CHOCOLATE MOUSSE - FESTIVE FOOD FAIR

~ Closing date 30th of November 2006 ~

The Canadian foodie blogger Burekaboy of the great "Is That My Buréka?" invited me to participate to the "Festive Food Fair" event hosted and created by Anna of "Morsels And Musings" from Australia...

Anna wants us all to share our special occasion recipes that we prepare during the winter time festivities whether it be Hannukah, Christmas, New Year's Eve, Mahayana, Eid Ul-Adha or any other feast that you might celebrate during that period of the year (for more infos click here).

I decided to blog about a family treat that has always been eaten on various occasions such as Xmas, New Year, birthdays, family gatherings, etc... It is not really a dish that is made on one unique date, but rather many times during the year. Mostly, this dessert is prepared for birthdays. As mine falls exactly on Xmas day (25th of December), it also always ended up being a speciality with a double use!!!

At the origin, this recipe comes from my Swiss (canton Vaud) grandmother and is traditionally called "Délice Au Chocolat" or "Chocolate Delight" in English. It was always a big hit in my family and still is very popular amongst certain of it's members...

In my opinion, this "Chocolate Delight" is the best mousse I have ever eaten, because it is a real sin of gourmandise in itself and it carries it's name perfectly well! It is truffle-like in taste and texture, decadently rich with butter, deliciously chocolatty, voluptuously light and unctuously deadly. This mousse is troubleless to make, yet it's scrumptuous and delicate to please; a real treat for the senses!!!

For 4-6 people.

Ingredients:
500g Bittersweet chocolate
3/4-1 Cup Water
6 Eggs (~50g), at room temperature
4 Tbs Castor sugar
300g Unsalted butter, at room temperature
A pinch salt

Method:
1. Seperate the eggs and put the whites in a medium bowl.
2. Melt the chocolate with the water in big bowl, over a bain-marie/double boiler (see info).
3. Once the chocolate has melted and is well blended with the water, remove from the bain-marie.
4. Add the butter, the egg yolks, the sugar and stir continously for about 20 minutes.
5. Beat the egg whites (see method) with a pinch of salt until solid peaks form.
6. Very gently fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture until well blended.
7. Pour the chocolate mousse into a clean bowl.
8. Place the bowl in the refrigerator, overnight.

Remarks:
You can very well divide the quantities.
Melt the chocolate over low heat and continuously stir the mixture in order to obtain a liquid, yet thick and creamy mass.
For a more exotic touch, you can also add 100g chopped candied ginger or candied orange peel to the mix or add the spices/flavors (coffee, coriander, curry, cinnamon, etc....) of your choice.
The "Chocolate Mousse" should stay in the fridge for about 10 hours before it is served.

~ The castle in Champvent, my grandparents' village. ~

Serving suggestions:
Serve with whipped cream, thick cream or Kirsch (see info).
I recommend you to eat this mousse when it just comes out of the fridge, but if you like it less "hard" and truffly in texture, then get it out about 1/2 hour before serving (the cold butter hardens the mousse)...
Keep for no longer than two days.

(Hershey's Chocolate -Pic by www.duanekeiser.com)
(The Champvent Castle -Pic by Carlos Martos www.trekearth.com)

ONION DAY - ZWIEBELTAG

~ Zibelemärit, Bern, Switzerland, 27th Of November 2006 ~

On the occasion of the Bernese "Zibelemärit" (see link 1 & link 2) which takes place every year on the 4th Monday of November, Zorra of "Kochtopf" invited us all to prepare a dish with onions and to share it with us all via her blog (see infos) and yours...

Unfortunately, I didn't have enough time to prepare anything new, but I thought that you'd still be interested in the following recipes that I had previously posted.

Those dishes are all perfect for the coming winter season as they'll bring you the warmth and comfort that you need when it's dark and cold outside!

My onion recipes:

• Apple, Cheddar and Onion Quiche (see recipe)
• Roasted Onion Gravy (see recipe)
• Super Tasty Caramelized Onions (see recipe)

I hope that you'll enjoy them as much as I do!

