around 65€ per couple.

Monday night's Menu

Moules Farcies à la Persillade 

Garlic and parsley are a very typical seasoning for Mediterranean cusisine.  "Persillade", as it is called in Franch goes well with just about anything.  In tonight's entrée, the mussells were bathe in a garlic and parsley butter then sprinkeled iwth breadcrumbs and baked to perfection.  The dish was served with a simple green salad (lettuce only), with a little bit of light olive oil.

 

Grilled salmon on a bed of Broccoli and served with Pesto

I must admit that at first glance, I was a bit skeptical about the combination of these 3 items, but it actually went well together.  The grilled salmon and broccoli shared some common undertones in their flavour.  What surprised me the most was how well this dish paried with the wine I selected, since, thruth be told, I did not select the wine based on the meal, but rather because I Love the sweet nectar produced by this grape - and it cannot be found anywhere else in the world.

If I had to make a single negative comment about this main course, it would be that they did not provide enough broccoli for the size of the fish serving - but then again, I rather have too much fish then too much broccoli.

Pistachio Macaroon served on Rhum custard and fruit
In a word - Fabulous!

I am not a big fan of Macaroons (I usually find them too sweet), but this one was Mmmm, Mmmmm, Delicious!!  The giant pistachio macaroon was served on a Rhum flavoured custard  with slices of Kiwi and Banana.  What made the custard so delicious was its special preparation.  Chef David reduces the egg yolk custard to a very thick paste, then refrigerates over night, and finally, whips it back into shape with egg whites that have been beaten until stiff, just before serving. This gives the custard a very light and airy consistency and removes much of the "eggyness" taste that I find quite common in less "worked" custards.  The "dryness" of the banana and the tangyness of the kiwi was a great idea to balance off the symphony of flavours in my mouth... Enjoying this dessert with a glass of the Saveur Gascogne was like a little bit of Heaven in my mouth.

Wine:  Saveur Gascogne

Vintage: 2009

Alcohol: 12%Vol

Grape Variety: 100% Gros Manseng

Wine type:  Moelleux

In the beautiful region of Gascony, wonderful, mouth-watering delicacies are produced.  Shadowed by the better-known region of Bordeaux, just over the department's border, Gascony receives virtually no marketing or mention outside of France.  "Le Gers" elaborates a small production of Moelleux from its autoctonous grape variety - the Gros Manseng.

The wine produced from this grape is called a Moelleux which means: mellow and smooth in French.  it is a sweet mouthful of viticulor bliss.  It is a great chilled drink to enjoy or a hot summer day, perfect for salads, crustaceans and foie gras... and if you manage to leave any in the bottle, just serve it up again with dessert.  Moelleux is great with sweet, creamy or chocolatey desserts.

Pictures taken with my iPhone 3G

Meal Plan #5

This week, I have to go out of town on business for the week, therefore I had to create a meal plan that can be made ahead... Everything my family will be enjoying from Monday to Friday was prepared on sunday, then refrigerated in a tupperware to be reheated.  Whenever I have a business trip, I make sure that the weekend meals are a little more fun.  It should be noted that the "Thai Night" menu is quite spicy and not appropriate for most kids.

School Snack: Chocolate Banana Muffins
Saturday Dinner - Thai Night!!
     (Appetizer) - Tom Yum Kung (Sour and picy Prawn Soup)
     (Main Course) - Phat Phet Mu (Stir-Fried Pork with Red Curry  Paste)

Sunday Lunch - Swiss lunch
     (Main Course) - Raclette

Sunday Dinner - Quebecois Night
     (Main Course) - Tourtière (Quebec-style Meat pie)

Monday Dinner -
     (Main Course) - Left-over Tourtière

Tuesday Dinner
     (Appetizer) - Tomato Salad
     (Main Course) - Chicken Filets and plain white rice

Wednesday Dinner
     (Main Course) - Carrot Velouté, Baguette, Ham and Cheese

Thursday Dinner
     (Main Course) -  Pasta Carbonara

Friday Dinner
     (Main Course) - Pizza Night!

