Crispy Pork Cracklings for Saint Dimitrius Day

In spite of being one of the tastiests appetizers which match perfect with a glass of ice-cold beer, pork cracklings are not a type of food poets dedicate poems to.

Most of the women I know think that eating pork skin no matter how prepared, is disgusting. But I love to eat most of the things declinded by 'sophisticated people' - I prepare myself and order in restaurants where offered such things like crispy chicken cracklings (you can not imagine how crunchy they are), trippa alla fiorentina, pacha, the typical Bulgarian Shkembe chorba, pig trotter's soup...But let's go back to the pork cracklings. They are crunchy and dry on top and melting soft inside.  And something also important - they do not need much time to be prepared. My husband loves them and today I make them for him - he has a nameday. Today is Saint Dimitrius day - one of the most important Orthodox saints who is celebrated every year on October 26. Happy nameday, Dimiter! Wish you all the best!

Eggplant Parmesan (Melanzane alla Parmigiana)

Melanzane alla Parmigiana is a rich dish from Northern Italy, composed of alternating layers of fried eggplant, tomato sauce, Parmesan and mozzarella.  

Crisp skin roasted chicken for St. Peter's day

Today is St. Peter's day - one of the most honored Orthodox feasts in Bulgaria. The rituals observed today aim to protect houses and farmer's land from fire. Traditionally, there is a rooster or chicken on the table. In the orthodox tradition roosters measure time and signify the power of sun. They are accepted as a symbol of fertility and harvest abundance. We are not huge chicken eaters in our home, but this is one of the recipes, which make chicken disappear in minutes. Think about crispy skin which crackles between teeth. Tender succulent meat which fills mouth with heavenly juices. A well roasted chicken does not need anything else. OK, probably the subtle additional flavor of rosemary for instance. Or thyme. According to the Internet, this recipe originated in Zuni cafe in San Francisco. I wish to go there in order to taste the original as soon as I can, but until then I will only use their know-how at home. 
There are some requirements to follow if you want to obtain a tasty chicken with a really crisp skin:

• Pat dry chicken very well after rinsing - the wet skin will make it steam into the oven and this will make the skin soft.
• Salt chicken a day or two in advance - this will 'lock' the moisture inside and will improve the taste (I never have the patience to obey this requirement and the chicken is also perfect, so you can skip this step). 
• Choose your favorite herb - rosemary, thyme or salvia and slip some sprigs under the skin of the chicken. This will provide it with lots of flavor. 
• Do not use any oil or butter for roasting the chicken - its own fat will do the things.
• Preheat the skillet into the oven very good, so to allow the chicken to sizzle when you put it into the skillet. This will prevent the skin from sticking to the pan.
• Put the chicken breast side up first.

Salmon carpaccio with cold-infused hot pepper oil

Fresh salmon. Really fresh. It doesn't need freezing, which enables the thinely cutting - you can feel the taste of the fish far better if it is cut in 1/8 inch (0.3 cm) slices. Just an hour in a fridge, some cold-infused hot pepper oil, some capers for a salty-bitter taste and some fresh lemon juice. And a slice of bread. Enough for a healthy breakfast, lunch or dinner. That is the way I like it.

Panzanella - Italian bread salad

Do you know what cucina povera means? It is an Italian term for the poor man's food. 
But nothing offensive. Peasant cooking means take the best from the ingredients you have on hand. Fresh ripe vegetables. Cheap cuts of meat and offals. Stale bread. The meaning is  cheap ingredients or ingredients you anyway have at home, simple recipe, rich taste.
In fact, bread and olive oil are two of the fundamental ingredients of Tuscan cookery and stale bread should not be wasted. So, Panzanella is a way to use a day-old bread. Roast or pan-fry the bread. Chop some ripe, but firm tomatoes. Add dressing and some more ingredients and you've got the summer taste in your plate, even if it is late spring outside. Bread soaks up all the juices from the vegetables and dressing and melts in mouth. Most of the recipes call for fresh basil as an ingredient, but I prefer to skip it in my version. I also substitute hot green peppers for the sweet ones used in the original. 

