Olga's recipes

Old World Rye - November R2R

2009-12-06T16:12:00.004+01:00

For November's challenge there was a poll in the forum, and winner was bread. Challenge was hosted by Temperama, one of the founders of the group.

Here's what she told about the challenge:

After much deliberation I decided I wanted a dark robust bread, something to go with stew and cheese or just to gobble down on its own. The kind you get at steak houses.

I looked at alot of different recipes before deciding to share my love of older cookbooks (I would say old but 1966 isn't that long ago). A World of Breads by Dolores Casella is one of those treasures you find on occasion, every recipe comes with a little story and the recipes themselves are pretty comprehensive. There are 8 rye bread recipes for example. I choose this one because of the addition of chocolate and molasses, though I will admit her story influenced me too.

Old World Rye
A World of Breads by Dolores Casella, 1966

2 cups rye flour
1/4 cup cocoa
2 T yeast
1 1/2 cups warm water
1/2 cup molasses
2 tsp salt
2 T caraway seed
2 T butter
2 1/2 cups white flour or whole wheat flour

Combine the rye flour and cocoa. do not sift.
Dissolve the yeast in 1/2 cup warm water.
Mix molasses, 1 cup warm water, salt, and caraway seed in large mixing bowl.
Add the rye/cocoa mix, the proofed yeast, the butter and 1 cup white flour or whole wheat flour.
Beat until the dough is smooth.
Spread the remaining flour on a breadboard and kneed it into the dough
Add more flour if necessary to make a firm dough that is smooth and elastic.
Place in buttered bowl and cover. Allow to rise until double (about 2 hours).
Punch dough down, shape into a round loaf and place on a buttered cookie sheet that has been sprinkled with cornmeal.
Let rise about 50 minutes.
Bake at 375 for 35 to 40 minutes.

Notes:
You can add 1/2 cup brown sugar and 1 cup each of raisins and walnuts.
Don't limit yourself to round loaves, have fun.

And to prove that man CAN live by bread alone: Back in the 1930's, a Cornell University professor named Clive McCay developed a bread recipe named Cornell Bread. It makes a complete protein that rats can live on exclusively. (The only reason that humans can't live on it exclusively is that it lacks vitamin C, which rats don't need.)

The Cornell formula to enrich bread consists of 1 tablespoon each soy flour and nonfat milk powder plus 1 teaspoon wheat germ for each cup of flour used in a bread recipe. These enrichments are placed in the bottom of the measuring cup before the flour is spooned in.

My result: I tried to bake the bread twice, but even though the I tried two different types of yeast none of them worked out... I also had problems with the temperature and time in the oven... it seems I'm not a bread baker... :(

So here're my results:

First try:

Second try:

Daring Cooks November 09 Sushi

2009-11-23T00:54:00.000+01:00

Did I ever mentioned I love sushi? And did I ever said I love making sushi? Did anyone said sushi? Well, I mean all kind of Japanese food... and yes sushi is included.

The November 2009 Daring Cooks challenge was brought to you by Audax of Audax Artifex and Rose of The Bite Me Kitchen. They chose sushi as the challenge.

Please visit their websites for full recipe.

Itadakimasu!

PS: Late, late, late... sorry, sorry, sorry... This should have been posted the 14th Nov...

French Onion Soup R2R October

2009-11-01T00:01:00.001+01:00

This month's challenge was hosted by Sara from Imafoodblog.com. She chosed a delicious onion soup from Thomas Keller's Bouchon cookbook

Onion Soup - Soupe A L'Oignon
Thomas Keller - Bouchon
makes 6 servings

Sachet:
2 bay leaves
12 black peppercorns
6 large sprigs of thyme

Soup:

8 pounds (about 8 large) yellow onions
8 tablespoons (4 ounces) unsalted butter
Kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons all purpose flour
3 1/2 quarts Beef Stock (recipe below)
Freshly ground black pepper
Sherry wine vinegar

Croutons:

1 baguette (about 2 1/2 inches in diameter)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Kosher salt

Gratin:

6 to 12 slices (1/8 inch thick) aged Comte or Emmentaler cheese (at least 4 inches square)
1 1/2 cups grated aged Comte or Emmentaler cheeses, or a combination

The more basic the soup, the more critical the details:

Slice the onions uniformly and brown them very slowly and evenly;
slice the bread a half inch thick and dry it completely in the oven;
and serve the soup in appropriately sized bowls so that the melted cheese extends over the rim.

When you hit it right, there's nothing more satisfying to cook or to eat than this soup.

It's worth reiterating the importance of cooking the onions slowly so that the natural sugars caramelize rather than brown through high heating sautéing. The onions cook for about five hours and need to be stirred often, but they can be made up to two days ahead. The soup is best if refrigerated for a day or two so that the flavors of the onion and beef broth can deepen.

Comte is traditionally the cheese of choice, but Emmentaler works as well. Gruyère is a bit strong. Use an aged cheese; a younger cheese would just melt and wouldn't form a crust.

FOR THE SACHET:

Cut a piece of cheesecloth about 7 inches square.
Place the bay leaves, peppercorns, and thyme in the center, bring up the edges.
Tie with kitchen twine to form a sachet.

FOR THE SOUP:

Cut off the tops and bottoms of the onions, then cut the onions lengthwise in half.
Remove the peels and tough outer layers.
Cut a V wedge in each one to remove the core and pull out any solid, flat pieces of onion running up from the core.
Lay an onion half cut side down on a cutting board with the root end toward you.Note that there are lines on the outside of the onion. Cutting on the lines (with the grain) rather than against them will help the onions soften.
Holding the knife on an angle, almost parallel to the board, cut the onion lengthwise into 1/4 inch thick slices.
Once you've cut past the center of the onion, the knife angle will become awkward.
Flip the onion onto its side, toward the knife, and finish slicing it, again along the grain.
Separate the slices of onion, trimming away any root sections that are still attached and holding the slices together.
Repeat with the remaining onions. (You should have about 7 quarts of onions)
Melt the butter in a large heavy stockpot over medium heat.
Add the onions and 1 tablespoon salt, reduce the heat to low.
Cook, stirring every 15 minutes and regulating the heat to keep the mixture bubbling gently, for about 1 hour, or until the onions have wilted and released a lot of liquid.
At this point, you can turn up the heat slightly to reduce the liquid, but it is important to continue to cook the onions slowly to develop maximum flavor and keep them from scorching.
Continue to stir the onions every 15 minutes, being sure to scrape the bottom and get in the corners of the pot, for about 4 hours more, or until the onions are caramelized throughout and a rich deep brown. (my note - like a super deep brown, like way browner than you think they need to be. Think poop. Yes I said it.)
Keep a closer eye on the onions toward the end of the cooking when the liquid has evaporated.
Remove from the heat.
(You will need 1 1/2 cups of onions for the soup; reserve any extra for another use. The onions can be made up to 2 days ahead and refrigerated.)
Transfer the caramelized onions to a 5 quart pot (if they've been refrigerated, reheat until hot.)
Sift in the flour and cook over medium-high heat, stirring, for 2 to 3 minutes.
Add the beef stock and sachet, bring to a simmer, and simmer for about 1 hour, or until the liquid is reduced to 2 1/2 quarts.
Season to taste with salt, pepper, and a few drops of vinegar.
Remove from the heat.

FOR THE CROUTONS:

Preheat the broiler.
Cut twelve 3/8 inch thick slices from the baguette (reserve the remainder for another use) and place on a baking sheet.
Brush the bread lightly on both sides with olive oil and sprinkle lightly with salt.
Place under the broiler and toast the first side until golden brown, then turn and brown the second side.
Set aside and leave the broiler on.

TO COMPLETE:

Return the soup to a simmer.
Place six flameproof soup tureens, with about 1 1/2 cups capacity on a baking sheet to catch any spills (the soup will bubble up and over the tureens).
Add the hot soup to the tureens, filling them within 1/2 inch of the tops.
Top each serving with 2 croutons.
Lay them on the surface - do not push them into the soup.
Lay the slices of cheese over the croutons so that the cheese overlaps the edges of the tureens by about 1/2 inch.
Scatter the grated cheese over the sliced cheese, filling in any areas where the sliced cheese is thiner, or it may melt into the soup rather than forming a crust.
Place the tureens under the broiler for a few minutes, until the cheese bubbles, browns, and forms a thick crust.
Eat carefully, the soup and tureens will be very hot.

Okay now if you are feeling like a real challenge, you can make Keller's homemade beef stock as well. I have never made homemade beef stock before, and I think I may try this when I make the soup again, depending on how much time I have. If anyone has their own recipe for beef stock, use that by all means, and please share!

Beef Stock
makes 3 1/2 quarts

We use this stock for onion soup and to add in combination with veal stock to beef stews. The bones are roasted first to give the stock a roasted flavor, then simmered with caramelized vegetables for a rich brown stock.

