#21 Feeling at home

Looking at these ingredients an Italian would immediately guess what I am going to cook! Yes, PARMIGIANA ! One of my favourite dish, and one of the most loved in Italy.

To begin we need to slice two aubergines and leave them half an hour with some sea salt on the top. In this way they will lose a black water and their bitter flavour. Wash them again after the time is  passed. Then put them in the microwave for 7-8 minutes: in this way they'll become soft and half cooked.

Then prepare a sauce. I hope you know how to do. Very easy. Some garlic in the pain with hot oil, then add tomato sauce (or chopped tomato), salt, black pepper. Cook for 15 minutes stirring.

Now you have just to put in a baking tray a greaseproof paper and some tomato sauce on it as first layer. Then cover it with layers of aubergines, a layer of tomato again and some parmisan cheese (also mozzarella or cheddar can work well), then again...  layers of aubergines, tomato sauce and  parmisan cheese...continue like that until you have ran out all your ingredients.

Put into the oven for 30-40 minutes....................... Enjoy!

Doing something which bring you back to your cultural roots and home, make you feel at ease, accepted and well. It's certainly something to remember when you love someone and want to make a surprise.

#20 Constancy

Today I am taking care of myself. A nice rest at home sometimes is just what you need more. 

I have a warm cup of ginger tea beside me while I am writing, and a Tibetan music in the background. I have been recently to a meditation group nearby home, related to master Thich Nhat Hanh. Meditation gave me a positive effect of concentration and relaxation, and I appreciated overall the opportunity to meditate in company, with a sangha, a group of "noble friends". I hope to find a costancy in my meditation practice thanks to their support too.

My post today is related to the importance of constancy and company in doing things, in order to include it as part of your own personality. So I decided to make another baking: Chocolate Brownies! and offer again to my flatmate (who has been also inspired by me and want to bake too).

Let's start from ingredients (I used just half of these):

200 g quality dark chocolate (70%)

250 g unsalted butter

50 g chopped nuts , optional

80 g quality cocoa powder

65 g plain flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

360 g caster sugar

4 large free-range eggs

Ready?

1) Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4. Line a 24cm square baking tin with greaseproof paper.

2) Snap the chocolate into a large bowl, add the butter and place over a pan of simmering water, until melted, stirring regularly. Stir through the nuts (if using).

3)Sift the cocoa powder and flour into a separate bowl, add the baking powder and sugar, then mix together

4) Add the dry ingredients to the chocolate, nuts and stir together well.

Beat the eggs, then mix in until you have a silky consistency.

5) Pour the brownie mix into the baking tin, and place in the oven for around 25 minutes.

Allow to cool in the tray, then carefully transfer to a large chopping board and cut into chunky squares. 

Enjoy and Share !
Our loving kindness need practice.

#19 I deserve it

I was listening to this Buddhist monk talk this morning. At one point he focused on how often we forget we deserve good things in our lives, instead we think we don't deserve. For this reason he use to say Yes I DESERVE IT whenever there is the opportunity. It can be because of a compliment or a good thing happened to him. Then he says, loud: thanks, I deserve it. :-)
I found this true. We often forget to deserve good things, and we don't care of ourselves.

Last sunday I was at a BBQ party of my friends Alessia and Charlie, who got married last year and have just moved to a new big house. We were enjoying the nice weather and the happy atmosphere in their garden, when Charlie came out with a homemade lemon cake and two  ice creams. As a couple they use to cook often toghether and prepare nice food and cakes even without guest...why? First of all they love each other, but overall they deserve it, without a particular reason.

Anyway their fridge lemon cake was lovely, so... I asked for the recipee and made this afternoon!!!


Ingredients:

1/2 packet digestive biscuits, crushed

50g melted margarine or butter

1 can Sweetened Condensed Milk

2 lemon juice and lemon skin

300ml  fresh double cream

Optional: Berries, lavender for decoration

Method:

Combine digestive biscuits and melted margarine or butter; tip into a buttered cake tin and using the back of a tablespoon, press down firmly. Put in oven at 180°C for 10 minutes. 

Whip cream, adding the skin of lemons and Condensed Milk.

Then slowly pour the lemon juice and all the mixture will become thick!

Spoon this mixture over the biscuit base (when it is cold), cover with cling film and leave it for a few hours or overnight to set in the fridge.

I have decorated this lemon fridge with raspberry, blueberry and lavender.

Why I made this?

Of course...

'Cause I DESERVE IT.

This cake has been shared with my flatmate, and has improved much our relations !