Memoirs of a Valentine's Day dinner - Amintiri de la cina de Sf. Valentin

I have been slacking off again on my blog, but i certainly hope it will not become a once-a-month posting deal. It seems i cannot joggle very well my job, spending time together with my family and friends, the house chores and the blog. Still doesn’t mean that i am not cooking or not taking photos, but i am very slow when it comes to posting. On top of all this, i will be changing jobs. It will be same field, or at least i hope so, as i am still looking, haven’t got another one yet, but i'll have to find one in the next 4-6 weeks since my boss is retiring. And the stress from this is another reason why i haven’t got time for the blog. Basically, i spend my nights with Clara doing homework, while i am trying to put dinner together, then watching movies, reading or chatting about everything and nothing, bonding a lot. Gabriel has been rehearsing and is excited about working with some very talented people right now. On weekends, we have been either at home or out with friends, nothing special, but actually pretty good times enjoying everybody’s company.
While i still have so many photos of dishes made in the last 3 months and even from before, i thought today it’s time for the ones I made for Valentine’s day. We stayed home because Gabi had a terrible tooth infection with aches and pain for days, taking antibiotics and hopeful waiting for him to get the courage to have that root canal done (it’s now almost 3 weeks later, and he still didn’t go to the dentist). So, my planned meal almost didn't happen as my poor guy looked and felt awful, was half numb from all that Ibuprofen 800, but i cannot tell you how much more i love him now for staying at the table with me and Clara, eating everything, really everything, making both of them fun of me with foodie comments a la Iron Chef, Top Chef and Chopped judges :)) ("... was not overpowering", "the main ingredient was showcased perfectly", "the plating was beautiful", "the combination was .... and so on, and i don't know who was worse, the father or the daughter :D), and even asking for the dessert. THAT IS LOVE people, and I am lucky to have them.....

So, the menu was:

~ Shrimp on edamame puree with a ginger soy sauce dressing

~ White & Green asparagus, arugula and bell pepper wrapped in prosciutto

~ Seared scallop on cucumber and daikon, with some micro-greens on top and dried miso sprinkled over (the dried miso idea is from Nobu West, which I drool over at least once a week and keep on my night stand)

~ Steak, mango, arugula and lemon basil salad with an Asian vinaigrette

~ Pears in a cage with vanilla ice cream and pear syrup

Nothing too difficult to make, but these are things we like, so we enjoyed them a lot. Still have to work on the lighting, our house doesn’t have too much natural light, the windows (not too large and not too many) face south and north, and the building is buried between two others with only maybe 5 feet between us and the neighbors. I plated one dessert as soon as it was done in the afternoon just to take a photo, so I had better lighting, but the rest of the food was ready too late, and i know 3 dim light bulbs with/without flash is not great photography, but please bear with me a bit more. Or consider the light part of a romantic setting :D.

The pear dessert i wanted to make for a while now, but never had time, so what better occasion than this. I made a pear custard tart the month before, which is still waiting on the back burner to come out, because everybody was blogging pear recipes, especially poached pears, so i had to try them too. But i didn’t want just poached pears, so first time i poached them for the custard tart, and now they were "caged" in puff pastry. The dessert looked beautiful (even though I don’t have a lattice cutter, so I cut the puff pastry with a sharp knife (who wouldn't like those leaves!), tasted amazing, and the syrup was absolutely delicious. The puff pastry was store bought, and so was the ice cream.

I combined the recipes from here and here, and made some adjustments, because .... I think i am a tweak-er, i cannot help myself not to....
And this is the final draft of my version

Pears in a Cage

(for 6 servings)
2 cups white wine
2 cups water
½ cup sugar
½ cinnamon stick
½ vanilla bean
3 pears, peeled, halved and cored (Bartlett or Bosc)
12 squares (about 4.5" x 4.5") puff pastry (or one package with two sheets of puff pastry), thawed, kept in the fridge until ready to use

Bring the wine, water, cinnamon, sugar, and vanilla bean to a boil in a large saucepan. Boil for about 5 minutes, then add the pear halves, and poach the fruit over medium heat for about 15 minutes or until tender, but not longer, as they will become too soft. Remove the pears and let them cool on a plate covered with a paper towel.
Continue cooking the poaching liquid until it is reduced to about 1 cup, and it looks like honey. Set aside.
Preheat oven at 375F ( or the temperature indicated on your puff pastry baking instructions).
Take 6 of the puff pastry squares out of the fridge and cut them out in the shape of a pear. Place them on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper and put them back in the fridge to keep them cold.
Take the other 6 puff pastry squares out of the fridge and cut them the same way in the shape of a pear. Using a paring knife cut slits on the pear shaped pastry, leaving about ½" around the edge. Slowly pull apart the dough to show the lattice. Don’t let the dough get too soft, and it cannot be too hard either, as it will break.
Working quickly so the dough doesn’t get too soft, take out of the fridge the baking sheet with the pear cut-outs and place one pear on each, cut side down. Lay the lattice cut pear shapes on top of each pear, press down the sides and trim the edges if necessary. Brush the top pastry with the syrup from the poached pears (or with egg wash, if you want, then sprinkle some sugar on top).
Bake for about 15-20 minutes, until golden brown.
Serve warm or at room temperature with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream and definitely with more of the pear syrup. (The vanilla bean is from the syrup, I saved them for garnish).

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Am neglijat iara blogul, desi sper din tot sufletul sa nu ajung sa postez numai o data pe luna cum s-a tot intamplat in ultimul timp. Se pare ca nu pot balansa foarte bine slujba, familia, prietenii, trebaluiala pe-acasa si blogul. Asta nu inseamna ca nu am gatit sau facut poze la mancare, dimpotriva, numai ca sunt foarte inceata cand trebuie sa postez. Pe deasupra, voi schimba serviciul. O sa fie acelasi domeniu, cel putin asa sper, pentru ca de-abia am inceput sa caut, dar va trebui sa gasesc ceva curand pentru ca mi se pensioneaza seful. Si stresul asta e alt motiv pentru care nu am avut timp de blog. In general imi petrec serile facand lectiile cu Clara, pregatind ceva mancare, apoi uitandu-ne impreuna la vreun film, citind sau stand la taclale despre totul si nimic. Nu contenesc sa ma minunez de cat de repede creste Clara si imi place cand stam la povesti ca fetele. Gabi a avut repetitii de cateva ori pe saptamana si e incantat sa lucreze cu niste oameni tare talentati. Weekendurile le-am petrecut fie pe-acasa fie cu prietenii, nimic special, dar de fiecare data simtindu-ne excelent si bucurandu-ne sa fim impreuna. Desi mai am multe poze de la diferite mancaruri facute in ultimele luni si chiar mai demult, m-am gandit ca azi le-a venit randul celor de la Sf. Valentin. Am stat acasa pentru ca Gabi a avut o infectie la masea cu dureri groaznice si nedormit vreo 3 zile la rand, luand antibiotice si eu sperand ca isi va gasi curajul sa mearga la dentist sa ii scoata nervul (au trecut acum aproape 3 saptamani si inca nu a fost). Uite asa planurile mele pentru Sf. Valentin aproape ca nu s-au intamplat pentru ca scumpul meu sot se simtea groaznic, era umflat toata partea dreapta si era cam drogat de la atatea calmante, dar nu va pot spune cat de mult il iubesc pentru ca a stat cu noi, mancand totul, chiar totul, facand glume pe seama mea impreuna cu Clara, cu tot felul de comentarii genul celor de la show-urile Iron Chef, Top Chef si Chopped :)), si sincer nu stiu cine era mai rau, tatal sau fiica-sa :D, ca in sfarsit sa ceara si desert. ASTA E IUBIRE CURATA, oameni buni, si eu sunt norocoasa sa o fi gasit ....

