Monday, October 14, 2013

Wannabe Macaroons

If you wanna be my lover, you gotta love to eat...

Isn't how goes that pop song?, well it is true. If you dont love eating you cant be with me. I mean, food for me is important but dessert is even important for me. Dessert can make that 2 persons falls in love, can make kids smile, makes someone feel special. It is the reason that i love to cook sweet dishes. Create instant happiness for others. Except for me! This bring instant unhappiness to me. Well at least my latest dessert project  Macaroons does.



The very first time i saw those little cookies called "Macaroons" was on a cookbook 3 years ago. In that book i saw those adorable mini cookies, with different flavours and fillings and an endless posibilities to add flavours on it. I though "Javi, You really needs to learn how to make Macaroons"

Later, when i start to writte on this blog i said to myself "What a great way to start my blog by doing macaroons, dont you think?" So i spend half of my salary on ingredients to make distintic macaroons like, french vanilla, chocolate with Limoncello, Brandy, Cardamom, Brazilians nuts, and other very expensive things. I study like a mad man looking recipes from all the web to make the "Perfect Macaroons" and well the result wasn't how i expected. It is SO FREAKING HARD!!!



My first batch, Burned! Problem? Oven too high. The second Batch went Dry, WAY dry. Sahara desert Dry. The third batch it looked good at sight but the i realize that all of them were hollow on the inside and that's how i decides to quit on them. Until yesterday when i try to get back to the horse and see what i can do.


I try to make it simple, so i choose a classic chocolate macaroon. I measure, follow exactly the recipe until my worst fear "the macaronage" in that step is when i try to be the most methodic person on the planet! Well as you can see i failed again. It doesn't form that little distintic "foot" on the macaroon it also they are flat. as you can see but the taste went perfect (at least) that's why i named "Wannabe Macaroons" (Also because i was listening the Spice girls)




Hope the next time i can actually bake some Perfect Macaroons...Tell me, have you done macaroons before? what is your secret?

Sunday, October 13, 2013

Vampire Truffles Chronicles VI: Marius Truffles

Last but not Least Marius, The last Vampire on my "Vampire Chronicles Truffles Challenge". Marius was one of the oldest vampires on the book (until now) The keeper of the most important secrets on the Vampire world, It's also Armand's Maker. On his human life he was a 40 years old Italian man, book lover, Amazing Artist, very methodic, Sweet...


For the Truffle i choose some Italian Flavours, almost like a Mockaccino Truffle. a Creammy filling that combines perfectly with the Chocolate.

Friday, October 11, 2013

Vampire Truffles Chronicles V: Armand Truffles

Armand was a Tricky one, On "Interview with the vampire" Book was a Renaissance Young man who was enchanted with Louis, the New World Vampire, and they were happy for a couple of centuries. On the second book "The Vampire Lestat" Armand was an old vampire who couldn't get adaptted to the new era until Lestat show him the way, also was a jealous and vengeful Vampire. A dark soul with a sweet charm, i think this is a dangerous mix.



For this character i decide to use really dark chocolate, 70% Cocoa chocolate. A way to celebrate his real dark side and combine with something sweet, bit sour and Spicy. It's a Complicated mix? Yes, it is however the flavour is so simple, a Culinary Orgasm just like my friend Rux said.


Thursday, October 10, 2013

Vampire Truffles Chronicles IV: Nicolas Truffles

Nicolas, The lover, The mad Violinist, The dark soul. Nicolas Plays vital importance on the book. I mean, it was the first love of our Protagonist Lestat, It make a HUGE impact on Lestat life so Nicolas need his own Truffle. For this Truffle i choose Milk chocolate. It can be real overwhelming if you dont know how to combine it, My friend and co-worker Rux thinks that Milk chocolate is the cheapest of the chocolates, she is a Black Chocolate lover just like me.. Darker, Richer, Better.



I made a Simple Truffle, something classic, versatile and not so invasive that you can eats one by one on your soirees. It's a Milk chocolate and Cinnamon Truffle. I think that Cinnamon goes so well with the Milk chocolate dont you think? it like Nicolas and Lestat, Soft, creamy, divine. Somethimes, in my head i can picture them playing Mozart Sonatas, Lestat in his clavichord and Nicolas on his violin together, apart.

Wednesday, October 9, 2013

Vampire Truffles Chronicles III: Gabrielle Truffles

Now is the Turn of Madame Gabrielle Du Lioncurt, Lestat's Mother. This is a Beautiful Woman who was a little unsatisfied with her life. The Marquese Du Lioncurt is a woman with pale skin and long blond hair like her son, Cobalt Blue eyes and a very intriguin personality. Gabrielle was the first Vampire that Lestat made, saving her mother pain from her illness and gaining an strong partner on his wild life. She was his Mother, His friend, his partner and his lover.



