Key Lime Pie!

Jag blev inspirerad av min favorittv-serie "Dexter" där de åt Key-Lime Pie. Jag var bara tvungen att testa! Lime är ju så fräscht och gott också! Receptet finns här.

Key-Lime Pie spritsad med grädde

Mums!

Triple Lemon Cupcakes

Yum.  That is the absolute best way to describe these cupcakes!  I broke a cardinal rule of cooking, but thank goodness it worked out for me once again! They say you should never serve something to guests that you haven't tested before.  Well, I guess I will have to have a personal disaster where something turns out nasty before I follow this rule because the two times I have gambled with a new recipe it has turned out great! (last time was the strawberry cupcakes, and we all know how much I loved those!)  I didn't think I was taking too big of a risk though because I got this recipe from one of my favorite cookbooks, Peace Meals, which hasn't let me down once.  However, I did some major adapting by using a boxed cake mix and already prepared lemon curd.  The good news is they still tasted like a specialty cupcake and not like a boxed mix at all!  If you want to be an over achiever and make the lemon curd and cake mix, email me and I will share the rest of the recipe. 
I made these triple lemon cupcakes for my sister-in-law's baby shower last weekend.  I have to say they were a hit (and most importantly, Mr. Hungry told me it was the best cupcake he had ever had!)  I do believe this will also become a go to recipe for me for the following reasons... 1) it was relatively quick with all my shortcuts 2) it was pretty unique because of the inside suprise of a dollop of lemon curd 3) and way way cheaper than the going rate of $3.50 a cupcake at the oh so popular cupcake bakeries. 

Below, you can see how I added a little baby touch with the plastic bottles we bought at Michael's.  If you are making these for a special occasion, I also love a good homemade flag, which I did on the strawberry cupcakes. 

Triple Lemon Cupcakes
Recipe Notes
Lemon Curd has a thick consistency and is used as a dessert topping or as a spread on scones in places in the world where they have afternoon tea.  It is made with lemons, butter, sugar and eggs and a small dollop is the perfect surprise in the middle of these cupcakes.  It can be found in most grocery stores near jelly.  I would splurge a little and don't get the cheapest kind.  My bottle was about $7.00.  If you want the cupcakes to look like lemon, you can add a little yellow food coloring.  Don't go overboard or you will have neon yellow cupcakes.
Ingredients
1 lemon boxed cake mix + additional ingredients on the back of the cake box
1 jar lemon curd
for the icing
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature
3 cups powdered sugar
2 teaspoons milk
¼ cup lemon curd

Step by Step
Bake cupcakes according to directions on the back of the box,

For the frosting:
Cream the butter on medium speed until light and fluffy. Gradually add the powdered sugar, then add the mild and blend until smooth. Add the Lemon Curd and mix until well blended.
To Assemble:
1. Using a sharp knife, cut an upside down cone in the middle of each cupcake.
2. Fill each center with a teaspoon size dollop of Lemon Curd.
3. Top each cupcake with Lemon Buttercream.
You can use a resealable bag to pipe on the frosting if you don’t have piping bags. Just fill the bag, then cut off one corner and squeeze. Or, just spread icing on with a butter knife.

My little baby touch to make these Baby Shower appropriate!

Devil's Food recept

Här kommer receptet på Devil's Food Cake/Cupcakes som jag använt mig av. Receptet kommer från http://www.gourmet.com. Observera att allt står i amerikanska mått i receptet! Jag har köpt mina mått på Duka home, men de finns också att köpa på Lagerhaus. Dessa cupcakes blir bäst dagen efter man har bakat dem!


1 cup boiling water
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch-process)
1/2 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/4 cups packed dark brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
4 large eggs


-Preheat oven to 350°F (177 Celsius). Butter 3 (8- by 2-inch) round cake pans and line bottoms of each with rounds of wax or parchment paper. Butter paper and dust pans with flour, knocking out excess.
-Whisk together boiling water and cocoa powder in a bowl until smooth, then whisk in milk and vanilla.
Sift together flour, baking soda, and salt in another bowl.
-Beat together butter and sugars in a large bowl with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy, then add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in flour and cocoa mixtures alternately in batches, beginning and ending with flour mixture (batter may look curdled).
-Divide batter among pans, smoothing tops. Bake in upper and lower thirds of oven, switching position of pans halfway through baking, until a tester comes out clean and layers begin to pull away from sides of pans, 20 to 25 minutes total. Cool layers in pans on racks 10 minutes, then invert onto racks, remove wax paper, and cool completely.
Put 1 cake layer, rounded side up, on a cake plate and spread with about 1 cup buttercream. Top with another cake layer, rounded side up, and spread with another cup buttercream. Top with remaining cake layer and frost top and sides of cake with remaining buttercream.

