tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22671179858396449812024-03-13T15:17:10.904+01:00om nom nom nom nom nom nomAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15182107037701054553noreply@blogger.comBlogger34125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2267117985839644981.post-67021815154141461962016-01-03T21:29:00.000+01:002016-01-04T09:36:19.654+01:00originals: Spanish fondue carbonara or whatever<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">When I was a kid, because that's how I now see myself when I was in my early 20s - as a kid, the connection between my mood and cooking was much simpler. When I was happy and satisfied, I made tons of crepes, when I was sad and frustrated I baked bread everyday. I'd spend hours in silence, crying and kneading, before I was finally diagnosed with severe depression. In the meantime cooking became more of a source of joy than just a way to cope with stress. I started cooking for others. I started cooking for men, finding yet another way to pleasure them. In the last years I understood to full extent what it means to put love into what you cook. I grew, I bloomed, as a person and as a chef.<br />
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Now I hit a wall. With no-one to cook for and no strength to get up from bed I lost 20 lbs, because I simply can't be bothered. There's this expression in Polish, loosely translated to "to eat through one's reason," or something - that's what I do now. I explain to myself that I need to eat. Cooking is mostly out of the question. That makes days like today special.<br />
<br />
I'm still browsing through recipes, a lot, and bookmarking, a lot. <a href="http://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1017304-cacio-e-pepe" target="_blank">Mark Bittman's Cacio e Pepe</a> spent some time among my saved links and today it seemed like a good thing to try. Simple enough, comfort-foody enough. I forced myself to go shopping in the cold (-14 degrees), dragged myself back to the apartment and, I don't know, something just happened. That small, barely noticeable magic, when you look at the ingredients around you and just allow yourself to be silly and have fun.<br />
<br />
In my fridge, there was an open bottle of my favourite white, vino turbio (cloudy wine), that I just brought back from Spain. Why use water, when you can use fresh, tangy, slightly yeasty wine? The cheese and the wine mixed together immediately reminded me of fondue, and I simply can't have fondue without a ton of nutmeg. So there it went. Freshly ground pepper, freshly grated nutmeg, a touch of cayenne for that extra kick, not that it needed one. Bittman wrote to use good olive oil, and there it was, on the table, a 5l bottle of the most amazing Spanish olive oil so delicious, I could drink it just like that, from a glass. I couldn't wait for the pasta to finish cooking, I checked it every five seconds. I started thinking of something more to add to the sauce to stop doing that. Egg-yolk, why, yes, please. As far as I'm concerned egg-yolks should go into everything.<br />
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Believe me, the result was stunning.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8WB3U16qkcs/VomCp1cO7WI/AAAAAAAAFVw/pUhjUZUSGVo/s1600/1150194_10156513501490454_4653727145838817930_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8WB3U16qkcs/VomCp1cO7WI/AAAAAAAAFVw/pUhjUZUSGVo/s400/1150194_10156513501490454_4653727145838817930_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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"We're completely different in the way that we cook. She's always looking for new recipes and trying them out, I just go through the fridge and the pantry, see what we have and try to figure out what to make from it." That's what he often said about us. Now he's gone. So I guess I have to do both.</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15182107037701054553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2267117985839644981.post-75471436707357311722015-06-24T19:22:00.000+02:002016-01-04T09:35:29.156+01:00originals: sweet potato, white bean and kale (tacos)<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">There's only one way to say this: until a couple of days ago, I was a kale virgin. I actually bought it a few times with full intent of using it, but every time I chickened out and I let it rot in my fridge. Believe me - rotten kale is NOT something you want to smell, ever. But as I'm finally realising my dream of cooking for a living (well, for drinks at least) and posing as a pro, I can't run away from it any longer. And so, looking for a vegan option for our tacos (at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ricostacospl" target="_blank">Ricos Tacos</a>), I created my first recipe using kale!<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Jzi_6ThAQiY/VYrmHD16LqI/AAAAAAAAEg8/k9I_LCR4fy4/s1600/11541266_10155838121175454_209753461_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Jzi_6ThAQiY/VYrmHD16LqI/AAAAAAAAEg8/k9I_LCR4fy4/s320/11541266_10155838121175454_209753461_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Prep is key here, once you have everything sliced, diced and drained it's the simplest thing to cook EVER. And the ingredients, in order of appearance, are:</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>canola oil</li>
<li>1 red onion - diced</li>
<li>1 garlic clove - minced</li>
<li>1 jalapeno - chopped finely*</li>
<li>1 large sweet potato (at least palm sized) - diced</li>
<li>1 can of small white beans - drained</li>
<li>1 packed glass of kale - chopped</li>
<li>salt</li>
</ul>
<div>
Now this is really simple: heat oil in a wok, toss in the aromatics, cook on small heat until the onion becomes translucent, toss in the sweet potato, stir well until it's all covered in the oil and increase heat to high, cook for a couple of minutes, add the beans, stir until warm, salt, taste, salt again, add kale, stir until it gets a pretty vivid green colour, serve.</div>
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/ricostacospl" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-14qTkCptQxA/VYrlcupDvmI/AAAAAAAAEgs/nfLlKPp1m6g/s320/10616663_490959757740019_6381417931972685058_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div>
Now, we at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ricostacospl" target="_blank">Ricos Tacos </a>serve it on warmed corn tortillas with cilantro, slices of avocado, pomegranate seeds and a quarter of lime, but you can serve it any way you want. E.g. on quinoa, if you feel sweet potato and kale aren't hipster enough for you.</div>
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*adjust to your own heat preferences, use more or seed the one you're using, but DO NOT leave it out unless you want to end up with a bland dish</div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15182107037701054553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2267117985839644981.post-78081650041541544552015-02-07T18:33:00.000+01:002015-02-07T18:33:29.590+01:00originals: barley risotto pseudo-iberico<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
Almost 10-month break. I'm not sure how that happened. It's not like I stopped cooking - I learned to make kimchi, I helped organise an actual food event, threw a few dinners for my friends. It's not like I stopped writing either - I write book reviews now, me. But it doesn't matter.<br />
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<div>
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NyeImAbsZ8A/VNY6eb0BcuI/AAAAAAAAESE/tr3244-1xnE/s1600/10898966_507191972753293_1110589319_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NyeImAbsZ8A/VNY6eb0BcuI/AAAAAAAAESE/tr3244-1xnE/s1600/10898966_507191972753293_1110589319_n.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a>
What matters is that a few days ago I just walked into my kitchen, looked at what I had, went for a quick walk to the store (that's what I do now - I don't buy food online, I walk to the grocery store every day) and came back to prepare a proper meal for my fiancé, who was just about to come back from his <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1605717/" target="_blank"><i>Frank</i></a>-like trip. These are the ingredients I ended up with.<br />
<div>
<br />
<ul>
<li>2 medium sized red onions, chopped finely</li>
<li>250 g oyster mushrooms, cut in finger wide stripes and then in half</li>
<li>a large (I mean, large) knob of butter</li>
<li>60 g chorizo, cut to your liking, in rather small pieces</li>
<li>250 g flat beans, cut in squares</li>
<li>500 g barley</li>
<li>dry white wine (in this case, Spanish)</li>
<li>grated iberico cheese - to taste</li>
<li>1 l chicken broth</li>
<li>some olive oil (again - Spanish)</li>
<li>salt, pepper (freshly grated, duh), nutmeg, (saffron)</li>
