Scallops Recipe

5 tablespoons butter, divided
½ cup dry white wine
¼ cup heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Pinch of grated or ground nutmeg
1 pound sea or bay scallops, drained
¼ cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
¼ cup finely chopped hazelnuts
Hot cooked pasta
Garnish: fresh thyme sprigs
Preheat oven to 375°.

Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a cast-iron or ovenproof skillet. Stir in wine and next 5 ingredients. Add scallops, turning to coat. Remove from heat.
Melt remaining 1 tablespoon butter in a small bowl in the microwave, and stir in panko and nuts. Sprinkle mixture over scallops. Bake at 375° for 10 to 12 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown. Serve with hot cooked pasta. Garnish, if desired. Makes 2 servings.
SERVE
Mixed Greens with Honey-Poppy Seed Vinaigrette
Whisk together ¼ cup honey, ¼ cup white wine vinegar, 1 teaspoon grated onion, ¼ cup olive oil, 2 teaspoons poppy seeds, and salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Serve over fresh salad greens.
POUR
Chardonnay makes a great accompaniment to seafood with butter or cream sauces. Luscious options include Jordon Chardonnay Russian River Valley or Chateau St. Jean Chardonnay Sonoma County Reserve. Or, because the hazelnut is Oregon's official nut, try one of the state's own, such as a Rex Hill Chardonnay or Chehalem Ian's Reserve Chardonnay.

Scallop Cooking Tips

Always take care not to overcook scallops. They toughen easily. As soon as they loose their translucency and turn opaque, they are done.
Bake: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line the bottom of a shallow baking pan with aluminum foil and grease the foil. Lay the scallops in the prepared pan. Place the pan containing the scallops in the oven. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes until white in color and slightly firm.

Broil: Place your scallops in a well greased pan about 3 to 4 inches from heat source. Brush the scallops liberally with melted butter. Cook until white in color and slightly firm.
Sauté: Dip cleaned scallops in milk and lightly dust with flour. Melt enough butter in a skillet to cover the bottom. When the butter is hot, but not burned, place the scallops in the skillet. Cook until lightly browned on each side, turning once.
Scallops are also excellent in a stir-fry or grilled on a skewer.
Thawing: Frozen scallops should be thawed under refrigeration at or below 38°. Running cold water over the scallops can help thaw them quicker. Be sure to have the scallops in a sealed bag when doing this so you don't rinse out their flavorful juices.

Wonderful Food

As a Featured Publisher for Foodbuzz, we were eligible to submit a proposal of a unique meal that we will capture and post to share with the world. Foodbuzz then selects 24 entries and provide the winners with $250 to help make the proposal happen. All 24 dinner entries will be held on the same day, thus the term: 24 (meals), 24 (hours), 24 (posts).

We were delighted when we were chosen for this month’s Foodbuzz 24, 24, 24 event! Our proposal was to spend an entire day in Little Saigon and try all of the popular Vietnamese dishes at different restaurants. Little Saigon is the largest Vietnamese community in the world (other than Vietnam, of course) that is situated in bordering cities of Westminster and Garden Grove, in Southern California. We were able to invite a few non-Vietnamese friends on our journey so they can experience the different Vietnamese cuisines. We captured photos of all the meals we had, as well as provided the information of the restaurant so that our readers will know where to go if they want to experience something different.
We had a great time sharing Vietnamese food in Little Saigon, even though we were all stuffed beyond imagination. Thank you, Foodbuzz, for sponsoring our event!

About French Cuisine

About French Cuisine:-French cuisine is characterized by its extreme diversity. French cuisine is considered to be one of the world's most refined and elegant styles of cooking, and is renowned for both its classical ("haute cuisine") and provincial styles. Many of the world's greatest chefs, such as Taillevent, La Varenne, Careme, Escoffier, or Bocuse are or were masters of French cuisine.

Additionally, French cooking techniques have been a major influence on virtually all Western cuisines, and almost all culinary schools use French cuisine as the basis for all other forms of Western cooking.Schematically, French restaurant cuisine can be called as Cuisine bourgeoisie, which includes all the classic French dishes which are not, or no longer specifically regional, and which have been adapted over the years to suit the taste of the affluent, Thailand is also considered as multi-cuisine hubs for different cusine, In our website www.dininginsamui.com, we have tried to enlist few name of restaurant who is serving really classical style of french cuisine, These are just a few suggestion not all the restaurant of bangkok, There are more then dozen of french restaurant in bangkok and of course they are serving authentic french cuisine.

Chinese Palace Cuisine

Palace, vegetarian, and medicinal dishes are categorized a special cuisine.
Palace cuisine originated from the imperial kitchens, where dishes for emperors and empresses were cooked. Palace dishes are made from carefully selected ingredients and cooked with great care. Different dishes are made for different seasons. Cutting methods are exquisite. Diners eat according to traditional procedures.
Vegetarian cuisine: Vegetarian cuisine became popular in the Song Dynasty (960-1279) and developed further in the Ming and Qing(1368-1911) dynasties. Three divisions of vegetarian cuisine—temple, palace, and folk- appeared during that time.
Made of green vegetables, fruits, edible fungi, and bean products, and cooked in vegetable oil, vegetarian dishes are tasty, nourishing, and highly digestible, and they help the body resist cancer. They are cooked in various ways, and some taste like meat. Famous dishes include "chicken", mushrooms and gluten, "meat" braised in soy sauce and spices, "ham" with mixed vegetables, hot and sour spices, "fish" with Chinese toon, "shrimp," and dried "meat" strips.
Muslim dishes became popular at the time when Islam spread to China, inheriting the cooking tradition of the nomadic peoples in ancient north-western and north-eastern China. The most representative dishes include instant-boiled mutton, fried rice with mutton, dumplings with filling of mutton, cakes braised with mutton, and beef-entrails soup.

Medicinal cuisine: Also called therapeutic food, medicinal cuisine is an important part of Chinese cooking. Master Chefs have developed many food therapies by combining cookery and traditional Chinese medicine. Famous medicinal dishes include lily and chicken soup, shrimp meat with pearl powder, tianfu carp, duck braised with soy sauce and orange peel, and steamed dumplings stuffed with minced meat and podia cocoas, a medicinal plant.
Other famous cuisine includes Confucian dishes, Tan's dishes and full formal banquet cuisine, combining Manchurian and Chinese delicacies (Manhan Quanxi).

Healthy Chinese Food

While it’s true that much of Chinese cuisine is rice and noodle-based (rice is prized throughout China), forgo these carbs and you can truly experience the diversity of flavors, textures and cooking techniques this regional fare has to offer.
Four regions are the primary sources of Chinese cooking styles: Beijing (Peking) in the north, the southern provinces of Guangdong (Canton), the eastern area of Nanjing (Shanghai) and Szechuan to the west. Each has its distinct style:
– From the north come homey noodle dishes and steamed buns, as well as the justly famous Peking duck. In general, northern-style cooking is considered bland but satisfyingly filling.

