eggs

Pavlova with Fresh Raspberry Coulis

January 2, 2012

It is that time of year again when we all resolve to do better, eat better & live better. Life is about balance and although we may be a bit more stringent about our eating habits, every now and then one needs dessert.

Giving in to something a little less detrimental can keep us from going through a midnight fridge raid, faces smeared with chocolate sauce as if it were war paint… and in that crazed state it would be a war in which we had clearly been defeated.

We are all familiar with the pangs of deprivation and quite honestly, I’m not a fan. In lieu of depriving myself from culinary pleasures, I’ll temper them with a better choice.

Pavlovas are the lighter side of sweet. They are a meringue, made from egg whites and a bit of sugar. Granted, there is a billowy layer of whipped cream (and fruit!) piled on top, but if you are being extra good, you can omit the whipped cream… although that will change the dessert entirely.

While pavlovas are not cloyingly sweet, they pair well with fruit that is slightly tart. If you happen to live in a region where fresh passion fruit is available, that is a delicious option. I like pairing this with raspberries as well because they are not overly sweet and their crimson hue looks strikingly beautiful against the stark white of the cream.

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Viva Espana!

July 9, 2011

I love Spain. I love almost everything about it. The energy, the food, the language, flamenco, the art, architecture, the history, the culture, the TAPAS, etc… I have had a near obsession with all things Spanish for a very long time. The first time I set foot on Spanish soil, it almost seemed like I was home. I know that is an odd statement, but it is honestly how I felt. It was as if I belonged there. From that moment on, it has been a long-distance love affair. Spain is where I truly fell in love with food.

I remember vividly the first time I had tapas. I was at an outdoor restaurant/tapas bar called Qu-Qu in Barcelona next to one of the main roads. I still have a paper-wrapped toothpick from there that I keep in my jewelry box. It’s been 12 or 13 years since that first trip and it left an impression on my soul that I still feel today. I had never tasted anything like the food I had on that trip and it resonated with me in a way I had never experienced before. The food was completely foreign to a Midwestern girl from a small town, but reading the menu and ordering things I had never seen or tasted before was exhilarating to me. I almost felt like I had never really tasted food before. I remember exactly what I had that day.

Patatas Bravas
Croquetas de jamon
Mahon & Manchego cheeses
Jamon Iberico
Tortilla Espanola

(I can’t figure out how to add the proper accents/tildes here, sorry!)

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17th of May

May 17, 2011

These days my neighborhood is primarily Italian, but rewind a couple of decades and you’d see a very different picture. A few blocks over from where I live now used to be Scandinavian, specifically Norwegian. The streets used to be lined with Norwegian bakeries, stores, restaurants, etc. but unfortunately the majority of these have disappeared. However, all is not lost… every year there is a 17th of May parade, which is a national holiday in Norway marking the signing of their constitution and the best part (besides the food) are the people dressed in traditional clothing showing off their Norwegian pride.

photos courtesy of Keith Alexander

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