Chocolate Valentines, Some are Spicy and Some are Sweet!

When Kate of Serendipity contacted me about a special Valentine Post she was organizing I immediately agreed to join. She offered to send chocolate, but since I had just taken delivery of 30 pounds of Belgium chocolate I declined her offer, (Something I regret to this day) but agreed to post. I knew I would make truffles, but what flavors? My dilemma was this, I have a sweet Valentine,

who is kind, gentle and thoughtful. He loves playing with fire,  eating spicy food and always has a smile on his face.

My Spicy Valentine,

who spins a mile a minute, bites off more than she can possibly chew, and somehow manages get it done. She is quick to cut, has no patience and laughs until everyone is forced to laugh with her. 

But they are both chocolate lovers. What to do? Make a spicy chocolate truffle for the sweet one.....

and a sweet chocolate truffle for the spicy one.

To make my spicy truffle I used Lindt Chili Dark Chocolate to prepare the ganache. I then enrobed it in dark Belgium Chocolate. Sprinkle with red peppercorns it was a delight for the senses.

My sweet truffles were made with dark Belgium chocolate with Cardamom and Grand Marnier.  They had a hint of orange which worked well with the Cardamom. I have a confession, I once read Kate's blog that cardamom and orange were made for one another. I agree, it's a match made in heaven.

Both my Valentines were thrilled. Neither wanted the other person's truffles. Which is a switch from 10 years ago! 

This Special Valentine Blog was Hosted by Kate @ Serendipity. Click on Kate's web site and see all the Chocolate Valentine's created today!
Kate I made an Orange Cardamom for you! 
Happy Valentine's Day Dear Friend!

Basic Ganache Recipe

12 ounces, best quality chocolate, chopped

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup cream

1 tablespoon light corn syrup

1 tablespoon liquor

Melt chocolate in a microwave, stirring every 15 seconds, being careful not to burn it. Cool to 90 degrees F.

Bring the milk, cream and corn syrup to boil. Remove from heat and allow to cool to 90 degrees F.

Once cooled stir the cream into the chocolate mixture until smooth. Stir in the liquor.

Place in a food processor and  process about 30 seconds until smooth.

Spread on a plastic covered sheet pan and cool to 75 degrees. 

Once cooled you can pipe them out onto a parchment covered sheet pan, or using a melon ball tool, form them into balls. If you are hand rolling them, use disposable gloves. It's much easier. 

Chill the balls slightly, and then dip the truffles in melted chocolate. Temper it if you dare!

You can add any number of spices or liquors to this recipe and you will have a wonderful creamy ganache. Many recipes suggest putting your chocolate in the food processor and pouring boiling cream over it to make the ganache, but this method makes a creamier and longer lasting ganache. 

All Text and photos are property of The Gypsy Chef 

Scallop Verrines, The Saturday Blog Showcase

This weeks Saturday Blog Showcase is hosted by Lori at All that Splatters. She and Ann at Tibeault's Table, co-host this Showcase, taking turns every week. Thanks ladies! In case your not familiar, every week you prepare a recipe from another blog and feature it on your own.  Take a look at the links and enjoy some new ideas, foods and recipes.

 

I chose one of my favorite blogs this week. Kate at Serendipity,  has a variety of lovely recipes to choose from. Her Scallop Verrines looked so delicious, I decided to serve them at my last dinner party. Kate suggests many different flavors for the verrines. I choose a simple vegetable mix and tossed together a lemon juice a touch of French mustard and hazelnut oil from my favorite artisan shop in Charroux.

 

Everyone raved, it was an unqualified success. The next morning I sent Kate's link to all the guests, because verrines are just the tip of Kate's iceberg. There is quite a lot to discover on this blog. Give her a visit, you will be as dazzled as I am.

I served these during cocktails before we all sat down for dinner.

Sounds fancy, no? Actually we all stood around the stainless steel table that serves as an island in my kitchen eating, drinking wine and having a good old fashion chat.

It was actually quite simple. I julienne golden beets, celeriac, radishes, fennel and thinly sliced asparagus.  I blanched the asparagus, tossed the whole bunch in a light dressing made with lemon juice, grape-seed oil, as well as hazelnut oil and a touch of mustard, both from Charroux. Next time I will add a bit of chopped hazelnuts.  

Kate made her verrines with an Asian accent. I made my to complement my french menu. You can make yours to suit your own menu and taste.

Honestly, this summer I'll  try this with a Mexican accent of cilantro and chilies.

All text and photos are property of The Gypsy Chef.

Carmen, Chocolate and Snow Storms

Last night Katy and I went to the Metropolitan Opera to see Carmen.  It was a beautiful production. Sex, intrigue, betrayal, it's all alive at the Met. So much better than Television. As we left the theater the snow had begun to fall. Just a dusting and then it stopped. A bust we thought, the storm will miss New York again. When we awoke this morning, the snow was falling, covering everything, turning our neighborhood into a fairy land.  

