tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29727671089655148252024-03-19T02:57:51.904-07:00My Best Cookin' YetThis is a cooking blog for those who, like me, have a passion 4 cooking and entertaining friends and family. Here you can ask me questions regarding any doubts you may have about cooking. I promise that I will answer each and everyone of them to the best of my knowledge. I am bilingual, Spanish and English, so do not be afraid and get your hands on the kitchen. Saludos!
By Naty PiechoPassion 4 cookinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16898316692019819975noreply@blogger.comBlogger46125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2972767108965514825.post-259810201086305152011-09-01T13:12:00.000-07:002011-09-02T07:07:49.948-07:00My Adventures As A Local Food Grower<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">To
many people, growing plants, vegetables, or any type of greenery is an
easy task. However, this is in no way my case. I am a very, rather I
should say, extremely lousy gardener. Not long time ago, I even tried
to maintain alive a very tiny cactus that my daughter gave to me as a
present for mother’s day. Needless to say, my attempt ended up in a
wrinkled, dead, sadly looking cactus. To this day, my daughter never
forgave me for letting her precious gift go to waste; and she avidly
promised by no means to give me another plant as a present. </span></div>
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Today,
I am no better plant grower. However, through trial and error, I have
learned a few tricks here and there, and thanks to our lovely, and very
intelligent mother nature I can proudly say that I have fortunately
ventured into the amazing habit of growing my own fruit trees in my
backyard; with great success, I believe.</div>
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After
enthusiastically reading, and later practicing about sustainable
agriculture proposed in innumerable occasions by Alice Waters; or
discovering Michael Pollan´s encouragement to bring pleasure back to
eating in his book In Defense Of Food, I have found out the incredible
satisfaction that is to cultivate yourself part of what you eat.
Persistence and hard work have let me to delightfully taste the fruits
of my own harvest.</div>
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My
story as an improvised horticulturist began in a lovely house in a
nameless town, where a once manicured lawn was rapidly surrendering to
abandonment and decay. Ordinary plants disorderly grew everywhere, and
the thirsty grass seemed more like a desert than an oasis. A cadaverous
mango tree was the only tree still standing in the yard. Just a few
yellow leaves decorated its treetop like a fragile, aged bold man.
Nevertheless, the plot was spacious and the place had a great potential
to become our home for the coming future, and the whole family
absolutely fell in love with it. (It is too bad that I did not take any
pictures at the time)</div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"> Days
passed, and we arduously cared for the garden. We watered the trees,
fertilized the soil, and colorful plants and flowers dressed up now our
new backyard, delighting us with a gratifying sight.</span></div>
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The
mango tree leaves flourished, and eventually flowered. Precious
little flower buds populated its once neglected branches. Soon,
hundreds of mini-mangoes fully developed into luxurious fruits, sweet,
ripe, and juicy ambrosia, which daringly tempted every visitor who came
to my house.</div>
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It was as Eve was luring Adam in God’s Garden.</div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">One
thing led to another, and sooner rather than later I had planted one
papaya tree, two autochthonous banana trees, one lime tree, one avocado
tree, my own aromatic herb garden, and a Clementine tree. However, the
latest did not make it to this summer. I am, somehow, still trying to
find out what happened.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Early
this spring, we tasted our organic papayas, and they were sweet morsels
of delight. The papaya tree is the envy of my neighbors. And to this
day, enormous papayas are continuously growing out of it.</span></div>
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The
banana trees are about 5 feet tall and are still maturing. I am hoping
to dutifully enjoy some of my local bananas by March next year. Like I
said, patience is the key essence of being a gardener, a trait I yet
have to properly develop.</div>
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The
young avocado tree is still too tender to offer its fruits, but its
dark green leaves are proliferating trough the branches making it hard
for anyone to see the trunk. I can imagine myself savoring the creamy
almond taste of the avocados, once the first flowers appear. I surely
will share with you some of my best recipes like shrimp cocktail
avocados, or red onion shavings and avocado slices dressed in balsamic
vinaigrette once I collect my reward.</div>
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Planting an herb garden is a recommendation that I seriously follow
anywhere I get to live. Nowadays, more and more food connoisseurs,
great American chefs, even food bloggers like me are convincing people
to get into the habit of procuring oneself a little terracotta pot, or
if you are lucky enough, your own piece of land where to grow fresh
oregano, sage, thyme, rosemary and anything else that you can get your
hands on. Trust me, any meal cooked with love, passion and of course,
pesticide free, organic natural herbs make a huge difference in your
taste buds and in the taste buds of your loved ones.</span></div>
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And
so, my adventures as a food grower continue as I learn new things every
passing day. And to this moment, when I take a look at my garden, I
can’t help but momentarily travel back in time to that first sight of my
lonely, thirsty mango tree. My neglected piece of land has become my
refuge, my psychologist (because I talk to my plants,) my pride and joy.</div>
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My
point behind this story is that with this recipe that mother nature has
passed on to me: a teaspoon of love, a pinch of carefulness, a bit of
sun, and a dash of fertilizer you too can grow something very unique in
your terracotta pots, or around your garden. Something that will fulfill
an unknown sentiment inside you, which once awaken it could never be
stopped, and like an addict it will require you to increase the dose.
For starters, you can procure yourself one of those small basil aromatic
plants, follow my advice and the next time you need basil for your
Capresse salad, use your own grown culinary herbs and taste the
difference. You’ll know what I mean.</div>
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Nothing
can compare to the pleasure that it is to sample the fruits of your
hard, caring labor, and for that, I am unconditionally thankful to our
mother nature.</div>
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For now, I am just deciding on what tree I should plant next ... </div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
NATY PIECHO</div>
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</span></div>
Passion 4 cookinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16898316692019819975noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2972767108965514825.post-71084046892166267762011-01-23T06:45:00.000-08:002011-01-23T06:45:25.352-08:00Barcelona, Living a Dream A few months ago, I had the wonderful opportunity to visit the extraordinary city of Barcelona. Although, I ate many of the delightful and appetizing local food, the only thing that left me in complete awe was a medieval neighborhood full of entangled, obscure streets, full with astonishing, complicated building architectures. As I strolled through them, I found myself living a dream. Here is my fantasy: <br />
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</style> No matter how many times I travel to the ancient city of Barcelona, Spain, I always find myself immersed in a magical and amazing story. My mind wonders uncontrollably, and influenced by the fascinating architecture, it takes me back in time. I am the protagonist of my own fictional adventure. <br />
<div class="MsoNormal"> Walking through the cluttered streets of the “Barrio Gotico”, I feel like a time traveler.<br />
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The “barrio”, or neighborhood as we would call it, is a labyrinth of narrow streets, each one different than the next, each one offering a new original architecture causing amazement to the eyes of the hungry travelers that curiously roam through them. I imagine that seen from high above, we look like little lost ants. I keep walking. And I keep taking pictures, lots of them, always from the ground up. It is so much more interesting to look up than ahead. A myriad of small balconies align themselves up and down the thousands of antique buildings that form the old neighborhood. Some of them are beautifully decorated with multicolored flowers sprinkled here and there. And some of them just lie there, nude, with their long, open windows welcoming the fresh breeze of the city’s late summer wind. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqXeEICmpuLEDLcCrEJ8VlWG1U5idiTtAnwpK3LBjkXhTeVIojT7iopVVia1oh8hilVIvW3qFfaW4MVBBCXU8Z9iC991ruzpKjI8k8aQUfI_IEdzL7nyw_6PnThF-vZg5LUpj5ikSJwMA/s1600/barcelona+balacon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqXeEICmpuLEDLcCrEJ8VlWG1U5idiTtAnwpK3LBjkXhTeVIojT7iopVVia1oh8hilVIvW3qFfaW4MVBBCXU8Z9iC991ruzpKjI8k8aQUfI_IEdzL7nyw_6PnThF-vZg5LUpj5ikSJwMA/s320/barcelona+balacon.jpg" width="239" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim_ccBAyYAaF91G1BzYVpzKlj5XeKzkT7i40czdyKEd0EPEwz8HDbbspVGqnFmvN3PYPf48WZmfmGrZx0XC7jdEqEaseRDiAcXTYJ5kbHLhjVEZIAgA_6B_dO_WOTRjVxJYlNCHMTyjvI/s1600/balconies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim_ccBAyYAaF91G1BzYVpzKlj5XeKzkT7i40czdyKEd0EPEwz8HDbbspVGqnFmvN3PYPf48WZmfmGrZx0XC7jdEqEaseRDiAcXTYJ5kbHLhjVEZIAgA_6B_dO_WOTRjVxJYlNCHMTyjvI/s320/balconies.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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To me, they are just like silent, old witnesses of the present day and past centuries. I wonder what they have seen.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxfrYzze15uWkoFNTQ1Y77fX8draLhp5cAbQ7WRz9DJy6epf29MMhnyXLLtHHJs3NDHesKXtWPNba0nXt11rNbOUgIF6Oiw_ewR1lYqPz0r5HA03ZdzB-5Gl_GSt3ysx7pZb2w_hqXkDA/s1600/balcony+antique.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxfrYzze15uWkoFNTQ1Y77fX8draLhp5cAbQ7WRz9DJy6epf29MMhnyXLLtHHJs3NDHesKXtWPNba0nXt11rNbOUgIF6Oiw_ewR1lYqPz0r5HA03ZdzB-5Gl_GSt3ysx7pZb2w_hqXkDA/s1600/balcony+antique.jpg" /></a></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"> Just for an ethereal moment, I am transformed into a medieval damsel waiting to be rescued by her handsome knight who proudly rides in a perfectly white horse. I feel Dulcinea in a Don Quixote novel, required reading for anybody remotely interested in Spanish culture. An image interrupted by the incessant coming and going of annoying tourists who roam around trying to find the true Barcelona.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1C6FNDPg2zH5yXB3AZwvXygAklGeF3IoWrFzcd1wcoYx6uIg3cgry97tT8a7bfqZn5jps_eit51mX2hl7nk6koBChQtkQHd8pGHrSMV3HSNDzDLoRQl9bBV9WF3VoB94n98OXJJDbKFs/s1600/Dali.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1C6FNDPg2zH5yXB3AZwvXygAklGeF3IoWrFzcd1wcoYx6uIg3cgry97tT8a7bfqZn5jps_eit51mX2hl7nk6koBChQtkQHd8pGHrSMV3HSNDzDLoRQl9bBV9WF3VoB94n98OXJJDbKFs/s1600/Dali.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgicoHEiCLLtfVvveZfdssV3jaXeuBxMbmbTZmq0MMbnKrn5egvFn5HzLaO3CelNx5u7PGCzCR3FtRdsQSY8h-8tomrDFvQzv7qJYiZEvECgotfeYGqgPyDzTOfktczwcq1Av5DTx-gNdo/s1600/barcelona+streets.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgicoHEiCLLtfVvveZfdssV3jaXeuBxMbmbTZmq0MMbnKrn5egvFn5HzLaO3CelNx5u7PGCzCR3FtRdsQSY8h-8tomrDFvQzv7qJYiZEvECgotfeYGqgPyDzTOfktczwcq1Av5DTx-gNdo/s1600/barcelona+streets.jpg" /></a></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"> At night, the neighborhood changes. It suffers a metamorphosis, and the ancient buildings witness how the night creatures come out. People, natives and foreigners, turn to alcohol to have a good time. Hundreds of immigrants come out of the shadows looking to make a couple of easy Euros by selling products, most of them illegal. The Barrio Gotico changes its innocent semblance, and the multicolor version of the daylight gives way to the lugubrious color of the night. And for the first time, I was afraid. I did not like what I experienced. Personally, I prefer being Dulcinea in medieval Catalunya, accompanied by her brave knight. And it is here where my memories of Barcelona lie. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIERRHaWIvD6hBPOmThKFldfkoCQSIWdmY0jRajO1sFVCN0-g17S6g0m4_e3dDvZpKg38gbza2rEsIBKwV1mDM1Amh3CQ5h_1fyfgKMu27sSibUk7-ASDBKWMfVpYa0Y031JcA1ket9do/s1600/church.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIERRHaWIvD6hBPOmThKFldfkoCQSIWdmY0jRajO1sFVCN0-g17S6g0m4_e3dDvZpKg38gbza2rEsIBKwV1mDM1Amh3CQ5h_1fyfgKMu27sSibUk7-ASDBKWMfVpYa0Y031JcA1ket9do/s1600/church.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/243/532B61667ECAFFE53E327C584542CC77.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/243/532B61667ECAFFE53E327C584542CC77.png" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent; border: 0pt none ! important;" /></a> </div>Passion 4 cookinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16898316692019819975noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2972767108965514825.post-63959519745535395282010-12-24T10:00:00.000-08:002010-12-24T10:00:34.986-08:00Happy Holidays I wish everybody happy holidays. For me this is the most stressful time of the year, but at the end of the day, when everybody has eaten plenty of deliciously looking food, food that otherwise you would have not prepared if not for this special occasion, after all the congratulations on your beautifully decorated table, then, is when you realize that all your "days" work has been worth it. This wonderful moment is what I call happiness. Like I said in previous posts, I like to cook, but most of all, I love to see my family eating my food. And today, it is all about you: cooks from all over the world. Today, is when you can show off your learned skills. Today is when you can thank your family, and celebrate this time of the year, no matter what you believe in, because what matters is that you are all together. <br />
