Melon and yogurt chilled cake

This summer I've spent some weeks in the middle of nowhere beautiful Saxony. There is one nice German tradition that is followed almost religiously in the State of Saxony: the Kaffee und Kuchen time, which is nothing less than time for coffee and cake, always cake, and takes place at around 4 pm.

So if they like cake, I'm gonna give them cake! Whatever it takes to improve cultural understanding between people. It also helped that I found this juicy and fresh cake on Lecker Bakery, the summer special edition of the cooking magazine. Just perfect for the hottest summer days!

Ingredients

For the cake

100 g sugar

80 g wheat flour

3 eggs

For the filling

300 g natural yogurt

150 g cream

1 small Galia melon

70 g sugar

8 gelatin sheets

juice and zest of one lemon

For decoration

1 piece of water melon, 2 kiwis

Directions

For the cake: Preheat oven to 175 °C. Beat eggs with sugar at least five minutes until light and fluffy. Sift flour over the mixture and mix carefully. Butter a spring form pan (22 cm), pour the mixture and bake for 30 minutes. Remove and let cool on a wire rack.

For the filling: Put gelatin sheets in cold water and let them soften for 5-8 minutes. Cut the Galia melon in half and use a melon baller to make as many melon balls as possible, reserve for later. Take the rest of melon fruit and grind it with sugar, zest and lemon juice to obtain a puree. Take out the gelatin sheets from the water, press well draining them and put in a saucepan over medium heat to melt. Do not boil! Add two tablespoons of the previous melon puree and stir well. Add now to the rest of the melon mixture and finally whisk in the yogurt. Put in the fridge to cool for half an hour, until the mixture begins to set. Meanwhile whip the cream and add to the yogurt mixture.

Cut now the cake in half, horizontally, and place the base in a cake ring (or a spring form without the removable base if you do not have a special cake ring). Put half of the melon balls we had reserved. Cover with half the yogurt cream. Put other half of the cake on top, press slightly and cover with the remaining cream smoothing the surface. Cover the ring or pan with plastic wrap and put it in the refrigerator to chill for about two hours. An hour before serving the cake, transfer to freezer and chill.

Before serving, make more balls with the remaining fruits (watermelon, kiwi) and decorate the cake.

CSI: Case #3 - The Perpetrated Recipe

Third case solved!
This time the case was quite clear, the perpetrated recipe was a pesto! However a wild one made with wild garlic and walnuts instead of pine nuts.

Victims

100 g wild garlic (or any edible plant like)

40 g peeled walnuts

2 cloves of garlic

150-175 ml olive oil

100 g grated Parmesan cheese

salt and pepper

Modus operandi

The wild garlic leaves were tortured by immersing them in plenty of water. After thoroughly drying them again, the leaves were quartered together with the cloves of garlic. All victims, except the oil and the cheese, were put in the mincer and crushed. Oil was added slowly and finally the grated Parmesan cheese.

CSI: Culinary Scene Investigation - Case #3

I just hope that my excellent CSI team of investigators hasn't go on vacation yet, as I need their precious help again! Criminality doesn't stop at the good weather, so now, in our third case, a recipe was again perpetrated.

This is how I found the crime scene. The first evidence points in one clear direction. However, remember that the crime scene is set in some place in Central Europe, so it may be difficult to identify some or one of the victims... specially after such a slaughter.

As usual, we'll have the discussion with your theories in the comment fields. Wish you a profitable investigation!

Báhn mì, French-Vietnamese sandwiches

It was time I tried a new place again, so today, seeing the real April weather we had, I woke up with the intention of putting an end to that situation. Although I already knew where I wanted to go, I took out my new-places-to-try list (which in my case is a Google map with lots of small stars) and made sure I got the right address: the Babanbè, in the central district of Mitte. I've read that the Babanbè served "French-Vietnamese sandwiches" and I was very curious.

It was in a Vietnamese restaurant, long time ago, that I learned that Vietnam had been a French colony (yeah, shame on my!). What made me curious was the interesting coffee list menu, which I found unusual for an Asian restaurant, so I started to dig into it and learned that due to that colonization, Vietnamese cuisine has now many reminiscences of French cuisine, like coffee, bakery and baguette sandwiches, better known as báhn mì.