“Banish the onion from the kitchen and the pleasure flies with it. Its presence lends color and enchantment to the most modest dish; its absence reduces the rarest delicacy to hopeless insipidity, and dinner to despair.”

~ Elizabeth Robbins Pennell, American columnist ~

(Zibelemärit -Pic by www.berninfo.com)
(Bern -Pic by www.reiserat.de)

WEEKEND CAT BLOGGING #77

This weekend's WCB event is hosted by Sanjee of "House Of the (Mostly) Black Cat". To participate, simply leave a comment on their blog with your permalink or send them an email with all the informations needed...

This time, our little star is the adorable Miss Maruschka who is like no other kitty (we all say the same thing, anyway...)!

On this picture, our unique "Frau Gümpel" is expectantly waiting for her supper to be served.
She has put on her sweetest face in order to make me feel sorry for her and litterally melt in front of such a heartbreaking vision!
But, to tell you the truth, it doesn't work with me as I'm very strong (I try to be, at least!), LOL!!!
Look at her sad eyes. How can one resist not to run to the kitchen and to fill up her bowl?
It is quite impossible...

She is such a darling with an exceptional soul, our soft and fluffy "roly-poly"!

"My pussycat sings his song to me.
He always sings at half past three.
He sings of tins of tuna fish,
And chicken pieces in a dish,
And when my pussycat's sung to me,
I go to get my pussycat's tea.
Always be kind to your pussycat,
Whatever he may do.
Your pussycat loves you and always will,
Your pussycat's faithful and true."

~ By David Harper ~

(Black Cat -Pic by www.gittas.com)

MY EATING SPACE : MON COIN REPAS

Tatyval of "La Vie Des Pignous" from France proposes us to show our "eating space/coin repas". So, you are all welcome to sneak a peek at my minuscule kitchen and the "corner where everything happens" (sounds mysterious, heh)!!!

A while ago, Mahek of "Love For Cooking" and "Mahek's Kitchen" from India had also asked me to take pictures of my kitchen, because she wanted to discover my "culinary laboratory"... So, Mahek this post is also for you!

I hope that you'll like what you see.

My kitchen is tiny and it is difficult to install a table any bigger than this one. But, it is nonetheless my favorite room in the apartment!
This kitchen is cosy, warm, comfortable and has a nice atmosphere (especially when the sun is shining)... The view from that window is incredible and I guess that's what makes this place so special. without that view, it would just be another small kitchen!That's my Bosch oven and where I cook or bake all of my stuff.My oven and sink.
There's not too much to show as it's a dollhouse kitchen without much working space (a horror for a foodie like me!)...
What you can see from my kitchen window on a Sunday morning when the sun is letting it's first rays show from behind the mountain.
The small and big Salève mountains stand tall like two imposing giants which I admire each and every second of the day!

THANKSGIVING FOOD IDEAS

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

On Thursday the 23rd of November, most Americans will be celebrating Thanksgiving.

It is also the occasion for all the non-American people around the world to discover a different tradition and for all of us foodies to rejoice at the prospect of collecting many yummy recipes for Christmas and New Year (or any time of the year)!

In order to help you choose a dish or find a menu idea, I have compiled a few links and recipes specially for you. During those festivities, you surely don't want you to be haunted by nightmarish visions, or depressed and stressed just at the prospect of cooking or baking, do you?! Well, here's what might make it all a little easier...