Avocado Chicken Salad with Avocado Dressing

There are certain recipes that are responsible for my love of cooking.  I have such vivid memories of tasting  certain meals and thinking how could I have lived this long without knowing about this!  I would immediately forget about the time that went into the preparation and be taken away to some foodie euphoria.  This is what keeps me in the kitchen... this is one of those recipes.  It was one day in college that my friend Allison and I decided to take a "personal day" and do lots of cooking.  At this point, I had made a few things that were tasty, but I knew Paula Deen's avocado chicken salad was going to always be one of my favorites from the first bite I took.  If you love chicken salad and avocado as much as I do, I would bet my crepe pan on the fact that this will be one of your favorites too! Enjoy!

I made this for my sister-in-laws baby shower last weekend and it is a definite go-to recipe for any brunch or luncheon.   It takes a little bit of time, but is definitely worth it for a special occasion!

Avocado Chicken Salad
Adapted from Paula Deen
Recipe Notes
One of the unique things about this chicken salad is the dressing that goes on top.  It is really what makes the dish pop.  Serve it alongside the chicken salad and drizzle over before eating.  This also goes great with your favorite cracker or some crusty french bread.  The chicken salad can be made the night before if you leave out the avocado chunks.  Add avocado up to 30 minutes before serving.  The dressing can be made the night before as well and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Ingredients
For the Chicken Salad
3 cups cooked, diced chicken (click here for instructions)
3 cups cooked white rice
2 avocados, peeled, diced and tossed with 1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 cup mayonnaise
1 to 2 teaspoons pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
For the Avocado Dressing
1 small avocado mashed with 2 teaspoons of lemon juice
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/3 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
Dash cayenne pepper
Step by Step
For the Chicken Salad
1.  Mix all ingredients except for avocado chunks.  Mix until ingredients are well combined.
2.  Add chunks of avocado and toss lightly.
3.  Chill until ready to serve.
For the Dressing
1.  Combine all ingredients into a food processor.
2.  Blend until completely smooth.
3.  Chill and serve alongside the chicken salad.

Makes 8 servings.

Barcelona!

Jag är tillbaka efter en underbar semester i Barcelona! Jag måste säga att det är en fantastisk stad och att jag gärna åker tillbaka fler gånger. Cupcakeutbudet var dock ganska dåligt, jag såg inte en enda cupcake! Som turist missade jag säkert något ställe..

Smoothiebar i El Born

Italiensk glass

Otroligt mysig butik i El Born, Ivo & Co

Min första macaron!

Fabulous, Flexible Flatbread

Navajo fry bread type of flat bread

I am so excited about this bread! It's so easy and simple anyone can do it. It takes maybe 10 minutes (I'm being very generous here) from beginning to end, it's delicious and dirt cheap. (Well nothing is cheaper than dirt, but almost.)
Flatbread is the most elementary type of bread. It has hardly changed in thousands of years. When people started cultivating grain, flatbread was an obvious solution of how to turn hard grain into edible food. The grain was pounded into flour, mixed with water and cooked on a hot stone. The earliest method of cooking flatbread probably involved spreading the dough over a very hot rock then peeling the dough off the rock when done cooking. This method is still used by the Hopi Indians in making their blue corn piki bread.

mixing up the dough (seriously this took 2 minutes tops)

I'm going to post a basic recipe here, but really there is no recipe. If you add flour and water together to make a dough, roll it out to your desired thickness, heat it, you will have made flatbread.

The versatility of this is phenomenal. You can roll it out to any thickness you desire. Thinner it will resemble the middle eastern bread, lavash, or a tortilla, or Indian naan bread. Thicker, (about 1/4 inch thick), it will be like a Navajo fry bread.

It may be cooked in a pan like I did, with butter, oil may also be used, or it could even be heated in a dry hot pan. It may be grilled on a bbq, cooked over a camping stove, over an open flame, in an oven, or old school style, over a hot rock.

rolling out the dough to make a flatbread, this one is a little thinner, similar to naan or lavash

It can be flavored any way you can possible imagine. Just mix it into the dough. Here are some examples.
*Garlic and Rosemary
*cinnamon and sugar
*flaxseeds and sesame seeds
*Italian herbs, or oregano and basil
*Parmesan cheese and minced onion
*finely chopped kalmata olives
You can also experiment with different flours, use any type you like!

frying it up!

The uses for the bread are endless as well. My husband likes to use it to dip into stew. It can be served with dip instead of crackers, used as a taco shell, a pizza crust, or used to wrap a sandwich.

Basic Flatbread

this recipe makes 2 or 3, if you need more, just double or triple it.

