Anne's Food

A look at Bosch MUM86

noreply@blogger.com (Anne) — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 16:34:00 +0000

Side by side. Which one do you like better?

I've been borrowing a new stand mixer for a few weeks now - a Bosch MUM86. I am a true Kitchen-Aid fan and have had my machine for many years now, but as I've been baking more bread recently, I'm thinking about getting something a bit more powerful. Hence, the trial of Bosch.

And I have to say, right away - it *is* better for baking bread. A lot better. It's much more powerful at 1600 watts compared to 300, and it doesn't get as warm nor smell funny like my Kitchen-Aid does after a heavy batch of dough. It also has a smarter lid, that actually keeps stuff in the bowl (I hate the so-called pouring shield on the KA - I always end up with a huge mess) and it also has a really smart little shield right where the hook attaches to the engine. So, for baking - I love it, I really do.

Fitted with the pasta roller attachment.

It's sturdily built - it's heavy and since it has little suction feet, it doesn't move around on the counter. However, it's a bit clunky and hard to operate - you have to press down hard at the button to release the arm, pull up hard on the arm itself, yank attachments out with force, etc. Not for the timid! And one thing I really dislike is that the bowl has really sharp edges, and easily scratches the machine body itself.

It has pretty much the same extra equipment available - I've tried the pasta rollers, and they rock. I haven't tried the KA rollers yet though - I hope I'll be able to borrow some soon. But it sure is much more fun than rolling by hand! I've also tried the food processor attachment, which is a bit small to be a real option for me.

And now for the downside: it can not deal with small amounts like the Kitchen-Aid can. I can easily whip up 100 ml of cream, or just two eggs, in my KA. In the Bosch - forget it. It just won't work. And I really love that feature in the KA - I use it a lot for small stuff, like making aioli or a small batch of buttercream.

The flat beater, which is quite different from Kitchen-Aid's.

So, which one would I choose? Both! I don't know if I'll be buying the Bosch, since it's pretty expensive (a bit more so than the Kitchen-Aid, which is already hugely expensive in Sweden), but if I had the extra cash, I probably would. Bread baking is a big hobby for me, and this machine really, really helps. But I feel that the Kitchen-Aid is more of a multi-tasker - and something I'll never be able to be without.

Dinner

noreply@blogger.com (Anne) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 18:56:00 +0000

As always, we are really rushed on Friday nights, since Titus goes to
baby swim classes. So, tonight we're having gnocchi in a cheese sauce
with bacon and spinach. Maximum taste, and it took ten minutes to make.

Swedish candy news!

noreply@blogger.com (Anne) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 20:34:00 +0000

I recently noticed quite a few news in the candy aisle, and of course I tried them all. All in the blog readers best interest, of course! Of course!

So - first, chocolate. Marabou is the Swedish chocolate giant, and they had three new flavors. "Vinter" is the most exciting in my opinion - it's their signature milk chocolate, studded with crunchy cacao nibs and flavored with ginger, cardamom and cloves. It's very, very winter-y and gives a great christmas feeling, without being over the top gingerbread-y. I love to keep this one in the fridge, it's much tastier when cold. (Incidentally, "Sommar" was milk chocolate with freeze-dried strawberries.)

Then they have two new filled chocolate bars. Toffee & Walnut is very, very sweet and would have been much better with more walnut bits. As it is, it's a walnut-flavored toffee, and tiny bits of nuts. My bar was also quite crushed, which was disappointing, but other than that, I liked it. Raspberry & Yogurt has tiny pieces of freeze-dried raspberries which makes for a nice texture. I liked this one - it's also quite sweet, but not too much.

Lamb Mince Sauce

noreply@blogger.com (Anne) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 10:19:00 +0000

Quick but yummy pasta recipe today - I think the original comes from Nigella, and is called something like "greek bolognese". I like it a lot - it's simple, tasty and the lamb is so much more flavorful than beef.

Sorry for all these super short postings, but it's hard to find the time to sit uninterrupted at the computer for much more than minutes at a time right now.

