LOCAL MARKET PICTURE ROUND-UP

I'd like to inform you about the following blog event that will take place very soon and to which I hope many of you food bloggers around the world will participate: THE FARMER'S MARKET INTERNATIONAL PARADE!!!

Melissa of COOKING DIVA and Elena of EL AMOR POR LA COCINA are organizing a big market round-up.

Just take pictures of your favorite farmer's market and write about it (prices, what can be found, producers, etc...), why you love going there and if you have any memories or impressions linked to the special atmosphere of this environment. But, remember, you can't speak about any other market (no supermarket) than the tradional and unique old-fashioned farmer's market!...

Here are the rules to follow:

. The link to your post, including one or more photos of farmer's markets.

. Your post should include a link back to the "Cooking Diva" or "El Amor Por La Cocina" and specifying that it is your contribution to the Farmer's Markets Worldwide Parade

. The photos should have been taken between January 1st 2005, and June 1st 2006.

. You are free to submit as many entries as you want, following the same guidelines of course.

. By June 10, 2006 we should have International Gallery of Farmer's Markets beautifully set up for the world to see!

So, grab your camera and roam your local market in search of interesting perspectives and write a post that we can all enjoy while sitting behind our computer daydreaming about foreign lands and foods!!!...

(Market -Pic by www.vbrooks.com)
(Return From The Market -Pic by www.sharonmoody.com)

WALNUT AND RICOTTA PESTO

Pesto is something really fine, fastly prepared and quite simple, therefore it is nearly impossible not to love this "sauce/paste"...

This "Walnut and ricotta pesto" is a bit different from the usual pestos we know (the traditional green "pesto alla genovese" or the "pesto rosso").

The pesto here is mainly made with ricotta cheese and instead of the regular pine nuts, walnuts are used in replacement. There is also slightly less oil needed and a bit of lemon zest is added, all this giving this pesto a fresh, nutty and flavorful summery taste.

It'll change from the classic pesto that you know and will be as successful at the table. It is simply sensational!!!

Michael Chiarello's recipe can be found on the site www.napastyle.com. As it is my habit to modify nearly every single recipe that I test, certain quantities and ingredients have been added or changed in order to please my own demanding palate...

Makes 2 cups pesto.

Ingredients:
3/4 Cup Walnuts
6 Tbs Extra-virgin olive oil
4 Cloves garlic, minced
18 Large fresh basil leaves, coarsely chopped
250g (1 1/2 Cup) Ricotta cheese
1/2 Lemon, zested (grated)
50ml Milk (or more to thin/optional)
4 Tbs Parmesan cheese, grated
Salt, to taste
Ground black pepper, to taste

Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350ºF).
2. Spread the walnuts on a baking sheet and toast until fragrant and lightly browned, about 10 minutes.
3. Let cool, then chop coarsely.
4. Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a small skillet over moderately high heat.
5. Add the garlic and sauté until light brown.
6. Scrape the garlic into a mortar or food processor and add the basil and nuts. Pound to a paste or process until finely chopped.

7. Add the ricotta, the remaining 3 tablespoons oil, and the lemon zest, milk, and pound or process until thoroughly blended.
8. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the parmesan cheese and salt and pepper to taste.

Remarks:
Instead of parmesan cheese, you can use pecorino romano cheese.
You can replace the walnuts by any other nut of your choice (hazelnuts, almonds, pecan, etc...) as long as they are roasted.
Use milk to thin the pesto especially if you are going to add the pesto to the hot pasta in the pan.

Serving suggestions:
Just toss a generous amount of this pesto on the pasta of your choice, use it as a filling for your lasagna, canellonis or to stuff pasta shells...

(Pesto In Mortar -Pic by www.culinaryguildofwindsor.homestead.com)

WEEKEND CAT BLOGGING #47

It's again time for our weekly WCB and as usual, I'm impatient to see all the wonderful cats the people have!...

That's Fridolin when he is lying around comfortably, not thinking about food, but just being calm and sweet. Normally, this is Maruschka's place under the tree, but when there is sun coming in the apartment, he chases her away and plays the king. Therefore we also like to call him "König der Dritte (King the 3rd)", because then he's really got an imperialistic high-nosed attitude that can sometimes be slightly "nasty" and so nerving; he litterally attacks Maruschka who gets totally mistreated by him!!!
But be reassured, he's still a very sociable cat when he is not in his silly dominating male modus!...

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 weekly 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.

SPRING IN THE OLD TOWN OF GENEVA

On Easter Friday, we decided to see a beautiful exhibition at the "Musée d'art et d'histoire" in the old town. It was a beautiful spring day, the sun was shining bright and the the sky was azure blue, without any cloud to obscure it...

