woensdag 28 januari 2009

New Cookbook: Hip Kip


This cute little cookbook is sold by the Dutch supermarket Albert Heijn.
It's all about chicken, which I love... I couldn't pass up on it. Especially when they prized them down to only 1 euro!!! I can't wait to try my first recipe!

dinsdag 27 januari 2009

I confess..... (TWD)

I'm a terrible TWD-slacker..... I haven't made this weeks recipe yet...
Basically I have no other excuse than being busy: I've been very busy at work:
organising a seminar, for which I'm spending the next few days in Amsterdam.

I will try to catch up on the Fresh Ginger and Chocolate Gingerbread as soon as I can!

maandag 26 januari 2009

Sweet Potato Pizza with Onions and Rosemary (Vitatas)





This week I found one ingredient in my Vitatas that I have never cooked with: a sweet potato. Snooping around on the internet I found various interesting ideas on what to do with it: baking a pound cake, making fries, putting it in a quiche, making a delicious soup, covering it with marshmallows, making casserole (also topped with marshmallows) and the most appealing one to me: pizza!! (I warned you in my previous post about my love for Italian food...)


I only changed one thing in this recipe: I used red onion. Also I topped the pizza with about 150 grams of Gorgonzola Dolce after 15 minutes in the oven. Put it back in the oven for another 3 minuts, then sprinkle the grated cheese on top and another 1-2 minutes in the oven.
This is a great recipe that I will be making again: I loved the sweetness of the sweet potato and red onion combined with the saltiness of the Gorgonzola cheese. My dad came home very late and ate the leftovers, his verdict: 8+ out of 1o points.
Serves 4
Ingredients
6 tablespoons olive oil
2 large onions, thinly sliced
2 (10-ounce) portions frozen pizza dough, thawed
6 small sweet potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced (about 1/4 inch)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary (or 2 teaspoons dried, crumbled)
150 gram Gorgonzola dolce (optional)
2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation
Arrange oven racks in the lower and upper third of the oven. Heat the oven to 475° F.
Heat 4 tablespoons of the oil in a large, nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until translucent and soft.
Roll out the dough on a well-floured surface to make two 8- x 16-inch rectangles or two 12-inch rounds and transfer to two ungreased baking sheets (or two 12-inch pizza pans). (I made one big pizza....)
Layer the dough with the sweet potato slices, overlapping them slightly and forming three rows (or in a circular pattern if making round pizzas). Top the potato slices with the onions and rosemary. Drizzle the pizza with the remaining olive oil and season well with salt and freshly ground pepper.
Bake pizzas 15 to 18 minutes, or until the edges of the pies are crisp and lightly browned and the sweet potatoes are soft. (After 15 minutes I added the Gorgonzola and popped the pizza back into the oven.) Top with Parmesan and return to oven 1 to 2 minutes, until cheese melts.

zondag 25 januari 2009

Pasta with Roasted Butternut Squash and Shallots (Vitatas #2)


Back in October 2008 I made my first recipe with Butternut Sqaush and loved it. So when I found a Butternut Squash in this weeks Vitatas I knew I would like it. I decided not to make the same recipe and went looking for another dish.

Those of you who know me well will probably not be very surprised that it´s another pasta dish. I love pastas, so when I saw this recipe I knew I found a winner. The taste was great, although I did miss a sauce..... The added brown sugar brought out the sweet taste of the velvety squash and the shallots were cooked to perfection.

I cooked the Butternut Squash by cutting the squash in half vertically and removing the seeds and fibers with a spoon. I then placed the halves, cut sides down, in a baking dish and added water to a depth of 2 centimeters. The two halves were baked at 375 degrees for about 30 minutes until tender and could be pierced easily with a fork.

The only thing I changed about the recipe is that I quartered the shallots instead of slicing them in halves.


3 cups (1-inch) cubed peeled butternut squash
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
8 shallots, peeled and halved lengthwise (about 1/2 pound)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh or 1 teaspoon dried rubbed sage
4 ounces uncooked pappardelle (wide ribbon pasta) or fettuccine
1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 475°.
Combine the squash, sugar, 2 1/2 teaspoons oil, salt, pepper, and shallots in a jelly roll pan; toss well. Bake at 475° for 20 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in sage.

While the squash mixture bakes, cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain. Place cooked pasta in a bowl. Add 2 teaspoons oil; toss well. Serve the squash mixture over pasta. Sprinkle with cheese.

zaterdag 24 januari 2009

Vitatas #2: Contents


So here's what's in this weeks Vitatas: sweet potato, butternut squash, white cabbage, edible burdock, apples, moro oranges and mandarins. I have no idea yet what to do with the burdock..... I gave the cabbage to my mom as I will be out of town for two days and therefor not eating or cooking at home.


