Celebrating Bl. Junipero Serra with California Mission Foods

The Spanish influence on California and other areas of the Southwest, is still very evident in the culture including the food. The Spanish missionaries who founded the chain of missions in California brought with them their culture and traditions and also adapted them to the products of the new world. In the United States we recognize the July 1 optional memorial of Bl. Junipero Serra, the Spanish Franciscan, who is the Father of the California missions.

In Bess Anderson's California Mission Recipes cookbook, she acquaints readers with the various foods that would have been traditionally prepared and eaten in the missions. The ingredients used were mainly those harvested at the mission or occasionally those brought by ship. The preparations of the food in the missions most often was under the direction of a padre, with the preparation carried out by Indian women of the mission. Anderson indicates that from various records we know the missions had both lean and rich years. There were times, for example, when the daily ration of Father Serra consisted solely of 3 tortilla cakes and wine.

Anderson's book as well as the various mission preservation organizations are sources of traditional mission-style recipes. Enjoy a recipe from the California mission tradition on the feast of Bl. Junipero Serra.

POSOLE
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
2 T. vegetable oil or lard
1/2 t. black pepper
1/2 t. ground cumin
1/2 t. cloves
1/2 t.cayenne
1-1/2 lbs. pork shoulder, cooked and cut into 1-inch cubes
2 cups canned white or yellow hominy (drained and rinsed)
3-5 cups pork broth, degreased and strained
1 cup canned green chiles (chopped)
2 whole Jalapenos, canned or fresh
salt to taste

Sauté onion and garlic in oil. Add spices, stirring to blend. Add pork, drained and rinsed hominy, pork broth, green chiles and jalapenos. Cook at a simmer, covered, for 45 to 60 minutes or until the meat and hominy are tender. Add more water or broth as needed to keep pork covered in the final minutes of stewing. Remove posole from heat and cool slightly. Degrease the stew. Check to see if salt is needed. Reheat before serving.

BUNELOS
4 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup shortening
3 cups sifted flour
1 T sugar
1 t salt
fat or oil for deep frying
sugar cinnamon, ground

Beat eggs until light in color and thickened, add milk and melted shortening. Combine the flour, sugar and salt. Sift into egg mixture slowly and blend well, making a soft dough that doesn't stick to hands. Shape into walnut-sized balls and roll on a lightly-floured board into a round-shaped cakes similar to a tortilla. Fry in deep hot fat until golden brown in color - about 3 minutes on each side. Drain well. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Make s 30 bunelos.

LOIN OF PORK WITH WINE
3-4 pounds pork loin
2 T butter
2 onions, sliced
2 medium tomatoes
2 carrots, diced
2 springs parsley 1/2 cup dry white wine
salt and pepper

Brown the pork on all sides in the butter. When brown add the vegetables, wine, and season with salt and pepper. Simmer for 2-3 hours or until the meat is tender. Serve on a heated plate. Strain the liquid in the pan over the meat.

PUMPKIN CAKES
1 cup pumpkin mash
1 cup corn meal
1/4 fat.
Gradually add meal to the pumpkin mash, stirring constantly. Then add butter a little at at time. Mix thoroughly, stirring very hard to form a stiff dough. Shape into round flat cakes and bake over a high heat on a well=greased hot griddle for 5 minutes on each side. Serves 4

ICED MEXICAN CHOCOLATE
2 cups milk, scalded
4 T ground coffee
1 cinnamon stick
4 squares unsweetened cocoa
1/2 cup boiling water
1/2 cup sugar
4 cups cold milk
2 t vanilla

Add coffee and cinnamon to the scalded milk. Cover, let stand 5 minutes and strain. Heat chocolate over water, add boiling water, and sugar and cook until smooth and thick. Add the coffee-cinnamon liquid. When ready to serve, blend in the cold milk and vanilla. Serve in tall glasses with crushed ice. Serves 6-8.

Claypot Drunken Chicken

I have tried cooking a few kind of claypot chicken recipes and each one of it has it's own taste and speciality. Today this Claypot Drunken Chicken that I am going to share consists of Chicken pieces, mushroom, black fungs, wine and Egg. This can be serve as a one-pot dish meal which is full of nutritious source. We love the thick and creamy gravy which is great to be serve with steam rice.

Since this is called Drunken Chicken, it is bound to have some wine content. So if you are to share this dish with younger kid at home, you can either omit the wine content or reduce the amount used. This recipe call for Kampong Chicken which the meat is much sweeter and cooked resistance for stewing purposes.

