*"just a sandwich"?!!!"

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Not really. The Mister asks me to make this for Him every now and then.
Simple? Yup. But sometimes simple is best. Broil a couple frankfurters with a little water in a shallow pan, allow the water to dry and let it sizzle for a while. Toast the insides of a bun on the hot surface of the pan, spread with extra hot Dijon mustard and there you are.
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Personally, caramelized onions and brown mustard do the trick. But to each their own. Its a hell of a tasty sandwich.
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On another note, fresh veggies from this weeks Farmers Market:

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Aren't figs a beautiful/delicious thing?
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*(the loaf, the muffin and the bento)*

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First, the Loaf.

I used my cake "mix". Its the standard recipe I use for whatever fruit is lying around in the fridge for a while. This time there were Tangerines. Four of those ripe, juicy babes. But I'm the only one who eats them around here, so I used more fruit and less flour. And I made glaze, for the first time.
Makes 1 small loaf:

1 cup flour
1/2 sugar
2/3 teaspoon baking powder
1 pinch salt
1/4 cup canola oil
1 egg
2/3 glass skimmed milk
3 chopped up tangerines, seeds removed
1 1/2 tablespoon poppy seeds
1 teaspoon lime liquor
Combine all dry ingredients.
In another bowl, mix oil, egg, milk and liquor. Mix on high with electric mixer.
Add liquid to dry ingredients. Mix well. Be sure that there is enough liquid, the dough should be runny.
Pour into baking pan (I prefer the silicone ones) and bake for 35 to 40 min on med-low temperature.
Tangerine Glaze

1/2 cup confectionery's sugar
juice of 1 tangerine

Combine ingredients in a bowl and pour over the loaf while it is hot.

This loaf came out incredibly moist and soft. The glaze soaked into it and the texture is amazing. I'm definitely making this again, specially because I already ate a third of the loaf, its so good. I suspect the lime liquor was responsible for intensifying the citrus flavor. This recipe also turns out great for bananas, apples and mango, or any other fruit with a certain moisture to it.

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Another thing that was lying around for too long in the fridge was a big chunk of bologna. Yeah, baloney, mortadella, as you wish. There was a piece of parmesan cheese begging to be used, so I decided to make them into a chewy, cheesy Muffin.
Makes 10 medium-big muffins:

1 1/2 cup flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon oregano
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 cup vegetable oil (I used 1/4 canola, 1/4 extra virgin olive oil)
2 eggs
3/4 cup skimmed milk
200 grs bologna
2 teaspoons chopped up garlic
1 cup grated parmesan
4 small sundried tomatoes - chopped
green olives - to garnish

Mix flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, baking soda, oregano and pepper flakes.
Meanwhile, sauté the bologna with the garlic in olive oil.
In another bowl, beat eggs, oil and milk.
Fold liquid into dry ingredients.
Add the bologna, the cheese and the tomatoes to the dough. Mix well.
Use an ice-cream scoop to pour the dough into lined muffin tins.
Garnish with olive.
Bake for about 15 minutes in med-low oven.
These turned out nice and cheesy. They are also a bit on the spicy side, which is a good thing. I found them to be filling, and they would go along well with a strong bitter ale and an afternoon of Scrabble with friends. The Mister gave them His thumbs up.
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Finally, my first Bento(s). Saturdays can be pretty hectic for me. There is work, then there is dance class, then there is another dance class and more work. And no time for lunch, whatsoever. But there is a little time in the morning and in the afternoon for eating at work, so I figured I would pack myself a healthy lunch and a snack to have enough energy to keep going.

I made about 4 cups of Japanese rice last night, separated enough for two Onigiri's and put the rest into the freezer. I used a mold for the Onigiri's (shame on me), and wrapped their sides in seaweed. The rest of the Bento I packed this morning before leaving for work. Took me about 30 minutes to wash and dry the salad and pack everything up nicely. All before my first sip of coffee.
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The smaller bento was supposed to be breakfast/snack. I packed a whole wheat yam muffin with raisins, two small honey sachets, half a pear in wedges and two slices of my tangerine loaf. I also took a fiber bar but it was not necessary.
I finally had "lunch" at 3 pm. There were two Umeboshi Onigiri's (one would have been enough) on a bed of lettuce, lined with thinly sliced horseradish. In the other compartment there was shredded romaine and iceberg lettuce, roma tomato sakura (although you can't really see them), diced horseradish and a small omelet filled with pickled turnips. The omelet took a minute to make in a special microwave mold. I took a sachet of soy sauce for seasoning.
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Bento's are definitely fun, and very healthy (if you make them so). So I'm glad I have a good reason to be making them every week.
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*that old flame*

