Butternut squash soup - Supa crema de dovleac

Now that fall is here to stay, i love the color of the light this time of the year, it looks pale yellow, and it casts a warm glow to everything. The only thing that i don't like, is when the sun sets. I love the colors of the sunset, but the dusk feels so sad, sudden and overwhelming when i barely leave work to go home.

I was reading the last number from Saveur, and i was carried away by the article "In The Heart of France" wrote by by David McAninch (here is the article from their website). I haven't been to France yet, but i would love to go, especially to see the country side, to see if what i imagine France to be like and smell like is real or not, and to see the charm of this place as described in this article and its pictures, because it was more enchanting to me than so many others seen until now. Of course i still want to see Paris, walk around until my legs hurt and taste the amazing macarons, it wouldn't be France without them.
Reading the pages from Saveur the other night, made me dream of the beautiful time to come, the cozy warm nights at home and the wonderful foods of the season. And most of all, made me miss Romania and my family, and it brought so many memories back. If i would have been born here, used to seeing the ocean and plam trees all year long, i wouldn't probably miss fall or winter. At least, I am happy that the last street on the way to my job is probably one of the few streets in west LA that have beautiful shedding trees, some sort of maples with a white bark, which now look pretty yellow and are getting ready to strip. I love to see them every day and i cannot believe how beautiful they are. Both blocks to the left and right of them have really tall palms, bending in the wind, just like you see everywhere in this city.

Although i don't have a favorite season, i have things that i love about each. For fall is Thanksgiving, apple and pumpkin pies, cinnamon and spices, the thick and warm soups and stews, which make you feel warm and make your house smell amazing.

When i saw the butternut squash at the market, i knew immediately that i want to make a soup out of it. I brought it home, excited, and told Gabriel what i was planning to make and he smiled and said : "sure, pumpkin soup is what i wished for all my life, that's food to crave for...." I rolled my eyes at him, and decided that i will make it anyway. I like pureed soups and i like roasted butternut squash, but i never used it for soup before. I only made soup with the mexican squash and italian zucchinis and i knew they were ok with that, so decided to give it a try.

Last night, i made the soup, not planning to add to many things to it, because i wanted to taste like squash mainly. So, after i pureed it, i tasted it and didn't like it at all. And if i don't like it, then for sure Clara and Gabi wouldn't eat more than a spoon. It was too sweet, more like baby food, and i don't say that i a good way.

That's how i decided to make it a bit more savory and add some flavors, and picked out nutmeg, ginger and all spice. To cut down the sweetness, i used the borsch powder, which i have found at the Polish store from Santa Monica, and also got more from my mom. But i found a recipe on the Saveur's website for the squash soup and they suggest canned tomatoes, which i am sure would have worked just fine if i didn't have the borsch.

Now, about the borsch (Romanian "bors"). Here is a link from wikipedia, where it explains that the Romanian bors is a sour soup, not the same with the Russian, German or Polish soups, and all the others. The powder that i am talking about is a concentrate, like the chicken or beef bouillon cubes. There is a veggie one and a white (from sour cream) one.

The beet chips - i made them for Clara last night. She loves the ones i get from Trader Joe's, made from beets, yams, parsnips, and other root vegetables, so i bought 4 beets, peeled and sliced them really thin and baked them for about 45 minutes at 250 F, just sprinkled with salt, until dried. Clara helped with them, loving the stains on her fingers and bragging how she eats healthy chips, without any oil or preservatives. Plus that she learned the word crimson last week, and she kept on saying how the beets have this wonderful crimson color :)))). I was happy, because she is not a big fan of beets, never ate them roasted or boiled, only when i added them to a soup, so she doesn't know about it. We'll make some more this weekend and i'll take some pictures.

I also added some toasted almond slivers to the soup, but after I took the photo, and i loved the crunch and nutty flavor brought to the soup.

Clara and Gabi ate a little, but still didn't like it. What was that they didn't like? "that it wasn't chicken noodle or any meat and veggies kind of soup. " "but I used chicken broth to make it..." "but the meat taste is not there, nor any meat pieces...." "but you could make it again for yourself, mom, maybe not this much, and something else for us?!"

So, unless i find someone else to eat this with me, i am not going to make it again soon, even though it was really good. In the meantime, chicken noodle and other meat and veggie soups.

Butternut squash soup

3 tablespoons oil
Half of a large onion, chopped
2 carrots, shredded or chopped
1 parsnip, shredded or chopped
1 celery rib, chopped
1 bay leaf
3 lbs butternut squash, either cut in half and seeded, or peeled, seeded and cut into cubes
5 cups chicken or vegetable broth, or water (about 1 quart/1 liter)
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon powdered ginger
1/4 teaspoon all spice
salt and pepper
1 cup tomato sauce or 2 tablespoons Polish or Romanian borsch (borscht) concentrate

toppings: heavy cream or sour cream , chives, beet chips and toasted almonds slivers

Preheat oven at 375F (190C). I cut the butternut squash in half, lengthwise, and seeded them, but you could also peel them, remove the seeds and cut the squash in cubes. Put the halves or cubes in a baking dish or roasting pan and bake them for about 45 minutes to an hour, until softened and caramelized. The roasting intensifies the flavor and also the orange color.
Saute the onion, carrots, parsnip, celery and bay leaf in a medium 2-3 qt pot, over medium heat, until softened.
Pour over the broth and let it boil about 10-15 minutes, then add the squash (if baked in halves, spoon out the flesh and throw the peel), the tomato sauce or borscht powder, the nutmeg, ginger, all spice, salt & pepper and let it simmer, covered, for about 5 minutes. Remove the bay leaf.
Puree the soup in batches in a blender, until smooth (cover the lid with a kitchen towel to hold the blender and to avoid any burning accidents). Return the soup to the pot and thin with water or broth if it’s too thick.
Serve hot with a drizzle of cream, beet chips, toasted almonds and chives.

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Supa crema de dovleac

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Mussels in a Coconut Thai Broth - Midii in sos thailandez cu lapte de cocos

I love mussels, and pretty much all seafood. The only ones that i am iffy about are the oysters, but i don't turn them down. It's just that i like them not too large, not too many, and served like shooters - with a bit of lemon or lime juice and a bit of tabasco or spicy cocktail sauce. All the others, shrimp, clams, mussels, lobster, crab, any kind of fish, are more than welcome, at any time, preferably in larger portions. I would choose them over red meat at any time.

I cooked mussels lots of times before, but somehow i have only two other photos in my folder, in seafood combo dishes. I'll get to them some time soon. I like the mussels to have some broth so i could eat them with fresh crusty bread, and i love the sea smell and taste of the sauce from the mussels. Any broth - made with wine, beer, tomato sauce, cream or coconut milk - is really good.

And these dishes are not only good, but definitely presentable as an appetizer or a main entree for any casual or fancy gathering. The flavors could be played with based on your favorite herbs and cuisines. Go French with just white wine, shallots and thyme, Italian with some tomato sauce and fresh parsley, Asian by adding the ginger, or Thai - with the lemongrass, curry and coconut milk. Make them spicy or mild, as you like.

The taste, flavors and the bread dipped into the sauce, makes this one of my favorite comfort foods. The broth has a wonderul rich taste and beautiful yellow color, and the chilli gives it a bite. And don't forget the glass of chilled white wine by its side, it's definitely better :))

This time i mixed the wine and the coconut milk for the broth, but you could go with just one or the other, and play the other ingredients by ear if you don't like the Thai theme. You could also use heavy cream instead of coconut milk, but i would use then 1 1/2 cups of white wine and only up to 1 cup (250 ml) cream. If using just coconut milk, and no wine, add at the end some acidity - lemon or lime juice.

This time i don't have a recipe link, i mixed a couple and made it to our liking. It made 4 appetizers.

Here is a link about cleaning mussels, with very good advice and step-by-step photos.

