The chocolate fever..

Again...I inspired by a film. This time is “It's Complicated!” Meryl Steep got in the kitchen one more time. This time she got me longing for Chocolate Cake. Recently I have been playing around ...trying to create hot chocolate something in the direction of a marvelous chocolate chaud I drank at Jean-Paul Hevin locates in the basement of Department Store Isetan in Shinjuku, Tokyo. It was so incredible that I some time get this luscious chocolate taste in my mouth. I have been researching and reading about Chocolate and how to make a good cup of hot chocolate not hot cacao . I remade and experimented many recipes. After I went through couple bars of dark chocolate (70-85%) and almost a box of fine cacao powder. One Evening my batch turn into something like velvet creamy chocolate sauce. I added a little hot water and a shot of spiced rum, served in a small espresso cup. It was i rich and creamy that I enjoyed it by sipping. I did not use any cream just little bit of lactose free milk.  My system does not tolerate well with dairy product. So I am very conscious about it and substitutes with other ingredients if I can.

After I watched the film I determined to bake a very chocolate cake with very chocolate topping or frosting. I wanted to add a fresh flavor to my very chocolate cake using basic cake recipe. Orange … yes I am a fan of citrus fruit! I don’t want to be complicate(d) so I borrowed orange cake recipe I posted last December just added almost 3 generous tablespoons of fine cacao powder to flour.

While the cake was baking I prepared the sauce. I added Cointreau to match up the orange flavor in the cake.

Maxie’s Cointreau Chocolate sauce recipe

Ingredients

50 gram Dark Chocolate bar 70-85% of pure chocolate, break into small pieces – I used 85%

¾  cup of Milk or Cream – I use lactose free milk

½ cup of Raw Sugar

¼ cup of fine cacao powder

1 ½ table spoon of unsalted butter

¼ cup of Cointreau

1 tablespoon of light vegetable – to add the shine

Instruction

1. In a small sauce pan over low heat melt broken Chocolate pieces with Milk. Stir well until it blends
2. Add sugar and Cacao powder. Mix until smooth. Add little more milk if the paste is too thick
3. Add Butter and Vegetable Oil. Mix well
4. Taste and check consistence and flavor. Add more sugar if you like more sweet. Take off the heat.
5. Add Cointreau and Mix well. If you want to get rid of alcohol add this over the heat and stir well to evaporate alcohol.

Finishing the cake

1. Cut the cake horizontal with long sharp knife in half
2. Pour about 1/3 of sauce over the bottom half
3. Assemble back the cake with the other half. Try to match it.
   
4. Pour the rest of the sauce on top. Spread the sauce evenly but let it drips down on the side. Let it cool before serving

This cake is very rich and very chocolate with a fine fresh tang to it.It was a really yummy!
Here is a nice book about Chocolate 

Incredible Refreshing Winter Salad

Already I received several requests from friends for Fennel Salad I made for x-mas dinner. I love this amazing salad - a light, crunchy, fruity and refreshing at this time of the year. They are seasonal ingredients available in our local market in Germany.  Also you can find Pomelo in Asia except for the Fennel bulbs which you may have to pay a fortune for them. I will experiment and try to find a substitute for Fennel bulbs and will let you know.

Fennel Salad with Pamelo and Citrus Dressing

For 4 serving

Ingredients for Salad

2 medium size Fennel bulbs

1/2 Red Onion, thinly Sliced

1 1/2 cups of Pomelo fruit - a citrus fruit look like giant grapefruit. It comes from South East Asia or Middle East. Grapefruit can be substitute if you cannot find Pamelo in your local market.

