cooking | Inside the Mind of Isadora

May 1, 2018
by Inside the Mind of Isadora 20 Comments

Gluten Free Recipe – Clementine Cake

The temperatures have been in the 60’s at night and 70’s during the day.

I’ve been enjoying this splendid weather. In fact, I may have spring fever.

I sat outside this morning, with my coffee, listening to the birds chirping and admiring my bougainvillea bush that is in full bloom.

Instead of writing, I’ve been doing some spring cleaning. I’ve been purging my kitchen of unused items and food from my pantry. I do this twice a year. It keeps my pantry tidy and it helps our local food bank.

I’ve always enjoyed baking. I don’t bake too often because I’m gluten intolerant. I haven’t enjoyed some of my favorite baking recipe because of it. In fact, I’ve begun to dislike sweets.

On Pieces of Starlight, blogger Carol Carlisle, posted a gluten free recipe called Clementine Cake which looked quite good. I decided to try the recipe today.

My helicopter hubby watched as I made the cake. The spatula never reached the sink. He was making happy sounds as he licked every little bit of batter.

As soon as the cake cooled down, he dug into one of them. He needed to be stopped as he was ready to cut the 2nd one. I received rave reviews despite a few mistakes or; perhaps, my personal adjustments.

Below are the steps and the recipe. Enjoy …

~~~~~~~~~~

Ingredients

Mix the eggs, sugar for 5 minutes

then, add cooked clementine oranges

The batter is ready for the baking pans.Mistake: the ground almond go into the batter mix

Add ground almonds to mix

Into the oven they go @350

For some reason, my batter was able to fill 3 pans.

An 8” pie pan, a 10” spring pan and a 6” pie pan.

The recipe is for one 8” spring pan. Mmmmm … more yumTime to take the cakes out of the oven and place on cooling racks.

Something went wrong when removing the cake from the pans.

You can see a bit of crumbling going on.

A few clementine slices to hide the cracks in two of the cakes.

I added powdered sugar on the third one for a change of taste.

There is a glaze I did not do.

I like my food without a lot of sugar.

I wasn’t sure if it was going to be too sweet.

I made a cup of tea to enjoy with the clementine cake. My hubby grabbed the cake on the white dish and escaped to the patio to enjoy. My version turned out to be more like a light pudding cake. Hubby is awaiting patiently for his next slice of cake after dinner tonight. But, I think it will be tasty with tomorrows breakfast coffee. Time to hide the cakes.

Thank you Carol for sharing your receipe.

Hope you’ll try this recipe. It’s truly a yummy tasting cake and very easy to make.

Enjoy, Isadora 😎

Gluten Free – Clementine Cake

375 grams of clementine (5 small)

6 eggs

1 1/4 cup of white sugar

2 1/4 cups ground almond

1 teaspoon of baking powder

Preheat oven to 350 F. Butter and line a 8” – 9” spring form pan with parchment.

Poke each clementine 3 or 4 times with a knife. Put the clementines in a bowl with a microwave safe cover or plastic wrap. Cook 3 – 4 minutes. Cool slightly then dump the clementines (whole) in a food processor and process until smooth.

In a large bowl beat eggs and sugar until light colored and double in volume (about 5 minutes)

Add chopped clementines and mix well. Then add the group almonds and baking powder. Mix until combined.

Pour mixture into a pan and bake 45 minutes (test with a skewer or cake tester.

Cool in the pan on a rack. Once cake is cold, remove from the pan. and pull off parchment.

Glaze and add candied clementines to decorate.

Glaze …

2 cups of confectioners sugar

3 tablespoons softened butter

1/2 cup of clementine juice.

Candied Clementines …

3 clementines

2 cups of sugar

1 cup of water

Slice the clementines very thinly.

Put sugar and water in a heavy bottomed pan on medium heat. Stir in sugar until dissolved.

Add clementine slices and simmer on low for about 15 – 20 minutes.

Pull clementines from the sugar mixture and place on parchment paper or slipat until cool.

December 22, 2017
by Inside the Mind of Isadora 7 Comments

Pasteles – A Traditional Puerto Rican Christmas Recipe

Recently a Puerto Rican restaurant opened in the next town from where I live. Hubby and I stopped in for lunch. The food was outstanding. We asked if they made traditional Christmas foods. When we heard they did we ordered these delicious pasteles. I’ve posted this recipe before but thought there might be someone adventurous who would like to try and make them. Enjoy ….

Pasteles aren’t appealing to the eye but delicious to the palette. There are as many pastele recipes as there are cooks. The recipe changes according to what is grown in the particular region. This is the one I am familiar with. Making and serving pasteles at Christmas time is a Puerto Rican tradition. Its hard work, but well worth the effort. There’s always a gathering of family members for the long and tedious work. As many as 50 to 100 pasteles are made at one time while traditional Christmas songs are played and the adults drink lots of coquito (look for this post).They hold up well in the refrigerator and can be frozen. As a child each one of us had a task. I do not make them but do enjoy eating them when they are available at restaurants or while vacationing on the island of Puerto Rico. They’re only available during the holidays. Pasteles were originally made for the traveling “Parranderos” (carolers). These were people who traveled with their instruments through town on the back of a flatbed truck singing and playing festive songs. Along the way, they would stop at homes where an invite would provide a little coquito and pastele. It was nourishment to help the travelers as they continued on their journey of spreading Christmas cheer. Everyone would laugh and dance as they played while sharing in the true meaning of giving. Having grown up in Brooklyn, New York, I had never experienced this. However, during the one year I attended school in Puerto Rico I learned about these traditions. It showed me another way to celebrate Christmas. 2017©written by Isadora DeLaVega

Recipe:

Prep Time: 3 hours

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 4 hours

Ingredients: STUFFING

2 pounds diced pork

4 ajíces dulces (small sweet peppers)

1 small onion

2 tablespoons recaito

4 cloves garlic

1 tablespoon adobo

1 tablespoons oregano (dry flakes)

1 bay leaf MASA DOUGH

4 pounds yautía

6 green bananas

1 tablespoon of salt

achiote oil

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

WRAPPING:

40 banana leaves (cut into approx. 10 in X 5 in rectangles)

20 Pieces parchment paper (cut into approx. 8 in X 4 in rectangles)

20 Pieces of kitchen string (Cut into 18 inch. lengths)

Preparation:

PART 1 – MAKE THE STUFFING

1. Brown the pork pieces in a pan.

2. Add the rest of the stuffing ingredients.

3. Cook until the pork is no longer pink inside.

4. Set aside and let cool.

PART 2 – MAKE THE MASA DOUGH

1. In a large bowl, peel and grate the yautía and the green bananas together.

2. Stir in the salt and enough achiote oil to moisten the dough and add a little color.

You are now ready to assemble and wrap the pasteles.

PART 3 – WRAP THE PASTELES

1. Set the dough aside and prepare a work surface to assemble and wrap the pasteles. If you have friends helping you, set up an assembly line.

2. Follow my step-by-step guide to assembling and wrapping pasteles.

3. Set aside the pasteles you are going to eat right away. You can freeze the rest.

PART 4 – COOK THE PASTELES

1. Bring a stock pot of salted water to a boil. There should be enough water to cover the pasteles.

2. Boil the pasteles for 1 hour.

3. Unwrap the pasteles before serving.

Serves: Makes about 20.

June 9, 2017
by Inside the Mind of Isadora 21 Comments

Deviled Eggs

The weekly photo challenge is ‘Order.’ If you’d like to see the photos I selected for my photography blog click here.

While seaching for the photo challenge, I came across this deviled eggs photograph. I remembered I had a recipe from a few years back. The deviled eggs are in perfect order. I thought I’d add the photograph and recipe here. Summer is upon us. If you’re going to a cookout or merely having cocktails with friends this a a tasty appetizer for you to serve.

Recipe Ingredients:
eggs ( brown or white )
mayonnaise
mustard
sea salt
pepper (white)
garlic
red peppers in olive oil ( optional )
green or black olives ( optional )
tow teaspoons or smaller spoon and a serving tray

Preparations:
Place eggs in cold water in a pan on the stove on high
When they are at a rapid boil cover and shut off heat
Let stand

In a small food processor – put the mayonnaise, mustard, salt, pepper, garlic – pulse lightly to mix

Peel and cut eggs in half – remove the yolk and put into food processor

Pulse mixture until creamy – if you prefer – you can leave it slightly chunky

Place egg whites halves on serving tray

With on teaspoon gather your mixture – with the other teaspoon slide mixture onto egg whites from the first teaspoon. Fill to capacity.

Garnish with slivers of red peppers in olive oil or black or green olives.