– Cantonese cooking is probably the most familiar of Chinese regional cuisines. It’s the style that familiarized us as children with such exotic dishes as wonton soup and barbecued spare ribs — different, but easy on the palate. This region is home to the stir-fry specialties that rely on fresh, not preserved, ingredients prepared quickly in little oil. Cantonese cooking is not spicy.
– From the east come Shanghai’s renowned fresh fish and seafood dishes paired with an abundance of fresh vegetables — in fact, vegetarians delight in the many meatless listings on Shanghai-style menus. Poultry, too, is a specialty from this area. Shanghai cooking tends to be slightly oilier than that of other regions.
– Go west to the Szechuan region and you’ll find fiery, spicy cuisine featuring hot chilies, peppercorns and aromatic garlic and ginger. Pork, poultry and soybeans are common elements of Szechuan cooking.
Know Your Menu
Typical dishes you’ll see on Chinese menus include lo mein, chow mein, chow fun, mai fun or lai fun. These dishes are all noodle-based, and also incorporate shrimp or other seafood, pork, chicken or beef. Opt for the sauteed or stir-fried proteins without the noodles. Egg rolls, an all-time favorite appetizer, are encased in dough wrappers, then deep fried. Peking duck is fine choice — just leave the pancakes that come with it on the side. The same applies to moo shu pork — help yourself to the filling, but pass on the pancakes. Be aware that the cubes of meat in sweet-and-sour pork are dipped in batter before deep-frying, then they’re slathered in sticky, sweetened sauce.
In addition to avoiding rice and noodle-based dishes, other high-carb ingredients you should be on the lookout for on Chinese menus are peas, onions, black beans, soybeans, oranges and corn.

Juice Drinks

Juice Beverages Can be divided into the original juice, concentrated fruit juice, the original pulp, fruit juices, fruit juice, high sugar fruit juices, fruit juice and juice 8. Standards require that soft drink, fruit juice drinks, and the naming must be consistent with the original fruit juice content. 100% fruit juice, also known as the original juice, made with fresh fruit and extract, not without water, sugar, restaurants, liquor store are pressed and sold, bottled goods imported raw juice is usually frozen by then repackage the original fruit juice or fruit juice concentrate add water to 100% fruit juice made from restored. One hundred percent fruit juices are generally more fresh fruit varieties with water (can not be the hawthorn, jujube, etc.), these drinks do not taste sweet, with natural fruit aroma, taste, while retaining maximum fruit of all kinds nutrients, are high-grade juice Drinks. Concentrated fruit juice is the basis of the original juice removed the original water, fruit juice concentrates such as 6 times the original, plus six times when drinking water is 100%. Such drinks can not be mango, apricot, peach, hawthorn, jujube, etc. 100% of itself for its slurry, and then concentrated is the cake-like. The original fruit pulp is the edible part of the beating, keep the flesh made of the original pulp, such as mango, banana puree, apricot puree, usually the processing of raw materials as a beverage.

Fruit juices, fruit juice for mango, almond, hawthorn, etc. can not be made 100% of the original fruit juice, for the maximum features reflect its drinks, the original juice concentration is usually adjusted to about 40%, while adding a certain amount the flavor and sugar. Susceptible to bacterial contamination of juice, acid gas or acid production is not only gas, resulting in bad taste changes, it usually will add Preservative Such as sorbic acid (sodium, potassium), or benzoic acid (sodium), preservatives that some manufacturers do not specify, to mislead consumers to think of organic acids or sodium, potassium. Juice drinks under the label marked the first identification of the original fruit juice content to check the consistency of drinks and their names. Second, look at the phenomenon of packaging any leaks in the gas and the specific method is bottled or canned beverage bottle, the bottle may not have candied and dirt, soft drinks Hand without deformation. Meanwhile caps, cans, etc. shall not be raised. Finally look at the appearance of fruit juice, fruit transparent without any type beverages, to be clear, without any floating debris and sediments; opaque type without flesh and drinks, should be uniform, non-hierarchical, may not produce turbidity; pulp drink This shows subtle irregular flesh, allow precipitation.

You Cannot Help Refusing The Flavour

It had been a while since I had last had scrambled eggs. Scrambled eggs are pretty plain and there were so many other things on my breakfast to try list that I just didn't even really consider them. That was until I came across a post about scrambled eggs with sun-dried tomato and parmesan on Cook Sister that sounded amazingly tasty! With sundried tomatoes, mayonnaise, and parmigiano reggiano these scrambled eggs were dressed up in style and going places. I had everything that I needed, an almost empty jar of sun dried tomatoes and just enough parmigiano reggiano along with the eggs and mayo. This dish was super easy and quick to make and it tasted great! You just can't go wrong with this flavour combination. Scrambled eggs are no longer plain and boring and I am going to have to start thinking of new ways to dress them up with flavour.

Ingredients: 　　2 eggs
1 splash milk
3 sun-dried tomatoes (chopped)
salt and pepper to taste
butter
1 slice whole wheat bread (toasted)
mayonnaise
parmigiano reggiano to taste
parsley to taste (optional, chopped)
 
Directions:
1. Mix the eggs, milk, sundried tomatoes, salt and pepper in a bowl.
2. Melt the butter in a pan.
3. Add the eggs and cook stirring until the eggs are set but still a little runny.
4. Spread some mayo on some toast and top with the eggs.
5. Garnish with parmigiano reggiano and parsley.

Chicken and Vegetable Soup Cooking

We love Thai food, so here’s a great recipe for a Thai Chicken Soup. It’s great for chasing away those winter colds and flu –  thanks to all the chilli and veg!
2 chicken breasts, cut in cubes
5ml coconut oil
1 onion, slices
25ml yellow curry paste OR red OR green
2 cloves garlic, crushed
15ml ginger
1 chilli, chopped
250g frozen French fry mix (Mc Cain’s)
125g button mushrooms, sliced
4 baby marrows, chopped
500ml chicken stock
Juice and zest of 1 lime
15ml fish sauce (or soya sauce)
1 tin lite coconut milk
Fresh coriander

Heat the coconut oil in a large pot and sauté the onions, garlic, ginger and chilli until soft.
Add the veggies and fry a bit to develop the flavours.
Add the chicken.
Pour in the stock, juice, zest, coconut milk and some of the coriander.
Bring to the boil and cook for 10 minutes.
Place the pot in the Wonderbag and leave for an hour to finish cooking.
Serve in hot bowls, topped with coriander.

Extract The Juices

Tequila, made from the fermented juice of the agave plant, is the national drink of Mexico. It is double distilled and then aged in wood casks.
Just like a fine cognac tequila gets better with aging. A few quick facts:
Although there are more than 200 varieties of agave in Mexico, at least 51 percent of each bottle of Tequila must be composed of the sugars extracted from the Agave Tequilana Weber Blue variety
The heart of the plant, the piña, where the juices are extracted from, can weigh between 80 and 130 pounds
The plant’s growing cycle is of approximately 10 years, at which time it is recommended to extract the juices

The agave is cooked in brick ovens for 50 to 72 hours although the more modern processes done in steel ovens last only 12 hours
Mandated by Mexican Law, tequila can be produced only in the state of Jalisco and a few areas in the states of Guanajuato, Michoacán, Nayarit, and Tamaulipas.
Tequila has 3 aging grades. Blanco/Plata aged for only 60 days in any type of barrel. Reposado, aged from 60 days to 1 year in wood, typically Oak. Anejo, aged in Oak for 1 – 3 years.
Based on where the Agave is grown, the volcanic uplands or the lowland plateau surrounding Guadalajara, the resulting tequilas can be quite different. These are known as highland & lowland tequilas, these are unofficial styles and there is no indication on the label which is which.

