Thursday, February 12, 2009

TFF Brick Chicken with Apricot Couscous



This is the first time I partecipate to Tyler Florence Fridays an event hosted by Deb of Kahahai Kitchen, Megan of My Baking Adventures, and Natashya of Living in the Kitchen with Puppies.
To collect all the information please visit the Tyler Florence Fridays Blog and soon you'll be able to join !! And please check all the others TFF recipes !!
I still didn't receive the Tyler Florence's book that I ordered but we can choose recipes on line as well so I chose the Brik Chicken with Apricot Couscous .
The recipe was a hit the chicken was deliciously flavored and not dry at all, the sauce was very nice and delicate and the couscous was great as well.

I did a few changes that are:
Apparently in Italy the chickens are cut on the breast so I just (tried) bone it.
It's kind of difficult to find cilantro here so I substituted it with parsley.
I knew I had some dried apricots somewhere but that evening I couldn't find them so I used dates instead.
I didn't realize until it was too late my pan was not oven proof so I turned the chicken and kept on cooking it on the stove for fifteen minutes (but it came out more then OK).

Blogger Aid Ravioli filled with Cherry Tomatoes and Eggplants and Tomatoes Sauce



These are the ravioli waiting to dive.
I'm submitting my original recipe to Blogger Aid for their cookbook.
I'm sorry to be writing so little but I have a lot of work waiting !!!

W.I.P. A Late Entry



I'm making a love bear pillow for Anita' s Valentine but, as you can see, I ' m a bit late !!!!
Please check Shel's WIP section for more craft !!

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

TWD Floating Islands



This week Shari of Whisk : a food blog chose this wonderful recipe .
'Why didn't you make this before ?' asked Andrea with dreaming eyes when he tried the first mouthful of the islands (or clouds as Cinzia called them). So if you never tried making them please do they are a breeze to make !!
Please visit the TWD blogroll to find put what all the other's did . You can find the recipe on page 401-402 of Dorie's book Baking From My Home to Yours. .

Friday, February 6, 2009

Focaccia Messinese con Indivia (italiano a seguire)



In my late craziness for starters I'm trying to convert every recipe from commercial yeast to starter. And I found a famous and very nice Italian Blogger calling for such recipes.
The recipe I'm making lately everytime I bake pizza at home is this focaccia, I saw it once on TV and fell in love with it ! Actually the first reason I liked it was because the organic vegetable pack we buy every week has lots of curly endive and I didn't have any recipe left for it but now we are hoocked !!




Focaccia Messinese

200 gr bread flour
200 gr semolina flour
200 gr starter
250 gr water (about)

Knead and let double in a warm spot.
Roll (or flatten it) in a oiled baking sheet.
Turn on the oven.
Then add little pieces of anchovies, cover totally with very thin layers of cheese (fresh caciotta) , lots of curly endive (rinsed and chopped), and top wit chopped fresh tomatoes. Sprinkle some olive oil and salt (depending on how many anchivies you used) and bake in a 400 oven until done. As you can see last time I added some boiled potatoes left from potato pizza.


Ho visto questa focaccia da qualche parte in TV e me ne sono innamorata ..รจ squisita !!

Focaccia messinese

200 gr Manitoba
200 gr farina di semola rimacinata
200 gr pasta madre
250 gr acqua (circa)

Impastare far raddoppiare e stendere in una teglia
Accendere il forno a 250°.
Aggiungere dei pezzettini di alici sott'olio, coprire interamente con sottili fette di caciotta fresca, coprire abbondantemente con indivia riccia lavata e tagliata e spargere dei pomodorini tagliati. Sale e olio a piacere e infornare.

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

I Panini di BICE



I think you all now the magic blogging may do : sometimes you 'meet' someone and he/she becomes one of your friends even if you never met. The first time it was the great Enza who helped me open the blog (I don't know if I would have done it without her precious help). And some time ago I met Cinzia who is teaching me a lot about bread (pretending she doesn't know much).
These are the breads she made for the last Bread Baking Day, they were so tempting (and use lots of sourdough which I just can't trow away !!!) I had to try them !!
They are not very sweet and super soft: a great snack !