Recipes that will definetely follow this week:
  • Sweet Potato Pizza with Onions, Rosemary and Gorgonzola
  • Pasta with Roasted Butternut Squash and Shallots

donderdag 22 januari 2009

Scorzonera (Vitatas #1)


One of the veggies in my first Vitatas were these strange looking sticks. At least, that's what they look like: branches.... But in fact they are not branches, they are the roots of Scorzonera hispanica, also known as black salsify, Spanish salsify, black oyster plant, serpent root, viper's herb or viper's grass. (source: Wikipedia)

Here in Holland they are known as schorseneren, in nineteenth century Holland they were called 'winter asparagus' because they were only available from October to March and once peeled and cooked they look a lot like asparagus.

I used this recipe from Coquinaria, it was very tasty!! Just as I finished my last piece of scorzonera I remembered I forgot to take pictures.... OOPS!! Hahaha

woensdag 21 januari 2009

Snickerdoodles


A while ago I made these yummy Snickerdoodles... They were nice and light and not too sweet. I misplaced the recipe, but will look for it tomorrow. I can remember that it was a recipe without cream of tartar and I can remember that I added some cinnamon to the dough. These were also a big hit with my coworkers, one of them actually asked me for the recipe!

dinsdag 20 januari 2009

TWD: No Berry Surprise Cake for me this week...

The 'assignment' for this weeks TWD was Berry Surprise Cake, picked by Mary Ann of Meet Me in the Kitchen. Although this recipe sounded alright to me, I had to decide against it since I'm on a small budget this week..... Zero on my bankaccount and still some days of the month left.... Last time I experienced that was when I was still in school..... Because berries are sooooo expensive at the moment this recipe was simply a no-no. And after reading the P&Q I was even terrifeid of failing misserably... ;) But please go and have a look at all the wonderfull Berry Surprise Cakes (some even without berries, why didn't I think of that???) my fellow TWD-ers made!!

Last Sunday however my mom and I were invited to my dear friend Ingrid to join her and her mom for a lovely cheese fondue. Ofcourse I couldn't knock on her door empty handed, so I looked through my cupboards and fridge to see what ingredients were lurking behind closed doors and flipped through Dorie's Baking from My Home to Yours to see which list of ingredients of the recipes I had missed matched the stuff I had at hands.
With no further ado I present to you..... Dorie's Brown Sugar Apple Cheesecake:
This cheesecake was made way back when TWD was still a tiny group of bakers, on the 12th of February 2008. Judy of Good Eats 'N' Sweet Treats picked this recipe. The recipe can be found here. I actually only made half the recipe, since I only had half the ingredients at hand and made two miniature cheesecakes. Also I swapped the applecider for Apfelkorn.

We all loved it and shared one mini!! My mom preferred the Tall and Creamy Cheesecake, she loves her cheesecake 'au naturel'. Me, being the cinnamonlover that I am, thought that this one was dreamy!! Somehow the other mini-cheesecake disappeared throughout the next day......

maandag 19 januari 2009

Cheese straws









Since my pc is not cooperating today and my laptop is at my brothers: just pics today



zondag 18 januari 2009

100 Things to Do

A while ago I already confessed my love of lists to you, so when I saw this one over at Take The Cannoli I immediately knew I had to blog about this list!!! It’s 100 things you may or may not want to do in your lifetime. The items I have done are in bold and the things I want to do are in italics. If something is in bold and italics I did it and want to do it again!! I have blogged about a similar list earlier, but there are some other things on this list...

1. Started my own blog
2. Slept under the stars

3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than I can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland/world (Paris!! And worked there too)
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sung a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched lightning at sea
14. Taught myself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown my own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train

21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitchhiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
(I plan on visiting Niagara Falls this June)
34. Visited the birthplace of my ancestors (I actually live there right now)
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught myself a new language (my parents had German friends when I grew up)
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight

46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had my portrait painted (or actually drawn: at Montmatre in Paris)
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud

54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma

65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp (Auschwitz on a schooltrip)
67. Bounced a check (unfortunately... :( )
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades

75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car

83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had my picture in a newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous (our Queen Beatrix and Beau Erven van Dorens, a tv presenter)
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Ridden an elephant

Let me know if you do this list on your blog!

zaterdag 17 januari 2009

Microwave-cooked Chicory and Cheesesauce (Vitatas #1)

Got home late yesterday from work and didn't want to spend ages in the kitchen. I planned on eating chicory, so I went looking for a nice, easy and quick recipe. And I found one right here! (Beware: it's a Dutch site) The chicory is cooked in a microwave and the cheesesauce is also made in the microwave... Since I only had half a kilo of chicory I halved the recipe.


