Travel with The Nici Farm
BOSTON – TATTE BAKERY
This is a little French gem in the middle of Brookline,which serves exquisite Clafoutis, cakes, and real Illy coffee. A tiny relaxing oasis.Tattebakery.com
Author Archives: blognici
BOSTON – ITTOKU (Japanese)
Travel with The Nici Farm
BOSTON – ITTOKU (Japanese)
I have finaly found a realy great authentic japanese restaurant actualy run by japanese people. A wonderful japanese friend of mine brought me here. Don’t miss the Edamame and fresh sushi with real wasabi!
https://m.facebook.com/pages/Izakaya-Ittoku/191428244355243?_rdr
Ittoku
1414 Commonwealth ave.
02134 Alston, Boston
CHOCOLATE-CHOCOLATE-CHOCOLATE COOKIES
CHOCOLATE-CHOCOLATE-CHOCOLATE COOKIES
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup good-quality milk chocolate, coarsely chopped
8 Tbsp butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
1 Tsp pure vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 180°C. Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside. Melt coarsely chopped chocolate with the butter in a large pot just until melted and let cool a bit. Add sugar, eggs, and vanilla and mix. Reduce Mix in flour mixture. Fold in chocolate chunks. Scoop 1 Tbsp of dough on a baking sheet about 5 cm apart and bake for 15 minutes. Transfer on parchment to wire racks. Let cool 5 minutes. They will look a bit soft but they become firm when cooled. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days if they survive that long.
JAPANESE DUMPLINGS WITH SWEET BEAN PASTE (SHIRATAMA DANGO)
My lovely roommate is from Japan and just showed me how to make a typical Japanese sweet. It is such a delicious new taste, I had to share this with you!
JAPANESE DUMPLINGS WITH SWEET BEAN PASTE (SHIRATAMA DANGO)
Sweet bean paste:
100 g adzuki beans
50 g sugar
Dumplings:
50 g rice flour
About 5 Tbsp water
1 Tsp matcha tea powder (optional)
In a medium pot cover beans with water. Bring to a boil and strain. Again cover with water, bring to a boil and strain. Now just cover with water and boil for 1 hour. Add sugar and boil for another half hour. Either cool in the refrigerator for a nice summer treat or set aside for a warming delight in the winter time.
For the dumplings mix together rice flour (and matcha powder if you want green dumplings) and cold water until you have the consistency of play-dough. Form small balls or disks about the size and thickness of your thumb cap. Bring water to a boil and place dumplings inside. Boil until they float, about 3 minutes. Then spoon them into cold water.
Serve Shiratama dango in a bowl with warm or cold sweet bean paste.
BABY POWDER DRY SHAMPOO
No time, no time….over-slept and no time to wash your hair or just too lazy but still wan’t to look fabulous? Well, here is an easy, cheap and awsome trick (best for blondish hair) to make your hair look fresh and smell yummy! Bye, bye bad-hair-days!!
BABY POWDER DRY SHAMPOO
Sprinkle a bit of baby powder on your fingers, turn your head down and rub into your skalp and your hair roots. Repeat throughout the whole head. Brush your hair and style.
That is as easy as a good-hair-day goes!?
HOME MADE ALMOND MILK
A while ago I figured I should try to minimize my milk-product intake. Firstly, because I have a mild lactose intolerance and second because studies have shown a significant correlation between breast (and prostate) cancer and milk-product consume.
So, I initially switched to lactose free milk, which only got rid of one of the problems and I am not sure if chemically produced lactase is so healthy either.
Then I switched to soy milk. I did have to get used to the taste, however, after quite a bit of research I found out that soy is even worse, due to the high concentration of so called Phyto-estrogens (a hormone produced in females and a main component of the anti-baby pill) which have been proven to lead to infertility in men and damage of the thyroid (a hormone producing organ). Apparently these phyto-estrogens are beneficial for women in the menopause though.
However, now I switched to almond milk. I was so surprised how good it tastes! There is unsweetened and sweetend versions. The sweetened almond milk with vanilla has the same amount of fat as in low-fat milk (1%) and the same amount of sugar (5%) as in normal milk. That is why the taste pretty much resembles milk with a yummy nutty twist.
