VANILLA & LEMON CUPCAKES

When my good friend Corinne asked me to bake cupcakes for her teenage daughter's 14th Birthday Party, I didn't think twice and said "yes, sure" enthusiastically! I had never prepared anything for such an occasion nor did I ever bake/cook for crowds and thought that it might be a good way to put my culinary "talents" to the test...

Ever since I've known Samira (Corinne's daughter) she hasn't stopped raving about Rai's (at "Ugly Fruit") "Champagne Cupcakes" that she had tasted at our "Foodbloggers' Picnic" back in June 2007 (see my article). They had left such a mark on her that she can't forget them. The subject always comes back in most of our food conversations.

As Corinne is not a big fan of frostings or icings and she knows that I'm addicted to baking, cooking and anything that revolves around the culinary world, she naturally pictured me as the official baker for Samira's party. When it comes to making dainty and rich little cupcakes, the American way, topped with lots of buttercream, frosting, icing as well as girly decorations, I'm unfailingly ready to get started anytime!!!

So, on the day before the event, I made both the buttercream and frosting I needed for my "Vanilla & Lemon Cupcakes" (recipe below) and my "Dark Chocolate & Peanut Butter Cupcakes" (recipe soon). On the same day, I arrived at my frien'd place at 12h00. We ate and then I started getting (hyper)active in the kitchen. Everything went suprisingly smoothly, eventhough I am not used to bake/cook for more than 4 people. After three hours of buzzing frenetically like a bee in spring, my 50 cupcakes were ready and looked amazingly good. Wow, I didn't know that I could whip up such perfect cupcakes!

~ Birthday girl ~

At around 16h00, we were invaded by a crew of 20 frantic, energy-loaded, yet very polite adolescents who arrived in a blitz and literally assaulted the table where all the food was. In a matter of minutes (or should I say seconds?!), nearly all the cupcakes had disappeared and most of the other goodies (tasty sandwiches & a delicious cake that Corinne had made) had vanished. It was as if a pack piranhas or flying grasshoppers had eaten their way through the living room (a good sign)!

Many of her friends congratulated us on the food and said that they had enjoyed everything. Phew! A real relief for both of us.

A few days later, I was pleasantly surprised to find a great postcard in my letterbox. Samira had written some heartwarming words of thanks and expressed her gratefulness for the work I did. She had truely been impressed by my cupcakes and thanked me for taking the time to bake them. How sweet of her!

Those dainty "Vanilla & Lemon Cupcakes" are really fabulous whether it is texture- or taste-wise. The cake part is feathery, soft, moist, delicately vanilla flavored and rises beautifully, and the buttercream topping brings this gustatory experience to a higher level of delightfulness with it's smooth, fluffy, silky, wonderfully buttery as well as lemony aromas and it's pristine ivory color that'll blow your mind. Truely droolworthy!

~ Vanilla & Lemon Cupcakes ~
Cupcake recipe by Amy Sedaris "I Like You: Hospitality Under The Influence", buttercream recipe by Dorie Greenspan "Baking From My Home To Yours" and adapted by Rosa @ Rosa's Yumy Yums.

Makes about 24 cupcakes.

Ingredients for the "Cupcakes":
1 1/2 Sticks (180g) unsalted butter
1 1/2 Cups (315g) Castor sugar
2 Eggs (~63g)
2 Tsps Pure vanilla extract
2 1/2 Tsps Baking powder
1/2 Tsp Salt
2 1/2 Cups (319g) Plain white flour
1 1/4 Cups (300ml) Milk
Ingredients for the "Buttercream":
1 Cup (210g) Castor sugar
4 Large Egg whites (~63g eggs)
3 Sticks (12oz/360g) Unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/4 Cup (60ml) Fresh lemon juice (from 2 large lemons)
1 Tsp Pure vanilla extract
A few drops lemon essence

