It's a blog for foodies around the world. Here you can read about recipes , new ideas and old techniques. You don't have to be a gourmet, just someone who really LOVES food and drink!!!!
Every kid wanted to cook on Mother's Day, It was a chance to shower mom with love but also show off budding culinary skills. Here's the question - what was your favorite ? Cinnamon toast with a heaping amount of cinnamon sugar on top? An omelet with a few shells left in? Or Mom's favorite sandwich with a side of chips or a dill pickle.
Let us know here just in time for Mother's Day.
Black Forest Cakes conjures up images of the luscious creamy cake served in Bavarian coffeehouses or made in kitchens from German Alpine towns like Obernheim to big metropolises like Munich. Not surprisingly this famed chocolate cake is also big in other parts of the world. Let's face it , it is hard to resist.
Regular contributor Priya Kirishna wrote about this delicious treat in today's New York Wednesday Food section. Black Forest Cake had been a staple on German dessert tables for decades.It began in the 1500's thanks to young married couples who planted cherry trees and its'design is taken from the colorful outfits called Bollenhut that Bavarian women were.Now it's all over the world from Chile to Nepal.It's a favorite everywhere from Zimbabwe to Trinidad to Singapore where it's actually made with blueberries.How did the most German of cakes become an international favorite? it occurred when Germans moved around the world, as immigrants, missionaries and chefs or as Nazis fleeing the country after World War II according to Jose Lopez Gamen of the Fine Cacao and Chocolate Institute in Cambridge Ma. It's a cake that's easily adapted to the norms of any country. The liquor can be be omitted in Muslim countries while Caribbean ones sub in the kirschwasser or cherry liquor with strong rums.
Many , including Bavarians and Swabians find the dessert passe and bakeries in the two provinces don't; even make it. Christopher Tan, author of the Singaporean cookbook "The Way of Kuah" tried to find a slice in Ulm.He was told it was too passe and they didn't;t make it. Famed chef and Food Times contributor Dori Greenspan gives a theory about why Black Forest Cake is not popular with older dessert lovers. She claims today's desserts are more sophisticated. They;re sparer and not over the top. Yet a whole new generation is discovering it and posting pictures of it all over Instagram.At the bakery Thistle and Leek in Newton, MA serves it as a roulade. At Swadesi,a new Indian inspired bakery in Chicago it's served in a jar.Its wonder Sujan Sarkar once believed it came from the Christians in Kolkats.Lebanese chef Karin Bourgis makes his version with vanilla ganache and dark chocolate cremeux,a chocolate version of creme anglaise. it can be made at home with a chocolate sponge and a homemade cherry compote laced with Kirsch and homemade whipped cream.
Black Forest Cake should be revered. It;s a delicious dessert full of flavor. Make it today to find out it's tastiness.
Sometimes you don;t feel like eating a big dinner or supper. What do you eat then? A very light meal is always helpful.
As much as you want a Ramen - which is good every now and then - you can always go with a fresh soup. It;s easy t create a veggie broth and then freeze it for the week. it starts with sauteing an onion and then adding tomatoes, green beans carrots, and garlic. it can be strained through a fine mesh to produce a clear broth . During the week add some pasta or rice to fill it out. Mini ravioli or tortellini can also be added too , just to vary it. A quick pasta is also a good and light meal. Nix the heavy tomato sauce and think pasta con burro, This is just pouring melted butter over pasta and then tossing it. A squirt of lemon would add some zing to it. A cold pasta salad would also work as a light dinner or supper. Stores like Acme sell turkey and ham chunks from their deli counters. Add these to it along with grape tomatoes, olives, broccoli and cauliflower florets.Mix in olive oil, red wine vinegar and some oregano for a tasty dressing.
Eggs are also the perfect base for a light supper. The famed British chef Nigella Lawson is a big fan of these and has created several interesting ones. You could just have a simple one without anything added but you can also add interesting cheeses like cubes of Bries which would melt nicely or Gouda which would give the eggs a nicely salted flavor. You could also make the French classic omelet aux fine herbes. Add finely chopped parsley , chives and tarragon in in along with butter for a silky , smooth texture and rich buttery flavor. Scrambled eggs are also good too,. You can add chopped tomatoes or shredded spinach or even leftover ham or bacon. Pile on buttered toast for a satisfying sandwich . Poached eggs or eggs Sunnyside up make for another easy light supper. This breakfast for dinner vibe is an easy cook and perfect with some buttered toast. Add a few slices of turkey bacon if you want something more substantial.
Too tired for a big meal? Then think a light supper or dinner after a hard day.It';s an easy cook and an easy eat.