Ingredients
500 grams chicory
1 tbsp margarine
1 tbsp flour (I was out of flour, I still can't believe it!! So I used corn flour, works too)
250 ml water
a dash of bouillonpowder or half a bouillontablet
a splash of cream or milk (I used cream)
some grated cheese

Slice the chicory, was and pop into a microwavedish with some water. Put the dish into the microwave and cook for 8 weeks at the highest level (I used 750 watt). Take the dish out of the oven and let it rest.

Pop the margarine into a wide 1-litre pyrexbowl, stir in the flour and add the water, milk and bouillonpowder. Stir untill well blended, it will remain a bit grainy but this will turn out okay. Pop the liquid mixture into the microwave and cook for 4 minutes at the highest level. Add as much grated cheese as you would like and whisk.

Toss the chicory and pop back into the microwave for another 4 minutes at the highest level. Drain the chicory and mix in with the sauce. Enjoy!!

vrijdag 16 januari 2009

Exactly one month late TWD: Buttery Jam Cookies

These TWD cookies were actually due for the 16th of December. Heather of Randomosity and the Girl picked these, the recipe can be found here.


These cookies made me look back at a perfect weekend in Pfronten-Steinach with a good friend of mine: Claudia. We worked together for 5 months about 6 years ago at the reception of Disney's Hotel Sequioa Lodge at Disneyland Paris in France. Since then we stayed in contact and managed to meet up twice before in Dusseldorf, Germany.



Claudia's aunt, me, Claudia and Claudia's niece

I actually used two different jams and ended up with two brightly coloured cookies. For the pink ones I added Strawberry and Guave jam to the batter. The yellow ones contain this special marmalade I bought at the Weihnachtmarkt I visited during my visit to Claudia: a pumpkin, apple, cinnamon and clove marmalade.

I liked these cookies, but I'm not sure whether I will make these again. I thought the flavour was a bit too bland. My collegeagues however really liked these and the cookies were gone in no time.

I only managed to make 30 cookies instead of the 45 that Dorie states in her book.





donderdag 15 januari 2009

Cordon Rose Banana Mini Cupcakes with Caramel Frosting


Today I discovered one lonely ripe banana sitting in my fruitbasket. It was too ripe to eat just like that, at least for me.... So what to do?? I turned to my trusty friend: the Internet. Lots of recipes passed didn't tick my boxes: either I didn't have all the ingredients or they just didn't feel right. Untill I bumped into this one......: Cordon Rose Banana Cake. It's not just a banana cake, it's also covered with a caramel glaze.... This was a winner!!!


Unfortunately this recipe called for 2 bananas, this problem was easily solved: I halved the recipe. I skipped the lemon zest since I have no lemons in the house. The other ingredient I didn't have at hands was sour cream, but I did have some vanilla yoghurt and decided to use that.


But now I had a new problem: what tin would I use??? I remembered I had some cupcake liners that I bought for Christmas: I thought it would be fun to serve lots of mini cupcakes instead of one big cake back then. But Christmas came and went and I totally forgot about the liners. The mini cupcakes take about 15 minutes in the oven and half the recipe makes 24 mini cupcakes, therefore the whole recipe should make 48 cute little tasty bitesize cupcakes.



As for the taste..... O my, I think I've died and gone to Heaven.... Thiese cupcakes are moist, light and exquisitely tender. The taste of the banana is subtle and the caramel glaze complements the cupcakes perfectly. The glaze was a tad sweet, I read back on the recipe and found out that I used unsalted butter and forgot to add some salt. But since I have sweet teeth it didn't bother me that much.