Ingredients:
1/2 Portion of Kampong Chicken
10g Shredded Ginger
10g of Soaked Black Fungus
4 Medium Chinese Mushroom, soaked, cut into quarters
1 Egg
1 Stalk of Spring Onion, cut into section
1 Tablespoon Sesame Oil
1/2 Tablespoon of Oyster Sauce
1/2 Tablesppon Wolfberries
100ml Rice Wine
400 - 500ml Water
1 Tablespoon Corn Starch Solution

Method:
1. Wash and clean the chicken then cut into pieces then set aside for use.
2. Preheat the sesame oil in the claypot then saute the shredded ginger till fragrant then add in the chicken pieces and half of the spring onion sections then continue to fry for another 1 minutes.
3. Next stir in the oyster sauce to the chicken mixture till combined then add in the mushroom and black fungus.
4. Give them a quick stir then pour in the water and let the mixture simmer for about 15 - 20 minutes until chicken is well cooked.
5. Lastly, add in the rice wine and balance of the spring onion and wolfberries and bring it to boil then stir in the cornstarch solution to thick the sauce.
6. Remove the pot from heat and crack the egg in the middle, cover for 1 minute then serve with steam white rice.

Note:
a) You can replace the Kampong Chicken with 2 Large Drumstick with tight portion.
b) You can replace rice wine with Japanese Mirin or Sake but reduce the amount to 60ml.
c) You can add 1 tablespoon spoon water to 1/2 teaspoon of cornflour to make the cornstarch solution.


Related Post:
1) Claypot Chicken With Salted Fish
2) Claypot Minced Pork Rice
3) More Claypot Dish Link

Durian Fried Rice

I have heard about this Durian Fried Rice from one of the Hong Kong style cafe called "Central" where they have a few branches in Singapore, one of it located at the basement of Takashimaya. I guess not many of us will dare to take the risk on trying this dish on the combination of seafood fried rice with Durian. But to me, this is always an interesting dish to try on since from young I always love the combination of white rice serve with durian flesh.

As now is the Durian peak seasoning, I decided to grab a few from the fruit stall to test out some interesting recipe which I have keep in view for a long time. So based on the food review from some of the blogger who have tried this dish, I came out with my own version of Durian Fried Rice. Since I always fancy the idea of mixing rice with durian, I found this combination of fried rice is very special and the taste do blend in well with the fried, rice and egg. I didn't add any seasoning to this dish, and not even to the prawn as well.

Ingredients: (serve 1)
1 Small Rice Bowl Of Cooked Rice
3 Seeds Of Durian Flesh, 80g
5 Medium Prawns, devein
1 Egg, optional
1 Teaspoon Wolfberries
2 Cloves Garlic, finely chopped
1/2 Tablespoon Olive Oil
Chopped Spring Onion

Method:
1. Pre-heat a frying pan with oil and saute the chopped garlic until fragrant then stir in the prawn and fry until cooked through.
2. Next stir in the cooked rice and give it a quick stir to separate each of the grain from sticky together.
3. Push the rice mixture to aside(refer to the picture above) then crack an egg into the pan and stir-it through to the rice mixture until combine then add in the wolfberries.
4. Lastly, push the rice mixture aside again and add in the Durian flesh and give it a quick stir to loosen the paste then stir it into the rice mixture till well combined.
5. Remove the pan from heat, and sprinkle chopped spring onion into rice mixture, dish up and serve warm with extra seeds of durian.

Note:
a) If you want it to be a bit savoury, you can add 1/4 teaspoon of salt or seasoning to stir-fry the fried before adding the durian.

Related Post:
1) Rice With Durian
2) Baked Durian Cake
3) Durian Chocolate Chiffon Cake
4) Green Bean With Durian
5) Thai Style Durian Sticky Rice

Durian Chocolate Chiffon Cake

This is 2nd Chiffon Cake recipe that I experiment and tested. I used the combination of Cocoa Powder + 70% Dark Chocolate + fresh DURIAN as main ingredients. So you can imagine having a bite on this slice of cake with such combination where you can actually smell and taste the baked durian in a rich cocoa content. Since this is a chiffon cake, you will find the texture of the cake to be light, spongy and fluffy rather than that greasy and dense compare to cake.

(you can click on the picture to enlarge it in order to read the notes) As while sharing the chiffon cake recipe and ideas with some of my friends, they are quiet turn off in making even though they are keen. They are having the phobia as what I used to have in the whisking of egg white to stiff peak and stir it into the yolk mixture. We always have this ideas that, chiffon cake is very delicate to make because of the separation of egg yolk and white mixture. It seems like we can't go wrong in one of the steps or else the whole process will be ruin.

(you can click on the picture to enlarge it in order to read the notes) So in order to build up their confident and as well share with readers whom are also interested in trying the recipe. I decided to take pictures of each steps and write little notes on them so that they will have roughly and idea of how each process look like.