Tuesday, October 8, 2013

Vampire Truffles Chronicles II: Lestat Truffles

Lestat du Lioncurt, on his human life was the younger member of his family. His father never was able to encourage his decisions but Lestat's Mother she spoil him a lot and the relationship between this two were special and even more on his Vampire life. White skin, long blond hair, and Pierce gray eyes. Our Lestat is the main Character on this book and it trully deserve a sweet treat on his honor.


Monday, October 7, 2013

Vampire Truffle Chronicles I: The Making

If you follow me, (I have the idea that's no one actually follows me) in my last publication i made the following question.. I you were a Dessert, What would you be? Well, i would be a Belgian Chocolate Eclaire with little chocolate chips and Pink Pepper on the filling. I am kind of a Gatsby meets Nirvana Boy. Dont know how to define my style because i have like 6 differents personalities who coexists on my head. Well, i do this little exercise when i read, i start making a list with with the physical characteristics of the protagonist and the main characters who appears on the book, After that i make another list but now with their personality traits And then i begin to associate their different features to Flavours and textures that goes well together.



The Last book i've read was "The Vampire Lestat" so i decides to make truffles inspired on the characters of that book.. Bloody vampires with hints of humanity. So, i Planned to make 5 types of Chocolate truffles inspired on Lestat (the main character) and the most important persons on his life: Gabrielle, Nicolas, Armand and Marius. The Lestat Truffle is a White chocolate Truffle (Inspired by his white skin) filled with floral honey and an almond. The Gabrielle Truffle it's also a white Truffle, I took this idea because  Gabrielle was Lestat's Mother and it's filled with almond PralinĂ©.


For the Nicolas Truffles was Tricky, Nicolas is the first love of our protagonist, Nicky was a french violinist, very down to earth, Agnostic person. So i choose Milk chocolate for the Nicolas Truffles filled with a Milk chocolate ganache mixed with nutmeg and Cinnamon, a clasic truffle but a little upgraded. The Armand Truffles are made with really dark chocolate and Filled with homemade Pepper strawberries marmalade.


Last but not least, the Marius Truffles. Marius is an italian vampire, really old vampire.. it has about 1000 years and knows everything about the Vampires, Their creation, their Purpose, he is the keeper of loads of secrets. I wanna have something that embrace the italian and the "Secret" part. So this Truffle is a Dark chocolate ganache truffle filled with a Tiramisu cream and covered on white chocolate.



Are 5 different Truffle Recipes that you must do, it's a sophisticated treat to have on this upcoming Halloween. This Week i'm going to share the recipes of the truffles one by one. Let me know wich is your Favorite.

Wednesday, October 2, 2013

If you were a dessert, what would you be?

Hello there, It's the midddle of the week and here i am waiting... (Wait, isn't That a song?) I'm waiting my payday, again. I trully need to fix my oven to keep going with the blog and the tasty treats. Lately i've been doing a lot of thinking about my regular days, i've been daydreaming about cooking macaroons while i'm working on the computer making the montly accounting books. I'm constantly thinking on what kind of dessert i'm going to do for the sunday, what kind of ingredients goes well with other or how i'm going to decorate the dishes. Even when i'm reading i have a "thing". I picture the characters of the book as sweet treats. No, I'm not a cannibal is just that i feel inspired to create dessert by them. Have someone has ask you before something like "If you were a dessert, what would you be?" Well something like that happens when i'm reading.



Yesterday night, after arrive to my comfy home from work and taking a shower i decided to finish to read my "The vampire Lestat" book. Oh wow, reading 200 years of life from this enigmatic vampire was something magical, i would love to find the real Lestat, shake his cold hand and ask him a lot of things like my mythical question  "If you were a dessert, what would you be?. Well i think Lestat would be a Truffle, it would be a White chocolate Truffle filled with fresh floral honey and almonds. Sounds Amazing right? well i'm going to make that happen. As a Tribute to that book i'm going to make for this sunday truffles inspired by the characters of thet book. Could you wonder how is going to taste an Armand Truffle?

So Well, now i ask you my lovely readers.. If you were a dessert, what would you be?

PS: That Beautiful picture comes from this blog, I dont own the picture just wanna add something Special to this post.

