Nina' s kitchen

Back from Greece!

2006-10-03T13:10:00.000+02:00

And here's a little salad to prove I had a marvelous time!
Compiled with cherry tomatoes cut in half, fresh basil leaves and purslane plucked from the garden. The tomatoes were also picked from a nearby garden by a very good neighbour who loves to share the wealth, thank goodness for us. The best tomatoes I have ever had! The cherry tomatoes were of a sort that is native in Santorini.
Added to the salad was a cheese which defies description: also made by our neighbour, this was a sweet, saltless goat's milk cheese, which I diced, floured and lightly fried (we were advised that this was the best way to enjoy this particular nameless cheese). I think it was a fun addition, sort of made the whole salad look like it's enriched with cheese croutons.
The salad was properly tossed by hand and adding olive oil, vinegar, salt and a touch of freshly ground pepper. I can smell the basil reading this! Or maybe it's because of the basil seeds resting on my desk, waiting fofr the right opportunity for planting to come along.
Great starter salad!

Zucchini carpaccio with rosemary and raspberry vinegar

2006-08-06T17:57:00.000+02:00

Last night we had some friends over for a last minute dinner type of situation, so I had to think fast, as I only had an hour and a half before they were due to come over. I had just finished all my tomatoes at lunchtime, making a cool gazpacho, so the salad options were minimal: all I had was lots of zucchini. I remember having seen a recipe mentioned on Chocolate & Zucchini for a zucchini carpaccio... All it took was the seed of an idea, and this is the version I came up with:
I sliced one large zucchini in very very thin slices and arranged it in a circle on a large plate. I chopped a couple of handfulls of fresh raspberries (fresh berry season in Sweden) and put it in a shaker with some olive oil, white vinegar and a couple of tablespoons of sugar (it's important to make it rather sweet). I salted and peppered the raw zucchini (YES you can eat it raw hehe), drizzled some more olive oil on it and then shook the vinaigrette and drizzled that on top as well. I finished it off with a sprinkling of rosemary and some chopped rocket. It is necessary to let the dish stand for about 10-15 minutes, preferably not in the fridge, but somewhere cool nevertheless. The longer it stands, the more the tastes are absorbed by the zucchini. We enjoyed our unorthodox salad as a starter. Lovely!

Pesto a la Katerina

2006-06-19T11:47:00.000+02:00

.. Or how to make the best of the situation and not get frustrated over not finding the right ingredients at your local store.
Last night I had decided to make pasta with pesto, an idea which had been brweing for a few days, partly because of this post made by Clotilde and partly because I saw a relevant episode of Jamie Oliver's show. I had decided I would like to try "risotto" style pasta, or absorption pasta, as referred to by the the lovely and talented Clotilde in her blog. Jamie's version which combined the wet pasta with homemade pesto convinced me it was time to try it.
Alas, I did not succeed in finding any pine nuts, which you can imagine dampened the mood at first, but since the idea had been brewing for a while, I decided to try it with another kind of nut. Specifically, I chose plain peanuts. A daring choice, and one that didn't go over too well with the fiance (meh, he usually has a weak objection or two when I try something radical, but he never complains when he actually eats the food..).
Anyway! Pesto! Two small pots of fresh, juicy, plumb basil (they sell them by the pot here...), two cloves of garlic, an abundance of olive oil, salt, and in this case, a couple of handfuls of peanuts. Trust the intuition!

Grind everything up to a nice, tight paste. Boil the pasta (I used mini fusilli) for as long as is recommended on the pack and strain. Place the pasta again in the pot, lowering the temperature, and toss with the pesto, adding a little bit more olive oil and gradually adding a small amount of water. Keep adding small amounts of water (the equivalent of an espresso cup, shall we say), like one does with risotto, adding more every time the pasta has absorbed the first amount. Remove the pasta from the stove when you have reached the desired density and consistency. Enjoy!

Bruschetta with tomato gremolata

2006-06-10T15:51:00.000+02:00

The world cup is in full effect here in Sweden. I am half-watching, half- surfing, originally mildly interested in the cute english players, but I am pretty bored by now...
Under normal circumstances, I would be in the kitchen popping out one dish after the other and inflicting them upon my unsuspecting, yet willing victim, the fiance. As luck would have it, he is down with a stomach flu today... Which almost destroyed all plans of dabbling in the kitchen.
Here is the one thing I've gotten him to eat all day:

I placed a thin slice of feta cheese on a chunky slice of bread, on which I drizzled some olive oil and sprinkled a small amount of garlic powder, and then toasted in the grill for a few minutes (in the oven- keep an eye on it because it turns to blacken fast!). I topped the sandwich with a mi of chopped tomato, chopped parsley, a dash of olive oil and a dash of balsamico, and half a clove of garlic really, really thinly chopped. Don't forget to season with salt and pepper and taste it before it goes on top of the cheese.

Note: I know it's not "really" a gremolata in the traditional sense of the word, since I didn't use any lemon juice or zest, but balsamico instead. Let's just call it a different version :)

Orange and mango chutney chicken

2006-06-09T13:32:00.000+02:00

+

I get very easily bored in the kitchen. The concept of chicken and potatoes is so good, yet nothing new. So in an effort to do something different with an old concept, I came up with the little twist described below.
I took some chicken fillets and scored them on one side (drag the knife over the top diagonally, to create diamond shapes) and then rubbed in some spices, about two spoonfuls of mango chutney and some orange zest. For this dish I didn't use any of the juice.
Spices used:
Salt, pepper, ginger powder, garlic, rosemary, a dash of curry powder and a small sprinkle of oregano. I still have the 3 bags of spices I brought back from Greece last time we were there (although reduced heftily): hand picked oregano, rosemary and mint, so I use them at any possible occassion. Also about 1-2 teaspoons of orange zest for 3 fillets, but you can adapt that to your tastes, as it is quite a strong flavour.
Make sure you rub everything in well so the spice mix will go in the lines you cut on the top of the fillets. Add the ubiquitous splash of olive oil and youre done. You can, if you want, use the juice of a small lemon as well. Bake until the chicken looks sort of like in the pic, and the juices have reduced to a thick, sirupy sauce.
The potatoes were baked with garlic powder, ginger, rosemary, oregano, the juice of a big lemon and olive oil. Give everything a good stir with your hands or a couple of spoons, to make sure the spices and oil have been distributed evenly.

At a local fair...

2006-06-02T12:07:00.000+02:00

The best name for sweet gelatinous concoctions I have ever come upon.
Love my tänder, love my sweets!
You know that song?
Tänder means teeth in swedish... :D Pretty imaginative!

The devil's dessert

2006-05-25T09:58:00.000+02:00

I have finally managed to remember the name of the confection that has been plaguing me for ages now. And thy name is Tunnock's Tea Cakes!
They're British. I'm Greek. In Sweden. I can't have them! I am desperate. This is probably the tastiest, most sinful chocolatey and marshmallowy little sugary seductress I have ever tasted. And I don't throw these terms around lightly, you know! It's a sin they're not available here...

Zucchini, carrots, sausages...