Ingredients: (17cm / 7" tin)
100g Fresh Durian Flesh, mashed
3 Large Egg Yolks
40g Caster Sugar
30g 70% Dark Chocolate, finely chopped
40ml Olive Oil
60ml Water
50g Top Flour/Cake Flour
30g Cocoa Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder
4 Large Egg Whites
30g Caster Sugar

Method:
1.Removed the seeds from the durian flesh, weight it accordingly to the recipe then mashed it and set aside.
2. Separate the egg yolks and white into two separate bowls. (carefully do not leave any trace of egg yolk in the egg whites mixture)
3. Use a balloon whisk to whisk the egg yolks and 40g of caster sugar(add in 3 separate additions) till thick and sticky.
4. Slowly drizzle in the oil while continue to whisk at the same time then follow by the water till the mixture is well combined. (refer to the pictures above, the mixture will be thick and glossy after adding the oil)
5. Add the sifted flour mixture into the egg mixture and continue to whisk till the flour is fully incorporated into the batter.
6. Next stir in the durian paste and chopped chocolate using the whisk till combined.
7. Use a kitchen paper towel to wipe off the oil from the cup then grease the tube-pan lightly with the oil and set aside for later use.
8. Preheat the oven to 180 degree.
9. Beat egg whites and 1/3 of the caster sugar with an electric mixer until mixture becomes frothy and foamy. Then add in another 1/3 of the sugar and continue to beat on medium speed until almost soft peaks form then add in the last 1/3 of the sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. (you can refer to the above pictures on whisking the egg whites, the whole process takes about less than 5 minutes)
10. Add the beaten egg whites into the egg yolk batter in 3 separate additions, with the 1st addition using the balloon whisk to incorporate it into the yolk mixture till combine without trace of whites.
11. Next fold in the 2nd and 3rd addition of whites using the balloon whisk in a gentle manner in order not to knock off the air in the whites, just fold till no trace of egg whites and the mixture are well combined.
12. Before pouring the mixture to the greased pan, use a spatula to give a final stir to make sure there is no flour or egg whites mixture at the bottom of the mixing bowl.
13. Lift up the bowl to height, then pour the mixture into the pan and tap the pan 2 - 3 times on a table top to get rid of any trapped air bubbles in the batter.
14. Baked the cake in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes or when the surfaces turns golden brown. (I baked on the 2nd lower shelf of my built in oven using upper and lower heat function. You can insert a skewer into the centre and test if it comes out clean)
15. Remove from the oven and invert the pan immediately and let it rest on top of a cup. Let it cool completely before unmould.(refer to the picture below on how to invert the pan over a cup to cool down)
16. To remove the cake from the pan, run a thin-bladed knife (i use a small rubber spatula) around the inside of the pan and the center core.
17. Release the cake and run the knife/spatula along the base of the pan to remove the cake.
18. Cut into serving size and serve with a cup of tea or coffee.


From the pictures you can realise and see the texture of the Chiffon cake is actually quiet spongy, moist and full of extra goodness..... So are you more confident now to try out on any of the Chiffon Cake recipe that you love.

Related Post:
1) Rice With Durian
2) Baked Durian Cake
3) Durian Fried Rice
4) Green Bean With Durian
5) Thai Style Durian Sticky Rice

Sweet Potato & Sesame Chiffon Cake

Recently while blog hopping around, I saw a few of my favour foodblogs will into chiffon cake making. So I thought maybe I would also like to join in the fun of chiffon cake making. After much selection I decided to settle on this Sweet Potato & Sesame Chiffon Cake rather than our usual local Pandan Chiffon Cake.

Chiffon cake making was rather a challenge for me because this is only my 2nd time I try making it after the 1st bake of Lemon Poppy Seeds Chiffon Cake some time ago in August 2008. Personally I love the taste and texture of chiffon cake but then the process and tales of making it put me on hesitation. I am so scare that it doesn't raise up nicely, the inner part is not properly cook while the outer layer is burnt and etc. But after reading all the recent chiffon cakes posts, I am once again tempted to give a try on this recipe. The recipe is rather easy to follow as long as you get the steps of whisking and folding the egg white in the correct sequence.

