Grace's Sweet Life

I recently received a copy of fellow blogger's Italian dessert cookbook called Grace's Sweet Life; the same name as her  blog . My biggest problem with this cookbook, filled with the most drool worthy pictures of classic and contemporary Italian desserts, is where do I begin?

Grace Langlois, originally from Belgium, of Italian parents and living in London, Ontario, Canada has overcome several obstacles to reach the point of publishing this visually gorgeous book.  Kudos to you Grace!!

I've learned that although I find Italian cooking to be straight forward and simple, the creation of the pastries is another story.  We're not talking 4-5 ingredients anymore and the final products generally look like a work of art.  Think about a Seven- Layer Cake (Torta Sette Strati) or Mini Lemon Mousse Cakes with Limoncello-Lemon-Jelly (Mini Torte Mousse al Limone con Celatina di Limone al Limoncello) or Sicilian Cannoli (Cannoli Siciliani).  Is your mouth watering yet?

I really wanted to reproduce one of the recipes in the book and finally decided on Grace's Orange Cake  (Torta all' Arancia)

Now, although my cake didn't look like Grace's (to say the least), I found that in my oven (a fast oven), the 350 F was too high.  The next time I make it, I'll do it at 325 F.  Note I said I would make it again.  It's so easy to put together.  I also think my eggs were not completely room temperature.  The cake fell somewhat but the flavour was incredible.  A mild but very distinct orange flavour comes through and with a cup of tea or coffee, I can't imagine this not being a hit.  I didn't finish it off with the orange syrup but I do think it would be a great addition.  I prefer dry cakes without the addition of syrups and icings.

Cake

6 large eggs
2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup (120 ml) vegetable oil
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup plus 2 Tbsp (225 g) superfine sugar, divided
grated zest of 2 oranges
1 cup (240 ml) freshly squeezed orange juice
1/4 tsp cream of tartar

Syrup

1 1/2 cups (355 ml) freshly squeezed orange juice
1/2 cup (113 g) superfine sugar
zest of 1 orange in large strips (make sure no pith is attached)
1/2 vanilla bean, split and seeded
2 to 3 Tbsp Cointreau or other orange liqueur

Directions
1.  Separate the cold eggs.  Place the yolks in a large bowl and the whites in a stand mixer.  Cover each bowl with plastic wrap and allow the eggs to come to room temperature, about 30 minutes
2.  Preheat the oven to 350 F (180 C).  Very lightly coat with butter the bottom and sides of a 10 inch tube pan with feet and removable bottom
3.  Using a fine-mess sieve, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt into a medium bowl.  Whisk to combine well.
4.  Use a handheld mixer to beat the egg yolks, oil, vanilla, and 1 cup (225 g) sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
5.  Beat in the orange zest and juice
6.  Reduce the mixer speed to low and gradually add the flour mixture, beating to just combine (do not overmix)
7.  In a stand mixer fitted with the whip attachment, beat the egg white to stiff peaks beginning at low speed and gradually increasing to medium-high.  When the whites are foamy, add the cream of tartar. At the soft peak stage, add the remaining 2 Tbsp (30 g) sugar.
8.  Using a large flexible spatula, fold one-third of the egg whites into the egg yolk mixture to lighten the batter, then carefully fold in the remaining egg whites until just combined.
9.  Pour the batter into the prepared pan, spreading it evenly with an offset spatula.
10. Bake until golden and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 50-60 minutes.
11. Remove from the oven and immediately invert the pan onto a wire rack.  Let the cake cool completely in the pan upside down on the rack.
12. While the cake bakes, prepare the orange syrup.

To Make the Syrup

1.  In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring the orange juice, sugar, orange zest, and the vanilla bean and seeds to a simmer, stirring until the sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes
2.  Reduce the heat to low, add the liqueur and continue to simmer until the syrup reduces and thickens slightly - about 5 minutes.
3.  Remove from the heat and strain the syrup through a fine-mesh sieve into a pourable container.  Allow the syrup to cool slightly.

To Assemble and Serve

1.  Flip the cake pan over, carefully run a thin knife around the edges of the pan , and turn the cake onto a serving plate or cake stand.
2.  To serve, place the cake on dessert plates and serve with warm orange syrup.

You can see how light and airy this cake is and the best part is it's not too sweet.


I found Grace's instructions to be very clear and precise.  The pictures in the cookbook are amazing and do justice to each dish.  In the words of the television shopping cart ladies, Anna and Kristina, this book is a "BUY".  The only challenge I found with the book was that some of the recipes are long with many steps.  A 5 page recipe can be rather intimidating.

