Recipe for honey-soy glazed oven-baked quails

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Every now and then I come across some young fresh quails, and cannot resist buying them. They're sold oven-ready here, so it's just the matter of seasoning the birds and popping into the oven for half an hour. A weekend night dinner that looks pretty elegant and is a little bit more exciting than your average roast chicken - is ready in less than an hour (and that includes the marinating time). Here's a lovely recipe I discovered a while ago from Jill Dupleix's excellent Simple Food. Jill uses honey to sweeten the glaze. Although it's lovely with honey, it's even lovelier with a good maple syrup, and that's what I've been using recently.

PS Our kids - both the one-year old and the three-year old - love this dish, especially the drumsticks!


Honey-Soy Quails

(Mesine ja sojane vutt)
Serves 4



4 quails about 200-250 g each
2 Tbsp runny honey or 4 Tbsp maple syrup
3 Tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil

Flavouring salt:
1 tsp Chinese five-spice powder
1 Tbsp sea salt flakes

To serve:
2 Tbsp sweet Thai chilli sauce

Rinse the birds, pat dry with a kitchen paper. Tuck the wing tips behind the back, tie the legs with a cotton string.
Combine honey/maple syrup and soy sauce in a large bowl. Add the quails and turn them in the marinade. Leave to marinade for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200 C/400 F.
Remove the quails from the marinade and place into an oven dish where they fit snugly. Drizzle with sesame oil.
Bake in the middle of the preheated oven for about 30 minutes, turning them once or twice, until the meat is cooked and the skin is crispy and golden.
Sprinkle some five-spice salt on top and serve with sweet chilli sauce.

For a side dish, Jill suggests some stir-fried spinach and mangetout/sugar snap peas and spring onions. Something green and quick and simple.

Nami-Nami recommends: where to eat out in Tallinn in Spring 2012

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You can tell that the tourism season has started in earnest here in Estonia by the fact that I received no less than three e-mails from Nami-Nami readers this week alone, asking for my advice regarding where to eat out in Tallinn (and beyond) during the next few weeks. It's easier for me to write one blog post as opposed to reply to individual emails, so that's what I do. I'll include a link to this post on my sidebar later, so you can find it easily. I'll be updating it over the Spring and Summer, and hopefully some other Estonian bloggers and Tallinn foodies will add their favourites in the comments..

Here we go then. Remember, I've been on maternity leave for over three years now, so eating out in the evenings has been a rare treat. The following list is heavy on cafeterias and lunch places, and the pub recommendations are from my partner and friends :)

Places for a cup of coffee and something light on the side:

VERTIGO GOURMET DELI ja CAFÄ’ (Viru 17, Vanalinn/Old Town)
A good place to grab a coffee while wandering in the old town. Just 3 tiny tables, so not a place for lingering, but a good choice of cakes. If you're lucky, you might meat the proprietor - a local  food celebrity Imre Kose - he'd be the sunny guy with curly hair and permanent smile on his face :)

GOURMET COFFEE (Koidula, Kadriorg)
Definitely the best coffee in town - they roast and blend their own beans, so you're guaranteed a decent cuppa. Nice soups and salads, too, and they order cakes from Vertigo and Café More. There's a tiny, but well-equipped children's play area as well.

PARK CAFÄ’ (Weizenbergi 22, Kadriorg, Tallinn)
Opened 10 am - 8 pm, closed on Mondays

A beautiful Viennese-style café next to Luigetiik in Kadriorg Park. You can sit outside on a warm day and enjoy one of their German-style cakes. Illy coffee.

CAFÄ’ MORE (Viru Keskus, 4th floor, adjacent to the Rahva Raamat bookstore)
Angeelika Kang is a well-known cookbook author who opened a café just over a year ago. Popular lunch location - good soups and salads and very nice pastries (Swedish-style cardamom twist buns are my favourite). In the morning you can choose from a selection of organic whole-grain porridges. The coffee isn't bad either :)

SAIAKANGI KOHVIK (Saiakang 3, Vanalinn/Old Town)
Open at 9am.
Surprisingly nice pastries, small fresh salads and open sandwiches, all made on the premises. Not one of the "hip" places, but a good option if you're after a quick small snack and/or on a budget.

KOHVIK KOMEET (Solaris Centre, reservations 6 140 090)
Located at the top floor of the newish Solaris Centre just outside the Old Town is a café run by a former model, hip and popular cookbook author Anni Arro. The place has wonderful views  and is great for people-spotting, while enjoying a cake or a salad from the menu.
     The place tends to get pretty busy during lunch and before evening cinema sessions - if that's the case, you can always descend to the ground floor and enjoy a coffee and a cake at Café Coco (much more budget-friendly as well :))

HEIDI PARK (Välja 20, 2nd floor, Mustamäe, telephone 658 8125, her website)