</ul>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pOnB4cNMVF4/VNY6QUefcKI/AAAAAAAAERo/MnlSl4FvYF0/s1600/1538440_1446309302249666_423783397_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pOnB4cNMVF4/VNY6QUefcKI/AAAAAAAAERo/MnlSl4FvYF0/s1600/1538440_1446309302249666_423783397_n.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a>
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Do you see the pattern? I can't say that watching <i>Rick Stein in Spain</i> every day for a week didn't leave its mark. And, of course, there he is - my huge, glorious cat, my well-educated sous chef, meat aficionado, known to read <i>Cooking for Geeks</i> for the pure pleasure of learning. He ran away as soon as I started chopping the onion.<br />
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Immediately after preparing this thing I figured out a few ways to improve it, so allow me to tell you how I would do it again rather than how I did it this time. The beginning is simple, like with every risotto. In a large pot (I figured it won't fit in any skillet I have) melt the butter with some great quality aromatic olive oil for additional flavour. [I know I might have overdone it with the fat, especially taking under consideration the later added fat from the chorizo - for me fat equals flavour, but you don't have to add as much as I did - just make sure it will cover the whole bottom of the pan.] Add the chopped onion and chorizo with a pinch of salt and cook them until the onion is translucent and the fat melted away from the chorizo. Already at this point the smell is amazing - the essence of the joy of cooking.<br />
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Add the barley and stir everything well so that it's completely covered in the fat. Adjust the heat so that it's pretty high, but without the risk of burning everything. For a few minutes stir everything well and let the barley really take in the flavour from the chorizo and onions. Add the wine - enough to cover the barley and then some. Again stir well and let the barley drink up the wine, making sure it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan.<br />
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Start adding the (hot) broth (keep it in a pot on small heat), bit by bit, still making sure there's no sticking at the bottom - I usually use a big ladle and add more broth as soon as the rice/barley takes in what I poured in. Somewhere halfway through the broth add the chopped beans and season generously with black pepper. Be careful with salt, as the cheese that is to be added later is pretty salty itself. Continue adding the broth and check the seasoning. I also added a bit of nutmeg. Somehow I had no saffron at home, but I imagine a strand or two would elevate the whole thing (and make it even more Spanish, since Rick Stein said he can't imagine a more Spanish spice ; ) ).<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0ggem0XBL18/VNY6QJZumqI/AAAAAAAAERk/cHNji0yOhmo/s1600/10950517_865232696866314_1498306534_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0ggem0XBL18/VNY6QJZumqI/AAAAAAAAERk/cHNji0yOhmo/s1600/10950517_865232696866314_1498306534_n.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a>When there's almost no broth left, add some grated cheese - to your liking - and once again check and adjust the seasoning. Add the last batch of the broth and if the barley is cooked through after it's absorbed - finish cooking. If not, you can add some water and cook it until it's done.<br />
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Now - when I made this I added the oyster mushrooms to the whole thing about the same time I added the beans. This was a mistake, as they completely disappeared among the other flavours. So what I'd do the next time round - sauté the mushrooms on butter with some salt and pepper and serve them on top of the risotto with a few flakes of cheese.<br />
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I'm pretty happy with this recipe - I think both the flavours and the textures go great together, it's rich, creamy, with a bit of crunch from the beans and relatively healthy, I think. I hope you like it too. </div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15182107037701054553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2267117985839644981.post-73944067015405870642014-05-13T19:19:00.003+02:002016-01-04T09:41:22.362+01:00#pizzacake<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PJfVlzNZuQY/U3JQFZzNT5I/AAAAAAAABXU/yS0iwBQP1rA/s1600/10254081_305123222976789_1287776716_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PJfVlzNZuQY/U3JQFZzNT5I/AAAAAAAABXU/yS0iwBQP1rA/s1600/10254081_305123222976789_1287776716_n.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
No, this isn't about one of those fancy birthday cakes that look like toys, TARDISes or pizzas. This is about a birthday cake made of pizzas, a terrifying and fascinating invention by Boston Pizza featured on their <a href="http://pizzagamechangers.com/pizzacake" target="_blank">Pizza Game Changers</a> website. Mine doesn't have as many layers and isn't as regular (although I planned to make it quite regular using an actual cake form, but I didn't account for the proofing and growing and stuff), but, mind you, this is a result of the <u>first</u> attempt.<br />
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When I first saw Boston Pizza's Pizza Cake I asked the many pizza-crazed pizza-loving pizza-maniacs I know who's birthday is coming first and decided to make it for that occasion. The day came on Saturday and since I'm a woman of my word, here's my pizza cake.<br />
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I used <a href="http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/recipe/pizza-dough" target="_blank">Jamie's pizza dough recipe</a>, which allowed me to make four small pizzas and a ring to bind them (had some dough left). No need to get into details about the sauce and decoration - I tried not to use too much topping so that the layers don't collapse under the weight.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zHDZYiQyqyw/U3JQFdIYZTI/AAAAAAAABXY/9gvaR-7FUas/s1600/10326598_271370163034785_1123766833_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zHDZYiQyqyw/U3JQFdIYZTI/AAAAAAAABXY/9gvaR-7FUas/s1600/10326598_271370163034785_1123766833_n.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a>I baked every pizza separately for a few minutes, a bit shorter that I would bake a single pizza, also making the base a bit thicker than I normally would. The one that goes on the bottom was baked for the shortest time, as it's the one most exposed in the final stage. Then I stacked the pizzas and wrapped them in the leftover dough. If I wasn't in such a hurry I'd let it proof for a while in that state, before putting it back in the oven. Also, the next time I think I'll use some mozzarella to bind the pizzas and the dough around them. Anyway, this is what came out.<br />
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It doesn't look great inside, because I used rather flat toppings, that don't support the layers on top, unlike it was apparently done (?) in the original idea. Also, transporting it included some running and about 1,5 hour passed between taking it out from the oven and slicing it so it dropped a bit.<br />
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Still, I'm pretty proud of it and everyone seemed to enjoy it.<br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Disclaimer: this post may be a bit chaotic, sorry for that, the spring has really gotten to my brain</span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15182107037701054553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2267117985839644981.post-68849839810261013462014-04-12T07:09:00.000+02:002016-01-04T09:48:54.398+01:00almost tinga de pollo and mango guacamole<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tINxfSYy79E/U0a7-ayMh4I/AAAAAAAAA00/c-jzYNulJ2s/s1600/IMG_20140410_170100.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; padding: 15px;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tINxfSYy79E/U0a7-ayMh4I/AAAAAAAAA00/c-jzYNulJ2s/s1600/IMG_20140410_170100.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
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Of course the day I decided to go Mexican had to be the day when my fiancé, who works in a Mexican restaurant, went on a week-long road trip to shoot a movie. So there was no response when I asked him "how do you make tinga de pollo at work?". So I had to rely on a <a href="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Bite-Size-Chipotle-Chicken-Soft-Tacos-em-tinga-de-pollo-em-51142270" target="_blank">recipe from Epicurious</a> and, unfortunately, the limited supplies of the Polish suburbia.