About 2 tablespoons canola oil
5 pounds meaty beef necks or leg bones, cut into 2-3 inch sections
2 small Spanish onions (about 8 ounces total), peeled
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
3 ounces (1 large) carrot, peeled and cut into 4 pieces
3 ounces (1 large) leek, roots trimmed, split lengthwise, rinsed well, and cut into 2 inch pieces, or leek tops
1 large sprig of thyme
1 large sprig of Italian parsley
3 bay leaves
1/4 teaspoons black peppercorns
1 head garlic, cut horizontally in half (reserve half for another use)

Preheat the oven to 475F. Place a large roasting pan in the oven to preheat for about 10 minutes.
Add 1 tablespoon of the oil tot he hot roasting pan and distribute the beef bones in a single layer. Roast the bones for about 45 minutes, or until richly browned, turning each piece only after it is well browned on the bottom side.
Meanwhile, cut 1 onion crosswise in half. Heat a small heavy skillet over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes. Place 1 onion half cut side down to one side of the skillet so that it is not over direct heat and let it brown and char black, about 30 minutes. This will add color to the stock, set aside.
Remove the roasting pan of bones from the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 400F. Transfer bones to a large colander set over a baking sheet to drain.
Drain the fat from the roasting pan and discard. Add about 1 cup water to the pan, place over medium heat, and use a metal spatula to scrape the bottom of the pan and release the pan juices. Let them simmer until reduced by half. Add the resulting fond to a large deep stockpot.
Transfer the bones to the stockpot and add about 5 quarts cold water - just enough to cover the bones. Any fat present in the juices will rose to the top when the cold water is added; use a skimmer to remove and discard the fat. Add the charred onion half and the salt. Place over medium heat and bring to a simmer, skimming as impurities rise to the top of the stockpot. Reduce the heat and simmer gently, skimming often, for 5 hours. If the level of liquid falls below the bones, add additional water.
Meanwhile, cut the remaining whole onion into quarters and cut the remaining onion half in half again. Place the onions, carrots, and leeks in a roasting pan that will hold them in a single layer, toss with the remaining 1 tablespoon canola oil, and place in the oven to roast for 20 minutes.
Remove from the oven and stir, then roast for an additional 20 minutes or until the vegetables are richly caramelized. Set aside.
After the stock has simmered for 5 hours, add the caramelized vegetables, herbs, peppercorns, and garlic and simmer for 1 hour longer. Turn off the heat and allow the stock to rest for 10 minutes.
Prepare an ice bath. Place a strainer over a large bowl. Removing the bones or pouring out the liquid through the bones would cloud the stock. Instead, carefully ladle the stock out of the pot and pass it through the strainer, tilting the pot as necessary to get all the stock. Strain a second time through a chinois or fine mesh strainer lines with a dampened cheese cloth.
Measure the stock. If you have more than 3 1/2 quarts, pour it into a saucepan and reduce to 3 1/2 quarts. Strain the stock into a container and cool in the ice bath, stirring occasionally. (Store the stock in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or freeze in several containers for longer storage.)

NOTE: If the stock will be refrigerated for longer than 3 days, bring it back to a boil after 3 days, cool it, and return it to the refrigerator.

Indian Dosas (Vegan Style) - Daring Cooks September

2009-09-14T23:32:00.000+02:00

Ooops, I almost forget to post this wonderful challenge!! It's 14th September and the Daring Cooks revealing date, Indian Dosas vegan style.

This month's challenge was hosted by Debyi from The Healthy Vegan Kitchen. She's a passionate and active member of the alternative kitchen in the group.

Even though I have cooked vegan before, and also Indian food, I had never done a vegan Indian dish before, and this was a great oportunity. I cooked this for a lunch we had with a friend, and even both my boyfriend and this friend of ours are full carnivores, they didn't noticed at all there was no meat in the dosas filling, made of chickpeas paste and tomato, covered with a delicious curry and coconut milk sauce. I left out some ingredients to adapt it to our taste, such as hot banana chili (hard to find it here anyway); and also substituted the required spelt flour for whole-grain rice flour, as I visited three specialized stores in my town and I couldn't find it.

The most important requirement of the challenge was to cook it free of animal products, and make it completely vegan, and that was quite a headache for some of the members.

For recipe details you can click here and for other members posts feel free to visit the blogroll.

And so, here's my completed challenge:

The dosa pancakes:

The curry and coconut milk sauce:

The chickpea filling:

R2R August Challenge: Vegetarian Risotto

2009-09-01T23:35:00.001+02:00

Wow, this is the first time I make a food challenge so late. Normally I try to make them the first week so I can forget myself until posting day. Other times I'm simply not able to make the challenge, and that bothers me quite a lot.

Ok, let's go with this month challenge, hosted by charming Debyi from The Healthy Vegan Kitchen. She chose a delicious Asparagus & Lemongrass Risotto, a recipe by Isa Chandra Moskowitz & Terry Hope Romero from Veganomicon. Here's what Debyi tells about this recipe:

Risotto is a traditional Italian rice dish. It is also one of the most common ways of cooking rice in Italy. Its origins are in North Italy where rice paddies are abundant. While this is not a traditionally prepared risotto, it is pretty close. You really want to use Arborio rice, but you can substitute any short grain rice and get a similar dish.

The biggest challenge this month for some of you will be: Vegan & Gluten-Free
1.You must make the lemongrass broth from scratch, no meat broths allowed (including chicken, beef, fish, etc).
2.No cheese or milk of any kind is to be added to the risotto.

Why? Well, for one, it doesn't need it. I was watching an episode of No Reservations & he had some risotto that consisted of broth and rice, period. I have indicated the optional ingredients that you can add or leave out, or substitute, your choice. I have also included a side dish for you, but you can make whatever you want to go with it. I wanted to do a challenge that everyone would be able to eat. All of the soy in the recipe is easily omitted for those who are allergic.

This is the recipe as Debyi presented it, though due to some "technical problems" I had to slightly change (my modifications in italic and orange)

Asparagus and Lemongrass Risotto
Time: 1 hour 20 minutes Serves 4-6
This one does have peanuts in it, so if you are allergic, just leave them out. Personally, I liked pine nuts in it best (me too, so I used pididne nuts) Fresh lemongrass is available in most grocery stores, but if you can't find it, you can use dried. If using dried, you will want to use a cheese cloth or tea strainer. Place the dried lemongrass, ginger and garlic. I couldn't find either fresh or dried lemongrass, so I had to left it out Don't worry about the heat of the serrano pepper, it only adds a nice hint of flavor.

Lemon~~grass~~ Broth:
3 cloves garlic, whole and unpeeled
1” piece fresh ginger, sliced into ¼” slices
~~1 small stalk lemongrass, or 1 TBSP dried, chopped lemongrass~~
3 cups vegetable broth
3 cups water
3 TBSP tamari (or soy sauce, or more broth)

Risotto:
½ cup cooking sherry or white wine (D'Aquino Pinot Grigio is a good choice, any dry white wine, or just water)
1 lb asparagus
2 TBSP vegetable broth
1 cup basil leaves (Thai, if you can find it), sliced into thin strips
2 TBSP chopped fresh mint
6 large shallots, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 ~~serrano red chile~~, sliced very thinly (or ½ – 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes) 3 small Cayenne chile, they are dried so I didn't slice them
1 ½ cups Arborio rice
1 tsp sugar (optional)
2 TBSP ~~lime~~ juice lemon again
Chopped roasted peanuts and lime wedges, for garnish (you can use pine nuts or sliced almonds instead of the peanuts)

1.If using fresh lemongrass, peel away and discard any brown stems from the stalk. Slice the stalk in half lengthwise and cut into 3” to 4” lengths, then julienne. I wasn't able to find lemongrass where I live. My first idea was to try a cilantro broth, but the ones I found were too old (yellowy leaves and didn't smell at all to cilantro), so I substituted it for lemon.
2.Give the garlic and the ginger a could whack with the side of your knife, keeping them whole. Prepare your herb pouch, if using.
3.Place all of the broth ingredients in a large stockpot and bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Strain the broth, discarding the vegetables and herbs. Pour the broth back into the pot, cover and simmer over as low a heat as possible to keep warm.
4.Slice the asparagus into ½” pieces, removing any tough parts from the bottom of the stem. Separate the tips from the stems and place each in separate bowls.
5.In a medium-sized heavy-bottomed pot, saute the asparagus in 1 TBSP vegetable broth over medium heat until bright and crisp tender, 5 to 6 minutes. Add the basil and mint, saute for 30 seconds, remove from heat and set aside.
6.Add the remaining tablespoon vegetable broth to the pan. Saute the shallots and garlic, stirring occasionally, until shallots are very soft, about 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in the serrano and rice, saute for about 8 minutes, until the rice smells slightly toasted. Add the cooking sherry (or white wine) and stir constantly until the liquid is absorbed.
7.Now, time for relaxation and stirring. Get a glass of your favorite beverage, turn on some soothing music, or a good movie. Ladle about ½ cup of the broth at a time into the rice, stirring constantly until each addition is absorbed. Stir and cook until the rice is creamy but still somewhat firm in the center.
8.When the broth is almost gone, stir the sugar and lime juice into the remaining broth before adding it to the risotto. You may add more water or vegetable broth in ¼ cup increments if needed. This will take about 35 minutes.
9.Stir the asparagus stems into the risotto and cook for another 5 to 10 minutes, until the asparagus has reached desired tenderness.
10.Garnish each serving with the asparagus tips, chopped roasted peanuts, and lime wedges.

