Yes, I know, know. Over a year since I tried write in English… actually my native blog is in Portuguese, is much more easy, of course. I can understand English pretty well, but write. I’m not so sure, hahahahah. Let’s try, again!

For this new beginning, a luxury Strawberry Tart with Balsamic Vinegar and Crème Pâtissière. I confess, I’m not crazy for strawberry, but it’s in season, the price is very interesting. So, I have to.

My first idea was serve the tart warm (very I live is Winter now), but rest or cold is much more tasty! :D Vanilla flavor came very strong, I liked it!

The “pie” crust was made with a kind a cracker, I don’t if the same product is available outside Brazil. You can make with Graham Cracker, as you can read above. Oh, the shininess is natural! I didn’t use any kind jam or sorta.

Strawberry With Balsamic & Crème Pâtissière Tart

Pie Crust

• 200g graham cracker
• 100g butter (room temperature)

How: finely ground the crackers with rolling pin or mixer. Then, mix with the butter. Looks like wet “sand”. Place the bottom and side of a pan. Set aside.

Crème Pâtissière
Le Cordon Bleu

• 500mL milk (whole or low fat)
• 1 vanilla pod
• 5 yolks (room temperature)
• 130g crystal sugar (7-8 Tbsp)
• 25g all-purpose flour (3 Tbsp)
• 25g cornstarch (3,5 Tbsp)

How: in a saucepan, bring milk to the boil with vanilla pod (scrape the seed in the milk). While the milk is warming, whisk together yolks and sugar until a light yellow and smooth. Add the flour and cornstarch, whisking continuously.

Pour half milk into the yolk mixture, whisking. Then, back all the mixture into the saucepan and stir for 1-2 minutes in low heat, until the cream is cooked. Leave to rest.

Strawberry with Balsamic

• 400g strawberry (cleaned)
• 2 Tbsp. butter
• 2 Tbsp. crystal sugar
• 2-3 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar

How: slice strawberries, not too thin, but reserve some for decoration.

In pan (sautese or sorta), melt butter and sugar. Add strawberries sliced, stir well. Combine the balsamic, mix well. Remove from the heat. Pay attention, this step is very quickly. Because strawberries are so delicate them cooked very fast. Set aside.

Assemble
Pour the crème pâtissière into the pie crust, distribute uniformly. So, arrange the strawberry slices side by side until complete the circle, and cover all the crème. It’s ok if some remain. Because strawberries were “cooked”, them release some juice. So, pour it over the tart.

Baked it in a pre-heat oven to 180ºC/350ºF for 15-20 minutes. Serve warm or cold, any case still tasty delicious! :D When warm/hot, it’s very soft which is impossible slice without break it.

Portuguese version: Torta de Morango ao Balsâmico & Crème Pâtissière

Yay! My debut on Daring Bakers Challenge after saw the last one (cheesecake lollipop) I was dying to become one DB Member! =D

When I read the recipe I though, like Shea said: “Why did I choose this month to begin?”. The recipe isn’t difficult, I won’t lie, it’s laborious. I made in two days, which means this cake isn’t quick to office party, heheh.

I don’t know for the other DB members, but make the whole recipe is kind expensive, suuuuper fatty (almost 13 eggs, ok half is only egg whites). I must say: worth each little piece! It’s sooo delicious! =D

The joconde cake (base) is soft, like a sponge cake, but much better. Now I know why buttercream is a huge success on cupcake. It’s very good, I liked. I though was inedible fat-y and… this one is made with raw eggs! =O

The original Opéra is made with almond, dark chocolate, coffe and caramel. It was created by Dalloyau in honor to Opéra Garnier de Paris. The challenge was made this classic without dark colours and flavour (no coccoa, no chocolate, no coffe, no caremel)….. =O

My first thought for flavour was caqui (kaki / dióspiros / persimmon), but the cooked pulp gone really bad, too sweet (my fault) and too light. It didn’t taste like persimmon. Almost I took strawberries (kinda pricey where I live), then I saw the passion frui really cheap and calling me, so…. Passion Fruit Opéra Cake! =D Thank geez, ’cause was really good… the sour/citric was the key. :)

Well, the joconde I changed almond to castanha-do-Pará (Brazil Nut) in the last time, ’cause some DB members made them with macadamia nut. So, I remember about my local products and it will nice show you it. I don’t know how it was with almond, but I can tell, with castanha-do-Pará was great, soft, moist and fluffy.