Mussels in a Coconut Thai Broth

2 tablespoons oil
½ onion, finely chopped (you could also use one shallot or one leek, only white and light green parts)
1 or 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 stalk lemongrass, cut into 3-4 pieces, smashed with the side of the knife
the zest of one lime
one 1 ½ inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and sliced or chopped coarsely
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 can coconut milk (~300ml)
1 cup dry white wine
1 ½ pound mussels, scrubbed
salt and pepper
1 red chilli, thinly sliced
1 green onion, sliced on diagonal
fresh cilantro, chopped

In a large saucepan, saute the onion and cook until softened. Add the garlic, and after a minute the curry powder. Add the coconut milk, wine, ginger, lime zest and lemongrass, and bring the sauce to a boil.
Add the mussels, cover the pot, and let them cook over low heat for about 3-5 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally, until all the mussels open. Transfer the open mussels to your serving bowls, discarding the ones that didn’t open.

Continue cooking the broth, uncovered, simmering over low heat, until reduced by half. Season with salt and pepper and add the chilli slices.
Strain and pour the broth over the mussels. Sprinkle with cilantro and green onion and serve immediately with fresh crusty bread and lime wedges.

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Midii in sos thailandez cu lapte de cocos

Imi plac midiile, si de fapt toate fructele de mare. Singurele la care sunt mai mofturoasa sunt stridiile, dar nu le refuz nici pe ele. Doar ca imi plac cele de marime potrivita, sa nu fie prea largi si prea multe, si sa le mananc proaspete, sorbite dintr-o inghititura stropite cu zeama de lamaie sau limeta si putin sos picant sau cocktail. Restul, creveti, scoici, midii, homar, crabi, si absolut orice fel de peste, sunt mai mult decat binevenite, cat mai des si in portii cat mai mari. As alege fructe de mare oricand in locul carnii rosii.
Am gatit midii acasa de multe ori, dar nu stiu de ce nu am decat doua poze in albumele salvate, si alea de feluri de mancare unde le-am combinat cu alte "pescaresti". O sa ajung intr-o buna zi si la ele. Imi plac midiile sa aiba un fel de sos, zeama, sa le mancam cu paine proaspata, si imi place mirosul si gustul de mare pe care il ia sosul de la ele. Orice sos - facut cu vin, bere, suc de rosii, smantana dulce sau lapte de cocos- este foarte bun.
Si pe langa ca sunt foarte gustoase, felurile astea sunt si foarte prezentabile, servite ca aperitiv sau fel principal (o portie mai serioasa) la orice masa, fie ea mai putin pretentioasa, sau mai formala. Iar aromele si condimentele pot fi alese in functie de verdeturile voastre preferate si inspiratia culinara. Incercati o varianta franceza cu vin alb, ceapa de apa (esalota) si cimbrisor proaspat, italiana cu sos de rosii si patrunjel proaspat, asiatica - adaugand ghimbir si coriandru, sau thailandeza cu lemongrass, praf sau pasta de curry si lapte de cocos. Si daca va place mancarea care pisca putin la limba, adaugati ardei iute sau ceva condimente care sa le faca picante.
Gustul, aromele si painea muiata in sos, fac felul asta una din mancarurile mele favorite, care iti da o senzatie minunata de comfort si caldura. Zeama are un gust atat de bogat, de un galben minunat, iar ardeiul iute ii da "musca" numai putin. Si nu uitati un pahar de vin alb rece servit langa, asa sigur totul are un gust si mai bun :))
De data asta, am amestecat vinul si laptele de cocos pentru zeama, dar se poate folosi numai unul din ele, iar restul ingredientelor se modifica dupa gust. De asemenea, se poate folosi smantana dulce lichida in loc de lapte de cocos, dar atunci as folosi o ceasca si jumatate de vin si numai jumatate de ceasca de smantana (mi se pare mai grasa decat laptele de cocos). Daca folositi numai lapte de cocos si nu adaugati vin, la sfarsit s-ar putea sosul sa aiba nevoie de putina aciditate - stropiti midiile cu putina zeama de lamaie sau limeta.
De data asta nici o reteta la care sa va trimit, ci o combinatie pe care am facut-o dupa gusturile noastre. Din ingredientele de mai jos au iesit 4 portii de aperitiv.
Aici este un link unde gasiti sfaturi cum se curata midiile, cu poze pentru fiecare pas. (Daca are cineva nevoie de traducere, trimiteti numai un comentariu).

Midii in sos thailandez cu lapte de cocos

2 linguri ulei
½ ceapa tocata marunt (sau puteti folosi ceapa de apa - esalota sau chiar un fir de praz, numai partea alba si cea verde deschis)
1-2 catei de usturoi tocati marunt
un fir de lemongrass, taiat in 3-4 bucati, strivite cu muchia cutitului
coaja rasa de la o limeta
o bucata de vreo 3-4 cm de ghimbir proaspat, curatat de coaja si taiat feliute sau tocat mai mare
1 lingurita praf de curry
o conserva lapte de cocos (~300ml)
250 ml vin alb
700-800 g midii proaspete, curatate bine (sau congelate, folosite direct de la congelator, nu le lasati sa se dezghete pana le puneti in oala)
sare si piper
1 ardei iute rosu, taiat feliute subtiri
un fir de ceapa verde, taiat in feliute subtiri pe diagonala
2-3 linguri coriandru proaspat, tocat

Intr-o cratita mai larga (in care sa incapa mai tarziu midiile), se caleste ceapa pana e translucenta. Se adauga usturoiul, si dupa un minut praful de curry. Se amesteca apoi laptele de cocos, vinul, ghimbirul, coaja de limeta si bucatile de lemongrass, lasand sosul sa dea in clocot.
Se adauga midiile, se pune capacul si se micsoreaza focul, miscand cratita ocazional, timp de vreo 3-5 minute, pana s-au deschis toate midiile. Se scot midiile in bolurile in care o sa le serviti ( sau unul singur mai mare) si se arunca cele care nu s-au deschis.
Se lasa zeama sa fiarba, neacoperita, la foc mic, pana se reduce la jumatate. Se pune sare si piper dupa gust si feliutele de ardei iute.
Se strecoara zeama si se toarna peste midii. Se presara coriandru si ceapa verde pe deasupra si se servesc imediat cu paine proaspata si felii de limeta sau lamaie.

Instructiuni speciale:

Midiile trebuie gatite in aceeasi zi in care au fost cumparate. Se desfac din pachetul sau punga in care au fost impachetate imediat ce este posibil, sa respire, altfel mor. Se spala bine de tot in apa, frecandu-se carapacea sa se indeparteze toate depunerile, se taie "barba" care iese din carapace si se lasa putin in apa rece cat sa se indeparteze nisipul din ele. Se scot usor din castronul cu apa incat nisipul sa ramana la fund, nu varsati castronul cu ele sa se scurga nisipul inapoi.

Inainte de a le gati, se arunca midiile care sunt sparte, precum si cele care nu se inchid cand sunt lovite cu degetul. Dupa ce au fost gatite, se arunca toate cele care nu s-au deschis.

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Boo-Hoo-Hoo, Halloween time - Mini Mac-n-cheese and "Waxed apples" - Macaroane cu branza si "Mere ceruite"

I dont' know why, but Halloween it is not one of my favorite hollidays. Actually, i don't consider it a holliday like the others are, i find it silly, commercial and a lot of times, the costumes are to blame as well (you should see how some of the girls from Clara's school dress on this day, i was really wondering, how could their parents let them wear stuff like that, or better said, how could they let them wear so little....) But Clara is excited, she cannot wait to go trick-or-treating every year, to pick her costume, and stay late counting her candies.

Her first costume was a snow fairy, really cute, ivory and gold, probably the only white costume at the parade they have at school each year. Next year she asked us for something black, so she picked a Spiderella costume. For the third grade, she didn't want black anymore, because it seems that is not so original when at least half of the kids wear black costumes, so she chose a pirate costume, since last year the Pirates of the Caribean were en vogue. This year, she wasn't really sure, but then she read a book at Barnes & Nobles and decided - this year we'll have a kimono.

My boss brought her a beautiful pink silk robe from Hong Kong last year and she wanted to transform that in a kimono, so we bought some black silk, with a red embroidery, and a red wide ribbon, to put together our outfit. A little bit of cutting and sewing (this is our first tailoring attempt, the past years we bought the costumes), and here she is after running two laps for the parade.

She was happy that her classmates thought her costume so original, even though her hair was all over the place, and i got there too late to put any make-up on her, except for a little bit of black eyeliner.
Later that day, i crashed with a terrible migraine and Clara went with Gabriel trick-or-treating. They never went alone until now, we always went with other friends, but this year, some of them moved farther, others went to a birthday party, so we did not have any companions. Everything worked just fine, Clara and Gabriel know how to have fun and i was their only problem - i called them about 10:30 to ask if they are on the way home as it's pretty late and she had a long day. They came in about 20 minutes, upset that i had them come home too early!!!!! Hopeless party people, that's my guy and my girl, and i am party killer, it seems.

