Montag, 16. Dezember 2013

Chestnut- Sage- Soup / Kastanien-Salbei-Suppe


I`ve got this recipe from  Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall ... Since weeks now, I have a deep need for vegetables. I could eat all veggies in the world, I guess, and I am always on the run for recipes with my favourite ingredients. Chestnuts are one of them. I have a big sage bush in my herb garden, and I am glad they always survive AND feed me in the winter.
This soup is very dense, very rich, very creamy...It seems a bit decacent. Somehow royal. It is very strong in flavour - the crème fraîche helps to make it a bit softer. I also decided to add a bit more water at the end, because  I liked it more liquid. Have a look for yourself how you like the consistency.
This is a very very satisfying dinner, with some slices bread with butter with salt and pepper. And you don`t need a lot of ingredients. It is really quickly made.
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Dieses Rezept habe ich von Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall ... Seit geraumer Zeit habe ich einen totallen Jipper nach Gemüse. Ich könnte alles Gemüse der Welt mampfen glaube ich, und momentan suche ich nach Rezepten mit meinen Lieblingszutaten. Kastanie ist eine davon. Ich habe einen dicken Salbeibusch im Garten und ich bin froh, dass er den Winter immer überlebt UND ganzjährig Blätter trägt.

Diese Suppe ist sehr reichhaltig, cremig, ...sie ist fast ein bisschen dekadent, irgendwie königlich. Sehr stark im Geschmack - die Crème fraiche/Schmand hilft, sie ein bisschen zu zähmen. Ich habe auch beschlossen, die Suppe mit Wasser etwas dünner zu machen, weil ich es nicht ganz so dick haben wollte. Schau einfach selber, wie Du die Konsistenz magst.
Das hier ist ein sehr befriedigendes Abendessen, vielleicht plus ein paar Scheiben Brot mit Butter, Salz und Pfeffer. Und man brauch wenige Zutaten. Es ist wirklich ganz schnell gemacht!


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CHESTNUT-SAGE-SOUP
/ Kastanien- Salbei- Suppe
serves 3-4

Ingredients:

> 400 grams of cooked chestnuts (no peel included) / > 400 Gramm gegarte Maronen (vakuumverpackt zu kaufen)
> 1 onion, not too big / > 1 Zwiebel, nicht zu gross
> 1 garlic clove / > 1 Knoblauchzehe
> 1 big tsp butter / > 1 grosser TL Butter
> a bit veg-oil  / > etwas Pflanzenöl
> 6 sage leaves and some to fry / > 6 Salbeiblätter und ein paar zum Frittieren
> 1000 ml vegetable stock / > 1 Liter Gemüsebrühe
> salt & freshly grounded pepper / > Salz & frisch gemahlener Pfeffer
> 100 grams Crème Fraîche (or something similar)/ > 100 Gramm Crème Fraîche/Schmand o.ä.



Method:
>> Chop onions roughly. Put aside. Chops garlic and sage finely.
>> Heat 1 TBSP oil plus butter in a pot, sweat onions (8-10 minutes)
>> Add garlic and sage and let cook it one more minute.
>> Add chestnuts and vegetable stock, let boil up and let cook at middle heat for 20 minutes.
>> Take of from heat and blend until very very smooth. Add salt and pepper until tasty.
>> Add Creme Fraiche and put back on the hot cooking plate, but do not let cook again. It should just melt.

>> Put 2 TBSP oil into a very small pot and let it get very very hot. Put rest of the sage leaves (not chopped) into it - it begins immediately to get brown. If they are softly brown, take out and put onto a kitchentowel to get rid of too much oil.
>> Put them on top of the soup - they are nice and crispy now.


Zubereitung:
>> Zwiebel grob hacken und beiseite stellen. Knoblauch und Salbei hacken.
>> 1 EL Öl und Butter in einem Topf erhitzen. Zwiebeln dazu bis sie glasig sind (8-10 Minuten)
>> Knoblauch und Salbei dazu und eine weitere Minute köcheln lassen.
>> Kastanien und Gemüsebrühe dazu, aufkochen lassen und 20 Minuten bei mittlerer Hitze köcheln.
>> Von der Kochplatte nehmen, mit Salz und Pfeffer abschmecken, Crème Fraîche/Schmand einrühren und zurück auf die heisse Herdplatte stellen, allerdings nichts mehr aufkochen lassen. Der Schmand soll sich nur mit der Suppe verbinden.

>> 2 EL Öl in einem sehr kleinen Töpfchen erhitzen. Wenn es richtig heiss ist, ganze Salbeiblätter reingeben. Sie fangen sofort an zu zischen und braun zu werden. Wenn sie leicht braun sind, ruasheben und auf ein Küchenpapier zum Abtropfen legen.
>> Auf die Suppe geben - sie sind jetzt schön knusprig.


Sonntag, 8. Dezember 2013

Vanillekipferl - German christmas cookie classic



Finally! I made it to take photos of my beloved, every-year-again Vanillekipferl!
This is another very very typical german classics, like I already posted Spitzbuben and Gingerbread. Most family bakes them and I guess, the recipe varies only a little bit in one ingredient to another, but the base is the same.
I`ve got this recipe from a dear friend - we bake them together a few years ago, and on this day, I found my perfect "Vanillekipferl-standard-recipe". Thanks for that, Ella!

These cookies are incredibly brittle, so tender! When they come hot out from the oven, you have to turn over them in a icing-sugar-vanillasugar-mix, and if you are not careful (or unlucky), they are breaking - they are really vulnerable little things :) ... I found my own technique...I sift the sugarmixture and then, I lift the cookies a bit to push them into the sugar I sieved between them. So, I don`t have them to touch too much. One or two are always breaking, but this is a little chance to try them fresh out of the oven.

