Rhubarb "Sushi" with Mint Mousse and Foam

Rhubarb is most often associated with delicious old-fashioned recipes such as pies or crumbles. For example, I most associate it with rhubarb compote, my family recipe. Rhubarb, however, is making a comeback as a modern ingredient. For example, last summer in Ireland we had a modern version of soufflé with rhubarb and ginger ice cream. Last week, as I was reading a review of Tom Aikens restaurant in London by A Girl Has to Eat, I saw a fabulous dessert that inspired me to create my own modern rhubarb creation. The combination of rhubarb and mint in this dessert is wonderful and refreshing. I called it a rhubarb "sushi" because of the resemblance in this presentation and also because this dessert is small enough to be picked up on a spoon and slurped down.

Ingredients

mint mousse
1 cup fresh mint leaves
1/2 cup cream
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg white
pinch of salt

rhubarb jelly
1 cup rhubarb juice (left over from making rhubarb compote, see recipe)
1 packet gelatin
1/2 cup sugar

poached rhubarb
2 cups water
1/2 cup sugar
rhubarb stalks, cut into 2-inch pieces, 2 per serving

mint foam
1 cup cooled sugar water (from poached rhubarb)
2 tablespoons mint, chopped
1 teaspoon unflavored lecithin


Directions:

mint mousse
Combine mint and cream in a bowl and mix until soft peaks form, then add the sugar gradually, continuing to mix. In a separate bowl, combine egg white with a pinch of salt and whip until stiff peaks start to form. Fold the egg whites into the mint cream. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

rhubarb jelly
In a small pot, combine water, sugar, and gelatin. Bring to boil, stirring frequently, and cook just until the sugar and gelatin are completely dissolved. Line a baking rack with parchment paper and pour the mixture all over in a thin layer. Refrigerate for at least an hour.

poached rhubarb
In a pot combine water and sugar. Add rhubarb pieces, 2 per each serving (not more than 10 at a time). Bring to boil and cook for 30 more seconds then gently take the rhubarb out. Poaching the rhubarb in the water while it heats to boiling temperature rather than in boiling water ensures that the rhubarb cooks through and very soft and yet does not loose its pink color. Cool the sugar water.

mint foam
Combine mint and cooled sugar water (from making poached rhubarb) and mix with an immersion blender. Strain and pour back into the mixing cup. Add lecithin and blend again. Let the mixture sit for a few minutes and the foam to rise to the top.

assembly
With a spoon, scoop a strip of rhubarb jelly, straighten it out and cut a 2-inch piece. Place it in a middle of a serving plate. Top with a slice of rhubarb, then a generous scoop of mint mousse. Cover with another slice of rhubarb and a second 2-inch piece of jelly. Gently top with mint foam.

Any leftover mint mousse is delicious by itself, and the leftover rhubarb jelly can be cut in ribbons or any other shapes and sprinkled with a little bit of powdered sugar.

Rhubarb Compote

Despite being raised in different countries, my husband and I discovered we have many things in common, including some of our favorite foods. One food that we both love is rhubarb.

Rhubarb is a plant native to Asia and was used as medicine in ancient Greece and China. It was introduced in England in the 16th century as a medicinal plant and started to be used in cooking only in 17th century. Rhubarb was introduced to the United States in the 1820s. The peak use of rhubarb was between 1920 and 1950 and in present times this ingredient is often overlooked. In fact, every single time I purchase it at the supermarket, the cashier is never able to identify it.

Rhubarb has celery-like stalks that are pink or red in color. It is one of the first vegetables to be harvested in the spring. Technically, rhubarb is a vegetable although it is most often prepared as a fruit. Rhubarb can be cooked, sweetened with sugar, and makes a great filling for pies, tarts, or crumbles. Rhubarb can also be used to make jellies and jams.

Our family's favorite way of preparing rhubarb is a compote. The recipe originally comes from my husband's great-grandmother, and the compote here is served in a vintage china cup also from my husband's family. This rhubarb dessert is delicious, healthy, and very easy to make.

Ingredients:

2 lb trimmed rhubarb
½ cup sugar
water
Vanilla, cinnamon (optional)

Directions:

Cut rhubarb into 1 inch pieces. Place in a pot and cover with water. Cook rhubarb for about 10-15 minutes or until rhubarb is almost falling apart.

