Le Decadent
Tips & Tricks for "Elevated Home Cooking"
29/03/2022
Η άνοιξη φτάνει και δεν υπάρχει τίποτα καλύτερο από ένα δροσιστικό aperitivo για να συνοδεύσει το απόγευμα. Και τι καλύτερο από ένα Negroni;
Είναι το Τ Ε Λ Ε Ι Ο απογευματινό cocktail. Φτιαγμένο για να πίνεται αργά και να απολαμβάνεται δροσερό.
Πανεύκολο και εντυπωσιακό, αρκεί να χρησιμοποιήσετε τα πιο ποιοτικά ποτά που μπορείτε να βρείτε!
Συνταγή:
1 μέρος (30ml) Gin
1 μέρος (30ml) γλυκό κόκκινο (Rosso) Vermouth
1 μέρος (30ml) Campari
Προσθέτετε τα ποτά όλα σε ένα ποτήρι με πάγο, ανακατεύετε, ραντίζετε τα αιθέρια έλαια από ένα ξύσμα πορτοκαλιού και γαρνίρετε με το ξύσμα. Τέλος σερβίρετε κι απολαμβάνετε!
Για τα πιο φρέσκα πορτοκάλια χωρίς κερί, εμπιστέψου τους τοπικούς παραγωγούς της
25/06/2020
Someone recently brought me some wild mushrooms, and I have to say that I was quite doubtful about using them... I left them in the fridge for the first two days, until I decided that I should probably throw them away...
But as I took them out of the fridge and saw how delicate they seemed, I said to myself “how can you through away these beauties...”
So I took out a big pan, cranked up the heat, and made THE most amazing risotto I have ever made...
Soon the new blog will be ready with all the recipes I have posted, so stay tuned!
15/06/2020
Glykó Sykaláki is one of the fondest memories I have as a child. There is no other sweet that reminds me of summer in Greece more than this one!
Made from the unripened wild figs that grow early in May, it is a fragrant and fruity dessert. Served chilled, it is the perfect delight to accompany your afternoon coffee, after a long day at the sea.
A difficult and complex preparation, with many steps and days needed to turn a humbe fig into this decadent treat. Stay tuned to discover how to make glykó sykaláki with step by step guidance on the new blog, coming soon!
@ Thessaloníki
27/05/2020
Pizza is so much better when it is homemade! And quite frankly, it’s quite easy to make great pizza!⠀
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Lately I have not been posting very consistently, but trust me there is a good reason for this.⠀
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My new website is on its way! ⠀
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On it you will be able to find all my recipes, but most importantly the little tips and tricks which will elevate your home dining experience like never before! Stay tuned for more soon and leave a comment if you are interested in the new site!⠀
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🍕
19/05/2020
WARNING: These truffles are not for the faint of heart. If you do not like bitter chocolate, these truffles are NOT for you.
There is only one way to eat truffles and this is it. Period.
Ok, maybe that went a bit too far... if you find these too bitter, I will also upload a ganache truffle, which you can adapt to your taste. So stay tuned!
Now, back to the ULTIMATE BITTER truffle This recipe has to be done by the gram, so no cups..
Ingredients:
•500ml full fat milk
•130g sugar
•30g glucose syrup
•1 vanilla pod
•25ml espresso (purists, you don’t need coffee!)
•100-200g Cocoa powder
Optional: Up to 250g of anything you desire, goji berries, nuts etc
Preparation:
1) Deseed the vanilla pod and leave in the milk to infuse overnight.
2) In a heavy saucepan add milk, sugar and glucose. Simmer VERY gently for 30’-40’, until it becomes a syrup. Do not stir after it has started to simmer, as the syrup might crystallize. When the mixture has thickened, remove from fire and set aside to cool.
3) Add the espresso shot and mix well.
4) Weigh the final mixture. It SHOULD be approximately 400g. You have to add cocoa powder at a 1:3 ratio. So if you have 400g of syrup, that means 400:3= 133,3g of cocoa powder.
5) Weight the right amount of cocoa powder and slowly sift and incorporate into the syrup. You should end up with a thick and chocolatey mixture.
6) Line a small baking tray with cling film, pour the mixture inside, and chill for at least 1 hour.