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This recipe is pretty good, but I call what came out from that "almost" tinga de pollo, because I couldn't find chipotle en adobo within a 5km radius from my parents' house and I had to use marinated jalapeños. It still turned out great. I served it with mango guacamole, which is totally amazing, especially with such great ingredients as we had:
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<ul>
<li>1 super ripe avocado</li>
<li>1 ripe mango, diced</li>
<li>1 small chili pepper</li>
<li>juice from 1 lime</li>
<li>chopped fresh cilantro</li>
</ul>
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Using a spoon scoop the avocado out from its skin and squash it in a bowl using a fork. Add the rest of ingredients, mix thourougly. The end.</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15182107037701054553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2267117985839644981.post-28280009395192800702014-04-10T08:22:00.001+02:002016-01-04T09:49:16.618+01:00seasonal: grilled asparagus with oyster mushrooms<div dir="ltr">
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Finally! Spring! Asparagus!<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MLGtL-EuFx8/U0ZW5Q0uzyI/AAAAAAAAAzM/2UrmpJWJZHM/s1600/IMG_20140409_203256.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MLGtL-EuFx8/U0ZW5Q0uzyI/AAAAAAAAAzM/2UrmpJWJZHM/s1600/IMG_20140409_203256.jpg" width="400" /></a>This is a quick one - I trimmed and scrubbed the asparagi (I love to think this is the proper plural form) and grilled them with a dash of unfiltered olive oil, some salt and freshly ground black pepper.<br />
At the same time I sliced the oyster mushrooms, chopped a large shallot and fried them on butter until they relinquished all liquids (also with salt and pepper). Voila!</div>
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You can't see it on the picture, becuse the dish was already a mess when I figured it out, but parmesan shavings really bound it together, elevating it from different ingredients thrown on a plate to a proper dish.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15182107037701054553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2267117985839644981.post-95248674853649052014-04-06T10:38:00.000+02:002016-01-04T09:49:51.285+01:00Coconut Lime Mussels<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sUMXEqr1rTo/U0ERJfyxq9I/AAAAAAAAAds/BPKnLdFf4kM/s1600/821f8546bca511e3a18412c556c7620b_8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sUMXEqr1rTo/U0ERJfyxq9I/AAAAAAAAAds/BPKnLdFf4kM/s1600/821f8546bca511e3a18412c556c7620b_8.jpg" width="320" /></a>Friday night I made Coconut Lime Mussels from <a href="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Coconut-Lime-Mussels-361530" target="_blank">this recipe</a> at epicurious.com, turned out pretty well, my mussel-loving friend said they were amazing (she took the photo). I'm still on the road to get convinced to shellfish.<br />
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Thanks to Marta I also discovered the Vivino app, which we used extensively that evening. So cool!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15182107037701054553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2267117985839644981.post-43278132089559371682014-03-19T12:37:00.001+01:002014-03-19T12:37:43.700+01:00Chef Kelis!Kelis is cooking and this pretty much looks like a reason to get an ice-cream maker!<br />
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<a href="http://www.cookingchanneltv.com/recipes/goat-cheese-ice-cream0.html" target="_blank">Saucy and Sweet - Goat Cheese Ice Cream </a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15182107037701054553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2267117985839644981.post-22833269451847148412014-02-16T22:04:00.001+01:002014-02-16T22:04:51.609+01:00originals - the lazy Moroccan shepherd's pieEver more often I find myself creating my own recipes, and not working on someone else's. This makes me very happy, as does every sign that I'm capable of more than just recreating things. This is one of those recipes.<div>
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The backstory on this one only proves that laziness is the mother of invention. I had some minced lamb, didn't feel like going through all the fuss of making kołduny (especially since I had them a week before) and most definitely - was not ready to buy, peel and mash potatoes to make a shepherd's pie. But the general idea of shepherd's pie didn't seem so stupid. Why not substitute the potatoes with something faster to make? At that point, why not make it all taste better?</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
<i>ingredients:</i></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>600g minced lamb</li>
<li>100g dates</li>
<li>one big pear</li>
<li>some chilli finely chopped peppers (I leave the amount and the matter of the seeds to your preference)</li>
<li>300 ml red wine (something heavier, a shiraz perhaps)</li>
<li>200 mg cous-cous</li>
<li>1 cinnamon stick</li>
<li>few cardamom pods</li>
<li>salt, pepper</li>
</ul>
As usually, start with pouring yourself a glass of wine and some more, about 150ml to another small glass. While enjoying the wine you've chosen, chop the dates and throw them into the other wine filled glass to soak for a while. The dates will expand a bit, get more moist, and the wine will become sweeter. </div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wnHLaCW440I/UwEnZc_Ub2I/AAAAAAAAAWk/wZqj0KMoYOw/s1600/IMG_3638.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wnHLaCW440I/UwEnZc_Ub2I/AAAAAAAAAWk/wZqj0KMoYOw/s1600/IMG_3638.JPG" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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<div>
In a bowl season the minced lamb generously (mostly with pepper, but also with salt) and mix it well with your hands. Minced lamb has the tendency to clump and never fall apart, and then the flavours don't get through well. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
Heat some olive oil in a tagine pot - if you don't have one, just take a heavy, oven proof skillet that you can cover - it's pretty important for this recipe not to let too much fluids evaporate. On mid heat, start cooking the meat, adding the chopped chilli, cinnamon and cardamom. Meanwhile peel and dice the pear. Add it to the meat together with the dates and the wine they soaked in. Stir everything well, try to break apart any bigger lumps of lamb, cover and let simmer for some time.</div>
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Heat the oven to about 200C/400F/gas mark 6. Get yourself another glass of wine and prepare the cous-cous. Put it in a bowl and add to it the juices from the lamb. Then, add the remaining wine and some boiling water - about half of the amount mentioned in the instructions on the packaging. Cover it and let it "cook".</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kKuzoUXec04/UwEnZlZhGiI/AAAAAAAAAWo/iEh-n25kquU/s1600/IMG_3639.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kKuzoUXec04/UwEnZlZhGiI/AAAAAAAAAWo/iEh-n25kquU/s1600/IMG_3639.JPG" height="320" width="320" /></a>Now, the semi, pseudo "shepherd's pie" part. Distribute the lamb evenly in the skillet and cover it with an even layer of cous-cous. Put it in the oven and cook (uncovered) until the top is golden-brown. It depends on the oven and many other factors, but, let's say, start checking in on it after about 15 minutes. The top should be a bit crunchy and so should some bits of the lamb at the bottom and the sides.</div>
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If you still have some wine left, totally serve it with it. If not - shame on you for not buying more. Anyway, I liked it a lot and was told it's seriously good. Hope you think so too, enjoy.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15182107037701054553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2267117985839644981.post-72084049511898158682014-01-09T16:11:00.001+01:002015-04-06T00:01:34.486+02:00originals: the Ruskies experiment<br />