Monday, September 30, 2013

Cold Minty Bussiness

Lately i been lacking on inspiration for my blog, well, I'm lacking of ingredients, lacking of time and lacking of oven. That leaves me with a sort of different problems at the time to writte and prepare my tasty treats. So this week my creative process was something hard. At first i start to thinking on sweets that doesnt need an oven. Then i have to work with the limited ingredients that i used to have on my pantry. And third something really quick who leaves me with some extra time for reading "The Vampire Lestat". This amazing book who i bought it about 3 days ago and i'm on the page 632. Yes i'm a bit adicted to it.

Mint and Chocolate chips Ice cream

So with this creative process i came up with an Ice cream, A Mint with chocolate chip Ice cream. The interesting thing about this Ice cream is that the ingredients and the process aren't conventional. I didn't use an Ice cream maker machine and i didn't use eggs or milk. Sounds weird Right? But i ended with a creamy, soft and minty ice cream who can be used for acompany of any chocolate dessert or just by itself.


I took this ice cream recipe from a lady who i saw a couple of days ago on internet called Diane Kometa and her "Homemade Mint Chocolate Chip Ice cream", i trully like the fact that you dont need an ice cream machine for making an creamy ice cream. The only thing that i saw on her recipe is the whipped cream. I think that is too much whipped cream and makes that the texture become more like shaving cream or worst dental cream (who with a minty flavour would totally taste like that) So i modified some components of her Original recipe to have an ice cream with a nice texture and an amazing flavour.

"Minty-Choc Ice cream"

Ingredients
  • 1 1/3 cups sweetened condensed milk – one 14 ounce can
  • 2 – 2 1/4 tsp. peppermint extract – some extract brands seem to be stronger than others
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1 Dark Chocolate with mint bar or just Plain Dark Chocolate Bar (You are going to need about a Cup of chocolate chunks)
  • 4 drops green food coloring – optional

Directions

Place whisk attachment and mixing bowl in freezer for about 15 minutes, this will help to whip the cream easilly.
In a bowl, combine sweetened condensed milk, vanilla, 2 teaspoons of peppermint extract and green food coloring. Mix well to thoroughly combine. Taste and add up to a 1/4 teaspoon more peppermint if desired. Crack the chocolate bar into little chunks, doesn't matter if some are big and other are little, that helps to give that rustic touch to our ice cream. You will need 1 cup of chocolate chunks. And add them to the mix.
Remove heavy cream from fridge and bowl and whisk from freezer. Pour cream into the mixing bowl and beat until firm peaks form.
Fold about ¼ of the whipped cream into the sweetened condensed milk mixture until combined. Add the rest of the whipped cream and fold in until thoroughly combined. 
Pour mixture in to a container or loaf pan. Cover with plastic wrap or a lid.
Freeze overnight for an excellent Ice Cream.



You can serve it with Whipped Cream, chocolate Syrup and nuts. I decide to make a couple of Chocolate Pancakes and serve my ice cream like an Ice cream Sandwich using the pancakes.
BTW, i'm making a lot of invetigation about new  tasty treats for share with us guys.. and  you might see a thing or two on my blog. See you next time and let know how great were your ice cream bowls

Sunday, September 22, 2013

Strawberries Madness

It's Sunday Afternoon and i'm quite mad because: First, My twitter Account was suspended and i dont know why, i'm not an Spammer or those accounts who makes a tweet for a minute. Second, My Oven is still broken. I cant fix it just yet because i have to wait till my next payday and cross my fingers to the tecnician makes his job done to start to bake again. Third, Tomorrow is Monday and that's a valuable excuse to be mad too ok?. But this very morning i wasn't that mad because i planned to have a Special Breakfast (It's a way to cook without an oven too) With Strawberries. Here on Venezuela there's only 3 places where you can find propper fresh Strawberries. On the Andes Area, where is a cold temperature and the strawberries crops doesn't get ruin by the tropical hot. On the metropolitan area there's a place called "Colonia Tovar" It's a little town who has some beautiful German Architecture and you can find large berries crops over there and last but not least  a little bit on the south but also on a mountain Area called "Caripe" where you can find some of the largest berries that i ever seen.


Thursday, September 19, 2013

Late Cookies and a Tea Party with the zombies

A Broken Oven made that my sunday night depressing, and a sad sad week, but i said a couple of weeks ago that my commitment with this blog is going to be complete, So i went to my father house for bake my adorable "Black Tea with Milk chocolate cookies" and guess what, They came Perfectly. Normally they are golden with little black dots, but i decide to add few green food coloring to the mix to have a fun and vibrant green colour. Between my family and friends were some mixed opinions about this cookies. My dad Said that the tea flavour was intense but not outshine the milk chocolate, My cousin said that the cookies had a buttery flavor that goes well with the tea and rux, my co-worker said that the cookies taste so well by itself, there's no need to dip them on chocolate. My oppinion was that i felt that were a little salty for my taste... i think my tonge is quite broken too.


