Whoever thought of adding a vegetable to dessert to somehow ease the guilty pleasure is a genius! After all, a cake is only a cake, but the addition of carrots provides that distinct flavor that gives the otherwise ordinary cake a delicious twist.

Carrot cake is also known as “Passion cake” and using carrots is an age old secret to create sweet cakes since the medieval period. Sweeteners were as valuable as gold and usually very expensive but carrots, with their natural sweetness, were a lot cheaper. The origins of carrot cake can be traced back to Norway, and during WWII it became a rationing staple in Britain when a businessman named George C. Page asked bakers to make use of an overabundance of canned carrots. The idea of a carrot cake worked wonders for creating a demand for the excess canned carrots! The Americans caught the carrot cake bug in the 1960’s when it became commonly available in restaurants. In the U.S., carrot cake was initially thought of as a novelty, but its velvety texture, mild sweetness, and overall scrumptious taste made it an instant hit.

A simply delish carrot cake is straightforward, no frills, just plain and simple delectable. It instantly satisfies that sweet tooth craving minus the sugar overload.

Carrot Cake

Adapted from The Joy of Baking

• 1 cup (100 grams) pecans or walnuts
• 3/4 pound (340 grams) raw carrots (about 2 1/2 cups finely grated)
• 2 cups (260 grams) all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 4 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups (300 grams) granulated white sugar
• 1 cup (240 ml) safflower, vegetable or canola oil (or other flavorless oil)
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven. Butter or spray two – 9 x 2 inch (23 x 5 cm) cake pans and line the bottoms of the pans with a circle of parchment paper. Please follow baking directions for pound cake. When Tested, we lowed the baking to 310 for 45 min to an hour.If you are using round pans please follow the directions above and cook at 350.
2. Toast the pecans or walnuts for about 8 minutes or until lightly browned and fragrant. Let cool and then chop coarsely.
3. Peel and finely grate the carrots.
4. In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and ground cinnamon.
5. In bowl of electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the eggs until frothy (about 1 minute). Gradually add the sugar and beat until the batter is thick and light colored (about 3 – 4 minutes). Add the oil in a steady stream and then beat in the vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture and beat just until incorporated. With a large rubber spatula fold in the grated carrots and chopped nuts. Evenly divide the batter between the two prepared pans and bake 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
6. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack. After about 5 -10 minutes invert the cakes onto the wire rack, remove the pans and parchment paper, and then cool completely before frosting.
7. To assemble: place one cake layer onto your serving plate. Spread with about half the frosting. Gently place the other cake onto the frosting and spread the rest of the frosting over the top of the cake. If desired, garnish with toasted nuts on the top of the cake. Cover and refrigerate any leftovers.
8. Serves 10 – 12.

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Confidential
haveseen

Layered cakes will make any celebration twice the fun. An ombre cake will do just the trick in adding that special festive mood in every delicious bite. Ombré means shaded in French. There is no clear history of the origins of ombre cake but its popularity is unmistakable. The distinct ombre style is a graduation of colors that are usually layered from dark to light. This unique and gorgeous cake is the perfect way to let out your inner artistic talent by an explosion of colors!

There is a rainbow of colors to choose from to create such an effect. But to achieve it, layering is always a necessity. Depending on your mood, let’s say you’re feeling blue or you’re up for something spectacular like orange, the gradients of colors will always make your cake worth ogling or better yet… eating!

Here is a collection of tips when making ombre cake with whatever favorite cake and frosting recipe you may have:

Fun Tips

1. Add more flavor. Substitute half of the liquid in your cake batter recipe for a triple section. You can use lavender extract for a purple ombre cake or lemon zest extract for yellow ombre cake. Flavored liquor is also a great option.

2. What’s the color of the day? Whatever color you choose for your cake, powdered food coloring seems to work best. Using liquid coloring can be tricky when trying to achieve the perfect blend of colors and it also messes up the batter consistency. And of course, natural food coloring is something we love the best, or, none at all and use the graduation in colors by using cocoa powder.

3. Be generous when greasing and flouring your pans. Pretend that you are rubbing the buff body of a Roman God and sprinkle flour as if you are throwing flower petals on the path of your most revered hunk. To put it simply, a little imagination will ensure that your cake won’t stick.

4. Have enough batter. There are usually around five to six layers in an ombre cake to achieve the gradual yet obvious change in colors from layer to layer. The key is to add food coloring a little at a time from the first batter to the next starting from the lightest shade, working your way to the darkest.

5. Shave off the tops of your cake. When your cake layers are ready, they may be uneven coming out of the oven. With a sharp knife, cut off some of the parts to even them out.

6. Allow the cake to cool. Never frost with a hot cake. This will make all your hard labor fruitless and you might end up with a dilapidated cake.

7. Frosting time! This is the best part. It’s time to unleash your creative side. Just make sure you layer your cake from the lightest to the darkest from top to bottom or vice versa for a truly Ombré effect.

8. To add more sophistication to your cake, you can use a Wilton large #21 Star tip to decorate your cake or the Wilton 2D. But whatever way you fancy decorating it, there’s no better way than your way.

