Plum Coffee Cake

Did you know that coffee cakes don't really have coffee in them? They get their name because you supposed to drink coffee while you eat them. So a few days ago I sent my daughter to the neighboring garden for some plums. It is a fact that neighbors' fruits always taste better (similar to the grass being greener on the other side ;) ) In the meantime I found this amazing recipe on the Joy of Baking site for a Plum Coffee Cake. http://www.joyofbaking.com/PlumCoffeeCake.html Most of their recipes have been tested, so I was pretty comfortable trying it myself. And the result was wonderful. There is some ground almonds in the cake which add an extra touch, orange juice and orange do a wonderful job too.
Oh, and instead of coffee I ate with homemade Honey Lavender ice cream.
What a treat!!!

Mayonnaise

Thanks to this video I haven't bought mayo in over a year...

Enjoy!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gz0fLT_k3_U

Daring Cooks Challenge - The World of Pierogi

Well, it has been so long ago that I made these pierogis, that all I know it was a little time consuming, a little tricky and plenty delicious. I still have the freezer full of them!!!
I made three different filling: one with potatoes, cheddar and onions; another one with mushrooms and onions; and the third one with sauerkraut, carrots and some cumin.
One of the tastiest ways to prepare them was to boil first and then pan fry. The little crisp is just so good.

As for the rest I hope photos will tell the story!!!

Gruyere Popovers...

I've been keeping in mind the cheese souffle recipe for a few months already. But it sounded a little complicated, lots of eggs, no Gruyere at the time, etc... So, yesterday when I got an email with a recipe for cheese popovers, I was totally sold. Two cups of warm milk, whisked together with 4 eggs, pepper and salt until smooth. Add two cups of flour. Fold it (don't overmix), pour it all into greased muffin pan, add a cube of cheese on top and throw it in the oven at 375 degrees for 40 minutes. The result is fabulous.
They are airy, crusty and cheesy!!! Delicious!!!

Tomato Season!!!

Well, my tomato bushes are getting out of control and every day I end picking a good bowl of fresh ripe tomatoes. I have some heirlooms, some cherry, some plum tomatoes; they all taste great, but how much c an you eat? It turns out if you make a tomato soup, you end up using quite a bit of them. Today, was roasted tomato day. I just finished a bowl and still can feel a little tanginess in my mouth. It was sooo yummy, I might as well go get another bowl.
As for preparation, again pretty simple. cut the tomatoes in half fill the baking dish, throw 10 cloves of garlic, slice one onion throw on top of the tomatoes. Drizzle with some olive oil, salt and pepper and stick it into the oven. Roast it for a good 30-40min. Transfer everything to the pot, add some broth, butter and bay leave and cook another 20min or so. In the end just blend with immersion blender, add some heavy cream and basil leaves and the soup is ready.
Enjoy!!!

Pizza on the Grill!!!

I have to say WOW!!! Easy... Tasty... Quick...
Having lots of eggplants in my refrigerator that needed to be used, I started thinking on how I should prepare them. Eggplant Parmigiana needed some tomato sauce, which I was making tonight, but wasn't in the mood for. There was also an eggplant dip, but I didn't have bread for it. Kids were in the house and I knew they are always up for some pizza. So I decided to poke around internet and maybe there is such a thing as eggplant pizza?!?!?! Well, it turns there is!!! And it is even prepared on the grill. I love my grill; I love to grill. But pizza? I already new that there is such a thing as a pizza on the grill from my Weber''s Grilling Book, but never dared enough to try it. Well tonight was the night.
First of all thanks to my bread making machine for setting such a perfect dough and making my life so much easier. So, I made some dough rounds and threw them on the grill. After picking them up a few minutes later I brushed the grilled side with oil, put some grilled eggplant with some green olives and threw some provolone cheese on top. Put the pizza rounds back on the grill for 3-4 more minutes and the result was fabulous.
The dough has risen enough and the flavors were very subtle... Oh, and don't forget to pair it up with some Riesling!!! Enjoy!!!

Curried Corn Soup...

I am finally moving into the soup territory. Somehow, I've always been dreading making soups, but when looking more into the recipes, it turns out they are easy and quick enough. I needed to make something with corn, and when I saw that the recipe that calls for curry, I was instantly ready for some cooking.
I am still amazed how simple it was to make it. Saute some leeks, add potatoes, corn kernels and curry. Fill the pot with broth, simmer until potatoes are soft, blend, strain and you got it...
I am usually a fan of chunkier soups, but straining here was very important since leeks and corn leave very dry and weird fibers.
As for the taste, it is a little sweet, a little spicy and our neighborhood party loved it. Even kids really enjoyed it.
Bon Apetit!!!