Alinka
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Posts posted by Alinka
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Alinka, we've missed you on the Dinner forum.
That cake looks so good, even without the decorating. I must try it.
Thanks! I haven't done much cooking lately...
Wow, the Kievsky cake looks excellent! I'm sure I've seen it in the Russian market I go to, here. Now I'll know how to ask for it.
Or, you can just point and say, this, please
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Hi Klary!
Alina is Back !! YAAAH !!!! (and I dedicate this post to her return)Yesterday I made...
Hot Spring egg, maple sausage, organic Russian fingerling potatoes, smoked pork belly, mitake and pom pom mushrooms
Since the potatoes are RUSSIAN, this is very appropriate, thank you
This morning I had aChinese Chive Bun - Had chives and little bits of what looked like bacon or pork fat....hmmm...good
Is this gorgeous or what? Percy, thank you so much for keeping my pet thread going! This is the first place I visit when coming to eGullet: my favorite meal of the day.
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ludja, tejon, Pille, thank you for your interest!
The original recipe is here. I made the cake with modifications, so I’ll go ahead and modify the translation to incorporate my changes.
KIEV CAKE
For meringue:
The following ingredients and baking instructions are for ONE cake layer. We will need TWO of these, i.e. all amounts need to be doubled. Due to the volume of the whipped whites, it’s easier to make one layer at a time.
4 egg whites
1 cup super-fine sugar
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 cup chopped nuts (in the original, hazelnuts or cashews are recommended, but I used almonds and walnuts; both worked fine)
2 tablespoons potato starch (I used cornstarch)
For buttercream:
3 egg yolks
1 cup sugar
1 cup milk
300 grams butter (1 stick is 113 grams)
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
Make meringue:
Preheat oven to 275 F.
Beat together egg whites and cream of tartar on high speed until soft peaks are formed. Still beating on high speed, gradually add sugar intil whites form stiff and glossy peaks.
Sift starch over whites, then sprinkle nuts on top. Fold nuts gently but thoroughly into meringue. Spread evenly onto baking sheet lined with parchment. Make sure there is room for meringue to spread when baking. I drew a 10-inch circle on the parchment, but I think this cake works better in a rectangular shape.
Bake 1.5-2 hours, until firm and pale golden.
Cool on rack; peel off parchment.
Make buttercream:
Stirring constantly, bring milk, sugar and yolks to boil; cook until thickens. Beat cooled mixture into butter; add cocoa.
I actually had a problem here, because it never thickened; besides, I think eggs tend to separate when being boiled. I think here it is best to use a good German buttercream recipe (pastry cream + butter) or another buttercream recipe. I was also tempted to use melted chocolate rather than cocoa powder, and MORE of it, to make it more chocolaty. But I wanted to first follow the recipe precisely because I was curious to taste the much-talked about Kiev cake
.Assemble cake, layering meringue with buttercream; sprinkle with crushed meringue trimmings or nuts.
I will post it on RecipeGullet later.
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In one of the Russian cooking forums this cake was a hit. After seeing countless pictures, I finally got around to making it. Did not bother with decorating, because I was making it to just see how it tastes. It's called Kievsky: meringue with nuts, layered with chocolate buttercream (milk-yolk-sugar custard whipped with butter).
After eating a big slice I realized that it is very similar to Russe Praline from The Art of the Cake: Modern French Baking and Decorating that I made some time ago.
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filipe -
Mmm-mmm-mmm! Look at that fluffy frosting!
For the Oscar party last week I made the Grand Chocolate Tart again, but with so many modifications that I am not sure I have the right to post it here
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I'm telling you, this is the best sweet tart dough I've tasted! And I sooo played around with the filling this time. But they way, I have to ask: does anyone else have problems with the cake layer? I've made the tart three times, and every time the cake layer looks beautiful going into the oven, with nicely firm whipped whites, but then does not bake through at the temperature and time specified. It seems that the temperature is too high, and the time is too short?..
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Also, the grand chocolate tart again, while I was at it
. Only this time I did not mess with the nougatine cookies, and simply whipped some leftover cream, since it was for an informal get-together -
I have to say, this is the best-tasting sweet tart dough of the many I've tried. I don't care for chocolate desserts that much, so I ended up munching on the crust mostly.