Ah my thanks for the Daring Bakers creators: Ivonne, Lis, and Fran and Shea who helped on this challange. Opéra was a great recipe! =D

Read the full article…

This little baby is my new toy! :) I bought for myself how birthday present, May 5 was the date! :) Now I’m dying for a try, but I have to wait until weekend… so sad! :( I wanna make raviolis!

Since cooking class (yeap! I studied basic cooking in local school) in last year, I wanted have one, but sometimes the price was to high, others I didn’t find. I don’t know if it was a good buy, but for the price I paid was a bargain, so I can’t discuss, heheh.

Something weird/funny shows in the instructions:

Ok, it’s Portuguese.. said: “NEVER WASH WITH WATER OR PUT IN THE DISH MACHINE”. Well, I guess the compay may have some problems with that, right? heheheheh But who do that?

Ok, I know, I know. Maybe the title is wrong, =x. I wanna eat gnocchi, so let’s make it! :) The recipe is super simple and basic, I guess. If it made this way, I don’t know, but it works. The sauce is only a suggestions: tomato and bell pepper “puree” (sweet peppers) sauce with chicken. Actually, this bell pepper puree is a bad, bad translation of Massa de Pimentos which is a Portuguese product that my dear friend Mairzé sent to me.

Difficult level: so easy! :)

Ingredients

Gnocchi

• 4 medium potatos cooked and smashed
• 1 egg
• 12 Tbsp. flour (all-purpose is fine)
• salt

Mixture potatos and egg. Slowly add each spoon at the time, stir like making normal pasta. The dough is ok when doesn’t sticky so much, but still soft. Flour quantity maybe change because the volume the water in potatos and the egg size. Don’t forget season.

In large pan, boil some water and drop a piece the dough, it can’t dissolve. If it happens, add more flour and knead while.

Roll dough out into snake-likes about as thick as your finger, then cut into 0,5 inch (1,5cm) pieces. If you want, score the pieces crosswise with fork.

Cook the gnocchi in boiling water, remove them when rise to the surface. It takes about 2-3 minutes. Drain very well and serve your favorite sauce. If sauce isn’t ready, sit aside and add olive oil to not sticky each other.

My sauce suggestion: Aux Reds

• 1 chicken fillet chopped
• 3 medium tomatos peeled and deseed
• 1/2 onion chopped
• 1 Tbsp. massa de pimentos (optional)
• Salt and pepper
• Water
• Olive oil

Blend the tomatos (already peeled and deseed). Reserve.

Stir-fry the onion until light golden with olive oil, add the chicken. Let cook, then pour the “tomato juice” will be nice some water, how about 1/2 cup.

Well, my tomatos weren’t ideal for sauce and not well mature, a little green. So, how did it become so red? Thankfully to massa de pimentos, the smell remember me pepper, but not hot. Sauce was a different flavor, I don’t know say what precisely. Nevermind, it was delicious! :)

Season (salt, pepper and other condiment you like). This recipe serves two normal people, it excludes us, staving foodie, heheh.

Last time I baked meringue, I lived in another town, almost 8 years ago (oh boy! I’m getting old! T__T)! =O Well, made the small ones because I wanted more than one filling, :) And since I bought “Le Cordon Bleu Dessert Techniques (Le Cordon Bleu)“, driving me crazy all those amazing dishes! heheh

The filling was simple: chantilly for everyone, but the fruits change (kiwi, star fruit, chocolate chips and almond flakes) and orange chantilly with sliced orange for topping.

Difficult level: easy, but the meringue can be tricky.

