a little Advent time

it's a poor Christmas, but not without a little something to cheer us up.

Today it was all about baking Homemade Swiss Cookies delights, or advent cookies. Oh I've missed baking.. and it's been a while since I've made this delicious Milanesini and Miroirs by Betty Bossi. I only chose 2 kinds this time and had a lot of fun, thinking of good memories when I used to make this for my family back home in CH. Usually this wouldn't last more then a day hahaha!

{recipes in Italian and French: I Milanesini, Miroirs here and here. If you need the translation let me know}

summer lasagne

I've been asked to make Lasagne since I've been back from Switzerland (2 weeks 1/2). Honestly who feels like lasagne with this heat? I really don't. So when I saw this I thought it might be a good version in this hot hot weather. 

Lasagnetta Fresca / Fresh Lasagne by Basilico & Pinoli

The recipe is in Italian, but I'm sure with a little bit of intuition you can guess it. In case I'm always here available for a good translation :)
p.s. oh and if you didn't know it's not called Lasagna but Lasagne. Yep!

{raspberry} delicious

I'm still surrounded by raspberries.. OOh beautiful!

wearing this shirt eating this "granatina" or raspberry crushed ice drink? Just perfect.

lamponi

Mmmm I love raspberries. My mom has a freezer full of it.

This only cause my dad used to work out in his big, big garden everyday, all day long. He had a passion for it and never went too little with things. Here outside there's plenty of raspberry, blueberry and blackberry trees. It's lovely really. My dad was an artist of green, plants, fruit and flowers.

From the many things we need to do right now, I decided I need to help my mom get rid of all that raspberries before the new ones will come.. soon, in few months. We need to make space in her big freezer. I won't be here long, I can't bake too many cakes, tarts and all. Something light and not to heavy would also be advised. That's when I thought a good well made gelato is the answer :) In this house dinner could be skipped but not dessert made of gelato and wiped cream :)

So here I am looking up for recipes. Oh this is my world. From old recipe books I've found in the house, to new fresh ideas online. Oh there's quite a selection. Simple is the answer, but not without a little touch of mine :)

{picts.by my dad's garden, Raspberry Pavlova by Dr. Oetker , Raspberry granita by Good Food}

today

it is my birthday and all I feel like is Thai Peanut Curry

Even if I'd love to make my own, well.. not taday nop! My hubby is taking me to a nice Thai place, yuppyy!

There is tuns of recipes out there, and here is a few for you:

Peanut vegetable curry, Panang curry, Pumpkin and peanut curry, Panang Nuer, Thai green chicken curry.

mamma loves handmade {recipes, how to tutorial}

the simple things you can do with your hands

~cause it is May and it is Mother's day~

There's is nothing better then a great dessert, a very natural bouquet of flowers and a nice sweet card from your heart

cute sweet book: 

She by Kobi Yamada, 

how to - by Frolic:

how to make a french hand-tied bouquet

Recipes by Cannelle et Vanille:

Gluten Free Pate Brisee,

Strawberry Apple and Buckwheat Crumble, 

Raspberry Palmiers and Red Currant and Raspberry Swirl Ice Cream Sandwiches,

Raspberries N'Cream dessert table, 

Lemon and buttermilk sorbet, Stewed rhubarb and financiers, 

Recipe by La Tartine Gourmande:

Raspberry Tiramisú

other beautiful photography by:

Lisa Warninger, MarthaStewart

millefeuille~millefoglie

I don't know what's wrong with me.. Although I'm sick, I still have the energy to think about.. pastries and baking and new recipes to make???? what?

I've had millefeuille (mille foglie) in my mind the past days, and exactly the one illustrated below. It has been one of my favorite pastries of all times since little girl, and I still l-l-love it!
Christian had his first few months ago, on our Christmas trip back home in Switzerland. Oh and he lOvEd it! In fact he has been trying all kind of desserts but always went back to millefeuille with creme patissiere (crema pasticciera)

Although it is not the time for me to start making stuff in the kitchen since I've almost packed everything for our move in few days, this is on my to do list for the next month, as long as Frittelle di Carnevale. I'm sure the list will get even longer before I'll actually be able to bake again. I guess next time I'll be able to make this delicious desserts I'll be in Portland. I'm sure I'll find some new people to serve my desserts since as you know.. I usually don't really eat them :)

{picts. via BettyBossi, Tongue in Cheek and Foodbeam}

i think I'm gonna bake tonight

Treccia Bernese, Zopf Bread

I need a brake from packing, and all the other 100 things I need to do before flying back to LA. Baking relaxes me for some reason and the choice was easy... I wanted to finish in a very Swiss way :)
My bro and I had fun in my mom's little kitchen {my pictures and more info to come}.

