0 Happy Birthday Nathy

I dedicate this segment to my favorite South American! You are gorgeous and I love you…
I jumped at the opportunity this weekend to make Nathy a birthday cake. Since it HAD to have Dulce de Leche and it’s about 5000 degrees outside, I decided to make a delicious, frozen mousse cake.
In my head, there are 2 types of mousse desserts -frozen (or semi-frozen parfaits) and gelatin based. Both of these types are excellent choices for desserts prepared in advanced (especially the frozen one!).
Here are some facts you need to know when choosing your mousse desserts.
Eggs- Many mousse recipes contain raw eggs. I have gotten into the habit of using these recipes less, but have to admit that they are the more delicious and fluffy ones. People tend to be justifiably frightened of catching Salmonella from raw eggs, although such cases have been rare. I have added at note at the end of this posting about how to handle raw eggs (and keep them raw) for mousses.
Gelatine- I think I was over 35 when I finally learnt how to use gelatin properly in cooking and baking. Since receiving simple instructions from a baker, I have never found a single lump of gelatin in any of my mousses. It’s simpler than it looks. Delia Smith gives a very detailed and easy to follow explanation: How to Melt Gelatine.
Equipment – My (baking) life has changed since discovering transparency strips. For any cold cake that I make, I line the sides of a ring with strips of transparency paper (I use a drop of oil to make them stick to the side of the pan), line the bottom with the chosen base and then pour in my mousse. After freezing or solidifying, when the pan is removed, the transparency paper can be easily peeled away. If you do not have access to a specialised baking store, you can go down to your local newsagent, buy a handful of transparency paper like the type we saw at school and uni and cut that into 2 lengthwise.
I have also learnt to use a baking ring instead of a spring-form pan. And note that the law of baking states that spring-form pans are for baking sponge cakes only!!! Cheesecakes, meringues and mousse cakes require another type of love. So when I use a baking ring, I place it directly on the dish the cake will be served on, I line the sides with my transparency strips and do my moussing…
So before I part with recipes, I need to state a common-sense point. Mousse cakes and desserts are soft, so obviously they need to always be supported by an edible base (cooked or raw). In the case of desserts, place in a dessert dish or a chocolate cup.
So for Nathy’s cake, I made a raw base topped with a tri-layered mousse sensation containing her 3 favorite flavors – dark chocolate, dulce del leche and white chocolate.
Whilst on the subject of mousse, I am including one of the desserts I made for my sister’s 30th cocktail party back in April: Chocolate-Strawberry Shots.
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Triple Layered Mousse Cake

Source: based on Kerin Goren’s Sweet Secrets

Makes a 22cm diameter cake

For Base

200g crushed walnuts

3 Tbsp sifted cocoa

100g icing sugar

100g melted butter

For Dark Chocolate Layer

400ml cream

200g dark chocolate

For Dark Dulce de Leche Layer

250ml cream

80g mascarpone

4 Tbsp Dulce de Leche

For White Chocolate Layer

400ml cream

200g white chocolate

Line a 22cm ring with transparency strips. Place the ring on the cake serving dish.

Mix the base ingredients and pat down tightly to line the bottom of the cake pan.

To make both chocolate mousse layers, for each mousse place the cream in a pot and heat until almost at boiling point. Remove from heat and break the chocolate into pieces and mix into the hot cream. In a few seconds the chocolates should have each melted in their cream. Chill in for a few hours.

Note, make the dulce de leche mousse just before layering it. To make it, whip the cream and mascarpone together until thickened. Add dulce de leche and mix until combined.

To layer the cake, place the chilled chocolate mixture in a mixing bowl and whip until thickened. Spread evenly on top of base and freeze for 45 minutes or until firm. Repeat this step with each mousse. Freeze.

If you want to decorate the cake, add decoration to the top layer before returning to the freezer.

To serve cake, remove from freezer and refrigerate 30 minutes before cutting and serving.

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Orly’s Chocolate-Strawberry Shots

Source: My own (for Orly xoxo)

Makes approximately 12-15 medium serves

2 punnets strawberries, puréed

1 Tbsp gelatin mixed with 4 Tbsp water

½ cup sugar

250ml Crème Fraiche

250ml cream, whipped

1 tsp vanilla

1 Tbsp Crème de Cassis

12-15 single serving sized chocolate shells, or 40-50 shot size chocolate shells.

In a mixer, mix together strawberries, sugar, alcohol, vanilla and Crème Fraiche until combined. Add dissolved gelatin and fold in whipped cream.