Ingredients
Meringue
(Source: Chef Simon)

• 2 egg whites in room temperature
• 125g sugar (refined sugar or caster)
• 1 pitch cream of tartar or few drops lemon juice

Filling

• 200mL cream (double cream or whipping cream, must have +30% fat)
• Sugar (+/ 2 tbsp.)
• Orange jam (for the orange chantilly, optional)
• Citric-sour fruits in the season

Utensils: stand or fouet, piping bag, tip star medium, sheet pan, parchment paper or silpat.

Pre-heat the oven 300ºF/150ºC, cover the sheet pan with parchment paper or silpat.

Beat egg whites with cream of tartar until soft peaks. Keep beating, add half sugar let incorporate, then add the other part. Continue beating until the mixture become shiny and firm peaks. Put onto the piping bag.

Well, piping the nest can be very tricky… if you’re like me, I mean: without pastry skills, heheh. Just make a circle, but don’t forget it’s a nest. So, the middle is empty! You can make in 2 steps: 1) the base; 2) the border. 2-3cm distance between each nest.

Let’s bake! =D For 30-40 minutes at 300ºF/150ºC until soft golden. If your oven is like mine, the lower temperature is 350ºF/180ºC, so I keep the door half open with wood spoon. And yes, the kitchen was warm.

Filling: fruits already washed, peeled (if necessary) and sliced, right? Beat the cream until whipped! hehehe If you want the orange cream, divide in two. One part for the normal sweet chantilly, and other the orange cream. For that, add about 2 tbsp. orange jam and mix well.

Everything ready? Nest, cream and fruit? Right! Now, just assemble: fill the nest with cream and topping with fruits. That’s it! Serve cold.

Tips: sour/citric fruits combine much better with the fat-y cream. :)

Ideas

Orange Eton Mess Shot

For many years I’m wondering make this recipe, but always I postponed. Because thought it was difficult, fatt-y, my oven doesn’t work well… etc. So, finally I did! Yay! :) And it’s easy, fun and very delicious. If you’re affraid, my advice is: make it! It’s so fun! :D Few minutes later, all the soft dough became “puffy”, like magic!

I took the Roberta Sudbrack’s recipe (she is a famous chef in Brazil). If I gonna make at least the recipe must be who knows about it, right? :D

Difficulty level: easy, easy!

Ingredients
1 cup = 200mL

• 1 cup water xícara de água
• 1 cup flour xícara de farinha de trigo peneirada
• ½ cup unsalted butter (I used 110g culinary margarine)
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 4 eggs

Utensils: large pan, spoon, sheet pan, piping bag, tip, parchment paper or silpat.

Heat water and butter, until boil. Add flour, sugar and salt. Turn off the heat. Beat the mixture very well to incorporate the flour. Return the pan to the heat. Keep stirring until the paste doesn’t stick on the pan (about 2-3 minutes). Remove the heat.

Let the mixture rest and cool down for a little, 5 minutes. Pre-heat the oven 400ºF/200ºC for 10 minutes, at least. Cover the sheet pan with parchment paper or silpat.

Add eggs, one at the time. Making sure the first egg is completely incorporated before continuing. After, the mixture wil be shiny-golden, :)

Put the mixture onto the piping bag… and make the shape you want! The classic éclair, mini-éclair,… :D But don’t make differents shapes in the same sheet pan.

Put in the oven and turn up to 435ºF/230ºC for 5 minutes. Turn down 400ºF/200ºC for 15-20 minutes until golden brown. So, pierce the bottom with a paring knife to release steam. Turn down the oven 350ºF/180ºC for 10 minutes to dry.

You can fill with anything you want. Cream, chantilly, ganache, mousse… the possibilities are endless. :)

Those ones are’t spherefication (alginate & cia, à la Ferran Adrià), yet. Because I didn’t find a good price (means = cheap) in the local market. And importation is out of imagination, import duties are insane. =p

Some people dislike the called “Molecular Gastronomy” or “Molecular Cooking”, but my inner crazy scientist joy everything about it! :D It’s so amazing! I would say chemistry is love, but I don’t want be slapped.

Well, for my caviar I used agar (a kind of complex carbohydrate)! I saw it on you tube, made by chef Xavier Pauly in the video: Billes d’agar-agar.

It’s really simple and easy. Just take any flavored liquid (mango juice, beet, tomato, etc) and mix very well with agar, heat until boil.