7) Remove the hardened mixture and cut into cubes with a knife. Then quickly roll them into balls and throw them in a bowl with excess cocoa powder.
8) Dust well in cocoa powder, arrange into a pyramid and serve!
@ Thessaloníki
12/05/2020
The perfect meringue is one of the most basic pastry skills any home cook should know!⠀
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Pavlova, cookies, cake, soufflés, mousse, even buttercream! You can add it pretty much to anything you want to make airy, so knowing how to make meringue is really a necessary skill!⠀
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The new blog is nearly ready! Stay tuned for tips and tricks for how to make the ULTIMATE meringue and lots more!
@ Thessaloníki
07/05/2020
The lockdown here in Greece is finally over, and I have to say that the past two months have been quite difficult for everyone... ⠀⠀
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Just a few days before the pandemic hit, I was in Milan, having a wonderful time, completely unaware of the situation... The night before I left, I had this wonderful meal at . Each individual course was a different experience, and a true gastronomic journey! Underneath, the streets were crowded and lively, and Milan had such an easygoing vibe to it...⠀
I can only imagine how catastrophic the pandemic was for Italy, which unfortunately became Europe’s “shield” for the virus. My thoughts are with all those whom the pandemic struck in the worst and most unfair way. I only wish that our world becomes once again that carefree place we can freely roam...
03/05/2020
Tsoureki: Not quite bread... Not quite cake... Yet better than both!⠀
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Tsoureki is a traditional dessert bread with distinctive taste of mastic, mahlepi, cardamom, and orange.⠀
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Done right, it is airy, yet chewey and you can feel each individual strand melting in your mouth!⠀
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The secret?⠀
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Kneading.⠀
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And after that more kneading... and more... AND MORE. Knead till your mixer is on the verge of breaking down to bolts and screws!⠀
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Oh and one more thing... butter!⠀
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Traditionally it is made with only oil, but butter takes it on a whole new level...⠀
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I would love to share this recipe, but it is very time consuming and each individual step needs a lot of attention, which means that this caption doesn’t have NEARLY enough space for such an endeavor... I am really considering starting my own blog with tips and tricks for “elevated home cooking”.⠀
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Leave a comment if you would be interested in a blog for home cooking tips and tricks to make your next meal restaurant worthy!
@ Thessaloníki
03/05/2020
03/05/2020
The best Bruschetta is made with home made sourdough bread. PERIOD.⠀
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This appetizer just screams “summer is here”. And though it’s a bit early for summer, it’s never too early for bruschetta!⠀
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There are two tricks for the perfect bruschetta:⠀
1) Make it extra crispy by brushing one side with olive oil and placing it in the tray upside down, with the tray in the lowest position and the fan turned on. This way both sides end up nice and crispy, without becoming overly oily.⠀
2) GO WILD with the toppings, and don’t be stingy with the olive oil!⠀
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This one is with zucchini, cherry tomatoes and pesto, but you can make it with anything you like, though traditionally it’s made with tomatoes and basil.⠀
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03/05/2020
Carrot cake: the ultimate indulgence
I have to admit that there is something about USUAL carrot cat that leaves me unsatisfied every time.
Trust me.
This is the ULTIMATE carrot cake.
The difference lies in all of the little details. These are the little tips and tricks that transform boring ol’ carrot cake into the ultimate indulgence.
1) Replacing half of the sugar with dark muscovado sugar makes for a moister cake with a rich caramel color and flavor from the molasses.
2) Very finely chopping the walnuts/pecans and raisins (or even grinding) disperses the flavor evenly and creates a crumb with more texture.
3) I can’t stress this enough... SYRUP. I know this sounds weird, but trust me on this one
4) MASCARPONE frosting. The key is to make it a bit stiffer so that it holds its shape.
Ingredients:
Dry ingredients •2 cups all-purpose flour
•2 tsp baking powder •1.5-2 tsp cinnamon •0.5 tsp ground cloves
•1 pinch of salt
Wet ingredients:
•5-6 large carrots (3 cups grated)
•1 cup caster sugar
•1 cup dark muscovado sugar (or other brown sugar)
•1 + 1/4 cup vegetable oil •4 large eggs
•1 tsp vanilla extract (or 1 vanilla pod)
•1 cup walnuts (or pecans)
•1/3 cup raisins
Syrup:
•1/2 cup sugar
•1/4 cup water
•1/2 shot of bourbon
Frosting:
•1/2 cup butter
•1 cup mascarpone (FULL FAT)
•3.5-4 cups powdered sugar
•vanilla flavoring
Preparation:
1) Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius and line two pans (23cm/9inch) with parchment paper
1) Grate carrots and finely chop or grind walnuts and raisins.