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

TWD World Peace Cookies



Oh no ! I canceled that unique picture of the wonderful world peace cookies !! What will I do ? I'll never be able to shoot such a great photo !!! And I'll have to bake my secret frozen log of cookies before I can post so the kids will scold me (mamma but you are always on the computer ! BASTA !) .
But the picture (horrible or better 'the ugliest ever') was still in the camera and everybody is still asleep !! I almost made it !

Now the cookies (not their aspect) were great that salty hint coming from the fleur de sel really did it (even the monsters liked them !!!). Looking at the other's cookies I realized mine sperad while their didn't...why? I'll check when I bake the frozen ones.
Please notice the only beautiful thing in the photo : the cookie carrier given to me by Enza

The World Peace Cookies were chosen by Jess from Cookbook Habit. Thank you Jess and visit the Tuesday with Dorie blogroll


Monday, February 2, 2009

Bread Baking Buddies Croissants



This month The Bread Baking Babe in charge was Katie of Thyme for cooking
and being in France, even without an oven, she chose Croissants !!
I never dared to make croissants but many times I've read the recipes over and over and with the Buddies I finally did it !! The whole family appreciated them ( you can see the only two left above and even aliens trying to reach them !!)
Check all the baking buddies for wonderful results Bake My Day, I Like to Cook, Living on Bread and Water, Lucullian Delights, My Kitchen in Half Cups, Grain Doe, Notitie van Lien, The Sour Dough, Cookie Baker Lynn
And Katie for the recipe (that includes also a savory pesto roulade and pains au chocolate).



Sunday, February 1, 2009

SSB Banana and Chocolate Loaf



This is the wonderful loaf we super easily baked this month with Sweet and Simple Bakes.
For me baking means relaxing but when it comes to SSB it's more than that: their recipes are so fast and with wonderful results that is magic !!
What I really loved was that subtle orange flavor coming from the zest.

Banana and Chocolate Loaf

Serves 10-12

Ingredients

250g (9oz) self-raising flour
Pinch of salt
1 tsp baking powder
150g (5oz) caster sugar
100g (3 ½ oz) butter, softened
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
Finely grated zest of 1 orange
475g (17oz) whole bananas (about 4 small ones), peeled
75g (3oz) dark chocolate chips


13 x 23cm (5x9in) loaf tin *I used a 900g (2 lb) loaf tin*

Method


Preheat the oven to 170°C /325°F/ Gas mark 3. Lightly butter and line the loaf tin with parchment paper. Sift the flour, salt and baking powder into a large bowl. Add the sugar and butter and, using your fingertips, rub it in until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Whisk the eggs, vanilla extract and orange zest in another bowl. Add the bananas and mash very well with a potato masher. Add the chocolate chips. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and pour in the banana mixture. Gently but thoroughly bring all the ingredients together with a wooden spoon, and then pour into the prepared loaf tin. Smooth the top and bake in the oven for 1-1 ¼ hours or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before removing the cake from the tin and leave to cool on a wire rack.

Please check Sweet and Simple Bakes to see all the loafes !!

Thursday, January 29, 2009

Daring Bakers Challenge Tuiles


When I read this month's challenge I relaxed..... too much: I thought it was due on the 30th but this morning I realized the final date was today !!
The recipe in itself it's an easy recipe my problem was understanding how thin the dough should have been and in the beginning I went too thick.
I'm sure I'll try it again I want to try the salted one too and most of all I wuold like to make fortune cookies too !!!
The fruit part is a spiced apple butter I made with cinnamon and cloves.


This month's challenge is brought to us by Karen of Bake My Day and Zorra of 1x umruehren bitte aka Kochtopf. They have chosen Tuiles from The Chocolate Book by Angรฉlique Schmeink and Nougatine and Chocolate Tuiles from Michel Roux.

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

W.I.P. A project started long ago !



I don't even remember when exactly I started this needlepoint ! I'm afraid it was in the prekids era but I took it back last summer in Sicily ! I 'm afraid I'll be able to finish it when we'll be again on holiday !!!The needlepoint comes from this book which is available only second hand but it is very beautiful and rich of wonderful ideas !
Please check Shel site to view more crafter's works.