Drain some of the juice, according to preference, saving any extra rhubarb juice for other uses.

Whisk in the sugar, gently breaking the rhubarb pieces. If desired, add a teaspoon of vanilla extract or a pinch of cinnamon. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

Serve by itself, or with a dollop of vanilla yogurt.

***

I am submitting this recipe for the 'Everything Old is New Again Vintage Recipe' contest at DomesticMuse.

I would like to thank Olga at Mango & Tomato for sharing the Friends award with me. I love her recipes and her pictures so please check out her fabulous blog!

Poblano and Cheddar Cheese Soufflé

Recently I have been experimenting with Southwestern and Tex-Mex flavors, discovering new ingredients and re-discovering old favorites. One of my all-time favorites is Poblano chile. This is a relatively mild pepper, but when roasted, it offers a wonderful smoky and earthy taste while still retaining the bright flavors of a bell pepper. In today's recipe, I combined poblanos with cheddar and caramelized onions to create a very unique and delicious soufflé.

Ingredients:

1 large poblano pepper
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 onion, minced

4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons flour
1 cup milk, warmed
2 yolks
1/2 cup Cheddar cheese, shredded

Additional butter
Parmesan cheese, grated
Salt
Cayenne pepper

4 egg whites
Pinch of salt


Directions:

Broil poblanos until blackened for about 5-8 minutes, then remove the skin and seeds, and chop finely.

In a small skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of butter and cook the onions for about 2 minutes. Place the onions and poblanos in a food processor and blend until smooth.

Butter four ramekins and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, shaking the access off. Pre-heat the oven to 350°F.

In a small pot or pan, melt the 4 tablespoons of butter. Stir in the flour. Turn the heat to very low and gradually whisk in the milk until the mixture thickens. Season with salt and cayenne pepper to taste. Cool for 1 minute. Whisk in the yolks, one at a time, then cheese and the poblano-onion mixture.

In a bowl, beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff peaks form. Fold into the cheese and poblano mixture.

Fill each ramekin about three quarters full. Place on a baking rack. Bake for about 20 minutes. Serve immediately.

***

I would like to thank Phyllis at Me Hungry and Mira at Glancing Thru My Crystal Ball for giving me a Sisterhood Award and Girlichef for the Excellent Award. Please check out their fabulous blogs! I share these awards with all my foodie friends!

Buckwheat Crusted Flounder with Meyer Lemon Beurre Blanc

Meyer lemon is now my new favorite ingredient. Its sweet and perfectly tangy flavors are a wonderful addition to many different dishes. While my last post was a sweet Meyer lemon recipe, today I share a savory creation, Buckwheat Crusted Flounder with Meyer Lemon Beurre Blanc.

Ingredients:

2 flounder fillets
1/4 cup buckwheat flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1 tablespoon Meyer lemon zest
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon shallots, minced
1/4 cup white wine
1/4 cup Meyer lemon juice
4 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces

Bunch of asparagus
Truffle oil

Directions:

In a shallow dish, combine buckwheat flour, salt, white pepper and lemon zest. Coat flounder fillets with buckwheat mixture on both sides.

In a large skillet, heat oil and butter. Fry flounder fillets for about 2 minutes per side or until browned. Place the flounder on a plate, cover and keep warm.

Break the asparagus at the natural point where the tender part begins, leaving tips only. Cook for about 3 minutes in a salted boiling water. Drain and then drizzle with a little bit of truffle oil.

Place shallots in a skillet, cook for 30 seconds, and then add white wine. Cook until reduced, then swirl in lemon juice and cook for 1 minute longer. On very low heat, add in butter pieces, one at a time, whisking to blend. Strain the sauce.

Serve flounder fillets on top of asparagus tips and pour the beurre blanc sauce all over.

Crêpes with Meyer Lemon Cream and Sweet Strawberry Coulis

This morning we celebrated the first official day of Spring with a wonderful breakfast featuring a special ingredient, new to our kitchen. I've been hearing about Meyer lemons for a while now, but the recent posts at Oyster Food & Culture and Eat a Beet really caught my attention and I had to learn more about this ingredient.