Any kind of frozen vegetable is a blank canvas. Once cooked you can add anything to create a bold or delicate flavor.A dash of this. A splash of that and you have a new side dish sire to please everyone.\
I started with Wal-Mart's frozen chopped spinach
Spring cakes should be light and beautiful, reflective of the season.What better than adding flowers whether the real thing or edible. They add to any bridal or shower cake along with making a lovely Mother's Day treat.
What can you use> An y fresh or even candy flours work.If you;re opting for fresh.Please use edible ones. No one wants to be poisoned by a cake decoaration. The same applies to the greens used.Think of decoatinga pretty white ro plae pink frosted cake with roses,nasturtium, chamomile, lavendar and hibiscus. if it can be made into a te ait's safe to eat. As for the greens, sprigs of basil and mint work however keep in mind these are strong smelling and could leave a tingle of flavor on the icing and cake. Bay leaves also are good and can sub in for rose leaves.How to attach them to a cake? Cut the stems off and then using florists tape to gather them together.it's just gently inserting the stems on an angle into the frosting. You make want to have a thick blob of it so the stems adhere nicely without the threat of falling off. Another idea is attaching it with a water tube filled with water so the flowers maintain their freshness.
Chocolate, fondant and marzipan also make for exquisite flowers as well. You can easily buy molds for any kind of colored chocolate on Amazon or in places such as Michaels' A mocha cake would look lovely with a few dark and milk chocolate Bloons gracing one side. An engagement cake would look ;lovely with pastel colored chocolate, which can also be bought at Michael's. Try to use good chocolate like Ghiradelli's melting wafers for this. The better the candy , the better the consistency. Marzipan, that thick almond paste also works well for sculpting all sorts of flowers and leaves. Keep in mind you don;t have to go for authenticity here. Thin petal s will tear easily. Roll out and cut ones with a half inch thickness to them . Shape the petals by flattening them with the back if a spoon and them assemble to form flowers. Fondant flowers are basically the same way. You can use fondant tools such as cutters and scissors to form leaves and petals.Keep in mind that dying both substances can be messy.Use a gel dye for all the flowers and greens.
Flowers on a cake add beauty. Try decorating your cakes with these for a refreshing ,pretty look.It's a salute to the garden.
Clothes thrifting is a big thing right now. It's basically heading to the local consignment store and getting good et slightly used clothes and acessories on a budget. Now with rising food prices home chefs are practicing food thrifting of a sort. It's basically budgeting to deal with those rising costs in the supermarket.
Associate food editor at the Wednesday Food section, Kristin Chambrot wrote about how to spend wisely two days ago. Everyone is feeling the pinch across the board and it helps to shop wisely.Ms. Chambrot consulted with several experts about what to do and how to get the most for your dollar. One, ,blogger, Beth Moncel of Budget Bytes urges consumers to evaluate.Download budgeting apps such as Pockethuard and Mon arch will let shoppers import all their financial accounts into a centralized hub. There's also the second option of going old school and using an account book(read notebook) and tallying with a pen or opencil and calculator. Set a limit as to what you want to spend.Keep in mind every household is difference thanks to size and needs. Fifty per cent of the family paychecks should go to basics. Also go over what everyone is eating. They may not be consuming everything.Do what Dasha Kennedy, author fo Broke Black Girl does, figure out how much one person eats and times it by the number of people in the household.
As any home chef and homeowner will tell you making a list is all important.Yes it;s fun to get the extras that everyone loves. Just don;t go overboard when shopping (along with remembering that all important rule. - don't shop hungry.You'll wind up with everything under the sun in your cart).Ms.Chambrot recommneds gravitating to filling,tasty dishes that have low cost ingredients. Think a vegetarian chili with beans or a coconut chuicken curry. Another aspect that should be mentioned is where to shop. Go to stores like Lidl and Aldi for really good prices on canned goods, veggies and boxed goods. Lidl has excellent mushroom soups for 68 cents a can and bigger cans of hearty minestrone and pea soups for $2.58, Buy their brands of national brand cookies and cereals for three to four dollars cheaper along with their twelve pack of soda for only three dollars. Aldi has excellent pastas, risottos and spaetzles along with snacks and crackers for only two to three dollars. If these aren't;t in your area, Wal-Mart Costco and now Target has some really good prices on basic food items. Also take stocl of your pantry and never let anything go to waste.
Food thrifting should be apart of life,especially these days. Budget and spend wisely. You can wind up with tasty dishes that cost only pennies.
All home chefs and home owners dream of the ideal garden.it can be bursting with tomatoes. Have stalks of corn. Rows of asparagus.
Here's the question - what would be in your ideal garden? (Mine would be tomatoes and asparagus , possibly spinach.) Let us know and if you want include pictures of past harvests
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