Method for the "Cupcakes":
1. Turn the oven on to 190° C (375° F).
2. In a medium bowl, mix together all dry ingredients. Set aside.
3. In a big bowl, cream the butter until smooth.
4. Add the sugar and cream again until the mixture is white, light and fluffy.
5. Add the 2 eggs, one at a time while beating/mixing well until blended.
6. Add the vanilla, then the dry ingredients and the milk, alternatively, while mixing well, until all ingredients are totally combined (homogenous batter).
7. Pour into individual baking cups, until they are about 2/3 full.
8. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of one cupcake comes out clean.
Method for the "Lemon Buttercream":
9. Put the sugar and egg whites in a mixer bowl or another large heatproof bowl, fit the bowl over a plan of simmering water and whisk constantly, keeping the mixture over the heat, until it feels hot to the touch, about 3 minutes (the sugar should be dissolved, and the mixture will look like shiny marshmallow cream).
10. Remove the bowl from the heat.
11. Working with the whisk attachment or with a hand mixer, beat the meringue on medium speed until it is cool, about 5 minutes.
12. Switch to the paddle attachment if you have one, and add the butter a stick at a time, beating until smooth.
13. Once all the butter is in, beat the buttercream on medium-high speed until it is thick and very smooth, 6-10 minutes (during this time the buttercream may curdle or separate – just keep beating and it will come together again).
14. On medium speed, gradually beat in the lemon juice, waiting until each addition is absorbed before adding more, then the vanilla and the lemon essence (you should have a shiny smooth, velvety, pristine white buttercream).
15. Decorate your cupcakes with the buttercream.

Remarks:
I flavored my buttercream with vanilla and added a few drops lemon essence, but you are free to flavor your buttercream as you wish (essences, zests, spices, etc...) and to replace the lemon juice by any other liquid (same quantity - whisky, orange juice, coffee, etc..).
You can keep your buttercream in the fridge for up to a week. In that case, press a piece of plastic against the surface of the buttercream.
Once you get the buttercream out of the fridge, let it rest for about 30 minutes before beating (with a hand mixer) it again. If it curdles, place the bowl over warm water (not too hot) and keep beating until it gets to the right consistency (creamy, fluffy and spreadable).

Serving suggestions:
Eat without moderation!
Serve those cupcakes with a good cup of tea or coffee or with a glass of ice cold milk!

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~ Cupcakes A La Vanille Et A La Crème Au Beurre ~
Recette pour les cupcakes par Amy Sedaris "I Like You: Hospitality Under The Influence", recette pour la crème au beurre par Dorie Greenspan "Baking From My Home To Yours" et adaptées par Rosa @ Rosa's Yumy Yums.

Pour environ 24 cupcakes.

Ingrédients pour les "Cupcakes":
180g de Beurre non-salé
1 1/2 Tasses (315g) de Sucre cristallisé
2 Oeufs (~63g)
2 CC de d'Extrait de vanille pure
2 1/2 CC de Poudre à lever/cake
1/2 CC de Sel
2 1/2 Tasses (319g) de Farine blanche/fleur
1 1/4 Tasses (300ml) de Lait
Ingrédients pour la "Crème Au Beurre":
1 Tasse (210g) de Sucre cristallisé
4 Gros blancs d'oeufs (oeufs de 63g)
12 Onces (360g) de Beurre non-salé, à température ambiante
1/4 Tasse (60ml) de Jus de citron frais (de 2 citrons)
1 CC d'Extrait de vanille pure ou de pâte de vanille pure
Quelques gouttes d'essence de citron

Method pour les "Cupcakes":
1. Préchauffer le four à 190° C (375° F).
2. Dans un bol moyen, mélanger tous les ingrédients secs. Mettre de côté.
3. Dans un grand bol, battre le beurre en pommade.
4. Ajouter le sucre et battre jusqu'à ce que le mélange devienne blanc et mousseux.
5. Ajouter les oeufs, un à la fois, tout en battant bien après chaque ajout afin d'obtenir un mélange homogène.
6. Ajouter la vanille, puis les ingrédients secs, tout en alternant avec le lait et en mélangeant bien afin d'obtenir une pâte homogène.
7. Mettre la pâte dans les caissettes et remplir seulement au 2/3.
8. Cuire pendant 20 minutes, jusqu'à ce que les cupcakes soient dorés et que la lame d'en couteau en resorte propre.
Méthode pour la "Crème Au Beurre":
9. Mettre le sucre et les blancs d'oeufs dans le bol du mixeur ou un autre bol à l'épreuve de la chaleur et mettre le bol au dessus d'un contenant d'eau frémissante.
10. Battre constamment, en gardant le mélange au dessus de la chaleur jusqu'à ce qu'au toucher, ce soit chaud, environ 3 minute (le sucre doit être dissout et le mélange doit ressembler à de la guimauve fondue).
11. Enlever le bol de la source de chaleur.
12. Avec le fouet du mélangeur ou au batteur électrique, battre la meringue sur vitesse moyenne pour la refroidir, environ 5 minutes.
13. Changer pour la palette du mélangeur et ajouter le beurre un peu à la fois en mélangeant pour rendre lisse.