Oh, ...sure: They are absolutely easy to make!! I am not a fan of complicate recipes, if it works another way. Go for it!
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Endlich! Ich hab`s geschafft und hab gebacken UND ein paar Fotos meiner geliebten, jedes-Jahr-wieder Vanillekipferln gemacht. Das ist ein weitere, ganz typisch deutsches klassisches Rezept - wie z.B. Spitzbuben oder Lebkuchen, die ich schon gepostet habe... Die meisten Familien backen sie, glaube ich. Das Rezept ändert sich vielleicht minimal in den Zutaten zueinander, aber die Basis bleibt immer bestehen.
Dieses Rezept habe ich von einer lieben Freundin - wir haben es zusammen vor einigen Jahren ausprobiert. An diesem Tag hab ich wohl mein perfektes "Vanillekipferl-Standard-Rezept" gefunden. Danke dafür, Ella!

Diese Plätzchen hier sind unfassbar mürbe, so zart! Wenn sie heiss aus dem Ofen kommen, muss man sie in einer Puderzucker-Vanillezucker-Mischung wälzen, und wenn man nicht aufpasst (oder Pech hat), brechen sie. Das sind wirklich verletzliche kleine Dinger :) . Ich habe meine eignene Technik gefunden: Den Zuckermix drübersieben und dann die Hörnchen sanft in den Zuckermix daneben heben, der sich zwischen die Kipferl gelegt hat. So brauch ich sie kaum anfassen. Ein oder zwei brechen trotzdem immer - aber das ist doch eine willkommmene Chance, sie frisch aus dem Ofen wegnaschen zu können!

Oh, und natürlich: Sie sind total einfach zu machen. Ich bin kein grosser Fan komplizierter Rezepte, wenn es auch anders geht. Ran an den Ofen!


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VANILLE KIPFERL

makes 80 pieces / 80 Stück

Ingredients:

> 100 grams almonds, grounded /> 100 Gramm gemahlene Mandeln
> 280 grams all purpose flour / > 280 Gramm Mehl
> 70 grams sugar / > 70 Gramm Zucker
> 200 grams cold butter, diced / > 200 Gramm kalte, gewürfelte Butter
> 2 eggyolk / 2 Eigelb
  (TIP: You can freeze eggwhite-leftovers or make *Makronen* / TIP: Man kann übriggebliebenes Eiweiss einfrieren oder Makronen draus machen)
> 3 TBSP vanillasugar / 3 Päckchen Vanillezucker
> 30 grams icing sugar / 30 Gramm Puderzucker

Method:
>> Prepare baking sheet with baking paper.
>> Mix the icing sugar with the vanillasugar and put aside
>> Put flour, sugar and almonds on the working plate. Add diced butter and eggyolk.
>> With cold hands, knead everything quickly into a soft dough - TIP: I normally chop the mixture with a palette knife or the blunt side of a big knife into a very crumbly mixture. Then I gently grate the butter softly with only my fingertips into the flour. At the end I quickly knead everything to a nice dough. That means: My warm hands have less amount of contact with the cold butter, what is important.
>> Make little dough-balls - size: like a very small walnut or a big hazelnut (I made a photo for you, have a look down there). Then roll them to little sticks, bend them generously into halfmoons and lay them on the baking paper with a little distance from one to another. They seem to be small now, but they grow still a bit.
>> In the middle of the oven, bake them for 8-9 minutes. They shouldn`t get brown on the top, just on the bottom a bit.
>> Take them out and sieve immediately your vanillasugarmixture on top. Lift every cookie into the sugar next to it. Let cool down. Enjoooooy!









Zubereitung:
>> Backbleck mit Backpapier belegen
>> Puderzucker und Vanillezucker mischen und beiseite stellen
>> Mehl, Zucker und Mandeln auf eine Arbeitsfläche geben. Gewürfelte Butter und Eigelb dazu.
>> Mit kalten Händen alles schnell zu einem schönen Teig verarbeiten. - TIP: Ich "hacke" die Butter und das Eigelb immer mit einer Palette oder der stumpfen Seite eines grossen Messers sorgfältig ins Mehl. Dann reibe ich die kleinen Butterstückchen nur mit meinen Fingerspitzen ins Mehl ein. Zum Schluss noch schnell zusammenkneten. So haben die eigentlich warmen ände möglichst wenig Kontakt mit der kalten Butter, was wichtig ist.
>> Kleine Kugeln formen in der Grösse einer sehr kleinen Walnuss oder grossen Haselnuss (dazu habe ich ein Foto gemacht, weiter unten gucken). Dann sie in kleine Stängchen rollen, sie grosszügig zu anständig runden Halbmonden biegen (sie biegen sich im Ofen noch etwas auseinander) und aufs Backpapier legen. Sie scheinen jetzt arg klein, aber geen noch ein bisschen auseinander.
>> In der Ofenmitte 8-9 Minuten backen. Sie wollten nicht braun oben werden, am Boden ein bisschen.
>> Rausnehmen und SOFORT mit der Vanille-Puderzucker-Mischung besieben. Jeden Keks leicht anheben und in den Zuckerboden daneben schieben. Abkühlen lassen. geniessen :)


Mittwoch, 4. Dezember 2013

Don`t forget to bake! *** Christmastime is here ***

Helloh my dear people,

sorry for the lack of recipes at the moment. SURPRISINGLY (like it is every year so surprising), pre-christmas-time came over me and ate me.
I already had to to bake something, but no time for photographs and recipe writing---argh! I miss it, but I am working a lot at the moment and have to...decorate the room, buying christmas gifts, swimming (I do swim training right now!), visiting my best friend (who moved a bit farer away than it is easy to just come around), cooking our daily dinners, writing christmas post....I really really miss a calm time to take photos.


BUT... what is very important is, that a lot of people bake cookies now.
Please don`t miss my favourite recipes, my everyyear beloved cookies - I posted them last winter.
Here are the shortcuts - enjoy! Every single cookie is awesome tasty!

