Jar in the City

Going on hiatus

2010-10-17T11:02:00.000-07:00

It will be no suprise. After fighting few weeks with myself I decided to go on hiatus with my blogs.

I hope that after a while (ok it might be more than a while) I will be back with new ideas and inspirations. Lately I lack both plus my work and study catch me.

Still if you're in poland you can read my monthly cooking articles in Lounge Magazyn ("Na widelcu")- you can catch printed version in cool places in Cracow (and if I am correct in Warsaw also) or just check it online. Have a good read :D

In other news - in poland we have new culinary magazine - Family&Friends - gosh this is AMAZING! It show cooking world in different light for us - more Noma style, fashion/trendy cooking. LOVE

Retro cake with pears

2010-10-03T10:53:00.000-07:00

It's October so I try to back to posting. It will be quite hard since i got like no time but will see, anyway...

Lately I have one obsession - me having no new book to read. You may laugh, but with each visit in bookstore I am more and more angry. I did not find anything new I want to buy and read whole day.

I read all my books from family bookshelves like twice and if I grab Murakami one more time I will literally change into some depressed Japanese girl with excellent music taste.

So it's really time for something new, for fresh writing meat.

You may wonder what the hell it has anything with cooking. Well my obsession with new book increase after making this cake. So blame the cake for me blah blah.

The simple, spongy pear cake. I make this mostly coz I have like 4 pounds of pears fresh from the market. Some are green and more "wild", some has this amazing yellow-red color and strong, almost perfumed aroma.

Those are like picturing fall in a fruit. Like trees which are now changeling the color from juicy green into wonderful, warm reddish orange.

So i baked this I in a minute when I taken it from oven I thought about me having new book, sitting with coffee and cake, reading all day. In my brain this cake = book. So you see - this is a must.

And this time I mean this cake.

Retro cake with pears:

125 gram butter (quite soft, not straight from fridge)

100 gram caster sugar

2 eggs (Try to find the real one)

125 gram flour

2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon vanilla essence

4-5 big pears

1-2 tablespoon butter

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 tablespoon sugar

Preheat oven 180C

Wash and cut pears into small cubes. Take frying pan and on small heat melt butter. Place pears, sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar and fry until they will soften just a little and make some juice. Cool,

In a bowl place butter and caster sugar and mix until light in color and quite puffy. Add egg, one by one (mix after each before adding new things) and vanilla essence. Now in other bowl mix flour with baking powder. Add flour mixture too eggs and mix not to hard.

Place dough into buttered tin and cover with pears cubes, pressing them a little into cake.

Bake 20-25 minuter - cake must rise and be brown.

Whole wheat pie crust. Soft cheese.

2010-09-05T11:30:00.000-07:00

Rainy days starts autumn. Nobody wants to go out, nobody wants to dinner outside. Well maybe some wants, but I am not the one who like rain in my soup.

So what to do when it's like that? Bake. Eat. Sleep.

Whole wheat pie crust with soft cheese spread

For crust:
200 gram whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
100 gram butter
1 egg yolk
1-2 tablespoon of cold, cold water
1/2 teaspoon of sea salt
pinch of pepper

For soft cheese spread:
100 ml of heavy cream (or double cream)
70 gram of gouda, grated
1-2 tablespoon of parmesan
50 gram of smooth fresh cheese
cutted green onion
pinch of nutmeg, white pepper

Preheat oven 180C

In a bowl mix flour, baking powder, salt, pepper. Add cold butter and mix - you should have crumbs, not solid dough. Add yolk and start making dough with hands. Quickly - if it is too dry - add cold water.

Place in fridge for 30 minutes.

In saucepan place heavy cream and gouda - place on small heat and slowly melt the cheese. Add parmesan and cutted green onion, nutmeg and pepper. Take from the heat. Cool. Mix inside fresh cheese. If it still too runny, add more grated parmesan.

Roll crust 0,5 cm. Place into small, individual baking tins.Bake for 10 minutes or until it golden. Cool.

Place one teaspoon of spread into individual pie crust.

Daring Bakers August 2010 - Ice Creams Petit Fours

2010-08-30T11:52:00.000-07:00

The August 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Elissa of 17 and Baking. For the first time, The Daring Bakers partnered with Sugar High Fridays for a co-event and Elissa was the gracious hostess of both. Using the theme of beurre noisette, or browned butter, Elissa chose to challenge Daring Bakers to make a pound cake to be used in either a Baked Alaska or in Ice Cream Petit Fours. The sources for Elissa’s challenge were Gourmet magazine and David Lebovitz’s “The Perfect Scoop”.

Yeah yeah I know - baad blogger, really baaad blogger. Not only my last post was like two weeks ago but also for this month DB I use fruits I used the whole month - plums. Gosh I really must work on my blogger/cooking skills.
But to be honest I think that I will back on track fully in October - to busy time now.

Just one word about the recipe - this is seriously THE BEST SPONGE RECIPE i ever had - richness of the gold burned butter is amazing. Usually i ad no butter at all. You can really feel the difference - cake is spongy, light, sweet with this nutty flavor on your tongue. AMAZING.

Agust Daring Cooks 2010 - The World of Pierogi

2010-08-15T05:33:00.000-07:00

The August 2010 Daring Cooks’ Challenge was hosted by LizG of Bits n’ Bites and Anula of Anula’s Kitchen. They chose to challenge Daring Cooks to make pierogi from scratch and an optional challenge to provide one filling that best represents their locale.

I don't think that I could think of more polish/middle Europa kind of dish than Pierogi. Most of countries here (like Russia, Poland, Ukraine, Slovakia etc etc.) has those little dough pieces in menu. The main difference in filling - some are very traditional and connected with each country's history or style of living. Some are new and very modern. The truth is : you could probably make a filling with anything you want.

This filling is kind of traditional here : many bars has "Russian Pierogi" in their menu - onion, cooked potatoes and "white cheese" (fresh cheese). As you can see - i skip the cheese this time.

See those? I wanted to show you, who are not familiar with pierogi, how easily you can fold those into uszka. Another polish specialty.

Dill dough - very nice aroma, delicate and summery, with salmon and, should be, two cheeses - fresh cheese and Dziugas - hard cheese from Lithuania (similar to parmigiano reggiano)

Sweets that are good for you

2010-08-11T15:18:00.000-07:00

Plum craze continue. But can you blame me? After all it is begging of the end of the summer so the plums, in all their grace, are everywhere. Big, small, dark, light in color, sweet as...well...sweets and tart that give you sour taste after eating too much.

The problem is one - how to avoid those little, sneaky worms. Some say that proteins are good for you but seriously, I will left you mine if you want. I think I prefer to have little lacks of the proteins.

Anyway - this time I was inspired with Turkey, Bulgaria and all those countries. Their kitchens are sweet and very rich. They using many tasty spices that give you 'that' taste. So, the dish is probably not really real Turkish but something I came up dreaming about places with men with a beards and mustaches.

Plums with sweet millet groats filing:

12-15 plums (quite or very big)
100 gram of millet groats
3-4 tablespoon of oatmeal
1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon

1/3 teaspoon of nutmeg

pinch of pepper

50-70 gram of raisins
50 gram of dry plums
2- tablespoon of sesame
2-3 tablespoon of any sweet syrup you prefer (I like maple, date)

optional : 1-2 tablespoon of good honey or brown sugar

Cook millet in salted water.

In dry pan place spices, sesame and oatmeal. Fry until you will smell tasty and strong smell of the spices. Add raisins and cutted dry plums (you can soak both in some tasty alcohol). Fry for about minute and add syrup (also now is the time for honey or sugar if you use it). Season with pepper and heat for another minute or two. Cool the filling down.

Cut plums in a half and fill with teaspoon (or two if yours plums are bigger). Serve.

Yes simple as that. I tell you you can eat many of those - with a glass of good wine is the best end of a day.

Plum rice pudding with granulated oatmeal plum topping

2010-08-06T14:13:00.000-07:00

Yesterday it hit me. Something changed - the air is different. You know - it is just beginning of an August, but I really can say that the summer is over now. Yeah, we will probably have few hot, hot days in August too, but it's not the same.

You may feel sad, but me - no way. I love end of the summer/first few weeks of autumn. It's still warm, but not hot. The air is fresh, not only in mornings, but through entire days. The light is very cozy and nice - golden, everything looks better, nicer, warmer. Plus the best fruits are coming - apples, plums, pears. Oh can't wait (and do not even ask me how i love early autumn fashion - my fav period in the fashion year ^_^)

Rice pudding with plums and with oatmeal-plum topping

(one individual serving)

Pudding:

2 tablespoon of white rice

full fat milk (you can also mix regular milk with coconut one)

pinch of salt

2 tablespoon of sugar

5-6 small plums

white pepper

Topping:

2 tablespoon of granulated oatmeal (I take the plum one to add more plum taste to the pudding)

2 tablespoon of cold butter

2 tablespoon of brown sugar

1 tablespoon of flour

1/2teaspoon of cinnamon

Preheat oven 180C/360F.

Place a rice and milk (for start you will need about 200 ml) in a pan with heavy bottom. Cook it until rice will be al dente. Add more milk while cooking if it necessary.

