DELAY - DÉLAI

My Monday recipe will be posted tomorrow...
Thanks for being patient with me!

My recette du lundi sera publiée demain...
Merci pour votre patience!

WEEKEND CAT BLOGGING #159

This week, Mog at "Mind Of Mog" (USAa) are happy to announce that they are hosting Weekend Cat Blogging #159...

To submit your kitty picture(s), you can either leave a message in their blog's comment section (with your permalinks) or contact them via e-mail without forgetting to give all the needed information.

Poor Maruschka...
This weekend, she'll be all alone with Fridolin.
I hope the apartment will not be transformed into a "circus"!!!

FRIBOURG - PART II

Yet more pictures (click on the photos to enlarge) of my trip to Fribourg/Freiburg, on that dreary and depressingly gray day...

I hope you'll enjoy this virtual walk through the old parts of that magnificent town!

"ARTE E PICO" AWARD - PRIX "ARTE Y PICO"

Sab at "Plaisir De Gourmandise" (France), Audrey at "Les Petits Plats D'Audrey" (France) and Véronique at "Cuisine Rebelle" (France) have nominated me for the "Arte Y Pico" award and I thank them ever so much for picking my blog!/Sab de "Plaisir De Gourmandise" (France), Audrey de "Les Petits Plats D'audrey" (France) et Véronique de "Cuisine Rebelle" (France) m'ont descerné le prix "Arte Y Pico" et je les en suis très reconnaissante! Merci!

The rules read:
1) Pick 5 blogs who deserve this award for their creativity, design, interesting material and who also contribute to the blogging community no matter what language.
2) Each award must have the name of the author and also a link to their blog.
3) Each award winner must show the award and put the name and the link to the blog that has given her or him the award.
4) The award winner and the one who has given the prize must show the link of the “Arte y Pico“ blog so everyone will know the origin of this award.

5 règles à respecter :
1/ Vous devez choisir 5 blogs que vous estimez mériter ce prix pour leur créativité, conception, matériel intéressant et contribution à la communauté de bloggeurs, quelque soit la langue.
2/Chaque prix doit contenir le lien vers le blog de son auteur pour être visité par tous
3/Chaque lauréat doit montrer son prix et remettre le nom et le lien vers le blog qui lui a donné.
4/Le lauréat doit montrer le lien du blog "Arte Y Pico".
5/Et afficher les règles.

I choose to nominate the following blogs for they wonderful content and amazing pictures (non-exhaustive list)/Je choisis de nominer les blogs suivants pour leur contenu fort intéressant et leurs photos renversantes de beauté (liste non exhaustive):

• Chuck at "The Knead For Bread" (USA) - A bread blog with truely gorgeous creations./Un blog dédié au pain, où vous trouverez de fantastiques créations.

• Laylita at "Laylita's Recipe" (USA) - A blog dedicated to the colorful and scrumptious foods of Ecuador./Un blog qui parle de la cuisine colorée et savoureuse que l'on trouve en Equateur.

• Jenyu at "Use Real Butter" (USA) - The Rockies-based (Colorado) blog of a very courageous women who loves to share her stunning landscape pictures and tasty Asian- as well as American-oriented recipes with us./Le blog (dans les Rockies au Colorado) d'une femme très courageuse qui aime partager avec nous ses splendides photos de paysages et ses recettes americano-asiatiques.

• Kim Morgan Moss at "A Yankee In A Southern Kitchen" (USA) - The blog of a woman embarking on a delightful Southern culinary adventure after having lived in the South for 30 years without having ever taken the time to learn about the Southern culture./Le blog d'une femme qui s'embarque dans une aventure culinaire sudiste alléchante après avoir vécu 30 ans dans le Sud, sans jamais avoir pris le temps de découvrir la culture de cette région des USA.

• Marion at "Tomaten Quiche" (Germany) - The very pretty blog of a humorous French woman living in München and who knows how to whip up wonderful dishes./Le très joli blog d'une française pleine d'humour habitant à Munich et sachant créer de merveilleux plats.

Thanks for making my everyday life a little more joyful and pleasant!