Tangerine Baked Tofu
Time: 1 hour Serves 4
You can sub orange juice, oranges, tangelos, or clementines for the tangerines. Had to use lemon instead of orange fruits as the ones I could only find here weren't very good... I use only one lemon and taste was good but too acid so next time I'll try to find better oranges so it's sweeter...

1 lb extra-firm tofu, sliced width-wise into eighths.

Marinade:
1 tsp ~~tangerine~~ lemon zest
~~1/3 cup freshly squeezed tangerine juice (2-3 tangerines)~~
3 TBSP ~~lime~~ lemon juice
2 TBSP tamari (or soy sauce)
1 TBSP ~~dark rum (or 1 tsp rum extract)~~ white rum

1.Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. My first attempt was using the oven, but it was a failure as tofu got burnt and I was a whole week washing the black sticked in the glass baking dish, So, I used microwave instead at 900 W
2.In a shallow 11” X 7” glass baking dish, whisk together all of the marinade ingredients. Place the sliced tofu in the marinade. Using a fork, poke a few holes into the cutlets, flip them over, and do the same on the other side.
3.Bake the tofu for 30 minutes, flipping several times, about every 15 minutes or so. The tofu is ready when the marinade is reduced. Spoon any remaining marinade over the tofu before serving. As I used microwave instead of oven I reduced quite a lot the time: 4 minutes for each side, and this time believe me it worked...

And here's the final result:

Thanks Debyi for this tasteful challenge. I keep the recipe for future reference, and I'll try my best to get all the ingredients...

August 2009 Daring Cooks Challenge

2009-08-14T00:22:00.002+02:00

This month I've been the proud host of the Daring Cooks challenge. I chose a delicious Spanish recipe, Rice with mushrooms, cuttlefish and artichokes by José Andrés, one of the most important Spanish Chefs at the moment.

But before introducing you to the recipe and the chef, I'd like to thank Ivonne and Lisa for the chance they gave me to host the challenge. Thank you girls! You're the best.

Well, back to the recipe and the chef, José Andrés trained under well-known Ferran Adria at his three Michelin star restaurant El Bulli. José Andrés lives now in Washington DC and he owns several restaurants in Washington DC area (El Jaleo, Zaytinya, Oyamel…).

The recipe I bring you is from his US TV show Made in Spain. I hope you enjoy it. (Please note my tips (2) and (3) at the bottom for alternative cooking)

Rice with mushrooms, cuttlefish and artichokes.

Cooking time: 45 minutes

Equipment:

1 Chopping Board
1 knife
1 medium saucepan
1 Paella pan (30 cm/11” is enough for 4 people. If not available, you may use a simple pan that size)
1 Saucepan

Ingredients (serves 4):

4 Artichokes (you can use jarred or freezed if fresh are not available)
12 Mushrooms (button or Portobello)
1 or 2 Bay leaves (optional but highly recommended)
1 glass of white wine
2 Cuttlefish (you can use freezed cuttlefish or squid if you don’t find it fresh)
“Sofregit” (see recipe below)
300 gr (2 cups) Short grain rice (Spanish types Calasparra or Montsant are preferred, but you can choose any other short grain. This kind of rice absorbs flavor very well) – about 75 gr per person ( ½ cup per person). Please read this for more info on suitable rices.
Water or Fish Stock (use 1 ½ cup of liquid per ½ cup of rice)
Saffron threads (if you can’t find it or afford to buy it, you can substitute it for turmeric or yellow coloring powder)

Allioli (olive oil and garlic sauce, similar to mayonnaise sauce) - optional

Directions:

Cut the cuttlefish in little strips.
Add 1 or 2 tablespoon of olive oil in a frying pan and put the cuttlefish in the pan.
If you use fresh artichokes, clean them as shown in the video in tip #7. Cut artichokes in eights.
Clean the mushrooms and cut them in fourths.
Add a bay leaf to the cuttlefish and add also the artichokes and the mushrooms.
Sauté until we get a golden color in the artichokes.
Put a touch of white wine so all the solids in the bottom of the get mixed, getting a more flavorful dish.
Add a couple or three tablespoons of sofregit and mix to make sure everything gets impregnated with the sofregit.
Add all the liquid and bring it to boil.

Add all the rice. Let boil for about 5 minutes in heavy heat.
Add some saffron thread to enrich the dish with its flavor and color. Stir a little bit so the rice and the other ingredients get the entire flavor. If you’re using turmeric or yellow coloring, use only 1/4 teaspoon.
Turn to low heat and boil for another 8 minutes (or until rice is a little softer than “al dente”)
Put the pan away from heat and let the rice stand a couple of minutes.

Sofregit (a well cooked and fragrant sauce made of olive oil, tomatoes, garlic and onions, and may at times different vegetables such as peppers or mushrooms)

Cooking time: aprox. 1 hour

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons of olive oil
5 big red ripe tomatoes, chopped
2 small onions, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped (optional)
4 or 5 garlic cloves, chopped
1 cup of button or Portobello mushrooms, chopped (optional)
1 Bay leaf
Salt
Touch of ground cumin
Touch of dried oregano

Directions:

Put all the ingredients together in a frying pan and sauté slowly until all vegetables are soft.
Taste and salt if necessary (maybe it’s not!)

Allioli is an optional part in the recipe. I highly recommend you to try traditional one. Allioli is served together with the rice and it gives a very nice taste.

Allioli (Traditional recipe)

Cooking time: 20 min aprox.

Ingredients:

4 garlic cloves, peeled
Pinch of salt
Fresh lemon juice (some drops)
Extra-virgin olive oil (Spanish preferred but not essential)

Directions:

Place the garlic in a mortar along with the salt.
Using a pestle, smash the garlic cloves to a smooth paste. (The salt stops the garlic from slipping at the bottom of the mortar as you pound it down.)
Add the lemon juice to the garlic.
Drop by drop; pour the olive oil into the mortar slowly as you continue to crush the paste with your pestle.
Keep turning your pestle in a slow, continuous circular motion in the mortar. The drip needs to be slow and steady. Make sure the paste soaks up the olive oil as you go.
Keep adding the oil, drop by drop, until you have the consistency of a very thick mayonnaise. If your allioli gets too dense, add water to thin it out.
This takes time—around 20 minutes of slow motion around the mortar—to create a dense, rich sauce.

José's tips for traditional recipe: It's hard to think that, when you start crushing the garlic, it will ever turn into something as dense and smooth as allioli. But don't give up. It's worth the extra time and effort to see the oil and garlic come together before your eyes. Just make sure you're adding the olive oil slowly, drop by drop. Keep moving the pestle around the mortar in a circular motion and keep dreaming of the thick, creamy sauce at the end of it all.

Allioli a la moderna (Modern recipe)

Cooking time: 3-4 minutes

Ingredients:

1 small egg
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil (as above, Spanish oil is highly recommended)
1 garlic clove, peeled
1 Tbs. Spanish Sherry vinegar or lemon juice (if Sherry vinegar is not available, use can use cider or white vinegar)
Salt to taste

Directions:

Break the egg into a mixing bowl.
Add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and the garlic cloves, along with the vinegar or lemon juice.
Using a hand blender, start mixing at high speed until the garlic is fully pureed into a loose paste.
Little by little, add what's left of the olive oil as you continue blending.
If the mixture appears too thick as you begin pouring the oil, add 1 teaspoon of water to loosen the sauce.
Continue adding the oil and blending until you have a rich, creamy allioli.
The sauce will be a lovely yellow color.
Add salt to taste.

José's tips for modern recipe:(1) If you do not have access to a hand blender, you can use a hand mixer (the kind with the two beaters) or a food processor. If you use a food processor, you must double the recipe or the amount will be too little for the blades to catch and emulsify.(2) What happens if the oil and egg separate? Don't throw it out. You can do two things. One is to whisk it and use it as a side sauce for a fish or vegetable. But if you want to rescue the allioli, take 1 tablespoon of lukewarm water in another beaker and start adding to the mix little by little. Blend it again until you create the creamy sauce you wanted.

My tips:

In Spain, rice is not stired as often as it is when cooking Italian risotto. You must stir it once or twice maximum. This tip is valid for all Spanish rice dishes like paella, arròs negre, arròs a banda…
When cooking the alternative style you can change the cuttlefish or squid for diced potato.
If you can’t find cuttlefish or squid, or you’re not able to eat them because of allergies, you can try to substitute them for chicken or vegetables at your choice.
Sofregit can be done in advance. You can keep it in the fridge or even freeze it.
For more information on how to clean and remove the heart of artichokes, please watch this video
To watch how Jose Andres cooks this dish click here.
For more information on how to clean and remove the heart of artichokes, please watch this video
To tone down the taste when you do it by hand in a mortar, then add an egg yolk. If you want to tone it down in the alternative way use milk or soy milk. Anyway, the best alternative way is the original oil and garlic alone.
Allioli must be consumed during the preparation day and preserved in the fridge before using it.
For help on conversion on metric to imperial, visit this page.