Last year i made for Clara's class chocolate cupcakes with a spider web frosting and a fondant spider. This year, thinking how much sugar the kids get to eat in one day, i tried to come up with a healthier alternative and a snack for their after school party.
So, i made "waxed apples" - apples coated in white chocolate with some colored sprinkles and icing on top. The white chocolate looks like the apples were dipped in melted wax, and it is not so hard as a caramel coating.

I stuck a lollipop stick in each apple, dipped them in melted white chocolate, let them dry about 5 minutes, then dipped in orange sprinkles and drizzled them with green, black and purple icing. I put them in bags only in the morning, to make sure the coating is really dry.

For the party i decided to make the all time favorite mac-n-cheese in a snack size, so they could eat it without forks and plates. That's how i found this recipe here and made it triple, using a regular size muffin pan, not the mini version recommended in the recipe.

We live only 2 minutes away from school, so the snacks were still warm when i got there, and they disappeared immediately. At least they had some food besides all the cookies, cupcakes, chips and candy, and it was not the one made from the box, which made these mac-n-cheese even better.

Ohhh, i forgot to ask, who wants some candies? We have about 5 lbs of every possible kind :))

Three-Cheese Mini Macs (Recipe by Grace Parisi)

1/2 pound elbow macaroni
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for brushing
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3/4 cup milk
4 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded (1 packed cup) ****
4 ounces deli-sliced American cheese, chopped **** i used 8 oz of a mix of cheddar, mozarella and colby, shredded
1 large egg yolk **** because i made the recipe tripple, i used 2 egg yolks and one full egg
1/4 teaspoon smoked Spanish paprika

1. Preheat the oven to 425°. In a large saucepan of boiling salted water, cook the macaroni until al dente, about 5 minutes. Drain, shaking off the excess water.
2. Brush four 12-cup, nonstick mini muffin tins with butter. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of the Parmigiano; tap out the excess.
3. In a large saucepan, melt the 1 1/2 tablespoons of butter. Whisk in the flour over moderate heat for 2 minutes. Whisk in the milk and cook, whisking, until boiling, about 5 minutes. Add the cheeses and whisk until melted. Off the heat, whisk in the egg yolk and paprika. Fold in the macaroni.
4. Spoon slightly rounded tablespoons of the macaroni into the prepared muffin cups, packing them gently. Sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons of Parmigiano on top.
5. Bake the mini macs in the upper and middle thirds of the oven for about 10 minutes, until golden and sizzling. Let cool for 5 min­utes. Using a small spoon, carefully loosen the mini macs, transfer to a platter and serve.

The recipe can be prepared through Step 4 and refrigerated overnight.

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"Mere ceruite"

Am infipt un betisor de acadea in fiecare mar, l-am rostogolit prin ciocolata alba topita, la-m pus pe un gratar 5 minute sa se intareasca ciocolata, apoi l-am dat prin cristale de zahar portocaliu, iar pe deasupra am picurat niste galzura de zahar pudra, colorata mov, negru si verde. Le-am lasat asa pana dimineata cand le-am pus in pungute si legat cu fundite sa le duca Clara la scoala.

Mini briose de macaroane cu branza (Reteta lui Grace Parisi)

250 g macaroane micute, de 2-3 cm
20g unt nesarat, plus mai mult pentru uns forma de
50g parmesan ras 2 linguri faina
225 ml lapte
120 g Cheddar cascaval ras ***
120 g branza topita, taiat in cuburi *** eu am folosit in total 250 g de branza rasa, un amestec de trei feluri, cheddar, mozzarella si colby, fara sa mai pun branza topita
1 galbenus *** pentru ca am facut reteta in cantitate tripla, 2 galbenusuri si un ou intreg
1/4 lingurita boia afumata

1. Se incalzeste cuptorul la 425 (218C). Intr-o oala cu apa clocotita sarata se pun macaroanele la fiert, pana sunt al dente, timp de vreo 5 minute. Se scurg de apa, fara sa se clateasca.

2. Se ung formele de briose cu unt si se tapeteaza cu 2 linguri parmesan ras. Se scutura excesul.

3. Intr-o craticioara se topesc cele 20 g unt. Se presara faina si se face un rantas, prajind -o vreo 2 minute. Se amesteca cu telul adaugand laptele pana incepe sa dea in clocot si se ingroasa, vreo 5 minute. Se adauga branza si se amesteca pana e topita toata. Se da la o parte de pe foc, se adauga galbenusul si boiaua afumata. Se adauga macaroanele fierte si se amesteca bine.

4. Se pun macaroanele in formele de briose, fara sa se apese tare pastele. Se presara restul de parmesan pe deasupra.

5. Se coc in treimea de sus a cuptorului aproximativ 10 minute, pana s-au aurit deasupra. Se lasa sa se raceasca 5 minute. Cu ajutorul unei linguri se scot "briosele" din tava si se pun pe platoul de servit.
Reteta poate fi preparata cu o zi inainte pana la pasul al 4-lea, pastrandu-se in frigider peste noapte.

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Braised chicken with sweet peppers and olives - Pui cu ardei si masline

Maybe last week when i made this i couldn't have said that the fall is here, especially when every single day we had over 90F at lunch. But the mornings are colder, and so are the nights, the sun sets pretty early, so why not start cooking some comforting recipes that make the house smell amazing and warm.

I found this recipe in the Food & Wine newsletter i get every week, and i am glad i looked at it.

It takes a while to make, and i know it keeps going back and forth between the oven and the stove, the roasting pan and the skillet, and seems complicated, but it isn't. Or maybe just a bit, but it was so worth it. The house smelled so nice from the roasted peppers, the chicken was so flavorful and really falling off the bone, the sauce absolutely amazing and we love olives, what else could i say? We had some crusty bread with it, but i thought it could be served with polenta as well.

Now, here is the original recipe, and the one below is my tweaked version. I am not going into why i changed it, i cannot help myself not to, but i didn't take out any ingredients, just adapted it a bit. Read them both and see which one suits you better, but give this one a try if it's tempting, you will like it a lot.

Braised chicken with sweet peppers and olives - adapted after Ethan Stowell's recipe

4 bell peppers (2 red and 2 yellow), cut in strips
11/2 onions, one thinly sliced and the other half diced
10 chicken drumsticks
salt and pepper
one carrot diced or shredded
1 celery ribs, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon thyme leaves
1 ½ cups dry white wine
2 cups chicken stock or low-sodium broth
1/2 pound green and black olives
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

Preheat the oven to 400 F (200C). On a large rimmed baking sheet, toss the bell peppers and the onion slices with a little bit of oil. Roast the peppers for about 30 minutes, turning them halfway through, until they are softened.
Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Working in batches, cook the chicken in a very large skillet, over moderately high heat until it is golden all over. Put the browned chicken pieces in a large roasting pan or baking dish.
In the same skillet, add the carrots, celery, garlic, thyme and the diced onion and cook until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the white wine and bring to a boil, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Pour the wine and the vegetables over the chicken. Add the chicken stock to the pan, cover with foil and put it in the oven, lowering the temperature at 350F(175C).
Braise the chicken for about 1 1/2 hours, until it’s falling off the bone. Transfer the chicken to a serving dish and cover with foil. Set the roasting pan over medium heat (if it’s a roasting pan, but if you used a baking dish, pour the sauce in a saucepan), stir in the peppers and the olives into the sauce and boil the juices for about 5 minutes. Season the sauce with salt and pepper. Pour the sauce and vegetables over the chicken, sprinkle with parsley and serve with crusty bread.

