INGREDIENTES

Masa

• 600 g Harina 0000
• 10 g Sal
• 4 Huevos
• 100 cc Vino blanco
• 1 cda Pimentón

Relleno

• 250 g Queso mascarpone
• 150 g Queso azul
• 2 Yemas
• Ralladura de 1 limón
• 50 g Pasta de aceitunas
• 300 g Ricota
• Sal y pimienta

Salsa

• 2 Tomates frescos
• 200 cc Aceite de oliva
• Cubo saborizado de tuco clásico
• 50 cc Vinagre de jerez
• Pimienta

PREPARACION

Masa

Hacer una corona de harina y sal. En el centro colocar los huevos y vino con el pimentón disuelto .

Unir y amasar. Dejar reposar 30 minutos.

Relleno

Mezclar los quesos con la pasta de aceituna y la ralladura de limón. Salpimentar.

Armar los agnolotti y hervir en agua salada.

Salsa

Saltear los tomates en cuartos con aceite de oliva y cocinar 10′. Mixear.

Fuera del fuego incorporar el cubo, el jerez. Condimentar.

Servir la pasta con la salsa debajo.

La Cucina Italiana vi propone un meraviglioso Menù di lusso da sfoggiare durante le feste di Natale.

Le portate suggerite sono:

- Blinis con caviale

- Ravioli di patate e foie gras

- Filetto in crosta “Wellington”

- Sformato di panettone con crema al mascarpone

Sul sito trovate tutte le ricette e la scaletta da seguire ogni giorno per non arrivare impreparate.

Leggete Timing Menu di Lusso… da segnare in agenda!

A chi non piace la crema di mascarpone? Mio marito ne è goloso, tanto che, quando andiamo nel nostro ristorantino preferito nelle occasioni speciali, non manca di ordinarla…

mascarpone (500 gr), 3 uova, 1 pacchetto di amaretti, 3cucchiai di zucchero.

dividere le uova, sbattere tuorli e zucchero, aggiungere il mascarpone e un cucchiaio di cognac continuando a menare, sbattere a neve le chiare e aggiungerle, alla fine metterci gli amaretti sbriciolati finemente. Lasciar riposare in frigo per qualche oraServire in coppette singole e guarnire con un amaretto intero.

sconsigliato in caso di colesterolo alto.

For a while, there were a lot of pumpkins bouncing around this blog. Usually the most frequent bright orange ingredient you’ll find here is a sweet potato, but it is pumpkin season, and we’ve been using the big fruit a lot. This may be one of, if not the final, pumpkin recipe you’ll see here until the need to overdose on pumpkin returns. Although it can be applied to recipes in a great way, there comes a time when you have to say ‘No more!’ Maybe you haven’t boarded the train to See You Laterville yet, but we may just be ready to bid adieu to pumpkin after this.
This recipe was inspired by the pumpkin mascarpone dip we made for Amir’s birthday dinner. It was smooth, creamy and rich–perfect to layer in between sheets of pasta. The sausage adds a noticeable spicy and obviously meaty level to a dish that is full of vegetables and lots of cheese. The best part may just be the bites of sage that mesh well with just about everything. One of our friends had a couple of servings, and she really loved the way sweet and savory do a sexy tango in this dish!

Pumpkin and Sausage Lasagna – Serves 8 to 10
1 pound lasagna noodles, cooked
16 ounces mascarpone cheese
3 cups pumpkin puree
3 tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
4 links spicy Italian sausage, casings removed
1 small red onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
8 ounces white mushrooms, sliced
12-14 fresh sage leaves, chopped
5 cups fresh spinach leaves, roughly chopped
3 cups mozzarella, shredded
4 ounces fresh mozzarella, torn
Olive oil

1. Using an electric mixer, beat mascarpone cheese, pumpkin puree, honey, cumin, ginger, cinnamon and salt until smooth. Set aside.

2. Swirl a bit of olive oil in a pan over medium high heat. When oil is hot enough, add garlic and onions, tossing until coated. Slide in sausage and mushrooms and cook down until sausage has browned fully, approximately 10-12 minutes. Break up sausage as it cooks. Remove from heat and stir in sage. Set aside.

3. Spread a thin layer of olive oil over the bottom and sides of a deep 9″x13″ baking dish. Add about 1/4 cup of pumpkin mascarpone spread to the bottom of the dish and spread evenly to both sides. Top with three lasagna noodles, followed by another layer of mascarpone spread, a handful of spinach, a bit of the sausage and vegetables and a handful of shredded mozzarella. Repeat until all of the ingredients have been used.

4. Top the final layer with the fresh mozzarella pieces and cover the dish with aluminum foil. Bake for 30-35 minutes at 375 degrees. Uncover and bake another 5-10 minutes or until cheese is bubbly.

Click HERE for printable recipe.

Ingredienti :
•Uova
•Mascarpone
•Zucchero

Descrizione :
Separare le chiare e i tuori delle uova. Montiamo a neve le chiare e riponiamo le nel frigorifero.
Uniamo lo zucchero e i tuorli e mischiamo accuratamente il tutto sino ad ottenere la completa dissoluzione dello zucchero.
Inglobiamo delicatamente le chiare e i tuorli sino ad ottenere un composto omogeneo. Aggiungiamo poco la volta il mascarpone sino a che il tutto non diventa una crema uniforme.
Aggiungere il rum a piacimento.

Note :

I readily admit that I do not like baking.  So what to do when having dinner at Grandma’s and she asks you to bring dessert?  Bring fruit!  There are a variety of fruit-based desserts that come to mind: fruit salad, baked apples, and fried bananas, to name a few.   One of my greatest culinary successes so far, however, has been poached pears with mascarpone sauce.  It’s surprisingly easy, and also elegant.  But most importantly, it’s delicious! 

Poached Pear with Sweet Mascarpone Sauce

Ingredients:

The Pears:                                          

• 6 pears    
• ¾ cup lemon juice         
• 3 cups water                                        
• 1 ½ cups white wine 
• ½ cup honey
• ½ cup maple syrup
• 1 tbsp. vanilla extract

The Sweet Mascarpone Sauce:

• 8 oz. mascarpone
• 4 oz. plain Greek yogurt
• 1 oz. dark rum
• 2 tbsp. brown sugar

Directions:

1. Place the lemon juice in a large bowl.
2. Peel, halve, and core the pears.  Place the pear halves in the lemon juice as you go.  This keeps them from turning brown.  Stir periodically to keep the pears coated in juice.  Set the pears aside.
3. In a large sauce pan, combine the water, wine, honey, maple syrup, and vanilla extract.  This is the poaching syrup.  Bring to a boil.
4. Place the pears in the poaching syrup; discard any remaining juice.  Keep the pears covered at a low boil for 30 minutes, or until they are tender when poked with a fork. 
5. While the pears are cooking, combine the mascarpone, yogurt, rum, and sugar in a large bowl.  Stir well.  Set the mascarpone mix aside.
6. Remove the pears from the pot using a slotted spoon.  Place them in a large bowl and allow them to cool.
7. Boil the poaching syrup, uncovered, for 10-15 minutes, to allow the sauce to thicken.
8. Remove the poaching syrup from heat and allow it to cool.
9. Add ¾ cups of the poaching syrup to the mascarpone mix to create the sweet mascarpone sauce.  Stir well.  Set aside.  If you do not plan on serving dessert immediately, refrigerate the mascarpone sauce. 
10. Pour the remaining poaching syrup over the pears.  If you do not plan on serving dessert immediately, refrigerate the pears.
11. To serve, place a pear half on a plate.  Top with a few spoonfuls of poaching syrup and a generous scoop or two of the sweet mascarpone sauce.  This dish can be made ahead of time.  Serves 6-12, depending on whether people want one pear half or two!

Instead of lemon juice, you can also use orange juice or lime juice.

Mascarpone is a sweet Italian cream.  You can usually find it at the grocery store near the ricotta and cream cheese.

Ca doit faire six ou sept fois que je fais cette tarte depuis le début de l’automne, parce que Chouchou aime vraiment beaucoup. Et moi aussi mais moi je suis raisonnable, je ne me ressers pas deux fois, tout le monde le sait. J’en connais un qui répondrait que calomnier c’est côme (ne cherchez pas, on aime bien inventer des mots chez nous, et de toute façon vous n’y comprendriez rien), mais je prends les devants.

Et puis je m’y suis mal prise, je recommence :
Il était une fois une tarte au potimarron qui parlait italien, mais qui n’aimait vraiment pas qu’on la prenne en photo. C’est pourquoi dès qu’un petit souriceau s’approchait, brandissant l’appareil tant redouté, elle s’enfuyait à toutes jambes en hurlant, jusque dans l’estomac d’un petit Chouchou résigné, bien impuissant face à la situation. Vous comprendrez aisément pourquoi jusqu’à maintenant, bien embêtés, le petit Chouchou et son souriceau furent incapables de vous en montrer ne serait-ce qu’un petit morceau.