Lamb Mince Sauce
(printable recipe)
serves 4

1 yellow onion, minced
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp olive oil
150 g mushrooms, finely chopped
500 g lamb mince
250 ml red wine
2 tbsp tomato purée
1 tbsp milk
2 tins (each 400 g) crushed tomatoes
salt
pepper
1 tbsp sugar
2 tsp dried oregano

Fry the onion and garlic in olive oil on medium heat for a few minutes, until the onion has softened. Add the mushrooms and let them cook until they've released some of their liquid, and shrunk in size. Add the mince and fry until it turns light brown rather than pink. Add the red wine and let it cook in almost completely on medium high heat. Stir together milk and tomato purée and add this to the pot with the tinned tomatoes, sugar, salt, pepper and oregano. Cover with a lid and let it cook for at least 30 minutes.

Serve with pasta, and if you have some feta cheese, it'd be perfect to crumble on top.

Recipe in Swedish:
Lammfärssås till pasta

Cashew brittle

noreply@blogger.com (Anne) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 16:45:00 +0000

Making cashew brittle from Karen DeMasco's The Craft of Baking.

Bibimbap?

noreply@blogger.com (Anne) — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 16:06:00 +0000

This was my first bibimbap ever, on Friday. I liked it, and P loves
it. I'd like to try making my own, so naturally I turn to you. Any
favorite recipes?

Cookbook watch: all about cookies

noreply@blogger.com (Anne) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 07:45:00 +0000

Cookies is a favorite for the holidays - or really, at any time of the year. I like baking cookies, and I especially like having a stash in the freezer for unexpected company. I'm happy to bake larger, American-style cookies as well as Swedish classics which are almost always smaller and crisper, but I find that the styles are melding a bit as time goes by.

In Claes Karlsson's Kakfrossa ("Cookie Gluttony", loosely translated), you'll find tons of classic cookies with a twist. The layout is also very pretty and with great photos - I like this book a lot. Some recipes I plan to try out soon are almond cookies rolled in cardamom sugar, shortbread thumbprint cookies with cloudberry jam, and mini meringue cookies with toasted walnuts.

The next cookie book isn't so much about recipes as it is about decorating. It's a follow-up to Cookie Craft, which I've written about before - and it's called Cookie Craft Christmas. The authors, Valerie Peterson and Janice Fryer (website here), have done a very nice job collecting loads of different designs suitable for christmas cookies - anything from ornaments (using a simple round cookie cutter) to 3D-christmas trees, and intricately designed partridges. Very cute! I'm aching to host a cookie decorating party with all these ideas!

Creamy Latin Pasta Salad

noreply@blogger.com (Anne) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 17:56:00 +0000

One of my fave cookbooks to look through has been Ingrid Hoffman's "Simply Delicioso" - I've used it quite a bit this past summer. This pasta salad sounded so good, and so simple, I had to hunt down evaporated milk. Not an easy feat! Swedish stores now sell condensed milk, but that is sweetened and not what you need for this. I finally got lucky at an Asian supermarket, and scored a can of evaporated milk. (It's basically milk with half the water removed, so it's a much thicker milk.) Next time though.. I'll skip it. It wasn't all that great, and I think the dressing would be wonderful using crème frâiche instead - so feel free to try that.

The original recipe had celery, which I hate, red onions which I didn't eat this summer because of nursing, and ham which I just didn't want this time.

Creamy Latin Pasta Salad
(printable recipe)

400 g pasta shapes - I used fusili or rotelli
125 ml evaporated milk
50 ml olive oil
150 g feta cheese, crumbled
1 big bunch of fresh coriander, chopped
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
salt, pepper
1 orange bellpepper, finely diced
1 red bellpepper, finely diced
200 ml green peas (thawed if frozen)
150 ml green olives, de-stoned

Boil the pasta in plenty of salted water, and drain.