Mix your creamy rice with sugar and nicely chopped plums, add white pepper to taste. You can also add 1 tablespoon of maple syrup.

Make the topping - mix flour, oatmeal(crush it if the chunks are too big),brown sugar and cinnamon. Add cold butter and mix quickly. If it will be too soft you may place it in fridge for 10 minutes. Place your pudding in a small, individual form (mine was about 3 inches). Top the oatmeal mixture over the pudding.

Bake for 10-12 minutes or until topping will be brown and crispy.

Ohhh the sound when you crush the hard topping with a spoon and you find creamy, soft center...

July Daring Bakers Challenge - Swiss swirl ice cream cake

2010-07-27T10:11:00.000-07:00

The July 2010 Daring Bakers Challenge was hosted by Sunita from Sunita's world - life and food. Sunita challenged everyone to make an ice-cream filled Swiss roll that’s then used to make a bombe with hot fudge. Her recipe is based on an ice cream cake recipe from Taste of Home

At first I was so excited by this challenge - interesting looking with many levels dessert is always fun to make. But - having hard time at work is very good if we talking about twisting your baking mood 180. So lately, after hitting home, I just dreaming about hot bath, my bad and big tasty sandwich - not about spending whole day in a kitchen. You can easily see the results here on a blog - almost nothing is happening in July.

So i was even thinking about skipping the challenge but yesterday I grab and push myself to the kitchen and I started working on that recipe.

The base for both in my version in Chocolate sponge Cake - oh how i love this one. Airy yet very rich in taste, lovely base for any kind of cake or dessert.

Than I made to versions of fillings for a rolls. Also I played a little with recipe and found a way to include my homemade Red Currant jam here. Hope you like mine cakes.

First one - Chocolate Swiss roll with chocolate ice creams and red currants jam

Layers - chocolate swiss roll filled with chocolate whipping cream, two chocolate ice creams layers and sour-ish red currant jam in a centre. Real chocolate extravaganza

Second was also chocolate swiss roll but this time filled with basic vanilla whipping cream, with two layers of vanilla ice creams but with hot chocolate fudge inside - well it was not classic fudge coz I mix it with ricotta cheese.

For recipe please hit this site which was a base for Sunita's Challenge.

Cheese Cake with Black Currants

2010-07-26T11:20:00.000-07:00

Yep you've got it right - not Cheesecake but Cheese Cake.

Some will ask - what she is talking about? I am not one of those weirdo bloggers who "invent" new names for every meal they make. Some times, well mostly, the dish is exactly what it is - the same old fish and chips and not some "light like air white fish-something with delicate cutted potatoes seasoned with wonderful and mind-blowing ... something". I hate those.

The same in restaurants - when I see something like that in menu I know that : a. an owner or/and chef is as*hole and b. food is not even close to those "amazing" full page names.

But today I want to be clear - it is not cheesecake with crust or without it but just simple cake where flour is mixed with cheese in 1:1 ratio. The effect - cake which is heavy, for some maybe even to much, and you can really taste cottage cheese. Very summery, old fashioned cake.

Cheese Cake with Black Currants:

300 gram of full fat cottage cheese ( the best is "white cheese" but since I know that american and UK readers might have problems with finding this one I recommend quark or something similar, even ricotta - but please do not use Philadelphia )

3 tablespoon of sour cream - could be double cream

2 tablespoon of melted butter or oil

2 eggs

100 ml of buttermilk

300 gram of flour

100 gram of sugar

2 teaspoon of baking powder

pinch of salt

about 200 gram of Black Currants

Caster sugar for sprinkle

Preheat oven 380-390F/200C. Cover your baking tin with baking paper

In a bowl mix cheese with cream, fat and buttermilk until smooth. Add eggs and mix well.

In second bowl mix flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Add this to first bowl and mix well with cheese mixture. Place in a tin and sprinkle with fruits pressing them a little into cake. Sprinkle with 1-2 tablespoon of caster sugar and bake for 35-40 minuter. Cool dawn and sprinkle with big amount of caster sugar.

Serve to a good friend or bad neighborhood if you have problem with them.

Macaron - if you can't buy it, bake it

2010-07-18T05:07:00.000-07:00

I have done it.

After many unsuccessful attempts I make ( eee almost ) good French Macaron. Well okey - it was semi-successful but still. The best ones I ever made.

This was my 4th - looking not so bad, I heard about dozens and dozens attempts from other bloggers, so I should be happy. But you know what make me still having the bitc* face while talking about those pretty pieces? The fact that 5th try was again bad. That's the "beauty" of Macaron - this is very hard even for trained cook. You can make them 100 times amazing and just perfect and then face the horrible 101 one.

See those are not good enough - you can easily see those lumps and all imperfections. But as a plus I can count - having "the feet", good shell on the outside and chewy inside, good taste. All in all not bad for the first time.

The minus? I have no almond flour so I must make it from a scratch. Bad idea if you don't have blender - I have old fashioned hand-machine. Too lumpy. And i left the skins - second bad idea. So those pretty little dots on mine Macarons are not vanilla pieces as you, culinary smart readers can think. Ugly.

The filling was the simplest chocolate ganache.

I use this recipe - i tell you this site is so great - read all 101 about both methods for Macarons.

Smelly cheese and wonderful result

2010-07-09T14:00:00.000-07:00

You know the times when you see something very tasty in your favorite market - something soo delicious, yet soo expensive that you always pass it, thinking about how you actually do not need it. The truffles, very good, original Champagne, best Pecorino etc.

Last week I was just doing some errand and I can't believed when I saw this cheese on sale - it was one of those real French cheeses, slightly smelly yet saying - i am soft and spicy inside, eat me!

So I did buy it.

And kinda regret it.

You see - closed into paper was lovely, but after opening - oh god - smell alert. At first I was thinking that something died.

But you must understand that I am last person in a world who would throw food away. I knew I must to find some idea what to do with it - eating it fresh, on a bread, was not an option. Thankfully I found a solution.

One part ended up in a tart and some of it in this tasty, creamy soup.

Creamy zucchini soup and red onions marmalade:

Zucchini Cream:

2 big zucchinis

1 onion

2 cups of water or better - stock

100 gram of good soft cheese ( could be also some blue cheese if you prefer )

150 gram of full fat yoghurt

2 tablespoon of sour cream

4-5 sage leaves

butter, salt, pepper

Chop onion and fry until soft on a butter. Add chopped into slim slices zucchini and fry for 7-10 minutes. Pour water/stock into pan and cook until veggies will be soft. Add cheese. Take from a heat, cool a little and mix until smooth. In a cup mix sour cream with a yoghurt and add one tablespoon of soup to strong a mixture. Now you can add cream/yoghurt mixture to soup. Mix with a spoon well. Heat again but do not boil. And chopped sage leaves. Serve with bread and red onion marmalade.

Red Onions Marmalade:

3-4 red onions

2 tablespoon of butter

1 tablespoon of balsamico

1 tablespoon of brown sugar

In a pan heat a butter until it melt and add chopped nicely onions. Sprinkle with a sugar and fry until they will very soft. Add balsamico and fry for another 10 minutes until you get marmalade texture. Pour into jars and cool. Serve on a toasted bread or with a meat - best with chicken, turkey or other sweet-tasted meats.

Lemon tartelettes with apricot mousse and Lemon Curd

2010-07-02T02:26:00.000-07:00

Oh sunny, sunny day.

Was at a local market lately and I saw the most sunny lemons I ever had - they literally smiled at me and screamed "Buy us!". Maybe they should not be so excited.

They ended up being peeled, crushed, cutted and baked.

But hey - I am not a monster. To make their life little sweeter I give them sugar. Lot of sugar.

I saw that they really clicked - the perfect pair - sugar and tart lemons. I smell longterm marriage starting here.

Lemon tartelettes:

(recipe for dough from polish food magazine Kuchnia, 07/2010, make about 30 small, one-size tarts)

15 dag of cold butter cutted into small pieces

2 cups of flour

3 tablespoon of sugar

1 teaspoon of salt

1/4 cup of cold water

Apricot mousse

Lemon curd

Preheat oven 200C/390F

In a bowl mix flour with sugar and salt. Ad butter and make something like a big-pieces grit. Now slowly add cold water and hand make dough. Cool for about 30 minutes. Roll thin - about 1 inch. Place in a tins cut with a for to prevent rising too much. Bake for about 7-10 minutes until lightly gold. Take off make 160C/320F oven heat. Pour one teaspoon of apricot mousse in a tin and cover with lemon curd. Bake for about 10 minutes - curd should be still the same color but more thick than a fresh one.

I also try unbaked curd and mousse and it work nice if you serve your tartelettes in an hour or two. But for longer time use baked recipe.

(See the dark something on mine ? I replace apricot mousse in some tarts - I use homemade crunchy walnut butter - also nice combination)

Lemon curd

1 egg

2 eggs yolk

150 gram of sugar

3 lemons - peeled and juiced

2 tablespoon of butter

Wash your lemons. Peel them and juice. In a heavy bottom pan whisk an egg, egg yolks and sugar together. You could use hand blender but not overdo it - you just want a sugar to "disappear". Add lemon juice and peeled skin.
Place in a pan over a small heat and stir mixture until you see that it thicken. Mixture should be tick enough that hen placed on a spoon it does not run down easily. Take off from a heat and add butter. Place in a jar and cool. You may use it not only for our lovely tartelettes but also eat on a toast or whatever.

