Happy Blog Day to bloggers everywhere!

I first heard of Blog Day when I read about it on Paz’s site, The Cooking Adventures of Chef Paz. The idea is to introduce the world to five new bloggers, all of whom should be new (or at least relatively new) to you. And to help make things interesting, the blogs in question should focus on a subject different from the one you focus on. So, for example, you won’t find any food blogs on my list.

I’d like to celebrate Blog Day by offering some Lime Cheesecake to the following bloggers who are all relatively new to me. I hope you’ll take some time to check out their sites and widen your blog horizons!

Love Venice

I discovered Love Venice thanks to The Old Foodie. Love Venice is the baby of Greybeard, a skilled writer whose blog is rich with the history, art and lore of one of the world’s most beautiful cities. Even though I’ve never been to Venice (yet), reading Greybeard’s posts make me long for my journey there more than ever!

tsk tsk

This particular blog is the work of Tiel, a wonderful woman who has been reading my blog for awhile. However, it was only a few short weeks ago that I found out that Tiel had a blog of her own called tsk tsk. A talented designer and illustrator, Tiel’s blog is alive with creativity. Oh yes and she really likes lasagna!

Sommer Designs

Being a girl Cream Puff, I have a thing for shoes and purses. So you can imagine how thrilled I was when I recently made the acquaintance of Carrie, the creative force behind Sommer Designs. Talented and inspired, Carrie blogs about her work, her life and her passion.

The Life I Chose

I came across this blog purely by chance. It is the story of Nickinpos who did something that I’m sure all of us, at one time or another, have dreamt of doing. She left one life for another. In this case, the new life is in Positano, Italy.

Knit Like a Man

While searching for information on knitting, I came across the blog of David Demchuk. I was hooked in seconds (no pun intended). A professional writer by trade, Dave is a man who knits. And what a knitter! Plus he’s from Toronto.

To the five bloggers that I’ve featured here today, great to meet you. And to everyone else out there, Happy Blog Day! Enjoy the cheesecake …

Ciao!

Lime Cheesecake

Adapted from Nigella Bites by Nigella Lawson.

• 20 chocolate chip cookies (I use President’s Choice The Decadent Chocolate Chip Cookie)
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 3 8-oz packages cream cheese, at room temperature
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 2 large egg yolks
• juice of 4 limes

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Using large pieces of heavy-duty aluminum foil, wrap the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan two or three times to ensure that it’s water proof as you will be baking the cheesecake in a water bath; set aside.
2. Place the cookies in a food processor and process the cookies until they’re finely ground (about 30 seconds).
3. Add the butter and pulse 10 to 15 times.
4. Dump the cookie crumbs into the springform pan and using your hands, spread the cookie crumbs in an even layer across the bottom of the pan only (not up the sides). Place the prepared crust in the refrigerator while you prepare the filling.
5. Place the cream cheese in a food processor or mixer and mix until smooth. Add the sugar and mix well.
6. Add the eggs and the egg yolks one at a time and mix well after each addition.
7. Add the lime juice and mix well.
8. Pour the cheesecake batter into the prepared pan. It will be liquidy.
9. Place the cheesecake inside a large, shallow roasting pan. Pour hot water inside the pan until it reaches half-way up the sides of the springform pan with the cheesecake. Carefully put the cheesecake in the oven. Bake the cheesecake for 50 minutes and then check it. The cheesecake is done when it’s set, but not firmly set so that it’s still jiggly in the middle (the cheesecake will set further as it cools).
10. Remove the cheesecake from the oven and immediately remove it from the water bath. Carefully peel off the aluminum foil and set the cheesecake to cool on a wire rack.
11. Once cooled, place the cheesecake in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
12. Before serving, carefully unmold the cheesecake from the springform ring and bottom (Slide a knife under the cheesecake crust. The cheesecake should slide off the pan bottom easily.)
13. Enjoy!

Note:  I served my cheesecake with the Blueberry-Red Currant Sauce left over from the challenge issued to me by Meeta of What’s for Lunch Honey?.

Technorati tags:  BlogDay2006, lime, cheesecake, Dessert, Food

I seem to be just a bit late for everything these days. A bit late for work, a bit late for appointments and a bit late for Sugar High Friday! This was supposed to be my entry for Sugar High Friday #22, hosted by Nicky and Oliver of Delicious Days, the theme of which is canning and all the sorts of wonderful ways that we can preserve sweet things in jars.

My family has a long history with jam. For years my mother made the most delicious cherry jam from the fruit of the tree that graced our backyard. Besides cherry, we’ve enjoyed the sweetness of strawberry, plum and even peach jam. This year, however, has been the year of the apricot.

When it comes to apricot jam, there is only one recipe that we turn to and it’s a recipe from Patricia Wells‘ featured in the June 2002 issue of Food & Wine. The jam is called Maryse’s Apricot Jam. While I have no idea who Maryse is, her jam recipe highlights the beauty of the apricot. All you really need for great jam is a great starting point and that means using the best fruit you can find.

Our cold cellar is well-stocked with apricot jam so we have nothing to fear during the long winter. I will be slathering that delicious concoction on many slices of buttered toast. But as luck would have it, a casual perusal of a cherished cookbook led to a recipe that called for apricot preserves.

Caprial Pence’s Caprial’s Desserts is one of my very favourites. I happened to be looking through the book and came across a master recipe for coffee cake that had an apricot-almond variation that calls for apricot preserves to be mixed into a portion of the cake batter. Excited, I tried the recipe using the jam we made and must say it’s one of the best coffee cakes I’ve had in a very long time.

Nicky and Oliver, I’m sorry that I missed Friday’s Sugar High. But you know what they say … better late than never.

Ciao!

Apricot-Almond Coffee Cake

Adapted from Caprial’s Desserts by Caprial Pence and Melissa Carey.

• 1-1/2 cups unsalted butter, softened
• 1-3/4 cups sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 4 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups sour cream
• 3/4 cup apricot jam (if your jam is not loose, then mix in a bit of hot water and stir to make it a bit more liquidy)
• 1 cup sliced almonds
• icing sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease a 9 by 13-inch pan.
2. Combine the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt) and mix well; set aside.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
4. Add the eggs one at a time, scraping down the side of the bowl after each addition.
5. Add the vanilla extract and mix well.
6. Add half the dry ingredients and mix on low speed.
7. Add half the sour cream and mix well.
8. Add the remaining dry ingredients, followed by the sour cream. Mix well.
9. Take one-third of the batter and put it in a medium bowl. Add the apricot jam and mix well.
10. Spread half the remaining batter over the bottom of the prepared pan. Spread the apricot batter over that layer. Top with the remaining batter and spread evenly over the apricot batter layer.
11. Sprinkle the almonds over the top layer of batter.
12. Bake the cake for 45 minutes, or until a tester inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean.
13. Let the cake cool on a wire rack. Dust with icing sugar before serving.

Note:  This cake serves 12.

Technorati tags:  apricots, apricot jam, shf

It’s time for a quick reminder for La Festa al Fresco being hosted by yours truly and the lovely Lis of La Mia Cucina. As you may recall, Lis and I need your assistance to fill our table with as much incredible food as possible. The only stipulation is that you bring a dish that features a fresh summer ingredient. It doesn’t have to be an Italian dish. Just be sure to e-mail us the link to your post before September 5th, 2006. You can e-mail Lis at lamiacucina67@gmail.com or you can e-mail me at ivonne@creampuffsinvenice.ca.