Red Wine Treats You

London, Nov 20 : A new study has revealed that red wine is packed with anti-diabetic compounds – so does that mean it could be a potential source of treatment?
Alois Jungbauer and colleagues at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences in Vienna, Austria, tested 10 reds and two whites to find out how strongly the wines bound to a protein called PPAR-gamma, which is targeted by the anti-diabetic drug rosiglitazone.

PPAR-gamma regulates the uptake of glucose in fat cells. Rosiglitazone targets PPAR-gamma in fat cells to make them more sensitive to insulin and improve the uptake of glucose.
The team found that the white wines had low binding affinities, but all the reds bound readily: the tendency of 100 millilitres of red wine – about half a glass – to bind to PPAR-gamma is up to four times as strong as the same tendency in the daily dose of rosiglitazone.
"It''s incredible. It''s a really high activity. At first we were worried it was an artefact, but then we identified the compounds responsible in the wine," New Scientist quoted Jungbauer as saying.
However, not all the anti-diabetic compounds may be absorbed by the body. Plus, it also contains ethanol, which will add to your calories.
Veronique Cheynier at University of Montpellier agreed, saying that most polyphenols do not pass through the digestive tract unchanged and may not be absorbed at all.
The next step for Jungbauer and his team will be to measure the metabolic effects of the wine compounds on healthy people.

My Wine Country Tour

The Wine Country Explorer Pass offers daily admission and tasting at a variety of venues including: Goosecross Cellars, Ravenswood, Franciscan Oakville Estates, Close Pegase Winery and Simi Winery. It also includes a FREE Taste Downtown Napa wine tasting card which features 10¢ tastings at: Back Room Wines, Wineries of Napa Valley, Bounty Hunter, Napa Valley Traditions, Napa Wine Merchants, Wine & Spirits, Robert Craig, Vintner’s Collective, and Napa General Store. The card also includes FREE admission to COPIA: The American Center for, Wine, Food & the Arts. Cultural compliments include FREE admission to the Charles M. Schulz Museum, Luther Burbank Home & Gardens, Napa Valley Museum, and Sonoma Valley Museum. Location: Vouchers can be redeemed at the following convenient location: Wineries of Napa Valley, 1285 Napa Town Center Napa, CA Directions will appear on your voucher. Itinerary: With the Wine Country Explorer Pass you get: You will also receive Savings Discounts offered from participating attractions, shops, restaurants and services: Free Admissions to: COPIA: The American Center for Wine, Food & the Arts Charles M. Schulz Museum Napa Valley Museum Sonoma Valley Museum of Fine Art Luther Burbank Home & Gardens Napa Valley Napa Premium Outlets – VIP Coupon Book 10% off all wine and retail shop purchases at Franciscan Oakville Estates 10% savings on purchases of six bottles or more at Close Pegase 10% savings on wine purchases, PLUS up to $40 free shipping on cases Sonoma Valley Petaluma Premium Outlets – VIP Coupon Book 10% off all wine and retail shop purchases at Simi Winery and Ravenswood Free Tastings at: Clos Pegase Winery Franciscan Winery Goosecross Cellars Ravenswood Winery Simi Winery Taste Downtown Napa (10¢ tasting at 9 wineries – pick up pass at COPIA)

Chinese Traditional Dishes

Palace, vegetarian, and medicinal dishes are categorized a special cuisine.
Palace cuisine originated from the imperial kitchens, where dishes for emperors and empresses were cooked. Palace dishes are made from carefully selected ingredients and cooked with great care. Different dishes are made for different seasons. Cutting methods are exquisite. Diners eat according to traditional procedures.
Vegetarian cuisine: Vegetarian cuisine became popular in the Song Dynasty (960-1279) and developed further in the Ming and Qing(1368-1911) dynasties. Three divisions of vegetarian cuisine—temple, palace, and folk- appeared during that time.

Made of green vegetables, fruits, edible fungi, and bean products, and cooked in vegetable oil, vegetarian dishes are tasty, nourishing, and highly digestible, and they help the body resist cancer. They are cooked in various ways, and some taste like meat. Famous dishes include "chicken", mushrooms and gluten, "meat" braised in soy sauce and spices, "ham" with mixed vegetables, hot and sour spices, "fish" with Chinese toon, "shrimp," and dried "meat" strips.
Muslim dishes became popular at the time when Islam spread to China, inheriting the cooking tradition of the nomadic peoples in ancient north-western and north-eastern China. The most representative dishes include instant-boiled mutton, fried rice with mutton, dumplings with filling of mutton, cakes braised with mutton, and beef-entrails soup.
Medicinal cuisine: Also called therapeutic food, medicinal cuisine is an important part of Chinese cooking. Master Chefs have developed many food therapies by combining cookery and traditional Chinese medicine. Famous medicinal dishes include lily and chicken soup, shrimp meat with pearl powder, tianfu carp, duck braised with soy sauce and orange peel, and steamed dumplings stuffed with minced meat and podia cocoas, a medicinal plant.

Chinese Cuisine,Do You Like Them

Chinese cuisine is any of several styles originating in the regions of China, some of which have become highly popular in other parts of the world — from Asia to the Americas, Australia, Western Europe and Southern Africa. Where there are historical immigrant Chinese populations, the style of food has evolved – for example, American Chinese cuisine and Indian Chinese cuisine are prominent examples of Chinese cuisine that has been adapted to suit local palates. In recent years, connoisseurs of Chinese food have also sprouted in Eastern Europe and South Asia. The culinary Michelin Guide has also taken an interest in Chinese cuisine, establishing Hong Kong and Macao versions of its publication.

Flour and rice are the two main food staples in China. In general, rice is the major food source for people from rice farming areas in southern China. Rice is also used to produce beers, wines and vinegars. In wheat farming areas in Northern China, people largely rely on flour based foods such as noodles, breads, dumplings and steamed buns. Noodles are symbolic of long life and good health according to Chinese tradition.They come dry or fresh in a variety of sizes, shapes and textures and are often served in soups and fried as toppings. Tofu is another popular product often used as a meat or cheese substitute. It is a soy-based product which is highly nutritious, inexpensive and versatile. It has a high protein/fat ratio.

Cooking Times For Beef

Although we give cooking times for beef, we debated doing so at first. There are so many factors involved: how cold your refrigerator is, how cold the meat is, how marbled the meat is, how accurate your oven is, how consistent the heat is, how often you open the door, what the composition of your roasting pan is, etc.

In the end, the only reliable test is done with an instant-read meat thermometer, inserted diagonally into the center of the meat for 5 seconds to get an accurate reading. What that temperature actually means is a matter of debate. For example, we prefer beef rarer than the USDA guidelines.

