cooking like no other

Afinata 2011 Ep. 1

2011-07-24T02:54:00.000-07:00

Am pus de o afinata anul acesta!

La baza acestei licori magice nu sunt altceva decat 2,5 kg afine (domnul de la care le-am cumparat spune ca sunt de pe Muntele Mic), 1,25 kg zahar si buna dispozitie. Se pun in straturi, se incepe cu buna dispozitie, afine, zahar si tot asa pana ajungem din nou la buna dispozitie :))))

Pasii urmatori sunt agitarea zilnica a damigenei astfel ca zaharul sa se patrunda bine cu afinele. Cand acestea au lasat suc suficient cat sa le acopere se toarna alcoolul. Cel putin 500 ml alcool de 90 de grade, 1 l vodca sau palinca. Eu prefer vodca pentru ca nu are alte arome.

Love you all!

Discover the taste of Peru / Destapa el sabor del Perú – (slogan in 2005 for Inca Kola)

2011-07-07T14:02:00.000-07:00

You can do it in Regensburg as well @ Pachamama!

During a very spontaneous road trip to Regensburg – Germany, one of my friends invited me to try some new tastes. We were talking last week about what dish we would like to have and Betty’s answer was YUKA FRITA.

But what is Yuka Frita? Yuka is a typical South American root vegetable and in this case is deep fried and served with Huancayo sauce. Usually, the root is cut into two- or three-inch chunks and deep-fried in vegetable oil. The result is similar to a wedge-cut french fry, but more fibrous than mealy. The sauce is creamy and it contains onion, fresh cheese, vegetable oil, aji, and maybe garlic – I’m not shore. It can be very spicy or mild, depending on the amount of aji (yellow pepper) you add.

My picture is not the nicest but you can see how this dish is served by Pachamama. Of course I started to eat and after that I remembered that I have to take a photo. Daaahhhhh!!!! :)) Please don’t judge me but I was very curious about the flavors. I tried to recognize the ingredients and to associate the new flavors with some that I already know. Hmmmm….not that easy this time!

In the background you can see also my glass of Inca Kola. I’ve never heard about this kola but I have to admit that I like it. I made some research about it and it’s a soft drink created in Peru in 1935 by British immigrant José Robinson Lindley using lemon verbena. It’s a “kola” because of the joint venture between the Coca-Cola Company and the Lindley family, former sole owners of Corporación Inca Kola Perú S.A. and Corporación José R. Lindley S.A. The soda has an unusual sweet fruity flavor sometimes compared to liquid bubblegum. Do you know the flavor of the Hungarian round bubblegum? It’s exactly the same flavor.

You have to try it by yourself !

Wanna take a look on the menu? Wanna know the story of Mr. Pappenheimer or the story of Pachamama restaurant? I have the solution! The site is in German but Google is able to translate you enough to understand the fascination of Mr. Pappenheimer for Peru and the passion for the Peruvian kitchen.

Enjoy it!

Tapear en Ruby,Sabadell y Sant Cugat, Barcelona

2011-03-13T15:07:00.000-07:00

Tapas are such a big part of the Spanish culture that there is even a verb tapear, which means "to eat tapas." : )
During my business trip to Spain I went out with my colleagues and I understood that Tapas means not just to eat but sociability, friends and family. I felt like one of their own.... it's a pity that I wasn't able to speak Spanish or Catalan. I'll do my best for next time. :))) I feel like I have a crush for Catalan but my friends advised me to start with Spanish.

And some of the dishes we had!
Elena and her twin sister Eva will help me to post the recipes.

We started with this tomato, olive oiled bread.

Then...

This was the vino turbio, shaken before serving to produce a cloudy unsettled effect which contrasts interestingly with its sharp flavor.

Thank you my friends! hmmm....... Gracias mis amigos!
P.S.
amigos - spanish
amics - catalan
amici - romanian/italian

Not my best picture but great taste :))

2011-01-10T11:56:00.000-08:00

No, Rosé is not a type of wine - it's a style of wine.

2011-01-09T13:10:00.000-08:00

Having my Piña colada

2010-08-21T07:40:00.000-07:00

Visinata 2010 Ep.1

2010-07-07T12:13:00.000-07:00

Asa arata mini damigeana mea :)

Ce vedeti in ea?!
2.5 kg visine, 1.25 kg zahar, puse pe straturi. Se incepe cu visine si se termina cu zahar.

Treaba sta in felul urmator: de maine va trebui sa scutur zilnic damigeana ca sa se amestece bine de tot zaharul cu visinele. Intr-o saptamana ar trebui sa fie deja macerate si sa adaug restul ingredientelor ( alcool, zahar vanilat).

Ar trebui sa pun damigeana la soare dar la mine la parter nu prea este :)

Doar cu portia :)))))))))

Mai auzim de visinata indata ce se trece la faza 2.