Heidi Park isn't a café, but a talented American-born pastry chef based in Tallinn. Although you can get a cup of coffee when buying cakes at her bakery in Mustamäe, you're better off looking for her excellently rich chocolate brownies and other American-style cakes in Kohvik Must Puudel (Müürivahe 20, Vanalinn/Old Town; probably the best choice of Heidi's cakes), NOP café (Köleri 1, Kadriorg), Hell Hunt pub (That's "Gentle Wolf" to you, English-speakers; Pikk 39, Vanalinn/Old Town), Gotsu (a Korean restaurant, Pärnu mnt 62a, Kesklinn), Clayhills gastropub (Pikk 13, Vanalinn/Old Town) and Bioteek organic store (Kopli 18, Kalamaja).
She did the catering for my first cookbook's launch party in December 2010 (pictured above), and most recently a cake for 120 people at my K's birthday party in January, so I heartily recommend her :)

MAMO (Tornimäe 5 and Liivalaia 14)
A popular lunch place, open from 8 am till 8 pm (Liivalaia) or 9 pm (Tornimäe). Focus on healthy and substantial salads, sandwiches and soups, fresh smoothies and wholesome cakes that can be enjoyed on the premises or bought for take-away.
Tornimäe MAMO also has a children's play area.


Places for a more formal lunch or dinner:

NEH (Lootsi 4, reservations 6022222)
A cosy gourmet place near the Harbour area. Excellent food, some special themed events. There's a chef's table overlooking the kitchen, if you want to see your food being made.
Here's my review from December 2010, and I've been there on several occasions since then. NEH is Pädaste Manor seasonal kitchen in the city - you see,the culinary team's true home is at Pädaste Manor on Muhu island. The restaurant has restricted opening hours during summer - as of May 1st, NEH will be open for dinner only on Tue-Sat, and closed on Sundays and Mondays.

TCHAIKOVSKY (Vene 9, Hotel Telegraaf, Vanalinn/Old Town, reservations 6000610).
A fine-dining restaurant, serving "a symphony of Russian cuisine". The main restaurant is pretty dressy, but during summer there's also a wondeful summer garden that serves a shorter menu in more casual surroundings. I still crave their cold gazpacho with lobster meat from last summer..

MOON (Kalasadama 3, reservations 6314575, website)
An excellent and friendly family-run restaurant outside Old Town and near the Linnahall. It's run by Roman Zaštšerinski and his wife Jana and cousin Igor, and the restaurant specialises on a mix of Estonian and Russian dishes. Always a treat, and very delicious. Try their borscht and the accompanying pirogi!

LEIB RESTO ja AED (Uus 31, Vanalinn/Old Town, reservations 6119026)

Opened last summer and quickly became a favourite with those-in-the-know. One of the proprietors is Kristjan Peäske, a top sommelier who knows his wines, his beers and his food. Casual and delicious food with clever Estonian twists (think Crème brûlée with caramelised rye bread crumbs), outside seating on two levels in a quiet and large old town courtyard. Here's my review from last summer.
There's even a small sandbox for kids outside, so it's ideal for a family lunch during summer.
NB! Note they're currently closed on Sundays and between 3pm-6pm during the rest of the week, but they will be open seven days a week from mid-May onwards (limited menu after lunch and before dinner).

MEKK (Suur-Karja 17/19, reservations 680 6688)
MEKK stands for Modern Estonian Kitchen, and the chef Rene Uusmees is doing a good job in serving unpretentious delicious food in serene surroundings just on the edge of the old town.
By the way - the kids eat for free (from the very reasonable children's menu) with their parents, and we've always felt very welcome when visiting with our family.

TIGU (Pikk 30, Vanalinn/Old Town, reservations 56668493)
A pop-up restaurant that used to be located on the outskirts of Kadriorg, but now only opens for a couple of weeks at a time on various locations across town. This time it's open until May 25th only.
A casual Mediterranean food, well-known for its seafood dishes.

OLDE HANSA (Vana Turg 1, Vanalinn/Old Town, reservations 627 9020)
I admit it's been a few years since I was there, but I do love their borderline kitsch Medieval atmosphere, and I used to be a huge fan of their wild mushroom soup, served with soft roll and cream cheese spread.

F-HOONE (Telliskivi 60a, Telliskivi loomelinnak)
A popular venture behind Balti Jaam (Central Train Station), in the Telliskivi complex. Former printing house with extremely high ceilings and bohemian feel. I must admit I like the atmosphere much more than the food (buzzing and full of people on a midweek night), but there are some gems on the menu.  It's very popular with trendy artists and students, and the prices are pretty reasonable.
There's also a children's play area, although it's out of sight of the parents :)
There are several other diners/cafés in the area - Boheem, Kukeke, Kamahouse, if you cannot get a table in F-Hoone.

Pubs in Tallinn:

PÕRGU (Rüütli 4, Vanalinn/Old Town, telephone 6 440 232)
Good beer and nice food, a basement pub behind Niguliste kirik.

DRINK BAR (Väike-Karja 8, Vanalinn/Old Town, opened till 3 am)
Run by a British expat James, the place is a favourite of many big pub-going friends of mine :)

Highly recommended outside Tallinn:

OKO (Kaberneeme jahisadam, Harjumaa, reservations 53 00 4440)


About 30 minute drive from Tallinn city centre towards Lahemaa is a sea-side restaurant where one of the capital's top gourmet chefs, Tõnis Siigur, cooks more casual, yet sophisticated food. Extremely popular during summer, which affects the service on a negative way, but if you manage to avoid the peak times (weekend lunches and dinners), you're guaranteed to have a wonderful day - and meal - out.