>> SPITZBUBEN

>> GINGERBREAD & CHOCOLAT-BAISER-KISSES

>> COCOA-SPICE-MOUNTAINS

>> NUT SLICES

>> CINNAMON FINGERS


Montag, 18. November 2013

Sinful Choc-Redwine Bits / Sündige Schoko-Rotwein-Stücke


Well, I really thought about posting this recipe.
I ALSO thought about giving this cake away for friends to eat. The reason is: THIS is HARDCORE stuff. I mean, have a look at the ingredients. It just makes you FAT by reading! I really forbid Timo to eat too much (normally he knows no limits there, ehehehee!), because I thought he probably gets a choc-shock or something like that.
But I realized that this is MY panic. I get fat just by writing the word "chocolate" or "sugar" (I am popping up at that moment, really, I can FEEL it). I always have to check if something is too much or have to ask the question "Do I really really REALLY want to eat that sinful thing there?"... it`s a family thing. Ma parents, my sisters...we all have the same damn problem.
I am fortunately in love with sports or walking. I love to go for a long walk, to do Yoga or to swim, I ride my bike, and I would even do more sports if I haven`t that many hobbies...painting, drawing, cooking, photography, playing my blues harp, languages, travelling...ufh!...

So, I think this helps to enjoy my hobby as a cook/photographer without rising like Barbapapa.

Probably you out there have the luck, that you can eat as much choc as you want OR you don`t care avout that calory-shit, because you just think about enjoying life :)
If yes:
This is your recipe.

But beware! This is no "beautiful" cake. It cracked out of my cake pan into pieces, bits and cracks of choc cake, it was sticky and made my hands dirty immediately (I just licked it off, I am not a decent person :)). But this makes it even more seductive - you can just let it drop into cream and pick it out with a fork or your fingers. No decency, no etiquette...just lust for chocolate. HOORAY!

_________________________________________________________

Sinful Choc-Redwine Bits
...serves dependent from for how many you are brave enough

Ingredients:
> 340 grams of butter
> 340 grams of chocolat, chopped in rough bits (preferably dark chocolate...or mixed with whole milk choc)
> 50 ml red wine
> 260 grams of sugar
> 6 eggs
> optional: whipped cream


Method:>> Preheat oven to 170 °C /340 °F (top-/ bottom heat)

>> seperate eggwhite from eggyolk. Beat eggyolk.
>> Prepare your cake pan: cover with baking paper or grease & flour it
     My baking tray was quadratic. You can also use a round one. 25cm diameter.
>> Prepare a hot water bath. That means: Heat a bit of water in a pot (low heat, no cooking, just a bit of heat and steam!) and put a heat resistant bowl over it. It should not get in contact with the water. Add in there your chopped chocolate and butter and melt, stir it here and there. Put aside and let cool down for abou 20 to 30 minutes.
>> After cooling down, add redwine, 200 grams of sugar and the beaten eggyolk. Stir until smooth.
>> Beat eggwhite, add rest of the sugar and beat until very stiff.
>> Mix half of your eggwhite mass into your choc mass. The other half,fold in gently.
>> Put into your baking tray and put into oven for 45-50 minutes
>> Take out and let cool down for 20 minutes. Unhinge carefully and put on a cooling rack.
>> Cut into pieces (if it really came out in one piece :)) or break in pieces.

Cover with whipped cream or choc/vanillasauce, sprinkle with icing sugar or whatever comes in your mind. Or eat it just pure. But in every case: ENJOY and don`t think about calories :D

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Sündige Schokoladen-Rotwein-Stücke

Zutaten:
> 340 Gramm Butter
> 340 Gramm Schokolade, gehackt in grobe Stücke (am besten dunkle, aber kann auch je nach Präferenz mit Milchschokolade gemischt werden...aber trotzdem: besser ist dunkle!)
> 50 ml Rotwein
> 260 Gramm Zucker
> 6 Eier
> optional: Schlagsahne, Vanillesauce o.ä.


>> Ofen vorheizen auf 180°C (Ober/Unterhitze) oder 160°C Umluft
>> Eier trennen. Eigelb schlagen.
>> Kuchenform vorbereiten: Am besten mit Backpapier auskleiden oder einfetten und mit Semmelbröseln ausstreuen. Jedenfalls ist der Teig sowieso am Ende recht feucht.
Meine Backform war quadratisch, es geht aber auch eine runde (25 cm Durchmesser)
>> Heisses Wasserbad machen, sprich: In einem Topf ein paar Zentimeter hoch Wasser auffüllen, hitzebeständige Schale drüber (sie sollte nicht das Wasser berühren) und LANGSAM erhitzen (das Wasser darf nicht kochen).
>> Schokoladenbruch und Butter reingeben und schmelzen lassen, ab und zu umrühren.
Beiseite stellen und 20-30 Minuten abkühlen lassen.
>> Nach dem Abkühlen Rotwein zufügen, 200 Gramm vom Zucker und das geschlagene Eigelb. Schlagen, bis die Masse cremig ist.
>> Eiweiss steif schlagen, dabei den Restzucker einrühren, weiterschlagen bis es sehr steif ist.
>> Die halbe Eiweissmasse in die Schokoladenmasse einrühren. Die andere Hälfte vorsichtig unterheben
>> In die Kuchenform geben und in den Ofen tun, für 45-50 Minuten backen.
>> Aus dem Ofen nehmen und in der Form 20 Minuten abkühlen lassen. Vorsichtig rausheben und auf ein Abkühlgitter legen.
>> In Stücke schneiden oder brechen (falls es nicht schon von alleine zerbröselt ist)
>> Mit Sahne, Vanillesauce oder sonstigem servieren.

Samstag, 26. Oktober 2013

Plum-Chocolate-Muffins with walnuts


Fall morning view from our kitchen window
Before I forget to mention it:
If you will bake these muffins (you really should!): EAT THEM STILL A LITTLE WARM!
They are tasty in the cold version, but fresh from the oven, eventually added some vanilla sauce...it`s a DREAM! Warm plum in a chocolate dough...this is fall-heaven!