Saturday Lunch
     (Main Course) - Shopping day = Eating out!

Chocolate Banana Muffins

Every sunday, I make muffins, cookies or other home-made snack for my girls to take to school everyday.  I took this recipe from London's famous Primrose Bakery's book "Cupcakes".  This is probably the most delicious muffin I have EVER tasted!

Preheat oven to 160ºC (convection) or 180ºC regular
Makes 12 regular cupcakes

Ingredients:
125grs Unsalted Butter, at room temperature
250grs Caster Sugar
2 Eggs
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
250grs Plain Flour, sifted
2 tsps Baking Powder
4 Ripe Bananas, mashed with fork
175grs dark Chocolate (70% Cocoa), broken or chopped into small pieces

Preparation:
Preheat oven and line a 12-hole muffin tray with cupcake cases.

In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar until the mixture is pale and smooth, which should take 3-5 minutes using an electric hand mixer.  Add the eggs and vanilla extract and beat again briefly.  Add the flour and baking powder and beat again until well combined.  Stir in the mashed bananas and chocolate pieces using a wooden spoon.

Carfully spoon th emixture into the cupcake cases, filling them to about two-thurds full.  Bake in the oven for about 25 minutes.  To check they are cooked, insert a skewer in the centre of one of the cakes - it should come out clean.

Remove from the oven and leave the cakes in their tins for about 10 minutes before carefully placing on a wire rack to cool.

Note 1: The original recipe suggests icing the cupcakes with Chocolate Buttercream icing.  This is a great idea for a party, but I do not ice school snacks (the teachers, I am sure, do not need any child to be on a sugar rush)... 

Note 2: As for the Chocolate - I like to take a bar of dark chocolate and chopping it up with the chopping attachment from my hand blender.  The chocolate comes out in all sorts of different sized chunks meaning that each muffin is completely different from the last. 

Carrot Velouté

Prep time: 10 mins
Cooking time: 20 mins

Ingredients:
1kg of Carrots, peeled and sliced
1 large Onion, cut in quarters
2 medium Potatoes, peeled and cut in quarters
1 cube of Chicken Stock
Heavy cream
Nutmeg

Preparation:
Boil vegetables in 2 litres of water.  Add Chicken stock.  Once the vegetables are soft, purée with a hand blender.  Serve in bowls, add a dollop of cream to each bowl and add a pinch of nutmeg.  Serve hot.

You can store in fridge or freeze this soup as long as you have not added the cream.  I only add the cream moments before serving and use the cream to draw hearts and stars in each bowl, (and sprinkled with nutmeg) for my girls.

Tourtière

(Quebec Meat Pie)

This is the most typical Québecois dish (not counting any dish served with Maple Syrup).  Tourtière was originally made of "Tourtes" - a local bird that was became extinct in the early 1900's because it was easily caught and made this delicious pie.  Now, "Tourtes" are replaced by a minced meat mixture that is 70% pork and 30% veal.  Comfort food made by Quebecois grannies throughout the last 3 centuries, Tourtière is  a great winter meal on a cold winter day. 

My kids and I love it served up with a generous side of Ketchup.

Preheat oven to 220ºC
Prep time: 5 mins
Cooking time:  30mins on stove + 30mins in oven

Pie Filling:
500grs of lean ground Pork
250grs of lean ground Veal
1 large Onion, finely chopped
3 Garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tsp of Salt
1 tsp of All-Spice (5-spice or Mixed Spice can also be used)
1/4 tsp ground Cloves
1/4 tsp Pepper
3/4 cup (175ml) of Water
1/2 cup Bread Crumbs
2 store-bought ShortCrust Pastry (masa Brisa in Spain)

1 egg yolk mixed with a little water  (this is the Egg Wash)

1. In a large saucepan, over medium-high heat, cook pork and veal for 5 minutes.  Add onion, garlic, salt, allspice, cloves and pepper.  Cook for an additional 5 minutes, stirring often.
2. Add water.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, partially cover and simmer, stirring occasionally for 20 mins or until most of the liquid has evaporated.  Remove from heat and add the breadcrumbs to absorb the excess moisture.
3. Line pie dish with 1 Shortcrust pastry.  Fill with meat filling.  Cover with the second Shortcrust pastry... seal edges. Brush Pastry with egg wash
4.  Reduce oven heat to 190ªC.  Bake pie for 25-30 mins  or until the pastry is golden.