A day off, no school, work or other responsibilities. With the sound track from Carmen playing in the kitchen I decided to bake a tribute to my favorite Opera, the snow storm and of course Valentine's Day.

Baked in the Heritage Cake Pan, it came out beautiful, rich and decadent. Surrounded by roses, it looked too good to eat. But we got over that, and cut right into it. 

It was the best cake I've ever made. Let me just say, this recipe is a keeper!

 The original recipe came from Cooks Illustrated. It made about 1 cup more batter than was needed. I used that for mini cupcakes which were eaten before they even had a chance to cool. 

Cooks suggest you blend, melted butter and cocoa and brush the mixture on the cake pan to avoid the uneven finish a bundt cake usually has. I had a "Why didn't I think about that moment" when I read it. Absolutely brilliant, it works!

  

Chocolate Sour Cream Bundt Cake

 adapted from cooksillustrated.com

Download recipe to print

1 tablespoon butter, melted

1 tablespoon cocoa

 3/4 cup unsweetened  cocoa powder, not Dutched

6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped

1 teaspoon Via, bold coffee powder

3/4 cup boiling water

1 cup sour cream at room temperature

1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon table salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

12 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

2 cups, packed light brown sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

5 large eggs at room temperature

confectioner's sugar for dusting

Stir together the cocoa and melted butter in a small bowl until a paste forms. Using a pastry brush, coat the surface of a 12 cup bundt pan. If the mixture becomes too thick you can microwave until warm, about 10 seconds. 

Adjust the oven rack to a lower middle position and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine the cocoa, coffee powder and chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl; pour boiling water over and whisk until blended. Set aside to cool to room temperature, then whisk in the sour cream.

Whisk together the flour, salt and baking soda in a second bowl.

In a standing mixer, beat the butter, sugar and vanilla on medium high speed until pale and fluffy, abut 3 minutes. 

Reduce the speed to medium and add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, scraping down the sides of the bowl. 

Reduce the speed to medium low, batter may appear separated, add about 1/3 of the flour mixture and 1/2 the chocolate sour cream mixture and mix until just incorporated. 

Scrape down the bowl and repeat using 1/2 the remaining flour and all of the remaining chocolate mixture, beat to incorporate about 30 seconds. Add the remaining flour and chocolate mixture. Beat 30 seconds to develop the cake's structure. 

Spoon the batter into the bottom of the pan, bang it on the counter to remove the air bubbles. Then fill the rest of the pan about 3/4 full. If you use a 12 cup pan, there will not be any batter left. If you use the heritage pan you will have about a cup left.

Bake until a tooth pick inserted in the center comes out with just a few cooked crumbs on it about 45 to 50 minutes. 

Dust with confectioner's sugar.

All text and pictures are property of The Gypsy Chef, unless otherwise noted.

La Table De Nana's Cauliflower Soup with Spiced Pear Chips

Last Saturday night I had a dinner party for some of my favorite foodies.

 All of these people had made knockout dinners for me during the year and I wanted to return the favor.

About the same time, Monique at La Table De Nana had posted a Cauliflower Soup with Spiced Pear Chips that caught my imagination as well as my interest.  Originally from LCBO, she found the recipe on their web site. Which is a wonderful site, thanks Monique for that link! 

I whipped it together and I must say, the flavors lived up to Monique's photos. All my guests wanted the recipe, as I passed along La Table De Nana's blog address I thought why not post this as my Saturday Blog showcase? 

I had quite a menu planned,  Pascal and Ujwala brought Fois Gras, and the entree was Cassoulet.

A certain amuse-bouche from another blog was also served but you will have to wait until next week to get a peek of it. 

I didn't want to serve a large bowl of soup, just a taste. I decided to use my mini soup bowls and instead of the large pear chips the recipe called for,  I julienne the pears and then proceeded to follow the recipe as is. Except for the 1/4 cup of heavy cream I added at the end. I love the richness cream lends to soups. The flavor of the orange comes as a surprise in your first bite.  My guests raved and yours will too. Like Nana, I used only chicken stock and no water. But I did use the entire cauliflower and garnished with snipped chives.

Honestly this picture doesn't do justice to the wonderful flavor of the soup. You are just going to have to make it and see for yourself.

This week the Saturday Blog Showcase is hosted by Ann of Thibeailt's Table.  Visit her site and see what all the others bloggers have cooked up this week!

Next week it will be hosted by Lori of All That Splatters, click on her site and join us. 

I didn't include the recipe, but instead I have posted links to La Table De Nana, because you have to see her beautiful blog and a link to LCBO where you can print the recipe. 