Astea fiind spuse, meniul a fost:

~ Creveti cu puree de boabe de soia (edamame) cu un sos de soia si ghimbir
~ Sparanghel verde si alb, rucola si ardei gras rosu invelit in prosciutto

~ Scoica prajita cu ridiche alba japoneza (daikon), castravete, salata de micro-verdeturi si miso (pasta de soia) uscat (idea cu miso uscat este din cartea Nobu West, pe care salivez macar o data pe saptamana si o tin pe noptiera intotdeuna)

~ Friptura cu mango, rucola si busuioc cu o vinegreta asiatica (sos de soia, otet de orez, ghimbir proaspat ras, ulei)

~ Pere in "colivie" cu inghetata de vanilie si cu sirop de pere

Nimic nu e prea greu de facut, dar sunt mancaruri care ne plac, asa ca le-am savurat pe toate. Inca trebuie sa mai lucrez la lumina din poze, nu poate editatul sa faca minuni cand lumina naturala e atat de proasta. Problema mea e ca in casa nu prea avem lumin naturala, geamurile (nici prea multe, nici prea mari) sunt toate spre sud sau nord, iar cladirea noastra e inghesuita intre alte doua blocuri, cu numai aproape 2 metri intre noi si vecini. Desertul l-am pus pe farfurie sa-l pozez imediat ce l-am terminat de pregatit, asa ca am avut lumina mai multa, dar restul le-am terminat cand era deja tarziu, si stiu ca 3 becuri chioare (chiar deasupra mancarii) cu sau fara blitz nu e arta fotografica, dar va rog sa fiti ingaduitori cu mine inca putin.
Desertul cu pere am tot vrut sa-l fac de ceva vreme, dar nu aveam timp, asa ca ce ocazie mai buna decat asta.

Am facut o tarta cu pere in urma cu o luna, care mai are de asteptat, pentru ca toata lumea scria pe bloguri retete cu pere, mai ales pere fierte, asa ca a trebuit sa le incerc si eu. Dar nu voiam numai pere fierte, asa ca prima data dupa ce le-am fiert le-am pus in tarta, iar acum in "colivie" ( suna mai bine decat cusca) de foetaj. Desertul a aratat ata de frumos (desi nu am avut rotita aia de taiat aluatul, asa ca l-am taiat cu un cutit ascutit), a fost tare gustos, iar siropul de la pere, delicios. Foetajul si inghetata le-am cumparat.
Am combinat retetele de aici si aici, si am facut mici modificari, pentru ca.... nu am nici un motiv mai bun decat ca nu ma pot abtine sa nu le schimb...Si asta e versiunea finala:

Pere in "colivie" de foetaj

(pentru 6 portii)

500 ml vin alb

500 ml apa

100 g zahar

½ bat scortisoara

½ teaca de vanilie

3 pere, decojite, taiate jumatati si fara cotor (Bartlett sau Bosc, sau orice pere destul de tari)

12 patrate (de cca 12x12 cm) foetaj dezghetate, tinute in frigider pana sunt gata de folosit

Se pun vinul, apa, zaharul, scortisoara si vanilia la fiert intr-o cratita larga. Se lasa sa fiarba in clocot mic vreo 5 minute, apoi se adauga jumatatile de pere si se fierb la foc potrivit cca 15 minute sau pana sunt patrunse, dar nu mai mult, pentru ca nu trebuie sa fie prea moi. Se scot perele pe un servet de hartie si se lasa sa se raceasca.

Se lasa lichidul sa fiarba in continuare pana se reduce la o cana si arata ca mierea. Se da la o parte.

Se incinge cuptorul la 375F/ 190 C (sau la temperatura de coacere recomandata pe pachetul de foi).

Se iau 6 din patratele de foetaj din frigider si se taie sub forma de para. Se pune cele 6 foi pe o tava tapetata cu hartie de copt si se tin la frigider pana se asambleaza desertul.

Se iau celelalte 6 patrate de foetaj si se taie si ele sub forma de para. Cu ajutorul unui cutit foarte ascutit se taie fiecare bucata de aluat in interior, pe lung, lasand o margine de 1.5 cm, ca sa arate ca o fereastra cu zabrele ( asta e traducerea pentru lattice). Se trage incet de aluat ca sa se deschida taieturile. Sa nu lasati foaia sa fie prea moale, si nici prea inghetata ca se poate rupe usor.

Lucrand repede sa nu se incalzeasca aluatul prea tare, se scoate tava cu primele sase forme din frigider si se aseaza o jumatate de para pe fiecare aluat, cu partea taiata in jos. Se aseaza "zabrelele" deasupra, intinzand aluatul si apasand marginile sa se lipeasca. Daca e nevoie, se taie excesul de aluat. Se unge aluatul pe deasupra cu siropul in care au fiert perele (sau cu un ou batut si se presara cu putin zahar).

Se coc 15-20 minute, pana sunt aurii.

Se servesc calde (nu fierbinti) sau reci, cu inghetata de vanilie sau frisca, si stropite cu restul de sirop. (Teaca de vanilie este cea din sirop, am pastrat-o pentru decorat.)

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Puff pastry tarts with cheese and slow roasted tomatoes - Tarte cu branza si rosii coapte

I am cleaning up my photo folders and before I come back with a soup or something else, it is time for these small bites to see the light. I chose them because they pair well with the sunny days and high 70's we had this past 10 days. (i started writing these lines yesterday, but as we speak it started raining and that's how it will be for the rest of the weekend)
I told you already about Chez Pim’s blog being the "virus", but I can be more precise than that. My first reading was her post about oven roasted tomatoes, I craved for them, so I made them that very night. It was my entry to the monthly contest on the Romanian culinary forum reteteculinaro.ro when the theme was canned goods. And then I made it again and again for the past 2 summers because I like them a lot. The only problem - even though you can find tomatoes all year round, they don’t seem ripe, they are not bursting with flavor and although roasting helps, it cannot do wonders.
But last fall I stumbled upon the fix for my roasted tomatoes problem, when reading another recipe which said "you can use canned tomatoes". Hello!!!! How dumb of me, but it never crossed my mind until then.
I owe this food induced happiness to Molly Wizenberg’s article "My Usual, Please" from September 2008 issue of Bon Appetit which had the recipe for Pomodori al Forno from Café Lago in Seattle.
I made the tarts using store bought puff pastry (cut in 4"x4" squares, pricked with the fork all over) because I had some left over in the fridge. But the tomatoes are just perfect on grilled bread with some cheese and olives.
I topped the puff pastry with a ricotta - feta cheese mixture (no goat cheese laying around in my fridge at the time) and with the tomatoes roasted according to the recipe from Bon Appetit (a couple of changes only - I used 2/3 cup of oil instead of a full cup as the pastry has enough fat, 1 teaspoon of sugar and one of salt, and no parsley at the end), baked them, then drizzled over some basil & chive oil (homemade, because I got myself a pretty fine sieve that day, so I had to use it).
They look springy or summery, don’t they?
And here is another recipe for roasted tomatoes which is pretty similar, but comes from Gourmet.