LEMON MOUSSE - MOUSSE AU CITRON

In my Wednesday post, I spoke about a fabulous dessert that I made in February and which was accompanied by delicious little "Chestnut Bites" (see link & recipe) . Well, as promised, today, I'm blogging about my exquisite "Danish Lemon Mousse" verrines...

As far as I can remember, I've always been attracted to anything acidic and citrusy. I find that those flavors associate themselves extremely well with foods of the savory and sweet kind.

Acidity (vinegar, lemon juice, wine, tomatoes, etc...) is one of the five basic tastes which are detected by our tastebuds (sweetness, bitterness, saltiness, sourness and "umami" or savoriness ). It imparts a sour (tart) flavor on the tongue and affects the texture (tenderizer), shelf life (conservative) and color (decoloration of low-acid foods) of foods. It is also very useful in the kitchen as it enhances the savor of many ingredients and contrasts wonderfully with them...

I have found the recipe for this "Danish Lemon Mousse" in an old (circa 1993) brochure published by the Swiss Migros magazine "Cuisine De Saison". At first glance, I saw that this dessert had a lot of potential and I wasn't wrong as it proved to be scrumptious as well as versatile. The very first time I made it (10 years ago), I was blown away by it's refined taste and delicate texture. Since then, it has become a big classic around my home and it never fails to please us!

I really appreciate this mousse's gorgeous airiness and fluffiness, it's amazing taste and well-balanced acidity. Being sharp enough without being too tangy, nor being too sweet or too fat, it is ideal if you are looking for a heavenly and an acceptably calorific dessert to end your meal.

Served in a verrine over a luscious layer of "White Chocolate Ganache" (see recipe) and topped with a pretty as well as a toasty fragrant "Sesame Praline" decoration (see a helpful recipe/note that I make mine only with sugar and sesame seeds) and paired with delightful little "Chestnut Bites" (see recipe), this dessert is mindblowingly toothsome. Those eye-catchy verrines look very elegant, but it is nothing compared to the way they taste (far better)!

Try that divine combo and, believe me, you'll be conquered!

~ Danish Lemon Mousse ~
Recipe taken from the magazine "Cuisine De Saison" (1993), Switzerland and adapted by Rosa @ Rosa's Yummy Yums.

For 4 people.

Ingredients:
3 Gelatine sheets (see remarks)
3 Eggs (~60g)
60g Castor sugar
2 Organic lemons (heavy/juicy ones), washed
150ml Double cream (35% fat)

Method:
1. Put the gelatine to soften in cold water for a few minutes.
2. Separate the egg whites from the egg yolks.
3. Put the yolks and the sugar in a big bowl.

4. Put the egg whites in another big bowl.
5. Grate the zest from 1 1/2 lemons into the egg yolks.
6. Etract the juice from both lemons.
7. Add the sugar to the egg yolks and whisk until pale in color and fluffy.
8. Add the lemon juice and mix well.
9. Put the gelatine in a small pan and melt over low heat.
10. Incorporate the melted gelatine to the yolk/sugar/zest/lemon juice mixture.
11. Place in the refrigerator for a while, until it slightly sets.
12. Then, with a (hand) mixer whisk the egg whites until foamy and very stiff to peak stage.
13. With a (hand) mixer, whisk the cream into until fluffy and stiff (don't overbeat it).
14. Incorporate both the whipped cream and egg whites delicately into the yolk/sugar/zest/lemon juice mixture, using a spatula.
15. Pour into a clean bowl or into verrines.
16. Put it/them in the refrigerator to set, about 4-5 hours or overnight.

Remarks:
The lemons have to be very juicy.
One sheet gelatines weighs about 1.6g, so you'll need around 5g gelatine.

Serving suggestions:
I poured a layer of "White Chocolate Ganache" into the verrines/glasses and let it set in the refrigerator (2 hours before pouring the "Lemon Mousse" into the glasses). Then I poured some "Lemon Mousse" over the first layer.
Just before serving, I decorated my verrines with the pulp of a (1 or 2) passionfruit sweetened with some icing sugar and "Sesame Praline" decorations.
You can also decorate them with "Chantilly Cream" or a small "Swiss Meringue Kiss" or a "Macaron".
I recommend you to accompany this mousse with "Chestnute Bites" (see recipe).