(Je devrais peut-être me lancer dans les aventures pour petits gourmands, au lieu de me terrer dans un coin pendant une dizaine de jours pour écrire des histoires ou les pigeons voyageurs feraient mieux de regarder droit devant eux.)

Toujours est-il que ce soir là, un petit élan récemment baptisé Jomar comme dans le film, qui sait tirer la langue si on l’aide un peu, a réussi à capturer la tarte (du moins une d’entre elle puisque cette fois on l’avait déclinée en petites tartelettes) avant qu’elle disparaisse définitivement.
Il en manque juste un tout petit bout mais ne vous plaignez pas trop quand même, Jomar a fait ce qu’il a pu. Ca se voit que vous n’avez jamais vu comme ça peut courir vite, une tartelette au potimarron.

Pour un Souriceau, un Chouchou, un petit élan, et encore un peu plus, il vous faut :
Une pâte brisée à laquelle vous ajouterez une bonne cuillère à soupe de parmesan rapé : 250g de farine, 125g de beurre mou, 1 jaune d’œuf, 1 pincée de sel, 5 cl d’eau, ET 1 c.s. bombée de parmesan rapé.

Et la garniture : 350g de chair de potimarron (environ un demi potimarron pas trop petit, épluché et épépiné), 2 c.s. bombée de parmesan rapé, 1 c.s. bombée de mascarpone, 2 jaunes d’œufs, 2 c.c. de sirop d’agave, 1 c.c bombée de maïzena, sel, poivre.

Epépinez et épluchez le potimarron, faites le cuire à la vapeur et écrasez le à la fourchette, laissez refroidir une dizaine de minutes. Ajoutez-y le reste des ingrédients et mélangez bien afin d’obtenir une préparation lisse.
Après c’est pas très compliqué, on met la pâte dans les moules, on remplit avec la garniture, et on enfourne environ 25 minutes à 200°C (adaptez le temps de cuisson et la température à la taille et la profondeur de vos moules).
Avant de sortir les tartes du four assurez vous d’avoir bien fermé toutes les fenêtres et éloignez votre Chouchou le plus possible, si vous voulez avoir la chance d’y goûter, et n’oubliez pas l’inoubliable cuillère de mascarpone par dessus, quand la tarte est encore tiède.

Pour 6 pers, préparation 20mn, cuisson 40mn, frigo : 3h minimum

Ingrédients:

• 6 poires
• 200g de mascarpone
• 2 œufs
• 40cl de vin blanc
• 50g de miel
• 250g de sucre
• 1 orange non traitée
• 1 bâton de cannelle
• 1cm de gingembre
• 2 graines d’anis étoilé
• 1 gousse de vanille  , sel

Préparation:

• Porter à ébullition le vin dans une casserole avec le miel , le sucre, le zeste de l’orange, la cannelle, le gingembre épluché et râpé, et l’anis étoilé.Laisser frémir 5 mn.
• Éplucher les poires en gardant la queue, les plonger dans la casserole et les pocher 20 à 25 min.Laisser refroidir.
• Fouetter les jaunes d’œufs avec le sucre jusqu’à ce que le mélange blanchisse, puis incorporer le mascarpone.
• Fendre la gousse de vanille en 2, gratter les graines au dessus du mélange et remuer à nouveau.Incorporer ensuite les blancs d’œufs montés en neige ferme avec une pincée de sel.
• Couper les poires en 2 dans la largeur, détailler la partie ronde en dés et les incorporer à la crème de mascarpone.Répartir cette préparation dans 6 verrines, poser les moitiés de poires restantes dessus.Réfrigérer au moins 3 h avant de servir.

Mascarpone é um queijo de origem italiana, cremoso e de textura cremosa com alto teor de gordura. É obtido a partir da nata (que é aquecida), à qual se adiciona ácido cítrico ou tartárico, que provoca a coagulação.
Com esse queijo foi criada a receita original do Tiramisu, uma sobresa clássica da culinária Italiana a base de mascarpone e café. Como seu preço não é muito acessível, algumas pessoas preferem, ao fazer o tiramissu, substituir o mascarpone por Cream Cheese. O Mascarpone é uma variedade de queijo originária da região da Lombardia, na Itália. Apresenta massa de consistência muito cremosa, obtida através de uma mistura de leite de vacas – alimentadas com uma ração especial de ervas e flores – e uma solução de ácido tartárico. O queijo originou-se, aparentemente, na área entre Lodi e Abbiategrasso no Oeste e no Sul de Milão, provavelmente, no final do século XVI ou início do sécul XVII. Existem controvérsias quanto à origem do seu nome. Alguns estudiosos afirmam que o nome provém do termo espanhol más do que bueno (melhor do que bom), embora esta conclusão seja devida às observações feitas, à época, por militares espanhóis, quando a Lombardia era dominada pela Espanha. O nome pode ter origem, também, no termo mascarpa (queijo envelhecido), ou pode ter sido resultante do termo mascarpia que, no dialeto local, era a palavra que identificava a ricotta, uma vez que ambos os queijos são feitos por um processo idêntico. Há que se considerar, também, que o mascarpone pode ter sido originado como um subproduto de outros queijos. Originalmente, era produzido no Outono e no Inverno, para o consumo imediato. Geralmente, o queijo é vendido logo ao término do processo de fabricação e deve ser consumido imediatamente. Se refrigerado, pode durar aproximadamente uma semana.

Recipe 124: This is an italian classic dessert and it’s also very easy to prepare, so if you haven’t tried any of my recipes yet, i suggest you to start with this one.

For my mum’s tiramisu’ i used : 300gr mascarpone – 250gr of Savoiardi biscuits ( you can find them in Waitrose, i bought one pack) – 3 eggs but very fresh (you won’t cook them so this is very important) – 3 big spoons of sugar – 5 espresso cups of coffee (i normally do 2 normal coffees and 3 decaf especially if i will serve the dessert in the night and if not all the people normally take coffee) – 1 or 1/2 espresso cup of liquor (Marsala is the best but you can also use Amaretto, Cognac or Quantro) – some sweet chocolate in powder and some chocolate in bits to decorate the Tiramisu’.

First you have to create the “zabaione” and for that we mean that you will mix the egg yolks and the sugar until you will reach the consistency of a cream. Then you will add the mascarpone. In another container you will whip the white of the 3 eggs and then you will add it to the rest, being careful to mix from the down to the top.

This is the cream for the Tiramisu’. Nothing is easier and better than this!

Now you will prepare the coffees and you will add to that the little cup of liquor.

At this point take one Savoiardi at the time and put it in the coffee but very quickly. They need to absorb a bit of coffee but they don’t have to break or be dump. You can then put them one after the other in a recipient, creating the first layer. I normally put just one side of the biscuits in the coffee and i add some coffee on the top of the them with a spoon when the layer is ready.

Add the cream on top of the layer and put some chocolate powder. Then create on top of this a second layer putting again the Savoiardi in the coffee and then in the recipient. Then again the cream and the chocolate. You can create how many layers you want depending by the recipient, the biscuits and the cream available.

When you arrive at the end, put just the cream and place the dessert in the fridge for at least one hour before to serve it. When you will take it out, decor it with the chocolate powder and chocolate bits: these will give a bit of  “crunchiness” to the Tiramisu’.

Buon appetito!

PS. Mamy eccomi qui con il tiramisu’ e non sai….mi sono scordata il Marsala. Mi sarei mangiata le mani, ma alla fine ho messo un liquore francese che abbiamo qui. Non e’ la stessa cosa pero’…buonissimo!e nenache troppo pesante se preso in piccole dosi. L’unica cosa che ho aggiunto rispetto alla tua ricetta sono le gocce di cioccolato in cima, che ci fanno proprio da ciliegina sulla torta!

Remember Virginia? She made me scones, and coconut muffins for my birthday…both of which I wrote about on the blog. Well, her birthday was earlier this week, so I had some baking to do. I decided on Cocoa Banana Muffins from Nick Malgieri’s The Modern Baker cookbook…

Usually, when you bake something for someone, do you think about what they would like? Well, do you? I have to admit that when I saw the recipe for these muffins, I decided that I would like to have the leftover muffins that didn’t make it to Virginia’s house…that’s how I decided what to bake. Is that horrible? Virginia said she likes them, and I think you will, too….ENJOY!

Recipe: Cocoa Banana Muffins

Berry, Mascarpone and Coconut Cake

One great thing about having a blog is that it pushes you to try out new recipes that you would never have tried otherwise. My attitude nowadays has evolved from “Why make it, when you can buy it” to “Why buy it, when you can make it”.