9. Where to find that fabulous cake stand, you can find it here. (Interiors by Donna).

10. Check out the cake we made with my five year old niece, she wanted Vanilla and Vanilla whipping cream. Not bad for her first cake.

Have fun!

Fluffy White Cake

Slightly adapted from Classic White Cake recipe on Baking Bites
Adapted from Sweetapolita

Yield: One 2-layer, 8-inch round cake or 9-inch round cake
Very fluffy and light, but can be a bit more challenging if even a fraction too much liquid is added.

Ingredients

• 5 large egg whites (5 ounces/150 grams) at room temperature
• 3/4 cup whole milk (180 mL/6 liquid ounces), at room temperature
• 2 1/4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract (12.5 mL) — I use Nielsen-Massey Vanillas 8-oz. Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Extract
• 2 1/2 cups sifted cake flour (10 ounces/285 grams–weighed after sifting)
• 1 3/4 cups sugar (12 ounces/350 grams)
• 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon baking powder (19.5 grams)
• 3/4 teaspoon salt (5 grams)
• 12 tablespoons unsalted butter (6 ounces/170 grams), at room temperature and cut into cubes

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease, line with parchment, and flour two round 8-inch pans.
2. In a medium bowl or measuring cup, combine and stir the egg whites, 1/4 cup of milk, and the vanilla. Set aside.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the dry ingredients together on low speed (I use the “stir” setting on my mixer) for 30 seconds.
4. Add the butter and remaining 1/2 cup of milk, and mix on low speed until just moistened. Increase to medium speed and mix for 90 seconds.
5. Scrape the sides of the bowl and begin to add the egg mixture in 3 separate batches; beat on medium speed for 20 seconds after each addition.
6. Divide the batter in two, spreading it evenly with a small offset palette knife. If you have a kitchen scale, weigh to ensure 2 even layers.
7. Bake 25-35 minutes or until a cake tester comes clean when inserted into the center. Be so careful to not overbake. Check cake at 20 minutes, but not before, and once you feel it’s almost ready, set the timer for 2 minute intervals. Let cool on racks for 10 minutes before loosening the sides with a small metal spatula, and invert onto greased wire racks. Gently turn cakes back up, so the tops are up and cool completely.
8. Wrap tightly and store at room temperature for up to 2 days, refrigerator for up to 5 days, or frozen for up to 2 months. Best eaten the same day as baked.

White Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

adapted from Beantown Baker
adapted from country cleaver

One batch of this frosting will be perfect for a 2-layer cake. If you’re going to use it as filling or frost a 3 or 4 layer cake, double the recipe.

Ingredients (2 cups)

• 1 cups unsalted butter, softened
• 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar (or more, depending on desired consistency)
• Pinch of salt
• 6 oz. good quality white chocolate, chopped (not white chocolate chips or candy melts!)
• 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/4 tsp vanilla

Directions

1. Put the chopped white chocolate into a small bowl. Heat the chocolate in 30 second increments in the microwave set to 60% power. Stir after each increment, and continue to heat 30 seconds at a time, until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Set aside and allow to completely cool.
2. Once white chocolate has cooled, sift the salt and powdered sugar over the butter, in a large bowl. Cream the butter and sugar mixture together until light and fluffy, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed.
3. Measure the whipping cream into a cup, and stir in the vanilla extract.
4. With the mixer running on low speed, gradually pour the cream mixture the bowl.
5. Once the cream mixture has been incorporated into the frosting, fold on the melted (but cooled) white chocolate until incorporated.
6. Increase the mixer speed to medium-high, and beat frosting for an additional 3 minutes.

Photography Data:
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Ruth Black

Cream puffs, profiterole, or as it is known in Japan, “choux cream puffs”, are a gift from the gods! There are so many types of pastries but no other can be as delectable as choux cream puffs.

We oftentimes fail to think about just how such a delicious creation has come to pass because we are always enthralled with the burst of scrumptiousness whenever we bite into any pastry, most especially a choux puff. Pastries have been made to intoxicate the senses and it especially affects one’s senses of smell, sight, and taste. The choux cream is no exception. Its origin and the name “profiterole” is ambiguous, but many sources have traced it to North Eastern Italy, and this term has graced man’s lips in English and was borrowed from the French as early as the 16th century. At the time, it was a kind of roll that was baked under the ashes.

The cream puff as it is known in America has been a staple in restaurants since 1851, maybe even earlier. Choux (pronounced as “shoe”) literally means “cabbage” in French. The choux cream resembles a head of baby cabbage and most likely is named after the vegetable.

The art of creating delicious pastries is a gift in itself but it also takes a far greater talent to tweak masterful recipes into something much more. Over the years there have been several variations to the choux cream and some of them really stand out! One in particular is the cookie topped choux puff. For anyone who loves custards and cream, this is a match made in heaven. The choux cream’s light and fluffy texture, rich creamy custard filling, combined with the cookie topping is a delicious combustion just waiting to happen in your mouth!

