Food Friday: Devil's Food Cake

I was asked in the office by Joan G. to see if I can find an easy Devil's Food Cake recipe. I told her I would try as this isn't something I have tried cooking myself and that if ever I would be learning as I go along. So for today I let my fingers do the walking and I have found the best link that can teach us how to actually make the tasty pastry that I am sure will satisfy the people that we love this coming Valentine's Day.

Luckily enough I found a blog that has this recipe and from the looks of things it seems quite easy to make. Check it out at: Epicurious - Devil's Food Cake Recipe

In the meantime here are the things you need to ensure that you have in your grocery list:

Baking/Nuts/Spices

all purpose flour 1 and 1/2 cups
baking soda 1 and 1/4 teaspoons
powdered sugar 2 cups
sugar 1 and 1/4 cups
unsweetened chocolate 2 ounces
unsweetened cocoa powder 3/4 cup
unsweetened cocoa powder 2 tablespoons (approx)
vanilla 1 tablespoon

Oils and Vinegars

vegetable oil 2/3 cup
Dairy
buttermilk 1 cup
eggs 2
sour cream 2/3 cup
unsalted butter 1 stick

Now if you are like me, where I need a visual tutor at times to learn how to make things I found this cool youtube video by the myanonymousblog.com that is both entertaining and easy to follow.

Hopefully we all learned a lot from these sources as I know I have. Will update you on my personal blog at Metz's Secret Garden if I was successful at this attempt :) Till then, Happy Weekend everyone. :) xoxo

Food Special: Malaysian Laksa Recipe

I just featured Malaysia for our Travel Special for this week and I got curious as to what could be Malaysia's best known food or delicacy. So I fired up my AIM and started asking around. I finally found a friend of mine has been staying in Malaysia for the past 6 months and says that he thinks Seafood Laksa is the most popular dish here since he sees it in almost every corner he goes to and he seems to like it quite a bit. I also asked if he knows how to cook it and luckily enough he gave me a recipe he got from the nanny of the house he was staying in.

here is what he sent me:
Ingredients

*3 medium-hot fresh red chilies, seeded
*4-5 garlic cloves
*5ml/1 tsp mild paprika
*10ml/2 tsp shrimp paste
*25ml/1 1/22 tbsp chopped fresh root ginger
*250g/9oz small red shallots
*25g/1 oz fresh coriander (cilantro)
*45ml/3 tbsp groundnut (peanut) oil
*5ml/1 tsp fennel seeds, crushed
*2 fennel bulbs, cut into thin wedges
*600ml/2 1/2 cups fish stock
*450ml/scant 2 cups coconut milk
*juice of 1 -2 limes
*30-45ml/2-3 tbsp fish sauce
*450g/1lb firm white fish fillet, cut into chunks
*20 large raw prawns (shrimp), shelled and deveined small bunch of basil
*300g/11oz thin vermicelli rice noodles, cooked
*2 spring onions (scallions), sliced

Serves 4-5

Method:

1.Process the chilies, garlic, paprika, shrimp paste, ginger and two shallots to a paste in a food processor. Set aside the coriander leaves. Add the stems to the paste with 15ml/1 tbsp oil and process again until fairly smooth.
2.Cook the remaining shallots. the fennel seeds and fennel wedges in the remaining oil in a large pan. When lightly browned, add 45ml/3 tbsp of the paste and stir-fry for about 2 minutes.
3.Pour in the fish stock and simmer for 8-10 minutes. Add the coconut milk. the juice of 1 lime and 30ml/2 tbsp of the fish sauce. Bring to a simmer and adjust the flavoring.
4.Add the fish into chunks. Cook for 2-3 minutes, then add the prawns and cook until they turn pink Chop most of the basil and add to the pan with chopped coriander leaves.
5.Divide the noodles among 4-5 wide bowls. then ladle in the stew. Sprinkle with spring onions and whole basil leaves. Serve.

I have to say that cooking this dish takes a lot of patience and practice. I found it a bit difficult to do on my own until I found an alternative recipe from a youtube video which I think you might like as well.

Food Friday: Banana Bread

I have always dropped by every morning at our local baker just to grab snacks for the day and one of those snacks that I love getting is their Banana Bread. After years of buying from them I finally decided today to get to learn to make it myself. So I started looking around the internet highway for the best tutorial on how to make the best Banana Bread, but at the same time something that is so easy to follow that I wont get my brain in a knot trying to figure things out in the kitchen.