Pomodori al Forno

(recipe from Bon Appetit - September 2008, courtesy to Cafe Lago, Seattle)

Ingredients
1 cups (or more) olive oil, divided
2 pounds plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise, seeded
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
3/4 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 to 2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons minced fresh Italian parsley
Aged goat cheese (such as Bûcheron)
1 baguette, thinly sliced crosswise, toasted

Preheat oven to 250°F. Pour 1/2 cup oil into 13x9x2-inch glass or ceramic baking dish. Arrange tomatoes in dish, cut side up. Drizzle with remaining 1/2 cup oil. Sprinkle with oregano, sugar, and salt. Bake 1 hour. Using tongs, turn tomatoes over. Bake 1 hour longer. Turn tomatoes over again. Bake until deep red and very tender, transferring tomatoes to plate when soft (time will vary, depending on ripeness of tomatoes), about 15 to 45 minutes longer.
Layer tomatoes in medium bowl, sprinkling garlic and parsley over each layer; reserve oil in baking dish. Drizzle tomatoes with reserved oil, adding more if necessary to cover. Let stand at room temperature 2 hours. DO AHEAD Cover; chill up to 5 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.
Serve with aged goat cheese and toasted baguette slices.

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Tarte cu branza si rosii la cuptor

Incerc sa trec prin pozele nepostate inca, si pana sa revin cu o supa sau alta mancare mai serioasa, a venit vremea gustarilor astora sa vada lumina. Le-am ales de fapt pentru ca se potriveau foarte bine zilelor insorite cu peste 20 C pe care le-am avut in ultimele 10 zile. (am scris randurile astea ieri, dar azi e innorat si ploua, si la fel o sa fie tot weekendul)
V-am spus mai inainte cum m-am "virusat" de la blogul lui Pim, dar pot spune ca prima mea lectura a fost despre rosiile uscate in cuptor, la care am poftit instantaneu, asa ca le-am facut in aceeasi seara. Au fost intrarea mea la concursul lunar de pe retete culinare cand tema concursului a fost conserve de toamna. Si apoi le-am refacut in ultimele doua veri pentru ca ne-au placut mult. Singura problema - desi gasesti rosii tot timpul anului, nu sunt cu adevarat coapte si gustoase, si desi uscandu-le in cuptor sunt mult mai bune, nici macar metoda asta nu poate face minuni cu ele.Dar toamna trecuta am gasit din fericire solutia citind o reteta care spunea ca poti folosi rosii din conserva, din cele puse intregi in suc de rosii. Ca sa vezi!!! Ce prostie sa nu imi treaca asa ceva prin cap pana atunci......
Ideea minunata apare in articolul scris de Molly Wizenberg "My Usual, Please" din revista Bon Appetit - Septembrie 2008, care avea reteta pentru Rosii la Cuptor (apartinand Cafenelei Lago din Seattle). Am facut tartele cu aluat cumparat (l-am taiat in patrate de 10x10 cm si le-am intepat cu furculita peste tot), pentru ca imi ramasese de la niste pateuri. Dar nu sunt necesare tartele pentru rosiile astea minunate, sunt absolut perfecte pe paine prajita sau la gratar, cu niste branza si masline.
Am pus pe fiecare tarta un amestec de branza telemea - ricotta (urda) (reteta originala cere branza de capra, dar nu aveam deloc in casa in ziua cu pricina) si deasupra rosiile pregatite dupa reteta de mai jos ( cateva schimbari, am folosit numai 2/3 din uleiul recomandat pentru ca aluatul e destul de gras si el, am pus o lingurita fiecare sare si zahar, si nu am pus patrunjel proaspat la sfarsit); am copt tartele si apoi le-am stropit cu niste ulei "verde" cu busuioc si frunze de ceapa verde (pentru ca tocmai imi luasem o sita deasa si trebuia sa o folosesc la ceva).
Miros a primavara/ vara, nu-i asa?
Iar aici e o alta reteta asemanatoare, gasita pe Gourmet.

Rosii la cuptor

(reteta din revista Bon Appetit - Septembrie 2008, oferita de Cafe Lago, Seattle)

225 ml ulei de masline
900 g rosii, taiate pe jumatate, fara seminte (sau rosii din bulion, conservate intregi)
1 1/2 lingurite oregano
3/4 lingurita zahar
1/2 lingurita sare
1-2 catei de usturoi pisati
2 lingurite patrunjel proaspat tocat
branza de capra
o bagheta taiata in felii subtiri pe diagonala

Se incinge cuptorul la 250 F ( 120C). Se toarna jumatate din ulei intr-un vas termorezistent. Se aseaza rosiile in vas cu partea taiata in sus. Se toarna peste restul de ulei. Se condimenteaza cu oregano, zahar si sare. Se coc o ora. Se intorc rosiile cu partea taiata in jos si se mai pun la copt inca o ora. Se intorc rosiile din nou cu fata in sus si se mai coc intre 15 si 45 minute pana cand sunt de un rosu intens si sunt foarte coapte.
Se pun rosiile pe platou, se presara deasupra usturoiul si patrunjelul si peste se toarna uleiul din vasul in care au fost coapte. Daca este nevoie de mai mult ueli, se adauga dupa plac. Se lasa la temperatura camerei timp de 2 ore. Daca nu sunt servite imediat, se acopera si se pun la frigider pana la 5 zile. Se lasa sa revina la temperatura camerei inainte de a fi servite.
Se servesc cu branza de capra si felii de bagheta prajita.

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Fig tart - Tarta cu smochine

I have been lazy again when it comes to posting. I couldn’t get myself to stay in front at the computer too much at home, and you have to excuse me, but I get enough at work 8 hours a day. I have been cooking, although not a lot, but I have been trying new recipes, which are waiting their turn to be posted.
The summer about which I wrote a couple of weeks ago, it is definitely now gone. It is still nice, sometimes still very warm, but you could now feel the sun worn out and mellow. The earth smells different and the evening’s and morning’s chill remind you that fall is here. Still not the same fall you would have in other places, but our south-west coast nice, warm and sunny 80% of the time kind of fall. At least now it makes sense to see pumpkins all over, and it doesn’t seem so out of place. I still miss the rain, and I was hoping for it this morning when the marine layer was pretty thick and it was chilly when we left to school, but by 11 o’clock, it was almost 75F (~20C) outside and no clouds in sight. So I’ll keep waiting for it.
Since we had so many nice days in the last two weeks or so, we have tried to get out with Clara for rides on her scooter or walking around in Santa Monica, and had friends over (including from Romania). I love when the table is full and we are passing the food around ( I just don’t like that our table is still too small), it reminds me of our Sunday meals either at my grandma’s house or at our home. We are noisy and loud, we eat and talk a lot, laugh and have a wonderful time. It’s not too much about the food, or at least not as much as I am always stressed about it, but I cannot help myself.
Before my sister went back home last week, we had them over with our goddaughter (actually our parents’ goddaughter, Oana, who is one year younger than my sister, and she is more like a cousin to us) and my friend Lili with her niece. Gabriel stopped by the Polish store in Santa Monica and bought Hungarian sausages, headcheese and some wonderful slab bacon, which you cannot compete with, no matter what you cooked. I made a potato and leeks soup, then we had the fig tart, BBQ chicken with salad and a chocolate roll with raspberries. Oh, and I forgot, I baked bread, one plain and one with rosemary.
Today’s post is about the fig tart and then I’ll come back with the chocolate roll and the bread.
The pastry recipe belongs to Bron Marshall and here is her post (take the time to check our her blog, she is so talented). I found it looking for fig tarts recipes, not for pastry crust, but her photo was so tempting, I decided to use it and it was really amazing. So good, that a couple of days later I made some other small bites using it again. I was completely sold.
I didn’t follow her recipe otherwise, but improvised a little bit with the ingredients I had. I used mascarpone and goat cheese for the first layer on the crust, I baked the figs alone first and I topped the tart with gorgonzola cheese and honey.