My Thanksgiving recipes:

• American Pancakes (see recipe)
• Apple Latkes (see recipe)
• Bagels (see recipe)
• Banana Bread Pudding (see recipe)
• Banana Walnut Bread (see recipe)
• Challah Bread (see recipe)
• Chopped Liver (see recipe)
• Corned Beef Scrapple Or Ponhaws (see recipe)
• Hazelnut Cake (see recipe)
• Italianesque Meatloaf (see recipe)
• Kriegskuchen - "War Cake" (see recipe)
• Maluns (see recipe)
• Maple Glazed Brussel Sprouts And Potatoes (see recipe)
• Orange Cornmeal Cake (see recipe)
• Parsnip Puree (see recipe)
• Plain White Bread (see recipe)
• Potato Crisps (see recipe)
• Pumpkin Apple Bread (see recipe)
• Pumpkin Latkes (see recipe)
• Pumpkin Muffins (see recipe)
• Pumpkin Pie (see recipe)
• Roasted Onion Gravy (see recipe)
• Spätzlis (see recipe)
• Stir-Fried Matzah Balls With Bell Peppers (see recipe)
• Super Tasty Caramelized Onions (see recipe)
• Sweet Plantains (see recipe)
• Tex Mex Cornmeal Bread (see recipe)
• Zimtsterne Cookies (see recipe)

Interesting Thanksgiving links:

• About.com: Kosher Food (see link)
• About.com: Southern Food (see link)
• All Recipes (see link)
• Epicurious (see link)
• Fabulous Foods (see link)
• Food Geeks (see link)
• Foodnetwork.com (see link)
• Food & Wine (see link)
• Holidays On The Net (see link)
• In A Vegetarian Kitchen (see link)
• Pilgrim Hall Museum (see link)
• Razzle Dazzle Recipes (see link)
• Recipe Link (see link)
• Recipezaar (see link)
• The Holiday Spot (see link)
• Veganweb.com (see link)

I hope that you'll find something interesting whithin those lines...
May you have a very good time while feasting with your friends and family!!!

"Who does not thank for little will not thank for much."
~ Estonian Proverb ~

(Freedom From want -Pic by www.normanrockwellvt.com)
(Turkey -Pic by www.metalpig.net)
(Fall Afire -Pic by Anne Breckon http://annbreckon.com)

CHOPPED LIVER

There are some people who totally dislike liver or any kind of offal. On the contrary, I'm absolutely not an offal-hater. I crave those animal parts and anything made from them, apart from brains, when they are not "hidden" (not for taste reasons, but rather for psychological reasons that block me, he, he...)! I can understand that certain people are disgusted by offals, because they may be considered as waste material, depending on the cultural context. In fact, it is an acquired taste and I will blame nobody for disliking this special food...

"Chopped Liver (Gehachte/Gehackte Leber)" is a classic Jewish speciality. It might be a peasant dish which costs peanuts, but it is nonetheless a delicacy that can't be labelled "cheap" (inferior culinary-wise). It is a food of holidays and family. In America, it is a typical delicatessen staple.

Although, it is a humble dish, "Chopped Liver" isn't uninteresting or bland. It has a rich and sweet hunting taste which isn't unpleasant at all and which goes perfectly well with the nutty flavor of toasted bread or with the distinctive flavor of rye bread. In fact, it is a little like a lumpy, yet sublime pâté. It is delicate and very round tasting. Wonderful, according to an offal freak!!!

This recipe was adapted from Joan Nathan's "Jewish Cooking In America" and originally comes from Hyman Bookbinder, a retired lobbyist for the American Jewish Committee...

This would be great if served as an appetizer for Christmas, Hannukah, New Year, Pesach, birthdays and any other important day of the year.

Yields 10 to 12 servings as an appetizer, pre-dinner nosh or even as a main course for 4 people.

Ingredients:
4 Large eggs
3-4 Tbs Vegetable oil
3 Medium onions, finely chopped
2 Cloves garlic, crushed
1/4 Green bell pepper, finely diced (optional)
500g Chicken livers
Red Tabasco, to taste
Salt, to taste
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 Tbs Chicken fat or duck fat, "schmaltz" (optional)
1 Packet Toast bread or one loaf rye bread

Method:
1. Put the eggs in a saucepan, cover with cold water and bring to the boil.
2. Simmer for about 10 minutes.
3.Cool rapidly in iced water and peel.
4. Heat the oil in a large frying pan or skillet.
5. Sauté the onions, garlic and green peppers over high heat for about 5 minutes, until the onions start turning golden brown.
6. Add the chicken livers and fry, tossing the livers occasionally until they are firm, about 5 minutes.
7. Chop together the liver and the hard-boiled eggs and the sautéed onions/garlic/pepper using an old-fashioned manual chopper, a knife, or a food processor until even in consistency, but not pureed.
8. Season with Tabasco, salt and pepper.
9. If you want, you can add a tablespoon chicken fat (or duck fat) to the mix.
10. Eat warm.

