How to make Chocolate Baskets

Start with chocolate chips in a double boiler - or a heat safe bowl over simmering water:

When it's melted, remove from the heat and add in a handful of room-temp chips.  This tempers the chocolate.  Otherwise it won't set - it'll be mushy at room temperature.

Stir until completely smooth and place into a piping (or ziptop) bag.  Using a small opening tip (or cut a small hole in the bag) drizzle the chocolate into an oiled container.  I used a fluted ramekin.

You can speed up the setting process by freezing it.  Then gently remove it from the container.

Brownie tarte with Strawberries and Mascarpone

A flavourful treat.  As usual, chocolate takes centre stage.

First, bake and cool a pack mix brownie mix.  A tarte pan works well and adds a nice aesthetic.

A ganache can be easily prepared with a bit of (soy) milk and chocolate.  Unless you routinely need a double boiler, skip the purchase and use a bowl over a saucepan.

Chocolate: it's a beautiful thing.

Add to a piping bag for easy working.

An added treat - a velvety, sweet cheese: mascarpone.

Top with strawberries, pecans, the ganache and mascarpone.

Hot Cathead Biscuits

Down home, we call these biscuits "cathead" biscuits.  They're roundish and have pointy bits... like feline noggins.

The classic 3:1:2 recipe: flour:fat (coconut oil):milk (soy)

They're delightful and vegan.

Simply add frozen blueberries to boiling syrup (sugar and corn starch) for a fresh and easy compote.  Serve with local honey and imported Irish butter.

I are most of them for supper... a fat intake of over 70Grams.  Worth it!

Thai Noodles and Veg

This tasty dish is rich, warm and packed with lots of fresh veg.

Soak and drain the rice noodles:

Prepare the seasonings: curry paste, peanut paste, lemongrass, salt, red curry paste:

Cashews for protein:

Chop the veg - carrots, onions, green onions, lettuce, sweet peppers:

Heat a can of coconut mild; add the seasonings and veg:

Promptly add in the noodles and cook until done:

Warm yet spicy comfort food!

Spring garden updates [2013]

The garden is coming to life! Blueberries in bloom:

Lettuce - survived the winter:

Shallots:

First rose bud:

Asparagus:

Potatoes:

Tomatoes - hiding under buckets for frost protection:

Pfingstrose (Peony):

Watercress:

Grapes:

Southwest Burger Wraps

A hearty wrap is the way to go when you're hungry.  This is composed of refried beans, veggie burger, lettuce, salsa and tomatoes. I also made a three colour coleslaw to add extra vege.

Roast Roots and Chèvre

Fresh from the spring garden, carrots, beets and greens.

Start by cleaning and peeling the produce.

Place in a lined baking dish, drizzle with oil and sprinkle with salt.  Roast at 175C (350F) until fork tender.

Depending on taste, serve warm, or allow to cool before plating with fresh greens and goat's cheese.

Roasted Cauliflower

A cauliflower roast plated on quinoa and garnished with pistachios.

First, hack up the cauliflower, sprinkle with salt, drizzle with olive oil and place on a parchment lined baking sheet.

After baking at 350F for ~20 minutes, you may want to broil it to add colour.

(nom)

Serve with prepared quinoa and garnish with salted pistachios.  Nutty, roasty and filling.

Veggie Bars

First, bake the crescent rolls - flat.

Mix ranch dressing powder in unflavoured Greek youghurt.

When cooled, spread the crescent rolls with the youghurt mix and top with fresh veg: alfalfa sprouts, broccoli, carrots, green onions and tomatoes.  Top with pistachios.

Doughnuts

Fried carbs!!!!

Regular dough recipe with the addition of more sugar, barley malt powder, a whisper of cinnamon and nutmeg.

Mix, let raise and roll to 6mm (.25 inch).

Use a doughnut cutter or, simple ring cutters.

Peel the sheet of dough away leaving the cutouts.  Re-roll the dough or form to other shapes.