I wanted to take this opportunity to share a dish with you that was provided by a dear reader of mine, Diane. While Diane doesn’t have her own blog (I think she should), she’s been kind enough to share a treasured recipe that was taught to her by a Sardinian gentleman named Aldo, hence the name, Le Melanzane d’Aldo (in Italian eggplant is "melanzana" in the singular and "melanzane" in the plural).

Here in Ontario, eggplant season has arrived. We have four plants of our own that have been gracing us with a number of beautiful little purple eggplants which my mother has been using for pepperonata or for her stuffed eggplant. So this is definitely the time to make this dish. While it cooked, you could smell the aroma of roasting eggplant, bell peppers and garlic throughout the kitchen. It was delightful. We enjoyed the dish as a main course accompanied by crusty bread, hunks of parmigiano and lots of hearty red wine.

Diane, thank you so much for offering this dish to us for La Festa al Fresco!

Ciao!

Melanzane d’Aldo

Recipe courtesy of Diane.

• 1 large American eggplant (or 3 Italian eggplants)
• 2 green bell peppers
• 1 red bell pepper
• 2-3 large cloves of garlic
• ½ cup fruity olive oil
• Sea salt

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Cut the eggplant into ½-inch cubes. Cut the bell peppers into ½-inch squares. Mix them in a large ceramic bowl. 
3. Add 2 to 3 cloves of finely minced garlic and the finely chopped Italian parsley. Stir in 1 teaspoon of sea salt. Then add the olive oil and mix together with a large spoon.
4. Bake uncovered in the oven for 45 to 60 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. The eggplant should be tender, but not mushy.
5. Once the eggplant is tender, remove the bowl from the oven and allow to cool, stirring twice during the cooling. Once the dish is cool, taste test to determine if more salt is required.
6. With a slotted spoon, place the eggplant in a ceramic serving dish or pie plate. Garnish with parsley. Serve at room temperature.
7. Enjoy!

Note:  Diane recommends that leftovers be mixed with cooked fusilli pasta and a bit of pesto sauce for a wonderful side dish. Diane also suggests adding chile flakes to the dish if you prefer a spicier taste.

Technorati tags:  eggplant, la festa al fresco

In addition to being my entry for the Slashfood birthday contest, my “attempt” at making a White Chocolate Raspberry Almond Cake was supposed to be a very special thank you to Tish Boyle for sending me a copy of her latest cookbook, The Cake Book. It didn’t quite work out so well!

But this thank you has waited long enough so I decided to try my hand at another cake in the hopes that this would serve as a more appropriate and fitting way to express my gratitude.

As some of you may know, I love Tish Boyle. Her cookbook The Good Cookie is the standard by which I judge all other cookbooks on the subject of cookies. Two of the cookies from that book, Brandied Eggnog Cookies and White Chocolate Pistachio Thumbprints, have become part of the family repertoire of Christmas cookies. On Christmas Day, they better be on the table! Tish is also the editor-in-chief of two very fine publications:  Pastry Art & Design and Chocolatier.

So you can imagine my surprise and delight when, many months ago now, Tish contacted me offering to send me a copy of her new cookbook on cakes. I was thrilled! Sure enough, a few months later I came home one day to find that the good people at John Wiley & Sons had sent me a copy of The Cake Book.

Substantial and informative, The Cake Book begins with an introductory section on the ingredients of cake baking.  Each ingredient listed has a thorough explanation that includes useful tips like how to store items to ensure their freshness.

Tish has also included a section on the tools and utensils that will help you to be a better cake baker. Thankfully, Tish has not included a list as long as my arm of gadgets that you simply must buy in order to bake. The fact is that you need very few pieces of equipment to be a good baker. Remember, your hands are your most important tool. But it doesn’t hurt to have a basic set of baking pans, measuring spoons and maybe even a rubber spatula!

The section on tools and equipment is followed by a very helpful section on cake-making techniques and troubleshooting and a section on cake decorating which includes diagrams of various piping designs to help you.

The cookbook proper is divided into sections by type of cake: Angel Food, Chiffon and Sponge; Pound Cakes and Coffee Cakes; Butter and Oil-Based Cakes; Fruit-Based Cakes; Flourless Cakes; Cheesecakes; Mousse and Ice Cream Cakes; and Meringue Cakes.  The final section on Fillings and Frostings rounds out the book’s contents. Each section starts out with recipes that I like to call “building block recipes”. In other words, you learn to make those and you can then graduate onto more complex cakes with your building block recipes. For example, the Classic Génoise in the beginning of the Angel Food, Chiffon and Sponge section will be the base for the Strawberry Shortcake in the Fruit-Based Cakes section.

As with all Tish Boyle cookbooks the recipes are clearly written and precise. I don’t think I’ve ever run into a confusing direction in a recipe of hers. And The Cake Book stays true to form. While some of the more complex cakes have longer ingredients lists, most of the recipes require the basic ingredients of baking (butter, sugar, eggs, extracts) so it’s easy to just open it up and pick a recipe when the mood to bake a cake strikes.

What I especially like about the recipes is that extensive variations are provided. Sometimes I want to jazz up my pound cake and there are many options provided in the book for me to do just that. As well, the final section on basic recipes and accompaniments offers a number of recipes for extras that you can serve with your desserts like sugared nuts, candied orange zest, almond toffee crunch and red berry sauce to name just a few. For someone like me, who’s trying to expand her baking horizons, all of these variations allow me to mix and match and create my own unique recipes.

The book has two picture sections which feature many of the cakes and this will only serve to make you exceptionally hungry. While I always prefer pictures in a cookbook, it doesn’t make a big difference to me as long as the recipes work. But I know many people won’t buy a cookbook if there are no photos so The Cake Book won’t disappoint in that category.

I think of all the qualities that this book has my very favourite is the quotations that are interspersed throughout the book. It’s a nice little touch that, in my opinion, makes the cookbook more than just a list of recipes.

I like cookbooks with character. In my experience I’ve found that those are usually the ones where the author’s voice comes out loud and clear. Elegant, useful and inspiring, The Cake Book satisfies all of the needs of a good quality book on cakes. It has clear instructions. The recipes feature ingredients that can be found in your local grocery store (no trekking to another hemisphere for some exotic item no one has ever heard of). It has enticing recipes that you will want to try. And it’s got some gorgeous photos.

To thank Tish Boyle, I baked this lovely peach buttermilk cake from her book. It was fantastic. Tish, there’s a piece waiting for you!

Ciao!

Peach Buttermilk Cake

Adapted from The Cake Book by Tish Boyle.

For the topping and filling:

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup sliced almonds, unblanched or blanched
• 7 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1. In a bowl, mix together the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt and almonds.
2. Add the melted butter and mix until the the ingredients are no longer dry and you have a crumbly mixture.
3. Set aside.

For the cake:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 4 medium-sized peaches, pitted and sliced into 1/4-inch thick slices

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a bowl, combine your dry ingredients:  flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
3. Grease the bottom and sides of a 9-inch pan. Tish recommends using a springform pan as it’s easier to unmold the finished cake.
4. Using an electric mixer, beat together the butter and sugar until very light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. One by one, add the eggs and then the egg yolk. Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Mix well after each addition.
5. Add the vanilla extract and mix well. (The original recipe calls for a 1/4 teaspoon of almond extract but I omitted that.)
6. Add half of the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until combined.
7. Add half the buttermilk and mix well.
8. Add the remaining dry ingredients followed by the buttermilk. Mix until combined.
9. Pour half the batter into your prepared pan.
10. Sprinkle half the prepared crumb topping over the batter.
11. Beginning at the outer edge, arrange your peach slices in a circle, overlapping them slightly. Once you’ve completed the outer circle, make a second circle in the middle of the pan.
12. Pour the remaining batter over the peaches. The batter may be a bit stiff so use a spoon or offset spatula to smooth it out.
13. Sprinkle the remaining topping over the batter.
14. Bake your cake in the centre of the oven for 50 to 60 minutes or until a cake tester or toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean.
15. Cool your cake completely on a wire rack before unmolding.
16. If you like, top the cake glaze (recipe follows).