Take this Berry, Mascarpone and Coconut Cake I made over the weekend.  It is one of my favourite (I know, everything seems to be “one of my favourite”) desserts. Every weekend my husband and I pick up a rustic sourdough from Victoire in Balmain and on special occasions, the strawberry mascarpone coconut cake.

Layers of summery goodness!

It is a layered cake of coconut dacquoise, strawberries and a mascarpone cream. In my version, I took advantage of the fact that blueberries were in season and added that to a layer as well.

Recipe (Serves 8 to 10)

Equipment:

• Jelly Roll Pan measuring 38cm by 24cm
• Loaf Tin measuring around 23cm by 10cm

Ingredients for the Coconut Dacquoise

• 6 egg whites
• 70 grams caster sugar
• 100 grams shredded coconut
• 80 grams desiccated coconut
• 150 grams icing sugar, sifted

Ingredients for Mascarpone Mixture

• 500 grams mascarpone
• 50 grams caster sugar
• 2 eggs, separated
• 25 grams caster sugar

To Prepare the Dacquoise

1. Grease and line with baking paper the jelly roll pan.
2. Pre heat the oven to 130C.
3. In a bowl, mix the coconuts and the icing sugar.
4. Whisk the egg whites and when you start to see soft peaks, slowly add the caster sugar and whisk until firm peaks.  Add the coconut mixture.
5. Spread on to the jelly roll and bake in a fan forced oven (increase the heat by 30C if using non-fan forced oven) at 130C for 35 minutes.
6. Remove from oven and allow to cool in a cooling rack.

For the Mascarpone Mixture:

1. Whisk the egg whites until soft peaks and then add the 25 grams of caster sugar.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks, mascarpone and 50 grams of sugar until firm.
3. Incorporate the two mixtures by folding the egg whites into the mascarpone mixture.

To Assemble: 250 grams fresh strawberries and 250 grams fresh blueberries and brown sugar for dusting.

1. Slice the strawberries and cut the blueberries in half.  Save a few whole blueberries for the edges of the cake.
2. Cut the coconut dacquoise into three parts so that each will fit into the loaf tin.
3. Layer the tin with plastic wrap so that the edges are sticking out.  You will want at least 5cm of plastic that sticks out because you will use it to wrap the cake.
4. Place a layer of dacquoise  on the tin and cover with 1/2 of the mascarpone mixture and then the strawberries.
5. Place a second layer of dacquoise over this and cover with the rest of the mascarpone mixture and the blueberries.
6. Top with a final layer of dacquoise and cover with the plastic wrap.
7. Refrigerate overnight before dusting with brown sugar and caramelizing the top with a blowtorch.

Alternatively, you can layer the dessert in a tea cup as well!

Looks good served in tea cups too!

Parce qu’ici il commence à faire très froid et je vais bientôt pouvoir mettre mon bonnet rouge pour sortir, sans qu’on me jette des cailloux à l’arrêt de bus. Et comme je n’ai pas froid qu’à la tête, mes pieds aussi ont besoin d’être chouchoutés et j’avais vu, sur le catalogue Noël du célèbre magasin de meubles que tu montes toute seule sauf que c’est un peu plus compliqué que jouer aux Légos, les plus beaux chaussons du monde, tout rembourrés de duvet avec des plumes qui vous réchauffent les petons en moins de 10 secondes, idéals pour la future période glacière à venir quoi.

J’avais déjà fait l’acquisition (il y a quelques semaines déjà, en même temps que les collants parce qu’aujourd’hui il faut savoir être prévoyante, attention, on est en novembre, ça va bientôt être l’heure d’acheter son maillot de bain pour l’été prochain) de merveilleuses chaussettes presque plus hautes que moi, qui devaient forcément trouver pantoufles à leurs pieds, et le résultat est, n’ayons pas peur des mots, exceptionnel ! Voyez vous-même :

Mais j’ai pas osé les garder aux pieds pour cuisiner, une tache d’huile dessus ça me ferait pleurer.

Pour deux gourmands qui croient encore un peu au Père Noël : 2 petites courges mystérieuses, 2 c.s. de ricotta, 1 c.s. de mascarpone, 1 c.s. de chèvre frais, sel poivre, huile d’olive, thym, et quelques noisettes décortiquées.

Préchauffez le four à 220°C.
Coupez le chapeau des petites courges (ou demandez à Chouchou, parce qu’elles sont vachement dures quand même) et creusez à la petite cuillère pour enlever les pépins. Dans un bol mélangez la ricotta, le mascarpone et le chèvre frais, salez, poivrez, huile d’olivez, et ajoutez un peu de thym. Remplir les courges avec le mélange et calez-les dans des petits ramequins pour qu’elles ne se renversent pas pendant la cuisson. Enfournez une 20aine de minutes, sur une plaque, avec à côté les petits chapeaux que vous aurez légèrement huilés et salés. Avant de servir décorez avec quelques noisettes concassées et grillées à la poêle (sans huile sans beurre ni rien, juste les noisettes en morceaux dans la poêle) et un filet d’huile d’olive.

Et pour accompagner : 8 petits chèvres frais, 1 œuf battu, 2 c.s. de chapelure, 2 c.s. de farine, sel, poivre, thym, huile d’olive.

Mélangez la chapelure, la farine et le thym, salez, poivrez, et étalez dans une assiette. Battre l’œuf dans un bol. Faites chauffer l’huile dans une poêle. Trempez un par un les petits chèvres dans l’œuf battu, roulez les dans le mélange sur l’assiette et faites dorer dans l’huile quelques minutes. S’il vous reste quelques noisettes grillées, servez les avec.

Pâte :

400g de pâte d’amandes

5 œufs

120g de beurre fondu

100g de farine

12 carrés de chocolat noir

Glaçage :

250g de mascarpone

120g de beurre mou

75g de sucre glace

100g de sucre cristallisé vanillé

Colorant(s) en pâte

Ecraser la pâte d’amandes avec une cuillère en bois ; incorporer les œufs un à un, puis prendre un fouet et battre jusqu’à obtenir une pâte bien crémeuse et aérée. Ajouter la farine en soulevant la pâte. Faire de même pour le beurre fondu.

Remplir des moules à muffins et insérer un carré par empreinte.

Enfourner à four préchauffé th.7 pendant environ 25 minutes, th.7.

Laisser refroidir.

Préparation du glaçage : Battre légèrement le mascarpone. Dans un grand bol, mélanger le beurre et le sucre glace. Ajouter la moitié du sucre cristallisé, puis le mascarpone. Rectifier le goût en ajoutant du sucre à convenance.

Prendre une une poche à douille, et une douille au choix. Avec le bout d’un couteau rond, ou avec un pinceau fin, prendre du colorant et le déposer sur toute la longueur interne de la poche. Remplir la poche de glaçage et former des rosaces sur les petits gâteaux.

Note : Ici, le sucre utilisé apporte du croquant très agréable, surtout pour les enfants. Le sucre vanillé que j’utilise est tout simplement du sucre dans lequel je place une gousse de vanille (entière et coupée en deux dans le sens de la longueur, ou après avoir utilisé une gousse dans une préparation, je la rince et la fais sécher, puis la glisse dans le sucre ; et je secoue de temps en temps ma boîte à sucre). J’aime énormément pulvériser le sucre et la gousse de vanille, mon mixeur ne me dit pas merci au vu des rayures que ça peut provoquer, mais c’est tellement bon et pratique!!!!!

 

Branza Brie

Este o brânză obţinută din lapte de vacă, cu pastă moale, coaja pudrată, comestibilă şi interior cremos, cu savoare dulce şi bogată. Originară din Franţa, este considerată una dintre cele mai bune sortimente de brânză din lume. Este monitorizată fiecare etapă a producţiei, incepand de la coagularea cazeinei din lapte, la sărare, uscare, tratare şi până la maturarea în pivniţe reci sau în peşteri cu multă umiditate. Se obţine din lapte integral sau degresat, are o coajă subţire, pudrată în ruginiu sau bej. Maturată perfect, interiorul galben şi cremos se umflă sau picură, dar nu curge când este tăiată. Are o savoare plină şi bogată. Brânza Brie este perisablă şi trece repede din faza de maturare la supramaturare. Este bine cunoscută încă din secolul al VIII-lea, fiind produsă într-o regiune din Franţa care astăzi se numeşte Seine-et-Marne, la sud-est de Paris. Actualmente, este produsă în alte regiuni ale Franţei, în S.U.A. şi în alte ţări.