Apricot mousse

500 gram of apricot

2 tablespoon of fresh lemon or orange juice

100 gram sugar

Cut apricots in a half and take off a stone. Place in a pan, add juice and start to heat over a very small heat. After 1-2 minutes when they soften a little add sugar. Make a little bigger heat and stir from time to time baking it 10-12 minutes. You should have end up with soft pulp with only little apricots pieces. Now you can either left it like that or blend if you want smoother mousse. If it is too watery place on a heat for another 3-5 minutes until water dry off more. Take off from a heat and cool.

June Daring Bakers Challenge - Chocolate Pavlova with Mascarpone Mousse

2010-06-27T12:56:00.000-07:00

The June 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Dawn of Doable and Delicious. Dawn challenged the Daring Bakers’ to make Chocolate Pavlovas and Chocolate Mascarpone Mousse. The challenge recipe is based on a recipe from the book Chocolate Epiphany by Francois Payard

I am so glad that this month what was choosed is the lovely Pavlova.

Baking meringue is always tricky but result is mostly wonderful. Crisp outside, chewy and rich inside this recipe is real winner. I did not change much - I just added crushed nuts to chocolate mascarpone mousse and some tart-sweet cherries for decoration and breaking taste. Also I really love strong taste of Mascarpone Cream used for drizzling.

Recipes could be easily find in DB blogs.

It's a boy!

2010-06-26T10:40:00.000-07:00

Oh boy, boy.
I had a newborn baby. No - I don't mean the real one - crying and making you sleepy all day long, after waking up in the night.
I am talking about my new Ice Cram Maker which I bought today.
Now the baby is resting in a refrigerator, but after that I will be making all kinds of frozen goods. First will be yogurt-strawberry with crushed roasted almonds.
Can't wait.

Layered grid and tapioca cake

2010-06-20T12:40:00.000-07:00

When the weekend is around the corner the cake is a must. I think that it is the same all around the world but the thing is that slow Sunday-cake-and-coffee time is something very characteristic for Cracow.

Sunday is time for hitting Market Square and Old City, for flipping trough new books in your favorite bookstore, time for drinking coffee in small places hidden from the tourists eyes.

You left your work and school behind you, do not think about personal problems. On days like that I sometimes feel like a stranger in my own city which is very nice. Exploring your home like you never been here is refreshing.

I do not have time for baking so I take a twist on polish classic. Recipe is from this lovely blog but I changed it here and there. It is called there Bajaderka but it is more like Karpatka on a biscuits. One layer is classic sweet grit butter, but second is something new - tapioca pudding.

It added new texture which is kind of surprising for your taste buds

Layered grid and tapioca cake:

35-40 biscuits

500 ml of milk + 350 ml of milk

2 tablespoon of full hat cream ( 30% or 36% )

100 gram of grit

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

50 gram of caster sugar + 70 gram of caster sugar

100 gram of butter + 2 tablespoon

4 tablespoon of tapioca pearls

Melt butter in 500ml of milk and add 50 gram of sugar and grit. Stir whole time of cooking to avoid any lumps. Cook for about10 minutes until it starts thicken and hard on a bottom. Take off from the heat and cool just a little. Layer your tin* ( the best is square one but I haven't got any in proper size ) with one layer of biscuits and pour grit butter layer. Cover with second layer of biscuits. Heat slowly 350 ml of milk, cream and rest of sugar in a pan and add tapioca. Cook for about 5-7 minutes until you will see that it become heavy and stiff. Cool and pour on second layer of biscuits. Cool in a refrigerator minimum 2-3 hours.

*If you use square one you should use 25 cm on 30 cm one. Or similar. If you use round it should be 21 cm.

What next? Preview

2010-06-17T13:12:00.000-07:00

I started to write little pieces for city's lifestyle magazine Lounge. The text is in polish but please enjoy :)

Anyway, I just finished my next article so I can show you little sneak peak.

Stay tune for next issue of Lounge Magazine.

June Daring Cooks Challenge - Chicken Liver Pate and Pesto Bread

2010-06-14T05:04:00.000-07:00

Our hostesses this month, Evelyne of Cheap Ethnic Eatz, and Valerie of a The Chocolate Bunny, chose delicious pate with freshly baked bread as their June Daring Cook’s challenge! They’ve provided us with 4 different pate recipes to choose from and are allowing us to go wild with our homemade bread choice.

Since I saw this Challenge back in a May I was more than excited. Firstly because I love baking pates. I like using all kind of spreads and pates on my bread every morning. Also I wanted to make bread again after first quite succesfull attempt with Irish Soda Bread.

Sometimes I feel like I am countrywoman lost in a city since I love the country so much. I am not sure if I could live in a country full-time but for a longer free-time stays I'm in! I like to wake up very early, going to check what grown overnight, how many new eggs we have, what kind of flowers will make us happy today. But living in a city is not bad either, oh no.

We do not have garden but my balcony is quite big. So every year when I see that the sun in high and we are sure that cold days are behind us I plant. I have many, many herbs in any place you can count. That's why I am so crazy over pesto right now. And that's why I choose to make Pesto Bread with my Pate.

I use hazelnuts to my pesto, so since I wanted to be this recipe to be more coherent, I also add some sweet hazelnuts to a pate. This is nice crunchy surprise inside and work nice with a chicken meat. Livers, when make good, are also little sweet. In burned-sweet kind of taste.

Chicken Liver Pate:

1 tablespoon butter

2 onions, coarsely chopped

400g chicken livers, trimmed

3 tbsp brandy, or any other liqueur (optional)

500g chicken legs with a skin, cooked in a soup before

2 shallots, chopped

1 tsp quatre-épices (or 1/4tsp each of ground pepper, cloves, nutmeg and ginger is close enough)

2 eggs

200 ml (7 fl oz, 3/4 cup + 2 tbsp) heavy cream

2 fresh thyme sprigs, chopped

Salt and pepper

100 gram hazelnuts

Preheat oven to 200ºC (400ºF, Gas Mark 6)

Melt the butter in a heavy frying pan over low heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes, until softened. Add the chicken livers and cook, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes, until browned but still slightly pink on the inside.
Remove the pan from heat. Pour in the brandy, light a match and carefully ignite the alcohol to flambé. Wait for the flames to go out on their own, carefully tilting the pan to ensure even flavoring. Set aside.
Put chicken legs with a skin in a food processor, then add the onion-liver mixture and the chopped shallots, and pulse. I make my little more smooth looking since I prefer this way.
Transfer to a bowl and add quatre-épices, cream, eggs, and thyme. Season with salt and pepper, and mix well. Spoon the mixture into a terrine or loaf pan and cover with the terrine lid or with aluminum foil.
Take baking tin poured with a butter and covered with bread crumbs. Put half the mixture in tin and place the hazelnuts, pressing them into a pate a little. Add rest of a mixture pressing a little again. That will remove any air from a tin.

Bake for 1,5 hour (uncover after about an hour) or until the skin will be dark brown. Remove from the oven and cool. Put in a fringe for about2-3 hours before serving or better overnight.I use recipe for Pesto Bread again from lovely Liska's blog.

Cottage Cheese Muffins with Spring Onion and Pesto

2010-06-13T00:20:00.000-07:00

I was cutted off from the internet since Friday morning so I wasn't able to post anything on a blog. So I wasn't able to post about those lovely muffins with cheese and onion. Truly summer on a country mix. Even though the day was so hot I can barely move I knew I must bake those. So I turn on the oven, put those inside and run off from the kitchen faster than you could say "Muffins, muffins everywhere"

Muffins are easier than anybody could think - just grab few things, mix not nicely and your done. Now take nice amount of fresh, farm butter, cut those in the half and you can celebrate hot summer afternoon with bees flying over your head.

Cottage Cheese Muffins with spring onion:

150 gram flour

1 teaspoon of baking powder

salt, pepper to taste

150 gram of cottage cheese
2-3 tablespoon of pesto

2 eggs

30 ml of thick buttermilk

Small bunch of spring onion with 2-4 onions

5-10 leaves of fresh basil

Preheat oven 160C

Prepare two bowls - one for dry products and one for wet.

Mix flour, baking powder with salt and pepper in a bowl. In Second mix cottage cheese with buttermilk and pesto until quite smooth, add nicely chopped spring onion. Now the eggs mix them into cottage mixture (I never separate yolks and whites but I know that some do). Now put flour in "wet" bowl. You should mix this roughly. Don't be to precise. You want the crumbs. Crumbs are good.

Pour mixture into muffins cups (fill 1/2 of cups, maximum until 3/4 of the cup) and bake until golden brown or even dark brown. How you like yours?