Remarks:
I only prepared half of the recipe and that was enough for two people (as a dinner).
The original recipe didn't mention the use of garlic or Tabasco; it's my personal addition.
Don't let the livers become tough by overcooking.
I topped my "Chopped Liver" with an extra 1/2 egg that I very finally chopped.

~ Swiss Rye Bread from Valais/Wallis. ~

Serving suggestions:
Eat the "Chopped Liver" warm and spread over a buttered slice of warm toast bread (instead of toast, use chewy rye bread) or fill up lettuce leaves with the mixture.
You can also use the "Chopped Liver" as a sandwich filling.

(Katz's Delicatessen -Pic by www.vanderbilt.edu)
(Rye Bread -Pic by www.paindeseiglevalais.ch)

WEEKEND CAT BLOGGING #76

Hey up folks, it's time for our Weekend Cat Blogging round-up, so be prepared to see many fluffy cuties!!!

This week, it is kindly hosted by Amar of "Cat Synth". As usual, to participate, you just have to leave a comment with your permalink or sent an e-mail with all the informations needed...

That picture was taken last Sunday...
Fridolin and Maruschka's drinking/eating area is their favorite "voyeur" spot. They both love to play the thirsty cats in order to spy on us and keep an eye on our plates when we are in the kitchen eating (or not).
Generally, they sit there like statues and are totally concentrated on each of our movements!
Ahhh, those food-obssessed monsters are incredible!!!
At least they are not always as "irritating" as that and they are able to forget food so as to practice their favorite hobby: sleeping and lazying around like two blobs...
Aren't they cute when they are cuddling and holding each other?!

WHEN IT WAS STILL GREEN...

The countryside that surrounds my village is very beautiful and I enjoy going out for walks....

I took those pictures only a few weeks ago (end of October), but the colours have radically changed since then; nothing looks the same now. All the trees have turned to orange, yellow or red and most of them have lost half of their leaves!

Somewhere between Veyrier and Troinex...
In the distance, you can see the village of Veyrier, the Voirons mountain, the "Petit Salève" and the "Salève".
I love the way those mountains unfold as you change direction!
Still in Veyrier...
The Salève and it's fluffy green hills in France.
Going back home...
A nice little and peaceful countryside road that traces it's way through the fields.

STUFFED CAMEL - AN INCREDIBLE RECIPE

While surfing the net in search of informations, I discovered this rather odd recipe which made me smile and giggle in a silly way because it sounded so gross and incredible!!!

I have never seen anything like this recipe before and I must say that there is something too folkloric/mythological to this gargantuesque desert "barbecue"...

I mean, I know that some people eat camel and that's not really shocking to me, but just have a look at those quantities and then you'll have to pinch yourself in order to believe that it's true (Is it really? I must say that I doubt it is...): fourteen lambs, twenty chickens, hundred-fifty eggs, etc.., waow!!!

And what do you think about the way it is prepared? Unimaginable! Am I dreaming or what?!?!?...

Have a look for yourself:

"Stuffed Camel"

From the Al Hasa cookbook -a more than 400 page compilation of recipes compiled by the women's groups, and published in 1976.

This recipe was given by Jo Waters of Abqaiq:

1 medium camel
4 lambs
20 chickens (roasted)
150 eggs (boiled)
40 kilos tomatoes
Salt and seasonings

Stuff eggs into tomatoes, stuff tomatoes into chickens, stuff chickens into lambs, stuff lambs into camel. Roast until tender

Serves 150 people."

~ Camel meat in Eid. ~

Such a recipe really leaves me speachless and totally flabbergasted...