At the moment, I do a lot of seasonal kitchen.
For sure it is also because I get a green box from a farm every two weeks, and there is only seasonal stiff in.
But also, no doubt, I try to eat seasonal, for health and environment.
But the third reason is, that i really enjoy to ring the season-bell with some wonderful things I only eat at that time of year. I would never buy for example strawberries now, even if there are some in the supermarket that came from...I don`t know where. They are here best in July, and I only will eat them in the summer. Bam! That`s it!
I often can`t wait for special season diamonds, like pumpkin or cherries or mandarines...and this longing, this waiting for it, makes it even better when I finally can bite into it!

In Germany, we have definitely fall now. Leaves are golden or already felt down. It`s getting colder, even if I am astonished how warm it is at the moment in contrast to the years before (I don`t need a jacket, what is NOT normal here).
We have season now for pumpkins, plums, nuts, chestnut, mushrooms, quince, figs, cabbage and venison.

I never prepared something with quinces in my life, and unfortunately it is very rare and ard to buy here. I have the plan to cook something with it this winter...I hope it will work.
But the christmas cookie time is not very far from today, so I also have to plan to bring you some more awesome and traditional recipes.

But for now, enjoy these (warm) plum-muffins.


__________________________________________________________________

PLUM-CHOCOLATE MUFFINS with cinnamon
>makes 12 muffins

Ingredients
> 6 plums (the round, big ones preferred)
> 100 grams of sugar
> 200 grams of all-purpose-flour
> 2 tsp baking powder
> 1 tsp bakind soda
> 60 grams chopped dark chocolate
> 2 big Tbsp Chopped walnuts
> 3 Tbsp dark cocoa powder
> 1 flat tsp cinnamon, grounded
> 2 eggs
> 80 ml vegetable oil
> 250 grams plain yogurt
> some coarse sugar

Method
>> Wash your plums and cut them in half.
Fill large pan half a centimeter with water, add 1 Tbsp of your sugar and steam plums at soft heat for 5 minutes. Ket cool down.
>> Preheat oven: 180°C/350°F (upper and lower heat) ( if you use a convection oven, it`s 160°C/320°F)
>> Combine dry ingredients in bowl: flour, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa powder, cinnamon, chopped walnuts and chopped chocolate
>> Combine liquid stuff in a large bowl (you will add the dry things in there, too): eggs, sugar, oil, yogurt. Stir until you got a homogeneous mixture.

>>Prepare your muffin sheet: put muffinspaper in or coat with butter/fat.Sprinkle some coarse sugar into the bottom.

>> Now, QUICKLY, add dry ingredients to liquid ones and mix them roughly (no problme, if there are some flour drops in). Fill into mufins holes until 3/4 full. In each one, press a plum half softly into the dough.

>> Sprinkle with coarse sugar.

>> Put into the oven and let in for about 20 - 25 minutes (in my oven, 20 minutes is always enough. Keep an eye on it)


***dance around the fireplace and sing a song for all the plums in this wonderful world!***



Samstag, 12. Oktober 2013

Spiced Aubergine-Onion Couscous with fruits



I confess: I am in love with Couscous. I like rice, I like potatoes, I like Bulgur as a side dish. Yeah, I like them all. But Couscous....it is so flexibel!

This dish is a very flavourful vegetarian one we made much more than one time. We were so happy with it! It satisfied us more than most of the other vegetarian recipes I made.

I prefer to eat it with a big dab of pure yogurt.

___________________________________________________________________
Spiced Aubergine-Onion Couscous with fruits
...serves 2 hungry ones (plus some leftovers)

Ingredients:
> 450 grams aubergine
> 450 grams shallots
> 1 garlic clove
> 5 sprigs thyme/half a tsp
> 30 grams walnut pits
> 4 Tbsp olive oil
> salt & pepper
> 180 grams Instant-Couscous
> good pinch curcuma (grounded)
> 2 Tbsp sugar
> 3 Tbsp Aceto Balsamico
> some parsley
> hand full of currants or pomegranate pits or blackberries or dried cranberries.... (I actually prefer the currants)
> plain yogurt


Method:
>> cut aubergine in dices, 1,5 x 1,5 cm
>> peel shallots and cut in thin stripes
>> peel garlic and chop fine
>> crush walnuts in small bits, not to small...it should give some nice chunks in the Couscous later
>> pick the thyme from the sprigs

>> roast walnuts in a pan without oil until they smell nice. Put aside.
>> add 2 Tbsp oil to the pan. Heat at medium heat. Add aubergine dices.
>> add garlic and half of the thyme, salt and pepper and roast aubergines gently for 3 minutes, turn them here and there. Take out of the pan and put aside.
 TIP: If you see that the aubergines scorcgh, add a bit of water. But not that much, it should not stay in the pan. It should vapor. if not, you get pulpy aubergines in the end. Not good!

>> prepare Instant Couscous like written on the packaging. Add curcuma, a bit of butter and a pinch of salt to the grains before you add the hot water and cover it so that the heat doesn`t go out.
Normally it is one part Couscous and one part boiled wate.

>> meanwhile, add rest of the oil to the pan, heat on medium heat and roast shallots gently until lightly brown. Add other half of the thyme and sugar and let caramelize (do not stir!). When you see that the shallots get darker, deglaze with Aceto Balsamico and let cook for a few minutes longer, stirring.

>> add Couscous, aubergines and nuts, mix it. Arrange on plates.
>> chop parsley and sprinkle it over your meal.
>> sprinkle with currants/pomegranate pits/blackberry/dried cranberries and some plain yogurt on top


 It should have kind of a lukewarm temperature now. This is perfect!