IN SEASON JUNE - Rhubarb Tasting Plate

2010-06-09T11:19:00.000-07:00

In June I usually smiling like those strange women in city train, whose are talking to themselves, singing something loud and asking everybody about the strangest things. That is coz it is warm, it is sunny, it is holiday time. Even though I working and kind of studying I enjoy summer. In this time of year when you hit local market you can find wonderful flowers in full grace and tasty fruits. Ruby strawberries, peas in any shape, watermelons. But you can also find those weird, wood-like things. It is not fruit, it is not vegetable. It is rhubarb.

Its tart taste is amazing balanced in any dessert you would imagine. Just add some brown sugar, your favorite ice creams or add any fruit and you are at home.

This month I served rhubarb three way - in tart pie with nut-crumble, as a marmalade with brown sugar served on toasted bread with old-goat cheese (I forget the name of this one) and mixed with red orange as a sherbet.

You can easily see how my sherbet said no for too long photoshoot. Melting alarm.

Crispy Chip Cookies for lazy days

2010-06-08T00:26:00.000-07:00

You know those days when you do not feel like doing anything? Well, lately it was my thing. But since I had, and still have to, to write some paper works for Uni, I was more than that. I did not want to think about new recipes, to cook, to shot new pictures. Everything was too much for me, gosh....

So last night I needed a break, needed to break my bad routine. I just grab flour, butter, nuts and chocolate and baked Chip Cookies - talking about food for brain, yes?

So if you need to study or work very hard bake those before - they will work, I promise.

Nuts and Chocolate Chip Cookies*:

200 gram flour
120 gram sugar
100 gram cold butter
2 small eggs yolk
3-4 tablespoon of caster sugar
1/2 or even less teaspoon of salt
:40 gram of dark chocolate, nicely chopped
50 gram of mixed nuts, crashed

Preheat oven 180C/320F

In a bowl mix flour with sugar and add cutted into small pieces cold butter. Now using electric blender or your hand work with a cake mix - you don't want to heat it up too much so hurry up. You want to make something in a texture like big-pieces sand. After that add egg yolk, chopped nuts and chocolate. Make one dough and cool for 10 minutes. Now using either your hands or teaspoon make small balls, place them onto baking sheets and press them a little. Bake until golden a little.

Take big cup of latte or cocoa and eat them. Take a small break today.

*Those are not classic, chewy american-style chip cookies. Mine are more crisp but i like them that way.

Caramel Cheesecakes for Children's Day

2010-06-02T15:12:00.000-07:00

Yeah I know it's little bit too late. But it's never to late for sweet things in your life, you know?

And Children's Day is all about sweets. Each country has something that is connected with childhood more than rest of the dishes. For many it will be something sweet, for some something savory.

I had many good memories from my younger years. Many family celebrations. Many parties.

On one of my favorite pictures from childhood I jump on a bad with my cousins and has something big and square in a hand. Something dark, almost black. And you know what? It was whole bar of chocolate - that is what I call happy childhood ;)

Now, being older and maybe little smarter I know that, although great, it's more out there in culinary world that a simple bar of chocolate. Many desserts, wonderful cakes and cookies, many treats.

So grab your kid, or If you had no kid your sister/brother/neighborhood kid, and bake those sweet individual cheesecakes.

Caramel cheesecakes(for16-20 muffin tins cheesecakes):

500 gram of cottage cheese (You can use cream cheese if you prefer)

380 gram of ready caramel

50 gram of flour

1-2 tablespoon of butter

2 eggs

pinch of sea salt

optional - any nuts you love

Preheat oven 180C/320F

Oh I really don't know what to write. Seriously it's the simplest cake ever. Just mix cheese with caramel until smooth. Still mixing add butter, flour - spoon by spoon, and eggs. Season with a sea salt. Of course you can make those with any base you want but sometimes I prefer just plain cheesecake. Pour cake mixture into paper muffin cups - leave few millimeters for growing. Now - you could sprinkle them with nuts.

Place in oven and bake 25-35 minutes, until they will darken. Leave for cooling in the oven, without opening (that prevent falling).

Sponge Strawberry Cake and Strawberry Curd

2010-05-30T15:22:00.000-07:00

First strawberries on a local market always make me feel happy. So when few days ago I saw those little, sparkling, red gems I knew I must make something. With summer almost around corner I think about those slow days on a countryside.

My family would gather around this old, wood table. Table which, even quite small, was big enough for us. Some of us were sitting, some were walking with a cup of coffee around a house, some were running and playing here and there. Bees flying, trying to get to a sweet piece. Dog barking, wanting to grab our attention. Light pink Peonies in full grace in a garden.

My dear grandma always bake with seasonal fruits. Sometimes it is a sponge cake, sometimes it is simple tart, sometimes more layered cake or torte. The key ingredient is always a freshness...and good, loving heart.

Sponge Cake (based on a recipe from lovely White Plate):

5 farm eggs

130 gram of flour

130-150 gram of sugar (I use less than Liska suggested since I add sweet fruits and syrup)

4-5 tablespoon of tropical syrup (I had those canned fruits in syrup and use that)

Strawberries - how many you like

Strawberry Curd:

200 gram of strawberries

2 egg yolks

2 tablespoon of brown sugar

1-2 tablespoon of butter

For cake:

Preheat oven 160-180C.

Mix eggs with sugar until they light in color and will extend like twice. You could also use method with separate whisking egg white and egg yolks. In that case you whisk egg yolks with sugar until they pale and thick, and whites with a pinch of salt in stiff peaks. Anyway - now the flour and syrup. Add it - if you use second method add it just to egg yolks and later whisk slowly white in a mixture. Put a cake mixture into bake pan and put cutted strawberries on it(you can also sprinkle cake with lefted canned fruits). Bake for 40 minutes, until it will be brown and almost dry. Try not to open an oven until it will be at room temperature.

For curd:

Take a pan with heavy bottom. Cut strawberries into small pieces and add sugar. Heat until they will be soft and juicy. If you like more smooth curd - blend them (i did not, i like chunky pieces in curd). Cool down.

Whisk Egg yolks and add to a pan. Heat slowly. Stir. It should thickens slowly - but be careful not to burn it or heat too quickly. Take off from a heat and add butter. Cool in a fringe. Serve with a cake or just on a French toast.

May Daring Bakers Challenge - Piece Montee

2010-05-27T13:30:00.000-07:00

The May 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Cat of Little Miss Cupcake. Cat challenged everyone to make a piece montée, or croquembouche, based on recipes from Peter Kump’s Baking School in Manhattan and Nick Malgieri.

How lovely - they looks like little clouds

I made two versions - one was with strawberry mouse and second was filled with classic caramel and deeped with chocolate. With first one I tried to built more classic Piece Montee, decorated with pink flowers and spun sugar - very dangerous if you ask me, you could easly burn your fingers to death. Scary.

Spun sugar is really amazing if you're not afraid. You can made any shape you want and decorate your desserts.

Second is different - i tried to play with challenge and made more architecture shape. I filled the big one with caramel and deep in chocolate, I serve it with one piece in deconstruction.

Really, really enjoyed this one. Since I tried choux first time I was in love. Sweet, savory - it doesn't matter, i love them all.

For all recipes please visit our this month host ^_^

Simplicity of dessert - Chocolate éclair

2010-05-18T01:40:00.000-07:00

Lately I became really obsessed with choux pastry. But what is choux? Well it's wonderful recipe for kind of puff pastry used to make those amazing things like éclairs, profiteroles, choux swans, clurrels and of course infamous St. Honore cake.

The classic is to make it sweet, but since I love to twist recipes I already tried savory version, filled with blue cheese or kind of pate.

But it's not about what I will be write today. Today is an éclair day on my blog. So since those lovely puffs speaks for themselves I am done with writing. Just want to say one thing - eating them for breakfast with strong espresso will definitely make your day, especially now in Poland - it's raining for almost 3 weeks or so. Depressing. Anyway - meet the lovelies.

CHOCOLATE COVERED ELAIRS

Choux pastry (for 35-40 small one):

½ cup (125g) whole milk
½ cup (125g) water
100gram butter, cut into small pieces
¼ teaspoon sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
120gram flour
2-3 large eggs, at room temperature

Chocolate hard glaze:

100 gram of dark chocolate

1 tablespoon of thick heavy cream

1 teaspoon of vanilla sugar ( home made by adding vanilla beans to caster sugar, closed for some time to mix a flavor)

Preheat oven 320F/180C.

In a heavy bottomed saucepan pour the milk, water, butter, sugar and salt and bring to the boil. If a mixture is boiling add all of the flour at once, reduce the heat to mediumand start to stir the mixture quickly with a wooden spoon. The dough comes together almost at once. Now - carry on stirring for a further 2-3 minutes to dry the dough. The dough should be smooth, silky. Turn off the heat and transfer the dough into a bowl. Using your handmixer add the eggs one at a time,beating after each egg. Watch again - the dough will start to separate into small pieces, it's normal so do not worry. After a while of mixing the dough will be all together again. Ended effect should be thick and shiny, but also quite runny.The dough should be still warm. Now the tricky part - you need a pastry bag or at least thick plastic bag with cutted corner. Make small hole. Put the dough into pastry bag and pipe onto parchment-lined bakingsheet. Make bigger free-spaces than you think you need - the pastry will raise, a lot. Bake them until golden brown and raised like twice. If they are browning to quickly turn down temperature to 150C and bake until they will dry. Cool down.