For the glaze:

• 1 cup icing sugar
• 1/4 cup (plus extra) heavy cream
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. In a bowl, combine the ingredients and stir until smooth. If it’s too thick to pour or spread, add some more cream until you get the consistency you want. It shouldn’t be too runny but it should be thick enough to drizzle on.
2. Once your cake has cooled, using a fork, pastry bag or plastic bag with a corner cut off, glaze your cake by drizzling on the glaze. If you use a pastry bag or plastic bag you can even try a fancier design.
3. Enjoy!

Note:  This cake will serve 8 to 10. You can peel the peaches if you like.

Technorati tags:  peaches, buttermilk, cake, tish boyle, the cake book

August 19, 8:14 p.m.: Receive e-mail from the lovely Kate, a dear reader from Sacramento. Kate tells Cream Puff about Slashfood’s contest to celebrate its first birthday. Kate recommends that Cream Puff should enter.

August 21, 12:23 a.m.:  Cream Puff responds to Kate’s lovely e-mail and thanks Kate for alerting her to Slashfood’s contest and for the vote of confidence. Cream Puff decides to enter.

August 21, 12:30 a.m.:  Cream Puff takes down her new favourite cookbook, The Cake Book by the unbelievably brilliant Tish Boyle and begins interviewing recipes. Cream Puff decides to to hire the the White Chocolate Raspberry Almond Cake.

7:30 p.m.:  Cream Puff prepares to bake cake. Pans are buttered and floured. The oven is preheated to 350 degrees F. Eggs are separated. Flour is sifted. All is at the ready.

7:59 p.m.:  Cream Puff settles in to watch Prison Break. Cream Puff thinks about how hot Wentorth Miller.

9:01 p.m.:  Cream Puff begins baking. Flour and almonds are combined in the food processor. Egg yolks and sugar are whipped until thick and light. Egg whites are whipped until stuff. Batter is produced.

9:35 p.m.:  Pans are filled and deposited in the oven. Cream Puff catches a tiny whiff of gas when she opens the oven door but thinks nothing of it.

9:41 p.m.:  Cream Puff’s mother asks her if she smells gas. Cream Puff says, "Don’t be ridiculous!"

9:42 p.m.:  Cream Puff smells gas.

9:43 p.m.:  Cream Puff and Mamma Cream Puff panic and run outside. Then Cream Puff runs back inside and turns off the oven. Then Cream Puff runs back outside and continues panicking.

9:45 p.m.:  Cream Puff and Mamma Cream Puff figure out how to turn on the cellphone and call the gas company. Gas company tells says inspector is on the way.

9:58 p.m.:  Brother Cream Puff comes home and wants to know why Cream Puff and Mamma Cream Puff are standing on the lawn with the doors wide open. Sad yet comic re-enactment of night’s events ensues.

10:45 p.m.:  Inspector arrives. No gas leak. Oven igniter wasn’t working properly. Inspector leaves.

10:46 p.m.:  Cream Puff stands in front of oven and stares at two unbaked cakes. Family conference ensues. A decision is made to try and bake the cakes.

11:00 p.m.:  By some miracle, oven ignites properly and cakes bake. Cream Puff does the happy dance.

11:45 p.m.:  Cream Puff decides to unmold cakes before heading to bed. Cakes are fused to pan. Cream Puff huffs, puffs, digs with knife, scratches pans and removes clumps of cake. Cream Puff hangs head in sadness and goes to bed.

August 22, 7:50 a.m.:  Cream Puff looks at clumps of cake, hangs head and goes to work.

7:00 p.m.:  Cream Puff decides to make the best of a bad situation. She cuts out circles from the clumps of cake. She piles on white chocolate ganache. She adds a raspberry. She lights a candle and wishes Slashfood a happy birthday. She blows out candle and eats cake.

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how NOT to bake a White Chocolate Raspberry Almond Cake.

Ciao!

Technorati tags:  white chocolate, raspberries, almonds, slashfood

As you can tell from the lasagna of a few posts ago and now this dish, my mother has been busy cooking of late. It’s not that we’ve got her chained to the stove or anything, it’s just that this time of year is the showcase for so many of her very best recipes. Garden fresh tomatoes make the best puree for her lasagna and now, the pint-sized eggplant making their first appearances of the summer are perfect for a much-loved family dish:  stuffed and fried eggplant.

Like so many of our treasured family recipes, my mother learned to make this from her own mother. My grandmother’s stuffed eggplant were legendary and I am so happy that I had the opportunity to watch her prepare them many times. Too often, especially when we’re young, we tend to ignore the rituals of the kitchen and as a result, watch helplessly as so many precious culinary traditions fall by the wayside. Happily, this will not happen with stuffed eggplant!

As with all traditional family dishes, this isn’t exactly a snap to make but believe me when I say the time and effort are worth it. The ingredients are very simple. You start with beautifully purple-skinned baby eggplant that are sliced in half and boiled until the flesh is soft. Once the eggplant have cooled, the flesh is carefully removed from the skin so as to leave the skin intact. To the flesh of those eggplant is added cheese, breadcrumbs, egg, parsley, garlic, salt and pepper. The flesh is then stuffed back into the eggplant skins and the entire lot is fried. I dare you not to eat more than one!

When choosing the eggplant for this dish, be sure to choose ones that are firm, purple and without marks on the skin. The eggplant should be about 5 to 6 inches in length. A useful tip that we’ve picked up from Alice Waters’ incredibly helpful Chez Panisse Vegetables is that eggplant should not be refrigerated (something we used to do all the time). Waters recommends keeping eggplant in a cool place in the house if you’re not going to use them right away. The practice of salting eggplant to draw out bitterness is not necessary here.

My mother made a huge batch of these for a recent family party and they were gone in minutes. We sometimes wonder if it’s worth all the work when the end result is devoured so quickly. But when we think about the continuation of this family dish and how much pleasure it brings to all of us, the efforts are so worth it!

Ciao!

Stuffed Eggplant

Treasured family recipe.

• 8 small eggplant
• 1 large eggplant (the flesh of this eggplant is added to the flesh of the small eggplant)
• 1 cup unseasoned breadcrumbs
• 1-1/2 cups Crotonese cheese, freshly grated
• 2 large eggs
• 1/4 cup parsley, finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
• 2-1/2 teaspoons salt
• vegetable oil

1. Wash and dry eggplant. Cut in half lengthwise and place in a large pot. Fill the pot with cold water (the water should cover the eggplant) and bring to a boil.
2. Once the water boils, lower the heat to medium and cook the eggplant for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, test that the eggplant are done by removing one and with a fork, see if the flesh separates easily from the skin. If so, the eggplant are ready. Remove from the heat and add cold water to stop the cooking process.
3. Carefully drain the eggplant and leave in a colander until the eggplant are cool enough to handle.
4. Once they have cooled, carefully remove all of the flesh from the eggplant skin, being sure not to tear the skin. Put the eggplant flesh in a colander to drain and place the skins, cut side down, in one layer on paper towels to drain and dry.
5. After 30 minutes, take the eggplant flesh and squeeze out any excess liquid.
6. Place the flesh on a cutting board and with a knife, roughly chop the flesh until it’s been chopped into very small pieces. Place the flesh in a large bowl.
7. To the bowl, add the breadcrumbs, cheese, eggs, parsley, garlic, pepper and salt. Mix until thoroughly combined. Taste a bit of the mixture and adjust the seasoning according to your own tastes.
8. Turn the eggplant skins so that the cut side is facing up. With a spoon, measure out a few scoopfuls of flesh into each eggplant skin. This is a way to ensure that the flesh is evenly divided between the skins before you stuff them. Once this is done, you can begin fashioning the stuffed eggplant.
9. Pick up each skin and smooth out the flesh so that it fully fills each eggplant skin.
10. In a large frying pan, add the vegetable oil until it comes an inch up the side of the pan. Heat the oil. Once it’s hot, add 4 eggplant, stuffed side down and fry until golden. This should take 4 to 5 minutes. Turn the eggplant and fry for an additional 2 to 3 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Repeat with the the remaining eggplant until they’re all fried.
11. Arrange the eggplant on a platter and sprinkle with some Crotonese before serving.
12. Enjoy!

