Dulce Delight

Vacation in Rio de Janeiro

2012-02-17T14:13:00.001-08:00

Dulce Delight is on vacation in Rio de Janeiro-Brazil.

It's hard to explain the atmosphere of this amazing city but I think I can try: Imagine a mixture between the music I play on my videos, a breeze that moves the leafs from the trees and your hair, a bright and warm sun everyday (almost), a cold light tap beer in a sidewalk and an informal posture from everybody that surrounds you. Combine all these caracteristics and you will be able to understand at least ten percent of the magic from Rio.

I'm originally from São Paulo, the city like New York where people are proud to say they work too much and barely have time to hang out with friends but in Rio it's the opposite, here people are proud to say they get off at 5pm from work and go to the beach during lunch time .

New York has the power to change people and make them believe that work and money comes always first but I honestly hope that my brazilian background saves me from this curse and just to make sure I never lose it I like to come back home and spend time with family, friends, trees, sand and everything else that comes in the "combo".

Relaxation is a state of mind. Doing nothing and feeling happy is also a state of mind really hard to achieve, you have to put effort to set your mind free of worries and be aware of the present time in order to achieve this state. Relaxation requires your presence without future plans, without past feelings, it only requires your mind there feeling the present, living the present and being content with it.

Coming back home inspires me a lot, the colors, the people and specially the food. I've been going out to try new flavors every other night and have been building a notebook filled with good ideas from bar food to dessert and main course. Here in Brazil we produce all of our fruits and vegetables and it grows all year long giving us (foodies) fuel to our imagination at all times.

Well, Dulce Delight is taking a little break but will come back very soon with tons of great new recipes and a tanner host, meanwhile enjoy this video that contains footage from all the places I've been going lately. Don't be jealous!

Chocolate French Macarons with Dulce de Leche

2012-01-11T08:56:00.000-08:00

Everybody loves this little incredible pastry and everyday more and more people wants to learn how to make them. I often have people contacting me with questions regarding macarons so I decided to make another video tutorial even more detailed and more informative than the last one. I think there are many reasons why people are so in love with macarons but I think the most relevant one is because of its versatility. People love to play with food and incorporate their favorite ingredients to it and macarons are this kind of food, simple and easy to adapt other flavors and even when you do, it always maintains its integrity and identity. I've seen creme brulee flavored macarons, snickers, ketchup and the list goes on and on. Macarons create the illusion that you can play a lot with it but the truth is, you are tied up to its technique and there is only a little you can do to actually change it.

On the shells you can add different nuts to add other flavors and also add some texture on top with ingredients such as dried fruits, nut bits, lavender, cacao nibs, etc... I use to say that the filling is the part where you can really be creative and do ~~almost~~ whatever you want with it just being careful with the texture or it could ruin the shell, fillings too liquid aren't good.

Chocolate macarons are less sweet than the regular ones, even though it requires the same amount of sugar the cocoa powder neutralizes the sweet taste and for this reason I had the chance to use dulce de leche in the filling without making it too sweet.

The video is self explanatory and I hope it vanishes all the questions you had regarding macarons once for all =)

Ingredients:

shell

110g raw almonds

200g confectionary sugar

2 tbsp cocoa powder

90g egg whites- aged for 2 days in your refrigerator

pinch of cream of tartar

40g granulated sugar

filling

300g dulce de leche- learn how to turn a can of sweetened condensed milk in dulce de leche here .

You can also use this vanilla filling or any other filling of your preference .

Music List:
1- Kimbra- Settle down
2-Carla Bruni - Quelqu'un Ma Dit
3-João Gilberto- Cordeiro de nanã
4-Alex Winston - Velvet Elvis
5-Vinicius de Moraes- Essa menina
Music played by me: Hall and Oats - Kiss on my list

Chocolate Custard with Raspberry and Dark Chocolate Center

2011-12-08T16:41:00.003-08:00

All the fanciness are to represent how special Christmas is! This recipe is not only amazing because of its flavor but also because of its texture and appearance. The gold raspberry on top sets the Christmas theme to the dessert and the fact that it's covered with cocoa powder makes it a mystery, you can't tell its texture until you spoon in and after you do, oh well...what an amazing surprise: a dark chocolate custard center with a raspberry.

Just like any other custard, this one is slowly baked in a bain marie (water bath) and most of its creaminess comes from the condensed milk instead of using the most usual "milk and sugar" combination. The dark chocolate custard on the inside is basically a truffle involving a raspberry and the only way to describe this whole dessert is the word perfection.

Christmas is time to spend even more time in the kitchen making all kinds of deliciousness for the beloved ones and even people who doesn't really cook on a regular day basis, end up attempting some yummy recipe to contribute with the traditions of the holiday.
My only wish on this Christmas is that all of you get very inspired by the festivities and continue cooking all year long, proving that the culinary world is reachable and everybody can contribute for a more fair, slow and pleasant way of eating.

Ingredients:
dark chocolate center (truffle):
120g dark chocolate - at least 60% cacao
6 tbsp heavy cream
9 raspberries (it depends on how many custards you are making)
custard:
butter for the pan
1 can condensed milk (save the can to measure the next ingredients)
1/2 can heavy cream
1/2 can whole milk
3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder plus for dusting (I used Valrhona)
2 large eggs
for the raspberry garnish:
Raspberries
edible gold glitter dissolved in a tsp of vanilla extract
or gold spray

Utensils: individual tin molds or ramekins, little brush to painting the raspberries.

Merry merry merry Christmas ;)

Thanks - giving - love

2011-12-05T11:22:00.000-08:00

Since I moved to the US the only tradition I have on Thanksgiving is going a friend's family house and spending Thanksgiving there.

I truly have an old soul and I love that because even at the age of 24 I appreciate the family moments just like older people do. Most people have to become more mature and older to really understand the real value of gatherings and family reunions, meanwhile, young people would rather just hang out, play loud music and chat with their super "awesome" friends. I'm glad I have never been like that, I love being on places where I feel home, where I can talk about life, hear stories from 1946 and just be surrounded by people that I truly like.

Thanksgiving is not a holiday in Brazil so I loved to add one more special date on my calendar when I moved here. This date became even more special because every year me Lancelot and Vini are warmly welcomed at this family's friend house, where we have long lovely conversations, my dog can run free and I can see the stars at night .

our little family of 2 1/2

For the Hazelnut mousse recipe that appears on camera click here

Thank everyday for your existence!

Hazelnut Spread - make a drink and a mousse

2011-11-29T12:13:00.001-08:00

This spread is one of the most versatile recipes that I ever made. Maybe it turned out to be versatile for me because I don't see how chocolate and bread could go together (besides chocolate croissants of course) so I always give a different use for this delicious hazelnut spread. This batch for example I used to make the most delicious hot chocolate you could ask for plus a mousse as one of my desserts for thanksgiving. The hot chocolate was inspired by a famous spot here in NY called Marie Belle where I often go to have a tiny cup. After having it two times I figured that the taste was nothing but a sort of hazelnut spread dissolved in some hot half and half, which makes the the hot drink even creamier .

Everybody here knows my love affair with hazelnuts and chocolate or should I say my voyeur desire to watch them blend together? Anyways, having something in a jar where you can simply play with and come up with delicious results is never too much.