Dropped (with syringe or squeeze bottle) into oil (olive, soy, corn,…) to cold down a little, because agar mixture is solid in room temperature (30ºC/86ºF). In cold water doesn’t work. So, few seconds later remove the “caviar” and you can wash in water. That’s it! The agar quantity is about 1,5-2%. It means for each 100mL you need 1,5-2g agar. You can use more if want sit quickly.

As I said before, agar is a type for carbohydrate (in other words: sugar) with gelatinous property, but it isn’t gelatin. Obtained from some species of red algae, while gelatin extracted from bones cattle and basically is protein.

Oh, oh boy! Since I saw Nigella’s recipe “Honey semifreddo” I was dying for a try. But I had two issue: 1) I wish something more soft/light; 2) less raw eggs.

As you know, I live in Brazil… eating raw eggs isn’t a good ideia. I won’t say I never ate them, but I prefer avoid if it is possible. I another post I explain my reasons, but nobody will die because it.

I guess honey semifeddo is really tasty, when I put my eyes on Matcha Ice Cream from my friend Nina. I was thinking about matcha, so I remembered the semifreddo.

For my cream base without raw eggs, I searched a lot and finally I found this one: “Strawberry Semifreddo” (from Dessert First) which use only 2 eggs! =D I didn’t copied the whole recipe, but it’s my reference. :)

Difficulty level: easy, easy!

Utensils: bowls, fout, pan, loaf pan, plastic wrap.

Ingredient

• 2 egg yolks
• 2 egg whites
• 150mL milk
• 85g white chocolate
• 1½ Tbsp matcha (green tea powder)*
• 3½ Tbsp sugar
• 300mL heavy cream or medium cream
• Optional: pinch cream of tartar or few drops lemon juice.

Melt chocolate in a Double Boiler or microwave. Reserve.

Heat the milk with 1½ Tbsp sugar, while beat egg yolks and 1 Tbsp sugar until pale yellow and creamy. When milk boiled add to egg yolks mixture, and continue beating. Turn back this mixture to the pan and cook until a little thick. Don’t over cook the egg yolks. Let cool.

Beat egg whites with pinch cream of tartar (or few drops lemon juice) until foam. Add gradually the rest sugar, and continue to beat until firm peaks.

Mix melted chocolate with heavy cream, add gradually matcha. Mixture everything (egg cream and the matcha misture). Very important: taste it! To adjust the matcha quantity. Now, fold the egg white in the batter.

Pour into a prepared mold with plastic warp and cover (with the same plastic warp). Put in the freezer for about 4 hours.

Tips & Tricks
- Matcha: quantity can change because the quality, if you put too much it becomes bitter. You use more when a brand is bad.
- Heavy cream: actually, I used cream with about 20% fat. So, it’s more medium cream. But will work with heavy cream, I guess. Will be more creamy.
- Cream of tartar or drops lemon juice: acidity helps stabilize egg whites, isn’t necessary. If you have use it, if don’t. No problems.
- For serve I made a dark chocolate (70%) skin.

Well, well… one more time I’ll try write in English, please give me luck! :D Hey, there! Let me introduce myself and the blog.

My name is Vitor and I live in Brazil. My real job has nothing to do with food, unfortunately. Actually, I’m a Biological Pharmacist, but not so sure about if it is right translation or equal. Ok, it’s not so important… the important thing is: I really love food! =D Last year, I studied cooking (basic) in local school, learn a lot and knowing about the amazing world.

The original blog, PratoFundo.com, begun because I wanted and needed a place to put my recipes. A friend of mine told me about it, so.. there I am. As you can imagine it is written in Portuguese ’cause it’s my native language.

I decided try an English version because sometimes I post my recipes in Tastespotting and I guess some visitors don’t speak Portuguese. It can be very frustrated. And I can improve, a little, my terrible English… Write and speak are my weakness. Reading, listening and understanding I’m quite good. Constructive feedbacks are welcome, please don’t be mean! T_T

So, I hope you appreciate it! :) Ah, Prato Fundo means Deep Plate… heheheh