Aventuri in Lumea Larga

Speeding around the world in under 5 minutes

2012-02-10T00:02:00.000-08:00

I want to do this too... I just need sponsors ;))
Anyone interested :D

Asparagus Quiche with Leek and Feta cheese

2012-01-28T05:06:00.000-08:00

20 g butter, 1 pack puff pastry, 500 g white asparagus, 1 onion, 1 garlic, 1 leek, 200 g Feta cheese, 500 ml water, 2 tablespoons MAGGI garden vegetable Bouillon, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 125 ml cream, 1 sachet MAGGI Sauce Hollandaise, 3 eggs

Preheat the oven to 160 °C. Grease a tarte tin with butter and lay out the puff pastry. Bake blind in the oven for 15 minutes.
Wash, peel and cut the asparagus in approx. 2-3 cm long pieces, and boil them for 6-8 minutes in 500 ml water in which you dissolve the 2 tablespoons Bouillon.
Peel the onion, leek and garlic and cut into small cubes. Fry them in oil for a couple of minutes, add 125 ml asparagus water and 125 ml cream, stir in the Sauce Hollandaise. Let it cool for a couple of minutes, add the beaten eggs.
Take from the oven the tarte tin, add the cheese cubes, the drained asparagus bits and pour over the sauce Hollandaise.
Put it back in the oven and bake for another 30 minutes.
Serve with salad.

2011 - One backflip a day

2012-01-24T03:43:00.000-08:00

I can't make a backflip even if my life depends on it and he's making them seem so easy to do....

Rea Garvey - Colour me in

2012-01-18T23:55:00.000-08:00

The newest video from my favourite Irish/German ;))

Fotoshop by Adobe

2012-01-11T00:48:00.000-08:00

Finally a product I can use :)))

Chicken Paprikash

2012-01-09T06:40:00.000-08:00

Kosher salt, 6 slices bacon, diced, 1 medium onion, chopped, 1 green bell pepper, chopped, 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, 2 tablespoons paprika, 1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram, 1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut in half, 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth, 8 ounces egg noodles, 1/2 cup sour cream, 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil.
Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a separate pot over medium heat, 2 minutes. Add the onion and bell pepper and cook 3 more minutes.
Combine the flour, paprika, marjoram and 1 teaspoon salt in a large bowl; add the chicken and toss to coat.
Push the bacon and vegetables to one side of the pot and increase the heat to medium high. Add the chicken and any remaining flour mixture to the other side and cook, turning, until browned, about 6 minutes. Stir together the chicken, bacon and vegetables and cook 2 more minutes.
Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Stir, then reduce the heat to medium low. Cover and simmer until the chicken is almost cooked through, about 10 more minutes.
Meanwhile, add the noodles to the boiling water and cook as the label directs; drain.
Uncover the pot with the chicken, increase the heat to high and cook 2 minutes. Reduce the heat to low, stir in the sour cream and parsley and cook 2 more minutes.
Season with salt. Serve over the noodles.

Courtesy of the Food Network

Carrot, apple and Stilton soup

2012-01-08T06:47:00.000-08:00

2-3 tbsp olive oil, 1 small red onion peeled and finely chopped, 1 garlic clove peeled and chopped, Sea salt and black pepper, 1 very large carrot or 3-4 small ones, peeled and diced, 1 large cooking apple peeled and chopped small, 1.2 litres/2 pints stock, 60-90g/2-3 oz Stilton

Warm the olive oil in a large, heavy bottomed pan and saute the onion and garlic with a little salt for a few minutes until they begin to soften.
Add the carrot, stir to coat in oil, and cook for a further five minutes before adding the apple.
After a couple of minutes add either hot stock or hot water, bring back to a simmer, put a lid on and simmer until cooked — about ten minutes.
Season with black pepper only as the blue cheese is salty. Liquidise the soup in the blender, crumbling in the blue cheese as you go. Taste and adjust seasoning. Return to the pan to heat through before serving.

Off the Grid

2012-01-05T00:10:00.000-08:00

Getting ready for the Oscars... in style :D

Vienna New Year's Concert

2012-01-01T00:41:00.000-08:00

What a better way to start the New Year than the Neujahr Konzert in Vienna?

Zeitgeist 2011

2011-12-31T00:40:00.000-08:00

The Page Turner

2011-12-28T10:14:00.000-08:00

What can you comment about this?
Absolutely nothing...

Pizza pinwheel puffs

2011-12-26T09:49:00.000-08:00

375g pack ready rolled puff pastry, thawed if frozen, 6 tbsp ready made pasta sauce (not too chunky), 100g wafer thin ham, 100g mature cheddar, grated, 1 egg, beaten, 1 tsp dried oregano or mixed herbs

Preheat oven to fan 180C/conventional 200C/gas 6.
Unroll the pastry onto a lightly floured surface and roll it out to 40 x 32cm. Spread a layer of pasta sauce over it, leaving a 1cm border around the edges. Arrange the ham evenly on top, then scatter the grated cheese over. Starting at one of the short ends, roll the pastry up as tightly as possible.
Chill in the fridge for 10 minutes or so.
Take a very sharp knife and cut the roll into 12 equal slices, laying them flat on 2 non-stick baking trays as you go. Brush each pinwheel lightly with beaten egg and sprinkle over the herbs.
Bake for 12-15 minutes until puffed and golden.
Leave to stand for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Merry Christmas!!!

2011-12-25T02:32:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas everyone :D

Simon's Cat - Fowl Play

2011-12-14T11:45:00.000-08:00

David Attenborough - Wonderful World

2011-12-07T10:26:00.000-08:00

Creamy chicken, ham & leek pie

2011-12-03T08:25:00.000-08:00

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, poached with a stock cube, 250 ml cooking liquid, 75 g butter, 2 slender leeks, trimmed and sliced, 2 garlic cloves, crushed, 50 g plain flour, 200 ml milk, 2-3 tbs white wine, 150 ml double cream, 150 g thickly carved ham, cut into 2 cm chunks, salt, peper, 1 shortcrust pastry

Melt 25 g of the butter in a large non-stick saucepan over a low heat. Stir in the leeks and fry gently for 2 mins, stirring occasionally until softened. Add the garlic and cook for 1 min more, then tip everything into a bowl.
Return the pan to the heat and add the remaining butter. Stir in the flour as soon as the butter has melted and cook for 30 secs, stirring constantly. Add the milk, a little at a time, stirring well. Gradually add the cooking liquid and the wine, then stir until the sauce is smooth and thick. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 3 minutes. While stirring season to taste, then remove from heat and stir in the cream.
Add the chicken, leeks and ham to the sauce and pour in a pie dish.
Roll the pastry out and cover the pie dish and trim off the excess. Using a sharp knife cut a small hole in the middle of the pasty (this allows the steam to escape while the pie cooks).
Preheat the oven to 220C. Beat the egg yolks and brush over the pastry. Place the pies in the oven and cook for about 45 minutes.