PÕHJAKA (Mäeküla, Paide vald, reservations 5267795)




I haven't blogged about it, but you can check out my Flickr photo set. Probably our best eating out experience last summer. Everything - the food, the location, the atmosphere, the welcoming service - was flawless. You can sit outdoors during summer, the food is mainly simple Estonian, but served in a fun way.
It's highly popular, so do book ahead, especially as it's about an hour's drive from Tallinn.


SUPELSAKSAD (Nikolai 32, Pärnu, tel. 4422448)

A café in Pärnu, the "Summer Capital of Estonia". I shared some photos from our visit in June 2010, and it has remained a must-to-visit whenever we are in Pärnu. It also received the Best Café award at the 2011 Silverspoon competition, so it's still going strong.

Canteen classics: Solyanka, Estonian style

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(This recipe was originally posted in December 2006. Fully updated in May 2012).
 
Here's a recipe for a soup that must have frequently featured in one disguise or another in every single canteen and many households across the former Soviet empire: solyanka (see also this informative article about Russian soups). A hearty soup originally from Russia and Ukraine that can be just as humble or elegant as you want. If you're a flashy Slav, you use seven types of meat (incl. kidneys) and throw in a handful of black olives, a slice of lemon and a generous pinch of capers. If you're a more modest Estonian, you stick to sweating onions and a choice of sausages. You can add cabbage or other vegetables, make a vegetarian, fishy or meaty solyanka.

Whatever you do, you must use salted/brined cucumbers (aka pickles), which give the soup its characteristic salty-sour note.

Solyanka, Estonian style
(Seljanka eesti moodi)
Serves: 4

3 large onions (about 400 grams in total)
4 Tbsp oil
100 ml boiling water
100 grams of concentrated tomato puree
1 litre beef stock (use boiling water and 2 beef stock cubes, if necessary)
3 bay leaves
10 black peppercorns
3 salted cucumbers, halved lengthwise and sliced
300-400 grams of cooked lean meat products (choose a mixture of Frankfurters, Polish kabanos or Krakow sausages, sliced cooked beef, mild chorizo sausages etc - 2-3 different types)

To serve:
sour cream or smetana or thick plain yogurt

Quarter the onions and slice thinly crosswise.
Heat oil in a heavy saucepan, add onions and fry gently for 5 minutes. Add peppercorns and bay leaves alongside 100 ml of boiling water and simmer for 15 minutes, until onions have softened.
Add tomato puree and stir until combined.
Add the hot stockm sliced cucumbers, and chopped meat products.
Bring slowly to the boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer gently for about10 minutes, so the flavours can develop.
Taste for seasoning - you can add some lemon juice to sharpen the soup.Serve with a dollop of sour cream and some rye bread.

More solyanka recipes:
Salmon and wild mushroom solyanka @ Nami-Nami
Frau T's solyanka  @ Urban Foodie
Solyanka @ Eastern Europan Food (About.com)
Russian meat solyanka  @ Food.com
Solyanka @ Pavel Chuchuva (in Melbourne)
Simple Solyanka @ Windows to Russia

Crispy rye bread canapés with cream cheese and smoked salmon

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I did a bit of catering on Saturday for a group of friends*, and this smoked salmon and cream cheese paté/spread on crispy rye bread buttons was one of the dishes I brought along. It disappeared very quickly and I wish I had made a double batch - it's an excellent nibble indeed - savoury (smoked salmon), creamy (cream  cheese), crispy (rye bread buttons), fresh (cucumber slices). I also think the contrasting colours look very pretty.

Although I love this spread on crispy rye bread buttons, it works also beautifully with sliced (and toasted) ciabatta or baguette, of course. Here's a photo from last June:


Cream cheese and smoked salmon paté
(Toorjuustu-suitsulõhepasteet)
Makes about a cup

100 g good-quality cold smoked salmon
150 g cream cheese, at room temperature
a small bunch of dill
lemon juice, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste

To garnish:
cucumber or lemon slices
fresh dill or chives
finely grated lemon zest

Chop the smoked salmon into small chunks, place into the food processor together with the cream cheese. Add some lemon juice for seasoning and the dill. Process until smooth.
Taste for seasoning - add more lemon juice and season with pepper.

If you're serving this with crispy rye bread buttons, then you need some sliced rye bread (I like a very dark bread here and used "Fazeri must leib"). Cut out small squares or circles and toast them in a preheated 200 C/400 F oven for about 6-7 minutes, until crispy. Cool, then spoon the cream cheese and smoked salmon paté on top and garnish before serving.

You can make the paté up to a day in advance, but don't spread it on toasted rye bread until up to an hour before serving, or you lose the crispiness.

* The other two dishes were tiny spicy chorizo profiteroles and an Estonian crumb cake, cut into tiny slices.