I eat a some while i was re-reading the ending of my "Pride and Prejudice" Zombie version book, and of course that i made a couple of extra cookies inspired by the protagonists on my book. I could actually imagine Mr Darcy and Miss Elizabeth Bennet eating this cookies at the afternoon with a snokey cup of Earl grey tea while they talking about the better way to kill a zombie. *Sigh* I think i got  a little bit nolstalgic about it.


Also i must say that my adventure with the "cameo cookies" were a totally FLOP, i try to make the silhouettes with black colored milk chocolate but the only thing that i did was a mess. Certainly i need to practice more with the chocolate if i wanna do fantastic creations dont you think?



If you wanna do a batch of this cookies i have linked the recipe right upthere, and i'm eager to see the reactions about it. I'm also highly recomend the "Jane Austen feat Seth Grahame-Smith" Book, it's refreshing but also very clasical, just like me.

PS: I think that a great way to enjoy your cookies and your book is listening music that goes with them, That's why i leave here a Recomendation that i been hearing for a couple of months. It's a Greek Swing band that i must say it's amazing. This song will makes you feel like you're at a 1940's tea party with the Darcys and the Zombies.

Sunday, September 15, 2013

Great Cookies, Bad Luck.

Hey, Sunday again.. and it suppose to be a day for sharing a Recipe with all of you guys but i'm experimenting some bad Luck over here. You see, I think that my oven has past away or something, it's not working and i feel quite sad  in this very moment. In honor to finished "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies" book, I was going to make some "Black Tea and Milk Chocolate Cameo Cookies" I mean, If that book have a flavour it will be an earthy flavor like Black tea with milk, Sweetened with a hint of honey. And that is what i'm trying to portrait on this recipe. A cookie that when you get the first bite and find the soft hints of the black tea and the floral touch of the honey you can say "Wow, It's like having the tea time"

I find this recipe on a blog that i must say have the most beautiful photos that i've seen on my freaking life... I feel amateur in front of that blog. (Well, I feel amateur on front of a Thousand blogs over here) But i saw that recipe and i felt in love of that idea. Tea in a cookie? You can bet. Besides i get also inspired by the book, and when i try the cookies for the first time i was finishing to read the book. So i feel that it was faith, having a tea cookie when i was reading an alternative book about a british writter who used to love tea.

No picture this time, but i'm going to leave the Recipe for you guys to try it. Then you can tell me what do you think about it.

"Black Tea and Mik Chocolate Cameo Cookies"
Inspired by Cannelle e Vanille Blog Diamants

Ingredients.

200 gms unsalted butter
100 gms confectioners sugar
1 lg. egg yolk
1 tsp. vanilla
2 Tbsp. honey
220 gms all-purpose flour
2 tablespoon of Black Tea. (About 4 or 5 tea bags)
Pinch of salt
Egg white for brushing outside of cookie dough.
  • Cream the butter and sugar until pale in color and light and fluffy. Add in the egg yolk, mix to combine. Add in vanilla and honey, mix until smooth.
  • Add all the dry ingredients and mix until incorporated but do not overmix as to prevent a tough dough. Turn the dough out onto a wax paper and roll into a 2 inch log. Wrap the log and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.
  • Remove the dough from the fridge, Brush the outside of the cookie log with egg white, and cut slices that are about 1/2 Inch Thick. Place them on a parchment-lined cookie sheet and bake for about 10 – 12 minutes, or until the centers are set, rotating the trays halfway through the cooking time. Let them sit on the trays for at least 10 minutes to cool, and then transfer them to cooling racks.
To decorate just melt 100 gms of Milk Chocolate and dip a cookie. 
It supposed to be "Cameo Cookies" I did the Cameo Detail with white chocolate and a little brush but without the photos i can't explain very well how i made the Cameo details. So i feel so bad about it.

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Between Accountants and Vampires

Well it's Wednesday again and i'm very very tired. You perhaps thinks things like "An Accountant is just being all day long seating on the computer filling spaces with numbers and adding more more numbers" Well yeah it's kind of it but it's more than that too. At least on the Accountant Office where i work is just a whole new level. I'm an acountant but my co-worker Rux and i were also maids, recepcionists, secretaries, janitors and the list goes longer and longer every day. Our boss is a little bit ennoying. So i'm WAY tired also because i have to work across the city 4 hours at day. Great Fun isn't? And the pay, it is good? WRONG! so bad... i'm barely a little up from the minimun wage who i must say is nothing. I barely made it at the end of the month, sometimes i cant afford my books or even some of the ingredients so yes i'm also tired for that too.

