Kitchen Mother is a blog where culinary recipes media sharing both within and outside the country, both traditional and modern. Kitchen Mother is an event mouthpiece and strap silaturrahmi for foodies and culinary creator itself. Not evasive kitchen Mother is a discussion which will create new culinary creations later. Hopefully blog Kitchen Mother culinary creations add to the diversity in the country.
Laman
Saturday, November 30, 2013
palm springs trip
Ken and the little boys and I took a little Palm Springs trip before Thanksgiving. What a great time to visit Palm Springs! We usually visit in the summer when it is hot. The desert was gorgeous in cooler temps, though. Much less threatening. I felt that I could notice the beauty so much more this time (although it's fun visiting in the heat too--I like both).
We got a Travel Zoo "deal" on a fancy resort. I'd always thought we can't affort Palm Springs in the fall or winter at all because the prices are so much higher, but the Travel Zoo deal made it possible. My dad happened to point it out to me and on an impulse I booked the trip. I'm so glad we did! It was so much fun. In addition to swimming and water-sliding and lazy river-ing at the hotel, we went to a fun children's museum and also rode the Palm Springs aerial tramway up to Mount San Jacinto to the snow. That aerial tramway is pure magic. I highly recommend it.
Trip details:
The resort we stayed at is this one. We're dying to go back next year--I hope they run the special again.
Palm Springs Aerial Tramway
Children's Museum in Rancho Mirage. This museum was gorgeous and so wonderfully open, airy, and uncrowded.
Cabazon Dinosaurs--it's kind of cheesy but the boys loved it. I'm glad we stopped.
The trip did not go entirely smoothly--Rainer woke up after midnight the first night with bad vomiting and gastrointestinal issues. We lost half a day to that, but miraculously he was able to be up and about by afternoon and enjoyed the museum. Obviously we were furiously handwashing the rest of the trip.
I'm so happy we had some true vacation time together. Now the holidays are coming fast and furious. I'm hoping to be super organized this year and keep things extremely simple.
In the Pink
If I were to catalogue things that are completely useless (and wouldn't that be a completely useless exercise?!) at the top of the list: the last 6 months on your passport.
So, yesterday while I should have been creating something delicious in my kitchen to share with you, I was at Home Affairs renewing my passport (which expires in July!) instead. Oh, well. At least it's now done for anotherten 9.5 years!
But I'll have to share some colour theory with you instead of a new recipe. Ok?
These were the colours I was working with in the "Cake and Cupcakes" cookie class, and I absolutely loved the colour scheme - but it took a bit of finessing to get it just right:
Pink, teal, white and brown.
Here's Teal vs.Turquoise:
(Americolor / Cake Flora gel colours).
Both are gorgeous colours; the teal is just a tinge more green.
But not the tinge of green I wanted. So, I created another teal using turquoise and a drop (yes, that small) of mint green.
Deep Pink on the left - cool (blue) undertone. Soft Pink on the right - warm (yellow) undertone.
It's really helpful to figure that out because - as a rule of thumb - sticking to colours with the same undertone (warm or cool, not both) in a project leads to a harmonious visual effect.
(And oh, how I love a harmonious visual effect!)
Boldly mixing cool and warm palettes can create an off-beat effect.
And using a predominance of one with contrasts of the other can create both interest and balance.
Happy Creating!
xxM
So, yesterday while I should have been creating something delicious in my kitchen to share with you, I was at Home Affairs renewing my passport (which expires in July!) instead. Oh, well. At least it's now done for another
But I'll have to share some colour theory with you instead of a new recipe. Ok?
These were the colours I was working with in the "Cake and Cupcakes" cookie class, and I absolutely loved the colour scheme - but it took a bit of finessing to get it just right:
Pink, teal, white and brown.
Here's Teal vs.Turquoise:
(Americolor / Cake Flora gel colours).
Both are gorgeous colours; the teal is just a tinge more green.
But not the tinge of green I wanted. So, I created another teal using turquoise and a drop (yes, that small) of mint green.
And as for the pinks -
Here's Deep Pink vs. Soft Pink:
It's really helpful to figure that out because - as a rule of thumb - sticking to colours with the same undertone (warm or cool, not both) in a project leads to a harmonious visual effect.
(And oh, how I love a harmonious visual effect!)
Boldly mixing cool and warm palettes can create an off-beat effect.
