Tiramisu

Let’s have a summer reminder, shall we?
Italy . . .mmmm . . .sun, wine, cup of coffee . . . .
Ferrari, traffic jam in Rome . . .tiramisu, oh yea, here we are!
Again, easy recipe, almost foolproof.

 Today “twist” – individual plates, rather than a big shallow dish.
It really looks better when plated individually, judge for yourself!

Your shopping list:

6 servings

for filling/creme:

5 eggs
3/4 cup (150g) fine sugar
1  1/2 cup (250g) mascarpone cheese

another:

ladyfingers (6 per serving, total of 36)
coffee (strong, cold, about a cup)
cocoa powder, eventually finely grated chocolate for top
shot of your favorite liquor (optional) – Kahlua, Grand Marnier . .

how to: 

Beat egg yolks and sugar into fluffy mixture, and slowly whisk in
mascarpone.
Whisk egg whites until firm and fold them into mascarpone mix.

Set three ladyfingers on a small plate, and moist them with coffee
(eventually coffee with liquor), just use spoon and pour it lightly
over them. Any spills get immediately soaked, so no worries.
We want them to be moist, but not “slurry”.

Spoon and spread mascarpone mixture over them,
in about 1/2 cm (1/4 inch) thick layer.

Repeat, setting ladyfingers cross to bottom layer. Now you
know the drill – moist, not to much, spread mascarpone, done.

Dust with cocoa powder on the top and refrigerate . . .
that is actually hardest part – just try to put them in the fridge
and  

w  a   i  t

for few hours

  - impossible.

Overnight? Crazy!

Tomas

Wild Salmon “blue style”

This “blue” version of fish preparation goes far back couple centuries,
and comes from middle Europe. Originally made with carp or pike,
as at the finish of process, when poached fish is poured over with
heated vinegar, their skin turns into blue color, hence the name.

Let’s take it into modern kitchen, and use salmon for this recipe,
ideal candidate in my eyes. Original recipe calls for cooking
(poaching) the fish in small amount of slightly acidic water
(with vinegar) with carrots, parsley root and celery, various spices.

I’ll list ingredients below, let’s go over process. It’s quite simple.

First, peel carrots and parsley roots, and with kitchen peeler,
make thin, wide strips out of it.
Then cut about 1 inch (2.5cm) wide strips from salmon, in direction
like you’d cut fillets of it.
Flip it on side, add vegetable strips alongside and roll,
as shown in picture above.
Secure with toothpick on the end, sprinkle with salt.

Put finished fish rolls into a baking dish, and pour in white wine,
but only about 1/2 inch – 1 cm, halfway the height of fish.
No seasoning, please, we’ll use aromatic side dishes plus the way
salmon with wine tastes is best like this.

15 – 20 minutes in the oven, uncovered . . . .done
Take out of the oven, and drizzle with heated up vinegar
- careful, not to much, just a light drizzle is fine.
Cover it and let sit for 5 minutes, while you arrange peas and
potatoes on a plate. Now it’s ready to eat.

Couple ideas – remaining vegetables and liquid left after cooking fish
can be used as great base for fish soup.
All alcohol is already evaporated from the wine, but taste remains.

What you’ll need:

• salmon, fresh, enough to make 1inch/2.5 cm wide cuts, one per
person, or if it’s main dish of the event, two per person
• carrots and parsley roots (you can make about 6 to 10 strips from piece)
• white wine for cooking . . . no boxed wine, please
you get to finish the bottle anyway, so pick your favorite
• vinegar, white, 4 or 5 % acidity or dilute strong one with water
• salt

For rosemary butter peas -
melt piece of butter in heavy pan, add roughly cut rosemary leaves and
peas.  
Yep, just go ahead and use frozen from the bag, just don’t let it
sit longer than 20 minutes when finished. Ideal time is to prepare
this while the fish is in the oven.  Let it heat up nicely, stir occasionaly.
Done.

For stuffed baked potato -
(my version)
boil baking potato, cool down, cut in half.
Remove inner mass, leaving about 0.5 cm (1/4 inch) on sides and bottom.
Roughly cut and mix removed potato mass with finely chopped leeks,
one whole egg, season with salt and pepper.
Return into potatoes, bake for 15 minutes
(you can put it into oven with salmon).
Finish just before serving with spoon of sour cream,
mixed with chopped herbs of your choice and salt.
Done.

Nice, effective, very easy,
bon apetite!

Tomas

Finger food

In today culinary world, the times of cut toast bread made
finger food is over, as well devilled eggs and similar
are considered to be tapas, rather than finger food,
new star is here – crackers.

Not only a “side” to a cheese anymore, nor stomach filler for
those on diet.
Finally.
Lot of variety in the stores, it’s a joy choosing of them.
Quick for party time, I’ve recently made 8 versions, with help
of one prep person it took about 90 minutes to finish 300.
Count with 5 per person in your party.

Here is link picture with description of each one (new window)

Be creative!
I’ve picked whole grain wheat cracker and mozarella spread
on top, finished with red cherry tomato and basil leaf – simple.

And for this one, white cracker with sea salt, herb spread on top.
The spread is quite easy made from scratch, you can base it
on fromage blanc, or, in this case I’ve used Philadelphia, mixed
it with salt and peper and added finely cut fresh herbs – let the
fantasy be your quide . . .
Garnished with pretty purple leaf (which I’m sooo unsure of it’s
name right now) and yellow cherry tomato on top.

The fish trio you can see above or in that link, nice whole wheat
crackers with sesame seed, tuna spread – (Philadelphia, tuna, butter,
salt, peper, mustard and chives) and rucola salad leaf, then
I’ve used three kinds of smoke fish for them – halibut, salmon and
gravad laks, that is Scandinavian speciality – salmon marinated in
salt and dill. Voila, simple and fabulous.

Add small cubes of aged cheddar with grape wine on top
(secured with party picker) to your table, or poppy seed
crackers with spicy bell pepper spread and triangle of brie,
garnished with parsley and seasoned with paprika . . . .

enjoy your party!

Tomas