24 Wednesday Jul 2013
Posted in Art and Food
Tags
Art, Baking, Cooking, Food, Food Market, Italy, Music, Photography, travel, Video
Another great video from the Perennial Plate guys.
Enjoy a 4 minutes trip to the best Italian food!
10 Things We Love About Italy from The Perennial Plate on Vimeo.
11 Tuesday Jun 2013
Posted in Cakes and Biscuits, Desserts and Sweets
I always thought Petit Choux (or Profiteroles) were a complicated pastry. Just a myth. It is a nice dough to work with and the result is just delicious…can’t stop eating them!
For the piping bag, a little trick: To fill it in a clean way place the bag inside a tall cup or glass. Fold the excess bag that doesn’t fit inside the cup over the edges of the cup. Spoon the dough inside the bag. Remove the bag from the cup and squeeze any air bubbles out of the bag. Twist the top part of the bag and proceed with piping.
Music…Teardrop by Massive Attack.
13 Wednesday Feb 2013
Posted in Cakes and Biscuits
After a period of Granola for breakfast I had to move on. It is cake time to go with my first coffee in the morning.
This one is a sweet cake but not too much as it compensates with the olive oil bitterness. It makes you think there is some kind of liquor in it. It is just the olive oil magic…
Music: Enjoy the Silence by Depeche Mode.
03 Sunday Feb 2013
Posted in Breads
This is a bread with character. Strong and bitter if eaten a few minutes after baking but gets milder the next day.
And versatile. I had it for dinner, just with butter. And for breakfast the next morning with strawberry jam. Both delicious.
*Photo is not great. By the time I realised the photos weren’t great I couldn’t take anymore. The bread was gone.
A bit of Cuban/Spanish fusion for today’s music. Lagrimas Negras by Bebo Valdes & Diego El Cigala.
29 Tuesday Jan 2013
Posted in Breads, Cakes and Biscuits
I am not very good using yeast. Fermentation at home is a challenge, specially in winter. But I found a room upstairs with a constant warm temperature and my breads are now rising properly.
This one is just delicious and the nutmeg touch combines very well. It looks more complicated than it really is. give it a try and enjoy the process…and the result.
Today’s music. Sisters of Mercy by Leonard Cohen.
22 Tuesday Jan 2013
Posted in Cakes and Biscuits, Starters and Snacks
Going through the kitchen cabinets at home I spotted a couple of packages of oats. I like my porridge in the morning but it is going in seasons. I go mad for a week and I stock up for a month and then I get bored.
Let’s find a new life to those poor porridge oats hiding in the kitchen.
Mornings are definitely better with your own Granola!
A great song : The Killing Moon by Echo and the Bunnymen.
05 Saturday Jan 2013
Posted in Art and Food
An early morning post from Belle Isle in Northern Ireland. Have a good weekend!
An interesting project by Spanish graphic designers Ana Dominguez and Omar Sosa and photographer Nacho Alegre.
And Happy New Year to all the happy bloggers!!
10 Monday Dec 2012
Posted in Cakes and Biscuits, Desserts and Sweets
It has been a very busy and interesting November. A few days of holidays in Spain, 2 weeks travelling in Northern India and a weekend at Ballymaloe Cooking School. I might post some of the India pictures soon…
It is time to go back to the kitchen. And, as Christmas is coming, I will start with a Spanish traditional Christmas sweet.
Mantecadas are made with lard (manteca). And it gives a different texture, they melt in your mouth.
Delicious with a good coffee. I had 7 or 8 since yesterday.
Not the healthier option but who is 100% healthy in this period of the year?
Music by Monster and Men…Little Talks.
31 Wednesday Oct 2012
Posted in Breads, Fish and Seafood, Starters and Snacks
Together with the cockles Empanada this is my favorite. I am mad about Salty Cod. It has a beautiful flavour and texture. Very different to the fresh one.
And this Empanada…with the raising contrast…and the Pimenton touch… And it gets better the next day when the pastry has absorbed all the flavours.
Enjoy it with a cold Albariño.
Music…Over and Over by Morcheeba
24 Wednesday Oct 2012
Posted in Cakes and Biscuits, Desserts and Sweets
I have never tried to bake a “Brazo de Gitano” (“Gipsy’s Arm” is how we call a Swiss Roll in Spain) before. I thought is was more complicated but it is surprisingly easy.
The filling is something I improvised by looking around the kitchen. It was delicious. The beetroot doesn’t add much flavour but a nice colour to it.
Plenty of room to play around with ingredients: add cocoa powder to the cake, strawberries to the filling, cream or custard instead of mascarpone…and you could also cover the whole roll with chocolate…
Enjoy it anyway!
And your song for today: Layla by Eric Clapton and Mark Knopler.
