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".

WEEKEND CAT BLOGGING #157

This week, Sher, Pumpkin and Laura at "What Did You Eat" (USA) are happy to announce that they are hosting Weekend Cat Blogging #157...

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.

Isn't she a darling?

One of the sweetest cats on earth!

GREEN THERAPY

To my big disarray, the weather, here in Switzerland, doesn't want to get better at all. Since weeks, it is just disgusting and my craving for sun is growing bigger each day...

We still have to get wet through thanks to the torrential daily showers which are hitting Europe, to wear our coats/jackets since it's quite fresh and to get the blues because the sky refuses to let the sunshine irradiate us with it's healing rays. How horrible!

In order to enlighten your day, I thought that a few flower and plant pictures (click on photos to enlarge) might help you feel a little more joyful (please note that the pictures were taken a few weeks/months ago)...

RHUBARB ADDICTION

At the moment, it's rhubarb season and as it doesn't last very long (April 'till middle of June), I recommend you to take advantage of that gorgeous and versatile vegetable as much as possible, before it is too late!

I have already blogged a few times about rhubarb desserts or baked treats made with this luscious plant, so I thought that it would be great if I grouped them all together in one post in order to facilitate your quest for new Spring recipes... At the same time, I decided to add a few links which will lead you to some of the web's most interesting rhubarb-oriented dishes/recipes.

And if you want to learn more about this fabulous "gift of Nature", then I invite you to read what I wrote here.

My rhubarb recipes:
Fluffy Rhubarb & Quark Clafoutis (see recipe)
Rhubarb Cobbler (see recipe)
Rhubarb Five Spice Muffins (see recipe)
Rhubarb Meringue Slices (see recipe)
Rhubarb Salée (see recipe)
Rhubarb Upside-Down Cake/Pudding (see recipe)

Interesting rhubarb links:
All Recipes (see link)
BBC Good Foods (see link)
Canadian Living (see link)
Chef De Cuisine (see link)
Epicurious (see link)
Food Network (see link)
Gourmet (see link)
Rhubarb Recipes (see link)
Southern Food (see link)
Taste.co.au (see link)
The Rhubarb Compendium (see link)

PANE CASALINGO - PAIN ITALIEN

Bread making and baking are real consuming passions, hobbies which destresse me and make me happy! I need to be around flour, otherwise I tend to feel melancholic and as if something important for my inner harmony would missing...

Creating and testing new recipes, kneading dough, admiring the beauty of rising loaves, enjoying the bewitching smell of a freshly baked loaf and biting into the golden crust and fluffy interior of a slice of bread are all soul healing, incomparable epicurian experiences which send shivers through me spine in a very transcendental way. It's my own personal drug. Healthy maybe, but addictive nonetheless!

In order to start June in a pleasant way, I wanted to share with you the recipe for a bread which I very much love as it looks and tastes very professional, although it is easy to make and is composed solely with simple and basic ingredients (flour, salt, water and yeast). Nothing exceptional here, except for the extraordinary loaf which will come out of your oven and which you'll greedily devour and savor until the last crumb disappears!

"Pane Casalingo" literally means " Home-Baked Bread" and is common all over Italy. It is one of the oldest traditional recipes, passed down from mother to daughter. It seems to have been created by pure inadvertance when somebody forgot a mixture of flour and water a few days, and discovered that it had become sour as well as puffy. At the origin, this bread was baked directly on the stone floor of a very hot wood-fired oven.

I was totally blown away by this divine, yet basic bread. With it's crispy and snappy crust, it's smooth and fluffy insides, it's light yeasty flavor and pleasant fragrance, this "Pane Casalingo" is fantastic and incredibly delicious.

A terrific loaf! One of the most scrumptious breads I have eaten so far!

~ Pane Casalingo ~
This recipe was taken from Eric Treuille and Ursula Ferrigno's marvelous "Ultimate Bread" cookbook (see review).

Yields 1 bread.

Ingredients for the "Starter":
1 1/4 Tsp Dried yeast
60ml Water
125ml Tepid milk
1 Tsp Malt extract (see remarks)
200g Strong white flour
Ingredients for the "Dough":
1 1/4 Tsp Dried yeast
200ml Water
300g Strong white flour
2 Tsp Salt

Method for the "Starter":
1. Sprinkle the yeast into the water and milk in a bowl.
2. Leave for 5 minutes, then add the malt extract and stir to dissolve.
3. Add the flour and mix to form a thick paste.
4. Cover with a tea towel and leave to ferment for 12 hours.
Method for the "Dough":
5. Sprinkle the yeast into 100ml of the water in a bowl. Leave for 5 minutes.
6. Stir to dissolve.
7. Mix the flour and the salt together in a large bowl.
8. Make a well in the centre, and add the yeasted water and the starter.
9. Pour half of the remaining water into the well.

10. Mix in the flour and stir in the reserved water, as needed in order to form a soft dough.
11. Turn the dough out on a floured work surface and knead for about 5 minutes.
12. Cover with a tea towel and allow to rest for 10 minutes.
13. Knead for a further 5 minutes.
14. Put the dough in a clean bowl and cover with a teat towel.
15. Leave to rise until trebbled in size, about 2 hours.
16. Preheat the oven to 200°C (400° F) and knock back and chafe (see remarks) for 5 minutes, then rest for 10 minutes.
17. Shape the dough into a round loaf and place on on oiled baking sheet.
18. Cover with a tea towel and leave to prove until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hours.