2006-05-12T16:30:00.000+02:00

When I'm cooking, I seldom actually pick out a recipe, shop specifically for it and then use the ingredients as the recipe dictates. I usually go sniffing around the fridge and my vegetable racks to see what I have, and then I start to think what I can make from what I already have. I think it is a practical way of adapting to the circumstances.
This is a hybrid dish put together from two ingredients I usually have at home: zucchini and carrots. Paired with a pack of spicy sausages, this was more vegetable crunch than meat dish. And that's the way we like it around these parts.
Chop the carrots, the zucchini, an onion, an abundant amount of garlic cloves (abundant is a personal matter, I won't assume to know how much you would like to include), half a chilli pepper (again, you can totally omit this step or even double it, totally depends on you, really). Saute the chopped goods in olilve oil, starting with the garlic and potential chilli, adding the onion, seasoning with salt and sugar and then adding the carrots and the zucchini. Cook until the vegetables are softening up, then add the sausages. When the sausages are thoroughly cooked, add a can of chopped tomatoes (or, for the reactionaries, you can chop your own..), mix in, and add two to three tablespoons of mango chutney, black pepper, and your guess is as good as mine after that. I think there was some rosemary in the equation, and also some oregano. When I get in the zone, I tend to forget exactly which spices I used.. The key here is to keep it sweet, spicy hot and salty enough. As always, build up the the spicy stuff and the salt gradually, so you won't end up using too much.
We had this dish with a side of fried rice with sweetcorn.

And some pictures

2006-05-02T19:14:00.000+02:00

Everything in full bloom at the summerhouse in the outskirts of Athens. I love the colours! And all those lemons.. so many potential soups and sauces...

... or Greek easter tradition?

2006-05-02T19:08:00.000+02:00

I choose Greek. It's so much more fun.. A whole lamb for 5 people this year, and the ouzo flowing freely.. plus the temperature was 30-35 degress C in the sun. I don't have a choice, really.

Swedish easter smörgåsbord?

2006-05-02T18:29:00.000+02:00

Happy Easter to all!

2006-04-15T22:46:00.000+02:00

Darlings, have a great easter and make sure you take full advantage of the time off, those who do get any. Remember, food has less calories on big holidays, so forget about any diets and repressions and remember to enjoy the life you're living! I'm off for a few days to enjoy my family and motherland! See you soon :-x

The spirit of Easter according to swedes

2006-04-14T01:14:00.000+02:00

Candy. Now that's what I'm talking about! And us greeks are still hung up on that little Jesus thing, pfft! :D
(Easter egg full of sugary goodness, including a suspiciiously creepy looking foamy white bird thingie, a black and white liquorice skull and a lollipop with a depiction of the 3 cute karamellpojkarna, the candy boys)

2006-04-14T00:13:00.000+02:00

A small salad comprising of asparagus, lightly sauteed with olive oil and garlic, thinly sliced tomatoes and rocket. Have I told you I have been going crazy for asparagus lately? Seems like the appropriate time for that.
Layer the ingredients, starting with the tomatoes at the bottom, then the asparagus and top off with the rocket. Dress the salad with salt, olive oil and red balsamico.

Happy birthday to my darling!

2006-03-28T00:28:00.000+02:00

Sunday was the big day for the fiance, and it was duly celebrated with the world's first gayke! I recently received a cake decorating thingie and we went a little wild with the pink frosting... Just so happens I only had red food colouring in the fridge... As for the little golden sugar pearls, those were done on purpose :) For those more interested in the actual filling, it was a three layer sponge cake with one layer of blueberry jam and one layer of vanilla cream.

So happy 34th my gorgeous darling! I love you!

2006-03-23T19:54:00.000+01:00

A nice juicy bit of salmon fillet, turned in sweet and spicy sauce and then tossed in sesame seeds and cooked in the oven for 20-25 minutes tops. If you are using frozen salmon, please remember to be considerate to your fish and defrost in advance, instead of microwaving it (salmon tends to go all slushy if you defrost it in the microwave, a texture flaw which can't be easily redeemed by grilling the fish in the oven).
It's served here with a sidedish of bulgur wheat boiled in salty water for about 15 minutes and tossed with raisins, crushed linseed (for that extra health kick, but without really any influence on the taste), cinnamon and lime juice. We usually would eat this kind of thing with extra sweet and spicy sauce on the side.

2006-03-23T19:49:00.000+01:00

I love colourful food, and colours in general! It may be spring officially, but here in cold Sweden we long for even the slightest bit of warmth... So come on!

The St. Patrick's day special

2006-03-22T13:50:00.000+01:00

... although I'm greek, the fiance is swedish and we have no idea why we felt compelled to include St. Patrick in our lives at this specific point.. But hey, anything for a reason to celebrate!
Champ by way of adding fried onion, spinach and leek to creamy mashed potatoes. Top with a bit of butter. very simple and delicious.

All the way from Kiev

2006-03-16T16:45:00.000+01:00

I took some exams in swedish recently, wanting to go on and start some actual lessons, so I can get a better handle on grammar and also to get used to talking in swedish a little more. And also to meet some new people. It is surprisingly difficult to meet people in Sweden, everyone is so suspicious. The worse thing is that you also find yourself influened by that climate as well. It takes a lot of effort to not get sucked in.
Anyway, I passed the first exam quite easily, which means I have managed to avoid approximately 3 years of classes, and all that based on what I've learned from TV jingles and observation. Pretty pleasing. You might be pleased to know I kicked the proverbial ass of the test. 95%. And this little treat to the left is what I made to celebrate with the fiance, although it is really the time before Easter and we were supposed to be trying to avoid meat for a while. Especially with all this bird flu business, we shouldn't be eating fowl at all, but as it were, Sweden must be the only country where all the bird flu talk has gotten people to eat even MORE chicken than before... Weird people!
The above concoction is carefully constructed by pounding some chicken fillets (not too carefully), so they spread out. Careful to not overdo it, so the meat will still be intact and won't have "holes" in it. Next, you mash up 1 to 2 cloves of garlic, half a tablespoon of butter, salt, pepper and some chopped parsley, zap it in the microwave a little (only a few seconds, you don't want the butter to be all runny, just soft and manageable). Mix everything up and add the flavoured butter to the centre of the fillet, rolling it up and pinning the edges with toothpicks. Sprinkle a bit of parsley on top, season well and drizzle a bit of oil, and then cook until you reach the desired appearance. I expect it would go nicely with a side of mashed potatoes. My own sidedish was a grilled butternut squash and sweet potato dish I'm saving for later posting. :)

2006-03-16T16:26:00.000+01:00

An evening with red wine, salty crackers and a dip comprising of smooshed feta, a couple of spoonfuls of ajvar (or aivar, or ayvar, if you're nasty), salt pepper, olive oil and chopped parsley.

Semlor in a bag

2006-03-14T09:24:00.000+01:00

These yummy beauties are semlor, a traditional swedish bun to be enjoyed during the period before the fasting begins (because so many people fast noways, heh). They're a fluffy, almost unsweetened bun spiced with cardamom powder, scooped out a little bit and stuffed with intensely yummy almond paste (sort of like chunky marzipan), topped off with unsweetened whipped cream and powdered vanilla sugar. Pretty much the most fattening thing you can imagine:D They can be eaten as a bun, or placed in a bowl with some lukewarm milk and eaten with a spoon.