Just a little something to bear in mind if colour choices are stumping you : )
Happy Creating!
xxM
Thursday, November 28, 2013
thankful
Sorry to be gone for so long. Lately, blogging falls to the absolute bottom of my priority list. But I wanted to acknowledge Thanksgiving today and take a moment to be thankful! Do you guys keep a thankfulness journal? I was doing it for a little while last year, and I want to get back to it. It feels good. Also, I guess studies have shown that it does good things for you--maybe reduces stress--which I could certainly use. So I think I'm going to start that up again, for a few minutes a day.
What are you up to today? We are going to my parents this afternoon for dinner and this morning I am cooking. I'm making two pies, sweet potato casserole, and green bean casserole.
Today I am feeling thankful for
:: my loved ones! Ken, the boys, my grown up children, my parents, my friends. Hooray for human connection and love. It is the most important thing in life and I am SO grateful for my people.
:: medical insurance. We have put ours through a workout this year--lots of medical stuff I haven't blogged about. I am SO grateful for our good insurance.
:: health.
:: my job. I'm so lucky to have a good job and work with good people and be at my present school site.
:: having money to pay the bills.
:: sweet little boy cuddles. I'm so lucky to get these every day!
:: living where we live. For the longest time I resisted Southern California. Now I see how lucky we are to live here.
:: all our little day trips and longer adventures. We just got back from a mini-vacation to Palm Springs--Ken, me, and the little boys. So fun! We have so many adventures and so much beauty right outside our back door--I love this.
:: morning coffee, my commute, daily rituals, Tuesday night pizza, date night with Ken, movies, the internet, electronic gadgets, books, vitamins, clothes and shoes and makeup and jewelery, green grass and trees, water, podcasts, science and figuring things out, crayons and coloring with the kids, Frog Juice and other games, folding laundry and watching old Nigella episodes, the beach, little boys reading on the couch, Facetime, cookbooks, pretty photography, seasons, weather, rain (rare here), cupcakes, Saturday morning yoga class, pool membership, and a lot more I'm not thinking of here.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Wednesday, November 27, 2013
Amarula Chocolate Torte
Ok, so I made my own birthday cake. Who else was going to do it? My husband's kitchen skills don't stretch to chocolate cakes. Or any cakes. Or anything much besides steak and washing dishes - both of which he does really well, though!! (Don't worry - he'll never read this).
So, buy a cake? Uh, no.
And you know what - it's my party, I can bake if I want to : )
{torte (tôrt, tôrt) n.
A rich cake made with many eggs and little flour. Usually containing chopped nuts.
[German. Perhaps from Italian torta, cake, tart, from Late Latin torta, a kind of bread.]}
Amarula Chocolate Torte.
Recipe by Tea, Cake and Create
Preheat oven to 180'C
Grease and line 3x 6in (15cm) pans or 2x 8in pans.
400g dark chocolate discs or dark chocolate cut into small pieces
120ml Amarula
6 eggs separated
80g butter
80g + 1 tbs caster sugar
150g ground almonds
50g cake flour
50g cocoa
Melt the chocolate and Amarula together in a double boiler.
Allow to cool slightly.
Sift the dry ingredients together - flour, cocoa and ground almonds.
Whip the egg whites until soft peaks form. Sprinkle in 1tbs caster sugar, then whip until stiff.
In a separate bowl, cream the butter and remaining caster sugar together. Add the egg yolks and beat until light and creamy.
With the mixer on low speed, slowly pour in the melted chocolate /Amarula; mix well.
Add the dry ingredients - mix until just incorporated.
Fold in one spoon of the egg whites, then gently fold in the rest.
Continue folding the batter until the whites are no longer visible.
Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cake pans.
Bake at 180'C for 35-40minutes, or until a skewer inserted comes out with moist crumbs attached.
Allow to cool in the pans before turning out onto a cooling rack.
ChocolateMousse Icing
Recipe by Tea, Cake and Create
(This recipe produces enough icing to spread between the cake layers and to cover the outside of the cake. Halve the ingredients if you'll be leaving it - the cake! - naked.)
150g butter
2x 250g tubs cream cheese
100g icing sugar, sifted
50g cocoa powder, sifted
2-4 tbs fresh cream or milk
1 tsp vanilla extract.
Beat the butter until soft and creamy, add the sifted icing sugar. Mix well.
Add in the cream cheese. Mix until just combined.
Then add the vanilla and sifted cocoa. Mix until incorporated.
If the icing is too stiff to spread on a cake - add the fresh cream / milk until it is softer.