Glaze - melt chocolate with cream and sugar in a bowl placed on a high saucepan with shimmering water. Take from a heat and cool down just a little. Deep your lovelies and place to dry them. Serve on a breakfast with thick heavy cream and strong espresso.

I did not filled mine since I made them really small, but the chocolate is a must so I glazed them :)

Crepes with creamy chicken filling

2010-05-14T13:51:00.000-07:00

People are funny about their traditions. We can easily see ourselves as modern as you can imagine, but when it comes to traditions - we are very closed for changes. Of course we like (well, most of us)to explore, like to visit different places, meet new people, but just to some extend.

The same with the food. Home-connected food, to be exact. New tastes are amazing, but nothing can beat dishes from our homes.

Almost any stranger, asked randomly on a street, can name few, which could brings him some memories. But some dishes, not strong settled in past with one event or person, are more like a lifesaver.

When we are in pain, we feel down and not want to do anything or see anybody. We can't remember when we taste them first time, who cook it for us, but we have special place in heart for those.

Since we just hit like 3rd or 4th week of non-stop raining I felt down today. So in that situation usually I had one solution - to cook something very tasty, very simple and very warm. Warming your body is first step to warming your heart - believe me.

Crepes with creamy chicken pate and barszcz( traditional polish beetroot clear soup)

For crepes:

2 eggs (I used farm ones)

3 tablespoon of melted butter

100 ml of sparkle water

150 ml of milk

200-220 gram of flour

For filling:

100 gram of cream cheese (could be one with herbs)

2 tablespoon of sour cream (if you can't find it in your country try thick Greek yogurt)

500-600 gram of cooked chicken (mine was leftover from making chicken broth)

one small onion

piece of bread, soaked in small amount of water (the best is not fresh one but 1-2 days old bread)

Spices - I use some sumac, salt, pepper and dry garlic flakes

Start with making crepes. In high bowl mix (I whisk it with electric blender) eggs, flour, milk and water. Salt to taste and break taste with pinch of sugar. Now - do not be nervous about texture. Making crepes is very, very easy but it comes with a time. Try and see - add some milk or water if batter is too thick. Add some flour if it's too runny. Don't panic.

Now take a nice 20-25 cm skillet and brush a little with butter and oil. You make your crapes on almost dry skillet. Again - don't panic. It is easy but you must be quick. Just pour batter ( I usually use 30-40 ml for one) and taking from a heat swirl your pan to cover its bottom. Put on a heat and cook until you can easily flip it on a second side. I use my hands - don't do it if you're sensitive or are freshman cook. I live in eastern Europe, I have asbestos hands.

After using all batter cover your crapes and set them aside.

Now - the filling. Chop onion and fry on 1-2 tablespoon of butter until it will be soft. Add chopped chicken, season it with spices and fry for another 1-2 minutes. Cool down. Using blender mix soaked bread, chicken, onion, cream cheese and sour cream. You want to get nice, smooth texture of unbaked pate, but do not over do it. It's not soup.

Put one, big tablespoon of filling over a crepe. Roll in favorite shape. Serve cold or fry on a butter and serve hot. Best with homemade barszcz.

So what - doesn't you feel better know? I told you so.

Green peas filo cups

2010-05-12T06:54:00.000-07:00

Green overload continue. After trying asparagus I attacked another veggie. This time green peas. Its sweet taste and smooth texture works very nice in almost any dish you would imagine. Think about classic risotto, cream soup, puree or savory tart.

I am big baking addict so when I found, never used before, pastry - Filo - I knew I must buy it and try it.

Filo is ideal pastry for spring and summer baking. In winter we tend to eat more heavy and it's fine. But when spring hitting our doors we're searching for something lighter, something fresh and more delicate. This flaky pastry, on plate crunchy, melt in your mouth immediately.

Filo cups with ricotta-green peas filling

100-120 gram of frozen filo pastry (of course if you're so lucky to find fresh one USE IT!)

200-220 gram of green peas (could be canned or fresh, boiled before)

100 gram of cottage cheese

100 gram of ricotta cheese

some sea salt to taste, black pepper and favorite herbs (i use dry mint and some sesame seeds)

3-4 tablespoon of melted butter

Defrost filo using instruction from producer package. Preheat oven 180C/320F.

Blend until smooth green peas, both cheeses and season it with herbs. Now - tricky part : preparing filo cups. I use my muffin tins but any small, heatproof cups would works. Take one leaf of filo pastry - in size 5cm*5cm for 2,5cm bottom size muffin - grease lightly with butter one side, using brush (silicon are the best), and put into a muffing cup (buttered side up). Don't be too precise - messy edges will brown nicely in oven. Put one big teaspoon of filling into your filo cups and brush edges with butter (even easier with spray). Bake for 15-20 minutes until edges will be dark brown and your filling will be hard(but not until it will brown too much). Serve with sour cream.

Paddington's Sandwich

2010-05-10T11:11:00.000-07:00

Like most people who cook I also love to read about cooking. Well, I love books in general so while reading interesting, moving book I can find here and there some culinary-interesting parts, I am in heaven. But...I must confess something. I also have secret love interest in children books - since I always wanted to be designer or illustrator I look at them from different perspective. That's why on my shelves are many children books. And one of the best is Paddington series. Those warm and little old-fashioned books are amazing.

When people are thinking about recipes from books plot usually they came up with recipe for Proust's Magdalenes or other grown-up book's recipe.

But this time try something simpler, something what Paddington would love to try.

Paddington's Marmalade Sandwich

2 bread slices cut into triangles

2 tablespoon of Blood Orange Marmalade*

It couldn't be easier - take one triangle, put on tablespoon of marmalade and connect with second triangle. Or take two slices, pour marmalade on one on inside part, cut into triangles.

Blood Orange Marmalade

1 kilogram of Blood Oranges

600 gram of sugar

Take big saucepan with thick bottom. Take of skin and white skin from your oranges, cut into small pieces, removing as much white skin as you can. Put into saucepan and add sugar. Mix well and turn on heat. Stir occasionally, just not to burn. It would take up to 60 minutes to turn oranges into wonderful marmalade. Serve on Elevenses.

Homemade Hot Cocoa

3 tablespoon of cocoa powder

1 tablespoon of vanilla sugar

3 tablespoon of sugar

pinch of salt (which is very important, don't be surprised)

100 ml of hot water

350 ml of full fat milk

Start by mixing water, cocoa powder, pinch of salt and both sugars in saucepan and bring to boil. Stir often and be careful not to burn. And milk and bring just to boil. Take off from heat. Pour into cups and add some chocolate pieces if you like.

Do not forget about salt - it add something special to cocoa and take sweetness of it to another level.

IN SEASON - May: Asparagus Tasting Plate

2010-05-05T15:49:00.000-07:00

I decided to do every month post about what is in season.
For me seasonal eating is ideal situation - environment friendly, taste friendly. Unfortunately polish situation in veggies and fruits area is not that friendly. We can easily buy oranges from Israel, but do not have choice to choose different kinds of potatoes. Around the world there are tens, hundreds kinds of veggies, fruits, meats, but it is like we almost forgot about that.

So - may. May, although still rainy and wet, came and welcomed us with arms full of amazing asparagus.

Tasting plate of asparagus

Here on a plate - asparagus cream soup with goat cheese. Asparagus terrine with zatar (spice mix, you can read about it here), simple steamed asparagus with farm butter and whole wheat crumble. And my favorite - Asparagus Napoleon with tortilla-based pastry.

Those will be not recipe kind of posts. Those will be post rather for inspire and to think about what in season. To look around at your local market and cook with best things you will find there. I hope you will like it.

April's Daring Bakers Challenge - Steamed Puddings

2010-04-27T01:01:00.000-07:00

The April 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Esther of The Lilac Kitchen. She challenged everyone to make a traditional British pudding using, if possible, a very traditional British ingredient: suet

I must admit that I was scared. This was my first challenge, plus it was something very traditional process-making wise (not baking, but steaming). Also the fact that recipe recommend using suet was scary enough.

Suet is specific kind of fat - usually beef or mutton fat, hard one placed around loins and kidneys.It has low melting point so that's why, hard in solid form, it's great alternative for butter. Especially if we are making puddings.

Yes - the puddings. I have some issues with, what you can call, traditional British kitchen. If we left all those greats, post-imperial and post-immigrants kitchens, we face quite heavy and simple dishes. But don't get me wrong - i love simple kitchen, but usually for me it means Tuscany kind not fish-and-chips one. Oh well...

Puddings has very strong position in Great Brittany. They even have Pudding Club.

I decided to make classic pastry with filling. And as a secret Dulche de Leche lover the choice for feeling was easy.

See how sticky filling was ? It was a-m-a-z-i-n-g filling...

Dulche de Leche Pudding (for 4 small ramekins)

1 cup of flour (about 250 gram)
100 gram of suet (if you can't find it - replace it with butter)
3 tablespoon of caster sugar
pinch of salt
50 ml of milk (or that amount to get pastry hard enough to place into ramekins)
150 gram of condensed milk tube (sweetened one!)

Mix flour with sugar and salt. Chop with suet and add milk to get pudding dough (easy to roll and quite stiff).