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At the mall, after walking around for a bit, we finally found a table. I was hungry, yet clueless about what it was that I truly craved. After pondering all the possible options, I decided on coming home and cooking something myself. Why? Why not just enjoy the practicality of ready-to-go food just as I enjoy the ease of pret-a-porter?
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I couldn't. There is something haunting me, pleading to be made. Something I probably haven't made in 3 or more years, and that was one of the first recipes that aroused in me a hunger for something more than food. A hunger for cooking.
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So here I am. Sitting amidst a mess of old recipes from my big ol' folder, staring at a 6 year old sheet of paper. Has it really been that long?
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For how long have you loved food? All your life? And for how long have you loved cooking? When and why did you pick up that very first recipe, or stared blankly into a refrigerator/pantry and decided to create magic? Was it the need or the lust, hunger or a looming desire?
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I have always loved food. Its in my genes, along with the passion for good, hearty meals and for sharing them . But I had never really thought that much about it until it became my fiend. So I read. And started to really think about how the ingredients went together and how the flavors could be more interesting. All of a sudden I was looking to photos of ingredients I had never tried, things that sounded interesting but had never been a part of my life. Yes, that was my first fix of food porn: Diet magazines.
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There were a few experiments those days. When my parents were out and it was my responsibility to fix dinner, I would play now and then with what I had at hand. I remember the first time I tried to bake... a chocolate cake that looked like rubber and a honey cake that puffed up, out of control, into a odd looking foam. Then there were oriental dishes. Slowly, I learned a little here and there.
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But there wasn't a passion just then. Not the overwhelming passion that makes us turn off our TV's and computers and head into the kitchen. Not until I was introduced to Jamie. Certainly, I blame Mr. Oliver for being the first of many to make me see how fun a kitchen could be and how easy it is to translate feeling into food.
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It was not forgotten. It just wasn't so important. Not until I felt like eating a truly heart-warming , comforting and easy dish of pasta. This was the reminder. The original dish, Tagliarini with bacon in olive oil, has been adapted to the occasion and different ingredients so many times, the description of "Pasta Cacio e Pepe" rang a bell. I knew that. I had once made something as pleasing as it.
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And after all, that's what it will be tonight. A simple and hearty Pasta dish. It will probably be some farfalle, a tablespoon of butter and a few tablespoons of the Parmesan I grated last night. I crave something filling - so in go the my favorite miniature sausages (pork free), sliced and fried in a little olive oil. Pepper to taste, rosemary, and a glass of wine, and boy oh boy, am I a happy gal.
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Cooking, and enjoying food (not just gobbling it down) mean the world to me nowadays. So tell me, what dish is it that makes your heart beat faster and your world go round?
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And just in case you are curious, here is that 6 year old recipe for Tagliarini with Bacon:

Cook the tagliarini. In enough olive oil, fry thin slices of bacon (turkey, if you must) and add rosemary, chopped up garlic and thinly sliced parsnip. Add the pasta and fry for one minute. Add 1 tablespoon of butter and sprinkle with grated parmesan. Serve warm.
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from an old episode of The Naked Chef
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*Cheesy Valentine (and a few regional treats)*

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Hold your chocolate (at least until I get over the last overdose I had). Nothing goes better with a cheesy date as Cheesecake. Yeah, I actually wrote that.

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Honestly, this cheesecake was long overdue. I had promised the Mister I would make one ages ago. And being one of the few desserts He really loves, I just had to jump at the occasion. Yup, Valentine's day. Not around here, but in most of the world, tonight is a night for wining and dining and love making. Oh boy.
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Anyway, this is about food. So, I had the Philadelphia Cream Cheese, but no strawberries and no crackers. Yeah, I had promised Him a strawberry cheesecake. So off I go to the supermarket. Around here, this is the standard cracker/cookie used to make pies and so on:
No, no Graham Crackers. I don't even know what those fellows look like.
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And then, the strawberries. Ha! My luck, they are totally out of season. Frozen? I wish. So I bought the pulp, usually used for juice.
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This is how it went:

Cheesy cheesy strawberry and almond cheesecake

Crust:

1 small package of crackers or cookies (about 130 grs) - I used the food processor to turn it into crumbs.
4 tablespoons of butter - softened.
1 handful of almonds - chopped up

The cookies are already sweetened, so I did not add any sugar. I mixed the butter into the crumbs with the almonds and used that to cover the bottom of a medium glass pan. I also baked for 10 minutes at 350 F and let it cool.