Let’s write a Cookbook … because we can help!!! (in italiano a seguire)

Val of More Than Burnt Toast, Giz of Equal Opportunity Kitchen and Ivy of Kopiaste, unveiled an ambitious project for the Social Network Bloggeraid to launch a cookbook. Food is our medium and taking a role in alleviating world famine is our mission. Their wish is that you will share our excitement and help make a difference to our world by joining us on this journey.

We have announced our largest fundraiser to date ever!!!! With the help of Gloria Chadwick from Cookbook Cuisine , a member of Bloggeraid, we will be publishing a cookbook with 100% of the profit from sales being directed to our chosen agency. The funds we raise will be directed to specific programs of The World Food Programme (WFP), the United Nations frontline agency. The needs are great and choosing a specific effort is currently being negotiated.

Who will contribute to this cookbook?
YOU!!!!

The cookbook is targeted for sale on Amazon by November/December 2009. There is a great deal of work involved in delivering this project and we will rely on you to help in any way you can. We will keep you informed every step of the way on Bloggeraid !!!!

1) Submit ONLY ONE recipe in English. The recipe must be written in the format given. You will find the Recipe Style Format to be used in the forum page of Bloggeraid. You MUST use this format to make it easier for us to edit and itemize each recipe for the cookbook. Send your submission to bloggeraid AT gmail DOT com with your e-mail, subject being one of the categories below. Please include your URL to your recipe, a photo of your dish, your e-mail and your country of origin. (Only your Name, Blog Title and country will appear in the cookbook)

Choose one category:

  • Breakfast and Brunch
  • Main: Eggs, Meat, Poultry & Seafood
  • Vegetarian Dishes
  • Soups & Stews
  • Sides
  • Salads & Dressings
  • Appetizers & Hors d’oeuvres
  • Beverages
  • Desserts
  • Cakes & Pies
  • Candy & Cookies
  • Jam & Preserves

2) It’s also very important to write your recipe as a plain text Word document, with no codes or formatting and to submit your recipe as an attachment to our e-mail address bloggeraid AT gmail DOT com. (The person who will typeset the recipes will thank you from the bottom of his/her heart for this). One little wayward code can throw the whole thing out of whack.

3) It MUST be an ORIGINAL recipe to avoid any copyright issues. The cookbook will have an international flair so represent your country if you so wish. We are a group of bloggers from almost every country of the world!!!!

4) In one or two months you agree to receive a recipe chosen randomly to TASTE TEST for the cookbook. We will of course take in mind any allergy, product availability and vegetarian issues. To taste test a recipe would mean to verify that all measurements and instructions are accurate and that the recipe works without glitches.

5) This is critical!!!!! Do NOT post your recipe on your blog. The recipes will be unveiled in the final product where the cookbook itself will be considered the roundup. You can post a photo of your dish to create visual appeal on your own blog with a description of the final dish. The photo submitted must be clear and in living colour!!!! The deadline for submitting the recipes is the 12th February, 2009.

6) Please mention this event with a link back to this post on your site as well as a link to Bloggeraid so more people will be aware of what we are trying to accomplish.

7) You DO NOT have to be a member of Bloggeraid to submit a recipe and join in.

8) By submitting a recipe, I give BloggerAid permission to publish the enclosed recipe for its cookbook project, understanding that the proceeds of the cookbook will support the programs of the World Food Program. I further understand that no royalties will be awarded to me for my recipe submission. I also understand that all recipes and photos submitted will be considered but may not be published in the cookbook and I undertake that I will not publish the recipe anywhere else (blog, forum, social network, magazine, newspaper etc.), before the publication of the cookbook.

All submitted recipes become the temporary property of BloggerAid and will not be returned.

Submit your recipes and let’s get this party started!!!!

Our vision is a world which provides for and protects the welfare and human dignity of all of its people. A world in which all children can grow, learn and flourish, developing into healthy, active, caring members of society.

