Dough art

Definitely, she knows what she is doing.

Post by Iris Cohen.

Crostini with eggplant and pine nut puree

Crostini with eggplant and pine nut puree

I love making topping for crostini and love, love eggplant. This dish as healthy as possible  to be. It's easy and time-saving. You need 20-30 minutes to put everything together.

1 pound eggplant, trimmed, peeled, and sliced into rounds about 1/2 inch thick
Olive oil
1/3 cup pine nuts
1 to 2 gloves garlic
Sea salt
Fresh lemon jiuce
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon chopped mint
1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons chopped basil, plus whole leaves for garnish

Toasted baguette or crackers

1. Heat the broiler. Lightly brush both sides of each eggplant with oil, arrange on a baking sheet. broil about 6 inches from the heat until golden (4-5 minutes. I broiled 10 mintes) Turn and brown the second side. Remove from the broiler and stock the slices so they steam to finish cooking.

2. Tоast the pine nuts in a small skillet over low heat, shaking often, until golden. Cool.

3. Place nuts, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, eggplant and herbs into food processor and pulse several times. Add a little lemon juice to sharpen the flavor. Taste for salt and add more if needed, and season with pepper.

4. Spread on baguette slices or crackers, and garnish with a basil leaf (I did not use basil for decoration, becasue I did not have too much on hand)

Бутерброды с баклажанами и кедровыми орешками

1/2 кг баклажан, очищенный от шкурки и порезанный кружками 1 см толщиной.
оливковое масло
1/3 чашка кедровых орешек
1 или 2 зубца чеснока
Морская соль
Лимонный сок
Черный молотый перец
1 столовая ложка мелко порезанной мяты
1 столовая ложка мелкопорезанной петрушки
2 столовые ложки мелко порезанного базилика

Поджаренный хлеб

1. Разогреть бройлер. Помазать куски баклажана с обеих сторон оливковым маслом, выложить на деко и запечь в духовке, привлизительно 15 см от бройлера. Запекать 4-5 минут (Я это делала 10 минут) и перевернуть куски баклажана на другую сторону и запекать еще столько же. Вынуть из духовки, сложить куски один на другой и дать немного остыть.

2. Поджарить кедровые орешки до золотистого цвета. Снять с огня и дать остыть.

3.  Выложить опрехи, чеснок, 1/2 чайной ложки соли, травы и баклажан в чашку кухонного комбайна и пропульсировать несколько раз. Добавить лимонный сок и, если нужно, соль.

3. Выложить на поджаренный хлеб и подать к столу.

More crostini:

1.Toasts with chevre and sauteed grapes

2. Beet and Goat Cheese Crostini with Caramelized Onions

More eggplant:

1. Eggplant and Tomato fettuccini

2. Marinated Eggplant salad

3. Eggplant hummus

4. Tofu Stir-Fried with Eggplant

5. Eggplant Caviar

6. Harvest vegetable saute

7. Roasted Eggplant Pate

8. Tomato-Eggplant Platter

Recipe comes from "The essential New York Times cookbook" by Amanda Hesser

Tomato jam

I love experimenting and making something new. This time is tomato jam. While ago I made quite  tasty cookies and now decide to repeat with fresh tomato jam. They are really good.

Tomato jam
    3 pounds best quality tomatoes, cored and chopped
    2 cups granulated sugar
    1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
    1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
    2 teaspoons red pepper flakes ( I took 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper)
    1 teaspoon salt
    1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
    1/4 teaspoon cumin
    2 tablespoons liquid pectin (optional)

If you are going to preserve the jam, prepare the jars and lids: place three half-pint jars on a rack in a large pot. Add enough water to cover the jars, and bring to boil over high heat. Boil for 10 minutes, then turn off heat and allow the jars to rest in the hot water. Meanwhile, put bands and lids in a small saucepan and cover with water. Heat over medium heat until the water is simmering, then remove the pan from heat and allow the bands and lids to rest in hot water until ready to use.

Combine tomatoes, sugar, lemon juice, ginger, red pepper flakes, salt, cinnamon, and cumin in a large, heavy-bottomed pot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently. Reduce heat and simmer until the mixture reaches a thick, jam like consistency, about two and a half hours. Stir in the pectin (if using) and simmer for one minute more.

Ladle the hot jam into hot sterilized jars, leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Wipe rims of the jars, cover with lids, and screw bands on until just barely tight. Place jars on rack in pot and cover completely with water. Cover pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Boil for 15 minutes. Turn off heat, uncover pot, and allow jars to rest in water for five minutes. Remove jars from pot and allow them to rest undisturbed on countertop for six hours or overnight.