Regarding the mousse I just incorporated some of the spread still warm (easier to incorporate) with a basic mousse structure that contains whipped egg whites and whipped heavy cream and the result was very pleasant and the texture just perfect! The hazelnut spread can be held in your fridge for up to a week and meanwhile you will have time to figure out what is the best use for you ;)

Ingredients:
adapted from David Lebovitz

for spread:

1/3 cup (40g) almonds - skinless

1 1/3 cup (160g) hazelnuts

1 3/4 cup (400g) whole milk

1 cup (60g) powdered whole milk

3 tbsp (40g) honey

pinch os salt

170g bittersweet chocolate

140g milk chocolate (at least 33% cacao solids)

for hot chocolate:

3/4 cup half and half

2/4 cup hazelnut spread

Bring the half and half to a boil, add the hazelnut spread and stir until it dissolves.

for mousse:

3 large egg whites room temperature

3 tbsp granulated sugar

400g chilled heavy cream

3 cups warm hazelnut spread

In a stand mixer or hand mixer whip the egg whites until soft peaks form and slowly add the sugar . Whip to hard peaks (until glossy and thick). To learn how to proper whip the egg whites watch this video at 1:18min.

Whip the chilled heavy cream to hard peaks. Be careful not to overbeat it.

Carefully incorporate the spread with the egg whites and then fold in the whip cream. Chill and serve.

Cheese Soufflé

2011-11-02T14:48:00.000-07:00

Decadent fluffy cloudy texture ... how exactly is the best way to describe a soufflé?

Even though this is not a hard recipe, to bake a perfect soufflé is required some knowledge on how to be delicate and how to proper whip the egg whites without the help of cream of tartar and other little things that prevent egg whites from overbeating.

Every single recipe requires techniques if you want to get it to perfection and soufflés are not an exception.

The gruyére cheese brings the soufflé to a level of saltiness just right and the parmesan cheese coated inside the ramekins also bring a little saltiness that intensifies after baked.

When I say it should be a little undercooked I don't mean raw at all, I just mean that the soufflé should be humid inside, not dry and make noises every time you dip your spoon in! An easy rule is to check the color on top, when you see the top partially golden brown is time to remove from oven (8-15min).

A collar made with aluminum foil and placed around the ramekins is also another option if you wish to fill your ramekins to the top and make your soufflé really tall. The collar will prevent the batter from overflowing and will keep the sides straight (make sure you coat the inside of the collar with butter and parmesan cheese as well.

The oven is preheated at 400F and turned down to 350F after it goes in, the impact of a higher temperature at the beginning will make it puff up.

If you are baking your souffle in one large ramekin don't worry about changing the oven temperature, keep it at 375f at all times.

Ingredients:
butter for the molds
40g thinly grated parmesan cheese (to coat the ramekins)
15g unsalted butter (2 tbsp)
15g flour (4 tbsp)
125g milk (1/2 cup + 2 tbsp)
2 large egg yolks
60g Gruyere cheese (1 cup)
pinch of salt, nutmeg and cayenne pepper
3 cold egg whites

Utensils:
Ramekins with straight sides

Yields about three 3.5in ramekins

Dulce de Leche Rolled Cake + Winner

2011-10-23T09:41:00.000-07:00

Everybody knows I'm not a huge fan of cakes, not to mention cupcakes and mini cupcakes. urghh! I often find them dry, too sweet or tasteless, or a combination of all. I think this is the reason why they look so cute... because that's all they have to offer ;)
Rolled cake on the other hand is made with this super thin cake sheet, just cake enough to hold the filling, making it moist and perfect in every bite not to mention that spirals looks awesome and the idea of transforming food in odd shapes is pretty cool (but doesn't overlap the taste, of course).

Sponge cake is often dry but this recipe includes melted butter which puts it in a different level. Doesn't matter what size you want your rolled cakes to be, you have to spread a thin layer of the batter in your baking pan and keep an eye not to burn it (it bakes extremely fast). The cake layer has to be thin not to crack when rolled and the fact that you don't add leaven to your batter won't avoid it from rising - the eggs plays the leaven role here.

Aside from my personal taste, my chosen filing is dulce de leche because it goes really well with the cake+cinnamon combination. Dulce de leche is mainly made out of 2 ingredients: milk and sugar. The problem is that it is slowly cooked for up to 9 hours with almost constant stirring, turning the idea of making it into a big project. A good option is to buy it on a specialty grocery store or transform a can of sweetened condensed milk in dulce de leche just by cooking the closed can covered in water for 2 hrs. The result is excellent because sweetened condensed milk is pretty much the same thing as dulce de leche, only difference is that the condensed milk isn't cooked all the way through and for this reason one is white and the other one is brown.

Ingredients:

for sheet cake:

8 eggs separated

pinch of cream of tartar

1 cup + 2 tbsp granulated sugar

1/2 cup + 2 tbsp unsalted butter

1 1/2 cup cake flour (if you use regular flour attention to the texture, if too firm add more butter)

for simple syrup:

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup hot water

1 tbsp rum

for filling:

2 cans sweetened condensed milk - enough for 2 cake sheets of 17 by 11in

to sprinkle on top:

1/2 cup confectionary sugar

2 tbsp cinnamon - or to taste

utensils: 17 by 11in baking pan - if using this size pan you will have 2 sheet cakes, if using a smaller one, you can make up to 4 small rolls.

Good luck with your geometrical cake and if you burn it, bake again!

GIVEAWAY: The winner is on my facebook page, click here to find out!

Éclairs filled with Cream Légère + Happy anniversary Dulce

2011-10-16T15:20:00.000-07:00

Happy 1st anniversary Dulce Delight! I don't like cakes and for this reason I'm going to celebrate with éclairs-yupi! The aniversary is mine but you are the one who gets the treat: Subscribe to the blog and leave me a comment saying what difference has this site made to your life, small or big, relevant or irrelevant, it doesn't matter. The winner will receive in their house a box filled with treats all made by me, i'm making everything myself for you to thank you for all the support along this first year. Watch out blood sugar!ha. Back to the recipe:

Pâte Choux or Cream Puff Pastry is a super versatile dough that can be turned into éclairs, profiteroles,cheese puffs, etc... and the filling can be made a thousand different ways. Generally speaking éclairs are normally filled with pastry cream and profiteroles with ice cream but this is not a rule. In Brazil there is something called Carolinas which is a profiterole filled with dulce deleche and topped with chocolate glaze, my favorite use of pâte choux.

After baked, pate choux should be light, hollow and dry inside. Drying it out properly will allow the filling to enter the dough and moisten it without making it soggy.
The higher the percentage of protein in the flour the better the structure and the expansion of the dough. Bread flour and all purpose flour are the best options. You can also substitute the water for milk in the dough to produce a richer tasting pastry.

by James Tiampo

Ingredients:
for the pâte choux:
250g water (9oz)
110g butter cubed (4oz)
pinch of salt and sugar
140g all purpose flour (5oz)
3 to 5 eggs (you have to check the dough's consistency)
egg wash:
1 egg
2 tbs milk
whisk it to combine
for the creme légère:
500g milk (17oz)
1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and scraped or 1 tsp vanilla extract
4 egg yolks
75g sugar (2 1/2 oz)
2 tbsp flour
2 tbsp cornstarch
100 ml cold heavy cream
for the chocolate glaze:
60g bittersweet chocolate
2 tbsp heavy cream
1 tbsp honey
2 tbsp water

Behind the Cameras

2011-10-05T19:52:00.000-07:00

Filming the videos for this blog is not an easy task and I always found fascinating watching the behind the scenes from the things that I love.

When my best friend from Brazil, Bruna was here visiting me for almost a month, we decided she would film me filming a recipe for this blog and vanish any question about how I make it happen. She followed me all day long shooting all the process from grocery shopping to the "tasting the recipe" part.