1 cup Pomegranate

Segments of 1 Organic Orange

Ingredients for Dressing

2 Tablespoon of fresh squeezed Organic Lime and Lemon juice – reduced the amount if you use Grapefruit instead of Pamelo

2 Tablespoon of fresh squeezed Orange juice

1 Tablespoon shredded of Organic Orange zest

1 Tablespoon of shredded Organic Lemon and Lime zest

2 Tablespoon of Walnut Oil or ground nut oil or any light Salad Oil

1 tablespoon of chopped Flat Leaves Parsley

Sea Salt

Freshly ground Pepper

Chili or Cayenne Pepper to taste (optional)

Instruction

1.        With hand slicer – shave Fennel Bulbs and Red Onion in a big salad bowl

2.       Peel and separate Pomelo fruit into bites pieces.  Add to the bowl with Fennel and Red Onion.

3.       Pomegranate,  Walnut Oil, Orange Zest, Lime Juice, Sea Salt, Freshly ground Pepper, Chili/Cayenne Pepper and chopped Parsley leaves

4.       Gently mix the salad with hand. That the Pomegranate and Pamelo fruits are not break and juice comes out.

5.        Taste and add salt, pepper, chili or lime juice according your desire flavor. Be sure the salad dressing flavor is to compliment Fennel, Pamelo and Pomegranate not too strong. Otherwise you will lose refreshing flavor of this salad combination.

6.       Top with  Orange Segments and serve

This refreshing Winter Salad is seasonal at end of the year. It is wonderful as starter before heavy meal or Seafood dishes.

Serving suggestions:

-          Top with simple grilled seafood or grilled boneless or skinless chicken breast as a nice lunch or light dinner

-          Serve between 2 main dishes if you plan many courses

-          Add shaved Parmesan cheese

Orange Cake with Caramelized Citrus Sauce

Clementine and oranges are in season during the holiday. The Japanese always eat these citrus fruits during their New Year celebration. The smell of orange and cinnamon makes me feel warm and cozy. We bought a whole bunch of organic orange the other day. I wanted to bake a cake and am too lazy to go outside at minus 2 degree. I love baking with fruits, vegetables and herbs. So it was one of those days when I gather ingredients around my pantry and fruits bowl. I starred at the oranges for some idea. Pound cake I thought at first… well that requires too many eggs – so no! How about make something similar that uses less egg. A classic cake recipe with citrus flavor with something adds to it to rid off the dullness of just plain cake. I found slices of dried Blood Orange in my pantry – I use them for cooking Daube, sauces or making Mulled wine. My tasted buds started to work – sweet buttery cake with sticky tangy chewy topping! It sent signal to my brain and I came up with a recipe below. My genie pig husband loves the cake – he thinks it was the best I baked in a long time. Is that a complement with a hint to improve my baking !?! The plus point of making cake is natural room fragrance - the whole apartment smelled after fresh baked cake and fresh citrus (I used Lemon and Orange zest). If you cannot find dried orange slice, substitute it with thinly sliced of fresh orange. I want to share this recipe with you and please feel free to share your thought or your variations.

Orange Cake with Caramelized Citrus Sauce - make 8 slices

185g (3/4 cup) Butter, softened
190g (3/4 cup + 5 teaspoons) Raw Sugar

A small pinch teaspoon of Sea Salt
3 large Eggs at room temperature
1 teaspoon finely grated zest  of Organic Lemon and/or Orange
185g (1 1/4 cups) Self-Raising flour can be subsituted - for each cup of all-purpose flour, add 11/2 teaspoon of baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon ofsalt
4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) fresh squeezed Citrus Juice from Orange and/or Lemon

Caramelized Citrus sauce

4 slices of dried Orange or Blood Orange - you can purchase it in gourmet food shop

150g (1 cup + 1 tablespoon) Raw sugar
2 Tables spoon Lemon juice

1 1/2Tablespoon of grated zest of Organic Orange and Lemon

Very tiny pinch of sea salt to smooth the tangy tart flavor

Instruction- Cake:

1.       Preheat oven to 170 degrees Celsius (150 degrees Celsius fan-forced).

2.       Grease the side and base of a 20cm diameter round cake pan.

3.       Add Butter to mixing bowl and slowly add Sugar about 1/4 cup at a time. Use electric mixer or electric hand-held beaters and beat Butter and Sugar until very pale and creamy. This could take up to 10-15 minutes

4.       Add the Eggs one at a time, beating for a few minutes after each addition. Do not rush the addition of the eggs otherwise the mixture will be more likely to separate and develop a curdled appearance. Add the Zest with the last Egg

5.       Add half the flour and stir until just combined. Repeat with remaining flour

6.       Mix in juice

7.       Spoon mixture into prepared cake pan and spread evenly

8.       Bake for about 50-55 minutes- it can be longer depend upon your oven, or until a thin-bladed knife or wooden skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. The cake should spring back when lightly pressed in the centre

9.       Let cool

Instruction- Caramelized Citrus Sauce

1.       Add sugar, Lemon juice and dried Orange slices in a small sauce pan and cook over low – keep stirring over the heat for about 5 minutes– do not let the sauce boil just bubble

2.       Add zest of Orange and Lemon and Salt to sauce and cook for another 3 minutes. Make sure the sauce is not too thick or too thin. It should have the same thickness as honey - If it too thick adds little water and when it is too thin boil it down.