14. Quand le beurre est incorporé, battre sur vitesse moyenne/forte jusqu'à ce que ce soit épais et très lisse, environ 6-10 minutes (durant ce temps le beurre peut se séparer, continuer à battre et il se replacera).
15. Sur vitesse moyenne, ajouter graduellement le jus de citron en battant bien après chaque addition, puis la vanille et l'essence de citron (vous devriez avoir à ce point un mélange brillant et lisse de crème au beurre).
16. A l'aide d'une poche à douille, décorer les cupcakes avec cette crème au beurre.

Remarques:
J'ai parfumé ma crème au beurre avec de la vanille et de l'essence de citron, mais vous êtes libres d'aromatiser votre crème à beurre selon vos goûts (essences, zestes, épices, etc...) et de remplacer le jus de citron par un autre liquide (même quantité - whisky, jus d'orange, café, etc..).
Vous pouvez garder votre crème au beure au frigo pendant 1 semaine. Dans ce cas, placez un film alimentaire sur la surface de la crème.
Sortez votre crème au beurre du frigo au moins 30 minutes avant toute utilisation, puis battez-la à nouveau. Si elle se sépare, alors placer votre bol dans de l'eau chaude (pas trop) et continuez à battre jusqu'à ce qu'elle ait la bonne consistence (crèmeuse, mousseuse et étalable).

Idées de présentation:
A manger sans modération!
Ces cupcakes sont délicieux lorsqu'ils sont servis avec un bon petit thé, un exquis café au lait, un café séré ou un verre de lait bien froid!

DINNER PARTY - AUTUMN CHALLENGE

On the 11th of November, our little group of foodies met again. This time, we didn't only have home cooks/bakers around the table, but also a few testers (we were eight) who came to eat our creations (we always have so much food that we desperately need mouths to feed; people whose aim is to indulge with us)!

Regarding the season at that moment, we decided that the theme would be related to autumn/fall. With such a vast and interesting subject, it was impossible for our imagination to fail...

Kiriel (Australia) at "The Papillon Pantry" made a "Lobster Scented Potato Velouté" (see recipe) which was served in tiny porcelaine casseroles. Very cute! We ate it as an amuse-bouche and let me tell you that it was really wonderful and delicate tasting! The lobster oil came directly from Australia and added a really special tinge to the whole dish.

As main course, she prepared "Port & Fig Duck". That duck breast was very tasty and pleasing. The sweetness of the sauce was very pleasant and the combination of the dried figs with Port wine was amazing...

For dessert, Kiriel delighted us all with her "Pavlovas With Spiced Clementine Sauce, Macadamia Nuts And Cream" (see recipe). The leatherwood honey from Tasmania that she used for the sauce was also imported from Australia and it gave a gorgeous dimension to this ambrosial treat. I've never tasted a variety of honey like that. It tasted ever so gorgeous and was heavenly aromatic... Definitely a hammer!

Mike (Malaysia) made a starter which was marvelously exotic. His "Shrimp Sambar On Bread" was well-balanced flavor-wise and harmoniously spicy. Fusion food at it's best!

Corinne (Switzerland), our new member and friend, brought a delicious "Pumpkin Salad" as a side dish. It was made with a hazelnut oil, vinegar and roasted sesame seeds vinaigrette. Exquisite!

As main course, she delected us with her "Spicy Lamb Casserole" which was gently aromatised with fresh coriander and cinnamon. She also made some excellent "Chocolate Chip Muffins". Yummy!

I - Rosa (Switzerland) - brought a main dish which I particularly enjoy eating when October's around... I served my "Greek Pork Stew With Quinces" (see recipe) with a homemade "Wheat And Rye Sourdough Baguette" (The King Arthur Flour) which contained anise seeds, caraway seeds and ground cardamom. It matched the stew pretty well.

I also made an extremely hearty cream cheese-ladden "Pumpkin Cheesecake" (see recipe) which was accompanied by a "Cranberry Coulis". Mind-blowing!

As usual, our "Dinner Party" was a real success! We ate really well and tasted to so much good food. It was an unforgettable experience and I'm looking forwards to our next get together!