Creating a joyful and playful environment around me makes me feel alive and happy and I hope it also makes people around me happy, seeing the world from a different perspective is the only thing that differentiates me from the average people I see on the streets every day.

Life is beautiful and challenging and it's up to you to find out what's your role, your path and make it happen. My happiness doesn't come from strong medication, it comes from awareness of who I am and why I'm here..... I want to plant a seed of love and basil in your heart!

Unfortunately this video don't include the photography and the editing process but you can check more info about me and the blog here .

Onion Quiche

2011-09-06T20:48:00.000-07:00

A quiche recipe at this point might sound nothing special but there are way many tips and tricks to make a very good and authentic quiche and I try to incorporate almost all of them in this tutorial.
The flour must be chosen wisely because it makes all the difference. A little guide for you that may not understand the difference between flours: cake flour has a lower protein content than regular flour than bread flour. The lower the content of the protein the less the gluten will develop during the process of making the crust and, the flakier your crust will be. I used regular flour but cake flour makes a really good pate brisee too, never bread flour.
The way I work the butter into the dough creates pockets of air ( from the steam created by the water content in the butter) that when baked makes it crunch and delicious.
The filling can be super versatile, you can create and add almost any ingredient you want to the basic recipe given here.
If you bake your quiche until it cracks you will end up scrambling your eggs, take it off the oven when it looks set, don't wait forever.

Utensils:
removable bottom tart pan or spring form - 9 in
Ingredients for pate brisee (crust):
125g regular flour or cake flour
pinch of salt
pinch of sugar
4 1/2 tbsp unsalted cold butter (65 g)
4 tbsp cold water (more or less)
filling:
3/4 cup milk
3/4 cup heavy cream
2 eggs
pinch salt
pinch nutmeg
pinch black pepper
1 medium yellow onion
2 tbsp canola oil
1 tbsp butter
1 cup (80g) Gruyere cheese (aged is the best)
4 tbsp parmesan cheese

Variations:
For quiche lorraine add 100g sauteed bacon (cut in small rectangles)
For mushroom quiche add 200g sauteed cremini mushrooms
For other variations add whatever you want =)

Croissants

2011-08-24T22:11:00.000-07:00

Croissants- it probably starts with "cro" because that's the sound we hear when a nice croissant is bitten! Very famous for its complications during the preparation but just like other "complicated recipes" it is just a matter of having patience and understanding the steps, once you understand why things are the way they are, you will feel comfortable making even the most "complicated " recipe. For me cooking is like a therapy, I enjoy waiting, and working on it, and waiting again just for the pleasure of tasting the final result and maybe this is the reason why I don't see cooking as complicated.

The most important step when making croissants is to make sure the ambient temperature is not too hot because butter is the type of fat that melts at a low temperature and when it happens during the incorporation into the bread dough it can ruin your layers and ruin the texture and the rising process of your croissants.

Real croissants have a super flaky and crunch texture and the bread like croissants that we often see is made with a different and less laborious technique called rough puff where the butter is incorporated with the dough rather than folded and turned between it. Of course we are not doing that, first we learn the real one and then you can become lazy. ha

Ingredients:
3 1/2 cups of white flour (you can use bread flour with a higher percentage of protein which will develop more gluten and make it smoother) + more for dusting
1 cup barely warm water
1 tsp dry bread yeast
1/3 cup heavy cream
1 tbs salt
215g or 1 3/4 cups cold butter (try not to use cut pieces, one large piece is the best)
for the egg wash:
1 egg
2 tbsp milk

Things to keep in mind when making croissants or any other type of puff pastry:
1-Always cool kitchen and cool counter top
2-If your butter starts to melt and skip from the dough put it in your refrigerator right away to cool it
3-Always cool the dough in the refrigerator after each turn
4-Sprinkle enough flour on the surface to never let it stick but ALWAYS brush it off before folding it again
5- Four turns is enough for croissants, make sure you track each turn and let the dough rest for an hour wrapped in plastic wrap in the refrigerator between turns
6- Keep in mind that if the butter is skipping or the dough is tearing- STOP what you are doing and refrigerate it or you will destroy your layers
7-When folding the butter into the dough make sure the butter is not super hard or it will be impossible to spread it evenly when rolling it inside the dough

Temperature is everything. If you've got a hot body you shouldn't be a candidate for this. just kidding =)

Sweet Bread filled with Pastry Cream

2011-07-16T18:54:00.000-07:00

I personally like the bakeries where there are a lot of options and I mean, A LOT. Here in the States it's not an easy task to find one because most of the bakeries here sells cakes and desserts but not a big variety of breads, croissants,pastries and sweet breads. This is one of the things I miss the most about Brazil - going to a bakery at 5pm and gathering all sort of fresh baked goodies still warm - of course!

This delicious sweet bread you see here is called Honey Moon bread (very appropriate).With a relatively low kneading and rising process, these pieces of heaven comes with pastry cream on the inside, a coat of coconut milk and condensed milk on the outside with a final coat with coconut. When I'm piping the cream inside the bread (which you have to do while still warm) I try to fill with as much pastry cream as I can and sometimes I end up exploding the whole thing but c'mom, no one wants to eat a dry bread with "ant amount" of cream inside (ant amount=very little)

Another trick that I use to moisten it is to warm the coconut milk and condensed milk before I coat the bread, it helps it to absolves the liquid even more - to die for. When making yours, keep in mind the size of the "balls" as the dough tends to double its size during rising and baking process.

Ingredients:
for bread:
1/2 cup warm milk
5 tbsp melted butter
3 eggs
5 tbsp granulated sugar
pinch of salt
1 envelope of dry yeast
500g white flour (approximated)
for pastry cream:
1 cup milk
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 vanilla bean or 1 tbsp extract
4 egg yolks
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 tbsp white flour
for the outside coat:
1/2 can sweetened condensed milk (190g)
same amount of coconut milk (measure inside the condensed milk can)
3 cups unsweetened shredded coconut

makes about 25 breads

Viniland: The World that I live at

2011-07-08T13:54:00.000-07:00

Orange Juice's factory and the impossible perspective

Viniland is the most magical place on earth. There, everything is as beautiful and as peaceful as it can be. It is so magical wake up every day in this world full of colors, ideas and serenity that sometimes I can't distinguish dream from reality, well... dream- something you would think about when you see all this beauty but this is actually my reality so... is my reality a dream? yes! and the person who makes my life so incredibly happy in yellow,blue and magenta palette is the owner of all these cakes, farms and flowers- my husband Vini. Who else has the ability to turn a box of orange juice in a waterfall of orange juice with a juicer in impossible perspective located at a fantastic farm?

He makes things different, he is capable to transform everything in gold by adding his ornaments, colors and vision into every single project he gets. This is what i call dignity: making what you believe and fighting for a better and fair world where you don't give up on your ideas, if you keep the honesty in everything you make you will make a more honest world, even making tv commercials.

Unfortunately some of these commercial proposal images were never approved by the brand, probably because of the subtlety and neatness of his approach which makes me extremely proud because the way he works is by making every single style frame looks like a piece of art that everyone would love to resize to take the entire living room and what's even more honest about all of these is that these images and everything I said represents exactly who's Vini: a righteous and peaceful man who always does what he believes and never ever let other things leads the direction, which makes him the richest man on earth (for me) and if you have the ability to see the magic on him or his work, you're welcome at Viniland - where I am the personal chef and we will have chocolate cake tonight!

This image is part of the Cake Project video I previously posted here

Vini's fantastic plants

I get all exited when he gets a food project so I get to share with him some of my inspirations and we blend it all together making an even more super amazing thing!