Ingredients
1 cup white unbleached flour
3/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup water (to start, you may need more)
a tsp olive oil (optional, will make the bread more elastic and easier to roll and deal with as well as adding flavor)
oil or butter for frying
Directions
In a large bowl add all ingredients (except the butter or oil for frying, or course.) Mix with a spoon until it becomes a dough.
Take out the dough, on a cutting board covered in flour knead the dough a few times. If it feels too wet, add a little more flour, conversely, if it feels too dry, add a little more water. Roll it out into rounds, or the shape you desire.
Heat a pan to medium high heat. Add butter or oil (if using) (you can also cook these in a dry pan, if cooking dry, you will need a pan on high heat) If using butter, you need a med high heat, because butter will burn on high heat.
Cook in hot pan, about 2 minutes on first side, then flip and cook another 1 min. or so on the other side.
That's it! Eat and enjoy! Could it be any easier?

Chicken Pesto Pizza

A couple of weeks ago, I discovered wonderful homemade pizza crust, and already I am seeing my work pay off.  When I first made pizza dough, I doubled the recipe and froze the dough.  Two weeks later, I am able to throw together a homemade pizza in just minutes, and might I add it is delicious! This chicken pesto pizza is especially great when you have leftover chicken breast.  I had grilled up some chicken for dinner last night, and cooked an extra breast for dinner tonight. This pizza is great any night of the week and the leftovers are even better.  Enjoy!

Chicken Pesto Pizza
Recipe Notes
Any seasoned grilled chicken will work great.  If making the chicken just for the pizza, season with salt, pepper and garlic salt before grilling.  Feel free to try whatever cheese you have on hand as well.
Ingredients
Homemade pizza dough (click here for recipe)
1/2 cup basil pesto
1 grilled chicken breast, sliced thinly
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1-2 cups shredded monterey jack cheese
Step by Step
1.  Preheat oven to 475 degrees.  On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into the shape of your cookie sheet.  Place crust on a piece of parchment paper and place on pan.
2.  Spread a thin layer of pest on entire crust, leaving a 1/2 inch around the edge with no pesto.
3.  Sprinkle parmesan cheese.
4.  Sprinkle monterey jack cheese to cover all of the pesto.
5.  Place slices of chicken breast on top.  Sprinkle with a bit more parmesan cheese.
6.  Generously salt and pepper the entire pizza.
7.  Bake in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes, until crust is crispy and brown.
8.  Cut into rectangular pieces and serve.

Triple Chocolate Zucchini Bread

Triple Chocolate zucchini muffin/cupcake

O.K. if you are lucky enough to grow zucchini or know someone who does and is happy to gift you with the lovely vegetable this bread is quite a worthy recipient.

I have been growing zucchini for the past 3 years, mostly to use for baking yummy items such as this. I shred quite a bit of it in my food processor, (you can also use a box grater for this task) and freeze it in gallon size freezer bags so I can use it for baking throughout the year.

This bread is delightfully moist, rich and very chocolaty due to the three types of chocolate involved. You would never know the zucchini is in there, you can't taste it but it adds moisture, fiber and nutrition.

Triple Chocolate Zucchini Bread

Ingredients

2 (one ounce) squares of unsweetened chocolate
3 eggs
2 cups white sugar
1 cup vegetable oil (or whatever type of neutral oil you prefer)
2-2 1/2 cups shredded zucchini (with the moisture squeezed out of it)
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups white unbleached flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
3 Tablespoons cocoa
1 cup chocolate chips (plus more for sprinkling on top of bread)
1/2 cup sour cream or yogurt

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. (175 degrees C. ) Lightly grease 2 loaf pans, (or 1 big loaf pan plus 2 or 3 small loaf pans, or muffin tins if you prefer) If using a large loaf pan I recommend greasing the pan then using a parchment paper sling as show here. Grease the parchment paper also. The reason for this, is the chocolate chips like to stick to the bottom of the pan, no matter how much grease I use. It's not too bad with the small pans.

Melt the unsweetened chocolate in a pan over low heat, stir until smooth, set aside.

In a large mixing bowl combine eggs, sugar, oil, grated zucchini, vanilla and melted chocolate.
beat well with electric mixer. In another large bowl whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, cocoa, and chocolate chips. Add to wet mixture, beat until combined well, 2 minutes or so. Add sour cream or yogurt mix until incorporated.

Pour batter into prepared pans 3/4 of the way full, sprinkle extra chocolate chips on top of loaves before baking if desired. Bake until toothpick inserted into center of bread comes out clean. For muffins it will take about 25-35 minutes, for small loaf about 35 minutes, for large loaf it will take about an hour, (give or take 5 or 10 minutes.)