Talking about books, i'm not sure if i said this before but a month ago "Geeky Javi" read a famous book called "Interview with the Vampire" and Loved it. The characters, the plot, everything was so beautiful. Lestat trully was my favorite character, a long haired blond, Cruel, mean Vampire who i have to pleasure to understand and even when he's not the main character on this book i must said that LEstat for me is the lead Character on that lovely book. Another Character who i fell in love was Claudia, or as i called "Claudine" (On french sounds better isn't?) a sweet child with a beautiful face and a rotten soul. The thing is that i was eager for more and decide to read the second book "The vampire Lestat" The thing is that i couldn't find it ANYWHERE, I look on every single bookstore and i couldnt find it.  Untill Yesterday when i was looking on a page called "Mercadolibre" (It's like Ebay for us Venezuelans) and i found it, it's an used book, but doesn't matter i'm going to have it. Well when i get paid because i'm a little bit broke right now.


I'm making some Research about cookies, and cupcakes... so maybe you'll see some of those thing next sunday night. And that's it.. i'm not into the mood to talk about anything else.. also im going to take a shower and just die in my bed.
Goodnight people.

Sunday, September 8, 2013

Charleston, Opposites and Pies!

It's Sunday night again, At least it is here in Venezuela where ALWAYS is hot. I really cant stand the hot over here, it's like Summer all year round and i'm sweating all the time it's quite unconfortable when you use a suit and a tie every single day of the week and you are addicted to wear jackets and sweaters. Well, in my past entry i was talking about the book that i'm reading called "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies" by Seth Grahame - Smith and the kind of music that i'm listening like Avant Garde Rock and Electroswing so i started to think, If this week have a theme, it will called "Opposite Week". Mixing clasic things with modern twists and that's the kind of thing i did this Sunday. Pies! Opposites Pies. Doesn't sound like fun? I did 2 pies. The first is a "Fudge Chocolate Baked Pie" and the Second is a "Cold Chocolate Crust Lemon Pie"


Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Nuts, Zombies and Hard Rock Swing?

I have some good and some Bad news. The good news is that my boss returned from her vacations and found her cats alive (i'm not sure if this is a good news because i wanna to kill those cats myself) and left the office Cat-Free. The bad news is that the office still have that soft odor of cat poop, bleach and pine air freshener which is a bit better but i feel like still Smell Hideous. At least i dont spend too much time on the office these days. "Accountant Javi" leaves every single morning across the city about 30 mins away from my home to work as an External Auditor in a place called "Alimentos Oriente" (Orient Food) who is a food distributor, He feels so sick to go there and check every single little paper from their sales and buys. But from something band i found something good, just at my right i found a place where i can buy ANY nut or dry fruit. Almonds, Nuts, Macadamia nuts, barbacue corn and more... so after my payday i spend a bit and got Cashew, almonds, Pistachios and hazelnuts quite a feast. and i only spend about 230 Bs (Like 37 American Dollars) i think i made an excellent purchase.


Sunday, September 1, 2013

Cats, Brownies and Runaways!

Hello, first of all i just want to say that this is my first food post and i'm so excited because i believe i did an excellent work. Well at least i did on the flavours and the quality of my lovely brownies because i think that the pictures aren't good enough but "Artist Javi" did his best and that matters. I think he should take some research about food Photography because this is not going to be another of my failed projects. This is going to be one to last.

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Getting Ready for the treats

Today has been the day that i write my first post. Right now on my head i can hear an standing ovation for this triumphly moment. The past Weekend the "Artist Javi" was quite confused about the look of the blog, You know details like, the name of the Blog, the background, the Style, the banners. but as you can see i choose a very Modern and masculine (I think) background and Layout that i will improve on the next few weeks.

"Geeky Reader Javi" is Sad, he haven't read anything on the past 3 weeks. The last book that he read was "Interview with the Vampire" from Ann Rice Vampire Chronicles. He had a blast with that book so he started to looking for the secuel of that book called "Lestat the vampire" my surprise when i couldn't find the book in any Bloody Library over the city. My Co-Worker Rux said that if i want to read it so bad why not download it from the web like she always do but i rather have an actual book on my hands. There's something romantic about passing the pages from a book dont you think?