~~~~~

*****I’m sure you’re wondering why I haven’t given you the quantities for each item in the recipe. It turns out my Dad taught me how to make these deviled eggs. He was a cook in the army. I’m not sure if he made them during the time he was cooking in the service. Can you imagine how many deviled eggs his quantities would have to be? When I would ask him for the amounts, he always said, “All good cooks taste as they go along”.

Enjoy,

Isadora 😎

December 24, 2014
by Inside the Mind of Isadora 17 Comments

Coquito – A Traditional Puerto Rican Libation

Coquito is a traditional drink served at Christmas and New Year’s celebrations.

The drink is similar to eggnog.

In many households it was prepared days ahead in order to allow the flavors and the rum to blend well.

This particular recipe does not call for raw eggs.

Nor does it call for you to crack open a fresh coconut; however, if available you can.

It’s a very simple mixed drink.

Coquito is served with pasteles. The recipe for that is here.

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Ingredients:

2 -15-ounce cans cream of coconut

2 – 14-ounce cans condensed milk

6 ounces white rum (use less or more if you’d like)

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon coconut (or vanilla) extract

Preparation:

1. Mix all ingredients in a blender.

2. Refrigerate for about an hour before serving.

Serve cold with a cinnamon stick as garnish

Serves: This recipe makes about 36 ounces.

