Pear Trilogy - Part II - Pear Espresso Trifles

I wish I had better pictures of these trifles. I wish I could show you wonderful layers of goodness. I wish I could show you the happy faces of those who were lucky enough to eat them. But I can’t.

100 French macarons for 100 posts

Yes, this is the 100^th post by CaffeIna! Can you believe it? Well, I still can’t!

To celebrate this big event, and not having to host any big event for Christmas, I embarked in a big adventure: a three-day French macarons marathon. Yeah, you’ve heard me! Now, before you start uuuuuuhing and wowing at the wonderful and absolutely perfect macarons I made (sigh), I want to make a couple of things clear.

Would you like to know where I’m going for Christmas?

Do you know where I’m going for Christmas? I’m going to a super cool place. It’s warm, it’s fun, it’s full of friends, old and new. In that place, you feel beloved and listened to (or read!). And, yes, there is always good food there. Well, you know what the secret is? The head chef over there is really….THE Chef, as I call him.

Did you guess yet? Yes, correct. I’m going Chez Chef Dennis @ More than a Mount Full. Well, I’m not going there in person (although, I will ask Santa for such a present for next year!). But virtually, and in spirit, I will be there for the Christmas Eve’s Friday guest post. Hurray!

And do you want to know what the heck is this weird looking thingy that I made for the guest post? I’ll give you only one piece of information. It’s called Nadalin and….oh wait…stop talking, silly me! You really should head over at More than a Mount Full to read the whole post.

Ho ho ho Buon Natale a tutti!

Pear Trilogy – Part I – Dorie Greenspan’s French Pear Tart

I had a lot of fun with the Nutella Trilogy. It satisfied my endless Nutella cravings and it brought me back to earlier years of my life, with desserts and snacks that I used to have very often (at least much more often than now) when I was still living in Italy.

Thank you cookies, neighbor exchange cookies and just cookies

I fully recovered from my rough week, finally! I’m going through the last week of teaching of the year, which, as always, is a nightmare but still I’m in great mood in expectation of the holidays! I have also received two awards.

Veneziane alla crema paradiso

It’s been quite a challenging week for me, as many of you know. And to be honest I have not completely recovered from my fever/cold/cough/any other thing that kids have passed on me this time. It’s very rare for me to get really sick, and even more rare are the times I get high fever. But when I do, I become unbearable. It really bothers me not to be able to function normally, to go around constantly with a tissue in my hand to blow my nose, to not feel like or have the strength to do things as usual. When I’m sick I’m miserable (and a big pain in the butt!).

Healthy Muffins with Carla

Yesterday was quiet a different Monday. I was home sick, which meant I did not go in for work but also that, sadly, I did not go baking with Carla.

Baking with Carla does not really feel like a job. I always have so much fun and while she learns, I learn. The reason why I love working with kids (I should say “hang out” with kids) is that, despite the fact that sometimes they can REALLY be stressful, demanding, a pain in the …  (oh yeah, let’s say it! but who’s not?! Grown ups are too! I am, for sure!), at the end of the day I always learn from them.

Nutella Trilogy – Part III – Nutella Roll

Are you ready to drool??

Yes, it’s time for our third and last part of the Nutella Trilogy and I could not think of a better recipe than a Nutella roll!

Leaf cookies – Is it too late?

Yesterday, I had a sudden urge to bake cookies. You see? I got some wonderful leaf-shaped cookie cutters a couple of weeks ago. Aren’t they cute?

Nutella Trilogy – Part II and Daring Bakers Challenge: Crostatine alla Nutella

I promised you guys I was going to have part II of my Nutella Trilogy ready by today. When I saw that the Daring Bakers’ Challenge for this month was crostata and, incidentally around that time, I started to have some serious Nutella cravings, I put the two things together: I had to make a Crostata alla Nutella.

Thanksgiving baking with Carla

I have been meeting with Carla, my favorite six-year-old baker, regularly now on Monday afternoon. I haven’t had time to post about our last week baking so I’m catching up now. I have tried to focus the last couple of experiment on the  fall/autumn theme. I think there are many recipes that are a lot of fun for kids to make. Fall flavors are fun, versatile, and often do not require much sugar addition because of the fruit component. This was the case of last week recipe.

