Creamy Hot Chocolate - MERRY CHRISTMAS

Do You Want To Build A Snowman? =)

I have seen this picture on pinterest and thought it so cute. I also was able to use my currently favorite Minnie Mouse cup which has exactly the right size for it. You can use any kind of winter drink that would taste good with marshmallows, but make sure that the cup is not too small and that the drink is a little creamy so that the snowman will not sink :)

Ingredients

• 0.3 l milk
• 0.1 l vanilla milk
• 0.25 heavy cream
• 1.5 tbsp nesquick hot chocolate powder
• 1 tbsp chocolate flakes
• 3 large marshmallows (or a few more to try out)
• 4 pretzel sticks (as arms/legs)
• 1 candy corn or sour worm (or similar for the nose)
• chocolate sauce (or nutella to paint the face)

Prepare:

1.  Prepare the snowman before you heat up the milk as it takes some time. Use one pretzel stick to join two big marshmallows (the body). Then stick to short pretzel sticks in the bottom part of the body as legs, and two short sticks on the side of the top body part as arms. Paint three little spots on the body with the chocolate sauce or nutella as buttons of the snowman. Then prepare the head. Stick the candy corn or similar in the marshmallow head and paint two eyes and a mouth with the chocolate sauce.
2. Pour the milk and vanilla milk in a large cup. Add the chocolate poweder to the milk mix and stir. heat up in the microwave for 2 minutes, but don't boil. Whip the cream till stiff. Fold it under the warm milk. The cream will make the surface of the drink stiffer, so that the snowman will swim on it and not sink. Sprinkle with chocolate flakes. 
3. Now, carefully place the body of the snowman in the milk. Add the head so, that it rests on the edge of the cup. Enjoy :)

 

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Vegetarian Gumbo - It's Okra Time

I once had the pleasure to experience Louisana's authentic Creole cuisine. It is supposed to be a blend of different influences such as French, African, Spanish and more. For me, the food is just unique and delicious - jambalayas, gumbos, crawfish, dirty rice and beans, etc. Back in Portland we had this one restaurant, the Montage, that also offered Creole and Cajun cuisine. I really liked this place because, first, they offered vegetarian jambalayas and gumbos which is pretty rare as the original dishes always have some andouille sausage or shell fish in it, and second, they wrapped the leftovers in tin foil and formed cute little arrangements such as swans, giraffes, and even more manly ones such as swords.

Of course, at some point, it was time for me to try to cook my own Gumbo. As I am not a big fan of andouille sausage or shell fish, the common ingredients of a gumbo, I made it vegetarian with lots of different kinds of peppers, celery, red beans and okras :) You can use any kind of peppers, but be careful to make it not too spicy. Peppers I have already used include fresh bell pepper, pablano pepper, serrano pepper, cayenne peppers, jalapenos just to name a few.

Ingredients:

• 5-7 tbsp oil
• 1/4-1/3 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp liquid smoke
•  2 cloves garlic - minced
• 1 onion - diced
• 1 green bell pepper - chopped
• 1/2 red bell pepper - chopped
• 1 stalk celery - sliced
• 2 small peppers (e.g. serrano peppers) - sliced
• 1 pablano pepper - chopped
• 1/4 cup sliced jalapenos
• 4 tbsp fresh parsley - minced
• 2 - 2 1/2 cups white wine
• 3 cups vegetable stock
• 1-2 cups okra
• 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 2 cans red kidney beans
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1 tsp salt
• black pepper and cayenne pepper (to taste)

 Serve with:

• rice
• corn bread

Preparation:

Note: This is no fast dish! Preparing the roux takes some time and afterwards, the gumbo needs to cook for an hour.

1. Prepare the Roux - The roux is a mix of fat and oil and is used to thicken sauces. For my gumbo, it is the base and gives it its flavor. You can create a roux very fast, but you can also prepare it slowly and it can take forever. I am honestly not sure which way is better, but you need to be careful not to burn it if you go fast... Add the oil and flour to a pot and slowly heat it up on medium/low heat. Stir. It should not be too liquid or too dry and crumby. When you stir the mix, it should create ridges that slowly melt away. Add flour or oil if needed to create such a consistency. Keep stirring the mixture till it turns slightly brown. Do not burn it, be patient. It is ready when it is milk chocolate brown. 
2. Add the paprika seasoning and stir. Then, add the liquid smoke, garlic, onion, bell peppers, celery, the rest of the peppers (serrano, paplano, jalapenos, etc.) and the parsley. Stir everything. Cook till the onions turn slightly translucent. 
3. Now, add the white wine and vegetable stock and mix everything till the roux is completely dissolved. The soup will look brownish from the roux. Add the okras, this will thicken the soup even more. Add the red wine vinegar, kideny beans, diced tomatoes.  Stir everything.
4. Bring to a boil and let cook for about 1 hour. Season with salt, pepper and cayenne pepper to taste. Serve with rice and corn bread.

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An African Experience at Berlin's Massai

A while back we were craving Ethopian food and were looking for such a restaurant here in Berlin. One of the most known African restaurants in Berlin's Prenzlauer Berg district is the restaurant Massai. It offers regional specialties from Ethopia and Eritrea. It is a little pricy, but it also is a nice experience with the cute decoration of the interior, little things like African style napkins, menus, candle holder and also, the African style costumes of the staff.

We went all in, having a little nice dinner in honor of my friend's belated birthday. They had cute alcoholic and non-alcoholic cocktails. We also ordered a huge starter plate. And while my friends ordered the regional main dishes (Mafé Poulet from Mali and Abessinia from Ethopia and Eritrea), I had to go with the Cous Cous dish. If you know me, you know how much I like my Cous Cous (of course, my Mom's Cous Cous is unbeatable).

