0 SHORTCUT CINNAMON & TAHINOMELO SMORHORNS & AN ODE TO IDLENESS - SMORHORNS EXPRESS À LA CANNELLE ET AU TAHINOMELO

The sky was dark and gloomy, the air was damp and raw, the streets were wet and sloppy. The smoke hung sluggishly above the chimney-tops as if it lacked the courage to rise, and the rain came slowly and doggedly down, as if it had not even the spirit to pour.
- Charles Dickens

At the moment, despite a few hours of semi-summery weather here and there, more or less all we get is rain, wind and grey clouds. It seems as though Mother Nature is somewhat upset and wants to punish us for some obscure deed by serving us a rotten spring and making our mood sink to the lowest of lows. There's no respite from the animosity and hostility with which she has decided to strike us. She acts like a bitter woman who's been cheated on and who has decided to take revenge on that unfaithful lover of hers...

Repetitivety and boredom is what rocks my present existence, and it is getting extremely grueling to rarely see the sun shine or admire puffy white cumuluses. Uniformly gloomy skies above my head sap my vitality and kill my enthusiasm. Like a vampire, obscurity drains me of my life force and glamorizes/bewitches me to a point where I lose all motivation and become a walking zombie.

Lack of light in May is just so depressing and uninspiring, especially when you are desperately waiting for the warmer season to kick off with a blast, fill your heart with dreams and your head with bountiful thoughts. Unfortunately, this is far from happening right now. The heavens above are as desperately desertic as my mind and look as if they've been invaded by maleficially vile creatures hailing from the Netherworld. Nothing is here to water my arid imagination and make it fertile again. Instead, I am stuck in a limbonic neverland and sitting in oblivion's waiting room scrutinising the horizon in search of a spark of ingeniousity.

I meant to do my work today

But a brown bird sang in the apple tree,

And a butterfly flitted across the field,

And all the leaves were calling me.

And the wind went sighing over the land,

Tossing the grasses to and fro,

And a rainbow held out its shining hand--

So what could I do but laugh and go?

 - "I Meant to Do My Work Today" by Richard Le Gallienne

I have no other choice than to bear my misfortunes patiently and turn things to my advantage. Yes, why not relax purposely until "genius" comes out of its hiding place and makes its grand comeback? In any case, there is no law that forces you to be prolific all the time. Being decently loafy isn't a crime. As a matter of fact, everybody should learn to let go of things and to slow down as berserker moduses lead to a lot of misery and grim endings (health complications, stress, burnout and even sometimes death).

Busy bees forget to live and to enjoy themselves. They know no peace and are always productive no matter the costs, thus endangering their mental and physical well-being. Nobody can give endlessly without experiencing the negative side effects of his/her limitless zealousness.

 Far from idleness being the root of all evil, it is rather the only true good.

-  Soren Kierkegaard

I learned...that inspiration does not come like a bolt, nor is it kinetic, energetic striving, but it comes into us slowly and quietly and all the time, though we must regularly and every day give it a little chance to start flowing, prime it with a little solitude and idleness.

- Brenda Ueland

Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under trees on a summer's day, listening to the murmur of the water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is by no means a waste of time.
- John Lubbock

Efficacious action is good, but frantic and directionless enterprises as well as initiative for the sake of initiative are fruitless and destructive. It is a waste of energy. Better be constructively passive than to be gyrating in all directions without aim and be frenziedly industrious.

In our materialistic society which is oriented towards wealth and profit, indolence is looked upon unfavorably and the church with its centuries of moral oppression based on terror has well contributed to the way it is perceived. Religion, conformists and workaholics say it is a serious sin to be "unoccupied" as they consider this state of grace to be a waste of precious time and the work of the devil. In one word, those who aren't constently slaving are evildoers or/and losers. Well, I refuse to listen to them or feel guilty for my lascivous procrastinating as I believe that each of us needs to let his/her mind wonder freely through the lush fields of inertia in order for our brain to breathe fresh air and our spirit to fly high so as to reach contemplative elevation and be one with the Universe.

What is this life, if full of care,

We have no time to stand and stare,

No time to stand beneath the boughs

And stare as long as sheep or cows.

No time to see, when woods we pass,

Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass.

No time to see, in broad daylight,

Streams full of stars, like skies at night.

No time to turn at Beauty's glance,

And watch her feet, how they can dance.

No time to wait till her mouth can

enrich that smile her eyes began.

A poor life this if, full of care

We have no time to stand and stare.

- "Leisure" by W.H. Davies

Life does not agree with philosophy: there is no happiness that is not idleness, and only what is useless is pleasurable.

- Anton Chekhov

It is so revitalising to break away from the mad routine by allowing ourselves to put our feet up every now and then, and so gratifying to simply exist and enjoy the present instant without constantly projecting ourselves in the intangible future. Leisurely laziness is pure bliss and a free luxury. This happiness is available immediately and "requires no work to earn, no mastery to attain, no wealth to purchase, no distance to travel" (quote by Rev. Samuel A. Trumbore), no goal to reach, no effort to furnish or final product to deliver. One is only required to delight in nothing in particular and take pleasure in what is happening now. An intoxicating sensation!

