Monday, May 31, 2010

~Cooking Channel Week-End

I'm spending the long week-end on the couch with my 17 yrs. cat that has an ear infection. So far we like the Cooking Channel. Found a few more shows that look like they might become new faves. (along with the 2 I mentioned before.)

FoodCrafters with Host Aida Mollenkamp is on a mission: to discover and celebrate the absolute masters in independent food production around the USA. These are FoodCrafters, award-winning makers of gourmet cheeses, chocolates, bread and a thousand other delicacies. Rock stars in the foodie world, they're obsessed, compulsive entrepreneurs with a single focused passion: to create the ultimate flavors and tastes. Going behind the counter, Aida rolls up her sleeves and digs in, revealing both how these signature treats are made and what it took to bring them to the table. For anyone who ever cheered on the little guy, FoodCrafters is a behind-the-scenes look at how these food entrepreneurs turned the American Dream into a tasty one. Check out this San Francisco chef.

Vanilla Cherry Chocolate Cookies

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
2 large eggs, at room temperature
8 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup coarsely chopped dried sweet cherries



Dolce Vita David is not a chef. He's Italian! Canadian-born David Rocco immerses himself in the charm and beauty of Tuscan life as he visits local markets and prepares authentic, easy-to-learn classic Italian dishes. Inspired by "cucina povera," or peasant cuisine, which is at the heart of Italian cooking, David makes dishes using simple, fresh, seasonal ingredients that any home chef can do anywhere.


250g 70% bittersweet dark chocolate (9oz)
90g sugar (3oz)
90g all-purpose flour (3oz)
1/2 cup of milk (180ml)
5 eggs, yolks and whites separated
30g unsalted butter (1oz)

To start your Soufle al Cioccolato:

Melt chocolate in a bain-marie/double boiler.

Whip egg whites with 1/2 of the sugar until fluffy. Add remaining sugar to egg yolks and whisk well.

Remove melted chocolate from heat. Let cool for a couple of minutes. Combine chocolate with cold milk in a mixing bowl to decrease temperature further. Add egg yolk mixture and continue whisking.

Slowly add flour to the chocolate mixture while whisking. Fold in whipped egg whites until consistency is even and smooth.

Butter 8 baking ramekins and pour in chocolate mixture. Let rest in freezer for two hours.

Bake in preheated oven at 360 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius) for 8 minutes. Serve immediately.

Yield: 8 servings

Indian Food Made Easy Food writer and chef Anjum Anand is passionate about Indian cooking, and she is on a mission to show exactly how simple it is to cook delicious, healthy Indian food at home.

Strawberry Lassi

1 lb fresh strawberries, trimmed and halved (3 1/2 cups)
1/2 cup sugar
Rounded 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
2 cups plain yogurt (whole-milk or low-fat)
1 cup ice cubes

Rachel Allen's Bake!

Baking is back! From cupcakes to casseroles and brownies to bread, sweet and savory baked treats get the Rachel Allen treatment: a showcase of distinctive recipes, tips and techniques demonstrated in easy fashion by a passionate cook. Rachel matches classic techniques with a modern touch and travels among baking artisans to learn their craft, sharing her delicious step-by-step findings in every episode.

Chocolate and hazelnut caramel bars

IngredientsFor the chocolate base
•200g/7oz butter

•50g/2oz cocoa powder

•300g/11oz caster sugar

•2 free range eggs, beaten

•225g/8oz plain flour

For the hazelnut caramel layer
•125g/4½oz butter

•1 x 397g/14oz tin condensed milk

•2 tbsp golden syrup

•75g/3oz caster sugar

•125g/4½oz toasted and halved hazelnuts

For the chocolate topping
•200g/7oz dark chocolate, chopped

•1 tbsp sunflower or vegetable oil

Sunday, May 30, 2010

~Cooking Channel

Starting tomorrow Tucson is getting the Cooking Channel. Some of you may already have it. There are 2 shows I'm looking followed to watching. French cooking at home with Laura Calder & Rachel Allen. In truth I don't cook much. I'm more of a baking kinda gal. But, I love watching cooking shows. As my friend says"letting the inner fat girl out to play." So those of you out there who already have this channel let me know what shows you enjoy watching.