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After a good run of making <a href="http://omnomnomnomnomnomnomnom.blogspot.com/2014/01/who-asked-for-ruskies-no-one-they-came.html" target="_blank">ruskies</a>, I found myself with a couple of ingredients I didn't know what to do with. I made this amazing <a href="http://www.thefirstmess.com/2013/09/26/moroccan-style-vegan-vegetable-chickpea-stew-recipe/" target="_blank">moroccan-style vegetable and chickpea stew</a> (from The First Mess) for my fiancé's mother's and sister's birthday (I was looking for something vegan and gluten free to accommodate for everyone's needs) and was left with a couple sweet potatoes I never used before in my kitchen. So the idea came - let's make ruskies with sweet potatoes.<br />
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<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-u0UJuKtp4II/Us65ZEkkvoI/AAAAAAAAAU0/0AKNW0fAOHc/s640/blogger-image--1823734222.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-u0UJuKtp4II/Us65ZEkkvoI/AAAAAAAAAU0/0AKNW0fAOHc/s200/blogger-image--1823734222.jpg" width="200" /></a>Long story short, I decided to substitute the regular onion for red one and the quark for smooth goat cheese. The red onions are slightly sweeter than regular ones and goat cheese works well with sweetness and balances it awesomely (I didn't want to make a dessert, after all). I think I did just fine, thank you. So the filling is:<br />
<ul>
<li>200 g sweet potatoes, cooked, pureed</li>
<li>200 g white goat cheese (if given a chance, use one that's a bit harder, more like feta)</li>
<li>100 g red onions, chopped finely</li>
<li>butter</li>
</ul>
<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-q4t1TyRSTZw/Us65bmOeUtI/AAAAAAAAAU8/XMUCqGbQuo4/s1600/blogger-image-841081946.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-q4t1TyRSTZw/Us65bmOeUtI/AAAAAAAAAU8/XMUCqGbQuo4/s200/blogger-image-841081946.jpg" width="200" /></a>The rest goes basically the same as with the <a href="http://omnomnomnomnomnomnomnom.blogspot.com/2014/01/who-asked-for-ruskies-no-one-they-came.html" target="_blank">ruskies</a> - melt butter, cook onions (but not too much, let them be a bit crunchy, this makes the bite more interesting with different textures and stuff). The dough is the same, only this time it's additional point is that it's almost translucent and the pierogis look preeeettyyyyy (colours!). I make these smaller than regular pierogis, so I use something slightly smaller than a regular glass to cut out the circles.<br />
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They are pretty flavourful, they can work as a single dish, but they're also awesome as a side, which I tried out with steak and basil sauce. Enjoy!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15182107037701054553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2267117985839644981.post-81452209933243365782014-01-08T19:39:00.002+01:002015-03-01T15:39:14.281+01:00- who asked for the Ruskies? - no-one, they came uninvitedIt could seem that unemployment (self-employment, as we're calling it in Poland) would result in an increased frequency of posts on this blog, but, truth be told, the lack of structure to run away from has proven to be just that - lack of structure. But I didn't stay away from the kitchen. I just lacked the concentration to write about it.
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This is the first of two posts documenting an experiment I made, and it's about the base. Lack of jobs equals lack of money, so I was trying to come up with something cheap that will last for many days. I thought of the cheapest kind of pierogi - the ruskies. The great thing about pierogi is that once you make a shitload of them, you can freeze them before cooking and eat them for weeks to come.<br />
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The recipe is pretty simple and the results are great. The unique thing about this kind of pierogi is the dough. It's a bit like magic, watching how gluten works and stuff:
<br />
<ul>
<li>1 glass of all-purpose flour</li>
<li>3 tbs of vegetable oil</li>
<li>salt</li>
<li>1/2 cup of boiling water</li>
</ul>
<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-n8X6Xp0A5jE/Us2av55u7XI/AAAAAAAAAUc/ncVr_qi4BCo/s640/blogger-image-652646024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-n8X6Xp0A5jE/Us2av55u7XI/AAAAAAAAAUc/ncVr_qi4BCo/s200/blogger-image-652646024.jpg" width="200" /></a>See? Cheap, it doesn't even need egg. Mix the flour with the salt, add the oil, mix a little and then add the boiling water and, watching the amazing transformation, work the dough until it becomes a smooth, even ball, no clumps etc. It can be hard at the beginning (hooooot), but push through it!<br />
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The filling is more time consuming (unless you have a batch of cooked potatoes - the ruskies are a great leftover dish), so, actually, it's good to start with that. (The amounts are for a rather small batch).<br />
<ul>
<li>200 g fat quark (the Polish type - twaróg)</li>
<li>200 g cooked, pureed potatoes</li>
<li>100 g onions, chopped rather finely</li>
<li>3 tbs butter</li>
<li>some salt, lots of freshly ground black pepper</li>
</ul>
<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-2rfgJVD1v-w/Us2auDslwLI/AAAAAAAAAUU/v5i_OuWfzeM/s640/blogger-image--800951194.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-2rfgJVD1v-w/Us2auDslwLI/AAAAAAAAAUU/v5i_OuWfzeM/s200/blogger-image--800951194.jpg" width="200" /></a>In a heavy pan melt the butter and slowly cook the onion until it's translucent and golden. In a large bowl combine the potatoes and the quark, then add the onion (try to get as much of the melted butter from the pan as possible, the filling will be a bit smoother and tastier then).<br />
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<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Q4XkjoQ6TDk/Us2axP6B2sI/AAAAAAAAAUk/oi3eAgNQpRk/s640/blogger-image--46109345.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Q4XkjoQ6TDk/Us2axP6B2sI/AAAAAAAAAUk/oi3eAgNQpRk/s200/blogger-image--46109345.jpg" width="200" /></a>The rest is simple, turn on a good show on your laptop, roll out the dough (it's good to divide it in four parts, rather than roll it out all at once, and always remember about sprinkling some flour on the table and the rolling pin), cut out circles with a regular glass and make pierogis until you're have no more filling. Cook in salted, boiling water until they all float to the surface. Serve with fried chopped onion (like you used for the filling).<br />
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That's it when it comes to the ruskies. The next post will be about my own, new version, that I don't know how to call. Yet.<br />
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(The title is the punchline from a Polish communist era joke. It goes something like this: a cook in a bistro calls out "uskie!" - no one answers - after a while she calls again "ruskie!!!" - still no answer - after a couple of times she yells "who asked for the Ruskies?!?" and finally someone answers "no one did, they came uninvited")Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15182107037701054553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2267117985839644981.post-15579504342918441132013-11-04T12:15:00.002+01:002013-11-04T12:24:07.663+01:00comfort food: kołduny<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TfHOI15rT3M/Und-5sjbIbI/AAAAAAAAASw/mZNBdmNS1Ko/s1600/25843f6234eb11e391c022000ae810f4_8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TfHOI15rT3M/Und-5sjbIbI/AAAAAAAAASw/mZNBdmNS1Ko/s320/25843f6234eb11e391c022000ae810f4_8.jpg" /></a></div>
<p>Sometimes you realize you did stuff wrong, that choices that were supposed to make your life better have all just gone to shit, you may never have the chance to do what you love and you can't even post anything to your blog more often than once in a month. At times like this, you need comfort food. For me, comfort food is not just about how it makes you feel when you eat it. The whole cooking process can be comforting too. That's why for me kołduny are the best comfort food known to mankind.
