Chocolate-Glazed Chocolate Tart

A triple layer of crumbly crust, a truffle-like interior, and an almost patent-leather-shiny glaze make this tart a chic take on chocolate. This recipe comes from Gourmet magazine September 2008.

Chocolate-Glazed Chocolate Tart

Ingredients

For crust:
9 (5- by 2 1/4-inch) chocolate graham crackers (not chocolate-covered), finely ground (1 cup)
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup sugar

For filling:
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
9 ounces bittersweet chocolate (not more than 65% cacao if marked), chopped
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt

For glaze:
2 tablespoon heavy cream
1 3/4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 teaspoon light corn syrup
1 tablespoon warm water

Equipment: a 9-inch round fluted tart pan (1 inch deep) with removable bottom

Preparation:

Make crust:
Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle.

Stir together all ingredients and press evenly onto bottom and 3/4 inch up side of tart pan. Bake until firm, about 10 minutes. Cool on a rack 15 to 20 minutes.

Make filling:
Bring cream to a boil, then pour over chocolate in a bowl and let stand 5 minutes. Gently stir until smooth. Whisk together eggs, vanilla, and salt in another bowl, then stir into melted chocolate.

Pour filling into cooled crust. Bake until filling is set about 3 inches from edge but center is still wobbly, 20 to 25 minutes. (Center will continue to set as tart cools.) Cool completely in pan on rack, about 1 hour.

Make glaze:
Bring cream to a boil and remove from heat. Stir in chocolate until smooth. Stir in corn syrup, then warm water.

Pour glaze onto tart, then tilt and rotate tart so glaze coats top evenly. Let stand until glaze is set, about 1 hour.

Cooks' note: Tart is best the day it is made but can be made, without glaze, 1 day ahead and chilled. Bring to room temperature before glazing.


Source: Gourmet Magazine

Buddhist Thought for the Day

There are no facts, only interpretations.
- Friedrich Nietzsche

Chicken and Goat Cheese Quesadillas with Mango Salsa

Chicken and Goat Cheese Quesadillas

Ingredients

1 cooked chicken breast, shredded or pulled
2 T. finely diced onion, red or sweet white
1/4 - 1/3 C. sliced black pitted olives
5 oz. chevre (goat) cheese
6 oz. jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
8 medium tortillas
canola oil


Preparation

Mix the chicken meat, onions, olives, chevre and artichoke hearts in a bowl. Heat a saute pan over a medium high burner and drizzle with about a tablespoon of oil.

Slide in a tortilla and spread with a quarter of the chicken mix. Place another tortilla on top and press it down gently. Fry on both sides until crispy brown.

Do these one at a time, ending up with four quesadillas. Keep them warm in a low oven and when they’re all done, cut into wedges and serve.

MORE IDEAS:

The possibilities for additional ingredients include finely diced bell or jalapeno peppers, cheddar cheese instead of chevre and pulled pork in place of the chicken.

A small bag of sliced almonds adds great texture.

Serve with dipping bowls of mango salsa, or pico de gallo with sour cream and guacamole. Also you can take a small can of adobo peppers in chipotle sauce remove peppers from sauce and chop up the peppers finely and mix back in with the chipotle sauce. Drizzle over quesadillas wedges before serving and sprinkle with chopped cilantro.


Mango Salsa

INGREDIENTS

1 mango - peeled, seeded and chopped
1/4 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
1 green onion, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1 fresh jalapeno chile pepper, finely chopped
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon lemon juice

DIRECTIONS

In a medium bowl, mix mango, red bell pepper, green onion, cilantro, jalapeno, lime juice, and lemon juice. Cover, and allow to sit at least 30 minutes before serving.

Source: seductionmeals.com

Gordon Ramsay - Beef Wellington

Gordon Ramsay's Beef Wellington

400g (3/4-1 pound) Beef fillet
400g ( about 1 pound) Flat mushrooms
4 slices Parma ham
English mustard for brushing meat
200g (or 1 sheet frozen) puff pastry
2 Egg yolks

1. Pre-heat the oven to 200c/375f.
2. Heat some oil in a large pan and quickly fry the seasoned beef all over until it’s brown. Remove and allow to cool. The point of this is simply to sear the beef and seal all those juices in, you don’t want to cook the meat at this stage. Allow to cool and brush generously with the mustard.
3. Roughly chop the mushrooms and blend in a food processor to form a puree. Scrape the mixture into a hot, dry pan and allow the water to evaporate. When sufficiently dry (the mixture should be sticking together easily), set aside and cool.
4. Roll out a generous length of cling film, lay out the four slices of Parma ham, each one slightly overlapping the last. With a pallet knife spread the mushroom mixture evenly over the ham.
5. Place the beef fillet in the middle and keeping a tight hold of the cling film from the outside edge, neatly roll the parma ham and mushrooms over the beef into a tight barrel shape. Twist the ends to secure the clingfilm. Refrigerate for 10 -15 minutes, this allows the Wellington to set and helps keep the shape.
6. Roll out the pastry quite thinly to a size which will cover your beef. Unwrap the meat from the cling film.
7. Egg wash the edge of the pastry and place the beef in the middle. Roll up the pastry, cut any excess off the ends and fold neatly to the ‘underside’. Turnover and egg wash over the top.
8. Chill again to let the pastry cool, approximately 5 minutes. Egg wash again before baking at 200c for 35 - 40 minutes. Rest 8 -10 minutes before slicing.

Serves 2.

Serve with a side of mashed potatoes and a glass of aged Brunello di Montalcino.


Gordon Ramsay - Beef Wellington - The funniest bloopers are right here

Marcus Wareing Cooks a Custard Tart

Custard Tart With Garibaldi Biscuits by Marcus Wareing


Ingredients

*

garibaldi biscuits

* 3 5/8 ounces butter, melted in a saucepan
* 3 5/8 ounces icing sugar, sifted
* 3 5/8 ounces plain flour, plus extra for dusting
* 3 5/8 ounces egg whites
* 7 1/16 ounces currants
* pastry dough
* 8 ounces flour, plus extra for dusting
* 1/16 teaspoon salt
* 1 lemon, zest of, only
* 5 1/3 ounces butter
* 2 2/3 ounces caster sugar
* 1 free-range egg yolk
* 1 free-range egg

custard filling

* 9 free-range egg yolks
* 2 2/3 ounces caster sugar
* 2 1/8 cups whipping cream
* freshly grated nutmeg

Directions

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.


First, make the biscuits. Mix together the butter, icing sugar and flour until smooth. Slowly add the egg whites, stirring, until they are completely incorporated, then fold in the currants. Bring together into a ball, wrap in cling film and chill for at least one hour.


Roll the dough on a lightly floured surface out to 5mm/½in thick. Cut into 12 rectangles - you may have some dough left over. Place on a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper, ensuring the biscuits are not touching each other. Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Bake the biscuits for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. Remove and cool on a wire rack. Keep in an airtight tin.