Phat Phet Mu

(Stir-Fried Pork with Red Curry Paste)

If you can find the ingredients, this is an easy-to-make Thai dish that is full of flavour.  I serve it up with plain white steamed rice.

Prep time:  15 mins
Cooking time: 20 mins
Serves: 4

Ingredients:
1 tbsp Vegetable Oil
400 grams lean pork sliced into thin strips (I buy pork loin, then slice it as thinly as possible, diagonally across the loin)
2 tbsps Red Curry Paste (I buy this pre-made from Makro)
1 cup of Coconut Milk
1 1/2 tbsp of Fish Sauce
Pinch of Salt
1/2 tbsp Sugar
3-5 Kaffir Lime Leaves (I can't find these in Spain, so I use fresh Basil leaves, instead)
2 Fresh Red Chillies, sliced

Preparation:
1. Heat oil in wok over medium hea.  Fry the red curry paste and pork for 5 minutes, stirrin regularly.  Add half of the coconut milk and cook for another 10 minsutes, stirring occasionally.
2.  When the pork is done, add the remaining coconut milk, the fish sauce, kaffir lime leaves, salt and sugar, stir well and bring to a boil.
3.  Add chillies and stir well.  Let simmer for 2-3 minutes. 
4.  Spoon over rice and serve hot.

Tom Yam Kung

Thai food is one of my favourite cuisines.  It is full of flavour and uses an array of different ingredients that are not usually found in western food. 

This is one of my favourite soups.

Prep Time:  10 mins
Cooking Time: 15 mins
Serves:  4

Ingredients:
12 large prawns, shelled and deveined then cut in half
3 cups of Chicken Stock
200 grams of mushrooms ( I use Chinese mushrooms or setas)
1 lemongrass stem, cut into short lengths (in Spain, this is called "Caña Santa" and can be found at SuperCor)
5 slices of Ginger
Juice from 1 1/2 limes
3 tblsp of Fish Sauce
5-6 Hot Chillies, just broken with pestle
2-3 Kaffir lime leaves, chopped (these are hard to find in Spain... so I use Fresh Basil)
2 Coriander plants, chopped coarsely.

Preparation:
Heat the stock until boiling.  Add the lemongrass, ginger, prawns and mushrooms.  Add lime joince, fish sauve and chillies.  Add Kaffir lime leaves and chopped coriander, remove from heat and serve hot.

An unknown Wine Region worth discovering

In May, I completed a 9 month certification to become a Sommelier.  The class was made up of people from all over Spain and South American from all different backgrounds in the wine region.  It was a great class.  We had all types of wine people; from a Manager from Mexico city from one of the World's top Hotels to Oenologs with their own centuries-old family-owned wineries in Rioja to people like me - no real previous experience, and taking the course out of personal passion and pleasure. 

Out of everyone in that course was a woman from A Coruña in Galicia.  Throughout the course, no matter the topic, she complemented everything with a story, anecdote or fact about wines from the Bierzo.  The "Denominación de Origen del Bierzo" is a small producing wine region in the north-west part of Spain (near Leon).  Recently, this region has been gaining some momentum in Spain, but is still virtually unknown to foreigners.  The D.O. Bierzo produces mainly red wines - full bodied and perfect for red meats and BBQs.

I had never heard of or tried any Bierzo wines before that course.  But Mar became a good friend of mine and we've stayed in touch since the course.  Mar is a wonderful source of information about the region of Spain she is so proud of.  The last time I saw Mar, she surprised me with a few bottles of  Bierzo wine.