July R2R Challenge, a taste of Italy

2009-08-03T13:00:00.002+02:00

This month's challenge at Recipes to Rival was hosted by Lauren from Fried Pickles and Ice Cream

Despite we had to make two super easy recipes, Bruschetta (antipasta / appetizer) and Limoncello (digestivo / after-dinner drink) I just was able to make one (supplying problems with Limoncello recipe :( )...

Bruschetta, having its origination in Italy, is served as an antipasta. It is one of the simplest and easiest things to make and will gratify your taste buds. In Italian, Bruschetta is pronounced ‘brusketta’, where ‘bruscare’ means ‘to roast over coals’.

The trick is to roast or grill the bread... NOT bake it as it is done in America. Once you have tried this recipe you will have a hard time ordering it at a restaurant!

Bruschetta

(4 servings)

What:

4 slices Rustic Bread
2 cups chopped Roma Tomatoes
1 clove Garlic
4 to 8 leaves Basil
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Sea salt

How:

Heat grill or grill pan to medium high heat
Slice THICK pieces of bread
Place bread on grill until each side has a nice golden color
Rub garlic on top side of each bread piece
Pile tomatoes on-sprinkle one big pinch of salt per piece on top of the tomatoes
Generously drizzle oilve oil on top of tomatoes (about 2 to 3 tablespoons per piece)
Add basil to the top

** This is a very simmilar dish as what we call pa amb tomàquet in Catalonia. Ingredients and steps are basically the same, but with one little difference: on step 5 we rub half a ripe tomato on top side of the bread pieces as we do with garlic. We eat them with some cold meat like chorizo, Serrano or Iberico ham, fuet or cheese. You may have this dish at anytime during the day...

Cookies for the July Daring Bakers Challenge

2009-07-27T16:27:00.010+02:00

I always wanted to make cookies, so when the challenge was revealed I made it almost inmediately.

The July Daring Bakers' challenge was hosted by Nicole at Sweet Tooth. She chose Chocolate Covered Marshmallow Cookies and Milan Cookies from pastry chef Gale Gand of the Food Network.

There were two recipes. As we could chose any of them or both, I decided to chllenge myself and try both, so I could never ever say again, I've never made cookies. I want to thank Nicole for such a wonderful and delicious challenge.

Mallows(Chocolate Covered Marshmallow Cookies)
Recipe courtesy Gale Gand, from Food Network website
Prep Time: 10 min
Inactive Prep Time: 5 min
Cook Time: 10 min
Serves: about 2 dozen cookies

Ingredients:
• 3 cups (375grams/13.23oz) all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup (112.5grams/3.97oz) white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/8 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 12 tablespoons (170grams/ 6 oz) unsalted butter
• 3 eggs, whisked together
• Homemade marshmallows, recipe follows
• Chocolate glaze, recipe follows

Directions:
1. In a mixer with the paddle attachment, blend the dry ingredients.
2. On low speed, add the butter and mix until sandy.
3. Add the eggs and mix until combine.
4. Form the dough into a disk, wrap with clingfilm or parchment and refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to 3 days.
5. When ready to bake, grease a cookie sheet or line it with parchment paper or a silicon mat.
6. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
7. Roll out the dough to 1/8-inch thickness, on a lightly floured surface. Use a 1 to 1 1/2 inches cookie cutter to cut out small rounds of dough.
8. Transfer to the prepared pan and bake for 10 minutes or until light golden brown. Let cool to room temperature.
9. Pipe a “kiss” of marshmallow onto each cookie. Let set at room temperature for 2 hours.
10. Line a cookie sheet with parchment or silicon mat.
11. One at a time, gently drop the marshmallow-topped cookies into the hot chocolate glaze.
12. Lift out with a fork and let excess chocolate drip back into the bowl.13. Place on the prepared pan and let set at room temperature until the coating is firm, about 1 to 2 hours.
Note: if you don’t want to make your own marshmallows, you can cut a large marshmallow in half and place on the cookie base. Heat in a preheated 350-degree oven to slump the marshmallow slightly, it will expand and brown a little. Let cool, then proceed with the chocolate dipping.
Homemade marshmallows:
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup light corn syrup
• 3/4 cup (168.76 grams/5.95oz) sugar
• 1 tablespoon powdered gelatin
• 2 tablespoons cold water
• 2 egg whites , room temperature
• 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1. In a saucepan, combine the water, corn syrup, and sugar, bring to a boil until “soft-ball” stage, or 235 degrees on a candy thermometer.
2. Sprinkle the gelatin over the cold water and let dissolve.
3. Remove the syrup from the heat, add the gelatin, and mix.
4. Whip the whites until soft peaks form and pour the syrup into the whites.
5. Add the vanilla and continue whipping until stiff.
6. Transfer to a pastry bag.
Chocolate glaze:
• 12 ounces semisweet chocolate
• 2 ounces cocoa butter or vegetable oil1. Melt the 2 ingredients together in the top of a double boiler or a bowl set over barely simmering water.

Out there it's more than 35ºC (95ºF) so chocolate melts easily...

Cookies were made two weeks ago, and it stored quite well. Dough was a little dry and broke when cut in half but the taste was really nice.

Milan Cookies
Recipe courtesy Gale Gand, from Food Network website
Prep Time: 20 min
Inactive Prep Time: 0 min
Cook Time: 1 hr 0 min
Serves: about 3 dozen cookies

Ingredients:

• 12 tablespoons (170grams/ 6 oz) unsalted butter, softened
• 2 1/2 cups (312.5 grams/ 11.02 oz) powdered sugar
• 7/8 cup egg whites (from about 6 eggs)• 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons lemon extract
• 1 1/2 cups (187.5grams/ 6.61 oz) all purpose flour
• Cookie filling, recipe follows
Cookie filling:
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 8 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 1 orange, zested

Directions:
1. In a mixer with paddle attachment cream the butter and the sugar.
2. Add the egg whites gradually and then mix in the vanilla and lemon extracts.
3. Add the flour and mix until just well mixed.
4. With a small (1/4-inch) plain tip, pipe 1-inch sections of batter onto a parchment-lined sheet pan, spacing them 2 inches apart as they spread.
5. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 10 minutes or until light golden brown around the edges. Let cool on the pan.
6. While waiting for the cookies to cool, in a small saucepan over medium flame, scald cream.
7. Pour hot cream over chocolate in a bowl, whisk to melt chocolate, add zest and blend well.
8. Set aside to cool (the mixture will thicken as it cools).
9. Spread a thin amount of the filling onto the flat side of a cookie while the filling is still soft and press the flat side of a second cookie on top.
10. Repeat with the remainder of the cookies.

My impression: Milan Cookies were much tastier and easier to make in my opinion. Mashmallow cookies were nice, but not impressive, they took much more time to make than milan cookies and as I had to store them in the fridge due to the heat mashmallow turned very hard.

Apple and Cinnamon Strudel

2009-05-27T16:16:00.001+02:00

Another month, another Daring Bakers Challenge. After a month of forced break (I missed April challenge, though I'll try to make it in the near weeks), I'm back to the group with this delicious dessert.

The May Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Linda of make life sweeter! and Courtney of Coco Cooks. They chose Apple Strudel from the recipe book Kaffeehaus: Exquisite Desserts from the Classic Cafés of Vienna, Budapest and Prague by Rick Rodgers.

Here you have the recipe used by Linda and Courtney (my little changes in red):

Preparation time
Total: 2 hours 15 minutes – 3 hours 30 minutes
15-20 min to make dough
30-90 min to let dough rest/to prepare the filling
20-30 min to roll out and stretch dough
10 min to fill and roll dough
30 min to bake
30 min to cool

Apple strudel
from “Kaffeehaus – Exquisite Desserts from the Classic Cafés of Vienna, Budapest and Prague” by Rick Rodgers
(I halved all the ingredients)
2 tablespoons (30 ml) golden rum
3 tablespoons (45 ml) raisins
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon (80 g) sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick / 115 g) unsalted butter, melted, divided
1 1/2 cups (350 ml) fresh bread crumbs
strudel dough (recipe below)
1/2 cup (120 ml, about 60 g) coarsely chopped walnuts (I didn't use walnuts - the ones I had were stale, so I had to throw them out, and as I baked this on a Saturday night I couldn't go to buy new ones)
2 pounds (900 g) tart cooking apples, peeled, cored and cut into ¼ inch-thick slices (use apples that hold their shape during baking)

1. Mix the rum and raisins in a bowl. Mix the cinnamon and sugar in another bowl.
2. Heat 3 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium-high. Add the breadcrumbs and cook whilst stirring until golden and toasted. This will take about 3 minutes. Let it cool completely. (I missed out this point; instead I put the apple together with the raisin, the cinnamon , the sugar and the rum to cook for about ten minutes, and made an apple compote)
3. Put the rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a large baking sheet with baking paper (parchment paper). Make the strudel dough as described below. Spread about 3 tablespoons of the remaining melted butter over the dough using your hands (a bristle brush could tear the dough, you could use a special feather pastry brush instead of your hands). Sprinkle the buttered dough with the bread crumbs. Spread the walnuts about 3 inches (8 cm) from the short edge of the dough in a 6-inch-(15cm)-wide strip. Mix the apples with the raisins (including the rum), and the cinnamon sugar. Spread the mixture over the walnuts. (I spread the compote instead directly to the dough)
4. Fold the short end of the dough onto the filling. Lift the tablecloth at the short end of the dough so that the strudel rolls onto itself. Transfer the strudel to the prepared baking sheet by lifting it. Curve it into a horseshoe to fit. Tuck the ends under the strudel. Brush the top with the remaining melted butter (I just brushed the top with the syrup from the compote, instead of using the butter).
5. Bake the strudel for about 30 minutes or until it is deep golden brown. Cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing. Use a serrated knife and serve either warm or at room temperature. It is best on the day it is baked.

