Lemon and Lavender Cake ~ Bolo de Limão e Lavanda

Photos by Priscillakittycat, Recipe by Food52

Brazil is playing well in the Copa America games.  Thursday’s match against Paraguay was a heart stopper.  It was a knotty match.  Just when a Brazilian would break away and head for the goal, the ref would blow his whistle.  The guy paused the game every few seconds.  It’s almost like he was intentionally halting our team’s momentum.

In a few minutes we will face Argentina.  No comment.

Unsalted butter, for the cake pan
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3/4 tablespoon edible dried lavender
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup Greek yogurt
1/2 cup mild-flavored olive oil
Finely grated zest of 1 unwaxed lemon, plus 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Confectioners’ sugar, to dust
Sprigs of fresh lavender, to serve (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350° F. Butter an 8-inch diameter, 2 1/2-inch deep cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.

Put the granulated sugar and lavender into a food processor and whizz until the lavender has broken down. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together into a bowl. Stir in the lavender sugar. In a pitcher, mix the eggs with the yogurt and oil. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and gradually stir in the wet ingredients. Add the lemon zest and juice, but don’t over-mix. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan.

Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until the cake is coming away from the inside of the pan and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Turn it out, peel off the paper, and set on a wire rack until cold. Dust with confectioners’ sugar just before serving and decorate with sprigs of fresh lavender.


O Brasil está jogando bem na Copa America.  Esse último jogo contra o Paraguai foi sofrido.  Achei que fosse ter uma parada cardiaca.  O Galvão falou certo, “Ooo time chato para jogar!”  Não foi fácil.  E o juíz não ajudou.  Apitava toda hora.  Não deixava o Brasil fazer uma jogada.

Na hora dos penalties eu não tive coragem para assistir.  As pernas ficaram bambas e o coração batia a cem por hora.  Tive de ir para a outra sala.  Depois, quando pai gritou que o time do Tite ganhou, veio a euphoria.

Daqui a pouco enfrentaremos a Argentina.  Sem comentarios.

Bolo de Lavanda a Limão

Manteiga sem sal, para untar a fôrma.
1 1/2 de açucar (eu diminui o açucar para um copo)
3/4 colher de sopa de lavanda seca comestível (eu usei quase 2 colheres)
1 1/2 copo de farinha de trigo
1/2 colher de bicarbonato
1/2 colher de chá pó royal (eu usei 1 colher enteira)
1/4 colher de chá sal
2 ovos grandes, levemente batidos
1 copo de iogurte
1/2 copo de azeite de oliva
Raspas (finamente raladas) de 1 limão amarelo e 1 colher de sopa de suco de limão

Aqueça o forno (350F).  Unte as fôrmas com manteiga e forre os fundos com papél pergaminho.  Coloque o açucar e a lavanda num processador e processe até a lavanda desmanchar.  Ponha a farinha com o pó royal, bicarbonato e sal numa tigela e peneire.  Adicione a lavanda e o açucar.  Misture os ovos, o iogurte e o azeite dentro de um jarro.  Faça um buraco no centro dos ingredientes secos e acrescente os ingredientes molhados pouco a pouco.  Adicione as raspas de limão mas não misture excessivamente. Despeje a massa nas fôrmas.  Asse por 45 a 50 minutos ou até o bolo começar a despregar das beiradas da fôrma ou até que um palito enfiado no meio saia limpo.  Tire das fôrmas e remova o papél.  Deixe o bolo esfriar.

Lemon Bundt Cake ~ Bolo de Limão ~ Ciambellone al limone

Recipe by Ricette della Nonna, Photo by Priscillakittycat

It has taken some time… but I am able to read, understand and prepare recipes that are written in Italian.  My goal is to include authentic Italian recipes on this blog.  The drawback is that the more languages I use, the more time it takes to prepare and post entries.  In this case, the original recipe was written in Italian, so it’s a “piece of cake”.  Literally…

120 grams all-purpose flour or cake flour
120 grams corn flour
80 grams sunflower or seed oil
250 grams sugar
4 eggs
16 grams baking powder
2 lemons
powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 160C (320F) Grate the lemons’ peels and reserve.  Squeeze the juice from the lemons and place in a small bowl.  Separate the egg yolks from the whites.  Whip/beat the yolks with the sugar.  Combine the flour, corn flour and baking powder.  Slowly add the flour mixture to the yolk mixture alternating with the lemon juice.  Add the grated lemon.  Mix until the batter is creamy and homogenous.  Add the seed oil and mix well on the low setting.

