Peach Pie

Now, I mentioned before that I am not a good baker. It really is not my forte, however I am a huge fan of pies. Any type of pies really but this pie is my favourite. Granted I did make this in the summer when peaches were in season but considering the lousy weather in Berlin, I decided to bring some summer into my dreary evening.

Here is what you will need:

1 Pkg fresh pie crust. You can get great "ready to roll" crust in the supermarket. I do not bother making the crust myself. As said before...flour and I are not good friends.

6-8 Ripe peaches
8-10 Tbsp brown suger
flour for dusting

What to do:
Put the Pie crust into the fridge. The cooler the crust is, the easier it is to roll out and handle. Meanwhile bring a pot of water to boil and dip the peaches in it for no more than 10 seconds. Take them out and peel the peaches. Careful! This is going to be a mess! When the peaches are peeled, cut them into slices and place them into a bowl. Sprinkle the sugar and flour over them so that they are nicely coated.

Take the crust and roll it out on a floured surface. Throw it into a pie dish and if you want to be really nifty you can make a lattice top with the leftovers. Pour the peach slices into the piecrust and bake at about 180 Degrees Celsius for about 30-40 minutes.

Serve with whipped cream or  vanilla ice cream.

Creuset Bread

For Christmas I got this beautiful cast iron pot called a Creuset! I believe that next to a Kitchen Aid, this is really a must-have for everyone who likes to cook and loves hot things out of the oven. A couple of years back (2006 to be exact) the New York Times came out with an ariticle about a type of bread that is cooked in this creuset pot. They said it was so easy, even a six-year old child could do it. My Mom and sister have been baking this bread for years, so I decided to give it a go. Bearing in mind that I am a lousy baker (I always say cooking is an art and baking is a science...I failed bio chemistry and physics), I was very skeptical. Thus I was every so pleased when it turned out perfectly!

Here is how it goes!

You will need:
3 Cups (500gr) Flour
1/4 Tsp Dry Yeast
1 Tbsp Salt
1 1/2 Cups lukewarm water

Mix together the flour, yeast and salt. Then stir in the water until it is just combined. It should be very sticky. Cover it up and let it sit over night. This sucker really takes its time to rise, but it is worth it.
The next morning, dump the dough onto a floured surface and form it into a big glob of dough. Put it back into the bowl and just let the gluten relax a bit. Meanwhile put your cast iron pot into a 300 Degree Oven and let it get super hot. Put some oil or flower into the pot so that the dough won't stick. Plop the dough into the pot, cover it up and put it back into the oven. Bake for 30 minutes. Take off the lid and continue baking the bread for another 10-15 minutes. This will allow the crust to brown. Take the pot out of the oven and let the bread cool for a bit.

Eat and pretend you own a bakery!

You can also vary the recipe by adding yummie things such as herbs, olives etc. I read one version that used lemon peer and cheese. That shall be done next!

Sauteéd Talapia on mixed greens

Cheerio and happy new year to all! New Years resolutions have been made and now it is time to keep them! Mine was to write more, cook more and to actually continue the blog. Thus I have revamped the design and have been slaving at the stove. Now that the christmas season is over, it is time to get rid of the extra pounds and look after our health again. For me, that means tons of veggies and protein. Thus I am here to present you with this lovely bit of food porn.

You will need:
1 Filet of fresh Talapia
Salt
Pepper
1 Tsp Molasses
1 Tblsp low sodium soy sauce
3 Radishes
2 Cups of mixed leafy greens (I like swiss chard, arugula etc.)
1/2 Half of a medium sized Zucchini
2-3 Cherry Tomatoes
Balsamic Glaze or Crema di Balsamico

 Mix together the molasses and soy sauce, so you have a nice marinade going on. If you want to be daring, add some chili flakes for extra spice. Next salt and pepper the talapia and spoon the marinade on the fish. Let it sit for no more than 10 minutes, as the flavors are very strong and talapia does not have a lot of flavor on its own. Meanwhile slice the radishes, tomatoes and zucchini. Put the leafy greens onto a plate and arrange the sliced radishes and tomatoes on the plate.

On medium heat, fry up the zucchini with a little bit of olive oil and salt and pepper. About two to three minutes. The zucchini should be warm but not soggy. Remove from the pan and arrange on the plate. Finally over medium to hot heat sauteé the talapia for about 5-7 minutes. Frying fish always goes very fast, and it should not be too well done. Drape the cooked talapia on the plate and finally sprinkle the whole thing with the balsamic glaze, salt and pepper.

Bon Appetite!