Cool in fridge.

Now time for secret - easy to make Dulche de Leche. Usually I make one with sweetened 450 gram of canned milk, boiling it in shimmering water for 1,5-2 hours (40-45 minutes for 150 gram tube). But now, since pudding will be steamed on their own for some amount of time, I had to change this process. I just

boiled it for 10 minutes, so its changed color from white to light brown. But still it wasn't Dulche.

Divide dough into 4 ramekins (left pastry enough to make 4 tops) and place runny milk into those. Make toppings. Be sure it's closed very good - without any holes.

Place into steamer over a pan with shimmering water. Steam for about 30 minutes - check if it's ready, if not steam for another 5-7 minutes. Steaming time depends on how big your ramekins are and how thick you rolled your dough.

The verdict: i still prefer baking pastry not steaming but it was great lesson, plus i liked how easy it was and messy-free.

I like the idea so much that i made additional pudding - this time sponge one with strawberries on a top. I make little twist here by replacing 50-60 grams of flour with Azuki beans puree. Recipe here.

Plesniak ( Polish Rustic Pie with Jam filling )

2010-04-26T13:00:00.000-07:00

This has to be one of my favorite cakes. In my brain it has easy connection with my Grandma. She made it many times. Especially in hot august, when air was full of smell of sweet apples, worm wind was playing with our mind bringing pictures of sweet Toscany and unexpected storms are strong, quick and refreshing.

Grandma is a very good cook and wonderful baker of many pies, but among others this pie is a winner.

White tart pastry, next level of sour jam, meringue made from sweet egg white beated until it will be stiff and topping made from "black" pastry. It is truly amazing. In many homes people would add hazelnuts or walnuts as a additional level (after jam , before meringue). I bake it and you know what? - it was very worm day today with this wind - it must mean something. I think I smelled summer...

Plesniak

3 cups of flour

200 grams of butter

2 tablespoon + 100-120 grams of caster sugar

4 eggs (yolks and whites separated)

pinch of salt

2 tablespoon of cocoa powder ( if you can use black one, use it )

250-270 grams (one jar) of some sour jam ( i use black currant one)

optional - 2 apples (for baking I usually use some sour ones)

Preheat oven 180C/320f.

Chop cold butter with flour, 2 tablespoon of caster sugar, pinch of salt and 4 egg yolks. Quickly knead dough, it it will be too brittle or too loose - add 1 tablespoon of sour cream.

Divide it into two parts (you can also divide into tree parts and made two layers of white pastry and one black). Add cocoa powder into one part and knead. Form the balls and cool them in a fridge for about 30 minutes.

Now time for apples if you use them. Chop them nicely and fry a little on butter (they shouldn't be over-fried, not like form Applepie). You can add some cinnamon. Cool down.

Beat the whites stiff, adding at the end sugar. Beat until you get nice meringue, but not too stiff.

Take a baking mold (classic 24 cm * 32 cm would work) and place bright part of dough on a bottom. Spread a thick layer of jam (if you use nuts, sprinkle them onto jam). Now layer of apples. Now spread egg whites on them. End with black part of dough grated on them. Bake for 35-40 minutes.

White kisses - Steamed teatime one-bite cakes

2010-04-22T03:44:00.000-07:00

Another day I was thinking about a lovely idea of tea time. It's so old-fashioned and so not-trendy idea.
When I was younger I loved reading Henry James's or Bronte Sister's books. Especially those where woman and man relationships were very complicated and everything was unspoken. Characters were just sitting in a room, drinking tea or coffee and not talk about that. It was something that was in the air. In the air of afternoon tea - they were struggling over a bite-size sweet cakes and small sandwiches with cucumber.

White Kisses

100 gram of cottage cheese or hard ricotta
60 gram of rice flour
4-5 tablespoon of coconut milk (if you can find coconut cream use that!)
5-6 tablespoons of caster sugar
1 egg white
pinch of salt

optional - filling made from sweet Azuki bean*

Mix your cheese with sugar and salt until it will be smooth. Now spoon by spoon add flour until you get kind of runny cake mixture (amount of flour deepens on what kind of cheese you will use). Beat egg white until it will be stiff and add to a mixture, spoon by spoon. Mix gently. Using teaspoon place cake mixture inside buttered small, paper muffin cups (mine were about 2 inches one).
Now time for steaming. Use your favorite method - i use chinese, bamboo steamer. Steam for about 7-10 minutes until it will rise a little. You can also made those with filling. Just place one teaspoon of cake on a bottom, drop some amount of filling and end with one teaspoon of cake.
You can serve them with lavender honey.

* for sweet Azuki bean filling - boil your Azuki until it will be very soft. Made a Azuki puree and mix with preferred amount of sugar ( it must be pretty sweet )

Lazy Sunday's Basil Biscuits

2010-04-18T13:57:00.000-07:00

I love having lazy Sunday. Day when you do have time for your favorite things to do - having late breakfast in bad, walking around your city discover new places to love, having slow time with cup of coffee in local cafe, visiting your friends with homemade cake in your arms.
The only thing I don't like in Sunday is the fact that I don't have access to fresh loaf of bread. You buy your bread on Saturday so, while it's still tasty, it's not the same.
Searching bloggosphere I found this amazing recipe for biscuits. Oh, they sounded so tasteful and perfect for my SB (Sunday breakfast) - serving with homemade butter, cream cheese, smoked salmon...

Recipe can be found here

French Fries? You wish.

2010-04-14T00:20:00.000-07:00

Well, not after this post.

People, in general, loves unhealthy finger foods. We love snacking, eating while reading good book, watching great movie, gather on sofa watching fine match. So the idea of food, small enough to eat it with your finger and with one bite, is not new. Even ancient Rome was full of this and they go even farther eating while laying.

It doesn't require any plates, any spoon or fork, just take one hand, add tissue and you're ready.

And when I think about it, it's nothing more popular and pan-cultural than fries. They are EVERYWHERE. You can eat it with mayo, dab of ketchup, mustard, BBQ sauce, pinch of seasoning, go classic with salt, make a twist with pepper, chilli or whatever you like. I've seen even people eating their dipped in chocolate or some sweet spread. You really can't go wrong with fries. But what if idea of McDonald ones push you away?And even idea of those home, twice fried. Too greasy? Too heavy?

Baked parsley root French Fries

2-3 large parsley root (yes, you can also use parsnip or sweet potatoes, carrots)
2-3 tablespoon of olive oil
pepper, salt or any seasoning you love

Preheat your oven 320F/160C

Take a baking shit and spray with olive oil. Prepare your veggies - boil in chicken or vegetable stock until it gets little soft (on level you could cut it quite easily, but it could be boiled completely). Cut it into thin fries (julliene if you use specific kitchen names), place in bowl and dab with rest of olive oil, salt. Season it with pepper and any herbs you like. I use manly pepper, salt and some dried basil flakes. Bake until it turns golden brown, take from baking shit. You can easily serve it cooled down ( to be honest I prefer them cool - they're like chips) with some great spread - cheese or pepper. Play with it.

I'm going bananas, B-A-N-A-N-A-S! Chocolate-black currant trifle with bananas sponge biscuit

2010-04-12T01:25:00.000-07:00

I was feeling like going bananas yesterday. And it's not coz I did this amazing dessert using bananas sponge biscuits. No, it's because yesterday were my birthday and, like it or not, it did came along with presents.

Some birthday present are unexpected. Some are good, some...well, not so much. One day you can receive something very uncommon, from someone that you almost forget about. It's weird. You hold a present and think : "what should I do about it?". Decisions, decisions, decisions - it seems like human life is based on that, and what worst, is the fact that usually those are not reversible. If you choose one way - you can't make it back. And this is real reason why I could feel little bananas.

It's not any near to classic trifle but it's my party and I'll cry if I want to...or I should say - mess with recipe if I want to? Anyway ...

Chocolate-black currant trifle

16 small banana sponge biscuits ( mine were about 3 cm srednica )
1 cup of strong espresso ( if it's too strong for you - use chocolate drink or heated chocolate-milk )
50 gram of dark chocolate (plus some sugar if you want, i do not used any sugar - i like dark taste)
1 egg yolk
120 ml of heavy cream
4 tablespoon of black-currant jam

Prepare 2 tins or small 150 ml cups.
Make your espresso (or chocolate drink or heat your chocolate milk). And cool down a little - it must be still little worm but not hot!
On pan fry a little your jam to get it more runny. Turn the heat off.
Melt chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a high saucepan of boiling water (on small heat). Take off from the heat. In a big cup using electric blender whip egg yolk and heavy cream until it get little mousse-y. Pour slowly melted chocolate and using blender mix until you get nice light mousse.
Now take your biscuits and deep them in espresso (or chocolate). Be careful not to hold them too long, coz you will ended up wil bananas-biscuit-espresso mess. Chop them into big pieces.
Place one layer of biscuits, and one layer of chocolate mousse; now second layer of biscuits and second layer of mousse; last layer of biscuits and end with layer of current jam. Cool in fridge. You can serve it with nice spoon of banana ice-cream or cup of strong espresso.