To check out the rest of Vinicius Costa's amazing portifolio click HERE

Get inspired!

Panna Cotta with Sesame Seed Brittle

2011-06-30T08:07:00.000-07:00

Just like in fashion, food also have its trends and I have to admit I hate when it happens. You see the same recipe everywhere with very few modifications - magazines, websites, blogs, tv.... but trendy recipes also taste good and as long as we don't stick only with them I think we should be fine. Panna Cotta is definitely something on the spotlight these days and if you pay attention to the ingredients you will find that is very similar to other desserts around the world like the flummery in France, Manjar in Brazil, syllabub in England... and the bottom line is - it is a creamy vanilla dessert, very refreshing , not heavy and delicious and if there are so many versions for the same thing it means you have to try it, right? Right!

In this recipe the sesame seed brittle enriches the sweet flavor of the panna cotta. Sesame seeds are quite bitter and even though caramel is sweet, hard caramel contain nut notes that when combined with the sweetness from the panna cotta it creates a contrast between sweet and bitter. Very nice!

Everything else you should know is on the video. Have fun watching it !

Panna Cotta with vanilla seeds on top

Ingredients:

1/2 cup whole milk

2 tsp unflavored gelatin

2 cups heavy cream plus 1/2 cup for whipping

1/2 cup sugar

1 vanilla bean

1 1/3 cups sugar (250g)

1 cup water - not to the rim (225 ml)

3 tbsp sesame seeds

Upside Down Banana Cake

2011-06-17T16:08:00.000-07:00

What an amazing fruit - Bananas! It has so much to offer and it's often underestimated. Bananas are extraordinary on cakes and desserts like no other fruit bringing a lot of flavor, texture and moisteners to the recipe. I know several people who doesn't like fresh bananas but loves bananas in a dessert - very understandable - after they have been cooked, it tastes almost like another fruit! Its texture easily absorbs flavors from spices and condiments and for this reason the combination "cinnamon and banana" are such a big hit. I particularly like it after baked and still warm - could be in a cake, a tart, or anywhere else - somehow the smell and taste of it is unbeatable.It's very important to use ripe bananas in this recipe to achieve its best flavor and texture after baked.The batter for this amazing cake is super rich and moist because of its alkaline property caused by sour cream and baking soda combined. This mixture create bubbles that expand to keep the batter moist and fluffy for a while.

Oh, not forgetting the upside down technique that gives a sharp and clean look to the cake, just like a pro!

Ingredients:
3 big ripe bananas
8 tbsp unsalted butter + 2 tbsp for caramelization
2/3 cup light brown sugar (don't press it down to measure)
1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup granulated sugar
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
pinch of salt
2 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 tbsp vanilla extract

ps:attention to the soundtrack -all about bananas!

Cod Fritters

2011-05-15T16:39:00.000-07:00

Cod fritters are a classic dish from Portuguese cuisine and also very popular in Brazil as it was colonized by Portugal. In Brazil cod fritters are classified as "bar food", that type of food you order when you are drinking chopp (lighter tap beer) in an open area of a bar enjoying the nice view. On the week of April that I spent in Portugal I ordered these several times and sometimes it really disappointed me, I was in a hunt for the perfect cod fritter with a light batter,strong cod flavor and crispy outside layer (everything well seasoned of course)

The classic cod fritter calls for salted cod (nice to have when your refrigerator is broken as it will "never" go bad) but then you have to desalt it before cooking, so I don't really see the point here. I used fresh fillets and couldn't notice any difference at all.

These were the best cod fritters i've ever had, ironically it was made in NY and more ironically ....inside my kitchen =)

Ingredients:
1 lb or 450g Cod (fresh fillets)
1 1/2 medium potatos (I used yukon 125g)
4 tbsp olive oil (plus for pan fry)
1/2 small yellow onion finely choped
2 small garlic cloves
1 tsp fresh thyme
3 tbsp fresh parsley finely chopped
pinch on salt
pinch of nutmeg (be carefull with this)
2 eggs (egg whites separated from egg yolks)
Enough oil to cover half of your fritters when frying it (I used 1/2 cup olive oil plus one cup canola oil,the olive oil gives a rich flavor to it) - go for a small pan fry in order to use less oil
1 match to check out oil temperature

Details that makes all the difference:
1-shred the cod with a cloth , it will break it in tiny bits and make the batter lighter
2-cook your potato with the skin on as it won't soak the water
3-use a food mill to mash it, or a masher, last case a fork
4-after given its shape,let it rest for 30 minutes in your refrigerator before frying it, it will help the batter to set and harden
5-fry it in the right temperature (the match trick will help you) to prevent it from absorbing too much oil and becoming soggy
6-lime drops are indispensable during tasting

Super recommendation: Liberty of London Store

2011-04-20T11:42:00.000-07:00

I'm in London now and this store is everything my deepest dreams could dream about. The colors, the patterns, the design, the,the,the....
A little expensive specially if your currency is in US dollars but still worth to get some unique items that only europeans can make with such classy and neatness. I enjoyed every little second in there not only for shopping but to get inspired and feel happy, this store makes your soul shine just like those golden edges on tea cups! (a 3 piece tea set cost about £37.50)

products from the store

Chocolate mousse inside chocolate cups

2011-03-28T10:02:00.000-07:00

Don't waste cups-make edible cups! Yeah, I have to admit that the chocolate cups fascinates me because the concept is fascinating , you are making your own supply, how cool! Of course the most important is what these cups are caring inside, which in this case is an extremely delicious and creamy mousse with liquor and ground hazelnuts. I prefer mousses that doesn't contain gelatin, like this one, without gelatin the mouses maintains most of its creamy texture and it is quite impressive how thick it gets only from the egg yolk mixture I made; I didn't even had to cool it to thickens, it happened instantaneously.

I'm not sure if I like the similarity look between these cups and cupcakes, specially because these cups are way more elaborated than a cupcake! Maybe next time instead of using mini cupcake liners as a mold I'm going to use a balloon (yes, balloon) like a mini one and at the end I just have to pop it and remove the balloon from the chocolate.

Ingredients:
for chocolate cup-
170g bittersweet chocolate (I used 60% cacao)
for mousse-
130g bittersweet chocolate
2 large egg yolks
2 tbsp confectionary sugar
1 1/2 tbsp water
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup ground toasted hazelnuts (if you don't know how to toast and peel hazelnuts watch my chocolate tart video)
2 tbsp Amarula liquor or Hazelnut liquor (I used rum but it didn't taste as good)
optional: chopped toasted hazelnuts on top or cacao powder

plus: mini cupcake paper liners

If you don't have a pastry bag just spoon the mousse inside the cups. If you don't feel like making the cups (shame on you=) spoon your mousse inside a nice glass you have and it will also look fantastic.

Tapioca and Coconut Flan with Caramel

2011-03-17T08:10:00.000-07:00

Tapioca is a Brazilian ingredient that comes from a root called manioc (or cassava) native from the Amazon but, I don't blame you for not knowing that, actually after moving to NY even I started having my doubts about where was tapioca really from after seeing so many asian places caring tapioca drinks and so many people buying it- But, no no no no, no one will still out root, Tapioca is OURS ! well, it is also from some other parts of South America but i chose not to mention here. Manioc is a magic ingredient just like pork, so many things are made out of it . Some species and some parts of the root is actually poison but I guess they know how to extract everything right. Manioc was also the most popular ingredients between native indians at the time and they explored every single aspect of this root which resulted in the creation of one of the most popular product in Brazil, farinha.

