Thursday, August 24, 2006

.....Surprise......

I personally LOVE parties, and I love organizing them and thinking who to invite, what to prepare. Than when everyone is there I am in complete ecstatic mood!
So one of my best friends will celebrate his Bday a week from now. However, we are all gonna be at this seminar and we wont be able to properly celebrate his Bday. So another friend and myself thought we should organize a Surprise Party a week before the actual date. So last week I went to Jerusalem on Saturday to discuss the logistics. Yesterday I was told that I am in charge of all the logistics because she has a lot of pressure at work. Sooooo anyhow I thought of party food and came up with nice ideas. I must confess though, that except for the Caiprinia and the Chocolate squares I bought everything at the grocery. Anyhow it is gonna be an alcohol party but there is always a need to something to nibble. This time I decided to be less conventional and bought stuff like Fried chick Peas;Fried Ful (aka broad beans) and other beans which turned into a snack.
I also bought just for fun Bazooka Gum
The party went very well and my friend was indeed surprised.
My chocolate squares happened to be a GREAT success.
I followed the recipe of Danit Salomon. It is very very easy, and sooo delicious here it is:

ingredients
Base:
200 gr. Petit beurre
50 gr. Dark chocolate
100 gr. Butter
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
5 spoons instant cacao powder

Cover:
30 gr. Sugar
100 gr. Dark chocolate
some grated chocolate (for decoration)

Preparation:
1. Crush petit beurre and chocolate in food processor until u receive a powder (doesn't need to be a fine powder).
2. Add chocolate.
3. In a bowl melt butter and sugar.
4. Add the melted butter and sugar to the petit beurre and chocolate mix
5. Add cacao powder and egg and mix well.
6. Spread the mixture evenly in a baking tin.
7. While the "base" is cooling down you can start off preparing the "cover".
8. On ban marie melt chocolate and butter.
9. When melted spread evenly on the base, decorate with grated chocolate and refrigerate.
10. You can cut in which ever shape you want and keep in the freezer for as long as you wish.
And this is the final result:


I have to improve my photography skills...:/


Caipiroska
I wrote I prepared Caipirina but indeed I prepared Caipiroska. It is very easy to prepare as well (especially if you have a lemon tree in your garden - my parents happened to have one).
I used:
1 battle Lemon Vodka (but you can use regular vodka)
1/4 cup sugar water syrup (I have prepare a stock in the freeze and use it for cakes,sorbet etc.)
Juice from 1 lemon
Think slices from 3-4 lemons (with the skin)
Crushed ice!

I took a big bowl, mixed the lemon juice and the sugar syrup together. I cut all the lemons and added them to the bowl. After everything was in the bowl I added the vodka. I left in the fridge for a while - if it stays overnight in the fridge its even better coz the lemon flavor is even stronger. Before serving I added the crushed ice. Very easy to prepare and very convenient for parties!!!

Thursday, August 17, 2006

Faluda....


I am in the process of moving to my new apartment... The renovation is nearly finished and the excitement levels are high!!!
Anyhow the apartment is in a south-east neighborhood of TA. It is what we refer to as a working class neighborhood. The nice thing about this neig. Is that its not fancy and the people are very warm and welcoming. And the even nicer aspect of it is the variation of ethnic groups and hence a variety of food. So on Friday a good friend of mine and me went to clean up the place. It was very very hot anf humid and we were longing for something cold to drink.
My friend offered to buy an ice coffee in one of the big coffee-shops. I, on the other hand, insisted on buying the neighborhood's local Persian drink called FALUDA.
So what is Faluda
Basically its a Persian crushed ice drink (looks like "slush puppie" drink). It consists of crushed ice, rose water or "ma zahar" ( citrus balm water) and cooked rice noodles. The texture in the mouth is marvelous and its the ultimate thirst-quenching drink for a hot summer day.
Faluda DIY
What you need:
1 Liter Water
1 Kg. Sugar
1/2 package (about 50 gr.)rice noodles (broken)
2-3 spoons rose water
Optional - 1 tea spoon "ma zahar" (see above)

What to do?
Boil the water with the sugar while constantly stirring. When the syrup is boiling add the noodles until they soften, it will happen quite quickly. Add the rose water and leave the mixture to cool down. After it was cooled outside the fridge, put in the fridge for overnight and in the morning take it out. With a fork crush the ice. Put in a glass and add a few drops of rose water before serving!
E-N-J-O-Y!!!
* confession: today I went there again to get a huge cup filled with Faluda... I think I am addicted

Sunday, August 13, 2006

And yet the beginning of another week

I cannot believe it is Sunday again. I woke up for a black day 24 soldiers killed in Lebanon. Regardless of what I feel about this war, and whether it is just or not hearing these horrible news can ruin your day.
Since this war started I haven't eaten out - simply because of the general blues I and everyone around me are in. However, I found cooking to be a very effective resort. So this weekend's success was a very simple, yet delicious marble cake. I read the recipe in the paper and decided to improvise a little.

A RECIPE FOR A VERY SIMPLE MARBLE CAKE
ingredients:
200g butter
250g sugar
4 eggs
1 tea spoon vanilla extract
Juice and peal from one lemon
300g all purpose flour
1 tea spoon baking powder

For the marbles mix together
2 spoons good quality cocoa
1 spoon instant coffee powder (something strong)
1/4 cup water
150ml yogurt
2 cups brandy

HOW TO?
1st Step:
mix butter and sugar until receiving a smooth and puffy mixture
2nd Step:
add eggs one by one
3rd Step:
add lemon juice, lemon peal and Vanilla
4th Step:
Now the mixture should be smooth and puffy, you add the flour mixed with the baking powder slowly.
5th Step:
After the mixture is ready (or while the mixer does its thing)
prepare grease and flour 2 "English Cake" pans
6th Step:
Pour the mixture to the pans (equally)
7th step:
Put the brown mixture on top of the white in each baking pan and with a fork mix a little to as to give it the marbling effect.
8th Step:
Bake in a previously heat oven (180C) for 30-40 min.

After the cakes cools down I normally freeze one if I don't give it away.
In any case its a real easy to make cake, and you can do as many variations as you like on it, and its wonderful for 5 O'clock tea/ coffee....

Friday, August 11, 2006

Friday Preparations


I am not very good at writing but I thought having my own blog will allow me get better in it. For the past month I have been browsing and surfing in so many cooking blogs that my apetite to have my own blog grew. I never thought I will have a blog, but I guess "never say never" applied once more...
So this is a starter, I'll see how I feel about it. My intention is to write a little about cooking and my "experiments" in the kitchen as well as to tell about Israeli food and the very colorful culinary life of Israel. I hope its not attempting too high. I also have to apologize (already) for the quality of this blog...
I don't even know why I gave this title, guess coz its Friday, and Friday in Israel is a special day. There is a special atmosphere on this day, people cook and clean the house, getting ready for the Sabbath. It affects also complete heretic and non-religious people like me.