For the pastry, rub together the flour, salt, lemon zest and butter until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add the sugar, then beat together the egg yolk and whole egg and slowly add these, mixing until the pastry forms a ball. Wrap tightly in cling film and refrigerate for two hours.


Turn the oven down to 170C/325F/Gas 3.


Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface to 2mm/one eighth-in thickness. Use to line an 18cm/7in flan ring placed on a baking sheet. Line with greaseproof paper and fill with baking beans, then bake blind for about 10 minutes or until the pastry is starting to turn golden brown. Remove the paper and beans, and allow to cool.


Turn the oven down to 130C/250F/Gas1.


For the filling, whisk together the yolks and sugar. Add the cream and mix well. Pass the mixture through a fine sieve into a saucepan and heat to blood temperature.


Fill the pastry case with the custard, until 5mm/¼in from the top. Carefully place in the middle of the oven and bake for 30-40 minutes or until the custard appears set but not too firm. Remove from the oven and cover the surface liberally with grated nutmeg. Allow to cool to room temperature.


Before serving, warm the biscuits through in the oven for 5 minutes. Cut the tart with a sharp knife and serve with the biscuits.




Marcus Wareing - Funny video clips are a click away

Gordon Ramsay "dispute" sparks foodie bun-fight

Above: British celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay stands in the kitchen of his new restaurant "Gordon Ramsay at the London" at the London NYC Hotel in New York, November 16, 2006.

REUTERS/Mike Segar
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It's knives and forks drawn in the well-fed world of restaurant reviewers.

Two top-selling restaurant guides -- New York-based foodie's bible Zagat's, and Harden's, a Zagat-inspired tome that's a force in Britain -- are locked in an unseemly spat over their latest London rankings.

And at the heart of the gastronomic stand-off is Gordon Ramsay, the expletive-spewing, global celebrity-cum-chef who is never far from controversy.

Put simply, Zagat's thinks Ramsay is the top dog on the London fine-dining scene, while Harden's believes the best days of the motor-mouth chef may be over.

Marcus Wareing

In its 2009 guide, Harden's gives top-billing to Petrus, a restaurant whose head chef, Marcus Wareing, is a Gordon Ramsay protege. Ramsay's flagship restaurant, Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, is pushed into second place.

"Wareing is emerging from Ramsay's ‘shadow' as the proprietor of what is now clearly the best restaurant in London, and he and his team should be congratulated," declared Peter Harden, the co-editor of Harden's, before adding:

"The Ramsay empire's current performance -- and in particular the poor standard of most of the more recent openings -- raises questions as to its direction, and its ability to maintain its reputation as an operator of the highest quality."

It was a stinging rebuke for Ramsay, who had been at the top of the rankings for eight years.

But as far as Harden's -- motto "To tell it how it is" -- is concerned, it was only a matter of time as Ramsay lent his name to ever more establishments and the quality of some declines.

"Ramsay's not superhuman despite the media myth," Richard Harden, Peter's brother, told Reuters. "Something had to give."

But Zagat's is not so sure and its founder, Tim Zagat, has been outspoken in his disagreement with Harden's decision. At the launch of the 2009 Zagat London guide this week he told the Evening Standard newspaper:

"Harden's are full of s--- and you can quote me on that.

"They attack people every year just to get more publicity. Gordon Ramsay is an easy target for them because of his profile," the paper quoted Zagat as saying.

Harden's responded by issuing a press release that began: "Oh dear, bad language seems to be infectious", an apparent reference to Ramsay's fluency in swearing.

"We're not going to get into a slanging match with a competing publisher," Harden's wrote, before going on to point out how the competing guides were generally in agreement on some of Ramsay's lower-budget eateries if not the flagship one.

Zagat and his wife Tina, who began their guides in New York 30 years ago and have built them into a multi-million dollar global brand, were not immediately available for comment.

Given how competitive the restaurant business in London is, especially at a time when the wealthy are cutting back, the dispute is unlikely to die down quickly.

But for once, and perhaps surprisingly, the only person who hasn't yet stepped into the fray is the man at the heart of the bun-fight: the usually loquacious Ramsay.

Source: Reuters

Go Michael Go

The Michael Palin for President campaign is off to a
roaring start.

The campaign video, launched the same night the OTHER
Palin delivered her "you haven't actually nominated me
yet but I'll accept your nomination anyway" speech, has
now been seen by MORE THAN 200,000 PEOPLE.

According to ViralVideoChart and several other sources,
it is one of the most-viewed videos in the world over
the last week.

The Palin for President video has also been featured in
blogs on the Los Angeles Times website and the Obama-Biden
website, along with hundreds of others all over the web.
(They even got a call from CNN!)

Best of all, the official Monty Python site, Pythonline.com,
is currently featuring the video as one of its lead stories.

Here it is:




Finally, a Palin we can stand behind (and not just to look at his lovely bum).
Of course the opposition has been heard from as well, offering
such insightful and considered political discourse as "If you
have a child, I hope he dies in a car fire!" and "F--k your video
and f--k you!"

Apparently they've hit a nerve.

Here's how you can help

1. ENGAGE IN SOCIAL DEBATE by rubbing Fuzzy Things on Republicans.

2. ENGAGE IN CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE by doing Silly Walks in government
buildings.

And just who should his running mate be? John Cleese? Brian Cohen? The Dead Parrot???

"Welease Bwian"

LOL'ing till I can't LOL no more :)

Source: http://www.michaelpalinforpresident.com/

Super Simple Salmon Supper

-------------------------------------------------------


Maple Grilled Salmon

Ingredients

1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
3 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
4 (6-ounce) salmon fillets, skinned
Cooking spray
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

1. Combine first 3 ingredients in a large zip-top plastic bag; add fish. Seal and marinate in refrigerator 3 hours.

2. Preheat grill or grill pan to medium-high heat.

3. Remove fish from bag, reserving the marinade. Pour marinade into a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Cook until reduced to 2 tablespoons (about 5 minutes).

4. Place fish on grill rack or pan coated with cooking spray; grill 4 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork or until desired degree of doneness, basting occasionally with marinade. Remove fish from grill; sprinkle with salt and pepper.



Lemon Rice

Ingredients

1 garlic clove
2 cups chicken broth
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup basmati rice
1 tablespoon grated lemon rind

Preparation

1. Slightly smash garlic clove using flat side of a knife. Stir together garlic, broth, butter, and salt in a large saucepan; bring to a boil over high heat. Stir in rice; reduce heat to low, and cook, covered, 20 minutes or until broth mixture is absorbed and rice is tender.

2. Remove and discard garlic; stir in lemon rind using a fork.

Lemon-Dill Rice: Proceed with recipe as directed, stirring 1 tsp. dried dill into cooked rice with lemon rind.