Mash with sage and favourite grilled vegetables

2006-03-11T19:52:00.000+01:00

Me and the fiance went bookshophopping today, and I came back with a good amount of new cookbooks. Three to be exact. A new old Jamie Oliver (the first one actually, I think. Well, the one with the rank hair and a matching shirt... But he is so cute, I can't help but forgive him for that lapse of judgement :D). Apart from that one, I also got a bargain on a vietnamese cookbook, and I am a bit excited about getting some fresh ideas from that. And I also got one more cookbook entitled "Kokskolan", which means cooking school in swedish, which I actually bought for 10 kronor. Which is about one euro. Which is a bit of ridiculous price to pay for any kind of book, I suppose.
While I was looking at the cookbooks and trying to decide which one to buy, one recipe caught my eye (or more like an idea), I think it was in a Jamie Oliver book, but I'm not entirely sure. Anyway, here it is:
Creamy, thick mashed potatoes flavoured with sage and topped off with grilled vegetables in balsamico sauce.
I think we all know how to make the mashed potatoes. Try and aim for a thick mash, even leaving a few lumps in the mix. You can also add a little bit of olive oil, to get things mixed easier. Flavour with sage, or maybe you fancy some other green herb, and you're done.

The topping is a delicious mix of favourite vegetables, tomato, crushed and unpeeled garlic, red bell pepper roughly chopped and thick chunks of zucchini and aubergine. Top everything off with olive oil, balsamico, sugar, salt, pepper and basil and bake until your veg has the appearance you can pretty much see in the pic. Moist and soft, but also crunchy at the edges. The key I think is to cook for a long time in medium heat, until most of the juices have been absorbed. Don't serve this dish if there is lots of water in the tray, as your vegetables will be more like boiled than grilled, and that just does not do them justice. Don't forget to taste things along the way, to make sure you haven't forgotten any seasoning or that you don't need more of something.

Carbonara schmarbonara

2006-03-05T17:13:00.000+01:00

Have you ever tried to make carbonara with milk instead of cream? Chances are if you are swedish, it would never have crossed your mind;)
Swedish people love their cream. They even see fit to add it to things where it has no business being, like simple Bolognese sauces. Hard to imagine for some, especially if you are greek or italian I suppose, but here it is more or less the norm. Lately, swedish people have been more turned on to the new food possibilities around them, they are starting to use more and more olive oil, which truly elates me. I mean, cream, save for a few examples, makes everything taste blander to me. Plus it is not really good for you. Olive oil just lifts every flavour and brings it out, interacting beautifully with all the spices. But then again, Sweden is the country in which they take butter, melt it, add cream and a slight amount of tarragon and call it bearnaise sauce. It's just not the same.
Anyway, I personally like to use milk wherever I can, especially creamy condensed milk. This is one of those cases. I made a very simple carbonara by sauteing some mushroom, garlic and some chopped asparagus and ham, adding the boiled basta and mixing in some undiluted condensed milk and an egg, letting everything heat up and serving straight away. You don't want to let this one cool down at all. The consistency looks a little thinner, but the taste is definately creamy, and less fat as well. This idea ties in perfectly with the end of my two weeks of incessant work and no time for actual food shopping. I have been stretching the stash in the cupboard for 2 weeks now, good folk. I don't know how this happened, but it did. You know what it means when you're down to your last jar of canned tomatoes and you are basically out of everything else. So this is just a small example of what one can do in a cinch, as long as you make sure you always have the absolute necessary things in your stash.

A post irrelevant to cooking, but never irrelevant to a Greek

2006-02-21T02:34:00.000+01:00

http://jebadel.com/blog/?p=80#comments

Above, the unassuming beauty of the stolen, so called Elgin marbles. A piece of the Acropolis that we have never forgotten and still urgently and ardently want back. A piece of the Greek heart and of a symbolism so great, that deserves to come home.
Click on the link above and you may leave a comment of support, if you wish to do so. As always, your support and understanding is greatly appreciated.

EDIT: Oh my lord! Is my face red! I don't know what is going on with blogger, but it won't let me post a link, so you just might have to put in a little extra effort and copy-paste. Apologies! And on my first official visit from the Corsair, too... *feels like Nigella Lawson caught licking fingers*

In anticipation of breakfast

2006-02-20T14:32:00.000+01:00

mmm warm and toasty

Grilled cheese, ham and rocket sandwich and a glass of blood orange juice.. I am so pining for breakfast right now! But I have vowed to finish more of my work before I can reward myself.. Sorry for the slow blogging, I don't know where all this work came from! I am grateful and all, but don't you just bleh! when real life meddles with your blogging? ;)

Cooking, swedish style

2006-02-17T00:39:00.000+01:00

Here is my favourite salad recipe: with a rifle.

Nutrition, with a bang! hehe

Soup du jour

2006-02-08T12:07:00.000+01:00

Grilled tomato and garlic soup

you'll need: tomatoes, garlic, spices and milk.
The above, I think, came to me through the form of Jamie Oliver again. I'm not exactly sure if it had anything directly to do with a specific recipe or not. I have a hard time sticking to recipes, unless they are for baking. I don't want to take any chances with baking, usually. But everything else is fair game.
The above is very very simple, but it will take a little bit of time to prepare. You chop your nice ripe, big and juicy tomatoes and arrange them on a baking tray, adding a lot of garlic cloves. How many really depends on you. I love the rich flavour of grilled garlic! The trick here is to separate the cloves, but not peel them, just give them a bash with something heavy, so they will split, but still retain the peel. Season with salt, pepper and some spices of your choice. It can easily be basil, fresh or dry. It's the best choice for this soup. Alternatively, you can use thyme or oregano. Or be creative.
Grill the tomatoes and garlic on high temperature until the edges are a little sooty. Then scoop everything into your blender, blend well and pour everything in a pot. Slowly bring to a simmer and add milk progressively, not too much at a time, so you can stop at your preferred form and density of soup. Keep tasting the soup, making sure it's well seasoned. It is truly so full of taste, the way soups usually aren't. I accompanied it with a simple wrap (tortilla) with mayonnaise, ham and cucumber, just to have a bit of something to chew on on the side.

Carrot cake ponderings

2006-01-26T22:01:00.000+01:00

Doesn't this carrot cake look all sad, lying there on its side? (Not actual depiction, mine is still in the oven..)

I often bake when I get bored. It's the easy way out, I always have eggs, butter and flour around the house, so I take out my frustrations on cakes I will be besotted with when they come out of the oven, but whose popularity amongst the household's females in the age range of 19-25 will wane almost immediately. I get very easily bored of cakes. They always sound like a good idea, but their rather dry disposition makes them a not so favourite of mine. But I love to tinker in the kitchen, so baking is always a good pasttime.
I am always on the look-out for a good carrot cake recipe, because every recipe I encounter seems to be boring. I have tried everything, almonds, walnuts, coconut flakes, a variety of spices, individually and combined. Today I am trying a new ingredient which may work rather nicely: I grated some fresh ginger in the mix. I won't bore you with a detailed recipe: it is, after all, pretty much the most common recipe for cake on the net. My own addition will be simply to say, one must always experiment with ingredients other than the basics.

ps. While I was washing up my blender paraphernalia and my grater, I had the thought that tiny, miniscule pieces of ginger grate might get stuck in the grater, which would give the next couple of things I grate a faint fragrance of ginger too. I found the thought strangely comforting.
ps2. It's a big day for me, I finally got my name added on the door, so no more confusion for our mailman and you can send me fanmail now:P Or maybe not. Also in other news, I discovered I have finally mastered the art of liquid eyeliner application. Not really food- related, but a small victory, nonetheless. I'm off to celebrate with carrot cake!