Meyer lemon is a cross between a lemon and a mandarin orange and is named after an agricultural explorer who introduced this citrus to the United States. Meyer lemon has become the trendy ingredient recently as popularized by such chefs as Alice Waters at Chez Panisse. These lemons are special because they are much sweeter and more complex than regular lemons.

I used Meyer lemon in all of the components of today's sweet creation. I added some lemon zest to my regular crepe batter and some lemon juice to the strawberry coulis. Its flavors are highlighted in the cream where lemon juice is even sweeter and more concentrated from the baked lemons.

Ingredients:

Meyer lemons
6 Meyer lemons
6 teaspoons of sugar
2 additional Meyer lemons

Meyer lemon cream
1 cup cream cheese
1 cup Confectioners sugar
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1/2 cup lemon juice (from baked lemons)

strawberry coulis
1 cup sliced strawberries
4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
4 tablespoons Confectioners sugar

crêpes
1 cup all purpose flour
3 large eggs
1 1/3 cups milk
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1/4 teaspoon salt
Nonstick vegetable oil spray

Directions:

Meyer lemons
Pre-heat the oven to 400 °F. Slice the lemons in half and arrange on a baking sheet. Sprinkle one teaspoon of sugar over each half. Bake the lemons for about 15 minutes. Cool and then squeeze as much juice as possible.

Zest and juice the fresh lemons.

Meyer lemon cream
Beat cream cheese, Confectioners sugar, lemon zest and lemon juice together until the cream is smooth.

strawberry coulis
Combine strawberries, fresh lemon juice, and Confectioners sugar in a mixing cup and blend with an immersion blender.

crêpes
In a large bowl, combine flour, eggs, milk, butter, sugar, salt, and lemon zest using electric mixer until smooth.

Spray nonstick skillet with vegetable oil spray and heat over medium-high heat.
Pour 2/3 of the scoop of batter into pan and turn the pan gently to spread the batter around the whole pan. Cook until edge of crêpe turns light brown, about 1 minute. Loosen edges gently with spatula and turn crêpe over. Cook until bottom begins to brown in spots, about 30 seconds. Transfer to plate and cover with foil. Repeat with remaining batter, spraying pan with oil spray as needed and keeping the crêpes warm.

Place the Meyer cream inside the crêpes and fold. Top with the Sweet Strawberry Coulis. This recipe should yield about 8-10 large crêpes, if using a 12-inch crêpe pan.

Chilled Avocado-Cucumber Soup

After a week of cold and dreary weather, yesterday late afternoon the sun decided to peak out, promising the hope of Spring and bringing me the inspiration to create something new. This light and refreshing Chilled Avocado-Cucumber Soup is perfect for a lunch or an elegant first course during the warm spring days that will be coming up very soon.

Ingredients:

2 avocados, sliced
1 cucumber, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
2 tablespoons green onions, chopped
2 small serrano peppers, chopped
1/4 cup lime juice
1/2 cup sour cream
2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
Salt, black pepper to taste
Generous pinch of cayenne pepper

Directions:

Place avocados, cucumbers, cilantro, green onions, Serrano peppers, lime juice, sour cream and stock in a blender. Season with salt and pepper. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes.

Pour into individual bowls and swirl a generous pinch of cayenne. This recipe will yield about 4 cups.

***

I am submitting this recipe for the Recession Proof Dining round-up at the Alchemist Chef.

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I would like to thank Jennifer at Savor the Thyme for giving me the Friends award, Sophie at Sophies Foodiefiles for the Excellent Blog award, and Sam at My Carolina Kitchen for the Fabulous Food Blog award. I share these wonderful awards with all of you!

Grilled Tuna with Mint Pesto

When we visited Cairns, Australia, we had dinner at one of the nicest restaurants in town, Sirrocco at the Radisson hotel. Tuna with mint pesto sauce there was delicious and inspired me to create my own version of this dish.

Ingredients:

2 cups fresh mint leaves (1 whole pack)
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese (about 1 ounce)
1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
2 tuna steaks

Directions:
Combine first 5 ingredients in processor. Blend until almost smooth, scraping down sides of bowl occasionally. Season pesto to taste with salt and pepper. Makes 1 cup.

Season tuna with salt and pepper. Grill about 2-3 minutes per side.

Top tuna with mint pesto. Serve tuna with garlic-mashed potatoes or rice pilaf. Garnish with mint leaves.