In fact, it is a form of meditation. The act of creating an inner void and resting our body and soul fuels our creativity as true inspiration comes during periods of idleness. So, if ever you are feeling drained and your idea bank is empty, don't panick. A vacation or timeout is definitely the answer to your problems...

So on that note, I want to inform you that this is exactly what I'm going to do next week. Six months without holdays has had its toll on me and I cannot continue speeding forward like a steam train that is out of control or else I'll go bananas. Hence, I am taking a short break (not from surfing the web, though - I am too addicted to visiting your lovely blogs LOL) and, after a brief blogging intermission, I will be back on the 23rd of May. 

In the meanwhile, I'll leave you with a recipe which illustrates this article perfectly. Those "Shortcut Cinnamon & Tahinomelo Smørhorns" are fast to prepare and require minumum effort to put together. Compared to the traditional Norwegian yeast-based butterhorns, this cinnamony treat is dedicated to faineant bakers who want to whip up something mighty scrumptious without having to spend hours in the kitchen or sacrificing taste for simplicity.

With its Mediterranean twist, this moist and tender scone/biscuit-like pastry is quite addictive and I can assure you that your smørhorns will disappear as rapidly as they arrived on the table. Enjoy!

Shortcut Cinnamon & Tahinomelo Smørhorns

Recipe freely adpated from Epicurious.

Makes 8 butterhorns.

Ingredients For The "Quick Dough":
1 1/4 Cups (160g) All-purpose flour

1Tbs Castor sugar
2 Tsps Baking powder
1/3 Tsp Sea salt
2 Tbs (30g) Cold unsalted butter
1 Large egg  (63g)

3 Tbs Milk (plus more to brush the dough and smørhorns)

Ingredients For The "Filling":

2 Tbs Light brown sugar
1 1/2 Tsp Ground cinnamon

8 Tsps Tahinomelo (see recipe here)

Ingredients For The "Drizzle":
3 1/2 Tbs Powdered sugar
1 Tsp Water

Method For The "Quick Dough":

1. Preheat the oven to 180° C (350° F) and line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicone baking liner.

2. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.

3. Add the butter and cut it into small pieces, then with your fingertips or a pastry blender, blend into flour mixture until mixture resembles coarse meal.

4. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and 3 tablespoons of the milk and add to flour mixture, stirring until just combined (add more milk if needed - see remark).

5. Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface and gently knead, 3 or 4 times.

Method For The "Filling, Assembling & Baking":

6. In another small bowl, stir together 2 tablespoons of castor sugar with the cinnamon.

7. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a 26-27cm (10-11 inch) circle.

8. Brush the dough with some milk, then sprinkle evenly with the cinnamon sugar.

9. Using a sharp knife or pizza cutter, slice the round into 8 wedges.

10. Place 1 tsp tahinomelo along the base of the triangles.

11. Starting at the wide, outer edge of one of the wedges, roll the dough towards the inside, pointed edge, forming a crescent shaped roll.

12. Transfer to the lined baking sheet and repeat with the remaining dough.

13. Brush the rolls with milk (or egg wash) and bake the butterhorns in the middle of the oven until pale golden and cooked through, about 18 minutes.

14. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir together the powdered sugar and water until smooth.

15. Drizzle over the warm butterhorns and let cool on a rack.

Remarks:

At point 4, add a little more milk if needed. I used 5 tablespoons.

The butterhorns are better eaten the same day.

Serving suggestions:
Serve for brunch or teatime with a cup of coffee or tea.

Smørhorns Express A La Cannelle Et Au Tahinomelo

Recette largement adaptée d'Epicurious.

Pour 8 smørhorns.

Ingrédients Pour La "Pâte Rapide": 
160g de Farine
1 CS de Sucre cristallisé
2 CC de Poudre à lever
1/3 CC de Sel de mer fin 
30g de Beurre non-salé, froid
1 Gros oeuf (63g)
3 CS de Lait (et plus pour badigeonner la pâte et dorer les smørhorns)
Ingrédients Pour La "Garniture":
2 CS de Cassonade
1 1/2 CC de Cannelle en poudre
8 CC de Tahinomelo (voir la recette ici)
Ingrédients Pour Le "Glaçage":
3 1/2 CS de Sucre en poudre
1 CC d'Eau

Méthode Pour La "Pâte Rapide":
1. Préchauffer le four à 180 ° C et recouvrir une plaque à pâtisserie avec du papier sulfurisé ou un silpat.
2. Dans un grand bol, mélanger ensemble la farine, le sucre, la poudre à pâte et le sel.
3. Ajouter le beurre et le couper en petits morceaux, puis travailler la farine et le beurre entre le bout des doigts afin d'obtenir un mélange sablé.
4. Dans un petit bol, fouetter ensemble l'œuf avec 3 CS de lait et ajouter au mélange farine/beurre. Incorporer rapidement le liquide (si c'est trop sec, ajouter un peu plus de lait - voir remarques) afin qu'une boule de pâte se forme.
5. Transférer la pâte sur une surface légèrement farinée et pétrir délicatement, 3 ou 4 fois.

