0 DRIED HIBISCUS FLOWERS

The use "Dried Hibiscus Flowers" (also known as "Hibiscus", "Sorrel", "Rosella", "Karkadé", "Rosemallow" or "Flor De Jamaica") in the kitchen is very interesting. Those lovely flowers grow on a plant which is a genus of flowering plants in the mallow family (Malvaceae). Hibiscus trees are native to warm, temperate, tropical and subtropical regions. Their flowers are very large and trumpet-like, and their colors range from white to pink, red, orange, purple or yellow.

Due to it's medicinal properties, some people call Hibiscus the "other cranberry". As a matter of fact, it's good to soothe colds, open blocked nose, clearing up mucous, as an astringent, promoting proper kidney function, helps digestion, a tonic, a diuretic and helps reduce fever. It is also very rich in vitamin C.

Nonetheless, I recommend you to be cautious when using those flowers as they have a hypotensor effect on us. It is for that reason that you'd better not consume this flower if you are suffering from hypotension (low arterial pressure).

With "Dried Hibiscus Flowers" one can make tea, syrup/cordial, all kinds of drinks and cocktails. They can also be crushed into flakes and used as condiment (to flavor rice, stews, sauces, ice creams, etc...) or added to cakes, scones or any pastry as well as dessert of your choice and even used as a food coloring agent.

Check my "Mouhalabieh or Lebanese Milk Flans" recipe that is served with a colorful "Hibiscus & Rosewater Syrup".

0 WEEKEND CAT BLOGGING #249

This week, Weekend Cat Blogging #249 is hosted by Breadchick and LB at "The Sour Dough" (USA)...

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.

Here are some news regarding Fridolin's health...

Last Monday, the veterinary came home and after feeling a ball in Fridolin's stomach area, he decided to take him back to his practice and conduct a series of tests (blood test and a radio).

The bloood test result came out not too bad and showed that Fridolin's kidneys as well as liver are in a very good state (for his age/15 years old). On the other hand the test showed a high level of glucids and white blood cells. Then the radio showed what scared me the most: Frodolin has a walnut-sized tumor in the lower stomach.

Unfortunately, the veterinary told us that he could not operate him and that it was too late to save him. No treatment was even possible. We were ready to euthanize him, but when we arrived at the doctor's practice, we discovered a nosy and active Fridolin who could not stand still... That made us change our minds!

We have decided to to do all that we can for him and give him natural remedies. So, since a week Fridolin takes cortisone as well as homeopathy. He is sweet, full of energy, doesn't seem to suffer, eats like a lion and is very happy. He seems very strong morally and ready to fight against that nasty tumor.

If anybody can recommend a homeopathic or natural treatment (alternative medicine), please leave me a message and I will be very happy to consider it...

0 BARBERRY PILAF - PILAF AUX BARBERRIES

People who know me must have gathered by now that I very much enjoy the Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisines. The incredible flavors as well as the ingredients used set my soul on fire and I really love the way that food is prepared. In those regions of the world, the dishes have this special holiday feel that brings sunshine and happiness to the table...

Lately, I have invested in two magnificent cookery books on the foods of Turkey, Lebanon and Morocco (Claudia Roden's gorgeous cookbook "Arabesque", Greg Malouf's fabulous "Turquoise - A Chef's Travel In Turkey" & Nevin Halici's "Turkish Cookbook"). In autumn 2009, Tobias at "Tobias Cooks" even sent me a superb Turkish cookbook (“Turkish Cooking: Classic Traditions, Fresh Ingredients, Authentic Flavours, Aromatic Recipes” by Ghillie Basan) that I won thanks to my "Stuffed Quinces" recipe and also thanks to all the people who voted for me (thanks!). I can never have to many cookbooks on the subject.