In my next post, I will tell you all about my planned menu for Christmas day. Happy Holidays from me! <br />
<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/243/532B61667ECAFFE53E327C584542CC77.png" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent; border: 0pt none ! important;" /></a><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"></a>Passion 4 cookinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16898316692019819975noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2972767108965514825.post-35405085116871752072010-12-17T11:16:00.000-08:002010-12-17T11:16:40.963-08:00Stuffed Green and Red Peppers (Capsicums) A few days ago, I found myself wondering through one of the farmers market so popular nowadays. There is one right where I live. I can not emphasize enough the importance that supporting your local farmers mean to the environment, and particularly to your health. I just love to enjoy the multicolor array of vegetables, fruits, flowers and all of the rest edible, natural products that vendors proudly display on their tables. If it was up to me, I would buy one of each. But thanks to my reasonable husband, we always end up with just what we need the most. He is a good "househusband," economically speaking. This is one of the reasons why I take him along when I visit my local organic market every weekend. It was there that I luckily found these beautiful green and red bell peppers, or capsicums. As soon as I laid my eyes on them, I knew exactly what I wanted to make with them: Stuffed Bell Peppers. <br />
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For those of you who like your vegetables, and also for those of you who do not really enjoy eating them, this recipe will be a hit. It is a little bit of work to prepare it, but the tasty meal that you end up with justifies the hard work. <br />
<b> Ingredients for 6 people (Half a pepper for each)</b> <br />
<ul><li>3 whole bell peppers</li>
<li> 2 lbs. of ground lean beef</li>
<li>2 cups of cooked white rice </li>
<li>1/2 onion</li>
<li>1/2 green pepper</li>
<li>1/2 red pepper</li>
<li>4 garlic cloves</li>
<li>1/2 cup parshley</li>
<li>2 cups of tomato puree </li>
<li>1/8 teaspoon of nutmeg</li>
<li>1/8 teaspoon of ground clove</li>
<li>1/4 teaspoon of dried oregano</li>
<li>1/4 teaspoon of dried herbs du Provence</li>
<li>1/4 teaspoon of dried thyme</li>
<li>1/4 teaspoon of curry</li>
<li> dash of cumin </li>
<li>1/4 teaspoon of Spanish paprika </li>
<li>1 cup of white cooking wine</li>
<li>3/4 cup of Parmesan cheese</li>
<li>Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste</li>
</ul> Mix well in a blender the following ingredients according to the recipes quantities: onion, green and red peppers, garlic, parshley, tomato pure, nutmeg, ground clove, oregano, herbs du Provence, thyme, salt and pepper to taste. Blend it until smooth. Pour it into a large skillet and cook it for about 20 to 25 minutes on medium heat, turning occasionally with a wooden spoon. Put a cover so the "sofrito" doesn't splash all aver your kitchen.<br />
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Meanwhile, cut each of the bell peppers in half carefully so the stem does not fall off, take out the seeds and clean them under running water. Dry them with a paper towel and arrange them in an oven safe tray, or pyrex.<br />
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Cook the ground meat for 10 minutes, but be careful not to overcook it. Just enough because it will cook all the way through later in the oven. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIE6X6RcUBLU14kIyNW8He3uAeBqNB8OVBEw7bTBPfJTULCLmr5n1oZ-zLowVtxy_K1PJi7uW1Oa8JFc2e_qBt-zpe1s9-Io7ycGrJrpavWGii9r52HzOWbSrMuRPg73XQCaHWl04Ug9k/s1600/meatforpeppers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIE6X6RcUBLU14kIyNW8He3uAeBqNB8OVBEw7bTBPfJTULCLmr5n1oZ-zLowVtxy_K1PJi7uW1Oa8JFc2e_qBt-zpe1s9-Io7ycGrJrpavWGii9r52HzOWbSrMuRPg73XQCaHWl04Ug9k/s1600/meatforpeppers.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Check your sauce, and when it thickens add the cooked ground meat. Stir. Add curry, Spanish paprika, and cumin, and cook for about 5 more minutes. Check the seasoning in case it needs more salt. Set aside and let it cool for ten minutes.<br />
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, or 180 degrees C.<br />
Stuff the peppers with the meat sauce. Sprinkle some Parmesan cheese on top, and pour 1 cup white wine in the tray around the peppers.<br />
Cook it in the oven for 40 minutes.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib0XbNIhphoPEMyNfaXdH_-nkFilRunrzWStZNLtgQ1IXZQBzdM3AswriLAwQ5YtM3RXEBa-OCD8uhgCQCrMv8Ma1mk-QvNw8iq-dHbcvVH9cgqA9XOV16czgy2AJjUoUiwgJtz0zpse4/s1600/Manystuffedpeppers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib0XbNIhphoPEMyNfaXdH_-nkFilRunrzWStZNLtgQ1IXZQBzdM3AswriLAwQ5YtM3RXEBa-OCD8uhgCQCrMv8Ma1mk-QvNw8iq-dHbcvVH9cgqA9XOV16czgy2AJjUoUiwgJtz0zpse4/s1600/Manystuffedpeppers.jpg" /></a></div> <br />
Serve it with a good glass of wine and Que aproveche!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipPRO98iUPpXxk_Ic26IgfBW7M3uYXQETsvRyOW-xzk_fzYzrjM-T0wv_ElDqLuxmDF0DxBSYnT-odFXIgD9AE7rmCIV445qHhMupesYPWTY4Y3DDcKfuXEQvM7RFGNa35fFMAttkeTrk/s1600/stuffedpepper.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipPRO98iUPpXxk_Ic26IgfBW7M3uYXQETsvRyOW-xzk_fzYzrjM-T0wv_ElDqLuxmDF0DxBSYnT-odFXIgD9AE7rmCIV445qHhMupesYPWTY4Y3DDcKfuXEQvM7RFGNa35fFMAttkeTrk/s1600/stuffedpepper.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/243/532B61667ECAFFE53E327C584542CC77.png" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent; border: 0pt none ! important;" /></a>Passion 4 cookinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16898316692019819975noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2972767108965514825.post-75807418376441530242010-11-09T14:10:00.000-08:002010-11-09T14:10:54.894-08:00My November Thanks Giving<span style="color: orange; font-size: large;"><b>A Very Special Present From My Lovely Husband</b></span><br />
I enjoy giving presents to my loved ones, but most of all I LOVE receiving them, specially for no reason at all. The latter is always my lovely husband's job. He has that gift a few people have of knowing exactly what you need, or what you really, really want. He is always surprising me by bringing home wonderful little gifts, boxes of my favorite chocolates(Godiva!,) or books that I devour in a couple of days. Just the other day, he came home from the post office and out the blue he gave me a little box to open. Surprise, surprise! It was a beautiful recipe journal, completely blank, and for me to fill out. I could not be more thankful to him. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLj4rPGnH9civWxYbb_WPga3aW-DAc_mLd8G5vF0wotixcrqKeWhNyRUfH9SRQ90RpbjJ-l76dC0bbh69YO2diCygbw_XkgIHP5XevdwU5aEstRiMhJaFmv3DQjdFlRzV02sY4dLTI23w/s1600/recipejournal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLj4rPGnH9civWxYbb_WPga3aW-DAc_mLd8G5vF0wotixcrqKeWhNyRUfH9SRQ90RpbjJ-l76dC0bbh69YO2diCygbw_XkgIHP5XevdwU5aEstRiMhJaFmv3DQjdFlRzV02sY4dLTI23w/s320/recipejournal.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
The recipe journal is a 5x8", acid free notebook that has 6 different sections to fill in, 6 extra tabbed sections for you to personalize, food calendars, food facts, and measure and conversion tables, plus a couple of hundreds of stickers to help you with your recipe collection. The covers are an imitation of black leather beautifully embossed with different kitchen utensils. If you want to make an impression, or just wish to thank somebody, or maybe you want it for yourself, Amazon.com has them at<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Moleskine-Passions-Recipe-Journal/dp/8862933150?ie=UTF8&tag=mybyet-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank"> Moleskine Passions Recipe Journal</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=mybyet-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=8862933150" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" />. It is for sure one of those presents that you will treasure forever.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHlUeFmPkX1rH5IfEhqbpadWWQ7p8Krhx3eWY6UEPAopTMLeC0SGVrqQBJaOqsgkisd1O8AIBY6qLlB4MdDXkbIgBXVzgxj2B6fAjXeGacGlYdeTsN-iRZhqxmJ1kpBaQr78J332wcpNw/s1600/tabs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHlUeFmPkX1rH5IfEhqbpadWWQ7p8Krhx3eWY6UEPAopTMLeC0SGVrqQBJaOqsgkisd1O8AIBY6qLlB4MdDXkbIgBXVzgxj2B6fAjXeGacGlYdeTsN-iRZhqxmJ1kpBaQr78J332wcpNw/s320/tabs.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> <br />
For me, this book is not just a recipe journal, but my husband's adorable and admirable attempt to demonstrate me how much he supports my project. A project that came out of nowhere, and now it has gotten me to two cooking blogs, a few supporters, whom I cherish for confiding in my experience to show them how some recipes are easily done, and a dozen of new food related books that otherwise, if not for Carlos (my husband's name,) I would never had the pleasure to read and enjoy.<br />
Carlos always keeps the presents a secret (he always does) until he finds the right moment to give it to me. He is constantly surprising me and today, I would like to acknowledge his hard work by thanking him publicly in my blog. My dear husband, I love you, and I am very happy to be your wife. I am forever grateful at how hard you work to keep me happy. Carlos, thank you! <br />
My proposition today for anybody who read my blog is to take a moment and ask yourself... Who do you have to thank this Thanksgiving? <br />
<a href="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/243/532B61667ECAFFE53E327C584542CC77.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/243/532B61667ECAFFE53E327C584542CC77.png" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent; border: 0pt none ! important;" /></a>Passion 4 cookinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16898316692019819975noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2972767108965514825.post-79258233596309376352010-10-24T05:49:00.000-07:002010-10-24T05:49:18.541-07:00Chocolate Bread - Pan de Chocolate Happy Halloween to everybody! Every year, the month of October is very special to me. Not only because I love celebrations, and Halloween is a big one for our family, but because fourteen years ago this 31st, my son was born, right in the middle of Trick or Treat. I remember my numerous family being all around me, each and everyone of them, beautifully dressed in Halloween costumes. All celebrating at the hospital, the day when my first born saw light for the very first time. A big smile draws on my face as I think about it.<br />
This post is not about Halloween, but about my son, Carlos Jr. I want to, somehow, dedicate the month of October to him, and what better way to do it than by recounting one of my kitchen adventures with him. <br />
About two weeks ago, during one of those weekends at home, Carlos came up to me after watching one of his favorite Anime cartoons, and asked me if he could make bread. I was astonished. Never before he showed any interest in the culinary arts, but today he wanted to venture into the complicated world of bread making. My experience in the kitchen is not too broad. I am not a professional chef, but I am not afraid of embarking in new enterprises. Although, he made me ask myself where this new acquired interest came from.<br />
Not wanting to formulate any other questions that would scare him away from the kitchen, I turned to my treasured cookbooks. In fact, I have one on that topic. It is a Spanish book that I accidentally found in a small shop in a little town in Tenerife, Canary Islands. At the time, I did not know why I wanted it but, destiny made me buy it. It is called "Pan recién hecho", which translated would be freshly made bread, from Parragon Books, United Kingdom.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh78MAMxqgbRb6gPPpsxc3RigLQ087ZeCtiVhvBjdRLs1bQsr-5F-wzzZ9uKntixtonTa-46-7RIeN3kJrhaGhNkgs4jI1Y6s5-DMhtZgxY6rwkE3tlmXwm7aflNIeCzYJMUah_KHQBc9U/s1600/Panrecienhecho.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh78MAMxqgbRb6gPPpsxc3RigLQ087ZeCtiVhvBjdRLs1bQsr-5F-wzzZ9uKntixtonTa-46-7RIeN3kJrhaGhNkgs4jI1Y6s5-DMhtZgxY6rwkE3tlmXwm7aflNIeCzYJMUah_KHQBc9U/s1600/Panrecienhecho.jpg" /></a></div><br />
He looked through it until he found what he wanted to bake: Chocolate bread. We got all the ingredients ready. Carlos was all set and ready to get his hands on the dough. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzleXJSyzq8KvcI5JgKoPifwJXKC3dO2Tgc7UjdtZR7SPeXQKqqMky3o79WvkxQ9eDWyETD-LD_qm4j_ra7W8Pu24sJo8Sp2Kr1OIK5zJNsh0gPV-nKgYl9EVb_BLitSpTUKMAdPMPco0/s1600/carloscook.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzleXJSyzq8KvcI5JgKoPifwJXKC3dO2Tgc7UjdtZR7SPeXQKqqMky3o79WvkxQ9eDWyETD-LD_qm4j_ra7W8Pu24sJo8Sp2Kr1OIK5zJNsh0gPV-nKgYl9EVb_BLitSpTUKMAdPMPco0/s320/carloscook.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
He knitted the dough, added water, flour, chocolate chips and anything that the recipe called for. He followed instructions faithfully, and as it turned out, the chocolate bread came out perfect.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiONXQBlOsGzv5GgWa3iYWlSp5i8g7Q92dtfgikeRaKh3aH7ZnexRl2ve3Lfk5M8JX6xVhlcAGw4imCnZr6BHrDmjavM-QG-0t6W5yS45cepLNZHCM8mW-R1uY0v8HlJqdMdMNGQPSTgCA/s1600/handsondough2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiONXQBlOsGzv5GgWa3iYWlSp5i8g7Q92dtfgikeRaKh3aH7ZnexRl2ve3Lfk5M8JX6xVhlcAGw4imCnZr6BHrDmjavM-QG-0t6W5yS45cepLNZHCM8mW-R1uY0v8HlJqdMdMNGQPSTgCA/s400/handsondough2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>When he got the bread out of the oven, his face lit up like a kid at Christmas opening all the presents that Santa left for him under the tree. He was really proud of himself. And, so was I. With his own hands and no machinery, he made the perfect chocolate bread. Carlos, I am happy that you became part of my life fourteen years ago. Mommy wishes you Happy Birthday!<br />
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The following is the recipe taken directly from the book "Pan recién hecho" from Parragon Books, U.K. and translated by me.<br />
Ingredients:<br />
<ul><li>2 cups of flour, plus more to dust the pan</li>
<li>1 tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa powder</li>
<li>a dash of salt</li>
<li>1tablespoon of butter cut in little squares</li>
<li>1/2 teaspoons of clarified butter to spread over the bread</li>
<li>1 tablespoon of caster sugar</li>
<li>1 pack of active yeast</li>
<li>2/3 of a cup of warm water</li>
<li>1/3 cup of chocolate chips</li>
</ul><ol><li>Spray a loaf pan with cooking spray to prevent the bread from sticking to the pan once it is all done. Sift together the flour, salt and cocoa powder. Add the butter cut in squares, the sugar and the active yeast.</li>
<li>Slowly pour into the mix the water, turning with a wooden spoon until the dough starts to form. Work the dough with your hands and then transfer it to a working table covered with parchment paper, dust some flour and work it again for about 10 more minutes.<br />
</li>
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3. Add the chocolate chips, and transfer to a bowl. Cover it with a wet cloth and let it sit in a warm place for 1 hour and a half.<br />
4. Preheat the oven to 220 degrees C (425 degrees F.) Bake the bread for 10 minutes, then lower the temperature to 190º C (375º F) and keep baking it for 15 minutes.<br />
5. Take the chocolate bread out of the oven and transfer it to a wire rack. Brush it with the clarified butter and cover with a kitchen cloth to let it cool. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHgjSdVZOKFiBoQc3npdoou4E_Wudt4RKe2WJtjmOHdoPMmVtWU0FREekzRCl4-AurcWPqxLUej2lE2ggLXCJ-qNv-VpYFIiu0HbQfwLk4ENtA-XN9LsLaRPcqN32klCoMyJ8ln0npcYY/s1600/chocbread.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHgjSdVZOKFiBoQc3npdoou4E_Wudt4RKe2WJtjmOHdoPMmVtWU0FREekzRCl4-AurcWPqxLUej2lE2ggLXCJ-qNv-VpYFIiu0HbQfwLk4ENtA-XN9LsLaRPcqN32klCoMyJ8ln0npcYY/s400/chocbread.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
This is Carlos' final product following the above recipe. I can assure that it tasted delicious and it became our mid day snack. It was gone in a matter of minutes. Que aproveche! <br />
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<a href="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/243/532B61667ECAFFE53E327C584542CC77.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/243/532B61667ECAFFE53E327C584542CC77.png" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent; border: 0pt none ! important;" /></a>Passion 4 cookinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16898316692019819975noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2972767108965514825.post-5478209918350983722010-09-29T10:11:00.000-07:002010-09-29T10:11:32.594-07:00Gazpacho There is nothing more Spanish, besides from Tortilla Española (Spanish omelet,) than gazpacho. Gazpacho is a cold, refreshing and a bit acidic vegetable soup. Although its main ingredient are red ripe tomatoes, the making of gazpacho also includes cucumbers, onions and garlic. A complicated arrangements of flavors if we take into account that all of them are consumed raw. But when well combined, and given the Spanish twist, the end product enters your mouth and immediately your palate recognizes the goodness in all of it, leaving you longing for more. Particularly, if you are in the middle of Andalusia, Spain, during the summer months, when the temperatures usually break the previous year's record. <br />
It is said, that gazpacho comes precisely from Andalusia, a region located in the South of Spain. There you can find at almost any restaurant different varieties of gazpacho, all of them having in common the use of tomatoes, and the way it is served, always very cold. The rest of the ingredients could vary in the amount it is made of, or the addition of any other element. But basically, I found a recipe for gazpacho that I adore, and usually I have it ready in my refrigerator every other week. So when I am looking to enjoy a cold, refreshing and tasty soup, I do not have to go all the way to Andalusia to get it. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2mkzizWQDlgpu5XxAu1EdIrQdooCYX4419VbDKGN1nRe2jw73yQiO9T6Qb_ELc-84xhOQjTD0GatCtV6IAjo0rsWAEDLdwTF5T7iBT4B7uFC1NnZ2t6fK-LbFYz-kDuNU8XeqKIcJhn8/s1600/gazpacho2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2mkzizWQDlgpu5XxAu1EdIrQdooCYX4419VbDKGN1nRe2jw73yQiO9T6Qb_ELc-84xhOQjTD0GatCtV6IAjo0rsWAEDLdwTF5T7iBT4B7uFC1NnZ2t6fK-LbFYz-kDuNU8XeqKIcJhn8/s400/gazpacho2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div> Ingredients: <br />
<ul><li>2 pounds of red ripe tomatoes plus 2 more tomatoes</li>
<li>1 garlic clove (peeled)</li>
<li>1/3 cup of green peppers</li>
<li>1/4 cup of onions</li>
<li>1/2 cup peeled cucumber</li>
<li>2 tablespoons of white vinegar</li>
<li>3 and 1/2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil</li>
<li>6 ice cubes</li>
<li>1 teaspoon of salt</li>
</ul> Introduce all the ingredients in a blender and mix well. Gradually increase the speed to the highest. The longer you mix it the better. It needs to be smooth with a creamy consistency. Put the soup in the refrigerator for about 2 hours.<br />
Meanwhile, finely chop extra onions, green peppers, and cucumbers by hand. (Not included in the amounts above, so use any extra you may have) These are to be presented at the table along with the gazpacho.<br />
Serve the gazpacho in a bowl with the chopped veggies and some croutons on the side. Que aproveche!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPyulN4vm7KgExjcxJFTdzy8sIpvRd94sX-DukWk0NEtWzj2U0IemVZpmZJDnn2EaoVD9Uvhb7kJrafKSFMQ1bW4iBWt61WGfPxaV95TCCGsiXUUKK5hVrZLkRb5ILZ7m3SZCiuEjqXCY/s1600/gazpacho1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPyulN4vm7KgExjcxJFTdzy8sIpvRd94sX-DukWk0NEtWzj2U0IemVZpmZJDnn2EaoVD9Uvhb7kJrafKSFMQ1bW4iBWt61WGfPxaV95TCCGsiXUUKK5hVrZLkRb5ILZ7m3SZCiuEjqXCY/s320/gazpacho1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<a href="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/243/532B61667ECAFFE53E327C584542CC77.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/243/532B61667ECAFFE53E327C584542CC77.png" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent; border: 0pt none ! important;" /></a>Passion 4 cookinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16898316692019819975noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2972767108965514825.post-15492699839788035432010-09-22T14:49:00.000-07:002010-09-22T14:52:05.173-07:00Masa Real-A Cuban Dessert I love guava, and so do Cubans. Their heritage influences American cuisine all around Florida, and nowadays even around the country. This is the reason why we can commonly find at any fashionable restaurant dishes made out of key Cuban ingredients like mango, guava or plantains. Just take a good look at any popular restaurant around your town and chances are that you will find, included at their menu, entrees like fried yellowtail with mango salsa, or seared tuna in guava sauce. And believe me... they taste amazingly delicious. The sweet and salty pairing is a flavor that I have learned to love and enjoy greatly. This is what I like to refer as the Cuban nouvelle cuisine. <br />
More traditional uses of guava among Cubans include desserts like "masa real." There is no literary translation to English, so if you decide to give it a chance, and have a piece, you better practice your Spanish. To me, it is the perfect dessert to accompany a big and strong cup of coffee. The texture is comparable to soft, juicy pound cake, and sandwiched in between lies the sweet and tangy guava. It is easy to bake, and once you get the hang of it, it will forever become part of your culinary repertoire. <br />
I have to thank my dearest mother in law, Elina, for the special recipe that I am about to share with you all. She got it from her mother, and she passed it to me. It is a family recipe, and as I always say, there is nothing like homemade food. Que aproveche!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsHn890r90IsFrdt3fGy90puEJQ4Ss7D13mKD4TAuLmMKJwntmfY9WI8qgLfPvxTel2WZR_7Cfn_SU3C7j0o6DXDoseKn7lI8dVf1zUcFgmjKr3FFGqK3g3PEdd6_LnSU3Q4cvjKcU5-c/s1600/masareal.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsHn890r90IsFrdt3fGy90puEJQ4Ss7D13mKD4TAuLmMKJwntmfY9WI8qgLfPvxTel2WZR_7Cfn_SU3C7j0o6DXDoseKn7lI8dVf1zUcFgmjKr3FFGqK3g3PEdd6_LnSU3Q4cvjKcU5-c/s320/masareal.JPG" /></a></div>Ingredients:<br />
<ul><li>1 Guava bar </li>
<li>2 cups of flour</li>
<li>1 cup of sugar</li>
<li>1 1/2 sticks of butter</li>
<li>3 eggs</li>
<li>1 teaspoon of baking powder</li>
<li>1/2 teaspoon of salt</li>
<li>2 tablespoons of sherry wine </li>
</ul> Preheat the oven to 375 degrees (190 grades centigrades.)<br />
Butter a rectangular baking pan (5x8.) <br />
Slice the guava in thin slices.<br />
Sift together the flour, salt and baking powder. Set aside.<br />
Cream butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer. Add the eggs, one at a time. Lower the speed and start pouring the dry ingredients carefully. Then, add the sherry wine. The dough looks soft and sticky. Divide the dough in two. Take one half and spoon the batter into the prepared baking pan. Carefully, place the guava on top of the batter without overlapping until the dough is covered. Then, spoon the other half on top with a spatula evenly throughout the baking pan. You will not be able to see the guava underneath.<br />
Bake for 40 to 45 minutes. Check it with a cake tester to make sure it is done.<br />
Let it cool before cutting it in 2x2" little squares.<br />
<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/243/532B61667ECAFFE53E327C584542CC77.png" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent; border: 0pt none ! important;" /></a>Passion 4 cookinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16898316692019819975noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2972767108965514825.post-66892231311062045122010-09-03T16:11:00.000-07:002010-09-03T16:11:32.128-07:00Homemade Meat Lasagna with Tomato Sauce I have to say that this is my own version of a lasagna. However, I also have to say that every time I make it to friends or family members I get in return lots of compliments on how surprisingly tasty the lasagna is. Last week, I had my husband's friends over in my house for lunch. Spanish lunch that is. My menu initially, before I knew there would be so many more people over for lunch that day, was codfish with a vinaigrette spiced up by Canarian green hot peppers, and accompanied by boiled potatoes. Instead, I ended up serving leftover homemade lasagna from the day before together with the cod fish; since we were a bit too many. Not a match made in heaven I would think, but it would have to do in such a short notice. To make my story short, the lasagna was the queen of the party, not the fresh codfish from Norway. My meat lasagna had dethroned the royal cod fish. It disappeared in a matter of minutes leaving my husband's friends longing for more. <br />
Days later, one of them called me insisting that I "must" post it in my blog. He confessed that he wanted to cook it for his wife and family. Today, I am granting his wish. <br />
The secret to my meat lasagna is, beside buying good quality meat, is my homemade tomato sauce, which I previously published in this blog. So I recommend you to make the sauce ahead of time following my own recipe. <br />
The rest of the ingredients are:<br />
<br />
<ul><li>2 pounds of ricotta cheese</li>
<li>2 cups of freshly grated parmesan cheese</li>
<li>2 pounds of shredded mozzarella cheese</li>
<li>1 pound and a half of ground lean beef</li>
<li>1 pack of barilla no boil pasta sheets</li>
<li>3 tablespoons of olive oil</li>
<li>garlic powder </li>
<li>onion powder</li>
<li>oregano</li>
<li>herbs du Provence</li>
<li>black pepper</li>
<li>salt</li>
</ul> Preheat the oven to 325º F, or 170º C.<br />
Heat a skillet with 3 tablespoons of oil, add the ground beef, stir and start to season with the herbs, garlic powder and onion powder, salt and pepper. About a teaspoon of each. Stir again and when the meat is cooked pour it into a bowl. <br />
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<br />
Do not overcook the meat. Remember that it will cook again in the oven once the lasagna is completely formed.<br />
Have the rest of the ingredients ready to use.<br />
Cover the bottom of a 13x9 pyrex lightly with tomato sauce. <br />
Next, set up a layer of Barilla no boil pasta sheets. Arrange them carefully so one is a bit on top of the other. <br />
Again, cover with sauce, and set up another layer with meat. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidzZmauK6bXyTwpAAJNN2fyEgqgm2R90BQjmmkxydvGOzg613FrxpfOaas2d56RiXLxKbLHpSvAOQsDk0Xh8OZn6Q848_xcoEla7l1RyESqH5AZFKU4k5CsANrxhRKqxeyRy2GhL6_84I/s1600/lasagna2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidzZmauK6bXyTwpAAJNN2fyEgqgm2R90BQjmmkxydvGOzg613FrxpfOaas2d56RiXLxKbLHpSvAOQsDk0Xh8OZn6Q848_xcoEla7l1RyESqH5AZFKU4k5CsANrxhRKqxeyRy2GhL6_84I/s320/lasagna2.JPG" /></a></div><br />
Then, sprinkle generously with mozzarella cheese, and parmesan cheese. Add spoonfuls of ricotta cheese until it is all pretty much covered. Spread some more sauce, and again cover with the pasta sheets. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZXREyqxwwr9nrLnKcAH0HJUL257EO9nL_YcyhBN-XHnJQCldYqetjhuUFEZHytzO3zZrt2ytf4owG_1ZcxdFdcHf5AGWzljGZ81nzxoNjbCQpLWIOFsNo-wjMvdHSCqykT1eCOTUeUGU/s1600/lasagna1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZXREyqxwwr9nrLnKcAH0HJUL257EO9nL_YcyhBN-XHnJQCldYqetjhuUFEZHytzO3zZrt2ytf4owG_1ZcxdFdcHf5AGWzljGZ81nzxoNjbCQpLWIOFsNo-wjMvdHSCqykT1eCOTUeUGU/s320/lasagna1.JPG" /></a></div><br />
