Weave a Thousand Flavors

15 Minute Superlative Breakfast Oatmeal ~ Old Fashioned Oats cooked with Orange Juice, Dates & Bananas

It's official - I can't take a good oatmeal picture worth its salt!

Lets blame it on the cloudy sky, an off day but please don't let my lame photography skills stop you from making one of the most delicious oatmeal creations you'll ever end up putting in your mouth. Guaranteed.

Old fashioned oats are cooked in freshly squeezed orange juice with nutmeg & chopped dates. To which is added brown sugar, butter & mashed bananas. Yummm......

Also,what a great way to use bananas  on their last legs - that's exactly what you need for this dish - ridiculously overripe bananas.

 Added incentive? 15 minutes to fix and dairy free for all those lactose intolerant & 'dairy-avoiding' folks out there.

So with the weekend here, what's your excuse?

ALFAJORES De Dulce De Leche Cookies from Argentina

Meet Argentina's favorite street food - Alfajores.

Think Buttery Shortbreads Sandwiched with Caramel & Rolled in Coconut Flakes

Though there are many variations of this cookie all throughtout South America, the most common fillings are chocolate, dulce de leche & jam. As Dulce de Leche goes, you can of course go the super market route but  as it's all the better home made.

How to make dulce de leche at home? Follow the cooked can method in one of my previous posts. You can make one can at a time but why bother when they'll keep for a long time in the pantry, unopened or refrigerated.

I first got hooked to these darlings as we continued to frequent our favorite Argentinian  gelato place Dolcezza in Georgetown Washington D.C for their superlative gelatos, coffees and of course Alfajores. Just so you know, Argentinian gelato varies from it's Italian cousin in that's its creamier and made without eggs.

These cookies are all the rage during the holidays of course but since when do you need an excuse to enjoy these treats? These are even better when dunked in dulce de leche as you enjoy them with your cuppa.

That's what we've been doing all Sunday afternoon!

Rise of the Souffle ~ Horseradish Cheddar Souffle

“The only thing that will make a souffle fall is if it knows you're afraid of it.”     

- James Beard

In my humble opinion, Souffles are perhaps one of  the most astonishing culinary feat to come out of French kitchen.    

    

It is also one of the most feared. A test of true grit of the cook & technique. Which is why it is also one of the most satisfying, self-congratulatory dishes one can ever prepare. I will be lying if I tell you that before I begin a souffle, I don't say a little prayer. Because when it comes to some things in life we can use all the help we can get.          

    

Don't get me wrong - it's not difficult to make at all and the fact that it takes only a handful of ingredients to make leaves me gobsmacked. Because when you do take the first bite of that airy, fluffy, ever so light & delicate souffle, it is nothing short of an orchestra or a 12 gun salute going off in your mouth.    

    

I think an orchestra is a perfect analogy for a souffle. A sum of parts to a make an exquisite whole.   A perfect souffle begins with a perfect dish. It must be round, it must have flutes and the bottom must be unglazed.

And my 12 cup Emile Henry souffle dish is perfect because the burgundy clay it is made of ensures even browning. The ridges on the side add to the surface area as well as the unglazed bottom all aid in maximum heat absorption for that perfect end result.    

    

Also, I am about to inaugurate one of my most coveted kitchen appliances - The Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer. How I have been swooning over this electric hunk of a bowl for over 2 years and finally, I have it! Thanks to my dear friend Beth, our friendship that has endured over a decade which makes this gift all the more special.    

    

Now that we have the perfect dish & the perfect appliance to do the job, the next  important piece of the puzzle is the perfect recipe. Let me tell you friends - you'll be hard pressed to find a recipe that does not begin with roux - you know whisking flour in hot butter to make a Bechamel sauce.    

    

And here is where sheer genius of technique steps in - Richard Grausman in his recipe,  as detailed in At Home With The French Classics,  takes a short cut - gasp! And one that as you can see renders an incredible, upwardly mobile Souffle without the unnecessary rue of dealing with roux.

So without further ado lets get to it!

Tired of Leftover Roast Bird? It's Chicken, Fennel & Sweet Potato Soup to the Rescue

How many times have you closed the refrigerator door to that half-eaten roasted chicken that you have been picking on all week?

Well, here's a soup that will have you waiting for that chook carcass in your fridge.

Just think rich stock flavored with fennel with the scent of anise, natural sweetness of sweet potatoes enhanced with the flavor of brown sugar and spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg? I hope that got you to sit up and take notice!

This is such a staple during the cooler months in our home and especially wonderful during busy days, cleaning days, 'I'm-bored-of-cooking-days' and 'I-am-soccer-mom-of-the-year' - days and  of course my favorite 'leave-me-curled-up on-the-couch-with-a-book' days.

So for what ever ails you or for no reason what so ever, just simply because the air is crisp and the trees are barren,  I hope you'll put this on your menu.