One thing I know for sure is that I would not like to be the poor cook who has to deal with all that meat!!! Imagine how dreadful that must be! With all this out of proportion cooking, I'd be exhausted and my appetite would simply disappear when seeing this nauseating orgy of dead bodies waiting to be processed (and I'm not a vegetarian)...

Of course, I respect other cultures and I can understand that this traditional (???) feast is surely prepared with much attention and reverence, but the sheer quantity just freaks me out!!!

What do you think? Would you like to see such amounts of carcasses and imagine them stuffed inside a camel? Is it an urban legend, a joke or reality (click here for more infos)? In any case, I really wonder if it's possible to put so much into a camel. I'm not sure about the accuracy of this recipe...

And as umimaginable as it can be, there are even more incredible (nothing close to reality/jokes) recipes ("Elephant Stew" for example, see here) circulating on the net!!!

Have you ever eaten camel meat? Could you tell me how it tastes?

(Morocco, Camel Train -Pic by www.phototour.org)
(Camel Meat -Pic by www.thoughtsacape.org)

CUTE "PAINS AU LAIT"

The other week, I baked a batch of "Pains Au Lait" (Milk Bread), an emriched bread which is halfway between normal bread and "Brioche"...

I love those little "Pains Au Lait". They are so delicious when eaten with your favorite spreads and perfect for a lazy Sunday brunch!

This time, I decided to give them various shapes (from left to right): snail roll, twist roll, traditional roll, bow knot roll...

If you are also willing to bake some of those heavenly "Pains Au Lait", then here's the recipe (click here). I hope that you'll enjoy them as much as I do!

TEX-MEX CORNMEAL BREAD

"Cornmeal Bread" (aka "Cornbread" or "Johnny Cake") is a typical American speciality. This quick bread is in fact a savory cake that is traditionally baked throughout the US...

Long before the Europeans settlers arrived, this corn staple was made by the Native Americans. The very fists cornbreads were called "Pone", a name deriving from the Algonquin word "Apan".

There are as many recipes as there are people baking this bread, but nobody knows why the recipes from the Southern States differ so much from the ones that can be found in the Northern States. In the north, "Cornbreads" contain significant amounts of sugar and flour, yet the ones in the south use only very little amounts of both. Another difference resides in the fact that the North will rather use yellow cornmeal and the Southern afficianados will prefer to use white cornmeal. In fact, a wide range of influences are at the origin of the different "Cornbreads" that abound in the US; endless variations and countless recipes can be found...

"Cornbread" can be baked, fried and very rarely steamed. It is eaten as an accompaniment to chili, alone with milk or as a popular side dish with soups.

This all-American staple even has it's own yearly festival during which a "National Cornbread Cook-Off Champion" is nominated (see recipes)! The "National Cornbread Festival" is held every year in South Pittsburgh, Tennessee.

The basic recipe for this bread comes from Eric Treuille and Ursula Ferrigo's "Ultimate Bread" book, but was adapted by myself. I took their classic "Cornbread" recipe and added some spices in order to make it a "Tex Mex Cornbread" which would remind us of scrummy foods like picadillo, burritos, chilli con carne, etc....

This "Tex Mex Cornbread" is marvelously flavorful and it's punchy taste will make you travel like no other "Cornbread" you've eaten so far! It is airy, moist and fluffy, but the slightly crunchy aspect of it's crust adds a pleasant texture contrast. Abso-lute-tely wonderful!!!