Luckily I was able to find a cool easy recipe at allrecipes.com that suited this particular need (this is the site that I go too for dessert recipes that are both fun and easy to follow). For their Banana Bread Recipe simply follow this link: Banana Bread

Now for those that love to watch how things are done by a professional (I still needed someone to show me how to do it). I have found this excellent video of how to make Banana Bread on Youtube.

Food Friday: Korean Kimchi

I know this article may be a bit delayed but I was so caught up watching this Korean show called Shining Inheritance. In the show they featured a lot of Korean Kimchi. It was included in most the meals that they ate on the show so I guess you can say I was compelled to figure out how to make the stuff. Apparently a lot of variations can be made for this particular delicacy so to help you get started I found an actual site that has the basic ingredients plus the video in making the Korean Dish.

Here is the Traditional Kim Chi Recipe

I also found a cool tutorial on how to make your own kimchi at home if you are the type who likes to watch how things are done:

Food Special - Mojos

I owe this article to my office mate Kara as she requested this recipe since last week and I for some crazy reason I had to tackle a few other things. So to make up for lost time am featuring this recipe today - :) Don't worry Music Monday fans, I have a special for you guys as well :)

Kara's Favorite Mojo Potatoes are those from Shakey's. I know how to make french fries and chips from potatoes but Mojos aren't really my specialty however I found someone that does here is the link to greensboring's Mojo Recipe. I have to admit I loved it since I dipped it in my own garlic recipe which you have to try yourself.

But like me and many of us that love visuals here is a cool Youtube video of another version of Potato wedges that you might want to try:

Food Friday on Empty Streets: Lebanese Garlic Sauce

Garlic Sauce is one of my favorite sauces to make. I grew up with garlic as a child since I lived most of my life in the Middle East where garlic is a main part of almost every dish. I had a lot of Lebanese friends back then since I was a regular customer of their shawarma shops and some of them shared their garlic sauce secrets. I played around with their recipes and here is what came out as my version which a lot of my friends here love to use as part of their daily meals. Just remember to brush your teeth after eating :)

Ingredients:
7 pieces of garlic, minced
1/2-1 c. yogurt
1 t.-1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil
1 t. mayonnaise

Procedure:
Blend all garlic sauce ingredients together and add just enough salt to taste till the consistency is semi liquid. You can add other spices such as thyme, black pepper or basil to add more variations to the garlic sauce.
(the number of garlic that you would need to put can be adjusted depending on how much kick you want your sauce to have :)

Garlic sauce is great as a dip for any fried delicacy especially if they require garlic. Use pita bread or your favorite chips.

Here is a cool video variation of the Garlic Sauce recipe that I found on Youtube that you can try:

Food Friday on Empty Streets: Tofu Burger

I know that this recipe is a bit delayed. I have been overly busy with my new job as an Accounts Manager in the company that I am working in and trying to learn how to balance time is quite a challenge. Eating healthy has become quite a challenge just as much as my job so I decided to bring my own lunch instead of eating out in the fast food chains that can be so easily tempting to grab a bite from. So for today am featuring a cool but tasty vegan meal known as Tofu Burger.

Here is how to make your own:
Ingredients
3 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
1 carrot, grated
1 green pepper, chopped
1 1/2 tsp. dried basil
2 eggs
1 c. bread crumbs
3/4 c. walnuts, ground or finely chopped
1/4 c. chopped parsley
1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
3 tbsp. soy sauce
Black pepper
3 cakes tofu, pressed

Procedure:

To press tofu: Place cakes between plates or baking sheets.

Weight the top wit ha bowl of water, heavy can or etc.

The sides of tofu should bulge but not split. Let stand 30 minutes.

Pour off water.

Saute vegetables and basil in oil until tender, about 10 minutes.

In large bowl, lightly beat eggs, then add bread crumbs, walnuts, and remaining ingredients.

Mash the pressed tofu with your hands and add it to the bowl, along with the sauteed vegetables.

Stir well. Pat into 6 large burgers.

Bake on oiled baking sheet, about 30-35 minutes at 375 degrees until golden brown on outside.

Serve with ketchup, pickles, tomato slices, lettuce on whole wheat buns.

This is a large batch - may want to half the recipe and use 1 cake tofu.

And for those that like to watch how another version of a vegan burger is done here is a video that I found to help you guys out:

Food Friday on Empty Streets: French Apple Tart

Who doesn't like sweets? Me I just adore them and I more importantly love to bake them and make them for my loved ones. Today am presenting a very fun and easy to prepare dessert made from apples called French Apple Tart.