Theirs have been established for safety; ours, for safety and taste. Should you choose to follow our recommendations, realize what you’re doing, buy certified organic beef from a reputable butcher, and cook it within a day of purchase. Rare meat should not be consumed by anyone with immune deficiencies, expectant mothers, or the infirm.
Our definitions are rare, 120°F; medium-rare, 125°F; medium, 140°F; and well done, 160°F. The USDA’s are rare, not recommended; medium-rare, 145°F; medium, 160°F; and well done, 170°F.
However, you’ll notice that we don’t strictly adhere to these temperatures inside some recipes. We sometimes suggest you take the beef off the heat at a slightly lower temperature than those given.
Larger cuts of beef continue to cook off the heat, the fat still hot in the meat. Also note that there are no temperatures given for fattier, tougher cuts that are stewed, braised, or roasted-brisket, for example-because these are cooked to temperatures well beyond medium, even well done, until the meat falls apart.

Beef Steak Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons  whole black peppers
• 1 pound  beef flank steak
• 1 cup  sliced fresh mushrooms
• 1/2 cup  thinly sliced green onion
• 1/4 cup  water
• 1/2 teaspoon  instant beef bouillon granules
• 1/3 cup  plain low-fat yogurt
• 1 tablespoon  all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons  Dijon-style mustard
• 1 10-ounce  package frozen asparagus spears or 1 pound fresh asparagus spears trimmed, cooked and drained

Directions

1.Coarsely crack the black peppers. Rub half of the peppers into each side of the steak. Place steak on the unheated rack of a broiler pan. Broil 3 inches from heat for 6 minutes. Turn steak over and broil for 6 to 8 minutes more or until steak is to desired doneness (160 degrees F for medium doneness).

 

2.Meanwhile, for sauce, in a saucepan combine mushrooms, green onion, water, and bouillon granules. Cover and cook over medium heat about 5 minutes or until mushrooms are tender. Stir together yogurt, flour, and mustard. Stir yogurt mixture into mushroom mixture. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Then, cook and stir for 1 minute more.

 

3.To serve, thinly slice steak diagonally across the grain. Arrange steak slices and asparagus on dinner plates. Serve with sauce. Makes 4 servings.

Roast Duck Details

Duck confit tastes quite different from the duck cooked almost any way. Cooking is all about converting the tough protein collagen pound for pound harder than steel for gelatin.
Although this is not the speed of chemical reactions, it is easy to start:. Hold the meat at low temperature for long enough, and protein denaturation of collagen, and finally hydrolysis

154 ° F / 68 ° C: collagen(type I) denatures

animal tissue overall structure and to provide support for muscles and organs in the body. You can think of most of the connective tissue fascia, and ligaments-loose between the muscles and other structures such as tendons and bones, as a little as the reinforcing steel: not actively contract like muscle tissue, but a structure against which muscles pull and contract.

the most common type of protein in the connective tissue is collagen, while there are several types of collagen in animals, from a culinary point of view, the main chemical difference between different types of collagen is the temperature at which denaturation. In the kitchen, collagen is shown in two ways: either as separate pieces(eg, tendon, silver) in addition to muscle, or as a network that runs through the muscles. Regardless of location, the collagen is difficult(it provides the structure, after all) and it becomes palatable only have enough time at sufficiently high temperatures.

This is easy to deal with the collagen, which appears in the form of separate parts: to get rid of it by cut. In the case of cuts which have a thin layer of connective tissue in their(so-called silver, probably due to his appearance a bit opaque), cut as much as possible and discard it. Beef cuts are often part of this layer;. cut as much as possible before cooking
chicken and a small but noticeable tendon connected to the tenderloin of the chicken. Uncooked, it is a pearly white ribbon. After cooking, it appears that little white things you can chew on forever but never get any satisfaction from rubber-band-like. Generally, this type of collagen is easily detected, and if you miss it, it is easy to see while eating and can be left on the plate.
However, for other types of collagen found in certain cuts of meat, collagen, which forms a 3D network through muscle tissue, the only way to remove it to convert it into gelatin by long, slow cooking method. In contrast to muscle proteins, which are both in the kitchen in the standard(ie, as they are animals), denatured, or hydrolyzed collagen country, after hydrolysis, may introduce coagulation(gel) state. This property opens up new possibilities, since the gelatin gives a slippery meat, quality of deals and a lip-beat goodness.
one piece of information that is critical to understand in the kitchen, however, is that hydrolysis takes time. Literally spin structure and break up, and because of the amount of energy needed to break ties and stochastic processes, the response takes longer than just protein denaturation.
collagen hydrolysis not only breaks the structure of rubber from the contaminated structure, but also converts part of the gelatin. When collagen is hydrolyzed, it breaks down differently in size, smaller ones that are able to dissolve in the surrounding liquid, forming gelatin. It is he who gives gelatin dishes such as braised ox tail, slowly cooked short ribs, duck confit, and their characteristic taste in the mouth.
From these dishes rely on gelatin provided a wonderful texture, must be made with high collagen pieces of meat. Trying to make beef stew with lean hard will cause the meat dry. Actin protein is denatured(recall that this occurs at a temperature of 150-163 ° F / ° C from 1966 to 1973), but the gelatin will not be present in the muscle tissue to dryness and the strength of masking caused by contaminated actin. Do not try to “upgrade” their beef stew with the more expensive cuts of meat! It will not work
“Great,” you think, “but how does anyone tell me whether I need slowcook piece of meat?” Think of a piece of meat(or fish and poultry) that are working and consider what part of the animal came from. For terrestrial animals, regions of the animal, which bears the burden generally have higher levels of collagen. This should make sense because the loaded parts have a higher load, need more structure, so they have more connective tissue. This is not a perfect rule, but the cuts tend to have more than one muscle group in them.

Prepare Hamburgers For Your Party

Did someone say "hamburger with a side of fries"?Finally, a fabulous burger even your vegetarian friends will devour without a second thought.It's perfect for a summer beach party, barbecue or 4th July gathering. This novelty cake is as much fun to make as it is to eat.All you need to complete your party theme are some super cute, co-ordinating party supplies.

what you'll need:
novelty cakes - hamburger cake
one complete 10" round cake for the bun bottom
one 10" diameter bowl cake for the bun top & fries - choose a flavor that will give you a lighter color for the fries
one 10" layer of chocolate cake for the burger patty
yellow, brown, green, red and ivory, paste food colors
cocoa powder
#366 tip
#4 tip
buttercream frosting
light corn syrup for the ketchup
about 2 cups of chocolate chips, crumbled in a food processor
red candy melts or white candy melts and red candy color
cake plate or board

Downtown Portland’s West Cafe Invites You To Wine

Downtown Portland’s West Cafe Invites You To Wine, Dine and Vote on Tuesday, March 16. We’ll be Featuring an Impressive Lineup of Trendy New Wines and You’ll be Voting For Your Favorites. 10% of Proceeds to Aid Team Oregon.
On Tuesday, March 16, West Cafe’s ever-popular wine dinner returns - featuring downtown Portland’s most delectable comestibles and a series of sublime new wines. Please join us on Tuesday, 3/16 at 7PM for an exceptional 5 course meal and help West Cafe decide (by voting) which wines will be added to our new wine-list.
Head Chef and Co-Owner Sean Concannon regularly works wonders to develop amazing pairings featuring the finest regional and international wines. Our monthly wine dinners are becoming a downtown Portland “must-do” event and in March, we’re donating 10% of the evening’s revenue to Team Oregon, Oregon’s representatives for the 2010 Gay Games in Cologne, Germany.