Garlic Knots: green for my eyes and soul

Kissing is important part of life. So is garlic. But they both are not compatible. Along with onion and cigarettes, I find garlic one of the worst kiss-enemies. That is why it is a good idea to decide what is more important on a certain day. I usually prefer kissing, that is why despite loving the pungent taste of garlic I serve it rarely on my table. But there are some days and some recipes I could not resist. On such days I prepare my favorite garlic knots. Since the day I saw the recipe here, I was sure they were worth it. And they did not disappoint me a bit. Of course you can omit the garlic part of the coating and pour only hot butter and parsley. I tried it, but it is not the same. 

The best chocolate muffins

I spent some time recently to try different chocolate muffin recipes. Main requirements to the chocolate muffin - it should be soft, it should have a lot of butter as an ingredient, I want to feel the chocolate with all my senses. This is the first recipe which meets the criteria - that's why I call these muffins the best chocolate muffins. Yes, I know, tastes differ, but believe me, it is a good and easy recipe. Two little tips: Take care not to overmix the batter; use a flexible spatula to gently fold ingredients together. Take care also not to overbake the muffins - they should remain soft in the middle. 

Scrambled Eggs with Pepper, Feta and Tomatoes (Mishmush)

I used to think, scrambled eggs with peppers, Feta cheese and tomatoes is strictly Bulgarian dish. Called Mish-mush in Bulgaria, which means 'mixture', it is an easy to prepare dish, which is good for a light lunch or a quick dinner. As with many other dishes I tried to google a description of the ingredients only to be sure that this is a Bulgarian national cuisine dish. And that is what I found:
Menemen is a Turkish dish, served for breakfast. It is a fresh tasting combination of vegetables - peppers, onion and tomatoes and simple spices (salt and pepper) with scrambled eggs. 

Shakshouka is a beloved part of the Israeli cuisine, which came from the Lybian and Tuinisian cuisines.
Different names, nearly same ingredients and taste. Obviously, this is a dish, which traces back its roots to ancient Ottoman empire centuries ago. Anyway, I still accept it as a Bulgarian national cuisine dish. Prepared in a cast iron pan, it is served with lots of fluffy bread to mop up the sauce. My Granny prepared it with roasted and peeled peppers, I prefer it with fresh ones, most of them hot peppers. To bold the spiciness I even serve it with some red hot peppers flakes sprinkled above. You can omit the onion and the hot peppers if you don't like it to be too spicy or if you serve it for breakfast. 

No bake chocolate cake with walnuts and green figs

My Mom has a birthday today. Yesterday I decided to surprise her preparing a little birthday cake. And as you probably know, I am an obsessive chocolate eater. I always have a bar of chocolate in my office. And in my purse. And I also have a whole drawer full of different kinds of chocolate at home. My Mom is not such an addicted chocoholic, but she is definitely a passionate chocolate lover. So, my wondering what to prepare for my Mom's birthday lasted no more than five minutes. Something with lots of chocolate, with chocolate as the only ingredient if possible, but I highly doubt that there is such recipe. So the closest to this idea was something with only two ingredients - chocolate and heavy cream. No bake chocolate cake recipe I saw here made me want to try it immediately. After thinking five more minutes, I decided to add something from me - a nut layer, prepared from freshly roasted walnuts or almonds, mixed with sweet green figs. No sooner said than done. I took some walnuts, roasted and chopped them and mixed them with some preserved figs, also chopped. I lined a pan with this sticky mixture, pressed it good with my fingers and poured the chocolate-cream mixture over it. One night in the fridge and today-taraam! - here is your cake, Mom! Happy birthday! I love you so much!

