Mini tortilla de patatas

These are mini tortillas Españolas that are great for hors d'oeuvres and tapas.

I used a silicone baking cups for mini cupcakes.

You can add different toppings for decoration like grilled red peppers, anchovies, Manchego cheese, olives, chorizo or just leave it plain.

This was for a Sunday brunch where I also made pasta with cherry tomatoes & basil and panko breaded chicken breast. 

For the breaded chicken breast I made several sauces to choose from, they were like dips. Everybody liked the curry mayonnaise, the fig with caramelized onions and the chipotle sauce.

Tortilla Española

Ingredients:

6-8 eggs

6-8 potatoes

I onion

2 garlic cloves minced

olive oil

Salt and pepper

Preparation:

I boiled the potatoes to make everything easier and faster. I cooked the chopped onion and garlic in olive oil until they were tender. I cut the potatoes into small pieces, then added them to the olive oil and smashed them together while cooking with the onion and garlic. I removed them from the stove and mixed all of it in a bowl with the whisked egg seasoned with salt and pepper.

Pour the mixture on the cupcake baking tray and bake approximately for about 15 to 20 minutes.

A perfect bite to follow a Sangria...

Silicone baking cups

http://shop.lolalobato.com/products/Foldable-Silicone-Baking-Cups-%28set-of-six%29.html

Peach Gratin

This is one of my favorite desserts, it is very easy to make. When I have friends for dinner, I usually spend many hours cooking and preparing the main dish and most of the time I run out of time to make a dessert as delicious as my main course. This is when I decide to make the always gratifying Peach Gratin.

It has almonds and pignoli making it very different from a simple crumble.

I have tried with nectarines, apricots, peaches and even apples.. It always tastes delicious.

You can decide how much crumble you want to make. I used half of the ingredients of the recipe for a small gratin since we were only four people. If you decided to make the mixture like the recipe but using less fruits you can save the rest of the mixture in a plastic bag and keep it in the refrigerator for a couple of days to make another gratin with another fruit.

I usually like to cover the fruit completely and bake it until it is all golden and crunchy.

The fruit remains  juicy and tender inside and the rest is like a caramel crumble. We ate it with Moroccan tea.

I like to serve it accompanied with a tiny jar of  heavy cream next to it  just like when I serve the apple pie, leaving it optional for the ones who want extra pleasure.

 

The following day the left over becomes part of my breakfast with a cappuccino.

I came up with this recipe a long time ago from a wonderful book that made me understand that recipes weren't just a simple paper with measurements and notes, it's about the stories behind the dish, traditions, family, friends and the mood around the table setting. The pictures are beautiful like a journey  transporting to an authentic atmosphere of Provence. The book is called "Recipes from a Provençal Kitchen" by Michel Biehn.


The original recipe is:
Apricot Gratin 


Ingredients:
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup finely ground almonds
1/2 cup of sugar
A pinch of salt
6 ounces of butter
3/4 cup pignoli
3/4 cup blanched almonds
Apricots  about 9 


Preparation:
In a bowl by hand mix the flour, the ground almonds, sugar, salt and butter until you have a mixture of fine  irregular crumbs. Stir together the pignoli and blanched almonds toss to combine. Arrange the apricots halved and pitted side up on a baking dish, cover with the mixture and bake for about an hour until the topping is browned.


White dot dessert plate
http://shop.lolalobato.com/products/White-Dot-Dessert-Plate.html

GIVEAWAYS

I have decided to give away products every once in a while to share some of the great things I have in the store. To start this off, I am going to give away a package of up to $100 worth of products from shop.lolalobato.com which will include:

Apron by the French Company Mastrad
Cheese Slate by the German Company ASA Selection
Italian Scroll Placement Pad by Cake
Chalkboard Mug by the German company ASA Selection
Rivage Tea Towel made in France by the French Company Moutet Tissage
Reusable Shopping Bag by Flip and Tumble
Silicone Steam Cooker by the French Company Mastrad

Participating is easy, here is all you have to do:

1.Subscribe to my store: shop.lolalobato.com\

2. From the mentioned products that will be given away, leave a comment on this post describing how you would utilize at least one of them (for example you can submit a recipe you would use with given product or just describe a situation where you would use chosen product. The sky is the limit)

The winner will be judged by the creativity of their answer.

The sweepstake will go on until July 15, so start submitting your comments below!
I look forward to reading all of your ideas.

P.S To all of our friends who are abroad, you are welcome to participate as long as you have an address here in USA to send the package to.

Recycle cake

Bread cake or Recycle cake as I call it since it is made with different types of leftover bread, is perfect to make after a party or dinner where you're left with a lot of leftover bread. The interesting thing about this cake is that according to the different breads that you use, you can always find a contrast of flavors ranging from sweet to salty from the nuts, carrots, dried fruit or herbs found in the bread. There is always a surprise when using various leftover breads.

 The ingredients are simple: bread, milk, eggs, cheese, sugar, raisins, butter & vanilla.

There is always a special savour and aroma when tasting various flavors of leftover bread. 

For example when you use breads that have fennel, caraway, oatmeal, rye and nuts it is a complete different flavor. 

You don't need a mixer or anything just soak the bread in milk for about 10 minutes.

 

I love this cake! First because it is so easy to make, also the sweet & salty mix from the flavor  of the cheese and raisins is something I could eat at any time, morning and night. You could be more creative and make it to your own liking by adding cranberries, figs or rosemary. If  you like it sweeter change the milk for condensed milk, honey or syrup from a sugar cane. You could add a little rum and make it more exotic. For a glossy look you can add light caramel on the baking pan before adding the mixture to bake.

This ingredient list is just a guide, I usually cook it by eye without measurements, and like to do it in different molds: little one and big ones so I can share with my friends. 

  

INGREDIENTS:

• leftover bread (the equivalent of two baguettes in pieces)
• 6 eggs
• 4 cups of milk
• 4 cups of grated cheese (white or yellow)
• 2 cups of raisins
• 1 cup of sugar
• 6 tablespoons of butter
• 1 tablespoon of vanilla
• additional milk for soaking the bread

PREPARATION:

Cut the bread into pieces and soak it all in a bowl with milk.

Mix the milk, eggs, sugar, butter and vanilla and add the bread, cheese and raisins.

By now the mixture should look kind of thick. Put the batter into a mold previously buttered and bake for about an hour until it is golden on top, I use a toothpick to check if its done by inserting it into the center of the cake if it comes out clean without batter residue the cake is done. 

Eataly

A food hall of Mario Batali, Joe Bastianichand & Lidia Matticchio  a food lovers marketplace  of Italian delicatessens. I went on a Saturday, the place was crowed, we couldn't find a table to sit at. It's a foodie place to wonder around or meet a friend to have some tasting and a little shopping, the location is on 200 5th Avenue in NYC.

You can shop, taste and savour. They have boutique eateries of handmade pasta, cheeses, wines, meats, fish, cured meats, breads, fruits, vegetables and of course italian coffee. It also has a selection of Rizzoli books and kitchenware. You can have a glass of wine while you are shopping and have a taste of mortadella from Bologna or  just seat down and eat fresh oysters.

They cook what they sell in the store, so you can decide for the rosticceria, il pecsce, pizza & pasta, gelateria or have a panini with mozarella di bufala and prosciutto di Parma.

They also have a culinary  experience called, La Scuola di Eataly which is a cooking school with classes by the chef Lidia Bastianich.