All text and photos are property of The Gypsy Chef

The Clock is ticking..........

Pardon the Rush

Some people spend their youth learning new things. By the time they are in their 50's their children are grown and they have more leisure time and begin traveling. At least that how it is with most of my friends. 

Courtesy of Rodney Watts

I however, spent my youth traveling and exploring the world. I ate in restaurants and friend's homes. I tried a multitude of cuisines which led to a desire to cook. In my 30's I attended the Culinary Institute of America and began a life long love of food and cooking. This has led to my blog, which has inspired a myriad of other interests.  I now have a burning desire to learn about writing, photography, computers and even more cooking!

I've begun taking classes in Algebra  (?), French, photography, photo lighting and one small little Artisan Bread Class. 

I feel that if I don't study these things now, when will I? So I've put cleaning on the back burner and have begun reading, studying and feeding new information into my hungry brain.

My kids think I'm crazy, my friends think I'm a women possessed. Rodney commented "Pam, whenever you've found yourself with an empty plate, you heap servings of everything on it until it's over flowing!"

Left unchecked I would probably be pursuing two hundred other things I'm interested in.

That in mind, I find that when I have to prepare dinner I need to make it fast, fresh and healthy. Never frozen, (unless I prepared it earlier and froze it myself).  The last two nights I needed to prepare such a meal. I made two different pasta entrees. Besides being fast they are recession friendly which is always a plus in this economy.

The first was a simple meat sauce with a Puttanesca twist.  I browned about a pound of ground beef added garlic, crushed red pepper, diced tomatoes, anchovy fillets, and right before serving I added pitted black olives. Served with fresh Reggiano Parmesan cheese and the Rosemary Walnut bread I made in class, it was a satisfying dinner and allowed me to get on with my homework.  

 

The second was an elegant pasta of cream, oven dried tomatoes, mushrooms and fresh basil. Silky and flavorful, my son gave it the ultimate compliment "Tastes just like a restaurant, Mom!"

 

So if you find yourself with time on your hands.....just remember the clock is ticking......so get on with it!

Pasta with Meat Sauce Puttanesca Style
Down load Recipe PDF

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound ground beef
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon crushed red chili flakes
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 can, 28 ounces, diced tomatoes
1/2 cup chopped pitted black or green olives
Handful parsley, chopped
Pound pasta, cooked 


Heat olive oil in a saute pan, add ground beef breaking it up with a fork. 
When the beef begins to lose it's raw look, add the garlic, red pepper flakes and salt. Saute, add the white wine and allow to boil for a minute.
Stir in the anchovy, allow to cook for a minute or two and then add the tomatoes.
Allow the sauce to simmer while you prepare the pasta. 
Just before draining the pasta, remove 1 tablespoon of pasta water from the pot and add to the sauce. Stir in the olives and serve.

Serves 4 hungry people.

Creamy Oven Roasted Tomato Pasta Sauce

Down load PDF

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 garlic clove, crushed in a garlic press. Just express the juice into the pan.

10 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced

 1 cup oven dried tomatoes

1/2 cup dry white wine

1/2 cup heavy cream 

 sea salt and pepper

handful fresh basil leaves, chiffonade

Heat the olive oil in the pan, add the mushrooms and saute until they release their liquid. Add the garlic and saute several minutes. Add the wine and reduce by half.

Stir in the cream and reduce slightly. If it gets too thick add a little pasta cooking liquid. 

Right before serving, add the basil chiffonade

I served this over fresh chicken and mozzarella ravioli.

Serves 4 hungry people.

  All text and photos are property of The Gypsy Chef

Saturday Blog Showcase- Heritage Cake

When I decided to become a part of the Saturday Blog Showcase, I had no idea how difficult it would be to choose a recipe to post every week. The problem is there are so many wonderful recipes and terrific blogs! This week the Saturday Blog Showcase is hosted by Lori at All That Splatters.

 

I found Susan's blog, Savoring Time in the Kitchen, by her comment on La Table de Nana. When I clicked on her post, I knew I had found the recipe to showcase. A butter cake in a spiral cake pan called Heritage from Williams and Sonoma. 

 

I was in San Francisco and fortunately just 2 blocks from the WS store at Union Square. So of course I ran right over and bought it. 

  

The day I made the cake, there was a surprise snow storm in White Plains. Dusted with confectioners' sugar, the cake looked perfect with the snowy back drop.

I had to fight my family off to get my pics. Every time I left the kitchen, someone would grab a knife and try to cut a piece. This cake would be delicious served with a citrus or berry compote. Before I could try any of these variations, my cake had been devoured. If you have teenagers in the house I would recommend baking two!

 

A few notes, the recipe is on the label, but the brown text on blue paper is impossible to read easily. What were they thinking? I've included the recipe, and you can download it here. 