The ice cream zucchotto (Jamie Oliver inspiration)

2006-01-20T13:09:00.000+01:00

During Christmas, I happened to watch an old Jamie Oliver Christmas show, I think it might have been filmed in New York. I was sniffing around for a nice dessert to make for a post holiday dinner with the fiance's family, so it had to be something nice. Jamie, my personal favourite "celebrity" chef (the lisp just does something for me! The other day I was telling a friend of mine how he might just be a semblance of the ideal man: mentor in the kitchen, trainee in, well, the other rooms:D Meh, my fiance reads this you know!). Anyway! He basically created a dessert which was meant to be an alternative to the usual english Christmas pudding, the heavy, liquor-laced dessert with all the dried fruit. I've never had it actually, just looking at it gives me a bit of an indigestion, but I promise I will first chance I get. I'd probably taste anything.
His recipe was basically for a globe-shaped cake with a stuffing in the middle, comprising of ricotta cheese, sugar, cherries, dried fruit, almonds, coffee and melted chocolate. My version was the "can't be asked" version, which I suspect must also be a little cheaper. So I simply made the cake and replaced the riocotta filling with plain ice cream.

The cake:
200 gr butter
200 gr sugar
200 gr flour (self raising. If you only have normal, add 3 teaspoons of baking powder on top of what the recipe already requires. So in this case, a total of 4 teaspoons)
1 teaspoon baking powder (see above)
3 eggs
3 tablespoons cocoa powder

Mix it all up, preferably eggs and sugar first. Bake in two round, flat forms, one slightly smaller than the other. The objective is to make two flat pieces of cake, like you would use in an actual layer cake. It should be fluffy, but not too thick. Bake at 190 degrees for about 10 to 15 minutes. Let them cool well before you handle them.

Next, take a round bowl and line it with plastic foil. Once the cake has cooled down, take the bigger slice and cut it like a pizza, in 8 slices, which you then place in the lined bowl, so as to make a small cake dome. Next, you fill the "cake bowl" with ice cream ( I used vanilla ice cream with strawberry sirup). The ice cream should be a little soft and melty, to enable easy handling. Place the second, smaller cake slice on top, like a lid, add a plate or something that matches the shape on top (so there will be a bit of pressure applied to the cake) and freeze everything for 2-3 hours. Make sure you let the cake defrost a couple of minutes before you serve it.

Drinkie! no. 2

2006-01-12T14:19:00.000+01:00

Here's a pink one for ther ladies I whipped up the other night. I always try and get creative with alcohol in our place, because all we usually have is vodka (or home brewed vodka, not actually brewed in our home, but some farmer's or something like that, I don't quite know and quite frankly I am not very inclined to discuss it, as I don't really think it is all that unfrowned upon as it should be. Digressing again.) Anyway! So as you can imagine, I always like to challenge myself and try to come up with new ways to use the same stuff and make it taste different. The above concoction was immediately named cotton candy, for obvious reasons. It was a simple base of vodka and lime soda mixed in a cocktail glass, and then added to that was a separate mixture of ice cubes, a splash of Malibu, a dash of vanilla sugar and a couple of drops of concentrated red food colouring. When the ice cubes have been thoroughly crushed and homogenised, you can spoon a couple of small, fluffy heaps into your vodka base, and make sure you serve right away, because obviously the ice mix melts in seconds. For the second batch, I mixed everything together in the blender and added literally a splash of milk. The result was rather cherry-like and creamy. Not bad t'all!

Drinkie!

2006-01-10T21:47:00.000+01:00

Snakebite and black

Here's a lovely beverage that I used to enjoy during those missing months I spent in Manchester as a student! It kept me away from class on many an occasion (due to hangovers). It is a "cocktail" no one outside of England seems to recognise as a name...
It comprises of about 1-2 centimetres of condensed blackcurrant syrup (collectively known in England as "squash") in a one pint glass (Ribena concentrate works well) combined with equal parts of cider and lager (the cider goes in the bottom). You can either stir the concoction or serve it as a float. I love the dark pinkish colour and the sweet taste of this, but beware, it might get you inebriated a little faster and more intensely than planned! You have been warned.

A night at the Opera

2006-01-10T15:27:00.000+01:00

Königin der Nacht

Last night I had my first ever visit to the Opera. I saw the play that I have always wanted to start my operatic experience with: Die Zauberflöte. Needless to say it was an amazing experience. The building of Kungliga Operan in Stockholm was quite beautiful, but I do have to say that swedes did not rise to the occasion stylictically. It's the opera people! You might as well crank out those extra special clothes you've been saving and make it a special experience for you. I know I brought out the special occasion red lipstick I save for those events. Also, it would have helped if the lady sitting next to me (best seats in the house too, I beg your pardon! Well, best seats save for the ones reserved for the royal family I suppose..) hadn't slept through the whole show. I mean, really! I wanted to nudge her like Eric Idle, know what I mean? But I didn't. All in all, I nearly cried out with excitement even with the opening strings of the awesome overture! What amazing and imaginative combinations of instruments and notes. Truly a great musical arrangement. Words are superfluous when you talk about Mozart.
I do have to say that the build up for the aria of the Queen of the Night was pretty strong, but the soprano did not deliver. Parts of the music during the aria were slowed down to suit her, which is kind of unthinkable really, I mean I know it is probably the most difficult aria to belt out, but you can't simply slow down Mozart because you can't sing the song. Not to mention she had a cheat sheet. !! . You know? I just did not clap after that part, I was disappointed. Everyone else seemed to not have noticed anything though..
And here is a link to an older version of that amazing piece of music that is "Der Hölle Rache kocht in meinem Herzen". It is incredible! The quality of the recording below is a tad rough, but at the least the lady (Patricia Valdéz) delivers the goods in a spectacular manner!

Der Hölle Rache kocht in meinem Herzen

I know this had absolutely nothing to do with food in any way. Meh!

(link by http://www.musicosdemonterrey.com/musicos_ingles.htm)

New Year's Eve party menu, as experienced by us

2006-01-07T13:55:00.000+01:00

I thought I could be original for once and actually post a couple of normal looking recipes, instead of my own half baked suggestions.. So here it is, this was the main course that the fiance and I enjoyed at the New Year's Eve party we attended with some of our swedish friends. The party had a James Bond theme, incidentally. Me and the fiance seemed to be almost the only ones that took the dress code seriously and dressed like freaks.. I went as Xenia Onatopp and Johan was Ernst Stavro Blofeld.