Spread icing onto the cake once it is completely cool.
xxM
Friday, November 22, 2013
Blueberry Yoghurt Cupcakes
We have a (small) blue vs. purple issue in this family. I won't tell you who I think started it, but I will say that it has something to do with my husband saying that Tinky Winky is blue, while I believe he's purple. So now my son has blue/ purple confusion, and I'm second guessing myself and wondering if what I see is what you see … and is what I see purple... or is it blue?
And why are blueberries called blueberries when they're actually purple berries?
Aren't they??
Blueberry Yoghurt Cupcakes
Recipe by Tea, Cake and Create
Pre-heat the oven to 180'C
Line 2x 12 hole muffin pans with cupcake cases
(Makes 24, but ingredients for cupcakes and icing can be halved to produce a dozen iced cupcakes).
Ingredients:
1 cup double thick greek yoghurt (1 cup = 250ml)
2 cups flour
2 cups white sugar
2/3 cup vegetable oil
4 large eggs
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
A few drops of lemon extract - optional
1 cup fresh blueberries, plus extra for garnish*
*frozen blueberries will do, but they don't quite have the same burst-in-your-mouth flavour as fresh ones do.
Beat the eggs and sugar together on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy.
Mix in the oil and yoghurt (and lemon extract if you're using it).
Sift in the flour and baking powder. Mix until just combined.
Dust the blueberries with flour, then fold them into the batter.
Scoop batter evenly into prepared cupcake cases.
Bake at 180'C for approx 20minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out just-clean (do you know what I mean?!)
Mascarpone Cream Icing
2 x tubs / 2 x 250g mascarpone
1 cup (250ml) whipping cream (35-40% fat content)
1/2 cup sifted icing sugar
Chill the mixing bowl and whisk attachment in the freezer for 20 minutes.
Place all ingredients into the chilled bowl, and whip until stiff.
Pipe onto cooked cupcakes.
Purple, right?!
xxM
PS. for another take on blueberry cupcakes - see here
And why are blueberries called blueberries when they're actually purple berries?
Aren't they??
Blueberry Yoghurt Cupcakes
Recipe by Tea, Cake and Create
Pre-heat the oven to 180'C
Line 2x 12 hole muffin pans with cupcake cases
(Makes 24, but ingredients for cupcakes and icing can be halved to produce a dozen iced cupcakes).
Ingredients:
1 cup double thick greek yoghurt (1 cup = 250ml)
2 cups flour
2 cups white sugar
2/3 cup vegetable oil
4 large eggs
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
A few drops of lemon extract - optional
1 cup fresh blueberries, plus extra for garnish*
*frozen blueberries will do, but they don't quite have the same burst-in-your-mouth flavour as fresh ones do.
Mix in the oil and yoghurt (and lemon extract if you're using it).
Sift in the flour and baking powder. Mix until just combined.
Dust the blueberries with flour, then fold them into the batter.
Scoop batter evenly into prepared cupcake cases.
Bake at 180'C for approx 20minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out just-clean (do you know what I mean?!)
Mascarpone Cream Icing
2 x tubs / 2 x 250g mascarpone
1 cup (250ml) whipping cream (35-40% fat content)
1/2 cup sifted icing sugar
Chill the mixing bowl and whisk attachment in the freezer for 20 minutes.
Place all ingredients into the chilled bowl, and whip until stiff.
Pipe onto cooked cupcakes.
Purple, right?!
xxM
PS. for another take on blueberry cupcakes - see here
Thursday, November 21, 2013
Meadham Kirchhoff's Weird and Wonderful Topshop Collection
Today, Meadham Kirchhoff's designer collaboration with Topshop went up for sale!
If you are unfamiliar with the sort of clothing they have unveiled, here's a selection of my favourite pieces.
If you are unfamiliar with the sort of clothing they have unveiled, here's a selection of my favourite pieces.
Flattering cardigans, adorable blouses, pastel jumpers, and kawaii skirts! I am really in love with this aesthetic, but not so in love with the Topshop price tag. I've been pretty unimpressed with the quality of their garments before, given they are one of the more expensive high street brands. But I am hoping a designer collaboration will mean something closer to designer quality, and if that's the case, the prices seem fair. I hope I get to see the clothing in person before it's all gone. I'm not so sure this is the sort of collection that would sell out quickly, but then again, Minju Kim for H&M was gone in 2 days and that was full of bizarre items!
Anyway... as you can see, my favourite items from Meadham Kirchhoff's collection are the more muted, cute-themed ones that seem heavily influenced by Japanese street fashion. I think it's great to see what is usually a shop I would never go into branch out into something different, perhaps appealing to a wider range of people.
