Celebrating my new floor

When I started to think in remodeling my kitchen I had no, I confess, a pale idea what the real meaning of this and how hard could be it. It is taking more time that we planned and also much money. For other hand renovating a kitchen is a great way to increase your home's value. It is also one of the most complicated because there are many factors to consider. It needs to be well-planned and designed to maximize the functionality. So, I strongly recommend that you always contract a professional, like an architect and a good contractor. I started thinking in one thing and finished changing my opinion and ideas a lot.

My first idea for flooring was wood, which I think that became the environment more wormless as cold as the kitchen is. But I decide to use ceramic titles, because

this material adds a certain elegance to all spaces in which it graces, making porcelain tiles another exceptional material for any kitchen floor.

Today this product is being made to replicate the look of such materials as granite, slate, marble, and stone, not to mention even polished metals and wood finishes!!! Depending on what you are willing to spend, expect a fantastic look in you kitchen with porcelain tiles.

My choice was based in these facts:

Scratch resistance - Extremely resistant to scratching and deeper abrasions. Glazed porcelain is also very stain resistant.

Strength - Porcelain is stronger than most stone product on the market and is unaffected by UV rays. It will not create static electricity and will stand up to almost any chemical agent.

Fire resistance - Porcelain tile will not burn and does not produce toxic fumes.

Water resistance - Porcelain is far more resistant to water than ceramic tile. The absorption rate for porcelain is 0.5% and even less.

Maintenance - Glazed porcelain is as simple as a quick sweep and a mop when necessary, however if your choice of tile is natural or polished porcelain, be sure that your floor is properly sealed otherwise cleaning could get more difficult!

This way I had safe flooring and looks like wood!!!! In fact the only way to discover that is not real wood; is touching

After installing the floor, we call a couple of good friends of us, how are building their new home, to show our brand new floor and how I optimized my kitchen space only changing a couple of walls and eliminating two doors. So, .I bought a bottle of wine and I made this simple, but delicious appetizers.

And I remember, meanwhile I prepare, that Jenn from the leftover queen adores figs. Now, as a newlywed she is restarting a tradition for her new family, the movie nights. How about this treat Jenn? I think that you must love it ;)

Figs, Parma ham and gorgonzola

6 fresh figs washed

100 g Parma ham, finely sliced

150 g Gorgonzola cheese

Olive oil

Balsamic vinegar

Slice each fig into four. Toss with the olive oil and balsamic vinegar, place the Parma in the middle of the plate and pour the fig over the top, sprinkle with gorgonzola cheese

Salad and Fried Calamari rings

I want to let you two more last minute ideas for Valentine’s Day. You must find exotics flavors in this salad, juicy, and fresh, something sweet n´sour, but definitely unforgettable.

You only need lettuce, Heirloom Lettuce, red grapefruit (cute in slices), red onions a tread of organic honey, tread of nut oil. Salt and pepper. Serve with rolls or toasts If possible use only red onion because the taste is softer than the ordinary onion

The other one is an appetizer. Crunchy outside and soft inside, the calamari Roman stile was review in this recipe.

Cut round or squares of puff pastry, after baked, spread with a soft cream, made with cream cheese, a tablespoon of Dijon mustard (old style),1 clove of garlic minced , chives and black pepper. For the calamari rings I used frozen rings calamari. For the batten I only used a cup of low fat milk mixed with an egg. Coated rings into the egg mixture. And egg-coated rings with Panko (Japanese bread crumbs) Then I fried till the panko is golden. But remember you must not overcook the calamari, taste like rubber!

I assembly putting the puff pastry over lettuce salad garnish with olive oil , parsley and garlic, salt and pepper I decorate with parsley and cherry tomatoes

Courgette Flower (Fior di Zucca)

My mother in law has a magnificent backyard. She has a lot of aged trees and beautiful flowers, and some grows naturally and they are beautiful.

After lunch we decide to take a walk and chatting. When I was observe the trees, she tell stories about them (some family memories as the

Big White Fir (Abies concolor). That was planted when my husband bon.)

After a while I saw a plant, and ask for her: “Is courgette, don’t it?”