For the regular version without the crunchy cookie top, check it out here.

When testing this recipe, we used a combination of both recipes and directions below.

Crunchy Cookie Top Cream Puffs

Recipe adapted from Cookpad.

Cookie Dough

• Butter 30g
• Sugar 30g
• Cake Flour 30g
• Diced or Sliced Almonds 30g

Cream Puff Pastry

Also Adapted from The Joy of Baking

• 1/2 cup (65 grams) all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon granulated white sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) (57 grams) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) water
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly butter or spray the pan with a non stick vegetable spray.
2. In a bowl sift or whisk together the flour, sugar and salt.
3. Place the butter and water in a heavy saucepan over medium high heat and bring to a boil. (Make sure that the butter melts before the water boils to reduce the amount of evaporation.)
4. Remove from heat and, with a wooden spoon, add the flour mixture, all at once, and stir until combined.
5. Return saucepan to the heat and stir constantly until the dough comes away from the sides of the pan and forms a thick smooth ball (about 1-2 minutes).
6. Transfer the dough to your electric mixer, or use a hand mixer, and beat on low speed to release the steam from the dough (about a minute).
7. Once the dough is lukewarm start adding the lightly beaten eggs (dough will separate and then come together) and continue to mix until you have a smooth thick paste (dough will fall from a spoon in a thick ribbon).
8. Spoon or pipe 12 small mounds of dough onto the baking sheet, spacing about 2 inches (5 cm) apart. With a pastry brush, gently brush the tops of the dough with a lightly beaten egg.
9. (for cookie crunch top place the cookie dough, crumbled as cut with a cookie tin, square or circle is fine, place evenly on top of choux pastry dough). Here is the link to the pictures of how you can apply the cookie dough before baking.
10. Bake for 15 minutes and then reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).
11. Continue to bake for a further 30 to 35 minutes or until the shells are a nice amber color and when split, are almost dry inside.
12. Turn the oven off, poke a couple of holes in each puff and, with the oven door slightly ajar, let the shells completely cool (and dry out).

Japanese Cookpad Recipe

(follow same directions for the Choux Pastry above from Joy of Baking)

• Water 100g
• Cake Flour 60g
• Butter 50g
• 2 Eggs whipped

Cheese Custard Filling

• Milk 200g
• 1 Vanilla Beans (remove vanilla bean paste from beans)
• 2 Egg Yolks
• Cake Flour 10g
• Cornstarch 5g
• Granulated Sugar 100g
• Cream Cheese 100g
• Cointreau 10g

Directions

1. Place Cookie Dough Divided Evenly onto of the uncooked Choux Pastry.
2. Preheat Oven to 200c For cook for 20 Minutes
3. Turn down the oven to 180c and bake for 40 minutes or until lightly golden brown.

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MAGONE

July 4th. Independence Day. The day when all Americans celebrate their freedom. From one region of the United States to the next traditional foods are prepared with the anticipation of backyard feasting and evening fireworks. Growing up on the East Coast, we often had many out of town guests, some opted for the “Hotel” experience and others dug in their heels (or sneakers) and spent the night at our house.

Being the host or hostess can be hectic, I know this all too well.  What a better way to serve your guests with homemade waffles? We finally perfected the waffle batter over the years, this is, hands down, one of our favorite recipes.  You might want to buy another waffle iron depending on how many guests you have, but we usually have three going at once with a party of six or more (guests are hungry from the long trips and starving come breakfast time).

gauffre de Bruxelles Brussels waffle

adapted from Europeancuisines.com

• 1 kilogram flour (2.2 lb)
• 30 grams of yeast (one package of fast-action yeast)
• 25 grams of brown sugar
• 1250 ml of lukewarm water (use tepid sparkling water if possible)
• 250 grams powdered nonfat dry milk (Carnation or similar)
• 10 grams of salt
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract or one small packet vanilla sugar (about 2 teaspooons)
• 400 to 500 grams of melted butter
• 6 to 8 egg whites, beaten to stiff peaks

Directions

1. Put the flour in a large bowl. Make a well in the flour: add the yeast and 250 ml of the lukewarm water.
2. Add the brown sugar, powdered milk, the vanilla extract or vanilla sugar, and the remainder of the water. Mix the dough well: allow to rise for at least 20 minutes – 1/2 hour. During this period, melt the butter. Allow to cool to lukewarm.
3. Add the melted butter: mix well. Beat the egg whites to stiff peaks,: fold carefully into the batter mixture until evenly mixed through.
4. Heat a large waffle iron. Spread each section with the batter, close and bake until done.
5. Serve dusted with comfectioners’ / icing sugar, or topped with whipped cream and fruit, or with melted chocolate or Nutella.

gaufre de Liège  Liège waffle

• 420 grams flour
• 7 grams salt (about a half teaspoon)
• 25 grams granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 50 grams yeast / one package fast-acting yeast
• 300 grams butter
• Around 20 centiliters cold water (preferably sparkling water)
• 270 grams pearl sugar
• Vanilla or spicery to your taste
• Allow eggs and sparkling water to come up to room temperature first.

