zucker und salz

this is the time for asparagus

epsilon — 2008-05-25T17:34:00Z

auf Deutsch hier

I've learned that white asparagus isn't so widely spread as green asparagus - at least in the United States. In Germany (I would say) the white is still more common than the green (which is more often used in Italy - as far as I know).
Well, ...

The first (white) asparagus of the year (which appears mid May or so) is best enjoyed pure and plain: with cooked ham, potatoes and a "sauce Hollandaise".

The 2nd, 3rd, 4th,...asparagus is used for more creative recipes. Like this for example:

green risotto
serves 2- 3

1 onion
3 Tbsp oil
200g risotto rice
150 ml white wine
700-800 ml vegetable broth
2 spring onions (scallions, shallots)
250g green asparagus
250g white asparagus
basil
tarragon
50g grated parmesan
2 Tbsp butter
salt
pepper

1. peel the onion and mince. Peel the white (entire stem) and green (just the lower third of the stem) asparagus . Wash and prepare the spring onions. Wash the herbs and mince them.

2. Cut the spring onions and asparagus in 2-3 inch pieces. Boil them about 6 min in salted water.

3. Stirfry the onion together with the rice for about 5 min in hot oil. Add wine and part of the broth.

4. From time to tome add broth - stir. About 10 min before the rice is done add the herbs, the spring onion, asparagus, butter and parmesan.

Spargel Zeit

epsilon — 2008-05-14T18:57:00Z

click here for the English post

Den ersten Spargel des Jahres gibt es bei uns immer pur! Weisser Spargel mit Kartoffeln, gekochtem Schinken und gekaufter (ja gekauft, die Hollandaise habe ich selbst noch nicht unfallfrei hinbekommen) aber verfeinerter Soße. Sooo lecker! Das ist eines der Gerichte auf die ich mich immer freue, sobald die ersten Sonnentrahlen die Luft erwärmen und der Sommer langsam aber sicher Einzug erhält.

Mit dem zweiten und dritten oder vierten Spargel wird dann wild (in Grenzen) experimentiert. Unsere neueste Kreation ist diese hier:

grünes Risotto
für 2- 3 Personen

1 Zwiebel
3 El Öl
200g Risotto Reis
150 ml Weißwein
700-800 ml Gemüsebrühe
2 Stängel Frühligslauch
250g grüner Spargel
250g weißer Spargel
Basilikum
Estragon
50g geriebener Parmesan
2 EL Butter
Salz
Pfeffer

1. Zwiebel schälen und klein schneiden. Spargel schälen (den wißen ganz, den grünen nur im unteren Drittel). Kräuter waschen und klein schneiden.

2. Lauch und Spargel schräg in Ringe schneiden.
In kochendem Salzwasser 6 min garen

3. Zwiebel zusammen mit den Reiskörnern in Öl anschwitzen.
Mit Wein und einem Teil der Brühe ablöschen.

4. Unter Rühren garen. Immer wieder Brühe nachgiessen, bis das Risotto cremig ist. Kräuter, Lauch, Spargel, Parmesan und Butter ca 5-10 min vor Ende unter das Risotto rühren

Shii Take - Zuckerschoten - Crepe mit Fruehlingszwiebelsosse

epsilon — 2008-05-03T17:18:00Z

Schon wieder Pfannkuchen? Hatten wir doch erst!

Nein, nicht doch. Diesmal sind Crepes gefragt. Wo genau da der Unterschied ist (ausser, dass Crepes duenner sind als Pfannkuchen) vermag ich nicht zu sagen. Geheime Quellen verrieten, dass in Crepe Butter soll, was dem Pfannkuchenteig fuer gewoehnlich fehlt. Liebe francophilen Menschen unter euch Lesern: stimmt das?

Jedenfalls hatte meine Gemuesekiste Shii Take Pilze herbeigezaubert diese Woche (und ich hatte schon befuerchtet, dass es Morcheln sind) die auf eine Verarbeitung warteten. Christoph hat Google befragt und dieses Shii Take-Zuckerschoten-Crepe-Rezept zu Tage gefoerdert.
Die Umrechnung war nicht so einfach (ich sag nur Pilze zaehlen!!)