Ingredients: (7"/18cm Mould)
100g of Steam Sweet Potato Cubes
3 Large Egg Yolks
40g Brown Sugar
50ml Olive Oil
50ml Water
80g Top Flour/Cake Flour
1.5 Teaspoons Black Sesame Seeds, toasted
4 Large Egg Whites
30g Caster Sugar

Method:
1.Wash and brush the outer skin of the sweet potato then steam it over a rack for about 20 - 30 minutes depend on the thickness. (the sweet potato is cooked through when the skewer or toothpick is able to pierce through without difficulty)
2. Cut the cooked sweet potato into 0.5cm thickness slices then peel off the skin and cut into small cubes, set aside for later use.
3. Separate the egg yolk and white into two separate mixing bowls. (carefully do not leave any trace of egg yolk in the egg whites mixture) then use a balloon whisk to whisk the egg yolk and brown sugar(add in 3 separate additions) till thick and sticky.
4. Slowly drizzle in the oil while continue to whisk at the same time then follow by the water till the mixture is well combined.
5. Add the sifted flour into the egg mixture and continue to whisk till the flour is fully incorporated into the batter.
6. Next stir in the sweet potato cubes and sesame seeds using a spatula till combined.
7. Use a kitchen paper towel to wipe off the oil from the cup then grease the tube-pan lightly with the oil and set aside for later use.
8. Preheat the oven to 180 degree.
9. Beat egg whites and 1/3 of the caster sugar with an electric mixer until mixture becomes frothy and foamy. Then add in another 1/3 of the sugar and continue to beat on medium speed until almost soft peaks form then add in the last 1/3 of the sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. (the whole process takes about less than 5 minutes)
10. Add the beaten egg white into the egg yolk batter in 3 separate additions, with the 1st addition using the balloon whisk to incorporate it into the yolk mixture till combine without trace of whites.
11. Next fold in the 2nd and 3rd addition of whites using the balloon whisk in a gentle manner in order not to knock off the air in the while, just fold till no trace of white and the mixture are well combined.
12. Before pouring the mixture to the greased pan, use a spatula to give a final stir to make sure there is no flour or egg white mixture at the bottom of the mixing bowl.
13. Lift up the bowl to height, then pour the mixture into the pan and tap the pan 2 - 3 times on a table top to get rid of any trapped air bubbles in the batter.
14. Baked the cake in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes or when the surfaces turns golden brown. (you can insert a skewer into the centre and test if it comes out clean)
15. Remove from the oven and invert the pan immediately and let it rest on top of a cup. Let it cool completely before unmould.
16. To remove the cake from the pan, run a thin-bladed knife(i use a small rubber saptula) around the inside of the pan and the center core.
17. Release the cake and run the knife/spatula along the base of the pan to remove the cake.
18. Cut into serving size and serve with a cup of tea or coffee.

Notes:
a) I used the purple skin type of Japanese Sweet Potato rather then the local orange flesh type.
b) To test whether your beaten egg white is of stiff peak form, turn mixing bowl upside down, the white will remain without falling.
c) Preheat the oven half way through while whisking the egg whites so that the oven temperature will be ready and not over heated when you have all the mixture done and ready to bake.


We really love this chiffon cake which taste light and fragrant compare to the normal pandan cake that we used to have. The addition of the steam sweet potato cubes and black sesame seeds also add some extra texture it. Those whom I share this cake with all love it taste and texture because they find it so healthy without the use of butter and normal coconut milk.

Other Interesting Chiffon Cake Posts:
1) Lemon Chiffon Cake @ Happy Home Baking
2) Chiffon Corner @ Kitchen Corner
3) Mini Macha Chiffon @ Bossacafez
4) Double Chocolate Chips Chiffon Cake @ Small Small Baker
5) Grand Marnier Orange Chiffon @ E's Joie

Wholemeal Pumpkin Mantou

This is a busy weekend for me as I suddenly have the urge to conquer a few recipes in my to-do-list. While waiting for my son to finish his Saturday enrichment class, I managed to stomp upon this Organic Wholemeal Flour from one of the local supermarket. It has a finer and right texture compare to another brand that I used to buy so I decided to get a packet to test out my new Steam Pumpkin Mantou recipe which I modify from the previous recipe that I made.

I modify the recipe a bit which made this rather simple and easy compare to previous one. And this Steam Mantou is full of texture when biting because of the use of the Wholemeal flour, Sesame seeds, Raisin and Wolfberries.