~My cornbread and a Hopi Kachina ("Mother Crow").~

Serves 4

Ingredients:
30g Unsalted butter, melted
150g Fine yellow cornmeal
150g Plain white flour
2 Tsp Baking powder
1/2 Tsp Baking soda
1 Tbs Castor sugar
1/2 Tsp Garlic powder (optional)
1/2 Tsp Onion powder (optional)
1/2 Tsp Paprika powder (optional)
1/2 Tsp Ground cumin (optional)
1/2 Tsp Ground coriander (optional)
1 Tsp Dried oregano (optional)
1 1/2-2 Tsp Salt
Pepper, to taste
2 Eggs (~50g), beaten
150ml Buttermilk
150ml Milk
130g Cheddar cheese, grated
50g Cheddar cheese, grated, for the topping (optional)
2 Jalapeno chillies, deseeded and chopped (optional)

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 220°C (425°F).
2. Grease a 23cm (9 inches) round, deep metal tin with melted butter.
3. Stir the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, cumin, coriander, oregano, salt and pepper together in a large bowl, until thouroughly combined.
4. Make a well in the center.
5. Whisk the eggs, buttermilk and milk together in a separate bowl and stir in the melted butter (30g).
6. Pour the mixture into the well, then use a spatula to gently fold all the ingredients together to form a wet batter.
7. Add the grated cheese and chopped chillies. Fold in very gently.
8. Place the metal tin in the preheated oven until very hot.
9. Spoon the batter into the hot, buttered tin and sprinkle with the 50g grated cheese.
10. Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, until golden and well-risen or when a metal skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
11. Turn out of the tin and leave to cool slightly on a wire rack.
12. Cut into wedges and serve warm.

Remarks:
If you want to bake a classic cornbread, then don't add any of the ingredients that are "optional".
You can replace the Jalapeño chillies by any other red and/or green chillies.
If you don't have any cheddar cheese, use parmesan cheese as a replacement.
Don't over mix, otherwise your bread will be heavy.
You can also bake that cornbread in a heavy cast-iron skillet.
The cornbread is ready when the edges shrink from the sides of the tin/skillet.
Eat your cornbread straight away or keep it in the fridge, wrapped in foil, for no longer than a day, because this bread tends to dry very quickly.

Serving suggestions:
Eat warm with salted or unsalted butter. It is also fine when eaten cold.
This cornbread is also very fine when served as an accompaniment to "Chilli Con Carne", stews or soups (Gazpacho).

(Indian Corn -Pic by www.creativegalleries.com)
(Corn Mother -Pic by www.majesticview1.com)

WEEKEND CAT BLOGGING #75

It's "Weekend Cat Blogging" time again, yippee!!!

This week, our very special host is the incredible Skeezix at "Skeezix's Scratching Post". As usual, when leaving a comment on Skeezix's blog, you must not forget to give your permalink...

Like Maruschka, Fridolin is a very unique cat who has his own personality and never stops suprising us on a daily basis...
Apart from having a heart of gold, he is also a bit of a clown and is always good at making us laugh! He is such a lovable soul.
Living by his side is an absolutely unequalable experience. Fridolin possesses the gift of bringing light into our lives, no matter if things are not always easy, because he's always here for us and ready to contaminate us with his positive energies!...

(Grey Kitty -Pic by www.casafree.com)

A REMINDER OF THE WARMER DAYS

As the cold has installed itself and the winter days are getting closer, I'm sure that the following pictures will bring a bit of warmth and joy to your soul...

I thought that a sunny reminder of this last summer might help you face the following months of bitter coldness and endless darkness that we'll all have to go through 'till the spring reappears!

The "Jet d'Eau (Water Fountain)", icon of Geneva and, in the distance, the "Saint Pierre" Cathedral...
Having some good time around the lakeside in Hermance (see my other post), looking towards the Jura mountains...
Still in Hermance, but looking in the direction of my favorite mountain: the Salève!

MY BLOGGING CORNER - FENÊTRE SUR BLOG

Laurent of "www.epicurien.be" has asked us foodie bloggers to show the place where we blog... So far, many people have participated, so I thought that some of you might want to see how my blogging area looks!

I also wanted to share with you a few pictures taken from my "office" window facing the Jura mountains. When I'm on the computer, the window is on my left and the view I get to see is generally quite mind-blowing!!!

See it for yourselves...