The Russian Church which was built between 1863 and 1866. It is a real jewel of Orthodox architecture in the great Bizantine style of Moscow.
The "Jet d'eau (water fountain)" as seen from the garden/park (Promenade de l'observatoire) situated on the other side of the "Musée d'art et d'histoire".
The "Musée d'art et d'histoire (Art and History Museum)" which was erected between 1903 and 1910. It is supposed to have been designed like an encyclopedic museum and is divided into three distinct parts: Archaeology (prehistoric,Egyptian, Greek, Etruscan, Roman); Fine Arts (some 400 paintings from the Renaissance to modern times, and sculptures by artists such as Houdon, Pradier, Rodin, Arp, Giacometti, Tinguely, etc.); Applied Arts (objects from the Middle Ages to the 20th century, such as furniture, textiles, pewterware, arms and armor).
In the old town, walking towards the "Place du Bourg-de-Four" where there are many pretty little coffee places with nice sunny terrasses.
The "Place du Bourg-de-Four" itself...
Looking up a small street ("Rue Verdaine") that links the "Place du Bourg-de-Four" to the center of town ("Rue de Rive") where the trams pass and all the stores are.

MACADAMIA NUT COOKIES

As I had a need to bake cookies and I wanted to use the macadamia nuts which were sitting in my cupboard since weeks, I found this "Macadamia nut cookie" recipe on a very interesting Malaysian food site called Kuali. Actually, it is a creation of the cookbook writer and food culumnist Amy Beh.

Needless to say that those cookies were fabulously yummy and very successful!!!

They had a very pleasant honey taste, a beautiful golden brown colour and a unique nutty flavor that the coconut and macadamia nuts conferred beautifully.

Macadamia nuts have a very interesting aroma and terxture that is quite different from other nuts; sweet, delicate, not overpowering and very creamy (they contain 80% monounsaturated fat!). These nuts are very good for your health (against cholesterol, high blood pressure, heart-attacks and cancer) and will give you full satisfaction to your demanding palate...

These "Macadamia nut cookies" were really fine, crunchy and I will bake them again for sure. So, if you are looking for a healthy treat, do try this recipe!...

Ingredients:
120g Unsalted butter
60g Castor sugar
1/2 Tsp Vanilla essence
2 Tbs Runny honey (I added 1 Tbs more)
A pinch of salt
180g Plain white flour, sifted
1/2 Tsp Bicarbonate of soda
50g Desiccated coconut
1/2 Cup Coarsely chopped macadamia nuts

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F).
2. Line cookie trays with greased baking paper.
3. Cream butter, castor sugar and vanilla essence until light and creamy.
4. Beat in honey and salt until well combined.
5. Fold in sifted flour, bicarbonate of soda, desiccated coconut and macadamia nuts.
6. Mix well into a dough.
7. Shape into balls (app. 1 Tbs).
8. Press down slightly and place them onto prepared trays.
9. Bake in preheated oven for 15–20 minutes.
10. Cool for 1–2 minutes then transfer the cookies onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Remarks:
Before chopping the nuts, I lightly roasted them in a preheated oven at 180°C (350°F).
I baked the cookies for about 15 minutes.
Store in an airtight container.

Serving suggestions:
Those cookies are ideal when served together with tea or coffee.

(Macadamia Nuts -Pic by www.directoalpaladar.com)

LEBANESE MEATBALLS

Middle Eastern specialities have an attractiveness that I can't quite explain, something nearly magical. Maybe it is due to the delicate taste of the food, it's disguised simplicity or because of the bread (barbari/nan-e barbari = Lebanese, sangak = Iranian, lavash = Armenian/Middle Eastern or pitta/khubz = Greek/Middle Eastern, naan = Indian) that is always (mostly) eaten together with the meals. I can't quite say... But, one thing I know is that eating Middle Eastern food is always an extraordinary taste experience full of voluptuousness; like a journey through centuries of ancient culinary traditions which have been kept and transmitted religiously from generation to generation!...

Those "Lebanese Meatballs" are quite "humble", but in no way they are plain! The diverse herbs and spices confer a warm conforting taste. All the aromas mingle perfectly together and in no way they are overpowering, just well-balanced. The yoghurt sauce adds a pleasant sourness that contrasts superbly with the meatballs' frangrant spiciness and the obligatory flat bread completes the dish gloriously!...

This recipe comes from Anne Wilson's "Cuisine Libanaise" book released by Könemann Verlag. I have freely changed a few details to make it my own...

Serves 2-3 people

Ingredients:
500g Ground beef
1 Onion, finely chopped
1 1/2 Tbs Dill, chopped
1/2 Tsp Ground cardamom
1 1/2 Tsp Ground cumin
1/2 Tsp Garlic powder
1 1/2 Tbs Quick oats
2 Tbs Olive oil

Salt to taste

-Lavash Bread-

Yoghurt sauce:
500g Full fat yoghurt
1 1/2 Tbs Cornstarch
3-4 Tbs Fresh coriander, chopped
1 Tsp Cumin seeds, toasted

Salt to taste

-Barbari Bread-

Method:
1. In a big bowl, mix together the ground beef, chopped onion, chopped dill, cumin powder, cardamom powder and the garlic powder. Salt to taste and knead well for about 5 minutes.
2. Form meatballs.
3. Heat up the oil and fry the meatballs for about 5 to 10 minutes or until golden.
4. Pour the yoghurt into a pan and add the cornstarch (previously stirred into water).
5. Bring it to the boil, while constantly stirring and simmer for about 5 minutes until it is thick.
6. Place the meatballs in the yoghurt sauce and let simmer for another 5 minutes.
7. Add the fresh coriander, the cumin and salt. Mix well.