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Paaatrick! Look what you made me do! -
Chocolate mousse:
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Megan, Susan, thank you, ladies
.Susan, let's inspire each other. I was tired of photographing plates for a while
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Breakfast!
Pugliese with goat cheese and prosuciutto:
Strawberry yogurt with chocolate:
Coffee made in a nifty pot brought back from Rome.
I missed you, guys
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I've been following this thread with great interest. Congratulations and good luck!
More photos, please.
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And I had "kartoshka" - soft sweet "potatoes" made from sponge cake crumbs, milk, condensed milk, cocoa, butter, and rum.
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Linda was very nice, explaining different items on the menu. The owner even came out to talk to us. It was decided to start with crab:
I love hush puppies, so I wanted to make sure theirs were good...
They were!
Linda, of course, ordered her favorite coconut shrimp, which came with a salad:
I got a taste of the shrimp - I can see why it's fifi's favorite: freshly crunchy, with this subtle coconut flavor:
Since I don't have any objections to sweet coleslaw, it actually made it into the picture this time
. Even better: I got all Linda's slaw, and it was good. The shrimp is still served with that tropical salsa.I ordered stuffed shrimp:
We both agreed that I should have ordered it fried, not grilled. But it was still good.
To me, dessert is the most important part of the meal
. So after agonizing over the choice of key lime pie, pecan pie, and other homey and tempting desserts, I chose bread pudding -
I had a wonderful time, talking with a fellow eGulleter and enjoying a meal. Thank you, Linda! Hopefully you will write more on our experience
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I first read about TopWater Grill in this thread, when I found this forum last summer. So I really wanted to go, especially since I live not too far from there. Well, finally my dream came true, but even better: I went there with fifi herself!!!
I am better at photographing than at writing, so I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves.
Well... the sign’s still there –
The weather was warm despite it being winter, with a slight breeze; there was nice music playing in the background, and an artist was painting right there -
We chose to sit on the patio:
(Oops, I just noticed my own reflection in the door
).
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devlin: I'm drinking tea out of the exact same mug you have pictured! It's my favourite....
Me too, me too! Half a liter of tea in the morning - lovely
.devlin, nice pictures. I want a slice of that beautiful bread. With the cheese and the tomatoes. Or, goronzola with honey would be nice, I would think...
Since people are sick of seeing me eat eggs on this thread, I decided to do something different...Crab cake on toasted english muffin, topped with Thai chili sauce
Sorry...already took a few bites before taking the pic
Nice...
Wow, devlin -- awesome!I am such a lemming. The poached egg sits atop some sweet potato homefries and is accompanied by some beef bacon.
As usual, Vietnamese coffee with scm.
So, Percy has decided to deprive us of egg breakfasts... Not to worry: Yetty takes over, complete with the percy-esque hole poked in the egg to let the wonderful orange yolk ooze over the potatoes... How is Vietnamese coffee different from just coffee? I must have missed that one.
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Christmas Eve dinner was:
Asparagus with a truffle cream sauce. I didn't have any truffles on hand so I freely used the Dartagnan truffle butter and my truffle salt. I sprinkled this with some bread crumbs lightly fried/toasted in a bit of olive oil.
I meant to say yesterday: these two are just gorgeous! Sooo want ribs!!
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Alinka, ok, no studio, but do you have a special lense that does such close focus? I want my pictures to look just like yours!
Abra, no special lense. With you in mind, I provide the technical details to my latest photo. Hope this helps!
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Oatmeal, left with the lid off the last few minutes of cooking, to make it thick and clumpy, perfect for a melty pat of butter, a big sprinkle of Turbinado sugar, and a tiny moat of cold milk around the bowl. The contrast of sweet cold milk and a bite of warm, buttery oatmeal in the same spoon---one of life's treasures. Crisp bacon and a slice of moist, raisin-rich banana bread, made by my Mom's recipe. Kona in the presspot.
What a beautiful description! Perfect, perfect breakfast... Thank you, Rachel!