Das Ergebnis war lecker! Richtig toll geworden ist die Sosse, die wir sicher wieder auch zu anderem angebratenem Gemuese wiederholen werden.

Shii Take - Zuckerschoten - Crepe mit Zwiebelsosse
fuer 4 gefuellte Crepe

10 Frühlingszwiebel
ca 200g Zuckerschoten (-erbsen)
ca 200g Shiitake-Pilze
Salz
1 kleiner Bund Schnittlauch
Sojasoße
3 EL Olivenöl
1 Tasse(n) Wasser

0. genug Teig fuer 4 Crepe machen und wegstellen (der teig bildet so Blaeschen, das Mehl quillt besser auf und alles wird lecker, locker.)

1. Fruehlingszwiebel in kleine Roellchen schneiden und waschen.

2. Oel in einer Pfanne erhitzen und die Zwiebeln darin anduensten.
Salzen, eine Tasse Wasser und etwas Sojasosse hinzugeben und 15 min einkochen lassen. (Danach beiseite stellen und abkuehlen lassen.)

3. Pilze saeubern und in Stuecke schneiden.( Besser nicht waschen sondern mit einer kleinen Buerste saeubern. )

4. Zuckerschoten saeubern und anbraten. Nach 5 min. die Pilze dazugeben, weiterbraten. Mit Salz und Pfeffer wuerzen.

5. Sosse im Mixer purrieren und nochmal aufkochen. Eventuell noch Wasser und/oder Sojasosse zugeben (je nach Geschmack).

6. Schnittlauchroellchen schneiden.

7. Crepe braten. Mit Gemuese fuellen und mit Sosse und Roellchen anrichten.

cute little cheesecake pops

epsilon — 2008-04-28T19:45:00Z

I have to tell you one thing first: I looove these little delicious, creamy, cold, sweet, crunchy cheesecake pops!

Now the "bad news": to make them does indeed take a lot of time.

But you will see, it's worth it.

I decided to make mine 3 weeks ago. We were invited to a birthday party in Cologne and I tried to find something creative to take along. As if someone had read my mind the new announced challenge on daring baker's was a great find! Cheesecake pops!

Well, as you might guess, I like cheesecake. The German Style (made with "Quark" or Ricotta) as well as NY Style based on cream cheese. But sometimes the latter is a little bit tooo creamy and heavy.
Not this one!

The cheesecake was so easy to bake! No fuzzy preparation and the water bath created a over-the-rim-growing-miracle-cake in my oven. I definitely loved it! If I hadn't planned to make the pops Christoph and Fred would have eaten the most of it before I even would have had a chance to form balls, dip them in chocolate and pistachio,....
The cake was so light, fluffy and airy - I seldom had a cheesecake like this.

Today I won't skip to put a recipe - no excuse for you not to bake this!
don't like to create a mess in your kitchen, just bake the cake, cover with chocolate sauce and sprinkle with pistachio and brittle....

Find more pops on the daring baker's blogroll

Cheesecake Pops

Makes 30 40 Pops

5 8-oz. packages cream cheese at room temperature
2 cups sugar
¼ cup all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt
5 large eggs
2 egg yolks
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
¼ cup heavy cream
Boiling water as needed

Thirty to forty 8-inch lollipop sticks

1 pound chocolate, finely chopped you can use all one kind or half and half of dark, milk, or white (Alternately, you can use 1 pound of flavored coatings, also known as summer coating, confectionary coating or wafer chocolate candy supply stores carry colors, as well as the three kinds of chocolate.)

2 tablespoons vegetable shortening

(Note: White chocolate is harder to use this way, but not impossible)

Assorted decorations such as chopped nuts, colored jimmies, crushed peppermints, mini chocolate chips, sanding sugars, dragees) - Optional

Position oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees F. Set some water to boil.

In a large bowl, beat together the cream cheese, sugar, flour, and salt until smooth. If using a mixer, mix on low speed. Add the whole eggs and the egg yolks, one at a time, beating well (but still at low speed) after each addition. Beat in the vanilla and cream.

