I have a dream that is to open a bookstore with a cozy cafe next to it. Of course I will not be rich enough to hire a cook so I am trying to become one myself. I am not the best cook out here but I love to cook, especially for parties with a couple of good friends. I like making desserts more than formal meals but I can do both. Here are some of my favorite (and party-approved) recipes. They are all very tasty and simple. Give them a try and I'm sure you'll love it! (I have written down the occasions when the recipe was first "brought to life"!)
Bruschetta is a simple, easy yet popular and much-loved Italian appetizer. It is supposed to be a local specialty of Florence but I didn't have a chance to try it while I was there (I traveled the cheap way). I regretted it very much so I decided to make it myself at our Cactus Party. I obtained this recipe from www.foodtv.com.
1 loaf of French bread, sliced
(12 pieces)
2 large cloves garlic, cracked away from skin
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
3 small plum tomatoes, halved and seeded
20 fresh basil leaves
Coarse salt
Preheat the broiler to hot. Char the bread on each side with the oven door open. Keep an eye on the bread or you will get it the Torsten style. Rub toasts with cracked garlic and drizzle with oil. Remove seeds from tomatoes, chop them and place in a small bowl. Pile basil leaves on top of one another and roll into a log. Thinly slice basil into green confetti and loosely combine with tomatoes. Add a drizzle of oil and a little coarse salt to the bowl and gently toss tomatoes and basil to coat. Pile toasts around the bowl of topping. Place a spoon to scoop topping in bowl and serve.
I have always loved this simple appetizer. Juicy melone and salty proscuitto mingle in your mouth to give an unforgetable sensation. Be sure to choose a fully ripe melone. The juicier and the sweeter the better! I made this appetizer also at our Cactus Party to give a fully Italian kick-off!
1 melone
2 packs of proscuitto
Cut melone and slice proscuitto into desirable sizes. Wrap proscuitto around the melone. Chill and serve.
I admit I am not super crazy about learning Danish but that does not mean I am not interested in Danish culture. For example, I have tried this very traditional Danish autumn dish, "Burning Love". It is very simple and delicioius but too bad it's just some grandma's good old recipe rather than a very romantic "dinner for two" as I had imaged. Well, but it's a good dish with grandma's burning love. :-) (Recipe from "A Taste of Denmark'" by Hanne Bloch)
1 1/2 kg potatoes
3 dl mile
30-50 g butter
salt and white pepper
1 kg lightly salted lean pork
3 medium onions
a bunch of parsley
Peel the potatoes and boil them in unsalted water. Cut the pork into small cubes and fry until golden and crispy. Peel and slice the onions. Fry them on the same pan in the remaining fat. Mash the potatoes and beat in the milk and butter until fluffy. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Heap the mashed potatoes on a hot serving platter and top with the pork cubes and onion. Sprinkle with chopped parsley before serving.
This cake was also for the Cactus Party but I made it one day earlier and shared some of it with Celine, Torsten, Jakob, Peter and Bille before we went to the Halloween Party at the Danish Pharmacy School. This labour-intensive, wrist-breaking cake was surprisingly delicious and it tasted equally wonderful the next day. This is definitely going to be on the menu when I open a cafe one day. :-) I got the recipe from Jakob from my kitchen.
4 eggs
1/2 tbs salt
3 dl sugar
2 tbs Bagepulver
2 dl oil
1 tbs Natron
4 1/2 dl flour (wheat)
2 tbs cinnamon
1 tbs vanilla sugar
4 (or 400g) carrots (shredded)
walnuts (chopped)
apricot (chopped)
I first tasted this wonderful desert at my kitchen when my dormmate, Mette, made it. I can't describe how wonderful is the smell of warm coconut tart in the air. It simply makes people happy. I first made it for the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival Gathering, but had made it for my classmates and cactus partners as well. Eat them warm. That's when coconut is the happiest. :-0
50g butter
2 whole eggs
160g sugar
1 package (or 200g) of coconut meat
1 tbs flour
some melted chocolate
Mix eggs and sugar. Add in butter and mix well. Blend in coconut meat and flour. Bake at 200-degree C for 8-10 minutes. Top with melted chocolate. Serve warm and smile!