Even though I call it flan because it's baked in a double boiler, its texture is more like a cake, but without flour. This recipe is from my mother in law but I made some changes to it , of course I wouldn't trust her completelly cause it could be a sabotage plan from her =) My mother in law is also brazilian and she has great recipes and great ideas so I like to listen to her tips once in a while (or thrice in while, actually). She is a big fan of the blog and keep track of all my recipes, show my videos to her friends and always make a "blog session" in her house to promote her daughter in law (me). She tells me things she ate and made so I can get some inspiration. The only thing is that she doesn't like very elaborate recipes, she prefer to keep it simple and I like to make some fancy stuff sometimes .Well... nothing is pecfect, she calls me her secretary and makes me do a thousand favors for her even from a distance.
This tapioca flan is dedicated to my lovely beautiful mother in law that I love from the bottom of my heart.

Ingredients:
1 cup granulated tapioca
450g coconut milk (one can)
3 cups whole milk
395g sweetened condensed milk (one can)
4 medium eggs
300g unsweetened dry coconut (no big flakes,please)
1 tbsp unsalted butter (at room temperature)
For caramel
1 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup water
plus: 9 1/2 in baking pan and a bigger one that fits this one inside for the double boiler
aluminum foil

Chocolate Tart with Hazelnut crust

2011-03-09T20:40:00.000-08:00

Today you can learn a great recipe and/or you can win a Le Creuset yellow baking dish set. Our giveaway* is sponsored by CSN Stores that has over 200 online stores from wall art and decor to cute cookware. For a chance to win leave me a comment telling me what dish would you bake in your super new yellow baking dish (only title) and subscribe for a double chance to win ! Good luck to all and now, back to the tart-Imagine if you could slice ganache, wouldn't you? Oh yeah ! This is what this recipe reminds me. The filling is very silky and creamy with a coat of shine glaze on top. The hazelnut on the crust is so intense and marvelous that it actually infused my whole house with its aroma, and because the hazelnuts contains its own oils, the crust maintains its moisture even after baked, magical!

The chocolate I used had 55% cacao and I wouldn't recommend more than that , this percentage makes the tart the perfect combination of intense chocolate flavor with a little sweetness that all desserts should have.

Oh, and I love how it looks rustic and fancy at the same time =)

Ingredients
Crust:
1 cup ground graham cracker
3/4 cup whole hazelnuts ground - no skin
1/4 cup cocoa powder
4 tbsp confectionery sugar
5 tbsp unsalted butter - melted
Filling:
1 1/4 cup heavy cream
250g or 9oz bittersweet chocolate- no more than 65% I used 55%
2 large eggs
1 tbs vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
Glaze:
2 tbsp heavy cream
55g or 2oz bittersweet chocolate - same one used above
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp warm water

Equipment: Tart pan or spring form
Please serve at room temperature !

*eligible for US and Canada residents only. Giveaway ends at march 16th 2011

Main music provided by Some community

And the winner is:

Congratulations! I read ALL 311 entries and wanted to give the baking dish to several people but I had to choose only one =( I promise that if I get rich one day I'll surprise you all with an "everybody wins" giveaway !

Pistachio French Macarons

2011-02-24T10:18:00.000-08:00

Most people are scared of making macarons but I truly don't see a reason for it. First, they are simple as long as you use the right amount of ingredients your recipe calls for. Second, they are relatively cheap so you can play around until you get the right result. The reason why so many people fail making macarons it's because they tend to skip small steps when following a recipe but, to make this delicate pastry each small step is a big step, don't judge what's relevant or not, just follow me, I will end your days of fear!

Some people think the filling of the macaron is as important as the cookie itself but, this is not how I think. Nothing pays the pleasure of having a delicate crunch and soft moist macaron shell in your mouth, whatever comes after (filling) is just an extra kick (but i can't deny the filling helps to make the shell even more moist). If you are super creative or at least want to be, put all your effort to create a cool filling cause mostly you won't be able to play with the shell =(

inside the macaron after bitten

adapted from Helene Dujardin
Ingredients for:
the shell:
90 g egg whites (about 2 medium eggs) aged for 1 or 2 days in an airtight container in your refrigerator
30 g granulated sugar
200 g confectionary sugar
55g pistachio (for a classic almond batter just substitute the 55g of pistachio for almonds)
55 g almonds (no skin)
I recommend you to use a scale but if you don't have one you can see the equivalent in cups by clicking here
filling:
198 g condensed milk (half can)
1 tsp unsalted butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp heavy cream

Are you ready or not?

Cake Project

2011-02-14T11:01:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone, I know I've been absent for most part of the month but I was in vacation with my love. We were learning how to snowboard and we were falling (not in love) every 3.5 seconds.
This video I'm sharing with you today is a cute project I made with my husband for a commercial proposal. I was responsible for the live action movie while he was making the 3D version of the surreal world of cakes that you can check out the result soon on his website: www.viniciuscosta.tv
Hope you like it and have a wonderful week!

ps: Yes, there is a QR code made out of cocoa powder on the top of the cake. Modern cake world !

Cranberry Muffins

2011-01-18T09:15:00.000-08:00

What a sour experience. I'm not a big fan of cranberries but on desserts I think it tastes good because of the sugar. In this case I'm not sure if the sugar was enough. If you are "lucky" enough to grab a muffin with over 3 cranberries I'm sure you will squeeze your face like if you were licking lime =)
I don't know, I guess I really don't like cranberries but, the cake is delicious and the crumble topping is amazing as well. Next time I will just use other less wild berry =)

adapted from Williams-Sonoma
Ingredients:
for the topping:
1/4 cup flour
2 tbsp granulated sugar
2 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 tbsp cold butter
for the muffins:
7 tbsp unsalted butter at room temperature (100g)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs at room temperature
2 1/4 cup flour
4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup milk at room temperature
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cup of fresh or frozen cranberries (or other berry)

Directions for the topping:
Stir together flour,granulated sugar,brown sugar, and cinnamon. With your fingers add the cold butter pressing it against the dry ingredients until coarse crumbs form. Don't leave big pieces of butter behind. Directions for the muffin:
Preheat oven 375F. If you are using a non stick dark pan preheat at 350F. Grease 12 standard muffin cups with butter.
Using an electric mixer on medium speed combine butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at the time until all blended.
In another bowl stir together the flour,baking powder, and salt. Add it to the butter mixture in 2 increments,alternating with the milk and vanilla. Your mixer should be in a slow speed.
Turn your mixer off and fold the cranberries carefully on the batter . DO NOT OVERMIX.

Spoon the batter into muffin cups and sprinkle each muffin with some crumbly topping. Press it down very gently to glue to topping to the batter, it avoids the topping from falling off the muffin when baked.
Bake until golden 20-25 min. A toothpick should come out clean when inserted into the center of the muffin.

Sour face oh yeah!

Pork Tenderloin Stuffed with Mushrooms

2011-01-14T15:26:00.000-08:00

First of all, in this video you won't only learn a recipe you will also learn a technique - the technique to stuff meat ! The roll aspect of stuffed meat looks elaborate (and it is) but not only that, it also tastes great because you bring a whole new flavor to the inside of the meat not only by stuffing it but by seasoning the inside after you turn your tenderloin into a blanket (the blanket that will never heat up vegetarians ).
For this recipe I call for cremini mushroom but you can use other type of mushroom as well if you'd like.
The little bit of bacon that goes on the stuffing really brings more flavor to the mushroom but, you can skip this if you think it is kind of crazy stuffing pork with pork =)

Ingredients:
1lb pork tenderloin
3 slices of lean bacon (I always remove most part of the fat)
1/2 lb cremini mushroom
1/2 onion
2 garlic cloves
2 tbsp parsley
1 tbs garlic powder
1/2 lime
salt and pepper to taste
kitchen thread to tie (forgot how it's called)

Keep in mind pork tenderloin tend to get dry by the absence of fat so, don't bake it for longer than it actually need (but don't eat it raw please). The time in the oven depends a lot of the size of your tenderloin and the personality of your oven :)
Mine was baked for 40min even though I said 50min - I lied.