After meticulously inspecting the chalkboard with the menu, I asked the girl behind the bar for the special sandwich and, without hesitation, she recommended me the BBQ PULLED PORK báhn mì. The pork sandwich it is, then!
The BBQ pulled pork stripes were just deliciously intense. Combined with chili peppers, pickled carrots and daikon, lots of cilantro, and the perfect amount of chili and lime mayonnaise it just made the perfect sandwich.

It had been a long time since I last tried something that would surprise me, so different in taste. I believe the Babanbè is the first place to serve Vietnamese báhn mì sandwiches in Berlin. So, if you happen to be in the area and want to try them, I recommend you order your sandwich with a lemongrass iced tea and finish with a Vietnamese coffee. I will definitely come back to try other tastes!

Babanbè, Tucholskystr. 18-20, 10117 Berlin-Mitte (map)

CSI: Case #2 - The Perpetrated Recipe

Second case solved!

And once again, the murderer (which we strongly think is a 'she') had left the crime scene with clear physical evidence.

Evidence nr. 1: the victim, a chicken
Evidence nr. 2: sweet and sour sauce, hot
Evidence nr. 3: sesame seeds
Evidence nr. 4: skewers

Victims

1 chicken breast

3 tbsp sweet and sour sauce

sesame seeds

salt and pepper

Crime weapon

skewers

Modus operandi

The chicken breast was dismembered into medium pieces which were seasoned with salt and pepper. Then put in a bowl and marinated with the sweet and sour sauce for at least a couple of hours in the fridge. When ready, they were put on skewers, three or four pieces in each skewer depending on the size. Finally, and before they were cooked in a pan with two tablespoons of oil (just enough to avoid sticking), the murderer dipped them into a plate with sesame seeds to cover them completely and fried them, turning each side each 2-3 minutes.

The motive: more than likely greediness. Until next CSI case!

CSI: Culinary Scene Investigation - Case #2

And again I´m in need of a competent team of investigators who can help me solve the second case of the series CSI: Culinary Scene Investigation.

In this occasion, and after having moved away the victim, this is how the crime scene looked like. Can you help me find the missing pieces that will solve the mystery of the perpetrated recipe? Just add you theories below in the comments section. We will try to close the case in a couple of days from now.

As a tribute to Sherlock, my favorite investigator.

CSI: Case #1 - The Perpetrated Recipe

After an exhaustive evaluation and analysis of the physical evidence found in the scene of the crime, these are the results.

The profile of the victims and the main murder weapon lead to one clear conclusion: the perpetrated recipe had to be some sort of a winter stew. This is our theory:

Victims

250 g cooked beets

1 medium pear

1/2 onion

500 ml vegetable stock

Modus operandi

The cooked beets, medium pear and onion were dismembered. The onion was briefly scalded in a pan with two spoons of hot oil, where the rest of the dismembered victims were added later, as well as the vegetable stock. All victims were drowned slowly, about 20 minutes over low heat. Finally, and to cover all possible tracks, the mixture was blended until it was a creamy soup. It was probably served with some grated cheese.

We strongly think that the murderer was hearing to this soundtrack while perpetrating the recipe.

CSI: Culinary Scene Investigation - Case #1

I´m looking for a competent team of investigators who would help me solve the first case of the new series CSI: Culinary Scene Investigation.

This is how I found the crime scene with some irrefutable evidence. Can you help me find the missing pieces that will solve the mystery of the perpetrated recipe? Just add you theories below in the comments section. We will try to close the case in a week.

As a tribute to Dexter, my favorite killer.

Stained Glass Cookies

Now, more than ever, it's cookie time!!! and these ones are just perfect for this time of the year. Not only do they look so amazing that you can decorate your Christmas tree or your windows with them, but they also taste good and are one hundred per cent biodegradable :D

Ingredients
(for about two baking trays)
250 g all-purpose flour
150 g sugar
125 g butter
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
una teaspoon ground cinnamon
a pinch of salt
hard candies in different colors

Directions

In a large bowl cream together softened butter and sugar. Add egg and mix until light and smooth, about 1 minute on medium speed if you use an electric mixer. Fold dry ingredients into wet mixture. Blend just until flour is incorporated. Form two balls with the dough, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least one hour.

Meanwhile we can prepare the candies. Remove any wrappers on candies and separate them by color. One way to crush the candies is puting them by colors into plastic bags and using a mallet. Another option is to put the candies in the oven (on a tray with waxed paper), at a medium-low temperature, until they are melted into flat discs. This way we can crack them easly by hand.