Méthode Pour Le "L'assemblage Et La Cuisson Des Smørhorns":
6. Dans un autre petit bol, mélanger ensemble 2 cuillères à soupe de sucre semoule avec la cannelle.
7. Sur une surface légèrement farinée, abaisser la pâte en un rond de 26-27cm de diamètre.
8. Badigeonner la pâte avec un peu de lait, puis saupoudrer avec le sucre à la cannelle.
9. A l'aide d'un couteau bien aiguisé ou d'une roulette à pizza, découper la pâte en 8 parts (triangles) égales.
10. Placez 1 CC de tahinomelo à la base de chaque triangle.
11. Prendre un triangle de pâte, étirer légèrement la base du triangle puis rouler sans trop serrer la pâte afin d'obtenir le croissant.
12. Faire de même avec les autres triangles de pâte et ranger les croissants sur la plaque à pâtisserie.
13. Badigeonner les rouleaux avec du lait (ou un oeuf battu) et les faire cuire au centre du four pendant environ 18 minutes ou jusqu'à ce qu'ils soient cuits et dorés.
14. Pendant ce temps, dans un petit bol, mélanger ensemble le sucre en poudre avec l'eau.
15. Napper chaque croissant avec le glaçage et laisser refroidir sur une grille.

Remarques:
Au point 4, ajouter un peu de lait si nécessaire. J'ai utilisé 5 cuillères à soupe.
Les smørhorns sont mielleur consommés le jour même.

Idées de présentation:
Servir pour le brunch ou le goûter et accompagner d'une tasse de café ou de thé.

0 TAHINOMELO WITH MAHLAB - TAHINOMELO AU MAHLEB

Lately, while looking out of the window, the following lyrics, sung in 1982 by the mighty Glenn Danzig, leader of my favorite punk formation (The Misfits – Danzig Era only, 1977-1983) constantly popped up in my mind:

Brains for dinner
Brains for lunch
Brains for breakfast
Brains for brunch
Brains at every single meal,
Why can't we have some guts?

OI! OI! OI!

Brains are all we ever get at this rotten fucking place,
brains are all we ever get, why can't we have a change of pace! ]…[

Don’t get me wrong, no brains were involved. As a matter of fact, I was thinking about the rain that had not stopped bugging us on a daily basis since about a month.  After such an extensive period of precipitations, it started to get so boring and frustrating that, very much like the vocalist of that mythic band, I quotidianly prayed for "a change of pace”. Unfortunately, cursing the dark clouds, invoking our brightest star and hoping that it will finally hug us with its warm arms proved unsuccessful until today. I really thought that I'd lose my marbles if the meteorological calamities continued to strike us and the status quo was maintained for another 24 hours!

 Although nature desperately necessitated intense watering considering that the Siberian winter we experienced at the beginning of the year (January and February) left the grounds dry and the vegetation severely dehydrated, the sad, monotonus and dreary weather began to negatively affect my mood.

You see, it can get extremely tedious to wake up every morning to grey blankness. I dearly missed the pure and blinding April light, the birds' ear-tearing cacophony of joy as well as contemplating the rays of the sun play with the lush green leaves on the trees. In lieu of that, all I could observe was an aqua deluge and apart from the sound of thousand of drops hitting hard the concrete and the howls of the semi-cyclonic gusts of winds that shook the whole building, nothing else was to be heard.

When you’ve been looking forward to spring and instead, winter comes back with full force and slaps you in the face with a mighty roar, thus shattering your optimism and scattering it all over the floor like the countless petal confettis that cascaded down from the trees and were dispersed all over the muddy ground, there is absolutely no way this can make you feel enthusiastic. All the contrary.

Much to my dispair, the violent Bise and strong downpours have washed away the marvelous fruit tree blossoms and prevented us from enjoying those iconic flowers as much as we wanted. With such stormy and miserable conditions I’ve had problems gathering enough motivation to go out for walks and brave the deluvial precipitations, crazy gales as well as fresh temperatures. Cocooning was definitively a more adequate option... 

You cannot control what happens to you, but you can control your attitude toward what happens to you, and in that, you will be mastering change rather than allowing it to master you.  
- Brian Tracy

That reminds me of an important lesson of acceptance and resignation each one of us should learn as it would spare us a lot of trouble, unhappiness and senseless stress if we understood that we cannot have an authoritative influence over everything.

Nowadays, society is obsessed with controlling and conquering the world and what surrounds it. People hate powerlessness as it makes them incredibly anxious and uncomfortable. They are terrorized by the idea that some elements in our existence are out of our hands and totally depend on fate. 

We all can choose the path we take, our conduct, the attitude we have towards things and the individuals we want to be acquainted with, yet we cannot decide which events or circumstances we’ll come across on our journey as a manifested individual. There is no denying that a supreme principle exists behind them and that our luck as well as misfortune are not always easily explainable.