Note:  This recipe will yield 16 stuffed eggplant halves. Crotonese is a pungent cheese made of sheep’s milk. It comes from the town of Crotone in Calabria. The Crotonese’s strong flavour compliments the eggplant very well.

Technorati tags:  eggplant, crotonese cheese

Ladies and gentlemen, I have been challenged! The gauntlet has been thrown down by none other than the brilliant photographer and fantastic cook Meeta of What’s For Lunch Honey?.

Not only did Meeta organize an event with sixty plus participants, she took the time out of her schedule to send me a postcard. And a postcard of her own making no less! Meeta sent me this lovely picture of blueberries and red currants and on the back she challenged me to create something using those two ingredients.

The only question … would Cream Puff choose to accept the challenge?

I’ve already made a few pies with blueberries and red currants so that was out of the question. Almost immediately, I thought of some sort of fruit sauce that I could pour over a slice of pound cake or maybe a bowl of vanilla ice cream. I did some searching on Epicurious for ideas and found a recipe for Summer’s Best Blueberry Sauce that put me on the road to my end result:  Blueberry and Red Currant Sauce.

The photo in the recipe for Summer’s Best Blueberry Sauce was ingrained in my mind so I decided to try my sauce over some freshly made waffles smothered in butter. Glorious!

Meeta, I hope I have fulfilled the challenge to your liking.

This post will self-destruct in five seconds …

Ciao!

Blueberry and Red Currant Sauce

Inspired by this recipe from www.epicurious.com.

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 3 cups water
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 cups blueberries
• 1 cup red currants
• a small piece of lemon rind

1. Combine the sugar, cornstarch, water and lemon juice in a heavy-bottomed pot. Bring to a boil, stirring often to ensure that the sugar dissolves and that there are no lumps.
2. Once the sugar has dissolved (3 to 5 minutes), add the blueberries, currants and lemon rind.
3. Bring the mixture to a boil again, stirring often.
4. Once it’s boiling, reduce the heat to low and simmer slowly until the mixture has reduced by at least one-third. You can reduce it further if you want a really thick sauce.
5. Taste the sauce and adjust according to your own tastes (more sugar or lemon juice if you want it).
6. Turn off the heat. Strain the sauce through a sieve to remove the skins and any seeds. Let it cool and then pour into an airtight container and refrigerate.
7. The sauce can be served directly from the refrigerator (you may have to shake the container a bit to mix it up) or you can reheat it. It will keep for a week or so.
8. Enjoy.

Technorati tags:  blueberries, red currants, waffles

Quite awhile ago, I received an e-mail from Tiel, a regular reader of this little blog. Tiel asked if I could share a lasagna recipe. What Tiel wants, Tiel gets!

As it happens, lasagna is a dish near and dear to my heart. When I was small, I had the pleasure of enjoying my grandmother’s lasagna on a regular basis. Hearty and bold, my grandmother’s lasagna featured a rich tomato sauce, tiny meatballs and chopped egg. A piece of Nonna’s lasagna was a meal unto itself.

At a certain point, my grandmother stopped making lasagna as regularly. My mother, thank goodness, inherited the lasagna gene and began making it often. As with everything she makes, my mother’s lasagna is flavourful and delicate. While not as rich or substantial as my grandmother’s lasagna, my mother’s has an airy quality to it that makes it unforgettable. It also makes it possible to have more than one piece at one sitting!

As with all great lasagna, my mother’s begins with fresh pasta dough. It is possible, today, to buy some very good quality prepared lasagna noodles. Even so, I recommend using fresh pasta. For those of you already making fresh pasta, I’m sure you’ll agree with me. For those of you that are uninitiated, look at this as an opportunity learn a new life skill!

Once you have the pasta down, the next step is the tomato sauce. Both my mother and grandmother use a tomato sauce that is cooked slowly, over a low flame. The sauce is cooked with meat, usually veal, which gives the sauce depth and richness, but you can certainly use a more basic tomato sauce. Either way, make the sauce yourself as there is nothing better than homemade tomato sauce. At this time of year, you can take advantage of beautifully ripe local tomatoes. Alternatively, you can use canned tomatoes which are usually of a high quality as the tomatoes are canned at their ripest.

With the pasta and tomato sauce at the ready, the other key ingredient for a perfect lasagna is the cheese. My mother uses two kinds of cheese:  mozzarella and Parmigiano Reggiano. Both should be fresh and grated just before using. We are fans of whole-milk mozzarella, which you should be able to find in well-stocked grocery stores and of course in specialty stores. Parmigiano, often referred to as the "King" of cheese, should be also be fairly easy to find. If it’s not already a staple in your house, consider making it one. A few shavings of Parmigiano on pasta, soup or even salad is heaven. With these three basic elements (pasta, tomato sauce and cheese), you have all that you need to create the best lasagna you’ve ever had.

My mother’s lasagna, for me, is the very best. I hope you enjoy her recipe!

Ciao!

My Mother’s Lasagna

Treasured family recipe.

For the tomato sauce:

• 5 to 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 3 pounds veal shoulder, bone in, cut into pieces (about 3 to 4 inch pieces – if you don’t feel comfortable cutting the meat yourself, have your butcher do it)
• 1 large onion or 2 smaller onions, sliced
• 8 cups tomato puree
• salt
• freshly cracked black pepper

1. In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion slices and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes.
2. Add the veal and brown for 5 to 6 minutes, or until the meat has been seared on all sides.
3. Add the tomato puree and increase the heat to high. Bring the mixture just to a boil and then add 2 tablespoons of salt and 2 teaspoons of freshly cracked black pepper. (If you want to add less salt or pepper, feel free to do so. It’s entirely up to your own tastes.)
4. Stir the sauce well after adding the salt and pepper and then reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring often, for an hour and a half. As the time goes by, your sauce will reduce considerably. If your sauce reduces too much, or is too thick, you may want to add a bit of water. What you’re looking for is a sauce that is smooth but not too thick. It should be deeply red in colour.
5. After the hour and a half is up, remove the veal from the sauce. Set aside. Taste the sauce and adjust the seasonings according to your own tastes, adding more salt and pepper if necessary. Remove the sauce from the heat and set aside to cool while you prepare the pasta dough.

For the pasta:

1. Use the pasta recipe in my post about Tajarin. Follow steps 1 through 14.
2. Once you have rolled out all the pasta sheets, lay them flat on floured waxed paper. Dust the tops with flour and cover with a cloth.
3. Set a large stock pot, filled with water, to boil.
4. Once the water is boiling, salt the water generously and begin boiling your pasta sheets, one or two at a time.
5. Boil each pasta sheet for 2 minutes. With a large spoon, remove the pasta sheet and place in a colander to drain for a few seconds. Immediately pick up the pasta sheet and lay flat on a plate. Repeat with all the sheets of pasta.
6. Once all the pasta sheets have been cooked, you are ready to assemble the lasagna.