<p>It may seem like I'm going sentimental, but I have to mention there's also some family tradition when it comes to this dish. First with my grandma and my aunts, then just with my Mom, we used to spend a whole day on this. We'd sit all together, make the first batch, trying to make the kołduny as small as possible and bragging about our skills, then we'd cook the first batch, eat it, suffer from overeating and start the next batch. Repeat until the filling is gone. There's something about forming the tiny dumplings that makes it a lot like occupational therapy.
<p>The most amazing and important thing about the kołduny is the filling. Like in the Ukrainian pelmeni, you use raw meat filling. In this case it's lamb - the ultimate base of comfort food - not only extremely delicious, but also rich in things that actually improve your mood and make you healthier.
<ul>filling:
<li>500g ground lamb</li>
<li>marjoram</li>
<li>salt</li>
<li>pepper</li>
</ul>
<p>The filling is quite simple, but you have to rely on your own taste here. I'd advice to use at least half glass of marjoram. You just have to taste it until it's good - add some of the spices, mix with a fork or with your hand, taste, repeat until you're satisfied. Try not to eat everything at once.
<p>After you're done with the filling, cover it and put it in the refridgerator. Then make the dough, you'll find the recipe <a href="http://omnomnomnomnomnomnomnom.blogspot.com/2013/09/seasonal-chanterelle-and-goat-cheese.html">here</a>. Let it rest a while in the frige too, and then cut out a small bit and roll it out thinly - the thinner the better, as it can't overwhelm the filling, it's just there to catch the fluids.
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<p>Now comes the occupational therapy part. You'll need a shot glass and an espresso spoon. Cut out circles of dough with the hot glass, put in the filling with an espresso spoon. Then fold it in half, close it squeezing the exces dough together with your fingers and, for decorative purposes, add "waves" by pinching it together along the side a few times, as close as you can.
<p>When you're done with the first batch, boil some salted water in a short, but wide, pot. When it's boiling, throw the kołduny in and boil them until they float to the top, then just a minute more. Now, this is VERY IMPORTANT. DON'T DISCARD THE WATER. It turns into a perfect broth - serve the kołduny in it. Keep the rest of the broth and cook the next batches in it - it will be ever more flavourfull. Of course you can add some water every next time.
<p>If you don't think you can eat all of them at once, you can freeze them before boiling. They'll be just fine.</p>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15182107037701054553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2267117985839644981.post-15019594859115937572013-10-06T11:44:00.000+02:002013-11-04T11:21:30.036+01:00seasonal: mom's apple pie / szarlotka<p>This may be the first Polish recipe I'm posting here, but Autumn is a very Polish time of the year. Somehow we learned to take advantage of this gloomy time of year like no other folk. Perhaps it's because of the very special time on the beginning of the season, when everything is golden and the forests and orchards are crazy rich with stuff.
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<p>This is a recipe for apple pie for how my Mom makes it. I've never heard anyone NOT saying they've never had better. I certainly haven't.
<p><i>the filling:</i>
<ul>
<li>2,5 sour apples (if possible of the Antonovka variety)</li>
<li>ground cinnamon</li>
<li>sugar</li>
</ul>
<p>You can make the filling in advance, not too long ahead, of course. Peel the apples, remove the seeds, dice and cook them with some sugar and cinnamon - I can't tell you how much exactly - it all depends on the apples and your taste. Just remember not to make them too sweet - the dough will be sweet enough and the hint of sourness is quite important for this to be a perfect apple pie. Also remember not to cook the apples for too long - try to have most of them remaining in firm bits - remember they're still going to the oven and it's not called apple mush, now, is it?
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<p><i>the crust</i>
<ul>
<li>800g flour</li>
<li>250g butter (one brick)</li>
<li>1 egg</li>
<li>1 egg-yolk</li>
<li>1 sachet vanilla sugar (vanillin will do, if you REALLY can't get your hands on the real deal)</li>
<li>1 sachet baking soda</li>
<li>1 cup of sour cream (yoghurt will do, if you want the illusion of it being lighter</li>
<li>sugar (I'd say start with half-cup and continue from there until you're satisfied)</li>
</ul>
<p>Sieve the flour through into a heap and make a small hole in the middle. Add the rest of the ingredients, chop it roughly with a large knife (or using a pastry blender, if you have one, I don't, but I'd love one, you know?) and then work it into a nice, smooth ball, checking the sweetness every once in a while and adding sugar if needed.
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<p>
<p>oven: 220C / 430F / gas mark 7
<p>Divide the dough in two and roll out the first half onto a baking sheet fitting the baking tray you're going to use. Bake this first layer for about 15 minutes. Thanks to this the bottom crust won't get soggy and stuff. In that time roll out the second half of dough (once again - onto a fitted baking sheet). Take the first layer out from the oven (it should be golden, but not too dark) and evenly spread out the filling onto it. Cover it carefully with the second layer, remove the baking sheet and bake for another 15 minutes (or until the colour seems right).
<p>To serve, sprinkle generously with confectioner's sugar and cut into even, square pieces. I never tried adding anything to it (no ice cream, whipped cream, nothing) - I think it's perfect on its own.
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<p>There's a profoundly sad story about how I learned to make this apple pie. I watched my mother make it for 19 years, but never touched it apart from stealing the raw dough (which is DELICIOUS). Until the day our horse died. Harcerz wasn't just any horse. He was about 34 years old (we could never agree on that and someone lost his papers) and he spent most of that time with my Mom. I grew up with him. In my life I saw more of him than anybody else (except, perhaps, my Mom). My first words were about him (and apples - for him). He was a nasty old monster, better than a couple of dobermans if let loose in the yard, but he loved me and he'd never harm me.
<p>Anyway. The day I made my first apple pie. He was dying, we did everything we could, the vet was there for half a day already and my mother was faced with one of the most difficult decisions in her life. I moved out of the way, back to the house, through the kitchen entrance, as usual when coming back from the stable. And there, in the kitchen, I found a pastry board with all the ingredients on it, unmixed, waiting to be worked. I knew there's no way my Mom will be able to do anything with it and I figured this was a perfect way to get my mind off things just a little.
<p>For most my life we made the apple pie with the apples from the Antonovka tree next to the stable. I used to climb that tree and pick apples for Harcerz. If I stopped, for example to eat one apple myself, he'd pull my shoelaces in a warning - do your job or fall down, your choice.