Recipe by Laura Calder from French Food At Home


* 1.5cup/185 g Flour
* ½ teaspoon Salt
* 3 Eggs
* 1 cup/250ml Milk
* 2 teaspoons Sugar only for dessert crepes
* 2 tablespoons melted Butter
* Water, as needed


* 0.25cup/60 g Butter
* 2/3cup/140 g Sugar
* 4 Apples peeled, cored, and cut into eighths
* Lemon Juice to taste


1. Put the flour in a bowl and make a well.
2. Put the salt, eggs, milk and sugar (if using) in the well.
3. Stir to mix, then gradually pull in flour and get rid of any lumps.
4. Strain the batter if you want it extra smooth, then stir in the butter.
5. Let rest 1 to 2 hours before frying.
6. Thin out the batter with water to the consistency of light cream.
7. Heat a crêpe pan over high heat.
8. Brush melted clarified butter or oil onto the pan (unless it's no-stick, in which case you need none).
9. Ladle 1 to 2 tablespoons batter onto the pan and tip it quickly to cover the bottom.
10. If you have too much batter, pour some off. (Crêpes should be paper thin.)
11. When the edges are brown, flip and finish the other side.
12. Stack the crêpes and warm while you finishing cooking the rest.


1. Melt the butter in a saute pan.
2. Add the sugar and cook to dissolve to caramel.
3. Add the apple slices and cook in the caramel until soft and dark.
4. Add a squirt of lemon juice to taste.


1. Sprinkle sugar all over a hot crepe (hot, so that it will melt a little) and grate over lemon zest.
2. Roll up the crepe and pop it down the hatch.

Rachel's Date Bread and Butter Pudding with Boozy Toffee Sauce

4 tablespoons Kerrygold Butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
10 slices good-quality white bread, crusts removed
7 ounces (about 1 cup) pitted dates, chopped
1 1/2 cups cream
2/3 cup milk
3 eggs
3 ounces (about 1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons) superfine sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon light brown sugar for sprinkling
Boozy Toffee Sauce (recipe follows)
Softly whipped cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter the bread, leaving 4 slices whole and cutting the remaining 6 slices in half to make triangles. Grease the sides and base of an 8-inch square baking dish. Place the 4 whole slices of bread buttered side up on the base of the ovenproof dish, then sprinkle the chopped dates over the top. Arrange the triangles of bread buttered side up on top to cover the dates.

Heat the cream and milk in a saucepan almost to the boil. While it heats up, whisk the eggs, sugar and vanilla in a heatproof bowl, then pour the very hot milk and cream on top, whisking as you pour. Pour this custard over the bread, and allow to soak for 20 minutes. Sprinkle brown sugar over bread. Place the baking dish in a large roasting pan and carefully pour in enough hot water into the roasting pan to come halfway up the sides of the baking dish. Bake in the oven for 50 minutes to 1 hour or until the top is golden and the center just set. Serve with Boozy Toffee Sauce and some softly whipped cream.

Boozy Toffee Sauce
8 tablespoons Kerrygold Butter
8 ounces (about 1 1/4 cups) light brown sugar (or half brown and half superfine sugar)
1 cup cream
1/4 cup brandy
1/4 cup sweet sherry

Place the butter, sugar and cream in a saucepan and bring to the boil, stirring all the time. Boil for 4 minutes or until the sauce has thickened. Remove the pan from the heat, allow to cool for 1 minute, then add the brandy and sherry. Makes 1 3/4 cups.

Rachel?s Baking Tips: Try and find large, plump Medjool dates for this recipe. This recipe can be made a day ahead and then re-heated in the oven at 350 degrees F, for 8 to 10 minutes or until hot in the center.

Saturday, May 29, 2010

~Amy Adams Quote

"Find out who you are and embrace it. It is so much easier to face criticism when you are comfortable in your own skin. Never let anyone or anything stop you unless it is you. "
~Amy Adams

Friday, May 28, 2010

~ Classic Hollywood Inspired Furniture

Check out these Hollywood inspired furniture by Angleo Home...
~Audrey Hepburn

~The Hepburn

~Spencer Tracy

~The Spencer

~Joan Crawford

~The Crawford

~Betty Davis

~The Davis

~Humphrey Bogart

~The Bogart

~Greta Garbo

~The Garbo

~Cary Grant

~The Grant

Jean Harlow~

The Harlow~

Thursday, May 27, 2010

~1940's Fashion Flash Back

I have always love the fashion that came out in the 40's. Watching this week-ends movie made me wonder if I could still find pieces to recreate the looks in the film. I also wanted to feature my favorite color. So here is my attempt. All looks are still available as of right now so check them out.