Cordon Rose Banana Cake
Adapted from Rose Levy Beranbaum’s The Cake Bible

For the cake:
2 cups sifted cake flour (I used regular flour)
¾ cup plus 2 Tbs sugar
1 tsp baking soda
¾ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
2 large ripe bananas (about 225 grams, peeled)
½ cup sour cream (I used vanilla yoghurt)
2 large eggs
1 ½ tsp pure vanilla extract
10 Tbs unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 tsp grated lemon zest (orange zest will also work, but I skipped this one)

For the frosting:
1 stick salted butter (if using unsalted, add 1/2 tsp of salt. I forgot to add the salt...)
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup whole milk
2 cups confectioners sugar (must be sifted!)
1 tsp. vanilla
Cake

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a 9-inch round springform pan with cooking spray, line the base with a round of parchment paper, and spray the parchment paper. Or when making cupcakes: line your cupcake tin with cupcake liners.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
In a food processor, purée the banana and sour cream until completely smooth. Add the eggs and vanilla, and process briefly to combine. The puréed mixture will be light yellow and quite loose. (Instead of the food processor you can also use a simple fork to mash the bananas and mix the rest of the wet ingredients together, this is the method I used)

Add the softened butter and about ½ of the puréed mixture to the dry ingredients in the bowl. Beat to combine on low speed; then increase the speed and beat for about 90 seconds to aerate the cake structure. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula, and add the rest of the purée, beating to combine well. The batter will be light tan in color and should be smooth and creamy.

Pour and scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 35-45 minutes, until the cake is golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and dry (or 15 minutes when making mini cupcakes). Remove the cake from the oven, let cool for 10 minutes while you make the frosting (below), and then remove the rim of the pan. Invert the cake onto a wire rack, and carefully remove the base of the pan and the parchment paper. Turn onto a cake platter.

Frosting

Heat the butter and brown sugars over medium heat untill the mixture comes to a boil, let it boil for 2 minutes. Add the milk, stir, and bring the mixture back to a boil, then remove the pan from the heat.

Add the confectioners' sugar and vanilla. Beat with a wooden spoon or whisk untill smooth. Use immediately, while it and cake are still warm, and spread quickly before cool.

Allow the cake to sit at room temperature for at least a half hour before serving.

woensdag 14 januari 2009

Vitatas #1

One of the things I wanted to do in 2009 is eat healthier and with more variation. When in the supermarket I found myself taking home the same vegetables over and over. So I went looking on the internet and stumbled upon the Vitatas. This intrigued me and I decided this was for me. Now I get to pick up a bag for one person every week containing locally produced biological vegetables and fruit.


This bag also contains a recipecard on which I'll find nice and tasty recipes and facts about the cultivators and the biological agriculture and horticulture, some of the recipes will be about the produce in the bag. I got a magazine with lovely recipes too!

So today was the day that I could pick up my first bag. It wasn't there.... Something went wrong. But fortunately there was one other (bigger bag for 2 persons) leftover, so I got to take that one home!!! It must be beginners luck!!


This week the bag contained: scorzonera hispanica (black salsify or Spanish salsify, also known as black oyster plant, serpent root, viper's herb, viper's grass or simply Scorzonera), brocolii, chicory, chinese cabage, apples, mandarins and kiwis. Yum!!! Stay tuned to find out what I'll do with the veggies!!

dinsdag 13 januari 2009

TWD: some like it HOT....



and I'm one of those people!! This was my lucky week, because Rebecca of Ezra Pound Cake picked the Savoury Corn and Pepper Muffins as this weeks recipe for Tuesdays with Dorie!! I just didn't know when I would actually eat these.... They didn't sound like a typical muffin and to pair them with a cup of tea seemed extremely odd.



To avoid any mishaps I decided to go and have a look at the P&Q's for the muffins. Big mistake!!! Because after reading all the entries there I (like another couple TWD-ers) had a sudden craving for chili!!! I added an extra 2 tablespoons corn and used a bit more of the red bell pepper than the recipe stated.



Because I never had cornbread or any kind of savoury muffins before I didn't quite know what to expect of these..... I was pleasantly surprised: I just loved the combination of the sweetness of the sugar and that kick in the butt by the jalapeno pepper!! These were perfect with the chili con carne. Since my parents were also eating chili last weekend I brought some muffins over to them. My mom didn't care much for them, but she never has been a fan of the whole sweet-and-spicy-combo. My dad absolutely loved them!
I will be making these again!!!







Check out what the other TWD-ers thought of this recipe here!!

maandag 12 januari 2009

Cinnamon Bun Cookies






Another great find: Cinnamon Bun Cookies, this one through Foodgawker. These cookies were actually made by The Recipe Girl and I thought they would be a great addition to my Christmas Cookie tins.











They were: they tasted amazing and looked great as well!!! These were a bit more work than the other cookies though.... The Triple Chocolate Cookies, the Lemon Ricotta Cookies with Lemon Glaze and the Granola Grabbners were all pretty much scooper-cookies. The Cinnamon Bun Cookies needed to be rolled out, sprinkled with filling, rolled up, refrigerated and sliced before baking.






