eG Foodblog: Chufi - Birthday Cakes & Royal Celebrations

[Chufi]

I'm off for another round of shopping. Dinner tonight will feature green asparagus and rhubarb, but I don't know in what way yet..

Also, I am now quite convinced that that last beer yesterday, was NOT a good idea

[Nina C.]

Happy Birthday Chufi, one day late! I too love to stretch out my birthday as long as possible. My sweetheart and I celebrate our birthdays on the actual dates, but then also take the following Saturday as our king/queen for the day where we get to do exactly what we like, all day long. I applaud you!

This blog is so lovely! I can't wait to see all of the preparations and things you make for your dinner.

[Megan Blocker]

That pizza sounds heavenly...and that dog is adorable! He (she?) made me think of Heloise from I Capture the Castle.

And the beers look pretty darn good, too. Even if you are paying for it now.

It looks like they throw the arugula on at the last minute, rather than baking it into the pizza? Does it wilt as it warms up? Just trying to get a texture reading...

[Pontormo]

Since Klary is shopping, I'll pipe up to say that piling fresh arugula on top of a pizza hot out of the oven is done in Italy, too. It's especially delicious and refreshing when done on a simple pizza margherita with a layer of prosciutto dolce (also uncooked and unbaked) mediating between the gooey, oil-flecked surface of the pizza and the undressed leaves.

The arugula does not wilt to the degree that it does under a pan-grilled steak, but if you cut through some of the green into the tomato sauce and cheese when the pizza is still hot...

[Megan Blocker]

Since Klary is shopping, I'll pipe up to say that piling fresh arugula on top of a pizza hot out of the oven is done in Italy, too.  It's especially delicious and refreshing when done on a simple pizza margherita with a layer of prosciutto dolce (also uncooked and unbaked) mediating between the gooey, oil-flecked surface of the pizza and the undressed leaves.

The arugula does not wilt to the degree that it does under a pan-grilled steak, but if you cut through some of the green into the tomato sauce and cheese when the pizza is still hot...

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That sounds really good...yum!

[Chufi]

It looks like they throw the arugula on at the last minute, rather than baking it into the pizza?  Does it wilt as it warms up?  Just trying to get a texture reading...

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this is how they do it: they spread the base with tomatosauce and sprinkle with the ham. Then they put a big scoop of mascarpone, mixed with trufflepaste, in the middle. They leave the scoop as it is while baking the pizza, and when it comes out of the oven, they smear the mascarpone over the entire pizza with the back of a spoon.

Then top the whole thing with aragula and grated parmesan. I've watched them make it pretty closely, cause I am so afraid they will stop making it one day, and then I'll have to recreate it at home because life without Pizza YamYam would be unbearable!

Edited April 27, 2006 by Chufi (log)

[ErinM]

Looking at your breakfast photo, I see that there is a carton of yogurt. Is it pourable, like milk? I've never seen yogurt in that kind of a container, I've only seen milk that way. Can you buy smaller yogurt containers as well as flavors?

And...that baby puppy was so cute! Are dogs allowed in restaurants there? My dog is so jealous...

[Megan Blocker]

It looks like they throw the arugula on at the last minute, rather than baking it into the pizza?  Does it wilt as it warms up?  Just trying to get a texture reading...

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this is how they do it: they spread the base with tomatosauce and sprinkle with the ham. Then they put a big scoop of mascarpone, mixed with trufflepaste, in the middle. They leave the scoop as it is while baking the pizza, and when it comes out of the oven, they smear the mascarpone over the entire pizza with the back of a spoon.

Then top the whole thing with aragula and grated parmesan. I've watched them make it pretty closely, cause I am so afraid they will stop making it one day, and then I'll have to recreate it at home because life without Pizza YamYam would be unbearable!

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Wowza. I am not normally a pizza person, but this alone may make me buy a pizza stone and get cracking.

[Chufi]

Looking at your breakfast photo, I see that there is a carton of yogurt.  Is it pourable, like milk?  I've never seen yogurt in that kind of a container, I've only seen milk that way.  Can you buy smaller yogurt containers as well as flavors?

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The Dutch really love their joghurt and their vla (custard), they are all pourable and come in liters and halfliter containers. There all kinds of flavors - fruit joghurts, chocolate custard, etc. This is a very common Dutch dessert: a bowl of joghurt or custard, maybe topped with some sugar or syrup.

Edited April 27, 2006 by Chufi (log)

[Diann]

It looks like they throw the arugula on at the last minute, rather than baking it into the pizza?  Does it wilt as it warms up?  Just trying to get a texture reading...

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They do it in the US too! There are a couple of places I can immediately think of that serve arugula on pizza -- Pesto in South Philly, Niebaum-Coppola in Palo Alto, California (and I'm sure all the other Niebaum-Coppola cafes serve it too), and Teresa's in Princeton. Teresa's version is great; I haven't had the other two. I'm not a pizza person either, but something about the contrast of temperatures, textures, tastes (spicy arugula, hot crispy crust, salty proscuitto, all bound together with a little cheese) makes this particular pizza soooo good. I actually prefer it without tomato sauce.

Chufi, the version with the marscapone sounds even better

[Kevin72]

Hey, Chufi, are we gonna get music pairings with your homemade meals, like with your last blog? I loved that touch.