***

If you haven't seen my recent guest post at LondonEater about the Inn at Little Washington, please check it out here and if you like it I would really appreciate your vote!

Smoothie Secrets

My recent favorite ingredient is Lecithin, a dietary supplement that is also used in cooking for various effects, such as culinary foams. The first lecithin that I purchased was actually coconut and pineapple flavored lecithin granules from Lewis Labs. It didn't work particularly well for savory foams. However, I found other uses for this product. For example, this was a secret ingredient in my Rainbow Hot Chocolate. I also now use it to make smoothies. Lecithin just adds a wonderful touch of coconut and pineapple flavor and improves the consistency of the smoothie drinks.

We were also fortunate to receive samples of Pom Wonderful 100% juice. We really love this pomegranate juice on its own, and it also adds numerous health benefits, an intriguing flavor, and a gorgeous color to the smoothies.

Here are my two recent smoothie creations. Each recipe makes two 1-cup servings.

MANGO-BANANA SMOOTHIE

Ingredients:

1 mango, peeled, cut in small pieces
1 medium banana, sliced
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup Pom Wonderful juice
1/2 cup vanilla yogurt
1 tablespoon lecithin

Directions:

In a mixing cup, place mango, banana, orange juice, Pom Wonderful juice, and yogurt. Blend with immersion blender until smooth. Stir in lecithin, and mix again with immersion blender.




STRAWBERRY-KIWI SMOOTHIE

Ingredients:

1 kiwi, peeled, cut in small pieces
1/2 cup strawberries, sliced
1/2 cup Pom Wonderful juice
1/2 cup vanilla yogurt
1 tablespoon lecithin

Directions:

In a mixing cup, place kiwi, strawberries, juice, and yogurt. Blend with immersion blender until smooth. Strain the mixture. Then, stir in lecithin, and mix again with immersion blender.

***

I would like to thank Ann from Pig Pig's Corner for giving me a wonderful Friends Award. I share it with all my foodie friends.

Glazed Corned Beef and Cabbage Three Ways

Last summer when we visited Ireland we enjoyed the exploration of a modern Irish cuisine that blends influences from other cultures with traditional Irish ingredients. Inspired by this fusion approach, I created these corned beef and cabbage dishes with a modern twist and a bit of Asian flare. This recipe has three variations, presented below as dinners for three different days.

Ingredients:

corned beef:
4 pounds corned beef brisket
2 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon pickling spice
1 tablespoon whole peppercorns

cabbage:
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 large Savoy cabbage, shredded
1 onion, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon tomato sauce
1/3 cup vegetable stock

glaze:
1/3 cup Hoisin sauce
1/4 cup honey
3 tablespoons Soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon ginger

potatoes:
8 medium potatoes (or 1 for each roll)

Butter (or butter substitute)
Panko breadcrumbs
Vegetable oil

Directions:

corned beef:
In a large stew pot, combine water, brisket, garlic, pickling spices and peppercorns. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for about 2 hours.

cabbage:
Heat oil and butter in a large heavy saucepan. Add shredded Savoy cabbage, ginger, and onions and cook on high heat for 8-10 minutes, stirring constantly.

Season with salt and sugar. Pour tomato sauce and chicken stock over the mixture, bring liquids to boil, and simmer for about 20 minutes or until all the liquids are gone and the cabbage just begins to soften but still a little crispy.

glaze:
In a small bowl, mix Hoisin sauce, honey, soy sauce, and ginger together.

potatoes:
Boil whole unpeeled potatoes in salted water. Drain and cool.

***

Day 1. Glazed Corned Beef and Cabbage.

Preheat the oven to 350°. Remove brisket from cooking liquid, and place fat side up in a baking dish. Spread the Hoisin-Honey Glaze all over the brisket. Bake corned beef uncovered for about 30 minutes. Serve with cabbage.



Day 2: Corned Beef and Cabbage Potato Rolls.

Chop corned beef and prepare a batch of Hoisin-Honey Glaze. Peel cooked potatoes. Mash each potato with 1 teaspoon of butter and 1 teaspoon of Panko breadcrumbs. Form into a smooth flat circle. Place 1 tablespoon of corned beef, 1 tablespoon of cabbage, and 1 teaspoon Hoisin-Honey Glaze in a middle. Pull the edges of mashed potato carefully together and form a roll. Sprinkle evenly with another teaspoonful of Panko breadcrumbs.