Using a piping bag, fill the chocolate cups. Note that a piping bag is the most convenient tool for this job as you can pinch the pouring end to control the overflow of mousse coming out.

Refrigerate for 1 hour and decorate with cut strawberries or chocolate. Refrigerate a further few hours until firm.


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**Tips about eggs

Egg Yolks
In a saucepan, stir together the egg yolks and liquid from the recipe (at least 2 Tbsp liquid per yolk). Cook over very low heat, stirring constantly, until the yolk mixture coats a metal spoon with a thin film, bubbles at the edges or reaches 65C. Immediately place the saucepan in ice water and stir until the yolk mixture is cool. Proceed with the recipe.
Egg Whites
In a saucepan, the top of a double boiler or a metal bowl placed over water in a saucepan, stir together the egg whites and sugar from the recipe (at least 2 Tbsp sugar per egg white), water (1 tsp per white) and cream of tartar (1/8 tsp per each 2 whites). Cook over low heat or simmering water, beating constantly with a portable mixer at low speed, until the whites reach 65C. Pour into a large bowl. Beat on high speed until the whites stand in soft peaks. Proceed with the recipe.

2 Festival of Cheese

A few weeks ago we celebrated Shavuot (something to do with the season of the grain harvest). Although we harvested no grain, we kept tradition by eating dairy-based dishes. We happily gathered friends and loved ones at our home... We filled up the kiddie pool, mowed the lawn, bought out the dairy section of the deli and began our eating fest.

Cheesecakes can often be found in my deep-freezer. I never make just one. I often will make 3 or 4 cakes, chill them in the fridge, wrap well and freeze for a rainy day (a sunny one will also do). So whenever we get an impromptu invitation to friends or guests give us short notice of arrival, guess what gets slipped out of the ice box?...

So, as cheesecake is a well known repertoire in our household, I decided this holiday to be a little different. So I made a cold caramel sour cream crumble, and yes, it was appreciated. Naturally, the festival of cheese cannot pass without my grandmother's rum raisin cheese blinches (cheese filled crepes). To balance out the sugar and accompany the cheeses, I threw in a salad (with cheese!) and some goat cheese paté layered on red pepper coulis.

Friends dropped by with some fresh bread, kids, and some good German beer, and so began our long day of festivities.

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Goat Cheese Paté with Red Pepper Coulis

Source: my own

For Paté

100g goat cheese Feta

100g goat cheese Camembert

50g butter, softened

50g spreadable goat cheese.

100g grated aged goats cheese (to taste)

For coating: finally chopped chives, whole toasted sesames (or black sesames), toasted crushed hazelnuts (or another type, if preferred)

For Coulis

3 red peppers

1 Tbsp olive oil

2 tsp red wine vinegar

Salt and pepper to taste

To make coulis, roast and peel the peppers and when chilled puree with remaining coulis ingredients. This will store for a few days in the fridge if well sealed.

To make pate balls, blend all ingredients in a food processor and place in the fridge to harden to a workable consistency. When hardened, roll into balls and immediately coat. Store in a container until serving.

To assemble, spoon coulis on the serving platter and place pate balls on top.


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Gorgonzola and Roasted Beet Salad

Source: my own

This is a very impressive summer salad, although it can easily be made into a Sunday winter brunch salad by changing the fruit.

For Salad

Serves 6

6 fistfuls of mixed lettuce and young salad greens

1 medium red onion, halved lengthwise and finely sliced lengthwise

2 large beets cut into 8 slices lengthwise

1 ½ cups crumbled gorgonzola

4 quartered fresh figs, 15 blackberries or 8 halved medium strawberries

A handful of halved sugared pecans

For dressing

Mix 3 tablespoons olive oil with 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar until blended

To prepare beets, toss in olive oil and sprinkle with coarse salt. Bake in a moderate for about 45 minutes or until they are baked through.

To assemble salad, mix greens and onion and dress. Add salt and pepper to taste. Place in a serving dish and arrange remaining ingredients on top. Serve immediately.


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Cold Caramel Sour Cream Crumble

Source: Based on a cake by Dudu Outmezgine

Ingredients for a 26cm round cake or 3 medium loaf pans.

For cake base and crumble:

350g self raising flour

200g butter, softened

¾ cups sugar

1 tsp vanilla (or the content of 1 vanilla bean)

2 eggs

For Filling:

300g butter

2 eggs, separated

¾ cups powdered sugar

4 heaped tablespoons dulce de leche (see notes)

600g sour cream

Preheat oven to 180C. Using your fingers, crumble together all ingredients for cake base.