Nutella Trilogy – Part I: Bomboloni alla Nutella (Nutella-filled Donuts)

A couple of weeks ago I had a late night conversation with two crazy (read = amazingly crazy) bloggers, Lora (Cake Duchess) and Ethan (Tastes Better with Friends). The topic of conversation, as some of you know, was Nutella. Now, I’m Italian and I couldn’t care less for peanut butter, marshmallows or other American treats. But, please, don’t you ever ever ever mention Nutella to me…above all not at night! The craving kicks in and there is nothing I can do about it. Nothing but to prepare a master plan like this: a Nutella Trilogy.

Pear crisp or pear crumble?

One thing inspired this recipe, actually two. Two simple and beautiful things: a pear and some amazing granola! Oh yes, that’s all it takes to make something beautiful and delicious!

Making vanilla cupcakes with my favorite little girl

No, I don’t have any kid of my own that I have been hiding from you! Back in the Spring I spent a couple of months meeting weekly with one of the sweetest little girls, Carla (of course, not as sweet as your kids…one’s own kids are always the sweetest but I don’t have any, so I am very happy of having her from time to time).  What I used to do with Carla was not a normal babysitting. We were meeting once per week for an hour so that she could have some Italian conversation (she used to go at the school where I teach) and to bake! Yes, to bake. One hour per week I got to speak Italian and bake with Carla. Is there a better job than that? It doesn’t even feel like a job. Needles too say, I always had a lot of fun!

Braided sweet bread with coffee cream filling

It was hard starting this week. The emotions of the Foodbuzz Festival had to be put aside pretty abruptly. Monday started by waking up earlier than usual, having a lot of work and subs to do at the school, and fighting with Wally. I hate fighting but even more I hate fighting on a Monday! It’s not a great way to start the week and we are so busy during weekdays that we don’t even have time to talk and straighten things up.

Foodbuzz Festival's faces

Some of you have spend a couple of days with me at the Foodbuzz Festival. You guys were lucky! Well, not just for spending that time with me (I'm not that presumptuous!) but for being at the Foodbuzz Festival. It was an amazing experience! 

I could go on for days and days talking about the amazing food, the workshops, the recipes, the sponsors...But I'm pretty sure that there will be tons of posts with wonderful pictures about this unique weekend and mine will be one among the tons. The truth is...what I really really really enojoyed the most was to finally meet in person all the bloggers I read daily and to get to know new ones. Despite the great, informative sessions, despite the amazing food, despite the amazing weather (except for Sunday!) what really will stay in my heart and mind are faces...all the faces I was finally able to match with names, blogs, posts, pictures. All those faces that I've seen smiling at each other these days. 

So, whether I got a chance to meet you for a few moments or for entire hours (until you was probably tired of seeing my face!) I just want to say everybody "I loved seeing your faces there, all together! And I hope to see them again soon!". And of course, thank you amazing Foodbuzz people for organizing this amazing festival! 

See you all next year and hopefully sooner!

Awards, tags and caramel filled cookies…just because!

I felt (positively) overwhelmed by the great support I have been receiving lately. If you read this blog more or less regularly, you probably know about my recent photography crisis. I’ve got so many sweet comments and emails that I don’t even know where to start from to thank everybody.

No mom, don’t be scared! These are not the usual Halloween treats

We had Halloween parties on both Thursday and Friday at the school where I work. I have to admit that I’m not a bit Halloween fan myself, but with the kids…everything is different. The problem in doing the party at a school is the treats. There are kids with allergies, there are kids with weight problems, there are kids that are vegetarian or even vegan, and there are kids that simply have parents that do not want them to eat processed food or too many sweets. I do not disagree on any of these standings. I respect everybody’s choice in life in general and in how to raise kids and deal with their diet in this case.

The only issue is that with all these restrictions to comply with, what the heck CAN moms (dads) bring to school?! Of course, their kids will want to bring something but it is very hard to accommodate everybody’s dietary choice. On top of all this, there are moms (dads) that don’t find cookies and cupcakes decorating as easy as it is for many food bloggers I know! There are also moms (dads) that work full time and can’t afford the luxury of spending an entire afternoon baking goodies for their kid’s Halloween party. And finally, there are moms (dads) that simply can’t afford buying expensive treats (because let’s say it…many of these whole grain, organic, fresh, local - or whatever else denomination they might have – treats are sold in expensive store that not everybody can afford!).