After the dough has cooled, place one ball between two large sheets of waxed paper and roll carefully to 5-6 mm (approx. 1/4-inch) thickness. Use cookie cutters to cut dough into desired shapes. Transfer cookies to prepared baking sheets, about 2.5 cm (1 inch) apart. Using a smaller cookie cutter or a knife, cut shapes into centers of cookies, reserving these center bits to add into extra dough. Follow the same procedure with the rest of the dough (or you can keep it in the refrigerator up to two days if you want to do the second batch of cookies later).

Use a spoon to sprinkle the crushed candy into the hollowed-out centers of the cookies, filling to the edges. Try to keep the candy within the centers as any candy specks that fall on the cookie will color the cookie. If cookies will be hung as ornaments or decorations, poke a small hole in the top of each cookie before baking.

Bake 9 to 10 minutes in pre-heat oven (190º C/375°F). The candy should be melted and bubbling and the cookies just barely beginning to brown. Remove baking sheets from oven and place on wire racks to cool. Allow cookies to cool on pans at least 10 minutes; otherwise, the candy centers may separate from the dough. When cookies are completely cooled, remove and store in an airtight container. String with ribbon if you want to hang as an ornament.

(Based on this recipe)

Love at first bite

One year now I've been meaning to do this recipe. Irrefutable proof that things cook slow in this kitchen. It was exactly a year ago when I tried this cake for the first time, it was on that Sunday morning in Hong Kong, when I met my friends V. and C.L. for yum cha (sorry, but I was dying to brag about it ;-). And guess what, I just checked the calendar and realized it was exactly October 18 when I arrived in Hong Kong. If that's not an amazing coincidence!

The taste of this cake makes you love it at the first bite. It is homey, comforting.

Turnip Cake (adapted from this recipe)

Ingredients

1 medium Chinese white turnip, about 500 g

2 cups rice flour

4 dried shiitake mushrooms

1 cup water

1 teaspoon Shaoxing rice cooking wine (I didn't have so I used brandy...oh happy day ;-)

1 teaspoon dark soy sauce

1 teaspoon salt

Directions

In a large heatproof bowl, combine the rice flour and 1 cup of water. Mix well until the mixture is smooth and velvety, and set aside. Soak the shiitake mushrooms with water for 10 to 15 minutes to soften. Once the shiitakes are done soaking, remove from water, dry and finely chop. Set aside.

Peel the turnip, slice into 2 cm thick slices, then cut slices into strips about 2 cm thick. Set aside.

Stir-fry mushrooms in a saucepan with 1 teaspoon oil and cook for about 3 minutes. Add the cooking wine (or brandy) and soy sauce and stir until the mushrooms are well-coated. Remove from heat and set aside. In the same saucepan toss in the turnip strips and stir-fry for a couple of minutes. Pour in 1 cup water, cover, and let the turnip steam for 10 to 15 minutes until just cooked. Pour the turnip mixture into the bowl with the rice flour mixture and mix thoroughly. Add the mushrooms and salt. Pour the resulting mixture into a round 18 cm springform pan and smooth out the top.

Fit the pan in a steamer with lid, and cook for 1 hour over medium heat, just until the turnip cake is set and is firm to the touch. Carefully remove the pan from the steamer and allow to cool on a rack for about 1 hour. Once cooled slice and pan fried to gold brown on both sides. Serve immediately plain or with oyster sauce, soy sauce, or chili sauce.

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Swedish Apple Tart

Germans care for coffee, good coffee. That is why the Kaffee & Kuchen time is so important in the traditional eating culture. The Kaffee & Kuchen is the German tea time par excellence. It is taken at 4 in the afternoon and must go with a nice piece of cake, if possible, homemade. Of course, nowadays most people don't have time during the week for such a break in the middle of the day, so that's why is left for the week-end.

My mother-in-law makes these awesome cakes, so every time we visit in Saxony, I come home with a new recipe. This time, it was a Swedish Apple Tart, made with the apples from the garden, of course. So delicious!