Chaos was the law of nature; Order was the dream of man.
- Henry B. Adams

The more chaos there is, the more science holds on to abstract systems of control, and the more chaos is engendered.
- William Irwin Thompson

None of us is entirely the master of our destiny. We contribute to it, but only to a certain degree. This fundamental force in the universe has always been there and will remain until the end of time. Even modern science recognizes it. Forever, humans have had to deal with chaos and unpredictability. Hence, resisting those incertainties is senseless. One should rather embrace them, make the most of them and recognize the possibilities they offer. Anarchy rules the cosmos. It has a purpose that evades us and the portion of unknown which is thrown into the equation is what makes our life even the more exciting.

Chaos in the world brings uneasiness, but it also allows the opportunity for creativity and growth.
- Tom Barrett

I have great belief in the fact that whenever there is chaos, it creates wonderful thinking. I consider chaos a gift.
- Septima Clark

Creativity in its most meaningful sense renders order out of chaos. True creativity engenders new coherent form from existing patterns or ideas. The creative mind is not subdued by the apparent anarchy of random chaos.

- J.L. Read

In order to be creative, artists need to be organized as well as hectic. No art is born without a little discipline and a good dose of unbounded wackiness. Those components are complementary and if you seek to generate craft exclusively with either one of them, then you’ll get nowhere. In the kitchen, the same theory can be applied. No chef can cook like a beserker unless he/she incorporates a certain amount of method to his/her deliriousness. 

It is beautiful to see that there is a hidden plan behind everything and that even the most crazy phenomenon has a reason of being and a deeper meaning behind its apparent randomeness. This is why I believe that door’s will open for you when the stars are aligned and the right moment has arrived.

So, when life hands you lemons, don't dispair and "say oh yeah I love lemons, what else you got?" (quote by Henry Rollins). Remember that this is the result of your actions combined to a higher pattern (equation composed of controllable & uncontrollable factors: actions + attitude+ place + time + character + unpredictability = fate). You are not getting what you want because you have engaged yourself in the wrong direction and you are lost (not morally speaking). Thus, if you want to influence your kismet in a more positive manner, then it is essential to rethink your doings and turn bad situations to your advantage by adjusting your karma (every action or manifestation marks a rupture of equilibrium, so to counterbalance that, a corresponding reaction is demanded - concordant actions and reactions). In one word, never give up as you have some cards in hands and can still alter the course of your route... 

Since my photography "studio" is situated on my balcony, the unfriendly climate and lack of light of the last four weeks have greatly compromised my photoshoot projects. Seing my projects fizzle out has upset me immensely, yet I refused to let that discourage me and annihilate my cheerfulness or sap my energy, hence I decided that it was indeed a good excuse to relax a bit.

An auspicious contretemps and message from the sky which I greeted with open arms as I'm suffering from a photographer's and writer's block at the moment. I have the impression of turning in circles and inspiration just fails me. Anyway, I'm am pretty sure my readers don't mind if I occasionnaly publish a "simple" recipe and slightly slow up my posting rythm in order to regain my strength and not develop a bad case of blogging burnout (we wouldn't want that to occur, would we?).

Hence, the speciality I am presenting today is uncomplicated. Nonetheless, it is far from being uninteresting or ordinary. "Tahinomelo" (ταχινόμελο, pronounced tah-hee-NO-meh-loh) is a luscious Greek sweet sesame spread made with tahini and honey which is without a doubt foreign to the majority of my non Hellenic or Middle Eastern readers.

Not only is it easy to make as it requires only three ingredients, but it is also delicious, refined, very healthy, nourishing and is a great alternative to other industrial pastes that are far more calorific and less wholesome in comparison with that 100% natural treat. A perfect breakfast, brunch or snack indulgence!

Tahinomelo With Mahlab
Recipe by Rosa Mayland, April 2012.

Makes about a cup of tahinomelo.

Ingredients:
1/2 Cup Tahini

3/8 Cup (1/4 + 1/8 Cups) Runny honey
1/8 Cup Water
1/2 Tsp Mahlab (optional)

Method:

1. In a medium bowl, add the tahini and whisk together mith the water until you get a solid mass.

2. Incorporate the honey and and mahlab. Whisk hard until you get a smooth and pale spread that has the consistency of Nutella.

3. Serve.

Remarks:

If the paste is too thick or not sweet enough for your taste, then add a little more honey.
Tahinomelo can be stored unrefrigerated for several days, well covered.
Before every use, stir it well.

Serving suggestions:

Spread on bread (whole grain preferably), toast or crackers.
It is also perfect for making banana sandwiches.

Tahinomelo Au Mahleb

Recette par Rosa Mayland, Avril 2012.

Pour environ 1 tasse de tahinomelo.

