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 cream)

8 oz  mascarpone cheese

6 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)

4 cups of expresso coffee

4 tbls spoons of caster sugar

8 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 cream. Sprinkle with some of the chocolate pieces, spread the second layer, dipping the lady fingers in the coffee mixture, then cover with the 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!!!


Tea towel
http://shop.lolalobato.com/products/Marmalade-Tea-Towel.html
Pie server
http://shop.lolalobato.com/products/New-Toile-Pie-Server.html
Spoons
http://shop.lolalobato.com/products/Old-Fashion-Style-Teaspoon.html

Coconut and peanut butter sauce for the chicken satay

A chicken satay with coconut milk and peanut butter sauce, this one of my family's favorites. Everybody loves them at home. It's great for entertaining. The sauce it's completely delicious. Your friends will be satisfied. If they are vegetarian just serve the sauce with grilled veggies and rice.

The idea is to bring some far away sparkle into the home. Those tastes become friendly and we get totally used to making them on our own. 

For the chicken marinate: 

In a bowl combined all.

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup lemon juice

6 garlic cloves minced

1 tablespoon peanut butter

1 tablespoon brown sugar

For the chicken I usually make about 6 to 8 chicken breast, I cut it into strips with a kitchen scissors. Marinated, leave it for about an hour in the refrigerator.

You could do it the night before  for a more intense flavor and cooked the following day on the grill.

For the sauce:

In a saucepan add the following ingredients and cook over low to medium, stirring constantly until sauce its thick and creamy.

11/2 cup of coconut milk

1 cup of peanut butter

1/ 4 cup lemon juice freshly squeezed

2 tablespoon soy sauce

2 tablespoon brown sugar

1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger root

6 garlic cloves minced

I serve them with jasmine rice, a topping of sliced  fresh coconut roasted and a salad with mango, cucumber, red pepper, scallions, cilantro and toasted peanuts. which I will post soon...

Tip

Soak the bamboo skewered for about 20 minutes in a  bowl of cold water to keep them from burning  while you are grilling.