I spent the whole week thinking about this and feeling bad for those moms (dads) that would simply want to make their kids go to school happy with a fun treat. I looked around on the blogsphere and all I could find were very sweet treats…adorable, cute, scary, spooky, everything you might want in a Halloween treat. But also very much covered in icing and/or containing ingredients prone to create allergies problems.

This is what I came out with: puff pastry cream cheese ghosts. You don’t need much money. You don’t need much time. You don’t need to be Martha Stewart to be able to make them. You just need frozen puff pastry, cream cheese at room temperature (so that it can be spread easily) and raisins to make eyes and mouth (if you don’t have calories issue you could make eyes and mouth by piping some melted chocolate).

I let the puff pastry defrost for a few hours in the fridge and I rolled it out pretty thin. Then the only thing I did was to cut out a little ghost shape from parchment paper that I used to cut out the puff pastry of the right shape. After baking the puff pastry, I let it cool down and then I spread the cream cheese and decorated with raisins.

I have to admit they were a pretty sweet treat even if not covered with a thick layer of icing. And again, if you don’t have calories restrictions you could always make a sweeter version by pouring melted white chocolate on the puff pastry instead of spreading the cream cheese.

Have a sweet Halloween!

Photography crisis and the best sweet pastry crust I’ve ever tried

I have been drooling over the gallettes that Jean @Lemons and Anchovies posted about a couple of weeks ago. They looked so perfect! And when I read “This crust was flaky but not greasy and was quite enjoyable to eat even without the filling…” I knew I had to try it. And I’m so glad I did. There is only one way to define this pâte sucrée: THE BEST. It tastes amazing and it’s super easy to make. I’m famous for being able to fail fool-proof recipes but this one is really Sara-proof. So, come on, give it a try! If I succeeded, anybody will!

I believe I can fry….thanks to the October Daring Bakers Challenge!

Donuts! One simple word, two feelings.

1. I love them! I really love donuts! Every single donut: cake donuts, yeast donuts, filled donuts (we call them bomboloni in Italy, or Krapfen, the German name). I just love them all. But I don’t exaggerate with them. I never go crazy eating 3 donuts (well, I did a couple of times in my life - such as when I went to Woodoo Doughnuts in Portland - but honestly who didn’t?!). I usually behave like a good girl…I have them seldomly and, thus, when I have them, I do so without guilt.
2. I am (was) afraid of frying. Yeah, you heard me. I was terrified at the idea of a pot with hot oil in front of me and anything splashing in it. I’ve tried to make French fries a couple of times and my experience has always ended with burnt-outside-uncooked-inside French fries or with super duper greasy ones that tasted nothing but the oil. This fear of frying always meant I could not make neither all those yummy Carnival sweets we have in Italy nor donuts.

Two celebrations, two flavors: Wine and Chocolate Cake

Our two-month crazy period has finally ended! At least for a month ahead, no more trips out of town, no more weddings, gigs, big events that require driving 6 hours straight, flying or staying away for sleepless weekends. We are home!

They’ve got me…not once but twice!

OK…so this is a non-food post. Yes, you know that sometimes this happens, even at CaffeIna! The fact is that I’ve been tagged. And not only once, but twice. Phew! How many questions to answer. But I can’t escape this and for two good reasons. First of all, the two bloggers who tagged me are two of the bloggers I’ve been following and loving since the very beginning of CaffeIna’s adventures. I consider them my friends as if they were people I hang out with in a coffee shop every day, even though we never met! The second reason is that their questions were just so intriguing that I knew that answering them was going to be a lot of fun.

So here it goes. The first set of questions comes from Christiane @The Mom Chef.

