exquisite pleasures… madeleines

February 1, 2010 by shalimar

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I wanted to do something special to mark this special date…. who would have thought that five years ago just around the holidays I was digging for some recipes that I stumbled to a site called Pinoy cook. After exchanging some emails and having sent the web owner (Thank you Sassy) some photos she encouraged me to write. Little did I know after that moment, I would be blogging my culinary experiments and travels since then.

Madeleines came to my mind , not just because of the buttery , lemony taste that bring sheer delights but because I really love the scalloped shaped of these dainty treats.
Also because I have not tackled myself to bake some and with the thought of my moulds just gathering dust, why not challenge myself to bake some to mark my 5th year of my web life.

The moment the French crew mate saw my moulds she immediately knew what I was up to. I have thought madeleines were complicated. I was pretty much surprised how easy they are to bake.
For the recipe I usedDavid Lebovitz’s Lemon Glazed Madeleine.

So easy to follow but I suggest do use a good quality of butter.

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The crew could not contain their excitement…. then the French one asked: “Do we have nutella?”

Oh nutella… I told her wait till this boat goes back to France and I will buy her tons of nutella. Hmm, told her to wait, I dashed to make some ganache. Those Valhorna can’t just sit there with out being used.

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So I made half of the madeleines dipped in chocolate while the other half I coated them with lemon glaze. Perfect for a wet rainy day here in Florida.
While having tea and dipping the spongy madeleines ,my mind drifted to France…. it was in France I first tasted madeleines.

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Nice, France

I feel I had my Proustian moment…

She (Marcel’s mother) sent for one of those squat plump little cakes called “petites madeleines,” which look as though they had been molded in the fluted valve of a scallop shell … I raised to my lips a spoonful of the tea in which I had soaked a morsel of the cake. No sooner had the warm liquid mixed with the crumbs touched my palate than a shudder ran through me and I stopped, intent upon the extraordinary thing that was happening to me. An exquisite pleasure invaded my senses …

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Sunrise as we entered Ft Lauderdale, Florida after 4 days of passage from St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands.

So indeed my blog has travelled with my belly… It all started in a cold winter in Yorkshire, UK when I was digging recipes. One website then link after link opened me to the world of web blogs.

And encouraged me much more my passions of finding pleasures on food, photography and kitchen experiments. Other than that, it led to some great friendships and welcoming homes who have hosted me on my travels.

This web site indeed has been a diary of my life, my marriage that ended to the birth of my nephew, this has marked my life in UK, Norway, France , Italy, USA, mostly Greece and to other places I have traveled. As one web friend said this site is: “great photos, yummy food and breath taking locations” (Thank you Ara)

For such day the madeleines indeed are exquisite pleasures to such exquisite life.

a kilo please…

January 17, 2010 by shalimar

st john;s market, antigua

St John’s Market, Antigua, West Indies.

Moments…

December 5, 2009 by shalimar

pizzeria ischia

While we were in the main port of Ischia the crew went out for dinner with the kids…

comforts of home…cassava macapuno cake

November 24, 2009 by shalimar

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Home is where my kitchen is, where I can create what ever I want to try. The kitchen where I would spend hours pouring into cookbooks, or sitting with close friends having a pot of tea and of course some dessert.

I was home for 3 days, two weeks ago. While I was still in London I called my friend in Athens what to shop and asked her if we can make a cassava cake (is it a pie or a cake?)
I was hoping we could do it together but when I opened my door, the aroma of the cake just made me drop my bags. I ran to the kitchen and there inside my oven a dish cassava and macapuno cake was in the process of baking.

Years back this was a dream, able to bake Filipino desserts using cassava and macapuno. The excitement way back then was when someone arrives from the Philippines and bring “illicit food” tucked nicely inside the luggage. However, the Asian stores in Athens are increasing and now able to stock fruits and vegetables, the Greeks never ever heard before.

This recipe is not mine but from a friend who hails from Bacolod. Sadly this time due to short notice she could not drop by at my place to cook for me. Do I sound so spoiled?
When I go back to Athens, I normally would ask her for some food I crave for and I do love watching her peel, chop, cook and I set the table and we catch up with our lives.

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Since Aida had other agenda, it was Bonnie a dear friend who took care of me when I was not well, did all the work. I only tested when it was ready to take the dish out of the oven.