Mix the evaporated milk with feta cheese, olive oil, coriander and lime in a food processor and run until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

Mix the pasta with bellpeppers, peas and olives. Add the dressing and toss well.

Leave it for at least an hour before serving, so the flavors get a chance to marry.

Recipe in Swedish:
Krämig pastasallad från Latinamerika

Cookie galore

noreply@blogger.com (Anne) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 18:13:00 +0000

We had a special "fika" at work today. I'm still on maternity leave,
but had to come in for this - everyone was asked to bake something,
and about ren people did. Lovely!

Cherry Apricot Preserves

noreply@blogger.com (Anne) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 10:11:00 +0000

You just saw that photo, I know - but I don't have one of just the jam. I find it really hard to take decent photos of jam, marmalades and preserves by the way - I don't want to waste any for just a photo, and I never seem to manage anything that really showcases the jam.. Oh well, you'll have to make it for yourself and see how pretty it is!

I had some fresh cherries but not enough to just make cherry jam. I added fresh apricots, and some of the apricot stones for that subtle almond-y flavor. I removed them after cooking, but you can leave them in for a stronger hint of almond. I also added a lot of fresh vanilla, since I placed a massive Ebay order not so long ago, but feel free to omit it or to use less.

Cherry Apricot Preserves
(printable recipe)

300 g fresh apricots, de-stoned and cut into small wedges
500 g fresh cherries, de-stoned
8 apricot stones
2 vanilla beans
600 g jam sugar (with added pectin)
2 tbsp water

Mix everything in a large, wide pot and bring to a boil. Boil on low heat for 5-10 minutes. Turn off the heat, use a skimmer to remove any scum. Remove the apricot stones if you want. Pour into clean, sterilized jars.

Recipe in Swedish:
Körsbärs- och aprikosmarmelad

And the winners are...

noreply@blogger.com (Anne) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 08:19:00 +0000

The results of the superfood sandwich contest are in! A great big thank you to all who participated and help spread the word - it was a lot of fun! Sandwiches are somewhat a "superfood" in itself - in that it's so easy and quick to make - and combined with actual superfoods, it can also be really healthy and good for you. I thought all entries were excellent, and thus I decided on a random drawing of the winners.

Top prize, a six month supply of Fazer Frökusar bread, goes to Laura! You can see her sandwich above - it has a spread made from edamame, avocado, coriander, garlic, lime juice, and greek yogurt. That sounds absolutely brilliant - and when it's combined with some red pepper, even better. Definitely something I will be trying out soon!

The runners-up are Clarissa and Kari and they both win a three month supply of bread. Clarissa's sandwich has, intriguingly, SPAM on it! Now, that's something I wouldn't have tried on my own - but combined like this, with hard-boiled eggs, homemade mayo, alfalfa sprouts and cheese, I'm sure it's delicious.

Kari (who lovingly calls himself and his family for the Family Crocodile Butt - I had to include that!) went for a hearty sandwich on homemade sunflower-linseed bread, with butter, alfalfa sprouts, grated carrots and a homemade hamburger. Yummy! Those of you who read Swedish should check out his great blog, by the way!

In the international category, the winner of the book "In Grandma's Arbor" is Virginie! (She's Canadian, her husband is Finnish, and they live in Norway - quite a mix!) Just look at that gorgeous sandwich! It has red bell peppers, grated carrots, ground flax seeds, Dijon mustard, a fried egg, greens and the magical ingredient - bacon. Sounds like heaven indeed!

Congratulations to all the winners, and a big thanks to Fazer for helping me host this fun contest! I have a very different giveaway/contest coming up in a few days, so check back soon!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Macarons

noreply@blogger.com (Anne) — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 15:28:00 +0000

I think these are my favorite, from all the macarons I've tried. Chocolate and peanuts are a classic combination, and this is definitely a good place to combine the two. They went down a storm when I served them, so I think most people would tend to agree with me here!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Macarons
about 20 cookies

3 egg whites, at room temperature
2 tbsp caster sugar
200 g powdered sugar
110 g almonds
2 tbsp cocoa powder
2 tbsp salted peanuts, chopped

filling:
75 g unsalted butter
85 g creamy peanut butter
powdered sugar, to taste

Combine powdered sugar, almonds and cocoa powder in your food processor, and grind until very fine. Sieve. Re-grind any lumps or big pieces of almonds. Mix carefully (they tend to separate a little bit when sieving, since the sugar falls through first.)

Beat egg whites and sugar until you have a thick, glossy meringue. Don't overbeat. Stir in the almond-sugar powder, and fold together. Don't overmix this - most seem to say that you should use less than 50 strokes. (You can try it by dolloping a little batter on a baking sheet - if the peak falls down, it's ready. If it doesn't, try a few more strokes.)

Pipe small rounds on a baking sheet with baking paper. Sprinkle half of them with salted peanuts. Leave at room temperature for 30-60 minutes, to form a skin.

Bake at 150°C for 15-20 minutes. (I have a convection oven, and 15 minutes was perfect for me.) Let them cool completely before filling. Unused shells can be frozen, or kept in an air-tight container for a day or so.

For the filling, beat butter and peanut butter until fluffy. Add powdered sugar to taste - start with a few spoonfuls and keep going until you find it sufficiently sweet, and sturdy enough to spread. Spread onto half of the shells - the ones without peanut sprinkles - and top with the other shells.

Recipe in Swedish:
Choklad- och jordnötsmacarons

Underwater baby!

noreply@blogger.com (Anne) — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 22:08:00 +0000

Obviously not about food, but so cool I have to show you! We go to baby swimming classes with Titus, and have just completed our first eight-week course. It's been so much fun, and he just loves it. He gets excited when he sees the pool, and he loves water so much he even tried to swim in the shower yesterday! He really *does* swim, too - he can't hold his balance or float properly, but he'll definitely propel himself forward. It's impressive indeed, and I really recommend this to those of you with small babies. It's so much fun! We'll be doing a course until christmas, and we'll probably get a second set of photos a bit later on. These are taken by an underwater photographer, and we have more that'll be up on Titus' blog a bit later.

Happy 5th birthday!

noreply@blogger.com (Anne) — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 14:17:00 +0000

It's that time of year again - blogaversary! My blog turns five years old today - I can't believe how time flies!

I really wanted to make a proper cake, but it didn't go so well. I tried creating something from scratch - a crispy peanut layer with apple mousse and cinnamon jelly - but it didn't work all that great. Tasty, but ugly - I'll show you eventually, but not today. So, I opted for the ever-simple jelly roll, topped with whipped cream. It tasted great, and took just a few minutes to put together! I added a whole vanilla bean to make it a bit more luxurious - but that's just because I have a lot of it at the moment. (Ebay score!)

I used home made cherry apricot jam, which obviously made things a lot tastier but also less instant - but use whatever you happen to have!

Vanilla Bean Jelly Roll
(printable recipe)

3 eggs
150 ml sugar
200 ml flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp water
1 vanilla bean

sugar for sprinkling
jam for filling

Beat the eggs and sugar until very fluffy. Fold in the baking powder, flour and water, and the seeds of the vanilla bean.

Spread in a lined rimmed baking sheets, and bake at 250°C for five minutes. Remove from the oven. Sprinkle with sugar, and immediately turn the cake up side down onto a second baking sheet, lined with paper. Peel off the first paper, and place the rimmed baking sheet on top to preserve the cake's moistness while it cools.

When cool, spread with your favorite jam, and roll up tightly. Wrap in plastic and store in the fridge until you need it.

Recipe in Swedish:
Rulltårta med vaniljstång

Last year - a Swedish version of the Black Forest Gateau.

Finally!!

noreply@blogger.com (Anne) — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 09:58:00 +0000

Readers of my blog know that I have a shameful obsession with Starbucks. Well, it's finally happening - they're opening in Sweden! At least almost... they'll open at Arlanda airport, just like they have done in Denmark. At least this means I can get a frappuccino if I fly somewhere - or with lots of luck they'll open outside of the security check, and I can go there all the time. (I would, too.)

Superfood Sandwich Contest - let's give it a few more days

noreply@blogger.com (Anne) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 17:07:00 +0000

You guys don't seem to be very competitive! :) Let's give it a few more days - you have until Sunday to send me your ideas and photos for superfood sandwiches!

Details are here.

Baked Macaroni

noreply@blogger.com (Anne) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 14:11:00 +0000

I sometimes find myself hankering for the favorite dishes of my childhood. This is definitey one of them. It's somewhat like a pie, with an egg filling poured on top of the macaroni, but it's called a "Makaronipudding" in Swedish. You can add other veggies as you see fit, and you don't have to use plain elbow macaroni - but that's how I do it. I like it baked in a pretty big pan so that it comes out more shallow and crunchy - if you use a smaller, deeper dish, you might have to cook it for a few more minutes.

I had some "kryddost" to use up - a cheese studded with cloves, quite unusual but popular in Sweden. It was definitely nice here - but go ahead and use any flavorful cheese you'd like. A strong cheddar is great. Serve with some lingonberry jam on the side.

Baked Macaroni
(printable recipe)
serves 6

500 g elbow macaroni
200 g smoked ham, diced
100 ml thinly sliced leek
5 eggs
500 ml milk
200 ml grated cheese
salt, pepper

Boil the macaroni until al dente. Mix eggs, milk, cheese and spices in a bowl. Mix macaroni, ham and leeks in a baking dish, I use a rimmed cookie sheet. Add the egg mixture.

Bake at 200°C for 20-25 minutes.

Recipe in Swedish:
Makaronipudding

Wallenberg Burgers

noreply@blogger.com (Anne) — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 16:35:00 +0000

Here's a classical Swedish dish! They're named for the Wallenberg family, which is as close to Swedish noblesse as they come.

It's a very fluffy, lightly browned meat patty, made from veal mince, egg yolks and heavy cream. It's always served with a potato purée, small green peas and usually also with lingonberry jam. We had a few left over burgers the next day with a chanterelle sauce and rice - that was great too.

It's really delicious - but make sure your veal is freshly ground, and if you can't get good mince, grind it yourself. And make sure that all of your ingredients are really cold when you start mixing, to keep the mixture from separating.

I used my Kitchen-Aid for this, but you can use a food processor or blend by hand, but be quick.

Wallenberg Burgers
(printable recipe)
Serves 5-6

500 g veal mince
4 egg yolks
300 ml heavy cream
salt
white pepper, ground
grated white bread, from about two-three slices of bread (crust cut off)

Make sure all ingredients are well chilled, and if you're making it on a warm day, chill the bowl as well. Add the egg yolks, salt and white pepper to the mince, and then slowly add the cream. It will be a very loose mixture.

Spread half of the breadcrumbs on a plate. Spoon the meat mixture into twelve mounds. Top them with the rest of the breadcrumbs, and very lightly shape them into thick burgers. Fry in a medium warm pan with plenty of butter - they shouldn't get a lot of color.

Recipe in Swedish:
Wallenbergare

Pancakes

noreply@blogger.com (Anne) — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 17:05:00 +0000

I know, it's definitely time for some proper blogging. It's just a
little hard to find the time - time to plan out meals, time to cook
them, time to sit at the computer. Or to be honest, the baby is more
fun! :)

I have some great stuff coming though! A fall cake, since my
blogaversary is coming up soon (five years!). Lots of cookbook
reviews. Swedish "limpa" bread. And a close look at Bosch MUM86 - a
big stand mixer that I'm trying out.

The photo? My sister's pancakes. Delicious. I think I ate six. With
whipped cream and blueberry jam. Heaven.

Superfood sandwich contest - one week left!

noreply@blogger.com (Anne) — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 11:23:00 +0000

Just one week left - send in your best superfood sandwich, and you can win loads of bread!

Details are here.

Colorful!

noreply@blogger.com (Anne) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 15:45:00 +0000

My sister always makes colorful food. This is a creamy lamb sauce over
blueberry rice, and cabbage salad.

Monday pretty

noreply@blogger.com (Anne) — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 08:56:00 +0000

Me and Titus were at a professional photo shoot yesterday! It was so much fun I really have to share some of the photos with you!

Sourdough Tea Cakes

noreply@blogger.com (Anne) — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 19:37:00 +0000

I'll be going away for a few days to visit my sister and family in Östersund in Northern Sweden. Titus and mý mom are going, too, but Per will be left at home. I'll do some blogging by iPhone, but I thought I'd leave you with a nice bread recipe until I get back home again!

Here's a recipe from a blogging friend, Carolina at Sisterfood. It's really easy - you can use rye or wheat sourdough starter, or fresh yeast (50 g) if you prefer that. (That will probably not need to rise for the same amount of time though, so watch it!)

These are very yummy toasted, and I prefer them with a sharp cheese and orange marmalade. A cup of tea is the perfect companion. In fact, these are called "tekakor" in Swedish, which translates into "tea cakes". And yes, they'll keep very well in the freezer!

Sourdough Tea Cakes
(printable recipe)
16-20

300 ml rolled oats
50 ml whole buckwheat
50 ml crushed linseed
600 ml water
200 ml sourdough starter (active, bubbling)
1 tbsp honey
3 tbsp neutral cooking oil
1 tsp salt
700 g strong bread flour

Mix oats, linseed, buckwheat and water to a porridge. Bring to a boil, and simmerfor about ten minutes, until nice and thick. Let it cool to room temperature.

Mix the porridge with sourdough starter, oil, honey and salt. Gradually add the flour and work for about 10 minutes in a stand mixer, or 20 minutes by hand. Leave to rise for 3-4 hours.

Shape into small balls and flatten slightly. Place on a baking sheet to rise for about an hour. Prick all over with a fork, before baking at 225°C for about 6 minutes.

Recipe in Swedish:
Tekakor på surdeg

Great, great dessert!

noreply@blogger.com (Anne) — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 18:28:00 +0000

Pears poached in red wine and spices, with the liquid reduced into a
syrup. And what you don't see is the filling - mascarpone, vanilla and
pistachios. All this was made by Dagmar, who as always made us a
fantastic dinner.

White Chocolate Panna Cotta with Rhubarb Compote

noreply@blogger.com (Anne) — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 20:37:00 +0000

I know, I know - rhubarb isn't in season anymore, but I can actually still find it at my grocery store! I plan to make a big batch of compote and freeze, because it's incredibly delicious. The pannacotta is pretty basic - but nonetheless yummy.

White Chocolate Pannacotta with Rhubarb Compote
(printable recipe)
serves 2
(rhubarb compote serves more)

White Chocolate Pannacotta:
1,5 gelatin leaves
250 ml cream
100 g white chocolate, finely chopped

Soak the gelatin in cold water for five minutes. Bring the cream to a boil, and stir in the gelatin. Pour over the chopped chocolate, and stir until smooth. Pour into serving dishes or glasses, and place in the fridge to set for at least two hours.

Rhubarb Compote:
500 g rhubarb
100-150 ml sugar
1-2 vanilla beans

Heat the oven to 200°C.

Peel the rhubarb and cut into smaller pieces. Place in an oven-proof dish. Sprinkle with the sugar - if your rhubarb is on the tart side, use the larger amount. Split the vanilla beans and scrape the seeds into the dish - add the beans themselves, too. (Use two if you're feeling luxurious or happen to have a lot of vanilla!)

Cover the dish tightly with foil, and bake for 25-30 minutes. The rhubarb should be really soft. Let the compote cool completely and then spoon it over the pannacotta glasses.

The remaining rhubarb compote can be refrigerated for a few days and served on vanilla ice cream, or frozen.

Recept på svenska:
Vit chokladpannacotta med rabarberkompott