***************

~ Mousse Au Citron Danoise ~
Recette tirée du magazine "Cuisine De Saison" (1993), Suisse et adaptée par Rosa @ Rosa's Yummy Yums.

Pour 4 personnes.

Ingrédients:
3 Feuilles de gélatine (voir remarques)
3 Oeufs de 60g env.
50g de Sucre cristallisé
2 Citrons bio
150ml Crème double (35% mat.grasses)

Méthode:
1. Mettre la gélatine à ramollir dans de l'eau froide pendant quelques minutes.
2. Casser les oeufs et séparer les blancs des jaunes.
3. Metter les jaunes et le sucre dans un grand bol, les blancs dans un autre.
4. Laver les citrons à l'eau tiède et les essuyer.
5. Râper le zeste d'un citron et demi (1 1/2) directement dans les jaunes d'oeufs.
6. Battre les jaunes d'oeufs et le sucre en omelette, puis incorporer le jus des 2 citrons au mélange.
7. Mettre la gélatine dans une petite casserole sans l'égoutter et la faire fondre complètement sur feu doux.
8. L'incorporer aussitôt au mélange de jaunes d'oeufs et mettre un moment au réfrigérateur.
9. Dès que le mélange commence à prendre, battre les blancs en neige et fouetter la crème jusqu'à ce qu'elle devient ferme.
10. Incorporer les deux au mélange de jaunes d'oeufs et mélanger délicatement à l'aide d'une maryse.
11. Metter au réfrigérateur et laisser prendre pendant 4 à 6 heures environ (ou toute une nuit).

Remarques:
Les citrons doivent être très juteux.
Une feuille de gelatine pèse à peu près 1.6g, alors vous aurez besoin d'à peu près 5g de gelatine.

Idée de présentation:
Avant de mettre ma mousse (2 ième couche) dans les contenants, j'ai versé une couche de "Ganache Au Chocolat Blanc" que j'ai fait prendre au préalable au frigo pendant au moins 2 heures.
Puis, avant de servir, j'ai décoré mes verrines avec la pulpe d'un (1 ou 2) fruit de la passion mélangé à du sucre glace et un morceau de "Nougat Noir Au Sésame".

On peut aussi les décorer avec de la "Crème Chantilly" ou une petite "Meringue Suisse" ou un "Macaron".
Je vous recommande d'accompagner cette mousse d'un "Bouchon Aux Marrons (voir la recette).

FOOD GAWKER IS THE NEW TASTESPOTTING

Those of you who love photography and food must remember/have known the great "TasteSpotting". Well, in case you didn't get informed, this site got closed...

A very sad event for us foodies!

In order to cheer up everybody, "Food Gawker" has been created as a homage to "TasteSpotting". It is it's exact clone and is there to fill in the space left by it's predecessor...

Thanks "Food Gawker"!!!!!

Here also so other links of interest:
. FP Daily (see link)
. Recipe Muncher (see link)
. New Tastings (see link)
. Food Porn Daily (see link)
. Recipes2share (see link)

WEEKEND CAT BLOGGING #158

This week, Kashim & Othello at "The Catboy's Realm" (Austria) are happy to announce that they are hosting Weekend Cat Blogging #158...

To submit your kitty picture(s), you can either leave a message in their blog's comment section (with your permalinks) or contact them via e-mail without forgetting to give all the needed information.

Fridolin is extremely photogenic with his wonderful coat and perfect features.

I love shooting portraits of him...

FRIBOURG - PART I

A few weeks ago, I took a short holiday. Unfortunately, the weather was really rotten, so we could not do all the things we had planned to do (going out for walks, sitting on the balcony & visiting the village of Gruyère)...

We did try to go somewhere with the train, but sadly, we were not able to fully appreciate our trip. On that very day, it was cold (13° C), extremely gray and the wind was blowing like hell!

Anyhow, we had two train day tickets, so we decided to visit the magnificent town of Fribourg/Freiburg. I really loved that picturesque place with it's gorgeous and well-preserved medieval houses, and it's incredible, unique as well as wonderful geographic location (on a hill/in a valley).