When loaves have cooled, remove from pans and wrap with plastic wrap or foil to keep airtight.this recipe made one big loaf, the 2 small ones and one muffin/cupcake (above)
or it will yield 2 large loaves

Spaghetti Pie

This is another one of those great inventions when you need something fast and you can usually find most of this in your refrigerator.  I have to thank my mother-in-law for this great recipe.  This is a delicious dish and makes great leftovers! Enjoy!
Spaghettie Pie
Recipe Notes
To make this dish a little heartier, you can add ground beef to the sauce when you warm it up.
Ingredients
1 lb spaghetti, cooked in salty water and cooled
1 egg, beaten
1 cup parmesan cheese, shredded
2 to 3 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 teaspoon salt
Fresh ground pepper
Your favorite store bought tomato sauce
Step by Step
1. Preheat to 350 degrees.
2.  In a medium sized bowl, combine spaghetti, egg, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper.
3.  Stir to combine.
4.  Pour in a 9x13 baking dish.
5.  Cover with mozzarella cheese and season the top with salt & pepper.
6.  Cover with foil and bake for about 15 minutes.
7.  Remove foil and bake for 5 to 10 more minutes until cheese is brown and bubbling.
8.  Heat tomato sauce on the stove over low to medium heat.
9.  Pour sauce over slices of spaghetti pie before serving.

How To: Comment on a Post

I have had quite a few questions and confusion about how to post comments on something that I post.  Let me first say, it just thrills me to death to read your comments and I love to know any and every thought you have about a recipe, if you have tried something, or if you have a question (or you just want to say hi!).  So, I thought I would discuss the different ways to post!  Also, if you ask a question in a comment, I will answer it with a comment back as soon as possible.  This is a great place for a question because you are probably not the only one that is wondering something!

If you would just like to leave a comment:

1. Click on comment below any post.
2.  Write whatever you desire!
3.  Below your comment, you will see Comment As:
4.  Click on the arrow next to it and choose Name/URL (or anonymous if you so choose)
5.  Fill in your name and leave the URL blank
6.  Hit post comment.  It might ask you to enter a secret word for spamming purposes and then hit post comment.  Okay this is where most are having problems!  This should work just fine, but some people are getting a red message saying you cannot post at this time. Simply hit post comment again.  You might have to enter a security word again but it should go through this time!

If you would like to post a comment and link it to you own website:
1.  Follow all the instructions above, but add your website in the spot that says URL.

Okay, hope that helps!  Thanks again for all of your wonderful comments!

Easy Cheesy Cornbread

Sometimes, you just need to make dinner, and make it fast.  I had a couple of nights like that last week and still wanted to make some tasty stuff.  This is where pre-measured ingredients come in handy, but could always use a little something extra.  You can make this cornbread in just minutes, but it is extremely delicious with the sharp cheddar cheese.  These little muffins go great with anything from soups to barbecue.  As you can see, it is hardly a recipe at all.  Enjoy!

Easy Cheesy Cornbread

Recipe Notes

This recipe calls for a package of cornbread mix.  This can be found in any grocery store usually near the flour and other baking items.  The particular brand I used was Pioneer, but any brand will work.  Make sure to read the back and see what you need for the mix.  Most call for milk and eggs.

Ingredients

1 package of cornbread mix + other ingredients that the cornbread package calls for

1 cup extra sharp shredded cheddar cheese

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Step by Step

1.  Prepare cornbread batter according to package.

2.  Stir in cheddar cheese, salt and pepper.

3.  Finish cornbread in a muffin tin according to directions.

4.  Serve warm out of the oven.

Recovery and Discovery

Recovery: Poor Hubby has been running himself into the ground. Trying to run a business and then racing and working on his farm all the while overseeing his calving cows and trying to protect them from wild dogs and dingoes. A bad cold was definitely not ordered. But he got one. I felt so sorry watching him go off this morning, heaving and coughing.I crossed my fingers desperately hoping any newborns would be okay; unlike last time. Right then, I decided that I would make a good old fashioned chicken noodle soup. Nothing but goodies in it. Hubby needed lots of goodies and there is nothing better for the soul or a 'cold' than chicken soup. I didn't need to hit the cookbooks for this one. I have been in 'throw-together' mode a bit lately and I have enjoyed feeling 'liberated'. I just hoped that a nutritious soup would help him recover sooner rather than later.

Chicken Noodle Soup

3 skinless lovely legs (drumsticks)
2 chicken necks
1 peeled carrot, cut in half
2 stalks celery, including leaves, roughly chopped
1 leek, roughly chopped
1 brown onion, cut in half
2 bay leaves
several whole black peppercorns
2 1/2 litres water
a bunch of continental parsley
4 green shallots
3/4 cup short, thin pasta

Place everything into the pot, except for the pasta and shallots. Put 1/2 the bunch of parsley into the pot; reserve remainder. Bring to boil; reduce to a simmer; cook for up to two hours; no longer.

Take out the chicken; set aside. Strain the liquid through a sieve, catching all the veggies in the strainer. Discard the cooked veggies.

Return the liquid to the pot; bring to boil; add pasta; boil till pasta is cooked through. It should take no more than three or four minutes. Take off heat; put in green shallots and whole leaves from a couple of parsley stalks. Remove all the meat from the chicken legs; shred or dice. Add to the soup. Keep the chicken necks whole and return those to the pot as well. Season with lots of cracked pepper and salt.