When you fill the pan, only cover the bottom with batter and tap it on the counter to remove the air bubbles. Continue filling and tapping to remove any excess air.  I waited until I had filled the pan to tap it and still had these unsightly bubbles which ruined the look of the cake.

Heritage Bundt Cake

Williams and Sonoma Kitchen, slightly adapted

Download recipe

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

16 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

4 eggs, lightly beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup milk

Confectioners' sugar for dusting

Have all the ingredients at room temperature. Position a rack in the lower third of an oven and preheat to 325 F (165 C). Grease and flour the pan, tap out the excess flour.

Place flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl and whisk together to mix.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with a paddle, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy and smooth, about 30 seconds. Add the granulated sugar and continue beating until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes, stopping the mixer occasionally until scrape down the sides. 

Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla just until incorporated.

Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture in three additions alternating with the milk and beginning and ending with the flour. Beat each addition just until incorporated, stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl. 

Spoon the batter into the prepared pan, spreading the batter so that the sides are higher than the center. Bake until the cake begins to pull away from the sides of the pan and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 55 to 60 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool for 15 minutes.

Gently tap the pan on the counter to loosen it. Invert the pan over a cooling rack and allow to cool for 2 hours. Before serving, dust with confectioners' sugar. Serves 16.

 

 All text and photos are property of The Gypsy Chef

Saturday Blog Showcase, Perfect Banana Pudding, Moveable Feast

I love Banana Pudding! Not the instant type, but real vanilla custard, poured over a layer of Nabisco Nilla Wafers covered with slices of ripe banana. As a child I considered it Heaven in a bowl! My Grandmother made a memorable Banana Pudding, always preparing it in a cut glass bowl and serving it with a dollop of whipped cream. 

Last week when I read Barbara's Banana Pudding post at Moveable Feast, it brought back warm childhood memories. I decided then and there to prepare it for the Saturday Blog Showcase hosted by Ann at Thibeault's Table and Lori at All That Splatters. Great idea Girls!

The recipe called for a 9X9 inch glass pan. I had bought these cute mini soup bowls in Paris and thought they would be perfect for the Banana Pudding. I was already breaking the Banana Pudding rules, but what the heck.

I lined them with Nilla Wafers and sliced bananas, Barbara was very explicit about the size of the banana slices, 3/8 inch rounds. I did my best!

I cooked the pudding and fill the bowls.

 

I then whipped up the meringue and baked them. About that time my son came into the kitchen and we couldn't wait to try one. Delish! A success! Thanks Barbara for a terrific recipe! I took the recipe directly from Barbara's Blog. The old copy and paste method.

 Perfect Banana Pudding

 from Texas Cooking Online

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon butter
4 egg yolks
1 box of Vanilla Wafers
5 large ripe bananas

For the meringue:
4 egg whites, at room temperature
5 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375°.

Line the bottom of a 9x9-inch baking dish with a layer of vanilla wafers. (This recipe will not use the whole box, so you may snack along the way, but don't get carried away.)

Peel the bananas and slice into 3/8-inch rounds; use a ruler (I'm kidding!). Cover the banana slices with plastic wrap to keep them from darkening, and quickly make your pudding.

Note: I didn't do it this way. I made the pudding first, covered it with plastic wrap and then sliced the bananas.
My note; I did it the same way Barbara did! It sure seemed like a good idea to me.
 

Combine the sugar, flour and salt in bowl, mix well, and set aside. In a heavy saucepan, beat egg yolks well (just use a fork or a whisk, but beat well). Over medium heat, add the flour mixture to the egg yolks alternately with the milk and vanilla, stirring constantly.
 

Bring to a gentle boil and, when mixture begins to thicken, add butter, continuing to stir to prevent scorching. When the mixture reaches pudding consistency, remove from heat.

Place a layer of banana slices in the baking dish on top of the vanilla wafers. Don't stint and put one slice of banana per wafer. Line those banana slices up edge-to-edge.  

Pour, spreading as necessary, half of the pudding over the banana layer. Put down another layer of vanilla wafers, another layer of banana slices, and cover with the remaining pudding.

For the meringue, beat the egg whites with an electric mixer until they form soft peaks. Add the cream of tartar.  Beat and then add sugar, a tablespoon at a time, and beat until stiff peaks are formed. Fold the vanilla into the meringue, and spread the meringue over the pudding, sealing it at the sides of the dish.
Place in a preheated 375° oven and bake until browned, 12 to 15 minutes, depending upon your oven.

This recipe makes 6 or 8 servings. Any leftovers should be covered and refrigerated.

And, yes, it's hard to cover anything with a meringue top and although banana pudding is not attractive after it's been refrigerated, it's still just as delicious.

All text and photos are property of The Gypsy Chef