Grease a 10-inch cake pan (not a springform pan), and pour the batter into the cake pan. Place the pan in a larger roasting pan. Fill the roasting pan with the boiling water until it reaches halfway up the sides of the cake pan. Bake until the cheesecake is firm and slightly golden on top, 35 to 45 minutes.

Remove the cheesecake from the water bath and cool to room temperature. Cover the cheesecake with plastic wrap and refrigerate until very cold, at least 3 hours or up to overnight.

When the cheesecake is cold and very firm, scoop the cheesecake into 2-ounce balls and place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Carefully insert a lollipop stick into each cheesecake ball. Freeze the cheesecake pops, uncovered, until very hard, at least 1 2 hours.

When the cheesecake pops are frozen and ready for dipping, prepare the chocolate. In the top of a double boiler, set over simmering water, or in a heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water, heat half the chocolate and half the shortening, stirring often, until chocolate is melted and chocolate and shortening are combined. Stir until completely smooth. Do not heat the chocolate too much or your chocolate will lose its shine after it has dried. Save the rest of the chocolate and shortening for later dipping, or use another type of chocolate for variety.

Alternately, you can microwave the same amount of chocolate coating pieces on high at 30 second intervals, stirring until smooth.

Quickly dip a frozen cheesecake pop in the melted chocolate, swirling quickly to coat it completely. Shake off any excess into the melted chocolate. If you like, you can now roll the pops quickly in optional decorations. You can also drizzle them with a contrasting color of melted chocolate (dark chocolate drizzled over milk chocolate or white chocolate over dark chocolate, etc.) Place the pop on a clean parchment paper-lined baking sheet to set. Repeat with remaining pops, melting more chocolate and shortening (or confectionary chocolate pieces) as needed.

Refrigerate the pops for up to 24 hours, until ready to serve

dairy free broccoli soup - a total loss

epsilon — 2008-04-03T12:58:00Z

Deutsch

Shortly I was asked if ever something strange happens in my kitchen, if ever something does not work the way I wanted. Yes, of course! But those are not that kind of recipe I'd like to share with the entire world. Do you understand?

Today I need you help!
I need a recipe!

Two weeks ago a little green broccoli was waiting in my fridge to be turned into something delicious and warm. A soup I thaught might be a good idea. I did ot have cream and I had the monomania/obsession/fixed idea/craze/idee fixe to invent a dairy free broccoli soup.

Well, I'll skip the details and make a point: IT DID NOT WORK. Yes, it was a total loss. First of all the color - you can see it there's nothing to add. Secondly the taste - watery and the wrong type of spices.

Now I need you help! Does anyone know a delicious dairy free broccoli soup recipe? I'd be glad to know it.

Brokolisuppen-Totalausfall mit Bitte um Rezeptvorschlag

epsilon — 2008-04-03T12:56:00Z

in English

Neulich wurde ich nach großen Totalausfällen, nicht-funktionierenden Rezepten und alltäglichen Küchenkatastrophen gefragt. Natürlich kommen die hin und wieder vor - mal weniger mal öfter. (Nur wird nicht jedes Mal darüber berichtet. )

Heute brauche ich Eure Hilfe!
Ich brauche ein Rezept!

Vor kurzen hatte ich einen wunderschönen kleinen Brokkolikopf in meinem Gemüsefach. In eine leckere Brokkolisuppe wollte ich ihn verwandeln. Nur sollte es diesmal keine CREME Suppe sein. Ohne Sahne wollte ich auskommen (ich hatte einfach keine im Haus - und mir gefiehl die Idee einer "dairy-free" Brokkolisuppe).

Ja, die Details will ich gar nicht loswerden, aber die Suppe war ein totaler Reinfall! Erstens: die Farbe - ich hatte die grünen kleinen Röschen so lange gekocht bis sie unappetitlich bräunlich wurden. Zweitens: der Geschmack - viel zu wässrig und obendrein die falschen Gewürze.

Jetzt brauche ich Hilfe. Weiss jemand ein Sahne-freies Brokolisuppenrezept? Her damit!

March challenge 2008: the perfect party cake

epsilon — 2008-03-29T10:31:00Z

this was a great challenge!
Thank you Morven for choosing Dorie Greenspan's great recipe!