Our next rendez-vous is planned for December the 9th. The theme will be "Afternoon Tea", so I hope you'll stay tuned!

TEA THEMED CHALLENGE DINNER PARTY

Finally, after a few months break, our international "Dinner Party" (see post 1 & post 2) foodaholics (not so anonymous!) group has met again for another of our gourmet celabrations. That was a relief. I had been looking forwards to our monthly meetings a whole lot!

Since the sweet and very much missed Rai at "Ugly Fruit" has left Switzerland in order to go back to Iowa (USA) things have been very calm and our little foodie troop has shrunk consequently (also with the departing of Claudia for the UK). Before, thanks to Rai's social skills, our "Dinner Parties" were bustling with life and crowded with people who just came to have a good time while enjoying our wonderful food. Now things have mellowed down, so we are trying to get more people to come to our party as it lacks a little dimension with only a few participants...

Anyway, Kiriel at "Papillon Pantry", our host, Hal & Al and myself had a lot of fun on the occasion of our last gathering on September the 23rd. The theme that evening was "Tea". The idea was to cook or bake something that would either contain or would be flavored with the tea(s) of our choice.

Here is what we made:

Hal & Al (Norway & USA) brought a wonderful "Lapsang Souchong Velouté". It was made with pureed beans, rice, tomatoes and an infusion of this special tea from the Fujian province in China.

Their autumnly tasting soup had a great smoked flavor and was very comforting. An excellent and delicious dish to start with!

For dessert, they made a very wintery/Christmassy/Halloweenesque and slightly exotic "Tea Brack", a yeast-free cousin of the famous Irish "Barmbrack". It contained dried cranberries, chopped dried mango chips, raisins and sultanas. It was flavored with "English Breakfast" tea and cinnamon. Their bread was smooth, spicy, rich and gorgeously fruity. Scrummy!

Kiriel (Australia, see her blog), as inventive as ever, offered us Chinese-style "Tea Noodles", a delicious starter contained in dainty little aperitive spoons and cooked in tea-steeped water. Delicate...

As main course, she had the idea to prepare a kind of tea encrusted gravlax that she baptized "Salmon With Gunpowder Green Tea" (see recipe). To accompany her fish dish, she also made "New Potatoes With Green Tea Mayonnaise" and "Steamed Green Beans With Toasted Almonds". It w as just simply gorgeous and dazzlingly flavored!

Then, for dessert, she fulfilled our dessert cravings with a delightful and very cute dessert served in tiny leaf-shaped dishes. Those "Chai Tea Creams With sesame Praline" (see recipe) were pleasantly aromatized with star anise, vanilla and "English Breakfast" tea. Exquisite!

I (Rosa) (Switzerland/England) baked a batch of scrumptious "Chinese Char Siu Bao-Style Lapsang Souchong Flavored Meat Buns" (recipe soon to come) which were ovenbaked (contrarily to their steamed alter egos). I used a "Hot Dog Rolls" dough and made bun-shaped breads that I filled with a ground beef mixture consisting of bell pepper, chopped onions, chopped garlic and Cloud Ear mushrooms spiced up with chopped ginger, soy sauce, oyster sauce, Thai sweet chilli sauce, sweet soy sauce and Lapsang Souchong broth. I was really amazed to see how good my invention tasted and how enjoyable that smokey flavor was when coupled with those Chinese ingredients...

As it is my habit, I also brought a rich dessert. This time it was a drop-dead "Earl Grey Chocolate Mousse" (recipe soon to come, see my other "Chocolate Mousse" recipe) that tasted as if it was aromatized with "Orange Pekoe" tea (thanks to the bergamot). This mousse was a real sin of gourmandise with it's truffle-like taste and texture. It is decadently rich with butter, deliciously chocolatty, voluptuously light and unctuously deadly!!!

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All in all, our "Challenge Dinner Party" was extremely entertaining and pleasurable! We ate exceptionally well and spent a lovely moment together chatting about food, amongst other things.

~ From left to right: Kiriel and Alison (Al). ~
~ From left to right: Alison and Halvor (Hal & Al). ~

Our next rendez-vous is planned for November, so I hope you'll stay tuned!

APHRODISIAC THEME DINNER PARTY

Do you remember the last time that you ate waaaaayyyy too much and how it felt? Goddamn awful, heh! Well, that's exactly what happened to me on our last "Dinner Party" organized by Rachel (see her blog)...