It came out really good and the figs with the cheese and honey worked out well. At least me and other 4 of us liked it, but Gabriel and my dear sister made faces and did not care to taste it, they said they had enough food already and figs with gorgonzola cheese and honey were not supposed to be combined. They kept making fun of me all afternoon and didn’t cut me any slack, as usually.
When I made the crust again a couple of days later, I didn’t add honey on top, and Gabriel really liked that snack.

Pastry - recipe from Bron Marshall

1 cup high grade flour ( I used all purpose)
½ teaspoon of salt
½ teaspoon of baking powder
100 grams of butter, cut into small cubes and then frozen
¼ cup of iced water approximately

Place flour, salt and baking powder in to a food processor, pulse to mix.
Add the small frozen butter cubes and very briefly pulse again to mix and break up the butter a little more.
Add enough of the iced water just to bring the pastry together in a few short pulses and form a soft dough.
On a lightly floured board roll the pastry out to a ½ cm thickness and cut 4 disks about 16cm in diameter. ( I made one big tart instead of 4 small ones, and i had about 1/4 of dough left over).
Chill the pastry disks for 20 minutes or until you’re ready to assemble the tarts.
** I mixed everything in a bowl using my hands and it worked out just fine.

Toppings:
3 tablespoons mascarpone cheese mixed with 3 tablespoons goat cheese
500 g figs, cut in quarters, previously baked for about 10 minutes at 450 F/ 230 C
3/4 cup crumbled gorgonzola cheese (ab 100 g)
2-3 tablespoons honey
Preheat your oven to 375 F/ 190 C.
I spread the mascarpone and goat cheese mix on the pastry crust, and topped it with the sliced figs.
I baked it for 20 minutes, then added the crumbled gorgonzola cheese and baked for another 5 minutes or until golden and crisp. When I took it out of the oven, drizzled about 2-3 tablespoons of honey over the top and served it immediately.

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Tarta cu smochine

Am fost cam lenesa in ultimul timp cu postatul. Nu-mi vine sa stau seara la calculator cand sunt acasa, si sper sa fiu scuzata, dar imi ajung 8 ore pe zi la lucru. Am gatit saptaminile trecute, desi nu ingrozitor de mult, dar am incercat retete noi care isi asteapta randul sa fie scrise pe blog.
Vara despre care am scris cateva saptamani in urma, s-a terminat cu siguranta. Este inca foarte placut, destul de des chiar foarte cald, dar poti simti acum soarele molesit, pierzandu-si ardoarea. Pamantul miroase altfel, iar racoarea serilor si diminetilor iti aduce aminte ca toamna a venit. Poate nu aceeasi toamna din alte parti, dar e toamna tipica pentru sudul coastei de vest, placuta, calda si insorita 80% din timp. Cel putin acum face sens sa vezi dovleci peste tot, si nu ti se mai pare ciudat. Inca duc dorul ploii, si azi dimineata speram ca o sa stropeasca macar putin, ceata marina era destul de deasa si rece cand noi am plecat la scoala, dar la 11 erau deja aproape ~20C afara si nici urma de nor pe cer. Asa ca tot astept ploaia pentru cand s-o indura sa vina si la noi.
Si pentru ca am avut atatea zile frumoase in ultimele saptamani, am incercat sa iesim cu Clara de cate ori am putut cu trotineta sau la plimbari prin Santa Monica, am avut prieteni in vizita, chiar si din Romania. Imi place la nebunie cand suntem multi la masa si trecem mancarea de la unii la altii (desi inca avem aceeasi masa destul de mica), imi aduce aminte de mesele de duminica cand mergeam toti la bunica sau ne adunam toti la mama acasa. Suntem galagiosi, mancam si vorbim mult, radem si ne simtim minunat. Nu mancarea e importanta, cel putin nu atat de importanata cat ma stresez eu pentru ce pun pe masa, dar nu ma pot abtine sa nu fiu asa.
Inainte ca sora mea sa mearga acasa saptamana trecuta, ne-am adunat la noi, impreuna cu fina noastra, venita din Romania in vacanta, Oana, care e de fapt fina parintilor nostri, iar noua ca o verisoara, si prietena noastra Lili cu nepoata ei. Gabi s-a oprit pe la magazinul polonez din Santa Monica si a cumparat niste carnati unguresti, toba si slaninuta, care clar ca nu pot fi concurate de mancaruri gatite, mai ales cu paine proaspata si o ceapa rosie langa. Am facut o supa-crema de cartofi cu praz, smantana si bacon, o tarta cu smochine, pui la gratar cu salata si o rulada de ciocolata cu zmeura. Oh, si am uitat, am copt paine, una simpla si una cu rozmarin.
Postul de azi e despre tarta cu smochine, si o sa revin alta data cu rulada de ciocolata si painea.
Reteta pentru aluatul de tarta ii apartine lui Bron Marshall si aici am gasit postul ei. Cautam retete pentru tarte cu smochine, nu pentru aluat, dar poza ei e atat de frumoasa si de tentanta, ca nu m-am putut abtine sa n-o folosesc, si a fost intr-adevar foarte buna. Atat de buna, ca am refacut-o din nou cateva zile mai tarziu, pentru niste gustari. Si m-a castigat complet.
Nu am urmat reteta ei in ce priveste tarta, ci am improvizat cu ingredientele pe care le aveam deja. Am folosit mascarpone amestecat cu branza de capra pentru primul strat peste aluat, am copt smochinele partial inainte de a le pune pe tarta si am pus deasupra niste gorgonzola sfaramitata si miere.
A iesit foarte buna, iar smochinele impreuna cu branza si mierea au mers tare bine. Cel putin mie si inca la patru dintre noi ne-au placut, dar Gabi si sora-mea au facut fete-fete si nu au gustat-o, zicand ca au mancat destula mancare buna, iar smochinele cu gorgonzola si mierea nu ar trebui combinate niciodata. Au facut glume pe seama mea, ca de obicei, toata seara.
Cand am facut aluatul din nou cateva zile mai tarziu, si nu am mai adaugat miere pe tartine, chiar i-a placut lui Gabi. A zis ca asa pot sa le mai fac oricand.

Reteta pentru aluat de tart - ii apartine lui Bron Marshall

125 g faina
½ lingurita sare
½ lingurita praf de copt
100 g unt, foarte foarte rece, taiat in cubulete mici
cca 60 ml apa f.f. rece

Se pun faina, sarea si praful de copt in robotelul de bucatarie si se pulseaza de cateva ori sa se amestece.
Se adauga bucatelele de unt si se pulseaza rar incat untul sa fie sfaramitat si incorporat in faina.
Se adauga apa treptat, pulsand, numai atat cat sa adune aluatul intr-o bila.
Pe o planseta presarata cu faina se intinde foaia de aluat cu grosimea de ½ cm, si se taie 4 discuri de cca 16 cm diametru. Se pun la frigider cel putin 20 minute, sau pana cand sunteit gata sa asamblati tarta si sa o puneti la cuptor.