Heat oil in a large skillet. Fry potato rolls about 2 minutes per side or until golden brown.



Day 3: Vegetarian Potato Rolls with Cabbage.

Prepare a batch of Hoisin-Honey Glaze. Peel cooked potatoes. Mash each potato with 1 teaspoon of butter and 1 teaspoon of Panko breadcrumbs. Form into a smooth flat circle. Place 2 tablespoons of cabbage, and 1 teaspoon Hoisin-Honey Glaze in a middle. Pull the edges of mashed potato carefully together and form a roll. Sprinkle evenly with another teaspoonful of Panko breadcrumbs.

Heat oil in a large skillet. Fry potato rolls about 2 minutes per side or until golden brown.

***

I am submitting the Corned Beef and Cabbage Potato Rolls and Vegetarian Potato Rolls with Cabbage recipes for the March Potato Ho Down

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I would like to thank MaryBeth at Dunkin Cooking the Semi-Home Way for giving me an Adorable Blog Award and Chitra at Ratatouille - Any one can cook for these four wonderful awards.

Mini Cheese Tasting - Kerrygold Irish Cheeses

One of our favorite cheeses is Dubliner, a delicious Irish cheddar. We were planning to write a review of this cheese for St. Patrick's Day when we were delighted to learn that the Foodbuzz Tastemaker Program this month actually features products by Kerrygold, including Dubliner and several other cheeses. Given this opportunity, we decided to expand our tasting and chose four different Kerrygold cheeses to sample.


We started our tasting with the Kerrygold Dubliner Cheese. This cheddar is sandy yellow with just a hint of sharpness, and yet it is very complex. It is rich with milky sweetness, permeated by a pleasant nutty flavor. It embodies a well-balanced fusion of Cheddar with Parmegiano Reggiano, with a delicate and intense flavor lower in fat content than a classic cheddar. Occasional pockets of crunchiness accentuate the nutty and savory taste and texture. We love this cheese on its own or melted on a bread or crackers.

The second cheese we tasted was the Vintage Dubliner, aged for at least a year and continually graded during this process, so that only the best cheese is saved for the Vintage label. This cheese is dry with a crumbly finish, has less sweetness but still retains some of the nuttiness of Dubliner with subtle tones of caramelized onions.


Next, we tried the Kerrygold Aged Cheddar, an entirely different cheese, in the classic cheddar style. This cheese was smooth and creamy with a high milk content. Firm in texture like Dubliner, it is still a gentle cheese but sharper than the previous cheeses. This is a classic milky cheddar without prominent sweetness or nuttiness such as were evident in the first two cheeses. This would be a great cheese melted in sandwiches or pasta. With its neutral flavor, it is also an excellent "tabula rasa" to infuse with other flavors, as we learned from our final cheese selection.


Our last cheese was Kerrygold Aged Cheddar with Irish Whiskey. The basis for this cheese is aged cheddar, infused with Irish whiskey, and packaged in a beautiful chocolate colored rind. The resulting combination is very soft and creamy. It looks and tastes like a whiskey infused cheesecake, with sweet, fruity and mildly smoky undertones hinting of a wonderful whiskey flavor. This unique cheese was a great discovery.

We thought all the Kerrygold cheeses were wonderful. My husband and my daughter still favored the original Dubliner cheese that we love so much, while the Aged Cheddar with Irish Whiskey is one of my new favorite cheeses. We enjoyed these cheeses complemented by fresh baked Irish soda bread and Guinness stout, a satisfying taste of Ireland.

***

I would like to thank Super Chef at Mirch Masala for giving this wonderful Friends award. I would like to share it with all my foodie friends.

I would like to share that my Grilled Scallops with Flower Foam won the Best Overall Entry at the Royal Foodie Joust! Thank you all for your continuous support and encouragement to create new dishes!


I am also proud to be part of "Eating your words" challenge. Please check out the rounds-up at Savor the Thyme and Tangled Noodle.

Hamentashen Cookies and Rainbow Hot Chocolate

Today, my daughter would like to share a story and a cookie recipe for a special holiday we will be celebrating in a few days.