December 24, 2014
by Inside the Mind of Isadora 6 Comments

Pasteles – A Traditional Puerto Rican Christmas Recipe

Recipe:

Prep Time: 3 hours

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 4 hours

Ingredients: STUFFING

2 pounds diced pork

4 ajíces dulces (small sweet peppers)

1 small onion

2 tablespoons recaito

4 cloves garlic

1 tablespoon adobo

1 tablespoons oregano (dry flakes)

1 bay leaf MASA DOUGH

4 pounds yautía

6 green bananas

1 tablespoon of salt

achiote oil

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

WRAPPING:

40 banana leaves (cut into approx. 10 in X 5 in rectangles)

20 Pieces parchment paper (cut into approx. 8 in X 4 in rectangles)

20 Pieces of kitchen string (Cut into 18 inch. lengths)

Preparation:

PART 1 – MAKE THE STUFFING

1. Brown the pork pieces in a pan.

2. Add the rest of the stuffing ingredients.

3. Cook until the pork is no longer pink inside.

4. Set aside and let cool.

PART 2 – MAKE THE MASA DOUGH

1. In a large bowl, peel and grate the yautía and the green bananas together.

2. Stir in the salt and enough achiote oil to moisten the dough and add a little color.

You are now ready to assemble and wrap the pasteles.

PART 3 – WRAP THE PASTELES

1. Set the dough aside and prepare a work surface to assemble and wrap the pasteles. If you have friends helping you, set up an assembly line.

2. Follow my step-by-step guide to assembling and wrapping pasteles.

3. Set aside the pasteles you are going to eat right away. You can freeze the rest.

PART 4 – COOK THE PASTELES

1. Bring a stock pot of salted water to a boil. There should be enough water to cover the pasteles.

2. Boil the pasteles for 1 hour.

3. Unwrap the pasteles before serving.

Serves: Makes about 20.

August 5, 2014
by Inside the Mind of Isadora 28 Comments

Egg Cream – Please

When I was growing up in Brooklyn many soda fountain shops made a delicious tasting chocolate soda called egg cream soda. As a child, I didn’t like or eat eggs. When I first heard the name of this fountain drink my nose wrinkled into a smelly twist.

It was my friend, Rivka, who talked about going to the soda fountain shop to get an egg cream soda all the time. I remember how she described the chocolaty taste of it each time she had one but she couldn’t tell me how it was made. Because she had an allowance every week, it was her favorite soda to buy. I told her that the next time I made money from doing errands I was going to get one too.
One night, I laid out all of my coins on my bed and counted out 15 cents. I knew I had enough money to finally get that egg cream soda. When I saw Rivka the following morning, I told her I had enough money to go to the fountain shop to get one that afternoon. We did.

Mr. Stein was the soda shop owner. He had a long scruffy curly beard. He wore a fisherman’s cap on his head, a white shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows and suspenders. He was always at the door. He made sure that kids had money before they walked into his shop. Up until that day, I had only purchased candy sticks or gum. Today was different. I was going to try an egg cream soda.

What is an egg cream soda?

It’s milk, seltzer, and chocolate syrup. It contains no eggs or cream. Much later, some ice cream shops started adding vanilla syrup. The authentic version doesn’t contain vanilla and U-Bet chocolate syrup is what should be used. Egg Cream soda is traditionally associated with Brooklyn.

The egg cream is almost exclusively a soda fountain drink. Although there have been several attempts to bottle it, none have been wholly successful, as its fresh taste and characteristic frothy head requires mixing of the ingredients just before drinking.

Soon after my first tasty egg cream soda, my parents decided to have bottled milk and seltzer delivered to our front door. The milkman placed them in a metal canister at 4:00 a.m. I could hear the bottles rattle as they were placed inside. The milk was very cold on wintery days. Egg creams became a tasty treat for my sisters and me to make after dinner. Eventually, the egg cream soda was replaced by my next favorite childhood drink – the Ice Cream Soda.
2014©written by Isadora

According to wikipedia, the origin of the name “egg cream” is a subject of debate. One theory is that grade “A” milk was used in its creation, leading to the name “a chocolate A cream”, thus sounding like ‘egg’ cream. Stanley Auster, the grandson of the beverage’s alleged inventor, has been quoted as saying that the origins of the name are lost in time. One commonly accepted origin is that “Egg” is a corruption of the German (also found in Yiddish) word echt (“genuine” or “real”) and this was a “good cream”. It may also have been called an “Egg Cream” because in the late 19th century, there were already many chocolate fountain/dessert drinks using actual eggs (e.g. ‘Egg Brin’) and Auster wanted to capitalize on the name.

How to Make an Egg Cream ….

Memoir Madness – Krista challenges us to write about a memory – click Memoir Madness to join in –

Memory… is the diary that we all carry about with us.
–Oscar Wilde

Every Tuesday, Frizz, offers the ‘A to Z’ challenge. He’s walking us step by step through the alphabet. This week is the Letter E – click on Frizz Alphabet Challenge

Categories: cooking, Frizz Challenge, Photography, Writing | Tags: Brooklyn, childhood memory, egg cream, Frizz 's Alphabet Challenge - Letter E, memoir, New York, PHOTOGRAPHY, soda fountain shop, story, WRITING | Permalink.