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<p>So I made a ramenburger. It was all I thought it would be. Took the recipe from <a href="http://mashable.com/2013/09/22/ramen-burger/">Mashable</a> and nailed it (well, apart from the shape part - shapes are not something I'm good with, especially with my raging impatience). Of course I left out the arugula, because, come on, why spoil a perfectly good burger with green paper in funny shapes?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15182107037701054553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2267117985839644981.post-62586301109976358282013-09-13T12:56:00.003+02:002013-09-13T12:56:57.393+02:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mTnkoOJN3Ho/UjLvQJA7snI/AAAAAAAAANo/srklLOVLHzA/s1600/niet.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mTnkoOJN3Ho/UjLvQJA7snI/AAAAAAAAANo/srklLOVLHzA/s1600/niet.png" /></a></div>
<p> source: <a href="http://stickyembraces.tumblr.com/">http://stickyembraces.tumblr.com/</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15182107037701054553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2267117985839644981.post-23359819492291418152013-09-13T09:49:00.001+02:002013-09-13T09:49:54.923+02:00seasonal: chanterelle and goat cheese trottelloni<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dtmC-IgqL34/Uicg2dzqOwI/AAAAAAAAANY/_AIZXLH-CDY/s1600/IMG_3205.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; padding: 15px;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dtmC-IgqL34/Uicg2dzqOwI/AAAAAAAAANY/_AIZXLH-CDY/s320/IMG_3205.JPG" /></a></div>
<p>When it comes to seasonal food, chanterelles for me are the most elusive. You can import fresh asparagus from Peru and pay a shitload of money, you can grow tomatoes all year long in glasshouses (and complain about their lack of flavour), but you can only get fresh chanterelles for these few weeks a year.
<p>I have a few good recipes for stuff more elaborate than scrambled eggs with chanterelles (although that's actually good enough for me) and perhaps I'll manage to share them with you before the season is over, this is one of them. When it comes to chanterelles, simplicity is key, less is more - you wouldn't want to kill their flavour with too many ingredients. So, here we go.
<p><i>pasta dough</i> (I know this is not the classic italian recipe, it's more of a Polish dumpling dough recipe - you can use your favourite, I just got used to this one):
<ul>
<li>2 cups of flour (the thinner the better)</li>
<li>salt</li>
<li>1 large free-range egg (if you don't have those - buy some and stop buying other ones right this instant)</li>
<li>a cup of water (you may not use all of it, remember)</li>
</ul>
<p>Sieve the flour to a large bowl, add salt and the egg - knead. Gradually add small amounts of water and knead further, until the dough is smooth, without any dry lumps. If you added too much water and the dough it too sticky, add some flour and knead again. Put the dough in a plastic bag and in the refrigerator - believe me, it improves the doughs quality when it comes to the next steps.
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<p><i>filling:</i>
<ul>
<li>cleaned chanterelles</li>
<li>shallots</li>
<li>butter</li>
<li>soft goat cheese</li>
<li>salt and freshly ground pepper</li>
</ul>
<p>Sorry for not giving you exact measurements, but there's just no way to do this, you have to go with your gut here. But, let's say for a medium bowl of chanterelles (while they're still in one piece) I'd take 2-3 challots and ca. 100g goat cheese.
<p>Chop the chanterelles and the shallots rather finely. Melt some butter on a pan, according to your preference - I always use a lot of butter, but I understand people who don't. When the butter melts fry the challots on medium heat until they're translucent, salt them and add the chopped chanterelles - fry them for a little while, until they're a bit softer. Turn off the heat and add the goat cheese. Season with salt and pepper, stirr until it all combines and put it aside into a bowl to let it cool down. Cold filling, especially butter-based, is much easier to use than warm one.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wzH_GpManzQ/Uicgy95VTDI/AAAAAAAAANA/EH2UGOHVFCk/s1600/IMG_3203.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; padding: 15px;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wzH_GpManzQ/Uicgy95VTDI/AAAAAAAAANA/EH2UGOHVFCk/s320/IMG_3203.JPG" /></a></div>
<p>Now, off to occupational therapy. It's good to have someone to help you and/or a few episodes of something good to watch. This will take you some time.
<p>Cut away a fist sized piece of dough, leave the rest in the fridge. Sprinkle the table with flour, rub some on your rolling pin and roll out the dough as thinly as you can. Thick dough overwhelms the filling and throws off the texture balance of the dish. Using something like a espresso cup or larger vodka glass or similar in diameter (I'd say about 4-5cm?) cut out circles of dough. Prepare some cloths and a tray spirinkled with flour to put the ready dumplings on. Now, to the folding.
<p>I called this shape trottelloni (from German Trottel - fool, that's my sense of humour right there), because first of all, it's so easy a fool can do it and, most of all, I couldn't find a proper Italian name for it - went through all the possible shapes of stuffed pasta and didn't find it. If you know a proper name - please share.
<p>So, it goes like this - with an espresso spoon, put some filling in the middle of the circle, fold it in half and press the edges together. Then take the corners and, bending the dumpling, press them together too, just as you can see on the picture with my messily-manicured fingers. Repeat until you run out of dough and filling.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HvmuTqsPTaw/Uicgz8_foLI/AAAAAAAAANI/Ol3W3vadQ_U/s1600/IMG_3204.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; padding: 15px;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HvmuTqsPTaw/Uicgz8_foLI/AAAAAAAAANI/Ol3W3vadQ_U/s320/IMG_3204.JPG" /></a></div>
<p>If you run of dough first, you can either make more, or freeze the remaining filling for later. If you run out of filling, roll out the remaining dough, sprinkle generously with flour and leave to dry. When dried, roll it into, well, a roll and slice thinly - you now have some homemade pasta you can store for later.
<p>Back to the trottelloni. Get some salted water boiling, throw the trottelloni in and boil until they all float to the top and a few moments more. Serve with sage-butter. Enjoy.
<p>If you made more than you can eat, you can easily freeze them (before cooking, clearly) - first on the tray you used to put them aside, and when they're already frozen you can put them in a freezing bag - they shouldn't stick together anymore.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15182107037701054553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2267117985839644981.post-65910993142244209852013-08-24T18:05:00.001+02:002013-08-30T10:43:11.969+02:00say hello to my perfect bread<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Q4yh2UO5G2s/UhjZUl1NZgI/AAAAAAAAAMw/L2I2Z5eZH3M/s1600/IMG_3196.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; padding: 5px;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Q4yh2UO5G2s/UhjZUl1NZgI/AAAAAAAAAMw/L2I2Z5eZH3M/s320/IMG_3196.JPG" /></a></div>
<br>
<p>He's so perfect, he'll probably say "hello" back.
<p>100% spelt, including spelt sourdough for the first time.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15182107037701054553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2267117985839644981.post-58666786730206463802013-08-18T11:18:00.000+02:002013-08-18T11:19:38.543+02:00the heat is on - miami mojito<p>The weekend isn't over yet, nor is is hot weather, so why not treat yourself to the best summer refreshment - mojito. I found a great recipe few years ago and the reactions I get every time I make it are positive, to say the least. For me, this is the ultimate picnic drink, but I'll explain that in a moment.