Garlic Sauteed Spinach

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds baby spinach leaves
2 tablespoons good olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped garlic (6 cloves)
2 teaspoons kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon butter
Lemon

Preparation

Rinse the spinach well in cold water to make sure it's very clean. Spin it dry in a salad spinner, leaving just a little water clinging to the leaves.

In a very large pot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil and saute the garlic over medium heat for about 1 minute, but not until it's browned. Add all the spinach, the salt, and pepper to the pot, toss it with the garlic and oil, cover the pot, and cook it for 2 minutes. Uncover the pot, turn the heat on high, and cook the spinach for another minute, stirring with a wooden spoon, until all the spinach is wilted.

Using a slotted spoon, lift the spinach to a serving bowl and top with the butter, a squeeze of lemon, and a sprinkling of sea or kosher salt. Serve hot.


Chunky Chocolate Brownies

Ingredients

2 tablespoons water
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup butter
1 (11.5-ounce) package semisweet chocolate chunks, divided
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts or pecans, toasted
Powdered sugar

Preparation

Combine first 3 ingredients in a 3 1/2-quart saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, and stir in 1 cup chocolate chunks until smooth. Let cool 5 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, stirring just until blended. Stir in vanilla.

Combine flour and salt; stir in remaining chocolate chunks and hazelnuts. Stir flour mixture into chocolate mixture in saucepan. Spread into a lightly greased 9-inch square pan.

Bake at 325° for 23 to 28 minutes. Cool in pan on a wire rack. Dust with powdered sugar. Cut into squares.

To freeze up to 3 months: Wrap baked brownies in aluminum foil, and place in a large zip-top plastic freezer bag. To thaw, remove brownies from plastic bag, and let stand at room temperature for 3 hours; unwrap and serve.

Source: Cooking Light

Vietnamese Chicken Meatballs

------------------------------------------
Vietnamese Chicken Meatballs



Ingredients:

1 pound Chicken breast (skinless/boneless)
3 cloves garlic minced.
3 shallots, chopped.
Handful of mint and coriander (more of the coriander)
3 Tablespoon Fish Sauce
1 stalk of fresh lemon grass, tender white inner bulb only, minced.
1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper.
1/2 cup sugar

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees, line baking sheet with parchment paper. In a food processor pulse the chicken until coarsely chopped, transfer to a bowl. Mix the rest of the ingredients EXEPT the sugar and combine with chicken using your lovely hands.

2) Spread sugar on a plate. Roll the chicken mixture into 1 1/2 inch balls with slightly moistened hands. Arrange on baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes until browned and cooked through.

3) Serve on bed of lettuce with sliced red onion and cucumber. Serve with Asian chili sauce.




Source
http://baking-haven.blogspot.com/2008/09/vietnamese-chicken-meatballs.html

Streaky bacons loses to sorbet at UK food awards

Above: Blackcurrant and kirsch sorbet, made by Beckleberry's Artisan Foods, in an undated photo courtesy of the organizers of 15th annual Great Taste Awards.

REUTERS/Guild of Fine Food/Handout
---------------------------------------------------------------
Free range streaky bacon, a pork, prune and Calvados pie, an Irish whisky truffle, and a Gouda-style cheese from Ireland were among the top prize winners at the 15th annual Great Taste Awards held in London this week.

But this year's Supreme Champion Award went to a blackcurrant and kirsch sorbet, made by Beckleberry's Artisan Foods, from the northeastern English area of Tyne and Wear.

Selected from nearly 4,800 entries from across Britain, by 160 food experts, over 24 days the sorbet was described by panel member Alex James, ex-member of British rock band Blur, as "a strange kind of alchemy."

"The balance between the blackcurrant and the kirsch is some weird magic," said James, who has traded the stage for farming.

Bob Farrand of the Guild of Fine Foods, who run the awards, acknowledged the other finalists, including brownies from Lancashire-based bakers More? and Otter Head Beer from the independent Otter Brewery in southwest England, but had highest praise for the sorbet.

"The only way I can define what makes a Supreme Champion is that feeling when you eat or drink something and you spontaneously want to turn to the person next to you and say "crikey! You've got to try that," Farrand said.

He said the sorbet was a testimony to small-scale artisan cooking by Beckleberry's father and son partnership that have been producing them for upscale restaurants in northern England.

"They're so good some chefs have been known to pass them off as their own," Farrand said.

Beckleberry's can now expect a run on their iced-dessert, if the experiences of last year's winner, Walter Smith's Pork Pie are anything to go by.

"What winning did for that business last year is unbelievable," continues Mr Farrand. "That pork pie went from 0.5 percent of their turnover to well over 10 per cent."

All of the prize-winners are currently available in Fortnum and Mason stores, who sponsor the awards, across the country as part of a nine-day promotion of locally made food.

It has been a record year for the Great Taste Awards with 2021 small food producers entering just under 4,800 foods for judging. In total there were over 1,150 gold awards of which 847 achieved 1 star, 220 were awarded 2 star and 72 received the coveted 3 stars.

Source: Reuters

Is it fierce? Or prune? Fashionistas find buzzwords

Models present creations from the Anna Sui Spring 2009 collection at New York Fashion Week September 10, 2008.

REUTERS/Joshua Lott
----------------------------------------------------------------
It's not trendy, it's "on trend," and if clothes are really good, they're "fierce" or "dope." Don't like the lingo of fashion? Whatever.

Industry observers say the language of fashion is changing thanks to fashion blogs and reality television, where shows like "Project Runway" have popularized fashion terms. Now, competition is high to attain originality and avoid cliches.

On the sidelines of New York's fashion shows this week, fashionistas gushed their favorite jargon to capture their approval or distaste for the latest looks.

While time-honored classics like "fabulous" and the perennial "chic" are still in abundance, bloggers, young designers and reality TV personalities have been adding their own lingo to the mix.

"'Cool' to me is dated, whereas 'chic' is not," said Tim Gunn, "Project Runway's" fashion consultant, whose phrases -- including "make it work" -- have helped hone his fashion credentials.

"'Sophisticated' is a word that will always be with us," he predicted. "'Polished' is a word that will always be with us."

Gunn said "on trend" was more in vogue now than "trendy" and that he dislikes "modern" to describe a new look. He said the TV show helped make the fashion vernacular accessible to a larger audience who now have "a vocabulary to talk about fashion."

But some slang adjectives were likely flash-in-the-pans, he said, such as 'fierce' -- popularized by a previous winner of the show, Christian Siriano, after being used by former model and television host Tyra Banks.

"When it comes to the more popular culture aspects of it, people saying 'fierce' and whatever, I figure that comes and goes," he said.

AVOIDING CLICHE

At fashion week, popular words included well-worn favorites such as "hot," "lovely," and "amazing."

Designer Ashleigh Verrier said her favorite fashion word was "diaphanous" -- an adjective characterizing fineness of texture. "As in, 'That dress is so diaphanous!'" she said.