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Pui cu ardei si masline - reteta adaptata dupa reteta lui Ethan Stowell

4 bucati ardei gras (2 rosii si 2 galbeni), taiati solzisori
1 ceapa + jumatate, ceapa intreaga taiata solzisori si jumatatea tocata marunt
10 pulpe de pui - partea inferioara (pot fi amestecat partea superioara si inferioara, asa e reteta originala, numai ca eu am avut numai ciocanele)
sare si piper
1 morcov tocat marunt sau dat pe razatoarea mare
1 tija telina verde, tocata
2 catei de usturoi tocati marunt
1 lingurita cimbru
375 ml vin alb sec
400-500 ml zeama de supa ( de pui sau legume)
200-250g masline verzi si/sau negre
2 linguri patrunjel tocat marunt

Se incalzeste cuptorul la 200C (400F). Pe o tava tapetata cu folie de aluminiu se pun ardeii si ceapa taiata solzisori, stropiti cu ulei si condimentati cu sare si piper. Se coc cca 30 minute, amestecandu-I sa nu se arda, pana cand sunt moi.
Intre timp se condimenteaza carnea de pui cu sare si piper. Se prajeste puiul in doua transe intr-o tigaie la foc mai mare, pana cand e aurie carnea peste tot. Se pune puiul intr-o tava mare sau un vas termorezistent.
In aceeasi tigaie se pun la calit morcovul, telina, usturoiul, cimbrul si jumatatea de ceapa care a fost tocata marunt, timp de vreo 5 minute, pana cand ceapa devine translucenta. Se adauga vinul si se lasa sa dea in clocot, amestecand cu lingura sa se topeasca toate bucatelele ramase de la prajitul puiului. Se toarna vinul si legumele peste pui. Se adauga zeama de supa, se acopera tava cu folie de aluminiu si se pune la cuptor, micsorand temperatura la 350 F/175C (foc mediu).
Se lasa puiul la cuptor timp de o ora si jumatate, pana cand carnea cade de pe os. Se scoate puiul in vasul de servit si se tine acoperit. Se pune tava pe aragaz la foc potrivit (daca e de metal, daca nu, puneti sosul din tava intr-o craticioara), se adauga ardeii, ceapa si maslinele si se lasa sa fiarba vreo 5 minute. Se potriveste de sare si piper.
Se toarna sosul peste pui, se presara patrunjel proaspat tocat deasupra si se serveste imediat cu paine proaspata, din aia cu o crusta groasa, numai buna de muiat in sos.

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Apples for snacks - Gustari cu mere

Saturdays and Sundays are the days when we are lazy, go out, have fun, and spend bonding time. Usually Sunday afternoon I take Clara to Barnes & Noble and we stay there for hours. She finds lots of books to read and show me, and i find tens of magazines and cookbooks to inspire from.
Last time, Clara found a cookbook for kids and she couldn't wait to go home and have the bull's eye and the apple sandwiches.
We love eggs, boiled, scrambled, omelette, sunny-side-up, egg salad, devilled, and so on, and they are always better with toast, so why not make them together. We did not write down the recipe, but we figured it out on our own. We cut a circle with a cookie cutter in a slice of wheat bread, then put a dab of butter in a small frying pan and broke an egg in the middle of the bread slice. Sprinkled with salt & pepper and cooked it until the egg white was set on the bottom, them put it under the broiler for about 1-2 minutes.
Then the apple sandwiches, which i wasn't sure i'd like, since i’ve never been a peanut butter fan, but i gave it a try and it was really good. I could eat peanut butter this way every single day. You need apple slices, peanut butter (we like the crunchy one) and slices of cheddar cheese, put them together and you have a healthy fun snack.
The little tartines/tarts i made using the same crust from the fig tart, but i cut small discs with a cookie cutter and bake them for about 10-12 minutes, then topped them with arugula, apple slices, gorgonzola cheese and prosciutto. Drizzled a little bit of balsamic vinegar on top and sprinkled some cracked pepper.
Not really recipes, nor real cooking, again, but we can not stay every weekend in, for me to cook, so we like snacks like this when we get back home.

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Sambatele si Duminicile sunt zilele cand sunt lenesi, iesim la plimbare, ne distram si petrecem tot timpul cu Clara. De obicei, merg cu ea duminica seara la librarie si stam acolo ore in sir. Ea gaseste tot felul de carti si jucarii, eu zeci de carti si reviste cu retete din care ma inspir.

Ultima data cand am fost, Clara a gasit o carte de retete pentru copii, si de-abia astepta sa ajungem acasa sa-i fac "Ochiul boului" ( nu mi-am dat seama ce bine suna in romana pana nu a trebuit sa scriu acum) si sandvisuri cu felii de mere.

Ne plac ouale, ochi, fierte, omleta, papara, salata de oua, umplute, si oricum ar fi, si mai ales cu o felie de paine prajita, asa ca de ce sa nu le facem impreuna. Nu am scris reteta (de parca ar fi una), dar ne-am descurcat. se taie un cerc in mijlocul unei felii de paine, se pune putin unt intr-o tigaie, si se sparge oul in mijlocul feliei de paine. Se presara cu sare si piper si se prajeste la foc mic, pana cand albusul se stabilizat in partea de jos, apoi am pus-o la cuptor la broiler 1-2 minute.

Cat despre sandvisurile cu felie de mar, nu am fost sigur ca o sa-mi placa asa o combinatie, pentru ca niciodata nu am fost mare fan al untului de arahide, dar le-am gustat si mi-au placut chiar tare mult. Tot ce tebuie sunt felii de mere, unt de arahide ( noi avem unul mai grunjos) si niste felii subtiri de branza cheddar (cascaval).

Tartinele le-am facut cu acelasi aluat de la tarta cu smochine pe care l-am taiat cu o forma rotunda de biscuiti, si apoi le-am copt 10-12 minute. Cand s-au racit, am pus desupra niste frunze de arugula, felii de mar, prosciutto si branza gorgonzola, picurat putin otet balsamic si piper macinat, si gata.

Nu sunt retete in adevaratul sens al cuvantului, dar nu putem sta mereu in casa ca eu sa gatesc, asa ca ne plac gustarile cand ne intoarcem acasa si vrem ceva repede.

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Pho Bo - Pho, supa vietnameza de vita cu fidea de orez

A couple of months ago, i was talking with Lola about asian recipes which we like a lot and wanted to make at home, since we always enjoy them when we eat out. We've been to Chinatown so many times, but we have tried only 3 or 4 places, and only one of them is our favorite. We never went twice to the others, because the first one was far better then any new one we wanted to try. We go there usually on Sunday, for lunch, on the way home from church. We are hungry and always want to order so many things. And besides the hot & sour soup which we get with the lunch order, which we love, we always order a second soup - the seafood egg drop one, just because we cannot go there without having it.

When i talked to Lola about these soups, i ventured to say that i want to make the seafood egg drop at home (which i did, and it was a fiasco, but i won't give up, i'll try it again soon) and also, pho, the Vietnamese soup. Lola said i must feel brave, but honestly, i had no clue how hard is actually to get it right.

So, I started to look for recipes online and thru my books at home, and i found one that sounded perfect. The recipe was in my book The Best of Gourmet, but you could also find it online here.

The recipe says that the soup is a favorite Vietnamese convenience food, usually purchased at street stands, but that the quality of the broth can make or break a cook's reputation. That sounded scary, but i wasn't completely discouraged. I read the recipe and thought i can pull it off. Moreover, i changed a little bit the recipe, because i had already some beef stock in my freezer, which i used instead of making a new one as recommended in the recipe. ( I made the beef stock with some neck bones and 2 shanks, about 3 lbs together, 1 whole onion, 2 celery ribs- cut in half, 2 carrots - cut in half, one parnsnip - cut in half. I know, i know, that sounds so not Vietnamese!!!!).

And then, the toppings are a little bit different from the ones recommended in the book or the ones served in a restaurant, because i had only some enoki mushrooms, radishes and cilantro in my fridge.

What i can tell you is that it came out wonderful, so tasty and just like the one we had at Pho 99, three blocks away from our house, although i know it doesn't respect the recipe 100%. How modest i sound.... I think it's the perfect remedy when you've got a cold, so this year we are not scared of the flu season anymore. We are waiting for it with a bowl of hot Pho.