All this for only $35.00 plus gratuity. Reservations are required and can be made via phone at 503.227.8189 or email us at eat@westcafepdx.com. Be sure to make reservations soon as these events typically sell out quickly.

Drink DIY

You may know Jillian Michaels as the fitness trainer from the reality TV show “The Biggest Loser”. Even then she has always stressed the importance of taking in a lot of fluids to keep the body hydrated. Aside from that she has a religious adherence to healthy diet.
In example, her breakfast is loaded on carbs as she needs a great source of energy for her daily routines. Her menu is an alternate meal of egg whites and a serving of turkey bacon with half of a dry English muffin and a meal of oatmeal mixed with dried cranberries, almond milk and walnuts.

She prides her self of concocting a drink which she calls the Jillian Michaels Diet Drink Recipe. It’s a 60 oz of purified water mixed with a tablespoon of juice extracted from cranberry juice without sugar. Some dieters have found that adding some stevia for a sweeter variety helped a lot to make the detox drink agree with their palate. This is her way of attaining her daily maximum water intake which can either be served warm or cold.
This infamous Jillian Michaels Diet Drink Recipe that is mostly natural in formulation would help one’s system in flushed out of toxins. The regimen may cause a diuretic effect hence taking in a lot of water is a must. If continuously done for a few days one is guaranteed to shed off up to five pounds of weight. It’s more of a diuretic beverage that would help one eliminate their excess water weight and prevent a bloating condition.
Jillian also has her weak points and craves for some munching from time to time. This is why she always keeps her container of dried cranberries stacked up and some walnuts at bay. She finds that in order to suppress her appetite, she would slice up some ,apples and, eat it with a laughing cow light cheese.
The recipe was intended for a once a month’s consumption which may sound like a fad diet for some. It has been sourced out from the grapevine that Jillian has created a detox system that is intended for a week long detoxification system. The best part about it is said to be the non-laxative effects and a success without the need to fast.

The cranberry recipe drink is flavorful and truly refreshing. This is a good way to jump-start any weight loss program or to get a diet plateau moving. Here are some other tips that Jillian has shared with us:
        * Drink as much water as you can preferable a gallon of it with 2 bags of dandelion tea and a mix of organic cranberry and extracts from one lemon fruit.
* Consider eating asparagus during the detoxification process and some watermelon as the potassium content is likely to help in getting rid of excess water in the body.
* Avoid foods that are rich in sodium contents such as cold cuts and other processed meats.
* Avoid salt or salty foods as they would prevent the task of eliminating the water weight from the system.

How To Cook Seafood Avocado Salad with Ginger

Ingredients
2 quarts water
3/4 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
3/4 pound bay scallops
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped cucumber
1/2 cup chopped carrot
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1/2 pound coarsely chopped cooked lobster meat
1 finely chopped peeled ripe avocado
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon sugar
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon seasoned rice vinegar
1 tablespoon fish sauce
2 teaspoons grated peeled fresh ginger
1 teaspoon Thai roasted chile paste
6 cups trimmed arugula, divided

Preparation
Bring 2 quarts water to a boil in a large saucepan; reduce heat to medium, and simmer. Add shrimp; cook 3 minutes or until done. Remove shrimp with a slotted spoon. Add scallops to pan; cook 3 minutes or until done. Drain; cool 10 minutes. Combine shrimp, scallops, celery, and next 5 ingredients (through avocado) in a large bowl; toss well.
Combine cilantro and the next 6 ingredients (through chile paste) in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add cilantro mixture to shrimp mixture, tossing to coat.
Place 1 cup trimmed arugula on each of 6 plates; top each with about 1 cup seafood and avocado mixture.

Except perhaps when you find yourself in situations

Food shopping can be fun. Most times. Except perhaps when you find yourself in situations where a) you bump into badly informed, impolite or grumpy vendors, b) have to wait in line at the cheese counter and the eldery lady just ahead of you entangled herself in a debate about whether she wants to go with the young Gouda or its aged brother or c) have your three kids in tow and are trying to avoid casualties fighting your way through the sweets department of the store. The last point actually brings back vivid and not necessarily positive memories of my au pair time in London, another reason I regularly admire the calmness of moms keeping their kids-on-a-sugar-high in check while chipping away from an excessive shopping list.
The cliché of an unhurried stroll over the local market with nothing but friendly greeting vendors and an affable chat here and there is not the common reality. On a regular working day food shopping is mostly an inevitable task squished in between demanding work projects and private appointments – it needs to be done if you don’t want to be confronted with a yawning void in your fridge. This is where efficiency pays off and planning ahead saves you nerves, time and money. That is… well, in theory. While I am a planning type of person (easily mastering shopping for clothes & shoes), I’m lousy if it comes to being efficient at food shopping. I tend to be all over the place Munich to get exactly what I want and need, but in no sensible order. In the end I manage to keep the fridge full, but I feel it could be so much less running around…
And to make things worse, I change shopping plans on the fly without having an alternative plan at hand – makes sense? I rarely manage to stick with the shopping list I leave the house with, oftentimes seasonal products jump right at me, begging to be part of the next culinary happening. And that’s the problem, seasonal products are great, but it’s killing me to quickly come up with a recipe and thus justify the purchase right then and there.
Now what to do with the 3 heads of chicory I got at the market stall at Weißenburger Street? I successfully missed to hear that inner little voice, assuring me that chicory is probably not what I wanted and besides it has never been a regular in our kitchen. Back home and in need of a quick dinner fix, the three heads gave me a little headache until… until I thought of bacon: Is there anything that cannot be turned into something delish with just a bit of bacon?
Bacon is always readily available in my kitchen, can’t image the the day I run out of it and it would be a horrible day that’s for sure. It was just as easy done as said, the chicory got nicely flavored and baking it in the oven turned the crisp salad into a soft and moist vegetable, reminding me a little of cooked white asparagus. Most of its bitterness was gone and the crunchy crust perfected this one-dish meal. Hooray to spontaneous shopping list changes and may the chicory season never end!
Preheat the oven to 180°C (~355°F) and prepare the gratin dish or baking form with a little butter or olive oil.
Remove any outer, limp leaves of the chicory heads, slice lengthways in two halves (wash if necessary), cut out the bitter core and arrange in the dish, cut side up. Dust with sugar to balance the bitterness, decorate with stripes of bacon and small pieces of butter and bake in the oven for about 10 to 15 minutes (the tips of the chicory may turn light brown and the bacon will have become a little crisp).
Remove from the oven and turn the heat up to 200°C (~390 °F). Spoon some of the melted butter over the chicory halves and season with coarse sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Mix breadcrumbs and freshly grated Parmesan cheese, then graciously cover the chicory with them. In case you have a few older bread rolls sitting around, cut them up in smaller pieces and let your blender do the rest until you’re happy with the size of crumbs. Fresh thyme leaves and some more butter pieces are optional.
Bake in the oven for a few more minutes (5-10), until the crust takes on a nice, golden brown color and the chicory has become almost translucent and soft. I usually turn the oven fan on as well as the grill, but be alert, this will accelerate the process a lot – keep an eye on it.
Release from the oven, serve as an appetizer or together with boiled potatoes as a main dish and find out, that chicory despite its well manifested bitter rep, can be your best friend ;)