If ever you come over to Switzerland, make sure to visit Fribourg as it really deserves to be discovered!

I hope that you'll enjoy those pictures (click on the photos to enlarge). There will be more to come! And sorry if they are not too exciting quality-wise, but the weather was really awful and it was a real pain in the neck to take decent shots!

CHESTNUT BITES-BOUCHONS AUX MARRONS

A while back, in February, I made some delicious and refreshing verrines filled with the most wonderful comibination of "White Chocolate Ganache" and "Danish Lemon Mousse" (recipe soon to come), decorated with "Sesame Praline" and accompanied by "Chestnut Bites". It was a very harmonious dessert...

Today, I want to share with you the recipe for the little "Chestnut Bites" which I really loved as they are very useful and taste great, yet they are extremely basic and easy to make.

This sweet treat was just right and paired perfectly well with the acidity of the lemon. They have a heavenly smokey chestnut flavor, a light, but pungent hint of rum and a wonderful buttery dimension that is totally heavenly. Texture-wise, they are more like a puddingy cake; moist and spongy.

Really scrumptious!

~ Chestnut Bouchons ~
Recipe found on Bigmousse's blog "Le Palais Des Délices" (France).

Yields about 16 bouchons.

Ingredients:
380g Chestnut jam or sweetened chestnut puree
2 Big eggs (~57-60g)
80g Unsalted butter, melted
1-2 Tbs Dark rum (optional)

Method:
1. Mix together the melted butter with the chestnut jam/puree.
2. Add the eggs.
3. Mix well in order to get a homogenous batter.
4. Fill a greased muffin pan with the batter, nearly to the top (the bouchons don't rise much) and bake at 175° C (347° F) for about 25 minutes.
5. Let cool a little before unmolding.

Remarks:
The "Chestnut Bouchons" are quite fragile, so I recommend you to unmold them very delicately.
They can be kept in the refrigerator for about 5 days.

Serving suggestions:
Serve those "Chestnut Bouchons" with a dollop of whipped cream, sour cream or as an accompaniment to your desserts (chocolate mousse, lemon mousse, Panna Cotta, pastry cream, fruit salads, etc...).

****************

~ Bouchons Aux Marrons ~
Recette tirée du blog "Le Palais Des Délices" (France).

Pour environ 16 bouchons.

Ingrédients:
380g de Crème de marrons ou de confiture de châtaigne
2 Gros œufs (~57-60g)
80g de Beurre, fondu
1-2 CS de Rhum ambré (en option)

Méthode:
1. Mélanger le beurre fondu avec la crème de marrons.
2. Puis ajouter les oeufs entiers.
3. Bien mélanger la préparation.
4. Remplir les alvéoles du moule beurré presque jusqu'en haut, (les bouchons ne lèvent pas trop) et faire cuire environ 25 minutes à 175° C.
5. Laisser un peu refroidir puis démouler.
6. Les bouchons se conservent au frigo.

Remarques:
Ces bouchons sont très fragiles, alors beurrez bien vos moules et démoulez-les délicatement.
Les bouchons se conservent au frigo pendant 5 jours.

Idées de présentation:
Servez ces bouchons avec de la crème chantilly, crème fraîche (sûre) ou en accompagnement d'un dessert (mousse au chocolat, mousse au citron, Panna Cotta, crème anglaise, salade de fruits,etc...).

ETHIOPIAN BERBERE - MÉLANGE BERBÉRÉ

Some of you might remember that, a few weeks ago, I blogged about a delicious African "Peanut Bread" (see recipe & link) recipe which I had found in Markus Samuelsson's fantastic "The Soul Of A New Cuisine: A Discovery Of The Foods And Flavors Of Africa"...

Well, today, I have decided to share with you another recipe of this famous Chef's beautiful cookbook. This time, I've decided to speak about a universal seasoning called "Berbere".

I guess that by now, you've understood that the foodie that I am loves spices and collects them meticulously as well as religiously, in a contemplative way. I just love the multiple cooking possibilities associated to by their use and I just simply can't live without their wonderful voluptuousness, fragrance and flavor!