Ice Age - A Mammoth Christmas

2011-11-25T02:31:00.000-08:00

Getting ready for Christmas ;))

Cottage pie

2011-11-17T10:08:00.000-08:00

Since coming from London I'm into British food... so here it is: Cottage Pie thanks to BBC Good Foods

3 tbsp olive oil, 1¼ kg beef mince, 2 onions, finely chopped, 3 carrots, chopped, 3 celery sticks, chopped, 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped, 3 tbsp plain flour, 1 tbsp tomato purée, large glass red wine (optional), 850ml beef stock, 4 tbsp Worcestershire sauce, few thyme sprigs, 2 bay leaves
For the Mash: 1.8kg potatoes, chopped, 225ml milk, 25g butter, 200g strong cheddar, grated, freshly grated nutmeg

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large saucepan and fry the mince until browned - you may need to do this in batches. Set aside as it browns. Put the rest of the oil into the pan, add the vegetables and cook on a gentle heat until soft, about 20 mins. Add the garlic, flour and tomato purée, increase the heat and cook for a few mins, then return the beef to the pan. Pour over the wine, if using, and boil to reduce it slightly before adding the stock, Worcestershire sauce and herbs. Bring to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for 45 mins. By this time the gravy should be thick and coating the meat. Check after about 30 mins - if a lot of liquid remains, increase the heat slightly to reduce the gravy a little. Season well, then discard the bay leaves and thyme stalks.
Meanwhile, make the mash. In a large saucepan, cover the potatoes in salted cold water, bring to the boil and simmer until tender. Drain well, then allow to steam-dry for a few mins. Mash well with the milk, butter, and three-quarters of the cheese, then season with the nutmeg and some salt and pepper.
Spoon meat into 2 ovenproof dishes. Pipe or spoon on the mash to cover. Sprinkle on the remaining cheese. If eating straight away, heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7 and cook for 25-30 mins, or until the topping is golden.

Michael Buble - Santa Claus is coming to town

2011-11-14T03:19:00.000-08:00

Hey, hey, it's Christmas time again :D

Ragout fin Chasseur

2011-11-10T08:05:00.000-08:00

Here is a German recipe from Maggi, really tasty and easy to make.

400 g chicken breast, 200 g mushrooms, 1 tbs lemon juice, 2 tbs butter, 300 ml water, 1 sachet Maggi fix & frisch Rahm Geschnetzeltes, 4 tbs cream, 1 tbs Worcester sauce, 1 tbs chopped parsley, 4 puff pastry disks

Preheat the oven to 200 ° C. Wash the chicken breast fillets, pat dry and cut them into cubes and season them with nutmeg. Clean the mushrooms, cut them into quarters and drizzle them with lemon juice.
Brown the meat in butter, add the mushrooms and sauté. Pour in water, add the Maggi Fix, bring to a boil and cook about 2 minutes. Stir in the cream. Season with Worcester sauce.
Put the puff pastry disks in the oven for about 10 minutes and them fill them with the stew filling. Serve garnished with parsley.

Lightly spiced carrot soup

2011-11-05T07:59:00.000-07:00

1 tbsp vegetable oil, 1 onion, finely chopped, 1 garlic clove, chopped, knob of fresh root ginger, grated, 1 red chilli, deseeded and chopped, 1 tsp mild curry powder, plus extra, 1kg carrots, trimmed and sliced, 2 lemongrass stalks, bashed, 2 strips orange zest, 400g can coconut milk, 700ml vegetable stock

Heat the oil in a large pan with a lid. Tip in the onion, garlic, ginger and chilli, then cook for 3-5 mins until soft. Stir in the curry powder, followed by the carrots, lemongrass and zest, then cover and cook over a low heat for 10 mins more.
Give the coconut milk can a shake, then pour most of it into the pan along with the vegetable stock. Bring to the boil, then turn down and simmer for 15 mins until the carrots are really soft. Remove the lemongrass and orange zest, then use a stick blender or food processor to whizz until smooth. Ladle into bowls and top with a swirl of reserved coconut milk and an extra sprinkling of curry powder, if you like.

Linguine with mushroom, prosciutto and garlic cream sauce

2011-10-25T07:43:00.000-07:00

400g fresh linguine, 3 garlic cloves, chopped, olive oil, 6 slices prosciutto, chopped, 500g chestnut mushrooms, trimmed and sliced, 250ml white wine, 300ml double cream, 50g Parmesan, grated, 3 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large deep frying pan. Add the garlic and mushrooms and a big pinch of salt. Cook for 5 minutes on a fairly high heat, stirring often. Add the prosciutto and cook for another couple of minutes. Pour in the white wine and then let reduce by half, it should take about 5 minutes. Add the cream and reduce a little. Remove from the heat, add half the cheese and all of the parsley.
Cook the pasta following the pack instructions. Drain then add the pasta to the mushroom pan and toss everything together. Serve with the rest of the cheese.

Pancetta & cheddar tart with thyme & paprika pastry

2011-10-20T06:29:00.000-07:00

As always, a big thank you to Good Foods UK

150ml full-fat milk, 3 eggs, 250ml double cream, 200g pancetta or bacon lardons, 100g button mushrooms, sliced, 100g mature cheddar, grated
For the thyme & paprika pastry: 200g plain flour, plus extra for dusting, ½ tsp smoked paprika, ¾ tsp thyme leaves, 100g butter, chilled and finely diced

Heat the oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5.
Sift the flour and smoked paprika with a pinch of salt. Grind the thyme in a pestle and mortar to release the flavour then stir into the flour mix. Add the diced butter to the flour and rub together lightly with the tips of your fingers until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add 2-3 tbsp water gradually bringing everything together to make a dough. Form into a disc then wrap in clingfilm and rest in the fridge for 20 minutes.
Dust your work surface with flour then roll out the pastry into a rough circle, turning every now and again to keep the circular shape. Use the tin (a 24cm (3-4cm deep) tart tin) as a guide to check you have rolled the pastry big enough. Ideally you want a little bit of overlap to prevent shrinkage. Lift up the pastry onto your rolling pin then carefully unfold onto the tin. Ease the pastry carefully into the tin. Use the side of your little finger to make sure the pastry is pushed into the corners and flutes of the tin. Cut a circle of greaseproof paper big enough to line the tart case then scrunch the paper up to make it pliable. Line the tin with this then fill with ceramic baking beans or dried beans. Bake for 20 minutes then take out the beans and paper and cook for another 5 minutes or until the base has dried out. Turn down the oven to 150C/fan 130C/gas 2.
Trim the overhanging edges of the pastry with a small serrated knife while still warm. Whisk the milk, eggs and double cream. Fry the pancetta and mushrooms in a non-stick pan until both are slightly golden. Stir them into the egg mix while still hot then mix in the cheese. Pour the mix into the baked tart case. Cook for 40 minutes until just set. Cool a little in the tin and serve warm.

Coldplay - Paradise

2011-10-18T23:35:00.000-07:00

The newest video from Coldplay... can't wait for their new album and who knows, maybe a concert in Bucharest next year?

Pasta with cream champignons

2011-10-12T03:17:00.000-07:00

250 g Penne Rigate, 200 g mushrooms, 1 zucchini, 1 small onion, 20 g butter, 1/4 l water, 1 sachet MAGGI fix & fresh cream mushrooms, 100 g gorgonzola, 1 bunch parsley

In a saucepan, cook the pasta as directed on the package. Clean and slice the mushrooms. Wash and clean the zucchini, halve it lengthwise and cut into slices. Peel the onion and cut it into cubes.
Heat the butter in a saucepan. Sauté onion in it. Add the vegetables and sauté for 10 minutes.
Pour in water, add the Maggi Mix, bring to a boil. Add the cheese, and blend it until it has melted.
Add the drained pasta, season to taste, chop finely the parsley and sprinkle over the plate.

Malt Chocolate Cheesecake

2011-10-10T07:50:00.000-07:00

It was my niece's birthday today so I decided to make a special cake for her. And because I don't know how to use her oven I made one without fire (or almost without).