Here it is my version, very similar to the one from Gourmet:

Pho Bo

2 large onions, sliced
1 (3-inch) piece fresh ginger, left unpeeled

3 qt beef stock
2 teaspoons star anise pieces
half a cinnamon stick
3 whole cloves
1 tablespoon black peppercorns

½ lb beef shabu-shabu or 1 (1/2-lb) piece boneless beef sirloin steak or tenderloin
1 lb dried thin or medium rice noodles
1/2 cup Asian fish sauce, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste

- Broil onions and ginger on foil-lined rack of a broiler pan about 5 inches from heat, turning occasionally, until charred, 20 to 25 minutes. (Or, if you have a gas stove, roast onions and ginger directly on the rack of a gas burner over high heat, turning with tongs, until blistered and blackened, 10 to 15 minutes). Transfer to a bowl and cool. When the ginger is cool enough to handle, rinse and rub under cold running water to remove the blackened skin. i did not rinse the onions, we liked it a little bit charred.

-Wrap star anise, cinnamon stick, cloves, and peppercorns in cheesecloth and tie into a bundle to make a spice bag, then add to the pot along with 3 quarts stock, onions, and ginger. Simmer over medium low heat uncovered for about 30 minutes. Remove the spice bag and add the fish sauce and let it boil just a minute before serving.

- I found thin slices of beef shabu-shabu (paper-thin slices of meat) at Mitsuwa supermarket, so, I skipped this step. But you can use sliced sirloin steak or tenderloin. While the broth simmers, freeze the meat until firm but not frozen solid, about 30 minutes, then slice across the grain with a sharp thin knife into less than paper thin slices.

- Soak rice noodles in cold water to cover until softened, about 30 minutes, then drain. Cook noodles in a pot of boiling water, uncovered, stirring, one minute, then drain.

- Divide noodles among your soup bowls. Top noodles with uncooked sliced steak and ladle boiling-hot broth over steak and noodles. The hot broth will cook the meat.

- Serve the soup with fresh toppings like: fresh bean sprouts, fresh cilantro, mint, basil (preferably Thai) leaves, thinly sliced scallions, lime wedges, thinly sliced fresh Thai or serrano chiles.

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Supa vietnameza de vita cu fidea de orez

In urma cu cateva luni, vorbeam cu Lola despre retete asiatice care ne plac tare mult si pe care as vrea sa le incercam acasa.

Cand am fost in Chinatown, am incercat 3-4 locuri, dar numai unul este favoritul nostru. De fapt, la celelalte nu am fost decat o data si ne-am lamurit, primul ramane cel mai bun, incomparabil cu celelalte. Noi mergem de obicei la chinezi Duminica, dupa biserica, in drum spre casa. De fiecare data suntem foarte infometati si vrem fiecare cel putin un fel de mancare. Iar pe langa supa hot & sour (iute si acrisoara) pe care ne-o servesc cu pranzul, si care ne place tare mult, intotdeauna cerem o a doua supa - pe cea de fructe de mare cu zdrente de ou - pentru ca nu putem merge acolo si sa nu o comandam.

Cand am vorbit cu Lola despre supele asta, m-am aventurat sa zic ca vreau sa fac supa de fructe de mare (pe care am facut-o, a fost un fiasco, dar nu ma las batuta, o s-o incerc din nou), si de asemenea, Pho, supa vietnameza. Lola a zis ca trebuie sa fiu tare viteaza, dar cinstit, nu aveam la ora aia nici cea mai mica idee cat de greu e sa iti iasa bine.

Asa ca ca am inceput sa ma uit dupa retete pe internet si prin cartile mele de acasa, si am gasit una care mi s-a parut perfecta. Reteta e din cartea The Best of Gourmet, dar poate fi gasita si online aici.

Reteta spune ca Pho este o supa vietnameza, de obicei vanduta la standuri pe strada, dar calitatea zeamei poate sa ridice sau sa distruga reputatia unui bucatar. Si desi asta suna un pic stresant, nu m-am lasat descurajata. Am citit reteta si m-am gandit ca nu poate fi asa de greu. Ba chiar mai mult, m-am apucat sa schimb putin reteta, pentru ca aveam deja zeama de spa de vita in congelator, pe care am folosit-o in loc sa fac una noua dupa reteta gasita. (am facut supa de vita obisnuita, din peste un kg de oase de vita, de la gat si genunchi, cu o ceapa intreaga, 2 tije de telina, 2 morcovi si un pastarnac). Suna tare vietnamez, nu-i asa?

Apoi, ingredientele proaspete cu care am servit supa sunt diferite fata de ce recomanda reteta sau servesc in restaurante, pentru ca nu aveam decat ciuperci enoki, ridichi si coriandru in frigider.

Insa supa a iesit minunat, atat de gustoasa si aromata, exact ca cea pe care am mancat-o la Pho 99, un restaurant vietnamez la trei strazi de casa noastra, desi reteta me nu respecta originalul 100%. Modesta foc, manc-o mama, nu-i asa? Supa asta cred ca e remediul perfect cand esti racit, asa ca anul asta nu mai suntem speriati de sezonul de gripa ce se apropie. Il asteptam cu un castron de Pho fierbinte.

Asta e reteta facuta de mine, cu cateva modificari aduse celei din Gourmet.

Pho Bo

2 cepe taiate solzisori
o bucata de radacina de ghimbir, necuratata

3 litri zeama de supa de vita
2 seminte de anason stelat
o jumatate de bat de scortisoara
3 cuisoare
1 lingura boabe de piper

250 g carne de vita taiata f.f. subtire sau o bucata de carne de vita pentru friptura sau muschi
450 g fidea de orez
125 ml sos de peste Nam Pla ( sau sos de soia), sau dupa gust
½ lingurita sare, sau dupa gust

- Se pune ceapa si ghimbirul la copt intr-o tava la temperatura maxima sau la broiler (cand se incinge si gratarul de deasupra), pana sunt arse putin, 20-25 minute. Se pun intr-un castron si se lasa sa se raceasca. Cand ghimbirul e suficient de rece, se cojeste. Eu nu am spalat si cojit cepele, pentru ca ne plac putin mai arse.
- Se face un saculet din tifon in care se pune anasonul, scortisoara, cuisoarele si piperul si se pune la fiert cu zeama de supa, ceapa si ghimbirul. Se pune la fiert la foc mic neacoperit cca 30 minute. Se scoate saculetul de condimente si in ultimul minut se adauga sosul de peste, chiar inainte de a servi supa.
- Eu am gasit carne de vita shabu-shabu (adica e taiata feliute extem de subtiri) la un supermarket japonez, asa ca am sarit pasul asta. Dar se poate folosi o bucata de carne de vita pentru gratar sau muschi. Cat timp fierbe zeama de supa, se puen carnea la congelator si se lasa timp de 30 minute cat sa fie ferma, dar nu inghetata, apoi se taie impotriva fibrei feliute extem de subtiri.
- Se pune fideaua la muiat in apa rece, timp de 30 minute, apoi se scurge. Se pun taiteii la fiert in apa sarata clocotita, numai un minut, apoi se scurg.
- Se impart taiteii in castroanele de supa. Se pun deasupra cateva feliute de carne si se toarna peste cateva polonice de supa fierbinte. Zeama fierbinte va gati carnea.
Se serveste imediat, cu muguri de fasole, coriandru proaspat, menta, busuioc thailandez, ceapa verde tocata marunt, felii de limeta, ardei iute taiat feliute.

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Chocolate roll with raspberries - Rulada de ciocolata cu zmeura

I said I’ll be back with the recipe for the chocolate roll ( and I remember I still have some recipes from the party menu to come back with). I think this is one of the easiest desserts and you cannot go wrong with it. The filling doesn’t have to be chocolate, it could be whipped cream, mascarpone cheese, buttercream, whatever you like. The same with the fruits, but I think that the chocolate frosting - berries are such a classic, and Clara loves raspberry, so the decision was pretty easy to make. Strawberries, blueberries, peaches, apricots, pears, fresh or from a compote, mango, especially caramelized, all work just fine.
And the batter doesn’t have to have cocoa in it, you can make it white and roll it with your favorite jam or Nutella, and that really is the simplest alternative. Dust with powdered sugar, or drizzle with some icing, maybe even sprinkles, or whipped cream, and any other decorations you like or have.
This time for me was a chocolate roll, with chocolate filling and raspberries, and some icing on top.

The last picture is from a while back, when i used strawberries instead of raspberries.