As always I started in the very last second (yesterday evening the 28th) to attack this months challenge. I was a little afraid of making this cake since I always have had trouble whenever I tried to make what we call "Bisquitteig" in Germany: This beautiful white, light, airy "Tortenboden" - yes, the layers of a party cake.

And so it was this time: I cut the recipe in half, since I wanted to make a small cake (we have to share it among the two of us). Everything came together very well, the dough started to rise as if it wanted to grow over the rim - but when I got it out of the oven and did put it on a cooling rack it fell together again. This is why I have a layer cake with very thin layers now,...

Do you know what happened? Can anyone tell how I can avoid this next time?

Nevertheless, I love the taste!

I did fill it with a yogurt - white - chocolate creme and raspberry jam. To make the yogurt creme use:
200g (for a bigger cake 400) of yogurt
enough gelatin (follow the instructions on the package)
and 50g (100g for a big one) of white chocolate

melt the chocolate and stir it in the yogurt, add the gelatin as described in the instructions, stir well and use to layer your cake. You'll love it.

Check out this site for the cakes of all the other daring bakers!

PERFECT PARTY CAKE
Courtesy of Dorie Greenspans Baking from My Home to Yours (page 250).
Posting date Sunday 30 March.

IMPORTANT NOTICE - RECIPE EDITED MARCH 10TH

For those of you who don't read all the comments or don't have Dorie's book, there were a couple of omissions which some diligent Daring Bakers picked up. If these contributed to a "floppity flops" - my sincere apologies. Please note the changes in bold below - one is the reference to a 1/4 cup of lemon juice and the second is in relation to whisking together the egg whites and milk in the 2nd line of making the cake. I've also expanded on the Update on Playing Around.

Words from Dorie
Stick a bright-coloured Post-it to this page, so youll always know where to turn for a just-right cake for any celebration. The original recipe was given to me by my great dear friend Nick Malgieri, of baking fame, and since getting it, Ive found endless opportunities to make it you will too. The cake is snow white, with an elegant tight crumb and an easygoing nature: it always bakes up perfectly; it is delicate on the tongue but sturdy in the kitchen no fussing when it comes to slicing the layers in half or cutting tall, beautiful wedges for serving; and, it tastes just as youd want a party cake to taste special. The base recipe is for a cake flavoured with lemon, layered with a little raspberry jam and filled and frosted with a classic (and so simple) pure white lemony hot-meringue buttercream but, because the elements are so fundamental, they lend themselves to variation (see Playing Around), making the cake not just perfect, but also versatile.

For the Cake

2 1/4 cups cake flour (updated 25 March)
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 ¼ cups whole milk or buttermilk (I prefer buttermilk with the lemon)
4 large egg whites
1 ½ cups sugar
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
1 stick (8 tablespoons or 4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
½ teaspoon pure lemon extract

For the Buttercream
1 cup sugar
4 large egg whites
3 sticks (12 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
¼ cup fresh lemon juice (from 2 large lemons)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For Finishing
2/3 cup seedless raspberry preserves stirred vigorously or warmed gently until spreadable
About 1 ½ cups sweetened shredded coconut

Getting Ready
Centre a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter two 9 x 2 inch round cake pans and line the bottom of each pan with a round of buttered parchment or wax paper. Put the pans on a baking sheet.

To Make the Cake
Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.
Whisk together the milk and egg whites in a medium bowl.
Put the sugar and lemon zest in a mixer bowl or another large bowl and rub them together with your fingers until the sugar is moist and fragrant.
Add the butter and working with the paddle or whisk attachment, or with a hand mixer, beat at medium speed for a full 3 minutes, until the butter and sugar are very light.
Beat in the extract, then add one third of the flour mixture, still beating on medium speed.
Beat in half of the milk-egg mixture, then beat in half of the remaining dry ingredients until incorporated.
Add the rest of the milk and eggs beating until the batter is homogeneous, then add the last of the dry ingredients.
Finally, give the batter a good 2- minute beating to ensure that it is thoroughly mixed and well aerated.
Divide the batter between the two pans and smooth the tops with a rubber spatula.
Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the cakes are well risen and springy to the touch a thin knife inserted into the centers should come out clean
Transfer the cakes to cooling racks and cool for about 5 minutes, then run a knife around the sides of the cakes, unfold them and peel off the paper liners.
Invert and cool to room temperature, right side up (the cooled cake layers can be wrapped airtight and stored at room temperature overnight or frozen for up to two months).