"I like 'Glamit'," said fashion designer Marc Bouwer, who uses the term for a fashion line. "It is so gorgeous and glamorous. You don't want to use cliched words."

Designer Thuy Diep said "prune" was popular within her fashion crew to express disapproval.

"We say 'What a prune' when we see a garment that is sewn poorly and looks like a shriveled-up prune because the fabric's all wrinkly and ripply," she said.

Fashion stylist Kelli Browne said her pet phrase was 'dope,' describing any style as excellent. "It is used as in, 'That outfit is 'dope!'" she said.

Browne said she looked to more marginal communities, younger generations and urban streetwear labels to hear the latest in fashion rhetoric.

"It is funny when you see people in the fashion world aged in their forties and fifties using these juvenile words," she said.

Kathryn Finney, author of the fashion blog "The Budget Fashionista," said her staff had grown as the influence of the more traditional commentators in the industry had changed.

"Fashion is undergoing major changes right now, in terms of who the gatekeepers are," she said. "The new 'new media' is having an impact. Granted, (Vogue editor) Anna Wintour is still Anna Wintour, but she's not the be all and end all any more."

Most agreed "chic" was likely to continue its popularity as the famous labels it is closely associated with, such as Chanel and Yves Saint Laurent, continue to impress.

And while some fashionable buzzwords might come and go, their function remains the same.

"They make people feel like they are an insider in an industry that they may not know very much about," said Gunn.

Source: Reuters

Congo's rare okapi photographed first time in wild

Above: A nightshot showing the first image of a rare okapi to be photographed in the wild in Congo's Virunga Forest taken August 6, 2008, as released by the Zoological Society of London to Reuters on September 11, 2008.

--------------------------------------------------------------
Congo's endangered okapi, so shy it has not been seen in its natural habitat for 50 years by conservationists, has been photographed in the wild for the first time, the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) said on Thursday.

The okapi, which has stripes like a zebra and a black tongue like a giraffe, lives exclusively in the eastern forests of Democratic Republic of Congo, an area gripped by a decade-old armed conflict and plagued by rampant poaching.


A two-week old Okapi stands beside its mother at an enclosure in Berlin zoo October 5, 2007.

REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann

The first image of a rare okapi to be photographed in the wild in Congo's Virunga Forest August 10, 2008, as released by the Zoological Society of London to Reuters on September 11, 2008.


"To have captured the first ever photographs (in the wild) of such a charismatic creature is amazing, and particularly special for ZSL given that the species was originally described here over a century ago," Dr. Noelle Kumpel, ZSL's Bushmeat and Forests Conservation Program Manager, said in a statement.

Two years ago, rangers in Congo's Virunga National Park began discovering tracks and droppings believed to be those of the okapi. The exact population status of the elusive species is unknown, largely because access to its natural habitat is limited by poor infrastructure and the presence of armed groups.

"They were discovered in 1908, but there was no evidence of them after 1958," Emmanuel de Merode, head of the Virunga Park where the photos were taken, told Reuters.

"For us it's quite a big deal," he added.

The photos were taken by remote camera traps set by ZSL and Congo's Institute for Nature Conservation as part of a new study of the okapi, Thierry Lusenge, a member of the survey team said.

"We have already identified three individuals, and further survey work will enable us to estimate population numbers and distribution in and around the Park, which is a critical first step in targeting conservation efforts," he said.

The Virunga National Park, Africa's oldest nature reserve and one of only three protected areas believed to be inhabited by okapis, is also home to endangered mountain gorillas and rare savannah elephants.

But a destructive 1998-2003 war in Congo, heavy poaching, corruption and mismanagement of the reserve have taken a heavy toll on the park's wildlife. Campaigners also fear a local market exists for okapi meat.

Two weeks ago, heavy fighting broke out in the Virunga Park between rebels and the Congolese army, forcing park rangers and their families to flee.

Source: Reuters

Russia's Putin says no basis for new Cold War

Above: Russia's Prime Minister Vladimir Putin speaks during an interview with CNN in the Black Sea resort Sochi, August 28, 2008.

-----------------------------------------------------------------
Prime Minister Vladimir Putin warned the West on Thursday against starting an arms race in Europe by stationing a U.S. missile defence shield near Russia's borders and said there was no basis for a new Cold War.

Putin, who has adopted a robust stance on Russia's intervention in Georgia over the breakaway region of South Ossetia, blamed Washington rather than Moscow for resurrecting Soviet-style rhetoric.

"Today there are no ideological contradictions, there is no basis for a Cold War," Putin told a group of reporters.

"There is no basis for mutual animosity ... Russia has no imperialist ambitions," Putin said at a three-hour lunch briefing at his retreat in the Black Sea resort of Sochi.

Russia was criticized by the United States and European governments for sending troops into Georgia last month and then recognizing the two breakaway regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia as independent states.

Some Western leaders accused Moscow of using Soviet-style tactics in dealing with its neighbor over South Ossetia. U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney charged Moscow with using intimidation and "brute force".

"There is no more Soviet threat but they are trying to resurrect it," Putin said.

He questioned criticism of Russia for crushing Georgia's bid to retake South Ossetia by force, which prompted concern over energy security in the region and rattled Russian markets with shares losing more than 40 percent of their value since May.

"What did you expect us to do? Respond with a catapult? ... We punched the aggressor in the face," he said, adding that falls in the stock market were due to the global credit crisis not to Russia's intervention in Georgia.

After accusing the United States of acting like "a Roman emperor", Putin warned Poland and the Czech Republic against hosting the U.S. missile shield.

Washington says the shield is aimed against what it calls "rogue states", like Iran, but Moscow fears it will pose a direct threat to Russia's security.

"Our targeting of these countries will happen as soon as these missiles are brought," Putin said.

"Please do not instigate an arms race in Europe. It is not needed. What should we do? Sit pretty while they deploy missiles?"

He also said if Ukraine, a neighboring former Soviet republic, joined NATO, it "would be very detrimental".

Asked about any possible talk of sanctions against Russia, Putin asked: "Is this a free market? Is it normal to talk to others to persuade them to stop trading with us?"

Source: Reuters

Lipstick comments color presidential campaign

A spat over gender politics erupted on the U.S. presidential campaign on Wednesday with John McCain accusing the Democrat of a sexist attack on his running mate and Barack Obama denouncing Republicans for "lies and phony outrage."

With the race tightening in a struggle for women voters, McCain put out a Web advertisement saying Obama was talking about Sarah Palin on Tuesday when he likened Republican plans for government reform to putting "lipstick on a pig."

Palin, a little-known Alaska governor before she became McCain's running mate, had told the Republican nominating convention this month that she was a "hockey mom" and joked that the only difference between a hockey mom and a pit bull was lipstick.

McCain's advertisement juxtaposes the lipstick remarks by Obama and Palin, then cuts to footage of CBS News anchor Katie Couric observing that one lesson of the campaign was the "continued and accepted role of sexism in American life."