Aida recipe calls for 2 jars of macapuno but I love to tweak recipes to suit my taste. I think by adding 2 jars ,the macapuno overwhelms the cassava. So I had asked Bonnie to add just one.

This recipe is so easy to follow.

1 kl cassava fresh and grated
1 tin condensed milk
1 tin coconut milk
1 bottle of macapuno strings
Mix it all.
Bake in a preheated oven 180C for an hr.

Macapuno is a variety of Philippine coconut palm and the meat inside is like a jelly.

The day after I visited a Greek Egyptian friend together with her husband who hails from Scotland and another dear friend visiting from Sweden, I brought this dessert over. They all asked me what’s a cassava?

I tried to explain that its called yuca etc but still they could not picture it, next time I visit them I will just bring a cassava, easier to explain using a visual aid isn’t it.
But they all enjoyed it.

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Few days in Athens is not complete without sitting down in one of the cafes for my Greek coffee…. This time I did not have the chance to take photos of the market and eat a lot of Greek food, but this cassava cake made my stay comforting.

Perfect Table Setting…

October 26, 2009 by shalimar

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I just came from Ft. Lauderdale to see friends who have arrived from France. The annual Ft. Lauderdale Boat Show opens next week and one of the highlights for the interior crew is the Perfect Table Setting competition.

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Last year’s competition , the first ever been was divided into two categories: Formal setting and outdoor informal outdoor, Neptune, God of the Seas. My friend Lani of MY Beeliever joined in both. I was so busy with work that I did not even know she competed for it until the day the winners were announced.
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Lani won the Grand Prize for over all points ,her Neptune theme which she set on the upper deck of the boat won the first prize. She called me if  I have time to take photos before the show closes.

This year’s competition will be Putting on the Ritz, a formal table setting and the second category is foreign affair. The latter reminds me of when we were cruising Greece, the chef bought statues to decorate our dining table and I worked on the Greek menu.

The crew then dressed up for the part, Greek costumes of the ancient day, where I remember ripping up an old sheet to make it like a Grecian dress.

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See we yacht crew are knack of creativity to make every trip memorable for our guests.

Congratulations again Lani….

Lani glad am back in the area as she also cooks for the crew and when she can’t deal with some complicated recipes, she would text or call me asking for help.

vermicelle with sauteed pumpkins

October 16, 2009 by shalimar

pasta with pumpkins

Having left France a month ago, I found myself back in Florida, renting an apartment and looking for work. The original plan was I should have been mid Atlantic ocean now cooking for a crew while the yacht plods her way on her own bottom to Florida from Spain.

So I thought what options do I have. Stay home in Athens and wait for a job offer which I  have been doing for years or fly to the location where the jobs are. I’ve chosen the later and was rather shock with the quality of rooms some agencies let out for crews.

With the help of great friends…. Cliff, Anna and Ella, I am now renting a good place with Anna in Ft Lauderdale. One category I was looking at the place is the kitchen, even its small as long there is a fridge and a stove it will be ideal for me. As soon we have settled in our flat, I went to the supermarket to buy the basics.

When looking for a job and on a tight budget, I rather cook , simple yet nutritious meals.

I could not resist the pumpkins. Its autumn after all and its something I look forward to, chestnuts, pumpkins, sweet corns, beans, romanesco cauliflower, all glorious the season brings.

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While pushing my cart I suddenly miss the Marche Provencal in Antibes where locally grown vegetables are so fresh and other than that I miss the interactions of the stall owners and the shoppers.

The bonjours, the sniffing and pinching of the vegetables and to my green grocer offering me an espresso, or a glass of wine and the other green grocer letting me taste the fruits that have just arrived for the season.

But as much as I miss that French way of life, I have to assimilate again to the life here again.

I wanted to cook balance and healthy meal , after spending half day visiting crew agencies, I was so famished and was also sick. I was craving for pumpkin soup but alas I don’t have a food processor nor a hand held blender. I even thought of using a sieve and mash the pumpkins but nothing.

vizcaya miamiVizcaya with downtown Miami at the background…..

So I had the moment to be creative , thus my vermicelle with sauteed pumpkins.

Ingredients:

Pumpkins

Garlic

Spring onions

Parseley

Left over meat and some broth.