It's easy to make and very, very tasty :D
Thanks as always to Good Foods UK for the recipe, I made a slight modification, I added also dark chocolate for a 3 layer cake:

200g malted milk biscuits, crushed to crumbs, 100g salted butter, melted, 5 tbsp caster sugar, 2 x 300g tubs full fat soft cheese like Philadelphia, 300ml pot double cream, 200g white chocolate, melted, 200g bar dark chocolate, melted, 200g bar milk chocolate, melted, 2 tbsp malt or Horlicks powder, 37g bag white Maltesers

Line base and sides of a deep, 22-23cm loose-bottomed round tin with baking parchment. Mix the biscuits, melted butter and 2 tbsp of the sugar, then press into base. Chill while you make the filling.
Divide cream cheese and cream evenly between 3 bowls. Add the white chocolate to one, the dark chocolate to another and the milk chocolate, malt and remaining 3 tbsp sugar to the last. Beat each with an electric whisk until smooth.
Spread the milk chocolate mixture evenly in the tin. Wipe round the edge to give a smooth edge. Spoon the white chocolate mix over the top and gently smooth. Spread the dark chocolate over the top, decorate with Maltesers and chill for at least 5 hrs until firm.

Contrex - Ma Contrexperience

2011-10-09T01:42:00.000-07:00

A commercial with an unexpected ending ;))

Peach tiramisu

2011-10-08T02:58:00.000-07:00

1 can (425 ml) peaches in syrup, 4 eggs, 100 gr sugar, 500 gr mascarpone, 5 cl peach schnapps, 1 pack sponge fingers, 2 tablespoons cocoa powder

Drain the peaches, collect the syrup. Puree the peaches, separate the eggs. Beat the egg yolks with sugar until you obtain a fluffy cream. Add the peach puree and the mascarpone.
Mix the peach syrup with the schnapps and douse the sponge fingers in this mix. In a square form put a layer of sponge fingers, a layer of cream, another layer of sponge fingers and the rest of the cream. Sprinkle with cocoa powder and put it in the fridge for 3 hours.

R.I.P. Steve Jobs

2011-10-06T02:26:00.000-07:00

Pancakes filled Italian style

2011-10-04T05:06:00.000-07:00

150 g flour, 2 eggs, 250 ml milk, salt, 2 tablespoons oil, 2 tomatoes, 150 g (5 pieces) champignons, 1 leek, 250 g minced meat, 200 ml water, 50 ml cream, 1 sachet Maggi Tortellini Tomate Basilikum, 50 g grated cheese

Make a pancake mix with the flour, eggs, milk and salt and leave it to rest for 10 minutes. Fry the pancakes in a nonstick pan.
Wash the tomatoes and cut into small cubes, clean the mushrooms and slice them, wash the leek and cut into rings.
Sauté the meat in hot oil, add the leek and fry with the champignons. Pour in cream and water, add the Maggi mix and bring to a boil.
Let it cool for 5 minutes, spread on the pancakes, sprinkle with diced tomatoes and cheese, roll the pancakes and put them in the oven for another 10 minutes. Serve with a salad.

Creamy chicken stew with mustard

2011-10-02T02:46:00.000-07:00

300 g chicken breast fillets, 2 shallots, 2 tablespoons sunflower oil, 150 ml water, 50 ml creme fraiche, 50 ml white wines, 6 tablespoons MAGGI poultry sauce, 1 tablespoon mustard, 2 tablespoons chives

Wash the meat and cut it into cubes. Chop the onions into small cubes. Heat the oil and beown the meat, add the onions and saute till the onions become translucent. Add the water, cream and wine and the poutry sauce. Let it boil for 5 minutes, add the mustard and season to taste. Sprinkle the chives on top and serve with rice or potatoes.

Chocolate chunk pecan cookies

2011-09-30T10:27:00.000-07:00

Another recipe from Good Foods BBC :D

200g dark chocolate, broken into squares, 100g butter, chopped, 50g light muscovado sugar, 85g golden caster sugar, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 1 egg, beaten, 100g whole pecans, 100g plain flour, 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Melt 85g chocolate in the microwave on High for 1 min or over a pan of simmering water. Beat in the butter, sugars, vanilla and egg until smooth, then stir in three-quarters of both the nuts and remaining chocolate, then the flour and bicarbonate of soda.
Heap 12 spoonfuls, spaced apart, on 2 baking sheets (don't spread the mixture), then poke in the reserved nuts and chocolate. Bake for 12 mins until firm, then leave to cool on the sheets. Can be stored in a tin for up to 3 days.

Adele - Someone like you

2011-09-29T00:12:00.000-07:00

What a voice....

Celery soup with blue cheese

2011-09-28T02:32:00.000-07:00

30 gr of butter, 1 head of celery, 2 onions, 2 spoons of flour, 1.2 litre of vegetable broth, 75 gr blue of cheese (spicy Gorgonzola, Stilton, Roquefort), black pepper, chives, salt

Peel, wash and cut into small cubes the celery and the onions. In a wide pan melt the butter, add the celery and onions and cook for about 4 minutes. When the onions are translucent, add the flour and cook for another minute. Pour the broth little by little and mix well, let it simmer for 30 minutes, until the celery is soft. Crumble the cheese, add it to the soup, season it with salt and pepper, put in in the blender and mix well. Serve sprinkled with chives and eat it with croutons.

Egg-free cheese & bacon quiche

2011-09-26T00:55:00.000-07:00

For the pastry: 225g plain flour, 100g butter, 25g Parmesan, grated, pinch of cayenne pepper

For the filling: 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 large onion, finely sliced, 200g chopped smoked streaky bacon, 2 tbsp egg replacer, 2 tsp plain flour, 300ml double cream, 4 tbsp milk, 85g mature cheddar, grated

Either by hand or in a food processor, mix the flour, butter, cheese and pepper with enough cold water to combine, then knead lightly until smooth. Roll out the pastry and line a 23cm loose-bottomed tart tin. Cover with cling film and chill for 30 min. Any leftover pastry can be frozen for up to 1 month.
Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Remove cling film, line with greaseproof paper, fill with baking beans and bake for 15 min until the sides are crisp. Remove beans and paper, then return pastry to the oven and cook for another 5-10 min until lightly golden. Cool.
To make the filling, heat oil in a pan. Cook the onion until soft and the bacon until browned. Scatter over the pastry base, discarding excess fat, followed by half the cheese. Whisk the egg-free substitute, flour, cream and milk together and pour into case. Scatter remaining cheese on top.
Lower the oven to 150C/130C fan/ gas 2 and bake the quiche for 35-40 min, or until the filling is set and the top brown. Stand for 10 min before removing from the tin.

Thanks Good Food BBC ;) You can replace the egg replacer with 2 eggs if you want a normal quiche...

100 years of East London style in 100 seconds

2011-09-13T00:52:00.000-07:00

Just cool :D

Courgette, potato & cheddar soup

2011-09-08T00:43:00.000-07:00

500g potatoes, unpeeled and roughly chopped, 2 vegetable stock cubes, 1kg courgettes, roughly chopped, bunch spring onion, sliced - save 1 for serving, if eating straight away 100g extra-mature cheddar or vegetarian alternative, grated, plus a little extra to serve, good grating fresh nutmeg, plus extra to serve

Put the potatoes in a large pan with just enough water to cover them and crumble in the stock cubes. Bring to the boil, then cover and cook for 5 mins. Add the courgettes, put the lid back on and cook for 5 mins more. Throw in the spring onions, cover and cook for a final 5 mins.
Take off the heat, then stir in the cheese and season with the nutmeg, salt and pepper.
Whizz to a thick soup, adding more hot water until you get the consistency you like.
Serve scattered with extra grated cheddar, spring onions and nutmeg or pepper. Or cool and freeze in freezer bags or containers with good lids for up to 3 months.

