Monday, October 22, 2012

Candied Orange Peel


Candied Orange Peel is one of these ingredients I cannot imagine my storage cabinet without. It comes very handy especially in winter, when quality fresh fruit is not so easily available. It can add some zesty freshness to yeasted dough or gingerbreads.
For this recipe is important to get organic, unwaxed oranges preferably with quite thick peels.
You can make the similar preserve with grapefruits and lemons.

Candied Orange Peel

  • 100g orange peel, chopped finely 
  • 100g sugar
  • 100 ml water
Make a syrup by boiling the sugar with the water. Add chopped orange peel and simmer until liquid evaporates and the peel becomes shiny and translucent ( it should take around 1-1,5h). Cool it down, then move it to a glass jar. Store in the fridge.







Thursday, October 18, 2012

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Double Espresso Cake with Hazelnuts


This cake is rich and light at the same time. Coffee grains and wholemeal flour play perfectly well together. Great with afternoon coffee.


Double Espresso Cake with Hazelnuts

adapted from Dan Lepard's "Short and Sweet", originally "Double Espresso brazil nut cake"

  • 100 ml milk
  • 2 tablespoons instant coffee
  • 1 tablespoon finely grounded roasted coffee beans
  • 175g unsalted butter, softened
  • 100g ( I used 75g) light soft brown sugar 
  • 100g ( I used 75g) caster sugar
  • 3 medium eggs
  • 100 g plain flour
  • 100g spelt, rye or wholemeal flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 75 g hazelnuts, finely chopped (original recipe calls for macadamia nuts)


Line baking tin  with baking paper.
Combine the milk, instant coffee and ground coffee in a saucepan and bring to the boil then remove from the heat and leave until warm.
Beat the butter, brown sugar and caster sugar together until light and fluffy then beat in the eggs, one at a time.
Beat in the coffee mixture until evenly combined.
Stir the two flours and baking powder together then beat this through with the chopped brazil nuts.
Heat the oven to 180C (350F) and bake for 30 minutes.
Leave to cool before removing the tins and peeling off the paper. Drizzle with the coffee water icing few chopped hazelnuts.









Friday, October 12, 2012

BOOK: Delicate. New Food Culture


This inspiring book is a visual guide to new food culture and food design. Delicate introduces and documents life and work of small brewers, coffee roasters, chocolate-makers, artists and creators. It is all about creativeness, passion and madness. From jelly sculptures to dining on the bus, this book shows that when it comes to food sky is the limit. MUST HAVE for every foodie.

Thursday, October 11, 2012

Middle Eastern Sesame Bread




It may look like a giant bagel but this is a traditional Middle Eastern bread often served with tagine or mezze. Like many yeast based breads it is best eaten the same day, preferably when still warm.


Mama's Fadila's bread

adapted from Blad magazine

  • 250g all purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
  • 250g fine semolina
  • 7g dry yeast
  • 2 tablespoons of sunflower oil
  • 1 small egg, beaten
  • 2 tablespoons of sesame seeds
  • half teaspoon of salt 
  • 250 ml warm water

Mix flour and semolina in a big, deep bowl.
Sprinkle oil over the flour, add salt from one side and yeast from another*.
Add water and knead about 20 minutes, until the dough is smooth, flexible and soft.
Cover the bowl with a tea towel or loosely with cling foil and leave it in a warm place for about 1,5 hours.
When it doubles its size form with flour dusted hands a round bread 3 cm flat.
Leave it to rise for about 30 minutes. Meanwhile preheat the oven to 200C
With your finger make a little hole in the middle of the bread (it will release the steam while baking), then with fork prick a few holes around. Brush the bread with egg and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Bake for about 25 minutes until golden brown.

* Salt retards yeast growth

Dough before and after rising.






















Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Real Mexican hot chocolate


This hot chocolate is very intense, warming and slightly bitter. Very espresso like. Perfect for chocolate lovers. Vegan friendly.



Real Mexican Hot Chocolate

recipe adapted from Wahaca. Mexican food at home by Thomasina Miers 

Makes 4-6 espresso-sized cups

  • 20 almonds, blanched
  • 5mm cinnamon stick
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla sugar
  • 100g dark chocolate (at least 70% cocoa solids)
  • 450ml water


Heat a small sauce pan and gently dry-roast almonds and cinnamon.
Put almonds, sugar and about a third of the chocolate into a spice grinder and grind to a fine powder.
In the same sauce pan gently dry-roast cinnamon stick. When fragrant, add chocolate, water and the almond-sugar paste. Heat over a low flame to melt the chocolate. Beat with a whisk to froth it up, or just stir to melt.
When the chocolate is almost boiling, pour it into espresso cups through a fine sieve.



Monday, October 8, 2012

Apple Pie with Calvados



If you enjoy a thin crust and lots and lots of apples, this is recipe for you. For this pie I use Golden Reinette, a frothing apple, great for baking. You can also substitute with another apple variety that falls apart during cooking. Here is my apple guide.

Shortcrust pastry:
  • 250g plain flour
  • 125g cold butter
  • 2 yolks (save whites for later)
  • 1 tablespoon of Calvados*
  • 2 tablespoons of caster sugar
  • a pinch of salt
Combine all the ingredients and knead until smooth, non sticky dough. Divide the dough into two equal pieces and put to the fridge to chill.

Meanwhile prepare the apples.
  • 1-1,5 kilo of apples 
  • 1-2 tablespoons of unsalted butter
  • half cup of brown sugar
  • 3 tablespoons of calvados
  • a pinch of cinnamon
Peel and core the apples, cut them into plump chunks. In a deep pan melt the butter then add the fruit and cook over a low heat. When it gets softer, add sugar, calvados and pinch of cinnamon and continue cooking until its very soft and starts frothing. Let it cool down.

Preheat the oven to 180°C
Line the round cake tin (26cm) with baking paper or grease it with butter. Roll out half of the pastry as thin as possible and line in the prepared tin. With fork, prick the bottom of the pastry case. Bake for about 15 minutes, then remove it from the oven but don't switch it off.
Pour the apple mixture into the pastry case.
Shape the remaining pastry into very thin rolls and arrange in a lattice over the pie. Bake for about 30 minutes, then remove from the oven and leave it to cool. Dust with powdered sugar before serving.

Enjoy.

*You can substitute Calvados with water.





Sunday, October 7, 2012

Some apple inspired products


1.La Mela poster by Enzo Mari 2. Apple Memo Pad from Kikkerland 3.Black tea flavored with Apple from Kusmi Tea 4. Apple plate designed by Olivier Nottellet for Entre Nous


Saturday, October 6, 2012

Black kitchens




Photo 1 and 2 via FromScandinaviaWithLove
Photo 3 via emmas blog

Since we are looking for a new apartment in Amsterdam, black kitchens became my obsession. Mix of matte black, white and wood is so modern and chic, it is love at first sight.

How to choose the right apple



Since there are over 2,000 varieties of apples, here is a small guide how to choose those that hold their shape, those that froth and those that are best eaten as they are or paired with cheese.