Directions

1. Sift the flour into a bowl: make a well in the middle.
2. Melt the butter over hot water or in the microwave. Allow to cool to lukewarm. Beat the eggs well: add the butter and the yeast: mix well. Add the water and mix again.
3. Add to the flour along with the granulated sugar and vanilla or other seasoning (cinnamon works well).
4. Beat the dough for at least ten minutes. It will probably be sticky and difficult to work with. This is normal.
5. After this beating, allow to stand and rise in a warm place for 15-30 minutes. 5 to 10 minutes before baking, add the pearl sugar.
6. Heat the waffle iron. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto each quarter or section of the waffle iron. Bake until well browned.
7. Serve hot off the iron, dusted with confectioner’s sugar, or top with whipped cream or ice cream if desired.

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Private

Entremets is an Old French word that means “between servings”. In modern French cuisine, entremet is a dish served in between courses to cleanse the palate for the next dish or it can simply be a dessert. This was common among the nobility and upper middle class in Western Europe, in the later part of the Middle Ages and the early modern period. An entremets’ main function was to herald the end of a course, be a conversational piece (hence, its elaborateness) and to prepare the diner for the next dish. Nowadays, entremet’s are usually chilled desserts that are made with layers of mousse and cake. It can even include pastry creams that help it set better.

One of my favorite entremet’s is the Matcha Entremet (green tea). Matcha is increasingly becoming popular, not just because of its health benefits and effectiveness to help you detoxify after a rich food binge, but more so its taste. It isn’t just served as a hot beverage but it is starting to be incorporated into savory and sweet edible concoctions.

It isn’t difficult to see the French & Italian influence in Japanese cuisine. Crepes are a popular French pancake whereas okonomiyake (savory pancake) or doriyaki (sweet bean pancake) are the Japanese versions. Much of the French influence on Japan happened in the mid-nineteenth century where many of the French artists were fascinated with the Japanese ukiyo-e prints. They were much like flattened blocks of color that was slightly off center. The Japanese were also influenced by the prominent artists in Europe such as Toulouse-Lautrec, Monet, Klimt, van Gogh, Degas, Whistler and many more. The famous Japanese realist artist Katsushika Hokusai, best known for his work Thirty six Views of Mount Fuji, was heavily influenced by French and Dutch landscape artists as seen in a lot of his works with its distinct use of realistic shadows and shading. It was an era where shared concepts in art and cuisine were embraced and savored. More so, the French and the Japanese create desserts with such intricate detail they look much like art work. The desserts must be savored by your eyes as much as your mouth. In fact, enjoying Japanese desserts makes me sometimes feel like I’m strolling around Paris.

There are some ingredients that when combined, become a magical concoction, much like matcha and chestnuts. Chestnuts provide a deep, rich, earthy taste that perfectly complements the lightness of green tea. If entremets were intended to cleanse the palate, this will surely do the trick. And if you want to end your meal with a clean aftertaste, this is so much better than an after dinner mint.

For me, my favorite dessert still is Tiramisu.

Ladyfingers

Recipe Adapted From Joy of Baking

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup (65 grams) cake flour, sifted
• 3 large egg yolks, room temperature
• 2 tablespoons (25 grams) granulated white sugar, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 large egg whites, room temperature
• 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 3 tablespoons (36 grams) granulated white sugar
• Powdered (icing or confectioners) sugar for dusting the tops of the cookies

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. To make the piping of the cookies easier, use a pencil and ruler to divide the parchment paper into three – 3 inch (7.5 cm) rows, with about 1 inch (2.54 cm) between rows. Have ready a large pastry bag fitted with a 1/2 inch (1.25 cm) round tip.
2. In your electric mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the egg yolks and 2 tablespoons (25 grams) white sugar on high speed for about 5 minutes or until the mixture becomes thick and pale yellow. (When you raise the beaters the batter should fall back into the bowl in a slow ribbon.) Beat in the vanilla extract. Sift the cake flour over the batter but do not fold in.
3. In a clean bowl, with the whisk attachment, whip the egg whites until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and continue to beat until soft peaks form. Gradually add the 3 tablespoons (36 grams) white sugar and whip until stiff peaks form and the whites are glossy. Fold the whites into the egg yolk and flour mixture in three additions, mixing only until incorporated.
4. Transfer the batter to the pastry bag and, holding the bag at about a 45 degree angle to the baking sheet, pipe the batter into 3 inch (7.5 cm) long ladyfingers, using the lines drawn on the parchment paper as your guide. Pipe the batter leaving about a 1 inch (2.54 cm) space between the cookies.
5. When you have piped all the cookies, place the powdered sugar in a wire strainer, and lightly sift the sugar over the tops of the cookies. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until the ladyfingers are firm but barely browned and are still spongy when pressed with a finger.
6. Remove the baking sheets from the oven and slide the parchment paper from the baking sheets onto a wire rack. Let the ladyfingers cool for a few minutes and release them from the parchment paper, with a flat spatula, while they are still warm. If you left them completely cool before removing them from the parchment they stick and hard to remove without breaking. Finish cooling the ladyfingers on the wire rack before using or storing. If you are not using the ladyfingers right away, freeze them. Ladyfingers stale very quickly unless they are soaked in a liquid. To store, place in a plastic bag between layers of wax or parchment paper and freeze up to 2 weeks.