Ryan Sheridan - Stand up tall

2011-09-05T08:13:00.000-07:00

Saw him in March as opening act for The Script...
He's pretty good, isn't he ;)

Nutella & Raisins Ice cream

2011-08-23T01:30:00.000-07:00

I just bought an ice cream machine after reading this verry verry tasty recipe ;)

If you want more delicious recipes visit Laura Adamache http://www.lauraadamache.ro/ on her blog and you won't regret it ;)

350 gr nutella, 1 tablespoon honey, 40gr sugar, 10 gr corn starch, 460 gr milk, 200 gr cream, 100 gr raisins, brandy

Dissolve the cornstarch in milk, add the sugar and bring to boil. Let it simmer for 5 minutes, stirring continuously. Remove from the heat, add the honey and nutella and mix it well.
Let the mix cool completely. Beat the cream not to stiffly and add it to the nutella cream.
Leave it for 30 minutes in the fridge, add the raisins soaked in brandy and then put it in the ice cream machine for around 30 minutes.
If you want it more firmly, you can put it afterwards for 30 minutes in the freezer.

Snow Patrol - Called out in the dark

2011-08-17T01:01:00.000-07:00

I totally loove this video, it's soo funny, and the music is GREAT :D

Mozzarella Tomatoes Sandwich

2011-08-13T09:44:00.000-07:00

Home alone and nothing to eat...

or not ;)
Simple, easy and taaasty

1 ciabatta bread, 1 tablespoon pesto, rocket leaves, 3-4 mozzarella slices, 3-4 slices tomato, 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

Cut the bread in half. Spread the pesto on the bread, place the rocket leaves on top and some slices of cheese and tomatoes. Add salt and pepper and pour over a teaspoon of balsamic vinegar. Place the other bread half over, press gently and cut in half.

Gym Class Heroes feat Adam Levine - Stereo Hearts

2011-08-12T08:38:00.000-07:00

Adam Levine from Maroon 5 in a new presentation ;)
I heard this song once and I totally fell in love with it...

STA Travel Australia - Learn

2011-08-06T06:16:00.000-07:00

This is the last part...

STA Travel Australia - Move

2011-08-05T06:14:00.000-07:00

This is the second part

STA Travel Australia - Eat

2011-08-04T06:09:00.000-07:00

Now this is a video I would have loved to make ;))

Mexican Enchiladas with Cheese

2011-08-03T01:19:00.000-07:00

Here is a very easy to make recipe, thanks to Delia Smith http://www.deliaonline.com/

For the salsa: 1 x 14 oz (400 g) tin chopped tomatoes, 1 medium green chilli (the fat, squat variety that isn't too fiery), 1 medium red onion, peeled and finely chopped, 2 heaped tablespoons chopped fresh coriander leaves, plus a little extra, to garnish, juice 1 lime, salt and freshly milled black pepper
For the enchiladas: 4 large flour tortillas 4 oz (110 g), Wensleydale, grated 5 oz (150 g), mozzarella, grated - a block of mozzarella is best for this, 7 fl oz (200 ml) half-fat creme fraiche
You will also need an ovenproof baking dish measuring 9 inches (23 cm) square and 2 inches (5 cm) deep, lightly oiled, and a frying pan.

Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 180°C. Begin by making the salsa: first tip the tomatoes into a sieve over a bowl to let the excess liquid drain away. Next, remove the stalk from the chilli, cut it in half, remove and discard the seeds, chop the flesh very finely and place it in a bowl. Then add half the chopped onion, the drained tomatoes, chopped coriander leaves and lime juice, and season well with salt and pepper. Now give everything a thorough mixing. Meanwhile, mix the 2 cheeses together in a bowl.
Next, put the frying pan over a high flame to pre-heat and, when it's hot, dry-fry each of the tortillas for 6 seconds on each side. Place 1 tortilla on a flat surface and spread a tablespoon of salsa over it, but not quite to the edges, sprinkle over a heaped tablespoon of the cheese mixture, then follow this with a tablespoon of the creme fraiche. Then roll the tortilla up and place it in the baking dish with the sealed side down. Repeat this with the others, then spread the remaining creme fraiche on top of the tortillas in the dish and sprinkle the rest of the salsa over the top, followed by the remaining cheeses and red onion.
Now place the dish on a high shelf of the oven for 25-30 minutes, garnish with the extra coriander and serve absolutely immediately - if you keep them waiting they can become a bit soggy.

Reeve Carney ft. Bono & The Edge - Rise above 1

2011-07-28T00:43:00.000-07:00

The soundtrack from Spiderman - Turn off the dark musical :D
I really, really want to see it, but I'll have to go to New York for it :(

Cheesecake with lemon and blackberries

2011-07-26T01:25:00.000-07:00

Cake layer: 150 gr ladyfingers, 125 gr butter, 50 g sugar

Lemon cream: 250 g ricotta, 250 g mascarpone, 250g cream, 1 sachet powdered gelatin, 4 tablespoons water, 6 tablespoons sugar, 1/2 lemon (juice and rind), 2 sachets vanilla sugar, 150 gr blackberry / raspberry / strawberry

Cake layer: Mix the ladyfinger with butter and sugar, place the mix obtained in a cake form of 24-26 cm, and press it well with a spoon, put it in the refrigerator while preparing the lemon cream.
Lemon cream: Mix ricotta with mascarpone, sugar, vanilla sugar. After the mix is completely homogenized, add the lemon rind and juice and mix again.
Soften the gelatin in 4 tablespoons of cold water for 5 minutes after melt it in bain marie and then let cool 1-2 minutes. Add the gelatin in the lemon cream, mix, add the stiff cream and mix again.
Spread 3/4 of cream over the cake layer then add the berries and push them gently into the cream. Add the remaining cream and spread it over the entire surface of cake.
Leave the cake to cool for 2-3 hours in the fridge, ornate it with some grated chocolate and berries and serve it.

It's absolutely delicious, it's easy to make, you don't have to use the oven so it's perfect for a summer day.
A big thank you to Laura Adamache who created this recipe, visit her blog http://www.lauraadamache.ro/ for more amazing recipes ;)

Life in a day

2011-07-24T00:49:00.000-07:00

What happens when you send a request out to the world to chronicle, via video, a single day on Earth? You get 80,000 submissions and 4,500 hours of footage from 192 countries. Producer Ridley Scott and Oscar-winning director Kevin Macdonald took this raw material — all shot on July 24, 2010 — and created Life in a Day, a groundbreaking, feature-length documentary that portrays this kaleidoscope of images we call life.

Enchiladas

2011-07-22T06:57:00.000-07:00

1 Tablespoon Shortening, 1 pound Ground beef, 3 Tablespoons Flour, 1 8-oz. can Tomato sauce, Water, 2 Tablespoons Chili powder, Salt, to taste, 3/4 teaspoon Garlic powder, 12 Corn Tortillas, 1 pound Cheese coarsely grated, 1 large Onion, chopped fine

Melt shortening in heavy skillet. Add the ground meat and brown. Sprinkle meat with flour; mix in skillet. Add tomato sauce and 1 cup water. Mix ½ cup water with the chili pow der to form a smooth paste; add to the meat mixture. Add salt to taste and garlic powder. Cook over medium heat, uncovered, until it is of gravy consistency. Cover and simmer over very low heat. Add more water if the chili gravy becomes too thick.
Dip tortillas one at a time in the hot chili gravy with a wide metal spatula. The tortillas will become pliable almost immediately, which will make rolling the enchiladas easier. Soaking too long will cause the tortillas to fall apart.
Place a good sprinkling of grated cheese and minced onion and about a tablespoon of the meat mixture to one side of the center of the tortilla. Roll tortilla tightly around the filling and place loose side down in a glass casserole baking dish. For best results place the enchiladas in a row with sides touching.
When all enchiladas have been formed, pour the remaining hot chili gravy over all, and sprinkle generously with grated cheese, and top with chopped onion. Bake at 350 degrees. F until the cheese is melted. Serve immediately.