Ingrédients:

1/2 Tasse de Tahini

3/8 de Tasse (1/4 + 1/8 de tasse) de Miel liquide

1/8 de Tasse d'Eau
1/2 de CC de Mahlep (optionel)

Méthode:
1. Dans un bol moyen, foutter ensemble le tahini et l'eau afin d'obtenir une masse solide.
2. Incorporer le miel et le mahleb tout en fouettant énergiquement jusquà obtention d'une pâte étalable et ayant la consistance du Nutella.
3. Servir.

Remarques:

Si la pâte est trop épaisse et pas assez sucrée à votre goût, alors vous pouvez ajouter un peu plus de miel.
Le tahinomelo peut être conservé à température ambiante pendant plusieurs jours.
Bien mélanger avant chaque utilisation.

Idées de présentations:

Tartiner sur du pain (pain complet aux graines de préférence), des toasts ou des crackers.
Cette pâte à tartiner est parfaite pour faire des sandwich à la banane.

0 CHERRY DELIGHTS - DÉLICES A LA CERISE

He appears your friend, but
the Saint hides many Satans
He's contemptuous, you know
of your Godgiven stupidities
He calls you in question with
affected modesty and create
of you an object of derision [...]
- Except taken from the song "Master In Disguise" by Arcturus (Nor)

The weather is a devil in disguise which always manages to surprise us and never fails to be temperamental as well as unpredictable just like a tyrinnical diva. Generally, it's either all or nothing. One day you think that you are living in frostbitten Siberia and the next you'd get tricked into believing that you are residing in the sunny Mediterranean.

A few weeks ago, Europe was still being brushed by a coldwave that froze everything to the core. One had the impression that the North Pole had shifted to our latitudes. Then it was followed by a short interval of chilly, but decent late winter climate which gave way to extremely mild conditions, comparable to that of the end of April. Within a fortnight, the temperatures jumped up dramatically and we experienced an increase of about 30° C (86° f - from minus 14° C to 18° C). Incredible!

Now, it really feels like spring. The air has a distinctive metallic and marine odor similar to that you smell when boats are sitting in the summer heat, daylight lasts longer, primroses and snowdrops are starting to blossom in a parasitic manner, green shoots are appearing between the dead leaves, buds are getting fat and ready to explode, woodpeckers drill trees madly, in the morning and evening black birds sing loud enough to wake up the whole neighborhood, noisy and agitated flocks of crows circle menacingly overhead, cats fight like old rags and people are suddenly more optimistic than ever.

Springtime is the land awakening.

The March winds are the morning yawn.

- Lewis Grizzard

Spring is sooner recognized by plants than by men.

- Chinese Proverb

It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold:  when it is summer in the light, and winter in the shade.

- Charles Dickens

When you go out, you are greeted by a symphony of chirps and the warm rays of the sunshine on your pale and shy skin. Every place is bustling with activity. Joggers are doing their rounds, terrace cafés are alarmingly cacaphonous, the streets are bustling with dashing passer-bys and animals are busy getting ready for the birthing season.

Those drastic changes can be quite mind-boggling and tiring as your brain and body are having a hard time adapting to this abrupt transition. After having dressed up like the Michelin man for the last 4 months and eaten your good share of comfort foods without being upset about the calories you ingested, you are now having difficulties knowing what to put on as you are not ready to shed off your thick layer of reassuring clothes in order to reveal your dismally flabby belly, untoned legs and pudgy arms (please be reassured, I am exagerating for the sake of entertainment) .

What a shock! The disastrous vision of your unfit self is not a pleasant thing to aknowledge and suddenly, with sheer terror you realise how much you allowed yourself to become a little too lazy and careless.
So, even if you don't care about all this propaganda about being skinny and believe that healthy women should have curves in the right places, you nonetheless start panicking and feeling desperate and guilty as you wish you had not sat so much in front of your favorite series, hibernated like a big fat grizzly bear or gobbled all those gorgeously soul-uplifting calories during the entire duration of the winter.

Why did you enjoy so many rich meals and not exercise more? You ask yourself the same question over and over, and you can't stop blaming yourself for having given in to laxity. However you are not somebody who endless laments herself over her, thus you decide to take action and begin elaborating plans in order to regain control over your slack lifestyle...
 

Going through such phases is quite normal as it is in our nature to need to cocoon and raise our spirits with soothing grub when the climate is unfriendly. If we overdieted and did not take a moment to breathe as well as to slow down once in a while, we'd end up being malnourished, depressed and totally drained of our energy as we'd act against what our organism dictates us to do. We all have to accept that there are periods during which we have no other choice than to follow our instincts and listen to what our physical system tells us.

Take care of your body. It's the only place you have to live.
- Jim Rohn

The body too has its rights; and it will have them: they cannot be trampled on without peril. The body ought to be the soul's best friend.
Many good men however have neglected to make it such: so it has become a fiend and has plagued them.
- Augustus William Hare and Julius Charles Hare, Guesses at Truth, by Two Brothers, 1827

Of course, whatever you do, you must never forget that any excess is dangerous and that you should privilege harmony over debauchery or overdiscipline. For that reason, I try to not dramatize the fact that my trousers are ever so slightly tighter, because I know that I haven't done anything terribly wrong and that I will soon be able to lose the extra grams I have gained lately. Nothing tragic here.