Hoisin Sesame Chicken

Norene's Healthy Kitchen is not hot off the press but a new cookbook for me. Norene is not only a great cookbook author but also a very generous and fun lady. She always has the time to listen to and answer a question and freely shares tips and her thoughts about cooking. They say that if you find one or two recipes in a cookbook that you love you're doing well. This cookbook I can tell you is going to be one of those splattered and well used books packed with so many recipes that I absolutely "need" to try.

What's key in Norene's Healthy Kitchen is that the notes and tips are so important in living a healthy diet. Norene does such a good job of educating about nutritional labels, smart choices at the grocery store and how to know when it's "enough" to name just a few.

I generally don't find books without an abundance of pictures or tutorials really intriguing but this is one of those cookbooks that's not only packed with over 600 recipes, it's just a good read.

This is lucky recipe #1 - why? The publishers only allow for the printing of 3 recipes. You'll have to buy the book - no... seriously, you really have to buy the book - it's worth the investment.

4 boneless, skinless single chicken breasts
salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 Tbsp. hoisin sauce
1 Tbsp. apricot preserves or orange marmalade (reduced-sugar or all fruit_
2 tsp. minced garlic
2 tsp lemon or lime juice (preferably fresh)
2 Tbsp. sesame seeds

1. Spray a foil-lined baking sheet with cooking spray. Rinse the chicken and pat dry with paper towels. Trim the excess fat. Place the chicken on the prepared baking sheet and lightly sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.
2. In a small bowl, combine the hoisin sauce, apricot preserves, garlic and juice; mix well. Brush the sauce evenly over the chicken. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and let marinate for 30 minutes or refrigerate, covered, for as long as 2 days.



3. Preheat the oven to 400 F. Bake, uncovered for 18 to 20 minutes, or until the juices run clear when pierced with a fork.




Easy and delicious recipe and ONLY 203 calories per serving.

Celebrations

There are so many good things happening - lots of celebrations to share.

Firstly, the BloggerAid Cook Book is available for purchase on Create Space, an arm of Amazon.com. If you go to amazon.com, you won't find the book so follow the link below the picture of the cover to get there.

Create Space

After nearly a year of very hard work by so many, this 224 page book that contains approximately 140 unique recipes from over 60 countries is finally completed. 100% of the royalties have been assigned to School Meals with the World Food Programme.

We're incredibly impressed with the international efforts of so many who made this happen. A world can indeed come together with purpose.

Secondly

Psychgrad is on the move - I mean literally moving. She and "R" just got the keys to their new home. It's a celebration on two fronts. Firstly and most importantly, this is their first home. Visualize paint cans, ladders, moving trucks, boxes...more boxes, bread and salt on the kitchen counter (baba is superstitious about having this in a new home). I can hear lots of sighs as the paint rollers glide across the walls transforming the house into their own. Secondly and pretty exciting is that mom gets to go on a road trip - yipeeeee!!! With dogs in tow, we'll set out to help (read: supervise) the moving process and hope that I don't get clobbered within the first 24 hours of arrival. So, there's a very real chance that you may just get stuck with me until Psychgrad can find her way back to her computer.

Thirdly

Keeping with the theme of celebrations, last night we went out to celebrate!! My brother is one of the producers for the revival of the Broadway musical Ragtime

If you happen to be in the New York City area, Ragtime opens at the Neil Simon Theatre on Sunday, November 15th. We took baba out for dinner to share in the excitement. We went to our favourite local Italian restaurant; one we hadn't been to in a long while.

I loved the presentation on the appetizer so of course the camera had to come out. I asked about a source for these long handled spoons that come in two sizes - this is the small size. Apparently they're from Mexico.

I had shrimp diablo that was incredibly tasty with a pretty good kick.



followed by roast chicken



and tiramisu for dessert


They say things come in 3's - I'm pretty happy with these three good things :)

An Apple a Day

There's absolutely no question that fall has arrived in Canada. The colours are spectacular and the photo opportunities are second to none. Although I'd love to take credit for these photos, I really can't. My friend "S" took them - she really has the photographic eye but I really had to share them with you. Tell me this isn't an incredible site to see.




Today was another fun day in the apple orchards. We probably have just one more good week of apple picking - most orchards close around Halloween but we found the apples really plentiful today - especially the Spy apples, known to be exceptional pie apples. While there, I also picked up a book called "An Apple A Day" written by a local cookbook author - Susan Smith. What a find!!!


Published in 1951 I couldn't even find it on the internet to give due credit to the author. It was amusing to find an author's tip that suggested using nylons as a great sieve to make apple juice with. No disrespect intended but does anybody actually really do that anymore?

Since I have this overabundance of apples, I thought I'd work my way through her book and try out some of her recipes. Here's an easy oldie but always a welcome dessert.