To make base, place ¾ of the dough mixture in the cake pan. Using your hand or the bottom of a mug, press the crumbles together until tightly packed on the floor of the pan.

Crumble the remaining dough loosely into a separate baking pan.

Place both pans in the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes until golden. Chill.

While chilling, prepare the filling (accidental poetry!):

Whip butter and ½ cup sugar until light and fluffy, add yolks and continue beating until uniform. Add dulce de leche and and sour cream and set aside when all is mixed through.

Whip up egg whites with remaining powdered sugar until stiff. Fold into cheese mixture.

To assemble, line the side of a pan with transparency paper (this is not a must, but will help with removing the side of the spring form pan. Pour cheese filling on top of the chilled base.

Take the remaining baked crumbled dough and sprinkle evenly on top of the cheese filling. Freeze.

Remove from freezer into fridge 2 hours before serving.
Note: Dulce de Leche is a term for caramel in Argentina. You can buy it in specialized food stores, or you can make it at home. See Make Dulce de Leche.


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0 Woodfire Ovens

When my husband and I started dating he had the (not so wrong) impression he was about to build a life with a complete princess …. Yes, I love the finer things in life (and most of the time expect them), but hey, if you don’t aim high, then what can you expect out of life??? One thing that surprised him was an item on my list of “Things I Must Own This Lifetime”. I think he was afraid to find jewelry, cars and mansions... But alas, no. The item high on my list that made him blink hard was my dream of owning a wood fire oven… Oh, how I want it - I envision this rustic backyard centerpiece in its permanent spot in my garden, kids running around, friends drinking champagne and eating salads whilst waiting for the next batch of wood scented bakes to pop out of my very own loved garden construction…
So why a wood fire oven? Well, the answer is PASTRY. I am obsessed with pastry. I love the fiddling and the details, kneading the dough and watching it do what I say. Baked, boiled, fried, you name it. I’ve made it, am making it, have drawers full of it in the deep freezer and will soon be making more. I especially love yeast based pastries. With time, I would love to gather my thoughts and recipes on some fabulous cakes I have learnt to make over the years. Israel has been good for that!!
Anyone that appreciates a good pizza will tell you that there is nothing more delicious than a pizza baked in a wood fire oven. Besides the deliciousness, it’s the quickest way to bake your pizza. Five minutes and its all ready.

Homemade pizza is always a winner in our home. Of course we love it for the taste, but we love it more for the bonding experience. Gather a few kids around, show them how to stretch the dough, give them bowls of toppings and watch the entertainment… Even the adults want to join in.

I’m not one to sit around and wait, so for many years I have made pizza in my home oven on a stone oven shelf. If you plan to make pizzas in the oven, do yourselves a favor and get one. I have heard of people using unglazed terracotta tiles (buy them in a hardware shop). Make sure they are untreated though! If you are already buying a stone, get a wooden pizza shovel. It is cheap and easy to store – it will also save you many burns.
OK, only you can decide what flavors make up a good pizza: if you like fresh or roasted, little or no cheese, meats, herbs etc. What cannot be overlooked is a good dough. This dough will be based on glutinous (or hard) flour and fresh yeast – you can use regular plain flour and add a teaspoon of gluten to every kilo used (you can buy gluten substitute from health food shops). I also believe that nothing beats a fresh batch of tomato sauce for the topping.
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Basic Pizza Dough

(enough for 10 medium sized pizzas)

Source: My own, based on a million recipes I have seen.

Note: Pizza is baked at the highest temperature you oven will allow.

750g glutinous flour + 170g durum flour + 80g potato flour (yes, you can just use 1kg hard flour)

25g fresh yeast

3 Tbsp sugar

1 Tbsp salt

50ml olive oil (use the good stuff)

Approximately 600mls water at room temperature

Coarse cornmeal for sprinkling

Knead the above ingredients together for about 10 minutes until dough is soft, aromatic and stretchy. Cut into balls weighing approximately 120g each and rest on a tray sprinkled with Durum flour (so they don’t stick to the tray). Cover with loosely fitting cling wrap and let them rest for a while.

NOTE: Make sure the room is not too hot or they will balloon in 10 minutes. If you want to freeze some portions, place each ball in a plastic bag and freeze. Defrost in the fridge when using and let it rise after it has defrosted.

When you are ready to make your pizza, sprinkle Durum wheat on the counter top and roll out your dough to fit the size of your oven shelf. Sprinkle some coarse corn meal on your pizza shovel and arrange dough on top. Stab some holes into your dough, brush with olive oil or tomato sauce and top.