Spring is synonymous of rebirth, awakening as well as lightness and thankfully, it forces us to wake up and alter our behavior. That cosmic metamorphosis influences us greatly and consequently we go through some kind of natural reprogramming before the summer arrives. With the arrival of February, we begin to crave food that is less fat and heavy and we look forward to going for walks and getting closer to nature again. 

Even if I didn't properly let myself go, the cold season had its toll on me and now that April is at our doorstep, I feel boosted with a new energy and reconnected with my mortal frame. At the moment, I yearn for fresh, refined, flour-free and fruity desserts.

Being a passionate cook/baker, I am graced with a flourishing imagination, hence I am rarely short of resourcefulness and constantly come up with terrific ideas that I successfully turn into reality (flops happen, but they are outnumbered by favorable outcomes).

The verrine recipe I am presenting today, was invented on the occasion of a friend's visit. As I know that she is not against reasonable indulging and is not enclined to swallow tons of  artery-clogging victuals, I decided to offer her a heavenly sweet treat that would not sit on her stomach after our banquetting on "Apple & Celeriac Soup" and  "Guinness Shepherd's Pie".

Recently, pastry cream and griottes in syrup have been quite often on the menu, so I thought that it would be wonderul to concoct a sweet pudding which would combine both and would emphasize the delights of cherries. This lead me to associating the flavors of sour cherries with that of mahleb.

To accompany my fruits, I made a straight-forward crème pâtissière and incorporated a few teaspoons of this Middle-Eastern aromatic spice into it, then once the preparation was cold I folded in some whipped egg white in order to obtain a fluffy and delicate mousse consistency. To add a bit of crunch to the whole thing, I prepared a healthy granola with oats, honey, tahini and a spit of butter. Once everything was ready, I arranged those three components in alternating layers and presented them in pretty glasses.

As you can imagine, my "Cherry Delights" were a total winner and disappeared very fast. Seeing Corinne and P. gobble them greedily brought a smile on my face. There is no better reward than catching a glimpse of the people who you are close to you having a blast while savoring something you have lovingly made for them!

~ Cherry Delights ~
Recipe by Rosa Mayland, March 2012

For 6 people/makes 6 verrines.

Ingredients For The "Granola":

3/4 Cup (90g) Quick cooking oats

3 Tbs Runny honey

1 Tbs Tahini

1 Tbs Unsalted butter

Ingredients For The "Pastry Cream Mousse":
2 1/4 Cups (540ml) Whole milk
2 Tsp Mahleb
1/3 Tsp Fine sea salt
4 Tbs Cornstarch
1/2 Cup + 1 Tbs (125g) Castor sugar

2 Eggs (~ 63g)

1 Egg yolk
1 Tsp Pure vanilla extract

4 Tbs Unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

1 Egg white

2 Tbs Powder sugar, sifted

Ingredients For "Assembling":
250g Stoned sour cherries/griottes (preserved in syrup), drained

Method For The "Granola":

1. Preheat the oven to 180° C.

2. In a pan, melt the butter, add the honey and tahini.

3. Add this mixture to the oats and combine well, making sure that the oats are coated with the liquid.

4. Spread on a tray covered with baking paper.
5. Bake for about 20-25 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes, until golden brown.
6. Let cool completely before using.

Method For The "Pastry Cream":
7. Put the milk, mahleb and salt in a pan, bring to a light boil.
8. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch,  2 eggs, 1 yolk and vanilla extract until smooth, fluffy and light/pale in color.
9. While constantly whisking, slowly pour the milk into the egg mixture.
10. Return the whole to the saucepan.
11. Over medium heat and while whisking non-stop, cook until you get a thick consistency (just bring to a slight boil).
12. Remove from heat and pour into a bowl. Let cool for 10 minutes and then incorporate the butter, a little at a time, until the pastry cream is smooth and shiny .
13. Cover the surface with clingplastic, directly touching the cream. Let cool completely.
14. Once the pastry cream is at room temperature, whisk it in order to make it smooth again.
15. Beat  the egg white until soft peaks form.
16. Add the  powdered sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks appear.
17. Incorporate delicately the egg whites to the pastry cream.
Method For "Assembling The Verrines":
18. Start filling the bottom of the glasses with about 2-3 Tbs pastry cream mousse, add about 1 1/2 Tbs granola and then the cherries (6-7).
19. Repeat the process once more and finish with an extra layer of pastry cream mousse.
20. Place in the fridge until ready to serve.
21. Just before serving, sprinkle with some of the leftover granola.

Comments:
If you don't have any mahleb, then add a little more vanilla extract to the pastry cream or a few drops almond extract.
You can replace the tahini by the same quantity of butter.
You can also make this dessert with fresh cherries (I recommend the darker variety).
Please note that I weighed the cherries once drained.