Keep repeating this process, until the pan is full. Make sure the top has enough sauce to cover it all. Again, sprinkle a bit of parmesan and mozzarella, but not ricotta.<br />
Put it in the middle rack of the oven for about 30 to 45 minutes. I have a trick to make sure the lasagna is done properly. I introduce a knife in one of the sides to feel if the pasta is already soft, and I carefully touch the sides of the knife to check if it is hot to make sure the interior of the lasagna is sufficiently cooked. Check the bottom of the pan regularly to prevent from burning, some ovens are different than others. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNb4hiuouZQQ7cKhEVN-qOhfvgkywcKuRMULogzoG2Xq1sXePr04uTDPHPRlvFQ7QYlKS4CNaAHWUnpYLDOBxVIcpwy_VkaCzWmhtS8xvIGM2CtYsLhrxHVN5BDIdI6dU_KGAauWuEIx4/s1600/lasagna.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNb4hiuouZQQ7cKhEVN-qOhfvgkywcKuRMULogzoG2Xq1sXePr04uTDPHPRlvFQ7QYlKS4CNaAHWUnpYLDOBxVIcpwy_VkaCzWmhtS8xvIGM2CtYsLhrxHVN5BDIdI6dU_KGAauWuEIx4/s320/lasagna.JPG" /></a></div> <br />
I encourage you to serve yourself a big piece of lasagna with a nice salad as a side dish, and spend your money in a good bottle of Italian Valpolicella, or a nice Spanish rioja. And have yourself a wonderful meal. Que aproveche!<br />
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</div>Passion 4 cookinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16898316692019819975noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2972767108965514825.post-2871208328702894142010-08-06T05:25:00.000-07:002010-08-08T12:56:11.242-07:00Frituritas de Malanga-Malanga Pancakes Malanga is an essential ingredient in Cuban cooking. Almost every Cuban meal must include malanga to compliment and enhance the true tradition and taste of a full Latin meal. It is also known as yutia in Puerto Rico. Hairy in aspect, brownish in its color, malanga is actually a very starchy tuber with over 40 different species.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcyP4kqquJu_G5gzKFerCEn8EziClOimwanChVcKQgDBMDnne1FDGjQB9XXFUCEXuh9f4K9CgL1UbFTBe-pKQkLDL19icD1vPk89FFFSk8x0FAf4y7qFqsmMcMA_WDNv2QfIPZUx1XIa0/s1600/malangacruda.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcyP4kqquJu_G5gzKFerCEn8EziClOimwanChVcKQgDBMDnne1FDGjQB9XXFUCEXuh9f4K9CgL1UbFTBe-pKQkLDL19icD1vPk89FFFSk8x0FAf4y7qFqsmMcMA_WDNv2QfIPZUx1XIa0/s320/malangacruda.JPG" /></a></div><br />
Although it is very popular in any Cuban kitchen, malanga is also found in almost every culinary culture throughout the South American continent and even further away, in Africa, where it supposedly comes from. Nobody knows for certain where the malanga plant truly originated, but two theories seem to explain its history. One of them, argues that malanga came from Africa, and it was introduced in South America by African slaves. Supposedly, the slaves brought the vegetable inside the ship´s bodegas and replanted them all over Latin America. <br />
The other theory arguments that malanga was an authocthonous plant of South America, and was introduced to the rest of the world by European explorers. Anyhow, malanga has become in Latin and African culture an indispensable ingredient to cook with.<br />
Malanga is considered to possess excellent health properties. Not only is a tuber full of rivoflavin and thiamine, but it also contains iron and vitamin C. It is the most easily digested of all complex carbohydrates, and it has been classified as the best hypoallergenic food in the culinary world. No wonder, Cubans recommend malanga puree to settle any upset stomach.<br />
What I present to you today with this creamy white flesh vegetable is "frituritas de malanga", or deep fried malanga pancakes. It is a typical Cuban side dish that can accompany any meat, chicken or even shrimp creole ( you will find this last recipe in my blog.) Frituritas do not come out greasy, and their rich, crunchy texture will fill your mouth with a heaven´s delight.<br />
Ingredients:<br />
<ul><li>5 malangas (medium to small in size)</li>
<li> 1 tablespoon of white wine vinegar ( to prevent the darkening of the white malanga flesh)</li>
<li>salt to taste</li>
<li>2 cups of olive oil, or canola oil (for deep frying)</li>
</ul> Peel the malanga. Clean well under running water and grate them all. You will end up with a creamy paste.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixwMbwUdqvVk12ukaleiDnFx3Y5zEaeRLS5P5eeh3kCv5lIsvUq7_DVazTKA99CnHR48swUoLgcXn7WX7OqewL5bsghr0zdZlkPDVomu4c-NXmraGspMn-tsRzpv4tcebmiQWk1C7i5p8/s1600/rallarmalanga.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixwMbwUdqvVk12ukaleiDnFx3Y5zEaeRLS5P5eeh3kCv5lIsvUq7_DVazTKA99CnHR48swUoLgcXn7WX7OqewL5bsghr0zdZlkPDVomu4c-NXmraGspMn-tsRzpv4tcebmiQWk1C7i5p8/s320/rallarmalanga.JPG" /></a></div><br />
Add one tablespoon of white wine vinegar. Meanwhile, start heating up the oil in a frying pan. When the oil is sufficiently hot, use a tablespoon to scoop the malanga and drop it in the frying pan. Turn the frituritas over when the sides are golden brown to completely fry both sides. Keep repeating this step until all the malanga paste is all fried.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd9SFxAQHknHnllsAf58U7k_A8qrl5x9569UyuGPrM2XJtq3RcM0zetP2L74pZjRpms08mqe_Lzam9LVL8Wmh7mbK6NOWdFhk7RE7syypDwRJmZqt2Xuy4cpEZSUExfsQn7qWXmCj1OIw/s1600/malangafreir.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd9SFxAQHknHnllsAf58U7k_A8qrl5x9569UyuGPrM2XJtq3RcM0zetP2L74pZjRpms08mqe_Lzam9LVL8Wmh7mbK6NOWdFhk7RE7syypDwRJmZqt2Xuy4cpEZSUExfsQn7qWXmCj1OIw/s320/malangafreir.JPG" /></a></div><br />
Set up a plate with a paper towel where you arrange the frituritas to drain the excess of oil. This wil ensure that you get crunchy, golden brown, savory malanga pancakes without being oily.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKf935L-YYtjf16FLNRBu1xgdRxuL2LGTNb2l-IVU_tU5AZ79fiDFL33l-vU1NP91EKoqa5LlQ-ow9orUPxB_R3ltweRBHJnELi41JbFrlgT-ZZb12zFQxr-NG53DG6LyrUXqxDhvgr04/s1600/frituritas+de+malanga.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKf935L-YYtjf16FLNRBu1xgdRxuL2LGTNb2l-IVU_tU5AZ79fiDFL33l-vU1NP91EKoqa5LlQ-ow9orUPxB_R3ltweRBHJnELi41JbFrlgT-ZZb12zFQxr-NG53DG6LyrUXqxDhvgr04/s320/frituritas+de+malanga.JPG" /></a></div><br />
Que aproveche!<br />
<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/243/532B61667ECAFFE53E327C584542CC77.png" style="background-attachment: scroll; background-color: transparent; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat; border-style: none ! important; border-width: 0pt ! important;" /></a>Passion 4 cookinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16898316692019819975noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2972767108965514825.post-29390712079264187472010-07-24T11:20:00.000-07:002010-07-24T11:20:01.226-07:00Pasta with Langoustines and Cockels My family has a very demanding palate, including my three children who would normally eat what most other kids wouldn't. Ah! and I found out they also have very expensive taste too.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ2FmQNqLVcJel6FH03Drw1IH1jwTAVngnr0PHKdtep37uv5MiQUgVRf3e8KuGq6SfxGMHLNq8rxPKvNFqKfmbIC77fMrtOq4GwTac1JUtumQMZG9dMikMAm1XMRnrRQv6_o7EGeX0ls8/s1600/usinmadrid.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ2FmQNqLVcJel6FH03Drw1IH1jwTAVngnr0PHKdtep37uv5MiQUgVRf3e8KuGq6SfxGMHLNq8rxPKvNFqKfmbIC77fMrtOq4GwTac1JUtumQMZG9dMikMAm1XMRnrRQv6_o7EGeX0ls8/s320/usinmadrid.jpg" /></a> Last year, we were in Madrid for a short vacation, and we ended up having dinner in one of the best, and more renowned seafood restaurants in the Spanish capital, La Trainera. It is located in one of the most exclusive Madrid neighborhoods, Barrio de Salamanca. As soon as you get through the door, an extraordinary feast of the freshest, rarest, and most expensive seafood welcomes you. Tiny,white shrimps from Huelva (about 25 Euros for about 200 grams), cigalas from Galicia, the sweetest barnacles, live scallops, still in their own shell, fresh oysters, and an infinite variety of succulent fish dazzle the eyes of the demanding patrons from all over the world, who come to dine at La Trainera.<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;">When the waiter came to take the order, my kids choices left him with his mouth open. He had to ask us twice for our approval. They had ordered the costly cigalas and the shrimps from Huelva, which they inmediatly devoured. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtOFoGkurVdS39MMpDjqsxiNBgSzALHruvvFxqHLq8OiIbGZjMLM0SAOcl5BdRUJFybbzAa2ruqoOtYonM_rZ5GNoEPJskD3ZSePwznp_jsekIW_kU1256LpgyuJY7l-aqn2vREtUiLu8/s1600/madridvicky.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtOFoGkurVdS39MMpDjqsxiNBgSzALHruvvFxqHLq8OiIbGZjMLM0SAOcl5BdRUJFybbzAa2ruqoOtYonM_rZ5GNoEPJskD3ZSePwznp_jsekIW_kU1256LpgyuJY7l-aqn2vREtUiLu8/s320/madridvicky.jpg" /></a><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1K5hgOs5Bw7NXRDu4Y1tZw4UngSwmHvVdSKNhJ0xUAWkADGvcePzwD6-hq94QVcqKdmlNLzM_lcj__M6ZjThTi88SQkm_0AUGV39UpMArhYejgJJs5dsx2WvgASGPxvoLzzPkRENjRv8/s320/cigalas.jpg" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">My husband and I had to get another serving just to get a taste of them. The food, which we were told is flown in daily was amazing and the service impeccable. After all, life is too short.</div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none;"> This takes me to my post. One day, I was, like many moms, trying to come up with a nice lunch to feed my family. We did not want to eat meat, or chicken so that left me with fish or pasta. Why not combine them both? That is how I came about this tasty recipe. It is simple, quick and easy to put together. Serve along with a simple salad, toasted bread and a dip with olive oil, salt and fresh cracked black pepper. And last but not least, wash it out with a good white wine.</span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTvgVG2oBy-CaGuG3_ts4wCo8dBzf2f-axrUNIxSbE3EEOhnuVOFH1l_wdl5gyr8IXworx5NZ7cKAdyK3LtBcoqA3nbugzlxnxdDrIizxJXsT7wWZYiQ-hKEUKcV8o4MthKCEgDOa2Eyg/s1600/IMG_3229.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTvgVG2oBy-CaGuG3_ts4wCo8dBzf2f-axrUNIxSbE3EEOhnuVOFH1l_wdl5gyr8IXworx5NZ7cKAdyK3LtBcoqA3nbugzlxnxdDrIizxJXsT7wWZYiQ-hKEUKcV8o4MthKCEgDOa2Eyg/s320/IMG_3229.JPG" /></a></div><br />
My suggestion is an albariño from the North of Spain, but any moderately priced white California wine would make this meal a feast. <br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Pasta with Langoustines and Cockles</b></span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVckZVz86r_pVJoeb-UHIMyvW0ekcMJ8MgemtX4T-pRAOdZ5pECkXyRG93M5CTmsBLB4stDvfIBppE1ZlqOAj3owklUb1Yx1dVd15XoGxfGwWyqPINw_E7eUmds91s_0e_B0oT2NpM-yc/s1600/IMG_3220.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVckZVz86r_pVJoeb-UHIMyvW0ekcMJ8MgemtX4T-pRAOdZ5pECkXyRG93M5CTmsBLB4stDvfIBppE1ZlqOAj3owklUb1Yx1dVd15XoGxfGwWyqPINw_E7eUmds91s_0e_B0oT2NpM-yc/s320/IMG_3220.JPG" /></a></div>Ingredients:<br />
<br />
<ul><li>Langoustines or deveined large shrimp (calculate about 2 or 3 per person)</li>
<li>1 can of cockles (you can find it imported from Spain in any supermarket, where the canned tuna is)</li>
<li>1 can of cut tomatoes, drained</li>
<li>3 garlic cloves</li>
<li>half an onion finely chopped</li>
<li>4 basil leaves</li>
<li>1/4 cup of virgin olive oil</li>
<li>salt and black pepper to taste</li>
</ul> Start by browning the onion, and garlic together. Toss in the basil. Add the tomatoes, stir, add the shrimp and the cockles with the brine included. Taste it before adding any salt. If needed add extra salt and fresh cracked black pepper. Cook on medium heat for about 3 minutes. The shrimp cooks really fast so be careful not to overcook it or it will become rubbery.<br />
Que aproveche!<br />
Passion 4 cookinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16898316692019819975noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2972767108965514825.post-87749016376550504542010-07-15T05:17:00.000-07:002010-07-15T05:17:14.203-07:00Ina Garten Blueberry Crumb Cake I love to watch the Food Network Channel. Who would have thought? It is like an addiction for me. Any free time I have, when I am not writing in my blog, or when my kids are not watching television (which is rarely,) I go directly to the remote control to hit the magic channel: Food Network. I even record my favorite shows to patiently watch them later and get some inspiration. I think that I probably have about 20 unwatched shows waiting for my approval. But, hey! it is summertime and my life just got busier. <br />
Out of all the famous chefs and cooking shows, there is one that really call my attention: Barefoot Contessa, featuring the great Ina Garten. I watch it faithfully. She is very classy and her cooking not only looks amazing but it tastes great. Trust me, I have cooked it myself.<br />
Ina got in the world of cooking almost by accident. In 1978, she used to work for the White House and it was around this time that her life took a huge turn and she dived into the food business. She and her husband left their jobs, bought a specialty food store in Long Island and instantly became gourmet shop owners. Life smiled at them and eighteen years of great learning experiences later, they were well known among the socialites in New York and beyond. They later sold the store to two of their employees and Ina exclusively dedicated herself to writing cookbooks. Once more, she was atop the world, her cookbooks sold quickly and were a tremendous hit. Finally, in 2002 she was offered a job at the Food Network, and the rest is history. She is one of my favorite, down to earth chefs. Her recipes are original, yet classic, easy to follow and with an excellent final product. You can check her blog at www.barefootcontessa.com.<br />