On the 3rd of March, our congregation of foodaholics was invited to gather around the table for another of our memorable "foodathons" (a term used by Claudia) that lasted from 4pm till around 11pm. This time, we had to create dishes around the theme of "aphrodisiac food". Twelve people showed that day and the atmosphere was hotter than hell!!!

Boy, we ate so much that I thought I was going to faint! I have never felt so bad after having eaten and never had I swallowed so much good food in my whole life. Generally, I am reasonable, but here, I surpassed my limits! The leftover food turned my stomach which was already hurting, I felt slightly sick and I could not concentrate anymore. I guess that's the price to pay for all that shameless gluttony ...

It really keep on getting better and worse every time!!!

~ From left to right: Hedwig (Hal's Norwegian sister), Al, Maria and Claudia. ~

Here's what we ate:


Rachel (USA, see her blog "Ugly Fruit" for recipes and report) made wonderful "Brie Puffs" with phyllo pastry (starter) and they were all gone in a few seconds! She also made a very tasty "Tomato Soup" with cream and basil (starter). Delightful and aromatic! Another dish she made was "Oven-baked Green Asparagus" with garlic, lemon and olive oil (side dish). They were crunchy to please! Not to forget her gorgeous "Strawberry Cheesecake" (dessert) which's crackers (Mc Vites) and almond crust was exceptionally yummy. As usual, Rachel made gallons of her special "Raspberry Juice" from heaven!...

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Kiriel (Australia, see her blog "Papillon Pantry" for report) treated us with the most delicate steamed dish, a "Fish A La Chinese" which was marinaded in rice wine, soy sauce and ginger, and was served with fresh coriander leaves sprinkled over it's top. It was perfect, very light and succulent! The fish was not overcooked and the sauce was well-balanced. It was served with fragrant Thai "Jasmine Rice". She also brought cute "Ricotta Flans" (see recipe) which contained pistachio kernela and which were smothered in a sweet ginger sauce. Heavenly!

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Hal & Al (Norway & USA) made our tastebuds sing with their delightful "Sizzled Spicy Beef Steaks" that were firstly sizzled, and then cut into slices and dipped into a hot Asian-style ginger sauce. Wow, that was in-cre-dible! We also tasted their "Pasta With Arugula Pesto" with dried cranberries and pine nuts. Very fine! Hal & Al's "Banana Bread Pudding" wasn't bad either! With it's butter rum sauce, it was very comforting and scrumptious.

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Mélanie (France) made an "Indian-style Vegetable Curry" with cashew nuts, cauliflower, zucchinis, leeks, onions, tomatoes, bell peppers and a mix of spices. I really liked this light vegetarian dish as it was exotic and flavorful...

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I (Rosa) contributed with my beloved "Caribbean Jerk Chicken" (see recipe) that was a hammer and with Tish Boyle's incredible version of "Death By Chocolate" called "Chocolate Intensity" (see recipe) served with a "Chinese Five Spice Crème Anglaise"...

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Claudia (USA) could not cook as she was/is in the process of moving, but she nonetheless made our heads a little lighter with her fine Champaign and classy red wine!

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~ From left to right: Kiriel, Rachel and Hal holding one of Rai's cute kitties. ~

Now you can understand why we were all exploding, because we overloaded our plates a little too much and had too many second helpings (wink)! I know that on that evening I thought to myself, "Well, I don't want to eat as much food anymore! Never again!!!", but I know that it'll happen again and again as there will be other food odisseys in the future and the food will again be more scrumptious than the preceeding time...

Please stay tuned as I will soon post my report on the "Secret Theme Dinner Party" we had on the 31st of March(we will soon be attending another dinner party this month)! I will keep you updated anyway.

(Dinner Party -Pic by www.voutsadakis.com)

FOODIE POTLUCK - DINNER PARTY

The good side to being a foodblogger (apart from having to do more sport!) is that you get to meet new people and it’s exactly what happened to me lately…

It all started a few weeks ago when the sweet Rai of “Ugly Fruit” contacted me in order to share a talk around a cup of hot chocolate. Although I was very nervous and stressed about meeting a total stranger, her request enchanted me. I really don’t regret my decision to kick myself in the butt, jump over my shadow and do something I had never done before!

Rai’s warmth and openeness enlightened me. We spoke and spoke and spoke for four hours about food-related subject and more!!! Being in the company of an interesting foodie like her really made me happy.