Here is how:
Ingredients
For the pastry:

* 2 cups all-purpose flour
* 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
* 1 tablespoon sugar
* 12 tablespoons (11/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, diced
* 1/2 cup ice water

For the apples:

* 4 Granny Smith apples
* 1/2 cup sugar
* 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) cold unsalted butter, small diced
* 1/2 cup apricot jelly or warm sieved apricot jam
* 2 tablespoons Calvados, rum, or water

Directions

For the pastry, place the flour, salt, and sugar in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Pulse for a few seconds to combine. Add the butter and pulse 10 to 12 times, until the butter is in small bits the size of peas. With the motor running, pour the ice water down the feed tube and pulse just until the dough starts to come together. Dump onto a floured board and knead quickly into a ball. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

Roll the dough slightly larger than 10 by 14-inches. Using a ruler and a small knife, trim the edges. Place the dough on the prepared sheet pan and refrigerate while you prepare the apples.

Peel the apples and cut them in half through the stem. Remove the stems and cores with a sharp knife and a melon baler. Slice the apples crosswise in 1/4-inch thick slices. Place overlapping slices of apples diagonally down the middle of the tart and continue making diagonal rows on both sides of the first row until the pastry is covered with apple slices. Sprinkle with the full 1/2 cup of sugar and dot with the butter.

Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the pastry is browned and the edges of the apples start to brown. Rotate the pan once during cooking. If the pastry puffs up in one area, cut a little slit with a knife to let the air out. Don't worry! The apple juices will burn in the pan but the tart will be fine! When the tart's done, heat the apricot jelly together with the Calvados and brush the apples and the pastry completely with the jelly mixture. Loosen the tart with a metal spatula so it doesn't stick to the paper. Allow to cool and serve warm or at room temperature.

Here is another apple tart recipe that you can try out:

Enjoy :) xoxox

Food Friday on Empty Streets: Angel Cake Recipe Made Easy

Angel cakes is one of my favorite pastries to make especially when am in a hurry for a sugar rush but I want something with a little class. It is also one of the things I love to grab from the mall just in case I need to prepare a birthday cake for a certain niece that has been begging for a cake on a daily basis and eventually spoiling them a bit :)

Here is an easy to follow recipe for making Angel Cakes using Betty Crockers Products :)

Ingredients:

* 1 package Betty Crocker 1 step white angel food cake mix
* 1 1/4 cups cold water
* 3 reduced-fat chocolate sandwich cookies, finely crushed
* 1 container of Betty Crocker fluffy white icing
* 6 reduced fat chocolate sandwich cookies, cut in half


Directions

1. Move oven rack to lowest position. Heat oven to 350.
2. Beat cake mix and cold tap water in large(4- quart) glass or metal bowl on low speed 30 seconds.
3. Then beat on medium speed 1 minute.
4. Carefully fold crushed cookies into batter.
5. Pour into ungreased angel food (tube) pan or into 2 9" loaf pans.
6. Gently cut through batter in pan using metal spatula or knife.
7. Bake 37 to 47 minutes or until top is dark golden brown and cracks feel very dry and not sticky. Do not under bake.
8. Immediately turn pan upside down onto glass bottle or rest edges on 2 - 4 cans of equal height or if you use loaf pans turn on side on heat resistant surface.
9. Let stand 2 hours or until completely cool.
10. Remove from pan by going around edge with knife and then using fingers, taking care not to tear cake (cake will spring back to original shape).
11. Turn pan over & gently shake to remove cake.
12. Frost cake and garnish with cookie halves.
13. (If you use loaf pans, spread a thin layer of icing on top of first layer, and then place second layer on top. Icing sides first and then the top.

And for those that need a visual guide for this recipe here is an alternative way to cook this heavenly dish :)

Food Friday on Empty Streets: Ceasars Salad

I love a good salad and what surprised me the most today was that I found out that a lot of my officemates didn't know how to make a basic Ceasar Salad. So for their benefit I have prepared a pretty simple and easy recipe to follow. Cool thing about this recipe is you can add a lot of other things with it according to your taste.

