WEEKEND CAT BLOGGING #99

This week, S'Kat at the great "S'Kat And The Food" (USA) is happy to announce that she is hosting Weekend Cat Blogging #98! The theme suggested is May flowers...

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

Unfortunately, I don't have any picture of my cats with flowers, so I'll just submit one of my usual close-up portraits.
The guest star this time is Fridolin...
I really had to take those pictures of him as his way of looking was particularly cute.
Now that the temperatures are warmer, he is again occupying the "summer headquarters" aka the basket instead of staying on the tree top.
Generally he lies there in the sun and relaxes in a typical cat way (zen and detached).
I was really happy to capture this moment in order to share it with you, so I hope that those snaps will bring a smile on your face!

If you want to see the fidgety Fridolin on his tree, then here's the link to a very cute video:

See Fridolin here.

NOUGAT NIRVANA

Favarger's (see link) chocolate line is already wonderful and of good quality but, as if it would not be enough, with their new line of products, not only do they widen their palet of delicacies, but they also have once again been able to create a perfect product that will rejoice the most demanding sweet tooths around!

This 180 years old Geneva-based chocolate company never fails to release products that have a immense impact on the consumer, as all their creations are sumptuous and highly emjoyable...

It is one of the best manufacturers around, alongside Lindt, Villars, Camille Bloch (who also produce Kosher chocolates sold worldwide) and Frey and they deserve a very special mention for their inventiveness, know-how, their simple, yet luxurious packaging as well as their capacity to go forwards, develop their potential and bring some of the best treats/chocolates on the market.

~ Favarger poster dating from the 1930's. ~

Favarger's latest product to date (see link) has been put on the market only a few months ago and it makes them one of the only Swiss producers of nougat.

Different in texture to the Montélimar and Italian "Torrone" nougats, their recipe is original and unique. Those nougats can be found in three variations: Bourbon-Vanilla Nougat ( Nougat Vanille Bourbon)", "Honey Nougat (Nougat Miel)" and finally "Orange Nougat (Nougat Orange)" with crystallized orange peel...

Until now, I have only tasted one kind, the "Honey Nougats (Nougat Miel)". Let me tell you that those bite-sized nougats are incredibly soft, fluffy, chewy and flavorful. The almonds are crunchy and add a pleasant contrast to the smoothness of this delicate candy. But, what really blew me off my feet was that powerful, fragrant and yummy taste of honey. Wow, it is ever so gorgeous and heavenly!!!

All in all, I warmly recommend you to test their nougats (as well as their delicious chocolates such as "Nougalines" or "Avelines") as I'm sure that, like me, you'll not be able to stop eating them! It is a beautiful discovery that will be on my list of favorites for a very long while. An uncomparable experience!

(Poster -Pic by www.favarger.com)

GENEVA IN SPRING

Three weeks ago, I took some pictures of the Geneva lakeside. Spring had just started and the trees were not yet green (unlike now), but the weather was nonetheless very spring-like and warm, although it wasn't a very clear day (misty)...

Anyway, I hope that you'll enjoy those snaps and that they'll make you travel from your computer, and maybe, who knows, decide to come to Switzerland one day!

Click on the pictures to enlarge.

The Jet D'Eau (see infos)...
The "Vevey", an old boat built in 1907 and still operational...
The boat's name and logo...
The "Jardin Anglais" on the lakeside...
Hotels as seen from the left side of the lake...
The "Pont Du Mont Blanc" bridge that links the right side to the lift side of town...
On the bridge, in the horizon the "Petit Salève" and the "Salève" mountains...
Still on the bridge, the "Jet D'Eau"...
On the right side of the lake, the "Hotel Des Bergues (Four Seasons Hotel)" and a public bus...

QUIZ IV (KOIKES) - THE ANSWER

Finally, you will be able to know the answer to my quiz as the name of this "unidentified object" is going to be revealed within those lines!

Well, Ladies and Gents, it is/was a "Chinese Cake" made with sticky rice (white layers) and a cream of pureed split mung beans (yellow layer), flavored with banana essence!

Philo at "Philo Aux Fourneaux", Léonore at "Léo La Cuistot", Mingoumango at "La Bouche Pleine" and Elvira at "Tasca Da Elvira" found out what it was. Others like Vanessa at "Confiture Maison" got close to giving the right answer, but Paprikas at "Paprikas" and Matylda at "La Cuisine De Matylda" went in the wrong direction and got influenced by this cake's deceiving looks (similar to "Lemon Bars")...

By the way, does anybody know the recipe for this cake? If it is the case, could you share it with me, please.