Here are my notes about the bottle I shared with my husband, last night:

Name:  Pétalos del Bierzo
Vintage: 2008
Denominación de Origen:  D.O. Bierzo
Grape Variety:  100% Mencía
14% Alcohol
Retail price in Spain:  12,70€

Tasting Notes
Visual: 
Medium to dark opacity. Intense, cherry-red, pinkish hues around the rimm, long legs denotes high alcohol content

Nose: 
(immediately after pouring and before swirling) - intense aroma of rose petals and sub tones of black currant
(after swirling) - intense aromas of camembert and other dairy products, rosemary, thyme, mushrooms, moss, mildew, wet hay.
(after oxygenating) - the aroma of burnt sugar come out.

Mouth:
delicate entry with a small but interesting explosion of tannins.  A long finish - the taste keeps changing and evolving long after the wine has been swallowed.  Notes of black cherry and bush herbs such as rosamary and thyme are apparent.

Pairing:
This wine would pair well with lamb, game, roast turkey, a stew, or roasted root vegetables. This is definitely a winter wine and perfect to enjoy with winter meals.

Conclusion:
What I love about this wine is its intensity and the story it is constantly trying to tell.  It has a full body and is a good mouthful of wine.  We enjoyed this bottled from the moment it came out of our wine fridge and for about 2 hours.  Every time we took a sip, its taste had changed - evolved. I think we opened this bottle a little too soon - keeping it for another year or two would have been a good idea.

Barcelona is a great place for foodies!

Barcelona is one of the world's oldest and most beautiful cities.  Everytime I visit it, I feel inspired by the architecture, the art, the food... and La Boquería.

I once read that La Boquería (Mercado St. Joseph) is the 2nd best food market on the planet.  I find it hard to believe that there could be anything better.  They say that if you can't find what you are looking for at La Boquería, then, it just doesn't exist. 

From freshly squeezed fruit juices to deep fried bugs, from  the different shades of brown mushrooms to the colourful displays of fruits and berries, La Boquería has everything necessary to inspire even a beginner foodie. 

SITA Lounge & Coffee

There a great new lounge for the 35+ Madrid.  Its name is SITA and it is located in Conde de Orgaz (where Laura Ashley used to be).  

This great little place is open from 9:00 am until 12:30 am, serving coffee, drinks and a variety of foods throughout the day.  Open concept, big windows, plush velvet violet and green sofas, majestic chandeliers and large full-wall paintings decorate SITA and make it a very cool hang-out morning, noon or night.

SITA's success is not only due to its brilliant and city-cool decor but also to its very tasty and inexpensive menu - a full breakfast, here, will cost you less that a small (tall) coffee at Starbucks.  In the morning, this lounge is packed with moms - getting together for coffee after having dropped off their children at one of the many local schools.  In the afternoons, it is filled with a variety of people, many on their laptops, enjoying a drink and tapas while taking advantage of the free Wi-Fi.  In the evening, SITA is packed with 35+ year olds, enjoying dinner and/or cocktails.

As someone who works remotely and who is often looking for an alternate "office" to work out of - to change the monotony of being home all the time, SITA has been a great little find.  

SITA, lounge & coffee

Pza. Manuel Rodrigo, 7

Madrid, 28043 (Spain)

Tlf:  +34 91 155 74 74

Fax:  +34 91 155 7475

www.sitalounge.com

sitalounge@sitalounge.com

Meal Plan #4

School Snack - Chocolate chip Snickerdoodles.

Sunday Lunch

• (Main Course) An Ode to the french peasant

Sunday Dinner

• (Appetizer) Irish Bread
• (Main Course) Pork Cheek Stew, English-style Roast Potatoes and Garlic Asparagus
• (Dessert) Chocolate Muffins

Monday

• (Appetizer) Greek Salad
• (Main Course) Breaded Chicken Filets, Peas and Macaroni & Cheese

Tuesday

• (Appetizer) Baked Brie
• (Main Course) Rosemary Chicken with Layered Potatoes
• (Dessert) Chocolate Swirl Marble Cheesecake

Wednesday

• Crepe Night!!

