PASTA TIME

It was my first attempt in making pasta from scratch, I invited friends over to have an interactive cooking experience. 

 The pleasure of eating fresh pasta is worth making the dough.

 We made spaghetti, beet fettuccine and ravioli filled with pumpkin.

The dough we made by hand and then we used a pasta machine to roll it out.

The pasta in the drying rack, we did several batches of pasta. At a moment every thing looked like a chinese laundry. I loved it. Pasta everywhere!

I try it later on my own to make more pasta for a dinner and I found it to be a  bit hard labour. Definitely It's something I will be doing with friends surrounded by music with a glass of wine.

We started with the basic recipe with 3 eggs and 2 1/4 cups of unbleached all purpose flour. Then we continued by mixing  the flour with semolina, my idea was to experiment with other kinds of flours like coconut flour, rice flour, flaxseed meal and spelt.

For the pumpkin ravioli I made a puree by roasting the pumpkin with olive oil and thyme. Mashed it with a fork adding butter, salt, pepper and pinch of grated nutmeg. For the sauce I melted butter with sage and served it with Parmigiano Reggiano. This is alway one of my favorites tortelli di zucca, pumpkin + butter + sage + parmigiano .

I found a recipe which I want to try it is by adding to the pumpkin puree amaretti cookies, nutmeg, Grana Padano and mostarda mantovana (spicy sauce made of candied fruits syrup and mustard essence) 

For the beet fettuccine we made the dough adding beet juice. The color came out beautiful, but for my disappointment after boiling the pasta the intense color tends to fade away.

So I try the second time boiling it into beet juice in stead of water which helped a little better to retain more of the color.

At the end were so hungry that we made the sauces fast and easy, for the spaghetti we just sautéed radicchio with dry chili, garlic and olive oil.

                                                                  Mi piace la pasta!

Roasted Veggies

I made these roasted veggies several times during the holidays, because they were yummy and extremely easy to make. This is an adaptation from a recipe I saw in Olive magazine, on my UK adorable subscription. Because everything is roasted there is not much of a hassle, I could do it on a lazy day as a vegetarian plate or as a side dish with a roasted chicken. I added the chestnuts to give a festive attitude but the whole combination of veggies are fantastic. You could have it without the cream but to me thats the special touch.

Ingredients:

1 small pumpkin or squash, peeled and diced

2 fennel bulbs, cut into slices.

2 big caps of portobello mushroom, diced 

150g of chestnuts, I used a packet of 5.2 oz all ready roasted and peeled. 

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 bay leaf

olive oil

butter

salt and pepper

For the tarragon cream:

a little bunch of fresh tarragon, chopped

1 cup of heavy cream

2 teaspoons of Dijon mustard 

In a casserole toss the pumpkin, fennel, chestnuts with the garlic, bay leaf and olive oil. Seasoned with salt and pepper.Roast for about 20 minutes until tender. Meanwhile cook the portobello with the butter until any liquid that it has given off has evaporated. Reserve and toss in the casserole before serving. For the tarragon cream, in a small pan, heat the heavy cream with the mustard and tarragon and drizzle to serve.

Upside down little puddings

New Year came along and I wish you all the best a happy, healthy, prosperous and well savour life to live.

I made these little puddings the last day of the year thinking we may have to have a bite of something sweet with a glass of Champagne for the transition to the new year.....

I spent the night in a Greek tavern, eating fresh mediterranean food, dancing on the table and drinking Retsina, surrounded by very happy people and great music.

Back to the little puddings, the recipe came from the British magazine Delicious.

(I don't know why but they remind me of Downton Abbey)

For the topping:

30g soft butter

30g soft  brown sugar

24 shelled pecan halves

100g cranberries (fresh or frozen)

For the sponge:

100g soft butter

100g caster sugar

Finely grated zest of 1 orange

2 eggs, beaten

50g self-raising flour

1 tsp baking power

50g ground almonds

For the crème anglaise:

150ml whole milk

50ml  double cream

2 large egg yolks

25g caster sugar

1 tsp cornflour

Finely grated zest of 1/2 orange

For the topping mix the butter and sugar together, spread the mixture over the base of the little baking cups. Arrange pecans and cranberries on top.

To make the sponge cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, then beat the in the orange zest. Gradually beat in the egg, adding a small spoonful of flour with the last addition.

Sift over the remaining flour and baking power, and gently fold into the mixture along with the ground almonds.