Bear Grylls

2011-07-21T03:18:00.000-07:00

That's a new way to promote your show ;)
Only Bear can think of that...
So remember, if you want to survive you might have to chew chewed gum ;)

Chicken with Barbeque Sauce

2011-07-20T00:34:00.000-07:00

12 pieces of chicken (or spare ribs)
For the barbecue sauce: 125ml tomato ketchup, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, 2 teaspoons cider vinegar, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 2 teaspoons tomato puree, 2 teaspoons grainy mustard, 1 tablespoon honey, 2 teaspoons molasses sugar or dark brown muscovado sugar, juice of 1 small orange, 3 cloves garlic, crushed, 2½ cm square piece of fresh root ginger, crushed, salt and pepper

Mix all the barbecue sauce ingredients together well in a bowl to make a marinade.
Put the chicken pieces (or spare ribs) in a roasting tin, pour over the marinade and leave for 1 hour.
Cover the tin with foil and bake in a preheated oven, 180°C/350°F/Gas 4, for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes remove the foil and cook uncovered for 5-10 minutes. Test the meat with a knife - it should be pale and tender, not pink. Carry on cooking for a further 5 minutes if it needs it, if not take it out of the oven and eat.
Serve with rice or, alternatively, mashed potato and peas.

L'Oreal advert

2011-07-04T05:35:00.000-07:00

It's really funny to hear Dr. House with a British accent ;))

Cauliflower Soup with Gorgonzola

2011-06-30T02:14:00.000-07:00

I found this in Good Foods Magazine, and I can say it's absolutely delicious and soo easy to make, so enjoy :D

1 medium head of cauliflower, small knob of unsalted butter, 2 small cooking onions, peeled and finely chopped, 5 sprigs of thyme, 2 bay leaves, 1 litre of vegetable stock, 250 g Gorgonzola cheese, 100ml tub of creme fraiche

Trim the cauliflower, discarding the outer leaves. Break into florets.
Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Add the onion and sweat them gently over low heat for about 5 minutes, until softened and translucent. Add the cauliflower and allow to sweat for a few minutes. Add the thyme, bay leaves and season with a bit of salt and pepper.
Pour over the stock and bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer, cover and simmer for about 20 to 25 minutes, until the vegetables are very soft.
Crumble in the cheese. Stir to melt and then whisk in the creme fraiche. Remove the bay leaves and any thyme stocks.
Whiz with a hand blender until really smooth. Return to the stove and keep warm. Taste and season as required.

Coldplay - Every Teardrop is a Waterfall

2011-06-28T02:11:00.000-07:00

The first single of Coldplay's new album is here :D

Carrot Soup

2011-06-25T01:30:00.000-07:00

60g butter, 1 onion, finely chopped, 500g carrots, peeled and chopped, 125g potatoes, peeled and diced, 1 litre water with or without stock cube, or home-made stock, 125ml milk, salt and pepper

Melt the butter in a pan and soften the onion in the butter for a few minutes. Add the carrots, potatoes and seasoning. Stir and mix well together. Then pour in the water or stock, simmer with the lid on until the veggies are well cooked - about 30 minutes. Allow to cool, blend in a food processor or blender, then add the milk and reheat. Add more water if required.

Midsummer Kupala Night

2011-06-21T06:28:00.000-07:00

MIDSUMMER KUPALA NIGHT is a Slavic feast associated with the summer solstice of the Sun, celebrated in the shortest night of the year. This is festival of water and fire.
On June 21, 2011 in Poznan, Poland near the Warta River, this feast was also a flash mob in which participants have released one thousand lanterns into the sky.

Guess Who - Tot mai sus

2011-06-14T05:47:00.000-07:00

Could you guess it's romanian music?
The sound is cool, the video also...

Asparagus Quiche with bacon

2011-05-27T02:07:00.000-07:00

250g green asparagus, 250g white asparagus, 500 ml water, 2 tsp MAGGI NaturPur organic vegetable broth, 100 g of raw ham, 100 g cooked ham, 1 bunch chives, 1 package (270 g) puff pastry, 30 g butter, 100 ml white wine, 1 sachet MAGGI masterclass Hollandaise sauce, 125 g butter, 1 teaspoon tarragon (chopped), 1 tsp MAGGI seasoning

Preheat oven to 200°C. Wash the green and white asparagus, peel and cut into 3 cm long pieces. Bring to boil a pot of water and MAGGI Nature Pure Organic Vegetable broth and cook the asparagus in it about 8 minutes until al dente. Remove asparagus with a slotted spoon and keep the broth.
Cut the ham into cubes and the chives into rolls. Mix together the ham, asparagus and chives.
Place the puff pastry in a quiche form. Melt 30g butter and brush it on the puff pastry. Add the asparagus mix.
Pour white wine into a pot and add 125 ml of asparagus broth. Stir in the MAGGI masterclass Hollandaise Sauce, let it boil and stir on a low heat 125 g butter. Season with tarragon and MAGGI seasoning. Add the sauce to the quiche and bake in oven about 25 minutes. Serve with salad.

What an Astronaut's Camera Sees

2011-05-26T00:37:00.000-07:00

An intimate tour... in 1080p... of Earth's most impressive landscapes... as captured by astronauts with their digital cameras.

Dr. Justin Wilkinson from NASA's astronaut team describes the special places that spacemen focus on whenever they get a moment.

We start with the coast of Namibia in southwestern Africa, the very dry desert coast of the Namib Desert. You can see a cloud band butting up against the shore and some straight sand dunes in the lower left of the picture. Yeah those are big red sand dunes that the astronauts say is one of the most beautiful sites that you can get when you're flying.

Coming into the view on the left is an impact crater right in the middle of the picture, right about now and some wind streaks. We know where this area is because it's a bit unique. We've got a major dune field coming into the picture on the left there: the Oriental Sand Sea, as it's called in French, and on the top is the Isawan Sand Sea.

This is the island of Sicily with cloud over Mt. Etna, so you can't quite tell there's a big volcano in the middle of the picture right now. And there's the toe of the boot of Italy coming into the picture from the left. See a good example of sun glint on the right with the sea reflecting the sun.

This is the smooth east coast of the Kamchatka peninsula again. As you move inland it gets even more striking as a picture because of all the volcanoes on this peninsula and the snowy mountains. There's a volcano just coming into the picture from the top left there. You can see a knob-shaped feature.

Here is a smaller finger of land in China sticking into the Pacific Ocean. In winter you can see all the snow lower left. This is called the Qindoa P eninsula and we recognize it. And again, the sun glint point moving along the coast upper center.

In a very clear picture, the Zagros mountains with snow on them in Iran, in the country of Iran.

Here we have the north coast of Australia and the gulf of Carpenteria and some islands. The biggest island at the bottom of the screen there is Groote island, which means the big island in Dutch.

When you see a huge powerful feature like this and the astronauts do shoot them a lot and we have had some detailed views looking right down the eye, looking at the eyewall. In fact I seem to remember views of breaking waves on the sea surface at the bottom of the eye. Amazing detail.

Look at this neat picture of Great Salt Lake in Utah. And the variation in color? That's due to an almost a complete blockage of the circulation of the lake by a trestle for a railroad that crosses from one side to the other. It stops the circulation and things get a little bit saltier and certainly saltier at the north end of the lake.

Here you see two circles coming in to the top of the view now. These are either volcanoes or effects from inside the earth producing circular features. We think this is the Big Bend area of Texas.

This is an interesting sideways view of the peninsula of Florida, with the Keys stretching out into the lowest part of the picture there. And the shallow seas around the Bahama Islands top right. And Cuba coming into the picture lower right.