Purim is a Jewish holiday. Haman, the King's advisor, wanted all the people to bow to him. But Queen Esther told the King that Haman was bad so the King sent Haman away and the Jewish people were free. So, on Purim we celebrate Queen Esther because she was a hero, and we celebrate that we are free. We dress up in costumes, put on masks and crowns, and make loud noise with special shakers called groggers. We eat sweet cookies called Hamentashen. These cookies are not like other cookies because they are shaped like a triangle to remind us of Hayman's hat.


This is how we made our Hamentashen. I mixed flour, and baking powder, and salt together. Mommy mixed the butter and sugar together and then I helped her to add the eggs. Then, we mixed all ingredients together and made a dough. Then we put the dough in the refrigerator. After a while, Mommy rolled the dough and I cut the circles out. I put the fillings - chocolate or cherry or blackberry jam. Mommy made the cookies into a triangular shape. Then, we baked them. They were delicious to eat.

We got the recipe from Grandma but we changed it a lot, so this is our new recipe.

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cup flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup sugar
1 stick butter
2 eggs
1 tablespoon almond extract

Chocolate chips, cherry preserves, blackberry jam or other fillings

Directions:

In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and sugar. In a separate bowl, cream butter and sugar, mix in eggs and almond extract. Slowly add the flour while mixing. Wrap the dough in a plastic bag and refrigerate for 2-3 hours or place in a freezer for about 45 minutes.

Pre-heat the oven to 325°F. Roll out half of the dough in a disk about 1/4 inch thick. Cut circle shapes out with a glass or a cookie cutter. Place a little bit of filling in the middle of each circle. Pinch the sides of the dough together to form a triangular shape with the filling being open. Arrange on baking sheet and refrigerate for about 10-15 minutes. Repeat with remaining dough.

Bake the cookies for 12-14 minutes or until just starting to turn golden.

***

We also made hot chocolate with rainbow bubbles. We wrote "Spring" and "Rainbow" with a coconut whipped cream that Mommy made with her immersion blender. We ate our cookies with the hot chocolate and it was delicious!

[Click here to get the Recipe for Rainbow Hot Chocolate]





[5 Star Foodie: This Rainbow Hot Chocolate is our submission to the Eat Your Words Challenge hosted by Savor the Thyme and Tangled Noodle.]

***

Thank you, Chef E, for giving me blue ribbon Junior Chef Award and for the advice about the cookie dough.

Veal Piccata

As I was getting ready to make our favorite Italian dish yesterday, I found out that Maryann of Finding la Dolce Vita and Marie of Proud Italian Cook are hosting a Festa Italiana. I thought it would be fun to participate in this fabulous event. Here's my version of Veal Piccata.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 veal scallops, each about 1/8 inch thick
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter

1/2 cup white wine
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon drained bottled capers
2 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 teaspoon minced fresh parsley leaves

Directions:

Place each peace of veal between plastic wrap and beat lightly with meat tenderizer.

In a shallow dish stir together the flour and the salt. Coat the veal with flour mixture, 1 piece at a time, shaking off the excess.

In a large non-stick skillet heat the oil and butter over medium-high heat and sauté the veal for 1 minute, or until it is pale golden. Turn the veal and sauté it for 30 seconds more. Transfer the veal to a platter and keep it warm, covered.

Add to the skillet the wine, the lemon, and the capers and simmer the mixture for 1 minute. Swirl in the butter and the parsley and pour the sauce over the veal. Serve veal over Angel Hair Pasta.

***

I would like to thank Chef T at ChefBliss.com for giving me this wonderful Sisterhood award.

Mini Cheese Tasting - Meadow Creek Dairy

This weekend we enjoyed three very special cheeses from Meadow Creek Dairy. This is a family farm, located in the mountains of southwest Virginia, an idyllic setting with deep soils and mineral-rich grass to ensure high quality of the dairy cows' milk. The farm uses ecologically-sound farming practices using no chemicals. The farm owners describe their farm as:

A seasonal grazing dairy, milking from March through December, timing peak nutritional needs of the cattle with the peak of grass growth. We make cheese April through November. As we progress through the milking season, the grass and therefore the main diet of the cows changes, enabling us to make unique cheeses with seasonal variations. The deep yellow color of our cheese reflects this grass based diet and the high beta carotene content of our milk.

