Raphaël ready for Superbowl
Sunday evening February 5, 2012
So it was the superbowl tonight… Well it is really not my thing to sit in front of the TV for 4 hours to watch a game … Sooo I had all the time to cook, yay!!! I prepared a cake (we already ate half of it), a quinoa dish for Lynch tomorrow, and pizza dough for tomorrow night. It was really nice to have all that time for me, and relax cooking.
I should take a pic of the cake before it is gone 
This weekend we finally went through some of our recipes: kept the good ones, discarded the ones we will never make and finally made our menu for the week. Everything was just perfect.
Well, tomorrow is Monday, have to go to work so good night and have a great Monday
Back on the web February 4, 2012
So here I am, after almost a year 
This past year has been beautiful and strong in emotions. Since our little boy was born, we have been really busy, with him of course but we also moved, got married, traveled to France, family came over to visit, etc. Everything involved a lot of planning and adjustment. But we did it and it was great.
Our little boy is now about to turn one, and while thinking about his birthday party and the cake, I started thinking more and more about cooking (again). So here I am trying to set goals and “rules” just to make sure I will do it. Let’s start with one dessert and one dish a week (with a post of course) and see if I can keep up with that
Now I have all Sunday to think about next week’s deliciousness.
Some news February 9, 2011
Here he comes!!!!
My due date is in 15 days so baby can be with us at anytime, and we are really excited about it! Everything’s ready and we are ready too ( as ready as we can).
For now, I am enjoying the sun (but not the cold) but I won’t complain since we do not have snow… and I want to share another great recipe with you from Smitten Kitchen (I will try it this afternoon): ENJOY!
Blood Orange Olive Oil Cake
Adapted from A Good Appetite
Butter for greasing pan
3 blood oranges
1 cup (200 grams or 7 ounces) sugar
Scant 1/2 cup (118 ml) buttermilk or plain yogurt
3 large eggs
2/3 cup (156 ml) extra virgin olive oil
1 3/4 cups (219 grams or 7 3/4 ounces) all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons (8 grams) baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
Honey-blood orange compote, for serving (optional, below)
Whipped cream, for serving (optional)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan. Grate zest from 2 oranges and place in a bowl with sugar. Using your fingers, rub ingredients together until orange zest is evenly distributed in sugar.
Supreme an orange: Cut off bottom and top so fruit is exposed and orange can stand upright on a cutting board. Cut away peel and pith, following curve of fruit with your knife. Cut orange segments out of their connective membranes and let them fall into a bowl. Repeat with another orange. Break up segments with your fingers to about 1/4-inch pieces.
Halve remaining orange and squeeze juice into a measuring cup; you’ll will have about 1/4 cup. Add buttermilk or yogurt to juice until you have 2/3 cup liquid altogether. Pour mixture into bowl with sugar and whisk well. Whisk in eggs and olive oil.
In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Gently stir dry ingredients into wet ones. Fold in pieces of orange segments. Pour batter into prepared pan.
Bake cake for 50 to 55 minutes, or until it is golden and a knife inserted into center comes out clean. Cool on a rack for 5 minutes, then unmold and cool to room temperature right-side up. Serve with whipped cream and honey-blood orange compote (below), if desired.
Honey-Blood Orange Compote: Supreme 3 more blood oranges according to directions above. Drizzle in 1 to 2 teaspoons honey. Let sit for 5 minutes, then stir gently
Total Lunar Eclipse December 20, 2010
For those of you who can’t sleep at night, check this out:
“The eclipse begins on Tuesday morning, Dec. 21st, at 1:33 am EST (Monday, Dec. 20th, at 10:33 pm PST). At that time, Earth’s shadow will appear as a dark-red bite at the edge of the lunar disk. It takes about an hour for the “bite” to expand and swallow the entire Moon. Totality commences at 02:41 am EST (11:41 pm PST) and lasts for 72 minutes.”
http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2010/17dec_solsticeeclipse/
All about baby December 11, 2010
It is incredible how this little human in my belly has become my world.
He is all I can think of and just to think about him, watch him move around, or feel him kick makes me happy. I try not to talk only about him, but it is hard. Watching my body do some magic is really amazing and I can’t wait to meet him
My parents will be arriving next week, and then my brothers. Second year in a row that we will be all together (hasn’t happened in a long time since we are all spread all over the world). I am also going to meet my nephew who was born in May and it makes me really happy.
Today’s plan: baking, chilling and maybe some cleaning
Enjoy your week-end.