Branza Camembert

Este o brânză obţinută din lapte de vacă, cu pastă semi-moale, coajă albă, comestibilă, cu interior gălbui şi cremos şi aromă ce variază de la dulce la picant, în funcţie de gradul de maturare. Este originară din regiunea Normandia, din Franţa. După coagulare şi scurgere, brânza este sărată şi suprafaţa este tratată cu o cultură specială de ciuperci şi bacterii. Cu cât brânza Camembert se învecheşte, cu atât această cultură înaintează mai încet spre interior, dându-i aroma şi consistenţa caracteristică. Când este perfect maturată, interiorul devine galben cremos, tartinabil, şi tinde să se umfle când brânza este tăiată. Aroma este delicată şi bogată. Supramaturată, adică maturată mai mult, capătă o consistenţă lichidă sau semi-lichidă, curge, este amară şi miroase a amoniac. Brânza maturată suficient este presată în cutii rotunde, de lemn, cu formă şi mărime standard. Denumirea i-a fost dată de Napoleon al III-lea, după numele primului oraş în care a gustat-o. Producerea ei este reglementată de guvernul francez şi monitorizată prin sistemul A.O.C. Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée), Controlul / Protecţia Denumirilor de Origine, asemenea multor brânzeturi faimoase. Este produsă acum şi în Germania, Danemarca şi S.U.A. Producerea unor sortimente de brânză Camembert, făcute în Normandia din lapte crud, nepasteurizat este autorizată de guvernul francez. Totuşi, datorită reglementărilor privind siguranţa produselor alimentare, care interzice achiziţionarea de brânzeturi din lapte neprelucrat şi care au fost maturate mai puţin de 60 de zile, acest sortiment este interzis să se importe din S.U.A. şi din alte ţări.

Branza Cantal

Este o brânză care se obţine din lapte de vacă, în Cantal din provincia Auvergne, Franţa.

Branza Cheddar

Este o brânză care se obţine din lapte de vacă, cu pastă tare, cu aromă ce variază de la uşoară la intensă şi culoare de la alb la portocaliu strălucitor. Este brânza cu cea mai mare producţie şi cea mai consumată în lume. Brânza odată închegată, este tăiată, amestecată, făcută grămadă şi fărâmiţată în particule fine, procedeu ce îi conferă textura şi aroma sa unică. Forma tradiţională de tobă, este numită cheddar. Denumirea aceasta provine de la oraşul Cheddar din Somerset (Anglia), unde a fost produsă pentru prima dată. În secolul al XVI-lea, brânza Cheddar a încântat turiştii care au vizitat Cheddar Gorge, un canion spectaculos din apropiere. Turiştii au început să cumpere brânză Cheddar pentru a o consuma la întoarcerea acasă. De atunci, brânza Cheddar s-a răspândit peste tot în lume. Statul Wisconsin este astăzi cel mai mare producător mondial.

Branza Cheshire

Legenda spune că romanilor le plăcea atât de mult brânza de Cheshire încât au construit un zid în jurul oraşului Chester pentru a proteja industria brânzei din acest oraş. Este un tip de brânză cu pastă moale, sfărâmicioasă, care de obicei are culoarea albă dar poate fi şi roşie sau mai rar, cu vinişoare bleu. Brânza albă şi cea roşie au un gust uşor sărat şi o textură puţin sfărâmicioasă. Se combină cu fructe proaspete în salate, supe sau sosuri pentru paste făinoase. Se poate prepara amestecând-o cu brânză dulce, cubuleţe de castraveţi, usturoi pisat, mentă tocată şi se serveşte cu legume proaspete. Brânza bleu are o aromă mai pronunţată şi mai bogată. Este ideală pentru tartine sau ca dres în salate. Toate aceste trei sortimente sunt excelente pentru gustări simple (pâine cu brânză şi bere, brânză topită şi bere), pentru plăcinte cu brânză, rösti (preparat cu brânză roşie, cartofi, ceapă, şuncă şi condimente), sau sunt un excelent adaos la tarte sau alte prăjituri cu fructe.

Branza Edam

Este o brânză cu pastă moale, de origine olandeză ( Edam, oraş în vestul Olandei, lângă Amsterdam), cu o textură uşor asemănătoare cauciucului, modelată sub formă de sferă îmbrăcată în ceară de culoare roşie.

Branza Emmental (Branza elvetiana)

Este o brânză obţinută din lapte de vacă, cu pastă tare, cu interiorul de culore galben pal, conţinând găuri mari şi având o savoare dulceagă, de alune. Este produsă în numeroase ţări, inclusiv în S.U.A., folosindu-se un procedeu originar din valea râului Emma, în Elveţia, datând încă din anul 50 e.n. Una dintre cele mai faimoase varietăţi de brânză elveţiană este produsă în Norvegia şi se numeşte brânză Jarlsberg. În pofida popularităţii sale, fiind produsă pe scară largă, brânza Emmental este printre cele mai dificil de obţinut. Se prezintă sub formă de roţi mari, cântărind între 9 şi 91 kg. Acestea se înmoaie în saramură pentru a se inhiba creşterea bacteriilor precum şi uscarea excesivă. Este maturată la temperaturi cuprinse între 22-27° C, timp de 3-6 luni. Se folosesc trei culturi diferite de bacterii, una dintre ele servind la formarea găurilor, prin producerea unor pungi inofensive de bioxid de carbon în cursul procesului de tratare. Deoarece fiecare dintre cele trei bacterii joacă un rol diferit în procestul de tratare al brânzei elveţiene, dozarea lor trebuie făcută cu grijă pentru a asigura o balanţă echilibrată a acidităţii, aromei şi frecvenţei golurilor în produsul final.

Branza Feta

Este o brânză cu pasta moale, proaspătă, albă şi sfărâmicioasă. Este cea mai faimoasă dintre brânzeturile greceşti, avându-şi originea cu secole în urmă, când ciobanii făceau brânză din laptele de oaie şi de capră. Astăzi, este produsă pe scară largă din lapte de vacă, în S.U.A., Franţa, Gemania, Danemarca, Italia şi Israel. Pentru a putea fi conservată mai mult timp decât cea proaspătă, brânza Feta este scursă, tăiată (“feta” înseamnă “felie” sau “bucată” în limba greacă), sărată şi aşezată în butoaie cu saramură unde este ţinută timp de 1-6 luni. În S.U.A., Feta este aromată cu plante, înainte de a fi ambalată. Aroma sa intensă şi sărată precum şi textura sfărâmicioasă face ca aceasta să fie folosită în salatele combinate. Adesea este tăiată în cuburi şi servită cu pâine şi măsline. Se utilizează foarte mult în bucătăria grecească.

Branza Gorgonzola

Este o brânză cu pastă semi-moale, cu interiorul de culoarea fildeşului, străbătut de vinişoare verzi şi cu aromă înţepătoare, picantă. Este una dintre cele mai vechi şi mai fine sortimente de brânză. Produsă în Italia începând cu secolul al IX-lea, a fost denumită după oraşul Gorgonzola de lângă Milano, unde a apărut prima dată. Astăzi, producătorii şi distribuitorii acestui sortiment de brânză sunt controlaţi strict prin D.O.C. (Denominazione di Origine Controlatta), o agenţie guvernamentală italiană care autorizează producătorii ce îndeplinesc standardele de înaltă calitate cerute de sortimentul monitorizat, să poarte numele original. Gorgonzola este produsă şi de S.U.A. şi de alte ţări. Procedeul special de obţinere a acestui sortiment de brânză constă în alternarea straturilor de brânză preparată din laptele muls dimineaţa şi din laptele muls seara. Pudra de ciuperci de cultură presărată între straturi duce la apariţia unor vinişoare marmorate, caracteristice. Brânza parcurge trei stadii de tratare care durează cel puţin 90 de zile. O varietate a acesteia este “Dolce Gorgonzola” care este maturată 3 luni, capătă o textură mai moale şi o aromă mai delicată faţă de Gorgonzola care este maturată până la 1 an. Se prezintă sub formă de roată care este tăiată în jumătate, pe orizontală.

Branza Gouda

Este o brânză obţinută din lapte de vacă, cu o textură cremoasă, interiorul de culoare galbenă, perforat cu găurele şi o aromă dulce, de alune, care se intensifică în timp. Este denumită după un oraş de lângă Rotterdam (Olanda), unde a fost obţinută în Evul mediu, în secolele V-XV. În secolul al XIII-lea, a fost exportată în alte ţări europene. Caracteristicile sale sunt forma de sferă turtită (este presată în matriţe cu această formă) şi învelişul cerat (se îmbracă în ceară pentru a o proteja şi conserva îm timpul depozitării şi al expedierii. Brânza denumită “Baby Gouda”este îmbrăcată în ceară roşie şi învelită în celofan.

Branza Grana

Este un sortiment de brânză asemănător parmezanului.

Branza Gruyere

Este un sortiment de brânză elveţiană, cu pastă tare, conţinând, câteodată, găuri şi având o savoare dulceagă, de alune. Se fabrică în Elveţia (Gruyère, oraş elveţian), în Franţa: în munţii Jura şi Vosgi. Este folosită adesea la gratinarea diverselor preparate.

Branza Mascarpone

Sortiment de brânză italiană, foarte grasă, nesărată, bogată în zer, cu textură tartinabilă, asemănătoare unei creme de brânză.