Legume la gratar cu sos "salsa crudo"

2010-06-28T09:54:00.000-07:00

S-a intamplat in felul urmator: m-am hotarat sa mananc mai sanatos in ultima perioada asa ca am trecut mai mult pe legume si fructe. La capitolul legume mai experimentez.....si uite ce a iesit!!!

Am facut la gratar ciuperci, vinete si dovlecel. Si cum nu aveam de gand sa le mananc doar asa, am facut si un sos. Ulterior am aflat ca se cheama "salsa crudo" din cauza legumelor care nu sunt preparate termic.

Am taiat foarte fin 2 rosii medii, o jumatate de ceapa,putin usturoi, un ardei rosu,si un ardei galben. La ardeiul galben am facut un mic artificiu. L-am copt pe gratar si l-am dat cu blenderul impreuna cu o ligura de ulei de masline, patrunjel, oregano si busuioc. Sare si piper dupa gust, toate amestecate intr-un bol.

Hihh....ar trebui sa repet episodul :))

P.S. Cine vrea poate sa puna ardei iute!!!

Red and hot

2010-06-27T10:16:00.000-07:00

Black or White

2010-06-24T12:58:00.000-07:00

Extremely cacao or vanilla flavor.
I used my basic recipe but overdraw with cacao :)

Dagmar & Markus anniversary cupcakes

2010-04-18T13:26:00.000-07:00

Vanilla flavored cupcakes with peach...Probably best cupcakes I made until now. The secret... I made them with all of my heart...

Sorry that you couldn't taste them because of the volcanic ash cloud :((

They were good....

Happy Anniversary! XO Ioana

Alte bunatati...

2010-04-17T11:31:00.000-07:00

Ca veni vorba de zburat la Frankfurt...

2010-04-17T11:19:00.000-07:00

Mi-am adus aminte de o mica piata din centrul orasului. Se cheama "Kleinmarkthalle". Daca aveti ocazia nu ratati sa faceti shopping acolo!

Favorite cooking themed movies and movies with memorable food scenes.

2010-03-28T04:41:00.000-07:00

You’ll see everything from kitchen catastrophes to fortunes made from food.

Julie and Julia 2009 - A culinary legend provides a frustrated office worker with a new recipe for life in Julie & Julia, the true stories of how Julia Child's (Meryl Streep) life and cookbook inspired fledgling writer Julie Powell (Amy Adams) to whip up 524 recipes in 365 days.

Ratatouille 2007 - A cooking twist on the classic Cyrano de Bergerac tale when a rat hides under the garbage boy’s toque and turns him into a celebrated chef. Thankfully, this film is animated, as rats in the kitchen are everyone’s restaurant nightmare. Believe it or not, you’ll celebrate the heroism of this rat pack in the kitchen and may discover a yearning for ratatouille.

Big Night 1996 - The story of two brothers with an Italian restaurant struggling for success against a larger and more popular competitor. Food and its preparation are the art of this film. You’ll see how making an omelet symbolizes brotherly reconciliation, no words needed.

Stranger than Fiction 2006 - Food may not be the main theme in this surprisingly touching movie, but it plays a key role. A reclusive IRS agent’s heart is turned by a cookie, more precisely a cute baker who shows him there’s more to cookies than sustenance. This scene will have you heading to the kitchen to bake up some good will.

Like Water for Chocolate 1992 - A big award winner in Mexico and the winner of lesser awards around the world, “Like Water for Chocolate” brings the art of Mexican cooking to the screen. Food becomes the outlet for a girl to express her passion for her true love who, due to Mexican tradition, has married her older sister. Her cooking takes on magical qualities, an element no good fairy tale should be without.

Babette's Feast 1987 - 1988 Academy Award winner for Best Foreign Language Film, Babette’s Feast presents food as an agent for change when a Parisian chef comes to an isolated village in Denmark to cook for two pious spinsters. Don’t watch this on an empty stomach—the final feast of turtle soup, quail in pastry, French pastries, and too many delicacies to count, will have you eyeing your refrigerator.

Christmas in Connecticut 1945 - Cooking takes a lighthearted turn in this classic romantic comedy. Barbara Stanwyck plays a New York food editor who can’t cook. Now her reputation and her job depend on acquiring instant expertise in the kitchen.

Chocolat 2000 - A single mother and her daughter win over the locals in a rural French village when they open a delightful chocolate shop. Just the window displays will make you long for a truffle or two.

Baby Boom 1987 - Diane Keaton as J.C. Wiatt, leaves the business world of Manhattan to provide a country home for a new baby, an unexpected inheritance. Soon bored with being a stay-at-home mom, she uses her marketing skills to launch a new business, organic baby applesauce. Baby Boom gives us the recipe for success: necessity, passion and perseverance.

Mostly Martha 2002 - The winner of many international awards, Mostly Martha is the original to the 2007 film “No Reservations” starring Catherine Zeta-Jones. Same plot: harried, single executive chef must raise her traumatized niece, run a demanding kitchen for a top city restaurant, and make a little time to fall in love. Lots of cooking inspiration with European flavor, proving food is the way to everyone’s heart.