Recipes courtesy of Jocke and Anna and also ica.se (same place as the pictures as well)

Double marinated veal fillet

One veal fillet (not too thick)

Marinade 1
2 spoonful soy sauce
1 spoonful hoisin sauce
½ teaspoon salt
2 spoonfuls olive oil
1 teaspoon sugar

Marinade 2
½ dl white vinegar
½ dl water
2 dl olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 crushed clove of garlic
½ dl parsley (chopped)
2 spoonfuls capers (1 small jar)

Mix the ingredients for marinade 1. Place the fillet in a plastic food bag and add the marinade in the bag.
Marinate for 3 hours (or overnight).
Grill the meat at 175 for about 40 minutes, turning the fillet once.
When it’s done, take it out of the oven and let it cool down.
Mix the ingredients for marinade 2. Slice the cooled down fillet in ½ cm slices and place them in a bowl, adding the second marinade on top. Marinate again for at least 4 hours, and serve as is, with the marinade. You may spoon the marinade over the meat if you wish.

2006-01-07T13:54:00.000+01:00

And the so called french potato gratin, to match with the above

1 ½ kg potatoes
3 dl cream
6 dl milk
2 spoonfuls of finely chopped garlic
1 spoonful salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
2-3 dl grated cheese

1. The day before the party: Peel the potatoes and slice them finely.
2. Warm up the cream, the milk, the garlic, the salt and pepper in a pot. Add the potatoes. Cook in moderate heat until the potatoes are soft, so about 25-35 minutes. Mix once in a while (not too many times, so you don’t crush the potatoes out of shape).
3. Place the potato mix in an oven safe pan or tray. Let them cool down. Cover with plastic foil and place in the fridge.
4. On the day of the party: Warm the oven up at 175 degrees. Sprinkle with cheese and grill for about 35-40 minutes in the oven.

Potatolust

2006-01-03T23:33:00.000+01:00

I don't know what is up with me lately, but I have been experiencing intense potato cravings (and no, I am not going the family way). I love me a hefty, warm portion of carbohydrates (sadly), pretty much prepared in any way. Baked in the oven with lemon, garlic and oregano, stewed with spices and consumed with a couple of fried eggs, grilled with the skins on and sprinkled heavily with barbeque seasonings, fried in oil and accompanied by feta... But believe it or not, the thing that has really been on my mind lately everytime I think potatoes is a swedish staple: good old fashioned, boiled potatoes in salty water, served only with salted milk butter (the ultimate Bregott!). It's strange, as this is a way of eating potatoes that one would assume is the simplest one of all and least tasty, but they would be wrong! Wrong I tell you!
I do assume that this phase will pass.. I do tend to have whole periods when I am craving something very specific. Usually though, it tends to be rice dishes, as it just so happens. This used to happen when I was living as a poor student in Corfu, and I would visit home every two to three months. Right before I started the long travel home all the way to Athens, I would call my mother and she would always ask me what dish she should make for me. For a whole year I would always request oven-baked okra (or lady-fingers, as some people call them) in tomato sauce with chicken, and then I had a thing for yiouvarlakia (a lemony, intensely warm soup with contains a kind of meatball with rice). Greek food is awesome :D

It's flu season!

2006-01-03T23:18:00.000+01:00

Here's a little tirami su I whipped up yesterday for my fiance, who is afflicted by the seasonal flu. I wanted something yummy and intense enough, without being too strong. I combined two saftig avocados, the juice of half a lemon, half a red bell pepper chopped into tiny bits, a hefty helping of olive oil, some cayenne pepper, salt and one crushed clove of garlic. We had this juicy health injection with some dill and sourcream chips, the extra crunchy ones. The flavour of the lemon and the cayenne were enough to perk the fiance right up :)

A taste of the swedish Christmas table (courtesy of mother in law to be)

2005-12-29T22:40:00.000+01:00

The illustrious Julskinka! The Christmas ham in all its mustard and breadcrumb glory. Sliced thinly, placed on a slice of hard bread (the special kind called kn�ckebr�d) and enjoyed best with a thin layer of grainy honey mustard. My favourite and a swedish must!

2005-12-29T22:38:00.000+01:00

The egg halves with mayonaisse & red caviar topped with dill and a small lemon wedge.

2005-12-29T22:23:00.000+01:00

The sylta... three kinds of processed, jelly-encrusted pork bits (mmm! :P). I can't say I really eat this concoction, but I thought the colour arrangement looked charming :D

2005-12-29T22:19:00.000+01:00

My swedified Christmas cookies, complete with pink frosting (that was my own little touch). These are the pepparkakor mentioned earlier, seen in plain heart form on a platter in another picture.

2005-12-29T22:13:00.000+01:00

This marzipan...

2005-12-29T22:12:00.000+01:00

..became these! Julgrisar, or Christmas pigs caught in a moment of frolic:D These charming, if slightly rhino-like marzipan thingies were moulded and placed in the freezer for a little while, to make sure they were a little more stiff and that they wouldn't lose their shape too easily, and then dipped in melted dark chocolate, but only their bottoms, not the whole thing.
I placed these pigs in some small hampers I made as presents to my fiance's parents, his sister and her husband and their grandmother. In the hampers, I also placed a bag of flavoured coffee and special Christmas tea, some pepparkakor with pink frosting (see above), some chocolates that I simply just bought (I don't make everything you know:P) and some almonds in a coating of marzipan flavoured with cinnamon (in little oval shapes, rolled over a little heap of cinnamon on the kitchen counter). Everything was wrapped in red cellophane (which is a real bastard to handle and cut at the desired size I can tell you). Looks like I picked the wrong time to quit smoking!
Oh yeah, I think I've managed to quit smoking, but I haven't had the time or the inclination to realize it yet. It's probably better that way. I will always have a soft spot for smokers though!

2005-12-29T22:11:00.000+01:00

my Luciabr�d- be kind, it's only a first attempt :P

Merry Christmas!! Enjoy the family, your loved ones and your free time :)

2005-12-25T22:26:00.000+01:00

2005-12-25T22:23:00.000+01:00

2005-12-25T22:22:00.000+01:00

2005-12-25T22:21:00.000+01:00

2005-12-25T22:20:00.000+01:00

2005-12-22T18:36:00.000+01:00

The lovely pepparkakor, a very traditional swedish kind of thin biscuit. I love the heart shape. They make the house smell of ginger and spices:)

2005-12-22T18:32:00.000+01:00

Honey and grapefruit glazed root vegetables

The above might seem a touch pretentiously named to some (pff stop being so negative already:P), but it just so happens to be so because I only had one pink grapefruit to take advantage of. We're talking potatoes (5), parsnips (4), carrots (5), onion (a big one) and fennel (2 roots), all nicely chopped up and lovingly glazed with honey and grapefruit juice. I used about 3-4 tablespoons of honey and the juice of one pink grapefruit, putting the honey in the microwave oven for a minute or so, to melt it and make the stirring with the juice easier. Aside from the above, I also seasoned with salt, pepper, olive oil, sugar and some garlic powder. Cook at about 200 degrees until the potatoes are soft, but the edges of all the vegetables are all crunchy, as pictured above. Great, sweet sidedish which utilises some of the cheapest vegetables (in Sweden anyway).