Cinnamon Bun Cookies
yield: 2 dozen cookies





Vanilla Cookie Dough
½ cup (2 ounces) powdered sugar
¾ cup (1½ sticks, 6 ounces) unsalted butter
½ tsp salt
1½ tsp vanilla extract
1½ cups (6¼ ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour

Filling
1 large egg white
1 tbsp water


¼ cup granulated sugar
1½ tsp ground cinnamon

Icing
½ cup powdered sugar
2 Tbs heavy whipping cream
½ tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp ground cinnamon





  1. Prepare dough: In a medium-sized mixing bowl, cream together the sugar, butter,
    salt and vanilla. Add the flour, stirring to make a cohesive dough. Flatten the dough into
    a disk, wrap it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate until you're ready to use it.


  2. Roll the dough: Transfer chilled dough to a lightly floured piece of parchment or
    waxed paper. Roll it into a 9x12-inch rectangle. In a small bowl, whisk together
    egg white and water until foamy. Brush onto rolled out dough.
    In another small bowl, whisk together sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle it evenly over
    the dough. Starting with a long edge, carefully roll the dough into a log, sealing the edge
    (if dough sticks to parchment, gently use a metal spatula to guide it off of the paper).
    Wrap in plastic wrap or parchment, and freeze until firm.


  3. Bake the cookies: Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease (or line with parchment)
    two cookie sheets. Remove the dough from the freezer and unwrap it.
    Using a sharp knife, gently cut it into ½-inch slices.
    Transfer them to the prepared baking sheets. Bake the cookies for 12 to 15 minutes,
    untill they're a light golden brown. Remove them from the oven and
    transfer to a rack to cool.


  4. Ice the cookies: Sift or strain the powdered sugar into a medium-sized bowl to remove
    any lumps. Whisk the cream into the sugar to make a smooth icing.
    Drizzle or spread icing onto cookies (or serve alongside in a bowl for dipping).

zondag 11 januari 2009

Changes.....

Everything changes, doesn't it??It's 2009 now.... Later this year (hopefully) I will turn 30. Time flies.... It goes by so fast! When I was just a little girl I always imagined myself to be married and have two kids by the time I turned 30. Well.... that didn't happen!!

Last year I celebrated New Years Eve with 2 friends, one of them had a boyfriend and the other one was single like me. Now both of them are in a serious relationship and one of them is planning on moving to another country within 2 years. Two other friends (a couple)moved into their new house around Christmas 2007 and now they're expecting a baby. I'm so happy for them!!

So here I am, turning 30 in 6 months, but no husband/boyfriend or kids in sight... Sometimes it makes me sad.... How different life can be from how we imagine it as kids! I do however have a job I love, my own appartment, a sweet dog and cat and great friends. So, not everything is terrible.

I try to find happiness in the small things and everything I have and not worry too much about the things that lack... Somedays this is easier to do than other days. So here's what made me happy today:
brotherly love between Scott and Senna, my dog and cat
when I got my cat almost 2,5 years ago my dad was convinced it wouldn't work:
he thought that Scott and Senna would fight all the time.
I'm glad these pictures proof him wrong!!!

zaterdag 10 januari 2009

A very late CEiMB: Triple Chocolate Cookies


I'm so late with this one.... This CEiMB was due on the 28th of December...... Recipe to be found at The Feast Within by Gaby.
I can't tell you what they were like, because I actually didn't taste any of them: I gave all the cookies away in my Christmas Cookie boxes. But they did get great reviews from the receivers!! Ofcourse they loved them even more when they found out these were healthier than the average chocolate cookie!

vrijdag 9 januari 2009

Strawberry and White Chocolate Tiramisu



Here's the recipe for the delicious tiramisu I made for New Years Eve. We all loved it!! The pictures are not the best.... I forgot to bring my camera to the party... How silly of me. Fortunately my host was happy to make some pictures of the tiramisu and us to show you how great it was!

Strawberry and White Chocolate Tiramisu
6 servings

1 can of strawberries (fresh are preferable, but they were soooooo expensive)
raspberry liquor to taste
1/2 cup cream
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence
250 grams fresh strawberries
150 grams white chocolate, divided
1 cup mascarpone
1 package savoiardi (ladyfingers),


Puree the can of strawberries with your foodprocessor (I used my blender). Add a splash of raspberry to the strawberrypuree and mix.