Apple Crisp

4 cups sliced, peeled tart apples (about 4 medium - I used Cortland apples)
2/3 - 3/4 cup brown sugar (packed)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup rolled oats (quick cooking)
3/4 tsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp nutmeg
1/3 cup butter or margarine, softened

Preheat oven to 375 F. Grease square pan 8"x8"x2". Place apple slices in pan. Mix remaining ingredients thoroughly. Sprinkle over apples.

Bake 30 minutes or until apples are tender and topping is golden brown. Serve warm alone or with light cream or ice cream.

6 servings

Here's my learning: An apple is not just an apple. As with most things, if you have the right tool to do the job, the outcome is generally more favourable. The cortland apple was the perfect match for this dessert. I've made many apple crisps but this one is by far the tastiest ever.

Children are the Future

Children are the Future…BloggerAid Invests in Children

You may have heard that Blogger Aid ispublishing a cookbook !!! We are very pleased to announce that we have selected a program that targets children and education through the World Food Programme (WFP), the United Nations frontline agency.

One of WFP’s largest areas of assistance is called School Meals .Through this program, a meal is provided to children in schools where there are low attendance rates This is particularly true where there is a significant lack of girls attending. In some areas where food is available other resources like stoves are provided to these schools. The goal is to provide a hot, nutritious meal as an incentive for parents in poorer communities to send their children to school rather than keep them at home working. An education is the best thing we can give our kids to break the cycle of hunger and poverty and to be a contribution to society. With a project like School Meals, we are very excited to have the opportunity to contribute to the WFP and this program through BloggerAid.

Facts & Figures

• 75 million primary school-aged children do not go to school
• 97 percent of them are in developing countries
• 57 percent of them are girls
• 150 million children drop out of school before attaining basic primary education


Encouragingly, the group of talented bloggers committed to the BloggerAid Cookbook project is growing by the minute!!! We have now reached a milestone of over 100 members. At the request of some of our new members, who are just as excited about this ambitious project as we are, we have decided to extend the deadline until the end of March. We know that we are all busy and you may not have found the time to submit a recipe for the cookbook yet. The new logo has a few of the recipes submitted so far. So keep those recipes coming in!!!

100% of the proceeds from the sales of the cookbook will be channeled to the School Meals Program.

We are continuing to brainstorm about new BloggerAid initiatives and would love to have your input.

You don't need to be a member of BloggerAid to submit a recipe.
You just need a willingness to share your love of food from around the world and want to be involved in raising awareness and money for world hunger and these children. There is no cost to you – just a sense of satisfaction that comes from participating in this exciting project and seeing your name and recipe in print.

You may post about your recipe without revealing the ingredients...the cookbook will be the round-up where your recipe will be published. Once the cookbook has been published you can publish your recipe wherever you like...it will always be yours and you will always receive full credit.

What if my photo skills are not up to cookbook standards?
Submit a photo anyway because we are our own worse critics aren't we? Don't let that stop you!!! But, if you would like, one of our team members will recreate your recipe and photograph it for you. Email your recipe in a plain text Word document along with a photo of your dish to bloggeraid(AT)gmail(DOT)com by March 31st, the deadline for receiving recipes. Let's get the word out!!!!!

More information can be found in the forum of our Social Network BloggerAid . Remember you don't need to be a member to participate!!!


Deadline for submissions is March 31st

New Cookbook & Beef Stroganoff

I picked up this cookbook (for myself) during my xmas shopping yesterday:



Anything with the word "booze" in the title can't be bad. Plus, it has some great looking recipes and a fair ratio of pictures to recipes. Not to mention recipes that start off by saying "drink half a can of beer" (to use the other half in the recipe).

Each recipe is matched with a alcoholic beverage of some sort. Such as the recipe associated with the picture below for Apricot and Vanilla Chicken Baskets. This recipe is paired with a Mangopolitian.



Or, this recipe for Cuba Libre Back Ribs, paired with Cuba Libra (rum and coke):



I haven't tried any of the recipes yet, but the lady at the store had tried three and gave them strong endorsements. Only potential drawback is that average number of ingrediants/recipe. I didn't calculate it, but they're fairly elaborate.
I'll be sure to update on the recipes I try.

Tonight I made Beef Stroganoff for dinner. My version of stroganoff is much different from other's. Maybe more of a poor man's/woman's version.

Beef Stroganoff



- ground beef or turkey (1 pound...actually, I have no idea how much...enough for 2 people)
- cremini mushrooms, sliced
- garlic, crushed
- low-sodium cream of mushroom soup (1 small can)
- onion powder, paprika, pepper, chilli peppers
- sour cream (to taste - I usually add about 2-3 heaping tbsp)
- rotini (or pasta of your choice)

Instructions
- brown and strain ground beef/turkey (note that ground turkey tends to have less flavour than ground beef). Add in mushroom and garlic. Saute for 1 minute. Add cream of mushroom soup, and spices. Let cook for a while. Approximately 10 minutes before serving, add sour cream.