1. What's the best live event (concert, comedian, etc.) that you've ever attended and when/why?

Can I be honest with you? The best live events are Wally’s shows (Wally is my husband, for those who are new to my blog). He is the leader of and plays with a (very weird for many of you) great band (miRthkon). I’m his fan number one and I love the fact that he always looks for me in the crowd to wink at me J When I was a teenager, I always dreamed of having a musician as partner…for me it’s like a cool dream come true. But no, he does not write songs inspired by me…really, his music is way too weird! I don’t even think I would want those songs to be inspired by me hehe

2. If you were given the opportunity to cook alongside any one professional chef, who would it be?

Ok, here is the shocking truth: I do not watch any food reality show and I do not really follow any big name. I always had an aversion towards having “idols”, of any sort. I never had posters of my favorite musician on the wall (I just dreamed about marrying him J) and now as a grown up I just do not “fan” any big name. If I could, I would rather want a chance to cook together with my favorite bloggers!

3.  When you were growing up, what did you want to be? Are you doing that? If not, what?

I was never a wannabe ballerina girl! But I sure had a clear idea in my mind: I wanted to travel the world! Up until my teenager years I thought of doing that as a tourist guide or a travel agent. Eventually I grow up and I started to become more aware of social and political issues and started instead a career in international development. I am not doing any of these things now. As many of you know, I am now a pre-school teacher and I think it’s the best (and most tiring!) job I’ve ever had!

4. If your house was on fire, what one item would you grab from the kitchen to save?

The scones I just baked! Seriously, I don’t have any fancy equipment in my kitchen and there is nothing that cannot be replaced. I’m not a very materialistic person. Instead, if my house gets on fire I will probably have to spend several hours outside waiting for the firefighters to put out the fire and I will be very sad….I will need something to cheer myself up. So, scones it is!

5.  Coke or Pepsi?

Diet coke, no doubt. But let me put one thing straight. I HATE HATE HATE corn syrup. So, in Italy I always want Coke but here in the US I just cannot stand the terrible back taste left by corn syrup (unless it’s Mexican coke!) and so I go for Diet Coke.

6. How many years have you been friends with the person you've known the longest?

30 years. My very first best friend in Italy was born only 4 months before me, lived two blocks down the street and came to my same pre-school since age 3. That’s when our friendship started (yeah, you’ve done the math well, I’m 33 now)

7. What food dish do you consider the most daunting and have not yet gotten up the courage to attempt it yet?

Oh gosh, sooooo many! But if I had to choose I would say any fried seafood-based dish. I’m terrified at frying and I don’t deal well with fish. I’m always scared I’m not cooking it thoroughly (man, I love it though!)

8. If you were an animal, what would you be?

Any need to ask? A hippo, of course!! And please, don’t tell me they are mean animals. I so don’t care. They are just too cute and they have a gigantic adorable butt! And btw, did you know that hippos let a lot of river and ponds fishes feed themselves with the insects that constantly populate the hippo’s thick skin? See, deep inside, they are good-hearted!

And now, let’s come to the other set of questions. Kate @Kate’s kitchen dared asking me the following ones.

1. What is your favorite food? I know…I know…you all know me for my sweet tooth. But if I have to pick one food that I could never never never get tired of eating, that’s pizza. Good pizza, of course!

2. If you could star in a foodtv show, what would it be about?

Uhm…I think I have to refer to my answer #2 above: I do not watch any food related tv show so I really do not know how to choose L

3. What is your favorite season and why?

Oh gosh this is a hard one. I’m a lover of the four seasons altogether! Each and every season has something unique to offer: flavors, colors, activities…if I really have to pick one I would say spring. Spring is the time of Nature rebirth and, I believe, also of human souls and body rebirth. I love the idea that fresh fruits and vegetables are going to come back in season after the cold, dark days of the winter. I love the flowers blooming and I love how the recipes become all a bit lighter.

4. If you could save one thing from your kitchen, what would it be? Opsie, again, you should refer to my answer #6 above.

5. What is the one place you've not visited that you'd most like to visit?

Latin America, and in particular Argentina. Oh, the tango, the great food, the cool people. What is there not to love about it!

6. What and where was your most memorable meal? On my first date with Wally, he “dared” bringing me to Lo Cocos, an Italian restaurant in Oakland, claiming it had an amazing pizza. In fact, it does! The meal was not memorable just for the pizza though but for the great time I had with a guy I met 3 hours before and that now is my husband.