Nowadays, I cook at least one or two Middle Eastern/Mediterranean dishes a month. That kind of food is so fine that I could feed on it on a daily basis. Just to think about it makes me drool and crave the exhaliratig flavors of cumin, allspice, sumac, cinnamon, rose water, tahini, spinach, pine nuts, chickpeas, fresh flat bread, eggplants, tomatoes, lamb, oregano, dill, coriander, etc... I now have an irrepressible need to take a trip to my favorite Lebanese (Goodtaste, 2 chemin sur Grosse, 01210 ferney Voltaire, France) and Balkanic (Shala Mutimarché, 83 rue de Lyon, 1203 Genève) foodstores and raid both of them!

So, last Saturday, I decided to make one of my favorite Lebanese-inspired dishes that consists of fluffy "Barberry Pilaf" served with fried fish or chicken breasts (this time I opted for chicken) and a wonderfully creamy tahini (I'm addicted to it) pomegranate sauce. It is a meal we appreciate a lot and which I cook on a regular basis.

Baberry fruits grow on spiny shrubs of the genus Berberis. Several varieties exist and depending on the variety, the fruits may vary in color from black or purple to white or yellow. Of all the barberries, the common barberry or the jaundice berry is most commonly eaten. This fruit is native to Europe and temperate Asia. It is grown in many parts of the globe, but Iran is the largest producer of zereshk (barberries) in the world.

Barberries are quite acidic and very rich in vitamin C. They somehow remind me of cranberries with their sharp taste and tart flavor. You probably wouldn't want to eat them fresh out of hand. In the past, the fruits were usually preserved with some sort of sweetener to make preserves, jellies, preserves, and syrup, or were candied. They were also prepared as a pickle in vinegar, and used in pies and other baked goods. Now, we generally find them dried and we use them much like we use dried currants.

Although you can find many recipes for "Barberry Pilaf" the recipe I am sharing with you today is the product of my own imagination. I came up with that recipe when i wanted to make a use of my barberries and thze Gulf spice mix that Corinnne (thanks, I need more LOL !!!) had kindly given me.

The Basmati rice has a wonderful round flavor and refined fragrance thanks to the spices, onion and garlic. It is perfectly well-balanced. The addition of barberries brings an interesting and contrasting tang to the whole dish. Delightful!

~ Barberry Pilaf ~
Recipe by Rosa @ Rosa's Yummy Yums 2010.

Ingredients:
1 Tbs Olive oil
1 Onion, finely chopped
2 Cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 1/2 Tsp Baharat spice mix (Gulf-style)
3/4 Tsp Ground cumin
1/4 Tsp Ground cinnamon
4 Tbs Dried barberries
280g Basmati rice
530ml/g Water
1 Cube Organic chicken stock
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
30g Unsalted butter

Method:
1. In a large pan, fry the onion and garlic in oil until soft, golden and transclucid (onion).
2. While the onions and garlic and frying, wash the basmati rice under cold water, until the water is clear. Strain well and set aside.
3. Add the spices to the onion in the pan and stir fry them until fragrant (1 minute max).
4. Add the water, cube chicken stock rice and barberries. Salt and pepper to taste.
5. Over high heat, stir constantly and bring to the boil.
6. Once it boils, lower the temperature (lowest possible) and cover with a lid.
7. Cook with the lid on for 12 minutes, then turn off the heat and let the rice rest for another 12 minutes with the lid on (see remarks).
8. Lift the lid, add a little butter and stir delicately with a fork.
9. Serve.

Remarks:
When making Basmati rice (point 7), always keep in mind that you have to use the same recipient to measure the rice and water (2x recipient of rice for 3 1/2 x recipient of water). The recipient I used for this recipe had a 3/4 cup capacity (2 x 3/4 cup of rice for 31/2 x 3/4 cup of water).
When the rice is cooking or resting DO NOT lift the lid (or stir the rice), otherwise you'll liberate the steam and will end up with a badly cooked rice as well as mush.

Serving suggestions:
Serve this rice as an accompaniment to meat (steak, chicken breasts, duck leg/breast, lamb roast, roasted turkey, game, etc...) or fish (friend or steamed).
I recommend you to serve both the meat/fish and rice with a tahini sauce called "Tarator" or with the cooked version of this sauce.