Branza Mozzarella

Originară din provinciile italiene, Latium (Lazio) şi Campania, această brânză proaspătă din pastă presată, conţine cca. 40-45% materii grase şi are o savoare dulce, uşor acrişoară. La început, adevărata Mozzarella era preparată din lapte de bivoliţă, dar astăzi aceasta este mai rară, fiind în general făcută din lapte de vacă. Se comercializează atât preambalată cât şi în vrac. Brânza preambalată se prezintă sub formă de sfere, de mărimea pumnului sau sub formă de burduf. Pasta sa elastică este foarte umedă şi de aceea, pentru a putea fi păstrată o zi sau două se înveleşte ermetic într-o bucată de folie de plastic şi se ţine la frigider. Pentru o conservare mai indelungată, se pune într-un borcan şi se acoperă cu apă sărată.

Branza Pecorino

Brânză italiană, din lapte de oaie. Vezi brânza Romano.

Branza Ricotta

Brânză italiană, proaspătă, albă, dulce, cu o consistenţă cremoasă, făcută din zer şi utilizată mai ales la gătit. A fost obţinută mai întâi în Roma, din zer de lapte de oaie sau din zerul rămas după preparea brânzei Romano. Astăzi, se prepară în Lombardia, din zer de lapte de oaie şi de capră, iar uneori din zerul de lapte de vacă sau de bivoliţă. Se face nu numai în Europa ci şi în S.U.A., mai ales în Wisconsin şi New-York. Pentru prepararea acestui tip de brânză , zerul dulce rămas de la prepararea altor brânzeturi este încălzit a doua oară cu substanţe coagulante, astfel că proteinele rămase coagulează, obţinându-se o brânză asemănătoare urdei.

Branza Romano

Este un sortiment de brânză cu pastă foarte tare, cu gust picant şi sărat, cu un interior granulos de culoare galben pal, care se închide cu timpul. Obţinută mai întâi în Italia, din lapte de oaie, actualmente se produce din lapte de capră şi vacă, atât în Italia cât şi în S.U.A. Brânza Romano originală se numeşte Pecorino Romano, deoarece a fost produsă mai întâi la Roma, din lapte de oaie (“pecora”, înseamnă “oaie” în italiană). Este probabil cel mai vechi sortiment de brânză italiană, fiind la fel de importantă în sudul Italiei, aşa cum este Parmezanul în nordul Italiei. Producerea ei se afla sub supravegherea D.O.C. (Denominazione di Origine Controlatta), o agenţie guvernamentală italiană de protecţie a denumirii de origine. Astfel, Pecorino Romano poate fi produsă numai între lunile octombrie şi iunie şi trebuie maturată cel puţin 8 luni.

Branza Roquefort

Este probabil brânza cu cea mai veche şi mai bogată istorie. Pliniu cel Bătrân o cita în lucrarea sa “Istoria naturală”, iar Charlemagne a gustat-o la mânăstirea din Vabres. În 1411, Charles al VI-lea, a acordat locuitorilor localităţii omonime “monopolul maturării acestui sortiment de brânză, aşa cum este practicată din timpuri imemoriale”. Parlamentul din Toulouse îi conferea în 1665 o denumire originară, protejând-o de imitaţii “pentru ca să fie la adăpost de contrafaceri, să se numească Roquefort, sub pedeapsa de o mie de livre amendă “. Este o pastă obţinută exclusiv din lapte de oaie, crud şi integral, în care se introduce un mucegai verde, numit Penicillium roqueforti care îi conferă aromă, savoare şi onctuozitate în decursul mai multor luni de maturare. Brânza este apoi transportată în peşterile de calcar din Combalou, aproape de oraşul Roquefort, unde se lasă la maturat timp de 3 până la 9 luni. Pe măsură ce brânza se învecheşte, mucegaiul introdus în pastă creează vinişoare verzi-albăstrui, conferindu-i o aromă intensă şi o textură cremoasă. Se prezintă sub formă de roţi. Pentru a se obţine o astfel de roată sunt necesari cca. 4,5 l lapte. Laptele se obţine în 18 departamente muntoase din sud, dar maturarea rămâne specialitatea localităţii Roquefort-sur- Soulzon din Aveyron. Natura a aranjat bine lucrurile, tăind în calcar falii, crevase şi caverne, cu un microclimat atât de particular încât acest tip de brânză nu poate “înflori” în nici un fel de pivniţă amenajată. Vara, ca şi iarna, temperatura se situează între 6-8° C, iar umiditatea este constantă. Un fenomen unic în lume. Este produsă din decembrie până în iulie, maturată în peşteri timp de peste patru luni şi păstrată în camere reci .

Parmezanul: o branza regala

Adevăratul parmezan, Parmigiano-Reggiano, originar din Parma (Italia) este considerat unul dintre cele mai fine sortimente de brânzeturi din lume. Actualmente, este produs numai în câteva regiuni ale Italiei printre care Bologna, Mantua (Mantova), Modena, Parma şi Reggio nell’ Emilia. Originea, producerea şi calitatea sa finală sunt foarte strict şi riguros controlate de legislaţia italiană, prin sistemul D.O.C. (Denominazione di Origine Controlatta), asemenea vinurilor. Astfel, sortimentul de brânză care poartă numele Parmigiano-Reggiano poate fi produs numai între lunile aprilie şi noiembrie, din lapte parţial degresat, obţinut de la vacile hrănite cu iarbă. Este sortimentul cel mai bogat în calciu dintre toate brânzeturile. Cunoscut încă de pe vremea romanilor care îl consumau ras, acest autentic rege al brânzeturilor italiene este fabricat şi astăzi ca acum 7-8 secole, în mod artizanal şi complet natural. Se prezintă sub formă de roţi cu margini uşor bombate, fiecare cântărind între 30-40 kg. Pasta parmezanului este de culoare galben-pai sau galben-auriu. Este moale, fragil, de consistenţă granuloasă, şi se desface în solzi fini. Aroma sa este inimitabilă, delicată, savuroasă şi fructată. Maturarea parmezanului nu trebuie să fie mai mică de 14 luni, dar în general durează circa 2 ani. Cel mai bun Parmigiano se numeşte “Stravecchio” şi are vârste de peste 3 ani, unii producători lăsându-l să se învechească 10 ani. Cu cât se învecheşte mai mult, culoarea şi aroma se intensifică iar textura se întăreşte. De aceea, parmezanul maturat este un sortiment de brânză cu miezul foarte tare, de culoare gălbuie a paiului, având o coajă subţire şi comestibilă. Experţii producători de brânzeturi apreciază calitatea roţilor de parmezan bătându-le uşor cu un ciocănel. Cele al căror sunet este incert se comercializează sub formă de răzătură de parmezan. În schimb, când acestea nu prezintă nici un defect, sunt marcate cu fierul cald cu o inscripţie caracteristică, gravată şi marcată cu puncte pe tot talonul roţii: Parmigiano-Reggiano, aşa cum sunt semnate operele de artă. În Italia se vinde de obicei în bucăţi tăiate din roţile de parmezan. Aroma sa intensă, complexă şi uşor sărată îl face un adaos savuros pentru supe, salate şi paste făinoase. Alte varietăţi de parmezan sunt produse în masă în Argentina şi în S.U.A., în special în Wisconsin, dar şi în New-York. Parmezanul american este de obicei maturat timp de 10-14 luni, adesea ras şi ambalat pentru vânzare.

If you want a show-stopping dessert this is it. If you want a quick and easy treat this is NOT it. Luckily I had a party this week so I was in need of a fabulous dessert. With lots of dishes and ingredients, this week’s Tuesdays with Dorie selection, the Cherry-Fudge Brownie Torte, certainly fit the bill.

It’s a souped-up brownie with a hint of spice from coarsely-ground black pepper and liquored-up dried tart cherries. I love liquored-up dried fruit recipes because you get to set them on fire. Fun times.

The torte is topped with a vanilla-flavored creamy mascarpone mousse. I decorated the top with sprinkled cocoa powder and chopped and whole chocolate-covered cherries.

The torte was so successful that it disappeared before I could try it. My guests loved it and really dug the surprise of the black pepper.

The pizza party was also a success. All the guests had a fabulous time and can’t wait for my next party in January. Unfortunately, I didn’t take good pictures during the party. I was so busy rolling out dough and watching the oven. It was interesting to see the different ways people topped their pizza. Some were very methodical and took a along time creating their pizza, others were very haphazard.

The Dessert Spread, before party

I made 6 different types of pizza dough (which I divided into 5 oz individual pizza size ) and 4 different sauces. I provided some toppings and guests were told to bring their favorite toppings. We baked most on my pizza stone, but we also made a few pan-style.