To Make the Buttercream
Put the sugar and egg whites in a mixer bowl or another large heatproof bowl, fit the bowl over a plan of simmering water and whisk constantly, keeping the mixture over the heat, until it feels hot to the touch, about 3 minutes.
The sugar should be dissolved, and the mixture will look like shiny marshmallow cream.
Remove the bowl from the heat.
Working with the whisk attachment or with a hand mixer, beat the meringue on medium speed until it is cool, about 5 minutes.
Switch to the paddle attachment if you have one, and add the butter a stick at a time, beating until smooth.
Once all the butter is in, beat in the buttercream on medium-high speed until it is thick and very smooth, 6-10 minutes.
During this time the buttercream may curdle or separate just keep beating and it will come together again.
On medium speed, gradually beat in the lemon juice, waiting until each addition is absorbed before adding more, and then the vanilla.
You should have a shiny smooth, velvety, pristine white buttercream. Press a piece of plastic against the surface of the buttercream and set aside briefly.

To Assemble the Cake
Using a sharp serrated knife and a gentle sawing motion, slice each layer horizontally in half.
Put one layer cut side up on a cardboard cake round or a cake plate protected by strips of wax or parchment paper.
Spread it with one third of the preserves.
Cover the jam evenly with about one quarter of the buttercream.
Top with another layer, spread with preserves and buttercream and then do the same with a third layer (youll have used all the jam and have buttercream leftover).
Place the last layer cut side down on top of the cake and use the remaining buttercream to frost the sides and top.
Press the coconut into the frosting, patting it gently all over the sides and top.

Serving
The cake is ready to serve as soon as it is assembled, but I think its best to let it sit and set for a couple of hours in a cool room not the refrigerator. Whether you wait or slice and enjoy it immediately, the cake should be served at room temperature; it loses all its subtlety when its cold. Depending on your audience you can serve the cake with just about anything from milk to sweet or bubbly wine.

Storing
The cake is best the day it is made, but you can refrigerate it, well covered, for up to two days. Bring it to room temperature before serving. If you want to freeze the cake, slide it into the freezer to set, then wrap it really well it will keep for up to 2 months in the freezer; defrost it, still wrapped overnight in the refrigerator.

Playing Around
Since lemon is such a friendly flavour, feel free to make changes in the preserves: other red preserves cherry or strawberry look especially nice, but you can even use plum or blueberry jam.

Fresh Berry Cake
If you will be serving the cake the day it is made, cover each layer of buttercream with fresh berries use whole raspberries, sliced or halved strawberries or whole blackberries, and match the preserves to the fruit. You can replace the coconut on top of the cake with a crown of berries, or use both coconut and berries. You can also replace the buttercream between the layers with fairly firmly whipped sweetened cream and then either frost the cake with buttercream (the contrast between the lighter whipped cream and the firmer buttercream is nice) or finish it with more whipped cream. If you use whipped cream, youll have to store the cake the in the refrigerator let it sit for about 20 minutes at room temperature before serving.

Posted by Morven

Pfannkuchen - suess oder salzig

epsilon — 2008-03-22T09:47:00Z

in English

In der "living at Home" war im Maerz ein Pfannkuchen special. Die empfohlenen Variationen und Fuellungen werde ich hier nicht alle vorstellen, aber den angegebenen Pfannkuchen Basisteig.

Zumindest mir ging es so: Jedesmal, wenn ich Pfannkuchen machen wollte konnte ich mich nicht mehr daran erinnern, welches Rezept ich letztes Mal benutzte und welches die optimale Mischung von Milch, Ei und Mehl ist.

Hier ist die optimale Mischung!

Ich habe die Kuechlein weder wirklich gesalzen noch gesuesst. So waren sie mit Guacamole gefuellt ein leckeres Abendessen und mit Frischkaese und Marmelade ein Fruehstueck am naechsten Morgen!

Vielleicht gibt es sie ja bei euch zum Osterbrunch?