HEIRLOOM LOVE

The first seasonal tomatoes have arrived and I am really happy to be able to eat them again as I am now fed up with winter vegs!

As usual, due to their photogenic potential/nature, those beautiful vegetables caught my eye as well as my attention. I had to take some pictures to share with you. I mean, aren't they just gorgeously beautiful?...

Cherry tomatoes from Sicily...
An appetizing close up...
The plump roundness of a Genovese tomato from France...

SPICY ROASTED CHICKPEAS

Chickpeas (see infos) are delicious no matter how they are prepared! This legume is a wonder of nature as it's not only remarkable in flavor, but also very healthy...

I have eaten them in many different ways, but never had I made my own "Roasted Chickpeas", although I crave noshes and nibblies of all kinds. So, one Saturday afternoon, as I was thinking about making something different for the apperitive, I came up with that scrummy "Spicy Roasted Chickpeas" recipe.

Those high fiber chickpeas are like no other starter food! They are highly tasty with their smokey, meaty and spicy Middle Eastern flavor. The tahini paste really adds an interesting and uncomparable nutty aroma. Wonderful and very exotic! And their crunchiness is delightful. They are a real alternative to the industrial, bland and unhealthy other kinds of apperitive food that are generally served with wine and which always tend to leave a bad impression on our tastebuds and a nasty feeling in our stomachs...

To test them is to adopt them!

~ Spicy Roasted Chickpeas ~
Recipe by Rosa @ Rosa's Yummy Yums

Makes one bowl.

Ingredients:
1 Cup Dried chickpeas
1/2-3/4 Tsp Ground cumin
1/2 Tsp Ground coriander
1/2 Tsp Ground paprika
1/2 Tsp Ground dry oregano
1/2 Tsp Garlic powder
1/3 Tsp Onion powder
2 Tbs Tahini paste
Salt, to taste

Method:
1. Soak the chickpeas in enough cold water to cover for 12 hours or overnight.
2. Drain.
3. Combine the chickpeas with three times their volume of water in a pan.
4. Bring to the boiling point and continue cooking over high heat for about 5 minutes during which you will remove the white foam the forms at the surface of the water.
5. Lower the heat and simmer, covered for about 60 to 80 minutes or until tender.
6. Drain the cooked chickpeas.
7. Preheat oven to 220° C (425° F).
8. In a bowl, mix the chickpeas together with the cumin, coriander, paprika, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, tahini paste and salt.
9. Put the chickpeas on a prepared baking sheet and place on the middle rack in the overn.
10. Roast for about 30 minutes, until fragrant, golden and crispy/crunchy.
11. Remove from the oven and cool completely before serving.

Remarks:
After having simmered the chickpeas for about 3o minutes, add 1 tablespoon salt to the chickpeas. Let them simmer until they are cooked through. If you add the salt at the beginning your chickpeas will take longer to cook.
The spice mixture should to coat the chickpeas evenly.
While roasting the chickpeas, stir them regularly (every 10 minutes).
Store the roasted chickpeas in an airtight container.

Serving suggestions:
Serve as starter or nibble as a snack.

(Palmyra -Pic by Aleksandra Borzecka www.trekearth.com)

WEEKEND CAT BLOGGING #98

This week, the pretty Bengals at "Pets Garden Blog" (USA) are happy to announce that they are hosting Weekend Cat Blogging #98!

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

Maruschka has been very calm lately, although she is still the biggest "food addicted monster" I've ever seen or met.
This week, she was very lucky to be able to eat double portions of her supper, because Fridolin is again desinterested by food...
Every year, in Spring, he refuses to eat in the evening.
He doesn't even come when you call him and you have to fetch him in order to place him in front of his bowl.
All this being purposeless as it has no effect whatsoever!
Mister Her König doesn't want to give a damn about what's on the menu.
At least, Muschki can enjoy her second helpings...

If you want to see and hear Maruschka when she's crying for her food, then here's the link to a very cute video:

See Maruschka here.

THAI-STYLE NOODLES & STIR-FRIED LIVER

Ruth at "Once Upon A Feast" from Toronto (Canada) has decided to organize a weekly event that takes place every Friday. It's called "Presto Pasta Nights" (see infos and rules) and as you have maybe guessed, it's all about pasta!

For my third participation, I wanted my post to be a little exotic, so I invented a Thai-style dish. In order to come up with this recipe, I used my knowledge regarding this cuisine and I expressed my "creativity" in a free-stylish way, letting my senses guide me...


This is the kind of meal that I usually cook when I have bought offals such as liver or kidneys and decide to go Thai. So, I let myself get inspired and try to remember what I saw and ate some years ago when I had firsthand Thai meals a go-go.