“Because we can help”: BloggerAid



BloggerAid รจ un Social Network nato il 6 dicembre 2008 dalla volontร  esplicita di tre food blogger:


che si sono unite per dare vita a questa comunitร  virtuale unita e determinata nella sensibilizzazione di una grande piaga che ancora affligge gran parte del mondo: la fame.
Proprio l'amore per il cibo che tanto unisce nella grande comunitร  blogghista puรฒ essere la spinta per farci uscire dal nostro mondo ed aiutare quelli meno fortunati di noi: queste le parole testuali nella homepage di Val, Ivy e Giz.
Chiunque puรฒ iscriversi liberamente, la comunitร  รจ in continua crescita, e dare cosรฌ il suo piccolo grande contributo con idee, suggerimenti, proposte e iniziative.

La prima grande iniziativa in corso per raccolta fondi รจ la pubblicazione di una grand libro di ricette. Questo libro verrร  pubblicato in autunno e messo in vendita su Amazon. La raccolta di ricette รจ a partecipazione libera, senza la necessitร  di essere iscritti a BloggerAid.
E' una grande opportunitร  offerta a tuttiper tutti per poter vedere una delle proprie ricette pubblicata e finalizzata per una giusta causa.
L'intero ricavato sarร  devoluto al World Food Programme (agenzia umanitaria di spicco delle Nazioni Unite) che lo indirizzerร  verso i bisogni piรน urgenti.
Le regole per partecipare sono qui, e la ricetta deve pervenire entro il 12 febbraio. La cosa piรน importante รจ partecipare con una ricetta nuova che non andrร  pubblicata sul blog fino all'uscita del libro, anche se se ne potrร  parlare e postarne la foto, senza perรฒ rivelarne ingredienti e procedimento.

Un altro evento in corso รจ il "Culinary Tour Around the World" di Joan, che settimanalmente ci porta a visitare localitร  diverse attraverso la loro storia e la loro cucina. Le regole per partecipare qui.




Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Bread Baking Day # 16 Bread with Cheese






This month the Bread baking day theme is bread with cheese hosted by High on the Hog
In these days I came across a nice book about a famous restaurant in Milano Il Luogo di Aimo e Nadia and found in it this nice recipe using a starter (with which I'm lately in love) along with Aceto Balsamico and Parmigiano Reggiano. I hope you will enjoy this tangy recipe !!!



Pane all'Aceto Balsamico e Parmigiano Reggiano.

500 gr. starter
500 gr. durum wheat semolina (finely ground)
150 ml. balsamic vinegar
100 gr. grated parmigiano reggiano
10 gr. extra virgin olive oil
salt

On a moderate heat reduce the balsamic vinegar to half quantity.
Mix the flour, the starter, the reduced vinegar and a little salt, knead it and cover and let rise until doubled around 3 hours.
Knead again for about 10 minutes and roll in a rectangle about 1 cm thick spread with parmigiano and roll. Cut the roll in three shorter rolls and put them on a baking sheet covered with oiled cling paper and let rise three more hours until doubled.
Bake in a preheated oven at 300 for 40 min then raise the temp to 375 and bake 15 more minutes.
Let cool on a rack.

TWD Fresh Ginger and Chocolate Gingerbread


This week it was Heather of Sherry Trifle who chose Fresh Ginger and Chocolate Gingerbread. Check out her blog for the recipe! Thanks Heather! And check Tuesdays with Dorie to see what the other bakers came up with for this week's challenge.

I didn't expect to enjoy this gingerbread this much but it really was very tasty ! I didn't add the candied ginger but still, the ginger was there !

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

W.I.P. A Knitted Doll Finished !!



Finally we made it ! 'Thanks' to a new little illness of Anita I could finish our Madonna doll ! Now the problem is hiding it from Cagliostro that loves it too.



Here you can appreciate her guepiere !! Please check Shel blog to find out more craft going around !

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

TWD Berry Surprise Cake



This week I really thought I wouldn't make it ! Anita got sick again and request me at her side all the time so I waited and missed the chance to make the cake for a lunch on Sunday and a dinner on Monday and finally it was five o'clock this afternoon and I went for it !!
The genoise really scared me but I got fine to the egg ribbon....the problems were the flour and the butter puddle !!