Well, the most surprising thing was that it is the easiest and fastest thing to make yourself!! I did a few experiments and here is my favorite version:
For ½ liter
100 g raw almonds (the normal ones for snacking or baking), if you like take peeled ones
2 Tsp maple syrup (or any other sweetener you like…honey, agave syrup…)
½ Tsp vanilla extract
Cover almonds with water and soak overnight. Strain almonds and put into a blender together with 500 ml fresh water. Blend. The consistency will get really nice and creamy. Now pour everything into a cloth strainer (clean cloth dippers, cheese cloth or multiple layers of paper towels) and squeeze out as much milk as you can. Don’t through away the almond flakes you can make a great cake of them. Mix together the almond milk with the maple syrup and vanilla extract and refrigerate.
Oh, I can’t wait for my next cereal!
PECAN-CHOCOLATE CHIP BLONDIES (just by chance gluten-free & vegan)
Do you like Brownies? I just love them! Now, here I have something for you that will make your taste-buds sing Halleluiah…
ULTIMATE BLONDIES (just by chance gluten-free and vegan)
2 cups all-purpose flour (also gluten free flour is possible)
1 cup sugar
1 cup toasted pecans (or walnuts)
1 cup dark chocolate chips
1 Tsp baking powder
1 Tsp salt
1 cup coconut oil (warmed until liquid)
1 cup water
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 180°C. In a bowl mix all dry ingredients. Add other ingredients and mix until combined. Spread evenly in a 20×20 cm square pan. Bake for 50-60 minutes.
SPANISH FRITTATA
Sudden hungry guests and nothing extraordinary at home to make something yummy? Think again….there is always something around you can put together. Here is what I just made for an afternoon snack. This is also great for a pick-nick.
SPANISH FRITTATA
4 medium potatoes gut into thin slices
2 medium onions chopped finely
8 eggs
4 Tbsp olive oil
Optionally: 50 g ham cubed or shrimps
Salt and pepper
Cook potatoes in salted water for about 7 – 10 minutes until still firm to the bite and stain. Meanwhile heat 2 Tbsp olive oil and fry onions and ham until browned. Mix together all ingredients in a bowl. Heat oil in a medium pan and fill in batter, do not stir. Switch to medium heat and cover pan. Fry about 10 minutes until bottom of frittata is browned and top is not too liquid to flip. Lift with a spatula to loosen from pan. Flip onto a plate and slide back into plan, undone side facing down. Fry for 5 more minutes until done. Flip onto serving plate. Cut into triangles and serve lukewarm.
HAPPY LEMON CUPCAKES
When life gives you lemons make…
HAPPY LEMON CUPCAKES
For 6 cupcakes:
2 eggs
100 g sugar
1 Tsp vanilla extract
50 g butter
50 ml milk
150 g flour
1 Tsp baking powder
½ Tsp salt
Lemon zest and juice of ½ lemon
For lemon frosting:
50 g soft butter
300 g confectioners sugar
100 g cream cheese
Lemon zest and juice of 1 lemon
Pre-heat oven to 180 °C. For cupcakes mix first eggs and sugar until fluffy, then all other wet ingredients, followed by all dry ingredients. Mix until well combined. Fill into 6-8 large Muffin forms and bake for 15 minutes. Let cool completely. For frosting mix all ingredients together and spread over cooled cupcakes. Good for 1 week when kept covered in the refrigerator.
BACON COVERED ROSEMARY-PLUMS
Its pick-nick time! I was looking for something yummy when cold, easy to prepare and bite size for an outdoor event …tadaaaaa…. for all those bacon lovers out there: this is for you!!
BACON COVERED ROSEMARY-PLUMS
Bacon
Dried plums
Fresh rosemary chopped
Toothpichs
Cut plums in half, sprinkle with rosemary and put back together. Cover with one layer of bacon and fix with a toothpick. Heat pan (without oil) and fry bacon plums from all sides until crisp.