P.S. We tasted the cake already. Mom says this is the best sweet thing she has ever tried. Melting chocolate pleasure accompanied by a crunchy nutty taste. 
I totally agree - this is a must-try recipe.

Chocolate mousse

Chocolate mousse should be perfect. It is one of those sweet treats which are supposed to make you say "Mmmmm!" when savouring it. Chocolate mousse lovers know - this is not something you eat when you lack of time, it needs proper attitude. It could bring a sexy end to an intimate dinner or be the perfect beginning of the weekend day served with a cup of coffee. So the recipe for chocolate mousse has to be perfect, the mousse should fill the mouth with creaminess and the mind with airy dreams.

I've wanted to make chocolate mousse since months, but just in principle. I had no idea which ingredients would make the best recipe. And one day I saw a recipe here and decision was taken.  A lot of heavy cream? OK, I agree.  Mascarpone instead of eggs? Well, this is my dessert. Luscious and fluffy, it is so good, that I think it should be served straight, no need of additional cream or fruit above. 

Chocolate biscuit cake and the joy to have a grown-up daughter

Do you know how Violet made my weekend sweet and nice? With a sweet surprise - she prepared chocolate biscuit cakes we both enjoyed both weekend-mornings with our coffees. It is soo good to have a grown-up daughter - she is like a good friend to me, she understands my feelings, my monthly mood swings, she is a good shopping adviser. And also a great kitchen girl. 
This is the source she used for preparing the cake (called in Bulgarian sweet salami because of its shape).
So I had my first piece of chocolate biscuit cake as a surprise on Saturday morning and there is no sweet salami home yet. And I should admit, men at home don't like such treats. But we both shared two cakes with lots of coffee cups, without blaming ourselfs. This sweet salami is rich, very rich, but it is so tasty. And who cares about calories if they give you such satisfaction.
Violet has a birthday today - she is getting sixteen. 

Happy Sweet sixteen, V. I am so happy to have you in my life. Love you so much.

Grilled asparagus

We are orthodox Christians in our family and we do not have the tradition to celebrate Saint Valentine's day. But I think, some romance is good for every couple and this is a good opportunity to celebrate love. So I wanted to serve for dinner something light and easy to prepare, but it was supposed to bring festive touches to the table. 

Asparagus. Simply grilled. With a smoky flavour and crispy texture. Just with a soft boiled egg and some Parma ham for everybody. Really good idea. Well, outside is - 20° Celsius, so it had to be indoor grilling. My grill pan is good enough to give the foods grillmarks we love, so in less than 10 minutes I was ready. 
We wanted to enhance the joy and used our fingers instead of silverware. 
A good beginning of a long night. 

Flourless chocolate cake

About 10 days ago I had a birthday and, predictably, I prepared a cake with lots of chocolate included. Every day is chocolate day for me, but, of course, there had to be a lot of it for my special occasion. It has intense chocolate flavour and smooth buttery texture. I will keep on searching for the best chocolate-including recipe, but this recipe is close to perfection. 

Ingredients:

For the cake:

• 300 g dark chocolate, chopped
• 200 g unsalted butter, cut into chunks
• 6 eggs, separated
• 1 cup sugar

For the ganache:

• 100 g heavy cream
• 200 g bitter sweet chocolate
• 40 g butter
• 3 Tbsp sugar

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 190°C (370°F) . Butter the bottom of a 20-cm pan. Set aside. 

Cut chocolate into small pieces to enable it to melt quickly and evenly. Put into a small metal bowl, add the butter, cut also into small pieces and melt together in a double broiler, stirring occasionally until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Remove bowl from heat and let the mixture cool for 5-10 minutes. 
Beat the egg yolks, adding slowly 1/2 cup of the sugar until mixture triples in volume. 
Add the melted chocolate. Whisk the egg whites in a clean bowl with clean beaters, adding slowly the second 1/2 cup of sugar. Beat until the egg whites get thick and white. Add slowly egg whites to the chocolate mixture and spoon into the battered pan. Bake for 30-40 minutes and let cool for 15 minutes before inverting it onto a plate. 
Prepare the ganache. Heat the heavy cream on medium heat and add the chopped chocolateq butter and sugar. Stir to incorporate well. Let the mixture cool for 15 minutes and spread over the cake. Sprinkle with chopped walnuts or a colorful decoration. 
This cake tastes better one day after prepared.