_”Yes, dear” she ask

- Let me show you something - and gently, she opened space truth the leafs and said;

- See, there some fruits almost ripen, and look this beautiful flowers

I bent down, and see the fruits growing down the flowers. She looks at me and said

_You know, are edibles

Yes I know, but I never tasted before, and told to her

She cuts a few, gave to me and said

_ I usually made fried like appetizer, but if you want you can made stuffed too

How these days I had no time to cook complicated dishes, because I started to remodel my kitchen, you know, comparing prices and all these stuffs that I need to do Then, I prefer made simply fried. And I tell you something….is delicious

Wash the courgette flowers carefully, as they are rather fragile. About 10

For the batter

100g self – raising flour or plane.
Pinch of salt
200ml. cold soda water
1 large egg, beaten (organic if possible)
One or two tablespoon olive oil

Mix together the flour, beaten eggs and olive oil, add the water gradually until the desired consistency is obtained.
Coat the flowers in this batter, and fry them gently in olive oil for a few minutes until they are golden. Drain them on kitchen paper.

Thyme and Spanish croquetes

My second herb from this series is thyme, a Mediterranean native of the mint family; it is another one of the most widely used herbs. There is believed to be abutting 100 species of thyme. All thymes are pretty aromatic. Garden or Common Thyme, which grows easily from seed or cuttings, is the variety generally used in cooking

It is considered by many herbalists as the very nearly perfect useful herb. It ranks as one of the finest herbs of French cuisine. The general rule of using herbs in cooking is - when in doubt use thyme. Believe it or not is true all combines with thyme: Meats and vegetables in the same way

Choose fresh herbs that have good green color; avoid those that are wilted. Packaged seasonings lose quality after a while. Try to buy from a store that restocks its fresh herb section fairly often.

To storage refrigerate fresh thyme in damp paper towels over wrapped in plastic. Stored this way, thyme will keep for up to one week. Store dried thyme and ground thyme in a cool, dark, dry place. Dried thyme will keep up to one year, ground thyme up to six months.

In pharmaceutical industry thyme's most active ingredient, is thymol, used in such over-the-counter products as Listerine mouthwash and Vicks Vapo Rub because of its well-known antibacterial and antifungal properties.

I think thyme and potatoes makes a wonderful combination, so, as summer months are usually offering the best availability for fresh thyme I made this croquets using a classical Spanish recipe. That we ate in garden at Sunday evening with cold chardonnay.

Thyme, potato croquetas

Ingredients

2 large boiling potatoes
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh chives
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon salt
Pinch black pepper
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup fine dry bread crumbs that I use the Japanese one for more crunchy
About 4 cups olive oil (not extra-virgin) for frying

Method

Peel potatoes and cut in pieces. Cover with salted cold water in saucepan, then boil until tender, about 8 minutes. Drain in a colander. Force potatoes through ricer into a medium bowl and cool.

Lightly beat 1 egg in a small bowl with a fork. Add to cooled potatoes along with herbs, butter, salt, and pepper and stir just until combined.

Spoon tablespoons of potato mixture onto a tray, then lightly roll each into a ball between palms of your hands and return to tray.

Lightly beat remaining 2 eggs in a small bowl and set aside. Spread flour in a shallow bowl, and then spread bread crumbs in another shallow bowl.

Roll balls in flour to coat, gently shaking off excess flour. Dip balls in egg, turning to coat and letting excess drip off, then roll in bread crumbs and return to tray.

Heat oil. Working in 4 batches, fry croquetas, turning if necessary, until browned, about 1 1/2 minutes per batch. Transfer with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain
Croquetas can be fried up to 3 hours ahead and kept at room temperature. If you want, reheat in a preheated 400°F oven 8 minutes.

The nimbleness of the sparkling and the Salmon’s force

When I came to live, here, in Argentina, I admit that I didn't understand a lot about wine. I drank that the other ones considered good and that I liked. But the concept of good is something very subjective. Maybe is good for me, but cannot be for you. So, as much as in the art had aesthetics parameters the same thing happens in the wine’s world. Certain rules exist that made that a wine was be considered good. Like acidity, balance and terroir among other things. How my father was transferred to Portugal, and stay in this country for 10 years. I had the opportunity to travel many times to Europe. I made myself a great one appreciative of the Portuguese and European wine. Also, now, I appreciate new world’s wines. too But, returning to the question, as I live in a wine country manufacture I would to have learn some thing more about that. And whit my husband, that is a great partner too, we decide begin a wine lessons I have certain predilection for the sparkling wines, like cava and Italian prosecco. But here I to have been discovering excellent sparkling, as Baron B Rosé, Chandon Couveé Pinot Noir that this latest harvest disappointed me , and Nieto Senetiner Brut nature.