To assemble the lasagna:

• 1-1/2 to 2 cups freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano
• 1-1/2 cups freshly grated mozzarella

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a rectangular baking dish or pan (use a pan that’s 12 x 15 with sides that are at least 3 inches high or a similar-sized dish or pan), spread 1 cup of tomato sauce across the bottom of the pan.
3. Using the cooked lasagna noodles, create a layer over the tomato sauce. If there are any gaps cut off small pieces of from a piece of lasagna noodle that you haven’t used yet to fill in the gaps.
4. Spread 1/2 a cup of tomato sauce over the noodles.
5. Sprinkle a 1/4 cup of grated mozzarella and 1/3 of a cup of grated Parmigiano over the sauce.
6. Repeat with another layer of noodles.
7. Repeat with 1/2 a cup of sauce and then the mozzarella and Parmigiano.
8. Continue repeating steps 4, 5 and 6 until you have used your last layer of noodles.
9. Spread a cup of sauce over the final layer.
10. Sprinkle any remaining Parmigiano over the sauce (do not sprinkle mozzarella on the final layer).
11. If you’re using a metal pan, bake the lasagna for 1-1/2 hours, our until the sauce starts to bubble and it becomes golden on top. If you’re using a baking dish, the baking time will likely be less so you’ll only need to bake it for 1 hour or so.
12. Let the lasagna cool for 10 minutes before digging in. This will allow the lasagna to settle.
13. Enjoy!

Note:  This lasagna will easily serve 8 to 10 people. You can make it in smaller, disposable pans and then freeze them before baking. To prepare, simply defrost the lasagna and then bake following the directions listed above. Alternatively, you can bake the lasagna, let it cool down completely and then freeze it. To serve, let the lasagna defrost for half an hour at room temperature and then place in a preheated, 325 degree F. oven until heated through.

If you have tomato sauce left over, it can be frozen and used for pasta or pizza. Or you can store it in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Technorati tags:  lasagna, pasta, tomato sauce

Today is the great Julia Child’s birthday! To be honest, I probably would not have known that had it not been for Lisa of Champaign Taste who sent me an e-mail several weeks ago, inviting me to participate in an event to mark this occasion.

Like countless others, I am a fan of Julia’s and greatly respect the impact that she’s had on the world of food. I doubt there are many cooks or chefs who are as universally recognizable as Julia Child.

To be very honest, my history with Julia does not go back very far. As a child, my only awareness of her relates to some vague memories of a blooper show that showed her bungling a chicken all over the place. I seem to recall an uncle trying to imitate her distinctive voice, but beyond that, there wasn’t much Julia Child in my life while I was growing up.

The seeds of my respect for Julia were planted about five years ago, when my mother presented me with a copy of Julia and Jacques Cooking at Home. At the time, the Overburdened Bookshelf didn’t even exist and my cookbook collection consisted of a handful of cherished items. The first time I looked through the book, I was smitten.

Julia and Jacques Cooking at Home was quickly followed by Baking with Julia, a book that to this day is a constant source of inspiration and even comfort (nothing makes you feel better on a rainy day than looking through this book). And shortly after, I had the good fortune to see a few episodes of Julia’s wonderful "Cooking with Master Chefs" series on PBS. How could you not love that delightful woman in her charming little kitchen, proving time and time again that the act of preparing food fulfills some of our most basic human needs?! Joy, desire, satisfaction, warmth, fun … it can all be had in the kitchen.

I have not tried a significant number of Julia’s recipes, but at this time of year, and for this occasion, I decided to try the recipe for Cantuccini from Baking with Julia. While we are only a little more than halfway through summer, the fact is that the start of school is only a few weeks away. While my school days are long behind me, it’s hard not to experience that familiar feeling in the pit of your stomach as the first day of school approaches.

As a child, school day mornings all began the same way:  with a mug of warm milk coloured with a few drops of espresso and Italian cookies. Italian children everywhere are introduced early to milk and coffee (latte e cafè in Italian). The union of milk and coffee, blessed with cookies for dunking, is a tradition in Italian homes both in and out of Italy. I chose cantuccini because they are exactly the type of cookie we’d have in the morning. Drier than biscotti, cantuccini are not very sweet and are perfect for dunking.

In fact, I’m going to make myself a mug of milk and espresso, grab a handful of cantuccini and leaf through Baking with Julia. And as always, I will be amazed.

Ciao!

Cantuccini

Adapted from Baking with Julia by Julia Child.

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tsps. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1-1/2 cups whole, blanched almonds
• 3 large eggs
• 1 tbsp. vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a bowl, combine all the dry ingredients and stir. Add the almonds and mix well.
3. In another bowl, whisk together the eggs and vanilla extract.
4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula. The dough will be dry.
5. Turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface and begin gathering it together. Knead it for a few minutes and you will see that it will slowly come together into a firm dough. Keep some flour handy in case it sticks.
6. Divide the dough in half and shape it into two 12-inch logs. Transfer the logs to a baking sheet lined with parchment.
7. Bake for 30 minutes. The logs will rise a bit and will be golden and lightly brown on the bottom.
8. Transfer the logs to a wire rack and let cool completely.
9. Once cool, slice the logs, on the diagonal, into quarter-inch slices. Lay the slices, cut side down, on a baking sheet lined with parchment.
10. Bake for an additional 10 or 15 minutes, or until the cantuccini are dry and lightly golden.
11. Let cool completely. Cantuccini can be stored in an airtight container for up to a week.
12. Enjoy!

Technorati tags: cantuccini, julia child

After sending off my postcard as part of the event hosted by Meeta of What’s For Lunch Honey?, I spent an anxious week or so quasi-stalking my mailman. For those of you that are regular readers of this blog, you already know how I feel about my mailman!

Finally, last week, I received an elegant envelope with the following written across the bottom, "For my favourite Puff … a protected postcard." A protected postcard?!

Eagerly, I tore the envelope open and found this lovely card inside. From the charming Janice of BakerBites, the beautiful postacard is the handiwork of naturalist painter Maryjo Koch. At Janice’s suggestion, I did some research on Ms. Koch and discovered that she is an accomplished artist. Among her creations are illustrations of old postcards. Lucky for me, Janice bought this card while visiting California recently, and decided to use the postcard for Meeta’s event.

Besides the enchanting quality of the postcard, what also caught my eye was Janice’s beautiful penmanship. As I’ve read the posts of all the different participants in this event, the one common theme was the pleasure of actually sitting down, picking up a pen and writing a message the old-fashioned way. With such beautiful penmanship, Janice, you should be writing all the time!

Thank you so much for the card, and for your beautiful words.

Ciao!

Chilling on the Italian terrace has been the recent activity of choice here in the House of Cream Puff. These past four days have surely been the most glorious days of this Toronto summer. The heat and humidity of July are but a distant memory as we’ve enjoyed leisurely meals on our little patio. A soft  breeze, a gentle sun … everything is green and ripe.

To me, the quintessential food of summer is the food that best exemplifies the carefree, casual spirit of summer. Think of how easy it is to kick off your sandals and walk in the grass, or push open the door and walk out into the backyard. These are not things that you can easily do in winter, where a trip outside means the layering on of clothing and the pulling on of boots and so on. Three-hour stews are fine and dandy in the winter, when the bitter cold keeps you inside. But in summer, I want food that’s fast, delicious and bursting with flavour.

For this reason, I am so deeply attracted to Valentina Harris’ Recipes From an Italian Terrace (my Flavour of the Month for August). There is a directness to her recipes that I like. They are simple and have all the hallmarks of classic summer food:  fresh ingredients, minimal cooking time and emphasis on flavour.