That's my office table...
As you can see, it's a little messy, because I'm a big "paper collector" who tends to keep every single piece of printed matter...
A stunning sunset!
A typical "bise" (a dry, bitingly cold, persistent and nerve-racking northeast wind) day.
The sky is always dramatic when it's blowing in this way...
Another sunset.
The sun is soon going to disappear behind the mountains in the direction of the "Fort De L'écluse" in France...

OVER 20'000 VISITORS

The bar of the 20'000 visitors has been reached!!!!!!

~ Fireworks during the 14th of July as seen from my Swiss balcony. ~

As usual, I wish to thank every single person that has visited my blog, left a comment and encouraged me in this pleasureable task. Your support is very rewarding!

THANKS EVER SO MUCH!!!

FRIED RICOTTA - RICOTTA FRITTA

Ricotta is a fresh cheese I particularly cherish as it is so multifaceted and useful that it's impossible for me not to keep a tub of it in my fridge in case it comes in handy! I also love "Pancakes" of any kind, so when I found this "Ricotta Fritta" recipe on the Swiss blog "Posie's Place", I knew that I had to try this wonderful Italian speciality.

In fact, this traditional Pugliese recipe was taken from Jamie Oliver's "Jamie's Italy" cookbook and has circulated from one blog to another via Pam's wonderful site... I adapted it only very slightly.

This recipe is very simple, yet very subtle in flavor and needs no additional ingredient to make it taste or look better; it's quite perfect the way it is!

Those fluffy little ricotta "cushions" are very pleasant with their light nutty tinge conferred by the parmesan cheese, that appears after every bite. It could very possibly be the food of angels so much these "Ricotta Fritta" pancakes are delightful and transcendentally gorgeous!!!

Ingredients:
450g Good crumbly ricotta cheese
2 Tsp Freshly grated parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
3 Tbs Plain white flour
1 Large egg
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
A pinch of nutmeg (optional) or 1 Tsp Grated lemon rind (optuional)
Olive oil, for frying

Method:
1. Mix the ricotta with the flour, parmesan cheese, egg, nutmeg (optional)/lemon rind (optional), salt and pepper.
2. Place in the fridge for about 30 minutes.
3. Heat a nonstick frying pan, add some olive oil and fry spoonfuls of the ricotta mixture over a medium heat until golden brown on each side.
4. Reserve in a warm oven while frying the other pancakes.
5. Serve warm sprinkled with grated parmesan.

Remarks:
The original recipe only asked for 1 1/2 tablespoons flour, but if you are using the ricotta cheese that can be found in supermarkets (Galbani, etc...), then you'll need to add a little more flour like I did. If the pancakes are too wet, then there's a risk that they might fall apart when being fried.
One could replace the nutmeg (original recipe) by grated lemon rind or use both together (that's what I did).

Serving suggestions:
Those "Ricotta Pancakes" are delicious when eaten plain or with fresh tomato sauce, with a basil and tomato salad or any other kind of salad as well as any steamed vegetable (broccoli, cauliflower, Brussel sprouts, etc...).
They are also perfect when served as starters or as hot canapés.

(Puglia -Pic by www.alberghi-in-italia.it)
(Ricotta -Pic by www.caviarrusse.com)

ARROZ BRASILEIRO - BRAZILIAN RICE

Some time ago, I had already blogged about this dish, but as I now have a better picture to offer, I might as well post once more about this Brazilian rice speciality...

So if you want to make this dish at home, the recipe is here (see link). This picture shows the traditional "Arroz Brasileiro" which is made without the eggplant (only tomatoes and onions) that are mentioned in the recipe, but which are optional...

WEEKEND CAT BLOGGING #74

For this 74th edition of WCB, our special and devoted host is Lalie of "Lalie Et Cie" from France. Merci for carrying this event and making things possible!

Do send her your permalinks via email (laliborabora@gmail.com) or give them when leaving a message on her blog. Lalie is waiting for your kitty pictures...