** Eu am framantat aluatul cu mana, si a mers foarte bine, si am facut numai o tarta mare, nu patru mai mici.

Umplutura pentru tarta:
3 linguri branza mascarpone amestecata cu 3 linguri branza de capra
500 g smochine proaspete, taiate in patru, coapte timp de vreo 10 minute la 450 F/ 230 C
aprox. 100 g branza gorgonzola sfaramitata
2-3 linguri miere

Se incinge cuptorul la 375 F/ 190 C.
Am intins amestecul de mascarpone si branza de capra pe aluat, iar deasupra am aranjat smochinele. Am copt tarta timp de 20 minute, apoi am presarat gorgonzola pe deasupra si am pus-o inapoi la copt inca 5 minute, pana marginea a devenit aurie si crocanta.
Cand am scos-s din cuptor, am picurat mierea pe deasupra si am servit-o imediat.

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Party food - Menu pentru petrecere

This post is not about something recent, the party was back in April, and the pictures were taken then, but since at that time i wasn't yet ready to start this blogging affair, i saved them in a folder. Honestly, i was thinking i'll have the time to re-make some of the food to take new pictures, but until now, i didn't get to do it. Maybe later on, and then i'll edit the post to add the new pics.

First, about the party. It was meant to be a surprise birthday party for my friend Lily, even though it was a week after her B-day. On her birthday we went to her house for dinner, gave her the gift and she really didn't expect anything else after that. We planned it for a couple of weeks. Claudia, her daughter was supposed to get the flowers and decorations, then together with my sister to clean and set up our place for the party, while i was in charge with the food. Everything was planned, when my dear husband, while chatting with Lily three days before the party said: "so, we'll see you at the party Saturday". He knew it was supposed to be a surprise, but somehow forgot Lily is the only one who shouldn't know about it!! He called both me and Claudia immediately to appologize, i think he was actually affraid how mad we'll be, and to repair the damage we told Lily that he meant to say "we are having a BBQ on Saturday, see you then", but he got it wrong. While we were thinking that the surprise was ruined and Lily will no longer be surprised, she actually wasn't paying attention to Gabriel when he said party, and all our worries were for nothing. The only worry we should have had it was that Saturday, Lily was so tired after her work day, that she thought a BBQ is not worth all the trouble and she wasn't lanning to come to my house. She had a bad day, she couldn't wait to go home and get in bed. I don't remember why Gabriel dropped Clara at her house that day, but if it wasn't for the fact that i asked her to bring her back home instead of us going to pick her up, Lily wouldn't have come at all. We had no clue about this until it was after 7 o'clock and Lily wasn't showing up. We kept on calling her to make sure she is coming, otherwise, the three buckets of flowers Claudia bought that morning from the flower market downtown ( for which she had to wake up at 6 am on a Saturday morning), the hours spent by her and my sister decorating and then helping me, and the hours i worked in the kitchen were in vain. I mean we could have managed to eat everything and enjoy the party, but this was not meant for us, it was meant to celebrate Lily, and thank her for the wonderful friend she is, hoping to make her feel special.

That's why, in spite of all the worries, it was actually a big surprise. So big, that for about two minutes she didn't understand what are we celebrating. And that this was really for her. And that she had no clue whatsoever, and she almost missed everything. After those two minutes, the party was on, and Lily got the message - we love her dearly and she deserves ten times more than this.

Here is what we had that night:

- Tartines with pork tenderloin and a celery - carrot remoulade
- Mini savory palms with an olive -roasted red bell pepper - parmesan - parsley stuffing

- Cucumber cups with whipped cream cheese, cured salmon, shallot, dill and capers

- Crab Salad

- Beets and cheese "cake" - layers of roasted beets and feta - ricotta - dill with crackers

- Black Forrest prosciutto with cantaloupe

- Squid ink pasta with shrimp

- Chicken "Lollipops" with herbed couscous and roasted mini squash/ zucchini with feta crumbs and basil

- Napoleons with vanilla custard and strawberries (really sorry for the blurry photo, but i'll make it again very soon, when i'll post the recipe too).

Since this post is long enough, I think i'll break them down in different posts, at least the ones that have kind of a recipe to write about. There was nothing extraordinary about the cucumber-salmon bites and the cantaloupe-prosciutto combination, or about the beet & cheese "cake" with the crackers, but i knew our friends would like them. The rest, to be continued....

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Postul acesta e cu poze vechi, de la o petrecere surpriza in Aprilie. Am salvat atunci pozele, si am tot zis ca o sa ajung sa le postez si poate chiar sa refac bucatele pentru niste poze mai bune, dar nu am apucat pana acum.

Petrecerea surpriza a fost pentru ziua Lilianei, prietena noastra. Chiar de ziua ei fusesem la cina impreuna, i-am dat cadoul si nu se mai astepta la nimic dupa aceea. Dar noi vorbisem cu fata ei Claudia sa ii facem petrecerea la 3 zile dupa, la noi acasa. Am planificat totul cu saptamani inainte, si a ramas Claudia o sa cumpere florile, decoratiile si sa aranjeze casa noastra cu sora-mea, iar eu ma ocup de mancare. Numai ca scumpul si dragul meu sot s-a scapat si i-a spus Lilianei ca ne vedem la petrecere Sambata, iar noi ca sa dregem busuiocul am zis ca ne-am gandit sa punem de un gratar la noi Sambata, si Gabi i-a zis din greseala petrecere. Ne-am facut noi griji sa nu cumva sa se fi prins, cand de fapt Lili nici nu-l auzise bine pe Gabi, si habar n-avea de nimic. De fapt, nu numai ca nu avea habar, dar dupa o zi lunga la lucru sambata aia, s-a gandit nici sa nu vina la noi. Noroc ca Gabi a lasat-o pe Clara la ea, si am insistat noi sa o aduca ea inapoi, altfel toata munca noastra ar fi fost de pomana (Claudia a fost la 6 dimineata in piata de flori si a venit cu 3 galeti acasa, iar dupa-amiaza a muncit cu sora-mea sa aranjeze totul si m-au ajutat in bucatarie, in timp ce eu am petrecut jumatate de zi cu pregatitul). Nu ca nu am fi fost noi in stare sa consumam totul, dar ideea e ca totul a fost pentru ea, sa-i multumim pentru prietenia ei si sa o sarbatorim.

Lili a ajuns la noi dupa 7 jumate seara si in primele doua minute nu a inteles pentru cine era surpriza si de ce e casa aranjata asa frumos. Se uita la noi, la flori, la masa, de parca nimic nu facea sens. Dupa cateva minute, pupaturi si imbratisari, din nou, am inceput petrecerea, iar Lili a primit mesajul - ne e tare draga si merita chiar de zece ori mai mult, mai ales de ziua ei.

Meniul a fost:

- Tartine cu muschiulet de porc si salada de telina si morcov

- Mini plamieri cu umplutura de masline- ardei copt- parmesan- patrunjel

- Cupe de castraveti cu spuma de Philadelphia, somon, ceapa rosie (esalota), marar si capere

- Salata de crab

- "Tort" de sfecla si branza telemea- ricotta - marar cu biscuiti

- Prosciutto cu pepene galben

- Paste negre ( cu cerneala de sepia) si creveti

- "Acadele" de pui la gratar, couscous aromat si mini dovlecei la cuptor cu telemea si busuioc

- Cremsnit cu vanilie si capsuni (scuze pentru calitatea pozei atat de incetosate, dar o sa le fac in curand din nou si o sa postez atunci reteta si pun alta poza).