"Ready to lead? No," McCain's ad says in letters across the TV screen. "Ready to smear? Yes."

Obama tackled the controversy head-on during an appearance in Norfolk.

"What their campaign has done this morning is the same game that has made people sick and tired of politics in this country," he said. "They seize on an innocent remark, try to take it out of context, throw up an outrageous ad because they know that it's catnip for the news media."

"I don't care what they say about me but I love this country too much to let them take over another election with lies and phony outrage and Swift-boat politics. Enough is enough," Obama added. He was referring to attack ads that helped sink the 2004 presidential campaign of Democrat John Kerry, a former Swift-boat captain in the Vietnam War.

Obama campaign spokeswoman Linda Douglass said it was clear from the context of his remarks on Tuesday that the Democratic presidential candidate was not referring to Palin in his comments and was not calling her a pig.

McCain is "running a relentlessly dishonest, disruptive and cynical campaign in hopes of distracting voters" from the issues, she said.

MCCAIN AD PULLED

CBS News said the video-sharing website YouTube.com had agreed at CBS' request to pull the ad on grounds that the Couric clip -- taken without permission from a 3-month-old online commentary about Democrat Hillary Clinton's primary campaign -- was a copyright infringement.

A McCain spokesman disputed the copyright violation claim and said the ad would remain on the campaign's website.

Opinion polls since the Republican and Democratic conventions show McCain closing the gap and drawing even with Obama ahead of the November 4 election.

A Washington Post/ABC News survey found most of McCain's surge was due to a big shift in support among white women voters.

McCain's campaign has drawn bigger crowds since Palin joined his ticket 12 days ago. Some 23,000 attended a McCain-Palin rally in Fairfax, Virginia, on Wednesday.

Undeterred by accusations of sexism, Obama's campaign launched an "Alaska Mythbusters" effort to discredit some of the statements the McCain-Palin ticket is making about her reformist credentials.

Alaska Democrats, including former Gov. Tony Knowles and Ketchikan Mayor Bob Weinstein, raised doubts about her having opposed a controversial bridge project and questions about her firing of a state police official.

Obama, a senator from Illinois, made his "lipstick on a pig" remark during a speech in Lebanon, Virginia, on Tuesday while ridiculing McCain's assertion since the Republican nominating convention that McCain and Palin would be "agents of change" in Washington.

"You can put lipstick on a pig. It's still a pig," Obama said as the crowd cheered. "You can wrap an old fish in a piece of paper called change. It's still going to stink."

McCain himself had used the "lipstick on a pig" line in referring to Clinton's health care plan.

The line has been used by politicians from both parties. Torie Clarke, a longtime McCain adviser and former Pentagon press secretary, wrote a book entitled, "Lipstick on a Pig: Winning in the No-Spin Era by Someone Who Knows the Game."




Source: Reuters

Buddhist Thought for the Day

Water--the ace of elements.

Water dives from the clouds without parachute, wings or safety net. Water runs over the steepest precipice and blinks not a lash. Water is buried and rises again; water walks on fire and fire gets the blisters. Stylishly composed in any situation--soild, gas or liquid--speaking in penetrating dilects understood by all things--animal, vegetable or mineral-- water travels intrepidly through four dimensions, sustaining... destroying... creating...

--Tom Robbins, from the preface to Even Cowgirls Get the Blues

Let's Talk Coconut

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Pina Colada

A Piña Colada can be made a bit more pungent by using a mix of light and dark rum. For a slightly pulpier drink, substitute 2 ounces crushed pineapple for 2 ounces pineapple juice. Do not mistake coconut milk for cream of coconut.

INGREDIENTS

2 ounces light rum
2 ounces cream of coconut
1 ounce heavy cream
4 ounces unsweetened pineapple juice
Slice of pineapple and a maraschino cherry

INSTRUCTIONS

Place the rum, cream of coconut, heavy cream, and pineapple juice in a blender, and blend for a few seconds. Add 1/2 cup crushed ice, and blend for another 15 seconds, or until smooth. Pour into an exotic glass of your choice. Garnish with a pineapple slice and a maraschino cherry.

Variations

Chi Chi: Substitute vodka for the rum.
Banana Colada: Peel, slice, and freeze 3 bananas; then add them to the blender in place of the ice.

Coconut Almond Granola

Ingredients

2 cups rolled oats (I used thick cut, but old fashioned rolled oats are fine)
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp canola oil
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
Preheat oven to 300*. Heat honey until thin. Add other coatings. Mix well. Add coconut, almonds and oats and stir to coat well. Spread onto a well greased with cooking spray non-stick cookie sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Stir mixture. Bake for another 5 minutes. Stir again. Bake 2-7 minutes more, until mixture is golden brown.

Makes about 4.5 cups. Each 1/4 cup is about 100 calories.

Coconut Shrimp Soup

Ingredients

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
1 pound carrots, peeled, halved lengthwise, and thinly sliced
1 (13.5 ounce) can coconut milk
1 tablespoon cornstarch
4 ounces angel hair pasta
1 1/2 pounds large shrimp, peeled, deveined, and tails removed
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
Coarse salt
4 scallions, thinly sliced

Instructions

Heat oil in a large (3-quart) saucepan over medium-low heat. Add ginger, garlic, and pepper flakes; cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add carrots, coconut milk, and 3 cups water. In a small bowl, mix cornstarch and 2 tablespoons water until smooth; add to pot. Bring to a boil.
Break pasta in half; add to pot. Return to a boil, reduce heat to medium, and simmer until pasta is al dente and carrots are just tender, 3 to 4 minutes.
Add shrimp; stir until opaque, about 1 minute. Remove pot from heat, and stir in lime juice; season with salt. Ladle into serving bowls, and garnish with scallions.

Yield: 4 servings

Oven-Fried Coconut Chicken (makes 8 drumsticks)

1 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 tbsp hot pepper sauce (I used Tabasco)
1 14-oz. can coconut milk
8 chicken drumsticks (you can also use wings, breasts, heads, whatever)
3/4 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
3/4 cup sweetened coconut flakes
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
Cooking spray

1. Open the can of coconut milk and mix in lime juice and hot pepper sauce. Pour into a large ziptop plastic bag (or 2 small bags). Add chicken and seal. Marinate in the fridge for half an hour to an hour, depending on how desperately hungry you are.

2. Go do something else. Like dishes.

3. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

4. Combine panko, coconut flakes, salt, and black pepper in a shallow dish. Mix with your hands. Remove chicken from marinade and dredge in the mixture, 1 piece at a time.

5. Place chicken on a baking sheet lined with parchment. If you don't have parchment, use aluminum foil but add a light coat of cooking spray. Lightly coat chicken with cooking spray also.

6. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Carefully turn chicken over with tongs and bake for another 30 minutes or until done.