I’m almost embarrassed to be posting this salad because, to be quite honest, it requires almost zero effort. Wash your favourite salad greens and dress them as you like. Arrange them in a plate. Take some fresh bocconcini and wrap them with cured meat. Place your little bundles on the salad. Serve.

I think it took me all of 5 minutes to make this dish. The idea is inspired by a recipe in Harris’ cookbook, although hers is on a larger scale as it’s intended to serve more people. I scaled my version down as it was just my mother, brother and I. But seriously, even if you wanted to make this for 15 people, I don’t think it would take you longer than 15 minutes to prepare. And yet it’s such an elegant looking dish. It’s the perfect appetizer for that summer party you’ve been planning.

Just don’t forget to invite me …

Ciao!

Insalata di Bocconcini con Speck (Salad with Bocconcini and Speck)

Adapted from Recipes From an Italian Terrace by Valentina Harris.

• 6 larger-sized bocconcini or 12 baby ones (I used a type of bocconcino called a treccia. It’s soft cheese that’s pulled into a twist or braid.)
• enough speck to wrap around each piece of cheese that you’re using
• 3 to 4 cups of arugula, washed and torn into pieces
• a handful of cherry tomatoes (to garnish)
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 4 or 5 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• sea salt
• freshly cracked black pepper

1. In a bowl, mix together the olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Add salt and pepper to taste.
2. Toss the arugula with the dressing and arrange on a serving plate.
3. Take a slice of speck and wrap around each bocconcino. Arrange the wrapped bocconcini on your salad.
4. Garnish with the cherry tomatoes and serve immediately.
5. Enjoy!

Note:  For those of you that are unfamiliar with bocconcini, they are a type of soft, fresh mozzarella that are shaped into round shapes and kept in water or whey. They have a delicate, almost sweet flavour and are very versatile. You can use them in antipasti, in salads, in pasta and even on pizza. Most cheese shops or Italian stores should carry bocconcini. If they don’t, ask for them.

Use cured meats to wrap your cheese with. It’s an interesting variation on the platter of cured meats that Italians will often serve for a snack or as an appetizer. You can use any cured meat you like, but I would recommend prosciutto or speck. Harris uses speck, which is a type of smoked prosciutto common in Northern Italy and also other countries in Europe like Switzerland. It has a stronger taste than prosciutto, but is delicious. If you’ve never tried it, I highly recommend it. For more information on cured meats, or Italian foods in general, check out Micol Negrin’s wonderful site at http://www.rusticocooking.com/. To read specifically about cured meats, click this link:  http://www.rusticocooking.com/curedmeats.htm.

I followed Harris’ directions and used arugula, but feel free to use the salad greens of your choice. If you can use fresh, locally grown salad greens, that’s always best.

Technorati tags: bocconcini, speck, arugula

Aiuto! Aiuto!

My friends, Lis of La Mia Cucina and I are in desperate need of a little “aiuto”, otherwise known as help Italian style! You see Lis and I would like to celebrate the final days of another glorious summer with an outdoor feast.

There’s just one problem. We seem to have forgotten the food.

I know what you’re thinking. How could we forget the food?

Well what can I say?! Between blogging, work, gardening, summer parties, etc., we just plain forgot!

So here’s what we need: we need you to show up for the feast with a dish to contribute to the table. You can make anything you like as long as it features one fresh ingredient. Consider it a way to celebrate summer’s bounty! The party is scheduled for September 5 so post the dish you are featuring any time before that date. Be sure to e-mail Lis at lamiacucina67@gmail.com or myself at ivonne@creampuffsinvenice.ca with the link to your entry. We will post the round-up on September 5th.

Please join us in this end-of-summer celebration and help us fill our table with some incredible food!

Ciao!

Technorati tags:  la festa al fresco

Clarification:  I’ve received several questions about La Festa al Fresco so I just want to clarify a few things …

• You have to post your contribution any time before September 5th. The round-up will be posted on September 5th.
• By fresh ingredient, we mean an ingredient that is in season wherever you live. The idea is that whatever you contribute should feature a fresh, local ingredient. You can by all means cook that ingredient.
• By no means does the dish you contribute have to be Italian in nature. You can use whatever cuisine you wish as inspiration!
• Tag your post with the following Technorati tag:  la festa al fresco!

This is a salad that I would happily call the perfect summer salad. It is one that I look forward to making every summer. As I add each beautifully ripe ingredient to a large bowl, I can’t help but feel that the very act of making panzanella is pure summer joy!

Panzanella is a bread salad that is Italian in origin. The most common theory behind its creation is that it was a clever way to use up old, stale bread. Simply combine it with some fresh ingredients from the garden, including tomatoes and their juice, and the next thing you know you have a savoury, filling dish. Panzanella, like so many Italian dishes, is a simple food. Variations of it appear all over Italy and like so many other examples of rustic cuisine, it’s been elevated to a much higher status. I’ve even seen it on restaurant menus for absolutely ridiculous prices, especially when you consider that panzanella costs you next to nothing to make at home. And it’s so much better when you make it yourself.

This salad has also come to be a family favourite because it allows us to enjoy the best of summer flavour without having to turn on the stove or oven. While the awful humidity of July has released its grip on Toronto, it’s still nice to be able to throw some items together in a bowl and end up with an incredible meal.

Each time you make panzanella, it evolves. You’ll find yourself adding new ingredients all the time and eventually, you’ll settle on the version you like best. If you’ve never made panzanella before, I urge you to give it a try. A plate of this salad and that Italian terrace we’ve all been dreaming about will seem to appear that much closer.

Ciao!

Panzanella

Treasured family recipe.

• 6 or 7 slices (1/2-inch thick) of day-old Italian country style bread or day-old focaccia
• 2 medium cucumbers, with skin on and sliced thinly
• 1 medium cucumber, peeled and sliced thinly
• 1 large ripe tomato (to be used to wet the bread)
• 2 large ripe tomatoes cut into small pieces
• 1 yellow bell pepper, julienned
• 1 small red onion, sliced thinly
• 2 to 3 tablespoons fresh parsley, roughly chopped
• 1 to 2 tablespoons fresh thyme, roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• sea salt
• freshly cracked black pepper
• handful of fresh basil, torn into pieces
• handful of cherry tomatoes for garnish
• handful of Mediterranean olives for garnish

1. Using a toaster oven or the broiler, lightly toast the bread for a minute or two on each side. Remove and let cool. Once cool, cut the bread into 1-inch pieces. Put the bread in a large bowl.
2. Take the ripe tomato set aside to wet the bread, cut it in half and squeeze out all the juice (seeds and all) over the bread. Mix the bread so that the juice is evenly distributed.
3. Add a teaspoon or two of salt and black pepper to the bread and mix well; set aside.
4. In a large bowl, combine the cucumbers, chopped tomatoes, bell pepper, onion, parsley and thyme. Add a teaspoon of salt and mix well. Let sit for 5 or 10 minutes. After that time has elapsed, add the vegetables to the bread being sure to also add any juice that’s accumulated at the bottom of the bowl. Mix well.
5. In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, vinegar and salt and pepper to taste. Mix well and then pour the vinaigrette over the bread and vegetables. Mix well. Add the torn basil and garnish with cherry tomatoes and olives. Serve immediately.
6. Enjoy!

Note:  This salad serves 4 to 6 people. I like to use a focaccia loaf that I buy from the best bread store in Toronto:  Ace Bakery. Toasting the bread ahead of time helps to keep the bread from soaking up too much liquid too quickly. Nonetheless, this salad should be served right away or the bread will become mushy.