Makes about 4 1/2 dozen 3 inch (7.5 cm) Ladyfingers.

Tiramisu

Adapted from Joy of Baking
References: de Laurentis, Giada. ‘Everyday Italian’. Clarkson Potter/Publishers. New York: 2005.
Sax, Richard. ‘Classic Home Desserts’. Houghton Mifflin Company. New York: 1994.

Cream Filling

• 2 cups (480 ml) milk, divided
• 3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated white sugar, divided
• 1/4 cup (35 grams) all purpose flour
• 6 large egg yolks
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) Marsala or dark rum
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup (57 grams) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 8 ounces (1 cup) (227 grams) mascarpone cheese, room temperature

Ladyfingers

• 28-32 crisp ladyfingers (Savoiardi)

Coffee Soaking Syrup

• 1 1/2 cups (360 ml) very strong brewed coffee or espresso
• 1/3 cup (65 grams) granulated white sugar
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) dark rum or Marsala

Topping

• Cocoa Powder for Garnishing
• 1 ounce (30 grams) semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, grated or chopped
• Fresh Raspberries (optional)

Directions

1. Cream Topping: Put 1 3/4 cups (420 ml) milk and 1/2 cup (100 grams) sugar in a medium sized saucepan. Place over medium heat, and bring this mixture just to boiling, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, in a heatproof bowl, whisk together the remaining 1/4 cup (60 ml) milk, 1/4 cup (50 grams) sugar, flour, and egg yolks. When the milk comes to a boil, gradually whisk it into the egg yolk mixture.
2. Transfer this mixture into a clean large saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it comes to a boil. When it boils, continue to stir for another minute or two or until it thickens. Remove from heat and strain into a large bowl. (This will remove any lumps that may have formed.) Whisk in the Marsala (or rum), vanilla extract, and butter. Immediately cover the surface of the custard with plastic wrap to prevent a crust from forming.
3. Refrigerate until thick and cold, at least two hours.
4. Once the custard has cooled sufficiently, remove from the refrigerator. In a separate bowl, with a wooden spoon, beat the mascarpone cheese until it is soft and smooth. Gently fold, or whisk, the cold custard into the mascarpone until smooth.
5. Coffee Soaking Syrup: In a large shallow bowl combine the coffee (espresso), sugar, and Marsala (rum). Taste and add more sugar if you like.
6. To Assemble: Line a 9 x 5 x 3 inch (23 x 13 x 8 cm) loaf pan with plastic wrap. Make sure the plastic wrap extends over the sides of the loaf pan.
7. Have ready the ladyfingers, coffee mixture, and cream filling.
8. Working with one ladyfinger at a time, dip 7-8 ladyfingers in the coffee mixture and place them, side by side, in a single layer onto the bottom of the loaf pan. Spoon 1/3 of the cream filling over the ladyfingers, making sure they are completely covered. Repeat with another layer of ladyfingers by dipping another 7-8 ladyfingers in the coffee mixture and placing them on top of the cream. Again, cover the ladyfingers with cream and repeat with another layer of ladyfingers, cream, and ladyfingers. Cover the Tiramisu with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 6 hours, preferably overnight.
9. To Serve: Remove the plastic wrap from the top of the tiramisu. Gently invert the Tiramisu from the loaf pan onto your serving plate and remove the plastic wrap. Sift cocoa powder and/or grated chocolate over the top of the Tiramisu and decorate with fresh raspberries.

Makes 8 – 10 servings. Preparation time 30 minutes.

Photography Data:
Featured Photographer
Petr Jilek
Equipment Used
Equipment: Canon EOS 5D Mark III , Canon EF 85mm f1.2L II USM , Canon EF 24 -70mm f2.8L II USM , Canon 17-40 F/4L Canon 70-200 F/2.8L USM , Canon 100/2,8 USM macro, Canon 50/1,8, Canon speedlite 580 II, Manffroto 055XPROB PRO.

As the temperatures climbed into the 90’s today it was clear what would be on the table for dinner; some form of cold soup. Cold soups are so very easy and extremely fresh and healthy. It is a simple thing to take a walk through your local farmers market and find the produce that will yield a of a wide variety of cold soups.

Tomatoes are plentiful this time of year and throughout the summer. Tomatoes are a fruit that is rich in lycopene. Solanum lycopersicum is a member of the nightshade family and originated in South America, most likely Peru. This versatile fruit was hailed as an aphrodisiac by the natives of South America.

When the fruit was brought back to Europe the French seemed to feel the same way as the peoples of South America and they named this new fruit “pomme d’amore”, love apple. There is some speculation that the French misnamed the fruit when they misunderstood the Spanish “pome dei Moro”, apple of the Moors. Regardless of the name, the Europeans fell in love with the tomato.