It was a very nice evening and defenitely a fun experience. However, if you judge the food, it did not taste very authentic. Don't get me wrong, the food tasted good, but it was nothing special, rather German like. I believe at this place you pay for the entire experience and not just the food. It is a nice place to show friends that are visiting.

What we ordered:

• Jambo Africa Vegetarian Starter Plate: Mango salad, lentils, fried plantain, Kenyan green bean salad, sweet potato skewers with berbere sauce, dumblings in coconut-pepper sauce
• Cous Cous Milboga: Cous Cous with vegetables, chickpeas, figs in safran sauce with a Harira Soup
• Abessinia: Lamb cubes, black-eyed peas and lentils in tomato-coconut sauce, wild spinach with peanut sauce
• Mafé Poulet: Chicken and lamb in peanut sauce with Kenyan beans and black-eyed peas

HAPPY THANKSGIVING Y'ALL

We celebrated Thanksgiving a little early this year, the weekend before. It was - as always - a lot of cooking but also a lot of fun :)

On this year's menu:

• A rolled up stuffed Turkey breast!
• UK style Chestnut Stuffing (as stuffing dumplings)
• Delicious Homemade Dark Gravy with roasted onions and carrots
• Homemade Dinner Rolls
• Herbed Mashed Potatoes with Bacon
• Holiday Peas
• Roasted Butternut Squash and Brussel Sprouts
• Homemade Cranberry and Apple Sauce
• Sweet Potatoe Casserole with Marshmallows
• Pumpkin Cheesecake

Dinner Rolls

Stuffing on a butterflied Turkey breast

Stuffed Turkey Breast

Leftover Chestnut Stuffing UK Style - as dumblings

Making Cranberry Sauce with Apple

Roasted Butternut Squash and Brussel Sprouts

Scrumptious Mashed Potatoes

Holiday Peas

Sweet Potatoe Casserole with Marshmallows

And - wait for it - PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE!! Delicious!!

Holiday Peas

The first Thanksgiving that I celebrated in the US was a big deal. We even had this little magazine "Taste of Home - Best Holiday Recipes" from which we prepared quite a few dishes. It also had a section of Thanksgiving breakfast and brunch dishes. We started our Thanksgiving cooking session with an oatmeal casserole ("Fruity Baked Oatmeal") to tie us over while we were roasting the turkey. It ended up being a loooong day.... But that's Thanksgiving :)

Other dishes we prepared that day included the "Corny Chocolate Crunch" appetizer which tasted even better the next day, especially with extra added salted pretzles. Also, we made a "Mock Eggnog" and a "Crunchy Pomegranate Salad". I finally learned the right way of opening a pomegranate, soaking the open pomegranate in water for 5 minutes makes it easier to get the seeds out :)

We also made these delicious "Holiday Peas". This year, my friends and I recreated them. It is a very simple recipe but it spices up the regular pea dish :) I discovered that baking the peas and crackers in the oven a little even increases the flavor.

Ingredients:

• 16 oz (450g) frozen peas
• 1-2 tsp salt (to taste)
• 1/2 cup (80g) crackers
• 1-2 tsp parmesan cheese - grated
• 1 Tbsp (15g) butter - melted

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius).

1. Add peas to a medium pan, sprinkle with salt. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Simmer by reduced heat and covered with a lid for about 5 minutes. Drain. Add to a casserole dish.
2. Finely chop the crackers. Use wheat crackers. If you like more flavor, any kind of herbed crackers are delicious as well. Mix the crackers with the parmesan cheese and melted butter. Scatter around the peas.
3. Bake peas with cracker mix in the oven for about 5 minutes till crackers are slightly toasted. Be careful not to burn the crackers. 

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Pumpkin Cheesecake for Thanksgiving

This year, I had the opportunity to try a pumpkin cheesecake instead of the normal pumpkin pie. My friends are used to making it for Thanksgiving and I thought this is a nice chance to try something new. I did not know what to expect, but it was delicious! I am definitely sold on it as a new tradition :) Good mix of sweetness and cream cheese/sour cream filling. This recipe is a version of Paula Deen's 2007 recipe used for the FoodNetwok.

Ingredients:

Crust:

• 1 3/4 cups (285g) graham cracker crumbs (or similar)
• 3 Tbsp brown sugar (or a little more ;)
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 stick (115g) butter - melted

Filling:

• 3x8 oz (3x225g) cream cheese
• 1 (15 oz) can pumpkin purée
• 3 eggs 
• 1 egg yolk
• 1/4 cup (55g) sour cream
• 1 1/2 cups (300g) sugar
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp ground cloves
• 2 Tbsp flour
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Fahrenheit)

1. Prepare the crust: Break the graham crackers to crumbs. In a bowl, mix the crumbs, sugar, cinnamon and melted butter. Now, spoon the mix into the cake pan and press it smoothly to the form.
2. Prepare the filling: Add the cream cheese to a big bowl and beat it till smooth. Add the pumpkin purée, eggs, egg yolk, sour cream, sugar, spices, flour and vanilla. If you do  not have ground nutmeg or cloves, you can also use 1 tsp of pumpkin pie spice. Mix till everything is combined. 
3. Bake the pie: Pour the filling into the crusted form. Bake for 1 hour. It is ready when you prick it with a fork till and it comes out clean. Let the pie cool down for 15 minutes, then cover it and refrigerate for a few hours. It is easier to cut when refrigerated. 

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