Strudel dough
from “Kaffeehaus – Exquisite Desserts from the Classic Cafés of Vienna, Budapest and Prague” by Rick Rodgers
(ingredients were halved)
1 1/3 cups (200 g) unbleached flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
7 tablespoons (105 ml) water, plus more if needed
2 tablespoons (30 ml) vegetable oil, plus additional for coating the dough
1/2 teaspoon cider vinegar

1. Combine the flour and salt in a stand-mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix the water, oil and vinegar in a measuring cup. Add the water/oil mixture to the flour with the mixer on low speed. You will get a soft dough. Make sure it is not too dry, add a little more water if necessary.Take the dough out of the mixer. Change to the dough hook. Put the dough ball back in the mixer. Let the dough knead on medium until you get a soft dough ball with a somewhat rough surface.
2. Take the dough out of the mixer and continue kneading by hand on an unfloured work surface. Knead for about 2 minutes. Pick up the dough and throw it down hard onto your working surface occasionally.Shape the dough into a ball and transfer it to a plate. Oil the top of the dough ball lightly. Cover the ball tightly with plastic wrap. Allow to stand for 30-90 minutes (longer is better).
3. It would be best if you have a work area that you can walk around on all sides like a 36 inch (90 cm) round table or a work surface of 23 x 38 inches (60 x 100 cm). Cover your working area with table cloth, dust it with flour and rub it into the fabric. Put your dough ball in the middle and roll it out as much as you can.Pick the dough up by holding it by an edge. This way the weight of the dough and gravity can help stretching it as it hangs. Using the back of your hands to gently stretch and pull the dough. You can use your forearms to support it.
4. The dough will become too large to hold. Put it on your work surface. Leave the thicker edge of the dough to hang over the edge of the table. Place your hands underneath the dough and stretch and pull the dough thinner using the backs of your hands. Stretch and pull the dough until it's about 2 feet (60 cm) wide and 3 feet (90 cm) long, it will be tissue-thin by this time. Cut away the thick dough around the edges with scissors. The dough is now ready to be filled.

I have to say this was a very funny challenge, though I had to repeat twice the process of stretching, as dough was breaking all the time. I 'm not sure if halving the ingredients had something to do with that, but obviously I did something wrong.

To prove that, this independent bit of dough, yummy though.

These are the only two pictures I have. I was so immersed in preparing everything I completly forgot to take pictures of the whole process. No pictures of the cuts neither. On Sunday I went to a diner at my parent's place and remembered to take the strudel, but forgot my camera.

Thanks Courtney and Linda for this challenge. I'll repeat it soon.

Back with a new challenge: Daring Cooker's Gnocchi

2009-05-15T17:30:00.006+02:00

Hooray!!

I'm back from non-blogging life, I missed this sooo much. Some expected changes did come sloooooowly and others simple didn't.

And I happy my first recipe here is from the brand new Daring Cooks challenge, though I'm a bit late I know...

As some of you already know, and if not I tell you, the great group The Daring Bakers released a brand new web a couple of months ago (The Daring Kitchen). And in a kitchen you bake, but you do cook also, so this month a new group is born: The Daring Cooks.

Lis from La Mia Cucina and Ivone from Cream Puffs from Venice the founders are the proud hosts of the very first Daring Cooks challenge: Ricotta Gnocchi...

This time though I've chosen the alternative challenge, so I cooked vegan Gnocchi di Patate. I did this recipe for a lunch I had last week with some vegetarian friends, one of them has soy allergy. My first idea was to use tofu instead of ricotta, but then remembered my friend's allergy so I opted for traditional gnocchi.

I want to thank Shelly from Musings From The Fishbowl for her piece of advice.

Here's my gnocchi recipe (I used a recipe from Italian web Vegan 3000)

What (serves 4 or 5):

- 1 kg potatoes
- 300 gr wheat flour
- salt

How:

Peel the potatoes (cut them in pieces if they're big potatoes)
Boil potato pieces in salted water.
Drain and cool them, and mash with a potato masher.
Add flour slowly and hand mix until you get a compact dough. Take care not to add to much flour, as dough will be very difficult to work with.
Slice the dough and roll every slice until you get a long and thin roll.
Cut every roll in small dices.

Bring the water back to the boil and drop the gnocchi into the water one by one.
Once they float to the top, cook them for 3 to 5 minutes.
Remove with a slotted spoon.

I served my gnocchi with an almond spicy sauce (crush some almonds, and mix with some olive oil and some drops of spicy oil)

Pause

2009-04-10T18:59:00.003+02:00

Hi,
I have to take a break (hope it won't be for too long)... some holidays, house moving...
I'll be back in May with new recipes and pictures!
See you soon!
Olga

R2R March challenge: Steak Diane Flambé

2009-04-01T00:10:00.004+02:00

March challenge from Recipes to Rival was about flambeing. The idea was (and still) is very interesting to me, but quite dangerous also, and as I didn't want to burn down the kitchen, I preferred to reduce the alcohol on the traditional way... (click here if you want to know more about the recipe and the group)

Hosts this month are Temperance from High on the Hog and her co-host Shawnee from Delishes Delishes: Steak Diane Flambé, a recipe by Frank Bordoni from Great Food Live

What we need:

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 (I hadn't chives so I used parsley instead)
50ml Brandy (I hadn't either any kind of brandy or cognac at home, so I used the only liquor I had: white rum)

Cooking:

Rub the medallions of beef with the mustard, season with salt and pepper and set aside.
Heat a large frying pan over a medium heat and when hot, add the clarified butter and Worcestershire sauce.
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.
Add the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper.
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. If you prefer not to flambé, just let reduce the alcohol for a couple of minutes.
Put the medallions on 4 plates, pour over the sauce and serve.

Disclaimer: It's not required that you flambé, if you choose to flambé and burn down your kitchen, don't sue me or the group. Remember when playing with fire keep a fire extinguisher close and never use water on a cooking fire.

Spinach Lasagne: Daring Bakers March 09 Challenge

2009-03-28T20:25:00.000+01:00

This is my second Daring Bakers challenge though the first one I publish here.

The March 2009 challenge is hosted by Mary of Beans and Caviar, Melinda of Melbourne Larder and Enza of Io Da Grande. They have chosen Lasagne of Emilia-Romagna from The Splendid Table by Lynne Rossetto Kasper as the challenge.

All recipes below from The Splendid Table: Recipes from Emilia-Romagna, the Heartland of Northern Italian Food by Lynne Rossetto Kasper (published by William Morrow and Company Inc., 1992).

Lasagne of Emilia-Romagna (Lasagne Verdi al Forno)
(Serves 8 to 10 as a first course, 6 to 8 as a main dish)Preparation Time: 15 minutes to assemble and 40 minutes cooking time

What we need:
10 quarts (9 litres) salted water
1 recipe Spinach Pasta cut for lasagna (recipe follows)#1
1 recipe Bechamel Sauce (recipe follows) #2
1 recipe Country Style Ragu (recipe follows) #3
1 cup (4 ounces/125g) freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Method Working Ahead:
The ragu and the béchamel sauce can be made up to three days ahead.
The ragu can also be frozen for up to one month.
The pasta can be rolled out, cut and dried up to 24 hours before cooking.
The assembled lasagne can wait at room temperature (20 degrees Celsius/68 degrees Fahrenheit) about 1 hour before baking.
Do not refrigerate it before baking, as the topping of béchamel and cheese will overcook by the time the center is hot.

Assembling the Ingredients:
Have all the sauces, rewarmed gently over a medium heat, and the pasta at hand.
Have a large perforated skimmer and a large bowl of cold water next to the stove.
Spread a double thickness of paper towels over a large counter space.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius).
Oil or butter a 3 quart (approx 3 litre) shallow baking dish.

Cooking the Pasta:
Bring the salted water to a boil.
Drop about four pieces of pasta in the water at a time.
Cook about 2 minutes.
If you are using dried pasta, cook about 4 minutes, taste, and cook longer if necessary.
The pasta will continue cooking during baking, so make sure it is only barely tender.
Lift the lasagne from the water with a skimmer, drain, and then slip into the bowl of cold water to stop cooking.
When cool, lift out and dry on the paper towels.
Repeat until all the pasta is cooked.