And this I believe is the coast of Northern Chile in South America. It's a very straight coast, except for that strange headland out to the right just disappearing. And so the desert is the first part of the inland zone, and then you see much blacker at the top of the picture the Andes Mountains with some many dozens of volcanoes.

Here is a thunderhead. The typical look of the thunderheads, the big rainstorms, that develop over the Amazon Basin. And another one coming in top right. Here's an obviously a major river. There's an even bigger one coming in on the right. That looks to me like it could well be the Amazon River, with one of its big tributaries on the left. And the flow would seem to be from the bottom of the picture to the top.

American Pasta Casserole

2011-05-15T05:46:00.000-07:00

2 tomatoes, 2 slices bacon, 1 can (425 ml) kidney beans, 2 tablespoons sunflower oil, 500 g mixed minced meat, 1 liter of water, 2 bags MAGGI fix & fresh Bolognese Gratin, 300 g BUITONI Eliche, 1 cup (200 g) sour cream, 100 g cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 200 ° C. Wash tomatoes and cut into cubes, cut the bacon into strips. Drain kidney beans.
Heat the oil in a pan, sauté the meat. Add the bacon and fry it. Add the water, stir in MAGGI fix & Bolognese Gratin, bring to a boil and cook 1 minute. Add the kidney beans.
Place the BUITONI Eliche in a baking dish, spread the meat sauce on it so that the noodles are covered with sauce. Pour the tomatoes and the sour cream over the casserole, sprinkle the cheddar cheese over it and bake in the oven for about 30 minutes.

Eurovision Song Contest

2011-05-14T05:37:00.000-07:00

And the winner is the European Country named ... Azerbaijan ;))

Cannelloni with Ham

2011-05-10T00:44:00.000-07:00

1/2 basil bundle, 500 g tomatoes, 1 spoon olive oil, 2 spoons tomato paste, 6 spoons white wine, pepper, salt, sugar, 125 g mozzarella cheese, 100 g ham, 50 g smoked bacon, 350 g ricotta cheese, 2 eggs, 16 cannelloni, 50 g grated cheddar

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees.
Wash the basil and chop it finely.
Pour hot water over the tomatoes, peel and dice them. Saute them in oil. Add the wine and the tomato paste and season them with pepper, salt and sugar.
Cut into dice the mozzarella and ham; mix together the eggs and the ricotta, then season them with salt and pepper. Mix the cheeses together and fill the cannelloni.
Put them in an oiled dish, pour over the tomato sauce, sprinkle with the cheddar cheese and put them in the oven for 35 minutes.

Michael Bolton - Jack Sparrow

2011-05-07T00:38:00.000-07:00

Who thought Michael Bolton could be funny?
The guys from Saturday Night Live ;))

Cookie the ticklish penguin

2011-04-19T10:14:00.000-07:00

Have you heard of Cookie the ticklish penguin?
No?
Well, here he is: the mascot of the Cincinatti Zoo...

Augo the Polar Bear

2011-04-11T10:33:00.000-07:00

Four months old and no brain cell in sight... but he is soooo cute :D

The Script - If you ever come back

2011-03-31T00:44:00.000-07:00

The newest video from my fave band ;)

Baked pancakes

2011-03-28T06:53:00.000-07:00

Pancakes: 200 g flour, 4 eggs, 50 g butter, 200 ml milk, salt, fat for frying (butter or margarine)

Filling: 500 g leeks, 150 g mushrooms, 40 g butter, 100 g cream, 2-3 tablespoons soy sauce, one tablespoon mustard, pepper, 100 g soft cheese, butter

Pancakes - Mix well the flour, eggs, melted butter and milk until smooth. Add a little salt and let stand 10 minutes. Fry 6 pancakes on both sides in hot fat, then set aside.
Filling - Clean the leeks and mushrooms. Cut the leek in slices and fry in 20g butter. Add the chopped mushrooms and cream, then simmer until all liquid evaporates. Incorporate the soy sauce and mustard and add salt and pepper to taste. Rub on each pancake a thin layer of soft cheese and spread over the leek and mushroom filling. Place the pancakes in a greased Jena dish, sprinkle remaining pieces of butter and put in the oven for 30 minutes.

Sticky Tape

2011-03-27T01:36:00.001-07:00

A new Simon's Cat Adventure was released last month, but I just discovered it ;))

Züricher Spring Nest

2011-03-25T05:12:00.000-07:00

1 Kohlrabi, 2 carrots, 30 g butter, 1/8 l water, 100 g sugar pods, 1 spring onion bundle, 1/8 l water, 1 bag MAGGI Geschnetzeltes "Züricher type", 150 g yogurt, pepper, sugar, 6 vol-au-vents

Preheat the oven to 200° C. Wash, peel and cut julienne the kohlrabi and the carrots. Saute them in butter for 5 minutes, add the sugar pods and the chopped spring onion. Add the water, stir the MAGGI "Züricher type", bring to boil and cook for 1 min. Add the yogurt, and season with salt, pepper, and sugar. Put the vol-au-vents in the oven for 5 minutes, until hot. Fill them with the vegetables and serve with salad.

Carrot-Ginger-Coconut Soup

2011-03-22T05:27:00.000-07:00

1 scallion, 500 g carrots, 400 g potatoes, 1 piece ginger, 1 tablespoon oil, 1 teaspoon sugar, 750 ml water, 1 cube vegetable soup, 50 ml cream, 1 tin (165 ml) coconut milk, curry

Cut all the vegetables in small cubes. Heat the oil, fry the vegetables, sprinkle with the sugar and let it caramelize. Add the water and the soup and boil for 20 minutes. Add the coconut milk and cook for another 10 minutes. Blend everything, add the curry and the cream and serve with croutons.

Red Nose Day

2011-03-18T01:54:00.000-07:00

Totally hillarious, only the British have this humour ;)

Zucchini liver

2011-03-10T13:29:00.000-08:00

50 g smoked pancetta, 500 g pork liver, salt, pepper, thyme, brandy, 1 onion, 100 g carrots, 100 g leeks, 100 g celeriac, 400 g zucchini, 1 glas white wine, 1/4 l chicken soup, 1/4 l cream, 1 tablespoon starch, 2 tablespoons green chives

Cut the pancetta into small cubes, and the liver in stripes. Fry them in oil, season them with salt, pepper, thyme and brandy. Take them out and keep them warm. Cut all the vegetables except the zucchinis julienne and saute them for 10 minutes. Add the sliced zucchini, and saute for another 5 minutes. Pour the wine and soup. Mix the cream with the starch and add them to the vegetables, cook for another 10 minutes. Add the liver, season and sprinkle with the chives.

Spicy Muffins

2011-03-07T05:03:00.000-08:00

1 egg, 100 ml sunflower oil, 250 ml buttermilk, 1/2 teaspoon salt, pepper, sweet paprika, 1 tablespoon pesto, 250 g wheat flour, 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder, 50 g ham, 50 g Gouda

Heat the oven at 180 degrees Celsius. Butter the muffin forms. Mix the egg, oil, buttermilk and the seasoning with a mixer. Add the flour and the baking powder. Add the ham and cheese cut into small cubes and pour them into the muffin forms. Bake for 20 minutes. Serve warm.

Lyonnese Pumpkin Soup

2011-03-04T06:49:00.000-08:00

1,5 kg pumpkin, 1 shallot, 1 leek, 50 g butter, 50 g sugar, 50 cl milk, 50 cl chicken soup, 2 mashed potatoes, 4 spoons Creme fraiche, salt, pepper

Peel the pumpkin, cut it into chunks. Peel the other vegetables and cut them also into cubes. Saute the onion and the leek in melted butter, add the pumpkin, season with salt, pepper and sugar, let it simmer for 10 minutes. Mix the milk with the soup and pour over the pumpkin, add the potatoes, cover and let it simmer for an hour. Mix the soup, add the Creme fraiche, season if necessary and serve hot with croutons.