Beetroot borani recipe (borani chogondar)

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Any regular reader of Nami-Nami has noticed the respectable number of beetroot recipes on this blog. My friend Alanna of A Veggie Venture blog even calls me "Beet Princess" (she reserved the title of Beet Queen to herself, and indeed, her list of beetroot recipes is pretty impressive, too :)

Here's my latest discovery among beetroot recipes. I was browsing Sam and Sam Clark's latest book, MORO EAST, and this Persian dish caught my eye. Borani is a general term for yogurt-based vegetable "salads" and dips in Persian cuisine. We really enjoyed this, eating it with simple oven-baked potato wedges on our sunny patio. It'd work well on a meze/mezze board with some toasted flatbread, or alongside some grilled or fried fish, oven-roasted lamb or even grilled chicken. It's extremely versatile, as you can imagine.

I will surely be making this borani chogondar again over the summer (I loved the colour!!!), perhaps alongside the spinach version (borani esfanaaj) and the aubergine/eggplant version (borani bademjan).

Make it at least a few hours in advance, so the flavours can develop.

Beet Borani
(Peedi-borani)
Serves 6 to 8 
Based on Sam & Sam Clark's recipe, with some modifications



500 g young beets
400 g thick/strained Greek/Turkish/Persian yoghurt
1 large garlic clove (crush to a paste with a generous pinch of salt)
a pinch of sugar
a small bunch of fresh dill, finely chopped
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
a splash of wine vinegar or lemon juice, to taste


To garnish:
100 g feta cheese, crumbled
a small handful of walnuts, chopped
a sprinkling of nigella seeds (also known as black Kalonji onion seeds)
a few dill fronds

Scrub the beets, but don't peel them. Place into a boiling water and simmer for 1-1,5 hours, until cooked. Drain and cool and peel, then cut into chunks and place into a food processor.
(Note that you can also roast the beets, or, in a hurry, use boiled un-vinegared beets).
Process the beets, then add the yogurt, crushed garlic and a pinch of sugar, process again until smooth.
Add  the chopped dill, then season to taste with salt, pepper and vinegar/lemon juice.
Transfer onto a serving bowl, cover with clingfilm and put into the fridge for a few hours so the flavours can mingle.
When ready to serve, garnish with crumbled feta, chopped walnuts and some dill fronds. Sprinkle black nigella seeds on top.

 

See other beetroot borani recipes: 
Smoke and Umami
Café Leilee
The Salty Pear
Liz Z  (Liz uses mint to flavour her borani) 
Chef Yusuf

Bacon and Eggs

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I was feeling a little generous this morning so I decided to make breakfast for all of my co-workers.  "I brought in breakfast everyone, there is bacon and eggs back in the breakroom."  It wasn't to much later that everyone started coming to me telling me how UNfunny my joke was.  Hey, It's April 1st.  I have a right to be a brat if I want to.  :)   Happy April Fools Day!  

I am not sure where I originally got this idea from but I am pretty sure my sister had something to do with it.  I had not made these for quite awhile but somehow they came to mind when I was thinking of something to take into work.  These were a huge hit with my co-workers.  These would also be a really fun treat to make with children.


There is no real recipe needed here.  The ingredients are simple; mini pretzel sticks, white melting chocolate, and yellow M&M's.  The directions- eh, I am sure you can figure it out.  Melt the chocolate, drop it by spoonfuls over two pretzels and top with yellow M&M's. 

Guacamole

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I remember going to California a few years back and thinking that it was so strange that Subway asked everyone if they wanted avocado on their subs.  I had never even eaten an avocado let alone spread it all over my sandwich.  Turns out that avocados are actually quite delicious and are great spread upon sandwiches, wraps, or layered into a salad.  As seen below, they obviously make an awesome dip for tortilla chips too.  Guacamole and I might just be new best friends!   

Not only are avocados delicious but they are also a superfood!  Yes, they are pretty high in fat, but it is mono saturated fat, the kind of fat that is good for you and heart healthy.  Avocados also pack in a high fiber content and have double the potassium of a banana. 

Garlicky Guacamole
adapted from Rachel Ray


Ingredients
3 ripe small Hass avocados
1/2 to 1 lemon, juiced 2 large cloves garlic, minced 1 roma tomato, seeded and finely chopped 1 teaspoon coarse salt
DirectionsCut avocados in half around the pit. Separate the halves. Pop out pit with spoon, then scoop flesh of avocados into a bowl. Squeeze the lemon juice over the avocados. Add garlic, tomato, and salt to the bowl. Mash and mix the ingredients into a chunky dip using a fork. Serve with corn tortilla chips.

Chicken, Corn, and Black Bean Quesadillas

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Mission accomplished, craving satisfied!  These quesadillas were so simple to make and something that I will definitely be making more often.  I'm even considering the possibility of making some to freeze for a rainy day.  I did change the recipe from what Elly had originally posted, if you have the ingredients on hand; go ahead and roast corn on the cob and add some onion and jalapeno into the mix, check out her version, I am sure they are incredible.



Chicken, Corn, and Black Bean Quesadillas
inspired by Elly Says Opa!