Thursday

• (Appetizer) Split-Pea Soup
• (Main Course) Shepherd's pie
• (Desser) Chocolate Rhum Cake

Friday

• (Main Course) All-dressed Nachos (instead of Pizza, for a change)

Saturday Lunch

• (Main Course) Grilled-Cheese and Chips
• (Dessert) Fresh Fruit

Saturday Dinner

• (Appetizer) Shrimp Salad
• (Main Course) Shrimp Açorda
• (Dessert) Cuba Libre Chiffon Pie

Rosemary Butter

1/4 cup of Butter, softened
3 cloves of Garlic, mashed
1 tblsp of Lemon rind
1 tblsp of crumbled dried Rosemary
Salt and Pepper to taste

Mix together all ingredients.  Place on wax paper in a thick straight line.  Roll paper to shape butter into log. Tie both ends and cool in refrigerator. 

This Butter can be used to season oven-baked dishes or melt it and use for dipping BBQ shrimp, lobster or Crab.

Enjoy!

Rosemary Chicken with layered Potatoes and Onions

Delicious, elegant and easy to prepare...

Prep Time: 20mins
Cooking Time:  1hour 15mins

Ingredients:
3 medium potatoes - peeled and sliced very thinly
2 small sweet potatoes - 'eeled and sliced very thinly
2 medium onion - sliced very thinly
2 tsp dried Rosemary, crumbled
4 single chicken breasts with skin
Salt & Pepper to taste

+1 batch of Rosemay Butter

- Layer vegetable in greased baking dish.
- Season with Rosemary, Salt and Pepper.
- Prepare the Rosemary Butter
- Remove any excess fat deposits from the chicken and carefully loosen the skin from the meat. 
- Place whole chicken breast, skin side up, on top of the vegetables.
- Spread the Rosemary Butter on the chicken.
- Cover dish with grease aluminum foil and place in oven for 45 minutes. 
- Uncover and roast for 25 to 30 minutes more or until the vegetables are tender and chicken is golden.

Enjoy!

Baked Brie

An simple appetizer that can be served at an elegant dinner party. 

Prep time:  5 mins
Baking time: 20 mins

1 egg
1/4 cup of milk
Almond slivers
Brie

Preheat the oven at 200ºC

Mix the egg with the milk.
Layout the almond slivers on a plate.
Take one whole Brie (or just a wedge) and dip it in the egg wash then place the cheese on the plate of almond slivers and cover the Brie with almonds.

Place in an oven-proof dish and in the oven for 20mins or until the almonds have begun to brown. Serve warm with bread. 

Enjoy!

The Benefits of traditional home-cooking on your relationship

Tonight was a special night.  After spending the 2 most disastrous weeks I could ever wish on my worst enemies - having happened solely to prove Murphy's law, I am sure - I had a Great Enlightening evening, tonight.

My cousin Natasha arrived from Canada on Monday.  She will be living with us for the next little while and working as an English teacher.  And my cousin Jorge, also arrived from Portugal on monday for a week-long fair at the Congress Center near our house.  We invited Jorge to dinner, tonight.

Jorge is a great guy - he is always ready to help, entertain, party, educate, ... or anything else that he can do to improve the current situation.  Everytime he comes to Madrid on Business, he comes to our house for dinner, and my husband and I spend the night laughing, learning and making memories.  Tonight, was one of those nights. 

Andrew and I are not your average couple - a part from our love affair for wine and food, we are a couple who speaks multiple languages.  But much to Andrew's surprise, many in my family speak the same odd mixture of 4 languages. 

Tonight, as Jorge muddled through English, French, Portuguese and Spanish (to entice Natasha to the European way of living), Jorge happened to enlighten me and teach me something about meal preparation that I had never before considered, and in one blunt statement confirmed the truth to the age old saying that: "the way to a man's heart is through his stomach".

When mentioning to him (and reminding my husband) that my birthday was in 2 weeks and that after all these years I was expecting a Thermomix (a 1000€ kitchen appliance that acts as a Mixer, CrockPot and food processor all-in-one)... I heard;

"Carla", Jorge said, " the joys a man gets from his wife's cooking is unmatched by anything in else that she can do for him in public.  If my wife wanted to replace herself in the kitchen - and all the personal attention that goes into it - with a machine such as a Thermomix - I would see it as the right to replace her - and all the attention I give her - with an inflatable doll." 