7. How many places have you lived and which was your favorite?

I lived in 7 different countries but I left my heart in Mexico City. I know, many people hates it, other loves it. I’m among the latter.

8. What got you to start blogging?

Last March I found myself having a lot of free time for the first time after many years. I dropped out of my PhD studies in January and I could not work yet because I was waiting for my green card. I already loved baking and was doing so very often. My husband suggested me to start a blog. And so I did. I know, it’s not a very original story but that’s how it went.

Now, I know I am supposed to make up 8 questions myself and tag other bloggers but I need time to think about the questions (and the bloggers that might be available to answer those questions) and in the meantime I want to post these long overdue answers. So, I’ll get back to you guys with questions later on!

Have a sweet day!

When the fall is in the air, think Grape Cake

Reading through the hundreds of blogs I usually read every week (yes, although I don’t comment to every single post, I read many of you guys!), these days I see apples, cinnamon, and pumpkins everywhere. Everybody is very much focused on the start of the autumn. I am too somehow, even though in the Bay Area it really doesn’t seem fall these days.

When you are having a bad day...play with your favorite animal

Today I suffered a momentarily (I hope) blog depression. These are the symptoms: you look at your blog and you don't like it; you even start asking yourself why on earth are you spending your free time on this; you are stuck and have no idea in which direction to move to improve it; you want to take action but you feel uninspired.

This was definitely a day of bad moods between me and my blog. Oh well, it happens, from time to time. I'm sure to everybody. I had to react. So I decided to play a little bit with my favorite animal.

No, I am not talking about my daily pet therapy with the kitties. I love them dearly but cat is not my favorite animal.

Now, did you get what my favorite animal is or is it only my distorted mind that sees it?

Yeeees, it's a hippo. Now I can add a few more to my home hippo collection :)

Btw, the recipe is from Elra's baking, who adapted it from "Your Place Or Mine? 

"Cooking at Home with Restaurant Style, by: Jean-Christophe Novelli. I really did not change it and I think you should read her instruction if you are using a mixer (as always, I did it by hand.) Check out the recipe here! The only change I made is that I used a milk and honey glaze instead of the egg wash.

Have a sweet day!

Cashew White Chocolate Cookies

The other day I went grocery shopping and I bought cashews. Dangerous. Very dangerous!

Maple glazed coffee cake for my first baking experience in the new home!

I’m done! With many things!

To begin with, I’m done with the moving. Well, not that we have finished unpacking but I did open all the kitchen-labeled boxes (and those are the important ones, right?). Also, I’m done with the Project Food Blog Competition. Yep, I’m out. And I have to admit I have mixed feeling about it. On one side, I can’t deny I’m a bit bummed! Well, of course I thought I deserved to be proclaimed the next food bloggers’ star J

Voting is open for Challenge #3 of the Project Food Blog Competition!

Ciao a tutti!

I'm sorry for my absence these days! As you all know, I'm moving tomorrow (actually right now!) and I have very little time to spare...let aside the fact that all my baking stuff is packed (sigh!). I am taking the time to read as many entries for the the third challenge of the Food Blog Competition as I can. I have to say, I have seen some amazing posts! So, what are you waiting for? Voting is open until Thursday. Go through the 200 posts, drool and vote!

If you want to check again my entry, follow this link. As always, if you want to vote for me you can follow the link from the home page of my blog or through this link at the Foodbuzz competition page. 

Good luck to everybody and see you back once I'm done unpacking (of course I will start with the kitchen boxes!)

Have a sweet day

Welcome to my luxurious...ehm...rustic dinner party: project food blog challenge #3

I still can’t believe it! I made it to the third challenge. Surprise and happiness were overwhelming when I read “advanced” on my profile picture of the Project Food Blog competition page. And then, fear kicked in. I really have to write the third challenge now. Opsie. That’s how the challenge prompt reads:

“Celebrate! You've made it this far, and the next challenge is to hold a party for your friends and family (at least four guests). Whether you're an experienced host or an entertaining newbie, get creative and host a luxurious dinner party where your guests will discover new tastes and exotic flavors. Share your hosting secrets with readers, like how to cook for a crowd, plan a menu, or involve guests in the prep. And don't forget to document the party with pictures of the table spread, food, and guests.”