Recipe from Serious Eats

Banana Cream Cheese Bread with Streusel Walnut Topping

I don't know why, but  we are in America addicted to banana breads. Every time I have bananas I have to try a new recipe. Here is one more recipe for my collection of banana breads.

Banana Cream Cheese Bread with Streusel Walnut Topping

2-1/4 cups  flour
1-1/2 tsp.  Baking Powder
1/2 tsp.  baking soda
1 pkg.  (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
1/4 cup  butter, softened
1 cup  sugar
1 cup  mashed fully ripe bananas (about 3)
2 eggs
1 cup  chopped Walnuts
HEAT oven to 350°F.
Mix flour, baking powder and baking soda. Beat cream cheese, butter and sugar in large bowl with mixer until blended. Add bananas and eggs; mix well. Gradually add flour mixture, mixing well after each addition. Stir in nuts.
POUR into greased and floured 9x5-inch loaf pan.
BAKE 1 hour 10 min. or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 5 min.; remove from pan to wire rack. Cool completely.

Streusel Topping
Ingredients
3 tablespoons packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons butter (1 & 1/4 tablespoons butter)
1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Directions
In a small bowl combine brown sugar and flour. Using a pastry blender, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in walnuts.

Basic recipe you will find on Kraft site.

My collection of banana breads

1. Banana bread from Martha Stewart
2. Peanut butter banana bread
3. Banana Bread from Gold Medal
4. Zabar's Banana bread
5. Black and white banana loaf
6. Banana bread with Amish Friendship batter
7. Simple banana bread
8. Banana Honey cake with Vodka glaze
9. Classic Banana bundt cake from Dorie Greenspan

3 Day Sun Pickles

3 Day Sun Pickles 

 Serves: a lot
Ingredients

    1 large onion, cut up
    1-3 garlic cloves, peeled
    3 quarts of water
    ¾ cup of pickling salt
    ¾ cup of vinegar
    1 bunch of fresh dill
    about 20 pickle cucumbers, this depends on how large the cucumbers are that you get. You'll need enough to fill your jar.
   Mix water, pickling salt and vinegar in a sauce pan. Bring to a boil and boil for five minutes.
    Set to the side and cool for about 5 minutes, or until lukewarm.
    In a large gallon sized jar, place dill, cut onion, peeled garlic and cucumbers. Place cucumber last, and fill the jar.
    Pour warm mixture into the jar and put the lid on.
    Set jar outside in the sun for 3 days.
    After three days, open the jar and test a pickle. If it is to your liking, place the jar in the fridge. This will keep the pickles crunchy.

Малосольные огурцы за 3 дня

Эта доза достaточна для большого количества гостей.

1 большая луковица, очистить и порезать на большие куски
1-3 зубца чеснока, очистить
12 чашек воды (3 литра)
3/4 чашки соли для соления
3/4 чашки уксуса
1 небольшой пучок свежего укропа
20 среднего размера огурцов.

Перемешать воду, соль и уксус в кастрюле. Довести до кипения и китятить 5 минут. Снать с огня и дать остыть. В большую банку положить нарезанный лук, укроп, чеснок и огурцы. Залить приготовленным теплым раствором и прикрыть крышкой. Поставить банку на солнце и держать 3 дня. После, открыть банку, попробывать. Если все в порядке, то поставить банку в холодильник.

Recipe from 3 days sun pickles recipe

Favorite Cookbooks

Many of you want to know how I learn, where I'm getting the recipes for my blog, and how I enhance my menu. Ok, it's not easy, but quite challenging process. As many of you know, I came from former Soviet Union, where I lived in quite, compare to America, small city of Zhitomir.

I brought a lot of recipes with me, and I learn in America all the time. It's not just words, it's THE actions. I already have favorite chefs, cuisines and, of course, cookbooks. I'm learning from great chefs by making their recipes and their favorite cookbooks. I'm buying their books, follow their blogs, sites and other social media presentations.

Today, I would like to present quite interesting site, which gives me a lot of good information. I hope, each of you will become a fan of such site, where we can find the excellent source of information about the latest and the greatest people and ideas in cooking.

For some of you, this site is familiar, for other- it will be first and the most important step, and first one must be a right one. So, I present one of the best bakers Dorie Greenspan. It's not just a name, it's how she became the greatest one. Please, read and learn!