And it dawned on me, that as true as that statement was, no one could put it clearer (or more crass) : 

Cooking is not only about the final product.  There are many ready-made meals that are delicious straight out of a can, or ordered by phone - but they are not special!  What makes a truly special meal is the love, detail, time and thought that goes into preparing it.  Just like in any relationship, it cannot be rushed, and steps cannot be skipped.  The memories created around a good meal cannot be replaced with anything else, and if we think back on our fondest memories... most of them happened around a dinner table, in a kitchen or sitting around with a drink.

What do you think?

Fun Food Facts

Last week, as I sat at the American Club's monthly Business luncheon, the man sitting next to me, leaned in and whispered:

" Did you know that the Strawberry is the only fruit or vegetable with seeds on the outside?"

And as I waited for, what was to be, a very delicious and informative lunch at the Hotel Melià, I thought to myself... "How true!  What other fun food facts can I dig up?"

Here is a short list of what I was able to find on the internet.

• Americans eat an average of 28 pigs in a lifetime (I wonder how many pigs the Spanish eat)
• Cast iron skillets used to be the leading source of iron in the American diet!
• Large doses of coffee can be lethal. Ten grams, or 100 cups over 4 hours, can kill the average human.
• Per capita, the Irish eat more chocolate than Americans, Swedes, Danes, French, and Italians.
• Each American eats an average of 51 pounds of chocolate per year.
• The FDA allows an average of 30 or more insect fragments and one or more rodent hairs per 100 grams of peanut butter. (Hmm.. from the age of 3 to 30, I ate an average of 1kg of peanut butter a week - there are no mathematicians reading this, I hope!)
• The largest item on any menu in the world is probably the roast camel, sometimes served at Bedouin wedding feasts. The camel is stuffed with a sheep's carcass, which is stuffed with chickens, which are stuffed with fish, which are stuffed with eggs. (...and I thought the TurDucken was a crazy idea)
• Vanilla is the extract of fermented and dried pods of several species of orchids
• Among older men, vanilla is the most erotic smell.
• In Japan, Gerber's top selling baby food is a sardine dish!
• A hardboiled egg will spin. An uncooked or softboiled egg will not.
• An egg will float if placed in water in which sugar has been added.(I remember trying this in science class!)
• An apple, potato, and onion all taste the same if you eat them with your nose plugged.
• Apples are actually part of the rose family and Almonds are a member of the peach family. 
• Bananas aren't fruit! They are a type of herb.
• Bananas contain a natural chemical which can make a person happy. This same chemical is also found in Prozac.
• Bacteria that cause tooth decay, acne, tuberculosis, and leprosy can be cured with cashews.
• By partially filling saucers with vinegar and distributing the saucers around a room, you can eliminate odors.
• Placing a piece of dried-out bread in your fridge is more effective than Baking soda to eliminate bad smells (in your fridge)
• Chewing on gum while cutting onions can help a person from producing tears.
• Coca Cola was originally green.
• Coconuts kill more people in the world than sharks do. Approximately 150 people are killed each year by coconuts (presumably, falling on their heads).
• Coffee drinkers have more sex than non-coffee drinkers
• Grapes explode when you put them in the microwave (so do unbroken eggs - trust me - and no amount of vinegar will get rid of that smell in your house)
• If you put a raisin in a glass of Champagne, it will rise and fall continuously
• McDonald's salads contain up to 60% MORE fat than their burgers
• Most alcoholic beverages contain the basic 13 nutrients necessary to sustain human life (I knew there was a good reason to drink!)
• Pearls melt in vinegar
• Pepsi was originally called "Brad's Drink" (which begs the question - Who's Brad?)

If you know of any other Fun Food Facts and useless food trivia, please send it to me.

Fun Fact sources:  
http://www.funfactz.com/food-and-drink-facts/ 
http://www.bitoffun.com/fun_facts_food.htm