Cake:

6 eggs, separated
6 tablespoons sugar
4 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons cocoa powder (if you want it white, use 6 tablespoons flour in all)
6 tablespoons oil
1 teaspoon vanilla essence

In a bowl, beat the egg yolks with the vanilla and the sugar until light and fluffy, then slowly add the oil and at the end the sifted flour and cocoa powder.
In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Add half of the egg whites to the batter and mixing gently with the spatula/ spoon (no more mixer), incorporate them by mixing upside down, not clockwise, so you don’t take all the air out of the egg whites. Fold the rest of the beaten whites into the batter just until no white streaks remain, without over-mixing the batter.
Preheat oven at 350F (170C). Pour the batter in a baking sheet covered with parchment paper or coated with a nonstick baking spray/greased and dusted with flour. Bake for about 15-18 minutes, until the center springs back when lightly pressed.
I take out the cake on wet paper towels, but online you find recipes where it says to roll them on kitchen towels dusted with powdered sugar for the white roll or cocoa for the chocolate roll. I use 4 paper towels, folded in two, wet them and turn the cake upside down onto the towels. Carefully remove the parchment paper (I sprinkle with water and it comes right off). Carefully start rolling while the cake is still hot, lengthwise, using the towel to help you. Let it cool, open side down, at least 30 minutes.
Unroll the cake carefully and remove the towels. Spread two thirds of the chocolate frosting over the cake and on top place the raspberries, then roll up tightly. Spread the rest of the chocolate frosting on top of the cake. You could drizzle some icing on top or decorate with sprinkles, fruits or whipped cream. Refrigerate until you are ready to serve it.

Chocolate frosting
10 oz (300 g) semisweet chocolate, chopped finely (if you prefer a sweeter filling, use milk chocolate)
3/4 cup (180 ml) heavy whipping cream
½ teaspoon rum extract (or 1 tablespoon cognac or orange liquor for an adult version)
10 tablespoons unsalted butter (125g)

Place the chopped chocolate in a bowl. Set aside. Heat the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat and bring just to a boil. Pour the boiling cream over the chocolate, then stir with a whisk until smooth. Add the rum extract or the cognac. (if you prefer the orange flavor, you could also add some orange zest or candied orange peel). Let cool until at room temperature.
In another bowl, whip the butter with the mixer until creamy and fluffy. Slowly, pour the chocolate in and mix until all incorporated. Put in the fridge and let cool for about 30 minutes before spreading onto the cake.
You could also flavor the chocolate frosting by adding a couple of tablespoons of jam to it - seedless raspberries, orange, strawberries.

Icing: 3 tablespoons powdered sugar mixed with 1 tablespoon water, milk or lemon juice until smooth

** you could change the quantities if you have a smaller baking pan, just keep the proportions 1 of each: egg, tablespoon of sugar, flour, oil.

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Rulada cu crema de ciocolata si zmeura

Ieri am zis ca voi posta separat reteta pentru rulada cu crema de ciocolata si zmeura, si iata-ma inapoi. ( inca nu am uitat ca mai am de scris cateva din retetele de la postul despre petrecerea din aprilie, si poate curand o sa le scriu).
Cred ca ruladele sunt unele din cele mai usoare deserturi si nu se poate sa gresesti cu o rulada. Crema nu trebuie sa fie ciocolata, ci pate fi frisca, mascarpone, crema preferata pentru tort, gem, orice va place. Acelasi lucru se poate spune si despre fructele folosite, dar pentru ca mandra mea Clara e innebunita dupa zmeura si pentru ca zmeura cu ciocolata e o combinatie clasica, mi-a fost foaret usor sa hotarasc. Capsuni, afine, piersici, caise, pere, proaspete sau din compot, mango, mai ales caramelizat, toate merg foarte bine.

Iar aluatul nu trebuie sa aiba cacao in el, poate fi alb, si umplut cu gemul preferat sau Nutella, e chiar cea mai simpla varianta. Rulada poate fi pudrata cu zahar praf, sau sa aiba glazura, bombonele decorative, ciocolata topita, frisca, sau orice alte decoratii va plac sau aveti.
De data asta a fost numai ciocolata, cu o crema de ciocolata si zmeura, si putina glazura deasupra. Ultima poza e de data trecuta, cand am folosit capsuni in loc de zmeura.

Aluatul pentru rulada:
6 oua, separate
6 linguri zahar
4 linguri faina
2 linguri cacao (pentru o rulada alba folositi 6 linguri faina)
6 linguri ulei
1 lingurita esenta de vanilie
Intr-un castron, se bat galbenusurile, vanilia si zaharul pana se obtine o crema pufoasa de un galben pal, apoi se toarna treptat ulei, iar la sfarsit faina si praful de cacao, cernute.
Intr-un alt castron se bat albusurile pana cand se formeaza o spuma cu varfuri mai moi. Se adauga jumatate din albusuri peste amestecul cu faina se se amesteca usor cu o lingura ( nu se mai foloseste mixerul), amestecandu-se de sus in jos, incat sa nu se scoata tot aerul din albusuri. Se incorporeaza restul de albusuri in aluat amestecandu-se numai pana nu mai sunt dungi albe.
Se incinge cuptorul la 350F (170C). Se toarna aluatul intr-o tava acoperita fie cu hartie de copt, sau unsa cu grasime si tapetata cu faina sau cu sprayul non-stick. Se coace 15-18 minute, pana cand daca se apa cu degetul deasupra, nu ramane gaura, ci isi revine imediat.
Eu scot aluatul pe prosoape de hartie, dar am gasit online sfaturi sa fie scos pe prosop de bucatarie presarate cu praf de cacao sau zahar pudra. Eu folosesc 4 servete de hartie, puse in doua, udate, pe care scot rulada cu fatza in jos. Se indeparteaza repede hartia de copt ( iese si mai repede daca o stropiti cu putina apa). Se ruleaza usor cat aluatul este inca fierbinte, cu ajutorul servetului, pe lungime. Se lasa sa se raceasca timp de cel putin 30 minute.
Se deruleaza aluatul usor, sa nu se rupa, si se indeparteaza prosopul. Se intinde doua treimi din crema peste aluat, iar deasupra se aseaza zmeura, apoi se ruleaza inapoi, strans. Restul de crema se intinde pe deasupra ruladei. Se poate decora cu glazura, bombonele, fructe sau frisca. Se tine la frigider pana e gata de servit.

Crema de ciocolata
300 g ciocolata semi-amaruie, tocata marunt (daca va place crema mai dulce, folositi ciocolata cu lapte)
180 ml smantana lichida pentru frisca
½ lingurita esenta de rom (sau 1 lingura cognac sau lichior de portocale pentru adulti)
125g unt nesarat
Se pune ciocolata intr-un castron. Intr-o craticioara se pune la foc mediu smantana si se incalzeste pana la punctul de fierbere. Se toarna imediat peste ciocolata si se amesteca bine pana toata ciocolata s-a topit. Se adauga esenta de rom sau lichiorul. ( Daca va place aroma de portocala, se poate adauga coaja rasa, sau coaja zaharisita.) Se lasa sa se raceasca pana junge la temperatura camerei.
In alt castron se freaca untul cu mixerul pana e spumos si cremos. Se toarna ciocolata treptat si se amesteca pana se obtine o crema omogena. Se punela frigider sa se intareasca vreo 30 minute inainte sa fie intinsa pe rulada. Crema mai poate fi amestecata cu cateva linguri din gemul preferat - de zmeura, capsuni, portocale.

Glazura: 3 linguri zahar pudra amestecat cu o lingura de apa, lapte sau zeama de lamaie.

** Cantitatile pot fi adaptate dupa dimensiunile tavii, pastranduse proportiile: pentru fiecare ou, o lingura de zahara, una de faina, una de ulei.