Recipe for the week-end November 18, 2010
Hum what’s best than relaxing on a sunny day with friends, enjoying a nice desert
I found this recipe and I think I’ll give it a try Saturday, sounds delicious:
Upside-Down Cranberry Cake
From SmittenKitchen
If you don’t like molasses, I’d use honey or light corn syrup instead because although just a tablespoon, you can taste it (though we found it delicious against the tart berries). If you’re thinking, as I was, that there was no need for a parchment paper circle in the bottom (and later, top) of the pan, you can probably skip it. The “probably” is there because I didn’t get to retest this without it but see nothing to worry about; if a berry sticks, just scoop it and plop it on top of the cake. The cake itself is a little on the shortcake side — sturdier than your average plush layer cake but still quite moist. Still, if you want a more traditional upside-down cake base, I think this one is phenomenal (you might even swap the pineapple juice for white cranberry) as is this one.
Unsalted butter or cooking spray for the baking pan
- 2/3 cup (5 ounces or 142 grams) packed light brown sugar
- 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks, 6 ounces or 171 grams) unsalted butter, melted
- 1 tablespoon unsulphured molasses
- 2 cups (8 1/2 ounces or 242 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (7 ounces or 198 grams) sugar
- 2 teaspoons (9 grams) baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 cup (8 1/2 ounces or 242 grams) sour cream
- 2 cups (8 ounces or 230 grams) fresh or frozen cranberries (you could add a half-cup more, if you, too, can never have enough cranberries)
- Optional flavorings: 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1/4 teaspoon almond extract, 1 tablespoon orange or lemon juice or 1/4 teaspoon zest, 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, few gratings of fresh nutmeg or a combination thereof
- Whipped cream, optional
Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease a 9-inch round cake pan with butter and cover the bottom with parchment paper (see Note above). In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the brown sugar, 4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) of the melted butter, molasses and 1/4 cup water and bring to a boil. Stir well and pour into prepared cake pan. Set pan aside.
Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt together into a bowl or onto a sheet of waxed paper and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixture fitted with the whisk attachment (eh, I just used a handmixer with standard beaters) beat the eggs and sour cream together at medium speed until well blended. Add optional flavorings of your choice. Scrape down the bowl and add remaining melted butter (1/2 cup) and beat until combined. Add flour mixture and beat until smooth.
Add the cranberries to the prepared baking pan and gently press the fruit into an even layer. Dollop the batter on top and use an offset spatula to gently nudge it into place without disturbing the cranberries underneath. Bake on the center rack (with a tray underneath to catch drips… just in case; mine did not overflow but came stressfully close) until golden and a tester inserted into just the cake comes out clean, which took 30 to 35 minutes in my oven but is suggested to take 45. Please,please check yours on the early side. Remove from the oven and let cool in pan for 15 minutes. Run a thin knife around the inside of the pan then insert over a flat platter that is (Learn From My Mistakes Alert!) larger than your cake pan, to catch any puddling or jumping cranberries. Remove the parchment paper.
Serve warm, with freshly whipped cream. However, this cake wasn’t half bad two to three days layer, kept covered at room temperature.
Et voilà!
I hope you’ll all enjoy this
Me and my belly October 28, 2010
And here’s my belly at 22 weeks. It’s finally starting to grow (meaning other people can now see it). Little Fish is about 8 in. and 1 lb.
Can’t wait to meet him!!
Petite recette d’automne October 27, 2010
Voici une petite recette qui m’a l’air bien bonne que j’ai trouvé sur l’un de mes blogs de recettes préférés: smittenkitchen.com
Dégustez et bonne journée.
Single-Crust Plum and Apple Pie
Lid
7 tablespoons (100 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 cup plus 6 1/2 tablespoons (175 grams) all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon coarse or flaky salt (or less of table salt)
Milk or cream, for brushing crust
Coarse or fine sugar, for sprinkling crust
Softly whipped, lightly sweetened cream, for serving
Filling
1 pound ripe prune plums or greengages, halved, pitted, and halved again (i.e. quartered)
1 pound apples, peeled, cored and cut into smaller chunks (than you see in my photos)
2 tablespoons sugar
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Squeeze or two of orange or lemon juice
Make the lid: In a stand mixer, cream the butter, sugar and orange zest until light and fluffy. Mix in the lightly beaten egg and scrape down sides. Slowly add the flour, baking powder and salt and beat until combined. Scrape dough into a piece of waxed paper or plastic wrap, and stick in the freezer for 10 to 20 minutes, or until firmed up.
Assemble the pie: Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C or gas mark 4) Butter a pie or baking dish. Add the fruit and spinkle it with the sugar, cinnamon and orange or lemon juice. Gently toss the ingredients together once or twice; don’t worry, they’ll “muddle” well once cooking in the oven.
Roll out the firmed-up lid dough on a very well floured counter and gently lift it onto the pie and trim the overhang. It will tear. This is fine, and all the better to let juice erupt through. If it flusters you, you can use some of the trimmings to patch it up but still, the pie will bubble through in other places. Brush the crust with milk or cream, sprinkle with sugar and bake for 40 minutes, until lightly golden on top. Scoop onto dishes and serve with whipped cream.
Hello world! October 26, 2010
Bon me voici donc maintenant sur Word press.
Nouveau blog, nouvelle vie, nouvelles aventures