-Makes 4 hearty quesadillas-
Ingredients
2 tablespoon canola oil, divided
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups corn kernels 
1 large chicken breast, cooked and shredded or cubed*1/3 cup water or broth1 teaspoon cumin1/2 teaspoon chili powder1/2 teaspoon oregano
1 can black beans
2 ounces cream cheese
2 cups Mexican blend cheese (PepperJack would be great too)
4 large (burrito sized) flour tortillas

Directions
Heat 1 tablespoon of the canola oil in a large skillet, stir in the garlic and corn and cook until the garlic is fragrant. Add the chicken, water (or broth), cumin, chili powder, oregano, and black beans and bring to a light boil. Simmer for 5-10 minutes to let the flavors meld. Remove pan from the heat and stir in the cream cheese.
Heat another large pan (grill pan, or cast iron skillet) over medium-high heat, brush pan surface with canola oil. Place a flour tortilla onto the hot pan.  Build a quesadilla by layering a handful of cheese, 1/4 of the chicken mixture and another handful of cheese on one half of the tortilla.  Fold tortilla in half and apply pressure to top to create a sear on the bottom of the tortilla and to make everything stick together.  Once the bottom of the tortilla is browned flip over and brown the other side, once again applying pressure to the top to help the browning process.  When both sides are browned remove quesadilla from pan and cut into 4 even triangles with a sharp knife or pizza cutter.  Repeat process with remaining tortillas, brushing pan with canola oil before each quesadilla. 

* I seasoned my chicken with salt, pepper, garlic powder, oregano, and chili powder and grilled it over an open flame to bring more flavor to the dish.

Strawberry Cream Cake

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I was searching around for a white cake recipe for my Dad's birthday when I came across this recipe on Cook's Illustrated website.  The idea of the whole thing just sounded mind blowing.  I mean who would not love a giant size gourmet strawberry shortcake with a cream cheese whipped cream topping.  Heck, the whipped cream recipe alone won me over.  This cake is so light and fluffy that it is great for the warmer months when you just don't want to eat anything that will make you feel like you ate a brick.  Light, fluffy, and fantastic -  A must try dessert!  


Strawberry Cream Cake
Source: Cook's Illustrated

Cake
1 1/4 cups (5 ounces) cake flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon table salt
1 cup (7 ounces) sugar 
5 large eggs (2 whole and 3 separated), room temperature
6 tablespoons unsalted butter , melted and cooled slightly
2 tablespoons water
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Strawberry Filling 2 pounds fresh strawberries (about 2 quarts), washed, dried, and stemmed
4 - 6 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons Kirsch
pinch table salt
Whipped Cream 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar (3 1/2 ounces)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon table salt
2 cups heavy cream

Instructions 
FOR THE CAKE: Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour round 9 by 2-inch cake pan or 9-inch springform pan and line with parchment paper. Whisk flour, baking powder, salt, and all but 3 tablespoons sugar in mixing bowl. Whisk in 2 whole eggs and 3 yolks (reserving whites), butter, water, and vanilla; whisk until smooth. In clean bowl of standing mixer fitted with whisk attachment, beat remaining 3 egg whites at medium-low speed until frothy, 1 to 2 minutes. With machine running, gradually add remaining 3 tablespoons sugar, increase speed to medium-high, and beat until soft peaks form, 60 to 90 seconds. Stir one-third of whites into batter to lighten; add remaining whites and gently fold into batter until no white streaks remain. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake until toothpick or wooden skewer inserted into center of cake comes out clean, 30 to 40 minutes. Cool in pan 10 minutes, then invert cake onto greased wire rack; peel off and discard parchment. Invert cake again; cool completely, about 2 hours.
FOR THE STRAWBERRY FILLING: Halve 24 of best-looking berries and reserve. Quarter remaining berries; toss with 4 to 6 tablespoons sugar (depending on sweetness of berries) in medium bowl and let sit 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Strain juices from berries and reserve (you should have about 1/2 cup). In workbowl of food processor fitted with metal blade, give macerated berries five 1-second pulses (you should have about 1 1/2 cups). In small saucepan over medium-high heat, simmer reserved juices and Kirsch until syrupy and reduced to about 3 tablespoons, 3 to 5 minutes. Pour reduced syrup over macerated berries, add pinch of salt, and toss to combine. Set aside until cake is cooled.
FOR THE WHIPPED CREAM: When cake has cooled, place cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, and salt in bowl of standing mixer fitted with whisk attachment. Whisk at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes, scraping down bowl with rubber spatula as needed. Reduce speed to low and add heavy cream in slow, steady stream; when almost fully combined, increase speed to medium-high and beat until mixture holds stiff peaks, 2 to 2 1/2 minutes more, scraping bowl as needed (you should have about 4 1/2 cups).
TO ASSEMBLE THE CAKE: Using large serrated knife, slice cake into three even layers. Place bottom layer on cardboard round or cake plate and arrange ring of 20 strawberry halves, cut sides down and stem ends facing out, around perimeter of cake layer. Pour one half of pureed berry mixture (about 3/4 cup) in center, then spread to cover any exposed cake. Gently spread about one-third of whipped cream (about 1 1/2 cups) over berry layer, leaving 1/2-inch border from edge. Place middle cake layer on top and press down gently (whipped cream layer should become flush with cake edge). Repeat with 20 additional strawberry halves, remaining berry mixture, and half of remaining whipped cream; gently press last cake layer on top. Spread remaining whipped cream over top; decorate with remaining cut strawberries. Serve, or chill for up to 4 hours.

We Have Moved!!