*Dance around n the kitchen and sing the aubergine song, be happy that you have a wonderful meal!*

Donnerstag, 3. Oktober 2013

Koziol Design Stuff


I really got to say: I am a lucky girl!
I have a thousands of reasons to say that, but there was something that happened to me as a Food Blogger I add to the list.
When I was still in university, I worked a bit at a german design company I always loved....they have stunning designs, beautiful and funny stuff, often both of these facts in one product. Colourful (and I LOVE colours...I am an artist). So nice!
The name of the company is "KOZIOL" - you probably saw some of their stuff already in stores.
Website is here: KOZIOL

I stayed a few weeks not far from them at the retirement home where my grandma lied. She was very sick, and so I had two weeks of sitting next to her bed. Because the home lies in a beautiful beautiful part of Germany (the Odenwald), I used the break times and lunch and dinner to enjoy nature and the little beautiful villages. Koziol was about 15 minutes by car away, and so I tought: YEAH! I could visit them! I only have good memories of my time there, and so I was excited to see the company and some of their awesome people again.

And really, after 7 years of absence, there were still a lot of people I knew! It was a heartwarming Hello-Again...awesome. And I am still in love with the products. They make me smile all the time.
I told them that I do food photography and really would like to do some shots with their stuff.
They gave me the opportunity to pick out the things I would like to experiment with...and they have A LOT of products. It took me a real long time to decide. What a hard life!
When I came home, there was already a package waiting for me :) - full of beautiful stuff.


What a great gift!
It inspires me so much. The things I can work now with are so different from those I use normally. It really challenges me. Forms and colours are kind of dominant, sometimes, so I have to think well about a photoconcept before shooting.

I began this weekend....I always have to find some free time next to my work as an illustrator and animator. But my head is exploding of ideas!

First I want to say: THANK YOU, KOZIOL TEAM! It was wonderful to see you again, and I really appreciate your work.

Now I can show you my first shots I did. You already saw the Beetroot Soup, the bowls are from Koziol. Very stylish.

Have a wonderful day@all!

**********************************************************
BTW.: They posted my food photos with their stuff on their Facebook Site and on their Blogroll (YEAH!):

 >> KOZIOL FACEBOOK POST

 >> KOZIOL BLOGROLL

Sonntag, 22. September 2013

*Easy* Beetroot-Ginger Soup





Four weeks ago, Timo and me left Hamburg and went to South of France. We left Hamburg at a great latesummertime. It was about 26°C, perfect. In France, for sure, it was warmer, but not too much. It was an awesome extension of our summer.
When we left France and arrived by plain in Hamburg, the first sentence I said to Timo was: "First thing I will do: Put some warm sox on!"
It was about 12°C (we just came from 30°C). Damn, it was cold! Fall is coming. No, it was already there!We had a wonderful wonderful summer this year here. A lot of sun, not too hot, and very often rain in the night, good for the plants! My tomatoes grew and grew...I still harvest them.
But now, it`s time for tea. Time for hot-water bags. For warm sox. For thick coats. For a pair of gloves when I ride my bike at 7:30 a.m. in the morning through the forest to my work.
And it`s time for soups!!

Soups are really the best cold-weather-food. They warm you up from the inside, and because I am a reeeeal human ice cube when temperatures fall, they are survival food for me.

Two years ago, I felt in love with beetroot. It happened, because I ordered a "green box" from a farmer. I get it every two weeks, filled with a lots of veggies and fruits. Often enough, they add veggies I eben didn`t know. And sometimes they add some I knew but I never prepared. I mostly prepared stuff until thrn what I new from my childhood, and beetroot was not in. So...I got beetroot and I started to cook with it. Yea, really. I felt in love!

And here is the easiest, simplest method to use it (except rasping it). In a warm way. And the addition of ginger increases the inner heat it will produce.
Cosy times are coming! (I will start to sew my big huge biiiig Patchwork blanket...part of cosy times :))


_________________________________________________________________________
Beetroot Ginger-Soup... to have a warm dinner AND to freeze a lot.

Ingredients:
> 600 grams beetroot (I had two corms), peeled and chopped into dices (red finger alarm!)
> 2 shalotts, peeled and chopped fine
> 100 grams of ginger, peeled and chopped fine
> 50 grams of potatoe, peeled and roughly chopped
> 400 grams of red cabbage, sliced into fine stripes
> 1600 ml vegetable stock
> some vegetable oil
> 4 tbsp Aceto Balsamico vinegar
> Spices: salt and pepper from the mill, 4 tsp coriander (grounded)

Method:
>> Heat vegetable oil in a big pot
>> Add onions and ginger. Sweat them.

>> Add potatoes, beetroot and red cabbage. Add vegetable stock, let simmer for about 30 minutes.
>> Purée with a hand blender until as smooth as possible (it wull stay a bit grainy)
>> Add salt, pepper, grounded coriander and Aceto Balsamico. Add some seasoning if needed.
>> Optional: If you like it more liquid, add a bit more water.

>> To have a more creamy soup, you can add a bit of cream or curd or sour cream, like you want it. It makes the soup wonderful soft.
If you want a special little kick, roast some almond slices and give them over the soup.

And I like to serve it with a nice piece of Baguette or dark bread with butter.

Dance the ColdWeatherDance for warm feet and sing a warm song of your choice, filling up your soup and kitchen with great mood. Dammmdammdamm...



Mittwoch, 11. September 2013

THANK YOU ALL - all around the world !!!

Hey and hello all around the world,
I just had a look at my blog statistics... and I wanted to say THANKS A LOOOT!!! to all of you!
...I could see that I`ve got readers from all around the world, USA and Australia at the top, Russia, Canada and Latvia following, but I also see visitors from the U.K., Italy, France, Austria....and more!
this is so AWESOME!!! THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH!!! I really really appreciate this!

I have been in holidays to south of France, Languedoc-Roussillon, and just came back.
I will start blogging as soon as I have time again for cooking and photography. And I really can`t wait for it!

Thank you all again, have a wonderful wonderful rest of the week,
*Fabia*


Dienstag, 6. August 2013

Currant-Baiser-Tarte



 I posted a lot of sweet stuff the last time, I know. Well, the reason is, that it is summertime, with all its berries and fruitstuff. I mostly use them to bake or to make chutneys or compotes or whatever.

Yesterday, we had a lovely couscous with aubergine, brown onions and red currants. I also use the fruits in some salty stuff, like you can see :) ...well...like you can READ. But we ate it before I could shoot some nice pictures for you. It was damn tasty, so I guess I have to cook it again, make some photographs and post you finally something salty :)
Summer, sweet summer...