You can find the collection on the Topshop website, where you will see garish colours, and crazy shoe designs!
What do you think of this collection?
Wednesday, November 20, 2013
Moustache Cookies on a Stick
There's not much that you need to do to a moustache cookie to make it quirky. I mean, it's a moustache cookie, right - that's enough!
But moustache cookies on a stick - cool dude!
When I make lollipop cookies - AKA cookies on a stick - I do it in one of two ways.
See the one way here, but the other way is even simpler:
Roll out the cookie dough (a little thicker than normal helps), and slide the bamboo skewer 2/3 of the way up, into the dough.
Bake.
That's it.
Happy Movember!
; {)
xxM
When I make lollipop cookies - AKA cookies on a stick - I do it in one of two ways.
See the one way here, but the other way is even simpler:
Roll out the cookie dough (a little thicker than normal helps), and slide the bamboo skewer 2/3 of the way up, into the dough.
Bake.
That's it.
Happy Movember!
; {)
xxM
Monday, November 18, 2013
Peanut Butter and Syrup Chocolate Brownies
Some weeks just demand chocolate brownies.
It was one of those last week.
By Monday I was already thinking I'd never get on top of things, and then the middle of the week was punctuated (!!) with a fall off the monkey bars and a visit to the orthopaedic surgeon.
So by the time Friday arrived, chocolate brownies were overdue. Well overdue.
In fact, I stepped it up a notch and went for extreme comfort food: combing peanut butter and syrup into a chocolate brownie.
And, let me tell you, there isn't much that these can't fix.
Okay, maybe not a cracked elbow. But after one or two or 6 of these, well… there's not much to complain about any more.
Peanut Butter & Syrup Chocolate Brownies
Recipe by Tea, Cake and Create
Preheat the oven to 170'C
Grease and line a 22cm square brownie pan.
Ingredients:
160g butter
100g white chocolate
200g dark chocolate
70g flour
30g cocoa powder
1tsp vanilla extract
180g caster sugar
3 eggs
1 cup smooth peanut butter
1/2 cup golden syrup
1 egg, lightly beaten …. mix all three together
Melt together the butter and chocolate (white and dark) - use a double boiler, or do it slowly on low power in the microwave.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the 3 eggs and sugar together until light and creamy (approx 5-6 minutes on medium-high speed, i.e. 8 on a KitchenAid).
Slowly pour the melted chocolate and vanilla into the egg mixture, beating on low speed.
Sift in the flour, cocoa and salt. Mix until combined.
Pour mixture into brownie pan.
Place spoonfuls of the peanut butter mixture on top, and gently swirl with a knife to marble it into the brownie mixture.
Bake at 170'C for 40- 45 min, until a skewer inserted near the centre comes out with a few sticky crumbs attached.
Leave to cool completely before cutting into squares.
There, all better.
: )
xxM
It was one of those last week.
By Monday I was already thinking I'd never get on top of things, and then the middle of the week was punctuated (!!) with a fall off the monkey bars and a visit to the orthopaedic surgeon.
So by the time Friday arrived, chocolate brownies were overdue. Well overdue.
And, let me tell you, there isn't much that these can't fix.
Okay, maybe not a cracked elbow. But after one or two or 6 of these, well… there's not much to complain about any more.
Peanut Butter & Syrup Chocolate Brownies
Recipe by Tea, Cake and Create
Preheat the oven to 170'C
Grease and line a 22cm square brownie pan.
Ingredients:
160g butter
100g white chocolate
200g dark chocolate
70g flour
30g cocoa powder
1tsp vanilla extract
180g caster sugar
3 eggs
1 cup smooth peanut butter
1/2 cup golden syrup
1 egg, lightly beaten …. mix all three together
Melt together the butter and chocolate (white and dark) - use a double boiler, or do it slowly on low power in the microwave.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the 3 eggs and sugar together until light and creamy (approx 5-6 minutes on medium-high speed, i.e. 8 on a KitchenAid).
Slowly pour the melted chocolate and vanilla into the egg mixture, beating on low speed.
Sift in the flour, cocoa and salt. Mix until combined.
Pour mixture into brownie pan.
Place spoonfuls of the peanut butter mixture on top, and gently swirl with a knife to marble it into the brownie mixture.
Bake at 170'C for 40- 45 min, until a skewer inserted near the centre comes out with a few sticky crumbs attached.
Leave to cool completely before cutting into squares.
There, all better.