Technorati tags:  panzanella, bread, salad

It has taken me so very long to finally sit down and write this post. I can’t even count how many times I started it, only to delete everything and walk away. In fact, I think I’ve probably been writing this since the day I left San Francisco, a little over a year ago. To think that this little blog was barely a twinkle in my eye at that time!

San Francisco 2005 happened after I finally decided to visit my aunt, uncle and cousin. They’ve lived in San Jose for almost 10 years and I figured it was high time I paid them a visit. So early one sunny morning, my Uncle N and I departed Toronto bound for San Jose and then San Francisco.

Before ever setting foot there, I pictured San Francisco as a perpetually sunny place where everyone rode the cable car, drove across the Golden Gate Bridge, ate sour dough and drank great coffee. And while all those are certainly true (to varying degrees), San Francisco turned out to be so much more.

With Union Square as a starting point, we branched our way across the city exploring every nook and cranny. We stood by the ocean and were warmed by the sun. We climbed the hills and had our breath taken away by the incredible views. We sipped coffee and marveled at the taste of it all.

We set foot in so many of San Francisco’s unbelievably vibrant neighbourhoods and we felt the pulse of it all … beneath our feet … like an unstoppable rhythm. It carried us everywhere. We sipped beer and Prosecco with the locals and felt like we were at home. The smiles, the waves, the restaurant advice, the kind words … each person more eager than the last to share their favourite spot.

We made the pilgrimage to the Ferry Market Building and seriously contemplated never leaving. A lunch of cheese, bread and wine reminded us of how little it really does take to make a person happy. Oh yes … the Recchiuti chocolate helped.

And as we traipsed our way down every street, I loved it all. I loved the slightly faded quality of so many of the buildings which reminded me that this is a place with history. Real history. Not the fake history we like to create with our faux finishes and such. This is a city that has been through it. Seen it. Felt it. Heard it. Lived it.

I am so deeply thankful that I had the chance to visit. In so many ways, San Francisco set the wheels in motion in terms of my blogging. The deep connection to the attitude towards food and life got me thinking and after returning to Toronto, I just kept thinking and thinking. It took many more months, but that connection came fully to life last December, when Cream Puffs in Venice became more than just an idea.

Just prior to my trip, I finally bought a digital camera. I learned how to use my digital camera in San Francisco and judging by the more than 200 photos that I returned with, that fact is very clear. I wish I could share them all with you, including the bad ones which far outnumber the good ones, but instead I’m sharing a small sampling with you here. I hope you enjoy the images as much as I do (click on any image for a description).

Even before I ever set foot there, I knew instinctively that I’d like San Francisco. However, I never imagined that I’d fall head over heels in love with the place. But like the song says, it’s so easy to leave your heart there …

Ciao!

Technorati tags: san francisco, california

When I think back to the summers of my childhood, some of my most pleasant memories are of peaches. I can still distinctly remember the feeling of biting into a ripe peach and enjoying the contrast between the juicy sweetness that would inevitably trickle down my chin and that fuzzy peach skin that would tickle my my upper lip. When I think of joy or happiness, it’s those moments that first come to mind … the pure childhood pleasure of enjoying a delicious treat!

Thankfully, enjoying ripe peaches is a pleasure one can experience at any age! And as the fragrant and beautiful Ontario peaches begin rolling in, I am ever so thankful.

Of all the summer fruits, peaches are the ones that I rarely bake with. While I do make the occasional peach pie, I prefer peaches au naturel. I’ve made an exception, however, for the peach pie pictured on the cover of the August 2006 issue of Martha Stewart Living. While I admire the vast baking repertoire and design ability of the team of people behind Martha Stewart Living, I have often found many of the recipes from the magazine slightly disappointing. It’s not that they turn out badly. It’s just that they never turn out as good as they look in the pictures.

I could not, however, resist giving this peach pie a try. The pie turned out quite well the first time I made it, but I did make some adjustments for the next go-round. I used the same pie crust recipe from the magazine, but I increased the amount of crème fraîche I used. I also increased the amount of sugar by adding vanilla sugar to the pie filling. I love vanilla sugar and always keep a jar of of it going. It’s a wonderful way to make maximum use of vanilla beans which are quite expensive.

This is a delicious pie. The sweetness of the peaches and the tang of the crème fraîche are an incredible combination. The other advantage of this pie is that it’s quick to put together and it’s a nice way to use any peaches that are on the verge of being slightly overripe.

But best of all, it captures that wonderful summer flavour of juicy peach!

Ciao!

Fresh Peach and Crème fraîche Pie

Adapted from the August 2006 issue of Martha Stewart Living.

For the pie crust:

• 1-1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter cut into small pieces
• 1 large egg yolk
• 4 to 5 tablespoons ice water (or more as needed)

1. In a bowl, combine the flour, sugar and salt.
2. Add the butter and cut it into the pastry with your fingers or with a pastry blender. The mixture should like coarse oatmeal and have a crumbly texture.
3. Lightly beat the egg yolk and mix into the flour with a fork.
4. Begin adding the ice water 1 tablespoon at a time and work into the dough. Keep adding ice water until you can gather the dough into a cohesive ball.
5. Transfer the dough to a floured work surface and knead a few times. Shape into a ball, flatten into a disk, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 1 hour.
6. After an hour, roll the dough out on a well-floured surface. The dough should be between 1/4 and 1/2-inch thickness. Fit into a 9-inch pie plate. Trim off any excess dough and crimp the edges decoratively.
7. Prick the base of the dough with a fork.
8. Put the prepared pie crust in the freezer for 30 minutes.
9. While the pie is in the freezer, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
10. After the pie has been in the freezer for 30 minutes, line the crust with parchment paper and using pie weights or dried beans, fill the pie shell. Blind bake the pie for 10 minutes.
11. After 10 minutes, remove the parchment paper and pie weights or dried beans and bake for another 5 minutes.
12. Remove the pie crust and let cool while you prepare the rest of the filling.

For the streusel topping:

• 1/4 cup icing sugar
• 3 tbsp. unbleached all-purpose flour
• pinch of salt
• 1/4 cup cold unsalted butter cut into small pieces

1. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl. With your fingers, work the butter in until you have a crumbly topping. Set aside.

For the pie filling:

• 5 to 6 peaches, pitted and quartered
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons vanilla sugar (if you don’t have vanilla sugar use regular sugar)
• pinch of salt
• 6 tablespoons crème fraîche

1. Place the quartered peaches, sugar and salt in a bowl and mix well. Let stand for 15 minutes.

To complete the pie:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Remove the pie crust from the freezer.
3. Spread 2 tablespoons of crème fraîche over the base of the pie crust.
4. Sprinkle 1/3 of the streusel topping over the crème fraîche.
5. Arrange the peaches over the streusel topping.
6. Spread the remaining 4 tablespoons of crème fraîche over the peaches and top with the remaining streusel.
7. Bake the pie for 50 minutes to 1 hour or until the crust is golden and the peaches are cooked and bubbling.
8. Let the pie cool on a wire rack.
9. Serve warm or at room temperature.
10. Enjoy!

Note:  If you can’t find crème fraîche, you can use sour cream. This pie serves 6 very hungry people or 8 not-so-hungry people.

Technorati tags:  peaches, creme fraiche, pie

Fine Cooking is my favourite food magazine and this tart, from the August/September 2005 issue, has captured my heart. I’ve made it four times in the past week alone! Each time I’ve made a different version, but the apricot/raspberry is my favourite.

I hope it captures your hearts as it has mine.

Wishing all of you the very best of weekends (and an especially good long weekend for my Canadian friends)!