Peanut oil is one of the best frying oils.

Use a deep fryer, or a pan and thermometer.  175C or 350F seems to work best for me.

Place gently in the oil and flip them as needed when they're that magical golden brown colour.

Remove from the oil and drain on paper towels.  I also place newspaper underneath the paper towels to absorb more oil.

Make a glaze of icing sugar, vanilla, salt and water (or soy milk).

Mmmmm, sugar...

Dip the fried dough in glaze.

I also added cocoa powder and coffee to glaze and make a nice mocha drizzle.

Indulge, doughnuts are vegan ;) Mind = blown.

Spring Planting 2013

Tomato seedlings:

More seedlings:

I'm trying no-till gardening for the second year.  It did well for potatoes last year, so I'll do it again.  This year I'm using more lawn space for the garden, so I set out cardboard and sprinkled it with soil.

Cover with mulch:

Repeat:

Onion sets, peeking out:

Garlic, still growing from the fall planting:

Roses:

Bacon Pancakes

Bacon Pancakes.  Makin' Bacon Pancakes:

Put the facon (fake bacon) on the griddle and spoon the batter over:

Serve with some scrambled eggs and tomatoes:

Bitter Melon

If you're Piony, there's one thing that cures all ailments: bitter melon!  It's kinda like a cucumber, but it has a distinct bitter base flavour. Start by sauteing diced onion and adding the sliced bitter melon.

Pour over beaten eggs and continue to cook until done through - like a frittata.  Once done, top with shiitake and tomatoes.

Spring 2013 - First Blooms

Nectarine:

Peach:

Cherry:

Pad see ew (Phat si io)

This was more experimental - I'd only had a taste at a restaurant.

Start by soaking rice flake noodles (square rice noodles).  Create a broth of fresh tomato puree, soy sauce, crushed peanuts, diced onion and a bit of water.  Bring it to a boil and drizzle in a beaten egg.  Add the rice flake and a bit of coconut oil.

Keep it stirred until it's tender - serve promptly.

It's an amazing flavour - serve with fresh tomatoes and Thai basil.

Square Linen Selvedge Tie

Double-lined square linen tie.  I love the look of the selvedge, so I left it on. Because it's so heavy, I made it extra long (otherwise it won't tie, in the Windsor fashion).

Apricot and cranberry scones

Mix chopped dried-apricots and dried cranberries.  Rehydrate with orange juice.  Add a grating of orange zest and a slash of vanilla essence.

Mix the flour and fat - here it's coconut oil with.  A little salt, sugar and baking powder and it's ready to have the soy milk added.

Form into a round flat (2cm thick) loaf.  Bake at 175C  (350F).

These are not the modern American scones, sugary, eggy and greasy.  These are more like the English mildly sweet biscuits.

Soufflé au fromage

A cheese souffle made with gruyère; seasoned with turmeric, smoky paprika and onion powder.

Book Review: Steal Like an Artist

I just finished reading an amazing book by Austin Kleon.  Although the title may suggest (and Picasso profess) that art is theft, the content is focused on inspiration. Artists and humans first imitate and, through the artistic and growth process, begin to emulate.  That is to say, after imitation, inspiration, introspection and maturation, we can begin to make new things.

The book also provided real advice to the art-hearted dreamers:  Take care of yourself!  Sleep, eat healthy, hold a steady job and stay connected to other people.  This guy knows what he's talking about.  As much as I love to avoid daylight, eat butter-laden French food and enjoy solitude, I agree with him.

Lastly, monitor your progress.  Keep track - with calendars and logbooks - of the creative process.  This reminds you of  how far you've gone and serves as self-competitive motivation.

Buy it: Steal Like an Artist: 10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative

Read it - be inspired.

Lemon Poppy seed Muffins

Using the regular cake ratio recipe 1:1:1:1 (flour, egg, sugar, butter).  Flavoured with lemon essence, vanilla and poppy seed.

Served with whipped cream and julienned kumquat.