Early Americans were not so fond of the tomato as they felt it was poisonous. They grew the tomato for decoration. It was the European immigrants, from the countries where the tomato was embraced, that introduced it to American cooks as a delicious addition to their meals. Today we use the tomato in so many dishes that we cannot imagine a culinary world without it.

If you are like us you adore tomatoes and use them regularly. In the summer, as in the winter, one of our favorite soups is tomato soup. In the summer we enjoy a cool refreshing version that requires very little cooking. If you are like us then you, too, despise turning on your oven or stove to prepare dinner on a hot night. The following two recipes are our favorites using the plentiful, versatile tomato. They are two different, but equally delicious recipes:

Cold Tomato Bisque (Jacques Pepin)

Ingredients

• 1 tblspn olive oil
• 1 potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 large onion, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 tsp fresh thyme
• 2 1/2 pounds ripe tomatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 1/4 tsp salt
• 3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 3/4 cup water
• 2 tblspn unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup fresh dill

Directions

1. Heat the olive oil in a large, deep stainless steel saucepan. Add the potato and onion and cook over medium high heat for 2-3 minutes.
2. Add all the remaining ingredients except the butter and dill, bring the mixture to a boil and stir it well, then reduce the heat to low, cover and cook for 20 minutes
3. Push the mixture through a food mill to remove the tomato seeds and skin. Then emulsify the mixture in a blender to make very smooth. This is done in batches.
4. Add the butter as blending one of the batches and then mix all batches in a bowl.
5. Cool the bisque, then chill. When chilled garnish with dill and serve.

Cold Tomato Soup (Deborah Madison)

Ingredients

• 4 pounds ripe tomatoes, peeled and seeded, juice reserved
• salt and freshly milled pepper
• sugar and/ or sherry vinegar
• extra virgin olive oil or sour cream to finish
• chopped basil or marjoram
• 2 scallions, including a few of the greens, thinly sliced

Directions

1. Finely chop the tomatoes by hand. , almost like a puree.
2. Put the tomatoes in a bowl and add the reserved juice and 2 teaspoons of salt. Cover and chill well.
3. Taste and add more salt if needed. If the tomatoes are tart add 1 teaspoon sugar and a fe drops vinegar. Taste and continue adjusting until it is to your liking.
4. Ladle the soup into bowls and thread a spoonful of olive oil over the top of each (or sour cream). Add the pepper and garnish with the basil (or marjoram) and scallions

Photography Data:
Featured Photographer
Natalia Mylova

I recently read a book called Reading Lolita in Tehran, by Azar Nafisi. This book is Nafisi’s memoir about life in Tehran during Iran’s revolution and their eight year war with Iraq. Nafisi was raised in Iran, but as a college student she studied literature in America. She returned to Iran after her studies in America and discovered that her beloved homeland was not the same as the one in which she was raised. Nafisi arrived when Iran was in the beginning stages of the revolution. She lived in Tehran for 18 years (1979-1980) before finally leaving the oppression of the Islamic Republic.

It occurred to me, while reading the novel that the terrifying Islamic Regime that gain control of Iran was essentially bullying in its most pure form. Nafisi’s husband, points out:

“They have the power to kill us or flog us, but all of this only reminds them of their weakness.”

In an Islamic Regime such as post revolutionary Iran women were reduced into shadows that moved, hopefully without notice, in their chador and veil. I say that they were

“hopefully”

unnoticed because being noticed was bad. Imagine walking down a street and a hair strays from under your veil at the same time a patrol called the Blood of God notices you. That stray hair leads to an interrogation that leads to jail where you might be faced with years in prison or execution.

How does one survive this type of existence? This type of oppression wears people down until they submit so fully that they justify their submission. In the novel, Nafisi quotes a woman that drives this point home:

“We are not with the regime in our hearts and minds…by now we should be used to all of this; these young girls are spoiled-they expect too much. Look at Somalia or Afghanistan. Compared to them, we live like queens.” “I was thinking about life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, about the fact that my girls are not happy. What I mean is that they feel doomed to be unhappy.”

Nafisi says this to a friend and then adds,

“They have to learn to fight for their happiness.”

Nafisi’s “girls” are a group of young women with whom she meets every Thursday afternoon. They are women who love literature as much as Nafisi. (At one time Nafisi taught at various universities in Iran, having had these young women as her students.) These women meet to study western novels as there is really no other way in which they can freely discuss authors such as Nabokov, Austen, Fitzgerald, James and Bellow.

Those who were subjected to the evils of the Islamic Regime feel doomed to unhappiness and those in power will never be happy. It is up to the oppressed to fight out of that hole so as not to become victims. Nafisi, in another conversation with her friend, describes the oppression of the regime:

“…this regime had so penetrated our hearts and minds, insinuating itself into our homes, spying on us in our bedrooms, that it had come to shape us against our own will.”

It became easy to blame the regime for all of life’s woes. Nafisi’s friend asks,

“Because the regime will not leave you alone, do you intend to conspire with it and give it complete control over your life?”