All of the cheeses are made with raw milk that comes from Jersey cows and aged naturally from sixty days to over a year.

We started our cheese tasting with Meadow Creek Mountaineer, a firm cheese with the texture of cheddar and a gorgeous brown rind. This mild cheese has a savory and earthy taste with hints of hazelnuts and caramel and a creamy finish. It is a solid offering with a hint of the wild hay flavor that became more pronounced in the next two cheeses.

Our second cheese was Appalachian Tomme, a semi-soft white rind cheese with a wonderful creamy texture, softer than the cheddar-like Mountaineer. This cheese is rich and buttery with notes of honey and wild flowers. This unique and delicious cheese was our favorite of the three we tasted.

We finished with the Meadow Creek Grayson cheese, the most gentle and fragrant of the three cheeses, almost melting beneath its natural-washed, bright orange rind exterior. This cheese reminds us very much of other high mountain pasture, trappist-style cheeses like Chaumes from France or Taleggio from Italy. Creamy and supple, Grayson has a wonderfully pungent aroma of mushrooms and wild yeast. Its taste is slightly meaty with subtle tones of nuts and sweet hay. We learned, in fact, that this complex cheese has just won 1st place in the 2008 American Cheese Society competition in its category.

We thought all three cheeses from Meadow Creek Dairy were excellent. It was an enjoyable experience tasting these local raw cows' milk artisan cheeses, and fortunately Meadow Creek cheeses can be found across much of the country when it's in season.

Do you have special local favorite cheeses from your area? I would love to hear about them.

Russian Blini for Celebrating Maslenitsa

Joan Nova of FOODalogue has been hosting a special Culinary Tour Around the World where she and other foodies get to explore the wonderful cuisine of different cultures around the world. I was invited to visit Russia today to celebrate the last day of Maslenitsa.

Maslenitsa, also known as Butter Week or Pancake Week, is an ancient Russian holiday that began as a tradition of celebrating the upcoming end of winter. In modern times this festival became a pre-Lental holiday similar to Mardi Gras or Carnival. This “festival of the sun” usually takes place in the last week of February or the first week of March and involves masquerades, sledding, games in the snow, and sleigh rides.

The traditional food with which to celebrate Maslenitsa is Russian Blini. These pancakes are thought to resemble the sun because of their round shape and golden color. Blini are consumed in great quantities with caviar, sour cream, jam and plenty of butter. Blini is one of my favorite comfort foods and I make them using this authentic family recipe.

Ingredients:

2 cups milk
2 tablespoons yeast
1 cup Buckwheat flour
1/2 cup all purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
2 tablespoons sweet butter

Additional butter

Directions:

Warm 1/2 cup of milk. Add sugar and yeast and mix to blend. Let the yeast mixture stand for about 10 minutes until foamy.

In a large bowl, mix the flours, sugar, and salt. Add the yeast mixture and the rest of milk and mix well until the batter is smooth. Cover and put in a warm place for 1-2 hours to allow the dough to rise.

Melt butter and let it cool down to room temperature. Whisk the eggs until frothy. Add the eggs and butter to the Blini batter to deflate the bubbles and mix well.

Heat 1 teaspoon of butter in an 8-inch skillet over medium heat. Pour a scoop of batter (1/3 of a ladle or a full ice-cream scoop) into pan and turn the pan gently to spread the batter around the whole pan. Cook until edge of the pancake turns light brown, about 1 minute. Loosen edges gently with spatula and turn the pancake over. Cook until bottom begins to brown in spots, about 30 seconds. Transfer to plate and cover with foil. Repeat with remaining batter, adding melted butter as needed and keeping the Blini warm.



We prepared special fillings for the Blini, including caviar, crème fraîche with chives, and smoked salmon sprinkled with dill. We put these fillings inside the Blini and rolled them up at the table. We enjoyed a Ukrainian vodka with honey and pepper.



During this feast, I remembered a song for Maslenitsa about three white horses carrying away the three winter months, and the coming of Spring.

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I would like to thank Lynette at Netts Nook for a Blogging with a Purpose Award and Mommy Gourmet for a Kreativ Blogger Award. I would like to share these awards with all my foodie friends!