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

~ Riz Pilaf Au Barberries ~
Recette par Rosa @ Rosa's Yummy Yums 2010.

Ingrédients:
1 CS d'Huile d'olive
1 Oignon, haché finement
2 Gousses d'ail, hachées finement1
1/2 CC de Baharat (mélange d'épices du Golfe Persique)
3/4 CC de Cumin en poudre
1/4 CC de Cannnelle en poudre
4 CS de Barberries
280g de Riz basmati
530ml/g d'Eau
1 Cube de Bouillon de poule bio
Sel, à volonté
Poivre, à volonté
30g de Beurre non-salé

Méthode:
1. Dans une grande casserole, faire revenir l'oignon et l'ail jusqu'à ce qu'ils soient dorés et cuits.
2. Pendant que l'oignon et l'ail sont mis à frire, rinser le riz jusqu'à ce que l'eau devienne claire. Faire bien égoutter et mettre de côté.
3. Ajouter les épices et faire cuire tout en remuant pendant 1 minute afin que les arômes se libèrent.
4. Ajouter l'eau, le cube de bouillon, les barberries et le riz. Saler et poivrer. Mélanger.
5. Augmenter la température et porter à ébullition tout en remuant.
6. Baisser immédiatement la température et mettre le couvercle sur la casserole.
7. Cuire pendant 12 minutes (avec le couvercle), puis éteindre le feu et laisser reposer encore 12 minutes avec le couvercle (voir remarques).
8. Ajouter le beurre et mélanger délicatement à l'aide d'une fourchette.
9. Servir.

Remarques:
Il y a une règle simple pour réussir ce riz: utilisez le même récipient pour mesurer le riz et l'eau (2x récipient de riz pour 3 1/2 x récipients d'eau). Pour cette recette, j'ai utilisé un récipient ayant une contenance de 180ml (2 x récipient de 180ml de riz pour 3 1/2 x récipient de 180ml).
Durant la cuisson du riz (point 7), NE SOULEVEZ EN AUCUN CAS le couvercle (et ne mélangez en aucun cas le riz) autrement votre riz le pourra plus cuire correctement car l'intérieur de la casserole aura perdu sa vapeur.

Idées de présentation:
Servir ce riz en tant qu'accompagnement.
Il se marie parfaitement avec de la viande (steak, filet de poulet, magret/cuisse de canard, dinde cuite au four, rôti d'agneau, venaison, etc...) ou du poisson (grillé ou cuit à la vapeur).
Je vous recommande vivement de servir la viande/le poisson ainsi que ce riz avec de la sauce au tahini (pâte de sésame) appelée "Tarator" ou avec la version cuite de cette sauce.

0 AU PÉCHÉ MIGNON - ANNECY

I am still going through my leftover pictures of Annecy which I took during our last holidays in October. There are still many shots that I want to share with you, so I hope you'll not get annoyed by the fact that they are not very recent...

In the old town of Annecy there is a quaint little "pâtisserie"/confectionery that we particularly cherish and always visit when we go there. It is called "Au Péché Mignon ("péché mignon" meaning literally "cute sin") and offers the most delicious cakes, chocolates, savory tarts (their Reblochon quiche is fantastic) and ice creams.

Their window is always contains beautiful pastries and cakes. All the goodies are so colorful, amazingly decorated and really tempting. It is impossible for foodies like us to walk by without stopping and buying something. At "Au Péché Mignon", our weakness for sweets isn't a sin anymore and it becomes an obligation for us to "misbehave"!

We cannot visit Annecy without making a trip to that lovely place and treat ourselves with a few cakes as well as as a quiche. Although, there are plenty other places there, we have to eat one of their yummy creations before we can move on to the next bakery!

If you are addicted to chocolate, nourish a passion for good quality French pastries, sweets as well as confectioneries, then "Au Péché Mignon" is for you. Just don't forget that on market days (Wednesday and Saturday mornings) the place is chock-a-block full, so you'd better choose another time to indulge yourself vice fully and be a bit of a glutton...