Ingredients:
230g Pumpkin, skin removed
250g Wholemeal Flour
1 Teaspoon Active Dry Yeast
1 Teaspoon of Baking Powder
5 Tablespoons of Brown Sugar
1 Tablespoon Black Sesame Seeds
1 Tablespoon White Sesame Seeds
2 Tablespoons Wolfberries, cut into halves
2 Tablespoons Golden Raisin, chopped
20 - 40ml water
1 Tablespoon of Vegetable Oil

Method:
1. Cut the pumpkin into small cubes, rinse it with water then place them into a microwave safe bowl and cook in Microwave High for about 5 - 6 minutes with a cup of water.(Stop 2 minutes in between to give a stir to the cubes to cook them evenly)
2. When the cubes became soft, mashed them using a fork and set side to cool to lukewarm temperature before adding to the flour to form a dough.
3. Sift the flour, baking powder and yeast together then add in the sugar and stir till combine.
4. Next slowly add in the mashed pumpkin and stir using a pair of chopstick till combine, you might need to add some water in order to form a dough.
5. Moist your hand with some oil and give the dough a few knead to combine it then set it aside in a lightly flour/oil bowl to proof for about 20 - 30 minutes until double it size.
6. Divide the dough into 2 or 3 portions then on a lightly floured work surface, flatten each portion into a rectangular shape shown like that picture shown above, sprinkle some chopped wolfberries, golden raisin and sesame seeds then roll it up lengthwise into an oblong shape then cut them into equal portion.
7. Place each shaped portion on a piece of greaseproof paper, top with some extra wolfberries and sesame seeds then arrange on the steamer rack and steam over medium heat for about 8 - 10 minutes depend on the size.
8. Repeat for the rest of the portion of dough and steam accordingly. (I made about 12 Mantou with the size of about 2.5" before steaming)

Notes:
a) You might need to cook the pumpkin for about 3 - 5 minutes more before it will be soften depend on the power of your microwave.
b) You can also replace the brown sugar with caster sugar instead.
c) This is best to serve within the same day, if not you can keep in the freezer for a few weeks, and reheat it before serving.

Banana & Orange Cinnamon Jam

Remember the Banana and Passion fruit Jam that I posted in April? My mum really love the taste and fragrant of that jam so since she gave me some banana on Friday I decided to try out another type of Banana Jam. This round I use the combination of Banana and Orange together with a touch of Cinnamon Powder. So you can imagine the sweetness of banana, tangerine fragrant from the orange and a touch of Cinnamon spice................


As usual, you don't really need any fancy ingredients. All you required is about 2 medium size banana, 1 big orange and some cinnamon powder. And don't forget to get two glass jar for your jam. (you can use re-cycle jam bottle for this)

Ingredients:
2 Ripe Medium Banana, about 200g
1 Large Orange, without peel about 100g
Grated Rind of 1 Orange
Juice of Half Orange, 50ml
1/4 Teaspoon Cinnamon Powder
200g Caster Sugar
2 Small Jam Bottles

Method:
1. Weight and pour the sugar into a small heavy duty saucepan, then add in the grated orange rind. (Washed, clean dry the orange and grate the rind)
2. Cut the orange into half, juice half of it to get about 50ml of juice then cut off the outer peel of the other half of the orange, remove the pith and membrane.
3. For each section, cut between the fruit and membrane on each side. Lift out each segment and drop it into the saucepan together with the sugar.
4. Next weight and mash the banana with a fork then add it into the saucepan together with the orange juice and cinnamon powder.
5. Stir all the mixture over medium low heat for about 10 - 15 minutes.
6. When the mixture begin to boil a lot of forms will form, do skim away those form and continue to cook until the mixture is clear and thicken.(refer to the above picture for details, the jam will continue to thicken further after it is cool to room temperature)
7. Pour the cooked jam into the sterilize glass bottle, covered and let it cool to room temperature before storing it in the fridge.

Note:
a) Bring a pot of water with jam bottle in it to a boil and boil them for 10 minutes or so to sterilize them, removed and invert for them to dry. (you can do this while cooking the jam)

Related Post:
1) Homemade Banana & Passion Fruit Jam
2) Homemade Mango Jam
3) Homemade Plum Jam
4) Homemade Strawberry Jam

Sacred Heart Cheesecake

During these hot summer months, I am loath to turn on my oven for any long periods of time and everyone prefers to eat whatever is cool and fresh from the fridge. This is a creamy lemon cheesecake that I always make in a heart shape because that is the way my mother-in-law first served it to me. We decorated it to look like the sacred heart using mini chocolate chips, orange and yellow sugar and junior mints for the cross. Miniature candy bars might have worked better but this was all I had. The recipe is below:

Creamy Lemon Cheesecake

1 pkg. Duncan Hines Deluxe Lemon cake mix
2pkg. 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
8 oz. sour cream
1/2 c. sugar
1/3 C. oil
3 eggs

Measure 1C. dry cake mix; set aside. Combine remaining mix with 1 egg and oil. Press into bottom of greased pan(s). Bake @ 350 for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, combine reserved mix, 2 eggs and remaining ingredients. Beat at low speed for 2 minutes. Spread over crust. Bake at 350 about 35 mintues longer. Cool and chill. Top with whipped cream.