The sauce should have sweet and sour citrus flavor. Let sauce cools down to warm temperature

Finishing the cake – put cake on a cake plate and pour the warm sauce over the cake and decorate the top caramelized dried orange slices. Scrape the extra syrup upward toward the cake to make sure all the side of the cake is evenly covered with sauce. Let cool completely before serving. Enjoy!

Festive Mulled Wine

Our holidays celebration had started sometime last week and the schedule are quickly filled with invitation and gathering. We went to our local Christmas market in Dusseldorf last weekend. One must do thing for almost everyone is to drink Glühwein – German spiced mulled wine. I started with a spiced mulled white wine which has become very popular in the last few years here in Dusseldorf. Then move on to the red wine version. I like to browse around and enjoy the atmosphere – smell, sound, light, music, Christmas goods and happy crowd. So we did Glühwein stands hopping! Well that was a big NO DO thing! I woke up next day felt like someone was hammering my head. You see - each Glühwein vendor has his own secret recipes as well as using different wine and brandy quality (after 2 of those – they all taste fantastic). I did the same mistake years ago and totally forgot the morning after experience. The excuse is that we were away abroad for few years.

I love the smell of this festive drink in the house. It makes me feel cozy, wintery, and romantic. Here are recipes for red and white mulled wine. Please make sure use the wine you know or you may experience my symptom from Glühwein stands hopping.

Gluehwein – German spiced Mulled Red Wine

Ingredients

• 3 bottles (750 ml. each) dry Red Wine (zinfandel, merlot, burgundy, etc.)

• 1 pint Brandy

• 3/4 cup Raw Sugar

• 5 Cinnamon Sticks ca 10 cm

• 10 Cloves, whole

• 1/8 tsp Allspice

• 1/8 tsp Mace

• 2 Organic Oranges, sliced

• 1 Organic Lemon, sliced

Directions

1. Pour the wine into a large pot and begin heating over low heat.

2. As it begins to warm, add Sugar and spices. Stir until sugar is dissolved

3. Add the Brandy

4. Heat thoroughly, but do not allow not let it boiled. The alcohol will evaporate

5. Add the Lemon and Orange

6. Steep for about 1 hour over low heat

7. Add more sugar during this time if desired and stir until dissolved

8. Serve hot and garnish with Orange slices and stick Cinnamon

Spiced Mulled White Wine

Ingredients

• 1/2 Organic Lemon

• 1/2 Organic Orange

• 2 tablespoons Honey

• 1/3 to 1/2 cup Raw Sugar

• 6 whole Cloves

• 6 whole Allspice

• 2 Cinnamon Sticks

• 2 bottles (750 ml. each) dry white ( Pinot Grigio, Soave, or Sauvignon Blanc)

Direction

1. Rinse Lemon, Orange, and Kumquats and thinly slice them, discarding seeds

2. Quarter Orange slices

3. Heat Wine over low heat until almost hot

4. Add Fruits, Honey, Raw Sugar - use the smaller amount if you prefer drinks on the tart side, Cloves, Allspice and Cinnamon

5. Steep over low heat for about 1 hr over low heat

6. Serve hot with slice Lemon, half Kumquat (optional) and Cinnamon stick

The Quick Bread from Southern United State

I love Buttermilk biscuit. I adore Southern and Creole food. I find the kitchens are so unique – it tells many stories and history of different cultures (African, French, Native American, Spanish and Caribbean) through their vegetables, herbs and spices that they brought with them and how they adapted to the new world of cultural integrations. Since, I moved from the United State. I was often craved the food from the region. The only way I can satisfy myself is to learn how to cook the dishes.