Au Péché Mignon

9 Rue Jean-Jacques Rousseau

74000 Annecy
France

Route berechnen

Tél.: 04 50 45 39 96

0 WEEKEND CAT BLOGGING #248

This week, Weekend Cat Blogging #248 is hosted by Meowza at "iMeowza" (USA)...

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.

Fridolin has not been feeling well lately.

Everytime he eats, he can't hold down his food (wet & dry). Apart from that he seems fine, maybe a little calm after each episode.
It is not the first time he has this. The last time it happened (October), it went away.

Does anyone know what it could be?
I don't know if I should call the veterinary...

0 OATMEAL COCONUT COOKIES

According to the reactions I get at home or from friends when I bake "Oatmeal Cookies", I have come to the conclusion that it is one of the most appreciated cookies alongside the famous "Chocolate Chip Cookies"...

Cookbooks devoted to cookies mostly offer more than one recipe and on the net, it's popularity is never fading. Regularly, while surfing from one blog to another, I always see that treat under the spotlight. Foodies blog about "Oatmeal Cookies" again and again.

I generally bake "Oatmeal Cookies" when I want a healthier fuss-free treat to nibble on in front of a series or to offer to friends who care about their diet (or not). It is the ideal treat for people of all ages. Those cookies are seriously addictive as they seem to act like crack on everybody who takes a bite from them. Ask my friend Corinnne. Her son went through the whole packet I gave her in less than 24 hours LOL!

While flipping through "The Good Cookie" coobook, looking for a cookie that I could give to my friend Corinne, Tish Boyle's "Oatmeal Coconut Cookies" (in the book "Oatmeal Raisin Cookies", p66) recipe caught my eye. That combination of rolled oats, dried fruits (in her recipe raisins, my version contains dried cranberries), nuts (in her recipe pecans, my version contains walnuts) and cinnamon (I added nutmeg and cloves) really seemed perfect. I had to test them.

My slighty boosted version worked out well and those "Oatmeal Coconut Cookies" tasted even better than I had imagined. How can one resist a cookie which is sweet, fruity, nutty, chewy on the inside and crunchy on the outside? My guess is, NOBODY!

Do try those "Oatmeal Coconut Cookies" at home and spread them around you. You'll see, your friends, family, co-workers and neighbors will come running for more and will love you for that. I guarantee that you'll your get new fans and make new friends thanks to them...

~ Oatmeal Coconut Cranberry Walnut Cookies ~
Recipe from Tish Boyle's "The Good Cookie" and adapted by Rosa @ Rosa's Yummy Yums 2010.

Makes 66 cookies.

Ingredients:
2 1/3 Cups All purpose flour
2 Tsp Baking powder
1 1/2 Tsp Baking soda
1 Tsp Ground cinnamon
1/5 Tsp Ground cloves
A pinch Ground nutmeg
1/2 Tsp Sea salt
3 1/2 Cups Quick cooking rolled oats
8 oz (2 sticks/1 cup) Unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
1 1/2 Cups Light brown sugar
1/3 Cup Granulated sugar
2 Large eggs
2 Tsp Pure vanilla extract
1 Cup Grated coconut, unsweetened
1 Cup Walnuts, roasted & chopped coarsely
1 Cup Dried craberries, chopped coarsely

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 190° C (375° F). Grease or line your cookie sheets with parchment paper.
2. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and salt. Stir in oatmeal. Set the dry ingredients aside.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer on medium speed, cream butter and both sugars until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
4. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in vanilla extract.
5. On low speed, add flour-oatmeal mixture and mix until just blended. Add coconut, walnuts as well as cranberries and mix until just combined.
6. Drop tablespoonfuls of dough onto your prepared cookies sheets, spacing them about 2 inches (4cm) apart. Flatten the mounds of dough slightly.
7. Bake until golden brown, about 12-14 minutes.
8. Cool cookies on sheets for 5 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack.

