Beef Burgundy

Beef Burgundy 
Ingredients:

• 5 slices bacon, chopped
• 1 cup chopped yellow or white onions
• 3 medium carrots, cut into 1/4-inch slices
• 1/4 cup finely chopped celery
• 2 pounds beef chuck, cubed
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons dried parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon dried crushed rosemary
• 1/16 teaspoon ground allspice (scant pinch)
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon tomato paste
• 1 1/2 cups cleaned, coarsely chopped mushrooms
• 1 cup burgundy, or dry red wine
• 1/2 cup beef stock

Preparation:

1. In a large saucepan over high heat, cook the bacon until it turns crisp. Transfer the bacon to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain.
2. Pour all but 2 tablespoons of bacon grease from the pan. Saute the onions, carrots, and celery in the bacon grease for 5 minutes, until the vegetables turn soft. 
3. Transfer them to a bowl with a slotted spoon and set it aside for a moment.
4. Season the beef with the salt and pepper and brown it in the remaining bacon grease. Once all sides of the beef are browned, sprinkle the parsley, thyme, rosemary, allspice, and flour over the beef. Stir in the tomato paste and cook the spiced beef for 1 minute.
5. Add the mushrooms, cooked vegetables, crisped bacon, wine, and beef stock into the pan with the beef, and then cook the mixture over low heat, covered, for 1 hour and 15 minutes. The beef Burgundy is done when the meat and vegetables are tender and the sauce is thickened.

                                                                      Enjoy! :)

Credit for this recipe goes to this site.
http://frenchfood.about.com/od/maindishes/r/easybeefburg.htm

Smell of Wine around my House! :)

Hello Everyone!
Today I made a french dish called Beef Burgundy!
This dish took about 1 1/2-2 hours to prepare all the ingredients and put together, then the dish cooks for and hour and fifteen minutes! I'M HUNGRY!!! :O
Anyways It smells wonderful, and I can't wait to try it!
I hope you all decide to make this yummy-smelling French food :)
Thanks for reading my blog everybody! Love you <3
Yiri Cardoso

French Strawberry&Cream Frasier Cake

French Strawberry&Cream Frasier Cake

Ingredients:
Cake
1 cup + 2 tablespoons All-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
¾ cups sugar
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup vegetable oil
3 large egg yolks
½ cup + 1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
¾ teaspoon lemon zest, grated
5 large egg white
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar

Pastry Cream Filling
1 cup whole milk
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons cornstarch
¼ cup sugar
1 large egg
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
¾ tablespoon gelatin
½ tablespoon water
1 cup heavy cream

Simple Syrup
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup of water

Strawberry Gelatin
150 grams strawberry puree, strained 
(330 greams strawberries with 30 g sugar until soft)
10 g powdered gelatin
20 ml water


Directions:
Cake
Preheat the oven to moderate 325°F (160°C/gas mark 3).
Line the bottom of an 8-inch (20 cm) spring form pan with parchment paper. Do not grease the sides of the pan.
In a large mixing bowl, stir together the flour and baking powder. Add in all but 3 tablespoons (45 ml.) of sugar, and all of the salt. Stir to combine.
In a small bowl combine the oil, egg yolks, water, vanilla and lemon zest. Whisk thoroughly.
Combine with the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly for about one minute, or until very smooth.
Put the egg whites into a stand mixer, and beat on medium speed using a whisk attachment on a medium speed, until frothy. Add cream of tartar and beat on a medium speed until the whites hold soft peaks. Slowly add the remaining sugar and beat on a medium-high speed until the whites hold firm and form shiny peaks.
Using a grease free rubber spatula, scoop about ⅓ of the whites into the yolk mixture and fold in gently. Gently fold in the remaining whites just until combined.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Removed the cake from the oven and allow to cool in the pan on a wire rack.
To unmold, run a knife around the sides to loosen the cake from the pan and remove the spring form sides. Invert the cake and peel off the parchment paper. Refrigerate for up to four days