Bake until your topping is bubbling and the sides look crispy!


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Basic Tomato Sauce

Source: Oren Giron.

800g fresh tomatoes

3 cloves garlic

Leaves of 1 bunch basil

1 Tbsp fresh oregano leaves

Salt and pepper to taste

Blend all ingredients in your food processor until smooth and voila, it is ready to use!


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For our wedding anniversary this year, my husband Eran took me to a gathering of wood fire oven lovers (yes, I have allies). I walked away with some fabulous ideas for toppings. Using the basic dough recipe I included in this article, you can use one of the following toppings to make some unusual and delicious home pizzas. I would like to share with you some great recipes I have recreated from my adventures at the home of the wonderful Dror Piltz:
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Topping 1: Spinach and Goat Cheese

(enough for 4 pizzas approximately)

1/2 kg washed and chopped spinach leaves

1 onion finely chopped

Juice from 1 lemon

2 Tbsp olive oil

Coarse salt and pepper to taste

Semi hard goat cheese, grated

Mix all ingredients (but the cheese) in a bowl and let it rest for an hour or so. After rolling out the dough, brush well with olive oil and using your hands, gently drain the spinach mixture and place on top of the dough. Place goat cheese slices on top and bake away… To die for


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Topping 2: Tuna, Capers and Preserved Lemons

(enough for 4 pizzas approximately)

350g tinned tuna (preserved in oil, of course – otherwise where’s the fun?)

1 finely chopped white onion

2 cups of chopped parsley

4 Tbsp finally chopped capers

2 Tbsp + of finally chopped preserved lemons (to taste)

Coarse salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. After rolling out the dough, brush well with olive oil spread tuna mixture on dough. Bake until ready.

*** If you want to know how to make lemon preserve (dead easy!) ask in the comments section and you shall receive

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Topping 3: Lamb

(enough for 4 pizzas approximately)

300g lamb mince

Baharat spice mix to taste (see recipe in BBQs article) or a little cinnamon and a pinch cardamom

1 chopped onion

1 cup finely chopped parsley

Mix ingredients in a bowl. After rolling out the dough, brush well with olive oil spread tuna mixture on dough. Bake until ready.

This can be served with a dollop of sheep’s milk tzaziki or beetroot tehina sauce (see recipe in BBQs article).

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Bon Appétit!!

0 BBQs and Brownies

I think the BBQ must bring up nostalgic memories for most people. It does for me anyway. I have early memories for my dad turning Filet Mignons down at the Golden Sheaf in Double Bay when I was a kid. Family gatherings in the backyard by the pool were never without a sacrificial lunch of anything beef, lamb or chicken. And salads, always salads.

As we got older, we inherited the BBQ utensils and started to entertain friends in summer: Australia Day, weekend feast, mid-week dinner… you name it.

These days we do it with our kids. It’s an excuse to gather and celebrate anything, allowing us girls to pass an endless number of emails organizing who will bring what salad and dessert, while letting the boys agree if to bring meat and alcohol to suffice for 300 or 400 people (and yes, we eat it all).
While the girls catch up on all things gossip, the kids run around the grass and the men hoard over the BBQ, increasing the concentration of testosterone in the air while lighting up the coal and cooking up our meat to perfection!
Recently we celebrated my brother-in-law’s birthday. Although it was only 2 weeks since my last BBQ (love summer!) I was happy to contribute my favorite things.
Besides the meat and salads, I think people need to think carefully about the sweets they bring to BBQs, especially if they are held at the beach or the park. It’s very nice to take the time to make a cake or cut up some fruit salad, but unfortunately by the time people have digested the meat and regain the feeling in their legs from the beer and wine, with some help from the heat, the cake looks like it has taken a dive from the 11th floor of a building. To be practical in these situations I try to bring bite-size desserts that don’t need refrigeration. So this time I baked brownies and delicious they did turn out!
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Brownies

Source: My own, based on a million recipes I have seen.

This batch makes about 40 small brownies in a Lamington pan.
300g dark coverture chocolate (preferably 70% cacao solids), coarsely chopped
250g unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
1 tsp ground coffee powder
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1 1/4 cups plain flour
1 tsp salt
2 Tbsp cocoa powder
5 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup milk chocolate chips
¾ cup roughly chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 180C.
Over a Bain Marie, melt together chocolate, butter, coffee and sugars. Remove just before lumps disappear and mix with a hand whisk until combined. This method speeds up the cooling process. Add the vanilla essence to the mixture

Sift together dry ingredients to remove any lumps. Fold dry mixture into the wet mixture.
Add one egg at a time and mix well.