Remarks:
You can replace the walnuts by any other nut (as long as you roast them) and you can replace the unsweetened grated coconut by sweetened coconut flakes (original recipe).
If you don't want to use cranberries, then use raisins instead.

Serving suggestion:
Serve those cookies together with a good cup of tea, coffee or a glass of ice cold milk.

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

~ Cookies A l'avoine, A La Noix De Coco, Aux Cranberries & Noix ~
Recette tirée du livre "The Good Cookie" de Tish Boyle et adaptée par Rosa @ Rosa's Yummy Yums 2010.

Pour 66 cookies.

Ingrédients:
300g de Farine blanche
2 CC de Poudre à lever/cake
1 1/2 CC de Bicarbonate de soude
1 CC de Cannelle en poudre
1/5 CC de Clous de girofle en poudre
1 pincée de noix de muscade moulue
1/2 CC de Sel de mer
335g de Flocons d'avoine
240g de Beurre non-salé, ramolli et à température ambiante
360g de Sucre brun clair
70g de Sucre cristallisé
2 Gros oeufs
2 CC d'Extrait de vanille pure
120 de Noix de coco râpée
113g de Noix de Grenoble, torréfiées et grossièrement hachées
120g Cranberries séchées et hachée grossièrement

Méthode:
1. Préchauffer le four à 190° C. Recouvrir votre plaque avec du papier sulfurisé.
2. Tamiser la farine avec la poudre à lever, la bicarbonate de soude, les épices et le sel. Ajouter l'avoine et mélanger. Mettre de côté.
3. Dans le bol de votre batteur, à vitesse moyenne, battre le beurre en pommade (pendant 2 - 3 minutes) avec les sucres jusqu'à ce que le mélange soit mousseux et clair.
4. Ajouter les oeufs, un à un, tout en mélangeant bien après chaque ajout. Incorporer l'extrait de vanille.
5. A vitesse basse, ajouter le mélange farine/avoine et mélanger (pas trop) jusqu'à ce qu'il soit juste incorporé. Ajouter la noix de coco, les noix et les cranberries et incorporer rapidement.
6. Former des petits tas avec une cuillière à soupe et les déposer sur la plaque en laissant un espace de 4cm entre chaque tas. Applatir les cookies légèrement.
7. Cuire les cookies pendant 12-14 minutes, jusqu'à ce qu'ils soient dorés.
8. Laisser les cookies sur la plaque pendant les 5 minutes qui suivent leur sortie du four, puis les faire refroidir sur une grille.

Remaques:
Vous pouvez remplacer les noix de Grenoble par n'importe quelle autre noix (ne pas oublier de les faire torréfier) et vous pouvez remplacer la noix de coco râpée non-sucrée par de la noix de coco sucrée, en flocons (voir supermarchés américains).
Si vous ne désirez pas utiliser des cranberries, alors prenez des raisins.

Idée de présentation:
Servez ces biscuits avec du thé, du café ou un verre de lait bien froid.

0 A LOVELY BAKERY - ANNECY

I've been meaning to finish blogging about my Fall 2009 Annecy trip (Part I & Part II) since a very long time, but I somehow never got to do it before today. Now that I have more time for myself, I thought that I'd ought to continue writing about my wonderful day in that magnificent and quaint town in Haute Savoie, France...

Today I want to talk to you about a bakery situated in the historic center of Annecy and which I fell in love with immediately after having discovered it for the very first time. When walking by "Marmillon", it is impossible not to get your attention drawn to that window chock-a-block full of mouthwatering regional delicacies (just click on the pictures to make them bigger and see the names of each bread, bun, cookie, tart, etc...). That vision will lure you in and the taste as well as the smell of those yummy treats will addict you instantly. It is like a trap for fans of baked goodies!

As we were planning on testing quite a few different foods around Annecy, we decided to take one immense raisin roll and share it between the both of us. It was divinely smooth and tasted heavenly!

Marmillon
11, rue Sainte Claire
7400 Annecy
France