So here is once more a wonderful tarte. The last time, I am so in love with tartes, because they are so thin and not so heavy like bigger cakes. We`ve got now 34°C here, and really: we do not eat much. Food must be light or cool. This cake is more light than cool :). But you can also put it in the fridge and eat it cooler.

Oh - and for sure: Easy to prepare! ... On my photos, you can also see some raspberry. It`s just because I didn`t buy enough red currants. For sure, you could take every berry you want. But....currants....you should not miss that!

______________________________________________________________________
CURRANT - BAISER - TARTE
1 tarte tin  (max. 28 cm diameter)Ingredients:
> Shortcrust > for the recipe look here
---- TIP: You can perfectly freeze shortcrust. Just make the double amount you need, flatten the half into a circle, wrap it in plastics and put into the freezer. 3 months. Perfect. The bestestest way is to freeze it directly in the tarte tin. If you put it out, let it defrost and you can directly blind-bake it -----
> Filling:

>> 750 grams of red currants (for sure, you can also make a mixture of red/black/white)
>> 4 eggwhite
>> 180 grams sugar
>> 100 grams hazelnuts, grounded
>> a pinch of salt

Method:
> Preheat the oven: 190°C (375° F).
> Cover dough with baking paper and fill in raw lenses. The dough should be completely covered. The lenses prevent the dough from getting bubbles.
> Put into preheated oven for 15 minutes.

During these 15 minutes:
> wash berries and take of from the truss
> whisk eggwhite and salt with your handmixer until nearly stiff. Step by step, whisk the sugar into it. You should get a beautiful white, sticky baiser mass.

> Take dough out of the oven. [Entfernen] lenses and baking paper.
> Reduce heat to 170°C (340° F)
> Cover dough with 2-3 Tbsp of your hazelnuts.
> mix the rest of the nuts under the baiser mass.
> Mix the berries verrrrrrry carefully under the baiser mass. Have a look that the berries do not burst.
> Cover the whole dough with the mass. Yeah, there is a little hill...don`t worry, it won`t run over.
> Put all in the oven (middle) and let in for 45 minutes. After 15 to 20 minutes you should cover the cake with a baking sheet, for that it doesn`t get too brown on the top. Not earlier, because the baisermass is still sticky then - the sheet will glue on it and destroys your beautiful baiser surface.

Enjoy and sing any summer song you want while dancing under the apple trees (if possible).


Sonntag, 7. Juli 2013

So nuts!: Hazelnut Icecream


 


Summertime is icecreamtime. Okay, I know a few people who love to eat icecream all the year round, but me, I am a very "seasonal" eater.
I like fresh stuff in the summer, like fruits, yoghurt, icecream and so on, but in winter, I don`t eant eat yoghurt, but more warm and heavy stuff.


So it`s not a wonder that our refrigerator is full of icecream at the moment.
We have lemon sorbet, orange sorbet, strawberry-lemon-elderflower sorbet, some chocolate chip icecream, rosemary-honey-icecream, and I am on the run to prepare ananas sorbet and cherry icecream. Well,..umh... I actually lied...Timo ate already the lemon and the orange sorbet. He is not easy to stop while eating fruit sorbets. Especially the lemon one - he says, it`s the best he knows...this is why I have to post the recipe soon. When Timo say "It is the best I know!" it`s kind of a gold medal for me. YEY!
But first: MY favourite.

Hazelnut Icecream is and has always been my baby. Hazelnut icecream, best with hazelnuts and hazelnut sauce. I am nuts about nuts, really!

I found this recipe in a beautiful icecream book a few years ago.
Even if homemade icecream is not going to be as soft and creamy as the one in the supermarket (because there are no chemical add-ons inside that makes everything creamy and tender), I prefer it. The taste is often more honest. The flavours are real. And you know what you put inside. For me, this is very important. I don`t want to have ingredients in my food that have more "x", "y" and "z" I ever can spell in my life.
I wanna know what comes into my stomach, because what I eat is the fuel for my body. I also don`t put hot frying oil into my car.

Well, okay...ehm...back to icecream.
I really like this one. It´s "just" a simple hazelnut icecream. Without glamour and a big bang. It`s pure in taste. I love it like this!

P.S.: You need an icecream machine for this. There are methods to prepare icecream also without a machine, but I didn`t try them yet. Google it, if you need it. But the machines are not expensive. I paid 30 € for mine, and this was 10 years ago. I am still using it and it works fine!





_________________________________________________________________________

Hazelnut Icecream
...for two small glasses

> 150 grams whole hazelnuts

> 2 eggs + 2 egg yolk
> 500 ml milk (no low fat!)
> 50 grams sugar (fine,if possible)
> 75 grams brown sugar
> 200 grams Crème double
> 3 Tbsp Frangelico (or another hazelnut liqueur)
> 50 grams dark chocolate

>> Preparing the hazelnuts:
Preheat the oven to about 130°C - put hazelnuts on a baking sheet and roast it. Put out when they smell lovely roasted. Let them cool down a little. While cooling down, you can hear little sounds of the cracking peel. This is a perfect moment to wrap them in a kitchen towel and roll and scrub them with your hands on the table ... that helps to get the dark brown and a little bitter peel off.

>> Preparing the icecream:Mix eggs, eggyolk, white sugar and 40 grams of the brown sugar in a pot until it gets foamy (about 1 minute long)
>> Heat milk in a pot slowly until it begins to cook. Take down from heat, let cool down for a few minutes. Add egg-mixture to the milk.
>> Heat all at middle heat, 8-10 minutes, stiring all the time.
>> When the mixture begins to steam, it must have more or less 75° C (if you`ve got a thermometer you can have a look). Take down from heat - it shouldn`t get hotter, because the eggmixture will clod.