<p>Here's the video I got it from:
<iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/nTr_1GvDYmQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<p>I always use brown sugar and I'm not really sure how they came up with using white here, whatever. Thanks to the blending, the flavours are really intensive and the grated lime skin really adds something special.
<p>What I usually do is prepare the base and pour it into a plastic bottle and tell someone else to bring soda water and plastic cups wherever we're meeting. Then we're just mixing it with the water in the cup, each to their own linking. It's really convenient and much better than just drinking beer in a park.
<p>Just to make it easier, here are the ingredients for a 0,7l bottle of rum:
<ul>
<li>a large handful of fresh spearmint leaves (believe me, peppermint won't work here)</li>
<li>1,5 cup brown sugar (more like demerara, muscovado won't do at all, also, you may think that's a lot - it's not)</li>
<li>0,75 cup freshly squeezed lime juice</li>
<li>a generous tablespoon of freshly grated lime peel</li>
<li>loads and loads of ice</li>
<li>a 0,7l bottle of golden or white rum (never dark)</li>
<li>a 1,5l bottle of soda water</li>
</ul>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15182107037701054553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2267117985839644981.post-87208745166047964052013-08-15T12:51:00.000+02:002014-08-31T15:53:15.425+02:00Köttbullar - IKEA meatballsI've spent a lot of time trying to find THE recipe for THE swedish meatballs from IKEA. I finally found it somewhere deep in the forgotten corners of IKEA servers, in Norwegian. For those of you, who don't speak Norwegian: learn it ASAP, it's a great language. For those of you, who don't speak Norwegian and are not willing to learn - you're lucky I'm able to translate this recipe for you. Here it is.
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CgZeMK60pDg/UgyuGl0bmAI/AAAAAAAAAMc/QK3t_Xjhvx4/s1600/kjottboler.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; padding: 10px;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CgZeMK60pDg/UgyuGl0bmAI/AAAAAAAAAMc/QK3t_Xjhvx4/s400/kjottboler.png" /></a>
<br />
Swedish meatballs
<br />
Real Swedish meatballs should be small and served with mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce.
<br />
<ul>
<li>500 g highest quality ground meat</li>
<li>4 tbs breadcrumbs</li>
<li>2 ts (full) grainy or French mustard</li>
<li>150 ml milk</li>
<li>1/2 finely chopped onion</li>
<li>salt and pepper</li>
</ul>
Mix the breadcrumbs and milk and set them aside for 5 minutes. Mix all the ingredients together and form small balls. Fry them on butter or sunflower oil for about 8-10 minutes, depending on their size.<br />
<br />
<br />
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15182107037701054553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2267117985839644981.post-23519851104315730822013-08-14T13:52:00.000+02:002015-03-01T15:47:42.517+01:00a quick one - good housewifin'There are days when you just can't be bothered with coming up with elaborate plans what to make for breakfast, dinner etc., but you still want it to be good and impressive. Days, when shortcuts are in order.
<br />
Shortcut one: find a stunning breakfast recipe somewhere you know you won't be disappointed. Let's say, on smittenkitchen. Here's what I found: <a href="http://http//smittenkitchen.com/blog/2010/04/shakshuka/">shakshuka</a>. Make sure, you make twice the amount you need.
<br />
Shortcut two: find a way of extending the meal to a satisfying dinner, let's say, <a href="http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/recipe/pizza-dough">turn it into a pizza</a> (an appropriate amount for two people would be 1/4 of what Jamie suggests here, so keep that in mind unless you want to extend the shortcuts into storing some pizza dough for the next days).
<br />
Enjoy the comments. For me it was "wow, what is this" in the morning and "god, this is really amazing" in the afternoon. Thanks, Deb and Jamie!<br />
<br />
<br />
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15182107037701054553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2267117985839644981.post-72463501104725286612013-08-14T13:19:00.001+02:002013-08-15T11:43:53.914+02:00seasonal - grill, simple lamb, asparagus<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qPa0JjQ2KNA/UgtcEkWG-1I/AAAAAAAAAL4/TxJNFS54lOs/s1600/IMG_2587.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; padding: 10px;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qPa0JjQ2KNA/UgtcEkWG-1I/AAAAAAAAAL4/TxJNFS54lOs/s320/IMG_2587.JPG" /></a></div>
<br>
<p>I've been experiencing some lags recently, so please excuse me for posting about asparagus way beyond season (well, at least in Europe). But, hey, the grilling season is still on, so perhaps at least the lamb recipe will be useful.
<p>Both the green asparagus and lamb chops are extremely easy and fast to prepare, but at the same time - they're really impressive. All you need to do with the asparagus, once you cleaned them (which, in Europe, doesn't only mean trimming the lower ends - you should really peel them unless you're lucky enough to find 50 cm long asparagus you can afford to cut 15 cm off) is to sprinkle them with sea salt, freshly ground pepper and olive oil - they're ready to grill.
<p>Now - with the lamb there are two ways to do this. An uncertain, easy one, and a delicious one you have to put some more effort into. You can either buy ready made pesto genovese for this, or make it yourself. Unless you have a brand you're sure of and very little time, I recommend making it yourself. I actually dislike pine nuts, so I substitute them with walnuts. With added garlic it's not really pesto genovese anymore, but, hell, it's god. I use a blender - this way it's easier to get a more even, flavourful sauce.
<p>So, for the semi-pesto I throw a big bunch of fresh basil leaves, a handful of parmigiano, a couple pressed big garlic cloves (I usually add more, but I love garlic, not everybody does) and a handful of walnuts. I season it after blending - the parmiggiano is salty, so it's easy to overdo it with the salt before tasting.
<i><p>TIP: To make the walnuts blend better with the other ingredients I use a garlic presser - no more large bits!</i>
<p>Back to the grilling - take the lamb chops (any lamb chops) and generously rub them with the pesto. Place them on the grill together with the asparagus. If the chops are small and thin, I recommend putting the asparagus on earlier, as they may take longer to cook. As for the times - don't require exact times for me - this all depends on the grill, the temperature you achieved, the size of the chops and most of all - on your preferences. I like it rare or at least medium-rare.
<p>As you can see on the picture, I didn't use a regular grill/barbecue - I tried out the Lotus Grill thingy and I'm quite pleased with it. If you're doing it right, that is, read the manual and use all the things you need to use, including the lighting gel (unlike we did the first time round), it's really great. It heats up almost immediately, it's clean, doesn't take much space, you can use it on your balcony without annoying the people next door or above you. Also, if you're a design and gadget freak like me, it's simply pretty cool. We have the smaller one, but it also comes in bigger sizes for bigger parties. Check it out here: <a href="http://www.lotusgrill.pl/en/">http://www.lotusgrill.pl/en/</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15182107037701054553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2267117985839644981.post-51042807883820836382013-06-18T08:50:00.000+02:002013-08-15T12:14:29.225+02:00Barcelona - pure joy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DEIx2xF2UoM/Ub__rrd_AkI/AAAAAAAAALQ/rwof5UNTt04/s1600/IMG_2718.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; padding: 10px;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DEIx2xF2UoM/Ub__rrd_AkI/AAAAAAAAALQ/rwof5UNTt04/s320/IMG_2718.JPG" /></a></div>
<br>
<p>Walking through the streets of Barcelona we stumbled upon something very close to heaven - an Enrique Tomas shop - a store with ham and wine. And they had the most amazing thing - ham cones.