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Fig tart - Tarta cu smochine

I have been lazy again when it comes to posting. I couldn’t get myself to stay in front at the computer too much at home, and you have to excuse me, but I get enough at work 8 hours a day. I have been cooking, although not a lot, but I have been trying new recipes, which are waiting their turn to be posted.
The summer about which I wrote a couple of weeks ago, it is definitely now gone. It is still nice, sometimes still very warm, but you could now feel the sun worn out and mellow. The earth smells different and the evening’s and morning’s chill remind you that fall is here. Still not the same fall you would have in other places, but our south-west coast nice, warm and sunny 80% of the time kind of fall. At least now it makes sense to see pumpkins all over, and it doesn’t seem so out of place. I still miss the rain, and I was hoping for it this morning when the marine layer was pretty thick and it was chilly when we left to school, but by 11 o’clock, it was almost 75F (~20C) outside and no clouds in sight. So I’ll keep waiting for it.
Since we had so many nice days in the last two weeks or so, we have tried to get out with Clara for rides on her scooter or walking around in Santa Monica, and had friends over (including from Romania). I love when the table is full and we are passing the food around ( I just don’t like that our table is still too small), it reminds me of our Sunday meals either at my grandma’s house or at our home. We are noisy and loud, we eat and talk a lot, laugh and have a wonderful time. It’s not too much about the food, or at least not as much as I am always stressed about it, but I cannot help myself.
Before my sister went back home last week, we had them over with our goddaughter (actually our parents’ goddaughter, Oana, who is one year younger than my sister, and she is more like a cousin to us) and my friend Lili with her niece. Gabriel stopped by the Polish store in Santa Monica and bought Hungarian sausages, headcheese and some wonderful slab bacon, which you cannot compete with, no matter what you cooked. I made a potato and leeks soup, then we had the fig tart, BBQ chicken with salad and a chocolate roll with raspberries. Oh, and I forgot, I baked bread, one plain and one with rosemary.
Today’s post is about the fig tart and then I’ll come back with the chocolate roll and the bread.
The pastry recipe belongs to Bron Marshall and here is her post (take the time to check our her blog, she is so talented). I found it looking for fig tarts recipes, not for pastry crust, but her photo was so tempting, I decided to use it and it was really amazing. So good, that a couple of days later I made some other small bites using it again. I was completely sold.
I didn’t follow her recipe otherwise, but improvised a little bit with the ingredients I had. I used mascarpone and goat cheese for the first layer on the crust, I baked the figs alone first and I topped the tart with gorgonzola cheese and honey.

It came out really good and the figs with the cheese and honey worked out well. At least me and other 4 of us liked it, but Gabriel and my dear sister made faces and did not care to taste it, they said they had enough food already and figs with gorgonzola cheese and honey were not supposed to be combined. They kept making fun of me all afternoon and didn’t cut me any slack, as usually.
When I made the crust again a couple of days later, I didn’t add honey on top, and Gabriel really liked that snack.

Pastry - recipe from Bron Marshall

1 cup high grade flour ( I used all purpose)
½ teaspoon of salt
½ teaspoon of baking powder
100 grams of butter, cut into small cubes and then frozen
¼ cup of iced water approximately

Place flour, salt and baking powder in to a food processor, pulse to mix.
Add the small frozen butter cubes and very briefly pulse again to mix and break up the butter a little more.
Add enough of the iced water just to bring the pastry together in a few short pulses and form a soft dough.
On a lightly floured board roll the pastry out to a ½ cm thickness and cut 4 disks about 16cm in diameter. ( I made one big tart instead of 4 small ones, and i had about 1/4 of dough left over).
Chill the pastry disks for 20 minutes or until you’re ready to assemble the tarts.
** I mixed everything in a bowl using my hands and it worked out just fine.

Toppings:
3 tablespoons mascarpone cheese mixed with 3 tablespoons goat cheese
500 g figs, cut in quarters, previously baked for about 10 minutes at 450 F/ 230 C
3/4 cup crumbled gorgonzola cheese (ab 100 g)
2-3 tablespoons honey
Preheat your oven to 375 F/ 190 C.
I spread the mascarpone and goat cheese mix on the pastry crust, and topped it with the sliced figs.
I baked it for 20 minutes, then added the crumbled gorgonzola cheese and baked for another 5 minutes or until golden and crisp. When I took it out of the oven, drizzled about 2-3 tablespoons of honey over the top and served it immediately.

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Tarta cu smochine

Am fost cam lenesa in ultimul timp cu postatul. Nu-mi vine sa stau seara la calculator cand sunt acasa, si sper sa fiu scuzata, dar imi ajung 8 ore pe zi la lucru. Am gatit saptaminile trecute, desi nu ingrozitor de mult, dar am incercat retete noi care isi asteapta randul sa fie scrise pe blog.
Vara despre care am scris cateva saptamani in urma, s-a terminat cu siguranta. Este inca foarte placut, destul de des chiar foarte cald, dar poti simti acum soarele molesit, pierzandu-si ardoarea. Pamantul miroase altfel, iar racoarea serilor si diminetilor iti aduce aminte ca toamna a venit. Poate nu aceeasi toamna din alte parti, dar e toamna tipica pentru sudul coastei de vest, placuta, calda si insorita 80% din timp. Cel putin acum face sens sa vezi dovleci peste tot, si nu ti se mai pare ciudat. Inca duc dorul ploii, si azi dimineata speram ca o sa stropeasca macar putin, ceata marina era destul de deasa si rece cand noi am plecat la scoala, dar la 11 erau deja aproape ~20C afara si nici urma de nor pe cer. Asa ca tot astept ploaia pentru cand s-o indura sa vina si la noi.
Si pentru ca am avut atatea zile frumoase in ultimele saptamani, am incercat sa iesim cu Clara de cate ori am putut cu trotineta sau la plimbari prin Santa Monica, am avut prieteni in vizita, chiar si din Romania. Imi place la nebunie cand suntem multi la masa si trecem mancarea de la unii la altii (desi inca avem aceeasi masa destul de mica), imi aduce aminte de mesele de duminica cand mergeam toti la bunica sau ne adunam toti la mama acasa. Suntem galagiosi, mancam si vorbim mult, radem si ne simtim minunat. Nu mancarea e importanta, cel putin nu atat de importanata cat ma stresez eu pentru ce pun pe masa, dar nu ma pot abtine sa nu fiu asa.
Inainte ca sora mea sa mearga acasa saptamana trecuta, ne-am adunat la noi, impreuna cu fina noastra, venita din Romania in vacanta, Oana, care e de fapt fina parintilor nostri, iar noua ca o verisoara, si prietena noastra Lili cu nepoata ei. Gabi s-a oprit pe la magazinul polonez din Santa Monica si a cumparat niste carnati unguresti, toba si slaninuta, care clar ca nu pot fi concurate de mancaruri gatite, mai ales cu paine proaspata si o ceapa rosie langa. Am facut o supa-crema de cartofi cu praz, smantana si bacon, o tarta cu smochine, pui la gratar cu salata si o rulada de ciocolata cu zmeura. Oh, si am uitat, am copt paine, una simpla si una cu rozmarin.
Postul de azi e despre tarta cu smochine, si o sa revin alta data cu rulada de ciocolata si painea.
Reteta pentru aluatul de tarta ii apartine lui Bron Marshall si aici am gasit postul ei. Cautam retete pentru tarte cu smochine, nu pentru aluat, dar poza ei e atat de frumoasa si de tentanta, ca nu m-am putut abtine sa n-o folosesc, si a fost intr-adevar foarte buna. Atat de buna, ca am refacut-o din nou cateva zile mai tarziu, pentru niste gustari. Si m-a castigat complet.
Nu am urmat reteta ei in ce priveste tarta, ci am improvizat cu ingredientele pe care le aveam deja. Am folosit mascarpone amestecat cu branza de capra pentru primul strat peste aluat, am copt smochinele partial inainte de a le pune pe tarta si am pus deasupra niste gorgonzola sfaramitata si miere.
A iesit foarte buna, iar smochinele impreuna cu branza si mierea au mers tare bine. Cel putin mie si inca la patru dintre noi ne-au placut, dar Gabi si sora-mea au facut fete-fete si nu au gustat-o, zicand ca au mancat destula mancare buna, iar smochinele cu gorgonzola si mierea nu ar trebui combinate niciodata. Au facut glume pe seama mea, ca de obicei, toata seara.
Cand am facut aluatul din nou cateva zile mai tarziu, si nu am mai adaugat miere pe tartine, chiar i-a placut lui Gabi. A zis ca asa pot sa le mai fac oricand.

Reteta pentru aluat de tart - ii apartine lui Bron Marshall

125 g faina
½ lingurita sare
½ lingurita praf de copt
100 g unt, foarte foarte rece, taiat in cubulete mici
cca 60 ml apa f.f. rece

Se pun faina, sarea si praful de copt in robotelul de bucatarie si se pulseaza de cateva ori sa se amestece.
Se adauga bucatelele de unt si se pulseaza rar incat untul sa fie sfaramitat si incorporat in faina.
Se adauga apa treptat, pulsand, numai atat cat sa adune aluatul intr-o bila.
Pe o planseta presarata cu faina se intinde foaia de aluat cu grosimea de ½ cm, si se taie 4 discuri de cca 16 cm diametru. Se pun la frigider cel putin 20 minute, sau pana cand sunteit gata sa asamblati tarta si sa o puneti la cuptor.