As an American woman who cannot fathom the type of non-existence in which the women of Iran were forced to live I wonder what took Nafisi 18 years to pack her bags and leave. Why live in oppression when you can leave? But, then I reread the sentences in which Nafisi describes Iran I can feel the torture of her soul. Iran is her home and she does not want to abandon it. In the end, I am glad that Nafisi finally left Iran so that she could express herself freely. I know it was hard for her to accept that she must leave and I could feel anguish of her decision, the sadness that her Iran was no longer the Iran of her childhood, the Iran in which her imagination could shape her life publicly.

There was one particular statement that Nafisi made when she describes the theme of many Jane Austen novels

“…cruelty not under extraordinary circumstance, but ordinary ones, committed by people like us.”

It is easy to blame the leaders of warped regimes, but the ordinary people who succumb to the taste of power that enable the tyrants to control the majority are those that permit the cloud of oppression to bear down on a people.

At the Thursday afternoon meetings with her students Nafisi’s mother would serve Turkish coffee. Nafisi also likes coffee ice cream with coffee poured over it. It seems appropriate to offer a coffee ice cream recipe with this post.

Coffee Ice Cream

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups heavy cream
• 1 ½ cups milk
• 3 egg yolks
• 2 whole eggs
• ¾ cup sugar
• ½ cup of espresso

Directions

1. Combine eggs, yolks and sugar in a bowl and blend thoroughly with a whisk or electric beater for about 5 minutes.
2. Heat milk and cream in a medium saucepan until it is near-boiling hot. Turn off heat.
3. Slowly pour in 1 cup of the hot milk mixture into the egg mixture, beating rapidly with a whisk.
4. Once it is all beaten in, pour the egg mixture into the saucepan with the milk mixture while beating.
5. Heat mixture under medium low, stirring constantly, for a few more minutes or until the consistency is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon when dipped in. Turn off heat.
6. Pour mixture into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap placed snuggly, touching the mixture so a skin does not form.
7. Chill overnight or until completely cool.
8. Pour mixture into ice cream maker and following manufacturer’s directions.
9. Freeze for at least 2 hours after ice cream is done churning.

Note: If you have a book that has left you with food for thought and you’d like to be a guest blogger let us know. We’d love to hear about the book and a recipe that you feel suits the book.

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Hitde Light

Home remedies are sometimes the most efficient and the cheaper. We all know the amazing powers of the lemon. Try using a little lemon juice to combat bacteria hiding in your wood cutting board. Simply rub the lemon juice into the board, let it sit overnight or for 8 hours and then rinse. The acidic lemon juice will kill off unwanted bacteria.

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We were nominated for the Versatile Blogger Award. Thank you for nominating us Kitchen Memories!

Lemon Coconut Macaroons

Adapted from Paula Deen on the Food Network

Ingredients

• 1 large egg white
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 (14-ounce) bag shredded sweetened coconut, finely chopped

Note: (we added an egg yolk and 1/4th cup of Almond Flour)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 300 degree F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk the egg white and salt until frothy, about 2 minutes. Stir in the condensed milk, zest, and extracts.
3. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the coconut until well combined.
4. Using a small spring-loaded scoop and your hands, shape the mixture into 1 1/2-inch mounds.
5. Place the macaroons about 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake until lightly brown, about 20 minutes.
6. Transfer the pans to wire racks and let cool completely.

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Vikif

The beauty industry makes millions of dollars on our obsession for youthful skin. Before the beauty industry women turned to mother nature for their “lotions”. Do you want the curative powers of alpha-hydroxy? Strawberries have the alpha-hydroxy that we desire. Cut a strawberry in half and rub on your skin. It may feel a little sticky, but when you rinse the strawberry juice off your skin will feel wonderful. Make this a habit and watch your skin take on its youthful natural glow once again.

Pastry Cream

Recipe by CHRISTINIBEANIE at all recipes.com

Ingredients

• 2 cups milk
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/3 cup white sugar
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. In a heavy saucepan, stir together the milk and 1/4 cup of sugar. Bring to a boil over medium heat.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and egg. Stir together the remaining sugar and cornstarch; then stir them into the egg until smooth. When the milk comes to a boil, drizzle it into the bowl in a thin stream while mixing so that you do not cook the eggs. Return the mixture to the saucepan, and slowly bring to a boil, stirring constantly so the eggs don’ t curdle or scorch on the bottom.
3. When the mixture comes to a boil and thickens, remove from the heat. Stir in the butter and vanilla, mixing until the butter is completely blended in. Pour into a heat-proof container and place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until chilled before using.