<p>A ham cone (a.k.a. chuches de jamon belota) has to be one of THE greatest inventions ever - finally a way to enjoy ham as a snack on-the-go! There are two versions of the ham cone - one with ham cubes and one with shredded, thinly sliced ham. I guess the second one is a better way to go, as the flavour is really intensive and can be overwhelming. Also, this form is better if you want to enjoy how the ham melts in your mouth...
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BsDzqW_bwPw/Ua3r4N_fRuI/AAAAAAAAAK8/vSrGhb2RHUo/s1600/420228_10152881436910454_1281474201_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; padding: 10px;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BsDzqW_bwPw/Ua3r4N_fRuI/AAAAAAAAAK8/vSrGhb2RHUo/s320/420228_10152881436910454_1281474201_n.jpg" /></a>
<p>This was one of the best, most inspiring things we saw in Barcelona, one of those things that, like vino turbio, brought us nothing but pure joy.
<p>One cone costs 4,50 EUR, but it's a fair price for such quality and quantity - we took one for the two of us and were completely satisfied.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15182107037701054553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2267117985839644981.post-16442113026407849662013-06-02T15:08:00.000+02:002013-08-15T12:57:22.341+02:00Barcelona - Can Maño<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3oy_ZjttLN0/Uas8OQYyh2I/AAAAAAAAAKs/X4Cd8l2ZeqE/s1600/IMG_2688.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; padding: 10px; "></"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3oy_ZjttLN0/Uas8OQYyh2I/AAAAAAAAAKs/X4Cd8l2ZeqE/s320/IMG_2688.JPG" /></a>
<br>
<p>We went to Barcelona for the Primavera Sound Festival and were lucky enough to team up with people who went there many times before and knew exactly what to do when it came to dining. They took us to the most amazing place at Barceloneta, visited mostly by the locals. To get in there, you have to get in a queue at least half an hour before the opening.
<p>The first amazing thing we got to know there (which stuck with us until the end of the trip and well beyond) was Turbio. This amazing white wine is unlike any wine I've tried before - it's enriched with yeast. Surprising, refreshing and truly delicious, sold in beautifully simple bottles with a thumb-sized label, available from 1,19 EUR in some supermarkets. We brought 10 bottles back to Poland.
<br>
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xYiAmbb8DYo/Uas8KetgbEI/AAAAAAAAAKc/VsWJg_JLBAU/s1600/IMG_2698.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; padding: 10px;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xYiAmbb8DYo/Uas8KetgbEI/AAAAAAAAAKc/VsWJg_JLBAU/s320/IMG_2698.JPG" /></a>
<p> Then came the food. I may have already mentioned I'm not really a fan of seafood which is, of course, a specialty of Barcelona, so I was really happy to see that the orgy started with deep fried vegetables - eggplants, sweet peppers and home-made french fries (as seen in the middle of the table). All of it amazing, but nothing comparing to the seafood part.
<p>My mother always explained to me, that seafood tastes completely different when it's really fresh and served just a few hundred meters from where it was caught. As much as I hate to admit it - she was right.
<br>
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FfLV6BX0rq4/Uas4ZdiA4yI/AAAAAAAAAJ8/B5nswR7D94Y/s1600/blogger-image-150872511.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; padding: 10px;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FfLV6BX0rq4/Uas4ZdiA4yI/AAAAAAAAAJ8/B5nswR7D94Y/s320/blogger-image-150872511.jpg" /></a>
<p>We ordered some sick amount of food, including calamari, sardines and prawns, but my top 2 were chipirones (baby squid, top of the plate) and llangueta - the tiniest fish (just compare their size to the fork), both deep fried.
<p>Everything was amazingly fresh and you had to eat it as soon as it hit the table - while it was still sizzling, crispy and hot. As soon as I got stuffed beyond my limits and had to wait a while to eat more, my satisfaction fell down a few levels - it all wasn't so great as it cooled down. So the way to go there is to take some friends and order really small amounts of everything, but frequently. They don't mind - everything is done extremely fast, like within two minutes from the time you'd placed your order.
<p>If you ever go to Barcelona don't miss this place. It would be a sin.
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15182107037701054553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2267117985839644981.post-17746664903422296892013-05-18T21:58:00.000+02:002013-08-15T11:54:46.668+02:00books: Doctor Who Cookbook<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lyZTmzdsM_M/UZfgJeCWLmI/AAAAAAAAAJs/L2S-QHsIBnU/s1600/doctor+cookbook.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; padding: 10px;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lyZTmzdsM_M/UZfgJeCWLmI/AAAAAAAAAJs/L2S-QHsIBnU/s320/doctor+cookbook.png" /></a></div>
<br>
<p>This came at a really perfect moment. As all the Whovians were scanning every possible torrent source for the supposedly (and obviously falsely) leaked final episode of season 7 - "The Name of the Doctor" - the searches started returning results with this little gem on top. The Doctor Who Cookbook, a collection of recipes gathered from the whole Doctor Who crew, published in 1985.</p><p>There's no point in reviewing this properly - it's key value is nostalgic, especially now that I found a Polish element there. One of the first recipes in the book is Chłodnik - the name and the dish 100% Polish. What is it? See for yourself.</p>
<p>btw, was this episode one of the best yet or what?</p>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15182107037701054553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2267117985839644981.post-84961005955816675852013-05-07T13:22:00.001+02:002013-08-15T11:55:28.136+02:00bugs!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ltMTJ0tiXxY/UYjhw_QuhJI/AAAAAAAAAJA/SdDA3KU_2Ik/s1600/485604_10152831853650454_1972034912_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; padding: 10px;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ltMTJ0tiXxY/UYjhw_QuhJI/AAAAAAAAAJA/SdDA3KU_2Ik/s320/485604_10152831853650454_1972034912_n.jpg" /></a></div>
<br>
<p>A friend brought us some edible bugs from Mexico - my fiancé is fascinated by the idea and I tried to force it into cultural foresight reports at work (with no success, not my fault).
<p>Once you take a deep breath and explain to yourself that they're not going to start moving as soon as you put them in your mouth, it's really fine. The texture is crispy, that's true, but no more crispy than regular potato chips or something in sugar coating. And they taste really good. For me the flavour is much less weird than any fish or seafood.
<p>The bugs are quite savoury, with a nice, tangy finish. A friend told me not to say they taste like chicken - well, they don't. The flavour is rather unique and much less "transparent", but it may just me the seasoning, about which I know nothing, unfortunately.
<p>Anyway, I'll keep insisting that bugs ARE the future of nutrition, unless we want to kill off half of the population and stick with what we're eating now. I'm trying to think of something more to do with them - tempura seems to be the most obvious answer here, but perhaps I'll go with a salat, if with anything at all.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15182107037701054553noreply@blogger.com1