** Eu am framantat aluatul cu mana, si a mers foarte bine, si am facut numai o tarta mare, nu patru mai mici.

Umplutura pentru tarta:
3 linguri branza mascarpone amestecata cu 3 linguri branza de capra
500 g smochine proaspete, taiate in patru, coapte timp de vreo 10 minute la 450 F/ 230 C
aprox. 100 g branza gorgonzola sfaramitata
2-3 linguri miere

Se incinge cuptorul la 375 F/ 190 C.
Am intins amestecul de mascarpone si branza de capra pe aluat, iar deasupra am aranjat smochinele. Am copt tarta timp de 20 minute, apoi am presarat gorgonzola pe deasupra si am pus-o inapoi la copt inca 5 minute, pana marginea a devenit aurie si crocanta.
Cand am scos-s din cuptor, am picurat mierea pe deasupra si am servit-o imediat.

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Party food - Menu pentru petrecere

This post is not about something recent, the party was back in April, and the pictures were taken then, but since at that time i wasn't yet ready to start this blogging affair, i saved them in a folder. Honestly, i was thinking i'll have the time to re-make some of the food to take new pictures, but until now, i didn't get to do it. Maybe later on, and then i'll edit the post to add the new pics.

First, about the party. It was meant to be a surprise birthday party for my friend Lily, even though it was a week after her B-day. On her birthday we went to her house for dinner, gave her the gift and she really didn't expect anything else after that. We planned it for a couple of weeks. Claudia, her daughter was supposed to get the flowers and decorations, then together with my sister to clean and set up our place for the party, while i was in charge with the food. Everything was planned, when my dear husband, while chatting with Lily three days before the party said: "so, we'll see you at the party Saturday". He knew it was supposed to be a surprise, but somehow forgot Lily is the only one who shouldn't know about it!! He called both me and Claudia immediately to appologize, i think he was actually affraid how mad we'll be, and to repair the damage we told Lily that he meant to say "we are having a BBQ on Saturday, see you then", but he got it wrong. While we were thinking that the surprise was ruined and Lily will no longer be surprised, she actually wasn't paying attention to Gabriel when he said party, and all our worries were for nothing. The only worry we should have had it was that Saturday, Lily was so tired after her work day, that she thought a BBQ is not worth all the trouble and she wasn't lanning to come to my house. She had a bad day, she couldn't wait to go home and get in bed. I don't remember why Gabriel dropped Clara at her house that day, but if it wasn't for the fact that i asked her to bring her back home instead of us going to pick her up, Lily wouldn't have come at all. We had no clue about this until it was after 7 o'clock and Lily wasn't showing up. We kept on calling her to make sure she is coming, otherwise, the three buckets of flowers Claudia bought that morning from the flower market downtown ( for which she had to wake up at 6 am on a Saturday morning), the hours spent by her and my sister decorating and then helping me, and the hours i worked in the kitchen were in vain. I mean we could have managed to eat everything and enjoy the party, but this was not meant for us, it was meant to celebrate Lily, and thank her for the wonderful friend she is, hoping to make her feel special.

That's why, in spite of all the worries, it was actually a big surprise. So big, that for about two minutes she didn't understand what are we celebrating. And that this was really for her. And that she had no clue whatsoever, and she almost missed everything. After those two minutes, the party was on, and Lily got the message - we love her dearly and she deserves ten times more than this.

Here is what we had that night:

- Tartines with pork tenderloin and a celery - carrot remoulade
- Mini savory palms with an olive -roasted red bell pepper - parmesan - parsley stuffing

- Cucumber cups with whipped cream cheese, cured salmon, shallot, dill and capers

- Crab Salad

- Beets and cheese "cake" - layers of roasted beets and feta - ricotta - dill with crackers

- Black Forrest prosciutto with cantaloupe

- Squid ink pasta with shrimp

- Chicken "Lollipops" with herbed couscous and roasted mini squash/ zucchini with feta crumbs and basil

- Napoleons with vanilla custard and strawberries (really sorry for the blurry photo, but i'll make it again very soon, when i'll post the recipe too).

Since this post is long enough, I think i'll break them down in different posts, at least the ones that have kind of a recipe to write about. There was nothing extraordinary about the cucumber-salmon bites and the cantaloupe-prosciutto combination, or about the beet & cheese "cake" with the crackers, but i knew our friends would like them. The rest, to be continued....

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Postul acesta e cu poze vechi, de la o petrecere surpriza in Aprilie. Am salvat atunci pozele, si am tot zis ca o sa ajung sa le postez si poate chiar sa refac bucatele pentru niste poze mai bune, dar nu am apucat pana acum.

Petrecerea surpriza a fost pentru ziua Lilianei, prietena noastra. Chiar de ziua ei fusesem la cina impreuna, i-am dat cadoul si nu se mai astepta la nimic dupa aceea. Dar noi vorbisem cu fata ei Claudia sa ii facem petrecerea la 3 zile dupa, la noi acasa. Am planificat totul cu saptamani inainte, si a ramas Claudia o sa cumpere florile, decoratiile si sa aranjeze casa noastra cu sora-mea, iar eu ma ocup de mancare. Numai ca scumpul si dragul meu sot s-a scapat si i-a spus Lilianei ca ne vedem la petrecere Sambata, iar noi ca sa dregem busuiocul am zis ca ne-am gandit sa punem de un gratar la noi Sambata, si Gabi i-a zis din greseala petrecere. Ne-am facut noi griji sa nu cumva sa se fi prins, cand de fapt Lili nici nu-l auzise bine pe Gabi, si habar n-avea de nimic. De fapt, nu numai ca nu avea habar, dar dupa o zi lunga la lucru sambata aia, s-a gandit nici sa nu vina la noi. Noroc ca Gabi a lasat-o pe Clara la ea, si am insistat noi sa o aduca ea inapoi, altfel toata munca noastra ar fi fost de pomana (Claudia a fost la 6 dimineata in piata de flori si a venit cu 3 galeti acasa, iar dupa-amiaza a muncit cu sora-mea sa aranjeze totul si m-au ajutat in bucatarie, in timp ce eu am petrecut jumatate de zi cu pregatitul). Nu ca nu am fi fost noi in stare sa consumam totul, dar ideea e ca totul a fost pentru ea, sa-i multumim pentru prietenia ei si sa o sarbatorim.

Lili a ajuns la noi dupa 7 jumate seara si in primele doua minute nu a inteles pentru cine era surpriza si de ce e casa aranjata asa frumos. Se uita la noi, la flori, la masa, de parca nimic nu facea sens. Dupa cateva minute, pupaturi si imbratisari, din nou, am inceput petrecerea, iar Lili a primit mesajul - ne e tare draga si merita chiar de zece ori mai mult, mai ales de ziua ei.

Meniul a fost:

- Tartine cu muschiulet de porc si salada de telina si morcov

- Mini plamieri cu umplutura de masline- ardei copt- parmesan- patrunjel

- Cupe de castraveti cu spuma de Philadelphia, somon, ceapa rosie (esalota), marar si capere

- Salata de crab

- "Tort" de sfecla si branza telemea- ricotta - marar cu biscuiti

- Prosciutto cu pepene galben

- Paste negre ( cu cerneala de sepia) si creveti

- "Acadele" de pui la gratar, couscous aromat si mini dovlecei la cuptor cu telemea si busuioc

- Cremsnit cu vanilie si capsuni (scuze pentru calitatea pozei atat de incetosate, dar o sa le fac in curand din nou si o sa postez atunci reteta si pun alta poza).

Si pentru ca postul asta e destul de lung deja, o sa am altele separate pentru fiecare din mancarurile care au un fel de reteta. Nu a fost nimic iesit din comun in ce priveste castravetii cu somon, prosciutto cu pepene galben si sfecla cu branza si ( mai ales biscuti), dar sunt combinatii care stiu ca le plac prietenilor nostri. In rest, o sa vina continuarea....

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