Filling:

2 packages (16 ounces) Light Philadelphia Cream Cheese, softened
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon of lemon rind

Usually, I make cheesecake New Yorker style - with condensed milk. This time I skipped it, and the Mister said he prefers it like this. Just the Cream Cheese. I actually added a couple of tablespoons of milk cream for volume, but I don't think they really count.

Beat the cream cheese with the sugar, lemon rind and vanilla extract. Add the eggs, one at a time, gently incorporating with the mixer. Pour over crust. Bake in a pre-heated oven until the center is firm and the top is golden... In my oven that was 30 min at 300 F, but it could take longer. Let cool for a while in the oven, then let set.


Strawberry glaze:

2 small packages of strawberry pulp - or one cup of mashed strawberries
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornstrach
1/2 cup water

Mix the sugar and cornstarch in a small pan. Add the water and the strawberries. Cook, stirring constantly until it boils, then let boil stirring for about one minute. Cool before spreading. I would have garnished with fresh strawberries if I had had some, but I made do with almonds and whipped cream. Oh boy, whipped cream...
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Which turned into this... Guess that is what happens when time is short and one is unexperienced, such as myself.
Yup, my lovely whipped cream turned into a blob of heavy cream. But it tastes great, says the Mister, and that is what is important. All in all, its a real cheesy cheesecake, because its packed with love.
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An addendum... I was delighted to see a post including Brazilian goodies in one of my favorite Bento blogs. Sweets, specially.
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Well, in Brazil "Valentine's" is actually months away, as we celebrate on June 12th, but these are great on any occasion and are (probably) quite different from what people in the North Hemisphere are used to. I love them...
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So here a few traditional Brazilian sweet staples, really easy to make. And they all include condensed milk. I guess without condensed milk, Brazilian sweets wouldn't be very Brazilian.

(an old add for leite moca)
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Brigadeiro


1 can condensed milk
1 tablespoon butter or margarine (without salt)
4 tablespoons powder chocolate
1/2 can milk cream (optional - it makes it not so sweet and a bit softer)
chocolate sprinkles for rolling

In a deep saucer mix the condensed milk, the butter and the chocolate. Cook over medium heat and mix, non stop with a wood or silicone spoon, until its easy to un-stick it from the pan. That should take about 30 minutes. After it cools, use margarine or butter on your hands and roll it into little bolls. Roll over the sprinkles and serve in tiny paper cups. Brigadeiro is also a popular icing and filling for cakes, and is sometimes rolled over a whole strawberry or grape. Those are delicious.

My mothers personal touch would be to make Doce de Leite, then add some chocolate and roll. And that brings us to Doce de Leite, or Dulce de Leche, that can be eaten as a spread, as a filling or pure.



Doce de Leite

1 can condensed milk

Put the closed can in a pressure cooker. Cover with water and cook. If you prefer the Doce de Leite runny and soft, 30 minutes will do. For rolling or slicing, cook for about 45 - 60 min. The longer, the harder. Let cool well (really, no hurry here or there will be boiling hot cooked condensed milk all over your kitchen) and then open the can.

And last, but not least, there is Beijinho.

1 can condensed milk
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, no salt added
100 grs grated coconut

Mixing all the ingredients, prepare in the same way as the brigadeiro. After cooling, roll over granulated sugar or more coconut. It is common to garnish with a clove.