Leftover Pudding with dates filling

2010-04-09T06:06:00.000-07:00

After each holiday season, people around the world are facing one big issue. What the hell to do with all those leftover food? Usually we ended up making sandwiches with cold, leftover ham and turkey, making a pan fried potatoes for evening snack with dinner potatoes, baking mac' and cheese with leftover veggies.

But when you ending up with leftover cakes your are in troubles. Of course you could take it to work and share with your co-workers or grab and visit your distant relative ("No, nothing wrong happened - i just missed you SO MUCH ! And I brought you a present - It's a cake !") but why not spending few minutes and turn your not-so-fresh from the oven-babka into gorgeous, seductive pudding? Since i had almost full bag of dried dates i decided to make the one with a filling. Sweet!

Pudding with dates filling :

some leftover babka ( you can use some sweet bread, like croissant, also) - mine was about 300 gram

cup of full-fat milk

80 grams dried dates

1 pear

2 teaspoon of butter ( for your apricot )

2 teaspoon of sugar

2-3 tablespoon of cream

butter and sugar for your tins

Preheat oven 200C/390F

Prepare pear. Cut it in small pieces (you can take off skin if you want but i left mine). Take a pan with thick bottom and put 2 teaspoon of butter. Heat until it melt and put your chopped pear. Fry for 10-15 minutes (after first few minutes add 2 teaspoon of sugar) until it will be somewhere between soft mousse with chunky pieces and filling for tart. Cool dawn. Take a boiling water and soak your dates (you can add some rose or pear syrup if you have). Strain and mix with cooled pear. That's your filling.

Cut your babka into slices and pour with milk - you want it to be soaked but not wet completely so be careful ( it's the same method like with tiramisu and its biscuits soaked with espresso).

Take your tins - butter and sugar them. Now you take a slice and put on a bottom and take 2-3 slices to put around. Put your filling inside and cover with last slice to make closed space. Pour your pudding tin with cream and butter. Make as many as many babka you have. Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown and will rinse a little.

You can also make a sauce with leftover pear mousse and heavy cream.

Classic Antipasti my way - Stuffed Mushrooms with feta cheese

2010-04-05T10:29:00.000-07:00

Holiday season (Ester one) came and went. But I still have some thoughts about that I want to share. In most houses I know holiday dinner is a meat dinner. Ham, turkey, chicken - depends on what time of a year we have. But for someone who wants to cut off meat completely, or for meat-lover who just want to try something new, it's hard moment to find exciting dish to replace meat. Personally i always think abut cheese if i need to do that. We have so many wonderful kinds of cheeses that I almost forgot about meat. Cow's, goat's, sheep's. Hard, soft, cream, cottage. Smoked, fresh - whatever you like you could find in even a smallest grocery store. Yeah - writing it down make me really think that we are a world of cheeses.

Anyway today I came up with this classic kind of antipasti - stuffed mushrooms - which could be either your main course or just a side dish. Or even a sneak, but in this case please,please remember about a tissue and do not wear your holiday best clothes. Grilled cheese situation.

Stuffed mushrooms with feta cheese:

4 big portobellos or 8 smaller white mushrooms

100 gram of feta cheese

variations : 1 cooked farm egg's yolk; 2 tablespoon of smoked peppers (or tomatoes if you like)

1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard ( you can always use your favorite kind - French or Russian )

1 teaspoon of cream cheese or thick cream

bunch of freshly chopped chives

pinch of black pepper and salt

olive oil for baking

Preheat your oven to 180C/350F.

Prepare your mushrooms - take a dirt with paper towel ( since i usually do not wash mine ) and take a button and a skin off.

Mix feta cheese, mustard, cream cheese. Add chives and season it with a salt and black pepper. Now you can make few kinds of fillings: in small separate bowl mix few spoons of stuffing with egg yolk, in another with chopped pepper, in another with you tomatoes. Really there are unlimited options for it. You're almost done - just put your filling in a mushroom.

Take some baking pan and put some olive oil on a bottom. Place your stuffed babies and bake for about 15-20 minutes. You can serve it with some baby potatoes and some fresh lettuce salad.

Even if anybody say that it's sooo 70s. - enjoy it. Just put your disco music on.

Silver pearls with hint of summer

2010-04-01T11:56:00.000-07:00

Tapioca pearls are so funny. Light, clear, playing with sunlight when you look at them under a sun.

It has amazing texture of something between jelly and pudding. It is great for all kind of sweet dish, coz it takes taste of things you use and broad to another level. Sweet, spicy, savor - add what you want. I tried Mango version before - it was pure summer in a jar. But now i tried something even simpler.

Tapioca pudding with pink jelly foam:

50 grams of tapioca pudding
100ml of coconut milk
100ml of cow milk
1 and 1/2 tablespoon of vanilla sugar ( great if you, as I, has real vanilla sugar )
ready-to-make jelly powder in any flavor you like ( mine was raspberry )

Take a pan with thicker bottom. Put your tapioca pearls inside and pour milk on them. Cook on small hit for about 20 minutes. Well you must see that your tapioca becoming clearer and clearer, and your milk-pearls mixture becoming thicker.Remember to stir it from time to time. Take it form the hit and put in some nice jars, bawls or whatever. Cool down and put in fridge.

Now make your jelly exactly base by instruction from its package. Cool until it almost done ( but not until it 100% hard ) and mix it with blender until it become foam-y. Put your foam-jelly on your tapioca pudding. Serve and enjoy summer :D

Tuna Spread with Walnuts

2010-03-28T04:47:00.000-07:00

There are moments in each person life when you feel little...fishy. You're unsure, feel dizzy and not like yourself. Everything is weird and you wonder why. To be honest - i have no idea what to do with this feeling, but I have fish-inspired solution for you. The simplest Tuna spread.

I love spreads. Sweet, salty, hot, cold - I am sure that anything you would think of, I have made one day.

This time is was empty-fringe situation : i literally have nothing inside. Just two canned fish ( pink salmon and tuna ), two cottage cheeses and few things that are really not-worthy mentioning.

Anyway - I came up with this recipe for bread spread. I made it many times, but this time I added crushed walnuts for some crunchy play for your teeth.

Tuna Spread with walnuts:

1 can of tuna ( mine was 120g after draining it )
150 g cottage cheese
50 grams of walnuts ( you can use also other nuts, but rather those spicy )
bunch of parsley
pinch of sea salt and pepper

In your blender mix your tuna and cottage cheese until you get quite smooth combination (i like mine not to be too runny, so it take me about 1 minute). Add some salt and pepper for taste. Chop the walnuts into really small pieces (you can also crush them with roller ) and add them into tuna mix. Do the same with your parsley. Mix well. Your done. This is my life-saver solution for empty fringe. Taste great with French toast and some good quality olive oil.

Rustic Chocolate Tart

2010-03-26T16:11:00.000-07:00

When I was little I had amazing chance to spend every holiday in a countryside. With my sister we could play all day long, not care about anything. I felt safe and careless. We had no idea about a real world out there, and it seems to be the right of childhood. Those days were also strong connected with food. We had as many fresh veggies and fruits as we like. Fresh milk take straight from grandma's cow. Real eggs. Those dishes that make us happy. Thick slice of old-fashioned bread, just with homemade butter and salt. Leftover dinner potatoes, fried later in the evening for supper, eaten together with two forks from one pan.

Those things were super simple, but we didn't know or need anything else.

There are few things in culinary world that are take for granted. First - the simpler dish the best way to show the real taste of a product, and second - that anything made with chocolate is better than the same dish without it (of course I exaggerate, bu you get the idea). That's why this pie is so amazing. It incorporate simple pleasure and pure taste. Rich, gooey filling with crispy and light crust. It doesn't need any decoration, any things inside....no, it is pure perfection.

Rustic Chocolate Tart

For crust:
400 grams (1 and 1/2 cup) of flour
200 grams ( in Poland - one stick ) of butter
100-120 grams of sugar
1 real egg yolk ( those with 0 or 1 number printed on them )
optional : 1 tablespoon of thick cream ( I used 18% )

For filling:
200grams of good chocolate ( Godiva would be wonderful, but I ended up with surprising good Milk bars)
3 tablespoon of good, unsweetened cocoa
100ml of sweet cream
1 big egg or 2 small
Pinch of sea salt
optional : use some muscavado sugar if it's too strong taste for you. I didn't.

Preheat oven 180C/350F.
Mix four and cold butter to make crumbs ( by hands ). Beat egg yolk with sugar until it change color from yellow to more white shade. Add egg mixture to your crumbs and if it still too dry - add cream. Roll it in a circle and put in your tin tart. Cool in a fridge for half an hour.
Make filling. Put some deep pot with about 2 inches of water on a heat and bring it to boil. Now take some bowl and put it on the pot. Break chocolate into a small pieces and put them in a bowl. Stir occasionally until they totally blend. Add cocoa. Now pour sweet cream inside. Now, very important, key ingredient - sea salt. It change your filling completely. Playing with your mouth and showing whole different level of chocolate sweetness.
The last point is to beat egg in a cup and gradually add some chocolate. Just add one teaspoon and beat in a cup. Then another, and another, and another. Continue it until the egg mixture will be warm enough, so when you add it in a bowl of chocolate-cream mix, you will not end up with chocolate scramble eggs (which also could be fantastic, but it's not a point today). Take you crust from he fringe. Pour filling mixture on it and bake for 40 minutes or until you will see that a base is browning too much. Cool a little. Serve with just a spoon of thick, sweet cream and small cup of espresso coffee.