2005-12-15T21:55:00.000+01:00

My new curtains! The pattern is called Lingon, which is a small, red berry that grows in the forests in Sweden in the winter. I felt it would be cute to have up for Christmas, but not exclusively. Should be good for winter in general.

2005-12-15T21:47:00.000+01:00

This is the Christmassy hangy thingie I just made out of some felt ornaments, an air freshening pig (it smells like oranges and freshly baked cookies:D) and some thin cooking skewers. I love Christmas :D

2005-12-15T16:14:00.000+01:00

hehe Christmas is coming soon!! Off to do some vicious present shopping! I have some high aspiring plans to make some marzipan pigs this year... Typical swedish thing for Xmas. I love those little suckers! Also thinking of making heart shaped pepparkakor with a chocolate frosting... Might be a nice idea as an extra gift to the loved ones. Bought me some Xmas curtains yesterday, and I was so excited to put them up, only to come home and find out my length calculations were SO wrong. So going back with those...
mwahs to all:D

2005-12-07T17:58:00.000+01:00

Peas and carrots
Edited to add that this is not my pic, but it is the most accurate pic I could find on the net... I know, it's not very attractive! But I promise you it's better than it looks ;)

Peas and carrots, the greek way

2005-12-07T17:43:00.000+01:00

For those days when you just want to make something for dinner and get the whole deal over with, if you want a dish that is superfast, super easy, light, tasty, healthy and even suitable for vegeterians, then you can try cooking some peas the greek way.
I generally am not crazy about peas, and this is the only way I really think they are tasty. This is a very common everyday greek dish, which works best teamed with feta cheese and bread. It takes about 10 minutes to prepare, provided you can peel potatoes and chop onions that fast...
Start with the onion: peel one onion and chop it finely. Warm up some olive oil in a pot and sautee the onion. Peel about 5-6 potatoes, dice them and add them to the pot, letting them sautee as well. Add some chopped carrotsand a couple of cloves of garlic, and after about 5 minutes add a bag of frozen peas.
Season well with salt, pepper and dill, turning the whole thing over with a spoon. Add a can of chopped tomatoes or tomato sauce, and plenty of olive oil (oil is a very, very basic component to this recipe, you need to definately let go of all inhibitions and add loads of the stuff- it makes a huge difference in the taste).
Boil everything until the potatoes are cooked and soft. And that's it really. Smooches to Kate, maybe you can try this one out, seeing as you don't eat meat and all ;)
This type of recipe can be made with other vegetables than peas as well, such as artichokes, plain potatoes, string beans, or a nice mix with eggplant and zucchini. This is exactly the kind of dish that makes my formerly meat-once-a-day fiance ask for more and more veg dishes. :)

2005-12-07T17:42:00.000+01:00

The Christmassy lussebröd

Lussebröd!

2005-12-07T15:04:00.000+01:00

Time for some Swedish baking tradition! Christmas IS around the corner anyway, so here is the recipe to some traditional swedish saffron bread with marzipan filling. i LOVE marzipan!

50 gr butter
2 1/2 dl milk
25 gr yeast
1 1/4 dl milk curd, or I think creme fraiche might also do the trick..
1 bag of saffron (0,5 gr)
2 pinches of salt
1 teaspoon cardemum (or as much as you want hehe)
3/4 dl sugar
8 dl flour
150 gr marzipan (keep it in the fridge!)

Ok now!
You place the butter in a big bowl and stick it in the microwave for a couple of minutes, and then you add the milk and warm it up a little more altogether. Make sure it's about 37 degrees (warm but still cool enough to put your hand in it).
Add the crumbled yeast and use a whisk to make sure the yeast is completely dissolved.
Add the sugar, the saffron (I dissolved it in a little bit of water first), the cardemom the curd or creme fraiche, the salt, (so basically everything but the marzipan) and then start adding the flour.
Add it slowly, blending everything with your hand. In the end the whole mixture should be wet and fluffy, but not TOO sticky. Also make sure you don't add too much flour , so that it's too dry. The goal here is a juicy dough, just dry enough so you can work it without everything getting stuck on your fingers. After it's all kneaded, cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and let it ferment for 15 minutes. I actually wrapped everything up with a blanket to assist the process ;)
In these 15 minutes, take the marzipan out of the fridge and cut it in small, thin slices. When the 15 minutes have passed, take the dough and spread it out on a floured surface with a rolling pin. Cut it in three pieces and form them in long pieces. Flatten out the pieces and then add the marzipan in the middle of every long, flat piece. Spread evenly to all 3 pieces.
When you're done, roll up the pieces, so that they will be like long, thin rolls stuffed with marzipan (I hope the description helps..). Take the three long rolls and braid them together into a bread. You can either leave the shape long, or you can shape the bread into a round, braided form.
Cover the bread again with plastic foil and blanket, and let it ferment again for another 30 minutes. After that, you can decorate the top of your bread with one egg applied with a brush and chopped almonds, or grain sugar.
Bake in the preheated oven at 225 degrees for about 15 minutes. Let it cool and then cover it well, so it doesn't dry up.

2005-11-25T13:04:00.000+01:00

hehe go Nina! It's my name day!

2005-11-24T13:52:00.000+01:00

Part of the food... Not very posh serving conditions! But people liked it anyway ;)

2005-11-17T11:57:00.000+01:00

Sliced bread with mozzarella and grilled vegetables

Slice up some bread, whichever kind you prefer, and place a couple of slices of mozzarella on top, along with a drizzle of olive oil and some pepper. Black pepper, none of the white stuff.
Place some sliced vegetables in a baking tray (here I used aubergines, tomatoes, onions and yellow bell peppers) with oil, balsamic vinegar (red!), salt and a fair bit of sugar, and grill until the veg is looking crispy and lovely. Then you layer the veg on the bread slices and place the lot in the oven, until the cheese melts a little. Consume immediately!

2005-11-17T11:56:00.000+01:00

the result

2005-11-17T11:49:00.000+01:00

Spiced up Brussels sprouts
Just boil them lightly, not so much that they mush up, and then throw them in the pan with some olive oil, chopped frankfurter sausages, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Much better than plain and unattractive :)

2005-10-31T14:00:00.000+01:00

last night's dinner
Kebabs, aubergine skewers, spicy potatoes, ajvar and garlic sauce. Tres lebanese- inspired.
The kebabs are made with pork/ beef minced meat and moulded together with lots of cumin, paprica, chopped onion, garlic powder and salt and pepper.
The aubergine is sliced, salted and grilled with olive oil.
The potatoes are first microwaved until soft, then tossed in a pan with garlic powder, paprica, vindaloo curry powder, cayenne pepper, olive oil and a bit of honey and soy sauce on top. Sauteed for a few minutes at high temp, then I added about half a glass of water and let the potatoes suck up the juices.
The ajvar is store bought! :P (red coloured mixed vegetable paste)
And finally, I made the garlic sauce with chopped, pickled cucumber (for lack of fresh cucumber), one crushed garlic clove, salt, pepper, a bit of dill, oil and vinegar to taste.

