There are many fine chocolate ice creams available at specialty stores and elsewhere today. But nothing compares to the thrill and great taste of making your own.
In Austria and other parts of Europe, a torte is simply a multi-layered cake. But far from just a difference of definition, a chocolate torte is a delightful alternative to a traditional American dish.
American cakes are light, sturdy and rise in the middle. A chocolate torte will be heavier and, after cooling off, actually sink in the middle. While this might be considered a cooking failure in other circumstances, here it signals a dessert done to perfection.
Ajo blanco comes from Malaga and it is one of the many gazpacho soups found in Spain. If you feel you would like to try preparing it in the traditional way, do everything in the same order, but use mortar and pestle. Put the paste in a big bowl before adding water. This cold soup is a natural source of E vitamin from the olive oil and almonds.
Baked potatoes are easy to prepare. They make an incredibly varied dish because the fillings and toppings for baked potatoes have the same limits as your imagination. Some of them really flavorful and nourishing enough to make a light meal out of a baked potato. Potatoes baked in a conventional oven taste much better and you can almost set and forget until the cooking time is finished. But microwaved potatoes will do nicely when you are pressed for time or you are just preparing one or two and don't want to bother with the oven.
Do you need to an spectacular dessert for unexpected entertaining? Try this one. Although we prefer to cook from scratch than using packages, well, sometimes you must. We have not been able to get similar texture and flavorful results other way without spending too long in the kitchen. Once in a while is not going to kill you and you have an astounding dessert to serve your guests.
High in acid, low in sugar, and wit a fluffy texture, Bramleys are extremely popular cooking apples. They keep some tang and tend to melt in the mouth when cooked.
Bramley apples are a great choice for apple pies and tarts or great in an apple crisp mixed with berries; serve them simply stewed ith custard or pureed and sweetened in an apple sauce to accompany roast pork... or filled with dried fruit and nuts and baked with honey, as in this irresistible recipe.
Use any kind of soft berries for this easy pudding -a combination of berries produces the best result. It needs time in the fridge with a weight on top for the bread to soak the juices. Prepare it in the morning, before leaving. Dessert will be ready when you are back in the evening.
Thai fast food comes in satay form. They can be eaten hot or cold and I have seen them served as appetizer, buffet, snack, packed lunch or a main dish.
This chocolate cream puts a delicious end to any meal. Garnish with fresh mint leaves, fan shaped strawberries, canned tangerine segments, chopped toasted nuts, or whipped cream.
The recipe for Christmas pudding is often a tradition in the family, passed down from one generation to the other. If that is not your case, this recipe will live up to traditional Christmas expectations.
The best recipe I know for sponge cake is the traditional same quantities of everything, but using heavy cream or whipping cream instead of butter. The cake comes out very light and airy. Using a food processor makes the mixture even more so.
Since little interest has been shown in eating flowers, there is few bona fide data available. Flowers are rich in nectar and pollen; studies have shown pollen to be nutritious, with many vitamins and minerals. Roses, especially rosehips, are very high in vitamin C. Dandelion blossoms are high in vitamins A and C, and the leaves have lots of iron, calcium, phosphorous, and vitamin A and C. Marigolds and Nasturtium have vitamin C. Flowers are 95% water, so it is unlikely that they contain any significant amounts of nutrition, and no calories.