The Dessert Spread, after party

Thank you to April of Short + Rose for hosting this week’s selection. In addition to being a fabulous baker, she is also an avid gardener and crafter. I love reading about everything that comes out of her garden. If you would like the recipe for the torte visit her blog or buy the book.

All we’ve done this month is go on and on about how we love October.  Hopefully you are not sick of hearing this, but we have to say it again:  We love October!  It’s the fall time, and leaves are falling. The air is crispy and there are orange pumpkins sitting on many steps.  Oh, and yesterday was Amir’s birthday!  When we received the call for submissions for Foodbuzz’s monthly 24, 24, 24 event, to be held on October 24, we had to give it a shot.  Once the proposal was submitted, it was time to plan another birthday party to finish off the month of babies being born!  Amir wanted pumpkins in his menu, and that’s how the pumpkin blowout came into existence.  Every part of the evening’s meal–from starting nibbles to the final cocktail–would contain pumpkin in some form or fashion.  If there’s ever a time to go overboard with the fruity gourd, it would be now!

We are all about some menu brainstorming.  It is one of the most fun parts of our process, if you want to call it that. We both have a million ideas floating in our heads, and when we put them together, it starts out looking very crazy! After a few back and forths, we finally end up with a much more tailored list, albeit it’s usually very lengthy. It was Amir’s birthday, so we had to have a nice sized spread. Plus, he made a lot of the executive decisions on what would finally be on there, including the cake, which was probably the first thing in mind. Here’s a look at how it all went down.

We knew there had to be cake. We knew there had to be cocktails. Although cake and cocktails are a great way to celebrate, we also had to toss in a few other things to round out this dinner party. We needed nibblets for our guests while we finished up dishes, so there would surely be a dip and spread of some sort. Maybe something sweet to whet the appetite. We totally wanted a soup and salad starter course–warm, comforting elements that would get the body ready for more. The main course would feature duck, although how it would be used was unknown. We’d follow it up with a cool dessert–two desserts in fact. And to drink…well the crowd could sip on an iced tea and shoot back an infused liquor. It is a party after all!

Pumpkin Mascarpone Spread on Crostini with Caramelized Onions, Persimmon and Stilton Cheese – Serves 12
1 cup canned pumpkin purée
4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
8 ounces mascarpone cheese, room temperature
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons brown sugar
3 medium persimmons, cut into 8ths
2 ounces stilton cheese, crumbled
24 premade crostini or mini toasts

1. Whip pumpkin purée, cream cheese, marscapone, honey, vanilla, nutmeg, cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoon salt with an electric mixer until smooth. Scrape into a small bowl, cover and chill at least an hour or overnight.

2. Met butter and olive oil in a wide frying pan over medium high heat. When hot, add onions, toss to coat, then sprinkle brown sugar and remaining salt over them. Turn heat down to medium low. Cook for approximately 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally so they do not stick and burn. (If making ahead of time, spoon into an airtight container, seal and chill until ready to use.)

3. When ready to serve, spoon a layer of the pumpkin spread on crostini. Top with a little onion, a persimmon slice and a bit of stilton cheese.

Due to the fact that pumpkins were the made part of the menu, we had to do a little pumpkin research, and we learned a few things along the way. There’s a difference between pumpkins and squash, even those pesky winter squash that look like non-orange pumpkins (ie. kabocha and a few acorns). We were all ready to use up some kabocha squash in the soup. Although it is also known as a Japanese pumpkin, kabocha not a pumpkin. It is, indeed, a squash. There’s no way around that. The other fun fact about pumpkins is that they, like squash, are fruits, and that is due to the seeds inside. That’s probably not mind-blowing to everyone, especially people who know that tomatoes are technically classified as fruits for the same reason. No matter, it’s still a little funny to think of pumpkins as a fruit.

Pumpkin Seed Hummus – Serves 12
1 1/2 cups raw pumpkin seeds, toasted
1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin purée
2 cloves garlic
3 tablespoons tahini
1/2 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon Tabasco
1/8 cup grapeseed oil
1/8 cup pumpkin seed oil
Juice of 2 lemons
Kosher salt

1. Blend pumpkin seeds down in a food processor until they become a very fine powder. Add garlic, pumpkin purée, tahini, cumin, Tabasco, and lemon juice.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together grapeseed oil and pumpkin seed oil. Slowly stream into the hummus while food processor churns until mixture has reached desired consistency. Salt to taste. Chill at least an hour or overnight. Recommend serving with baby carrots, cherry tomatoes, and a sweet brioche bread.

Finally, there are actually a good number of pumpkin farms located in California because it’s one of the top pumpkin growing states. We planned to visit a farm, get buddy buddy with a farmer, roll around in the hay and pick up some crazy looking pumpkins. Unfortunately, none of the farms were close to us. Definitely not close enough to frolic off to in the limited time we had to get ready. We had to scratch off that option and pay a visit to our local farmers markets and grocery stores, which was just fine. We couldn’t roll in any hay, but we got to see fairytale pumpkins, also known as Musque De Provence, sugar pies, jack-o-lanterns, tigers, etc. Pretty pumpkins! If you’re looking for a good run down on pumpkins before Halloween, try this site.

We are all about preparation and doing things before the big day. The first thing we had to do was get our vodka set up to infuse. For best results, we should’ve started it at least a week ahead of time, but we didn’t get it started until four days ahead of time. If you choose to try this, just know that stronger fruits like citrus will infuse quickly, whereas grainier or harder ingredients may take at least a week to really do the job. We were roasted our star ingredient, so we crossed our fingers and toes that this would do the trick. Two of our appetizers could be prepared one to two days ahead, as well as our salad dressing, soup topper, salad garnishes, a dipping sauce and iced tea. We would also have ingredients for our soup roasted and in the fridge, so they could be added to the stock when ready. We love to cook, but we also love to make things easier for ourselves. With all of these little things done, we hoped everything would go smoothly for the weekend.

Spiced Pumpkin Apple Soup with Goat Cheese Cream - Serves 12Soup
2 sugar pie pumpkins, cut into 8ths
4 medium apples, halved, cored and skinned
1 medium red onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 teaspoon ground curry powder
1 teaspoon cumin
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 cups vegetable broth
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup maple syrup
Olive oil
Kosher salt

Cream
2 1/2 ounces goat cheese, room temperature
1 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons parsley, finely chopped
Zest of 1 orange, minced

1. Start the soup by covering a large baking sheet with aluminum foil and lay pumpkin and apple pieces on top. Drizzle a bit of olive oil on top and sprinkle curry, cumin and cinnamon over the fruit. Bake in a preheated oven at 425 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until soft. Remove from oven when done.

2. Towards the middle of the fruit’s roasting session, drop butter and a drizzle of more olive oil in a deep pot over medium high heat. When melted, add celery, carrots and onions and cook down until soft and translucent, approximately 15-20 minutes. Pour in vegetable broth and bring to a low boil. Add roasted apples and pumpkin and boil for 3-5 minutes, then reduce heat to low.

3. Stir in heavy cream and maple syrup and mix well. Remove from heat.

4. Pour into a blender in batches and blend down until smooth. Pour back into large pot for easy serving. Salt to taste.

5. For goat cheese cream, use an electric blender to whip goat cheese, orange zest, sour cream and parsley until smooth. Dollop on top of soup.

If desired, use mini pumpkins or small acorn squash to serve the soup.

With so many pieces of the puzzle taken care of before Saturday, we were left with just a few additional ingredients to buy on the day of, including bread, salad greens, and the duck. The search for good duck was not easy. Our first thought was to venture to one of the two better known Asian markets nearby–99 Ranch and Mitsuwa. Before we tried either one, we asked around for any suggestions on where to find good prices on the quacker. People suggested the Farmers Market at the Grove, but one of the butchers wanted $12 a pound for the breast meat. Twelve dollars! For the amount we needed, we’d be sure to spend at least $70 on the meat alone. Not happening. Whole Foods and Gelson’s also had crazy prices that weren’t going to work for our budget, so we went with our initial gut and Amir took a drive to 99 Ranch. They had whole ducks for $2.59 a pound–only whole ducks. Our recipe calls for the breast meat, but we weren’t deterred.

Arugula with Roasted Beets and Butternut Squash, Bacon, Candied Pepitas and Pumpkin Seed Oil Vinaigrette - Serves 12
16 ounces arugula
3 medium beets, each peeled and cut into 8 pieces
1 medium butternut squash, peeled and sliced into 1″ pieces
1/2 pound bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups pepitas (raw pumpkin seeds)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for roasting vegetables
1/2 tablespoon honey
2 teaspoons brown sugar
Olive oil

Dressing
1 small shallot, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons honey
4 tablespoons Dijon mustard
4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1/8 cup pumpkin seed oil
Kosher salt

1. Lay aluminum foil over a large baking sheet and spread beets and butternut squash on top, making sure to keep them separate on different halves of the sheet. (You want to keep the beets from possibly bleeding onto the squash.) Drizzle liberally with olive oil and sprinkle a little salt on top. Roast in a preheated oven at 425 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.