If you ask me which recipe I prefer best, I could not tell you. But one of her recipes that really called my attention and the attention of my fellow tasters (my friends,) is the Blueberry crumb cake. I made it myself, and I assure you that it came out amazingly delicious. You can even make it ahead of time. <br />
I recommend to be served at tea time. In Spain, for example we have "merienda", which is a small, usually sweet snack at around 5 to 6 o'clock. Remember that in Spain we eat dinner late, at around 9 to 10 o'clock. Well, for me this and a cup of "cafe con leche" (espresso with milk) is the perfect pair for a "merienda." Que aproveche!<br />
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</div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: magenta;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><b></b></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: magenta;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Blueberry Crumb Cake</b></span></span><br />
Ingredients:<br />
<br />
<ul><li>6 tablespoons of soften butter</li>
<li>3/4 cups of sugar</li>
<li>1 and 1/4 cups of flour</li>
<li>1 teaspoon of baking powder</li>
<li>1/4 teaspoon of baking soda</li>
<li>2 eggs</li>
<li>1 teaspoon of vanilla</li>
<li>1 teaspoon of lemon zest (half a lemon)</li>
<li>2/3 cup of sour cream</li>
<li>1 cup of fresh blueberries</li>
<li>1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt</li>
</ul> Ingredients for the streusel:<br />
<ul><li>1/4 cup granulated sugar</li>
<li>1/3 cup light brown sugar</li>
<li>1 teaspoon cinammon</li>
<li>1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg</li>
<li>1 stick of unsalted butter (8 tablespoons)</li>
<li>1 and 1/3 of all purpose flour</li>
</ul><br />
<div> Preheat the oven at 350 degrees. Butter a 9 inch round baking pan.</div><div class="instructions"> Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer on high speed for 4 to 5 minutes, until light. Reduce the speed to low and add the eggs 1 at a time, then add the vanilla, lemon zest, and sour cream. <br />
In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture to the batter until just combined. Fold in the blueberries and stir with a spatula to be sure the batter is completely mixed. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and spread it out evenly. Set aside while you prepare the streusel.<br />
For the crumb, combine together the granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a bowl. Stir in the melted butter and then the flour. Mix well with a spatula. With your fingers, crumble the topping evenly over the batter. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool completely and serve sprinkled with confectioners' sugar. </div>Passion 4 cookinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16898316692019819975noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2972767108965514825.post-5639394727028749082010-07-06T06:35:00.000-07:002010-07-06T06:42:54.120-07:00Tomatoes are not just for salads<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"> If you ever thought that tomatoes are just for salads or pasta sauce... well, you are wrong. Last week, I was delighted to try a new use for tomates, in a preserve. I had the wonderful experience of eating a bruschetta made out of tomato preserve. My taste buds went crazy trying to identify all the ingredients the preserve was made of. But, surprisingly I could not identify them all. All I could say was how tasty and original this simple bruschetta was, yet so utterly delicious. The person responsible for this epicurean delight was a friend of my husband whom I just recently met. His name is Mel Aguirre. He is a canarian born from the island of La Palma who has many culinary secrets well kept. But the secret to his "mermelada de tomate" (tomato preserve), he had to tell me. It took me several days of begging, teasing and finally harassing, for Mel to give me the recipe. And today, I will reveal this secret to you all. I must confess that it is a time consuming recipe, although the results are worth any effort. I assure you will not be disappointed. One tip that I can give you for those who are in quite a hurry, use a pressure cooker. It shortens the cooking time, however I am afraid it will also lessen the complexity of the flavors. Patience is the key to this delectable tomato preserve.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"> Tomatoes are very popular in the Canary Islands since it is one of their principal agricultural exports, along with bananas. So it will not be difficult to find them all year around. And England is one of the main beneficiaries of the canarian tomatoes because it is one of our main importers of agricultural goods. Anyhow, in today's world it doesn't really matter where you are. You can find tomatoes anytime thanks to the advances in agriscience. So there is no excuse for you to try Mel's famous tomato preserve.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifHhlfxMUhdC0edc9pxLwFx7XHOOxY3sGD1K3RPvcGZuiv_6iJIhqEvdDKKLcy7z-fbLV-hH2nrsEsSFNVNSUMTJbGLK9h3hv9MT2d3rxp_oWFbM5d_isrcD1FiOSOrzd9sjqgF7ocivE3/s1600/carlosandmel.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifHhlfxMUhdC0edc9pxLwFx7XHOOxY3sGD1K3RPvcGZuiv_6iJIhqEvdDKKLcy7z-fbLV-hH2nrsEsSFNVNSUMTJbGLK9h3hv9MT2d3rxp_oWFbM5d_isrcD1FiOSOrzd9sjqgF7ocivE3/s320/carlosandmel.JPG" /></a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">And here, toasting for good times are my husband and my dear friend Mel Aguirre. Salud!</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Authentic Canarian Tomato Preserve</b></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">The tomato preserve bruschetta has a deep sweet and salty flavor enhanced by the Blue Stilton cheese. Stilton is a cheese from the United Kingdom, and it comes in two varieties: blue and white, blue being the most appreciated. No wonder British call it "the king of cheese." Anyhow, if you can not find it in your market, substitute it by any quality Blue Cheese.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPwQbMfwweFvUCSdvglFOds59qfhpm72jY6bf4hhI1Z32xYvKJeukIn83lWSBzaQ_pm-XBGoUGqfvjNoGeL-fZyiHN0t4z8cfrda-J28BKatmh3YnvRAnRIBtOBhPaWuBb88Ia-BK_3w1w/s1600/tomato+preserve.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPwQbMfwweFvUCSdvglFOds59qfhpm72jY6bf4hhI1Z32xYvKJeukIn83lWSBzaQ_pm-XBGoUGqfvjNoGeL-fZyiHN0t4z8cfrda-J28BKatmh3YnvRAnRIBtOBhPaWuBb88Ia-BK_3w1w/s320/tomato+preserve.JPG" /></a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Ingredients:</div><ul><li>2 pounds of small ripe tomatoes (1 kilo)</li>
<li>2 pounds of granulated sugar</li>
<li>1 cinnamon stick</li>
<li>1 lime peel </li>
</ul><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"> Cut the tomatoes in cubes and introduce them in a large pot with the sugar. Let it sit for 10 minutes for the sugar to mix with the juice released by the ripe tomatoes. After this, put the mix in the stove on medium heat and when hot, add the cinnamon and the lime peel. Blend it well with a wooden spoon, lower the heat to the minimum, and cook for about six hours.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"> After six hours of cooking, take out the cinnamon and lime peel, and set aside. Put the rest in a food processor and mix for about 20 seconds. Pour it back into the pot, add the cinnamon and lime peel that you previously had set aside, and place it back on low heat for four more hours.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"> Meanwhile, sterilize several glass jars by putting them a few minutes on boiling water. This is to prevent any bacteria from contaminating your preserve.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"> When the preserve is finally ready, fill the jars with it and secure the lids.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"> I find that this tomato preserve is also a good pairing sauce with roasted pork tenderloin.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"> Que aproveche!</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"> </div>Passion 4 cookinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16898316692019819975noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2972767108965514825.post-32957924872422664272010-07-02T13:19:00.000-07:002010-07-02T13:33:32.498-07:00Pork Tenderloin Wrapped in Bacon and Dijon Mustard One day, at the supermarket, looking for something different to feed my family, I came about a nice, juicy piece of pork tenderloin. To tell you the truth, I had never, ever have cooked pork tenderloin before, but this day I felt adventurous, so I bought the piece. At the house, I opened the package and cleaned the meat. I added some salt and pepper, and started to go through the fridge to check how would I make it. My imagination running wild, and innumerable of watched Chopped episodes later (a cooking show on Food Network), I decided to go simple (just in case dinner was ruined) and I took bacon and mustard. Who can go wrong with bacon? With this two ingredients, I created a dinner that my kids complimented me on. And most important of all... their plates were empty. This night, I didn't need to fight with them as usual. <br />
Ingredients:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeJKD6wq8VOr9YnF19iHAnssB6tT-l7t3phfpiia425n1c-5GK7Ai2E7kW7_ZJsCh7C84mcneTugnPmRTIqIYIB7iicUATEPd8V1KHcN7GgN3E5c_5bX6zCdPsbK7Fau56Jrmff5peHKo/s1600/IMG_2882.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeJKD6wq8VOr9YnF19iHAnssB6tT-l7t3phfpiia425n1c-5GK7Ai2E7kW7_ZJsCh7C84mcneTugnPmRTIqIYIB7iicUATEPd8V1KHcN7GgN3E5c_5bX6zCdPsbK7Fau56Jrmff5peHKo/s320/IMG_2882.JPG" /></a></div><br />
<ul><li>1 pork tenderloin (whole)</li>
<li>10 bacon slices (add more if the piece is long)</li>
<li>1/2 cup of Dijon Mustard (spend the money on this)</li>
<li>1/2 cup of white wine</li>
<li>Garlic powder</li>
<li>Onion powder</li>
<li>Salt </li>
<li>Pepper</li>
</ul> Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Take the piece of meat and clean it under running water, pat it dry and place it on a cutting board. Add salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Sprinkle the onion powder and the garlic powder to taste. Spread the mustard evenly all around the tenderloin. Use more mustard if needed. And finally, wrap the whole piece with the bacon. Make sure the bacon covers well the meat.<br />
Place it on an oven safe dish and pour the white wine around it, not on top. Put it in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes. <br />
In this picture, I served the dish with Potato Salad, but simple mashed potatoes go good together as well. Que aproveche!Passion 4 cookinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16898316692019819975noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2972767108965514825.post-34458925083791063772010-06-16T07:18:00.000-07:002010-06-16T07:18:24.094-07:00One of My Favorite Cuban Desserts I am going to share with you today an easy recipe for Pie de Guayaba con Queso Crema, which translated would be Guava and Cream Cheese Crusty Pie. This dessert is extremely popular among Cubans. Guava is an essential ingredients in Cuban food, and if you ask for any Cuban dessert, chances are that it is made out of it. When I think about Cuban and sweets, guava is the first thing that comes to mind. It is very versatile since it can also be used as an ingredient for a main dish. (I will give you more recipes in a different post) Anyway, my recipe is uncomplicated and the results are astonishing. My mother in law taught me how to bake it, and today I am passing it along to all of you.<br />
Forget about making and rolling the dough because I have found the best shortcut for the most amazing Cuban Pie. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKColCLvO8FQy9vHA9FSO-UdS4Ed89TATRnlMSIpy0Oc1JJM6kDDhHro0lxV52NyGGKXXzjrez15fFaeehTJPkAM5LONFHpiJwnn0WmWPFmqZHbR269qxXHkrgucHrGDSBuf1N9-8Bt9Y/s1600/guavapie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKColCLvO8FQy9vHA9FSO-UdS4Ed89TATRnlMSIpy0Oc1JJM6kDDhHro0lxV52NyGGKXXzjrez15fFaeehTJPkAM5LONFHpiJwnn0WmWPFmqZHbR269qxXHkrgucHrGDSBuf1N9-8Bt9Y/s320/guavapie.jpg" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Crusty Guava and Cream Cheese Pie</b></span></span><br />
Ingredients:<br />
<br />
<ul><li>1 refrigerated pie crust ( Pillsbury works the best for me)</li>
<li>1 8oz. package of Cream Cheese</li>
<li>1 package of Guava Paste 17.5 oz. (500 gr.)</li>
<li>1 egg </li>
</ul> The pie crust comes with two dough circles. Take one of the circles and roll them a bit with a rolling pin, just enough so the dough is about 1 inch larger than the pie pan. Put it on the pie pan and with your hands push it in until the dough takes the shape of the pan. Do not worry if the dough spills over. Leave the excess dough. Do not cut it.<br />
Now, cut the guava and the cream cheese in thin slices and distribute them all around the dough. Put guava first, then cream cheese, and repeat all around.<br />
Take the other pie circle and roll it just a bit. Then, cover the cream cheese and guava with it. Tuck the edges of the upper crust under the lower crust, and press together lightly. Using the rim of the pie plate as a guide, create a fluted edge with your fingers. Using a sharp knife, cut five vents from the center of the pie, or just make any decorative cuts that you like. Brush the whole pie with an egg before baking to get a shiny, beautiful crust.<br />
Bake it at 375 degrees for about 30 to 35 minutes. <br />
Let it cool a bit before serving it. Enjoy it! Qué aproveche!Passion 4 cookinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16898316692019819975noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2972767108965514825.post-66823081649797101722010-06-08T07:40:00.000-07:002010-06-08T07:40:29.259-07:00The Perfect Homemade Tomato Sauce My homemade tomato sauce is the best. Or so, everyone who tries it says. My kids loved it, and my friends praise me every time I make it. They even want to take some home. I usually make large quantities because whatever is left over, I freeze it in smaller containers and use some other time. The tomato sauce is also perfect to make lasagna. I just take the sauce from the freezer, let it thaw, and the lasagna will be done effortless. And all of it, is all made from scratch in no time. I assure you, your guests will compliment your cooking too. Nothing beats that!<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Homemade Sweet Tomato Sauce</b></span></span><br />