This made one heart shaped cake and one 8 inch round cake which we shared with our neighbors. It can also be made in a 9x13 inch pan.

Minestrone Soup

June 21st is the feast of St. Aloysius Gonzaga. Catholic Culture suggests "instead of cooking a special treat for this day, perhaps try a light dinner or lunch, maybe a simple soup and bread to imitate this fasting saint. We have highlighted a vegetable soup, or minestrone from Italy, but pick your favorite to serve." Minestrone soup is also a great dish to serve for the feast on St. Joseph!

My Favorite Minestrone

Modified from a recipe from my dear friend Kristin

1 ½ pounds Ground Beef – pre-cooked
1 can Kidney Beans
1 can Black Beans
1 can Garbanzo Beans
1 can Pinto Beans
1 can Diced Tomatoes
1 can Stewed Tomatoes
¼ cup Dry Lentils
2 cloves Pressed Garlic
1 Onion, diced
2 Tablespoons Italian seasoning
8 cups Vegetable or Beef Broth
¾ cup Barley
1 cup celery diced
1 cup carrots, diced
8 oz small pasta shells

Combine everything but pasta. Simmer on stove for 1 hour. Add Pasta and continue simmering till cooked. Top with grated cheese and croûtons.

The last time I made it (shown in pictures) I served it with rolls since I was out of croûtons. However, for the feast of St. Joseph, you could top the Minestrone with crushed croûtons. The croûtons (breadcrumbs) symbolize the sawdust that would have covered St. Joseph's floor.

Serves 10+ (This soup makes ALOT. It was enough for 2 meals for my family, and I have big eaters--2 bowls each easily. Since it makes so much, it's great for company as well!)

Enjoy!

Sacred Heart Cookies

The month of June is dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. In addition, the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus is celebrated on the Friday following the Second Sunday after Pentecost, which will be June 19th this year.

A fun way to celebrate at home would be to bake a heart shaped cake or cookies in honor of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Though I can't take any credit for these beautiful cookies, I was able to snap a picture, before they quickly disappeared, at this week's Summer with the Saints (a great summer program for children, put together by my friend Marci). Aren't they perfect?!?

All you need:

• Heart Shaped Sugar Cookies (Here are a couple great recipes from the archives!)
  
• White, Red, and Yellow Frosting
• Chocolate Sprinkles

Directions:

Frost cookies with white frosting. Add heart to center of cookie with the red frosting. Arrange chocolate sprinkles around center of the heart to represent the thorns. Add yellow frosting "flames" coming from the top of the red heart. Enjoy!

Most Sacred Heart of Jesus,
have mercy on us!

Singapore Blog Awards - Best Food Blog

Dear Readers,

I am so excited to share with you that with your nomination, my blog "Cuisine Paradise" has been shortlisted as one of the 10 Finalist for the category under Singapore Blog Awards - Best Food Blog.Voting is open to public from 15 June 2009 till 31 July 2009. You can vote only ONCE a day.

So if you like my blogs and recipes please help to cast your valuable vote for me, ok :) But in order for me to receive your vote, you need to register an account as a member with the blog award organiser (OMY.sg). If it is not troublesome for you to help, you can find the online registration form here (click here to register).



Upon successful registration as a memeber, please click on the above VOTE ME icons and you will be directed to the Voting Page where you can see the Top 3 Leading Finalists of each categories. Next click on this green Voting link on the right side of your screen and click on the Best Food Blog(最佳饮食部落格) category shown below to cast your vote.



You will see a RED label VOTE on the top right corner of my avatar To cast your vote, you need to click on the word VOTE instead of the picture which will be direct you back into my foodblog URL.

You will see this confirmation box for you to verified your voting. Click on the word "Confirm" and upon successful voting,you will see a Yellow label showing VOTED on the avatar.


Thank you everyone for your all support! Because of each of your valuable vote and time, Cuisine Paradise is able to be listed in the top 10 finalists.

Cappuccino Mousse Trifle

As Charlotte pointed out last year when she posted a delicious Cappuccino Mousse Recipe for the feast of St. Pio of Pietrelcina, "according to the Oxford English Dictionary and the American Heritage Dictionary, the drink was named cappuccino because its color resembles the brown color of the robes worn by the Capuchin order of Franciscan friars. Others say it is because of the cappuccio or hood of the friar's robes."

Since June 16th marks the anniversary of St. Pio's canonization, as well as the memorial of the Capuchin Martyrs of the Concentration Camps (who were beatified in June of 1999 when the Pope visited Poland), I thought I would post one of my favorite cappuccino recipes in their honor.