Pfannkuchen - Basisrezept
fuer ca 10 kleine Pfannkuchen

500 ml Milch
300g Mehl
1 Prise Salz
3 Eier
Oel

1. Mit einem Schneebesen Mehl und Milch glattruehren. Eine Prise Salz zugeben und nach und nach die 3 Eier unterschlagen.
2. Den Teig 30 min ausquellen lassen.
3. In einer geoelten Pfanne die Pfannkuchen goldbraun braten.

TIP: die schoenen Muster enstehen von alleine, wenn amn wenig Oel in der Pfanne mit einem Backpinsel verteilt bevor mann den Teig hinein gibt. Nocheinmal Oel mit dem Pinsel verstreichen, wenn man den Pfannkuchen wendet. So hat man auch auf der Rueckseite das schoene Muster.

pancakes - German style

epsilon — 2008-03-22T09:47:00Z

auf Deutsch

In the march magazine of "living at Home" was a pancake special!
I will not tell you about all the varieties and different fillings they made, but I will give you the basic pancake recipe that was provided. German pancakes are more similar to French crepes (don't tell this French people, they'll hate me for this statement) than to American style pancakes: They are larger and thinner.

Basically baking pancakes is very simple. But each time I wanted to make some I was not sure anymore which mixture gave me the right consistency of the dough. Here's the optimal one! This recipe is a keeper:
neither salty nor sweet you can prepare a batch of pancakes. fill them with something savory (for example the guacamole we had a while ago) or you can have them for breakfast.(together with some fresh fruit and maple syrup or filled with cream cheese and raspberry jam - just as I did).
Hier ist die optimale Mischung!

What about making them for Easter Morning brunch and preparing several types of fillings?

pancakes
makes 10

500 ml milk
300g flour
1 pinch of salt
3 eggs
oil and a baking-brush

1. Wisk together flour and milk. Add a pinch of salt and beat in the eggs one by one.
2. Let the dough rest for 30 minutes.
3. Slightly brush a hot non-stick pan with oil and bake the pancakes until golden brown.

Selbstgemachte Gnocchi di patate

epsilon — 2008-03-19T20:57:00Z

in English

Immer wenn das Gespräch auf Gnocchi kam, erzählten gute Freunde von mir die selbe Geschichte (und irgendwann habe auch ich immer diese Geschichte erzählt):
Sie hatten Gäste zum Abendessen und wollten sie mit selbstgemachten Gnocchi beeindrucken. Alles lief super bis zu dem Zeitpunkt als die vielen kleinen Gnocchi ins Wasser geworfen wurden.

Heraus kam nicht etwa eine Schüssel voller dampfender Gnocchi, nein, EIN Riesen-Gnoc.

Ich hatte also ein wenig Angst ob dieses Experimentglücken würde, als ich mir letzten Freitag in den Kopf setzte es soll zum Abendessen Gnocchi geben. Ich wollte ein Rezept ausprobieren, das ich in meinem Weihnachtsgeschenk (ein Kochbuch, was sonst) gefunden hatte. Das Problem war nur, dass ich es leich ändern ~~wollte~~ musste, weil meine bekochte bessere Hälfte numal keinen Spinat isst. Kindheitstrauma vielleicht?

Der Trick ist schnell zu sein.

Der Teig darf auf keinen Fall länger als unbedingt nötiggeknetet werden. Sonst verwandelt er sich binnen Sekunden in eine viel zu klebrige fast-flüssige Masse.

Gnocchi di patate
ein Essen für 4 (oder 2 für 2)

600g Kartoffeln (festkochend)
200g Mehl
3 Eigelb
Salz, Muskat
extra Mehl zum Ausrollen

1. Die Kartoffeln kochen bis sie sehr weich sind. Ausdampfen lassen.
2. Die Kartoffeln pressen oder stampfen (wie für Brei) und in eine groß Schüssel geben.
3. In der Mitte des Kartoffelberges ein Loch formen und Mehl, die Egelbe und die Gewürze hineingeben.
4. Gesalzenes Wasser in einem großen Topf zum Kochen briingen.
5. Jetzt beim Kneten schnell sein (nicht vergessen!) und dann den Teig zu langen dünnen Rollen formen. Stücke von ca 2cm abschneiden und mit der Gabel auf einer bemehlten Fläche leicht eindrücken.
6. Die Gnocchi ca min in fast kochendem Wasser ziehen lassen (bis sie auf der Oberfläche schwimmen.