I don't own an 8 by 3 springform so I prepared a long strip of parchement paper (luckily I put it between two round layers so it was very easy to pull it out !) and the cake rose just above the metal ring !



Luckily I had an helper to make the box...



..even if she didn't do it for free !



In Italy this cake, called Mimosa, is filled with pinapple pieces and whipped cream, the inner cake is then crumbled and used to decorate so I tried to make a similar decoration (avoiding some cream from my diet !)



I thank Mary Ann of Meet Me in the Kitchen who chose the recipe for this week and will post the recipe. To see how the rest of the TWD group coped with this week's recipe, click here .

Thursday, January 15, 2009

W.I.P. A Knitted Doll

Wednesday In Progress is the idea Shel had to share different craft making with other bloggers, here is where to check for more informations . And here is my late wednesday project !




And someone who's too interested in it !!



The idea came from Knitted Icons and Anita chose Madonna Ciccone so we'll see how it will end up !!

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

TWD Corn and Pepper Muffins and wonderful embroideries




Dear friends, I spent all day trying to figure out an estimate for a group of liturgical vestments and the muffins really were forgotten somewhere !
But they where certainly enjoied..maybe to much (!)
This week I thank Rebecca of Ezra Pound Cake who chose the recipe for this week and will post the recipe.
I realized that I never shared any of the 'fili' (threads) with you and I loved so much these embroideries that here is one !

OK OK when I wrote this post I was very tired and didn't explain myself well...: this is some wonderful work of art of neapolitan nuns ( Clarisse ) made in the beginning of the 1800 that maybe I'll have the chance to restore for an exibition that will be in July. I think that if I was able to embroider so well ....I'll put you some more photographs so you will see why they need me !





This is a Dalmatica (I forgot the name in English)



And this is a detail of its sleeve if you look closely you notice that the textile is very fragile and has been roughly sawn together with an horrible cross stitch !

Thursday, January 8, 2009

Appello per la pace

NON SI PUO' RIMANERE A GUARDARE

C'รจ un modo per evitare il massacro di civili. C'รจ un modo per salvare il popolo palestinese. C'รจ un modo per garantire la sicurezza di Israele e del suo popolo. C'รจ un modo per dare una possibilitร  alla pace in Medio Oriente. C'รจ un modo per non arrendersi alla legge del piรน forte e affermare il diritto internazionale:

> CESSATE IL FUOCO IN TUTTA L'AREA
> RITIRO IMMEDIATO DELLE TRUPPE ISRAELIANE
> FINE DELL'ASSEDIO DI GAZA
> PROTEZIONE UMANITARIA INTERNAZIONALE

Facciamo appello a chi ha responsabilitร  politiche e a chi sente il dovere civile perchรฉ sia rotto il silenzio e si agisca. Le Nazioni Unite e l'Unione Europea escano dall'immobilismo e si attivino per imporre il pieno rispetto del diritto internazionale.
L'Italia democratica faccia la sua parte.


Per aderire puoi firmare on line www.firmiamo.it/appellopergaza

Tuesday, January 6, 2009

TWD French Pear Tart (italiano a seguire)



This is a special week for us TWDes because Laurie started the group a year ago . Thank you Laurie ! It is such fun to bake with all the others ! Thank you to other TWD members who make baking an occasion of sharing and meeting friends !This special Tuesday the recipe has been chosen by Dorie , thank you for the Pear Tart and much more for writing this cookbook. Thank you all !!
I used cinnamon with the lemon in the poaching syrup and I substituted hazelnuts for almonds. I brought the tart at my mum's because my brother's family came to visit from Perugia and everybody loved it very much !!

Questa settimana รจ l'anniversario di Tuesday with Dorie e cosรฌ รจ stata proprio la mitica Dorie scegliere la ricetta. La torta di pere con crema frangipane รจ squisita e domani (le scuole ricominciano !!!) vi metterรฒ la ricetta per bene !