Cappuccino Mousse Trifle

My husband and I love Tiramisu. However, it is so time consuming to make that I rarely make it. So when I found this recipe, in one of my Pampered Chef cookbooks, which is very similar to Tiramisu, and OH SO MUCH easier, it was an instant hit! Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 1 (16 ounces) frozen prepared pound cake
• 2 1/2 cups cold milk
• 1/3 cup instant coffee granules
• 2 packages (3.4 ounces each) vanilla instant pudding and pie filling
• 2 containers (8 ounces each) frozen whipped topping, thawed
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 square (1 ounce) semi-sweet chocolate for baking

Directions:

1. Cut pound cake into 1-inch cubes; set aside.

2. In a bowl, whisk milk and instant coffee granules. Let stand 5 minutes or until dissolved.

3. Pour 1 cup of the milk mixture a measuring cup; set aside. Add pudding mix to remaining milk mixture in bowl; whisk until mixture begins to thicken. Gently fold in one container of whipped topping.

4. To assemble trifle, place 1/3 of the cake cubes into bottom of a bowl. Pour 1/3 of the reserved milk mixture evenly over cake cubes. Top with 1/3 of the pudding mixture, pressing lightly. Grate 1/4 of the chocolate over pudding mixture. Repeat layers 2 more times, reserving the remaining grated chocolate for garnish.

5. Fill a decorator with 1 cup of the remaining whipped topping; set aside. Spread remaining whipped topping over entire top of trifle, creating a smooth surface. Decorate by piping rosettes around edge of bowl. Grate remaining chocolate in center; sprinkle with cinnamon.

Yield: 10 servings


This recipe could be made to celebrate any of the Capuchin Saints.

Catholic New Media Awards ~ Sneak Peak Weekend!

"Exclusive for this weekend only, everyone can see the TOP 5 results for each category.
Click here to see them.

See the results before they're gone on Monday morning."

Catholic Cuisine has been nominated, and is currently listed in the Top 5, for Best Group Blog. Thank you to those of you who nominated us for this award!

If you haven't had the opportunity yet, please consider clicking over and voting for us!

St. Anthony's Italian Dinner Rolls

St. Anthony's Italian Dinner Rolls; Yield: 16

3 cups flour, divided

2 packages active dry yeast

1 Tsp. dried Italian seasoning

1 Tsp. dried parsley flakes

1 1/4 cups milk

1/4 cup water

2 Tblsp. butter or margarine

2 Tblsp. sugar

1 Tsp. garlic salt

1 egg

3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese, divided

2 Tblsp. butter or margarine, melted

In a large mixing bowl, combine 1 1/2 cups of flour, yeast, Italian seasoning, and parsley flakes. In a saucepan, heat and stir the milk, water, butter, sugar, and garlic salt just until warm (120 130º) and butter almost melts. Add milk mixture to flour mixture. Add egg and beat with electric mixer on low or medium speed for 30 seconds, scraping the bowl constantly. Beat on high speed for 3 minutes. Using a wooden spoon, stir in 1/2 cup of the parmesan cheese and as much of the remaining flour as you can.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead in enough of the remaining flour to make a moderately soft dough that is smooth (3-5 minutes total). Shape the dough into a ball. Place it in a lightly greased bowl, turning once to grease the top and bottom surfaces. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size (about 45 minutes).

Grease baking sheets or a 13” x 9” x 2” baking pan. Punch dough down and turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide dough into 16 portions, shaping each into a round mini-loaf. Place mini-loaves on sheet or pan. Brush tops with 2 tablespoons butter and sprinkle with remaining parmesan cheese. Cover and let rise in a warm place (about 15 minutes).

Bake in a 375º oven for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.

St. Anthony and the Fish

It is said that St. Anthony was a amazing preacher and as mentioned in the earlier St. Anthony post one legend indicates that even the fish rose from the water to hear his sermon.

No sooner had he spoken a few words when suddenly so great a multitude of fish, both small and great, approached the bank on which he stood. All the fish kept their heads out of the water, and seemed to be looking attentively on St Anthony's face; all were ranged in perfect order and most peacefully, the smaller ones in front near the bank, after them came those a little bigger, and last of all, were the water was deeper, the largest.

As he continued speaking, the fish began to open their mouths and bow their heads, endeavoring as much as was in their power to express their reverence. The people of the city, hearing of the miracle, made haste to go and witness it.

This weekend we will celebrate his feast day, June 13. He is called St. Anthony of Padua, as he is known for his service in Italy, but he was born in Portugal and a proud Portuguese people celebrate his feast ever year in great style. The feast there is knowns as Festos dos Santos Populares in Lisbon.