Chicken soup for my body and soul

It is not enough to say I don't like winter, I really hate it. 

And I have my good reasons for that. There is a lot of snow outside, streets are slippery, people wear at least 5 kg of clothes, which makes them look heavy and clumsy. 
There are so many restrictions in winter. For instance - it is not a good idea to talk in the street (the cold wind will cause you a soar throat), to walk fast or run (you will fall onto the ice), to wear your new boots, produced again in a country where people haven't seen snow for years (of course, the boots are elegant, but they let in water, have no lining and their smooth soles makes you more unsure than while figure skating). 

But these are only the weather/fashion limits of winter. For me the main problem with it is the drop in my immune system. I don't know why I am so hospitable to all the viruses and bacilli all around, but every winter I have my bad days, when I take lots of pills and there are piles of used handkerchiefs around me. The last ten days were that kind. I took a sick-leave, but instead of using this opportunity to cook or shoot I could only keep the bed grumbling everything was unfair. 

What helps me to recover when I feel so low? A cup of chicken soup. Hot, comforting, restoring health. 
One of the simple things of life, which create miracles with the way I feel. Here is my recipe.

Sunny end of 2011

I spent the last few days of 2011 in Cyprus, laying in the sun, enjoying the non-typical for New Year 20°C. If I look back at the last year, I should admit, it was not very easy for me. But the most important thing which happened to me was the launching of my blog. I know, it will sound very surprising in today's digital world, but it was only a year ago when I saw the first food blogs. I immediately knew that it was what I wanted to do. After wasting some time being nervous about my delay, I jumped into this new world and it became a significant part of my everyday's life.  

Yesterday I took part in the first quiz- solving in my life and I won. The mojito above was the reward for the winner. But the most important thing - it was a quiz about exotic fruis, so food is and should be a huge part in my life. And I am on the right track. I knew it.

Happy New Year! 

11 wishes on 11/11/11

Yes, I am supersticious. I believe in all the signs we see around us, which are answer of our questions, in "coincidences" we experience so often, in people's faith, in wishes come true. 

My children like to throw stones in the sea making wishes.
I will do the same today, even virtually. So I wish: 

1. Health for all my beloved ones and for me. I hope we will be long time together;
2. To improve the quality of life of my beloved ones the way I can - by playing, learning and growing with them; 
3. To find my place in the huge world;
4. To find my own balance and to keep the harmony in my soul;
5. To have the ability to read signs around me to show me when I am on the right way;
6. To interact with colorful people who share my interests, to meet new people, who will influence my life in a positive way; 
7. To have many reasons to smile every day and to enjoy the pleasure of every single moment;
8. To slow down the stream of my thoughts, to calm down and to learn how to wait;
9. To see new places I haven't been before;
10. To trust in me more;
11. To remain myself, no matter how high the burdens are.

Farewell to Summer

Yesterday was the last day of summer.

Every year autumn decides to come at a different time in my country and it is never follows strictly the autumnal equinox. September and October here are usually months with uncertain weather and many rainy days. And in spite of the fact that the beginning of winter lies two months ahead, people take the jackets out of the wardrobe at the middle of September and put them back in May.

This year was a sweet exception – September was warm and sunny and so was the first week of October. Temperatures varied around 25-28 degrees Celsius and people were thankful for every single day of the prolonged summer.

In my opinion, autumn exists only as a more acceptable transition from the carefree summer days to the dark cold winter, kind of an adaptation to what is going to come.