maggio 30, 2010
When I was young, at the question “what do you want to be”, I would have answered an architect, a police woman or a lawyer, but now if you ask me “What do you wanna be?” Ehrm, my answer will be: Donna Hay! Why? have you ever browsed through her magazine, DHM? Have you ever had a look at her website? Have you ever had the chance to read one of her books? Her style is unique, her recipes are easy to make, reliable and can make you happy with a few simple and fresh ingredients.
So, go figure my joy when I discovered that the HHDD event hay hay it’s donna day was back! The event is overseen by Denise at Chezus. Each month it will be hosted by the winner of the previous month event. I first stumbled about HHDD event at Eat.Live.Travel.Write, as Mardi is this month’s host.
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Posted in Dessert, Puddings 
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maggio 27, 2010
My grandma’s piece de resistance is pate a choux (never used so many French words into the same sentence, I swear!): she is famous among our relatives for her choux, since she’s able to bake a whole tray of superb puff pastries all by herself, filling them with amazingly soft pastry cream and dusting them with icing sugar. When she steps into the room proudly bringing her tray of puff pastries, she is like the woman of an old tv advertising, a woman with an apron and a bright smile on her face. This is my grandma, this is my mental image of her: proud yet modest, she brightens up the party with a sweet touch.
Imagine my happiness and excitement when I figured out that this month’s DB Challenge was a Piece montée, also know as Croquembouche, a traditional wedding cake in France, used for baptisms and communions as well. The classic piece montée is a high pyramid/cone made of profiteroles sometimes dipped in chocolate, bound with caramel, and usually decorated with threads of caramel, sugared almonds, chocolate, flowers, or ribbons. Modern pastry chefs have taken to assembling this dessert in all manners of shapes and sizes. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Dessert 18 Comments »
maggio 24, 2010
Monday morning. Have you had a good weekend? Mine was fabulous! Saturday morning I had the first cooking class for children: a success beyond all expectations. There were 30 kids screaming and happy, covered with strawberries and yogurt, with their noses floured and their mouths dirty with ricotta. In the midst of all this crazy group of people, there was me, maybe more radiant and happy than all of them together, with a smile of satisfaction on my face.
So let’s start the week with a boost of energy, a quick recipe that celebrates and enhances my new love, agar agar. All of this started on the 12th of April, when I read Sigrid’s post about agar agar. Flash and revelation! Once you start playing with this powder – that is a very natural seaweed extract, vegetal and rich in minerals – you won’t be able to stop, and you’ll try to solidify anything existing naturally in a liquid form.
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Posted in Dessert 19 Comments »
maggio 20, 2010
Sweet crumbles are my passion: stewed fruit – again – but with a crispy layer that hides beneath its mysteries and its tasty predictions of softness; almost infinite choice for taste and flavoring. You can eat them hot, as they are, or with a scoop of ice cream, or a bit of plain yogurt for a special breakfast. A few days ago, Sara aka Fiordifrolla instilled in me the desire to decline crumble to salty. I’m an impatient and eager to try girl, so I put together the best ingredients in my fridge and pantry, and made this delicious crumble.
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Posted in Appetizer & Finger Food, Second Course, Vegetables 16 Comments »
maggio 17, 2010
I know, I know that the compote fruit at first sight is not so poetic, and indeed can refer to a natural remedy against a peculiar physical situation, since often we end up eating cooked fruit when we’re not exactly in sparkling form. But I love compote fruit. That’s it, simple as an apple thinly sliced and cooked over low heat just with a little bit of water, with anything else added. Or you can apply some variation on apple compote: sugar – white or cane sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, cardamom (my favorite flavor to the apple), lemon and other fruit added, raisins or pine nuts… an infinite range of combinations that can turn a sad and withered apple into a joyful cup of pleasure.
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Posted in Dessert, Fruit, Puddings 10 Comments »
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