Mushroom

2005-10-25T14:25:00.000+02:00

The mushroom picking season is now officially over.. It's getting too cold. Right now it's about 4 degrees out and raining... Ugh! I think I prefer snowy weather, at least the day isn't as dark and grim when it's all white outside. This is entirely all too mid-season, and it's not even fall weather, it's the thing after fall and before winter. It can be a little depressing.
Below though you can see two pics I snapped at out last (and first ever for me) forest visit and mushroom picking. I also have a nice recipe to share which came about as a result of the forest visit. Later! *mwahs*

2005-10-25T14:21:00.000+02:00

Mushroom of Sweden.

2005-10-25T14:19:00.000+02:00

Mushroom of Sweden 2

2005-10-25T14:13:00.000+02:00

first snow of the season... :(

Catering

2005-10-20T12:58:00.000+02:00

My catering stint went excellent! Saturday was a great experience, it really showed me what it takes to feed 40 hungry swedish people. Who love their meat. And the meat (chicken in this case) happened to be frozen solid at 2 o'clock (dinner scheduled for 7) because someone forgot to take it out of the freezer the previous day... But we managed! Me and the fiance really busted our asses in the kitchen, trying to pry chicken pieces away from each other and defrosting in the microwave 3 pieces at a time (total amount of chicken: 7 kilos). But hey it worked! By the way, the chicken was made with a special coating of grated ginger, chopped fresh chillies and topped off with greek honey. It was wonderfully crusty and sweet/spicy. Dishes also offered:
Oven baked potatoes with garlic, oregano, oil and lemon
Couscous salad with eggplant, zucchini and onion grilled in a balsamico/ sugar sauce
Penne with mozzarella, fresh tomatoes and fresh basil
Cabbage, carrot and rocket salad flavoured with garlic
Greek style spicy meatballs
Lots of tzatziki (at the request of a lot of people..)

I think we did good. I hope I get the chance to cook again professionally, I just love it. I feel it is really rewarding to see that people like your food. Perhaps I should consider some professional education in the matter? Hm.

2005-10-20T12:57:00.000+02:00

Chicken with chilli, ginger and honey glazing, before

2005-10-20T12:55:00.000+02:00

Chicken etc after

2005-10-14T12:59:00.000+02:00

Food waiting to be cooked...
Tomorrow I am going to be undertaking my first ever catering gig. I have never done this before semi-professionally, and I say semi because the guy that is having the party is a friend. I'm going to have to pull through for 40 people tomorrow. I've never cooked for so many before, but I have faith:D And I also have about 6 bags chock full of groceries awating treatment. Perhaps this will be the beginning of a whole new career for me. Orrr perhaps I'll have to go back to freelance translating ;) I'll let you know how it went.

2005-10-13T20:00:00.000+02:00

A nice, well done, juicy greek steak, grilled on hot coal. This meat is marinated only in lemon juice, salt and oregano. That's all you need really.

2005-10-13T19:58:00.000+02:00

and the perfect match to it, a simple greek salad. Basically it's diced tomatoes and cucumber, seasoned with oregano, salt, olive oil and vinegar. Sometimes I cheat and add a little bit of sugar. You can also add feta- always a good idea :)

2005-10-13T19:55:00.000+02:00

Light through the wine

2005-10-12T13:45:00.000+02:00

Grilled, deliciously sweet red peppers

This is a classic greek summer sidedish. These particular peppers are called "Florina" peppers, from a specific area in Greece. But any sweet, juicy red pepper should do the trick.
What you do is, you take the peppers and grill them in the oven, until the skin is a bit blackish and looks like it can be easily peeled off. Then you wait until they cool down a bit and peel them. If the peppers you are using are bulbous bell peppers, you may want to cut them into thinner slices as well. Finally, you serve them with olive oil, vinegar, chopped fresh parsley and some chopped garlic. Not too much garlic, as it can be overpowering. Excellent with grilled meat!

2005-10-12T13:38:00.000+02:00

Ze smooching sardines!!

Fresh sardines, one of the healthiest fish you can eat, are wonderful baked in the oven with lots of onion, sliced garlic, oregano, salt and olive oil. Bake until nicely crusty.
If you're feeling naughty, you can add a bit of grated tomato to the mix. Mmm.

2005-10-07T22:52:00.000+02:00

Hello there!! I'm finally back, after a little over 6 weeks, and I had an amazing time! Family, beautiful beaches, great food, I got a tan!! I hope I can keep it for a couple of months.. I can tell you it was pretty hard to get back into the swing of things in Sweden, what with the weather being all grey and rather unpleasant and all. I went from tank top to wool coat. I also went from girlfriend to fiancee!! Me and the boyfriend got engaged, so now I have to get sued to saying "fiance" instead of "boyfriend". I took tons of wonderful pictures too! I think I'll share some with you :

2005-10-07T21:40:00.000+02:00

sunset on Lefkada

2005-10-07T19:54:00.000+02:00

boy's favourite view of the Acropolis in Athens

2005-10-07T19:52:00.000+02:00

aren't I tanned! :D

2005-10-07T19:51:00.000+02:00

awesome picture.

2005-10-07T19:49:00.000+02:00

my ring!

2005-10-07T19:46:00.000+02:00

beach

2005-10-07T19:41:00.000+02:00

it's the diva mo'

2005-10-07T19:40:00.000+02:00

boy in the sun

2005-10-07T19:37:00.000+02:00

sunning ourselves :)

Going on holiday!

2005-08-13T21:28:00.000+02:00

Well kids, I'll be away on holiday for a few weeks. Going back to the Mutterland finally!! Haven't been back since November that I came to Sweden.. So you just might have to find another source of entertainment. Just remember! I'll be back sometime after the middle of September! Toodles darlings!

Potato issues

2005-08-12T12:51:00.000+02:00

Have I never mentioned my potato stews?? Hm that's odd, I could have sworn I did. Anyway, this is what you call in swedish tröstmat, and in plain english you call it comfort food. It's warm and toasty, and it hugs you with that special love only a plateful of carbs can offer. Basically, what I do is, I take some potatoes (the soft kind, that, when boiled or baked, goes all smooshy and half-mashed), peel them and throw them in the microwave, whole as they are. Then I nuke them for, let's say about 15 to 20 minutes, depending on how many potatoes I have. Cook them in the microwave until they are almost done. Then take them out carefully (they are extremely hot at this point) and chop them roughly in six or eight cubes.
What you do next is, you take a pan big enough for the whole amount of potatoes and saute a big onion in olive oil. Add the diced potatoes and then go crazy with spices:D I find that it is really suited to use an assortment of red spices: cayenne pepper, paprica, some kind of grilling spice mix, sweet red (and yellow) curry, and also salt, pepper, powdered garlic, and it's all open as to what spices you can use, seeing as potatoes are so neutral and versatile. You need to turn the potatoes in the pan every which way, and after 10 to 15 minutes, start adding some water gradually, allowing enough time for the water to be absorbed. This will give the potatoes a soft, half-mashed feel (which is great, in my opinion). If you want them slightly crisper, don't use any water. This dish is great paired with a couple of fried eggs, or even plain as a main dish, or as a side dish, or even with a side of feta cheese. The boyfriend goes crazy over this one, which is fine with me, seeing as it's so easy and simple.