Delicious served steaming hot with some crunchy bread.

Discovery: A few nights ago I received an SMS from Mitch. He and Maxi began their bike trip last week from Stuttgart and their destination was to reach Amsterdam. It was very special to hear they were in Dusseldorf.

My mum was born in Dusseldorf, or at least I think she was. She died when I was almost two years old and I know hardly anything about her or her family. I won't go into detail but most of my upbringing has centered around the "Balkan" way. My half being German has played no significant role in my life. That is until my Aussie boy became best friends with a German boy.

Then his curiousity about his German ancestry began. He has a great deal of respect for German people and he thinks they are one of the smartest races on earth. Ah ha, maybe that is why Mitch fancies some German in him. The bottom line is he wants to know and he wants me to find out. I haven't really. It is almost like a scary place for me to go. But my curious boy just won't let it rest.

I leave in less than seven days. Yes, you heard me right. I'm going to Europe. I haven't been since 1981!! The plan is to meet up with Mitch and stay with Maxi and his family for a couple of days. We are being rather spontaneous about things and absolutely do not have things mapped out to a tee. It shall be interesting to say the least.

Our sketchy plan is to head down the Adriatic coast and reach Montenegro. From the coast we shall venture up into the continental part and through the mountainous terrain until we reach the village of 'Potrk', where my father was born back in 1924. My father would have been so proud of Mitch and so happy to learn about his grandson's interest in his European roots. My dad passed away three years ago.

The house is still there and my uncle and his wife are still alive. Mitch expressed a desire to stay with them for two weeks. He wants to experience their isolated part of world and work and live as they do in the mountains. Let's just say I don't think it is a place where many tourists, if any, are ever seen. Once again, it is going to be interesting.

After that we shall do some touristy things and visit the must see places in Montenegro. We have other relatives there so they will help us out and Mitch is looking forward to meeting his "on the other side of the world" relatives with whom he will not be able to communicate. Fortunately I can speak the language, so, phew.

The sketchy plan, then sees us heading to Greece for a short stint and I was hoping to see Crete and spend maybe even a week there. I am really fascinated with that place, so we shall see how it turns out. After that, back to Germany and Mitch will spend one last week with Maxi who should be back at university in Franfurt.

The week before that happens, we were thinking we might go to Dusseldorf and look into finding out about my mother and any of her relations. I have a strange, shaking feeling as I write. It is like going into the unknown and not knowing what I shall discover. And I am slightly scared. You probably think I am being foolish but that is how I feel.

Fear aside, I feel I owe it to my boy who has a clear and interested connection in his family roots. I need to do this. I have avoided it for a long time but now the time has come. I need to find out just exactly who I am.



See you in two months. Bye for now.
Mariana.

Homemade Pizza with Mushrooms & Pancetta

So how many of you were wondering if I really just left that dough plain? Sorry I left you hanging, but here is the final product of my homemade pizza endeavor.  This is the rest of the pizza recipe I had from Giada de Laurentis and I can barely put into words how delicious it is.  Chewy in the middle, crunchy on the outside crust... 3 different melted cheeses... topped with salty bites of pancetta... yum!  I set out to determine if going through all the trouble of making homemade pizza was worth it and my conclusion is a resounding yes! The options are endless and this combination is a great start.  Enjoy!

Homemade Pizza with Mushrooms & Pancetta

Adapted from Giada de Laurentis in Bon Appetit
Recipe Notes
For those of you unfamiliar with pancetta, it is Italian style bacon.  Regular bacon does not really work as a substitute for this recipe, but I do have a hint on how to get great pancetta without having to buy a ton.  Most every grocery store carries it in the deli and you can ask for two thick slices (about 1/2 an inch each), which is enough for this recipe.   Also, fontina cheese can be a tad on the expensive side, but a small piece will give you enough for two pizzas.  If you have to use less than the recipe calls for, just add more parmesan and mozzarella.  This recipe makes enough for two cookie sheet size pizzas so feel free to half the recipe and freeze the other half of the dough for another night.
Ingredients
1/2 cup purchased marinara sauce
1 cup coarsely grated Fontina cheese
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup coarsely grated mozzarella cheese
2 ounces crimini (baby bella) mushrooms, thinly sliced
2 ounces thinly sliced pancetta (Italian bacon), coarsely chopped
Step by Step
1.  Preheat oven to 475 degrees.
2.  Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
3.  Divide dough in half.  Roll out one half on lightly floured surface to 13 1/2 by 8 1/2 inch rectangle.
4.  Transfer to one baking sheet.  Repeat with second half.
5.  Spread 1/4 cup marinara sauce over each pizza, leaving 1/2 inch border.  Sprinkle cheese over, then mushrooms and pancetta.  Sprinkle with salt and generous amount of pepper.
6.  Bake pizzas until brown on bottom and cheese is melter, about 15 minutes.  Cut each pizza crosswise into rectangles.