I had some chicken breast which I poached, either to make chicken sandwiches or salad with chicken bits..

Heat up olive oil, add the garlic, the white parts of green onions. Sautee.

Add the left over meat and pumpkins.

Add a little bit of broth and simmer a bit , cover till the pumpkins soft.

Boil water for the pasta and cook al dente.

Season and add the green part of the spring onions and some chopped parsely.

Drain the pasta and serve with the sauteed pumpkins.

Et voila, cheap and balanced meal… nothing beats the comfort of home cooked food.

The photo of the pumpkins was taken in Switzerland in Heidiland. It’s on the northeastern part of the country near Liechtenstein. I have lost so many of my photo files taken all over Switzerland  from all those years spending autumn months in that country, tasting the cuisine, hiking the Alps, getting to know the culture. Do I sound  a proud Swiss? Almost…..

… a gem for a less, restaurant acchiardo

September 29, 2009 by shalimar

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I wonder what made me enter that place… I was walking around the web of streets in the old town of Nice (Vieux Nice), and had no plans to eat lunch yet… I was just stopping by and taking photos. But I found myself asking for a table for one, a cosy place with gingham tablecloths. There was no minute to decide the aroma of the food literally just grabbed me in. What probably attracted me to the place was I heard no nattering of other languages other than French. I know by the look of the place , the feel and smell I found a gem. The tables inside are lined up in closed rows and walls are decorated with old copper pots and moulds as well as old lithographs of Nice. Nice or Nizza by the way was once a part of Italy, until 1860 when Victor -Emmanuel III with an agreement with Napoleon III handed Nizza to France.

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So back to food I rather not bore you with history…

I did not look at the menu, I ordered the plat du jour which was osso bucco. It came with a plate of tagliatelle. I also asked for verre de vin, a glass of rose wine. I could see the people around me were locals and it had a feeling that you have entered your favourite grandmother’s house. Acchiardo is unpretentious and homey, certainly not for people who have no adventurous souls.

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While waiting for the food I managed to take photos of the interior and much to my delight sneaked to the kitchen as well. I was happily lost in my thoughts, when I noticed the two waiters have the same face of the woman tending the bar. They turned out to be brothers, Jean-François and Raphaël, The Acchiardo is a family run restaurant.

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The osso bucco was perfect, the flavour was well balanced and good portion too that I barely touched the tagliatelli. Just when I was asked if I want dessert , I saw the menu. It is much more a cross over of a provencal and Italian cuisine. I ended my solitary lunch with a tiramisu and a big smile on my face, for I have found indeed a jem for less, my lunch was only €19.80

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A day after this lunch I was east bound to Greece with my flight via Geneve, I could see the coast lines of Cote d’ Azur which I have seem to memorize by now. Then my heart fluttered when I saw the peaks of the Alps, I may have traveled a lot but flying over the Alps is one of my favourite journeys.
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Da Acchiardo en Nizza Veilhla
38 Rue Droite Tel:
+ 33 49 385 5116

More photos of Nice here and here…

…captain don’t fire me

September 9, 2009 by shalimar

Yesterday as we went to St Laurent du Var for crew dinner, I was almost choked with my emotions.

I am actually leaving again… the thought of leaving this crew just make my heart ache. They have been wonderful to work with and my accomplice to my food escapades. These boys just love good food and are willing to try something new or encouraging me what to cook.

When we were traveling to Italy on our passage to Ischia they would come shopping and check the fishmonger and if they find something unusual before I could see it they would gladly point it out to me.

They are also the ones who check my photos first and are my “fans”… in all they are the one who made my life so much easier when work overwhelmed me.

Last Sunday I knew it would be our last weekend sharing a meal on our crew table. For months they have asked me to cook some noodles to be specific the rice noodles, which we call Pancit Bihon.
I love Bihon, its just I don’t have the time to cook for it as it involves slicing many vegetables that is just time consuming – which I do not mind, except of course that I have the family too cook for, our chef was away so I did most of the cooking.

Bihon is one of my favourite food, Pancit Bihon will surely be on my comfort food list that transport me back “home”, the food my mother would cook as a treat for us.

So knowing it was our last Sunday together I made an effort to cook Bihon for us. I used both pork and beef with carrots, cabbage , baby corns and courgettes.


leaving amalfi for the eolian islands

We left the port earlier than the usual and as soon we dropped anchor, I plated some and took some photos, at the same time telling my captain….