Finally fold in chocolate chips and nuts.

Pour into a paper lined tin and bake in the centre of the oven for about 30 minutes. Rotate half way through the baking if necessary.

Cool completely, and then cut into squares. Dust with powdered sugar if desired.
To pack in a box, line the bottom of a plastic container with baking paper, place brownies with about 2mm space in between. For multiple layers, separate layers with baking paper.


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Now that dessert is out of the way, I want to write about the main course… Including a bunch of meat loving Argentinians in the crowd ensured some good steaks and sausages and sausages were had. I contributed my regular donation to all BBQs- Cinnamon Scented Lamb Kebabs, a couple of salads and tehina (a.k.a tahini, sesame paste, white sauce, etc etc). I am a lover of tehina. To me a good lunch can consist of a finally chopped salad mixed with quinoa and topped with a dollop of green tehina…mmm. I think the secret is to use a good authentic whole-sesame paste and the rest is a matter of adding a little more of this and that. So, to make the BBQ more colourful, I made my Tehina Trois Couleur (sounds much fancier in French).

Before I part with my kebab recipe, I need to state that the secret in a good kebab lies in 2 things: good fatty meat (sorry girls, but otherwise it sticks to the BBQ), and a good spice blend.
Baharat spice blend has been one of my life-altering discoveries in Israel. It is a blend of spices I believe originated in Iraq (although everyone has a different version to the story). I fell in love with its aroma at the Lewinsky market in South Tel Aviv. It has a rich spicy and cinnamony fragrance, and has accompanied many of my dishes over the past few years. You can make the blend at home and store it in a spice cupboard to use in your meat (especially lamb) dishes.

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Cinnamon Scented Lamb Kebabs

Source: My own, based on my chats with the guy who works in Hinawi in Jaffa and many more.

**This recipe is enough for 40 kebabs so I suggest you stock yourselves with 40 medium thickness sticks of cinnamon soaked in water for 30 minutes.

1kg fatty lamb meat

1 large onion

3 cloves garlic

1 ½ cups parsley

1 ½ cups coriander

2 Tbsp Baharat (see recipe below)

1 cup toasted pine nuts

To make Baharat: Mix 5 tsp allspice with 1 tsp each of cardamom, ground cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg (it is optional to add ½ tsp of ground dried rose petals).

To make the kebabs, mince all ingredients together. If you do not have access to a mincer, use a food processor to blend all ingredients but meat and pine nuts. When blended, mix with meat. 

Wrap portions of meat around each cinnamon stick, leaving 1cm of cinnamon stick poking out. 

Soaking in water will stop the sticks from burning on the BBQ.


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Tehina Trois Couleur 

Source: My own, based on a million recipes I have seen.

To make basic tehina, in a small food processor (or Magic Bullet), mix:

250g sesame paste

½ cup lemon juice
3 garlic cloves
¼ cup water (or more, depends on the thickness of the paste)
½ tsp salt

To make green tehina, add 1 cup of tightly packed green herbs – I use chives, parsley and coriander.
To make red tehina, add 2 peeled roasted peppers and 1 ½ tsp paprika.
To make purple tehina, add 1 medium peeled, oven roasted beetroot.
Blend ingredients well until no lumps are seen. Making tehina is a learnt and practiced science, so don’t be scared to add more or less of anything in the listed ingredients. 

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Cabbage and Toasted Seed Salad 

Source: Nades, thanks for the dressing, it has fans all over the world! 

For toasted seeds:300g sunflower seeds

300g pumpkin seeds
3 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp olive oil

Mix together, place in a 200C oven (on a paper lined rack) and toast for about 15 minutes. Make sure to turn and mix the seeds every few minutes or they will burn. Chill completely and add (if desired) roughly chopped nuts, toasted slivered almonds or pine nuts.

After mixing and chilling, place in a container and store for use in salads or as a snack.
Dressing:
¼ cup sugar

¼ cup white vinegar
¼ cup soy sauce
¼ cup sunflower oil

Place all ingredients in a jar and shake well until sugar dissolves. You can store the leftover dressing in the fridge as the vinegar will preserve it for a long time.

To assemble salad, finally chop cabbage and spring onions. Just before serving, drizzle with dressing and mix with nut mixture.

Optional: you can also add some good quality fried Chinese noodles just before serving.


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