Because I Said So 2007 - Combine a meddling mother and a stubborn daughter who refuse to see their similarities, and you’ve got the plot of this romantic comedy set against a backdrop of memorable catering scenes. Ultimately, both women experience a lot more than cooking catastrophes, find love and newfound closeness.

Cine ar fi crezut......ca gripa poate fi combatuta cu shoturi de palinca fiarta

2010-03-11T14:31:00.000-08:00

Dupa vreo 2 shoturi incepi sa ai idei asa ca am profitat de ele. Cu o buna prietena ne-am pus pe treaba. Bineinteles am facut cele mai extraordinare Cupcakes-uri din lume.
Ca sa repetati isprava aveti nevoie de 500 ml palinca de prune din Maramures si optional sa fiti raciti/racite.

Dupa care:

Prafuri de baza: 250g faina, 100g zahar, 1 praf copt, 1 zahar vanilat
Prafuri optionale: scortisoara,2 lg cacao
Lichide: 150ml lapte, 150ml ulei
Altele: 2 oua

Proces tehnologic:

1. se pun toate ingredientele intr-un vas
2. se amesteca cu mixerul in jur de 3 minute, pana compozitia devine lucioasa
3. se toarna in formele de hartie (cumparate din magazin)sau in tava speciala pentru briose
4. neaparat se tin la cuptor preincalzit la 190 grade timp de 25 de minute (eu am cuptor electric)

Pentru cei fitzosi ca mine si Teo puteti adauga in compozitie: visine, stafide, cocos, siropuri colorante.
Le puteti orna cu glazura si bombonici sau cocos.
Glazura: 150g zahar pudra, 1 lg ulei, 2 lg apa fiarta, optional 2 lg cacao = se amesteca toate.

Iata si rezultatul!

Foi de napolitana cu crema de cacao

2010-01-26T14:27:00.000-08:00

Nu stiu cum se face dar de cele mai multe ori cand merg la Carei, prietenele mele ar manca niste "napolitane". Aceste napolitane nu contin nimic deosebit asa ca nu prea inteleg de ce sunt atat de "cerute". Dar am o idee! Va scriu ingredientele si modul de preparare si va las pe voi sa imi dati niste explicatii. Fetele mele nu au reusit. :)

Am sa scriu intr-un stil foarte personal, poate il adoptati si voi.

Prafuri: 2 lg faina, 13-15 lg zahar, 2 plicuri zahar vanilat, 2 lg cacao
Lichide: 20 lg lapte
Altele: 1/2 pachet unt sau margarina rama, unirea - ce aveti prin frigider
Optional: nuca de cocos

Si acum procesul tehnologic:
1. se pun toate prafurile intr-un vas si se amesteca
2. se adauga laptele si se amesteca
3. se pune la foc
4. se adauga margarina sau untul, va incepe sa se topeasca
5. se amesteca in continuu caci altfel se prinde
6. se fierbe compozitia pana cand se ingroasa aproape ca o budinca
7. se poate adauga nuca de cocos inainte de a o lua de pe foc
8. se ung foile
9. se lasa cam o ora sa se patrunda crema in foi
10. se devoreaza

Pentru incepatori: lg = lingura :))

Cantitatile de mai sus sunt pentru foi mici cam de marime A4. Pentru foile putin mai mici de A3 se dubleaza cantitatile.

Ah, si nu am poza din nou pentru nu m-am oprit din mancat pana nu am terminat tot. Upsss...

Azi am gatit.

2010-01-24T12:01:00.000-08:00

Din nou.
Si cum m-am plictisit de aromele clasice pentru carnea de porc am incercat ceva nou. Am folosit cotlet, carne fara pic grasime pe care am tinut-o la macerat cateva ore.
Ca si ingrediente am folosit scortisoara, nucsoara si visinata. Unii probabil ca va dati ochii peste cap cand auziti asa ceva pentru o halca de carne. Cu siguranta le-ati folosi pentru o prajitura :)) Dar ascultati-ma pe mine! E bestial!
Aroma este preluata atat de carne cat si de cartofii aurii. Din reflex am adaugat la sfarsit sare si piper.

Poze nu am apucat sa fac pentru ca ne era prea foame dar promit sa imortalizez de acum inainte orice viitoare aventura.

Daca v-am facut curiosi, pe voi cititorii acestui blog, va propun sa incercati cele de mai sus si sa reveniti pe aceasta pagina fie pentru un comment fie pentru a citi noi aventuri culinare cu Ioana Buruian.

P.S. in loc de visinata se poate folosi un vin rosu dulce

Salutare!

2010-01-24T11:42:00.000-08:00

Iata ca azi este ziua in care m-am hotarat sa postez si pe acest blog.
De data aceasta un blog cu si despre aventurile mele culinare.