Ricotta and spinach bread

2011-01-01T10:41:00.000-08:00

I believe that if you can make bread you are almost like Jesus! 

This is a pretty simple bread that requires only an hour rise. Spectacular! You don't have to use ricotta and spinach if you don't want to, but ricotta is a good cheese to use because it doesn't melt, preventing the cheese from escaping when baked.

Ingredients:

dough

1 tbsp dry east 

1/2 cup warm milk 

1 3/4 cups flour

1/2 tbsp olive oil

1/2 tbsp butter

1 egg

filling:

2 cups ricotta cheese

1 minced garlic clove 

1 shallot finely chopped 

3 cups spinach

4 tbs olive oil 

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 egg yolk dissolved with 1 tsp water to brush 

Directions:

Preheat your oven at 375f. 

In a bowl mix yeast with warm milk. Slowly incorporate the rest of the ingredients for the dough. With your hands knead the dough until it doesn't stick to your hands anymore.Place it in a bowl, cover with a clean dishcloth and let it rise for 1 hr at room temperature.

Start preparing your filling. In a saucepan over medium heat place olive oil. When it starts to smoke add garlic and shallots, quickly saute, add spinach until it wilts.Turn off the heat, season it with salt and pepper and let it cool. Mix in ricotta cheese.

1.Open your dough in a rectangular shape. Save a little piece of the dough to decorate at the end 2.Place your filling on the center of the dough leaving room on the edges 3.Fold about 1.5in of the sides in the filling 4.Fold the top half of the dough over filling  5.Fold the lower half of the dough over filling 6.Place your bread in a oiled pan, make dots with the dough you saved previously (with a little help of a pen lid) Glue it one by one on the surface of your bread by brushing  the dots with water. Brush the bread with the egg yolk mixture and bake it for about 20min until it turns golden brown on top.

No bakery today. You just made your own bread!

Chocolate Soufflé Cake

2010-12-20T15:54:00.000-08:00

Slice-able souffle that gets even better on the next day... How good is that? Regular Souffles are amazing but the fact that we have to eat them right away sucks, specially if you are hosting a dinner party then you would have to be so accurate in time that the pressure on you to serve the souffle still fluffy could turn the dinner into a catastrophe (unless you work under pressure).

This chocolate souffle cake has a crackly crust that guarantees crunchiness at the same time it protects the decadent, tender chocolatery center.

After it collapses and cools it's time to attack !

adapted from Gourmet magazine

Ingredients:

12oz bittersweet chocolate,chopped

3/4 cups unsalted butter (1 1/2 stick)

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

1/4 tsp salt

12 tbsp sugar divided in 2 (6 tbsp each)

5 eggs separated at room temperature

1/4 cup flour

Pecan Shortbread Cookie

2010-12-03T16:11:00.000-08:00

Cookies are very popular during Holidays but, do you really need a holiday excuse to make/eat/give cookies? I don't think so.... and for this reason we should all make this delicious shortbread cookie, good for any occasion.
Buttery like most of shortbread cookies but with a kick from the orange zest and the Demerara sugar that goes on top. Delicate but still firm enough to be wrapped which makes an excellent choice as a gift.Like I always say... Butter and pork are the pixie dust from the kitchen!(no pork on this please)

Ingredients:
200g unsalted butter at room temperature (2 sticks)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tbsp orange zest
2 1/2 cups white flour
1 cup pecans or walnuts
2 tbsp Demerara or Turbinado sugar

Super recommendation: L'ecole at NYC

2010-11-27T18:03:00.000-08:00

The restaurant at the French Culinary Institute is a great way to taste some amazing French cuisine at a fair price...and it doesn't mean that your food is prepared by students. The five course dinner costs $42 and it even includes some extra mini-courses shared by the table. Each bite is a surprise explosion of flavors-- it really is an experience!
The French Culinary Institute is not only my future school, but it has also one of my favorite restaurants, (at least from the list of restaurants that I can afford on a regular basis) L'ecole.
The reviews for the restaurant are across the board, but honestly every single time I go, it's amazing. The menu changes seasonally, so you're always in for a surprise.
This is my super recommendation for an affordable five-course french experience. Make a reservation and go!

I ate: 1-Lobster Consommé with Lobster Tortellini 2-Smoked Scallops with Butternut Squash Purée, Caramelized Brussels Sprouts and Pomegranate Vinaigrette 3-Sautéed Duck Breast with Mushroom-Fennel Ragoût and Cranberry-Orange Sauce 4-Digestive salad 5-Calvados Baba with Toasted Pinenuts, Apple Chips and Chestnut Ice Cream

Triple layer chocolate mousse

2010-11-22T09:52:00.000-08:00

LAYERS = STRIPES STRIPES = COOL
THIS TRIPLE LAYTER CHOCOLATE MOUSSE = THE COOLEST DESSERT YOU WILL EVER MAKE

This recipe not only looks fantastic, but since it's triple the chocolate, it's also triple the yumminess.

This mousse calls for white, milk and dark chocolate, and the texture is very light and fluffy. The dark chocolate cuts the sweetness of the white and milk chocolate, making it a perfectly balanced sweet.

Ingredients:

5 egg yolks

1/4 cup sugar

1 cup milk

1 envelop(15g) unfavored gelatin dissolved in:

1/4 cup hot water

1 3/4 cup heavy cream

150g dark chocolate (I used 60%)

150g milk chocolate

150g white chocolate

(all the chocolates should be finely chopped to easily melt)

1 tbsp vegetable oil (or any other oil)for greasing the pan

tip: If your last layer gets too dry from standing waiting for the other layers to cool, just give it a hot water bath before pouring it over the other two layers. This detail will make the batter loose enough to become easily spreadable and will make things easier. Mine was actually a little too dry and I had a hard time trying to spread it evenly over the top. The right texture should be loose enough to spread itself along the spring form just by making circular motion with your hands.

Super recommendation: Sant Ambroeus at NYC

2010-11-05T16:03:00.000-07:00

This classic itatian pasticceria and confetteria remains true to its Milanese origins. It first opened in 1936, and didn't move to New York until later on. Their brunch, lunch, and dinner menus look great, but the pastries are what I was there for, and they were unbelievable. As everyone knows, my sweet tooth makes me put dessert first and I didn't have to think twice about where to go to satisfy my craving. I had their signature desert called Sant Ambroeus (below) which is basically a chocolate mousse cake filled with chocolate custard; very, very chocolaty, but just sweet enough . I also had a bite of their Gianduia (left) which is a hazelnut sponge cake, hazelnut wafer, hazelnut cream, giandua mousse all coated with a milk chocolate glaze. It tasted very nutty. Everything was served perfectly. It was very frou-frou with all the embellishments that pastry chefs tend to put on desserts. It makes you not only want to buy it, but to attack it like a hungry cheetah . After my visit, nothing sounds better than going to Sant Ambroeus on a chilly evening and enjoying pastries and a cappuccino.

