SEXY HAMBURGER PATTIES

There is nothing better than homemade beef burgers! Why? Because you are in total control of everything: the quality of the ingredients, the taste of the patties and finally, they are really fun to make!...

My "Hamburger Patties" are spicy, therefore I consider them as being "sexy" because, in my house, blandness is regarded as a blasphemy! I love tasty food and I NEED strong aromas that joyfully flirt with my tastebuds and nosebuds!!! Those beef burgers are fully satisfying and their divine flavor is so boostive that you'll ask for more!!!...

So, please do your hamburgers a favour, fill them up with those explosive patties and give them the sex-appeal they deserve!!!

This recipe comes out from no other place than my kitchen (aka the spice chamber) where I play the alchemist for my biggest pleasure and also yours!...

Yields about 6-8 patties

Ingredients:
500g Ground beef
1 Small onion, chopped
3/4 Tsp Garlic powder or 1-2 Cloves garlic, crushed
4 Tbs Quick oats
1 1/2 Tsp Cornflour (optional)
10-20 Drops Red tabasco
1 Tbs Oyster sauce
1/2 Tbs Fish sauce
1/3 Tsp Mild curry powder
1 Tsp Dried thyme
1/2 Tsp Dried oregano
1 Tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 Pinch Paprika powder
Pepper to taste
Salt to taste
Flour for coating

Method:
1. In a big bowl, mix all ingredients together.
2. Knead the meat with your hands until it is homogenously mixed, about 5 minutes.
3. Shape meat into flat patties and slightly coat them with flour.
4. Fry until the patties are cooked through and golden brown

Remarks:
You can knead the meat as you would do with bread dough.

Serving Suggestions:
Eat accompanied by rice or pastas, or use it for your 100% homemade hamburgers. For more hamburger information and recipes click here.

(Raw patties -Pic by http://pus.inmagine.com)
(Hamburgers -Pic by www.wholefoodsmarket.com)

SPRING GREENERY

Last Sunday, a quick shot while we were walking around the village: the Salève mountain with a little snow left, but a field beneath testifying of the coming of spring...

WEEKEND CAT BLOGGING #43

Taratata, WCB is back again!!!

Ladies and gentlemen, under the spotlights, please welcome our big black pussy cat, Maruschka! She's still playing the "couch potatoe", but seems to be already VEEERY attentive to what's happening in the kitchen... Ooooooh no, the hungry devil inside of her is preparing to make us lose our patience and go insane!!!

You will also find this picture as well as others on the great Eat Stuff blog from Sydney, Australia where you can discover Kiri's new pictures... If you also want to participate to Weekend Cat Blogging, then just leave your blog name, URL and permalink in a comment on Clare and Casey's site.

THE MEATRIX II

If you are food conscious and care about your health, the environment and the way farm animals are treated, then join THE MEATRIX!!!

Click here to see the great second short film...

CHOCOLATE CHIP COCONUT MUFFINS

Everyone loves muffins and that's not a secret! Why? Well, because they are fastly prepared, multi-faceted and soooo tasty!

One can create her/his favorite muffins by following a basic recipe and adding the loved ingredient of her/his choice. We feel a bit like (role)playing the scientist or alchemist at home; it wakes up our creative spirit and opens us to new sensations! It is one of those baking products which can be prepared in so many different ways -savory and sweet- as nearly all variations are possible that it is impossible not to love those little wonders!!!

So, I decided that I wanted coconut and chocolate chip muffins and the result was very pleasant ad gratifying! Those muffins were very fluffy and tastful, yummy yum!!!...

This recipe was originally released in the "King Arthur Flour 200th Anniversary Cookbook". I took it from their site (see here) and modified certain detail...

Yields 12 muffins

Ingredients:
300g (2 Cups) Plain white flour
110g (1/2 Cup) Castor sugar
1/2 Tsp Salt
1 Tbs Baking powder
1/2 Cup Grated coconut
1/2-2/3 Cup Chocolate chips
230ml (1 Cup) Milk
62, 5 g (1/4 Cup) Unsalted butter, softened or 62,5ml (1/4 Cup) vegetable oil (optional)
2 Eggs (~50-53g)

Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 250°C (500°F).
2. Blend together the flour, sugar, salt and baking powder.
3. Beat the milk, butter or oil and eggs together until they are light.
4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ones.
5. With a fork blend the two for 20 seconds, no more!
6. Fill the cups (2/3-3/4 full) of a greased muffin tin.
7. Place the muffins in the oven and immediately drop the temperature to 200°C (400°F).
8. Bake for 15- 20 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean from the center of a muffin.

Remarks:
If you wish you can reduce the amount of fat or not use any, but remember that it will affect the tenderness and moistness of your muffins; you'll have then to eat them very fastly as they will tend to dry more than the butter/oil version...

The secret of light and tender muffins lies within the blending of the wet ingredients with the dry ones. It's not a problem if you've left some lumps that look as if they want more stirring. Don't continue stirring no matter how hard it is, resist the impulse!

Serving suggestions:
Eat those muffins at any time of the day or for breakfast with butter and jam, honey or peanut butter.
You can also eat them warm.

(Chocolate Chips -Pic by www.acoutica.com)

PLEASANT HELL

In the center of Geneva, there's a small cute street named "Rue D'enfer" (Hell Street)... Why it's called so, I haven't got the slightest clue, but I can only say that it's a silent cudly little street which in no way reminds me of the sulphuric fires of Satan's realm!!! Everything there is normal, maybe too normal......