Si pentru ca postul asta e destul de lung deja, o sa am altele separate pentru fiecare din mancarurile care au un fel de reteta. Nu a fost nimic iesit din comun in ce priveste castravetii cu somon, prosciutto cu pepene galben si sfecla cu branza si ( mai ales biscuti), dar sunt combinatii care stiu ca le plac prietenilor nostri. In rest, o sa vina continuarea....

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Always in love with Salmon - Homemade cured salmon

Back in April i found a recipe for cured salmon, so i decided to make it at home, since we love so much the smoked and the cured one that you find in the supermarkets.

I gave it a try then, for my friend's surprise birthday party (which i will put together in a post some time this week) and we liked it so much, that i tried to make it again. I know you could use different ingredients for the cure, but the dill in this one is our favorite, although i still want to try something else next time.

I made it again this last weekend, when we've got together for a BBQ, and it was very good. Plus everybody finds it amazing that you prepared it at home and wants to know how.

What i found when we were munching on it, talking about the smoky seasoning i used for the BBQ chicken, was that i could have added something from the beginning, but it didn't even cross my mind - smoked sweet paprika, just a bit, which could give the cured salmon the smokiness it was missing. This was an Evrika moment for me (daaahh, is that the spelling for my very dumb moment?) and i am happy Lili came up with the ideea. If you like a spicy smoky cured salmon, add some chipotle powder, we loved it both ways.

You could also use more cracked pepper, or anything else you like; use lime zest instead of lemon and you'll get a more mexican taste, some cajun seasoning for a southern one, but don't forget to share the results or new ideas, please, like we did with the smoked paprika :).

I had a piece of salmon of almost 2 pounds and for the cure used a mix made from:

1/3 cup coarse salt

1/4 cup light brown sugar

1 teaspoon ground pepper

zest from one lemon ( you could definitely use more)

one bunch fresh dill chopped finely

Rinse and ry the salmon, then place half of the salt mixture in a glass baking dish, put the salmon on top, then cover it with the rest of the salt. Cover the dish with plastic foil and put it in the frige for 48 hours. Pour out the water from the baking dish about twice a day. Rinse it in cold water when you are ready to serve it.

We love it on toast or bagels, with cucumbers, creme fraiche or sour cream, or a mix of either cream cheese or goat cheese with heavy cream (until you have kind of a mousse), red onion, capers, more dill, lemon to squeze over the fish.

It is great with pasta and in sandwiches or quiches as well.

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Somon sarat (neafumat)

Noua ne place foarte mult somonul afumat, iar in aprilie am gasit o reteta pt. peste facut la saramura pe care am incercat-o atunci pentru ziua surpriza a prietenei mele ( un post pe care tot vreau sa-l pun impreuna de mult timp, poate reusesc saptamana asta). Pestele a iesit excelent, asa ca am mai facut reteta de mai multe ori de atunci. Ingredientele de la saramura pot fi adaptate dupa gustul si preferintele fiecaruia, numai ca noua ne place mararul foarte mult, asa ca nu am schimbat reteta pana acum.

Vorbind cu prietena mea despre condimentele folosite pentru puiul facut duminica la BBQ, am descoperit insa ca as fi putut adauga si l-ar fi facut mai bun - boia/ paprika dulce afumata. Un pic de tot, cat sa-i dea gustul ala de afumatura care ii lipseste. Sau daca va place putin picant, folositi boia iute afumata.

Daca va place, puteti pune mai putina sare si zahar, si mult mai mult piper macinat proaspat mai grunjos. Se poate inlocui coaja de lamaie cu limeta, sau condimente cajun pentru o saramura "sudista". Orice idei incercati, nu uitati sa impartasiti rezultatele, asa cum am facut noi cu paprika aici :).

Pentru un filet de peste de aproape 800 g am folosit

70 g sare grunjoasa

50 g zahar brun

o linguritza piper macinat

o legatura marar proaspat tocat marunt

coaja rasa de la o lamaie (sau chiar mai multa)

Se pune pestele la marinat intr-un vas de sticla pe jumatate din amestecul de sare si condimente si se acopera cu restul de sare si condimente, se pune o folie de plastic deasupra si se da la frigider aproape 48 de ore. Se scurge de apa lasata la fiecare 12 ore. Se spala incat sa se inlature sarea si e gata de servit.

Noua ne place pe paine prajita, pe covrigi, cu felii de castraveti, crema fresca, smantana, sau un amestec de crema de branza sau branza de capra cu smantana dulce lichida (incat sa iasa un fel de mousse), ceapa rosie, capere, marar, felii de lamaie.

Este foarte bun si cu paste sau in sandwichuri si tarte/quiche.

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Broccoflower tart - Tarta cu broccoli

Tarts, pies, quiches, and souffles made such a comeback in the last couple of years, and they went well beyond the classics. You could find so many all over the blogosphere and on the culinary websites. They are tasty, easy to make (ok, maybe not the souffles), savory or sweet, with or without crust, you could play with the ingredients so much, choosing your favorites or what is in season, or just go ahead with the old time favorites. My favorite are the ones made with leeks, spinach and chopped broccoli, and of course the fruit tarts.
I made last week a tart with broccoflower, and since Clara likes the broccoli and also bacon and cheese, so I put them together.
The tart shell was made from scratch, but a store bought pie shell would work just fine. This recipe asked for 2 cups flour, 8 tablespoons butter, 3 tablespoons icy water and a pinch of salt. I preheated the oven at 350F (170C) and baked the empty tart shell in a 11" (28 cm) pan for about 20-25 minutes, until light golden. Let the shell cool completely for about half an hour in the pan.
I cut the broccoflower bouquets and blanched them for about 2 minutes in boiling salted water, then washed them in cold water to stop the cooking process and drained until ready to use.
I sauteed one onion (you could use one leek) cut julienne with about 8 slices of bacon chopped in small pieces, until the onion was golden and soft. I mixed the onion and bacon in a bowl with the rest of the ingredients: 4 heaping tablespoons sour cream, 3 tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese, 3 eggs, salt, pepper, a pinch of nutmeg, and chopped fresh dill. Mix them together until just combined, then put the filling in the tart shell and arrange the broccoflower florets on top, along with some strips of red bell pepper.
Bake at 350 F (170C) for about 30 minutes, or until the filling is set. Let it cool and serve with salad.

If you have the time and patience, make smaller individual tarts as appetizers. They look impressive and everybody is going to admire you for all the hard work, but a full size tart to be sliced on the table looks very good, too.

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Tartele, placintele, quiche, budincile ori sufleurile au ajuns iarasi in centrul atentiei in ultimi 2-3 ani, depasind cu mult retetele clasice. Sunt gustoase si usor de facut (sau aproape, cu exceptia sufleurilor), sarate/condimentate sau pentru desert, cu sau fara foaie, poti jongla cu ingredientele in functie de favoritele tale sau de ce e in sezon, sau poti face una din retetele mai vechi, consacrate.
Preferatele mele sunt cele cu praz, spanac sau broccoli tocat marunt, dar de data asta am facut cu un altoi de broccoli-conopida ("floare de broccoli"), pentru ca si Clarei ii place broccoli, dar si baconul si branza, asa ca le-am combinat.