19. Dust with flour and cut thee parallel slashes 1/2cm (1/4 inch) deep across the top of the loaf, then three more in the opposite direction to make a criss-cross pattern.
20. Bake in preheated oven (200° C/400° F) for 50 minutes until golden and hollow-sounding when tapped underneath.
21. Leave to cool on a wire rack.

Remarks:
Yeast alternative - For the starter, use 10g fresh yeast and for the dough, use 10g fresh yeast.
I had no "malt extract", so I used the same quantity Ovomaltine.

Chafe - Form the dough into a ball by cupping your hands gently around it and applying a light downwards pressure to the sides, while simoultaneously rotating the dough continuously in a steady clockwise motion. Continue until the dough is formed into an even, round shape.

Serving suggestions:
This bread tastes fantastic with strong and soft cheeses such as Brie de Meaux, raw milk Camembert, Maroille, Munster, raw milk French Reblochon and Epoisses.
Pate, terrines and vegetable/meat spreads will also pair well with this loaf.
It is also ideal for making bruschette.

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

~ Pain Italien ~
Cette recette est tirée du livre "Ultimate Bread" d'Eric Treuille et Ursula Ferrigno (voir compte-rendu en anglais).

Pour 1 pain.

Ingrédients pour le "Levain":
1 1/4 CC de Levure sèche
60ml d'Eau
125ml de Lait tiède
1 CC d'Extrait de malt (voir remarques)
200g de Farine blanche (taux de gluten élevé)
Ingredients pour la "Pâte":
1 1/4 CC de Levure sèche
200ml d'Eau
300g de Farine blanche (taux de protéine élevé)
2 CC de Sel

Méthode pour le "Levain":
1. Dans un bol, mélanger l'eau et le lait, puis saupoudrer avec la levure.
2. Laisser reposer pendant 5 minutes, puis ajouter l'extrait de malt et mélanger pour dissoudre.
3. Ajouter la farine et mélanger afin d'obtenir un pâte assez liquide/coulante.
4. Couvrir avec un linge et laisser fermenter pendant 12 heures.
Méthod pour la "Pâte":
5. Dans un bol, saupoudrer 100ml d'eau avec la levure.
6. Mélanger pour dissoudre.
7. Dans un grand bol, mélanger ensemble la farine et le sel.
8. Faire un puits et ajouter l'eau additionnée de levure ainsi que le levain.
9. Verser la moitié de l'eau restante dans le puits.

10. Ajouter la farine et suffisemment d'eau afin d'obtenir une pâte souple.
11. Poser cette pâte sur un plan de travail fariné et pétrir pendant 5 minutes.
12. Couvrir avec un linge et laisser reposer pendant 10 minutes.
13. Pétrir à nouveau pendant 5 minutes.
14. Mettre la pâte dans un bol propre et couvrir avec un linge.
15. Faire lever jusqu'à ce que la pâte ait triplé de volume, à peu près pendant 2 hours.
16. Préchauffer le four à 200° C et faire dégonfler et "bouler" (voir remarques), puis laisser reposer 10 minutes.
17. Donnez la forme d'une boule à votre pâte et posez-la sur une plaque de cuisson recouverte d'un papier sulfurisé huilé.

18. Couvrir avec un linge et laisser lever jusqu'à ce que votre pâte ait doublé de volume, à peu près pendant 1 heure et demie.
19. Soupoudrer votre pain de farine et lacérez-le (3 lignes parallèles d'un 1/2cm de profondeur et 3 lignes dans la direction opposée afin de créer un damier).
20. Cuire dans le four préchauffé à 200° C pendant 50 minutes, jusqu'à ce le pain soit bien doré et qu'il sonne creux.
21. Laisser refroidir sur une grille.

Remarques:
Levure fraîche - Pour le "Levain", utiliser 10g et pour la "Pâte", utiliser 10g.
Comme je n'avais pas d'extrait de malt, je l'ai remplacé pour la même quantité d'Ovomaltine.
Bouler - Former la pâte en une boule en mettant ses mains en coupe autour de la boule de pâte et en appliquant une pression légère sur les côtés, en direction de la base tout en exerçant un movement de rotation avec la pâte dans le sens des aiguilles d'une montre. Continuer jusqu'à ce que la pâte ressemble à une boule parfaite.

Idées de présentation:
Ce pain est fantastique lorsqu'il est mangé avec des fromages mous et forts tels que le Brie de Meaux, le Camembert au lait cru (AOC), le Maroille, le Munster, le Reblochon français au lait cru et l'Epoisses.
Les pâtés, terrines et les pâtes à tartiner (légumes/légumineux) à tartiner se marient aussi très bien avec ce pain.
Il est aussi parfait pour faire des bruschette.

WEEKEND CAT BLOGGING #156

This week, Megan and the Bad Kitty Cats at "Bad Kitty Cats" (USA) are happy to announce that they are hosting Weekend Cat Blogging #156...

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.

A calmer, cuter and angel-like version of Fridolin.
Zen and not devilish.
A real sweetie pie!