Remarks:
The cornstarch will prevent the yoghurt from curdling.
You can use ground lamb instead of beef and replace the fresh coriander by mint (in the sauce).

Serving suggestions:
Serve the meatballs with onion rings (uncooked) and lavash or pitta bread. You can also serve them with rice (preferably Basmati rice or Pilaf).

(Lavash -Pic by www.foodsubs.com)
(Barbari -Pic by www.foodsubs.com)
(Baalbeck,Lebanon Marc St Germain -Pic by www.trekearth.com)

THE MAGNIFICENCE OF SPRING

Spring took a long time to show (tree-wise), but suddenly things have started to speed up and within a week a big difference was to be seen/felt!...Last week, the trees were still a little naked...
The private gardens (with trees in bloom) that I see from my bedroom windows (facing north)...
On Easter Friday: a view on the Salève (there is still a bit of snow covering the top)...This weekend, thanks to the warm temperatures and sunny days we had, the trees exploded in a symphony of green!
The same view under a different light...

WEEKEND CAT BLOGGING #46

WCB is back and our little monsters are again under the spotlights!

That's Maruschka when she decides to show the sweet and peaceful side of her personality! I find that she looks very satisfied.
In comparison to her authoritarian food obssessed and hyper possessive side, her loveable cuddly one is really cute.
She's a bit like DrJekyll and Mr.Hyde: her character is ambivalent and she has two opposite personalities!
In fact, that's a good description of how cats are: real devils or/and sweet angels...

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 weekly 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.

QUIZ: THE ANSWER

Many of you thought it was a spoon and I must say that logically you were not really wrong, but you had still not found which use it had!


Pamela, San Des Frangines (I guess since you are Swiss) and Tania knew what it was : a sieve/spatula used for making Spätzlis (see recipe and explanations), our Swiss traditional "pastas"....

Firstly, the batter is pushed through the holes of the sieve into boiling water and cooked for a few minutes.

Then, the Spätzlis are recuperated thanks to the spatula/sieve....

(Spätzli -Pic by http://muggenbuehl.ch)
(Spätzli Spatula -Pic 2 & 3 by www.bettybossi.ch)

AMARETTO YOGHURT CAKE

Light cakes are always much appreciated as, then, I generally don't use my whole stock of goods at once, thus meaning that no big expenses have to be made, but also because they give a lot of pleasure without enlarging the waistline of the whole family!...

This cake is very simple, yet very enjoyable. It's fluffy airy texture and amaretto flavor make it a very yummylicious and delicate cake for all occasions (children's 4 o'clock treat, sweet temptation, dessert, etc...). It is humble, but it will nonetheless be very successful!

This recipe was adapted by Nic from Bakingsheet (www.bakingsheet.blogspot.com, an interesting blog dedicated to the baking world) who took it from a recipe for Chocolate Marble Cake by Alice Meldrich (Chocolate And The Art Of Low-Fat Desserts). And it was then my turn to personalize this readapted recipe...

Ingredients:
300g Plain white flour
1 Tsp Baking powder
1/2 Tsp Baking Soda
1/2 Tsp Salt
180-220g Castor sugar (I used 180g)
1 Egg (~50g)
70g Unsalted butter, at room temperature
1-1 1/3 Cup (~280g) Plain yoghurt
1 Tsp Almond extract
Powder sugar

Method:
1. Peheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
2. In a bowl, sift together the flour. baking powder, baking soda and salt.
3. Cream the butter with the sugar, until light and fluffy.
4. Add the egg and beat well until blended.
5. Mix in the yoghurt and almond extract.
6. Stir in the dry ingredients in batches until totally combined.
7. Spread evenly into a greased 22cm (9") round (springform) tin.

8. Bake for about 30-35 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean.
9. Let cool and sprinkle with powder sugar.

Remarks:
You might need to use a little more yoghurt so be sure you have some left on stock, but normally this quantity should be ok.
You can also use nonfat yoghurt if you wish.
Other tastes can be used (vanilla, lemon extract, coffee extract, rum extract, etc...). This cake is quite adaptable when it comes to adding other ingredients or different flavors...

Serving suggestions:
Eat the cake at any time or as a light dessert cake served with fresh red fruits (strawberries, raspberries, etc...).

(Yoghurt -Pic by www.deliaonline.com)