Serving suggestions:
Serve as dessert with some bubbly wine (Champagne, Clairette De Die or  Prosecco) or some quality Sauterne, Vin Santo, Gewürtzraminer, Amaretto or Maraschino.

~ Délices A La Cerise ~
Recette par Rosa Mayland, mars 2012.

Pour 6 personnes/verrines.

Ingrédients Pour Le "Granola":  
90g de Flocons d'avoine
3 CS de Miel liquide
1 CS de Tahini
1 CS de Beurre non-salé
Ingrédients Pour La "Mousse De Crème Pâtissière":
540ml de Lait entier

2 CC de Mahlep
1/3 CC de Sel de mer fin
4 CS de Maïzena (fécule de maïs)
125g de Sucre cristallisé
2 Gros oeufs (~ 63g)

1 Jaune d'oeuf
1 CC d'Extrait de vanille pure
60g de Beurre non-salé, coupé en petits cubes
1 Blanc d'oeuf
2 CS de Sucre en poudre, tamisé
Ingrédients Pour Le "Montage":
250g de Griottes dénoyautées au sirop, égouttées

Méthode Pour Le "Granola":
1. Préchauffer le four à 180 ° C.
2. Dans une casserole, faire fondre le beurre, ajouter le miel et le tahini.
3. Ajouter ce mélange à l'avoine et bien mélanger. Faire en sorte que les flocons d'avoine soient recouverts par le liquide.
4. Étendre sur une plaque recouverte de papier sulfurisé.
5. Cuire au four pendant environ 20-25 minutes, en remuant toutes les 5 minutes.
6. Laisser refroidir complètement avant d'utiliser.

Méthode Pour La "Mousse De Crème Pâtissière":
7. Mettre le lait, le mahlep et le sel dans une casserole, porter à ébullition (tout juste).
8. Dans un grand bol, battre ensemble le sucre, la fécule, les 2 oeufs, le jaune d'oeuf et la vanille jusqu'à ce le mélange soit pâle et mousseux.
9. Tout en fouettant constamment, verser lentement le lait dans le mélange (tempérage).
10. Verser l'ensemble dans la casserole.
11. À feu moyen et en fouettant en continu, faire cuire jusqu'à obtention une consistance épaisse, lisse et crémeuse.
12. Après ébullition, retirer du feu et versez dans un bol. Laisser refroidir pendant 10 minutes puis incorporer le beurre, un peu à la fois, jusqu'à ce que la crème pâtissière soit lisse et brillante.
13. Couvrir la surface avec du film plastique (toucher directement la crème pâtissière). Laisser refroidir complètement avant d'utiliser.
14. Une fois la crème pâtissière est à température ambiante, la fouetter afin de le rendre lisse.
15. Battre le blanc d'oeuf jusqu'à ce qu'il forme des pics mous.
16. Ajouter le sucre en poudre et continuer de battre jusqu'à formation de pics rigides.
17. Incorporer délicatement les blancs d'oeufs à la crème pâtissière.
Méthode Pour "Assemblage Les Verrines":
18. Commencer à remplir le fond des verres avec environ 2-3 cuillères à soupe de mousse de  crème pâtissière, ajouter environ 1 1/2 cuillères à soupe de granola, puis les cerises (6-7).
19. Répétez l'opération encore une fois et finir avec une couche supplémentaire de mousse de crème pâtissière.
20. Réserver les verrines au frigo jusqu'au moment de servir.
21. Juste avant de servir, saupoudrer avec le granola restant.
 

Commentaires:
Si vous n'avez pas de mahlep, vous pouvez incoporer un petit peu plus d'extrait de vanille ou quelques gouttes d'extrait d'amande dans le lait pour la crème pâtissière.

Vous pouvez aussi remplacer le tahini par la même quantité de beurre.
Ce dessert peut aussi être préparé avec des cerises fraîches (je recommande d'utiliser des cerises foncées).
Faites bien attention d'utiliser 250g de griottes égouttés - na pas peser les cerises dans leur jus.

Suggestions d'accompagnement:
Servir en guise de dessert avec un verre de vin mousseux (Champagne, Clairette de Die ou Prosecco) ou de Sauterne, Vin Santo, Gewurtzraminer, d'Amaretto ou de Maraschino.

0 TAHINI, POMEGRANATE AND CORIANDER POTATO SALAD - SALADE DE POMME DE TERRES AU TAHINI, À LA GRENADE ET CORIANDRE ~ ♥ ~ A GUEST POST FOR JENN AT "THE LEFTOVER QUEEN"

I have known the lovely Jenn Campus for quite a while now and have been visiting "The Leftover Queen" since its launching in 2007. During all those years I have followed her adventures striving towards the goals of sustainability, preparing traditional foods and seasonal feasting, and have admired her courage when she moved to Northern Vermont in order to live out her dream and become self-sufficient (growing her own vegetables as well as raising her own animals).

This home-spun culinarian has learned to cook from her maternal Calabrese Grandma, maternal Sicilian Grandfather, food adventurous mom and Scottish/German dad (who was famous for his “Leftover Soup”). It is then understandable why she is so passionate about using leftovers, being frugal and does a great job of whipping up healthy and economic meals from scrap.