Just when I thought the autumn sunshine

Just when I thought the autumn sunshine couldn’t get any brighter and I happily decided to not yet dig out my heavy Winter clothes and my so beloved collection of colorful woolen hats, the piles of work on my desk are …well, piling up, what else. And so are my emails. Before I cut to the chase, let me assure you how much I love to receive emails, all kinds of emails. I do. Pictures from a newborn baby-girl (thank you, Sven), an update on a recent move (traveling again, Courtney?) or especially tempting recipes which will be moved to my to try-folder immediately (XOX, Claudia). But then, there are other mails. And I’m not talking about a regular business email or the you’ve-won-the-lottery (and worse) type spam.
Crêpes - autum-style
Let’s just call them “Thank you for asking” and “PR bummer“: The latter group just doesn’t seem to ever become extinct, we get strange offers every other day. And they seem to become increasingly stranger. Helpful information for PR companies on how to properly approach bloggers IS readily available, to those who make the effort google, yet old habits die hard. Most companies don’t even bother to find out your actual name and as soon as I stumble across phrases like link exchange, with huge benefits for your site or will increase traffic tremendously, my index finger – already hovering over the delete button – starts weighing a ton.
Crepes - autumn-style
And then there’s: Thank you for asking. Maybe I missed the first omen, but since when have I become an omniscient guide book? Don’t get me wrong, I feel flattered to be considered a reliable source of culinary knowledge, but, truth be told, I’m a food blogger, a passionate one indeed, but not a culinary dictionary or recipe book in standby mode. It’s hard to think of a non-ironic response to someone who messed with a recipe, omitting three key ingredients and complaining about why it didn’t work out. Better yet, inquiries about generic items well covered on the Net by people oblivious to Google or Wikipedia, but squeeze my brain for something as exotic as Ricotta. Ricotta what? Still, my favorites are the ones asking for complimentary support for their business, may it be a restaurant, online service or a coffee shop. I almost choked when I read one of the recent inquiries: ‘Want to open up a coffee bar and am seeking for easy recipes. As I don’t find any recipes online, maybe you could help me?

Recipes online? Really?! Who told you that crap?
Crêpes - autum-style
On the bright side, when dear readers and friends suggest certain culinary topics or recipes they would like to see covered on delicious:days, I’m all ears. Sometimes I have to think about a topic for some time, but when Anja (happy “sneaker” and 24/7 busy business girl) asked for a speedy dinner option to not always have to give in to the same pasta creations, I told her about my latest fast food addiction: filled Crêpes, autumn-style.
Crêpes - autum-style
Start with the batter: In a large bowl add the flour, the salt and the eggs, beat until combined (don’t overdo it), then add the milk and blend well. Sticking to the described order will help to avoid annoying lumps. Let rest for 10 to 15 minutes, then add the chopped parsley.
Prepare the filling: Heat about a teaspoon of butter in a pan, then add the finely diced shallot as well as the pancetta. Fry on medium heat until everything has gained a nice golden color. Add the cleaned baby chanterelles (“Reherl“), season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper and sauté for a few more minutes before you add the chopped parsley. Keep warm on very low heat.
Heat a preferably non-stick pan (mine is 28 cm/11 inch diameter) over medium to high heat and add a teaspoon of clarified butter. If a drop of water thrown into the pan starts to sizzle, you can begin to bake your Crêpes.
Pour a ladle of batter in the middle of the pan and move it swiftly until the batter completely covers the bottom of the pan and forms a nice round shape. Flip as soon as the bottom side shows signs of golden brown spots, then sprinkle with some cheese (optional) and spread 2 to 3 tablespoons of the chanterelle filling in one quarter of the Crêpe. Fold over the empty crepe half and repeat. Voila, a folded and filled Crêpe! Serve immediately.
Add some more clarified butter to the pan and start over again until all of the batter is used up.

When a photo says more than a thousand words

When a photo says more than a thousand words:

This is what I’ve been living on the last 48 hours and as you can probably imagine I don’t feel like writing about bacon at the moment, which is supposed to have a gala display in the next – almost finished – post. Meanwhile I’m happy to take good advice for somebody who caught a stomach bug – besides grated apples, squished bananas, pretzel sticks and zwieback. *sigh*

Who would have thought?

Who would have thought? This recipe includes a couple of firsts for me: Neither have I read the magazine in which I found this recipe in before – always ‘thought it was kinda bland – nor have I ever used instant powder for jello, ever – and I could have sworn that I never would!

Preparing an eye catching jello dessert is dead easy, no rocket science, no secret sauce. Why would anyone consider using store bought instant powder for it? Probably laziness. You wouldn’t find it in my shopping basket, so I thought, until I spotted a beautiful photo in said magazine showing a glas bowl filled with cute colorful meringue bites, using instant jello powder. Intrigued, on the spur of the moment, I had to try it and they turned out just like the magazine picture promised.

Tastewise they brought back childhood memories of my favorite candy store, where my friends Steffi, Kerstin and I were lining up after school to drop some pocket money for effervescent candies in all sort of crazy colors, not caring for their rather artificial flavor. That’s just how these meringue bites taste – well, sweet with a hint of artificial flavor.

Of course now I’m thinking whether it’d be feasible to achieve a similar result – color-wise as well as consistency – with natural flavor, like, let’s say raspberry syrup or dried raspberry powder? Blueberry juice should work, too, but what could be a suitable and tasty substitute for green ones? Thoughts?

Preheat your oven to 120°C (250° Fahrenheit). Use three little bowls to mix three teaspoons of instant powder for jelly with 50g of the white sugar, each at a time.
Prepare the differently colored stiff egg white mix one after another: In a larger bowl combine 2 egg whites with 1/2 teaspoon of white wine vinegar, beat with a whisk by hand or use your mixer of choice and gradually add one sugar mix. Finish beating as soon as the egg white is very stiff and creamy. Repeat procedure with the other egg whites.
Line a baking tray with parchment paper, then fill one of the colored stiff egg whites in a piping bag with a larger nozzle and pipe nice little dots (about walnut-size) onto the tray, leaving some space in between. Rinse and pad dry the piping bag before moving on to the next color.
Bake in the oven for 45 to 60 minutes when done with piping. Take out and carefully remove the bites from the parchment paper as soon as they are cooled down completely. Best stored in an airtight container.