Poppy Seed Cookies

2010-03-23T01:20:00.000-07:00

In Poland people really fight until they blood over one, but very important issue - what is better : Christmas or Easter?

You might laugh, but we are talking not only about catholic traditions connected with each holiday, or people faith in God, who come back on earth etc., - no : at first place we talk about food.

Because food on holidays my dear friends is complicated - each family has its own tradition how to make holy grail of different holiday meal. That's why at this time in year you can hear discussion flaying over the streets, in buses, trams or any public building. People argue, people scream, people fight.

That's why my take on a traditional Poppy Seed Cake is risky for me. I may risk my life, and for what? For food.

I didn't make traditional Roll one or Cake with pastry. I went to, also traditional here and there, no crust Poppy Seed Cake. But to make it more modern and individual I make them in one-person size.

Poppy Seed Cookies with hazelnuts:

1 can (850 gram ) of ready Poppy Seed mixture ( I had mine from polish brand Bakalland )*

1 egg

2 tablespoon of white flour ( you can use also almond or nut flour for more nutty flavor )

2 big tablespoon of melted chocolate ( yep, this is not traditional as well )

50 gram ( or use how much you like ) of chopped roughly hazelnuts

Preheat your oven to 180C/350F.

Mix you canned Poppy Seed mixture with beated egg, flour, chocolate and hazelnuts. Yes this is it. It's really hard to believe how easy it is. Now take your cake tin - butter and flour it to avoid sticking to the form. Bake about 25-30 minutes, until it puff nicely and brown ( or should I say black? ) a little. Take from the oven and cool a little but not completely. If it still little warm you can easily cut cakes from it. You can also make individual cakes before baking. Now give it time to cool down ( the cakes will be not so runny than ). And your done.

Now you must just find a solution how to bring it to holiday table without arguing with your grandma.

* this is ready to bake, or eat-with-a-spoon, product. It contains grounded poppy seeds with honey, mixed dry fruits ( as raisins ) and nuts. But you can use dry poppy seeds, drained with water over a night, then boiled in water or milk, grounded, mixed with honey,nuts, dry fruits and some eggs. But for specific recipe you must search other food blogs or wait until i will make it this way ;)

Chickpea Tart with Sauerkraut ( polish sour, picked cabbage )

2010-03-20T17:04:00.000-07:00

I love tarts. I mean, seriously, what is better than comforting slice of warm pie with your favorite filling? And as i love sweet ones, i am the biggest sucker for savory tarts. Onions, broccoli, leek - you name it, i have it. But this time I was little bored by making classic pastry and, since I have one can of my beloved chickpea, I though why not to try something different. I also used pickled cabbage with mushrooms and tomatoes. But you can really use anything for filling. I just suggesting something spicy since pastry is quite bland.

Chickpea Tart filled Sauerkraut with mushrooms and tomatoes:

For Crust:
1 can of Chickpea ( also known as Garbanzo beans ) - 240 gram of drained and pureed peas
1 tablespoon of butter
about 2 or 3 big tablespoons of flour ( i use rice flour )
1 egg yolk
pinch of salt and pepper
optional - 1 tablespoon of sour cream to make your pastry smoother and easier to roll out

For Filling:
250 gram of Sour Cabbage ( Sauerkraut )
2 big tomatoes
5-6 boletus
1 small onion
1 tablespoon of butter
1 teaspoon of cumin
optional - some red pepper powder, or even chilli powder

Preheat you oven 180C/350F.

Start with the filling. Melt butter on deep frying pan. Chop nicely your onion and put in it. Heat until it starts to become see-through and little sweet (not until golden brown). Add cumin. Now, chop your cabbage and pour with boiled water to make it less, well..., sour. Drain quite good and put onto your onion. Pan-fry for few minutes until you smell gorgeous smell. Add chopped tomatoes. Heat long enough until filling starts caramelizing and become little runny. Take from the heat and give it time to cool down.

Now time for the pastry. You can make it in food processor but i like to be old fashioned. Plus you can work your biceps. Mix your pureed chickpeas, butter and yolk until it will be smooth. Add enough flour until you feel that pastry is good for rolling. Yes, I know it's hard to tell for newbies but you'll see - you will know when your pastry has enough flour and starts to be too dry (don't panic - you can always add some sour cream to make it smooth). Form into a ball and put in you fringe for about 5 minutes. Now - on a lightly floured work surface roll the pastry 5 mm thick and cut into two parts (although one can be bigger). Make bottom and sides from one part (bigger) and put your cooled filling on it, take second part of crust and cover the filling. Cut few cuts around and place into heated oven. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until it golden brown.

Eat straight away or cool down and take it for a picnic. Taste great with some rocket salad. And some spring sun in your face.

Nutty, homemade ricotta cheese

2010-03-19T08:37:00.000-07:00

Homemade things are wonderful. Even though today you can buy anything, there is something really great and heart-warming in doing it by yourself. Puff pastry, ketchup, pita's breads, pickles... there are many, many options for someone who is looking for real flavor. But among all those things there is one I love everytime - homemade cheeses. And among all kind in the world I am the biggest sucker for RICOTTA. Smooth, little sweet, little salty it's delicious cheese for spread your fresh baked bread, spinach gnocci or just for eating it straight from the jar ( number one option for me ).

These time I wanted something with a twist. I used argan oil, which my aunt brought me from Turkey, maple syrup and some mixed nuts for deep, nutty flavor.

Homemade Ricotta Cheese with smoky, nutty twist:

1 liter of full fat milk

1 lemon, juiced

1-2 tablespoon of sweet cream

1 teaspoon of argan oil ( you could use some nut oil also )

2-3 teaspoons of maple syrup

1/2 teaspoon of sea salt

some nuts for spread

optional you can use some white pepper to make your ricotta hotter ;)

Heat your milk slowly until it almost start to boil. Turn off the heat and add lemon juice. Mix with spoon and heat again just for few seconds. Remove your milk form the heat and pour into cheesecloth placed over a stainer. Now - it depends how runny cheese you like. I give my cheese 20 minutes.

Take a bowl and put your cheese in it, mix with sweet cream. Now time for some flavor. Add salt, maple syrup for balance and argan oil for smother texture. Spread with nuts if you like.

Great alternative for New Your Bagel's spread. Or cheesecake. Or tortellini. Or whatever.

Spinach muffins for St.Patrick Day

2010-03-17T08:22:00.000-07:00

Going Green is very common term these days. But, like it or not, with St.Patrick Day just around corner, I knew that sooner or later I will find myself making something green. Baking green, to be exact.
Well if you hate be like everybody else think about that recipe as a spell. Spell against winter.

Spinach muffins with pumpkin seeds ( recipe inspired by Green Kitchen's Spinach Muffins ):

300 gram flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon of sea salt
1 big farm egg or 2 smaller eggs
1 tablespoon of olive
300 gram of spinach ( or spinach and carrot mix )
1 cup ( 250 ml - 300ml ) of yogurt
pumpkin seeds to top it

Preheat oven 350F/180C.
Mix all dry ingredients in one bowl. In second beat egg with yogurt, than add your spinach ( i used chopped frozen one, heated before to dry it a little ) and mix well. Add your yogurt-spinach mix to dry ingredients and mix quickly with a spoon. It could not be mix well. I say more - it should be imperfect.
Take your muffin tins and spray them with oil. Pour your muffin to 1/2 of tins hight. Decorate with pumpkin seeds. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Eat and celebrate St. Patrick Day.

Irish Soda Bread with sun-dried tomatoes

2010-03-17T07:27:00.000-07:00

Home – simple four letters which reminds whole kind of things. It’s easy with english but in polish we have the same word for house and home.

Smell of newborn baby, fresh cutted grass, pie which was just taken from oven.
But also smell of your uncle’s cigarettes, favorite pencils, smelly odour of your beloved grandma’s olfashioned perfumes.
All those things which connect you with your home wherever you are.

Irish Soda Bread with dry tomatoes:

300 gram of flour ( i use mix of plain white flour and whole wheat )
1 tablespoon of baking soda
1/2 teasspoon of baking powder
1 teaspoon of sea salt
pinch of black pepper
some sun-dry tomatoes ( use as many as you like )
230 ml ( or one cup ) of buttermilk
1and 1/2 tablespoon of honey

Preheat oven to 350F/180C.
Mix all dry ingredients in a bowl. Put your dry tomatoes in some jar and water it with hot water to make them soft. Dry on kitchen paper and cool them down. Mix with your bread flour.
Whisk together buttermilk and honey. Pour inside your flour mix. Using a spoon gently stir it to just to combine and form a soft dough.
Get your baking tray and put some baking paper on it ( i use two layers ) with some flour dusted here and there.Shape nice round loaf, dust it with flour and cut quite deep cross into the top.
Bake 30 minutes or until it golden brown with nice dark crispy skin.