All posts tagged: cook

St. Valentines Day

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Happy St. Valentines Day to you all. Cherished memories of those we love and care for. A special day to show how we’re feeling towards the person we love and adore. Any token big or small is welcomed today. Special charms, roses, flowers, cards, candlelit dinners, kisses, hugs even a smile. What did you do today for that special someone? It’s the time of the year, to celebrate with red. Today I showed a little love by sharing these cute cupcakes. The simplest of ingredients with fine detailing of hearts. And to my special someone… I wrote your name in the sand,                                 but the waves washed it away. I wrote your name in the sky,                                 but the wind blew it away. I wrote it in my heart                                  and that’s where it will stay….   All my love, … have a wonderful day friends, Yvette…x

Stuck on the roof of your mouth!

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You’re  in control!!. Stuck on the roof of your mouth. Chocolate chip flavour. Cocoa boosted.A crunchy baked outside coating but wait…. …an irresistible melting soft fudgy centre.It’s a tongue twisting, deliciously breathtaking experience, of pure indulgence, all combined to make this mouthwatering chocolate chip cookie one of the best I have ever tried. I’m having some quality time with my sister and her family. I’m experiencing a world  I have never ventured into. The world of motherhood. Can it really be this exhausting! I’m loving every minute of it. Every day is a new adventure into the world of 6 and 8 year olds.Can there be this much competition at a young age! A wonderland of play, a kaleidoscope of colours… Making and baking things have strung a new string in my creative mind.  What to make for the first day of school, lunch box treats? The shiny new lunch box is filled with fruit,crackers,cheese,sandwiches(healthy) and of course that energy boosting sugar plus delight. Here’s the favourite of my niece and nephews taste buds…. Chocolate …

Grilled Ratatouille

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What a whirlwind of a week. I haven’t had much time on here and with my last post well over a week ago, I have some serious catching up to do. I haven’t had extra time to make the finer things, like planned desserts, but this grilled ratatouille was superb with grilled steak.   Fennel,zucchini,red and yellow peppers,and eggplant make up this delicious combination. Cut vegetables into large pieces and place on grill. Nothing hard about that, this dish is all in the presentation…after you’ve grilled the vegetables slice into thin strips, leaving the fennel in slices … Arrange in orderly fashion, first the fennel then zucchini and eggplant and finally the colourful red and yellow peppers.   And here’s my homemade delicious dressing: 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 3 tablespoons olive oil zest and juice of 1 lemon freshly ground pepper 6 capers 2 anchovies sliced black olives sprinkle of pine nuts Finely chop the anchovies and capers and place in mixing jar. Add balsamic vinegar,olive oil, zest and lemon juice,black pepper and mix well.Pour …

Pear and Prune Tarte Tatin

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This month’s fruit in full season are pears. Delicious, good for you and a whole lot of nutrition in a sweet juicy package.A good source of vitamin C, fiber and only 100 calories (raw) per serving. Sodium free, fat free, and cholesterol free. This particular variety I used for this recipe was the Concorde pear,they’re a golden yellow, green colour and great for any type of cooking and baking. They’re firm in texture with a delicate vanilla taste. When cut they don’t turn brown so are great added to  fresh salads and when cooked at high temperatures don’t disintegrate into a sugary mass.   I really should have made this recipe long before now, I can’t remember an easier dessert with a fantastic visual impact, and I assure you one to try. A delicious mouthful of syrupy sweet pear and prunes on a delicate crust of puff pastry, light and flaky… Read on for the recipe…

Crunchy Cranberry Cookies

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What better way to get everyone together for that morning coffee with a freshly made oatmeal crunchy cookie,with succulent bits of cranberries. There’s something about the atmosphere of that warming fire in the family room, the cooler mornings and the sweet smell of baking in the kitchen. Having the day to myself I had a few household things to do…and do just that some baking…

After Dinner Choco -Mint Cupcake

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Cupcakes have been around for age’s, I think everyone has tried one recipe or another. I have to admit this is my first. I wanted to make something a little different for a dessert,not too sweet, chocolate, fresh and satisfying. And so that’s how I arrived at this special treat. Chocolate and mint has always been a great combination. Table Eights- After Dinner Mint has always been a decadent finish to a dinner party, so enjoy my after dinner mint cupcake. Finding a recipe for a quick chocolate cupcake wasn’t too difficult…I decided on this one bowl recipe, I can see why cupcakes are a quick choice for many home making cooks, preparation time was a whizz, cooking time was quick, no cleaning of tins, and definitely a buzz whipping these things up. I however, didn’t want the normal look of a cupcake,(cake and frostinf) it wasn’t for afternoon tea,but an after dinner dessert. So knowing how delicious our gelato (ice-cream) is I put together this combo. Read on for the recipe…

Saucy Sweet Chili

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Chilies are everywhere at the moment…sweet,hot,and fiery, couldn’t resist making a sweet chili sauce…not too hot, with just enough kick to spice things up… I used both red and orange hot peppers, so the sauce wasn’t a rich red colour,however tastes delicious just the same…

Grape Pound Cake

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Why is it called a pound cake, well…originally all the ingredients were equal parts,a pound of butter,a pound of sugar,a pound of eggs and a pound of flour. These days although the same ingredients are used, we’ve diversified the quantities and added a few more. Today’s pound cakes are still buttery, rich and moist with a golden crust. In Italy this cake is called Bussolano or Ciambella Mantovana – Mantovana Ring cake. It’s usually made plain or chocolate flavour and served in the morning for dunking into coffee or hot milk.I found this recipe with it’s twist of using seasonal grapes both white and red and adding a glass of sweet white wine to the mixture. It has a delicate taste, nothing sweet at all to it, moist with the golden buttery crunchy crust. You’ll love it! Read on for the recipe…

The King of Mushrooms

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The perfume of mushrooms open the Autumn season, as does the season for mushroom hunting through the forest. Rising early morning, with a slight chill in the air, old jeans and long sleeve shirt, boots and double socks, walking stick and woolen cap, ready are those who go on Sunday’s morning stroll  in search of mushrooms. Dampness, moss, old leaves and abandoned tree trunks, the perfect undergrowth of the forests environment to find these wonders. Italians call Porcini mushrooms “un trionfo di bosco” meaning the triumph of the forest. Porcini mushrooms fresh with their flavour, perfume and meat-like texture are just an exquisite and overwhelming flavorsome mushroom.  These  large capped mushrooms are also easily found in dried form available in supermarkets. Dried Porcini with their concentrated flavour and aroma can be added to risotto, sauces and soups.  A few facts about Porcini mushrooms.How do know the best of the best for their freshness? Signs of aging are if the undersides of the caps have a yellowish-brown tinge, the mushrooms are over-ripe. Best those ones leave …

Polenta Cake

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So an Italian without polenta in their pantry, not likely! Polenta is the name given to both cornmeal and the dish made from it. This recipe is all yellow my friends, cornmeal, lemons and eggs. I was a bit skeptical about the amount of eggs in this recipe there’s eight…but in the end all turned out fine, and one single piece left for the photo and the rest is crumbs! Polenta is a major Italian staple dish. Dry polenta ( a coarsely ground cornmeal) is added to boiling salted water or stock and stirred using a wooden spoon, until it’s thick and creamy. These days a one minute wonder polenta can be purchased, so it’s cooked in a flash, otherwise the normal grounded polenta can take up to twenty minutes. Read on for the recipe…