: )
xxM
Wednesday, November 13, 2013
Caramel Candy Cupcakes
When you hear the words cream and caramel together, you know it's going to be something good, right? So, how about cream, caramel and caramel creme candies?!
Hmmmn- mmn!
I had something completely different in mind for tea for the class on Saturday. But when I saw creme caramel candies in the aisle of temptation at Woolworths, they whispered sweet things to me, and this is the result : )
Caramel Candy Cupcakes
Recipe by Tea, Cake and Create
Pre-heat the oven 175'C
Line muffin tins with cupcake cases (x15)
Ingredients:
140g caster sugar
180g cake flour
60g butter, at room temp
1 cup (250ml) sour cream
2 XL eggs
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract (or 8-10 drops of Vanilla Girl vanilla)
1 medium orange - zest only.
1 cup chopped caramel creme candies
Sift the dry ingredients into the bowl of a mixer.
Add the butter and orange zest, and beat on low speed until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
In a small bowl, whisk together the sour cream and eggs.
Add this to the flour mixture, and mix until just combined.
Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cupcake cases, then scatter a few chunks of caramel creme into each one.
Bake for 15-18minutes until a skewer comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached.
Remove from the oven and the muffin trays, and allow to cool before icing.
Caramel Cream Icing
40g icing sugar, sifted
100g butter
1 tub (250g) cream cheese*
1/2 cup (125ml) caramel
1 tsp vanilla extract
(*choose a "dense" kind of cream cheese, such as Lancewood or Woolworth's brand. I generally use low fat cream cheese, but the medium fat varieties are also a good option.)
Beat the butter until soft and pale.
Sift in the icing sugar. Beat together until smooth.
Mix in the caramel and vanilla, then lastly the cream cheese.
Beat until just mixed. (Don't over-mix.)
Pipe onto cooled cupcakes. Decorate with a drizzle of caramel, some more chunks of caramel candies and orange zest.
Go on - indulge yourself!
: )
xxM
Monday, November 11, 2013
griffith park
We took a little day trip to Griffith Park on Saturday. You guys, it was such a fun adventure! I can't believe we'd never gone before. Our aim was to visit the observatory, but we discovered there is so much more. Griffith Park is one of the largest urban parks in North America--nearly six times as big as Central Park in New York and four times as big as Golden Gate park in San Francisco. It contains not only Griffith Observatory, but also an old carousel built in 1926, a little train, pony rides, the LA Zoo, the Autry Museum, the Greek Theater, the Hollywood sign, Travel Town, and many hiking trails and grassy fields. I was totally geeking out on all the beauty and largeness of it all. It is also in a very cool old neighborhood with lovely houses and architecture.
The observatory is a spectacular old building. The museum is free and very interesting and engaging. The planetarium show was stunning. We all loved it. Afterwards we ate lunch at the cafe and enjoyed the view (although it was hazy of course--it is LA after all!).
After the observatory we decided to check out the carousel (so old! so lovely!) and the train ride. We had so much fun at all these attractions. We're dying to go back for a hike and lunch at The Trails and maybe Travel Town. Who knows? There is so much fun to be had.
Saturday, November 9, 2013
Dog Silhouette Cookies
So, are you are dog-person? Cat-person? Both? Neither?
Currently I'm a no-pet person. Not because I don't like them - we always had pets growing up (everything from the finned to the four-legged varieties), but now that I'm the grown-up, I just don't feel up to the task of cleaning cages or pooping scoop.
My poor children make pets out of rocks and sticks - and strangely a magnifying glass (called Orchin) - instead.
I actually have all the paraphernalia ready and waiting for a kitten. But getting the kitten is still on the to-do list. (And I'm planning on getting it from a rescue centre, so the daily guilt of not-having-done-it-yet is building up!)
Anyway, that's got nothing to do with making these cookies, except that they share the same subject matter.
When I first saw Rosey SugarArt's dog silhouette cookies, they were put on my to-do list.
And when I bought poodle, dachshund and schnauzer cookie cutters, they were also put on my to-do list.
Undone to-do lists make me uncomfortable, so I finally did:
Flood square cookies with brightly coloured royal icing.
Allow to dry completely. (24hrs)
Using the dog cookie cutters, outline their pedigreed shapes onto the cookies with an edible marker/ non-toxic graphite pencil.
Use black icing to outline and flood the dog-silhouette.
Couldn't be easier, right?
Obviously you could also just print templates for the dog shapes. But I'm sure I'll have a reason to use my dog cookie cutters again sometime. But for now they're off my to-do list.
*yay*.
But the kitten is not *sigh*.
xxM