Orange Overdose

I was scratching my head wondering what to do with my oranges. They have been falling off the tree for the past two weeks. I have been retrieving as many as I can and using as much as I can but I am running out of ideas. Dear Filomena, down the road, said she was juicing and freezing her freshly squeezed orange juice. Fine, but what am I going to store all the juice in. Hmm. In the meantime.....I remembered a recipe that I absolutely adored many, many years ago.

When I lived in Wollongong I used to work occasionally for my hubby's aunt, Peg, who was a very successful caterer running her own business. Gosh I would have been 22 years old back then. A lifetime ago. It is fascinating when I recall the type of food that was popular at that time. Some of it was terribly sinful. I remember we used to go through loads of cream and butter, in both sweet and savoury dishes. Nobody had heard of olive oil back then. Olive oil was something you could purchase from the pharmacy in a small plastic bottle and it was supposed to be good for the skin. It certainly wasn't available for food purposes. Like I said; a lifetime ago.

In amongst this flood of memories I recall an orange recipe that Peg made from the Australian Women's Weekly. She was one of the test cooks at the Weekly and she never made anything unless it had been tested and endorsed by them. This particular recipe was probably one of the rare 'healthier' ones at that time. It was basically segmented oranges in a wonderful whisky syrup and the cream that she made to go with it was to die for. I hit the bookshelf; dusted off the cover and found the recipe.

Amazingly I didn't have to dash off to the shops to get anything. The oranges I collected fresh from the tree and the rest was easy. I wonder what my little trip down memory lane shall bring. I wonder if the oranges were going to taste as divine as they did all those years ago. Only one way to find out.

Whisky Oranges with Atholl Brose Cream
adapted from the Australian Women's Weekly

3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup scotch whisky
9 oranges
juice of one orange

Cream
1/2 cup cream
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon scotch whiskey

Combine sugar and water in a saucepan, stir over heat until sugar dissolves. Bring to boil, reduce heat, simmer for another 2 minutes. Remove from heat; add whisky, cool.

Remove all rind from oranges and all the white pith. This is slightly time consuming but necessary. Cut oranges into segments, cutting between membranes; do this over bowl, to catch all the juice.

Put into bowl, pour cooled syrup over, cover, refrigerate.

Whip cream, honey and whisky till thickened. Refrigerate till serving time. Oranges can be kept in fridge for several days. The longer it is left the more intense the flavour develops.

Simply whip more of the cream as needed or for a change try eating the oranges with some ice cream and straight whisky poured over the top. Double the dose but yummy.



Was it delicious? Yes, very. Was it as wonderful as my memory serves me? Not sure. I think my palate has changed since that time. It was a long, long time ago. Although it really is delicious it doesn't seem to be as "to die for" as I had thought. The oranges are truly wonderful but I think I would serve it with a honey, orange zested ricotta instead of the Atholl Brose cream. It is very decadent and I am aware that I shouldn't be indulging in too much cream these days. The days of the 'excessive eighties', at least for me, are over. I think I shall stick with ricotta or yoghurt instead.

How To: Homemade Pizza Dough

I feel as if I have experienced a miracle.  I watched a dough like substance double in size from a silly little packet of something called yeast! Homemade pizza dough has been on my list of things to make for as long as I can remember.  I thought once I mastered pizza dough, the possibilities would be endless! (yes, I know this might sound a little familiar from my crepe phase... which is hardly a phase because they are now a staple!)  Well, I have to say that I am pretty excited because this was only my first attempt and this is such a great recipe that turned out perfect.  Considering it came from the queen of Italian food, Giada de Laurentis, I shouldn't be too surprised that it was wonderful crust.  Another thing that has always deterred about making pizza dough was the ingredient list that included a packet of yeast and water that had to be at a certain temperature.  That was enough to discourage me, but once I found out that you can easily buy yeast packets near the flour in your grocery store, and all you really need is lukewarm water, I was ready to overcome my fears.  If you are still a little weary of making or kneading dough, Bon Appetit has a great short video that shows each step and gives great tips on how to know when you are done kneading.  Click here for the video.

A side note:  I am not here to reinvent the wheel.  Pizza is one of the most accessible foods these days and within minutes you can have anything from a cheap pizza to a gourmet pizza at your doorstep within an hour.  However, I have heard great homemade pizza can easily be made and my hopes for this endeavor was to find a great crust and be able to have make your own pizza parties!  Well, I am officially inspired with this great crust and next on my list is to try the Barefoot Contessa's recipe for whole wheat crust.