Pour the batter into a greased and flowered Bundt cake pan.  Bake at 160C (320F) for about 1 hour.  Before serving, sprinkle with powdered sugar.
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Demorou, mas finalmente entendo suficiente italiano para ler, compreender e preparar receitas escritas em italiano.  A minha meta é poder acrescentar ao blog, receitas italianas.  Sendo que isto vai exigir mais tempo.  Então fica assim:  farei a medida que for possível.

Esta primeira receitinha ’tá fácil.  Um bolo de limão é bom demais, no café da manha, para o café da tarde…ou até à noite, acompanhado de um chá quente, antes de cair nos braços de morfeu.

120 gramas de farinha de trigo
120 gramas de farinha de milho
80 gramas de óleo de girassol
250 gramas de açucar
4 ovos
16 gramas de pó royal
2 limões
açucar de confeiteiro

Ligue o forno (160C).  Raspe as cascas dos limões e reserve.  Esprema o suco dos limões e coloque numa tigela pequena.  Separe as claras da gema.  Bata as  gemas com o açucar.  Acrescente a farinha de trigo, de milho e o pó royal.  Adicione a mistura das farinhas às gemas batitas, revesando com o açucar e o suco do limão, pouco a pouco.  Adicione as raspas do limão.  Misture até ficar cremoso.  Por último adicione o óleo e misture na velocidade mais baixa.

Despeja na forma untada com manteiga e farinha.  Asse durante mais ou menos uma hora.  Antes de servir, polvilhe com o açucar de confeiteiro.

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120 gr di farina
120 gr di maizena
80 gr di olio di semi
250 gr di zucchero
4 uova
1 bustina di lievito per dolci (16 gr)
2 limoni non trattati
zucchero a velo

Spremete i due limoni e grattugiatene la scorza.
Separate i tuorli dagli albumi e montateli con lo zucchero. Tenete gli albumi da parte.

Setacciate insieme farina, maizena e lievito. Aggiungete a poco a poco le farine ai tuorli montati, alternando il succo dei limoni spremuti. Aggiungete anche le scorze grattugiate. Amalgamate fino ad ottenere un composto cremoso e omogeneo.

Aggiungete l’olio di semi e fatelo incorporare bene all’impasto, quindi montate gli albumi a neve e uniteli a poco a poco al composto, mescolando dal basso verso l’alto per non farli smontare.

It’s all about the “U”. Cookies para…”U”.

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Cookies And Icing… I’ll share the recipes later. Photo by Priscillakittycat.

Waiting on a plane for this flight to the Bahamas to take off.  Thought I’d share these with you…cookies I made for our students last weekend. It’s all about the “U”!

Estou dentro do avião aguardando a partida para as Bahamas.  Enquanto esperamos a decolagem do jatinho Embraer compartilho com voces estes cookies que fiz para os nossos alunos. (Eles estiverem em residência na semana passada)

Spiced Butternut Squash Soup ~ Sopa de Abóbora

Recipe by Food & Wine Magazine, Photos and Videos by Priscillakittycat

Recipe by Food & Wine Magazine, Photos and Videos by Priscillakittycat

I made the soup and a loaf of herb bread and took them to my neighbor this Sunday afternoon.  I arrived at his house when he and his friends had just sat down to watch the Barcelona soccer match.  Perfect timing!  The recipe comes from Food & Wine Magazine.  Watch the videos for verbal instructions on how to prepare it.  Or visit Food & Wine’s website and enter:  Spiced Butternut Squash Soup.

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Esta sopa é “10”.  Ela é boa porque é feita com um tempero marroquino (gengibre, noz moscada, curcuma, pimenta branca e canela).  Combina bem com o pão de ervas que aparece na postagem anterior.  Eu fiz a sopa e o pão para o meu vizinho querido e a esposa dele.  Foi ótimo porque quando fui levar o pão na casa deles, haviam chegado uns amigos para assistir o jogo de Barcelona.  A sopinha chegou na hora certa!  Voce pode encontrar a receita no site da revista Food & Wine.  Depois vou postar a lista dos ingredientes em português, mas por enquanto assista o video que dá para fazer.

