Thursday, April 30, 2009

BBD # 19 Spring Country Breads



The new Bread Baking Day theme is springy and pic-nic inspired. It is hosted by Cinzia of Cindystar a great and expert Italian blogger.
As we were all waiting for strawberries I decided to bake some strawberry muffins and I found a great recipe here , I halved the recipe and that was it .
Thank you Cinzia and happy Spring !

TFF Braised Chicken with Peanuts and Raisins



And here we go with another yummy recipe by our hero !
I followed the hint our dear host Natashya gave us in the last round up and made the recipe in the video she posted.
I didn't have cashews so I used peanuts, watercress is almost impossible to find here so I just sprinkled some basil just to have some green around and I used skinless chicken to reduce the fat a little! But even so the flavours of this chicken are wonderful !
Please visit the blog tomorrow for the new round-up !

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

TWD Postponed

I'm finally finishing my tour de force so as soon as I'm done I'll party with this chocolate feast !

Monday, April 27, 2009

Daring Bakers Challenge Cheesecake





The April 2009 challenge is hosted by Jenny from Jenny Bakes. She has chosen Abbey's Infamous Cheesecake as the challenge.

For this challenge Jenny left us plenty of freedom so I decided to use half amaretti and half graham crakers in the crust which I didn't bake if not a for a very short time enough for melting a layer of chocolate I had sprinkled on top. In the cream I used 'grand marnier' and orange juice and zest and on top I put a caramel sauce and some hints about what was inside.

I apologize for being so short and not doing many visits but after the 30th I'll catch up !!

Friday, April 24, 2009

TFF Penne with Baby Artichokes, Black Olives and Peas



I don't know if I already told you that my husband has a worried look when I praise Tyler Florence (but he shouldn't !) it's only that with his help I can cook a good dish even in these days (few left !!!) when my fridge is sad and I feel guilty every moment I'm not sewing !
So the other evening I found this recipe where I used frozen peas and frozen artichokes
and some powdered orange zests I had prepared in the winter. We all (but the usual ONE) enjoied it very much !
Please visit the blog to find out many more wonderful recipes !

Here is the final 'corner' !



And my beautiful even if neglected plants !

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

TWD Four Star Chocolate Bread Pudding




This week in Tuesdays with Dorie, Lauren of Upper East Side Chronicle chose Four Star Chocolate Bread Pudding and I was very happy because I made it some time ago and in this very busy moment I had the (ugliest) picture ready !!!

Sunday, April 19, 2009

WEEKEND CAT BLOGGING #202



I'm more interesting ! Don't you agree ?

This week, Mr. Tigger and The M Cats Club at The M-Cats Club (USA) are hosting Weekend Cat Blogging #202

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

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

TWD 15 Minute Magic - Chocolate Amaretto Torte



This week's recipe was chosen byHolly of Phe/MOM/enon : the 15 Minute Magic - Chocolate Amaretti Torte. This torte came in a period were what we didn't need is another cake ! So I decided to half the recipe and bake it as mini muffins in a nice mini rose silicon pan . The dough was not the right one for the rose shape but it is so good that it really doesn't matter !
I didn't frost it just to save me from extra calories !
I think it is the ideal torte to bake when you have unexpected company coming ! It's fast, uses simple ingredients and is very good.
Please visit the blogroll to see more tortes !

Monday, April 13, 2009

Sourdough Hot Cross Buns



In my search for sourdough recipes I'm finding numerous sites rich of great recipes one of them was this nice one for Hot Cross Buns, my son Carlo had learned about them at school so I tried them even if I doubted he would dare to try them !
The buns were a success in taste (not with Carlo !) even if they raised too much and their round look wasn't there at all, but I'll definitely make them again maybe smaller !
I am sending this recipe to Yeast Spotting event created by Susan from Wild Yeast. This week's event will be hosted by ZORRA, visit her to see the round-ups. To join this event is very easy, here is how:
  • Bake with yeast (wild or baker's) or make a dish starring bread.
  • Post about it. Please include a recipe/formula, or a link to one, or some indication of how the bread was made. Also please include the word "YeastSpotting", with a link to this page.
  • Submit your post here. Please submit it during the same week it was posted

Easter is gone !

Here are the great Bag-skets the children made to go egg- hunting.Thanks to the Blond Duck !!



And here is the Hunt in our terrace !!



We even made some coloured eggs !!

Friday, April 10, 2009

TFF The Ultimate Barbecued Chicken



This week I could luckily try another of Tyler's delightful food : Barbecued Chicken !
I know I'm repeating myself but what I like of his recipe is that I can make something new, fast and good with what I have already at home like this chicken.
The brine made it even more moist and tender and the sauce is so good ! I had cooked a couple thights without sauce for the children but they wanted ours instead and Anita dipped the potatoes in the sauce !!
Please visit Tyler Florence Fridays for many super recipes !

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Earthquake Again

Dearest Friends
I was reading your nice messages at my computer and here it went again this time is eight o'clock pm and we were waiting to go to dinner ! I'm so scared and I can't imagine how the poor people in Abbruzzo are feeling at their second night out of their homes . Hopefully most of them will have a tent but in that area is still very cold at night and many rescuers are still digging mostly with their hands not to move too much debris.
Tomorrow we are going to send some stuff for children like baby food, milk and water but also toys and blankets.
Thank you again for caring.



divulgo da francescaV


Copiate e diffondete questi numeri, grazie:

Per volontari addestrati: 3270499293.