Coconut Shrimp

Ingredients

Canola or safflower oil, for frying
1/2 cup plain bread crumbs
1/2 teaspoon salt, eyeball it in palm of hand
2 pinches ground cayenne pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons Chinese five-spice powder, available on spice aisle
1 lime
1 cup shredded coconut
2 egg whites
1 pound large fantail shrimp, deveined and peeled -- ask for easy peels at fish counter

Heat 2 inches oil over medium high heat. A cube of bread should brown in a 10 count when oil is ready.
Season bread crumbs with salt, cayenne pepper and five-spice powder. Cut the lime into wedges and reserve.

Toss coconut with seasoned bread crumbs to combine. Lightly beat the egg whites. Dip shrimp in the egg whites, then coat with the coconut breading. Fry shrimp 5 minutes in hot oil until evenly golden and crispy. Garnish with lime wedges and serve.

Indonesian Coconut Rice

INGREDIENTS:


2 tablespoons organic canola oil
1 yellow onion, minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
4 scallions minced
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon dry mustard
½ teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
¼ teaspoon ground cloves or allspice
2 teaspoons sugar, or to taste
4 cups cooked brown rice
1 cup shredded coconut
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS:

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the onion and garlic, and cook until onion is softened, about 5 minutes. Add the scallions, ginger, turmeric, cinnamon, mustard, red pepper flakes, cloves, and sugar, and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Add the rice and stir to mix evenly. Gently stir in the coconut. Season to taste with salt and pepper and heat until hot. Cover, and set aside for 5 minutes before serving.

Note: For the presentation shown in the photo, pack a portion of the hot rice mixture into a small bowl, place a dinner plate on top (face down) then flip over to unmold the rice in the center of the plate. It is now ready to be sprinkled with toasted coconut and peanuts and surrounded by stir-fried vegetables, tempeh, or other accompaniments.

Yield: Serves 4

Paula Deen's Jamie's Coconut Cake

Cake:

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
2 cup sugar
3 cup sifted self-rising flour
4 eggs
1 cup coconut milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Filling:

3/4 cup sugar
1 cup sour cream
4 tablespoons milk
1/2 cup flaked, sweetened coconut

Frosting:

1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar or 1 tablespoon white corn syrup
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup water
2 egg whites
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 to 3 cups coconut, flaked and sweetened

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour three 9-inch cake pans. Using an electric mixer, cream butter until fluffy. Add sugar and continue to cream well for 6 to 8 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add flour and milk alternately to creamed mixture, beginning and ending with flour. Add vanilla and continue to beat until just mixed. Divide batter equally among prepared pans. Level batter in each pan by holding pan 3 or 4 inches above counter, then dropping it flat onto counter. Do this several times to release air bubbles and assure you of a more level cake. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until done. Cool in pans for 5 to 10 minutes. Invert cakes onto cooling racks. Cool completely and spread cake layers with your favorite frosting to make a 3-layer cake.

While cake is baking, prepare filling. Stir together sugar, sour cream, milk and coconut in a bowl until well blended. Remove cake layers from oven and allow cake to remain in pan as you prepare to stack and fill. Remove first layer and invert onto cake plate. Using the wrong end of a wooden spoon, poke holes approximately 1 inch apart until entire cake has been poked. Spread one third of filling mixture on cake layer. Top with second layer, repeat process. Top with last layer and repeat process again. (As I stack layers together, I stick them with toothpicks to prevent cake from shifting.) You can place the cake in the refrigerator for 3 days to allow it to absorb the filling mixture.

Place sugar, cream of tartar or corn syrup, salt, water, and egg whites in the top of a double boiler. Beat with a handheld electric mixer for 1 minute. Place pan over boiling water, being sure that boiling water does not touch the bottom of the top pan. Beat constantly on high speed with electric mixer for 7 minutes. Beat in vanilla. Frost the top and sides of the cake. Sprinkle top and sides of cake with coconut.



Coconut Macaroons

14 ounces sweetened shredded coconut
14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 extra-large egg whites at room temperature
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
Combine the coconut, condensed milk, and vanilla in a large bowl. Whip the egg whites and salt on high speed in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment until they make medium-firm peaks. Carefully fold the egg whites into the coconut mixture.

Drop the batter onto sheet pans lined with parchment paper using either a 1 3/4-inch diameter ice cream scoop, or 2 teaspoons. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden brown. Cool and serve.

Source: Cooking Light
Gourmet Magazine
marthastewart.com
chow.com
foodnetwork.com
pauladeen.com
vegan.com

Scrumptious Desserts

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Caramel Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients

3 1/2 cups sifted cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
1 3/4 cups light brown sugar, divided
1 1/4 cups butter, softened and divided
6 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup milk
1/2 cup evaporated milk
Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting
Garnish: Pecan Praline


Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Grease 2 (9-inch) round cake pans; line with lightly greased parchment or wax paper.
2. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl; set aside. Place 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar, 1/4 cup light brown sugar, and 1 cup butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed 5 minutes or until well blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in vanilla. Add flour mixture and 1 cup milk alternately to butter mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture and beating at low speed after each addition. Pour into prepared pans; sharply tap pans once on counter to remove air bubbles. Bake at 350° for 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire rack 10 minutes; remove from pans, and cool completely on wire rack. Place 1 layer on a cake plate.

3. Combine 1 1/2 cups brown sugar, evaporated milk, and 1/4 cup butter in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Cook (without stirring) until a candy thermometer registers 238°. Transfer to a heat-resistant bowl, and beat 3 minutes or until thickened and easy to spread. Quickly spread filling over cake layer on plate. Cover loosely with plastic wrap; chill 15 minutes or until set.

4. Spread a thin layer of Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting over filling. Top with second layer. Frost cake. Chill 20 minutes or until frosting sets, then cover and chill 4 hours or overnight. Let stand 10 minutes at room temperature before serving. Garnish, if desired.

Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients

1/4 cup light brown sugar
10 tablespoon butter, divided
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Dash of salt
1 3/4 cups powdered sugar

Preparation

1. Melt brown sugar and 4 tablespoons butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir until sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil over medium heat; remove from heat. Whisk in cream; blend well. Transfer to a heat-resistant bowl. Cool at room temperature, stirring occasionally.
2. Place remaining 6 tablespoons butter and cream cheese in a large bowl; beat with a mixer on medium-high speed until smooth. Beat in vanilla and salt. With mixer running, slowly pour in cooled brown sugar mixture; beat until smooth. Add powdered sugar gradually, beating well after each addition until completely smooth. Chill slightly for a firmer texture, stirring occasionally.

Pecan Pralines

Ingredients

1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup pecans, chopped

Preparation

Combine sugar and 1/4 cup water in a small skillet over medium-high heat; cook (without stirring) until golden. Stir in pecans; remove from heat. Rapidly spread mixture onto greased foil. Cool completely. Break into small pieces; store in an airtight container up to 1 week.