La Strega Nocciola (A Bruxa de Avelã)

La Strega Nocciola

Gelato at La Strega Nocciola

Gelato at La Strega Nocciola

A person can’t be in Italy without licking up a gelato at least once a week…or once a day.  Please tell me how one can stay fit on two scoops-in a cone-per day…not including bread, pizza and pasta?  I’ve been told the trick is to walk it off.  Walk, walk, walk.  La Strega Nocciola translates to the Hazelnut Witch…or Hazel the Witch.  This is where a friend took me for lovely gelato.  My favorite flavors are Lavanda (Lavender) and Pompelmo (Grapefruit).

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Uma pessoa nao pode viver na Italia sem experimentar um gelato por semana…ou, em certos casos, um por dia.  Pode estar fazendo o maior frio, e eu posso estar vestida de pés a cabeça, casaco, cachicol, e luvas…mas a tentaçao sempre vence.  Agora me diz, como é que a pessoa pode manter a forma enquanto prova duas bolas, no cone, ao dia?  Isto nao inclue o pão, a pizza e a pasta que tambem fazem parte do atual regime. Os Italianos me dizem que o segredo é caminhar muito.

A Strega Nocciola (A Bruxa de Avelã) é uma gelateria que oferece sabores naturais.  Os meus favoritos são Lavanda e Toronja.

Puzzone di Moena

Puzzone di Moena Cheese, Photo by Priscillakittycat

Puzzone di Moena Cheese, Photo by Priscillakittycat

Say cheeessse!  During orientation our school’s counselor, who is a practicing psychologist or psychiatrist (can’t remember which), originally from Texas, asked us to write down everything we hope to get out of this study abroad experience.  He said to write freely and let ideas emerge without judgement.  I like him.  We’re on the same page.  It must be the Texas connection.

I wrote down a bunch of ideas and continue to add to the list.  Like this morning when I grabbed another cheese from the fridge drawer.  I thought…”Hmmm, I will taste (and research) every single cheese that the Mercato Centrale sells.  This way, I can give mom and dad a cheese lesson when they come to visit at the end of March”.

Too bad I forgot to write down the names of some of the cheeses I bought a few days ago.  Luckily, this one still had a speck of the label on the rind.  So with that partial label and the help of Google, I found the name online.  Puzzone di Moena.  At the Mercato they cut the cheese in the amount you choose.  I asked for 200 grams of each one. When I opened the butcher shop white packaging, a very strong (and stinky) aroma emerged.  Puzzone means “stinky” in Italian.  And Moena is a city in the province of Trento.  I expected the taste would be equally strong.  Not at all.  It’s an almost soft cheese and perfect for my breakfast.  There are uneven little holes in it.  A cute little mouse would love this cheese.

Bingo Night

Every December we get together with friends and family for food, fun, and Bingo.  Each guest brings a Bingo prize and we play Bingo until the prizes run out.  It’s a blast!  I spent a couple of weeks looking for recipes and narrowed the menu to the items listed below.  The one thing I forgot to do was take photographs of the appetizers and dinner…because I was busy cooking and serving our guests from 5 p.m. to midnight.  Yes, midnight!   The pasta dinner was served at 11:00 p.m., after we’d had our fill of Bingo.  Perhaps the dessert table photos will give you a taste of how things looked that evening!

Appetizers:
Bacon & Leek Quiche
Proscuitto-Wrapped Shrimp with Bourbon Barbecue Sauce
Baked Brie with Cranberry, Raspberry and Almond Jelly
Wild Mushroom Crostini
Cheese Platter
Marinate Olives Platter
Bloody Mary Mussels
Gorgonzola and Toasted Walnut Spread
Empadao de Frango (Brazilian Style Chicken Pot Pie)
Roasted Eggplant and Peppers Spread

Salad:
Crab Salad with Mint Oil

Main Dishes:
Shrimp with Arugula Pesto
Rigattoni All Amatriciana

Desserts:
Canudinho (Pastry Cones filled with Dulce de Leche)
Polvorones (Mexican Wedding Cakes)
Reindeer Cookies
Rocambole (Brazilian Rolled Chocolate Cake)
Flan
Corn Cakes
Pumpkin Cheesecake

Photos by Priscillakittycat

Photos by Priscillakittycat

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The Ultimate Cheese Wheel

fotog foodie

I love cheese, but seriously, who doesn’t? Check out this awesome cheese wheel infographic I discovered on the interwebs. It’s pretty magical and I am thinking it will look nice framed in my kitchen next to the All you need to know about beef in one infographic.

The Charted Cheese Wheel
by popchartlab.
Explore more infographics like this one on the web’s largest information design community – Visually.

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