Ciao!

Apricot/Raspberry Rustic Tart

Adapted from the August/September 2005 issue of Fine Cooking.

For the tart dough:

• 1-1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 2-1/2 teaspoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 6 ounces cold, unsalted butter cut into small pieces
• 1 large egg yolk
• 3 tablespoons milk

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the flour, sugar and salt.
2. Add the butter pieces all at once and mix on low speed for a minute or two, or until the butter breaks up into tiny pieces and the flour becomes crumbly.
3. In a little bowl, combine the egg yolk and the milk and whisk.
4. Pour the liquid into the flour mixture all at once. Mix on low speed until a ball of dough forms around the paddle.
5. Remove the dough and transfer to a well-floured work surface. Knead a few times until you form a ball. Flatten into a disk, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.
6. After 20 minutes, roll the dough out on a well-floured surface. Have extra flour available in case you need it. Roll the dough into a circle that’s about 12 or 13 inches wide in diameter.
7. Transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and refrigerate while you prepare the filling.

For the tart:

• 3 cups of apricots, washed, dried, pitted and thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 cup raspberries
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1-1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon grated orange zest
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Place the sliced apricots in a bowl and sprinkle with the lemon juice (the lemon juice will help stop the apricots from turning brown). Add the raspberries.
2. Add the sugar, flour, salt, cinnamon, orange zest and extract all at once. Mix well (but carefully so as not to break or bruise the fruit). Let rest for 10 minutes.
3. While the filling is resting, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. and remove the tart dough from the refrigerator to soften a bit.
4. Once you can handle the dough (if it’s too hard it will break), pile the fruit filling in the centre of the circle of dough. Spread it carefully being sure to leave a 2 to 3-inch border all the way around.
5. Starting at one point, begin folding the border of dough up over the filling. As you go along, fold the dough over itself so that you’re creating pleats of dough.
6. Once you’ve completed the border, beat an egg in a small dish and brush the egg over the border of dough. Sprinkle with 2 or 3 teaspoons of sugar. This will give the dough a golden, crunchy look and texture.
7. Bake for 50 minutes to an hour or until the dough is golden and the filling is bubbly.
8. Place your tart on a wire rack to cool. Serve warm or at room temperature.
9. Enjoy!

Note:  The tart will serve 6 to 8 people. I like to serve it with ice cream or with a dollop of creme fraiche. You can use any combination of fruit as long as it all comes to 4 cups. I’ve also made it with 3 cups of apricots and 1 cup of blueberries. But you can also try it with peaches, plums, blackberries or whatever summer fruit you like. Just remember to always use 4 cups of fruit.

Technorati tags:  apricots, raspberries, tarts, fine cooking magazine

Wanted:  A large Italian terrace graced with copious amounts of flowers and a breathtaking view. The terrace should feature an enormous table with seating for all my blogger friends. An open bar stocked with chilled Prosecco and San Pellegrino is a must. Please contact Cream Puff if you are in possession of such a terrace and are willing to sell. Cream Puff will pay any price!

An Italian terrace of my very own … now there’s a dream I’d love to see come true! While it may be awhile yet before I actually have a real Italian terrace of my own, it is possible to imagine that I have one right now, and you too, with Valentina Harris’ Recipes From an Italian Terrace.

Before I bought this cookbook, I was unfamiliar with Valentina Harris. It turns out she’s a noted cookbook author (she’s authored more than 30 cookbooks!) and she runs her own cooking school in Tuscany. So you can drop everything and run right over there to enjoy Valentina’s expertise in the area of Italian food and wine. Her school is called Villa Valentina, but I warn you now, visiting her website will make you cry with longing for the hills of Tuscany. Don’t say I didn’t warn you!

So what type of cookbook is Recipes From an Italian Terrace? Well, it’s the kind of cookbook that makes you happy it’s August. It’s the kind of cookbook that makes you look at the simple, fresh ingredients around you and dream of all the wonderful possibilities. It’s the kind of cookbook that inspires and makes you hungry. It’s the kind of cookbook that makes you want to call a contractor and start plans on building a terrace. It’s that kind of cookbook.

Artichoke Pâté, Yellow Bell Pepper Boats, Frittata with Mozzarella, Rice-Filled Baked Tomatoes, Warm Seafood Salad, Stuffed Swordfish Rolls, Florentine Steak, Profiteroles with Ice Cream, Raspberry Semifreddo … I could go on and on and on. This cookbook takes all of the glorious summer foods and offers ideas on how to prepare them simply in order to maximize their flavour.

I’ve never made anything from this book so I knew that it would be a great choice for the Cream Puffs in Venice Flavour of the Month for August 2006. And now that July has passed, hopefully the steamy weather will go with it. Toronto reached a high of 36 degrees Celsius today, but it actually felt more like 48 degrees Celsius!In this kind of weather, the oven becomes the enemy.

But this is exactly where Valentina Harris steps in with her recipe for Mozzarella Farcita (Stuffed Mozzarella). Her recipe uses the most beautiful buffalo mozzarella as a starting point. While buffalo mozzarella was once nearly impossible to find, it is now widely available. Any reputable cheese counter should offer it so search it out and ask for it. Buffalo mozzarella comes in balls and is usually packaged in liquid. It is soft and delicate with an incredible milky sweet flavour. This cheese should be consumed quickly, while it’s fresh.

Harris’ recipe involves splitting the mozzarella into layers and then topping each layer with a filling of celery and smoked fish. As delightful as that sounds, I opted for something a bit different. I combined the first fresh tomatoes from our garden, shallot and basil leaves, along with Italian sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper. I topped each layer with whole basil leaves and then piled on some of the tomato filling. A drizzle of olive oil, some more sea salt, a few cherry tomatoes and some Mediterranean olives to finish.

It couldn’t have been simpler, more refreshing or more delicious! So please join me all this month as we explore the glorious summer food of Recipes From an Italian Terrace.

And if you know of any abandoned Italian terraces requiring occupants to fill and enjoy it … I am most definitely interested!

Ciao!

Mozzarella Farcita (Stuffed Mozzarella)

Adapted from Recipes From an Italian Terrace by Valentina Harris.

• 4 buffalo mozzarella (weighing 8 or 9 ounces each), drained of any liquid and sliced into three layers
• 2 large or 4 small, ripe tomatoes
• 12 whole basil leaves
• 1 shallot, sliced finely
• extra virgin olive oil
• sea salt
• freshly cracked black pepper
• cherry tomatoes and black olives to garnish

1. Roughly chop your tomatoes so that you have small chunks of ripe tomato. Keep the tomato juices and put both the tomatoes and juice in a bowl. Add the shallot and drizzle with 2 or 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Add 1/2 a teaspoon of sea salt and a 1/4 teaspoon of cracked black pepper. Mix well and set aside for 30 minutes for the flavours to develop.
2. On a serving plate, place the first layer of each ball of mozzarella.
3. Top with a basil leaf and then sprinkle on some salt and pepper.
4. Put a spoonful or two of the tomato mixture on the basil leaf and top with the second layer of mozzarella.
5. Top each mozzarella layer with another basil leaf and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
6. Put a spoonful or two of the tomato mixture on each basil leaf and top with the final layer.
7. Top each mozzarella with a basil leave as garnish. Drizzle with olive oil and with any reserved tomato juices. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and garnish the plate with cherry tomatoes and olives.
8. Serve immediately.
9. Enjoy!

Note:  This recipe serves 4. If you cannot find buffalo mozzarella, you can use whole milk mozzarella in its place.

Technorati tags:  buffalo mozzarella, mozzarella, tomatoes, basil, tuscany, italy