>> Grind 120 grams of your roasted hazlenuts with the rest of the brown sugar (35 grams) in a kitchen machine.
>> Mix 1/3 of the eggmixture with the grinded hazelnuts for about 1 minute
>> Add the rest of the eggmixture, mix very well and let cool down in the refrigerator for at leats one hour.

>> Put a sieve upon a pot. Add your mixture into the sieve and strain it until you have only the dry hazelnut rests left over. Put them in the trash bin.
>> Beat the Crème Double until fluffy and fold into the mixture.
>> You can pour it now into your icecream machine until it`s freezy enough to put into a pot. Deep freeze for at least 4 or 5 hours.
>> Melt chocolate ina hot water bath, let cool down a little and pour over the icecream. Sprinkle immediately with the rest of the nuts.


>> If you wanna serve it, put out of the freezer 15 minutes before you want to eat it.

Don´t forget to dance around in the kitchen, singing "Hallelujah, I just made icecream" or something else what makes sense.

Summerly Apricot-Lavender Compote


First of all: Sorry, lovely people, one month has passed and I didn`t post you more stuff.
I really cooked a lot last time. Summer was immediately there, with sun, strawberries, cherries, berries, apricots and and and, and my eyes and ideas were exploding - my time unfortunately not.

I took the time for cooking, even if my "normal" work (in filming and computer game artwork) takes me up a lot at the moment. But when I come home from work, cooking and experimenting in the kitchen is my evening meditation (I guess, Timo is quite happy about that kind of relaxation method :)). I love to smell everything, to cut and to feel the stuff I am preparing. But I actually had no time for pleasurable photography,and I don`t want to make just "clickclick" for quick pictures.

I can`t do "big" things in my little leisure-time in the evening. So I watched out for easy but interesting and summerly yummyumms. Here is one of it. It is quickly made, I swear, and if you fill it in sterilized jars (cook them in hot water for 15 minutes, fill in stuff when glasses come out hot), you can store it in the fridge for one or two weeks.

As dish I made pancakes and waffles...this is a very quick meal, easy to handle, and you can use a lot of creative stuff for topping.
For example this one here.

Have a look at the photos. The apricots here are cutted in half. After eating, I must say I would cut them smaller. Make bits you can eat easier than half an abricot.

_________________________________________________________________________

Apricot-Lavender Compote
...for two small glasses

> 4 apricots, pitted
> 2 tbsp sugar
> 60 ml apple juice
> some lavender blossoms, dried (here in Germany, you get them in the pharmacy, f.e. - you don`t need much. Buy the smallest amount they sell. You don`t even need 10 grams)


>> Cut apricots in small pieces (size = nice to bite on)
>> Melt sugar in a little pot at low to medium heat (be careful...it takes some patience until it melts, but then it caramelizes very quickly)
>> When lightly brown and glossy, add juice and let cook while stiring until the sugar dissolved completely
>> Add apricots and a good pinch of lavender blossoms (their taste is quite intense, don`t use too much)
>> Let cook for about 5 minutes
>> serve it warm or cold or put it in sterilized glasses and then in the fridge.


Montag, 3. Juni 2013

Is the chicken local?

Nothing to eat today...but...some of you might know this. For those who don`t: watch it! It`s wonderful and funny... I also buy my meat at a local butcher, and I guess if I ask him, he prooobably knows the name of the cow I will eat, because his father has a farm and slaughts the animals on it.
But...well...ah! Just watch by yourself!


Dienstag, 28. Mai 2013

*Easy* Crispy Oven French Fries - WORLD`S BEST!



With French Fries for me it is like with Pizza, Lasagne, Burger....with all the Classics:
Most you can get are "okay" to "not very awesome", sometimes you are lucky and get very good ones.

And again: I was on the hunt for MY perfect French Fries...the problem is: when you found them and you do them at home...you never can eat some outside from anywhere and be satisfied. Damn.

But nevertheless: I found my personal FAVs, and the same for Timo. We both love them!
AND!!! LADIES! - and Lords, for sure:
They are made in the OVEN, with a little bit of oil - but they are NOT deep-fried, so there is nearly no added fat in it!!! THIS is the REAL deal with that recipe here. Eat French fries without bad conscience.

Okay, let`s go.
_________________________________________________________________________

Crispy Oven French Fries
serves one as a generous side dish

> 2 BIG potatoes, floury
> salt
> neutral oil (for frying)
> polenta
> paprika powder

>> Preheat oven: 180°C/ 360°F
>> Peel the potatoes or not, like you prefer it (I like them with peel)
>> Cut into 15mm x 15mm thick long slices - you can choose your own thickness. They shrink while they are heating a bit, so don`t  make them toooo thin.
>> Prepare a big bowl of ice water (some cold water with ice cubes is perfect) and put potatoe slices into it for 15 minutes.
>> Dry them as best as you can on a kitchen towel. Ehm...dry them really WELL!
>> Mix them with paprika powder and polenta (own measure)
>> Give them on a baking sheet on a baking tray, drizzle with olive oil.
>> Give into oven for about 20 minutes. Have a look at the color. They should get really dark yellow, like on the photo.
>> Take them out into a bowl and salt them


ENJOOOYY!



Dienstag, 14. Mai 2013

*Easy* Rhubarb Syrup

Some things in life just arent`t fair. You do so much and you get much less.
I think sometimes about it when I listen to the song "Ironic" from Alanis Morissette.
But I guess it works sometimes also the other way `round. Sometimes it needs just a spark and you get fireworks back (especially with best friends :))

For me, it works also in cooking.
One of my passions is to find the simplest basic recipes with the most magical flavor.
I mean those kind of recipes you can recite after you did them one or two times. And I mean also these kind of basic recipes that allow you to power them up with a flavour you are just in the mood to add.
When you found one, it surely will be a "Classic" for the rest of your life. Yeah. I am collecting "Classics", I am on the hunt!

