The Making of the Cake

Few days ago I got one of the liturgical vestments I showed you, to restore for an exibition in...May ! So I started to work as crazy in a church in Trastevere (a nice part of Rome once very pitoresque) hence I have not so much time to post and to make something postable !
But going back to the cake here is what I made : for the cakes I used two butter cake's recipes from Rose Levy Berambaum :All Occasion Downy Yellow Butter Cake and (I didn't want to waste all the whites) the White Velvet Butter Cake and I confess that I loved both and wouldn't know which one I prefer.
For the frosting I sticked with the Cake Bible and chose the Silk Meringue Buttercream.
And I found the rolled fondant recipe on the same book.
To make the modeling paste I added gum tragananth to the fondant (1 teaspoon every 250 gr)



As you can see I even bought Crisco at a specialty store !!!



I followed the directions of the book closely to cut the cakes with the slope ( you cut the cake at an angle and you place the cut top under the cake the higher part under the higer part so that is really high)



Each cake was on a small cardboard round (slightly smaller than the base) and was placed on the next layer with the help of dowels. We didn't have time to look around for proper ones so we sacrifized some chopsticks !



Silvia (Bianca's mother) didn't trust the dowels alon so we put some long sticks in the top as well.



And here for the artistic part Silvia helped a lot luckily because it took longer than we tought !!

TWD French Yogurt Cake with Marmalade Glaze

This week it was Liliana of My Cookbook Addiction who chose the recipe and I must tell you that is a very common recipe in Italy too ! Usually this recipe is the only one some people know because it's easy to remember if you use the yogurt 'cup' as a mesure ( 1 of yogurt 2 of sugar 3 of flour 1 of oil, 3 eggs, lemon zest and 1 envelope baking powder) the nice change Laurie made are the almond flour and the marmalade glaze .
Please visit Liliana for the recipe and all the others TWDers for more cake !

100 Post and a Labor of Love

Having worked two days on this cake for the 14 th birthday of our very special friend Bianca I only wish I was already asleep but I realized I had reached the 100 th post so what could be better than this ?
If any of you are interested I'll post more about it tomorrow !! Buonanotte (I know it's only seven !) !!

TFF Pan-Roasted Salmon With Roasted Root Vegetables and Lentil Stew

I'm happy to say that Dear Tyler did it again !!! I wanted to make something Indian for this great idea but my mother in law came with some fresh salmon (in Rome it's almost impossible to have a different cut for it : fish mongers are lazy !) so I decided for this rich dish !
I really loved it , the lentils (I used the tiny ones from island of Pantelleria near Sicily) were so rich in flavour and the roasted root vegetables were nicely caramelized and with a hint of the apple vinegar. Actually both could stand even without the salmon that was the simplest one to make. I warmly suggest that you try this recipe or any third of it !!
Please visit the TFF blogroll to get many more ideas !!

Culinary Tour Around the World : India

BloggerAid is a community of bloggers trying to help relieve world famine and Joan’s event A Culinary Tour around the world is her great idea to make people sensitive to our world's biggest problem.
This week Joan is taking us to India and I chose a very simple recipe from 'The Frugal Gourmet on our Immigrant Ancestors'by Jeff Smith a book I enjoy a lot reading .

CAULYFLOWER AND SCALLIONS WITH BLACK MUSTARD SEEDS

1 caulyflower
2 small bunches of scallions
2 teaspoons black mustard seeds ( I know ! but I only found the yellow ones )
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
Kosher salt to taste
1/3 cup warm water
1/4 vegetable oil (I used olive oil)
1/3 cup chopped fresh coriander or 8 fresh curry leaves (I used dries ones with the other spices)

Separate the caulyflower into 1 inch florets.
Trim the scallions an chop them including the green parts.
Mesure the spices and the water and keep near the stove.
Heat the oil in a wok over high heat and when is hot add the mustard, cumin and fennel seeds. Keep a lid handy since the seeds may splatter and sputter when added. When the seeds stop sputtering add the turmeric and the caulyflower.
Stir-fry the caulyflower until it is evenly coated with the oil.
Add the scallions, salt and water; mix and cover with a lid. Cook over medium heat and toss a couple of times until the caulyflower is soft, about 10 minutes. Uncover, fold in the coriander, and continue stir-frying until excess moisture evaporates and the caulyflower looks glazed about 5 minutes. Serve hot.
Buon appetito !

TWD Lemon Cup Custard

Hi there !! We got to Lemon Cup Custard thanks to Bridget of The Way the Cookie Crumbles . Last week I checked the P & Q and found out that many people found this dessert 'too eggy' and 'not lemony' so I thought to be clever and used half milk and half cream and used the zest of two big lemons !



But I must say the lemon wasn't almost there !! The taste it was very smooth and mild a bit like creme caramel (a dessert you find everywhere in old fashioned pizzerie and restaurants in Roma, actually I think its The Dessert before Tiramisù) but without the dark brown caramel at the bottom (or top if they are refined enough to invert it !). I don't think I'll make it again but ...you never know !!
Please check the TWD blogroll for more and more !