Homemade Pizza Dough
Adapted from Bon Appetit July 2009
Recipe Note
This recipe calls for 115 degree water.  I did not have take the temperature of my water, but instead just used lukewarm water.  The appliance that made this so easy was my food processor.  I have not experimented with how to make the dough without one.  I know there is a way and if anyone has any tips on this, please share!
Ingredients
3/4 cup lukewarm water (105 to 115 degrees)
1 envelope active dry yeast
2 cups all purpose flour (plus more for the counter)
1 teaspoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons olive oil
Step by Step
1.  Pour warm water into a bowl.  Stir in packet of yeast and allow to dissolve, about 5 minutes.
2.  Coat a large mixing bowl with olive oil and set aside.
3.  In a large food processor with a dough blade, combine flour, sugar and salt.  Pulse a few times to combine ingredients.
4.  Add yeast mixture and olive oil.  Process until dough forms a sticky ball.
5.  Transfer dough ball to a lightly floured surface.
6.  Knead dough until smooth, about one minute.  To test if dough is done being kneaded, press the dough ball with two fingers.  If the the finger dents stay in the dough, you are done kneading.  If dough is sticky add flour by tablespoons until it no longer sticks to your fingers.
7.  Transfer dough ball to bowl coated with oil.  Turn dough in the bowl so it is covered with oil.
8.  Tightly cover bowl with plastic wrap.  Set aside in a warm, draft-free area.  Allow dough to sit for about an hour, until the dough has doubled in size.
9.  Remove plastic wrap and punch dough once or twice with your fist to remove air.
10.  Slowly stretch dough out or roll out with rolling pin until desired thickness and shape.

Dough can be stored in an airtight container for up to one day in the refrigerator.  Dough can also be frozen for up to 3 months.

Meringue an' Tang

I'm comfortable in my cooking. I must be. I recall years ago scouring through my cookbooks, picking out a recipe, making sure I had all the ingredients even if it meant going down the street for a sprig of rosemary or a stick of cinnamon. I'd re-read the recipe several times to make sure I "got" it, prep away and have all the appropriate cookware in place before I would commence. Honestly, it was like an orchestra about to perform on stage with yours truly being the very nervy conductor.

Ahh I'm chuckling at the absurdity of it all. But then I wonder if that is what I needed to do in order to get to where I am now. Maybe. Maybe that was my destined culinary journey to get comfortable in the kitchen. I look back and cringe at how 'seriously' I took it all. But I love how I am so much more relaxed and easy going now. Not to mention knowledgeable. I ought to know a thing or two because I have practised long enough! I think that definitely contributes to my sense of freedom and risk-taking in 'zee' kitchen.

I had three spare eggs. Beautiful free-range eggs. I had a hankering for lemon butter and so it began. I have been very unhappy with some of the lemon butter recipes I have tried. I feel they haven't explained the procedure well. Nor the ingredients. I get very annoyed when I see a recipe state "the juice of two lemons'. I would rather a measurement please!!! Like say 1/2 a cup or something. Some of our lemons are so big they would pass for grapefruits. Our average lemon is much bigger than a "shopsized" lemon, so how accurate do you think the juice of two lemons is. Ours would surely yield two cups and I am pretty certain the cookbooks don't mean two cups.

I'm not getting worked up; remember I'm relaxed in the kitchen these days. But things like this really annoy me because it is critical to the overall result. After making a few lemon butter recipes recently, following them to a tee, I have still ended up with disasters. The mixture separated. Therefore I am turfing the books. I have decided to "boldly" steer this orchestra without the sheets of music. Yep. I am making it up. Or perhaps what I ought to be saying is, I am drawing on my years of experience. I am challenging myself to see what being in a comfortable, relaxed and confident place in my cooking will bring.



My Lemon Butter

1 lemon
2/3 cup of lemon juice
130gm unsalted butter, cubed
180gm castor sugar
3 egg yolks

Peel the rind from the lemon into long strips. I used a large lemon and peeled most of the rind. If you don't want too much lemon "zing", then only peel a couple of strips of rind.

Place the rind, lemon juice, butter and sugar into a glass or ceramic bowl. Using a heavier bowl offers you more control from the mixture curdling. Bring a saucepan with a 'little' water in it to boil. Of course it depends on the size of your saucepan. You want enough water in there so as not to boil the saucepan dry but it mustn't in any way be too close or touching the bowl. One and a half cups of water was sufficient for my saucepan.

Bring the water to boil. Turn right down to a gentle simmer. Place your bowl with ingredients over the saucepan. Using a wooden spoon stir occasionally till the sugar has dissolved.

Take off the heat; add egg yolks one at a time, whisking each one well as you go.

Return to heat and continue to stir slowly over a very low simmer till mixture has thickened and easily coats the back of the wooden spoon. This requires nuturing so expect to stand and stir for about 20 to 30 minutes. Remove from heat.