A variation of this is called Olho de Sogra (Mother in law's eye, how lovely). Beyond the ingredients listed above it calls for another 100 grs (200 total) of coconut, 1 egg yolk and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. The preparation is the same, and it is garnished with a prune. Its my mother's favorite.
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Personally, my favorite Brazilian treat is called a Casadinho. Nothing more, nothing less than half a brigadeiro and half a beijinho rolled together. What's not to love?
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Have a sweet weekend,

xoxo

sweetie
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*daydreaming*

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Hmmm... First there are the visions of years of corny advertisements, haunting my mind. Pieces, no, dollops of butter melting over that smoking hot bed. Crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside, it beckons and is promptly devoured with a eager grin.
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Then the picture becomes clearer... Italian , smiling to me from inside the oven, smeared with olive oil, browning beautifully with a lovely do of black olives, chopped garlic and thinly sliced roma tomatoes sprinkled with fresh basil. Indecent.
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All of a sudden the firm flesh of a thick, round, golden beauty catches my eye. In its mignon version, short and intriguing, it opens up. Inside lies a decadent slice of smoked turkey ham, topped with a poached egg lusciously dripping in bright yellow and instigating purple onion in delicate slices.
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What is that smell? Is it Christmas morning? It must be, because that could only be... oh good lord, French Toast. Charming, delicious, sweet sweet French Toast covered only by a veil of honey.
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... Why is food always flirting with me in my thoughts? And what is it with the bread?
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Sigh... I love bread.
(Food porn found here)
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On another note, thanks to Mom and that Chicken soup (see previous post) I'm as fresh and dainty as a daisy again, so maybe tomorrow I'll do some Valentine baking. Even if its not actually celebrated over here. Shhh... don't let Him know, but these days the Mister surely deserves a treat.
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*mother knows best... and chicken soup for the soul*

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Oh boy, mothers always know best.
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Chatting to my mother this morning and while nagging about how poorly I felt, she told me to chew on some papaya seeds. Well, I had eaten some papaya with yogurt because that is supposed to be really healthy and good on the stomach but the seeds are so bitter they are something I usually just swallow or don't eat at all.
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So I ate a spoonful a couple hours ago. And I'm feeling a little better already.

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Or was it the soup?
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Because every time I'm feeling sick or down all I need is a nice bowl of Chicken Soup and then things start looking up.

Chicken Soup for the Soul

150 grs chicken breast
2 medium carrots - minced
2 medium potatoes - minced
2 medium onions - minced
4 roma tomatoes - chopped
2 cloves garlic - chopped (or more if you prefer)
oregano to taste
salt to taste
a pinch of sugar (to break down the acid in the tomatoes)
1 cube of chicken stock
a couple handfuls of alphabet noodles

Chop the chicken breast into small bite pieces. Sauté with a little olive oil and the garlic and onions. Add the chicken stock (I grew up to the cube type so I prefer to use it), and cover with a little more than a liter of water. Let it boil for about 30 minutes, then add the other vegetables and wait another 20 minutes. Add the noodles in the final 6 minutes of boiling. Spice to taste and serve with a twist of lime.

Makes 4 medium servings or 6 small ones.


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When I make the soup to treat colds or fevers I usually add pepper to taste or/and ginger. Since my stomach is ill I decided to go lighter on the flavor, so it's just pure comfort.
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Also, its my soup so there MUST be alphabet pasta. Sounds silly, but I just love the child-like feel it gives and how much it makes my soup look like my moms. Comforting.
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Anyway, soon enough I'll be back to cooking lots of interesting and spicy foods. Yay!
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*more engrish. and a cup of tea*

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No matter how strong is my desire to cook right now... whatever has overcome me is currently stronger. So all I'm having today is fruit and chicken soup, and a lot of tea.
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Speaking of which, I am quite the enthusiast. So I thought i would share my most recent acquisitions:
Black tea from the Japanese market
Mate with almond extract
Green tea with Lychee and Vanilla
Green tea with Tangerine and Clover
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The mate tea with almond extract looks specially comforting. But due to the poor condition my stomach is currently in I'm sipping a concoction of lemon grass with apple and strawberry. Comforting and delicious.
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Obviously, the reason why I am feeling so poorly is due to my excess of gastronomical curiosity/enthusiasm on Sunday. Enchiladas from Chile, Acarajé from Bahia with hot sauce, Korean ice cream, sandwiches, and sushi and a lot of chocolate to top it all off did not prove to be a wise combination.
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But as always, our weekend visit to the Oriental side of Sao Paulo proved very entertaining... The Chinese food markets are not as clean or organized as the Japanese, but have some interesting items.
Cock Fish Sauce. Yeah, Cock.
What in the world is a wife plum?
Oh my poor native nuts.
On a personal note, I must say that the spicy Chinese pickles (specially Chard, Mustard Leafs, Bamboo and Turnips) have become one of my favorite things to put in a quick omelet or to eat with rice. Yummy.
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Back to my tea. And that chicken soup.
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