CAPTAIN DON’T FIRE ME… I am plating some noodles and will set it up on the bridge for photos.
He knows my weakness and he knows the existence of this blog… so while they took the toys out from the garage, I managed to take few photographs.

Then I rushed them to eat lunch because the boss called if I can do lunch for them.
When we all sat down, I could see on their faces how happy they were and we were lost in our thoughts savouring the noodles, when the captain’s phone rang.

Time to pick up the family. The boys asked if they can have the left over for the afternoon snacks.

Sure do…

As for the crew they have begged me to stay longer but I really have to move on…

…”best pasta in the world”

September 3, 2009 by shalimar

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With the summer fading away, I made the last lunch for the family today. One of the kids left for London while the rest of the family are leaving on Friday.

This means too, I leave France soon and head back home to rest before heading to Florida. The girl who left today would come down to the galley when I make this pasta for the kids.
She would then say, “Shalimar it’s the best pasta in the world.”

I know I can easily use canned or bottled sauces for this, but I do enjoy making a fresh sauce for the kids. Yes kids, but why not cook a proper pasta sauce for them. This is  tomato basil sauce, but what I used on this are fresh cherry tomatoes and sundried tomatoes. They do not like garlic so I used a lot of finely chopped onions and fresh basil. I used to serve this bowl of pasta together with the other food laid out for the buffet but the kids tend to ignore the salad and other food which is normally  made up with Burrata cheese and cheery tomatoes, steamed vegetables. The trick now is the pasta comes in as secondi but the kids being kids they would come to galley and make sure I have cooked their pasta.

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Our last trip for the season was in Portofino. The kids certainly have grown up and are much more responsible. They even went out to the restaurant for dinner by themselves and I saw the boys sitting at the piazza ordering their breakfast.

But yet still when they come back to the boat they would still chorus… “Yours is the best pasta in the world.”

nacatole… prodotti tipici eoliani

August 17, 2009 by admin

The day we arrived in Lipari, one of the seven of the Aeolian islands in north west Sicily, the chef went shopping with out me. Oh sob, but I asked him he better come back with a pastry with some nutty fillings with a scent of cinnamon.
You could hear the chef’s sigh, “pastry again…”

He did come back with a pastry filled with some chocolates but there was I was trying to explain to him again how it did look like.

I really have no idea how it is called. In July 2006 when we did our first trip with this boat months after she was launched we were in Lipari.
It was a trip non of us will ever forget because Italy won the World Cup against France that day.
And because we had a nanny on that trip I had more free time to go out with the chef.

My memory of it was the scent of the cinnamon and the intricate design of the pastry.
I was in town with the chef to help him with the shopping, rather to escape work, when we passed the bakery that literally engulfed with aroma of cinnamon.
That I went in and asked the lady which one is that the smells so great.
My memory of it was the shape and the taste that feels so Christmassy.

So the chef went out the next day again this time round he found the pastry, the wrapper says<
NOCATOLE ….prodotti tipici eoliani
Searching more information this is what I found out.
The “Nacatole” are traditional sweets of ancient origin, of various forms, which are prepared in families and local bakeries during the Christmas period. They are also sold throughout the year. This typically is consumed fresh and combines beautifully with the classic dessert wines such as Malvasia.
The little cellophane bag he brought cost €7.50 , well am not too surprised since it must be artisanal and from the flavour I know it has not been made months ago but rather very fresh.

I did search further information about how this pastry made and on the Lipari Biz site there is this interview.
how the pasty is done, there is no need for translation the video speaks for itself.

It is made of :
farina 00 (flour), strutto (lard) ,uova (eggs),zucchero (sugar),canella (cinnamon),mandorle (almonds), mandarini (mandarin),vanilla and vino bianco (white wine).

Few days later we were in Panarea the chef surprised me with another bag, this time though the the pastry have more fanciful design like flowers etc and there were round , oval shapes but before I could take photos of them, the crew already ate them all.

Other than terrific pastry the island full of capers and the fishmonger sells fresh tuna and swordfish.
Photos around the Aeolian… click the links below.

Lipari
Eolian .. Stromboli, Panarea, Lipari,
Panarea

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