{pictures by kitschenette and Once upon a cakestand}

an explosion of summer in winter time

Oh finally I've found something that really makes me hungry. After all this holidays and all the amazing food, sweets and all my body is craving for something fresh, light and healthy.
Don't take me wrong, cause coming back to Switzerland and taste the great food we have here has been fantastic. Finally my husband was able to have more time to taste the great bread, Pandoro, pastries, cheese, salame, pasta.. oooh so many things. But goodness, I need ...mmm, to get lighter :) You know what I mean right?? hahahaha :)


Risotto Fragole e Mirtilli

This recipe from Basilico e Pinoli is perfect. Vitamines and a real explosion of summer!

Ingredients:

240 gr. rice for Risotto

6 dl of broth

about 10 big strawberries

80g blueberries

1/2 onion

1/2 cup of white wine

butter

parmesan cheese

Fry the onion in butter and toast the rice. Then add the wine and let it evaporate.

Pour the broth, the chopped strawberries and blueberries. Close the pot with a lid and bring to high temperature.

When it begins to boil wait 3 minutes then turn the temperature on low and let it continue cooking for 30 minutes.

When ready add the butter and Parmesan cheese and let thicken.

Serve in dishes and decorate with some extra fresh strawberries and blueberries.

Buon Appetito!

P.S. using HotPan could be much easier, but I don't have one (yes and it is a Swiss product!!). So here is some info for you.

For the recipe in Italian go directly on Basilico e Pinoli

{cucina} Persimmons/cachi & good old memories

It's time for another great recipe!

When I saw this at Cannelle et Vanille I gasped. Beside the beautiful food delights photography {have I told you I have a weakness for food photography? Yea a big one} Oh it does take me back in time. Growing up in the Italian part of Switzerland (the beautiful Lugano), there's plenty of persimmons trees all around. You see this great orange fruits decorating the landscape in harmony with the season. And not always because on trees let me tell you. Cause a lot of this fruit ends up on the floor and pretty well smashed on it.. yep. And that is a sad sad thing. But no matter what the color it brings is beautiful!

My dad is the biggest fan I know. When little I was a bigger fan myself and I've always been eating it the same way. Plain from the tree, with big bites! Oh and it is kinda messy hahahaha! The texture this fruit has is so unique. There's nothing like it. Goodness I can taste it right now just thinking about it.

I've never really thought I could make some creative recipe with it, and I've never took the time to think twice about it. For some reason I thought that cachi {persimmons} are one of those things you can't put in a cooked dish, just like.. mmm let's see, just like figs. Untill you end up knowing that you can actually do a lot with figs and persimmons.
And that goes along with the traditions I know.. There is no Swiss Italian traditional dish with cachi if not to be eaten fresh from trees, or ending up as jam.

Until today I didn't know it could be used as an ingredient of something special like this great recipes. And let me tell you, I'm on it! I'm going to try to make this very soon.

Poached Persimmon, Mascarpone and Marsala Sabayon and Pistachio Crumble Verrines

go here for this great recipe {by amazing Aran}

Persimmon Upside Down Yougurt and Olive Oil Cakes

go here for this great recipe {by amazing Aran}

{all images are courtesy and copyright of Aran Goyoaga at Cannelle et Vanille}

Tea Party B-cake

Oh I really need to go back on baking...

Now you tell me, who wouldn't want a cake like this?

Ingredients
Serves 12 to 15 

2 recipes Chocolate Cake , thicker cake cut in half horizontally (3 layers total)
Strawberry-Cream Cheese Filling
Swiss Meringue Buttercream Cupcakes , mixed with 1 cup strawberry-Cream Cheese Filling
Rolled fondant, for decorationg

Directions

Spread 2 cake layers with 1 1/2 cups filling each. Stack: top with unfrosted layer. Frost with buttercream. Tint fondant: cut into flower shapes, and roll into balls. Garnish cake with assembled fondant flowers.


{all by Martha Stewart }

{cucina} Pumpkin Pie Bites

If you thought Pie in a Jar where a great idea, well I think you will love this one too.
Another "mini" great delight!

I know you have already fallen in love with it, and so get to work! It seems very simple after all, and can you emagine this delights at Thaksgiving or.. ok, you might not be able to wait that long, I know!

{Great idea and a full description with recipe by Bakerella}

Love it love it LOVE IT!

Let me know how yours came out!