Mit zerlaufener Butter und Salbei, mit Pesto oder mit einer Tomatensosse servieren,....

Sie schmecken leicht in Olivenöl angebraten auch am nächsten Tag noch. Dazu sollte man sie aber in einem unverschlossenen Gefäß (und nicht im Kühlschrank) aufbewahren, da sie sonst Wasser ziehen.

Home-made Gnocchi di patate

epsilon — 2008-03-19T20:57:00Z

auf Deutsch

When talking about gnocchi friends of mine keep telling a story:
They had dinner guests one and tried to impress them with home made gnocchi di patate. Everything was fine until the put the rolled tiny little lumps in the pot with the boiling water.

Out came not a bowl full of gnocchi but one huge gnoc.

So I was a little afraid last friday night when I tried this new recipe (out of a cookbook I got as a Christmas present). But it wasn't just trying to make a well approved recipe - I also messed with it. The one I had called for spinach (which is a no-go when your sweetheart hates spinach even more than he hates salad,...).

THE TRICK is to BE QUICK.
Do not knead the dough longer than absolutely necessary, since otherwise it turns into a sticky mess, ehm, mass within a second.

gnocchi di patate
one meal for 4 (or 2 for 2)

600g potatoes
200g flour
3 egg yolks
Salt, nutmeg
extra flour

1. boil the potatoes until very tender
2. mash the potatoes and put them in a large bow.
3. Form a hole in the top of the "potato-mountain" and drop in the egg yolks, a pinch of salt and nutmeg to taste. Add the flour.
4. In a large pot bring salted water to a boil (is this correct English???).
5. Remember to be quick when kneading everything to a smooth dough.
6. Form long and thin snags/sausages and cut them into 1inch long pieces. Press each with a fork.
7. Boil the gnocchi in for 2 minutes (until they swim on top) .

Serve with melted butter and sage or with fresh pesto, or with a simple tomato sauce.....

They are great the next day when you stirfry them in extra virgin olive oil for a couple of minutes!

Good news: Apple-Berry-Crumble and a recipe index

epsilon — 2008-03-10T05:57:00Z

auf Deutsch

What a nice picture - isn't it? I kept it in my flickr account for almost 4 weeks now.

We had dinner guests and I wanted to create a new desert. It was cold outside and one of those nights where I was hatppy to be in my small but cozy kitchen, where the windows were covered with steam, nice people with us, a glass of wine in our hands and dinner in the oven. The perfect desert for this evening was warm but full of fruits, sweet with a hint of tartness and colorful (to forget the foggy weather outside the house).

You can imagine how disappointed I was when the thing I made turned out way too spicy. We had, well, way too much ginger in the apple compote....

My guests where too polite to complain....

The good news of today:
I turned the recipe into a good one

AND (more important)

To celebrate visitor number 10.000 on my site I made a recipe index! Congratulations to you! I know you are out there and reading my tiny page,....

I hope you enjoy it as much as I do and I wish you would let know me a little more about what you think, if you ever made a recipe posted here - did you like it? No? Why not? let me know!!

Comments can be add using the tiny blue "Kommentar verfassen" link onthe bottom of this page.

Apple-berry-crumble
(serves 4)

4 small apples
4 Tbsp water
2 Tbsp brown sugar
8 Tbsp mixed frozen berries
1" cube of ginger, minced

for the crumbles:
100g unsalted butter
125g flour
75g sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon

and 4 glasses

1. Cut the apples in 2inch cubes and boil together with the water, ginger and sugar until soft.
2. Fill glasses with apple compote and cover each with 2 Tbsp of frozen berries.
3. Make crumbles and top the compote with them. Bake in the preheated oven at 400 °F for about 10 min (or until crumbles turn slightly darker)

Tip: close lid and take them with you for a Sunday afternoon picnic or the next party you are invited. Or take it with you to the office.