Imam Bayildi Aubergines

2011-03-03T14:45:00.000-08:00

4 aubergines, salt, 3 onions, 4 garlic cloves, 4 skinned tomatoes, 150 ml olive oil, 2 red capsicum, 1/2 bundle of parsley, pepper, 1 tablespoon sugar, juice from one lemon

Cut the aubergine lenghtway, salt it and let it rest for 20 minutes. Wash the salt away and put them in an oiled Jena dish .
Slice the onion and the garlic cloves. Cut the tomatoes into cubes and the capsicum into stripes.
Heat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius.
Heat half of the olive oil in a pan, fry the onions and the garlic till they become translucent. Add the tomatoes, the capsicum and the chopped parsley. Season the mix with salt, pepper and sugar, add the rest of the olive oil. Fill the aubergines with this mixture and put it in the oven for 30 minutes. Let it rest before serving.

Crab-stuffed avocados

2011-02-28T10:59:00.000-08:00

It's cooking time again, but nothing fancy or complicated because I'm dead tired from all the partying that's been going on this past weekend :))

100g white crabmeat, 1 tsp Dijon mustard, 2 tbsp olive oil, handful basil leaves, shredded with a few of the smaller leaves left whole, to serve, 1 red chilli deseeded and chopped, 2 avocados

To make the crab mix, flake the crabmeat into a small bowl and mix in the mustard and oil, then season to taste. Can be made the day ahead. Add the basil and chilli just before serving.
To serve, halve and stone the avocados. Fill each cavity with a quarter of the crab mix, scatter with a few of the smaller basil leaves and eat with teaspoons.

Avocado and smoked fish pate

2011-02-26T04:41:00.000-08:00

2 ripe avocados, 1 tbsp mustard, 100g smoked fish, chives, one small red chilli pepper, 1 garlic clove, lemon juice from 1/2 lemon

Cut the avocado, remove the pit and scoop the pulp with a spoon.
Put the avocado pulp in a bowl, pour lemon juice over it to prevent the oxidation.
Cut the fish into small cubes, add the chopped onion, and the red chilli pepper, the crushed garlic and mix them all with the avocado pulp.
Put them for half an hour in the fridge and serve on crackers or toast bread.

Courtesy of Edith's Francu Blog http://edithfrincu.blogspot.com/

Birthday present... maybe?

2011-02-25T07:42:00.000-08:00

Can I have one of those as a birthday present?
Pleeese? Pretty pleeease?
Hello? Anybody out there? Santa can you hear me?

David Garrett - The 5th

2011-02-24T05:07:00.000-08:00

An early birthday present from my favourite violin player :D

Rhum-Raisins Truffles

2011-02-23T14:22:00.000-08:00

2 tablespoons water, 1 bag Dr Oetker Finesse Jamaica Rhum Aroma, 100 g raisins, 100 g dark chocolate, 75 g butter, 1 bag vanilla sugar, 50 g icing sugar, 100 g grated chocolate

Mix the water with the rhum, soak the raisins for at least 3 hours. Melt the chocolate, mix it with the butter, vanilla sugar and the icing sugar. Put it for 30 minutes in the fridge. Add the raisins and mix again. Make small balls of chocolate and cover them with the grated chocolate. Keep in the fridge till serving.

Christmas... again?

2011-02-22T06:26:00.000-08:00

I was wondering with all this snow, does it mean that Santa is coming soon?
And we are going to receive presents?
Then I'm sure we will be as happy as this penguin ;))

Potatoes and leek Soup

2011-02-15T04:37:00.000-08:00

3 l water, 500 g potatoes, 1 carrot, 1 parsnip, 1 1/2 celery, 3-4 leeks, 25 g butter, salt

Boil the chopped vegetables in the salted water. When they are done, take them out and add the potatoes cut into small cubes and the chopped leeks. Boil for another 15 minutes. Salt and add butter. Serve with croutons.

Veal and champignons Vol-au-vent

2011-02-12T14:30:00.000-08:00

300 g veal fillet, 2 scalions, 1 red capsicum, 250 g champignon mushrooms, 2 tablespoons sunflower oil, 200 ml water, 50 ml red wine, 1 bag Maggi Krauter Rahm Schnitzel, 50 ml Creme fraiche, 2 tablespoons mustard, 6 vol-au-vents

Wash the meat, cut it into stripes. Slice the onions and the mushrooms, cut julienne the capsicum. Heat the oil and saute the meat for 10 minutes. Add the vegetables and saute for another 5 minutes. Add the water and the red wine, mix the Maggi bag and cook for another 5 minutes. Season with Creme fraiche and mustard.
Heat the vol-au-vents, fill them with the meat and serve immediately.

Tiramisu

2011-02-10T05:56:00.000-08:00

4 tablespoons espresso coffee, 1 tablespoon Grappa, 3 eggs, separated, 1/2 cup sugar, 250 g Marscapone, 24 Savoiardi biscuits, 50 g sweet chocolate, grated

In a small bowl, combine the coffee and grappa; set aside In a medium bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff; set aside. In a large bowl, beat the egg yolks together with the sugar until thick and lemon-colored. Add the marscapone and blend. Gently fold the egg whites into the cheese mixture. Place half of the biscuits in the bottom of a 10-inch square baking dish or larger serving plate. Sprinkle with half of the coffee mixture. Cover with half of the cheese mixture, and repeat process. Refrigerate tiramisu for 4 hours before serving with grated chocolate.

Single White Feline

2011-02-07T06:45:00.000-08:00

Now I understand a lot of things that happened in my life...
I always thought that my cat loves me, I just didn't know how much ;))

Chicken Lentils Curry

2011-02-05T04:01:00.000-08:00

100 g red lentils, 500 g chicken breast, 200 g carrots, 2 shallots, olive oil, 1 can coconut milk, 1 bag Maggi fix für Curry Hänchen Pfanne, 1 lime

Boil the lentils in salt water till ready. Wash the meat and cut it into stripes. Cut the carrots julienne and chop finely the onion .
Heat the oil and fry the meat, take it out and keep it warm. In the remaining oil add the onions and the carrots and fry till tender. Add 400ml water, the coconot milk and the Maggi bag. Add the lentils and the chicken stripes. Boil for 5 minutes, season if necessary and add the lime juice.

The year of the Rabbit

2011-02-03T07:45:00.000-08:00

Today starts my year :D
Why?
Because the Chinese Year of the Rabbit starts today!
And guess what? I am a Rabbit :))
Here is what you should expect this year:

A placid year, very much welcomed and needed after the ferocious year of the Tiger. We should go off to some quiet spot to lick our wounds and get some rest after all the battles of the previous year.

Good taste and refinement will shine on everything and people will acknowledge that persuasion is better than force. A congenial time in which diplomacy, international relations and politics will be given a front seat again. We will act with discretion and make reasonable concessions without too much difficulty.

A time to watch out that we do not become too indulgent. The influence of the Rabbit tends to spoil those who like too much comfort and thus impair their effectiveness and sense of duty.

Law and order will be lax; rules and regulations will not be rigidly enforced. No one seems very inclined to bother with these unpleasant realities. They are busy enjoying themselves, entertaining others or simply taking it easy. The scene is quiet and calm, even deteriorating to the point of somnolence. We will all have a tendency to put off disagreeable tasks as long as possible

Money can be made without too much labor. Our life style will be languid and leisurely as we allow ourselves the luxuries we have always craved for. A temperate year with unhurried pace. For once, it may seem possible for us to be carefree and happy without too many annoyances.