Ingredients:<br />
<br />
<ul><li>2 pounds of Plum tomatoes</li>
<li>1 can (big) of unseasoned whole peeled tomatoes</li>
<li>1 can (big) unseasoned diced tomatoes</li>
<li>1 can (big) unseasoned tomato sauce</li>
<li>1 and 1/2 cup of onion</li>
<li>6 garlic cloves</li>
<li>1/2 of fresh basil </li>
<li>2 tablespoons of oregano</li>
<li>1 tablespoon of sea salt ( or according to taste)</li>
<li>pepper to taste</li>
<li>1/4 cup of sugar</li>
<li>1/2 cup olive oil</li>
</ul> Start by heating the oil in a deep cooking pan. Add the peeled garlic cloves, no need to mince just cut them up a little. Also, add the onion, and the basil and let it saute for a few minutes, or until the garlic is golden brown. Cut the tomatoes in quarts and introduce them in the pan along with the oregano. Stir well and let them cook in medium heat for 5 minutes. Then, add the canned tomato sauce, the canned diced tomatoes, the canned whole tomatoes and the sugar. Mix together. Season with salt and pepper. Cook on low heat for about 40 to 45 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent the sauce from sticking to the pan. <div> And that is the secret to my perfect homemade tomato sauce that will impress your guests. It is easy, delicious, and you will never have to use the store tomato sauce ever again, because my tomato sauce is addictive.</div><div> When the sauce is all cooked up, just toss some pasta in boiling water and serve a delicious pasta with your favorite Parmesan Cheese (always buy the good kind), and do not forget to check out my Bruschettas recipe. Good luck, and ... Qué aproveche!<br />
<ul></ul><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMaOs-u1-9C90nr0Pha4xgnEaMnuON-5K6lU5jQpw2iy0bqFWqaAtlTz-XNYWdgXfd3CzCM3vX6goFktTk6H_ch7izpLJSbXEDJo-JFQxuqJbf-bjE4Ufs_-NprnPTEG8oXSxJ4bQXCIE/s1600/IMG_3046.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMaOs-u1-9C90nr0Pha4xgnEaMnuON-5K6lU5jQpw2iy0bqFWqaAtlTz-XNYWdgXfd3CzCM3vX6goFktTk6H_ch7izpLJSbXEDJo-JFQxuqJbf-bjE4Ufs_-NprnPTEG8oXSxJ4bQXCIE/s320/IMG_3046.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Remember to leave any comments that you may have at the bottom of my post. Thank you!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div> </div>Passion 4 cookinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16898316692019819975noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2972767108965514825.post-4258232879912924852010-06-06T09:00:00.000-07:002010-06-06T09:02:44.279-07:00My Birthday Surprise<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div> This week, it was my birthday. I am not going to say what day exactly, or how many candles should have been on my awesome cake. What I am going to talk about today is how wonderful my birthday was. My whole family of in laws, secretly conspired to organize a party without me knowing. And let me tell you, what a surprise it was. Everybody was there, and I my face tells it all. My mother in law spent her whole day cooking for me! And for that I am extremely grateful. She is an excellent cook, and she has been my inspiration for this blog.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBd_cGOAWH4tD_YsTs8LAs4z908yH7mT64Hn3DZnoma1DoiCDHmbv29U7VuiXIkmeQ1QvuKqRbgJEgo6Q20ymcMHU5wUcEPXC5l72HIevAP5s3BCG0WEPJmANW-B0AT96KKNoNs_lGqH0/s1600/get-attachment-1.aspx.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBd_cGOAWH4tD_YsTs8LAs4z908yH7mT64Hn3DZnoma1DoiCDHmbv29U7VuiXIkmeQ1QvuKqRbgJEgo6Q20ymcMHU5wUcEPXC5l72HIevAP5s3BCG0WEPJmANW-B0AT96KKNoNs_lGqH0/s200/get-attachment-1.aspx.jpeg" width="150" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH9qAusipZsLGHZcPbrgQ-vTtO264OCkwkM0_3acD16q9JruQBFs0-6AXcl_JaU5Br8T7nnU-tnmlQbBLD_0EuXg4L6cXduth1ZGETAPbd-QqLOIZMlO29Z9ivvxb9vwT67eLOy7LdGyw/s1600/get-attachment-5.aspx.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH9qAusipZsLGHZcPbrgQ-vTtO264OCkwkM0_3acD16q9JruQBFs0-6AXcl_JaU5Br8T7nnU-tnmlQbBLD_0EuXg4L6cXduth1ZGETAPbd-QqLOIZMlO29Z9ivvxb9vwT67eLOy7LdGyw/s320/get-attachment-5.aspx.jpeg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div> <br />
But what surprised me best of all, was the array of food on the table, which they had to extend so every dish could fit. My eyes would not believe how colorful the display was, and I felt guilty because my mother in law worked so hard to grant me this extraordinary birthday party. <br />
To make your mouth water, and maybe make you try some of my recipes in the comfort of your own house, I am going to tell you the menu:<br />
Apetizers:<br />
<br />
<ul><li> Insalata Capresse (Salad)</li>
<li> Grilled White Cheese with Cilantro Dressing</li>
<li>Tomato Bruschetta (recipe in the blog)</li>
<li>Endives with a special filling (I will give you this recipe as soon as I can get my hands on it, all I can tell you is that they were delicious.)</li>
<li>Smoked Salmon (recipe in the blog)</li>
<li>Savory Guacamole (recipe in the blog)</li>
</ul>Main Course:<br />
<br />
<ul><li>Shrimp Enchilado (recipe in the blog) with white rice, tostones and a vinaigrette salad. </li>
</ul><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNuIykqhCA0Q6NcLuGzjCmgcKke7Ol0ogJ19W1FzYsfI5JzRH0CSQiutHi8c-HBoyer6dsKnUxYId48PevU0-XPnHwnVsY7kPkx2jmSs9tySVlL2cGgIMdAJUxxYxjNOEkoxflCwY_nOM/s1600/get-attachment-26.aspx.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNuIykqhCA0Q6NcLuGzjCmgcKke7Ol0ogJ19W1FzYsfI5JzRH0CSQiutHi8c-HBoyer6dsKnUxYId48PevU0-XPnHwnVsY7kPkx2jmSs9tySVlL2cGgIMdAJUxxYxjNOEkoxflCwY_nOM/s200/get-attachment-26.aspx.jpeg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjhyOzzrDrOqhOe8o03GLJjynBkZU4gSWnAHSwePJMhcAte5gsbrZwmEiPSnTt3VXCdzXpNrBJOuKHOYnAWVA8K27AOhx65ojGb7qWSyZwoodKxqTJ6xEmQIiOVD4hSZDzGG8ZrYxM5Lc/s1600/get-attachment-24.aspx.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjhyOzzrDrOqhOe8o03GLJjynBkZU4gSWnAHSwePJMhcAte5gsbrZwmEiPSnTt3VXCdzXpNrBJOuKHOYnAWVA8K27AOhx65ojGb7qWSyZwoodKxqTJ6xEmQIiOVD4hSZDzGG8ZrYxM5Lc/s200/get-attachment-24.aspx.jpeg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjhyOzzrDrOqhOe8o03GLJjynBkZU4gSWnAHSwePJMhcAte5gsbrZwmEiPSnTt3VXCdzXpNrBJOuKHOYnAWVA8K27AOhx65ojGb7qWSyZwoodKxqTJ6xEmQIiOVD4hSZDzGG8ZrYxM5Lc/s1600/get-attachment-24.aspx.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgswYbAUO9RM7t3IXhjRp7oSTs0MLAIqGkhUZA1WccxlzPZfwo4uYANTFl84R3ZjgsatZ_bcbIQn1W1GPhFGLwno-caLRsGmf5HLCQd5hOweejXQmwEeikGz_aDZ8Z5h4khyFAe6IvcQeQ/s1600/get-attachment-25.aspx.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgswYbAUO9RM7t3IXhjRp7oSTs0MLAIqGkhUZA1WccxlzPZfwo4uYANTFl84R3ZjgsatZ_bcbIQn1W1GPhFGLwno-caLRsGmf5HLCQd5hOweejXQmwEeikGz_aDZ8Z5h4khyFAe6IvcQeQ/s200/get-attachment-25.aspx.jpeg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3MiQvVUYVPHXP9Bv8NcxVGfM6H3YsyeW7QOAhBygRqCl9TqS12SQslqjJFtOngwEfXarwz4jxuLhlD_GJVljW6NBoXlu51hspAiU91uxa9Y3bnHhjx-ELCiKR3wNZoSJ9PD32QpiOPGk/s1600/get-attachment-23.aspx.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3MiQvVUYVPHXP9Bv8NcxVGfM6H3YsyeW7QOAhBygRqCl9TqS12SQslqjJFtOngwEfXarwz4jxuLhlD_GJVljW6NBoXlu51hspAiU91uxa9Y3bnHhjx-ELCiKR3wNZoSJ9PD32QpiOPGk/s200/get-attachment-23.aspx.jpeg" width="200" /></a></div><br />
Needless to say that everything was stupendous. We are a family who eats a lot, so in a matter of minutes all the food was rapidly devoured. For a cook, this scene is the best way to say thank you, and we surely know how to please my mother in law.<br />
The meal was a true feast. We had a great time and, along we discovered that tostones and guacamole go great together. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKeTX94wC2RWJwJkdOOsZ4hX_HkiHgdqcCPDo87Temn9jzZ8rfZSopcCHxXzrMqVyL4_NvIgcDVWhLunOmi9G69Y_OYbr7meebTseYnSOyxwonB1L2NqVv7AUVYmnoHc10oGpMx4XhU_4/s1600/get-attachment-18.aspx.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKeTX94wC2RWJwJkdOOsZ4hX_HkiHgdqcCPDo87Temn9jzZ8rfZSopcCHxXzrMqVyL4_NvIgcDVWhLunOmi9G69Y_OYbr7meebTseYnSOyxwonB1L2NqVv7AUVYmnoHc10oGpMx4XhU_4/s200/get-attachment-18.aspx.jpeg" width="200" /></a></div> <br />
So, the next time that you make Savory Guacamole, I recommend you to substitute the tortilla chips with good old fried tostones. This is the wonderful thing about Miami that amazes me. The mix of cultures are the perfect melting pot for creativeness. And this mix was represented at the table, since my whole family is made up of Cubans, Puerto Ricans, Venezuelans and of course, Spanish.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg48eO7Zc-ucF53gNHObnzfxVTKDTGyfp1SRuN-rLNG_Fl5u5IueMxxFuUGRUsPg-ulTYI_ZnfFNjaJUm2TITvTRvI4PwNP0lHjbLfGdY9XGEhUTrEqhxLNpYnhy5nxCUb4q5yUB17GIA8/s1600/get-attachment-20.aspx.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg48eO7Zc-ucF53gNHObnzfxVTKDTGyfp1SRuN-rLNG_Fl5u5IueMxxFuUGRUsPg-ulTYI_ZnfFNjaJUm2TITvTRvI4PwNP0lHjbLfGdY9XGEhUTrEqhxLNpYnhy5nxCUb4q5yUB17GIA8/s320/get-attachment-20.aspx.jpeg" /></a></div><br />
At the end of this feast, what else can you ask for? Dessert... of course. And what a birthday party would be without a birthday cake? My best birthday party ever, came with a homemade cake included! It was a chocolate bundt cake with guava frosting (This recipe will be also posted soon.)<br />
I have no words to thank my in laws. They all were there for me, cheering me up since my husband could not share with us this special moment because he was away on a business trip. Although, in a way he was there, through the amazing world of the internet. Thank Skype for that. Anyway, what I wanted to do today is to honor each and everyone of them for making this day unforgettable for me and my kids. This is my best way to say thank you. With all my love...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGXMp1Z3gdppju_O7gthRBJ_VxhutquwM6kVZ8G7RunIAHfBR0dfa6Eu9qNl5tyhayM7LPq3Mdn3dltV6fPyYIC3Mxaxw2CF-YSOgRT9Aw8oJx54kEuzsa0p5i8yFoklZHGcU7b0Ki2j8/s1600/get-attachment-16.aspx.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGXMp1Z3gdppju_O7gthRBJ_VxhutquwM6kVZ8G7RunIAHfBR0dfa6Eu9qNl5tyhayM7LPq3Mdn3dltV6fPyYIC3Mxaxw2CF-YSOgRT9Aw8oJx54kEuzsa0p5i8yFoklZHGcU7b0Ki2j8/s320/get-attachment-16.aspx.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Passion 4 cookinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16898316692019819975noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2972767108965514825.post-70947157860783420082010-05-30T21:24:00.001-07:002010-05-30T21:24:56.410-07:00Canary Islands Day<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"> Every May 30th, the Canary Islands celebrate "El día de Canarias", or the Canary Islands day. This is to commemorate the creation of the first democratic parliament governing the 7 islands. The government takes part in extensive celebrations throughout the archipelago. People take over the streets dressed as "magos canarios", or typical folk clothing, and they dance in the town squares where local orchestras play traditional folk music. There is also a wide array of popular foods, like "papas arrugadas con mojo", the infamous "wrinkled potatoes with green mojo", "garbanzos compuestos", cheek peas in sauce, or the islands' famous "gofio", a flour sometimes made out of wheat and others made out of corn, that locals mix with milk and honey and they shape it like a ball, cut it, and eat it as if it was bread. This is the day when tourists get an accurate display of what the Islands culture is all about.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"> Today, is that day. And I, have no better way to celebrate it with you all, than to share the recipe for this "wrinkle potatoes with green mojo." For those of you that never tasted these potatoes, I recommend you to try and make them, because the flavor that you get in your mouth is worth it. And, if by any chance you go to the Islands, do not skip this dish, taste it, and if you have time tell me all about it.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: lime;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Wrinkled Potatoes</b></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge21w0nPOGH-z5Yl-bQxabRmYM9psavCJzDjciMsOM9Ky7DoZTYaDIcQo2n-Ae6Jkf18WNhS-nkyHVK2PKn6irJeYQhioM4U4z9nXXTAMqhOX_jTkgUOoWbuTfR4-qbPPMCbC3E43pViAE/s1600/papas+arrugadas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge21w0nPOGH-z5Yl-bQxabRmYM9psavCJzDjciMsOM9Ky7DoZTYaDIcQo2n-Ae6Jkf18WNhS-nkyHVK2PKn6irJeYQhioM4U4z9nXXTAMqhOX_jTkgUOoWbuTfR4-qbPPMCbC3E43pViAE/s320/papas+arrugadas.jpg" /></a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"> Ingredients:</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><ul><li>2 pounds of red potatoes (1 kilo)</li>
<li>3 cups of kosher Salt, or Coarse Sea Salt</li>
</ul><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"> Fill a big saucepan with water, add the salt and cook it on high heat. Clean the potatoes and add it to the pan. Lower the heat to medium. Cook until the potatoes are firm but tender. After approximately 30 minutes, introduce a fork in one of them to check if they are cooked trough.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"> After the potatoes are done, drain all the water from the saucepan and, once more put the pan in the heat to dry up the potatoes. Move them constantly to prevent from burning. The potatoes are ready when they start to show a white crust all around. This is the salt that covers them when all the water dries up.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"> While the potatoes cook, it is time to make the "mojo verde." This sauce is mainly made out of cilantro, herein the green color.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Ingredients:</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><ul><li>1 cup of finely chopped cilantro</li>
<li>2 garlic cloves</li>
<li>1/3 cup of olive oil</li>
<li>1 tablespoon of white vinegar</li>
<li>1 teaspoon of ground cumin</li>
<li>1 teaspoon of coarse sea salt</li>
<li>1/2 teaspoon of black pepper</li>