Divide the sponge mixture between the baking cups, put in the oven and bake for 25 minutes or until a skewer pushed into the center of the pudding comes out clean.

For the crème anglaise bring the milk and cream to the boil, briefly whisk the egg yolks and sugar together in a bowl, then whisk in the cornflour and orange zest. 

Whisk the hot creamy milk into the yolk and sugar mixture, then return it to the pan and stir over a medium low heat for a few minutes until the mixture thicken. Do not let mixture boil.

Turn out onto serving plates and serve with the hot crème anglaise. They are great without the cream too, their flavour and texture are delicate and soft. Comforting and easy to make.

Serves 8 (mini baking cups) 

I must start the year thanking all my blogging food communities and blogger friends for encouragement, support, sharing your precious moments and treasures. 

I respect  your courage, commitment, determination, and perseverance.

My great admiration to all of you!!!  all the best  

Lola, xoxo

The night before Christmas

My first Christmas 

My happy Christmas moments started, with a grandfather with a toy store, getting double Santa's presents and being spoiled as being the first daughter and first granddaughter.

Living in houses with no fences, friendly neighbors. Friends go from home to home knocking at the door with a cuatro, maracas and furruco singing christmas carols gaitas and parrandas. Smell of Hallacas in every house, music everywhere, festive day and night. Then I moved to were I had white Xmas and a chimney with the smell of fresh pine, apple and cinnamon. Later moved again, smell of cookies and hot chocolate, I had the glorious joy of having three children, and Santa's came along....

Living in so many places, I have knit all those memories into one, family and friends, sharing and cooking.

Of coursed my beloved Christmas tree that brings light into the house. But nowadays I feel Xmas in a very nostalgic way, kids have grown up, family are far away, some can't make it for Christmas, others are not longer with us. Presents are not longer in the tree, have to be sent by mail and sometimes those moments have to be shared with my computer.

I just want to wish you the same as I tell my kids:

Continue be curious it's the road to creativity, never stop dreaming. Enjoy the small and simple moments maybe the most important one to remember in future. Always find time to be with your self, observe nature, move, eat conscious. Have tolerance and respect to others. Always have your heart open to give love and receive, and the most important: LIVE WITH PASSION.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!
and a Happy Holiday.

Lola, xoxo

Jewely for napkin rings & chestnut soup

Looking for  napkin rings that I could use for my Christmas table, I found these giant stone rings. I thought it was perfect for what I wanted, so I tied them to a metal string and within seconds I had my napkin rings. The dishes I used, which I had bought at a flea market, had various black and white patterns. Perfect to use under my Royal Worcester golden soup plate.

The idea is to mix the old with the new using different textures and patterns, keeping it timeless & chic.


The chestnut soup with chocolate curls

I made it it last year on Christmas Eve as part of a nine-course tasting. The recipe is from Mireille Guiliano, author of the book French Women Do not Get Fat.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pound of chestnuts or a jar
• 2 or 3 cups of vegetable or beef broth
• 1 / 2 cup of heavy cream
• Salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons of crème fraîche
• Dark chocolate, 60% to 70% cacao, for garnish

I prepared it using a jar of chestnuts which helped the whole process take less time. If they are natural cook them for about 50 minutes with two cups of broth, add more if necessary. When they are soft, blend them while adding the broth and the cream. Heat again for a few minutes until it simmers. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Serve individually with a touch of crème fraîche and chocolate curls.

A dish that does not go unnoticed, and gives an exciting opening to what is yet to come...

The Côté Bastide linen tablecloth, mini trees, candles votives and chocolate are sold at my online store: http://shop.lolalobato.com

Relax and have a cocktail

This is my tropical Christmas cocktail, being in Miami I shouldn't wait for a white xmas to come. I enjoy my Christmas tree with a see view and a nice sunny weather.

Holiday season: parties, celebrations, shopping, cooking, cleaning and planing the new year to come. I have been running from one place to an other with the online store and the holiday season.

It's nearly the same as having a real shop with a window.

We do sales, coupons, take pictures, write, send store products to different directories, social media, marketing, check inventory, packing, post office, answer questions online an over the phone..... plus running a home with daily emphasis on food  sounds good! but not when you are just one person doing it all.

That is when I say relax and have a cocktail  instead of run Lola run!

 For me a cocktail is taking your time, you have to enjoy it slowly and of course socially . A cocktail is a type of flirting with the glass and the drink, changing your mood and switching you to another atmosphere were every thing is slowed down, please don't misunderstand me I am not inducing anyone to drink, just  have only one.