Tartlet Crust

Adapted from Joy of Baking

Sweet Pastry Crust

1 1/2 cups (195 grams) all purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated white sugar
1 large egg, lightly beaten

Directions

1. In a separate bowl, whisk the flour with the salt. Place the butter in the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, and beat until softened. Add sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Gradually add the beaten egg, beating just until incorporated. Add the flour mixture all at once and mix just until it forms a ball. Flatten the pastry into a disk, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 15-30 minutes or just until firm (can place in freezer for about 10-15 minutes.)
2. Lightly butter and flour, or spray with a non-stick vegetable/flour cooking spray, an 8 – 9 inch (20 – 23 cm) tart pan with a removable bottom. Once the pastry has chilled sufficiently, evenly pat onto the bottom and up the sides of the tart pan. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the freezer for about 15 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven. Lightly prick bottom of pastry crust with the tines of a fork (this will prevent the dough from puffing up as it bakes). Place tart pan on a larger baking pan and bake crust for 5 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) and continue to bake the crust for about 15 minutes or until crust is dry and lightly golden brown. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool. If desired, seal the crust with an egg white glaze or apricot glaze. Can be covered and stored for a few days.

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YanZappa

It’s funny how the seasons tend to remind us of the things we used to do while growing up. Each season rekindles a particular memory that we like to keep in the cobwebs of our mind. These memories are what we hold dear and will treasure when our bodies can no longer keep up with the follies of our younger years.

Who wouldn’t love spring and summer? I would always be nudged from slumber by the animated chirping of birds outside my window. From the moment I opened my eyes I would already anticipate and look forward to what awaited for the rest of the day. I didn’t even mind the gentle buzz of the neighbor’s lawnmower. Nothing compares to the smell of freshly mowed grass in the morning. I was in charge of checking the PH balance of the water in our pool, cleaning the filter, and adding a chlorine tablet if needed. My other siblings would be responsible for vacuuming the pool. Not that I would mind doing that, either. Somehow, summer chores seemed more fun to do and it never seemed like work for me because I loved doing it.

My parents would leave for work and us kids would be left at home to do what all kids do… enjoy being young! I loved to lie by the pool and work on my tan and not have to think about wrinkles and freckles. This was in the late 80’s before concerns about skin cancer and all the other things that took the fun off of being a kid.

Times were simpler then when the biggest worry I had was what to eat for lunch from the kitchen. I think ignorance is bliss and a lot more fun!

I consider my family as “water people”. I grew up spending summers at the Jersey Shore, Wildwood, where I learned to catch waves at such a young age. I love Ocean City New Jersey, and Ocean City Maryland, where I would hit the board walk for “disco fries” (French fries with cheese and chicken gravy).

The smell of Coppertone sun tail oil was thick in the balmy air while every radio station played Barry Manilow’s “Copa Cabana” and Bryan Adams’ “Summer of 69” both are older songs, before my time, but summer was not summer until I heard those tunes playing on the boardwalk. There was also the smell of barbecue everywhere! Barbecue is from the language of Taíno people of the Caribbean and the Timucua of Florida which means “sacred fire pit” and the cooking method is almost always done outdoors. Whether charcoal or propane, summer is never complete without cooking something up in the fire. Not that winter stops my family from a good piece of barbecued meat propane (my father still fires up a steak with 8 feet of snow on the deck).

Moving halfway around the world did not change the smell of a great barbecue. The whiff of it not only makes me hungry but it also takes me back home to those long lazy summers. I’m about to enter the next milestone of my life. I have definitely accumulated some fond memories to look back on and the best part is that I’m not even halfway done!

Neely’s BBQ Pork Spare Ribs

Recipe courtesy The Neely Family
Show: Paula’s PartyEpisode: Fried vs. BBQ

Ingredients

• 1 slab pork spare ribs (about 4 pounds)
• 4-ounces Neely’s BBQ Seasoning, recipe follows
• 1 quart Neely’s BBQ Sauce, recipe follows

Directions

1. Place pork rib slab flat on a clean chopping board. Pull off membrane. Cut off the excess fat and meat. Season both sides of the slab with Neely’s BBQ Seasoning. Refrigerate for at least 24 hours.
2. Preheat your grill at 275 degrees F, using hickory wood and charcoal.
3. Place the slab on the grill away from the flame, using indirect heat. Cook the slab for approximately 2 1/2 hours with the curl side up. Flip the slab over to finish cooking for approximately 1 hour or until you get full “bend” in the slab.
4. For dry ribs: Pull ribs off grill, sprinkle Neely’s BBQ Seasoning over entire slab. Cut between the bones and serve.
5. For wet ribs: Pull ribs off grill, pour Neely’s BBQ Sauce over slab. Cut between the bones and serve.

Neely’s BBQ Seasoning

• 4 ounces paprika
• 2 ounces white sugar
• 1 teaspoon onion powder

Mix all the ingredients and set aside.

Neely’s BBQ Sauce

• 16 ounces ketchup
• 8 ounces water
• 3 ounces brown sugar
• 3 ounces white sugar
• 1/2 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 tablespoon onion powder
• 1/2 tablespoon dry mustard powder
• 1-ounce lemon juice
• 1-ounce Worcestershire sauce
• 4 ounces apple cider vinegar
• 1-ounce light corn syrup
• 2 ounces Neely’s BBQ Seasoning

Combine all of the sauce ingredients in a stockpot or large Dutch oven. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring frequently to prevent sticking. Reduce temperature to low and simmer, uncovered, for at least 2 hours.