It is for that reason that I very much appreciate anything exotic, zesty and highly aromatic... And my love for spices and foreign foods has nothing to do with any kind of trend, because, as far as I can remember, I've always been a total fan of spices and unusual dishes.

~ Simien Mountains, by Michael Nichols ~

"Berbere" (pronounced bear-BEAR-ee) is a traditional mild Ethiopian and Eritrean spice mix/rub which takes days to make and is generally made in huge amounts. It is a key ingredients of the cuisines of Ethiopia and Eritrea. Every family has their own recipe, with varying degrees of heat and spiciness. Traditionally, it is used to flavor stews, but you can use it as pleases, because you'll soon discover that it is quite addictive with it's mild, sweet, smokey, round, pungent and warm taste!

Here's what the food editors at "O" magazine (December 2007) said about Markus Samuelsson's great "Berbere" spice blend:
"...one whiff of Marcus Samuelsson's Berbere- a smoldering blend of smoked paprika, and chipotle, laced with soul-warming ginger and cardamom-stokes the appetite...".

~ Berbere ~
Recipe taken from "The Soul Of A New Cuisine" written by Marcus Samuelsson.

Makes about 1 cup

Ingredients:
1 Tsp Fenugreek seeds
1/2 Cup Dried serrano chilies or other ground dried chillies
1/2 Cup Ground paprika
2 Tbs Salt
2 Tsp Ground ginger
2 Tsp Onion powder
1 Tsp Ground cardamom, preferably freshly ground
1 Tsp Ground nutmeg
1/2 Tsp Garlic powder
1/4 Tsp Ground cloves
1/4 Tsp Ground cinnamon
1/4 Tsp Ground allspice

Method:
1. Finely ground the fenugreek seeds with a spice or coffee grinder, or mortar and pestle.
2. Stir together with remaining ingredients in a small bowl.
3. Use as pleases.

Remarks:
Store in a airtight container/jar in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.

Serving suggestions:
"Berbere" goes perfectly well with red lentils, chickpeas, vegetables as well as any kind of meat or fish and gives a zesty flavor to your dishes and sauces (tomato sauce, ratatouille, omelets, etc...).
You can mix some of that powder with oil and rub chicken thighs, lamb, beef or fish with this paste.
If you are looking for a great recipe, check Markus Samuelsson's "Chicken Stew" (see recipe) and visit the following links:
"Ethiopian Red Lentils", "Chicken Berbere", "Beef Stew", "Minted Couscous Salad", "Braised Lamb Shanks", "Spicy Vegetable Stew"...

***************

~ Berbere ~
Recette tirée du livre "The Soul Of A New Cuisine" écrit par Marcus Samuelsson.

Donne + ou - une tasse.

Ingrédients:
1 CC de Graines de fénugrec
1/2 Tasse de Piments serrano séchés ou de piments moulus et séchés d'une variété différente
1/2 Tasse de Parika en poudre
2 CS de Sel
2 CC de Gingembre en poudre
2 CC d'Onions en poudre
1 CC de Cardamome en poudre, si possible fraîchement moulue
1 CC de Muscade en poudre
1/2 CC d'Ail en poudre
1/4 CC de Girofle en poudre
1/4 CC de Cannelle en poudre
1/4 CC de Tout épices en poudre

Méthode:
1. Moudre le fénugrec en une poudre fine, à l'aide d'un mortier ou d'un moulin à café/épices.
2. Dans un bol, mélanger tous les ingrédients ensemble.
3. Utiliser comme bon vous semble.

Remarques:
Garder dans une boîte/pot hermétique qui sera placé(e) au réfrigérateur (pas plus de 3 mois).

Idées d'utilisation:
Le "Berbere" se marie à merveille avec les lentilles corail, les pois chiches, la viande, le poisson et apporte une touche épicée à vos sauces et plats (tomate, ratatouille, omelettes, etc...).
Vous pouvez mélanger un peu de "Berbere" à de l'huile et frotter vos cuisses de poulet, viande d'agneau, viande de boeuf ou filets de poisson avec cette pâte/marinade.
Voici un lien qui porra vous intéresser: "Poulet En Sauce ou Doro Wat".