2) Mix dry ingredients and wet ingredients separately.
3) Fold dry ingredients into wet ingredients and fill pans with half of mixture each.
4) Bake for 25-35 minutes, until a fork or toothpick inserted comes out clean.
5) While the cake is baking make the frosting and syrup. To make syrup combine water and sugar and bring to a boil until sugar dissolves. Add shot of liquor. To make frosting beat mascarpone and cream, then add sugar and vanilla slowly.
4) When cakes come out, pour syrup and spread evenly. Wait for the cakes to cool completely.
5) Decorate: cake, frosting, cake UPSIDE DOWN, frosting.
6) Enjoy!
03/05/2020
These lovelies were baked today! Sourdough bread, apart from being healthier on the digestive system, has also been a very therapeutic process for me during the quarantine.
I would love to share the recipe with you, but I find it quite pointless, as bread making is all about the tips and tricks of how to handle the dough. Writing books of bread making would be pointless if you don’t at least once see someone making it in front of you and trying the result at the end... I am thinking about creating more content such as videos or a website, would anyone be interested in that?
🌱
03/05/2020
1-2-3-4
Nothing brings out the essence of Easter in Greece quite like the aroma of baked semolina, cinnamon and orange, cooked into a traditional and rustic Halvá.
1-2-3-4 is the traditional -and only- way to create this light, yet satisfying delight. If done correctly, this desert is creamy, but still has a certain crunch from each individual grain of semolina.
1-2-3-4 stands for the amount of cups for oil, semolina, sugar, and water respectively.
Ingredients:
•1 cup oil or butter
•2 cups semolina (half fine, half coarse)
•3 cups sugar (if this seems too sweet you can cut down by up to 1 cup of sugar)
•4 cups of water
•1 stick of cinnamon
•Peel of an orange
Optional:
•Almonds
•Raisins
Preparation:
1) Combine water, sugar, cinnamon, orange peel. Boil for 5 minutes to make a syrup. Leave aside for the flavors to infuse.
2) In a pan, cook semolina in oil until golden. Cook on medium high heat, until all the grains are cooked and come apart.
3) Reduce heat, toss in almonds and raisins. Strain and stir in the syrup, being very careful as it may splatter.
4) Cook until it forms a mass and doesn’t stick to the pan anymore.
5) Pour mixture into a container such as a cake mold, let sit for at least 30’. Flip onto a platter, slice, and serve!
03/05/2020
Ratatouille is the perfect way to accompany a braised pork shank!
The best thing is that you can make it with more or less anything you have... .
03/05/2020
Remember that pavlova from the last post?
The meringue needs egg whites, but then you are left with 5 beautiful egg yolks... Just what you need to make delicious, creamy lemon curd!
Traditionally lemon curd is made with only egg yolks, lemon, sugar and butter, but I have made a few alterations that in my opinion enhance the texture so that it is thicker and smoother!
Recipie for 2 small jars or 1 big one:
Ingredients:
•5 egg yolks
•4 lemons (zest and juice)
•1 cup of sweetened condensed milk •1 stick (125g) butter
•1 leaf of gelatin (optional)
Instructions:
1) Bloom gelatin in cold water
2) In a bain-marie whisk egg yolks and sweetened condensed milk
3) After fully mixed, add lemon zest and lemon juice and stir constantly with a rubber spatula, until the cream thickens into a custard.
If you are using a thermometer, stir until it reads 73 degrees Celsius (if not, that practically means, if you dip the spatula into the custard and gently bring it to the edge of your lips, it stings but does not burn your lips)
4) Take off heat, strain into a bowl and whisk in butter (cut into cubes)
5) After the mixture has cooled a bit (50 degrees Celsius if you are using a thermometer) add the gelatin, and keep stirring until completely cool.
6) Transfer to desired container and chill for at least 2-4 hours, until completely set
7) Spread onto some banana waffles or anything else your heart desires and enjoy!