2. While veggies roast, stir cinnamon, allspice, cardamom, ginger, cayenne, brown sugar and salt in a small bowl. Set aside. Add the butter to a wide pan and swirl to melt. Pour in the pepitas and sprinkle brown sugar spice mixture over the nuts. Toss to coat. Drizzle honey over nuts and cook until they begin to brown slightly, approximately 2-4 minutes. Pour nuts over a parchment paper covered baking sheet and slide in the freezer to cool. When cool, pour into an airtight container and cover until ready to use.

3. For dressing, whisk shallot, garlic, honey, mustard and vinegar until smooth. Slowly stream in pumpkin seed oil, whisking to combine. Salt to taste.

4. Place arugula in a large bowl and drizzle half of the dressing on top. Toss lightly to mix coat the leaves. Add more dressing to taste. Plate salad by placing about 1 cup of arugula on each plate. Top with a few pieces of warm beets and squash, followed by crumbles of bacon and the candied pepitas.

By the morning of the party, the only elements left to finish were frosting the cake, rolling our popcorn balls, roasting pumpkin fries, assembling the salad, plate the appetizers and roasting the duck. When we said the list out loud, it didn’t seem like too much, but we obviously underestimated our time. It was the duck that gave us the most trouble. We pulled two ducks out of the bags, and there were two heads blankly staring back. Heads with eyes, beaks and tongues. Heads still attached to bodies. Oh, and there were webbed feet too. Horror! Chrystal ran out of the kitchen shrieking, leaving Amir to fend for himself, sawing extremities off with a knife. Word has it that he may have screamed bloody murder as well, but we don’t have to talk about that right now. Note to selves (and you at home): Always ask your friendly butcher to get rid of body parts you don’t want to touch.

Tangerine Roasted Pumpkin Fries with Spiced Tomato Cream Sauce – Serves 12
2 medium pumpkins, peeled and each cut into 1″ wedges
Zest and juice of 1 tangerine
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
3 tablespoons fresh parsley, roughly chopped

Sauce
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon Chinese 5-Spice Powder
3/4 teaspoon Tabasco

1. Whisk butter, olive oil, brown sugar and tangerine juice and zest in a small bowl until combined.

2. Lay pumpkin strips on a foil lined baking sheet in one even layer. Brush tangerine butter over the fries and bake in a preheated oven at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until browned and crispy. Remove from oven.

3. While pumpkin strips roast, whisk ketchup, mayonnaise, Tabasco and 5-spice powder in a medium serving bowl. Chill until ready to use.

4. Once fries are out of the oven, immediately toss with garlic and parsley. Serve with dipping sauce on the side.

Dealing with the duck put us back in time, not to mention the fact that we were just moving slowly in general. When it came to the cake, we had a small mishap. The frosting we made was one that is warm in the preparation, so it formed a glaze rather than a fluffy frosting–a nice caramel-type glaze. It wouldn’t be the end of the world, but it wasn’t what we thought would happen. We popped it in the fridge to cool and took it out again once we were ready to frost. We thought a little whipping would loosen it up to a spreading consistency, but it actually caused the butter to begin to separate! A bad, bad thing. We stopped beating before it was too late. The frosting still tasted good, so we spread a little between the layers and on top, followed by a few candied pepitas for decoration.

Duck and Pumpkin a l’Orange en Croute – Serves 12 (Adapted from Maple Leaf Farms)
6-8 ounce boneless duck breasts
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 eggs
4 tablespoons milk
12 frozen 5″ puff pastry squares, slightly thawed
Kosher salt
Black pepper
Ground allspice

Compote
2 cups fresh pumpkin, diced
1 cup dried apricots, diced
1 cup sauerkraut, drained, rinsed very well
1/4 cups Grand Marnier
Juice of 2 oranges (about 2/3 cup)
6 tablespoons brown sugar
1 cup duck or chicken stock

1. Place pumpkin, apricots and sauerkraut in saucepan. Cover with Grand Marnier and orange juice. Simmer gently for about 15 minutes. Stir in brown sugar and simmer an additional 5 minutes. Remove from heat and strain mixture. Reserve both fruit compote and juice. Chill both completely.

2. Lightly score duck breasts at 1/4 inch intervals, being careful not to cut into breast meat. Rotate breasts, score again making a criss-cross pattern. Season meat with salt, pepper and a little allspice.

3. Heat olive oil in a large sauté pan. Lightly sauté each breast about 1 minute on each side to render some of the fat away from the meat. Remove skin from the duck breast if desired, and cut each piece of meat in half.

4. Whisk together egg and milk in a small bowl. Set aside. Lay puff pastry sheets out on top of a lightly floured surface.

5. Place about 1/4 cup of the cooled compote in the center of each pastry sheet and top with a piece of duck breast. Brush edges of pastry with egg wash, then mold the pastry around duck breast and seal the edges. Brush tops and sides with egg wash, and bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees until puff pastry is a golden brown, approximately 20 to 30 minutes.

7. Place duck breasts en croute on top sauce reserve from making the compote. Serve with Corn Pumpkin Purée.

Corn Pumpkin Purée – Serves 12
4 cups canned pumpkin purée
1 medium red pepper, finely chopped
2 large garlic cloves
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
8 ears corn, husks and silk removed
2/3 cup vegetable stock
1 sprig fresh rosemary, bruised
1 tablespoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/3 cup maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1. In a large saucepan or pot, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter over medium heat. Add the red pepper and garlic and cook 2-3 minutes.

2. While the pepper is cooking, remove the kernels from the corn. Stand a corn cob vertically over a large, shallow pan. Using a sharp knife, use long, downward strokes of the knife to remove the kernels from the cob. Use the edge of a spoon to scrape the sides of the cob to remove any remaining pulp.

3. Add the corn to the peppers, adding the stock and remaining butter. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat and cover. Cook for 10-15 minutes until the corn is tender.

4. Discard rosemary sprig, and add the sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon, maple syrup and cream to the corn. Slowly stir in the pumpkin purée and cook, uncovered, for 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in salt and pepper. Remove from heat.

5. Carefully ladle corn pumpkin mixture in batches into a standing blender and process until smooth. Add more cream or stock in needed.

With so many different dishes going on, we were running a little behind schedule. Our guests chomped on the hummus and mascarpone appetizers, along with extra candied pepitas. We also had the wine pouring just to get them ready for the meal. Working restaurant-style, we served the soup as the first course, followed by the salad. Before the main dish, we brought out a small plate with the fries and sauce to keep their mouths busy while the last duck en croute puffed up in the oven.

Spiced Pumpkin Cake with Brown Sugar Maple Icing – Serves 12 to 16 (Adapted from Diana Rattray)
Cake
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature plus extra for pans
4 large eggs
2 cups flour, plus extra for pans
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 cups canned pumpkin purée
1/2 cup candied pecans and/or pumpkin seeds, optional

1. Combine sugars and butter with a electric mixer until fluffy, approximately 3-5 minutes. Add the vanilla and eggs and mix well.

2. Sift dry ingredients into a separate bowl, then stir into the wet ingredients until well combined. Add pumpkin puree.

3. Pour batter into two greased and floured 9-inch cake pans. Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes or when tops of the cake bounce back to the touch. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then invert onto racks to cool completely.

4. When cooled, slice round tops off each cake, then split the layers into two pieces for a total of four layers. Frost cake as desired. (We topped it with a few seeds for crunch.)

Icing (Adapted from How To Cook Like Your Grandma)
1 cup milk
5 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 cup unsalted butter, chilled
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon kosher salt

1. Stir the milk, flour and maple syrup together and mix over medium heat for 5-10 minutes, until it thickens. Set aside to cool slightly.

2. Combine the sugar, butter and vanilla with an electric mixer.

3. Beat on medium speed for 5-10 minutes until the sugar is fully dissolved.

4. Add the warm milk to the butter mixture and stir until smooth.

Apricot Pumpkin Ice Cream – Yields 1 quart
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
4 cups heavy cream
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped (do not discard the pod)
1 cup canned pumpkin purée
1 cup dried apricots, soaked in water for at least 30 minutes, then drained and chopped
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

1. Place everything except the apricots in a large sauce pan, and whisk to combine. Turn the heat up to medium high, and bring the mixture just barely to a simmer. As soon as you see a bubble hit the surface, remove it from the heat. (You do not want to bring the liquid to a full boil!) Stir well.

3. Allow to cool slightly on a heat resistant surface, then pour into a separate container and cover with a piece of plastic wrap. (Make sure the plastic wrap directly touches the entire surface of the liquid, so that a film does not form on top.) Chill for at least two hours to overnight.