Assembling the Lasagne:
Spread a thin layer of béchamel over the bottom of the baking dish.
Arrange a layer of about four overlapping sheets of pasta over the béchamel.
Spread a thin layer of béchamel (about 3 or 4 spoonfuls) over the pasta, and then an equally thin layer of the ragu.
Sprinkle with about 1&1/2 tablespoons of the béchamel and about 1/3 cup of the cheese.
Repeat the layers until all ingredients are used, finishing with béchamel sauce and topping with a generous dusting of cheese.

Baking and Serving the Lasagne:
Cover the baking dish lightly with foil, taking care not to let it touch the top of the lasagne.
Bake 40 minutes, or until almost heated through.
Remove the foil and bake another 10 minutes, or until hot in the center (test by inserting a knife – if it comes out very warm, the dish is ready).
Take care not to brown the cheese topping.
It should be melted, creamy looking and barely tinged with a little gold.
Turn off the oven, leave the door ajar and let the lasagne rest for about 10 minutes. Then serve.
This is not a solid lasagne, but a moist one that slips a bit when it is cut and served.

#1 Spinach Egg Pasta (Pasta Verde)
Preparation: 45 minutes
Makes enough for 6 to 8 first course servings or 4 to 6 main course servings, equivalent to 1 pound (450g) dried boxed pasta.

What we need:
2 jumbo eggs (2 ounces/60g or more)
10 ounces (300g)
fresh spinach, rinsed dry, and finely chopped; or 6 ounces (170g) frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry3&1/2 cups (14 ounces/400g)
all purpose unbleached (plain) flour (organic stone ground preferred)

Working by Hand:
Equipment:
A roomy work surface, 24 to 30 inches deep by 30 to 36 inches (60cm to 77cm deep by 60cm to 92cm).
Any smooth surface will do, but marble cools dough slightly, making it less flexible than desired.
A pastry scraper and a small wooden spoon for blending the dough.
A wooden dowel-style rolling pin. In Italy, pasta makers use one about 35 inches long and 2 inches thick (89cm long and 5cm thick). The shorter American-style pin with handles at either end can be used, but the longer it is, the easier it is to roll the pasta.
Note: although it is not traditional, Enza has successfully made pasta with a marble rolling pin, and this can be substituted for the wooden pin, if you have one.
Plastic wrap to wrap the resting dough and to cover rolled-out pasta waiting to be filled. It protects the pasta from drying out too quickly.
A sharp chef’s knife for cutting pasta sheets.
Cloth-covered chair backs, broom handles, or specially designed pasta racks found in cookware shops for draping the pasta.

Mixing the dough:
Mound the flour in the center of your work surface and make a well in the middle.
Add the eggs and spinach. Use a wooden spoon to beat together the eggs and spinach.
Then gradually start incorporating shallow scrapings of flour from the sides of the well into the liquid.
As you work more and more flour into the liquid, the well’s sides may collapse.
Use a pastry scraper to keep the liquids from running off and to incorporate the last bits of flour into the dough.
Don’t worry if it looks like a hopelessly rough and messy lump.

Kneading:
With the aid of the scraper to scoop up unruly pieces, start kneading the dough.
Once it becomes a cohesive mass, use the scraper to remove any bits of hard flour on the work surface – these will make the dough lumpy.
Knead the dough for about 3 minutes. Its consistency should be elastic and a little sticky. If it is too sticky to move easily, knead in a few more tablespoons of flour.
Continue kneading about 10 minutes, or until the dough has become satiny, smooth, and very elastic.
It will feel alive under your hands. Do not shortcut this step.
Wrap the dough in plastic wrap, and let it relax at room temperature 30 minutes to 3 hours.

Stretching and Thinning:
If using an extra-long rolling pin work with half the dough at a time.
With a regular-length rolling pin, roll out a quarter of the dough at a time and keep the rest of the dough wrapped.
Lightly sprinkle a large work surface with flour.
The idea is to stretch the dough rather than press down and push it.
Shape it into a ball and begin rolling out to form a circle, frequently turning the disc of dough a quarter turn.
As it thins outs, start rolling the disc back on the pin a quarter of the way toward the center and stretching it gently sideways by running the palms of your hands over the rolled-up dough from the center of the pin outward.
Unroll, turn the disc a quarter turn, and repeat. Do twice more.
Stretch and even out the center of the disc by rolling the dough a quarter of the way back on the pin.
Then gently push the rolling pin away from you with one hand while holding the sheet in place on the work surface with the other hand.
Repeat three more times, turning the dough a quarter turn each time.Repeat the two processes as the disc becomes larger and thinner.
The goal is a sheet of even thickness.
For lasagne, the sheet should be so thin that you can clearly see your hand through it and see colours.
Cut into rectangles about 4 by 8 inches (10 x 20 cm).
Note: Enza says that transparency is a crucial element of lasagne pasta and the dough should be rolled as thinly as possible. She says this is why her housekeeper has such strong arms!Dry the pasta at room temperature and store in a sealed container or bag.

#2 Bechamel
Preparation Time: 15 minutes

What we need:
4 tablespoons (2 ounces/60g) unsalted butter
4 tablespoons (2 ounces/60g) all purpose unbleached (plain) flour, organic stone ground preferred
2&2/3 cups (approx 570ml) milk
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Freshly grated nutmeg to taste

How:
Using a medium-sized saucepan, melt the butter over low to medium heat.
Sift over the flour, whisk until smooth, and then stir (without stopping) for about 3 minutes.
Whisk in the milk a little at a time and keep the mixture smooth.
Bring to a slow simmer, and stir 3 to 4 minutes, or until the sauce thickens.
Cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes, until the sauce thickens.
Season with salt, pepper, and a hint of nutmeg.

#3 Country Style Ragu’ (Ragu alla Contadina)
Preparation Time: Ingredient Preparation Time 30 minutes and Cooking time 2 hours
Makes enough sauce for 1 recipe fresh pasta or 1 pound/450g dried pasta)

What we need:
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (45 mL)
2 ounces/60g pancetta, finely chopped
1 medium onion, minced
1 medium stalk celery with leaves, minced
1 small carrot, minced
4 ounces/125g boneless veal shoulder or round
4 ounces/125g pork loin, trimmed of fat, or 4 ounces/125g mild Italian sausage (made without fennel)
8 ounces/250g beef skirt steak, hanging tender, or boneless chuck blade or chuck center cut (in order of preference)
1 ounce/30g thinly sliced Prosciutto di Parma
2/3 cup (5 ounces/160ml) dry red wine
1 &1/2 cups (12 ounces/375ml) chicken or beef stock (homemade if possible)
2 cups (16 ounces/500ml) milk
3 canned plum tomatoes, drained
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Working Ahead:
The ragu can be made 3 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate.
It also freezes well for up to 1 month.
Skim the fat from the ragu’ before using it.

Browning the Ragu Base:
Heat the olive oil in a 12 inch (30cm) skillet (frying pan) over medium-high heat.
Have a large saucepan handy to use once browning is complete.
Add the pancetta and minced vegetables and sauté, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, 10 minutes, or until the onions barely begin to color.
Coarsely grind all the meats together, including the prosciutto, in a food processor or meat grinder.
Stir into the pan and slowly brown over medium heat.
First the meats will give off a liquid and turn dull grey but, as the liquid evaporates, browning will begin.
Stir often, scooping under the meats with the wooden spatula.
Protect the brown glaze forming on the bottom of the pan by turning the heat down.
Cook 15 minutes, or until the meats are a deep brown.
Turn the contents of the skillet into a strainer and shake out the fat.
Turn them into the saucepan and set over medium heat.

Reducing and Simmering:
Add the wine to the skillet, lowering the heat so the sauce bubbles quietly. Stir occasionally until the wine has reduced by half, about 3 minutes.
Scrape up the brown glaze as the wine bubbles. Then pour the reduced wine into the saucepan and set the skillet aside.Stir ½ cup stock into the saucepan and let it bubble slowly, 10 minutes, or until totally evaporated.
Repeat with another ½ cup stock.
Stir in the last 1/2 cup stock along with the milk.
Adjust heat so the liquid bubbles very slowly.
Partially cover the pot, and cook 1 hour.
Stir frequently to check for sticking.Add the tomatoes, crushing them as they go into the pot.
Cook uncovered, at a very slow bubble for another 45 minutes, or until the sauce resembles a thick, meaty stew.
Season with salt and pepper.

Salmon carpaccio

2009-03-22T22:27:00.001+01:00

Every morning I receive a newsletter including some recipes. The one I've received today is really easy and tasty: Salmon Carpaccio.

What we need (serves 4):

1 salmon steak
2 tablespoon of olive oilt
the juice of 1 lemon
dill
1 teaspoon black pepper

How we cook it:

Cut the salmon steak into thin slices (it will be helpful if we have previously frozen the salmon steak for about 1 hour)
Put it in a plate, add the olive oil and the lemon juice, salt and pepper and add some dill.
Let marinate in the freezer for some minutes.
Serve chilled.

Easy, isn't it?

Quinoa with vegetables

2009-03-11T20:49:00.006+01:00

On occasion of a food blog event in Spanish (Hecho en mi Cocina), which focuses this month on quinoa, I've prepared a simple and healthy recipe: Quinoa with vegetables.