</ul><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"> First, start by smashing the garlic in a mortar (a bowl for mixing or pounding). Then, add the cilantro</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">and mix it well until it looks like a paste. Pour in the cumin, the salt and pepper and give it a stir. Finally, add the olive oil, stir, and then the vinegar. Mix all well and pour it onto a bowl.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7ntezreL49D8aL3j5hxYknYM0wndIYZiCCCMDfIRqFH_zaOf28dizvwk46KGhbBa7XHtznxvaxuWNvbhLeuQrUS_QAO1XYcLTMvjxgqoJbdM71jGIxn0MzHRhodhvgDH342-y_mhQBGtl/s1600/mojoverde.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7ntezreL49D8aL3j5hxYknYM0wndIYZiCCCMDfIRqFH_zaOf28dizvwk46KGhbBa7XHtznxvaxuWNvbhLeuQrUS_QAO1XYcLTMvjxgqoJbdM71jGIxn0MzHRhodhvgDH342-y_mhQBGtl/s320/mojoverde.jpg" /></a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"> This is how it should look if you have them together. Enjoy it and as Canarians say: Que le aproveche! Which translated means Bon appetit!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSrowW16Ei5VAdOapWVeaUnC3JbMMbZ-VLykPnEr6e-kIIKbtAdZfWHugV-YId3d4QN0ZvyqVkwSOzZwfKmpo2RpWrw5GGwxr8oGkNSeB6vJFFln8CjmLijzzs16WYAUbq8Ro45u60yv2-/s1600/papasconmojo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSrowW16Ei5VAdOapWVeaUnC3JbMMbZ-VLykPnEr6e-kIIKbtAdZfWHugV-YId3d4QN0ZvyqVkwSOzZwfKmpo2RpWrw5GGwxr8oGkNSeB6vJFFln8CjmLijzzs16WYAUbq8Ro45u60yv2-/s320/papasconmojo.jpg" /></a></div>Passion 4 cookinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16898316692019819975noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2972767108965514825.post-47751745111138457242010-05-30T12:01:00.000-07:002010-05-30T21:29:06.894-07:00Tricks In The Kitchen I remember when I worked for a spanish radio station where everyday the listeners could just call and, directly on the air, they shared different tips and advices about better housekeeping, kitchen matters, or any other suggestions destined to make our daily chores easier. What I want to do here, in this section that I am going to call Kitchen Tips, is to offer you just that, tips, advices or suggestions that will help you solve any of your cooking worries. And here goes my first tip:<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Fresh Lettuce</b></span></span><br />
What do you usually do with leftover lettuce that has been in the refrigerator for a few days and it looks kind of old? Unless it is rotten, DO NOT THROW IT AWAY! Just dip them in cold water with some ice cubes and let it sit for a few minutes. The lettuce will recuperate the crispiness, and the flavor as if it were recently purchased. Dry it, break it up with your hands ( to better preserve the flavor) and it is ready to mix with your favorite ingredients to make a stupendous salad.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbdvAyZDMMIoSDiIfMGMohgE33874MsJApun_43CW1gL5fwo4uLtQCouc5W7FvKoBzG-C2-JxNz2UdsLElP67BskWlkIGJMjG179nz87gCSwb6jabwKSCxrjwhn8uAPJOsxcoISUROucg/s1600/lettuce.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbdvAyZDMMIoSDiIfMGMohgE33874MsJApun_43CW1gL5fwo4uLtQCouc5W7FvKoBzG-C2-JxNz2UdsLElP67BskWlkIGJMjG179nz87gCSwb6jabwKSCxrjwhn8uAPJOsxcoISUROucg/s320/lettuce.jpg" /></a></div>Passion 4 cookinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16898316692019819975noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2972767108965514825.post-39381099303955643392010-05-25T14:38:00.000-07:002010-05-25T14:38:08.683-07:00Thank You All First of all, I would like to welcome my new followers to My Best Cookin' Yet. It is because of you that I keep writing. I love to share my recipes, tricks and why not? I also like to tell you bits of my life. Best of all, I love to know that in today's world, we care. <br />
And second, I wish to thank everybody for the support that you have shown me all along in this new adventure into the world of blogging. I hope that my recipes have helped you make something delicious. <br />
It has been a while since I do not post any recipe. I must ask for your forgiveness. I should have wrote a note saying "Out on Vacation". And this is because my family and I went to spend a couple of days in Disney World. Needless to say, we had a great time, although we came even more tired than we left. <br />
One thing is for sure, during all the time we were in Orlando, all I could think about was My Best Cookin' Yet. I miss my telling, cooking and writing about it. Specially, when all you could eat there wasn't worth it. I really, (and I mean really) missed my cooking. <br />
Anyway, it wasn't that bad, because just when we arrived a feast was awaiting at my table. My mother in law had spent her day making a tasty, savory meal: Papas con carne (Meat and potatoes in a sauce) and Arroz con salchichas (Yellow Rice and Sausages.) Both dishes are very typical of the Cuban cuisine, both are full of latin flavor and color. And both were welcomed by us with great happiness and empty stomachs.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz1SaB-u5fHr5ulqFRybleKZv3mepodaxTxji9LwIjXtyyqqM2-YHjXvEDOQZIwan11RzTcHzsJ_x4JSA0hUlvg-DoGjzMyzN9aOcdAi_7WYWkk8wXcGFkVAjfnfhCvk8vJyQ7d7HPofI/s1600/tataandI.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz1SaB-u5fHr5ulqFRybleKZv3mepodaxTxji9LwIjXtyyqqM2-YHjXvEDOQZIwan11RzTcHzsJ_x4JSA0hUlvg-DoGjzMyzN9aOcdAi_7WYWkk8wXcGFkVAjfnfhCvk8vJyQ7d7HPofI/s320/tataandI.jpeg" width="179" /></a></div> Since this post is all about giving thanks, I should, from the bottom of my heart, THANK my mother in law for taking care of me when I most need it. My whole family, sends Tata (that is how we call her,) our warmest hugs and kisses. And please Tata, do not forget "Todos son corazones." (It's all hearts) This is what my youngest daughter, Victoria, tells her every time they see each other, meaning this is all my love for you. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfaQLXKhrB0urYnajXubynn0N36X6JUakH-m6K10fl7HsvyIsPaHvQc82W9Tcoplp2rp1fxqjpF0vTYSCZWXEH59Ti5Z8bPz0pwWkDRiygICKu3TdauNwzAEMHgrJsTsc2Tn3owyxB41k/s1600/tata+and+viky.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfaQLXKhrB0urYnajXubynn0N36X6JUakH-m6K10fl7HsvyIsPaHvQc82W9Tcoplp2rp1fxqjpF0vTYSCZWXEH59Ti5Z8bPz0pwWkDRiygICKu3TdauNwzAEMHgrJsTsc2Tn3owyxB41k/s320/tata+and+viky.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div> <br />
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Tata... this is all our love for you. Thank you.<br />
Passion 4 cookinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16898316692019819975noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2972767108965514825.post-60095906273093149852010-05-17T09:12:00.000-07:002010-07-17T04:33:23.892-07:00My Niece's Birthday Last Tuesday, our family celebrated my niece's 17th birthday. It was a special moment for all of us. Looking back in time, I remember when I first met her. She was just a little two years old girl with curly black hair, and with a beautiful smile (some things never change.) I can picture her at my mother's in law pool, running behind her brother. But that was then, and this is now. She is all grown up. Her hair, still black. It's not curly anymore, miracles of today's technology, but she still is our Samantha. Her enthusiasm keeps us alive, her smile melts worries away, and her liveliness is invigorating to all of us. What else can you ask for? Samantha is a blessing to have you as my niece. Here she is with her brother and her cousins who also celebrated this special day with her.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvpTZVn4Qs9mwPG4e7jzfJiqHfCwfaqqrl0oDy-hTrOaXKYCHYgSMrg9Ek1t9PTQ53B9yMvjD1aHmmu54KVaKwOyRliSNKH2V6rCOb-svg2hP1k3VLfvbPn5MtdPEPxrhPjkCyomnccMk/s1600/primos.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvpTZVn4Qs9mwPG4e7jzfJiqHfCwfaqqrl0oDy-hTrOaXKYCHYgSMrg9Ek1t9PTQ53B9yMvjD1aHmmu54KVaKwOyRliSNKH2V6rCOb-svg2hP1k3VLfvbPn5MtdPEPxrhPjkCyomnccMk/s320/primos.jpg" /></a></div> <br />
A few days ago, just before her birthday, she made me extremely happy. When everybody wants to celebrate their parties with a fancy cake, Samantha asked me to turn her favorite dessert into a cake for her birthday. She loves my tiramisú. She would not eat it anywhere else. And I, proudly made her birthday cake a tiramisú cake. Needless to say that it was all gone by the end of the meal. <br />
From my little corner, I would like to wish, my Samantha, a very, happy, unforgettable birthday. After all, you only turn 17 once. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6efluDH_CrX1ou5D8ORLRzvV36LSJZOxlAw_iWtbnNlUPVYA4QwAeU6gqbch9OUJdVp4sbFWwiiYlsXIsD88kNFlvAsXTYYQunXZoF64mRm92MXgumt5XZJ5onvFTrHIq3X2gMU4B0NU/s1600/samanthasbday.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6efluDH_CrX1ou5D8ORLRzvV36LSJZOxlAw_iWtbnNlUPVYA4QwAeU6gqbch9OUJdVp4sbFWwiiYlsXIsD88kNFlvAsXTYYQunXZoF64mRm92MXgumt5XZJ5onvFTrHIq3X2gMU4B0NU/s320/samanthasbday.jpg" /></a></div> Today, as a tribute to her, I am going to give all of you my recipe for tiramisú. <br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Tiramisu</b></span></span><br />
Ingredients:<br />
<br />
<ul><li>1 1/2 packages of mascarpone cheese (750 grams, or 3 1/4 cups)</li>
<li>3/4 cup of heavy whipping cream</li>
<li>1/2 cup of powder sugar</li>
<li>1 package of lady fingers</li>
<li>1/2 cup of liquor (I like Fangelico)</li>
<li>3/4 cup of espresso coffee </li>
<li>1/2 cup of unsweetened powder chocolate </li>
</ul> First of all, whip the heavy cream with the sugar until light and fluffy. Add the mascarpone cheese and mix together. <br />
In a bowl, combine the liquor with the coffee. This is used to dip the lady fingers in.<br />
Take a square pyrex, and start by spreading some of the mascarpone mixture. Then dip the ladyfingers in the coffee-liquor on both sides, and arrange them, one after the other tightly. Cover this with some of the mascarpone mixture again, and once more dip the lady fingers in the coffee and set them on top. Cover again completely with the mascarpone. And finally, pour the chocolate in a colander and sprinkle over the top to cover completely.<br />
Refrigerate for about 2 hours before serving it. Qué aproveche!<br />
Passion 4 cookinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16898316692019819975noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2972767108965514825.post-42679185544974349962010-05-14T08:56:00.000-07:002010-05-14T09:47:13.516-07:00Mother's Day Dear Moms, I did not forget your day. I beg forgiveness for not congratulating all of you on time. So now, from the bottom of my heart, I wish all of you a belated happy mother's day. Moms are the greatest God's sent gift for any family. Moms make the world turn, and they carry a great responsibility in bringing up wonderful children. We should make each day special for them. Not just mother's day. So today, to all of you who have your mom close by, why don't you thank her? Give her a big kiss, a tight hug and tell her how much she is appreciated. As a mom myself, I can tell you it will make a great difference in her life.<br />
I know that sometimes, we, moms, loose our minds. Sometimes we carry on our shoulders more than we could, but at the end of the day, when our kids, kiss us goodnight, when after a hard working day, they come and tell us the magic words "I love you", then, we forget everything that bothers us to rejoice in those kind, innocent words, and all of a sudden, our job has a new meaning. WE ARE MOMS!<br />
<br />
On this day mother's day, I spent it cooking for all my happy family, including my in laws. We were many at the table, and I, could not be any more satisfied than to have all my dearest people close to me at such a special moment. <br />
My menu was simple. I served different types of brusquettas as appetizers. We also had prosciutto and arugula salad (featured in my salad recipes), and mozzarella rolls with basil, tomato and prosciutto. Needless to say that all was gone by the time I served the main dish. <br />
For my main course, I made one of my specialties, lasagna. I will give you my lasagna recipe soon. Although, I have to advice you that it is a lot of work since I make everything, even the sauce, from scratch. <br />
To top it all off, I chose my apple cream cheese tart as a dessert. This is a deliciously easy dessert to make. It is sweet and tangy from the green apples that it is made of. The truth is, that I could not have chosen a better dessert for this occasion. And today, this is the recipe that I will share with you all. <br />
<br />
Happy Mother's Day all year round!<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: magenta;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Apple Cream Cheese Tart</b></span></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhywnaQAI7DF7knma6oj7YHJpCGm4bXPRLvKXTDvQTEivnCWFsGuxGNmarvrmzJxQkBs-m6hQLGH5I-HqCvvaQt4V6OiqdPc-N0U4g9S60f4HWs-mxvkM9TSVmmenhJzinuWaErNHEbLDY/s1600/IMG_2657.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhywnaQAI7DF7knma6oj7YHJpCGm4bXPRLvKXTDvQTEivnCWFsGuxGNmarvrmzJxQkBs-m6hQLGH5I-HqCvvaQt4V6OiqdPc-N0U4g9S60f4HWs-mxvkM9TSVmmenhJzinuWaErNHEbLDY/s320/IMG_2657.JPG" /></a></div>Ingredients:<br />
<ul><li>1 Frozen Puff Pastry Sheet (At the grocery's frozen section)</li>
<li>2 Green apples </li>
<li>8 oz. Cream cheese</li>
<li>2 tablespoons of butter (cut in little squares)</li>
<li>1/4 cup of granulated sugar</li>
<li>2 tablespoons of ground cinnamon</li>
<li>1/4 cup of peach syrup</li>
</ul>Defrost the pastry for about 20 minutes. Sprinkle some flour around a flat surface to make it easier for the pastry to unfold. Set it flat and cut in three equal rectangular pieces. Let the cream cheese come to room temperature.<br />
Slice all the apples thinly.<br />
Arrange the pastry rectangles in a non stick baking tray, separated by an inch to an inch and a half. Divide the cream cheese in three equal parts and spread it through the center of each pastry piece. It doesn't need to be perfect because it will be covered by the apples. Set up the apple slices one right next to the other (observe the picture on top.) Scatter the butter all over the apples, and sprinkle with a mix of the sugar and the cinnamon. And finally, brush the dessert with the syrup. When I do not have syrup, I like to brush it with some type of sweet liquor. <br />