Sant Ambroeus

For lunch they also serve paninis on an incredible, salty foccacia that range between $14 and $16 .

Best pastry i've ever tried in NYC.

I visited their West Village location at 259 W 4th Street.

Focaccia with prosciutto and fresh mozzarella

2010-10-31T14:02:00.000-07:00

Making bread is my therapy. You have to be passionate and patient. Even the easiest recipe requires time to knead and let the dough rise, but every drop of sweat is worth it. This focaccia recipe can be used to make a classic focaccia bread. Instead of topping it with prosciutto and fresh mozzarella, you can keep it simple with olive oil, fresh thyme, rosemary and sea salt.

Ingredients:
dough:
1 1/4 cup warm water
1 1/2 tbs sugar
1 package dry yeast
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 1/2 white flour
pinch of salt
topping:
1 tsp sea salt
4 tbsp olive oil to drizzle on top
2 tsp fresh thyme
1/2 lb fresh mozzarella
1/4 lb prosciutto
8x12in baking pan (approximately)

A few tips: 1-If you don't have a non-stick baking pan you can grease yours with olive oil.2-If your dough seems to dry you can add a tablespoon of water at a time until it reaches the desired consistency...or if your dough is too moist, add some flour a tablespoon at a time.3-Coat the dough with a little bit of olive oil before letting it rise on the first place (prevents dryness)

Have fun with your therapy today!

Super recommendation: Eataly from Mario Batali

2010-10-24T15:50:00.000-07:00

First of all...can I move there? Eataly is the most impressive gastronomic center I've ever visited in my whole life. This place has over 43,000 square feet filled with the finest ingredients from Italy and the U.S.
I was so anxious and excited about being there that I didn't actually know what to do when I first got there. I was looking everywhere thinking, "Should I take pictures or should I buy a piece of focaccia, should I order a plate of cheese or should I take fresh mozzarella home?" I was insaaaaane !

I tried the bakery's brassola foccacia and it was the best one I ever tasted in my life, so moist, and only $3.80 for each piece.
The funniest thing is that there are no walls and as you walk through the place you pass by each station with the selected restaurant and packaged items. In front of the bakery counter there are shelfs with infinite types of handmade dry pasta for example.
There are tables -- but no chairs -- scattered about the space where you can taste what you bought or ordered. I ordered a cheese plate with proscuitto and a glass of rose for $22. There is only one restaurant that requires reservations called Manzo, but there are no walls to separate it from the rest of the environment.

Leone miniature chocolates

Left:food I ordered there-Right:inside my shopping bag

In addition to the good selection of meet and fish in my shopping bag I also bought this amazing yellow butter that smells like cheese and tastes like heaven, hand packaged in rustic cute paper (125g for $5). 
If you are looking for a nice selection of fine, high-quality products at fair prices you should definitely check this out. Most of the packaged product brands are on I had never seem in my life. But you can trust that everything they carry is going to taste good. I would also recommend it for a glass of wine, pictures, chat, lunch ... anything. This place is spectacular!

Location: 200 5th AVENUE . NEW YORK, NY 10010

Caramel Pecan Cheesecake

2010-10-22T16:20:00.000-07:00

If you ask me what my favorite American recipe is, I´m certainly going to say, "chee chee cheesecake".

The recipe I made is a classic tall cheesecake recipe with a not-so-classic topping. This cheesecake is baked in a hot water bath, which prevents cracks caused by the coagulation of the eggs on the batter. After it's baked, you let it cool completely before you unmold it to prevent a catastrophe.The crust is made with cinnamon graham crackers which gives a mysterious spice flavor at the end of each bite.

I didn't get to know cheesecake until I was already grown-up. I was traveling back from NY to Brazil (I didn´t live here at the time) and cheesecake was served as a dessert on the plane (what a sad way to get to know any food!). The word "cheese" had never been a part of my dessert vocabulary before, so I had never tried cheesecake in my youth. But after this great dessert experience, that only airlines can provide, my hunt for great cheesecake began.

My favorite so far is from Magnolia Bakery here, in NY, but I do´t get a cheesecake every time I turn the corner. I am sure there are many nice places to get a good old-school cheesecake.

Variations can be done easily just by changing the topping. Instead of caramel pecan you could pour jams, fresh fruits, chocolate ganache or simply sprinkle some powdered sugar over it.

Ingredients:

Crust:

250g(or 1/2 pound)Cinnamon graham cracker

4 tbsp unsalted butter(melted)

If your graham cracker doesn't have sugar crust add 1/4 cup sugar and 1 extra tbsp of butter)

Filling:

2 1/2 pounds cream cheese(1kg and 130g at room temperature)

1 1/2 cup sugar

1 tbsp lemon zest

1 tbsp lemon juice

1/2 tsp salt

4 eggs

1 cup sour cream

Caramel topping:

3/4 cup sugar

3 tbsp water

12 tbsp heavy cream

Handful of pecans to sprinkle on top

Just like magic cheese becomes desert... what a wonderful world!

Dijon Tartlets

2010-10-14T09:33:00.000-07:00

tartlets with parmesan cheese on top

These tartlets are my favorite of all time. My uncle Emilio used to make them for me over at his house during family reunions and it was love at first sight.

The tricky thing is, is that it's quite easy to overpower the other flavors when using Dijon mustard so be careful to only use a little bit on the bottom of the crust...kind of scraping it out is more than enough.

If you are going to have a boring salad for lunch, add these amazing tartlets and your salad will be elevated to another level =) This tartlet is also great as an appetizer too. If you don't have individual tins just use your regular tart pan.

makes about 6 tartlet or 1 regular tart

torch melting cheese

Ingredients:

pate brisee crust

2 tbsp Dijon mustard

1/4 pound emmental cheese ( I used parmesan for this one but it taste better with emmental)

3 tbsp olive oil

1/2 small onion - finely sliced

1 garlic clove - minced

4 ripe tomatoes diced in chunks

1/2 tsp thyme

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Follow previous direction to bake pate brisee . Let it cool at room temperature.

In a saucepan over medium heat add olive oil and thyme, when it starts to smell like thyme it's time to add your onion and garlic and saute it until onion gets translucent. Add your tomatoes . Turn your heat to low, put a lid on and let is simmer for 15 min, if it gets to dry add a little bit of water to it. This tomato sauce is suppose to be rustic and thick otherwise the liquid will soak the crust.
Spread along the bottom of your baked crust the dijon mustard (if using individual tartlet tins divide the above amount of mustard,sauce and cheese by six)
Pour your tomato sauce over mustard and crust
Sprinkle emmental cheese on top
Use a cooking torch or broil it in your oven until cheese is melted and look crunch

I wish one individual portion for each of you beautiful friends !

PICNIC AT THE PARK

2010-10-11T15:02:00.000-07:00

My parents and brother in law were visiting us from Brazil and we had a great time together. My favorite day as usual was THE PICNIC DAY at my favorite park, The Booklyn Bridge Park. I made snacks and did not make anything super fancy otherwise it wouldn't match with the picnic spirit . I made some sandwiches with french baguette,grape tomatoes marinated in olive oil and rosemary, Virginia ham and fresh mozzarella. For desert I made an upside down peach cake that my uncle chef Mark gave me the recipe.
This moments with family is so special to me that what I try to keep in mind at all times is: we don't have to wait to realize later how special that moment was, we can realize it in real time when everything is going on and then, enjoy even more every second of the reunion.
As part of the fun we took a series of pictures jumping, laying at the lawn, eating and listening to good music.
My favorite part was seeing my mother in law doing all of this at the ground cause she usually freaks out about massing her hair and her clothes. I guess she realized at real time how special that moment was being ( she even pretended she was jumping and raised her hands during the photoshoot,awesome)

upside down peach cake

french baguette with marinated grape tomatoes,Virginia ham and fresh mozzarella

Lots of laughs

Lots of love

BRIGADEIRO - CHOCOLATE AND ALMOND

2010-10-11T11:26:00.000-07:00

This Brazilian treat is the favorite of everyone in Brazil. I DO NOT know anyone there who doesn't like it. It is a mixture between fudge and mousse, the texture is very soft and it tastes very intense. I've always loved it and it has always been part of my life at birthday parties, friends' reunion, rainy sundays or the consolation after a sad day. 

