0 A DAY IN SION - UNE JOURNÉE À SION

Last Saturday, thanks to Corinne and her generous friend, we went to the town of Sion, using special offer train tickets. The weather that day was beautiful and the temperatures were very pleasant (20° C). We were extremely lucky...

We left Geneva at 7h30 in the morning and took the Cisalpino train (which goes all the way from Geneva to Venice, Italy) till Sion, the capital city of the canton of Valais, where we arrived 1h40 minutes later. There, we visited the town, saw some great momuments, bought 2 kilos of regional mountain cheese and sat on terraces sipping on cups of coffee.

Sion is a very old place that was already inhabited during Neolithic times. It's name takes it's origin from the Latin "Sedunum" which derives from the Seduni Celtic tribes that lived in this region and were conquered by the Romans during the first century BC. The Roman Catholic diocese of Sion is the oldest in Switzerland and one of the oldest north of the Alps, so it is not exactly a surprise if Valais is such a strongly Catholic canton (as opposed to Geneva which is Protestant).

This alluring and attractive town has a population of 27'000. It is situated in the valley of the Rhône and is surrounded by mountains as well as two rocky hills jutting incongruously from a relatively the flat countryside. The crest of both hills is adorned with the medieval Castle of Tourbillon (pics 3, 4, 6 and 9) and the Basilica of Valère (pics soon to follow) which are visible from afar and offer a magnificent spectacle.

Et pour les francophones, voici des liens en français:
Sion (voir lien I & lien II)
Canton du Valais (voir lien)
Vallée du Rhône (voir lien)
Basilique/Château de Valère (voir lien)
Château de Tourbillon (voir lien)

0 CHEESECAKE & JELLY - THE DARING BAKERS

Wow, time passes extremely fast! The end of April has arrived and it is once again time for us, The Daring Bakers , to blog about our latest baking trial (and errors)...

Although, I've aready made quite a few cheesecakes in the past, it is always a big pleasure for me to bake that classic US treat and test new recipes. I must say that this month was very particular as not only did I have to make one cheesecake for The Daring Bakers, but I also had to bake 6 different cheesecakes which had been ordered for a "tasting session". So, instead of making my challenge at the very last minute, as it is generally my habit, I had to get really organized and complete my task more than two weeks before the deadline.

Since I had not much time to create anything extraordinary and was in a bit of a hurry (a busy month), I opted for a "Lemon-Scented Cheesecake With A Gingery Speculos Crust & Redcurrant Jelly Decorations". That simple cheesecake was quite easy to make and required not much energy, but, hell, it did taste heavenly!

Making that cheesecake was a troubleless and effortless exercise for me. I whipped mine in no time and was very pleased with the result as it never cracked and looked so beautifully pristine and perfect. A real beauty!

This recipe is faultless, although, I must say that I personally prefer when my crusts have been previously backed as, in that way, it ensures them to have a better texture and to be more crunchy and less "soggy", wet and soft.

Anyway, I particularly liked the texture of this cheesecake as it was creamy to please, delightfully light and so smooth. Taste-wise it was paradisiac. The flavors I chose (lemon, ginger, cinnamon and redcurrant) were just right and blended well together in order to create a refreshing as well as spicy dessert which's ambrosial aspect sends you straight to heaven on a one way ticket! And I really love the way the acidulated jelly contrasts with the roundness of the cheesecake.

The April 2009 challenge is hosted by Jenny from "Jenny Bakes" (US). She has chosen Abbey's Infamous Cheesecake as the challenge. So, I really want to thank Jenny for having chosen that gorgeous and refreshing recipe!

~ Abbey's Infamous Cheesecake ~
Recipe by Abby T. and adapted by Rosa @ Rosa's Yummy Yums 2009.

Ingredients for the "Crust":
2 Cups (180g) Speculos crumbs
1 Stick (120g) Unsalted butter, melted
2 Tbs (30g) Castor sugar
1 1/2 Tsps Ground ginger
1 Tsp Pure vanilla extract
Ingredients for the "Cheesecake":
3 Sticks of Cream cheese (total of 720g), at room temperature
1 Cup (210g) Castor sugar
3 Large eggs (2x53g + 1x63g)
1 Cup (240g/ml) Heavy cream 35% fat
2 Tbs Lemon juice The zest of organic lemon or 1 1/2 Tsps Lemon essence
1 Tbs Pure vanilla extract
Ingredients for the "Jelly":
540g Redcurrants, fresh or frozen
3/4 Cup Castor sugar
6 Sheets gelatine

Method for the "Crust":
1. Wrap the bottom of the pan in a triple layer of aluminum foil. Mix together the crust ingredients and press into the pan. Set crust aside.
Method for the "Cheesecake":
3. Combine cream cheese and sugar in the bowl of a stand-mixer (or in a large bowl if using a hand-mixer) and cream together until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, fully incorporating each before adding the next (Make sure to scrape down the bowl in between each egg). Add heavy cream, vanilla, lemon juice, zest or extract and blend until smooth and creamy.
4. Pour batter into prepared crust and tap the pan on the counter a few times to bring all air bubbles to the surface. Place pan into a larger pan and pour boiling water into the larger pan until halfway up the side of the cheesecake pan.

5. Bake 45 to 55 minutes, until it is almost done (This can be hard to judge, but you're looking for the cake to hold together, but still have a lot of jiggle to it in the center and look wobbly. You don't want it to be completely firm at this stage). Close the oven door, turn the heat off, and let rest in the cooling oven for one hour (This lets the cake finish cooking and cool down gently enough so that it won't crack on the top). After one hour, remove the cheesecake from the oven and lift carefully out of water bath. Let it finish cooling on a rack, and then cover and put in the fridge to chill. Once fully chilled, it is ready to serve.