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Have you heard?  Amber's Delectable Delights has moved.  I am so very pleased to announce the launch of my new site.   We are at new site, with a new name, a new look, new recipes, and the whole shebang!  Please come and check us out!
www.SugaredWhisk.com









Don't worry, Amber's Delectable Delights is not going anywere.  This site will stay live with all of the old recipes and anything that you have saved in your readers will not dissapear.  I will just not be posting here anymore.
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Imitation Snow Crab Sandwich Recipe (Surimi)

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In the ideal world, of course, I would use freshly picked and cleaned proper crab meat to make this open sandwich. However, good-quality crab meat (actually, any crab meat) is hard to come by here in Estonia. Instead I have to settle for imitation crab, or surimi.

Here's a quick and simple topping for a slice of toast or soft roll that I quite happen to like.

Imitation Snow Crab Sandwich
(Lumekrabist saiakate)
Makes four

120 g packet snow crab (surimi; make sure you use the best one around with highest surimi percentage)
3 Tbsp mayonnaise
freshly squeezed lemon juice
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 soft rolls, halved or 4 slices of toast

Break up the snow crab sticks. Place into a bowl, fold in mayonnaise. Season with lemon juice and a sprinkling of salt.
Serve on a halved soft roll or on a slice of toast, garnish with fresh dill and season with black pepper (and perhaps some finely grated lemon zest).

More surimi recipes:
Open-faced surimi and egg salad sandwich @ What's Cookin, Chicago
Surimi Maki @ Inspired Bites
Imitation Crab Salad @ Karen Cooks
Russian Style Crab Salad @ Natasha's Kitchen

Beer, mustard and cheese bread recipe, inspired by Welsh Rarebit

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Are you familiar with the British pub classic, Welsh Rarebit? It's a slice of toasted bread topped with a melted cheese, mustard and beer concoction. Excellent, if rich, comfort food. Those three flavourings are all present in this soft yeast bread that's been a favourite for years - I even included a recipe in my first cookbook. It's soft and tender, with plenty of gutsy flavours going on. It's obviously not a bread that you'd toast and slather with jam, but with some extra cheese or a slice of good country ham - oh yes!

See also Felicity Cloake's post How to cook perfect Welsh rarebit in the Guardian to give you some insights into the dish that inspired this bread. 


Beer, mustard and cheese bread
(Õlle-juustuleib)
Makes 2 loaves



500 ml dark beer (ale, porter, stout - all work; 2 cups)
50 g fresh yeast or 2 envelopes fast-action instant yeast
3-4 Tbsp light syrup (golden syrup or corn syrup is fine; about 80 g)
2 tsp fine salt
150 g hard cheese, coarsely grated (Cheddar's good, or any Estonian cheese :))
600-650 g all-purpose flour*
1-2 tsp English mustard powder (I use Colmans)
100 ml vegetable oil or 75 g butter, melted and cooled

Use a large mixing bowl.  If using fresh yeast, then crumble it into lukewarm (37C) beer and stir until dissolved. Add the syrup, then fold in the grated cheese and about half of the flour. Add the salt, mustard powder and knead in the rest of the flour. Finally add the oil/melted butter. 
(If you're using the fast-action instant yeast, then simply mix all the dry ingredients, then add the beer, syrup, cheese and mix, finally adding the oil/butter). 

* A note on the amount of flour. I've successfully made this with 600 g flour, which is about 1 litres or about 4 heaped cups.  You may need a little more - you're aiming for a soft, dropping consistency.

Cover the dough with a clean kitchen towel, place the mixing bowl into a warm and draught-free location and let the dough raise until doubled in size. This will take about an hour.
Transfer the dough onto a lightly floured worktop. Lightly knead the dough and divide into two equal parts. Form into oblong loaves and transfer into buttered or lined baking tins. (I've used 22 cm/2 litre bread tins to make high loaves and 30 cm/3 litre bread tins to make smaller loaves).
Bake in the middle of a pre-heated 175 C/350 F oven for about 45 minutes, until well risen and golden brown on top.



Alternatively, you can free-form the loaves and bake them on a baking sheet, as above.

More unusual takes on Welsh Rarebit:
Welsh rarebit lamb nachos @ Endless Simmer
Cheddar, beer and mustard pull-apart bread @ Smitten Kitchen (an idea not so dissimilar to this)
Welsh rarebit souffle @ Amuse Bouche

Rhubarb and sour cream tart

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Rhubarb season, which seems to have last for a few weeks now in England and in parts of the US, has just began in Estonia (remember, my homeland is at about 58.5 latitude, so quite far up north). During the last week or two, I've already baked two batches of my very favourite rhubarb muffins, cooked a batch of rhubarb kissel (kind of fruit soup), and devoured this spiced rhubarb sheet cake with my family. You'll find all Nami-Nami's rhubarb recipes in this post. Next up? Probably this rhubarb curd from my friend Alanna, and then perhaps Rachel's rhubarb and plum crisp from David's blog? We'll see.

If you do have a good rhubarb recipe suggestion, please share it in the comments!

Today's cake recipe has been another rhubarb favourite for years, and it's also much loved by the readers of my Estonian Nami-Nami site - about 48 people have commented the cake recipe, most of them saying how much they love it :)

Remember - as long as you're using nice and young rhubarb stalks (preferably red-skinned!), there's no need to peel the rhubarb first.  