Bake it for about 30 to 35 minutes, or until the edges of the pastry puff out and they have a light golden color. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7_YQNq8U5pLJA71cmXAHo2GVHVn4bnKumRzm5K9qyVNxg1wbMOnVSr8F6SAUiKQwONsy82pkbBD4dyvIspdeCQiU-6qwL1_BOfHBwCrSyADby-McbFHYaJwG5HyeFUDVxFlSWNmmfxcY/s1600/cream+cheese+apple+tart+.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7_YQNq8U5pLJA71cmXAHo2GVHVn4bnKumRzm5K9qyVNxg1wbMOnVSr8F6SAUiKQwONsy82pkbBD4dyvIspdeCQiU-6qwL1_BOfHBwCrSyADby-McbFHYaJwG5HyeFUDVxFlSWNmmfxcY/s320/cream+cheese+apple+tart+.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Serve it with a scoop of ice cream and decorate it with a mint leave. Que aproveche!<br />
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</div>Passion 4 cookinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16898316692019819975noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2972767108965514825.post-88305849076274575952010-05-07T16:43:00.000-07:002010-05-14T09:50:46.290-07:00Travel Recommendations As many of you know, I am from a little island off the coast of Spain. It is a very nice place to enjoy a summery vacation. It is sunny most of the time, and the beaches are stupendous, although the water is rather cold. Anyway, a cold bath seems to open up your thoughts and I promise that it will leave you fresh and awake.<br />
The economy relies mainly on tourists from all over the world. Agriculture is also common. Particularly they plant bananas, tomatoes, and potatoes, which they export all over Europe. And this brings me to my topic: food. There are many excellent restaurants in the island of Tenerife. A great meal is of uttermost importance to Spanish people. They leave work for two hours, just to sit at the table and enjoy a succulent lunch. So if you ever visit the Canary Islands, take into account that from 2 o'clock in the afternoon to 4 o'clock, there are no businesses open. Remember, Spaniards make of their "siesta"(afternoon nap), a religion. <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_TNuPmHRapmX01wboG97Fn0eS3Yp4wJONWIxLQDXnuoKhmRV4gJqBmOXYYHeJMzM-mZWj5iZX8_1I6sngk_UOcobU9lKvZi7HiwvNmZMM2yQODD0G_mIY8kHK-XuPPr8mGQK0_tPl9-o/s1600/elrincondel+arroz.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_TNuPmHRapmX01wboG97Fn0eS3Yp4wJONWIxLQDXnuoKhmRV4gJqBmOXYYHeJMzM-mZWj5iZX8_1I6sngk_UOcobU9lKvZi7HiwvNmZMM2yQODD0G_mIY8kHK-XuPPr8mGQK0_tPl9-o/s320/elrincondel+arroz.jpg" /></a> Back to the restaurants topic, I should say that I choose "El Rincón del Arroz" as one of my favorites in the South of Tenerife. It is located in a small fishermen town called Los Cristianos. <br />
The menu is varied, fish, meat and their specialty: Spanish rice, which they cook in many different ways, and with many different ingredients. It is a very friendly place, where every day you can find Juan, chef and owner greeting his clients as they come in (first in the picture). Paco, is the Maitre 'di (he is at the center). He is in charge of running the dining room, and making sure that you have a great experience at "El Rincón del Arroz". He is a very efficient waiter, always with a smile on, and you do not have to be a wine connoisseur to decide about a decent bottle of wine. You can trust Paco to serve you the best wine for your meal. And last, but not least in the picture, Nino, the Sous Chef, who makes sure your food comes out perfectly delicious.<br />
A visit to El Rincón del Arroz is a requirement if you travel to Tenerife, since it has been featured many times in the Michelin Guide as one of the best restaurants in Tenerife. This is an exclusive European guide where only the best are mentioned. El Rincón del Arroz deserves such honor.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiclPByyXBZuA-MXI6tSV-JfSQRHkOefxgVPWXn9Mw_x7y4S_Cg9YW0h3Rd-PhewX_4SX22ryKKokKHBB_mg8hGaRj83xx1rXfTpvjprx2A4PpOXsaAa4VTB4TsiDKzyehWbj2nVvM5ZEk/s1600/restrincon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiclPByyXBZuA-MXI6tSV-JfSQRHkOefxgVPWXn9Mw_x7y4S_Cg9YW0h3Rd-PhewX_4SX22ryKKokKHBB_mg8hGaRj83xx1rXfTpvjprx2A4PpOXsaAa4VTB4TsiDKzyehWbj2nVvM5ZEk/s320/restrincon.jpg" /></a></div> You can check their full menu at their website: http://elrincondelarroz.blogia.com .<br />
Today, I will show you one of their appetizers: Chopped Tuna with Mustard vinaigrette. Mmmm, Mmmm Good. This dish is delicate, flavorful, and it has an spectacular presentation. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisF1w8FpFDfRIV7bZ-2yZnwK1XJxwvW1P5iP9D7Kc6OH_vmrMsKPbd3hzjh_6YcHIHt7nJHELvGCcCYkA8OQl3IgrwqXBhXaFy1bIsNLkbLYq69wAGk3p_OB1QLX91j49z9qds1Nr2PvM/s1600/tacosatun.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisF1w8FpFDfRIV7bZ-2yZnwK1XJxwvW1P5iP9D7Kc6OH_vmrMsKPbd3hzjh_6YcHIHt7nJHELvGCcCYkA8OQl3IgrwqXBhXaFy1bIsNLkbLYq69wAGk3p_OB1QLX91j49z9qds1Nr2PvM/s400/tacosatun.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Chopped Fresh Tuna With a Mustard Vinaigrette </b></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: black; font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 14px;"></span></b></span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"><b><pre style="font: normal normal normal 115%/normal monospace; line-height: 1.22em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> For the mustard vinaigrette, add to a bowl 1 egg yolk, salt, mustard, 1/4 teaspoon of honey and the </span></span></span></span></pre><pre style="font: normal normal normal 115%/normal monospace; line-height: 1.22em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">juice of half a lemon. Whisk it altogether. Then, start by adding little by little extra virgin olive oil until</span></span></span></span></pre><pre style="font: normal normal normal 115%/normal monospace; line-height: 1.22em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> it gets the consistency of a light mayonnaise. </span></span></span></span></pre><pre style="font: normal normal normal 115%/normal monospace; line-height: 1.22em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> Cut the fresh Tuna in little squares. Put the tuna in a large bowl and mix it with finely chopped red </span></span></pre><pre style="font: normal normal normal 115%/normal monospace; line-height: 1.22em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">onion and 2 to 3 tablespoons of the mustard vinaigrette.</span></span></pre><pre style="font: normal normal normal 115%/normal monospace; line-height: 1.22em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> Take a cooking ring and fill it up with the Tuna, set it in a nice looking plate and decorate it with </span></span></pre><pre style="font: normal normal normal 115%/normal monospace; line-height: 1.22em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">fresh lettuce and cherry tomatoes.</span></span></pre><pre style="font: normal normal normal 115%/normal monospace; line-height: 1.22em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> So now... take an Albariño bottle of wine and ... Que aproveche!</span></span></pre><pre style="font: normal normal normal 115%/normal monospace; line-height: 1.22em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">
</span></span></pre><pre style="font: normal normal normal 115%/normal monospace; line-height: 1.22em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><tt style="line-height: 1.22em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></tt></pre></b></span><br />
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</span></span></div>Passion 4 cookinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16898316692019819975noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2972767108965514825.post-90200864539454008972010-04-28T12:28:00.000-07:002010-04-28T13:09:45.757-07:00<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVzfj7SvqgnU9aiW2eCxDlZY7by6NtVtQDLLOReWrd2P5WNJS0QtQa85VFrGfJiRjUPS6VOWklsn2OsLgi9c63mx68k0a3hGo8cg-tNWCsZH-4YsqbmQYx5qkACW87u1_9kjwv5rxG8MwR/s1600/IMG_2668.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVzfj7SvqgnU9aiW2eCxDlZY7by6NtVtQDLLOReWrd2P5WNJS0QtQa85VFrGfJiRjUPS6VOWklsn2OsLgi9c63mx68k0a3hGo8cg-tNWCsZH-4YsqbmQYx5qkACW87u1_9kjwv5rxG8MwR/s320/IMG_2668.JPG" width="320" /></a> I love to cook fish. And my kids really enjoy eating it. Since I made this recipe, they do not complain about what's for dinner. I try to choose any white fish fillet, soft in texture and big in flavor. I know many of you might not even consider tilapia, but I found out that it is the perfect type of fish for my next recipe. My in laws recently had a try at it, and Fresh Tilapia dressed in lemon sauce is a regular at their weekly dinners. And now I recommend that you give it a try too.<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br />
</b></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Fresh Tilapia Dressed in an Exquisite Lemony Sauce</b></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-weight: normal;">Ingredients:</span></span></b></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><b></b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><b><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-weight: normal;">4 Tilapia fillets</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">1/4 cup of olive oil</span></span></li>
</ul></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVzfj7SvqgnU9aiW2eCxDlZY7by6NtVtQDLLOReWrd2P5WNJS0QtQa85VFrGfJiRjUPS6VOWklsn2OsLgi9c63mx68k0a3hGo8cg-tNWCsZH-4YsqbmQYx5qkACW87u1_9kjwv5rxG8MwR/s1600/IMG_2668.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"></span></span></a></div><ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">1/2 cup of flour</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">Juice of 1 lemon</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">3 garlic cloves</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">A dash of Spanish paprika (pimenton dulce)</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">Salt and pepper to taste</span></span></li>
</ul><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"> First clean the fillets under running water and pat dry with a paper towel. Add salt and pepper to them and set aside while you season the flour. In a plate, I prefer a plastic one that I can throw away easily, mix the flour, a dash of paprika, a little salt and pepper.</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"> In a frying pan add 1/4 cup of olive oil and wait until the oil heats up under medium heat. Meanwhile, dip each fillet in the flour mix, shaking off any excess. We just want the fish, lightly coated. When the oil is ready, start frying the fish, always under medium heat, to prevent the flour from burning. Turn the fillets over when the edges look golden brown. Cook slowly. Let it sit in a serving plate until all the fish is cooked.</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"> In the remaining oil, saute the sliced garlic. Just when the garlic is golden brown pour the lemon juice, and let it simmer for about 40 seconds to a minute. Strain this sauce and pour over the Tilapia. The dish is ready to eat. Accompany it with a healthy salad and a side of mashed potatoes. You are too going to love it. Que aproveche!</span></span></div></b></span></div>Passion 4 cookinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16898316692019819975noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2972767108965514825.post-56376532037746156722010-04-24T15:02:00.000-07:002010-04-24T15:06:53.262-07:00Unusual Bruschettas<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPuU_qEcsLKJCoYPMB8MTwd-wMovx8EE5FjxZPzBQYvULfFLlzND7G7WMRgtohNoqoH6CkFqfaLINL__DGm9-2sWkrLx8NPr61tnXvj_-m48ybQqUQv9TkL-c8HuOtrfiS6aqLnIqL8Ks/s1600/IMG_2633.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPuU_qEcsLKJCoYPMB8MTwd-wMovx8EE5FjxZPzBQYvULfFLlzND7G7WMRgtohNoqoH6CkFqfaLINL__DGm9-2sWkrLx8NPr61tnXvj_-m48ybQqUQv9TkL-c8HuOtrfiS6aqLnIqL8Ks/s320/IMG_2633.JPG" /></a></div> My dear friends, the recipe that I am going to give today is my husband's invention. One day, I should say one night, when the kids were FINALLY sleeping, and after a hard and long day, we were watching TV. I can not even remember what was on, but I can only remember that we were starving, and that there was nothing in the refrigerator. Well... almost nothing. I only had one Brie cheese, and searching I found at the very bottom of the ice box, like Paula Dean likes to call it, some arugula. My husband asked me if I had bought bread, and luckily, I did. Then, after a while of thinking and suggesting, he came up with the recipe that I will now share with you:<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Brie and Arugula Bruschetta, and Brie and Spicy Chorizo Bruschetta</b></span></span><br />
This is a very unusual way to prepare bruschettas, but the results are worthy. We like to call them italian bruschettas, since the ingredients are more of an italian influence. And mexican bruschettas, for the chorizo and jalapenos ingredients.<br />
Ingredients:<br />
<br />
<ul><li>1 Brie cheese (whole)</li>
<li>2 chorizos </li>
<li>1 can of jalapenos</li>
<li>Arugula</li>
<li>Pine nuts</li>
<li>1 White mountain bread or Ciabatta bread (buy the whole piece)</li>
</ul> Cut the bread in semi thick slices and toasted for 3 minutes in a toaster oven. <br />
Meanwhile, cut the Brie cheese in slices and then cut the slices in half.<br />
Break open the chorizos. Take the skin that covers them and cut the chorizos in crumbles.<br />
For the arugula bruschetta:<br />
Take slices of Brie and cover the bread. Arrange the arugula on top, and the sprinkle with pine nuts.<br />
Toast them in the oven at 350 degrees until the cheese is melted. Cut the bread in half and serve immediately for best taste. <br />
For the Spicy chorizo bruschetta:<br />
Cover the bread with the Brie, sprinkle with chorizo and cut jalapenos. Toast the bruschetta at 350 degrees until the cheese melts. Serve immediately.<br />
My husband and I like to have it with a rich, full bodied bottle of red wine. It is an excellent appetizer. Que aproveche!Passion 4 cookinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16898316692019819975noreply@blogger.com0