My first Christmas cookies and my greetings for you!!!

My dear friends...with this post today I want to wish to all of you a very happy Christmas...I hope you will spend it with your loved ones. This year, after 10 years, we will be spending it with our families...and I'm so excited and happy!
On the last few days I've been quite busy decorating biscuit and baking.... It was the first time for me to decorate with the icing, well the result is not great but I can't really complain for the first time. I'm actually quite proud of my self, and if not beautiful they are at least delicious.
INGREDIENTS for 30 biscuit
For the shortcrust pastry
250g flour
150g butter
1 egg
50g sugar
1 tsp grounded cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
For the icing
1 small egg white
200g icing sugar
2/3 drops of lemon juice


Reduce the sugar to a fine powder (alternatively you can use icing sugar). With a food processor mix the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, sugar and butter until you get a mixture that resembles breadcrumbs. At this point add the egg to bind together the dough. Mix quickly.
Wrap the dough in cling film and chill for at least 30 minutes. Roll out the pastry to a 5mm thickness and cut the biscuits. Bake in a warm oven at 150º for 15/20 minutes.
Prepare the icing: In a bowl beat the the egg white with the lemon juice. Add the sifted icing sugar and mix until combined and smooth. Decorate the cookies as your imagination will suggest you!!
Merry Christmas everyone!!!!

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Lamb curry and polenta!!!

Plate from Churchill china

For the Italian version click here!!!
Hi everyone!!!! Finally I managed to cook something for Giulia's contest about polenta. I'm not a big fan of polenta to be honest, but accompanied with this delicious curry I have to say was very good!


INGREDIENTS:
300g diced lamb
200ml coconut milk
1/4 of an onion
2 tbs curry powder
1 tbs garam masala
grounded chili pepper
extra virgin olive oil
100g polenta powder
400ml water


Saute' the onion with a few tbs of extra virgin olive oil. When soft remove from pan and set aside.
Brown the lamb on both sides and set aside. In the same pan mix a splash of coconut milk with the grounded spices. Mix well. Add the meat, onions and the rest of coconut milk and cook for a few minutes until the lamb is well cooked.
In the meantime prepare the polenta. Heat up 400ml of water, add the polenta powder and keep stirring. Cook for about 8 minutes.


With this recipe I take part at Giulia's (love at first bite) contest.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Very quick bread....!!!!

My help is my kneading machine Clatronic KM3323

For the Italian version click here!!!
Hello everyone!!! 
Finally a bit of rest...the 3rd issue of open Kitchen Magazine is out...I'm so excited!!! And now I can finally relax, and enjoy the Christmas holidays....and maybe even cook something special! Long time ago I published the recipe for this very quick bread....but this time I've modify the recipe a bit, and I used my kneading machine. The result is definitely better!
INGREDIENTS:
250g flour
185g water
10g fresh yeast
1 tsp salt
1tsp barley malt


Simply put all the ingredients in the kneading machine bowl. Mix for a few minutes until you get a smooth but sticky dough. Cover the bowl wit cling film and leave to rise for 2 hours, or until doubled in size. Transfer the risen dough in a well floured surface, cut into 6 pieces. Be careful not to loose all the fermentation gases. Form small balls and transfer them in a oven paper lined tray. Let rest for 1 hour and then bake in a warm oven, at 200º for 20/30 minutes

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Linguine with sea urchin!

Plate from Churchill Chinaware

For the Italian version click here!!!
Brrrrrrrrrrr......it is so cold here in Paris...I'm not used anymore to these temperatures! 
But at least I've managed to go to the Christmas markets again...I love this time of year...all the Christmas lights.  One of my favourite dishes in winter is pasta with sea urchin. Unfortunately in Rome is very difficult to find them, maybe it is better or I would eat them everyday. Last week my husband went to Palermo, in Sicily, and had the chance to buy them. He cook this delicious pasta dish...it's a shame I didn't manage to get a nice picture but I couldn't wait, I had to eat quickly.

INGREDIENTS for 2
190g of linguine
1 plastic cup full of sea urchin
2 garlic cloves
chopped parsley
extra virgin olive oil


Cook the pasta in salted boiling water. Drain it 1 or 2 minutes before the end of the cooking time. In a a large frying pan heat up some olive oil with the garlic cloves. When golden brown remove them. Drain the pasta and transfer it in the pan with 2 or 3 ladles of the cooking water. Mix quickly over high heat, add the chopped parsley and 3 tablespoons of the sea urchin (be careful no to cook them). Mix well and serve immediately on a hot plate. Top with some more sea urchin.
Enjoy!!!!

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Afternoon tea!!! My first scones!!!

Cup and plate Green Gate

For the Italian version click here!!!
Hello everyone!!!!

During the years spent in England I have learnt to love british food. One of the traditions I love the most is The Afternoon Tea. At the beginning I used to drink only tea with lemon...and I didn’t know anything about clotted cream.Ho for years I missed on something absolutely delicious. Clotted cream is on the the things I have ever tasted...yeah not really light But I do understand now that is a MUST with scones.

A few weeks ago I bought it in London so I baked for the first time some scones for a delicious Afternoon cream tea.

INGREDIENTS:

220g self raising flour (I used Molino Chiavazza)

a pinch of salt

50g butter

25g sugar

150g milk

1 egg to glaze

Served with:

clotted cream

apricot jam (I used extra organic jam Casa Barone)

In a bowl mix the flour and salt. Rub in the butter, as you would when preparing a classic shortcrust pastry. Add the sugar and milk to get a soft dough. Knead very quickly the dough in a floured work top. Roll out the dough into a 2 cm thickness. Use a 4/5 cm cutter to form disks. Place them on a baking tray lined with oven paper. Brush the tops of the scones with the egg beaten with some milk. Bake in a warm oven at 200º for 10/15 minutes.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad