French Fridays With Dorie - Pumpkin Stuffed With Everything Good

Dorie wasn't kidding when she said this recipe was good. It was SO good... I made it twice in one week! Admittedly, I used Kabocha squash instead of pumpkin, and it was only teeny-weeny that I can finish the whole thing in one sitting. In Around My French Table, Dorie had likened this dish to an arts and craft project and it's really up to our own creativity what we want to stuff into the pumpkin (I'll just call it this because 'stuffed squash' just doesn't sound as aesthetic and welcoming, don't you think?).

Well, I made this the very day I picked the pumpkins from my mother's farm...I couldn't wait to stuff them with everything good! Or rather, everything I had in the kitchen that seemed good and tempting and more importantly, got along well together flavor-wise. There was actually a lot more that I wanted to insert in that hollowed out pumpkin, but the hole just wasn't big enough. Darn you, Kabocha....err, I mean, tiny pumpkin!

So these were my stuffing ingredients - very tender sweet corn and long beans (from the same farm), cooked rice, carrots, apple slices, mature cheddar and heavy cream. I decided to forego the meaty bits and it still tasted great, the very sweet pumpkin flesh contrasting rather nicely with the savory filling.

As you can see, I seemed to have overstuffed the small cavity (and I also couldn't fathom how the apples should fit in there) but after 'squashing' (haha...private giggle here) everything down with the pumpkin lid and baking it, the filling sunk way down and actually looked quite presentable. The baked pumpkin smelled utterly wonderful and this dish really did its title justice. I'm tempted to make it a third time this week, but I fear my fellow home-dwellers may consider hiring a new short order cook to replace me instead!

Anyway, I felt so excited about this recipe that I even had my friend Kate make it and she too was in awe of how good it tasted. I'm hoping my fellow Doristas feel the same way! You can check out their stuffed pumpkins (or squashes) here.

pumpkin

French Fridays with Dorie - Creamy, Cheesy, Garlicky Rice with Spinach, Mushrooms and Beetroot

The idea is to write it so that people hear it and it slides through the brain and goes straight to the heart.

~ Maya Angelou

Just a few weeks back, my father met this man. He is 111 years old... I'm not kidding you, there's proof he is "of that certain age". They both attended a group that read scriptures together (a kind of spiritual support group with a therapist called God). These gatherings took place in the evenings and by the time they finished, it was usually close to 11pm. This guy, who's still too young to make it into the Guinness World Records apparently, was always sent to and picked up from the site by his son. But on the few occasions when his son was going to be late, my father offered to send the man home. Listen, if you're 111 years old, you don't want to be hanging around outside on your own near midnight - anywhere. 

FFWD - Spinach and (Not-Quite) Bacon Quiche

Before you ask, I don't quite know what possessed me to make a crust with those green strips sticking out at the top, but there it is. We all just have to live with it....besides, they didn't really make any difference to the overall taste of this quiche. A little bit of aesthetics (or eyesore, whichever side you're on) never killed anyone, it just makes you see things in a different way.

Aloe Vera and Grapefruit Jelly...With Pearls!

I actually made two desserts today. On this lazy Sunday, a day of supposed rest. Yes, I did. What brought it about was well, the failure of one of these two desserts when I had made it a few days ago. To get away from the frustration, someone suggested that maybe I should try making something foolproof (thanks, Tasty Trix), something that couldn't fail even if I was making it while sleepwalking. Anyway, today's first dessert, a cake actually, worked out just fine. It also tasted magical. Except.... I was still thinking about the other dessert that got away!

So in the waning light of the day, I decided to give it another go. It was to be my third attempt at making the dastardly Aloe Vera and Pink Grapefruit Cream Jelly, using agar agar as a base to work with. Just everyday ingredients... Hmmm, I better let you know that we have pots of aloe vera plants growing outside our home, so for me, they're 'everyday'. Also, I had brought home an armload of pink grapefruits the other day, most of which I've utilized, bar one. I was down to my last grapefruit and the situation was getting desperate!

At home, we mostly use aloe vera as part of our beauty ritual - think home spa. I often slather the slimy (it's waaay slimier than okra) aloe vera sap all over my face before I go to bed. I can honestly tell you that it's rather unpleasant handling all that messy slime! But I know I'll be rewarded for my efforts when I reach 82 and have only one wrinkle to my name... uhh, perhaps that's just wishful thinking.

Don't forget to get rid of the thorns first! Oh... did I already mention slimy? 

I guess most people are familiar with aloe vera as a health supplement in the form of juices, powder or tablets. Not many realize that fresh aloe vera can be eaten too, it's refreshing with yogurt or as part of a dessert. Once the hard skin is removed and the flesh is boiled, aloe has the texture of cooked plums or grapes, although without any of the flavoring. On its own, it tastes of nothing really so it's important to add a flavor to it, such as lime or sugar. I decided here to go with kaffir lime leaves and it turned out to be a rather excellent choice.

So in my mind, I saw this beautifully layered dessert - thin slices of grapefruit flesh sandwiched in between the translucent aloe vera and pinkish hue of the grapefruit cream and topped with caramelized palm sugar. Except it turned out like this, total disaster!

I only had one grapefruit left, so it was time to rework the dessert. Got rid of the palm sugar and grapefruit slivers, and finally... it all came together! I must mention that in the midst of my despair the other day, I had the good fortune to come across Ms. Salty Seattle's experimentation in her CSI-like kitchen to produce little agar spheres, so since I was working with agar, I thought, why not try it out? To my utter amazement, the simple act of injecting warm agar blobs into frozen oil really worked to produce (in this case) glistening, pink grapefruit pearls encased in agar. Except mine weren't shaped so roundedly, more like little pebbles rather than gems.

The four layers

In the end, I had made enough pink spheres to sprinkle on all my serving portions. I would've loved to make more of these so they can form the topmost layer but 1. the sun was setting and I had to take photos quickly, 2. the oil was melting fast and there was no time to refreeze it before dark, and 3. I got tired of playing so decided to simply pour the grapefruit-agar mixture on top of the dessert to make the final layer. I won't go into the mechanics of producing the spheres here, but if you're really interested, you can head over to Linda's blog now and learn something new.

Holy Moly, it worked!

It was worth failing a couple of times just so I could end up with this very pretty, almost ethereal dessert. The aloe vera gives a refreshing crunch, the kaffir lime and grapefruit flavors pack a mean citrusy punch, while the mellow cream serves to balance the acidity and pull the dessert together. Sweet...

Oh, and what of that foolproof dessert? Another post, another day, my friends.

Aloe Vera and Pink Grapefruit Cream Jelly

Agar agar (base solution)

1 packet (7g) agar agar powder

200g caster sugar

500ml water

Dissolve sugar and agar in water and bring to the boil. Remove from heat andvuse this solution as the base for other layers.

Aloe Vera Layer

2 large aloe vera leaves, peeled and cubed

4 kaffir lime leaves, crushed

150ml water

( + 150ml base agar solution)

Boil aloe vera and kaffir leaves on medium high heat for 5 minutes. Fish out and discard leaves. Add the base agar solution.

Cream Layer

150ml double cream

(+ 250ml base agar solution)

Gently whisk the cream with the base agar solution until well combined. Take 150ml of this mixture to make the Grapefruit Cream Layer (below)

Grapefruit Juice Layer

100ml grapefruit juice, freshly squeezed

150ml extra water

(+ 150ml base agar solution)

Strain grapefruit juice, retain the fleshy bits for the Grapefruit Cream Layer (below). Add water and base agar solution to the grapefruit juice.

Grapefruit Cream Layer

150ml of Cream Layer mixture

Grapefruit flesh that has been strained (above)

Whisk together until well combined.

(Note: If I had more grapefruit, I would've added the juice as well)

Assembly:

Spoon the layers carefully into the serving dish in this order:

1. Aloe Vera Layer

2. Grapefruit Cream Layer

3. Cream Layer

4. Grapefruit Juice Layer

5. Grapefruit Spheres (optional)

Make sure you leave each layer to set for a few minutes in the freezer before spooning the next layer on top of it. Keep the agar base solution/mixtures warm while waiting to be layered to prevent the agar from setting and clumping.

Festive No-Bake Peanut Butter Tart

Peanut butter, the most basic comfort ingredient of many a childhood lunchbox or adult late-night sandwich. We always have a jar in the pantry, even though I seldom send my children to school with a peanut butter-laden treat and we seldom really delve into the buttery jar when there's no 'reasonable' occasion to. So why do we keep our stock of peanut butter? Just in case we have an uncontrollable urge to make something like this no-bake Peanut Butter Tart, I suppose. 

I say uncontrollable, but in actual fact, the urge to make this has been under sufficient control for the better part of a decade. Yes, I've snipped this recipe off a magazine that I had subsequently thrown away many years ago - the date on the page says October 2001, and now 2011 is just around the corner! It had niggled away at me for 10 years, this tart with the humble peanut butter and not-so-humble chocolate components. 

Before I lose the yellowing page completely (as we'll be moving house in a few months), I thought it's better to immortalise the recipe here and in the process, share it with others. Now seems like a good time to make it too because the festive season is looming and with the baking frenzy that precedes it, what could be better than a tart that doesn't need to shuffle for oven space (only fridge space)? This tart will surely help boost your superhost(ess) cred, and what's best, it requires only the minimal amount of  fuss. The rest of life should really be like this...

 

 

In my book, the best desserts are often the simplest. Graham crackers or Digestives biscuits and butter are blended to form the easy-to-make crust. It is filled with layers of chocolate ganache and a creamy peanut butter mixture, and finished with whipped cream and shaved chocolate (because chocolate is something you can never have enough of!). And in case you're wondering about that last photo, yes, the photographer-cum-blogger-cum-aspiring dieter does always get the first bite!

Happy no-baking, my lovelies!

No-Bake Peanut Butter Tart

Makes one 13 ¾ by 4 ¼ -inch tart

Ingredients:

10 graham crackers or Digestives

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

3 oz good quality dark chocolate, plus more for shaving

1 ¾ cups heavy cream 

3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup (4 oz) cream cheese
1/3 sweetened condensed milk

Method:

1. Place biscuits in a food processor and pulse until they turn into fine crumbs. Transfer to a bowl, add butter and stir until combined.

2. Place crumbs in a rectangular tart pan (ideally) with a removable bottom. Press crumbs up the sides of the pan with your fingers to form the edge of the tart, then press evenly with the back of a spoon over the bottom of the pan. Chill in the refrigerator while making the filling.

3. Chop the chocolate into small chunks and place in a medium bowl. Place 1/2 cup of the cream in a small pan over medium heat and bring to a boil. Pour over the chocolate, set aside for 5 minutes to yield chocolate ganache. Whisk to combine. Set bowl in an ice bath (a bowl filled with ice and water) until ganache is cool, whisking constantly.

4. Once cool, remove from ice bath and whisk until ganache is just thick enough to hold its shape; do not overbeat. Spread in the bottom of the prepared crust, and return to the refrigerator until set.

5. Combine peanut butter, cream cheese and condensed milk in a food processor and process until smooth. Transfer to a mixing bowl.

6. Whip 3/4 cup heavy cream to soft peaks. Add whipped cream to peanut butter mixture, whisk to combine.

7. Spoon the mixture into the prepared crust, return to the refrigerator for 2 hours or overnight. Remove tart and transfer to a serving platter 10 minutes before serving. Whip remaining 1/2 cup cream and spoon dollops of this on top of tart. Use a vegetable peeler to shave chocolate curls for garnish.

Poetry Thursday #6 - Dragonfruit, Chocolate & Cream Dessert

 Poetry Thursday #6:

Today, I am sharing with you Haiku, the Japanese poetic form of 17 syllables in three lines. These are created with a food theme and there really are only 17 syllables, I counted! 

If you love someone
Hold the sugar and flour,
Try kisses instead.
      Joan Ifland Johnson

Tender artichoke
Reveals its succulent heart
to prying fingers.
     Georgia Terrell

Pop open pea pods
Set free some plump round voyeurs --
Peeping toms in green.
     Jane Butkin Roth

Mole chocolate
Melting spicy -- ancient kiss,
Mayan reminisce.
      Erica Hernandez

Symbol of teachers
The repellent of doctors,
The red fruit of sin.
      Roatha Chap

Food for the body
So tempting to the spirit.
The table is set.
       Tom Farrar

Flavor symphony
Best shared with friends and lovers,
Touching tongues and hearts.
        Charlene Turner

Boyfriends and brownies,
Two things that never last long.
I eat them both up.
       Nancy Sarnoff

Grab salsa and cheese
In queso emergency.
Come on, light my fire.
      David Henry

I smell your garden
Simmering in my soup bowl.
I taste your passion.
      L.Z.Martini

No, this is not molecular gastronomy, so stay, don't be scared.  This is just agar.

It's just that I felt like creating something pretty so I tinkered in the kitchen for a while and made these sweet red globs of red dragonfruit agar. Don't you love the fruit's natural fuschia pink color? Mmm...so do I. Sometimes inspiration hits while sitting doodling in the kitchen, tired after making sure everything's shining and in its place (ready for the next culinary upheaval). Amazing what a wilting brain can come up with, really.

Agar-agar, usually abbreviated as agar, is a gelatinous substance derived from a variety of seaweed vegetation.  It is normally sold in health food stores/Asian stores in both flake and powder varieties, and can be used in a variety of dairy-free and vegan recipes as a stabilizing and thickening agent for custards, puddings, sauces and even vegetarian marshmallows. Since agar is derived from plant material, it has the advantage of being vegetarian, unlike gelatin derived from animal sources.

Although pretty, these red globs alone does not a complete dessert make. So I whipped out the chocolate and double cream, mixed them with the agar liquid, and layered the two flavors. The dragonfruit agar rounds are then interspersed with the chocolate agar. My original idea was to have the red glob suspended halfway between the cream and chocolate layers, but the bottom layer had gelled too fast and I didn't have time to sink the dragonfruit pieces in it! Note to self:  next time I attempt this, be more organized and work quickly.

If you've never handled agar powder before, let me assure you working with it is child's play (except that it's not, because of the heat involved). Like gelatin, agar dissolves in water in a matter of minutes, after which you can add flavoring and/or coloring to it, before pouring it into moulds. I used this brand (Rose brand) of Japanese agar, it's super easy to use and makes 1 litre of agar solution:

Here's one funky way to serve up dragonfruit!

Place dragonfruit agar on top of the cream layer, then cover over with chocolate.

How it looks like once sliced.

Dragonfruit, Chocolate and Cream Agar Dessert

Ingredients:

1/2 of a dragonfruit, peeled and sliced

100g dark chocolate

100ml double cream

13g agar powder (1 packet)

700ml water

1 cup sugar

Method:

1. Dissolve sugar in water in a pot, and put on medium heat. Add agar powder and stir frequently to prevent agar from thickening at the bottom. Once the mixture boils, switch off the heat.

2. Measure out 200ml of of the agar solution and blend with the dragonfruit slices. Pour immediately into tiny semi-circular moulds (I used tiny muffin tins). Let it cool slightly before placing in the refridgerator to harden. Remove carefully from mould and set aside.

3. Measure out 250ml of the remaining agar solution and add the cream to it. Pour immediately into the bottom of a square tin (8 x 8in). Let it cool and firm up only slightly.

4. Add the chocolate, broken up into chunks, into the remainder of the agar (250ml) and stir until combined. Now the dessert is ready to be assembled.

5. Take the dragonfruit agar rounds and arrange on top of the cream agar layer, pushing in slightly into the layer (if it is still soft. If not, don't sweat about it, just place them on top!). Pour the chocolate agar on top of the cream layer and dragonfruit, and leave to cool. Chill in the fridge before cutting into slices and serve immediately.