LAMINGTONS

A few days ago, I wanted to make the highly popular Aussie treat named "Lamingtons", but I did not know which recipe to choose as I have a few different ones underhand... Finally, I decided to make the lamington recipe I made during my highschool time...

This lamington recipe is not as complicated to prepare as the other ones I have in my diverse papers and books, but the end result is also very satisfying!

They are maybe humble little "Lamingtons" and maybe not the luxury version you'd bake for a very special event, but they are nonetheless always very successful and gratifying...

This recipe makes fluffy and moist "Lamingtons" which will rejoice anyone with a passionate love for icing and an addiction to coconut.

It is said that the "Lamingtons" got named after a popular governor of Queensland in Australia (1896-1901), Baron Lamington, but there are a few theories concerning the origin of those cakes...

Ingredients:
125g Unsalted butter
140g Castor sugar
1 Tsp Liquid vanilla
2 Eggs (~50g)
250g Plain white flour
2 Tsp Baking Powder
A pinch salt
125ml Milk
Icing:
300g Icing sugar
3 Tbs Cocoa powder
9-10 Tbs Hot water
160g Grated coconut

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F).
2. In a bowl, cream the butter, liquid vanilla and sugar together until light and fluffy.
3. Add one egg after another and continuously beat until combined.
4. Stir in the sifted dry ingredients (flour, baking powder and salt) and the milk, alternately.
5. Pour the batter in a greased 27 X 18 cm pan.
6. Bake for about 25-30 minutes or until a thin skewer comes out clean from the thickest part of the cake.
7. Once the cake is cool, cut into squares.
8. Mix the icing sugar with the cocoa.
9. Add, little by little, the hot water and beat until the icing is smooth and liquid.
10. With the help of two forks, dip each piece/square in the icing.
11. Then, toss in the grated coconut.
12. Stand on a wire rack to set.

Remarks:
Don't beat the cake batter!
If you want, you can dip the cake into the cocoa icing the day after it's baking.

Serving suggestions:
To eat without moderation!!!

(Pinnacles -Pic by Tan Yilmaz www.trekearth.com)

BIZARRE CLOUDS II

On Sunday morning, that's how I discovered the sky: full of strange clouds...

Lines above the Petit Salève mountain...form eery patterns...and slowly get to look like waves.
On the Jura Mountain side, the clouds look less threatening, but nonetheless bizarre...

APPLE LATKES

"Apple Latkes", a pearl of the Jewish cuisine, are quite similar to the American pancakes we all know. Latkes are always made with grated fruits or vegetables which are added to the basic batter. They exist in different variations and can be enjoyed savory or sweet.

Normally, everybody has heard of potatoe latkes. Well, that's the dessert/sweet version of this highly popular recipe...

Latkes are generally eaten on the night of Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights which is observed somewhere between november and december. It is a traditional holiday dish for all Jewish people. "Latke" is a Yiddish word deriving from the Russian "L'tka" meaning pastry. This word appeared in the English language only in 1927.

Latkes are cooked in memory of the Maccabee (member of an ancient Hebrew family) women who prepared them for the Jewish soldier who were fighting against the Syrians and since latkes are fried in oil, they also symbolize the burning oil which miraculously lasted eight days in the candelabrum (menorah).

"Apple Latkes" are very fine, light textured and delicately perfumed with the aromas of the apples used. If you love pancakes, then they are undeniably irresistible!

This recipe was printed in Joan Nathan's "Jewish Holiday Cookbook" and was adapted by myself...

Ingredients:
2 Eggs, well beaten
1 1/2 Cups Orange juice, yoghurt or milk (I used part orange juice part yoghurt)
300g (2 Cups) Plain white flour
1 Tsp Baking powder
A pinch of salt
55g-110g (1/4-1/2 Cup) Castor sugar, depending on taste
3 Medium sour apples (boskoop), peeled and coarsly grated
Vegetable (peanut) oil for frying
Powder sugar

Method:
1. In a bowl, mix the eggs with the orange juice, yoghurt or milk.
2. In a bigger bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar.
3. Slowly add the egg mixture to the dry ingredients while continuesly beating.
4. Add the grated apples and mix well.
5. Heat either a skillet or a frying pan with a little oil.
6. Drop one large tablespoon mixture into the hot oil.
7. Cook for about 2 minutes on each side until slightly golden.

8. Drain on kitchen paper.
9. Serve straight away or keep warm.

Remarks:
I used orange juice and yoghurt for this recipe.
Like with pancakes, you can transfer the latkes to a heatproof plate, cover it with a cloth/foil and keep warm.

Serving suggestions:
Serve the latkes sprikled with powder sugar, maple syrup, lihght brown sugar, creamed butter or ground cinnamon. Latkes are perfect when eaten for breakfast or as main dish dinner/supper).

(Menorah -Pic by www.rsvpstationers.com)

WEEKEND CAT BLOGGING #42

Our favorite weekly WCB round-up is back!

This week, as guest star, please welcome the terrible Fridolin or "Inspektor" (inspector) who is like an uncontrollable jumping pea! He's really a freaky little dude who can never calm down and always has to do something that will drive us bananas!!! We nickname him "Inspektor", because he can't stop smelling everything, stuffing his wet little nose everywhere and searching for smell trails...

You will also find this picture as well as others on the great Eat Stuff blog from Sydney, Australia where you can discover Kiri's new pictures... If you also want to participate to Weekend Cat Blogging, then just leave your blog name, URL and permalink in a comment on Clare and Casey's site.