Compromises and Simplicity

The vote on the second challenge of the Project Food Blog competition is now open! If you would like to vote for me you simply have to follow the link "see my profile" under the silly picture of myself on the left sidebar of my blog or you can follow this link! But before that, I would like to leave you with a simple yet delicious post! Enjoy!

I’m stubborn, perfectionist, impatient. I’m feisty, opinionated, idealist. And much more than that! And I don't think I really learn many lessons from my mistakes. But if there is one thing I can say I’ve learnt in the past few years is the art of compromise. There are always important things to compromise on: in life, in relationships, even in blogging! For many people compromising equals sacrificing but I have learnt to compromise with a different perspective in mind: simplicity.

I’ve always been a very simple person by nature. But I have had a complicated (and/or complex) life in many instances. I still have, sometimes. Don’t we all have complicated days? But I have learnt to use the simplicity of my person in these situations and to translate it into simplicity of life. I’ve started by dropping out of a PhD program that was making my life miserable and by choosing to become a wife and a pre-school teacher. Yes, I gave up the opportunity of a big career (I actually had it already before starting my PhD) and of a great salary (ahh, the life of a pre-school teacher….no money!) but I gained in mental health and in time to dedicate to myself, my home, my husband, and now my blog. I chose simplicity also when I started my blog. I could have had a blog with daily posts of all the amazing Italian recipes I cook every day. If you read my first post for the Project Food Blog competition you already know that I cook almost all our family meals. It would have been easy to fill up my blog with my daily cooking activities but for me it would not have been as much fun as with only baking experiments. I compromised and I decided for a more simple blog, with fewer posts but focused on baking, what I really love.

And this week, I made that choice once again. It’s time for you (and me!) to vote for the second challenge of the Project Food Blog competition. I thought of doing a complex or mind-blowing dessert to show you that I deserve your vote. But then life as always gets in the way: my kitchen is almost fully packed for our move (yay!) and I have zero free time to dedicate to my blog these days (sigh!) and so, once again, I chose simplicity.

So I leave you all with these shortbread cookies. In all simplicity and humbleness I would like to thank you all. First, for your vote on the first challenge and, if you intend to do so, for the vote on this second one. But mostly, for all the amazing comments I have received. I really had a lot of fun thus far and the best part of this competition has been getting to know new bloggers or getting to know better those that I was already reading.

The recipe is from the amazing Joy of Baking. These were very simple and amazing cookies are perfect to start the week with. I do believe simplicity is underestimated and these cookies are the proof!

Chocolate dipped shortbreads

Ingredients

yields about 20 shortbread cookies

260 gr (9 oz or 2 cups) all-purpose flour

2 gr (1/4 tsp) salt

226 gr (12 oz or 1 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature

60 gr (1/2 cup) powdered (confectioners or icing) sugar

5 ml (1 tsp) pure vanilla extract

180 gr (6 oz) semi sweet or bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped, for the chocolate dip

In a medium bowl whisk the flour with the salt and set aside.

In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the butter until smooth and creamy (about 1 minute). Add the sugar and beat until smooth (about 2 minutes).  Beat in the vanilla extract. Gently stir in the flour mixture just until incorporated.  Flatten the dough into a disk shape, wrap in plastic wrap, and put the dough in the refrigerator for at least an hour.  

Preheat oven to 350F degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Roll out the dough on a lightly floured into a ¼” thick circle.  Cut into rounds or other shapes using a lightly floured cookie cutter. (I chose hearts…I was feeling very cheesy today)

Place on the prepared baking sheets and place in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes. (This will firm up the dough so the cookies will maintain their shape when baked)

Bake for 8 - 10 minutes, or until the cookies are very lightly browned. Let them cool on a cooling rack.

For the chocolate dip, I once again opted for simplicity and melted the chocolate in the microwave. If you choose do to so, 90 seconds were really all it took but remember to stir the chocolate with a rubber spatula from time to time. (I stirred it every 30 seconds)

Taking one cookie at a time, dip one end of each cookie in the melted chocolate and place it on a parchment lined baking sheet. Once all the cookies have been dipped in the chocolate, place the baking sheets in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes, or until the chocolate has hardened.

Have a sweet day!

Source: Joy of Baking