Sardine spread

Quite easy, healthy and exceptionally tasty for people, who likes fish. By the way, I choose several recipes from David Lebovitz last cooking book and intend to make some of them. Here's a fist one.
Between us, I really like a nice schpil given by author with recipe in a book. It's quite unusual for many of us. Take the book and read!


Sardine spread

1/4 cup (110 g) cream cheese, at room temperature
3 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
2 (115g each) cans sardines
2 scallions, white and tender greens parts, minced (I used 1/4 medium size onion)
1 tablespoons capers, rinsed, squeezed dry, and chopped
1 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 teaspoons sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Crackers, baguette, thinly-sliced toasted county or rye bread to serve

Mash together the cream cheese and butter with fork until smooth. Drain sardines. Run your thumb lengthwise down the bottom of each and pluck out the bones. Add the filleted sardines to the cream cheese mixture, mashing them to combine.

Add the scallions to the sardine mixture along with capers, lemon juice, salt, a few grinds of black pepper, and the cayenne pepper. Taste and add more salt, if desired.

The rilettes can be refrigerated for up to 4 days. let come to room temperature before serving with crackers, a baguette or thin slices of toasted country bread.


Паштет из сардин

1/4 чашки (110 грамм) сливочного сыра комнатной температуры
3 столовых ложки сливочного масла, комнатной температуры
2 (115 грамм каждая) коробки сардин
2 веточки зеленого лука, очень мелко порезанного (Я взяла 1/4 средней луковицы)
1 столовая ложка каперсов, промытых и отжатых от воды, мелко порезанных
1 столовая ложка свежего лимонного сока
1/4  чайной ложки морской соли
черный перец по вкусу
1/8 чайной ложки карсного жгучего перца

 Крекеры, тонко нарезанный хлеб

Смешать вместе сливочный сыр и масло вилкой. Отцедить сардины и вынуть косточки. Добавить филе сардин к cливочному сыру и маслу. Еще раз перемешать. Добавить лук, каперсы, лимонный сок, соль и перец. Добавить жгучий перец. Все перемешать, попробывать и добавить соль если нужно.

Паштет может быть в холодильнике до 4 дней. Вынуть паштет заранее и подавать с крекерами или поджaренным хлебом.

Recipe comes from David Lebovitz "My Paris kitchen".

5-Minute Strawberry Sherbet in the Food Processor

5-Minute Strawberry Sherbet in the Food Processor

Serves 4.

1 pound frozen strawberries
1 (4- or 6-ounce) container strawberry yogurt (can use plain or vanilla yogurt)
2 tablespoons superfine granulated sugar (more if needed)
Water (if you need, I did not)

If using fresh strawberries, wash, dry, hull, slice them in half and place on a plate in the freezer, until frozen. When frozen, transfer berries to a zipper-top bag for freezer storage until you are ready to use.
To make sherbet, place frozen strawberries (I kept frozen strawberries for 4-5 hours just on refrigerator shelf. They should be unfrozen a little bit), yogurt, 2 tablespoons sugar and 2 tablespoons water in bowl of food processor. Whirl until thick and creamy, a minute or two, stopping to scrape down the bowl. Don’t walk away or it may overprocess and liquefy. It will look like thick frosting. While processing, add another tablespoon or so of water if it needs help achieving the right consistency.
Taste and add another tablespoon or more of sugar if needed, to suit your palate.

Serve immediately (I place into freezer for 30-45 minutes before serving), or store in a tightly sealed container in the freezer.

Сорбет из клубники за 5 минут в кухонном комбайне

На 4 порции.

1/2 кг свежей клубники
1 (180грамм) баночка йогурта
2 столовые ложки сахара (если хотите послаще, добавьте больше сахара)
вода (если нужно, мне не понадобилось)

Почистить и помыть свежую клубнику, полижхить в пластиковый пакет и заморозить, Держать в морозилке до того момента, пока Вам не понадобится.
Вынуть клубнику из морозилка и подержать в холодильнике 4-5 часов. Клубника будет немного размороженная. Положить клубнику, йогурт, 2 столовые ложки сахара и 2 столовые ложки воды в чашку кухонного комбайна. Провернуть до образования кремоподобной пасты. Вынуть из комбайна в пластиковый контейнер и поставить в морозилка на 30-45 минут. Сорбет готов к подаче на стол.

Recipe came from http://www.shockinglydelicious.com/5-minute-strawberry-sherbet-in-the-food-processor\