Crusta de tarta am facut-o, dar daca gasiti una la supermarket care va place, e numai buna si asa. Pentru foaie am avut nevoie de 250 g faina, 115 g unt rece, taiata cubulete, 3 linguri de apa foarte rece si un varf de sare. am intins-o cam de 4-5 mm, am pus-o in forma si am intepat-o peste tot cu furculita. Am incalzit cuptorul la 350F (170C) si am copt foaia singura intr-o forma rotunda de tarta (28 cm) cu fundul detasabile, aproape 20-25 minutes, primele 15 minute - acoperita cu o hartie de copt, ultimele 10 minute am dat hartia la o parte, pana crusta a devenit aurie. Se lasa crusta la racit timp de o jumatate de ora in forma ei.

Am oparit broccoli-ul in apa sarata timp de 1-2 minute, apoi l-am scurs de apa, spalat in apa rece sa opreasca gatitul, si l-am lasat la scurs pana a fost gata de pus in tarta.

Am calit o ceapa medie taiata solzisori cu vreo 8 felii de bacon taiat marunt, pana ceapa a devenit aurie. Am amestecat apoi intr-un castron ceapa, baconul, si restul de ingrediente: 4 linguri pline cu varf de smantana, 3 linguri pline de parmesan ras, 3 oua, sare, piper si un varf de nucsoara rasa, si marar proaspat tocat. Se amesteca bine ca sa se omogenizeze, apoi se toarna umplutura in forma de tarta si se aranjeaza buchetelele de broccoli deasupra, impreuna cu niste feliute de ardei gras rosu. Se coace 30 minute la aceeasi temperatura 350 F (170C), sau pana umplutura nu mai e lichida. Se serveste la temperatura camerei cu o salata, sau poate fi servita ca aperitiv- parte dintr-un meniu mai bogat.

Daca aveti timp si rabdare, puteti face tarte individuale, micute, ca aperitive. Arata foarte bine si toata lumea o sa va laude pentru toata munca grea, dar o tarta intreaga taiata in felii poate sa fie la fel prezentabila si cu mai putina munca.

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Small bites with Pancetta - Aperitive cu pancetta

This is going to be a very very short post. I am trying to catch up with my pictures. This week and the following one is lent for us, so I will try to cook some vegetable dishes, but I have many photos and recipes from a while back that could be posted as well.

Last week, I made these appetizers to nibble on with a glass of red wine when my sister came over, and although there is nothing extraordinary about them, and no actual recipe (just wrap the peaches and the enoki mushrooms with very thin slices of pancetta, sprinkle with pepper and bake), we like them very much and there are none left over every time when I make them, so why not take a picture?

I love small bites, appetizers, hors d'oeuvres, tapas, meze or however you want to call them, and this is just one of the many others that will show up here in time. They could show your creativity, they are entartaining, never boring, and full of flavor. The perfect opening for a party or a meal in itself.

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Acesta e un post foarte foarte scurt. Lucrez la poze si retete, si cu timpul o sa le postez pe toate. Saptamana asta si urmatoarea e post, inainte de sarbatoarea Sfintei Marii, asa ca o sa incerc sa gatesc si tin postul. Intre timp, o sa postez din pozele din urma si poate si din cele de post pe care le voi face zilele astea.
Aperitivele de mai sus le-am facut saptamana trecuta, sa avem ceva de rontait la un pahar de vin cand a venit sora mea pe la noi, si desi nu e nimic deosebit, nici macar o reteta de urmat (se invelesc feliile de piersica si ciupercile in felii subtiri de pancetta - kaiser sau bacon merg la fel de bine, se presara cu piper si se coc), noua ne plac tare mult si niciodata nu au ramas nemancate, asa ca de ce sa nu le fac o poza si lor?
Mie imi plac foarte mult aperitivele, gustarile, "imbucaturi mici", tapas, meze, sau oricum le numim, si astea sunt parte din pozele si ideile pe care le voi posta treptat. Mi se par ingenioase, pline de gust, si deloc monotone. Sunt minunate de servit la inceputul unei petreceri sau chiar sa faci un meniu intreg cu ele.

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Salmon tartar on shrimp chips - Tartar de somon pe chipsuri de creveti

**** Special note - thank you to my dear dear dear talented daughter, Clara, who took the the photo above and the one below. I think she did a wonderful job and made me so proud to have them in my post. She has being trying her hand with the camera latelly just to amaze us how good she is for a 9 years old./ Vreau sa-i multumesc scumpei dragei mele talentate fetite, Clara, care a facut poza de mai sus si pe cea de mai jos, de care sunt atat de mandra. In ultima perioada ne-a uimit cat de minunata e cu aparatul de fotografiat, pentru un copil de 9 ani.****

For this post I made Bea's recipe from here, followed her plating idea, and while my photos have a long way to be anywhere close to hers and since I have no merrit whatsoever for this recipe (please refer to her blog for it), I can come up with a story only.
Since I found her post, I've been craving to make this. As I told you, I love raw fish. But this time the attraction was not the salmon, or the nice combination with apples and radishes, but the shrimp chips as I call them, or prawn crackers as Bea refers to them.
When I was a kid, these boxes of shrimp crackers/chips were one of the only 4-5 items that you could find in a grocery store in my town any single day without staying in line for it. For Romanians this will not sound strange, but for anybody else, please be assured I am not exagerating or making this up. It was during communism, we had monthly cards for all the food allowed by the state to be given to us, everything was rationalized like during the World War, we had to stay in line when and if the stores were getting anything. And for a while on the shelves of the grocery store located on the first floor of my building, this, some brown toilet paper, Bulgarian tomato juice and chestnut puree were pretty much all you could find when you were going in.

My mom was making them Saturday nights when we were watching THE MOVIE, and it was our junk food.

I looked for this since I saw Bea's post and I finally found them in a small store in China town. And tonight I was very happy to eat them with the salmon tartar ( made them much better) and I realized they are not as "spectacular" as I remembered them. I mean, I still ate them, quite a few and kind of fast, but not the same way as I did when I was 9.

I made the tartar following Bea's recipe, I used apple, radishes, chives, ginger, lemon juice and soy sauce. I didn't have coriander/cilantro, and I know it would have worked perfectly, and substituted the lime with lemon. And I put on top some Tobiko Wasabi - flying fish roe, and black sesame.

Can I tell you again how much I liked it .................... it was light, elegant, and tasty.

NB: for those who don't like or find sushi grade fish, I think smoked salmon makes a nice substitution.

Subiectul acesta este despre reteta lui Bea, i-am urmat exemplul cum sa asez mancarea, si pentru ca pozele mele sunt mult inferioare pozelor ei, si pentru ca nici reteta nu e a mea, ramane povestea. Va mai aduceti cumva aminte de cand eram copii si pe toate rafturile alimentarilor erau numai cutii de "creveti" si inca alte trei lucruri? In orasul meu, Valcea, la alimentara de la parterul blocului meu cam asta imi aduc eu aminte sa fi vazut (ma refer la ce gasea in fiecare zi, fara sa stai la coada sau sa iei pe cartela sau cu pile. L anoi erau chipusirle astea, suc de rosii bulgaresc, piure de castane si hartie igienica din aceea bej. Nu o luati ca pe o plangere sau exagerare. Nu e cazul. Aveam aproape 13 ani la revolutie, si nu am simtit greul prea mult. Eram copil, si nu vezi lucrurile la fel cum el vad acum in perspectiva. stiu cum si ce a fost greu si rau, dar atunci, ai mei stiau, eu nu prea.
Mama ne facea chipsuri din astea sambata seara cand ne uitam la film. Ii rontaiam repede si erau mancarea noastra nesanatoasa.