Angel Food Cake Stuffed with Whipped Cream and Berries

Ingredients

Berries:
2 cups fresh raspberries
1 1/2 cups fresh blackberries
1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice

Cake:
1 cup cake flour (about 4 ounces)
1 cup powdered sugar, divided
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
3/4 cup granulated sugar
12 large egg whites
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice

Whipped cream:
3/4 cup whipping cream, chilled
1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
3/4 cup powdered sugar

Remaining ingredients:
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
Grated orange rind (optional)


Preparation

To prepare berries, combine first 5 ingredients; toss to combine. Cover and chill 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 375°.

To prepare cake, place a rack in the lower third of oven. Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Sift together flour, 1/2 cup powdered sugar, and ginger in a medium bowl. Sift together remaining 1/2 cup powdered sugar and 3/4 cup granulated sugar in another bowl. Place egg whites in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed until foamy. Add cream of tartar and salt; beat until soft peaks form. Add powdered and granulated sugar mixture, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until stiff peaks form. Sift flour mixture over egg white mixture, 1/4 cup at a time; fold in. Fold in 2 tablespoons juice.

Spoon batter into an ungreased 10-inch tube pan, spreading evenly. Break air pockets by cutting through batter with a knife. Bake at 375° for 30 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Invert pan; cool completely. Loosen cake from sides of pan using a narrow metal spatula. Invert the cake onto a plate.

Cut 1 inch off top of cake using a serrated knife; set top of cake aside. Hollow out bottom of cake using a small knife, leaving a 1-inch-thick shell; reserve torn cake for another use.

To prepare whipped cream, place cream in a medium bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed until soft peaks form. Scrape seeds from vanilla bean into bowl; discard pod. Gradually add 3/4 cup powdered sugar, beating at high speed until stiff peaks form.

Spoon all but 1 cup of berry mixture into cake shell; top with whipped cream. Replace top of cake; sprinkle with 2 tablespoons powdered sugar. Serve immediately with additional berry mixture; garnish with orange rind, if desired.

Whipped Cream Basics: For perfect whipped cream, use a bowl that's large enough to allow the cream to double in volume. Refrigerate the bowl and beaters for at least half an hour, or place them in the freezer for 15 minutes, and make sure the cream is very cold. Use the freshest whipping cream available, and add sugar, vanilla, or any other ingredients near the end of whipping; adding them too soon in the process will decrease the amount of volume you achieve.


Chocolate Espresso Torte with Raspberry Sauce

Ingredients

About 1 1/2 cups (3/4 lb.) butter or margarine, cut into chunks
3/4 pound bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup espresso
About 1 cup sugar
6 large eggs
5 cups raspberries, rinsed
1 cup marionberries or blackberries
Fresh mint sprigs, rinsed


Preparation

1. Butter and flour an 8-inch cheesecake pan.
2. In a 3- to 4-quart pan over low heat, frequently stir chocolate, 1 1/2 cups butter, espresso, and 3/4 cup sugar just until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth, 12 to 15 minutes.

3. In a bowl, beat eggs to blend. Whisk in chocolate mixture until well blended. Pour into cheesecake pan.

4. Bake torte in a 350° regular or convection oven until center barely jiggles when pan is gently shaken, about 40 minutes. Let cool on a rack for 30 minutes (center of torte will sink), then chill until cold, at least 1 1/2 hours.

5. Meanwhile, in a food processor or blender, whirl 1 quart raspberries until smooth. Rub purée through a fine strainer into a bowl; discard seeds. Stir 1/4 cup sugar into raspberry puree; taste, and add more sugar if desired.

6. Spoon raspberry sauce equally onto plates. Run a knife between torte and pan rim; remove rim. Cut torte into wedges. Arrange a wedge on sauce on each plate. Scatter remaining 1 cup raspberries and marionberries over desserts, and garnish with mint sprigs. Serve with scoops of lemon sherbet.

Note: If you don't have an espresso machine, buy prepared espresso from a coffee shop or use strong brewed coffee: Pour 3/4 cup hot (about 195°) water through 1/3 cup ground coffee in a filter cone. If making torte and sauce up to 1 day ahead, chill separately airtight.

Vanilla Caramel Flan

Ingredients

1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon water
Cooking spray
1/2 cup sugar
2 large eggs
2 large egg whites
1 1/2 cups 2% low-fat milk
1 cup evaporated skim milk
1 (6-inch) vanilla bean, split lengthwise or 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Mint sprigs (optional)


Preparation

Preheat oven to 325°.
Combine 1/3 cup sugar and water in a small heavy saucepan over medium-high heat; cook 5 minutes or until golden, stirring occasionally. Immediately pour into 6 (6-ounce) custard cups coated with cooking spray, tipping quickly until sugar coats bottoms of cups; set aside.

Combine 1/2 cup sugar, eggs, and egg whites in a large bowl; stir well with a whisk. Add milks; stir until smooth. Scrape seeds from vanilla bean; stir seeds into milk mixture, reserving bean for another use. Divide mixture evenly among prepared cups. Place cups in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish; add hot water to a depth of 1 inch. Bake at 325° for 1 hour or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Remove cups from pan; let cool completely on a wire rack. Cover and chill at least 3 hours.

Loosen edges of custards with a knife or rubber spatula. Place a dessert plate, upside down, on top of each cup; invert custards onto plates. Drizzle any remaining syrup over custards. Garnish with mint sprigs, if desired.


Chocolate Fudge Cheesecake

Ingredients

1/2 cup toasted, chopped pecans
4 (1-ounce) unsweetened chocolate baking squares
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup semisweet chocolate morsels
4 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 3/4 cups sugar
7 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 Chocolate Glaze
Garnishes: fresh mint sprigs, sliced strawberries


Preparation

Sprinkle 1/2 cup pecans evenly over the bottom of each of 2 greased and floured 9-inch springform pans.
Microwave chocolate squares in a microwave-safe bowl at MEDIUM (50% power) 1 1/2 minutes, stirring at 30-second intervals until melted. Stir until smooth.

Beat butter and 2 cups sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add 4 eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition. Add melted chocolate, beating just until blended.

Add flour, beating at low speed just until blended. Stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla and chocolate morsels. Divide batter evenly between pans, spreading over chopped pecans.

Beat cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth; add 1 3/4 cups sugar, beating until blended. Add 7 eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition. Stir in 2 teaspoons vanilla. Divide cream cheese mixture evenly between each pan, spreading over brownie batter.

Bake at 325° for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until set. Remove from oven; cool completely on wire racks.

Spread top of each cooled cheesecake with 1 recipe Chocolate Glaze; cover and chill 8 hours. Remove sides of pans before serving. Garnish, if desired.

Note: We topped each cheesecake with 1 full recipe of Chocolate Glaze. For a thinner layer of chocolate on top, divide 1 recipe of glaze between the two cakes.