Besides having a respectable and inspiring philosophy of life, being a real leftover queen and having an exciting genetic background (her DNA shows evidence of Scottish, English, German, Danish, Dutch, Mohawk and possibly Irish ancestry),  Jenn is also the creator of the "Foodie Blogroll", an ever-growing social network and community of thousands of food bloggers (as a matter of fact it is the biggest on the web) that offers weekly giveaways, many contests and a Publisher Program enabling you to earn revenue through advertising...

As she advocates healthy eating and enjoys creating gastronomic delights based on simplicity as well as everyday foods that can be traced locally and respect the earth’s cycles, I thought that it would be a brilliant idea to invent a potato salad which could be adapted according to what’s on the stalls of your regional farmers markets and savored as a fulfilling main course that can stand alone: a refined, quirky and scrumptious "Tahini, Pomegranate And Coriander Potato Salad" which provides cheap nourishment, incredible pleasure and is well-balanced, especially if paired with proteins such as fish, meat or eggs...

So, if that short introduction made your mouth water and your tastebuds tingle, tickled your curiosity, captivated your attention and gave you the urge to read my article, then please hop on over to "The Leftover Queen" in order to get a glimpse of my pictures, discover my recipe and have a look at Jenn's great site. Hopefully you'll enjoy my post...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Etant donné que beaucoup de mes lecteurs francophones ne comprennent pas forcément l'anglais et que malheureusement peu d'entre-eux auront la chance de lire mon billet invité et dernier article en date sur le merveilleux blog de ma collègue vermontaise Jenn de "The Leftover Queen", je me suis permise de traduire la recette qui y figure afin que vous puissiez aussi en profiter car je pense qu'elle pourra vous intéresser (vous pouvez tout de même y jeter un coup d'oeil car ses recettes nature sont vraiment passionnantes et mon article contient d'autres images que celles exposées ici).

J'espère que ma "Salade De Pommes De Terres Au Tahini, A La Grenade Et Coriandre" vous plaira car elle est divinement colorée, fraîche et savoureuse. Cette création personnelle est une ode à une cuisine économique, à tendance végétarienne et qui est loin d'être insipide/fade, pas raffinée et inintéressante...

~ Salade De Pommes De Terres Au Tahini, A La Grenade Et Coriandre ~

Recette par Rosa Mayland, Novembre 2011.

Pour 2-3 personnes.

Ingrédients Pour La "salade":

750g de Pommes de terre fermes, de petite taille

1 Carotte moyenne, grossièrement râpée

1 Poivron rouge, coupé en petits dés (voir remarques)

1 Oignon rouge (moyen), coupé en fines rondelles

30-40g de Jambon fumé, haché finement

50g de Noix de Grenoble, hachées grossièrement

Une grosse poignée de graines de grenade, ou selon goût

Coriandre fraîche, hachée, selon goût

Ingrédients Pour La "Sauce A Salade":

3 CS de Tahini

3 CS de Lait

1 CS d'Eau (ou plus si la sauce est trop épaisse)

1 CS de Vinaigre de malt

1 CS de Moutarde douce allemande (ou française - moutarde à l'ancienne)

1 CS d'Huile d'olive

1 CC de Crème de raifort

1 CC de Worcestershire sauce

1/2 CC de Sucre

1/3 CC de Paprika fumé

1/4 CC de Poudre d'oignon

Sel, selon goût

Poivre, selon goût

Méthode Pour La "Sauce A Salade":

1. Mélanger tous les ingrédients ensemble, jusqu'à ce que vous obteniez une sauce un peu épaisse, comme de la mayonnaise. 

Méthode Pour La "Salade":
2. Cuire les pommes de terres à l'eau jusqu'à ce qu'elles soit cuites, puis les égoutter et les laisser refroidir afin qu'elles deviennent tièdes. Les couper en deux dans la longueur.

3. Mélanger délicatement tous les ingrédients ensemble et ajouter la sauce, puis mélanger le tout.
4. Servir et décorer avec de la coriandre.

Remarques:
J'ai utilisé des pommes de terres Charlottes (pommes de terre), mais vous pouvez aussi utiliser d'autres variétés cireuses, comme la Désirée, Nicola, Bintje ou Kipfler qui sont parfaites pour faire des salades.

Quand j'ai fait cette recette les poivrons étaient encore de saison. Comme ils sont maintenant hors-saison, je vous recommande de les remplacer soit par 1 tasse  1 / 3 de courge muscade coupée en petits dés/fines allumettes ou la même quantité de choux de Bruxelles finement râpés ou de bettrave crue coupée en fines allumettes.

Si vous le désirez, il vous est possible de remplacer les noix de Grenoble par les noix de votre choix.

Idées de présentation:
Servir cette salade seule comme plat principal ou acompagnée de poisson fumé (saumon ou maquereau), rollmops, petites crevettes roses, d'oeufs cuits durs ou de viande froide.