Powered By Blogger

July 29, 2009

great summer reads & delicious cold soups

1. the secret life of lobsters by trevor corson



yes, this is a book about lobsters. and its one of the best books i have ever read. in an intriguing yet scientific manner, corson invites us into the magical and hidden away world of crustaceans. he tells about their flirting, love making, and everyday life. next time you are enjoying a freshly grilled lobster, you will definetely see it with a different set of eyes.

1. the story of sushi by trevor corson



i haven´t actually read this book, but its written by the same author as "the secret life of lobsters", so it surely is a highly entertaining and quality read.

3. salt, a world history by mark kurlansky



this books tells us about the culture, economy, and history of something as basic as salt. not exactly a quick or easy read, but for someone who loves history and books like "collapse" packed with interesting facts, this will make a great book.

4. kitchen confidential by anthony bourdain



if you ever wanted to know what happens behind the closed doors of new york gourmet restaurants, this is your book. bourdains´s vivid and rough account of drug use, glamour, strange kitchen characters is a real page turner.

5. the omnivore´s dilemma by michael pollan



6. fast food nation by eric schlossberger



if you want to stop yourself from ever entering a burger kind or mcdonalds again, read this book. schlossberger takes us from meat factories where immigrants struggle to make a daily living and avoid getting their hands chopped off to the hamburger grills at fast food restaurants. although you end up with disgust, this is a really entertaining book, and makes you think twice before touching fast food again.

7. eat, pray, love by elizabeth gilbert




cold avocado cilantro soup



ingredients:

4 ripe avocados
1 l cold vegetable or chicken stock
juice of half a lime
dash of olive oil
dash of tabasco
1 dl sour cream
salt & pepper
handful of cilantro
50 g smoked salmon, finely cut (optional)

how to make it:

using a mixer or food processor, add the lime juice, the olive oil, the tabasco, and the 3 avocados to the stock, dice the fourth avocado and set aside. blend well. add the sour cream, and season with salt & pepper. chill at least 1 h in fridge. just before serving, divide into transparent glasses or bowls, add a handful of diced avocado and a little smoked salmon to each glass and sprinkle with cilantro.

chilled watermelon tomato soup with feta cheese



ingredients:

3-4 cups of watermelon, cubed
2 tomatoes
juice of half a lime
dash of olive oil
1 tablespoon vinegar
2
tablespoons crumbled feta
handful of mint leaves
walnuts, chopped

how to make it:

using a mixer or food processor, blend the watermelon, tomatoes, lemon juice, vinegar and oil until smooth. Chill for a couple of hours in the fridge. Before serving, divide the soup among bowls and top with feta, mint, and walnuts.

for another great summer soup check out the cold ginger carrot soup at bigoven!

Cold Ginger-Carrot Souplink to the recipe




July 28, 2009

on chocolate

FoodBlogBlog

amazing chocolate bars

recently, i had to do a marketing assignment on chocolate... how lucky can you be? during hours of tasting and researching i came across a few amazing and affordable chocolate bars, some of them organic, some fair trade, and some with really nice packaging.

by the way, did you know that a normal serving of dark high quality chocolate has the same amount of anti-oxidants as a large bite of broccoli...? so, put that on top of some happy making endorphins which chocolate eating releases, and you have more than enough reasons to be munching on a bar of chocolate... guilt free!

some brands might still be hard to come across in Europe, but almost all are available through online gourmet stores.

here is my top 5:

1. newtree
newtree is a relatively new belgian chocolate producer that combines the rich chocolatier tradition with the know how of modern nutritionists. the result is a match made in heaven: small chocolate bars with names like sexy, refresh, tranquility, and forgiveness. one bar of sexy provides the same energizing effects as three cups of coffee! and it works ; )



2. green & blacks
the world´s first ethically sourced, organic chocolate, bought by chocolate giant cadbury in 2005. there are more than 15 different flavors to choose from, and the company has even started making chocolate ice-cream (mmm...)

3. divine
fair trade chocolate at its best: 100% ghanan chocolate wrapped in modern delightful packaging. from the visionary idea of a cocoa farmer from ghana, initiatives from ngos, and the body shop, divine has become an award winning chocolate brand. even after gaining wordwide recognition, the kuapa kokoo farmers cooperative remain divine´s largest shareholder.



4. chocolove
this American chocolate producer has really found its niche: gorgeous packaging, innovative flavors, single origin, and vintage reserve limited edition chocolate bars. the taspberry chocolate and chillies & cherries chocolate bars will make your mouth water!







5. dagoba

launched in 2001 by a 30-year-old chef passionate about chocolate, dagoba uses only organic ingredients directly sourced directly from cocoa farmer´s plantations. its packaging is original and earthy, reminiscent of nature´s ocher tones. flavors include chai tea and hemp, pumpkin & sunflower seeds.

orange bittersweet chocolate mousse



ingredients:

140 g of high quality dark chocolate
4 egg yolks
4 tablespoons of cocoa powder
2 teaspoons of orange peel
200 ml whipped cream
4 oranges, peeled and cut in thin slices (optional)

how to make it:

melt the chocolate, add the egg yolks, one by one, mixing thoroughly. add the cocoa powder, the orange peel, and the whipped cream. mix well and let cool in the fridge. just before serving, arrange a bed of orange slices on a small plate, and add a large spoonful of chocolate mousse.