Method for the "Jelly":
6. Put the redcurrants and the sugar in a pan.
7. Bring to the boil and let simmer for 6 minutes, then let cool.
8. Put the gelatine sheets in cold water and set aside.
9. Mix the redcurrants in a blender and sieve.
10. Strain the gelatine and put it in a pan over low heat.
11. Once the gelatine sheets have mleted completely, add a cup redcurrant puree and mix well.
12. Add that mixture to the redcurrant puree and stir well.
13. Grease a tray and pour the mixture into it (the jelly should have a certain thickness - 1 inch/2cm), so choose the tray accordingly).
14. Let set, overnight.
15. With a cookies cutter, cut out shapes and decorate the cheesecake with the cut out jelly.

Remarks:
Instead of using a springform pan you can use one of those 1-use foil "casserole" shaped pans from the grocery store. They're 8 or 9 inches wide and really deep, and best of all, water-tight. When it comes time to serve, just cut the foil away. You can also use any other pan/dish that hasn't gor a removable bottom.
You are free to press the crust just into the bottom or up the sides of the pan too - baker's choice.
While the actual making of this cheesecake is a minimal time commitment, it does need to bake for almost an hour, cool in the oven for an hour, and chill overnight before it is served, so please plan accordingly!
It is best to keep the cheesecake in the fridge for 24 hours as the taste and texture improves. A cheesecake can be kept up to a week in the fridge and 1 month in the freezer (well wrapped, of course!).

Here are links with useful tips:
Diana's Desserts (see link)
Food & Cooking on Squidoo (see link)

Serving suggestions:
Serve this cheesecake for dessert or afternoon tea.
It is best eaten with a good cup of tea or some water as it is very rich!

*****************

Etant donné la longueur du texte original, je n'ai malheureusement pas pu faire une traduction française de ce billet et je m'en excuse auprès de tous mes amis lecteurs et blogueurs francophones! C'est pourquoi je vous suggère de vous rendre sur les blogs mentionnés ci-dessous.

Vous y trouverez cette recette en version française:
Chez Vibi de "La Casserole Carrée" (Canada)
Chez Isa de "Les Gourmandises d'Isa" (Canada)

0 WEEKEND CAT BLOGGING #203

This week, Salome at "Paulchen's Foodblog" (Austria) is happy to announce that she is hosting Weekend Cat Blogging #203...

To submit your kitty picture(s), you can either leave a message in her blog's comment section (with your permalinks) or contact her via e-mail without forgetting to give all the needed information.

In a cat's eye,
everything belongs to cats.
~English Proverb ~

0 IN BLOOM - EN FLEUR

Now that spring has arrived, everything is blooming like crazy, so bright and joyful. A real symphony of colors! So much beauty is so exhilarating and fascinating that it makes me want to capture the essence of every plant I come across and immortalize it's exquisiteness with my camera.

Here's a sample of the flowers you can see in my village of Veyrier...

0 PLEASE BARE WITH ME - PARDONNEZ-MOI

As I am quite busy this week, I will not be able to share any recipe with you, but rest assured that I will not leave you for long without one.../Je suis assez à la bourre en ce moment, alors je ne pourrai pas partager avec vous une recette en ce mercredi. Mais, soyez rassurés, vous n'aurez pas longtemps à attendre avant le prochain billet culinaire...

As a matter of fact, my Daring Bakers will be posted in less than a week, on the 27th of April. Until then have fun and enjoy my pictures!/D'ailleurs, le challenge des Daring Bakers sera en ligne le 27 avril. Alors, d'ici là, admirez ces jolis marshmallows!

Passion fruit, almond & raspberry marshmallows:
Cartier - Chocolatier (see link)
Route de Suisse 38
1290 Versoix
Switzerland

0 CHOCOLATE, MY LOVE

Last Monday, I told you that on the 28th of March I went to the "Festival Du Chocolat de Versoix" (see my post) and many of you were very curious to know what I had bought. Of course, as you can quite imagine, it was impossible for me not to come back with a some goodies...

Well, here, are a few pictures of the bounty I brought back home. Enjoy and don't drool too heavily over your keyboard!

Cocoa chips covered with dark chocolate in tin:
Epicerie de Châteauvieux (see site)
Peney-Dessus
1242 Satigny
Geneva
Switzerland

Chocolate truffles:
Mademoiselle Zizou (see site & addresses)
Elisabeth Kunz
2 Gd. Montfleury
1290 Versoix
Geneva
Switzerland

0 WEEKEND CAT BLOGGING #202

This week, Mr. Tigger and The M Cats Club at "The M-Cats Club" (USA) are happy to announce that they are hosting Weekend Cat Blogging #202...

To submit your kitty picture(s), you can either leave a message in their blog's comment section (with your permalinks) or contact them via e-mail without forgetting to give all the needed information.

If stretching were wealth,
the cat would be rich.
~ African Proverb ~

0 RENEWAL - RENOUVEAU

Spring started quite late this year, because we had a long, bitter cold and harsh winter with lots of snow. Nonetheless, spring is settling in furiously and with much speed! Within a week, nature has become so buoyant and life is being breathed into every plant and animal, be them small or big...

Now, half of the Salève mountain is already green. When I turn my head I only see verdant trees and flowers everywhere. It is incredible!