I’m always a bit wary when friends

I’m always a bit wary when friends or colleagues use phrases such as “You must try this!” or “This is the best xyz!” when it comes to describing food or recipes – simply because I’ve been burned more than once in the past. Once bitten twice shy I guess. Not that I generally don’t trust their judgement, but over the years I came to realize, that the perception of food is highly subjective and a topic on which people rarely agree. Certainly it’s simply a matter of taste, not worth fighting over. Yet I don’t know how else I could better introduce my newest salad addiction to you other than with the words You must make this salad. This nutty goddess of a bulgur salad, mixed with cranberries and a hint of lemon has made my weekend. Well, Friday evening. Saturday afternoon. And even the grey and cloudy Sunday morning became a friendlier one while I was scraping the salad bowl to get every last bit…

My inspiration stemmed from a semi-business full-fun get-together we enjoyed at Sebastian‘s place a few weeks ago. His newly acquired round table was the center of great conversations between bloggers (like Kaltmamsell, Max & Coco) and non-bloggers and – of course – filled to capacity with tasty food. My personal highlight: The bulgur salad with dried cranberries. But since this salad was a store-bought addition to our table, there was no one to bug with my recipe inquiries. No arms to twist. What to do? The only feasible solution was to eat spoon after spoon and taking mental notes – making sacrifices in the name of research has never been sweeter ;) And while the final results did not exactly reflect the salad we had enjoyed at Chez Sebastian, I was extremely pleased with what I had whipped up in my saucepan.
Toast the pine nuts in a skillet over medium heat without additional fat and constantly stir until they gain a nice golden brown color, but be careful not to burn them. Once done, remove from skillet.
Finely slice the spring onions and coarsely chop the dried cranberries. Melt butter in a large saucepan and saute the spring onions over medium heat until quite soft.
Pour over the stock of your choice (vegetable or chicken) and bring to a boil, then add the bulgur and let boil for a couple of minutes (stiring every now and then) before adding the cranberries. Remove from heat and let stand until the bulgur is soft (10 to 15 minutes). Drain excessive stock if necessary.
Grate the zest of one lemon into the saucepan, add the toasted pine nuts and use a fork to loosen the bulgur until everything is evenly combined. Season to taste with additional sea salt (if necessary at all). Enjoy warm or cold.

Do you bake bread? No? Why not?

Do you bake bread? No? Why not? Perhaps intimidated by the whole yeast thing? Too complicated? Takes too much time? Then I have the perfect recipe for you: A lovely sweet muesli bread, another definite keeper from fellow food blogger Petra.

I streamlined the recipe’s procedure a little bit, because the last time I prepared this tasty bread, I was running out of time. Nevertheless it tasted deee-li-cious. The bread has been baked in our oven four times now: The first time it was pure curiosity, the second time it made a great gift for a house-warming party, the third time pimped our Sunday breakfast table and the last time I used it to feed the camera team on a day-long shooting. The feedback? Everybody loved it. Try for yourself, either with a mild goat cheese or butter and honey. What else can I say but: Thank you, Petra!
Add the 5-grain rolled cereal mix, the milk, 130 g water and honey to the bowl of your food processor, stir and let soak for about 30 minutes.

Coarsely chop the dried apricots, then mix with the cranberries, the hazelnuts and the pistachios.
Dissolve the yeast in 50 g water, then add to the soaked grains, together with the flour. Knead slowly for 2 or 3 minutes, then sprinkle over the salt and knead again until the dough comes off the sides of the bowl cleanly.

Spread the dough on a floured surface like a rectangle, sprinkle over the fruits and nuts, then fold the dough like a letter. Knead until fruits and nuts are evenly worked in. Form a ball and put in a slightly oiled bowl, where the dough should double its volume in about one hour (covered with cloth in a warm and draft free spot).

Divide into two equally sized pieces and form to nice little longish breads, taking care that the surface stays as intact as possible. Brush with the beat egg and sprinkle with either rolled oats or chopped nuts. Cover with foil and let rest one last time for about 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 220°C (430°F) with either a backing stone or a baking sheet on middle level.
Cover the hot baking stone or sheet with parchment paper and place the breads on it. Spray some water on the oven walls to create steam (enhances the crust) and quickly close the oven door again. Discard the parchment paper after 20 minutes and bake 5 to 10 more minutes (cover with aluminium foil, if the bread or the nuts get too dark too quickly).

Take out of the oven and let cool on a wire rack.

I just don’t know where to start

I just don’t know where to start. Sometimes a proper introduction to a recipe is so far out of reach & the spark just won’t catch – not so today. Too many options, which one to choose? I could tell you about bad timing. Or about my friend Ulrike, who mastered this recipe and how she inspired this post’s headline. Or about my dear friend Hande, who I consider the most knowledgeable person when it come to both food and wine – yet it took me forever to convince her to finally make her own gnocchi. Or about the old myth, that homemade gnocchi have to be labor-intensive and time-consuming. See?! How could I possibly make up my mind and choose just one single introduction? I feel like a little kid wanting to tell you all about a great day in 2.5 seconds.

First things first, and most importantly: These gnocchi are heaven in a bowl… velvet-like cushions to your bite… a revelation to your tongue… I could go on and on and on. Having mastered potato and pumpkin gnocchi many times in my own kitchen, I didn’t expect another sort of gnocchi to take my heart by storm. But Ricotta gnocchi, where have you been all my life? This variation is even easier to prepare than the former two mentioned, taste-wise open to all kinds of flavors, and – I kid you not – they take less than 15 minutes to prepare before you can release them for a little swim in softly bubbling saltwater.

This is why I chose this recipe for a little cooking get-together in our kitchen two weeks ago, my ulterior motive: could I convince my friend Ulrike to take home this recipe and give it a shot herself? I had completely forgotten that she is the queen of crafting and her skillful hands bake the neatest cookies, therefor her little gnocchi of course looked perfect, from start to finish. Asked if she thought that this would qualify as a beginners’ recipe she cheekily replied: “For beginners… and for braggarts – I’m going to impress my parents with it on our next family reunion!“

Armed with a new serving of confidence I called my friend Hande in Rome the other day. We chatted about this and that – this being food and that being another planed food-related trip – before I placed my tempting appetizer: “You simply have to try my newest gnocchi recipe – they take no more than 15 minutes.” A short hymn of praise and she gave in to prepare her first gnocchi ever. I promised to mail the recipe over the upcoming weekend and she added Ricotta to her shopping list.

Meanwhile she and her husband not only called to report back – Hande was totally delighted with her gnocchi results and couldn’t stop raving – she made them in less then 10 (!) minutes and said a few more things that made me blush and happy… So when she offered me her wine expertise on this dish (she’s a fantastic sommelier by profession), I couldn’t say YES! fast enough:
Hande on these gnocchi and the perfect wine:
Oh, Nicky makes it sound as if it was a piece of cake selling me the idea of making my own gnocchi – you should know: I don’t do doughs. I don’t make any pie doughs. I don’t make my own pasta. And I sure don’t make any gnocchi! I live in Rome, where thursdays is the official gnocchi day – I just need to go out of my house and fall into any of the 27(?) trattoria around me. The only thing that made me give it a shot was the hope (or should I say dream?) that I just might replicate the fluffy, cloud-like gnocchi we once had in a secret trattoria somewhere in Italy.
Ok, there was a second reason, too: I wanted to find the perfect wine match for the gnocchi she was talking about. You know, for me a good meal becomes a perfect meal when it is matched with the right wine. So tonight it took me a whole 8:39 mins from weighing my ingredients to carrying the plates to the table – and about as long to try 1 bubbly and 3 wines (all Italian of course, we are talking gnocchi here!) to find the perfect match: The verdict – the ricotta and the sauce, especially if you are using the roasted pepper pesto, have a distinct acidity, followed by a creaminess and a persistent taste that lingers around for a long time. You want a wine that has as much persistence but not more. It also definitely has to be soft. Neither too much acidity (common to North Italian wines, which will taste like water if you match them here), nor too much minerals (the salty/briny taste you have with southern Italian wines, that will completely overpower the gnocchi), the perfect wine is central Italian, like a Trebbiano or Grecchetto, with enough fruity, flowery and spicy aromas, oily and pleasant in your mouth.
Now what about bad timing? Have you heard about the newest food blogging event, the Daring Cooks challenge? No? Me neither, but I have several good excuses. The best: this monthly event is brand-new (short explanation for non-food bloggers: every month a different host picks a challenging recipe, which the group members will cook and document on their blog). So when Hande sent me a note with said link to the Daring cooks’ first challenge (Ricotta gnocchi!) I was ready to skip my gnocchi recipe and file it under bad timing. But on a second though I changed my mind. When my gnocchi cravings kick in, it’d be ridiculous to assume I could possibly wait another 25 hours the Zuni Cafe cookbook recipe requires… That’s like putting a nice piece of beef tenderloin in front of a hungry lion and telling him, tomorrow you can have it. Ain’t happening! My recipe is made for the impatient cook, who wants to have instant gratification and delight… (which doesn’t mean I won’t give the Zuni recipe a try some time soon, simply to appease my curiosity… ;) Anyway, if you have never prepared your own gnocchi, this is the time to conquer the world or at least your kitchen, don’t chicken out – just give it a go!