Classic Caesar Salad
Serves 4 - 6 (depending on the size of the plates)
INGREDIENTS

* 2 head Romaine, washed, dried, and outer leaves discarded
* 3/4 cup garlic flavored olive oil
* 1/2 tsp salt
* 1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
* 1 large lemon, halved
* 6-8 drops Worcestershire Sauce
* 2 Coddled Eggs
* 1/4 cup Imported Parmesan Cheese, grated
* 1 cup garlic croutons


PREP WORK

Wash, dry and discard the lettuce. That's it. Now put it all together.
HOW TO MAKE AT HOME

Place Romaine in a large salad bowl and assemble all the ingredients on a tray tableside. Pour about 1/2 cup of the garlic flavored olive oil over the Romaine. Toss gently using a rolling motion. Add salt and pepper and toss lightly.

Squeeze lemon juice-you should have about 2 1/2 ounces-over the salad and add the Worcestershire sauce. Break eggs over the salad. Add the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil. Add the cheese and toss again until the leaves are well coated.

Add the croutons last and toss slightly. Arrange individual leaves on a dinner plate, stem side out, the easier to eat with the fingers as Caesar Cardini intended. Serve immediately.

This recipe will serve 4 to 6 depending on the serving plate size.

Here is a video version of this recipe for you to try by a very cool chef ;)

Food Friday on Empty Streets: Squid Paella

Paella is one of my favorite dishes to make and nothing beats a good tasty squid paella. The recipe that I am going to feature here today may take approximately 1 hour to make and has some degree of difficulty to do. But the cool thing about Paella is that you can always experiment with its ingredients and make something amazing still in the end :)

Here is the recipe:
Ingredients

* 24 oz cleaned squid
* Salt and pepper to taste
* 1/4 cup (2 fl. oz) of olive oil
* 3 cloves minced garlic
* 1 large yellow onion, chopped
* 3 1/4 cups (26 fl. oz) fish broth
* 1 green bell pepper, chopped
* 1 1/4 cups (10 oz) rice
* 1 medium tomato, chopped
* 1/4 cup (2 fl. oz) dry sherry
* 1/4 teaspoon saffron
* 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
* 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
* 1/8 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes
* Lemon wedges, to garnish

Preparation

Cut the bodies of the squid into rings, quarter the tentacles, season with salt and pepper, and set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a paella pan over medium heat and sauté the onion and garlic and green bell pepper for about 3 minutes. Add the tomato and sauté for a further 3 minutes.

Pour the rice into the paella pan and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the sherry and continue to stirr until the sherry evaporates.

Add the squid, broth, and the rest of the seasonings and cook for 25 minutes, or until the rice is tender and the broth has been absorbed. Garnish with lemon wedges and serve.

Here is a video on a variation of the Paella recipe for you to try and enjoy:

Hope you liked this recipe - remember to cook with your heart :) xoxo

Food Friday on Empty Streets: Tuna Teriyaki

I just love cooking Tuna Teriyaki for dinner especially when one is in a hurry to get some rest and would only have the patience to prepare and easy to cook meal.

Ingredients

2 pounds yellow fin tuna, sliced thin

1 cup soy sauce

1/3 cup sugar

1/2 cup dry white wine

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 cup sake

1 tablespoon tomato paste

Procedure

Mix sauce, pour over fish and marinate for 30 minutes.

Preheat the charcoal grill. Drain off excess marinade and bring to a boil in a sauce pan. Remove from heat.

Grill tuna slices 2-3 minutes on each side. Remove tuna to serving platter and pour heated sauce over top.

Here is the Beef Teriyaki version for those that love meat:

Food Friday on Empty Streets: Tsukimi Soba Recipe

I love Japanese Soba and one of my favorite recipes is that called Tsukimi Soba. Tsukimi soba is hot buckwheat noodles with a raw egg topping. Tsukimi means moon viewing in Japanese. Since the egg resembles the full moon, these kinds of noodle dishes with egg toppings are called "tsukimi."

Here is the recipe for you to try and it is fairly easy and the ingredients can be quickly found in any Japanese food store :)

Ingredients:

* 14 oz. dried soba (buckwheat noodles)
* 6 cups dashi soup
* 1/3 cup soy sauce
* 2 Tbsps mirin
* 1/2 tsp salt
* 4 eggs
* 2 Tbsps finely chopped negi or green onion

Preparation:
Heat dashi, soy sauce, mirin, and salt in a large pot to make soup. Boil soba noodles in another pot, according to the cooking instructions indicated in the packages. Serve soba noodles into four bowls. Pour hot soup over soba noodles. Crack an egg on top of the noodles in each bowl. Sprinkle negi on top of noodles.

Here is a video presentation I found that also shows how Tsukimi Soba is made: