All posts filed under: Appetizers

Fresh Figs And Goat Cheese Crostata

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This is a simple and delicious way of enjoying fresh figs. I’ve had the flavors of figs and goats cheese on my mind for a couple of weeks. Until last week when I went right ahead as served this wonderful Crostata as dessert. It turned out a work of pure brilliance. It is somewhere between sweet and savory and you could perhaps serve it as an appetizer as well. The crust is an easy to follow recipe. Once rolled out go right ahead and layer it with the sliced fresh figs, followed by the crumbled goat cheese and drizzled with honey. I served this warm, dusted with some confectioners sugar and crème fraiche.It was absolutely delightful. Enjoy! Pastry recipe adapted Giada De Laurentis Ingredients-Pastry 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1/4 cup sugar Zest of one lemon 1/2 teaspoon salt 10 Tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and cut into 1/2 inch pieces 3 Tablespoons ice water Directions-Pastry Combine flour, sugar, zest, and salt in a food processor and process briefly to blend. Add butter and pulse till …

Crescendo: Premium Vinegars & Oils

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I was recently invited for the official launch of Crescendo,one of Germany’s largest retail franchises.They specialize in a wide range of premium quality Vinegar, Oils and a great selection of spices and herbs sourced from all over the globe. The afternoon spent at Crescendo was indeed a very informative one. Kaspars Vendelis Crescendo’s in-house Good taste consultant educated us on a variety of uses and benefits of the various Oils and Vinegar in store. The range is fairly unique and can be adapted into various cuisines as well. The Vinegar range from the Classic to Balsamic Aceto Balsamico and the wonderful Balsamic Crème varieties. We sampled some great varieties such as Raspberry vinegar,Date vinegar and Kalamansi vinegar.It was interesting to learn that the Crème vinegar have a higher percentage of fruit which makes the flavor more powerful. The blueberry vinegar was indeed a winner for me…and any wonder it has been awarded a three star rating by the International Taste and Quality Institute. We then went onto sampling a variety of Oils. These were classified as Extra Virgin Olive Oils, Nut Oils,Seed oils …

Malaysian Spicy Satays & Peanut Sauce

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We all have unexpected guests at some time or the other. A friend dropping in to say hello, the husband who invites his buddies for a drink or just your kid’s friends for their usual hangout at your place. The first reaction is to go into panic mode and wonder what you are going to serve them to eat?  Well here is something that you could put together fairly easily. Chicken breast meat is something one usually has in the freezer and this comes to good use in this recipe. These Malaysian Satay sticks are rife with flavors of Soy, brown sugar and spices .Chicken satay is very popular as street food in Malaysia & Singapore. Most often eaten as an appetizer or you may even choose to serve these as a part of your main meal. We made these  for the Adult appetizer workshop @ Cookingwithshy last week. And of course satay is never complete without a nutty and flavorful peanut sauce. Go ahead and follow this recipe and your guest’s won’t be disappointed. …