Per viveri, coperte, medicinale o altro: 800.860.146 oppure 06.68208.

Chiunque avesse una struttura alberghiera in Abruzzo in grado di ospitare: 0854308309.

divulgo da MuVaRa

Per donazioni:

Raccolta fondi Croce Rossa Italiana:

Conto corrente bancario C/C n. 218020 presso BNL - roma, intestato a CRI, codice Iban IT66 - C010 0503 3820 0000 0218020,
causale: pro terremoto Abruzzo;

Conto corrente postale n. 300004 intestato a CRI
causale: pro terremoto Abruzzo;

Versamenti on line sul sito: http://www.blogger.com/www.cri.it/donazioni.html

informazioni utili da http://www.repubblica.it/

http://kataweb-ilcaso.temi.kataweb.it/2009/04/06/terremoto-in-abruzzo-informazioni-utili/

una delle tante sottoscrizioni

http://ilcentro.gelocal.it/dettaglio/il-centro-lancia-una-sottoscrizione-per-aiutare-i-terremotati/1614669?edizione=EdRegionale

TWD Banana Cream Tartlets



This week Amy of Sing for your Supper chose the recipe and I'm so glad because this pie didn't have any appeal for me but I realized (and Andrea and our friend who made them vanish in seconds) how wrong I was !!
I made half recipe in tartlet shape using a leftover pie crust that I had frozen , making the cream and the custard was very easy and fast.

Brand New Colomba !



As you can see the last group came out well .
To solve the problem I used a larger mold and that was it !
Thank you for your great support !!

Sunday, April 5, 2009

Who sat on my Colomba ????




Well as you might imagine this was very hard to bear !! My colomba was beautiful and after five minutes it just went down!!
I was baking colomba with a group of great bakers : Cinzia, Cinzia, Elra, Lien, Rosa and Zorra.
As you can see something went wrong but the flavour was still great ! And I'm happy when finnicky Carlo tells me : 'Mum you made the best colomba ever ! ' even if I have never seen an ugliest one in my life !!
I'm kneading a new batch as I think that what went wrong was the size of the molds (being too small) . If that's not the reason I'll start a business of croocked colombas !
Please check the happy Easter Logo on the top right to find out about more colombas to come !!

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

SSB Oatmeal and Chocolate Chips Cookies



This month Rosie and Maria of Sweet and Simple Bakes ofered us a wonderful and healty...recipe !
I substituted millet for oats but the result was good anyway, the cookies are, as promised, sweet and simple !!

Oatmeal and Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients
110g (4oz) butter, softened
110g (4oz) caster sugar
110g (4oz) soft brown sugar
1 egg
2 tbsp water
1 tsp vanilla extract
250g (9oz) porridge oats (rolled oats)
110g (4oz) self-raising flour
1 level tsp salt
110g (4oz) chocolate chips, raisins or chopped nuts

Preheat the oven to 180oC (350oF), Gas Mark 4. Cream the butter in a large bowl or in an electric food mixer until soft. Add the sugars and beat until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add the egg, water and vanilla extract while still beating. Reduce the speed and gently mix in the oats, flour, salt and raisins to form a dough. Using your hands, roll the dough into walnut sized balls and place slightly apart on two baking trays. Bake in the oven for 12-25 minutes or until light golden brown but still slightly soft in the centre. Allow to cool on the trays for a minute before transferring to a wire rack to cool.

Recipes to Rival Flambè



This month Shawnee of Delishes Delishes and Temperama of High on the Hog chose flambè as a very nice shiver in our kitchens !!
I really liked the meat even if Andrea bought it too thin, but it was really full of nice smells and flavours.
Thank you !! And please visit the blogroll for more fire !!

Steak Diane Flambé
recipe by
Frank Bordoni from Great Food Live

Ingredients

For the steaks
4x85g beef medallions
1 tsp Dijon mustard
freshly ground salt and pepper

For the sauce
1 tsp Butter, clarified
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp Shallots, finely chopped
50g button mushrooms, finely sliced
1 tbsp lemon juice
125ml double cream
1 tbsp Chives, snipped
50ml Brandy

Method 1. Rub the medallions of beef with the mustard, season with salt and pepper and set aside.
2. Heat a large frying pan over a medium heat and when hot, add the clarified butter and Worcestershire sauce.
3. Add the shallots and mushrooms, and push to the centre of the pan. Arrange the medallions around the edge. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring and tossing the mushroom mixture as you go. If you prefer your steak well done, give it an extra minute or 2.
4. Add the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper.
5. Turn the steaks over and pour in the cream and chives. Tilt the pan slightly (away from you) and pour in the brandy at the far end. Now turn up the heat to high so that the brandy ignites. Swirl the sauce around in the pan and turn off the heat.
6. Put the medallions on 4 plates, pour over the sauce and serve.

Disclaimer:We do not require that you flambé, if you choose to flambé and burn down your kitchen, don't sue us. If you choose to flambé try and get a picture (I recommend getting someone to help). Remember when playing with fire keep a fire extinguisher close and never use water on a cooking fire.