The "original" recipe is made with cocoa powder and coated in sprinkles but, I'd like to give a little update to it, for this reason I used only real chocolate. (sprinkles are not chocolate,c'mom)

I made this signature sweet from my country for a blog friend that I only know from internetLand, Naomi . She is a very sweet girl that writes for The Rockstar Diaries . I sent this batch you see on the video to her house in DC and I hope she had gotten it in acceptable shape, taste and temperature =). She loves to post about the food she has eaten lately and it makes us hungry hungry.

We can learn thousands of recipes and techniques but the taste from childhood is never gone and that is the BEST taste ever !

Makes about 13 chocolate Brigadeiros

Recipe for chocolate Brigadeiros:

1/2 can(198g)sweetened condensed milk

1/3 cup chocolate chips (or chunks)

1/2 tbsp unsalted butter

1/4 cup ground chocolate (to coat)

Makes about 10 almond Brigadeiros

Recipe for almond Brigadeiros:

1/2 can(198g)sweetened condensed milk

2 tbsp ground peeled almonds

1/2 tbsp unsalted butter

1/4 cup ground almonds (to coat)

 
Girls, I guarantee you will love it !

GRUYERE AND GRAPE TOMATO MUFFIN

2010-10-06T16:19:00.000-07:00

This week we are gonna make gruyere and grape tomatoes muffin. Savory muffins are not very popular but they are great, I would say perfect side dish for salads and soups and perfect to carry too .When you bake it the cheese melts and gets a little crunch outside for this reason I like to serve and eat it while still warm because on the next day it will be harder and less moist (but you can always heat it before you eat)

I also made a very simple carrot and potato cream where I blended everything after cooked .

Savory muffins are like an easy bread you make without bread yeast, how easier can it be ?

Gruyere and grape tomato muffin served with carrot and potato cream soup

Ingredients for muffin:
2 cups white flour
2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp salt
1 tbsp baking powder
1 egg
1 cup whole milk
2 tbsp sour cream(or plain yogurt)
4 tbsp melted butter
1/4 pound Gruyere cheese (I used one from Switzerland)
15 small grape tomatoes
sesame seed to taste

Ingredients for carrot and potato cream soup:
2 tbsp canola oil ( olive oil or corn oil is fine)

1/2 onion chopped

2 minced garlic cloves

1 large diced carrot
4 small diced potatoes
1 tsp rosemary
2 cups chicken stock
3 cups water

Direction for carrot soup:
Place your pan over medium heat with oil. Sauté your onion and garlic until onion gets translucent. Add the rest of the ingredients and cook it over medium heat with the lid partially open until vegetables get soft. Blend everything together (you can use food processor) and pour it back to your pan, add salt and pepper to taste and serve it with olive oil on top.

Thanks for watching my show lovely people !

FRUIT TART-How to make fruit tart

2010-09-27T20:28:00.000-07:00

Fruit tart is the perfect marriage because it combines the sweet taste of pastry cream with the sour taste of fruits placed on top of a crunch crust that represents the bed for the couple.

Strawberry goes very well with it but you could use kiwi,grapes,berries or mix it all together. This french crust is called pâte sucrée and it's very classic and used for several tarts . In order to make pâte brisée (the savory version) the only change is to take the sugar out of the recipe. With pâte brisée you can make quiches and savory tarts in general.

 Ingredients for Crust (pâte sucrée):

200g white flour (1 1/3 cup)

1 tbsp sugar(don't add it if you are making the savory version called pâte brisée)

1/2 tsp salt

100g unsalted butter (one stick)

1 egg whisked 

1 or 2 tbsp cold water(if necessary)

 
Ingredients for Pastry Cream:

1 1/4 cup whole milk

3/4 cup heavy cream

1/2 tsp butter

3 eggs

8 tbsp sugar

3 tbsp cornstarch  

1 tbsp vanilla

pinch on salt 

Ingredients on top:

1 pound sliced strawberries 

1 sache unflavored gelatin dissolved in

1 cup of hot water 

Directions: Place your unflavored gelatin in a ceramic bowl with 1 cup of water. Microwave it for about 30 sec or less ( until gelatin is dissolved) brush it on top of your fruit.

Tip: Don't forget, you have to have patience to feel your dough and see if it is too dry or too moist and then add couple tbsp of water or couple tbsp of flour.It is important to have the consistency that allows you to roll it using a rolling pin.

Good luck loves, you can all do it !

MEAT PIE

2010-09-22T21:09:00.000-07:00

Pie Pie , if you learn how to make this crust you can make a thousand of other recipes just by changing the filling. You can use chicken,vegetable,cheese...

This is one of my

husband's favorite recipe and he insists in having it once a week (of course I don't make it this often)but he tries.

Ingredients for the crust :

3 cups white flour

200g cold butter

1 egg yolk

1/3 cup water ( depending on the humidity )

Ingredients for the meat filling:

1 pound ground beef

1/2 yellow onion

3 garlic cloves

2 carrots

tsp thyme

1 cube beef stock ( or 1 cup if liquid )

1 tbsp tomato paste

salt and pepper to taste

Hope you all enjoyed it loves of my heart , next week we will have strawberry tart to watch. And thanks Vimeo for picking this great frame of me to be the firt one!

BROOKLYN ICE CREAM FACTORY X BLUE MARBLE

2010-09-20T00:59:00.000-07:00

Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory versus Blue Marble

Some get the fame others get the flavor . Today I had the chance to try Blue Marble ice cream at the Brooklyn Bridge Park, they have a little stroller there.

I have to admit that I used to have the Brooklyn Ice Cream before and I actually thought it was good until I tried this most delicious, creamy, tasty ice cream from Blue Marble. They only use organic and grass-fed ingredients and it certainly makes all the difference .

Brooklyn Factory Ice Cream has a pretty decent ice cream and I'm sure my post won't ruin its business because "they get the name" just like most of the places in NY. Specially now with a new park launched right next to it more and more people are trying this ice cream but, it doesn't mean it is the best.

Butter pecan ice cream from Marble Blue

At the Blue Marble I had the butter pecan flavor and it came with enough pecans to make a pecan pie(oh no, I'm exaggerating). 
If you ever get a chance to go to this park located at Dumbo/Brooklyn don't forget to try Blue Marble Ice Cream, inhami inhami ! 

HOW TO CONVERT FROM GRAM TO CUP AND TBSP

2010-09-17T14:39:00.000-07:00

If you don't have a scale it helps a lot .

1 tablespoon of water weighs 14.79 grams
1 tablespoon of table salt weighs 18.25 grams 1 tablespoon of oil (canola or soy) weighs 13.62 grams

Some other useful conversions:

16 tablespoons = 1 cup

3 teaspoons = 1 tablespoon

28.35 grams = 1 dry ounce

1 US tablespoon = 14.7867648 ml