So, as Rai organizes “Themed Dinner Parties” at her home, she naturally invited me to the next potluck that was going to take place on January the 21st 2007 with other food-obsessed fanatics that she knows…

This “Theme Dinner” was under the sign of booze (alcohol). Well, don’t get me wrong, we didn’t get drunken as it was not meant to be a binge party! The alcohol was supposed to be in the food we ate (although we did drink some fine sangria, champaign and wine)… Regarding that theme, it was open to interpretation and everybody was free to prepare the drink or food of their choice. There was no limitation.

Although our group of foodaholics was smallish, it was composed of a good mix of different cultures (American, Swiss, English, Malaysian, Norwegian), ages and horizons. What we all had in common was our love for food, eating, experimenting in the kitchen and at the table! I must say that I’ve had a very good time there, I met great and interesting people and ate as if there would be no tomorrow. We had a gargantuesque feast and sat at the table from 4pm till 9.30pm!!! We swallowed so much fine food that we were nearly exploding, could not move anymore and had to roll back home!....

Here's how it went:

We started with Alison and Halvor’s “alien” starter, “Gin And Tonic Jello” which surprised us all with it’s interesting combination of sweet, strong, sour and bitter flavors as well as it’s fizziness. Every bite was like “woaw, that’s amazing and rather bizarre!!!”. I had never tasted anything like this before…

~ My "Beer Bread". ~

As a starter, I brought some homemade “Guinness And Rosemary Cheese Bread Buns” that were accompanied by a “Middle East Meets Italy Bean Spread” made with pureed cranberry beans, roasted garlic, cumin powder, paprika (smoked and normal), tahina paste, olive oil, ground black pepper and sea salt.

Rachel made a delicious “Sangria” which we gulped down greedily.

~ Rachel's "Sangria" and my "Bean Spread". ~

Then, we all sat down at the table and things got dead serious! Claudia from Alabama treated us with a delicate and fresh salad in order to open our appetite and add a healthy and vitamined touch to the highly nourishing and calorific supper that was going to follow!

Next came Rai’s trademark dish, an “Onion And Croutons Soup”. It had a very pleasant homely taste and was remarkably flavorful.

After having eaten that soup, we were very lucky to savor Mike’s uplifting “Fusion Duck” marinated in red wine and spiced with 5 spice powder and malt sugar. Delicious and very harmonious! We ate that dish with Rai’s two wonderful creations: “ Indian Spice Rice” which had a round taste, was perfectly balanced spice-wise and was awesomely perfumed, as well as a fresh and heavenly “Madagascar Salad” made with fresh pineapple, mango, green peppercorns, rum and orange juice. Yummy!

~ Mike's "Fusion Duck". ~

The dinner already started to weigh in our stomachs, but after a very short break, we continued with yet another duck dish made by Claudia. Her “Red Wine And Honey Glazed Duck” was wonderful. The meat was still tender and pink. It tasted so fine and was comparable to what one can find on a French table (“Cuisine Bourgeoise”). Rai’s rice was once again solicited…

By then, we were getting extremely full, but we still had space for dessert and the sugar tooths that we are craved for a sweet treat. A real foodie would NEVER leave without having eaten dessert!!!

Alison and Halvor baked a superb “Stout Cake” which’s ingredients were better kept secret lest you'd have a heart attack, since the quantities used were astonishing (1 kilo sugar, 500g double cream, 500g chocolate and so on… The list was long.)!!! It was rich, evil and "dirty" to please, moist, fudgy and hyper scrumptuous. Of course, this cake had to be paired with vanilla ice cream, for added pleasure!

~ Alison and Halvor's "Stout Cake". ~

To close our feast, we ended this supper in beauty with a very last course made by myself, a “White Wine Tart” (a speciality from Vaud) …

~ My "Wine Tart". ~

In conclusion, this “Dinner Party” was astonishing! The people were all very friendly, interesting and good cooks/bakers. We had a jolly good time blabbering, eating and drinking (not so much, though) 'till we were not able to move anymore. I think that I never ate so much in my whole life!!!!!!I am now already looking forwards to our next dinner which sounds very promising! I’m glad that such people exist and made/make me discover new specialities as well as new horizons…

A special thanks goes to you Rai for having created such a great event and making things possible!!!

(Party -Pic by www.realsimple.com)