Weekend Cat Blogging #196

Finally Spring is coming but Cagliostro is not convinced yet and tries to catch every ray of sun !!!
Please leave a post for Othello here for new entries !

TFF Mac and Cheese with Peas and Bacon

I know it's not new for you but this week I tried the mac and cheese signed by 'our' Tyler.
The recipes comes together in minutes and is very tasty too !
My variations have been : using olive oil instead of butter in making the bechamel sauce to keep our animal fats a bit lower, using pancetta and changing the cheeses because I don't have a clue of wher I could find cheddar cheese in Italy !
As you can see I didn't put the nice peas and pancetta all over because Carlo still doesn't want 'pieces' around but the reviews were great (even Carlo's), Anita said it was 'buonissimissimissimo !'. So, as always with Tyler, a fantastic dinner !!

TWD Chocolate Armagnac Cake

I thank LyB of And Then I Do The Dishes for selecting this week’s recipe. Check her blog for the recipe and be sure to take a look at the TWD blogroll to see how the other bakers fared with this cake. You can find the recipe also on page 279 of Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan.
This recipe is not difficult to prepare and has so many flavours coming to our tastebuds !! I love it !!
The changes I made were: using whiskey instead of cognac (we don't drink alcohol other than beer or wine and I didn't want to buy another forgotten bottle) and I used hazelnut's meal instead of pecan's.
Last year I went to a pastry class held by a famous Italian pastry chef called Maurizio Santin and one of the many things I learned from him is to divide the amount of sugar between the yolks and the whites (add after the fist bubbles appear) so that the whites have more structure ; it's really important in this case where the whites do all the work, in fact there are no leavening agents other than them !
As you can see the cake WAS so beautiful in the oven !!!!

Recipes to Rival Let's make Cheese !

As I thought I wasn't partecipating in enough groups I joined a wonderful group born from a few Daring Bakers wanting some savoury challenges in their lifes.
This month Lauren chose ricotta making and each one could choose a savoury dish to make with it .
I chose Gnudi that means naked (nudi) in Tuscan dialect. They are like ravioli without the pasta clothing. The only problem I have now is how to tell you that we were so anxious to eat them that I didn't take a photo !! So you'll have to trust my words for it : they were great !!

The recipe:

500 gr ricotta
500 gr cooked spinach or squash (water squeezed out) (traditionally they are made with nettles)
100 gr grated Parmigiano
1 egg (I used all whites leftovers)
1 Tblsp breadcrumbs
nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste



First thing cook your selected vegetable : quickly stir fry the spinach with a little salt and garlic, squeeze out the water and chop finely. If you are using squash cook it in the oven and squeeze the water out and chop finely.
Combine with the other ingredients and let it rest it in the fridge for about an hour.
Make some small balls without adding extra flour and cook in boiling water (like gnocchi) until they appear on top.
In a small saucepan melt butter and some sage and pour it on the gnudi along with some Parmigiano.

SSB Cherry Bakewell Cake

The monthly bake this time is this wonderful cherry/lemony cake which I haven't tried yet but soon will ! My cakes didn't rise close to the ones Maria and Rosie baked and my glaze came out transparent but I used less powdered sugar so maybe this is the reason.
Please visit Sweet and Simple Bakes to see other cherry cakes and to join next month !!

Daring Bakers Challenge For the Love of Chocolate

The February 2009 challenge is hosted by Wendy of WMPE's blog and Dharm of Dad ~ Baker & Chef.
We have chosen a Chocolate Valentino cake by Chef Wan; a Vanilla Ice Cream recipe from Dharm and a Vanilla Ice Cream recipe from Wendy as the challenge.
And I'm very grateful to them because: the recipe is very good , it is easy, they managed to force me to get the ice cream maker out of the secret place I kept it , and I could reach the third floor (the celiac one) when sharing my baking.
I made a zabaione ice cream to go with the cake and served it along with my terrace's kumquats marmalade !

Gelato allo zabaione

4 yolks
80 gr. sugar
65 gr. Moscato di Pantelleria (or Marsala)
125 gr. skimmed milk
250 gr cream

Whisk together yolks and sugar until whitish, add Moscato and put on a water bath whisking until it makes a ribbon. Cool, add milk and cream and put it in an ice cream maker.

TFF Sweet Chile Tofu Fried Rice

I really must thank Nancy for discovering this nice group because I had never even heard of Tyler Florence and now that I'm getting to know him I think he is great ! He makes nice food but his recipes are simple to follow with good new ways and they are always a success at our home !! This week I chose this recipe it has a wonderful oriental flavour and is so simple and fast you can make it in minutes.

Bread Baking Day # 17 Bread with Potatoes

This is a wonderful Potatoes au Gratin Bread in honour of the Bread Baking Day #17 hosted by Lien , I found the recipe in an old book by Sharon Tyler Herbst called BREADS by HPBooks.
The bread is moist and rich of flavour ( I even eat it toasted spread with honey).

