Monthly Archive for febbraio, 2015

A misdemeanour: pear and raspberry yoghurt cake

Published by Lucina, on 28 febbraio 2015 in Chiacchiere/Chatting. 4 Comments
a midemeanour: a raw cake

a midemeanour: a raw cake

What on EARTH is this, you will be rightly asking! Well…..it’s a disaster, that’s what! Even Tomik turned the other way, totally disgusted at the utter mess. I can see I have aroused your curiosity so let me tell you what happened. Basically when I cut the cake which I lovingly made today, I discovered to my horror it was raw in the middle. Badly so! ARGH!!! Cue in howling and gnashing of teeth. So upsetting! Such a waste!  :-( Actually I am partly blaming Candida for this failure as the cake I tried to bake was a variation on her apple and rhubarb one, which she blogged not so  long ago (see here) . Only when I went to the supermarket to buy the rhubarb, there was none to be had. “Not in season!”, the shop attendant said. REALLY??? As if THAT has ever stopped supermarkets before! Come on! Strawberries and blueberries in winter? Tangerines in the summer? I rest my case. Continue reading ‘A misdemeanour: pear and raspberry yoghurt cake’

Coffee and walnut cake

Published by Lucina, on 22 febbraio 2015 in cakes and English Recipes. 2 Comments
coffee and walnut cake

coffee and walnut cake

If you are afraid of butter look away now. If on the other hand you don’t think the occasional dairy treat is going to kill you, read on. I made this cake on a bit of a guilt trip on Valentine’s day.  I confess I completely forgot about it and failed to buy my poor husband a card, never mind a present. Yes, I know, it’s all commercial exploitation, bla bla bla. But tell that to aforementioned husband who not only bought me a nice card but also sent me a lovely bunch of flowers. So, in an attempt to ask for his forgiveness I decided to make him his favourite cake of all times. The one he always buys when we go to cafes , in other words. Also the one I had never made for him. Partly because of the high amount of butter needed to make this cake ( and sorry, I have done my research on line and all recipes seem to contain vast quantities ) and partly because  you have to make two layers and sandwich them together which in my book spells faff. But I had to make the effort on this particular occasion so I pulled out all the stops. Well, he certainly enjoyed it and was very thankful. So if you want to treat someone do consider this cake. The recipe comes from the BBC Good food website, slightly adapted. Continue reading ‘Coffee and walnut cake’

Shortbread che si sciolgono in bocca

Published by Candida, on 15 febbraio 2015 in biscuits, Dolci and Ricette in Italiano. 1 Comment Tags: , .

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Certo, non si tratta della ricetta più dietetica che ho postato. Ma che fare se sono terribilmente buoni e velocissimi da fare? Come resistere alla loro sicura riuscita e al loro burroso sciogliersi in bocca? Hanno un unico difetto. Bisogna essere pazienti: NON mangiarli subito. Aspettare, aspettare almeno 12 ore, meglio 24 o 36. Io per riuscirci ho dovuto farli di nascosto, metterli fuori dalla finestra senza dirlo a nessuno. Solo Laura sapeva…

La ricetta di Nigella Lawson l’ho presa ancora una volta da Araba felice che non sbaglia un colpo! Io ho solo fatto piccole, insignificanti modifiche che vi segnalerò. Continue reading ‘Shortbread che si sciolgono in bocca’

Torta alle mandorle di mele e rabarbaro

Published by Candida, on 10 febbraio 2015 in Chiacchiere/Chatting, Dolci and Ricette in Italiano. 1 Comment Tags: , , , , , .

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Ecco una torta proprio casereccia, anche l’aspetto è un po’ da Nonna Papera, ma che al gusto si rivela inaspettata per il tocco delle mandorle e il profumo fruttato del rabarbaro. Il rabarbaro in questa stagione? Io l’ho tirato fuori dal freezer, cosa che consiglio a tutti voi. Coglierlo o comprarlo quando è stagione, pulirlo, lavarlo e metterlo asciugato nel freezer semplicemente in un sacchetto di carta. Si potrà usare nelle torte senza stare a sgelarlo, basta smollarlo cinque minuti per tagliarlo a tocchetti e infilarlo nell’impasto. Una bella aggiunta di sapore fuori programma e a buon mercato!

Continue reading ‘Torta alle mandorle di mele e rabarbaro’

Venere rice with courgette and prawns

Published by Lucina, on 4 febbraio 2015 in English Recipes and rice. 2 Comments Tags: , , .
Venere rice with courgettes and prawns

Venere rice with courgettes and prawns

If you have never come across this unusual rice let me enlighten you. Venere rice is a black/purply wholegrain rice which has only relatively recently become known. Originally from China, it is now cultivated in Italy too. Would you believe it was served at the Emperor’s of China court? Apparently it was called the forbidden rice as it was said to be a potent aphrodisiac (hence its name. Venere- Venus in English- was the goddess of love). Well, I can’t pronounce myself on that alleged property but what I will say is that it’s got a very interesting look and texture! AND it would seem it is rich in essential amino acids, fibre, phosphorous and Vitamin B5 and is full of minerals like calcium, iron, zinc and selenium. It has a high content of anthocyanins which are powerful antioxidants. So it would seem this amazing black  rice is very good for your health AND your love life! :-) Unfortunately it is not widely available  here in the UK. I managed to buy a packet in a wholefood shop in London but I have never seen it up North. In Italy, however, you can buy it in any well stocked supermarket. The recipe I am blogging seems to be well known as there are many on the web. I really enjoyed its nutty, unusual flavour and I thought the combination of prawns and courgettes worked really well. Continue reading ‘Venere rice with courgette and prawns’