HASKELL aqua glass beads

Aqua leather clutch, with feathers, swarovski and turquoise detail

greendragonladyvintage's etsy


Seychelles Marguerite Heel

~Pearl Harbor...Week-End

Happy Memorial Day Week-End to you all. Hope everyone has some fun stuff planned. Well I bring you MD themed movie. Pearl Harbor. Enjoy and have a great week-end!
The classic story of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor is told through the eyes of two boyhood friends, now serving as officers in the Army Air Corps. Rafe is an energetic young pilot who is selected to fly with the British in Europe while America is still not at war. After Rafe is shot down and presumed killed, however, Danny comforts Rafe's former lover, Evelyn, and the two draw closer. But, when Rafe turns up alive, the two former friends become enemies, and it is through the turmoil of Pearl Harbor that the two may reconcile their differences.

Enjoy with "Pear Harbor Pineapple Up-side Down cupcakes"
1 dozen jumbo cupcakes
Change to: dozen jumbo cupcakes


* 6 tablespoons butter, cubed
* 1 cup packed light brown sugar
* 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
* 1 small pineapple, peeled, cored and cut into 1/2 inch slices
* 12 maraschino cherries, well drained
* 3 eggs
* 2 cups sugar
* 1 cup vegetable oil
* 1 cup sour cream
* 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
* 2 1/2 cups flour
* 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* whipped topping (optional)



Line greased jumbo muffin cups with waxed paper; grease the paper and set aside.

In a small saucepan, melt butter over low heat; stir in brown sugar and corn syrup.

Cook and stir over medium heat until sugar is dissolved.

Remove from the heat.

Spoon 1 T. into each muffin cup; top each with a pineapple slice and a cherry.

In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs and sugar until thickened and lemon colored.

Beat in the oil, sour cream, and vanilla until smooth.

Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

Add to egg mixture; mix well.

Fill muffin cups two-thirds full.

Bake at 350 for 28-32 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Cool for 5 minutes before inverting onto wire racks to cool completely.

Garnish with whipped topping if desired.

Sunday, May 23, 2010

~The Juliet Club

"There is no world without Verona walls...
Heaven is here, where Juliet lives." ~Shakespeare

The Juliet club is a voluntary association. It has been active for many years, promoting the legend of Romeo and Juliet and the image of Verona, handling Juliet's correspondence and organizing some cultural events.
Juliet's secretaries reply to thousands of letters pouring in from everywhere. They offer advice and support or they just listen to all those who feel the need to talk about love. Juliet's powerful guidance is a bridge spanning over all geographic and cultural distances. ~Write your letter here~.

The Club di Giulietta, our Verona-based organization that answers the thousands of letters addressed each year to Shakespeare´s most romantic heroine, awards the "Cara Giulietta" ("Dear Juliet") prize on Valentine´s Day to the most compelling letters received during the previous year.

The "Dear Juliet" prize recognizes the spontaneity of the writers who turn to Juliet to express their feelings, ask for advice or simply feel closer to this universal symbol of eternal love.

It has now become a famous event that has brought to Verona artists and stars such as Andrea Bocelli, Franco Zeffirelli, Giulietta Masina, Carla Fracci, Leonard Whiting.

The city of Verona celebrates every year, on September 16, the birthday of its famous heroine.

The date is based on the "novella" by Luigi Da Porto (1531), the first writer who told the story of Romeo and Juliet. He was a captain in the service of the Venetian Republic and he claimed that one of his bowmen, named Pellegrino da Verona, told him the true story of two unfortunate young lovers who had lived at the beginning of the 14th century and belonged to two rival families, the Capulets and the Montagues.

His novel inspired a lot of other European writers, until it reached the peak of artistic expression in Shakespeare´s "Romeo and Juliet" (1596).
The "Writing for Love" Literary Prize is an international prize awarded to a book on the theme of love.

The winner is chosen by a jury of experts among a selection of novels about love, published during the previous year.

The prize-awarding ceremony takes place in June at the Accademia di Agricoltura Scienze e Lettere, Via Leoncino 6, Verona