The sweetened condensed milk makes the eggs more stable so that they won’t scramble when you cook them. If you want to make traditional lemon curd, just substitute it with 1 cup of sugar.
The gelatin helps make the curd hold its shape better when it has set, but it is absolutely optional.
☕️
03/05/2020
You know it’s spring when you start seeing the first strawberries peeping around. And just tell me: is there is a better way to eat strawberries then in a rustic pavlova?!?!⠀
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This is one of my favorite desserts, because you can whip it up (literally) in no time, and even if you don’t nail it, it’s still absolutely awesome!⠀
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Whenever I make pavlova, I use the leftover egg yolks to make some lemon curd. ⠀
Then I combine them...⠀
It tastes awesome...⠀
You should try it.⠀
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Ingredients for pavlova:⠀
Meringue:⠀
•4 egg whites⠀
•1 cup confectioners sugar⠀
•1 tbsp lemon juice⠀
•1 teaspoon cornstarch ⠀
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Toppings:⠀
•1 cup heavy cream (whipped)⠀
•fresh fruit⠀
•lemon curd⠀
Or anything else your heart desires!⠀
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To make the pavlova⠀
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1) Whisk egg whites till they form soft peaks⠀
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2) Slowly add sugar and continue beating till meringue is glossy and stiff peaks form⠀
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3) Add cornstarch and lemon juice and fold with a spatula⠀
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4) Spread onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Try to form a circle and make a “dip” in the center, so that the edges are taller and can hold your toppings after they are cooked.⠀
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4) Cook in preheated oven at 90 degrees celsius for about 1:30 hour⠀
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5) Leave to cool inside the oven with the door slightly open.⠀
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6) Once completely cool, spread on that whipped cream, add your toppings and enjoy!⠀
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🍓
03/05/2020
And there are those days that you absolutely need something chocolatey for your tea, but absolutely do NOT need the calories. But that’s what these healthy oatmeal coca cookies are for!⠀
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You know... there really is no “recipie” for these, just dig in your pantry, find anything you like and consider healthy enough and really... just go wild! ⠀
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Ingredients for these (approximately):⠀
•1 banana⠀
•2 cups oats⠀
•1 tbsp peanut butter⠀
•1 tbsp honey⠀
•1/4 cup crushed almonds ⠀
•2 heaped tbsp cocoa powder⠀
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Instructions:⠀
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1) Mix everything together and bake in microwave or on stovetop till everything comes together (about 1 min.)⠀
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2) Scoop onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper⠀
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3) Refrigerate for 1-2 hours⠀
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4) Enjoy!⠀
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03/05/2020
I think it’s safe to say that during the time of the quarantine we will all most likely be eating a lot of pasta!
Here is a sort of carbonara-kind of mac ‘n cheese pasta recipe!
Ingredients for 4:
•500g of spaghetti no 6 or linguini
•1 thick slice (about 1 cm) of pancetta, or any cured pork
•3 eggs whole
•2 egg yolks
•500g of FINELY grated cheese (anything that melts will do)
•1/2 cup of heavy cream
•Salt, pepper, parsley to your liking
Preparation:
1) Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta until it is al dente
2) In the meantime chop the pancetta into small cubes and cook in a large pan, without any oil.
3) While the pancetta is cooking, mix the eggs, egg yolks, cheese, heavy cream and parsley in a separate bowl.
4) When the pancetta is cooked through and crispy, remove the pan from fire.
5) Once the pasta is ready, keep a cup of the water, strain and drizzle with the fat from the pancetta (or some olive oil). 6)Now you need to cook the egg mixture with the pasta. Throw the pasta into the pan with the pancetta, pour the egg mixture on top, salt, pepper and quickly toss around till the cheese melts and the mixture thickens. The heat of the pasta and the pan will cook the eggs, but work quickly here, because you don’t want to end up with scrambled eggs. If this seems too difficult, you can also toss everything into the egg mixture bowl and mix around, and if it hasn’t thickened enough, you can then throw everything back to the pan and heat it on low, constantly mixing, till it reaches the desired (=creamy & decadent) consistency. If it thickens too much, throw in some of that water you kept (or some heavy cream if you feel extra decadent)
7) Serve and enjoy!