Gute Nachrichten: Apfel-Beeren-Crumble und ein Rezeptverzeichnis!

epsilon — 2008-03-10T05:57:00Z

in English

Ist das nicht ein schöes Foto? Seit mehr als 3 Wochen habe ich es schon in meinem flickr Account gelagert.

Wir hatten Besuch zum Abendessen und ich wollte einen neuen Nachtisch kreiren. Draussen war es kalt und regnerisch und es war einer dieser Abende an denen ich glücklich bin, wenn ich in meiner kleinen gemütlichen Küche sitze, die Fenster vom Dampf beschlagen, nette Leute bei uns, ein Glass Wein in der Hand und gutes Essen im Ofen. Der perfekte Nachtisch für so einen Abend war warm, fruchtig, süss und ein bisschen sauer - und bunt (um das Grau draussen vergessen zu können).

Du kannst Dir sicher vorstellen, wie enttäuscht ich war, als der freudig erwartete Nachtisch mit viel zu viel Ingwerschärfe auf den Tisch kam....

Meine Gäste waren zu nett sich wirklich zu beschweren.

Trotzdem gute Nachrichten:
Ich habe das Rezept angepasst und jetzt ist es lecker.

Und, zur Feier des Besuchers Nummer 10.000 auf dieser Seite, gibt es ein Rezeptverzeichnis! Vielen Dank!

Ich hoffe, ihr habt mindestens so viel Spass mit dieser Seite wie ich und ich wünsche mir, ab heute viele viele Kommentare zu bekommen.
Ich weiss, wie viele jeden Tag da sind. Mochtest Du das Rezept? Hast Du selbst schonmal sowas gekocht? Hast Du Tips? Schmeckt's nicht? Warum? Lass es mich wissen.

Apfel-Beeren-Crumble
(für 4)

4 kleine Äpfel
4 EL Wasser
2 EL brauner Zucker
8 EL (gefrorene) gemischte BeerenTbsp mixed frozen berries
2cm^3 klein gehackter Ingwer (oder weniger, je nach Geschmack)

für die Streusel:
100g Butetr
125g Mehl
75g Zucker
1/2 TL Zimt

und 4 Marmeladengläder

1. Äpfel in große Würfek schneiden. Und mit Wasser, Ingwer und Zucker zu einem Kompott kochen.
2. Gläser mit Apfelmasse füllen und je 2EL Beeren dazugeben.
3. Aus den restlichen Zutaten Krümel kneten und in die Gläser füllen. Im vorgeheizten Backofen auf 180°C ca 10 min backen. (Oder bis die Streusel goldbraun sind.)

Tip: Mit verschlossenem Deckel hält es sich eine Weile und kann einfach zum Sonntaglichen Picknick oder zur nächsten Party mitgenommen werden. Oder aber am nächsten Morgen mit ins Büro.

Rezept Verzeichnis

epsilon — 2008-03-07T16:29:00Z

Hauptgerichte

Vorspeisen

Beilagen

Gebäck

Nachtisch

Dips und Kleinkram

Frühstück

marvelous Mango Mousse

epsilon — 2008-03-05T14:29:00Z

auf Deutsch

I do not remember which Newspaper it was but I read something about molecular gastronomy last week.

Chefs of molecular gastronomy might be a mixture of an artist, a chemist and a little child that loves to play ...

I am not one of those and my skills are far from being able to produce hot ice cream or other fancy things.

But one thing I did not forget:
Why is it possible to whip cream but not water or juice? To whip a liquid it has to contain proteins. And, by adding proteines to a liquid one can make it whippable (? is this an english word ?)

This is how we got to this airy marvelous slightly orange fruity sweet mango mousse. We managed to eat the entire bowl amoung the two of us.

Mango Mousse
serves 3-4 as a desert

1 very ripe mango
1/2 banana
6-8 Tbsp water
100 ml cream
enough gelatin for 500ml liquid
1 Tbsp brown sugar
fresh mint for decoration

1. Peel the mango and set aside some decorative slices. 2. Puree mango and banana. Add liquid if neccessary.
3. Whip the cream.
4. Prepare gelatin as suggested and add to the mango purree. Wait until it starts thickening.
5. Whip Mango mousse and stir in the cream.
6. Decorate with mint and serve at room temperature.