Ingredients

For the cake:

125 g sugar (50 g + 75 g)

75 g all-purpose flour
75 g cornstarch

25 g homemade vanilla sugar

1 teaspoons baking power
3 eggs (separated)

3 tablespoons lukewarm water

1 pinch of salt

For the filling:

100 g sugar

1 kg apples
1 envelope (100 g) vanilla pudding

250 g fresh mascarpone cheese

1 tablespoon chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat oven to 200 ° C. Whisk egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually add a pinch of salt and the 50 g of sugar, and whisk until stiff peaks form. In a separate bowl whisk together egg yolks, 75 g of sugar and the vanilla sugar. Whisk in 3 tablespoons of lukewarm water.
Now we add the egg whites to this mixture whisking one-third of whites into egg yolks mixture. Gently fold in remaining whites. Finally sift the flour, cornstarch and baking powder over the mixture. Fold the mixture keeping it fluffy. Butter a springform pan. Put mixture and bake until about 25 minutes.

Meanwhile peel and chop the apples into small pieces and mix them with 100 g of sugar. Prepare the vanilla pudding according to package directions. Add the chopped apples. Bring to boil and let simmer a few minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and let cool for 5-10 minutes.

Once it has cooled, cut it in two horizontal halves and extend a generous layer of mascarpone cheese. Put together the two halves and cover with the vanilla-apples mixture. Let cool a bit and put it later in the refrigerator to finish cooling (minimum 2 hours). Before serving the cake, decorate it with chocolate chips. Have a nice Kaffee und Kuchen!

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New York from the distance

About 6000 physical km and four weeks in time is the distance between New York and me now. But actually, New York is only one tenth of a second away. That is the time my head needs to walk down the streets again, enjoy the parks, taste exotic meals or watch the people. In five weeks there is plenty of time to do things, and now I do have the feeling that "I've lived" a little bit there. Don't misunderstand me, I'm not saying that pretentious thing to say about living like a local, because that would mean to pay the electricity bill, run any annoying bureaucratic errands or, should I have any, take the kids to school, to name some examples. And that, actually, I really didn't do it. However, I do have the feeling that I've seen a little bit the everyday pace of the city. I would come back right now to New York, but I think I would only like to live there if I were rich, extremely rich. I think I don't have the age, nor the energy, to keep time to the city. It is a fast city with a brutal speed. I've never seen before so many people so exhausted coming back home from work on the subway. Is that the reason while there seem to be so few old people in the city?

In that tenth of a second you can see Manhattan one more time from the distance of Staten Island, on the other side of the bay.

Or discover beautiful treasures like the Little Red Lighthouse under the Washington Bridge on the north tip of the island, after a great bike ride along the Hudson River.

You can enjoy again the romantic view from Queens.

Or walk down the streets of the Bronx and discover bakeries from past times in Little Italy. Like this one which turned out to be where the movie "Just desserts" was filmed, as a neighbor who was curiously watching me taking the picture told me afterwards (I do have an eye for film locations, haven't I? ;-).

One tenth of a second to see again the colors of Coney Island after a summer storm.

And of course, the slow hours in the parks, the only places in the city where you can escape a little bit from the scorching heat of the summer (without freezing under an air conditioning) and savor calmly one of the local treats.

But in the end... once New York, always New York. See you soon! :-)

New York and its street food trucks

As seen in so many movies, who hasn't dreamed once of eating a hot dog on the streets of New York? I do have, I must confess! If you've visited this blog at least a couple of times, you'd know by now that I'm quite fond of street food. This liking got worst last year when I was in Vancouver and discovered there the passion of North Americans for this art of eating.

Yesterday, the annual meeting Parked! took place on the South Street Seaport of Manhattan, an event where the best food trucks of the city gather. When you think of food trucks, you may think of hot dogs, hamburgers or pizza, well, that was before, now these trucks have specialized and offer some bites you would never dream of, or what would you say to a kimchi taco, a lobster roll, grilled cheese or a Taiwanese lunch box? See it for yourselves...

I will keep informing you from the streets of New York :-)

Summer in New York

I'm on the road again and this time I will be spending the next five weeks in New York, New York! Yesterday, on my very first day in Manhattan, I walked downtown to eat a knish, at the Knish Bakery Yonah Schimmel as seen on Woody Allen's "Whatever Works".

Summer in Berlin

This month I've been on a round the world trip, again. Only this time I took some company with me, my 12-year-old niece who visited me the last two weeks. Together we travelled to...

Colombia

Japan

Thailand

Palestine

Italy

...and of course, Berlin

How is your summer going?