The quinoa is a pseudocereal which is grown mainly in South America but also in the United States. The largest producer, though is Bolivia. Here you can find more information: Quinoa

For two people we need:

- 2 coffee cups quinoa

- Water

- Salt

- Oil

- Your favourite vegetables (mine: broccoli, carrot, leek, onion, turnip, and green beans) steamed

How we prepare:

In a pot put the quinoa and twice its volume of water to boil. Put a little salt in the water.

While in another pot, put the vegetables to steam. When cooked (preferably al dente) put them in a pan with some oil and fry lightly.

In a dish, serve the quinoa and place the vegetables on top. We can accompany with a little soy sauce.

Italian Party: Boletus and Shrimp Risotto

2009-03-08T20:56:00.001+01:00

I love participating in food blog events, and today's chosen is Festa Italiana, hosted by Maryann from Finding la Dolce Vita and Mary from Proud Italian Cook.

Since a couple of years, when I first ate and enjoyed a risotto in an Italian restaurant, I wanted to prepare this dish by myself, and finally I did.

It's very easy to prepare though it needs a constant supervision so you'll need to be focused on the risotto.

What we need (serves 2):
- 150 gr of rice
- 200 gr of mushroom and shiitake
- 8 shrimps
- 1 small onion (or 3 chalotes), chopped
- 40 gr butter
- 1 liter of fish stock
- grated parmesan cheese
- 1 cup of white wine
- chopped parsley
- salt

How we prepare:
Clean the mushroom and cut in small dices.
Peel the shrimp and set aside. Use the heads and skins to enrich the stock. Boil during 10 or 15 minutes. When ready strain and keep over at very low heat.
In a saucepan, put the chopped onion to fry lightly with the butter. Before the onion gets a golden colour, add the diced mushrooms and fry lightly.
Add the rice, remove and fry lightly until it become transparent.
Add the wine and remove until it evaporates. Add one cup of hot stock and remove all the time using a wooden spoon.
When the stock has evaporated, add another cup of stock, removing all the time.
Repeat as many times as needed, until it's cooked to taste (about 17 min).
When cooked, add the parmesan cheese and remove.
In a fry pan, put the shrimp and fry lightly.
In a plate serve the rice with the fried shrimps and some parsley.

My Kitchen My World... goes to Spain (2): Crema Catalana

2009-03-07T21:02:00.000+01:00

Again with a recipe from Catalonia region. This time is a dessert and I want to include it also at the My Kitchen, My World travel to Spain.

Crema Catalana is a custard topped with a layer of hard caramel. It's similar to French Crème Brûlée, though with some differences: Crema catalana custard is flavoured with lemon and/or orange zest and cinnamon and is not baked in bain-marie as crème brûlée is.

What we need (serves 4):
- 1/2 l milk
- 4 egg yolk
- 75 g white sugar
- 4 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1/2 stick cinnamon
- zest of 1/2 lemon
- zest of 1/2 orange
- 25 g of corn starch

How we prepare...
In a small saucepan, heat milk with cinnamon and lemon zest and orange.
Meanwhile, place the egg yolks with the sugar in a bowl and mix them well.
When milk is hot remove the zest and cinnamon and pour it in the egg yolks and sugar mixture. Dissolve the starch in a little cold milk and strain it. Add the dissolved starch to the milk.
Put the cream into the fire and continue stirring until it boils. When this happens, remove it from heat but continue stirring for a while.
Then spread the cream in small bowls or plates and let cool completely. Before serving it, and when quite cold, cover with brown sugar. Burn it with the utensil you may have.

Picture by Paul Goyette @ Flickr

Olga's remark: I don't have the correct utensil to burn the sugar, but so I put the custard in the oven to gratiné, but it was a completely failure, as sugar became liquid but not hard, and it ended breaking the custard...

My Kitchen My World... goes to Spain: Spanish Omelette

2009-03-07T02:06:00.000+01:00

One of the most traditional meals in Spain is Spanish Omelette, made with fried potatoes and eggs. Frequently it also includes onion and garlic, depending on region or taste.

It's called Spanish Omelette, to distiguish it from plain or "French" Omelette, with no potato filling.

It is one of the most common tapas throughout Spain and a favourite at Spanish picnics, as it can also be enjoyed cold. A tapas portion of tortilla is sometimes called pincho de tortilla as it is usually cut up into small cubes and each piece pierced with a cocktail stick.

With this recipe, I participate for the first time at "My Kitchen My World" hosted by Lauren from I'll Eat You and Andrea from Nummy Kitchen.

This group travels around the world through the gastronomy of different countries. And obviously one of the featured countries of this month is Spain.

What we need: (serves 1)
- 3 eggs
- 100 gr potato, diced
- 1/4 onion, chopped
- 3 tablespoon of olive oil
- salt
- pepper (optional)

Please note for this omelette you'll need a small fry pan (about 8" / 20 cm). If you prepare it in a bigger fry pan, the omelette will be very thin and not juicy.
A pice of advice: For cooking good omelettes you must use the same pan always and only for omelettes.

How to prepare:

First, peel and dice the potato and chop the onion. In a fry pan, put olive oil over medium heat. When hot, put the choped onion and cook until it becomes transparent. When ready, add the diced potato.

While both the onion and the potato are frying, beat the eggs with some salt and pepper.
When onion and potato are ready, drain them, and add them to the beated egg.

In the omelette pan, put some drops of oil over medium heat. When hot, add the beated egg mix and reduce to low heat. Put a lid on and let the omelette fry for one side. When egg is almost completely fried, flip over to fry on its other side. You can help yourself with a plate. Let fry during a couple of minutes... Flip over again and serve.

Bon appetit!!

Catalan Cuisine: Xató

2009-03-04T23:29:00.000+01:00

Spanish gastronomy has a lot of regional different cuisines, and Catalan is one of the most well-known world-wide (basically due to the great job of amazing chefs like Ferran Adrià, Carme Ruscalleda, Santi Santamaria, Sergi Arola, Fermí Puig and many others...)

For those who are begginers to Spanish cuisine, I must say, that there's a lot more to discover other than paella and sangria, I'm happy to tell... If you are interested to know more about Spanish cuisine, one book you can't miss is 1080 recipes by Simone Ortega (I think half Spain learnt to cook with her book, she wrote it almost 30 years ago!!! and it's still one best-seller...)

During these days, in some cities of the Garraf and Penedés are celebrating the Xatonada (a feast dedicated to Xató).

There are several cities that attribute themselves the origin of Xató: Sitges, Vilanova i la Geltrú, Vilafranca del Penedès, El Vendrell...

There is a gastronomic route, named Ruta del Xató, through Garraf and El Penedès regions, to the south of the province of Barcelona. The route begins in Sitges, goes inwards to Vilafranca del Penedès, then to El Vendrell and finally again by the sea to Vilanova i la Geltrú. Here you can find more information: Ruta del Xato official website

Xató is a salad, and its recipe is very simple, escarole, anchovy, tuna, desalted cod and Arbequina olives (this kind of olives are small but very tasty) in quantities to taste.

Most typical thing in this salad, however, is the sauce (called Romesco) that accompanies it, as in each village is made in a different way. Some use almonds, other nuts, both or none... In this other website you can find every recipe for Xató according to different towns.

I have to admit this time I used bottled sauce I bought. A good real Romesco sauce requires time (about 40 minutes done at the traditional way (oven, hand-made with a mortar…), or about 15 using micro-wave and mixer…) and good ingredients, and as I had some missing I preferred to use a ready-cooked one (very tasty anyway). Next time I promise I will do the sauce myself.

Home-made Ricotta: Cheese Omelette and Mel i Mató

2009-03-01T17:25:00.001+01:00

I'm pleased to participate for the first time at the challenges of Recipes to Rival (R2R)

February host is Lauren from I'll Eat You. For this challenge, she wants us to make the ricotta and blog about the process, and then use the ricotta in a recipe of our choice. As she's Italian she gave some ideas as Lasagna, Ravioli or even cheesecake... but I used it to cook a simple Cheese Omelette and a traditional Catalan dessert called Mel i Mató (Honey and Ricotta). Ricotta in Spanish is called Requesón, and in Catalan we call it Mató.

For Fresh Ricotta you need:
- 1 gallon milk (you can use 1 percent on up, remember that the more fat in the milk, the more cheese it will yeild.) (4 liters)
- 1 quart buttermilk (1 liter)
- cheesecloth (a good, tightly woven one, not the kind you buy at the supermarket) If you don't have one of these, you can get by with a slotted spoon, but you may lose some of the cheese, or a strainer.
-a thermometer

Place buttermilk and milk in a pot, heat on med-low heat until it reaches 185 degrees. It will begin to separate into curds and whey.
Be sure to stir occasionally to make sure no curds stick to the bottom and burn. You will see that as the temperature approaches 185ºF (85ºC), the whey becomes clearer as the curds coagulate more.
Pour the curds into a cheesecloth lined colander. Tie the ends of the cheesecloth together and hang for 10-15 minutes.
Remove from cheesecloth and place in an airtight container.