The idea is from a Finnish Ruokala site (Antin raparperipiiras), but over the years I've modified it considerably to suit my taste, so am happily claiming this as Nami-Nami's rhubarb cake recipe :)

Delicious rhubarb cake with sour cream topping 
(Hõrk rabarbrikook hapukoorega)
Serves eight

Pastry:
100 g butter, at room temperature
85 g caster sugar (100 ml)
50 g sour cream
1 egg
180 g all-purpose flour (300 ml)
1 tsp baking powder

Filling:
250 g sour cream (20% dairy fat)
4 Tbsp caster sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla sugar or extract

Topping:
4 to 5 rhubarb stalks, cut into 5-8 mm slices
demerara sugar, for sprinkling

Preheat the oven to 200 C/400 F. 

Cream the butter with sugar. Stir in the sour cream and egg, then fold in the flour that's been mixed with baking powder. Stir until combined - the pastry should be soft, but not watery. Using your hands, spread the pastry onto the base and sides of a 24 cm (9-to-10-inch) loose-bottomed springform tin.
For the filling, combine all the ingredients. Pour onto the pastry base.
Scatter rhubarb on top, sprinkle with some demerara sugar.
Bake in the middle of a preheated oven for about 30 minutes, until the pastry is golden and the filling is set.Cool in the tin, then carefully remove the tin and transfer the cake onto a serving plate. 

Asparagus and cheese tart recipe

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Originally posted in May 2011, but I'm bumping this up again, as the local asparagus season has began.

Isn't it pretty? This lovely topless tart can be served either warm (perhaps with a green side salad) or cold (cut into thin slices to accompany drinks). It's a simple tart - a puff pastry base (I made a quick rough puff pastry myself) is covered with a layer of grated cheese, followed by an egg and cream mixture, and finally topped with lightly cooked asparagus spears. You could certainly mix the cheese in to the egg and cream mixture, but I loved the visual effect of using a separate cheese layer.

The basic idea is from the UK-based food writer and photographer Alastair Hendy via the always-inspirational Delicious Days, but I omitted the potato layer.

Asparagus and cheese tart
(Spargli-juustupirukas)
Serves 8 to 10



500 g puff pastry (store-bought or home-made rough puff pastry)
24 medium-sized fresh green asparagus spears
150 g Gouda or Gruyère cheese, coarsely grated
3 large eggs
200 ml fresh cream (whipping, heavy or double)
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
freshly grated nutmeg

Snap off the hard and woody lower end of the asparagus spears (these can be used to make stock, for instance). Cook the asparagus spears in a simmering and lightly salted water for about 2 minutes. Drain, rinse quickly under cold water and drain again. Put aside.
Line a rectangular pie dish (approximately 25x35 cm) with a parchment paper. Roll out a puff pastry so it'd cover the base and come up the sides a little. Prick with a fork here and there.
Scatter the grated cheese over the base.
Whisk the eggs with cream, season with salt, pepper and grated nutmeg. Pour carefully over the cheese.
Place asparagus spears on top.
Bake in a preheated 200 C oven for about 30 minutes, until the tart is nicely golden on top and the puff pastry is cooked.

Easy entertaining: whole hot-smoked trout or salmon with caviar dressing

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Want something super-delicious, rather elegant and extremely simple for your next festive spread? Here's an excellent idea I got from my friend Annika. Annika is Estonian, but she works and lives in Sweden. She introduced me to this very popular Swedish and Finnish "sauce" that's traditionally served alongside smoked or grilled trout or salmon at a party she hosted at her Tallinn holiday flat at the end of last year.

Since then I've served this on several occasions and always to a great success. You need a good-quality smoked trout or salmon to start with - I've used a whole hot-smoked trout*, that we "carve" at the table, but you can also serve it alongside portion-sized pieces of smoked fish. Although salted trout or salmon roe is nowhere as prohibitively expensive as "proper" caviar, it's still very festive and elegant and makes people feel that they're really being pampered :)

If you're based in Tallinn or nearby, then I whole-heartedly recommend the whole hot-smoked trout from Pepe Kala OÃœ. You'll find their stall at Tammsaare tee 89 during the week, or come and meet them at Viimsi Taluturg (Viimsi farmers' market) on Saturday mornings from 10 am till 2 pm. They also have excellent lightly salted trout roe.  




Creamy caviar dressing
(Kalamarjakaste)
Serves 6

200-250 g thick sour cream or creme fraiche
1 Tbsp finely chopped onion (shallot is fine)
150 g lightly salted trout or salmon roe (or slightly less, depending on your budget and taste)
2-3 Tbsp finely chopped fresh dill
freshly ground white or black pepper, to taste

Mix all ingredients together, spoon into a nice bowl and serve alongside the whole smoked fish. 



Ok, how easy and effortless was that? :)

What's your super-easy and quick entertainment dish? Feel free to leave a link to the recipe in the comments!