When you saw Brut Nature in a sparkling wine, means that the wine doesn't have sugar adding. The sugar is made by the own wine. This kind of wine (brut nature) falls very well with appetizers and meals, but not with desserts. This sparkling is made with Pinot Noir grapes and to clarify for the method charmant (although I prefer to the traditional one)

Their color is pale salmon with bubbles persistence and in profusion. Smells like raspberry, caramel with almonds and toasted bread. In the mouth raspberry and toasted bread, balanced acidity and the good persistence

In this Saturday I opened a bottle and I made some appetizers, with Parmesan cheese, smoked salmon, pâté, and bread made with olive oil I also made these small rolls that the base was: cut salmon in slices and filed with ricotta cheese, lemon juice, salt, pepper and dill, with poppy seeds in the top

Pintxos

When I was in Spain, one of the things that more I liked was the tapeo. The friends come out, and chat with their friend beside a bar, eating tapas and pinchos or pintxos, that are made with a small bread piece with a portion of food sustained by a toothpick or on a bamboo skewers. These kinds of appetizers are very regular in the Basque countries, Cantabria, Navarra and La Rioja. Then, I thought: do like the Spanish...and I did.The ingredients above the bread can be any type of food. In my prickles I have put two types of tomatoes (dry and fresh), gorgonzola cheese. Also pizza bread, that I put tomatoes, cheese and basil. But they can also be with fish and sea food. It can be accompanied by beer or a wine glass.

Sweet Martini

I was on vacation for 10 days, I tried to post but I can´t. Later I post the photos of the trip, but now I let for you this recipe of sweet Matini, I hope you enjoy.

Generally in the weekends I or my husband invents a drink or we make some classics, like as Bellinis or Kir that we like a lot. We made this. The base is vodka and white sweet martini. Is a variation of the classic Dry Martini

Sweet martini

One part of vodka

Two parts sweet vermouth

An icy glass with ice

Maraschino Cherries to decorate

Mix the vodka with the sweet vermouth with a tablespoon to mix the two drinks. Retire the ice of the glass and serve smoothly, put one or two cherries in the button of the glass.

Puff pastry little cakes with cream cheese and cherry tomatoes

Finally, after a frustrated intent I could make the puff-pastries. I still think that I can make it better, but I think that it is a question of practices The best in this experience it was, that mean while the puff-pastry was baked, my kitchen was impregnated it from butter scent I made this small fineness for my husband. I promise that in few days I will post the complete recipe of my croissant and frustrated adventure.

Cut squares of puff-pastry of a cm. of height

Cherries tomatoes

Chopped basil

Sweet red pepper in very fine slices

Cream cheese

Goat Cheese and Dried Sun Tomatos

Click on the photos to enlarge

Are two things that I love one is the goat cheese and the other one are the sun dried tomatoes. Today at night I will receive some friends in my home and how I am a little lazy this days I buys some cheeses. I found that grieve a chart of cold cuts and cheese would be very monotonous and I solved to join them tomatoes, that here they come from the north and they are dried in the sun, and the goat cheese that I like fresh. To decorate him I put some clusters of thyme. The target contrasting with the red one gave him an impacting and beautiful effect and the flavor is spectacular.

Fresh cheese of goat cut in rectangles

Dry tomatoes moisturized and macerated in olive oil

Fresh thyme

Tapas

The " Tapeo" is a Spanish tradition .Tell the legend that in the old bars in Madrid, had a lot of flies flying around the tables, to guard against, and that flies didn’t fell in the glasses of wine, they covered(tapar, in spanish) the glass with a slice of row ham or a piece of bread, while they talked, and later they eat the bread or the ham slice .Today the action of cheating means finds with friends and to drink some wine ,with a many kind of “tapas”. Actually delicious. In the most made with Serrano or bellotas (pata negra) ham or sea food

Use your creativity and create your own favorite “tapas” .Basically you need a slices of bread, garlic, row ham, shrimps, manchego chees and a good Spanish olive oil. And also a good tempranillo from Ribera del Duero or a good Alvariño