Pastry Cream Filling
Pour the milk, vanilla, and salt into a heavy sauce pan. Place over medium-high heat and scald, bringing it to a near boiling point. Stir occasionally.
Meanwhile, in a stand mixer add the cornstarch and sugar. Whisk to combine
Add the eggs to the sugar and cornstarch and whisk until smooth.
When the milk is ready, gently and slowly while the stand mixer is whisking, pour the heated milk down the side of the bowl into the egg mixture.
Pour the mixture back into the warm pot and continue to cook over a medium heat until the custard is thick, just about to boil and coats the back of a spoon.
Remove from heat and pass through a fine mesh sieve into a large mixing bowl. Allow to cool for ten minutes stirring occasionally.
Cut the butter into four pieces and whisk into the pastry cream a piece at a time until smooth.
Cover the cream with plastic wrap, pressing the plastic wrap onto the top of the cream to prevent a skin from forming. Chill in the refrigerator for up to five days.
In a small dish, sprinkle the gelatin over the water and let stand for a few minutes to soften.
Put two inches of water into a small sauce pan and bring to a simmer over a medium heat.
Measure 1/4 cup of the chilled pastry cream into a small stainless steel bowl that will sit across the sauce pan with the simmering water, without touching the water.
Heat the cream until it is 120 F. Add the gelatin and whisk until smooth. Remove from the water bath, and whisk the remaining cold pastry cream in to incorporate in two batches.
In a stand mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the cream until it holds medium-stiff peaks. Immediately fold the whipped cream into the pastry cream with a rubber spatula.

Simple Syrup 
Combine the water and sugar in a medium saucepan.
Bring the mixture to a boil and let the sugar dissolve. Stirring is not necessary, but will not harm the syrup.
Remove the syrup from the heat and cool slightly.
Transfer syrup to a lidded container or jar that can be stored in the refrigerator. Simple syrup can be stored for up to one month.

Strawberry Gelatin
Sprinkle the gelatin over the water in a small ramekin and let stand to sponge.
Heat the puree.
Add the sponged gelatin to the hot puree and whisk until dissolved.

Assembly:
1 baked 8 inch chiffon cake
1 recipe cream filling
½ simple syrup
2 lbs strawberries
1 recipe strawberry gelatin

Directions:

1. Line the sides of a 8-inch (20 cm) spring form pan with plastic wrap. Do not line the bottom of the pan.
2. Cut the cake in half horizontally to form two layers.
3. Fit the bottom layer into the prepared spring form pan. Moisten the layer evenly with the simple syrup. When the cake has absorbed enough syrup to resemble a squishy sponge, you have enough.
4. Hull and slice in half enough strawberries to arrange around the sides of the cake pan. Place the cut side of the strawberry against the sides of the pan, point side up forming a ring.
5. Pipe cream in-between strawberries and a thin layer across the top of the cake.
6. Hull and quarter your remaining strawberries and place them in the middle of the cake. Cover the strawberries and entirely with the all but 1 tbsp. (15 ml) of the pastry cream.
7. Place the second cake layer on top and moisten with the simple syrup.
8. Spread the remaining 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of pastry cream on the top of the cake.
9. Pour the just cooled gelatin on top in an even layer and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
10. To serve release the sides of the spring form pan and peel away the plastic wrap.
11. Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

                                                                Enjoy! :)

Credit for this recipe goes to this site.
http://chocswirl.wordpress.com/2011/07/27/strawberry-fraisier/

Six hours of French Baking!

Hello Everyone!
Yesterday I made a french cake with the help of my friend. It took us 6 hours to complete the whole thing! but I can say it was worth it! I hope even though it takes forever to make you guys will make it! You surely will not regret it! Anyways this cake is called Strawberries&Cream French Frasier Cake.
Hope you guy make this yummy, Delicious cake, and enjoy! I will post The recipe for this cake tonight!
Thanks for reading my blog and as always Love you all,
Yireth Cardoso <3