Ricotta Cheese Cake

"Life is uncertain. Eat dessert first." - Ernestine Ulmer

This is a Southern Italian Cheesecake. It is divine!!

Ingredients:

Butter for greasing
2 Tbs Fine Amaretti Cookie Crumbs
1 Package 250 Cream Cheese, at room temperature
1 Cup Sugar
1 Kg Whole Milk Ricotta Cheese
6 Large Eggs (At room temperature)
3 Tbs All-Purpose Flour
1 Tbs Minced Lemon Zest
2 Tsp Vanilla Extract

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 300F (150 Celcius). Lightly butter the bottom and sides of a 9inch (23 Cm)Springform Pan. Sprinkle cookie crumbs evenly over the bottom of the pan and shake out the excess.

2. In a bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed. Beat together the cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add the Ricotta and beat until well blended. Add the eggs, one at a time beating after each addition until incorprated and stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. On low speed add the flour, lemon zest and vanilla and beat just until incorprated. Scrape into the prepared pan.

3. Bake the cake until the edges are set and the centre jiggles slightly when the pan is gently shaken, 1-1 1/4 hours. Transfer to wire rack and let it cool slightly. Then run a thin bladed knife around the edge of the pan to loosen the cake sides. Let cool completely until room temperature then cover and refridgerate until well chilled for at least three hours or for up to 2 days.

4. Remove the sides of the pan and serve chilled.

Raspberry Coulis

Ingredients:

500g Raspberries
1/2 Cup Sugar
1/2 Water
1 Tsp Orange Zest

Method:

1. Place raspberries, sugar, water and orange zest in a pot and bring to the boil. Simmer gently over a low heat for 10 minutes, then let cool and pour mixture into a blender and puree.

2. Strain through a fine mesh sieve, to remove all the seeds. Chill until ready to serve.

Berry Coulis will keep for a few days in the fridge or freeze in ice cube trays for later use.

Japanese Sushi and Inside-out Uramaki Sushi

French Flan with Red Berries

Green Beans, Tuna and Semi Dried Tomatoes Salad

Paella- Spanish Dish

Kiosk Cookies

Goat's Cheese and Fig Bruschetta

This simple and lovely snack, is simply divine. Jamie Oliver style!!

French Macarons

French Macarons with Italian Buttercream filling with matcha and chestnut.

Apricot Slice

Lamb Kabsa

This dish is regarded as a national dish throughout the countires found in the Gulf states of the Middle East. Amongest these places, it is commonly found in Saudi Arabia. Kabsa, is usually served in traditional arabian gatherings, or in festivals such as the holy month of Ramadan. It is best accompanied by a divine cup of milk (yoghurt) and ginger. This dish is created from Basmati rice and a variety of different aromatic spices and saffron. The main ingredient that accompanies these wonderful spices, is chicken or meat. It may be served with fish.

Ingredients:

150g Young Lamb meat, with fat removed (cut into small bulging chunks)
Salt and Fresh Black Pepper
5 Tbs Olive oil or butter
4 Red Onion (Julienne)
2 Cloves of Garlic (Minced)
Small piece of Ginger root (Minced)
250g Yoghurt
4 Cinnamon Sticks
3 Bay Leaves
2 Black Cardommom
8 Green Cardommom
4 Cloves of Garlic
2 Lumi (Dried Lemon)
3 Cups Basmati Rice (Punjabi, is good alternative)
3 Tomatoes (Peeled, seeded and sliced)
A small pinch of Saffron ( Soaked in 3 Tbs hot water)
5 Tbs Olive Oil or Butter (Again)
1 Cup each of Pine Nuts, Cashew Nuts and Almonds
1/2 Cup of Sultanas (Soaked in Water)
5 Cups Meat Stock or Hot Water

Basaar Spices:

. 1/2 Tsp Tumeric
. 3 Tsp Sweet Pepper
. 2 Tsp Black Pepper
. 4 Tsp Cumin Seeds
. 1 Tsp Nutmeg
. 2 Tsp Cardommom
. 1 Tsp Cinnamon
. 1 Tsp Kashmiri Red Chili
. 1 Tsp Cloves

Combine all the spices together in a pan, and heat until fragrant is given off. Cool , and then put it in a grinder.

Method:

1. Combine the meat with half of the basaar spices and seasoning with salt and pepper. Set aside.

2. Put the olive oil in the pan and add the onion. Stir the onion to achieve it in a golden state. Afterwards, put the golden onion on a paper towel. Keep half of the amount of onion, to put with the meat. The other half is for garnishing.

3. Add the meat, afterwards stir the meat for 3-5 minutes, until its golden. Put the fried onion, minced garlic and the minced ginger and stir. Afterwards, add 5 cups of hot water to cover the meat, Add the yoghurt, and allow it to boil. Following that, put the spices and leave it to simmer for 40 minutes or until the meat is tender.

4. Whilst the meat is cooking, wash the basmati rice twice and soak it in cold water for 15 minutes and then sieve it. After the meat is tender, add tomato and rice, add salt, if necessary. Cover and stir once and leave it for ten minutes or until the rice is cooked. Switch off the heat and add the soaked saffron on top of the mixture. Cover it for ten minutes.

5. Before serving the Kabsa, heat a pan with butter or olive oil and add the nuts and sultanas with the remaining half of the Basaar spices. Stir for five minutes. Garnish the mixture over the Kabsa.

6. Finally, combine all ingredients in a large platter.

Enjoy!!

Cream Cheese Coffee Cake

Lemon Sugar-Almond Topping:

1/4 Cup Sugar
1 1/2 Tsp Finely Grated Zest from 1 Lemon
1/2 Cup Sliced Almonds

Cake:

2 1/4 Cups All Purpose Flour
1 1/8 Tsp Baking Powder
1 1/8 Tsp Baking Soda
1 Tsp Table Salt
1 stick + Two Tbs Unsalted Butter (Softened)
1 Cup + 7 Tbs Sugar
1 Tbs Finely Grated Zest + 4 Tsp Lemon Juice
4 Large Eggs
5 Tbs Vanilla Extract
1 1/4 Cups Sour Cream
8 Ounces Cream Cheese (Softened)

Method:

1. For the topping, adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Stir together sugar and lemon zest in small bowl until combined and sugar is moistened. Stir in almonds and set aside.

2. Spray 10 inch tube pan with non stick cooking spray. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together in medium bowl. Set aside.
In another bowl, beat butter, one cup plus two tablespoon sugar and lemon zest at medium speed, until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time.

3. Add four teaspoon of vanilla extract, reduce speed to low and add third of the flour mixture, followed by half of sour cream, mixing after each addition, for five to ten seconds. Repeat until sour cream an flour finish.

4. Fold the batter, once or twice with rubber spatula, to incorprate any remaining flour. Reserve 1 1/4 cup of batter and set aside. Spoon remaining batter into prepared pan and smooth top. Beat cream cheese, reamining five tablespoon sugar and remaining one teaspoon vanilla, on a medium speed. Add 1/4 of a cup of reserved cup of batter, until its incorprated. Spoon cream cheese filling over batter, keeping the filling at about 1 inch from the edge of a pan, smooth top. Spread remaining cup of reserved batter filling and smooth the top.

5. With a spatula, swirl filling into batter, using a figure 8 motion. Do not drag the filling to the bottom or the edge of the filling. Firmly tap pan firmly on the counter, twice. Spinkle lemon sugar- almonds topping over batter and gently press into the batter to adhere.

6. Bake for 45- 50 minutes until the top is golden and firm. Insert a long skewer into cake and it should come out clean. Remove pan from oven and place on wire rack and leave it to cool to room temperature for about 1 1/2 hours. Cut into slices and serve.