Discard any excess liquid that the Ricotta’s packaging may contain, then add Ricotta cheese, egg yolk, salt and freshly grated Parmigiano into a large bowl. Mix well with a wooden or regular spoon. Now add the flour and stir in briefly, just until combined – the dough will still be quite sticky. (Of course you can add more flour at this point, but keep in mind, that the more flour you use, the denser the gnocchi become in the end. And you want them to be as light & fluffy as possible, with a velvet-like texture.)
Forming these gnocchi is the slightly tricky step, this is the technique that works best for me: Generously flour a board, take a big tablespoon of the dough and scoop it onto the board. It gets dusted with flour (dust your hands generously, too!), before rolling it into a finger-thick roll. Cut it into little pillows (stick the knife’s blade into the flour to prevent it from sticking to the dough). Then place each gnoccho on a floured board or parchment paper lined baking tray. Continue quickly with the next step, otherwise they will get soggy and stick to the paper/board anyway.
Meanwhile bring a large pot of water to a boil, add a generous pinch of salt and reduce heat until the water bubbles lightly. Add the gnocchi and stir once, so they don’t stick to the bottom – then let cook until they start floating on top. Depending on their size this may take 2 to 4 minutes. Take out with a skimmer and serve immediately. I like to serve them either with a simple tomato sauce (like this one or this one), browned butter with fresh sage or any kind of pesto (my current favorite: roasted peppers, toasted pine nuts, Parmigiano and olive oil).

My attempt of typing gets continuously interrupted

To my left, I see cookie recipe notes, magazine rip-outs and baking books piling up in huge bulks, all furnished with the obligatory Post-It stickers to single out potential Christmas cookie candidates. On my right, a huge stainless-steel tin, which was a Christmas gift itself, some years ago, filled to the brim with already baked cookies. And I’m not making any progress on this post, at all. My attempt of typing gets continuously interrupted by grabbing yet another Pepparkakor or Wespennest or getting a top-up on my cup of Yasmin tea.

But I doubt that I will try more than one, maybe two new Christmas cookie recipes this season, just like I did over the last years. The reason is simple – too many tried and tested recipes are waiting for their single annual red carpet appearance. Because we live by the most important Christmas cookie rule of all: December it has to be. You don’t bake these in March or September, thus ensuring that your appetite for Vanillekipferl or Basler Brunsli is alive and kicking as soon as the final month of the year approaches.

These spritz cookies have occupied a safe spot on our cookie plate for ages, the recipe is an old Word print-out with significant stains and handwritten updates & notes, that doesn’t reveal its origin at all. Once you’ve managed to pipe the rather tough dough onto the trays (I love to use these, but this year one “exploded” and left me with a mess), the aroma arising from the oven already gives away these cookies’ potential. And I didn’t use “melt in your mouth” for no reason.

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°Fahrenheit). Line baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
Cream the butter with a handheld mixer or KA until smooth, then gradually add the sifted confectioners sugar and the cinnamon and keep beating for at least three minutes. Add the egg yolks, one at a time, and keep beating for two more minutes.
In a separate bowl mix together flour, baking powder, cocoa and ground hazelnuts, before adding this mix as well. Beat just until evenly combined, then fill the dough into a pastry bag with a star-shaped tip and pipe short stripes (about 6 cm/2,5 inches long) onto the parchment paper lined baking sheets. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes.
Remove from the oven and let rest a couple of minutes before carefully moving the cookies (they are fragile!) and placing them on a wired rack until cooled off completely. Meanwhile slowly melt the chocolate couverture over a bain-marie while continuously stirring and dip the cocoa sticks’ ends in the chocolate. Let drip off excessive chocolate (sprinkle with chopped nuts, if desired) and let dry on parchment paper (or on a silpat mat). Store in an airtight container, they keep for a couple of weeks.

If you count yourself to the species

If you count yourself to the species of people who have a hard time understanding the appeal of porridge and to see charisma in baked oats recipes, hey I’m with you, I completely understand what you are going through, I once was on the dark side your side. Once. Until now. Problem being, I can’t rationalize or even remotely have a logical explanation for what made me head back to the kitchen late last evening after stumbling upon Macheesmo’s recipe. Believe me, I’m not the type of girl who is easily impressed by the words oats or oatmeal, quite the contrary. Maybe reading the recipe has put a spell on me?

Let me be upfront and 100 % honest: I doubt, this recipe is a crowd-pleaser, I really do! And yet this true gem has made my rainy Monday morning a little brighter, my future breakfast repertoire so much more substantial - I simply can not NOT share it with you. So there. It brings out the very best of rolled oats, sweet chewiness meets nutty flavor, hot meets cold and it is impossible to stop, once you allow yourself the thought of being in love with a bowl of baked oatmeal. There is no way back.

Start preparing your oats the evening before you plan to serve them: I used a larger bowl with a lid, it allows me to comfortably mix all ingredients and keep them in an airtight container in the fridge without having to change dishes. Melt the butter over low heat, then remove from the stove and let cool down a bit. Break the egg into the bowl and beat with a whisk, then add the sugar, the butter, the baking powder and the spices and blend well. Lastly pour in the milk and add the oats with a wooden spoon until everything is combined. Close the bowl with the lid and let soak over night in the fridge.

Baking the oats: Preheat your oven to 180°C (350° Fahrenheit). Generously grease a gratin dish or other ovenproof dish with butter. Pour the soaked oats into the dish and flatten them with the back of a spoon. Bake on middle level for ~40 minutes or until the top gained a nice golden brown color and the oats feel crisp to the touch (be careful – don’t burn yourself!). Take out of the oven and serve with warm or cold milk – I prefer it cold, it gives a nice contrast and turns lukewarm while you enjoy it. Of course you can add fruits or nuts, but I like its nutty chewiness best plain, as-is.