4. When ready, remove the plastic wrap and vanilla bean pod. Beat with an electric mixer until cream thickens slightly, then freeze for another hour, or until it begins to crystallize at the edges but not fully freeze through to the center.

5. Remove from freezer and re-whip until it becomes creamy again. Freeze again for another 30 minutes.

6. Remove a third time and beat with a whisk. Do this again so that you have beaten the mixture a total of three times while freezing in between each session.

7. Put the mixture back into the freezer for a final time until ready to serve, approximately two hours at the minimum.

Pepita Brittle – Serves 12 to 16 (Adapted from Hay River)
1 1/4 cups old-fashioned oats
1 cup pepitas, roasted and salted
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 tablespoon molasses
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1. Toast them in an oven at 350 for about 30 minutes with a little oil (¼ tsp per cup) and salt. Transfer into a medium mixing bowl and let cool.

2. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and lightly oil the paper.

3. Toast oats in a skillet over medium-high heat, stirring often until they turn golden brown about 5 minutes. Add to pumpkin seeds.

4. Add butter, sugar, cinnamon, corn syrup, molasses in the skillet, and cook over medium heat, stirring, until butter melts and mixture bubbles, 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in salt and baking soda. Pour hot mixture over oats and pumpkin seeds and stir to combine.

5. Spread the mixture on the prepared baking sheet in a thin layer. Let the brittle stand until completely cool, then break into pieces. The brittle can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Mini Popcorn Balls – Approximately 2 1/2 balls (Adapted from Paula Deen)
Popcorn
1 cup sugar
1 1/3 cups water
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup Torani Pumpkin Pie Syrup
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ground curry
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
18 cups popped corn
Unsalted butter, room temperature
Cinnamon
Ginger

1. In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, water, the syrups, vinegar, curry and salt. Cook over high heat until mixture reaches hard-ball stage on a candy thermometer.

2. Stir in vanilla. Pour over popped corn, tossing gently to coat.

3. When mixture is cool enough to handle, press popcorn into 1 1/2-inch balls with lightly buttered hands. Cool completely on waxed paper. Dust with ground cinnamon and ginger.

We finished the evening off with dessert and a toast–a toast with vodka shots. Although the vodka seemed as though it would be strong, it was very smooth. We used Grey Goose vodka, which is a very smooth vodka, but when you’re doing an infusion, you can stand to use any mid-level vodka. Nothing from the bottom of the barrel, or you’ll still have a very bad after taste, but a medium grade vodka will do. And if you want to roll with the big boys and use the top notch stuff, go for it!

Pumpkin-Infused Vodka Orange Shots – Makes 12 2-ounce shots (Adapted from Daily Candy)
4 sugar pie pumpkins, cut into wedges
2 tablespoons brown sugar, plus extra for shot glasses
1 liter good quality vodka
6 cinnamon sticks
4 whole nutmeg nuts
4 fresh bay leaves
12 whole cloves
4 vanilla beans, split
Zest of 2 oranges
2 oranges, each cut into 12 wedges

1. Lay pumpkin pieces on two foil covered baking sheets. Sprinkle brown sugar evenly over the flesh of the fruit, and bake in a preheated oven at 425 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until soft. Remove from the oven and cool completely. Remove and discard skin.

2. Pour vodka into a bowl or a large glass jar. Toss peeled pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg, bay leaves, orange zest, cloves and vanilla into the vodka. Cover and steep for a minimum of five days.

3. Strain larger solids from pumpkin-infused vodka using a colander, then pour through a smaller filter or sieve to remove any remaining bits. Chill until ready to use.

4. Serve vodka in brown sugar-lined shot glasses topped with an orange slice.

Pumpkin Chai Iced Tea – Yields 16 cups
8 bags chai tea
8 bags orange pekoe black tea
1 1/2 cup Torani Pumpkin Pie Syrup
2 cups tangerine juice

1. In a very deep pot, bring 16 cups of water to a boil, then add all 16 tea bags. Remove from heat and steep at least an hour or overnight in the fridge.

2. Remove the bags, and stir in Torani syrup and tangerine juice. Keep in fridge until ready to serve.

It’s funny, right before the guests arrived we looked at each other and thought for a moment, “do we have enough food for people?” Well, as you can now see that was obviously a silly question. There may have actually been too much food! People’s stomach’s were starting to get full — ours included — but it was time to sing “Happy Birthday to Amir!” Can’t forget about dessert!

We served the cake in a bowl with a dollop of the ice cream and a piece of brittle. Whatever mayhem was going on earlier in the night with duck feet, sore chopping arms, and time crunches melted away in the first spoonful of cake and ice cream. The word delicious is not even come close to express the pure joy that our taste buds felt. As corny as it sounds, they were dancing, causing us to even bust a move. Yes folks, the cake was that good!

All in all the meal was definitely a success. It seems our friends underestimated us when we told them last night’s event was a for real pumpkin extravaganza. No part of the pumpkin was turned away, and every thing on the menu indeed featured the big orange fruit. If there was a way to eat the stem, it would have been in some kind of dish too. Until next time, y’all!

We’re up for a Foodbuzz Blog Award, and the category is ‘Blogger You’d Most Want to See Open Their Own Restaurant’. Keep us in mind when you put in a vote! And if you’re going to the Foodbuzz Festival in November, vote here to have us present our Menu Item for you in the Bertolli Test Kitchen during the Tasting Pavillion!

Click HERE for printable recipes.

Hoy os voy a contar una fácil receta de pasta, que está deliciosa y se hace enseguida. Nidos de pasta con mascarpone y salmón.

Ingredientes:

• 400 gr de pasta (nidos de espinacas es la mejor elección)

• 1 Tarrina de queso mascarpone

• Salmón ahumado

• Eneldo

• Aceite y sal.

Preparación:

1- Poner la pasta con sal y una pizca de aceite.

2- Cortar el salmon a trocitos.

3- En una sartén verter un pizca de aceite y el queso mascarpone, dejar que se deshaga hasta que quede una pasta líquida.

4- Añadir el salmón, remover durante 2 min y apagar.

5- Retirar la pasta y añadir la salsa.

6- Condimentar con una pizca de orégano.

Como veis bien fácil y lista en menos de 15 min.

Si queréis podéis probar con otro tipo de pasta como los lirios (tiene una pinta exquisita esa receta).

Parce que le nouveau Shaun White est sorti le 12, et le nouveau Mario le 20, et j’ai troué mes collants oranges (avec le panier qui roule d’Intermarché, vous vous souvenez du bobo à la jambe de cet été ? bah on prend le même et on recommence, sauf qu’en été l’avantage c’est qu’il n’y a pas de collant à trouer), alors j’ai dû en racheter. Et les nouvelles éditions de plusieurs Murakami étaient bien jolies dans la librairie mais encore plus dans mes étagères. Même si je les ai déjà lus 100 fois. Mais ceux là ont une nouvelle couverture vous comprenez. Ah et le dentiste aussi, et le chèque de 290 euros. Et le petit cul de Chouchou est très sexy dans son nouveau pantalon. Mais vous allez devoir me croire sur parole parce que je n’ai pas pris de photo.
Mais le problème c’est que ça remplit pas l’estomac tout ça, sauf si vous aimez manger des collants ou du papier (le petit cul de Chouchou n’y pensez même pas c’est pas pour vous) mais moi c’est pas mon truc.

Pas de panique, j’ai la solution !
Tout d’abord vous embarquez la moitié du paquet de bons de réduc Rians qu’ils donnent à Carrefour et vous gobez des Cabecou et crottins de chèvre matin midi et soir (achetez-les par trois, le 3ème bon est plus intéressant). Faut aimer l’haleine de biquette dès le petit dej mais moi ça me dérange pas, c’est plutôt sexy vous trouvez pas ?

Après si vous avez encore faim c’est pas compliqué.
On prend de l’eau du robinet (1 litre et demi), les carottes de mamie (600g) et le romarin du voisin (3 petites branches). Il doit bien vous rester un fond de mascarpone dans le frigo (1 c.s.), 1 pomme de terre moyenne (100g), 1 c.s. de maïzena et 2 c.s. d’huile d’olive (si vous n’en avez plus, retournez voir chez le voisin). Un peu de sel, et un peu de poivre.

Portez l’eau à ébullition, épluchez les carottes et la pomme de terre, coupez les en morceaux et plongez les dans l’eau bouillante, avec les branches de romarin. Laissez cuire une demi heure.
Retirez la casserole du feu, sortez les légumes de la casserole, et passez l’eau de cuisson à la passoire pour retirer toutes les feuilles de romarin, mais ne la jetez pas ! Jetez le romarin et remettez les légumes dans le bouillon. Ajoutez le reste des ingrédients et mixez. Ajustez l’assaisonnement et remettez sur le feu une 10aine de minutes en mélangeant régulièrement.
Servez sans en mettre partout, mais ça, c’est pas donné à tout le monde.