Jug Fishing with Andy and Denise Part 1

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Last weekend, we were watching the sun start to set from our rocking chairs on the landing and noticed a couple of men jug fishing for catfish in the channel. Well you know we were sick we had left all the jugs back on the pontoon boat in Pulaski. At that point, I knew we'd be back next weekend. By Thursday, the weather men were calling for rain all weekend, enough for flooding at home, but Athens was looking pretty good. So we took off bright and early Saturday morning to the river for a day of jug fishing. OK. I know this is a little on the redneck side, but I have a blast every time we do this. Plus, we eat pretty darn good!
The first catfish we caught wasn't very big, but it sure was fun when it got on the line and tried to take off with the jug. 

Here's video one with Andy rebaiting the hook and ready to catch some more fish. You can't hardly hear half of what he says, but we were fishing with nightcrawlers 10 feet deep.



Half gallon milk jugs, heavy duty line and hooks that are guaranteed to hang
on to whatever you catch were the perfect combination.
We were fishing with eight jugs. When they start biting, eight will keep you
busy especially if it's windy, like it was Saturday.  
Jug Fishing with Andy and Denise Part 2
Jug Fishing with Andy and Denise Part 3
Jug Fishing with Andy and Denise Part 4
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Mushroom Swiss Burgers

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When it comes to eating hamburgers, a mushroom swiss burger is my second favorite. We don't fix burgers very often, but when we do, we do them up right. My all-time favorite has a light amount of Hellman's mayonnaise and mustard on both sides of the bun, a bed of lettuce, vidalia onion rings, grilled burger with melted Provolone or Swiss cheese, two slices of homegrown tomatoes with a little salt and pepper, and topped off with dill pickle stackers.
Last night I was in the mood for a mushroom swiss and a plate of oven baked fries. If you overlook the butter involved in preparing these, they are a quite healthy alternative. The ingredients below will serve four...and then some.
INGREDIENTS:4 half pound burgers8 slices Swiss cheese8 oz. baby Portobella mushrooms8 slices Texas toastSalt, pepper to tasteGood on Anything (or Dales) seasoning
DIRECTIONS:Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Line the bottom of a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray the rack with cooking spray. Prepare your oven baked fries on another sheet and set to the side.

We found this huge baking sheet (rack measures 13" x 18") at Academy Sports. It's one of my favorites to bake with.

Tear off a sheet of aluminum foil to cook the mushrooms in. Pour mushrooms in and top with tabs of butter. You can season with Good on Anything and a little salt and pepper if you'd like. I just stuck with the butter. Wrap the packet up and set on the front corner of the rack. 


Wrap and prepare a vidalia onion just like you would if you were fixing a baked onion. Place it in the back corner of the rack.

Set the four burgers on the other side. Brush Good on Anything seasoning and salt and pepper burgers. Place this sheet on the top rack. Place the fries on the bottom rack.

Bake the burgers for 30 minutes. (Adjust time based on thickness of burger...these were pretty thick) Remove from the rack, place on a plate and cover with aluminum foil. Remove mushrooms and set to the side. Move the potatoes to the top rack; place wrapped onion on the baking sheet; bump up the oven temp to 450 degrees and bake until potatoes are golden and the onions are tender.
Heat a small skillet to medium heat. Butter one side of all the Texas toast. Put the bottom slice in the hot skillet. Lay one slice of cheese on the bottom, layer with mushrooms and onions. Place burger and another slice of cheese on top and finish with the other slice of Texas toast. Let sandwich cook until lightly browned on the bottom; flip to grill the other side (may take two spatulas to not lose your fillings!). A panini press would be the easiest way to grill these, but we just haven't made that change yet.



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Hoe Cakes

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When it comes to making bread with cornmeal, hoe cakes are my favorite, hands down. I love to pour pinto beans over them, dip them in chicken stew...you name it. It's hard to believe that these three ingredients could taste so different coming from the oven or the skillet.
INGREDIENTS:1 cup self-rising cornmeal1 eggEnough milk to make batter the consistency similar to pancake batter.
If it's too "watery" add a little extra cornmeal to thicken it up.
I normally mix my batter in a 4-cup glass measuring cup so I can pour out the size hoe cakes I want. Andy likes to use this little 2" ladle I have. He thinks it makes them the perfect size. He is right, and I even told him so. 
Heat a small amount of oil in a skillet on medium. Drop the batter onto hot skillet. Roll the oil around so all sides of the hoe cake are sizzling.
When the bottom starts to turn a nice golden brown and bubbles form at the top, it's time to turn them.Cook until the second side is golden brown and set on a paper towel lined plate.


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Grisham Garden Part 2

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Here's an update on the state of the garden. First of all, the rain has done wonders for our plants! It looked like they all jumped overnight. Now if we can keep the bunny rabbits and deer out of it, we'll be doing good. Andy never had a problem with deer in his garden until he moved to town. I'm sure the deer that wiped out our okra were like the people who come to the house and eat. You know they're thinking...Man, That Stuff is Good!
We have been enjoying fixing salads several nights a week. You just can't beat fresh!! We finally have a few onions and radishes big enough to pull. The cherry tomatoes are starting to bloom so hopefully it won't be too long!

Sunflowers
Spaghetti squash, cantelope, watermelon
Squash, zucchini, cucumbers
Okra
Green Beans
3 varieties of tomatoes
Sweet potatoes (came back from the freeze!), rutabagas, spinach, 2 varieties of lettuce
Beets, onions
Red potatoes





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