Although, Maruschka looks all sweet on this picture, she can sometimes be a real DEVIL!
You already all know how horribly obssessed she can be when it comes to food in general, but you should have seen her this week.
She had entered her most extreme phaze of "Fressmania (aka gorge/eat mania)" and litterally drove me nuts with her "cinema"...
Our "Panzerfaust (Evil Tank, because she tends to move like one of those machines and has a "solid" body) was uncontrollable and totally mad!
I normally give them food at 16h15 (not one minute earlier or later!) and she generally starts to yammer at 15h00, when I'm lucky.
But this very week, our "Motzmamma (Yammer Mama) was already extremely uncalm at about 13h45 and getting very agressive vocally speaking (yodling)!
I had to close her in the bathroom for a good 20 minutes, but that didn't help and all the shooing or shouting in the world had no effect on her behaviour.
She really put me under a lot of pressure and I thought that I would end up "strangling" (only in my dreams, he, he) the poor little creature!!!
My nerves suffered a lot of stress as I had to go through the most disharmonious torture one could ever endure...

Naughty little kitty, come here so that I can give you a kiss and cuddle you! You know that I love you no matter how murderous my feelings are when you push it a little too far, ha, ha, ha!

WORLD BREAD DAY 2006 - AFTER HOURS PARTY: ALMOND AND CURRY BREAD

Not long ago, I participated to the "World Bread Day 2006" event hosted by Zorra of "Kochtopf" and baked the most "Perfect Hamburger Buns" ever. Now that the round-up has been posted, Zorra asks us again to bake a bread, but, this time, somebody else's creation...

For this "After Hours Party", my attention went to a very special bread which's unique marriage of ingredients intrigued me: an "Almond And Curry Bread" (see original recipe). This recipe comes from the French blog "Popote De Vero" and was slightly adapted by myself as I don't have a bread machine and work entirely with my little hands!

I love curry and use this mix of spices on a regular basis, so this recipe attracted me naturally. I also very much liked the looks of her loaf...

And I was not decieved!

This bread was awesome! The curry taste wasn't crushing, just like light and delicate mist on a hazy day. It also had a pleasant sweetness as well as a slight nutty flavor. It's texture was dense, yet very smooth and had a nice yellowish color. In fact everything about this bread was terrific as it goes well with anything savory or sweet!...

Ingredients:
1 Cup Durum Flour (farina di grano duro)
2 Cups Plain white flour
1 1/2 Tsp Salt
1 1/2 Tsp Curry powder
250ml Water, lukewarm
2 Tbs Runny honey
2Tbs Olive oil
2 Tsp Dried yeast
125g Bleached, sliced almonds

Method:
1. Pour 100ml of the water in a small bowl and stir in the yeast.
2. Let stand for 10 minutes until foamy.
3. In a big bowl, mix together the flours, almonds, salt and curry powder.
4. Make a well with the flour and pour in the yeast mixture, honey, olive oil and enough of the water in order to make a soft dough.
5. On a floured surface, knead the dough for about 10 minutes or until elastic and smooth.
6. Place in a clean, oiled bowl (turn the dough to coat it with oil) and cover with a towel.
7. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1- 1 1/2 hours.
8. Knock back and let rest for 10 more minutes.

9. Shape into an oval loaf, place on a baking sheet and cover with a tea towel.
10. Prove until doubled in size, about 30-40 minutes.
11. Preheat oven to 220°C (425°F).
12. Brush the loaf with milk.
13. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden and sounding hollow when tapped on the underside.

Remarks:
Instead of durum flour, you can use cream of wheat (wheat semolina) and instead of sliced almonds, you can take slivered almonds which you could previously toast.
The original recipe only mentioned one teaspoon of curry powder, I used 1 1/2 teaspoons.
I used light runny honey, but the recipe asked for rosemary honey. In fact, you can use the type of honey you want.

Serving suggestions:
This bread is fabulous with cheese (Brie, Camembert, Munster, Gruyère, Appenzeller, Feta, etc...) and with paté or great when used for making roast beef and chutney sanwiches. It also makes a good breakfast bread with honey or Nutella (yes, curry and chocolate go hand in hand!!!)...

(Curry Powder -pic by www.hnbgourmet.com)