I must say that I always find this kind of food very satifying as it tastes quite authentic and is very cheap as well as easy to make. The liver which is already very sweet in itself and tastes strong goes well in pair with oyster sauce which is ideal with that kind of "meat" as it complements it's rich and deep aroma perfectly. The lemongrass and kaffir lime leaf add a little tinge and a nice lemony contrast to the dish, the sauces being quite round, briny, sweet and on the same note as the liver. The ground toasted rice is there to bring an original popcornish flavor that is very interesting as well as an additional gustatory texture to this dish. The same goes with the extra coriander and fried red onions...

My "Thai-Style Noodles With Stir-Fried Liver" differ from the usual stir-fries as it's not something that you find in every restaurant or coobook. It is a very pleasant (if you like offals), homey, healthy dish that allies exotism with simplicity. So, why ask for more?

~ Thai-Style Noodles With Stir-Fried Liver ~
Recipe by Rosa @ Rosa's Yummy Yums

Serves 2

Ingredients:
250g Beef liver, cut into thickish strips
150g Frozen spinach
1 Onion, sliced
3 Cloves garlic, chopped
1 Tbs Roasted glutinous rice, ground (optional, see infos)
2 Squares Chinese egg noodles
1-2 Tbs Fish sauce (Nuoc Mam/Nam Pla)
3 Tbs Oyster sauce (see infos)
2 Tbs Thai sweet chilli sauce (see infos)
2 Tbs Thai light soy sauce (see infos)
1/2 Stick lemongrass (the whiter part), chopped finely
1 Kaffir lime leaf, chopped finely (see infos)
1 Tbs Palm sugar (see infos)
1/4 Cup Water, if needed
Some fresh coriander (or Thai basil), chopped
Fried red onions (see infos)

Method:
1. In a little oil, fry the garlic until crispy and golden brown. Set aside.
2. Meanwhile cook the noodles in enough boiling water, for about 5 minutes.
3. Stir-fry the onions and set aside.
4. Over high heat, stir-fry the liver for abour 3/4 of a minute, until golden. Set aside.
5. Meanwhile cook the noodles in enough boiling water, for about 5 minutes.
6. Lower the heat to medium high and add the lemongrass, the kaffir lime leaf, the onion, the garlic and the ground rice. Stir.
7. Add the spinach, then the liver and mix them well together with the rest of the ingredients in the pan.
8. Add the fish sauce, the oyster sauce, the soy sauce, the sweet chilli sauce and the palm sugar. If it's a little dry, add a bit of water.
9. Strain the noodles.
10. Serve over the noodles and sprinkle with the chopped coriander and the fried red onions.

Remarks:
You can also use any other kind of liver or even kidneys and replace the frozen spinach by fresh spinach.
To obtain ground roasted glutinous rice, take the raw glutinous rice, roast it in a pan (without any fat) until golden brown and then grind it in a mortar.
If you don't have any Thai light soy sauce, any other soy sauce will do the trick as long as it's not too dark nor thick. The same goes with the chilli sauce, as long as it's sweet and mild.
When stir-frying and adding the ingredients, work very fastly, otherwise the liver will be too hard (overcooked). It should be smooth and a little pink inside.

Serving suggestions:
Serve as suggested above. If you want to drink some alcohol with this dish, then I recommend that you accompany your meal with a good beer (preferably blond).

(Ayuthaya -Pic by Greg Talecki www.trekearth.com)

IN THE WOODS...

In Spring, nothing's nicer than to take a walk in the woods! They look so verdant green with their trees sporting fresh new leaves, their floors covered by a luxuriant vegetation (flowers, herbs, etc...) and their birds which offer a real concert of joy. Dreamlike...

The following pictures (click on pictures to enlarge) were taken two weeks ago when I went ramson (see infos) picking. Now, this very same wood is much greener.

FOODLUST

I love speaking about food, cooking/baking and eating, but another of my hobbies is taking pictures of my meals or of anything that I find in my kitchen...

Food is so photogenic and nature offers such a wide spectrum of shapes and colors to the edible items we find in our plates that it is really incredible and ever so pleasurable to the eyes!

The following pictures are pure eye candy (click on the pictures to enlarge), so enjoy what you see and don't forget to look around your pantry, there's so much to discover!

Sliced onions, shredded carrots and chopped ginger ready to get strir-fried...
Miso noodles (including the mix of vegs from above)...
Beautiful French duck breasts waiting to get sizzled...
Sliced onions, a basic, but important ingredient in any kitchen...
A fresh sesame ball.
That sweet treat comes from my favorite Asian Supermarket (see link)...

Which picture(s) do you prefer? Why?