Sooo... Happy Rabbit Year :D

Carla's Leek & Cheese muffins

2011-02-01T10:56:00.000-08:00

175 g plain flour, 1 tsp baking powder, ¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda, ½ tsp allspice, 50 ml milk, 1 egg , beaten with a fork, 100 ml vegetable oil, 1 leek , finely chopped, 75 g cheddar , finely grated

Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and line a muffin tin with 9 cases. Mix all the dry ingredients until combined, then gently stir in the milk, egg and oil. Gently fold in the leek and Cheddar. Spoon the mixture evenly into the muffin cases and place in the oven. Bake for about 25 mins, then check - they may need a little longer.

This recipe is courtesy of Good Foods UK February 2011 Issue.

Chicken Curry Ragout

2011-01-28T14:03:00.000-08:00

4 cups of water, 1 cube chicken stock, 2 cups rice, 500 g chicken breast, curry, 2 tablespoons sunflower oil, 250 ml water, 1 bag Maggy Curry-Sauce, 2 bananas, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, 4 tablespoons grated coconut, 20 g butter

Boil the water with the stock, add the rice and cook for 20 minutes. Was the meat and cut into cubes, season with curry. Heat the oil and fry the meat. Add the water, mix the curry sauce and cook for another 2 minutes.
Cut the bananas into slices, pour over them the lemon juice, sprinkle the grated coconut and fry them in butter.
Serve the curry with bananas and rice.

Classic Roast Potatoes

2011-01-26T03:23:00.000-08:00

6-9 medium potatoes (allowing 3 halves each), salt, cooking oil or lard, plain flour, seasoned

To achieve the right finish, these potatoes will take at least 1 hour to cook; for extreme crispiness, cook for 1½ hours.
Pre-heat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas Mark 6.
Peel the potatoes and halve lengthways. The peeled side of the potatoes can now be scraped with a knife to give a smooth domed shape to all halves.
Place in a saucepan and cover with cold, salted water. Bring to the boil and then simmer for 5-6 minutes. Drain in a colander and leave to stand for 2-3 minutes before shaking the colander gently. This will begin to break down the edge of the potatoes. These slightly rough edges will become crisp and crunchy during the roasting.
Heat a frying-pan with 5 mm of oil or melted lard. Once it's hot, the potatoes can be lightly rolled in flour, shaking off any excess. Fry the potatoes in the oil, turning occasionally until completely golden brown. Now transfer the potatoes to a roasting pan. Pour some of the cooking oil into the pan (approximately 2-3 mm/ 1/8 in deep), sprinkle the potatoes with salt and roast in the oven for 30 minutes before turning in the paw. Roast for another 30 minutes. Remove the crispy roast potatoes from the pan and serve.
A knob of butter can be melted over the potatoes to enrich the crispy roast taste. For an ultra-crispy finish, increase the cooking time to 1½ hours, turning the potatoes in the pan half-way through.

David Garrett Flash Mob

2011-01-21T09:40:00.000-08:00

My favourite violine player playing Smooth Criminal in an Italian Diner ;)
Isn't he a dream :P
Can't wait to see him live in Bucharest in September...

Aurora Borealis

2011-01-18T10:04:00.000-08:00

How amazing it would be to witness such a phenomenon...

Savoury pancakes with leek and bacon filling

2011-01-14T02:55:00.000-08:00

For the basic pancake mixture: 225g plain flour, pinch of salt, 2 eggs, 500ml milk, butter to grease the pan

For the leek and bacon filling: 5 leeks (white part only), washed and chopped, 5 rashers of bacon, chopped, 300ml bechamel sauce, 30g Cheddar cheese, grated

Sift the flour and salt into a big mixing bowl. Make a 'well' in the flour and break the eggs into it. Whisk the ingredients together, drawing in the flour from the sides. Add the milk, bit by bit. Beat until the mixture is smooth, and thick enough to coat a wooden spoon.
To make pancakes, the frying pan needs to be the right temperature and have the right amount of butter. If the pan is steaming the temperature is too high. Use a small knob of butter, melt it gently and then add a couple of tablespoons of pancake mixture. Swoosh it around the frying pan to cover the bottom. Flip the pancake when the mixture begins to bubble in the middle. Continue making pancakes, one at a time, until the mixture is all used up.
To make the leek and bacon filling, steam or boil the leeks, and fry the chopped bacon in a frying pan. Place a line of leeks and bacon down the middle of each pancake. Roll up the pancakes and arrange them side by side in a small baking tin. Pour the bechamel sauce over the pancakes and cover with grated cheese. Bake in a preheated oven, 180°C/350°F/Gas 4, for 20 minutes - the cheese should be bubbling and golden.

Chicken & Mushroom Salad

2011-01-04T02:16:00.000-08:00

250 gr various salad leaves, 2 boiled eggs, 1 teaspoon mustard, 2 teaspoons vinegar, 4 tablespoons yoghurt, salt, pepper, 400g chicken breast, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 100 gr champignon mushrooms, 1 tablespoon red vinegar, 1 tablespoon brandy, 1 bundle green onions

Wash the salad and break it into pieces. Cut the eggs in half, mix the eggyolks with mustard, 1 tablespoon of vinegar and yoghurt, then season with salt and pepper. Cut the eggwhites in small cubes. Wash the meat and cut it in stripes, fry it in oil for 2 minutes, then add the champignons cut in thick slices and the green onions. Saute them for another 3 minutes. In the remaining oil add the vinegar and the brandy, then boil for 1 minute. Mix the salad leaves with the chicken and mushrooms, add the brandy dressing, the eggwhites and the yoghurt dressing. Serve while is hot.

Pink Glove Dance

2011-01-03T02:30:00.000-08:00

This is an interesting way to raise awareness of breast cancer...

Tiramisu

2011-01-02T05:23:00.000-08:00

Due to the fact we have an important guest for lunch today, I won't name names, but it's my niece from London ;)) I decided to make a quick dessert.

And what dessert is quicker than Tiramisu? I know that you have to leave it in the fridge for few hours, but it's sooo easy to make, and the taste is heaven :D

Here is the recipe:
4 tablespoons of espresso coffee, 1 tablespoon of grappa, 3 eggs, separated, 1/2 cup of sugar, 8 oz of mascarpone cheese, 24 savoiardi biscuits, 1 oz of sweet chocolate, grated

In a small bowl, combine the coffee and grappa, and set aside.
In a medium bowl, beat the egg whites until they are thick, and set aside.
In a large bowl, beat the egg yolks together with the sugar until you get a thick consistency and the mixture is a lemon color. Add the mascarpone cheese and blend the mix.
Fold the egg whites into the cheese mixture. Folding simply refers to using a wooden spoon to lift the mixture from the bottom of the bowl and turning it over. Do this once, turn the bowl a little bit and repeat this same process until all the ingredients in the mix are fully incorporated. Don’t overdo it because you want to maintain as much volume as possible.
Place half of the savoiardi biscuits in the bottom of a 10 inch square baking dish. Sprinkle the biscuits with half of the coffee mixture. Cover with half of the cheese mixture, and repeat the process.
Refrigerate the tiramisu for 4 hours. Serve with grated sweet chocolate.

Instead of the savoiardi biscuits you can use the leftover cake or panettone from Christmas :D

The digital story of Nativity or Christmas 2.0

2010-12-26T12:06:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas

2010-12-25T00:29:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas to you all! Ho! Ho! Ho!

Mercedes Werbung

2010-12-22T23:45:00.000-08:00

Ain't this funny :D