Thursday, February 28, 2013

affogato {drowned ice cream}

sometimes
afternoons
call for a snack
a pick me up
that is both
frozen and warm
punched 
with
caffeine

when
the mood strikes
fix yourself
one
of
these
affogato
vanilla ice cream
shot of espresso
this is not a sundae...nor it is meant to be a huge dessert.  use a nice vanilla ice cream and give yourself a nice size scoop.  while your shot of espresso is still warm (but not piping hot), pour over the ice cream. the espresso will melt the ice cream, so don't linger too long....

buon appetito 

Saturday, February 16, 2013

stoves on the range

we are finalizing the details for
the ranch remodel
as you can imagine
the kitchen is a huge priority

i have been in search of the perfect 
oven/stove/cooker
i want something
that addresses 
my modern cooking needs
with
a less 
"modern" 
look

i have always been in love with 
vintage stoves
like
o'keefe and merritt

and 
wedgewood
but then
i saw this

la canche

and this

la cornue
and 
these
 aga legacy
aga cooker
and began to think
i could get an
"old fashioned"/"farmhouse" look
with modern convenience
like
dual cooking
(gas range/electric oven)

i'm not convinced
however
that i can handle
the small ovens
some 
are wide and short
others
narrow and deep
but none
offer me exactly what i am looking for

currently
the AGA
while not meeting all of my needs
seems to meet the most
but i still have
these to review

bertazzoni
and
(they will do custom color)


the ovens and stoves work really hard in my kitchen
in our city home
this is what i have
just like this
but with gas burners and oven
and
a bit more wear and tear

it is definitely 
NOT 
the appropriate choice
for the ranch house
but
i am very attached
which might be why
i am finding fault
in 
every 
other
range
meet

*if you love your
oven/range/stove/cooker
and think i would too
please tell me about it
in the comments
or
on our facebook page









Friday, February 8, 2013

banoffee brulee bites


i can't resist 
this perfect little bite
decadence
in a shot
with a
crackly pop 
of 
burnt sugar crust
fix a few
for the person you love
especially
if 
it is you
Banoffee Brulee Bites
1 recipe chocolate sable
1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate-melted
dulce due leche prepared or 1 can sweetened condensed milk
small tub mascarpone
bananas
sugar
freshly grated nutmeg
edible gold leaf (optional)

if you are making your own dulce de leche, you need to start a day in advance.  pour the sweetened condensed milk into a pie or cake pan at least 8" in diameter.  place in a larger cake tin or oven safe pan that will leave at least a 1" (moat) around the pan.  fill the larger pan with water, half way up the rim of the smaller pan (making a bain marie). cover the smaller pan with foil.  place in a 425F oven for about 1 1/2 hours.  check after about 45-50 minutes to make sure the water does not evaporate completely. add more water if you see it getting low.  after 1 1/2 hours the milk should be caramelized.  remove it from the water and stir until it is smooth. allow to cool before using.  will last in the refrigerator about a week.
bake off the chocolate sable in small tart tins (about 1- 1/2"). a mini muffin tin is a good mold for these. let cool and remove from tin.  using a small paint brush, cover the inside of each shell with a thin layer of melted chocolate. allow to harden.

to assemble:
spread about 1/4 tsp of mascarpone in the bottom of each tart shell, allowing it to come up the sides.  top with a thin layer (about 1/4tsp) of dulce de leche.  top with a thin slice of banana (1/16"), spread just a whisp of dulce de leche on top of the banana, then top with another banana slice, a bit thicker (1/8").  sprinkle a bit of sugar on top, and a light dust of freshly grated nutmeg.  using a torch, caramelize the sugar. for a thicker sugar crust, add a bit more sugar and caramelize with the torch again.  top with a bit of edible gold (optional)




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