Yield
Makes 2 (9-inch) cheesecakes

Chocolate Glaze

Ingredients

1 (12-ounce) package semisweet chocolate morsels
1/2 cup whipping cream


Preparation

Melt 1 (12-ounce) package semisweet chocolate morsels and 1/2 cup whipping cream in a 2-quart microwave-safe bowl at MEDIUM (50% power) 2 1/2 to 3 minutes or until chocolate begins to melt. Whisk until chocolate melts and mixture is smooth.

Yield
Makes about 2 cups

Source: Cooking Light

Mexican Food

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Chunky Guacamole

Ingedients

4 ripe Haas avocados
3 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice — one lemon
8 dashes Tabasco sauce
1/2 cup small-diced red onion
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 medium tomato, seeded and small-diced

Cut the avocados in half, remove the pits, and scoop the flesh out of their shells into a large bowl. Immediately add the lemon juice, Tabasco, onion, garlic, salt and pepper and toss well. Using a sharp knife, slice through the avocados in the bowl until they are finely diced. Add the tomatoes. Mix well and taste for salt and pepper.




Mexican Chicken Tortilla Soup

4 split (2 whole) chicken breasts, bone in, roasted with skin on - makes for juicier meat
2 medium sized chopped yellow onions
3 stalks celery, chopped
2 large carrots, chopped
2 1/2 quarts chicken stock
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. ground coriander seed
6 corn tortillas ( sliced into thin strips )

Sides:

sliced avocado
sour cream
grated cheddar cheese

Roast the chicken breasts at 350 for about 45 minutes or until done. I rubbed them down with salt, pepper, olive oil and a little paprika. When they are cool enough to handle, shred the meat.

In a Dutch oven pan cover the bottom with olive oil (less is better than more). When the oil is hot, add the onions, celery and carrots. Cook over medium-low heat or until the onions begin to brown. Takes about 10 minutes. Add the chicken stock, tomatoes, jalapenos, cumin, coriander, 1 tsp. salt (depends on how salty the broth is) and 1 tsp. pepper. Also toss in the sliced tortillas which should be sliced into 1/2 inch strips. Bring the soup to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for about 25 minutes.

Add the shredded chicken, and season to taste. Serve the soup and top with a sliced avocado, a dollop of sour cream and some grated Cheddar cheese. If you love cilantro, that would be good too.




Chicken Chimichangas

Ingredients
1 (16-ounce) jar picante sauce or salsa, divided
7 cups chopped cooked chicken
1 small onion, diced
2 to 2 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
20 (8-inch) flour tortillas
3 cups (12 ounces) shredded Cheddar cheese
Toppings: guacamole, sour cream, shredded lettuce, diced tomato


Preparation
Combine 1 1/2 cups picante sauce and next 5 ingredients in a Dutch oven; cook over medium-low heat, stirring often, 25 minutes or until most of liquid evaporates. Spoon 1/3 cup mixture below center of each tortilla; top with 2 tablespoons cheese.
Fold in 2 sides of tortillas to enclose filling. Fold over top and bottom edges of tortillas, making rectangles. Secure with wooden picks. Place, folded side down, on greased baking sheets. Coat chimichangas with cooking spray.

Bake at 425° for 8 minutes; turn and bake 5 more minutes. Remove picks; top with remaining picante sauce and desired toppings.

Yield
Makes 20 servings

Chiles Rellenos Casserole

Ingredients
1/2 pound ground chicken
1 cup chopped onion
1 3/4 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 (16-ounce) can fat-free refried beans
2 (4-ounce) cans whole green chiles, drained and cut lengthwise into quarters
1 cup (4 ounces) preshredded colby-Jack cheese
1 cup frozen whole kernel corn, thawed and drained
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/3 cups skim milk
1/8 teaspoon hot sauce
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 egg whites


Preparation
Cook chicken and onion in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until browned, stirring to crumble. Combine chicken mixture, cumin, and next 5 ingredients in a bowl. Stir well, and set aside.
Arrange half of green chile strips in an 11 x 7-inch baking dish; top with half of cheese. Spoon mounds of bean mixture onto cheese, and spread gently, leaving a 1/4-inch border around edge of dish; top with corn. Arrange remaining chile strips over corn; top with remaining cheese. Set aside.

Combine flour and salt in a bowl; gradually add milk and hot sauce, stirring with a wire whisk until blended. Stir in eggs and egg whites; pour over casserole. Bake at 350° for 1 hour and 5 minutes or until set; let stand 5 minutes.

Yield
6 servings (serving size: 1 (3 1/2-inch) square)



Jalapeno Corn Bread

Ingredients:

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1/4 cup sugar
2 tbsp baking powder
2 tbsp kosher salt (I used sea salt)
2 cups milk
3 extra large eggs, lightly beaten (I used large eggs)
1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted, plus extra to grease the pan
8 ounces aged extra-sharp Cheddar, grated and divided
1/3 cup chopped scallions, white and green parts, plus extra for garnish (I used a total of 3 scallions)
3 tbsp seeded and minced fresh jalapeno peppers

Process:

1. Combine the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.
2. In a separate bowl, combine the milk, eggs, and butter.
3. With a wooden spoon, stir the wet ingredients into the dry until most of the lumps are dissolved. Don't overmix.
4. Mix in 2 cups of the grated cheddar, the scallions and jalapenos
5. Allow the mixture to sit at room temperature for 20 minutes.
6. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
7. Grease a 9x13x2-inch baking pan
8. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top, and sprinkle with the remaining grated cheddar and extra chopped scallions.
9. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
10. Cool and cut into large squares.
11. Serve warm or at room temperature

Mexican Chocolate Pots de Crème

Ingredients

1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon espresso powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons coffee liqueur (such as Kahlúa)
6 ounces finely chopped high-quality bittersweet chocolate
6 large egg yolks
2 tablespoons superfine sugar

Note: You will need 6 - four oz capacity ramekins for this recipe

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 300°. In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, bring cream, milk, espresso powder, and spices to a gentle simmer; cook 10 minutes. Increase heat to medium and bring mixture to a boil, then remove from heat and stir in coffee liqueur.
2. Put chocolate in a heat-proof bowl and pour hot cream over it. Let stand 1 minute, then stir until smooth.

3. In a separate bowl, whisk together egg yolks and sugar. Slowly drizzle yolk mixture into chocolate mixture, whisking constantly. Pour mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl and let cool at room temperature 15 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, in a kettle or small pot, bring about 4 cups water to a simmer. Arrange a dish towel in the bottom of a 9- by 13-in. baking pan. Set ramekins on top of towel (this helps keep them in place), then fill each ramekin with custard. Pour simmering water into pan so that it comes halfway up sides of ramekins. Set pan in oven and bake pots de crème until their edges are set but their centers are still wobbly, about 25 minutes; do not overbake. Transfer ramekins to a cooling rack and let cool at room temperature for 30 minutes, then chill in refrigerator until fully set, about 3 hours.

Source: Cooking Light
The Barefoot Contessa - Ina Garten
Sunset Magazine