Pizza, bread, basic sauces, icecream... (the chocolate icecream I wrote about is already one of my "Classics")
Here is one more of my beautiful babies!
Springtime here, that means april and may, is rhubarb-time. I always try to cook some things with it in, because the time is so short. It is not always easy, because Timo doesn`t like it at all. But that syrup is awesome, because you can store it in the fridge for long, and it is so refreshing. You can bring it to grillparties or take it into the office or whatever. It is just lovely.

And ... like I told you: it is so easy you can do it soon by heart!

Best is: be creative in serving!
Add ice cubes. Sparkling water. Lemon slices. Mint leaves. Prosecco. Other kinds of alcohol. Add to icecream. Whatever!
____________________________________________________________________

RHUBARB SYRUP

About 1 liter

Ingredients:
> 1 kg rhubarb (makes normally about 500 ml rhubarb juice)
> sugar
> 1-2 lemons (1 lemon contains about 30 to 40 ml juice)

Method:
>> Peel rhubarb and cut roughly. Put into a pot with 50 ml of water.
>> Heat until it cooks, let then simmer at lower heat until the rhubarb is completely soft, like mush.
>> Give into a linen sheeth or very fine colander and let drop for a while. Then begin to squeeze it as much as you can. That will take some time and takes some effort. But do it for every drop. In the end, the rest of the rhubarb should be very dry...you can knead it like a dense dough then. Throw the "dough" away.
>> Measure your juice amount, put back into pot.
>> For every liter juice, add 700 grams of sugar and 70 grams freshly squeezed lemon juice.
>> Heat but not let cook...until the sugar completely dissolved.
>> Pour through a fine colander into sterilized bottles (I lay the bottles into hot/cooking water 15 minutes before using them)

...and now enjoy it with whatever you think it`s good (on my pic with cold water, ice cubes and fresh peppermint). Preferably on a warm or hot day in the sun :)



Donnerstag, 9. Mai 2013

Lime Turkey WOK


The winter is over!
It was quite fun cooking during that cold season. The food is always very heavy and strong, what is really the best when you come from a walk in the cold cold air.
But I am looking forward so much to the springtime, and I prefer now light food. We love to cook in our WOK, so here we go, this is our first WOK food this year!
_________________________________________________________
Lime Turkey WOK
(serves 2)


Ingredients:
> 200 grams
turkey cutlet
> 1 lime, untreated (you need the peel)
> 1 stick of lemongrass
> 1 piece of ginger (size: half of a thumb)
> 1
garlic clove
> Pepper
> 150 grams fresh mushrooms (I prefer oyster mushrooms)
> 150 grams PakChoy
> 2 Tbsp oil
> 3 Tbsp fishsauce
> 2 Tbsp Ketjap Manis
> 6 Tbsp chicken stock

150 grams rice, dry


>> Prepare rice (instruction HERE)

>> Cut the meat into stripes.
>> Wash
lime with hot water. Grate the peel and press the juice.
>> Cut the top of the
lemongrass, quarter lengthwise and chop into little pieces
>> Peel ginger and
garlic and chop also into little pieces. Mix with 1 Tbsp limejuice, limepeel, pepper and lemongrass and rub into the meat. Put into fridge until you need it.
>> Cut mushrooms and PakChoy into large stripes.

>> Heat WOK until very hot, add oil and heat it until hot.
>> Add meat and fry 3 minutes until lightly golden brown.
>> Take out meat off the pan and put mushrooms in the rest of the oil. Stir and fry 2 minutes.
>> Add PakChoy, stir one more minute.
>> Add fishsauce, Ketjap Manis, stock and 2 Tbsp
limejuice
>> Add meat and let cook for 3 more minutes.
>> Add once more pepper.

> Serve with rice!
 

Dienstag, 7. Mai 2013

Freitag, 19. April 2013

Little Ginger Cakes with Caramelsauce



Until now, my year was a little bit of unhealthy. I was ill a long time and couldn`t go to the sports, what annoyed me a lot. The weather here in Germany was a catastrophy - the winter didn`t want to leave at all, and everybody`s mood sank to the ground.
In wintertime, I always eat more, and in combination with "no sports" and "ill", this is not a good idea, even if the food was mostly healthy.
But there was also Easter and some birthdays, and I got used to too much sweets.
A week ago (I am finally healthy, yey!) I felt, my body doesn`t like all that anymore.
I remembered a good advice of a cook (could be Jamie Oliver) who said: Eat sweets ONLY when you made them with your own hands!
After a week without any sweet, I wanted to allow myself something, so I decided to bake some little cakes with ginger, because I knew: this recipe isn`t that sweet.

After this one week without "supermarket"sweets, I already taste the "sweetness-factor" differently. The supermarket sweets seem too sweet. So these cakes are superbe, if you search for something not that heavy.
You can surely leave out the caramel sauce, but this one is not that sweet, too!


__________________________________________
Little Ginger Cakes with Caramelsauce

(9 flat muffins)

Cakes:
> 2 Tbsp chopped candied ginger
> 1 tsp ginger, grounded

> 90 grams butter, soft
> 2 tsp fine grated orangepeel
> 60 g brown sugar, soft (Muscovado is the best choice)
> 75 grams creamy honey
> 2 eggs
>100 ml milk
> 150 grams flour
> 1 tsp baking powder

Caramel Sauce:
> 125 ml cream
> 75 grams brown sugar

Preparation:
> Preheat oven to 180°C / 350°F
> Prepare muffin tin or something with a similar size: grease and sprinkle with flour
> Mix chopped candied ginger with a bit of the flour and stir, until the pieces do not stick together anymore.
> Combine butter, sugar, orangepeel and honey with a handmixer until smooth & creamy
> Add eggs and mix, too.
> Fold in well the flour, baking powder and ginger (candied and grounded) with a spoon
> Add slowly milk while mixing.
> Fill muffin tin with dough.
> put into oven for about 12 minutes - FINITO!

> For the sauce, combine cream and sugar and heat it softly until the sugar dissolves. Then increase heat and let cook for 6-8 more minutes. Let cool down a little bit and spread over the cakes.

If you want, sprinkle with sesamseeds or some nuts.