So if you are over stressed with the holiday seasons relax and have a cocktail

Ingredients:

2 oz rum

1 oz lemongrass

1 oz  lemon juice

lemongrass syrup:

2 cups of water

1 cup of sugar

3  stalks of lemongrass, sliced

To prepared the syrup:

Add all the ingredients into a saucepan and bring to boil. Reduce the heat to low and keep cooking slow for 30 minutes, stir, strain and let it chill.

In a cocktail shaker with ice combine all ingredients, shake, strain and serve.

you can make the lemongrass and keep it in the refrigerator for future use...

Thanksgiving

I made the cranberry sauce with 12 oz of fresh cranberries, 1 cup of orange juice, 1 cup of sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of orange zest.

For the center table arrangement,  I place a rosemarie plant with salvia leaves and berries in an ice bucket. I like to use things in as many ways as possible.

I love casseroles you can take it from the oven to the table, specially if you have to warm up so many dishes at the same time.

The sweet potato with a dash of ginger is a totally comfort food.

That night I downloaded all the pictures that were from the night before when I started cooking, I was on the phone and doing three things at the time while I was erasing stuff in the computer and voilà.... without  realizing all my 50.000 pictures I had in stock were gone. I panicked got help and manage to rescue the whole packet , thank God, a few weeks ago I updated the computer and most of my pictures were safe. I lost most of the Thanksgiving pictures especially all the making of each dish...

Anyway, I did all the dishes I wrote on my menu except the pumpkin flan and the dill scones.

I got two delicious desserts from my friends a carrot cake and a tower of profiteroles au caramel.

If you are vegetarian do NOT READ THIS!!!

I had my concerns about the turkey, at first I thought about not making it but this time It was the first Thanksgiving I didn't have any left over turkey, It was crunchy outside and juicy inside, I was basting almost every 20 minutes until done for four hours and half.

For the meat lover this is the recipe, for the vegetarian I will write soon the veggies plates.

Roast turkey with chestnut stuffing

The night before: I cleaned the turkey, (organic & kosher) seasoned it, and did the stock.

For the seasoning paste: 

butter -  about 8 oz  in this case being kosher I used vegetable margarine

garlic - whole head

rosemary, sage and thyme - about a table spoon of each

worcestershire sauce

Salt and pepper

blend all the ingredients and make a paste, season with salt and pepper and rub the paste under the skin and all over outside. This with help to keep moist inside.

For the stock:

neck and giblets

1 celery

1 carrot

1 onion

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

4 cup of water

2 cup chicken broth

1 tablespoon olive oil

Heat the oil and brown the neck and giblets, add remaining ingredients and simmer until reduced to about 4 cups. About 45 minutes. Strain. Cool completely. Cover and refrigerated.

For the stuffing:

12 ounces chestnuts (I used two packed roasted whole chestnut)

1 apple - chopped

3 celery ribs - chopped

1 large onion - chopped

1 country bread (I used a Tuscany country style bread) cut in small cubes

small bunch of  fresh sage, rosemary and thyme - minced

olive oil

salt

Toast the bread already cut into small cubes with olive oil and  minced rosemary, until become gold and crusty like croutons.

In olive oil cook onions, celery, apple, chestnuts and herbs until soft. Stir together with the toasted bread.

 While roasting:

64 oz (2 QT) chicken broth

1 cup white wine

Baking the turkey:

Fill main cavity and neck- end cavity loosely with stuffing. Sew cavities closed and tie legs together, secure wings to body with a small skewers.

Place turkey in roasting pan and add 1 cup of chicken broth.

I usually cover the the breast loosely with aluminum foil for the first hour of the cooking time, to get an uniform roasting.

The secret for me to have crisp and juice is to keep basting every 20 minutes and keep adding more broth or wine when is needed. And when a part of the turkey starts to get brown too quickly, I cover that part loosely with small piece of  aluminum foil. Even If I know for the weight and stuffing, mine will be done in approximately  41/2 hours, I used a thermometer to make sure It is properly done. Breast should register 165° (74°C) and thighs 175°F (80°C).

Leave it rest for about 25 minutes before carving.

For the gravy:

4 cups reserved from the turkey stock

pan and juices reserved from turkey

1/2 cup fat from pan and juices

6 tablespoon all purpose flour

Scrape bottom of roasting pant to loosen any browned bits, adding 1cup of the turkey stock pour into a large measuring cup. Let stand until fat rises to surface. Spoon fat off and reserve 1/2 cup. In a saucepan boil mixtures of juices with the rest of the turkey stock until reduced to 3 cups.