Add the sugar and vanilla essence to the cream and beat untill almost stiff. Slice the strawberries

Melt 100 grams white chocolate au bain marie. Beat the mascarpone loose, add the melted chocolate and mix in with the mascarpone. Mix the whipped cream into the mascarpone mixture

Line the glass with some strawberry slices, start with a layer of ladyfingers in the glass, drizzle some raspberry liqour over the ladyfingers, scoop a bit of strawberry puree on top and add a layer of mascarpone. Top with ladyfingers, drizzle some raspberry liqour over the ladyfingers, add a layer of mascarpone, add a layer of strawberry slices and finish off with one last layer of mascarpone.

Cover the tiramisu with some cling film or aluminium foil and pop into the fridge so the mascarpone can set. When ready to serve grate the remaining white chocolate finely and sprinkle a layer on top of the tiramisu.

Enjoy!!


donderdag 8 januari 2009

Scattergories Meme


Scattergories Meme


I spoted this over at Clara's blog and thought it would be so much fun to fill in.


RULES: Highlight and copy this meme, erase my answers, enter yours and send it on to 10 people including the one that sent this to you. Use the first letter of your name to answer each question. They have to be real places, names, things. Nothing made up. Try to use different answers if the person before you has the same first initial. Its harder than it looks!


The hardest part is finding 10 people that will play with you! Like Clara I will only post this on my blog and not mail everyone. If you want to join in, please do!


1. What is your name: Marthe
2. A 4 Letter Word: Maar (Dutch for but)
3. A Boys Name: Martijn
4. A Girls Name: Marieke
5. An Occupation: Makelaar (Dutch for Real Estate Agent)
6. A Color: Maroon
7. Something you wear: Miniskirt (well, I can't remember
the last time I wore one, but anyways...)
8. A Beverage: Martini
9. A Food: Mascarpone
10. Something found in the bathroom: Moisturizer
11. A Reason for being late: Missed the bus
12. A Place: Magny-le-Hongre (a tiny village near Disneyland Paris
where I used to live when I worked at DLP)
13. Something you shout: Muts! (This is what I call myself whenever
I make some stupid mistake....)

dinsdag 6 januari 2009

TWD - French Pear Tart - part two: and the story continues!



This weeks TWD is special, very special! First of all exactly one year ago Laurie had the inspiration to start the group Tuesdays with Dorie. And what a great idea it was: the group has grown immensely: it now has 370 members! Thank you so much Laurie and congratulations on this anniversary!!

The second thing that's so special is that Dorie Greenspan herself picked this weeks recipe!! She also blogged about it yesterday and so the recipe can be found at her blog.


Somehow I managed to overfill my tart with the almond cream, which caused mayor spillage in my oven...... But other thanh that this is the easiest recipe I ever made that tasted this good!! I will definitely be making this again and perhaps I will try a different fruit in this tart next time.

TWD - French Pear Tart - part one: Stoofpeertjes


It's Tuesday and I'm running late again! The weather here in Holland is terrible at the moment: last night it froze -15 degrees Celsius. Because the road was so slippery today I came home around 19.00 o'clock instead of my normal 17.30 o'clock..... `


Then I found out I didn't have enough butter and eggs around to make the pastry for the tart and I managed to buy the wrong almonds last weekend... So no tart-making today... At least not for the most part.


I could however poach my pears. So I decided to poach them the dutch way, which we call Stoofpeertjes (poached pears).

Ingredients:
10 small pears (preferably Gieser Wildemann or Saint Rémy's)
2 cinnamonsticks
1 bag vanillasugar (8 gram)
1 teaspoon cardamom
1 splash red wine

Peal the pears, keep the stalk attached to the pear. Put the pears in a pan and poar water over them untill they are almost covered. Add the wine, at least a full glass. Add the vanillasugar, the cinnamon sticks and the cardamom. Poach the pears on low heat for about 2 hours or utnill they are done. Make sure they don't burn.

Put the pears in a bowl. Cook the poachingfluid down untill you only have about two centimeters left in the pan. Add some cornstarch to thicken the sauce, add some sugar to taste and poar over the pears to eat instantly.Variatie:*Vervang de port door rodebessensap.*Kook het sap van een halve citroen mee of wat citroenrasp.

Besides the wine I added a small splash of raspberry liquor. I also added a tablespoon of 'perenrood' to the mixture. 'Perenrood is basically red sugar, the red colouring turns the pears to an even deeper red. For variation the wine can be subbed by red port or redberry-juice. You can also add the juice of half a lemon or some lemonpeel to the sauce while you're poaching the pears.

Pictures will follow when ready!