Empty the hot water from the saucepan; dry quickly with a clean teatowel. Strain the mixture into the hot saucepan; strain well. Pour immediately into jar. Seal when cooled.

This quantity gave me two small jars. My little pots of lemon butter were gorgeous. The yellow was brilliant, probably as a result of our happy chooks. I was very pleased with the taste too. Vibrant with lots of "tang". If you prefer quite a thick lemon butter then I recommend you mix a little cornflour with some lemon juice and add it towards the end of cooking. I am happy with a looser consistency, so generally I was happy overall. Take a bow!




What does one do with three egg whites? Well my fabulous neighbour Filomena would make biscotti in a jiffy. Hmmm. Not sure my lemon butter would go with that. I haven't made a pavlova or meringue in ages. I remained in cookbook rejection mode and carried on in confidence mode. Let's see how this one turns out.

My Meringue

3 egg whites
a good dash of cream of tartar
almost one cup of caster sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
2 teaspoons of lemon juice

Place the egg whites and cream of tartar into a clean, glass bowl. Using hand-held electric beaters, beat till the mixture works up into a good froth. Add vanilla extract; beat a little more. Begin adding the sugar and whisking at the same time. I added about a tablespoon to begin with then increased the quantity slowly. Make sure you keep beating the whole time.

Once all the sugar has been added; beat till the mixture looks nice, firm and glossy. My beating time took about 12 minutes. With one minute to go, I added the lemon juice and whisked this right through the mixture. Done.

I took a small baking sheet and lined it with baking paper. I know from past experience pavlovas can be difficult to remove. Especially as they can release moisture from the sugar that hasn't dried out enough. For extra caution, lightly grease the baking paper and sprinkle lightly with some cornflour. This should ensure easier removal.

Spread the meringue mixture over the sheet and using a flat knife level out evenly.

Place into a very low heated oven. No kidding it has to be low. It's tricky for me to know how to explain this one. I didn't use my regular oven, but instead a small grill and convention oven that sits on one of the kitchen benches. I baked it for about two hours on 80degrees celcius. You would have to use your intuition and your oven light to determine how long to bake this. I am guessing in the bigger oven I would bake it at about 110 or 120 degrees celcius for about 1 hour. Approximately. It's your call. Whatever you do, do not open the oven door!

When you feel the meringue has cooked; just leave it in the oven to cool. Don't take it out. You will get less cracks that way.

I did have some liquid seepage from the sugar; but that's fine. It was a lovely colour with a beautiful crispiness. I was very happy.



So here goes the fun bit. I cut up the meringue into equal parts. Spread with some whipped cream, topped with some beautiful strawberries I purchased from the farmer's market, drizzled with lemon butter. Top with some more meringue; continue layering with more cream and lemon butter if desired.



As chance would have it, I was taking photos of this very creation when one of Nikka's friends Kyle happened along. He walked in bemused to find me taking photos of my little meringue delight. The funny part is, Kyle is a "serious" photographer with amibitions of turning professional. He is working towards this goal and I am confident he will make it. He is very good. I only wish he had his gear strapped on him at the time so that I could have had an 'amazing' shot of my meringue. Oh well, I think you get the picture.

After my little shoot, we sat down and ate my lemon butter meringue together and I lost count of the amount of times Kyle used the word "awesome". I think that means its good. Is that clapping I can hear? Time for another bow.

Banana & Chocolate Chip Pancakes with Pecans

There is nothing like a big stack of pancakes on a Saturday morning when you can just sit around and eat till noon.  I found this banana pancake recipe to be so easy and the pecans and chocolate chips make it extra special.  The great thing about this recipe is that you add the chocolate chips and pecans at the end.  I would definitely go for both, but if you have a picky eater or two, you can make a couple without either the chocolate chips or pecans.

Banana & Chocolate Chip Pancakes with Pecans
Recipe Notes
Make sure you mush the bananas so they are almost liquid.  This will help the banana to evenly spread throughout the batter.  Make sure and cook the pancakes on low to medium heat, but allow both sides to brown completely so that they will be cooked through.
Ingredients
1 cup all purpose flour
1 tablespoon white sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg, beaten
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 ripe bananas, mashed
dash of cinnamon
dash of vanilla
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped pecans
Step by Step
1.  Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and cinnamon in a bowl.
2.  In another bowl, combine egg, milk, oil, bananas and vanilla.
3.  Stir flour mixture into liquid mixture until just combined.
4.  Heat a nonstick skillet over low to medium heat.
5.  Pour a 1/4 cup of batter in a circle on heated pan.
6.  Place chocolate chips and pecans on wet side of batter slightly pushing them into the batter.
7.  When edges of pancake start to bubble, flip with a spatula.
8.  Allow pancake to brown completely on the other side.
9.  Repeat until batter is gone.  Keep pancakes warm in the oven on very low heat while the rest are cooking.