Recipe
2 packages active dry yeast
2 Tbsp sugar
1/2 cup warm water
1 cup half and half (I used whole milk)
3 Tbsp butter, melted
1 Tbsp salt
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
4 to 5 cups all purpose or bread flour
2 cups shredded peeled or unpeeled potatoes
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese ( 4 oz.) (I used grated Pecorino and Parmigiano)
2 Tbsp butter melted

In large bowl of electric mixer, dissolve yest and sugar in water. Let stand until foamy, 5 to 10 minutes. Add half and half, 3 Tbsp butter, salt, red pepper and 2 to 2 1/2 cups flour. Beat at medium speed with electric mixer 2 minutes or, beat 200 strokes by hand. Stir in potatoes and enough remaining flour to make a soft dough. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured board. Clean and grease bowl. Knead dough 8 to 10 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Because of starch in the potatoes, dough will feel slighly sticky. Place dough in greased bowl, turning to coat all sides. Cover with a slightly damp towel. Let rise in a warm place, free from drafts, until doubled in bulk, about an hour. Grease and flour 2 round 9-inche cake pans. Punch down dough. Roll or pat to a rectangle, 1/2 inch thick. Sprinkle cheese over dough. Knead cheese into dough until evenly distributed. Divide dough in half. Shape into 2 round loaves; place into prepared pans. Butter 2 (12 inch) squares of waxed paper. Place over loaves. (I used oiled cling film) Let rise until doubled about 45 minutes. Preheat oven to 400F . Slash tops of loaves as desired. Brush each loaf with 1 Tbsp melted butter. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until bread sound hollow when tapped on bottom. Remove from pans. Cool on racks. Makes 2 loaves.

TFF February Challenge Potato Gnocchi with Peas Prosciutto and Ricotta

This Tyler Florence monthly challenge chosen by Megan was great !!
Being Italian I made and eat gnocchi very often !! And I had never heard of Tyler Florence's method for it : cooking the potatoes in the oven and adding baking powder, egg white and grated parmigiano in the dough.
But I'm very curious about new methods and recipes and so I tried it and I must admit it was a great success !
It was such a nice meal and even Andrea who doesn't like gnocchi too much, because they are often too dense, enjoyed it !
To get more informations please visit Tyler Florence Fridays.

TWD Crunchy Caramel Bars

This week Whitney of What's Left on the Table? chose the recipe and I'm starting to wonder how much butter I've been using lately !!! For us they were way too much ! I'm glad there are a few under 20 in our building who made the bars disappear in a few hours !!
We don't have the Toffee Bits so I made the English Toffee a few days ago. I had to make 2 batches because the fist one crystallized so...after desperation I found a nice website and the second batch came out well (I guess because I've never tried the real thing ). What helped was a bit of corn syrup and a low temperature.
Making the pastry base was easy (did you take the pastry out of the pan before putting the chocolate on ? I didn't) but my special feature was shaving the chocolate with my Kitchen Aid 'grater' so that I only had to evenly spoon it on skipping the spreading part.
I hope that your fitness allowed you to eat a whole batch of these sonful bars !!
Please visit Tuesdays with Dorie to see lots of bars !

Bread Baking Buddies Pane ai Cinque Cereali con Noci

This month is the Bread Baking Babes' anniversary and what would be nicer than a walnut loaf to celebrate ?

Tanna of My Kitchen in Half Cups chose as BBB Anniversary Bread Carol Field’s Pane ai Cinque Cereali con Noci (Five-Grain Bread with Walnuts). Adapted from The Italian Baker by Carol Field. I love this book: it's the second one I got on bread baking when I was living in Santa Barbara (CA) almost.......25 years ago (sob !) and I've never seen an Italian baking book so complete !!

I really enjoied this bread, the dough seemed so much that I divided it in three loaf pans so they didn't raise too much but the crunchiness it's not a problem with it !!

TFF Winter Panzanella

...I hope I made it in time !!! Since yesterday Carlo has a flu with very high fever (39.7°) and I didn't realize it was Friday !!! I found a very nice (and fast) recipe for a salad :winter panzanella .
We just had it and it was wonderful !! I'm the only one who had the beets , but Andrea and our friend Stefano really enjoied everything else !!
I chose the recipe because it was fast and I had everything it called for or almost :infact I substituted an onion for the shallots (I cut it in eights and cooked it in the oven) but I didn't change any other thing. I will have to find another Tyler Florence recipe that calls for dates for next Friday !!!

TWD Devil's Food White Out Cake

February is a month of birthdays : first comes Carlo's on the 8th, and on the 23rd it will be mine.
So Carlo was the lucky guy to get this wondergful birthday cake !



But as you know when someone is happy there is always some other one whose day is THE WORST EVER !!!!!!



But some cake managed to bring a smile back on her face and not only on hers: this is the last slice ! I had to fight to get a picture of it !!



Please visit Tuesdays with Dorie for more cake.
Thanks to Stephanie of Confessions of a City Eater for choosing this wonderful cake for us to bake! You can find the recipe on her post, or on page 247-249 of Dorie's book Baking From My Home to Yours.

WIP I finally made it !!!

As you can see my love-pillow for Anita is crooked but finished ! She is already checking if it works !!
Please visit Shel's WIP page to find out about all the others Love Bears !!
Thank you Shel !!