Meanwhile pour reserve 1/2 fat in a saucepan add flour cook until golden brown, stirring constantly. Add stock mixture and continue stirring. Cook until sauce thickens, check season to taste with salt and pepper . 

Cook with passion, eat slow and celebrate with love...

We are on a Thanksgiving countdown!  I know everybody has already their thanksgiving recipe in their blog, I don't yet, I have been late and slow. I've wanted to write about it but I've been going back and forth with it. With mixed feelings of whether to make the turkey or not. 

Worst of all I got an email  with the request to adopt a turkey http://www.adoptaturkey.org/  which I totally agree with. It's an organization, a farm sanctuary that promotes compassion and protects all farm animals. They are right which really puts me off with the THANKSGIVING CELEBRATION. But, I have family and friends coming over on Thursday for Thanksgiving, especially looking forward to eat turkey. I am thinking we are all happy eating and celebrating as millions of American are all celebrating at their home and in reality it is the saddest day for all the turkeys. 

I have been celebrating for over 21 years, since I first came to USA. It has become a family tradition to cook together and eat together. I wasn't sure if my family and I were ready to break the tradition of the turkey and do it without.

Even with all those mixed feelings I decided to do it again like any other year, I bought the turkey a kosher organic. And now I just have to put all my thoughts together and get into a good vibe to write the menu and start cooking.

The Thanksgiving menu

For dessert: I am going to make an apple tart and pumpkin flan

Hors d' oeuvres: brie cheese with fig marmalade and macadamia nuts, roasted garlic with rosemary and Sra Ines olive oil and fennel tortas.

Salad: fennel with apple and caramelized walnuts, a mixed of greens with oranges, pecans and cranberries.

Side dishes: potato galette, sweet potato puree with a dash of ginger (I hate the idea  of marshmallows with sweet potatoes), brussels sprouts with orange peel, glazed pearl onions with raisins and almonds, baby carrots with mustard seeds and honey. (I like the presentation of a big plate with a variety of baby vegetables prepared each in a different way) 

Breads: corn bread and mini dill scones.

Sauce: cranberry (of course) 

Turkey stuffing:  chestnuts, apples, celery, onion and  rosemary country bread.  

Turkey : seasoned with sage, rosemary, garlic and thyme.

I must said my friends are bringing corn pudding, some other veggies and a dessert. (I will take pictures too)

Let's see how the menu will end up being done, I will be posting as soon as I can every dish I'll be cooking. 

I know we all have things to be thankful for, I sure have. 

Meanwhile I wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving!

No mater what: cook with passion, eat slow and celebrate with love...

It's not a Tiramisu

If you are a coffee, liqueur and cream lover, you will adore it. Extremely easy to make.

                          

Minimal cooking involved, just layers and refrigeration, better to do it the day before.

                          

Layers of creams, lady fingers, chocolate, amaretti cookies, almonds and coffee.

                         

I did it in a tart pan with a removable base, to keep it in place, I added two walls of foiled paper around to maintain the deep shape. I used a vegetable peeler to make the chocolate curls.

                     

Ingredients:

(for the coffee cream)

8 oz  mascarpone cheese

8 oz heavy cream whipped

1/4 cup caster sugar

( to sprinkle)

1  tablespoon finely ground coffee

2 oz chocolate chopped into very small pieces

2 oz chocolate curls

1 cup of sliced toasted almonds

1 cup of amaretti cookies crushed into small pieces

2 packets of lady fingers

(for dipping the lady fingers)

3 cups of expresso coffee

3 tbls spoons of caster sugar

9 tbls of brandy

Preparations:

Make a cream by whisking together the mascarpone cheese, the heavy cream and the sugar. Chill. For dipping the lady fingers make three cups of coffee expresso, stir in the sugar and add the brandy. Place it in a bowl and let it cool.

Start the first layer with the lady fingers dipped into the coffee mixture and lay them in a row in a tart mold, cover it with thick coffee cream. Sprinkle with some of the chocolate pieces, spread the second layer, dipping the lady fingers in the coffee mixture, then cover with the coffee cream and sprinkle with the amaretti cookies chopped. Continue the next layer in the same way this time sprinkling with coffee grounded and chocolate pieces.

Cover the top with coffee cream, the chocolate curls and toasted almonds. Chill overnight .

Another stress free dessert!!!


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