My version of Ricotta is a little different from Lauren's. I've got a light intolerance to lactose, so fat milk is not the best for me. That's why I used semi-skimmed lactose-free and skimmed lactose-free milk. There're two brands in Spain for lactose-free milk: Hacendado and Kaiku.

- 1 litre of semi-skimmed lactose-free milk
- 1/2 litre skimmed lactose-free milk
- the juice of 1 lemon I don't have a thermometer (that's a present I want somebody to give me...), so I did at a guess, as soon milk started to bubble I removed from heat.

The rest of the steps are the same as in Lauren's recipe. I got 1 cup of ricotta.

The second part of the challenge consisted in cooking with home-made Ricotta. As said above, I chose a simple but yummy Cheese Omelette, served with bread with tomato sandwich, made at Catalan style. And Mel i Mató (Honey and Ricotta) as dessert.

For the Cheese Omelette (serves 1):
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup of ricotta
- ¼ cup of emmental or mozzarella
- salt
- olive oil (2 teaspoon) (you can use butter instead)

Beat eggs in small bowl with a fork until yolks and whites are well mixed. Add the cheese and beat again to mix well with the eggs.
Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat until oil is hot but not steaming.
Add the cheese and eggs mix. When there is no liquid egg left on the surface of the omelette, turn it over to cook the other side. To do this, place a flat lid or plate over the pan, carefully invert both so that the omelette is on the lid or plate.
Put the pan back on the heat and use the palette knife to gently ease the omelette back in. Give it a few minutes more, then turn the heat off. It should then be cooked through but still moist in the centre. Serve hot or cold in a baguette spread with tomato and olive oil.

For the Mel i Mató (serves 1)
- ½ cup of ricotta
- 2 tablespoons of honey

Just pour the honey over the ricotta and serve.

Stewed lentils

2009-02-22T18:22:00.001+01:00

Once more my post is due to a food blog event.

This time, I've chosen My Legume Love Affair hosted this month by Susan from The Well-Seasoned Cook.

To participate in this event, I've decided to prepare a typical Spanish recipe, though with a little variation, as the original recipe includes chorizo. This recipe is called Lentejas con chorizo (Lentils with chorizo), but since I removed it from the recipe, then I rename it to Lentejas estofadas (Stewed lentils).

What we need (serves 2):
- 200 gr of boiled lentils
- 1/2 onion
- 200 gr potato
- 1 clove
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/2 tea spoon of paprika
- 200 ml chicken stock
- sealt
- olive oil

To prepare:
Peel both the onion and the potato and dice them. Peel the clove and cut it in two.
Leave the lentils to drain.
To cook:
In a pot, put olive oil to heat. Add the diced onion and the clove and fry lightly.
Add the diced potatoes, and let fry lightly again.
Add the drained lentils and remove all the ingredients to impregnate them with the oil.
Add the paprika, the bay leaf, and the chicken stock.
Remove well, put the lid on and let cook over a low heat during 10 minutes or until potato dices are soft.

Potato whole-grain bread (BBD#17)

2009-02-15T23:44:00.002+01:00

Since a few days ago that I wanted to make bread.

Inspiration comes from the wonderful blog of Eva: Ma Petite Boulangerie which has some great recipes and very well explained.

And also from the event Bread Baking Day, created by Zorra from 1x umrühren bitte and in its 17th edition is hosted by Lien from Notitie van Lien who suggests the preparation of an unknown to me potato bread.

The truth is that I was not quite sure how it would be, but to my pleasant surprise, proved to be delicious and very tasty.

What we need:
- 350 g of whole flour
- 100 gr flour
- Approx 60 gr of dried potato flakes
- 2 cups of warm water
- 25g fresh yeast
- Salt
- Olive oil

How we prepare:
In a large bowl put flour, dried potato flakes and salt. Mix well.
In a separate smaller bowl, dissolve the yeast in warm water. Add this water slowly into flour mix and kneading until it fall off the walls of the bowl. If the dough is sticky, then it needs a bit more flour. However if it's hard to knead, and doesn't form a thin and elastic dough, you need a little more water.
Once we're able to take the dough out the bowl easily, we continue kneading the dough at the kitchen worktop for about 10-15 minutes.
To knead more easily, help yourself oiling your hands. It'll help also to leave a pleasant taste and aroma in the bread.
After this time, let the dough rest in the bowl, covered with cloth, for about 30-40 minutes until it doubles its volume.
It's important to leave the bowl in a warm (not hot) area, as this will make the fermentation of yeast easier.
Pre-heat the oven to maximum temperature.
When the dough is ready, shape the bread, making a few cuts in the surface, to help breat not to break bread where possible.
For this amount of dough, you'll have four little loaves or a large one.
Reduce the oven temperature to 180 º C.
Depending on the size of the loaves, the time of baking will vary. For small loaves, the approximate time is 20-25 minutes. To a large loaf, time is 40 to 45 minutes.

Bon appetit!

Apple Compote with cinnamon, vanilla and ginger infusion

2009-02-12T15:27:00.007+01:00

This is a recipe that my mother prepares since I have a culinary use of reason, with some small modifications.

With this recipe I participate in the event: A Cinnamon Celebration hosted by Grace from A Southern Grace (UPDATED - Feb. 13th)

For two people we need:

- 4 golden apples

- 2 tablespoons sugar

- 1 tablespoon brown bare ground cinnamon

- 1 piece fresh ginger (about 3-4 cm)

- Vanilla essence (I use liquid essence, but you can make it with vanilla sugar)

- Water (about 1/2 glass of wine)

How we prepare:

Put water in a small pot with cinnamon, vanilla essence and ginger (previously peeled and grated), and bring to boil over low heat, until it infusions.

While we peel and remove the heart of the apples and cut them into small dices. Once the infusion has boiled two or three minutes to blend flavors, we add the apple dices and the sugar. Let cook about 30 minutes at low heat, watching that is not left dry.

Pumpkin cream with carrot chips.

2009-02-09T23:34:00.000+01:00

The other day looking for new recipes to taste, I find this very interesant blog event: Foods in colors. In this event you have to prepare a recipe where the main color is the one proposed. In February that color is Orange.
This event is hosted by Aparna from My diverse kitchen an also by Harini from Tongue Ticklers

So my proposal is a soft and delicious Pumpkin Cream with Carrot chips.

What we need:
- 1 small pumpkin
- 3 carrots
- water
- salt
- olive oil

Preparation:

Peel the pumplin and two carrots. Cut them in small pieces, especially carrots so it won't take long to cook them.

Put them in a pot with some water and salt and let cook until both the pumpkin and carrots are tender.

When cooked, remove from heat and mash them with the mixer. Add some salt if needed.

Finally peel the last carrot and cut into thin slices. Put them in a hot pan with some oil and lightly fry the slices until they look like chips.

Serve the cream with some chips.

Bon appetit!!

Detox Soup

2009-02-03T23:21:00.006+01:00

In the Bag is a event monthly run by Julia from A Slice of Cherry Pie and Scott from Real Epicurean. This month with Detox Special the bag should contain Carrots, Cerely and Beetroot.

I want to participate this month for the first time with a very simple recipe, a Detox Soup. I have changed the Beetroot for a turnip. Beetroot has not been used very often in my family, so I'm not used to use it.

We need:
- 3 carrots
- 1 parsnip
- 1 turnip
- 1 celery stick
- 1/2 leek
- 1 liter of water
- Salt
- Olive oil
- Lemon juice (optional)

How to make the soup:
Clean and chop vegetables into small pieces.
Bring water to boil with salt and a little olive oil.
When the water boils put the clean-cut vegetables and let cook for approx. 30 minutes, or until we see that the vegetables are soft.

Optionally, we can serve with a couple of lemon juice drops.
Hope you like it.

Perch en papillote

2009-02-03T11:06:00.002+01:00

With this recipe I participate on the event Think Spice.. Think Twice: Mastic Gum or Fennel Seeds

This event, is hosted this month by Ivy from Kopiaste and by Sunita from Sunita’s World. Every month is dedicated to a different spice, and this month is time for Mastic Gum and Fennel Seeds.

Mastic gum is not known in Spain for traditional cuisine and it's hard to find, so that's why I preferred to make a recipe with Fennel Seeds.

What we need:
- 1 piece of perch per person (about 150-200 g each)
- 1/2 leek
- 1 lemon
- Fennel seeds
- Olive oil
- Salt
- Pepper

How we prepare:
We place a single piece of perch in an aluminium foil.
We add some salt and pepper and also a little olive oil to the perch.
We put some sliced leek on fish and finally the crushed fennel seeds.

We pack the foil completely and put them in the oven, preheated at 200º C.

Once the fish is done, we open the packs taking care not to be scalded.

We serve with some vegetables.

Bon appetit!

My English version blog

2009-02-03T10:43:00.000+01:00

Hello and welcome,

Some of you already know my Spanish blog Las Recetas de Olga, and I thought it would be much easier to post the English versions of my recipes in a different blog than the Spanish one.

So here I am, launching my very first English blog.

I really appreciate your comments and suggestions so that's how I can improve my cooking.

Hope to see you often here.

Best regards.