De cand am vazut reteta lui Bea am cautat sa cumpar su in sfarsit i-am gasit in China Town.
Am urmat reteta ei, folosind somon, mar si ridiche taiat bastonase, o linguritza ghimbir ras, 1 lingura zeama de lamaie, o lingura sos de soia si ceapa verde tocata marunt (chives). Nu am avut coriandru, desi imi place am uitat sa cumpar, si am folosit lamaie in loc de limeta. Si deasupra am pus niste icre de peste cu wasabi, hreanul japonez verde, de unde si culoarea, si susan negru.
Nici nu pot spune cat de mult mi-a placut combinatia de texturi, e foarte usor, delicat, elegant si gustos.
NB: sunt absolut sigura ca merge la fel de bine cu somon afumat in loc de somon crud, in caz ca nu va place sau nu gasiti din cel "super foarte" proaspat.

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Zucchini rolls with herbed cheese - Rulouri de dovlecei cu crema de branza si ierburi

First, Irina made her eggplant rolls, which look amazing, then Cristina, and last week I found this book by Jennifer Joyce online and was temped by the cover so much, that I had to try and replicate the zucchini rolls that appear in the middle. And because I'll get the book from the library only next week, I made them now using things that we like ( and happened to have in the fridge).

So, here it goes:
2 zucchini, cut in very thin slices lengthwise
3 tablespoons creamcheese
3 tablespoons Bulgarian/French feta cheese, grated or smashed with a fork
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1-2 tablespoons dill, parsley, basil mixed together (or any other fresh herbs you might like)
salt and pepper to taste
orange bell pepper (because that's what I had in the fridge, but I think red would look better) and chives to decorate

Brush the zucchini with oil and cook on a very hot grill for not more than 1 minute per side. After you take them out on a plate, season with salt & pepper.
Mix the creamcheese, feta and the heavy cream about 2 minutes, until airy like a mousse, season with salt and pepper and add the herbs.
Place a teaspoon of the cheese mixture at the end of a zucchini slice and roll, then place the rolls on the serving platter.
Decorate with chives and bell pepper segments, or arugula, basil or mint as it might be in the picture, or actually as you please.
They are tasty bites, nothing hard to put together and they disappear prrreety fast.

Mai intai am vazut cuiburile de vinete ale Irinei, apoi Cristina i-a calcat pe urme, iar saptamana trecuta am gasit cartea aceasta de Jennifer Joyce online, si mi-au facut cu ochiul rulourile cu dovlecei din mijloc. Iar pentru ca nu pot lua cartea de la biblioteca decat la sfarsitul saptamanii, am decis sa le fac cu ce ingrediente ne plac noua (si mai ales cu ce aveam in frigider).
Asa ca am folosit:
2 dovlecei taiati felii subtiri de cca 3 mm pe lung
3 linguri crema de branza/cascaval/Phildelphia
3 linguri telemea rasa
3 linguri smantana lichida
sare si piper dupa gust
1 linguri ierburi proaspete tocate - marar, patrunjel, busuioc ( alegeti ce va place voua sau ce aveti)
feliute de ardei gras si chives (merg frunzele de la o ceapa verde mai subtire) pt. decorat

Se ung feliile de dovlecel cu ulei si se pun pe un gratar foarte incins timp de maxim un minut pe fiecare parte. Cand se scot pe farfurie se sareaza si pipereaza putin.
Se freaca cu mixerul crema de cascaval, telemeaua si smantana lichida, cca 2 minute, cat sa devina o crema spumoasa, apoi se adauga, sare, piper si verdeata.
Se pune o lingurita de crema de branza pe o felie de dovlecel si se ruleaza, apoi se pune in picioare pe farfurie.
Se decoreaza rulourile cu feliutele de ardei gras (eu am avut numai portocaliu, dar cred ca unul rosu ar fi mers mult mai bine, pt. poza, ma refer) si cu ceapa verde, sau dupa cum arata coperta cartii, cu ceva verdeturi; arucola, menta, busuioc, sau dupa imaginatia si placul vostru.
Sunt tare gustoase, nu se fac greu si dispar repede, foarte repede.

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Chinese Hats with Tuna Tartar and Microgreens

The second post with another recipe from the coctail dinner. When I made this it was because I love sushi, sashimi, tartar, ceviche, and California is a heaven for the Japanese cuisine (I know tartar and ceviche don't belong to the Japanese, but they are all the same). And my friends that came over that night love it too. I never tasted raw fish before coming here, even more, I was sceptic that I will like it, because this never happened back home, but as you could see I am adventurous in the food department.
You could never say the same about the rest of me. I am a Capricorn, very stubborn, very set in my comfortable ways, never liked changes or the new, I am an old soul (or better said, although I am 31 years old, I behave as a grandma pretty much), I am very conservative and pesimistic. All this goes away when it's about food, I like new, my imagination is running wild, I am passionate and feel that I have a creative side after all. Then, if you look at my dearest husband, he is the opposite in all I've just said about me. He is an adventurous Scorpio, loves changes, never holds back from anything new, never tired, always optimistic, passionate, enjoys life and he will always feel like a 19 year old, sooooo talented, and I promise you I'll come back just to brag more about his opera singing and his wonderful voice. But when it comes to food, he is the conservative one.

Returning to the tuna, I am lucky to have found a Japanese store close to us, Mitsuwa, where they have wonderful sushi grade fish and all other ingredients you want for asian recipes.

The hats were made from round gyoza/won ton skins, which I cut from the center of the circle and overlapped the sides to form a cone- hat. I sprayed them with oil and baked them for 2-3 minutes in a muffin pan.
The tuna has to be sushi grade. I chopped it and marinated it for about 10 minutes with grated ginger, chopped chives, ½ teaspoon lemongrass paste, 2 teaspoons lemon juice, and 2 teaspoons soy sauce.
The microgreens did not have any dressing. I put some greens on the bottom of the hats and topped with tuna and some black sesame seeds.

Palariute chinezesti umplute cu verdeata si tartar de ton

Nu credeam vreodata ca mi-ar putea place atat de mult pestele crud, dar pentru ca numai la domeniul mancare sunt si eu aventuroasa, am ajuns sa spun ca imi place la nebunie tot ce tine de sushi, sashimi, tartar sau ceviche.

Pestele pt. retetele de genul acesta trebuie sa fie neaparat extrem de proaspat, cum ii spun astia aici, calitate sushi. Eu am norocul sa fi gasit un magazin japonez foarte aproape care are peste pt. sushi si ingrediente pt. tot felul de retete japoneze.

Tonul l-am taiat in cubulete si l-am marinat pt. 10 minute in 2 lingurite sos de soia, ghimbir ras, iarba ciorii - cippollino/ chives, pasta de lemongrass si zeama de la o jumatate de lamaie. asta pt. o bucata de 150-200 g ton.

Palariutele le-am facut din foite rotunde de gyoza/wonton/ dumpling skins, dar se pot face si din foi de egg roll decupate cu o forma rotunda. Am taiat o raza din centru, apoi am suprapus colturile cam 2 cm incat sa iasa palariuta, si am lipit cu apa colturile. Am sprayat cu ulei si le-am pus la copt in forma de muffins timp de 5 min la 350 F.

Am pus putina verdeata in palariute ( microgreens sunt niste foi de salata f.f.f.f. mici) si deasupra o linguritza de ton.

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