A tortilla that’s not a real tortilla and definitely not a tortilla that I’d call a tortilla

I love reading foreign food magazines. That I can read. But usually buying them aqcuires a thick wallet. When we went to Spain last autumn, I grabbed four food magazines when we were still at the airport. Well, I rushed a bit with that...as I acidentally grabbed one in Catalan...

But this year a friend gave me a three month subcription of the Spanish food magazine Comer Bien for birthday. Yay. That was sweet! Believe me, I’ve ticked a lot of recipes, but this far I’ve only got to making just one thing from all my Spanish magazines...

And in case you’re not fond of the word omelette in this context, well, you can call it a heated dessert or something:)

<Chocolate omelette
(adapted from Comer y Beber magazine, October/November 2006, serves 4)

4 eggs
100g sugar
100g dark chocolate
2 tsp cocoa powder

1. Break chocolate into squares.
2. Beat the eggs together with the sugar until slightly fluffy.
3. Sift in cocoa powder and add chocolate chunks.
4. Prepare an omelette from the mixture on a larger skillet (Do not overbake, or the chocolate inside won't be runny anymore). Cut into four.
5. Serve alone or with a sauce. I'd recommend vanilla sauce or some fruit sauce.

I used a small skillet for making the dessert for just two people and it was so easy to make. Warm chocolate desserts usually take time, but this one is ready in minutes. The flavour is eggy, yes, but it doesn't really taste like an omelette. Creme brulee tastes eggy too, remember?

It's definitely mainly a chocolate dessert, with the chocolate chunks inside pleasantly warm and slightly runny.

You hungry?

Saffron-hearted truffle eggs in white chocolate

Another Easter-spirited event? A fab excuse for my second try on a not-so-much-of-an-egg dessert. Only this time they're bite size - just like tiny quail eggs.

I think I've been afraid of saffron. Its reputation, all the fizz around it - just as if it was gold or a bag full of edible diamonds. So, for the first time, I bought a thin package full of these deep red threads. Oh and the fizz was there. And the slightly floral smell that filled the kitchen as I was crushing the threads in a mortar. It was something! And it was the moment when my fear left me. With the knowledge that kitchen is the last place for being afraid. Saffron's got a little something for everybody.


Saffron-hearted truffle eggs in white chocolate
(from Maria Öhrn's Godis)

1/4 g saffron
1/4 tsp cognac/rum
200 g + 175 g white chocolate
3/4 dl heavy cream
1 tsp honey

1. Crush saffron in a mortar, add cognac or rum to make it smoother (it will blend better with the chocolate)
2. Chop 200 g of chocolate. Bring cream and honey to a boil and pour the mixture over chocolate. Blend well until chocolate melts.
3. Pour 1/3 of the mixture into a smaller bowl and mix it well with saffron. Let both mixtures harden in the fridge.
4. Roll small yolks out of the yellow mixture and place them in the freezer so that they turn really hard.
5. Cover the yolks with a bit of white chocolate mixture and form an egg. Let the eggs harden in the fridge (You might want to do this in several batches in case it's warm in your kitchen. Or you will be licking and washing your hands...all the time).
6. Break the remaining chocolate into pieces and melt over a waterbath. Then dip the eggs into it and let them harden.
7. Keep the eggs in the fridge, but let them stand a while at room temperature before serving.




You can really taste the saffron in these. The truffles are tender, sweet and look fun. Forming eggs was quite a mess as both my hands and the kitchen were very warm, but it was worth the effort.A clean and honest flavour.


Weekend Cookbook Challenge #15, themed Easter/Spring is hosted by Marta from An Italian in the US this month.

Camouflage goes purple for eggs

It's funny how there's this long, this really long line of recipes waiting outside the kitchen door, but despite that fact a new one sometimes knocks off that door with no particular reason and elbow's its way straight onto dinner table. Well, yes, I admit, it has happened once again. Last week I stumbled over a picture of pickled eggs and got a bit too curious. After reading several recipes I decided to make my own the next day. Stumbling ain't bad. Not bad at all.


As it was yet a test, I only took three eggs (for what reason? for what?). I put them into marinade on Saturday and kind of felt like eating them three days later, although I had planned to do it after 5-6 days as some recipes suggested. But three days was just fine to have enough taste and a fabulous purple colour. You can adjust the quantity of eggs and marinade for your own needs. The amount of beets doesn't necessarily have to be big.


Pickled eggs with beets

3 eggs
1 boiled beet
1 small onion
2 dl beet juice
0.3 dl balsamic vinegar
0.3 dl soft brown sugar
salt
some basil leaves or dried basil

1. Prepare hard boiled eggs and shell them.
2. Cut the beet and onion into slices, place them into a bowl together with the eggs.
3. Bring the beet juice to a boil
4. Add the balsamic vinegar, sugar, basil and a pinch of salt. Reduce heat and simmer until sugar has dissolved.
5. Pour the marinade over the eggs and cover. Let the bowl stand in the refigerator for three days.

The eggs look really dark on the outside and have a dramatic effect. The inside is not gummy as you might think, it's rather soft and silky. The taste is not acidic, it's truly beety and with a nice sweet accent. I really like the beets too, the thin slices have this nice caramel taste. The marinade that's left over in the end could be used as a sauce for meat after reducing it a bit.

I ate the eggs with cottage cheese and some rye bread. It would be just perfect to serve them sliced to guests, herring as the classical companion. 10 points for camouflage.

The recipe also takes part in the event Food Fight #1, whose host is Allen from Eating Out Loud

Update 1.1007 : The photo takes part in the event Click: the photo event, which is a wonderful new food photographing event that concentrates on a different theme every month.