[Chufi]

Hey, Chufi, are we gonna get music pairings with your homemade meals, like with your last blog?  I loved that touch.

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I thought of doing that, and then decided against it, because I did not want to repeat myself

I can tell you now though: Tuesday I listened to Patty Griffin, Flaming Red, and today I listened to Lori McKenna, The Kitchen Tapes - that one was a birthday present.

[Chufi]

Here's the second round of shopping:

I could not face round 3 today. That will have to wait until tomorrow, after work.

[Chufi]

Dinner:

In February, lots of kind eGulletters coached me through cooking a 4-course dinner for 24, for my husbands birthday. For that dinner, I planned cooking several very large seabass, stuffed with different shellfish (a Marcella Hazan recipe).

I think I visited my very helpful and friendly fishmonger 4 times that week, discussing the possibilities of seabass, what he would do with it, etc., only to find on the day itself that there was no seabass available.

I switched to cod, and it was great, but to the fishmonger I am now the bass for 24 lady .

Today when I went to the market I was thinking of salmon, to go with the green asparagus I bought, but then at the fishstall these beautiful glisteningly fresh seabass were looking at me.

So that's what I got. "Just one?" said the fish monger.

Yes, please.

So that's panfried fillet of seabass, with spinach and paksoi greens sauteed in olive oil with lots of garlic.

Farfalle with tomatoes, green asparagus, basil and some pecorino shavings.

Dessert is an experiment, firming up in the freezer, so more about that later.

[MarketStEl]

But a little lunch and relaxation first:

omelet with ham, tomatoes, and cheese

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If I didn't know better, I would have said that what you were eating with the omelet was scrapple!

But it looks more like either bread or meatloaf. What is it exactly?

[Megan Blocker]

Looks like wheat toast to me.

[Jenny McClure]

Me too, a slice of brown bread.....

[little ms foodie]

Chufi, your birthday dinner is going to be fantastic! I can already tell. and that pizza looks amazing, I'm going to show this to dayne and have him try to make me one.

I have a question for you- yesterday we got our fresh produce delivery from our farmer and there were just 5 small stalks of rhubarb in the box. Neither of us really love rhubarb but we want to try something. What would your suggestions be to do with such a small amount?

As always, wonderful pictures and narration!!!

[Chufi]

I have a question for you- yesterday we got our fresh produce delivery from our farmer and there were just 5 small stalks of rhubarb in the box. Neither of us really love rhubarb but we want to try something. What would your suggestions be to do with such a small amount?

As always, wonderful pictures and narration!!!

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Thanks Wendy!

If your rhubarb is nice and young and pink, I can highly recommend this: rhubarb compote with meringue, ginger and cream

otherwise, with just a small amount, you could make a little crumble. You could mix in some strawberries for volume and have some hazelnuts in the crumble.

I have some rhubarb icecream in the freezer right now.. but I always underestimate how long it takes to freeze up.. so dessert will have to wait till tomorrow I'm afraid.

Tomorrow I'll be at the office and won't be able to post pics of my day until the evening. Not that there will be many interesting things happening, foodwise...

Goodnight!

Edited April 27, 2006 by Chufi (log)

[Shaya]

Chufi, your birthday dinner is going to be fantastic! I can already tell. and that pizza looks amazing, I'm going to show this to dayne and have him try to make me one.

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What a wonderful birthday week this is Klary. It is so wonderful to see you celebrating so fully and openly. It makes me think about my own situation quite a bit. I go all-out planning meals and activities for the birthdays of my kids and my sweetie but when it comes to my own I sort of wake up and expect it all to be done by the birthday fairies. I think I am starting to realize we can be our own birthday fairy.

The pizza really does look great. Wendy, I wish I had a "Dayne" who would cook to order for me. What a dream! I am preparing for my little guy's 3rd birthday which is this Sunday. For his party next weekend he wants all the kids to make their own pizzas. Pizza for birthdays...must be a Taurus thing!

[little ms foodie]

Chufi, your birthday dinner is going to be fantastic! I can already tell. and that pizza looks amazing, I'm going to show this to dayne and have him try to make me one.

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The pizza really does look great. Wendy, I wish I had a "Dayne" who would cook to order for me. What a dream! I am preparing for my little guy's 3rd birthday which is this Sunday. For his party next weekend he wants all the kids to make their own pizzas. Pizza for birthdays...must be a Taurus thing!

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They are very rare Shaya, mine is a "Great Dayne"

The only thing he will cook to order is pizza, pasta and pasteries. the 3 P's!

[doc slaughter]

In the picture of you getting ready to eat the pizza was that a knife and fork I saw in people's hands? Is that the regular way that pizza is eaten?

[eJulia]

In Germany, all pizza was eaten with a knife and fork, all (if not most) pizzas were "individual". It wasn't until I got to Italy that you bought by the slice (from street vendors) and folded it over with your hands to eat...

I was in Amsterdam a number of times, but I don't remember eating pizza there. Come to think of it, there's alot I don't remember!

(I was young and stupid, but loved the wild side of Amsterdam in those days!!!)

[Pan]

Pizza is eaten with a knife and fork in Naples.

[Chufi]

In restaurants, your pizza will arrive unsliced, with a knife and fork. When you have a pizza delivered, it will come ready sliced.