2005-08-11T16:28:00.000+02:00

This is my 25th birthday cake, it's a swedish type "princesst�rta", with blueberry jam and vanilla custard, topped with whipped cream and covered with a round layer of marzipan in my favourite colour:D

Jenny's wedding

2005-08-01T17:50:00.000+02:00

On the 30th of July, the very day of my birthday, Jenny got married to Andreas. Jenny is my boyfriend's sister and also a good friend of mine. I was the rice girl (:D) and the boyf was the toastmaster. It was very beautiful, touching, and the very first swedish wedding I've been to. The bride and groom arrived together in a vintage american convertible car, and the bride looked amazing, with her simple, elegant dress, and her hair swept up and braided with red roses. Congratulations Jenny and Andreas!!

2005-08-01T17:49:00.000+02:00

The happy couple arriving at the church

2005-08-01T17:42:00.001+02:00

The happy couple, with bridesmaid and best man

2005-08-01T17:42:00.000+02:00

It's the rice girl!! (me:P)

2005-08-01T17:41:00.000+02:00

Me and Renae, the bridesmaid, doing our Paris Hiltons :D

Brazilian chicken

2005-08-01T16:37:00.000+02:00

This is one of those recipes with chicken bits and other yummy stuff all stewed together in a lovely sauce and best served on a bed of jasmin or basmati rice.
First, you dice some chicken fillets (about 3 for 2 people). Then marinade them in a bowl with an assortment of spices. Here's where you get to be all creative again: you pretty much can use most kinds of spices and it's a great oppoertunity to experiment. One thing I would advise you to stay away from is rosemary- its taste is a little too strong and does not mix very well with many other spices. You can use powdered cumin, cayenne pepper, black pepper, salt, oregano, paprica, chilli powder, curry powder, ginger, etc etc. Add olive oil, a small amount of sugar and soy sauce and let it stand while you prepare some other thingies.
Next, chop one big onion, 2-3 cloves of garlic, some fresh chilli (about one- if you don't have one, use powdered spices to give it that hot taste) and a couple of bell peppers. Put the pan on the stove and warm up some olive oil, throwing in the other stuff you chopped before the pan gets too hot (easier to control that way, so things don't get too brown and possibly bitter). Depending on the size of your pan, you can leave those in there or take them out when they're done, if there isn't enough room for the chicken. I prefer to take them out and fry the chicken on its own. So add the chicken with the marinade and cook until it's done. Add the rest of the stuff (onion, etc), let all the flavours mix for a couple of minutes, and then add a tin of chopped or ground tomatoes and a can of coconut milk. Let everything stew over a not very hot stove, until you're ready with the rice, making sure to give it a stir once in a while. It's yummy, easy, it lets you be creative, and it's very aromatic!

2005-07-29T18:13:00.000+02:00

My first birthday present for this year!!!
Isn't it beautiful??? I am just going to shoot and shoot and shoot!! :D And very fast too!
I am turning 25 tomorrow. Yay*

Smoked salmon and beetroot salad

2005-07-28T12:35:00.000+02:00

This is a recipe which I picked up from Jamie Oliver's show last week, and it got stuck in my head for a whole week. It kept recurring every time I would ponder dinner, and finally I got the chance to try it out a couple of days ago.
It is extremely simple, you need a pack of sliced smoked salmon and a jar of sliced beetroots- essentially. Lay the salmon slices out on a big dish and pour the juice of one lemon over them. Arrange the sliced beetroot casually over the sliced salmon, and then drizzle some olive oil and balsamico (always red!). Let the flavours infuse for a little bit (shouldbe at least 15 minutes, but this can be made in advance and kept in the fridge). I also chopped some fresh parsley over the whole dish. Really fresh and like a carpaccio but not! :D
By the by, I can't take responsibility for mentioning Jamie.. I love him to bits and all (my personal fanourite "celeb" chef ever), but i may have altered his recipe in the creative process.. I only remember specific recipes vaguely..

Last night's dinner...

2005-07-24T22:39:00.000+02:00

Ok, here's a complete dinner suggestion: this is what we had last night, salmon fillets with creamy pesto, garlic flavoured mashed potatoes and ratatouille with balsamico.
This is pretty straight forward: the salmon fillets are placed on a baking tray (the amount is, as always, up to you) on a bed of grain salt and nothing else (the juices will take care of the rest). Bake for about 20 minutes or until firm anyway, at about 200 degrees.
The pesto needs a strong hand: in a mortar (you do have one, don't you??? Go buy one now :D Oh alright! If there's no mortar, just use some kind of blending apparatus... but I am very disappointed, jsut so you know! :P) place one small bag of pine nuts (about a small fistful), one clove of garlic, the leaves only of one small pot of basil, the kind with the wide, juicy leaves, some salt and olive oil. Using the pestle, grind everything together forcefully, until the whole thing is smooth. In the end, if you wish to make it all creamier, you may add a couple of tablespoons of some kind of cream (I used sour cream).
The mashed potatoes, and I am not ashamed to admit it because I AM a busy girl you know :P, came from a bag. Just make sure you make it only with water and butter, and no milk, and adding one or 2 cloves of garlic, crushed.
Finally, the ratatouille consists of one big zucchini, one onion, 2 bell peppers, different colours, one tomato, and one eggplant. Slice everything, place in a baking tray and season with salt, pepper, sugar, balsamico and olive oil. Don't go easy on the olive oil, you won't regret it- it feelslike the more olive oil veg gets cooked in, the better it tastes. You can also add some basil here too. Bake until all the veggies have turned all soft, yet keep baking until they have that elusive "golden crust" formed as well. Impress your friends and all that lot. :D

Milk chocolate pannacotta

2005-07-24T22:22:00.000+02:00

This is something I essentially copied from a restaurant me and the boyfriend went to the other night.
You need a couple of individual forms (ramekins), oiled a little bit with a brush and covered with plastic foil, if youi wish to de-form the desserts afterwards.
What you do is, you take about 1 to 1 and a half decilitres of unwhipped cream per portion you want to make, place it in a small pot and bring it to a boil, adding one (not entirely full) tablespoon of sugar per portion and some vanilla essence or vanilla sugar. Whisk and remove from the stove once it starts boiling lightly. Next, take two small sheets of gelatin and melt them in about 2 centimetres of warm water in a cup. Then, take 2 squares of dark chocolate per portion (so 4 for 2 portions), add them in the gelatin cup and nuke them. That's right, I didn't bain marie! Hehe. Anyways. Mix the chocolate well and then add to the cream mixture. The whole thing with the gelatin (if you're using too little for instance) will be evident once you've tried this and you know how you want your dessert. Let the cream cool off a bit, and then place it in the 2 ramekins. Place in the fridge and make sure you have a few hours before you have to serve your dessert!
If it turns out more creamy than set, don't worry about it, as I am certain it'll be pretty tasty anyway. Just call it a chocolate pudding and call it a day :D

2005-07-21T10:35:00.000+02:00

been reading the prince... finished and I have to say I for one thought it was very good. Come on, what 600+ page book can make you finish it that fast hey?? And it's so sad at the end! I also have to say I love the romantic envolvements- It's so cüte :P