Today I will share one of my favorite - a quick bread recipe. It is a buttery Buttermilk Biscuit that almost melt in your mouth. I love them for breakfast with all kind of honey and to company the meals. Jårg goes further adding his European way of eating bread by making little sandwiches with different kind of cheese and he is happy. After many recipes and experiments. I finally got the recipe down to the flavor and texture that I was searching. Don't let the number of steps scare you the recipe is actually very easy. 

Buttermilk Biscuits

Ingredients:

2 cups Self Rising Flour you can subsitute this (if you don't have self rising flour subsitute it as follow -  for each cup of all-purpose flour, add 1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Mix well)

1 tablespoons of Baking Powder

1 teaspoon Sea Salt

2 teaspoon fine Brown Sugar

1 Cup Buttermilk

1 stick chilled Unsalted Butter about 1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon

1 tablespoon melted Unsalted Butter for brushing

Flour for working the dough

Heat the oven at 200 c

Mix dry ingredient together in a bowl.

1. Add butter and mix together with dry ingredients by hand or fork until form grain like rice.
2. Slowly add Buttermilk and mix it hand or fork until it form a sticky dough 
3. Dust flour on the working space. Bring the dough and work on it with hand for about 3 minutes. Add more flour as you work on until the dough is not too sticky.
4.  Flat the dough with hand about 1.5 cm folds it and flat it out again couple times
5. Roll the dough with rolling pin to about 1.5 cm
6. Cut the biscuit with round cutter or you can use a glass with about 5 cm in diameter. It should make 12 pieces
7.  Then I lightly shape each biscuit with hand to about 4.5 cm to make sure the texture is loose. The form will look a bit organic.
8. Place the biscuit closely on baking sheet line with parchment/baking paper or non stick baking sheet, so they can rise upward not outward.
9. Bake for about 15 minutes or until the top is nicely brown. 

Serve warm with meals, for breakfast with honey, jam, butter, eggs dishes or whatever you like. You can store and heat them for next day.

Follow me for more of my favorite Southern and Creole recipes.

Spontaneous Casserole

Jårg always says that I am the master of universe of cleaning out the refrigerator, using the rest of fresh and available ingredients to create a fantastic meal. He is just too kind and hungry ;-) Well, I usually do this when we are leaving for the trip. I stop buying fresh grocery and use up whatever there. We did not go shopping this time when we came back from Berlin. The trip was short just a week. I packed all fresh vegetables properly and froze whatever that had to. Last night we were hungry and too lazy to go out. I gather my fresh produce: organic carrot, fresh bulb of fennel, small potatoes, some grated Emmental cheese. I always have the most fun and become very creative in this situation. I like to eat good food. So I created a light but hearty casserole meal for the cold weather.

Potatoes, Carrots and Fennel in Cheese sauce with Spicy bread crumb topping. 
I turned on the oven for 200 C degree. I washed and sliced carrots and fennel bulb into ca ¾ cm thick and steamed them separately they need different time: carrots 8 mins and Fennel 4-5 min. Boiled potatoes in salted water for about 20 mins. Mixed about a cup of bread crump I have in the cupboard with spices: 1teaspoon each oregano, thyme, cayenne pepper, onion and garlic powder and 11/2 teaspoons of paprika and salt about ½ teaspoon of ground black pepper. Mix well and then add about 2-3 table spoon of Extra Virgin Olive Oil - stir it until there is no crumb stick to the spoon and set aside. 
I make a cheese sauce using a Roux basic recipe – heat butter till brown add some flour mix well for 3-4 minutes the add milk cook it but not let it boil then add grated cheese slowly and stir well. The sauce should not be too thick I added a cube of vegetable bullion some freshly ground pepper and salt.

I drained the steamed vegetables and boiled potatoes. Cut potatoes in half. Layer the glass or ceramic casserole dish first with halved potatoes, cheese sauce, then vegetables, cheese sauce then sprinkle mixed bread crumb evenly on top and bake it for about 30 minutes or until the sauce is bubble and the topping is nicely brown and crispy. 

Personally I like casserole when the textures are combined – soft and crunchy or soft and chewy. Nice table red wine such Minervois made a perfect dinner last night and we still have left over for lunch today.