Not that I have a reason to complain: this morning I was served a breakfast of whole buckwheat pancakes, which I ate with an eclectic combination of Russian red bilberrry preserve (each tart berry bursting on the tongue) and sweet, smooth pure maple syrup:
Camera: Canon PowerShot G5. Settings: Av 2.2, vivid, overcast WB.
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Great dinners, everyone! Love the thread...
I didn't have to be at work this morning, so I decided to use this rare occasion when I am actually home during daylight to show you my kitchen "studio," as promised. Besides, I had some white chocolate, milk chocolate, bittersweet chocolate and butterscotch chips that needed to be used, so I decided to bake cookies.
I took this photo standing on my knees and practically hugging the plate
:
Then I got up, took a few steps back and, without changing anything, snapped a more general photo:
That's it! My only device that can be considered special studio equipment is a sheet of white paper taped to the wall for white background.
Hope this helps
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Chufi-chka, that looks delicious! So homey.
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DonnaMarieNJ, maybe one of these will work:
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/find/results?search=strata
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I'll be delighted to. I got it here, on one of the Russian cooking forums. I don't think Ayn will mind if I share her recipe here.
Aaaaliiinkaa?.. ahem..cough.. it's in Russian!
Have you by any chance noticed the translation I provided right inder the link?
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Alinka, the shot of the biscoti is so clear, when I look at the reflection in the chocolate, am I actually looking out a sliding glass door onto a deck? With maybe a hanging plant? Great shot.
Let's play Read-Alinka's-Chocolate!!! Instead of a hanging plant, I see a person, standing admiringly til the photo's finished, to get a bite.
But I didn't see it at all, despite the hundred times I gazed longingly at that biscotti. Not til you mentioned it---couldn't see past that hypnotic glaze.
Oh how funny! Rachel, you posted while I was writing my previous message
. I was actually going to show my kitchen counter "studio," but now I'm thinking maybe I should wait and let you play at guessing what's there? And no, there was no one staring at my cookieeeeees 
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Sabiha, kaneel, Daniel, Patrick, Meez, thanks! Glad you liked the cookies
.Those look absolutely gorgeous, could you share the recipe by any chanceI'll be delighted to. I got it here, on one of the Russian cooking forums. I don't think Ayn will mind if I share her recipe here.
Chocolate Truffle Cookies
Makes 40
200 gr chocolate, cut into pieces
90 gr (6 tablespoons) butter
110 gr (1/2 cup) fine sugar
pinch of salt
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
200 gr (1 1/2 cups) flour
25 gr (1/4 cups) cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 cups powdered sugar
In a small heavy pan melt chocolate and butter. Remove from heat, add sugar and mix well until sugar is dissolved. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition with electric mixer. Add vanilla.
Sift flour, cocoa, salt, and baking powder into chocolate mixture; mix to make dough. Cover and refrigerate for one hour.
Preheat oven to 160 C (325 F). Line cookie sheet with parchment.
Pour powdered sugar in a small bowl. Shape dough into small balls (2.5 cm/1 inch diameter). Roll balls in powdered sugar to cover with a thick layer. Place on sheet 4 cm apart and bake 10-15 min (cookies will crack during baking). Cool on sheet 2 min, then transfer to rack to cool completely.
These look so good , Alinka
How do you cut your biscotti so clean.....i cut mine with a serrated knife and it still crumbles ..any tip???
I wonder if i should try another recipe even though i like the taste
I use light, sawing motion with a serrated knife, almost without pressing. Some pieces near the ends of the logs inevitably crumble. Not that I mind, having to eat them personally
.Alinka, the shot of the biscoti is so clear, when I look at the reflection in the chocolate, am I actually looking out a sliding glass door onto a deck? With maybe a hanging plant? Great shot.No, it's just a window there
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monavano
Thanks!
Not quite dinner, but the rest of the results of my cookie-baking marathon yesterday:
Chocolate truffle cookies.
Dried cherry walnut cookies from Baking Illustrated.
Breakfast! The most important meal of the day (2004-2011)
in Cooking
Posted
And I thought Percy had done every thing that one can possibly do to an egg!
Wow.
Ah, but some things are worth it...