Having been a people who depended heavily on the sea for food and commerce, the Portuguese have a fondness for fish in their popular festivities. A major staple of the festos (feast day) is grilled sardines. All over Lisbon people grill and consume them. It is said that sardines represented those miraculous fish and were an important part of the festivities. The opening of sardine season coincides with the Feast of St. Anthony.


Sardines are a group of several types of small, fish related to herrings, and were named after the Mediterranean island of Sardinia, where they were once in abundance. The term is not precise, and varies by region; for instance, to many people a sardine is a young European pilchard. Generally if the fish is under 4″ long (10 cm) it is classed as a sardine, and if larger than 4″ it is classed as a pilchard. There are 21 species that may be classed as sardines. (Wikipedia)

Until traveling to Spain with my mother, my experience with sardines was limited to the canned variety. Fresh sardines are nothing like the canned ones - I found them to be quite a treat. But it can be a challenge to find fresh sardines, especially if you are land locked like I am. You may have to settle for frozen ones but still preferable to canned.



Grilled Sardines – Portuguese Style

Ingredients:
sardines, fresh, cleaned, heads and tails left on
salt, coarse (kosher or sea)
olive oil, extra-virgin
pepper (optional)
lemon wedges

Directions:
Rinse sardines under cold water, drain, and blot dry. Sprinkle some salt in the bottom of a baking dish. Arrange half the sardines on top and sprinkle with salt. Add another layer of sardines and sprinkle with salt. Cover and let cure in the salt, in the refrigerator, for about an hour.

When ready to grill, rinse salt off the sardines and blot. Brush the sardines with oil and season with pepper (optional). Oil the grill grate and arrange the fish on it. Grill the sardines until skins are lightly charred and the flesh is cooked to flakiness, 3 to 6 minutes per side. Serve hot. Remove the head and tail, and bones, before eating. Serve with lemon wedges for squeezing.

St. Anthony and the Lost Bread

I think St. Anthony is probably one of the most popular saints among moms! :)

"Dear Saint Anthony, please come round -
Something is lost and must be found."

A Franciscan, he was known for his great humility as well as his eloquence in defending the faith. His sermons are described as so delightful that even the fish listened to him. Many times he is pictured holding the Christ child because of a vision he had of the Divine Child.

His feast is this Saturday, June 13. In cruising some of my liturgical year books and looking for something simple to do as a way of remembering this great and gentle saint, I came across an idea that absolutely appealed to me - Pain Perdu. Literally translated - Lost Bread, but most are more familiar with the name, "French Toast."

This idea instantly jumped out at me. My mom's family is French (Cajun French) and Pain Perdue was a staple of our diet growing up.

"For his feast day we suggest a dish with a name we are sure would delight his heart, for no doubt a saint who finds lost things for people must be one saint how hates waste of any kind. We refer to Pain Perdu, which is made of stale rolls."Feast Day Cookbook by Katherine Burton

My recipe is slightly different than the one listed in Feast Day Cookbook....


Pain Perdue or Lost Bread

**NOTE** You can expect that for every 2 eggs you put in the mix, you will get about 3 slices of Pain Perdue. I've never counted exactly, but for my family of 6 I usually follow the following proportions:

:: 8 eggs
:: 1/2 cup of pet milk (evaporated milk)
:: 2 tablespoons of sugar
:: 1 loaf of stale bread (french bread is great, but any bread will do...I will say that Pepperidge Farm Hearty White bread fresh off the shelf at the market makes an excellent Pain Perdue and doesn't require the soaking in the batter as a stale bread would...just sayin') :)

Whisk together thoroughly in a shallow baking dish. Distribute the stale bread in the shallow baking dish with the egg/milk mix. Allow them to soak for a few minutes. Let your fork be your guide...after about 5 minutes, fork a slice of bread to determine if it has soaked up enough batter - as it soaks up the batter it will become more fork tender. Flip it to ensure both sides are covered in the mix. The more stale your bread is, the longer this soaking will take. (If you're cheating and using a fresh white or french loaf of bread, simply take one slice at a time and dip it in the mix, flip it to cover both sides and go straight to the hot skillet.)

While your bread is soaking, heat a skillet on medium heat. If you're not using a non-stick skillet, you might consider oiling the pan with some palm oil (I like using my cast iron skillets for this). When the pan is good and hot add slices of bread to the pan and fry to a golden brown, flipping once so that both sides brown nicely.

Serve nice and warm with plenty of butter and a topping of confectioners sugar or fresh jam or preserves.

And don't forget that gentle and humble St. Anthony is a powerful heavenly intercessor for more than your lost keys - unfailing prayer to St. Anthony.