Coffee and Donuts, Shopping, Elective Surgery, Cooking, Water,

The day started out well, a bowling buddy called and said they had to come to Kitchener and, unless there was a long line-up, they would like to bring us a coffee. Matt, of course, doesn't drink it, but I do. We ended up with a coffee for me and a donut each. I got a chocolate donut which I have been craving for a long while. Chocolate, not the donut, I just didn't have any chocolate chip cookies as the store was only sending me little bags, nor anything much else. So my friend arrived with a largish bag of Lindt chocolate truffles as well. Yum. So nice of him. Bit embarrassed to be in my nightdress but I was persuading Matt to take a shower and playing with taps and bath mats etc. I screameed at the LHIN for help and, would you believe it, they have to do yet another assessment. It will be a phone assessment, but even so, it will be their 4th. What a waste of time. Anyway, I hope to get a PSW for Matt who has been using shampoo to wash. I thought it was disappearing fast. Expensive.

Having had my lunch, I then had to wait for the grocery store email to tell me what they had or didn't have for my order this week. Not too bad in fact. I then had to phone Cathy, who collects it for me, and after that I had to wait for her to bring everything. Which she eventually did. She then made a note of next week's order on her phone. I then asked for phone help because I couldn't clear her pic from Messenger off my phone. She showed me how.  I really have trouble figuring stuff out. I need to use a few passwords too but can't remember them so have to look them up. Like I have so much time to do this stuff.

After Kathy had gone, I did the lovely job of putting it all away. Talk about lots of pain. You know, it's alright for these hospitals to shut down for elective surgery, but I hurt a lot. Once I was OK again I stuffed three more peppers (didn't think I needed all 3) and then put them in the Instant Pot. They came out beautifully. I took one out of the Pot and put it in a plastico (sorry, Spanish word I have used since my parents lived in Spain, many years ago) and then got the second one as far as the plastico and it slipped falling on top of the first. The air was blue I was so annoyed and upset. I repaired what damage I could, mostly stuffing coming out, and then very carefully took out the third one and put it in a second plastico. It was beautiful!! However, after that disaster today and the one I had yesterday I have quit cooking for ever. I had to have a chocolate truffle.

Matt doesn't believe me either.

I again watched h2O, The Molecule that Made us, part 2. It is a frightening programme and I just wish I could be sure that the people who matter, governments, were watching these kind of programmes as well. Not only is underground water being used up in places like Arizona, it is being used by the Arabs who have already drained their own sources of underground water. The earth is already sinking and cracking because of the underground water being used. The more I see of such programmes, the more I am not too unhappy that I won't be on this earth much longer. Our use and control of water has already tipped the earth of its axis which is a terrifying thought. Even though we are being forced to stay home right now, it won't have stopped the use of underground water around the world. If only people would listen. I don't know what someone like me can do other than maybe write to my MP but I am one small voice, we need lots of small voices like the young Swedish girl who started a protest about global warming.

I would have to do a bit of shopping  before I could make these. And even for this dish - unless it has to be eaten with the fingers, would I leave the tails on.

Shrimp-Stuffed Peppers

The Good News Fruity, pale-yellow güero peppers—just like Hungarian wax peppers—are a great

source of vitamin C, folate and manganese. They're perfect for stuffing because "they have a little chile personality without being too hot," Deborah Schneider says. The shrimp-and-cheese filling here is a delicious source of protein. And the tomatoes in the salsa add vitamin K and potassium while also balancing the sweetness of the mangos, which are high in vitamins A and C.

8 medium güero, Hungarian wax or Cubanelle peppers (about 2 ounces each)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2/3 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese (about 2 1/2 ounces)
1/3 cup shredded cotija or ricotta salata cheese (about 1 ounce)
1 scallion, thinly sliced
1 Tbs chopped cilantro
1 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil
16 large shrimp (about 1 pound)—shelled and deveined, tails left on
1 garlic clove, minced
Mango-Tomato Salsa, for serving

1. Line a large cast-iron skillet with foil and set it over moderately high heat. Make a slit down the length of the peppers and make 2 perpendicular slits at the stem ends. Open the peppers slightly and snip out the cores using scissors, then shake out the seeds. Add the peppers to the skillet and cook until blistered all over, 12 minutes. Season the inside of the peppers with salt and pepper.

2. Preheat the oven to 400°. In a bowl, toss the cheeses with the scallion and cilantro. Stuff the peppers with the cheese mixture and arrange them on a baking sheet.

3. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil. Add the shrimp and garlic and season with salt and pepper. Cook over moderate heat, stirring, until the shrimp start to curl, about 2 minutes. Stuff the garlicky shrimp into the peppers with the tails protruding.

4. Bake the peppers in the top of the oven for 6 to 7 minutes, until the cheese is melted. Top with the Mango-Tomato Salsa; serve.

Servings: 4
Yield: 4 first-course servings

 Author: DEBORAH SCHNEIDER
Source: Food and Wine


Have a great day

Chocolate, Colds

I'm a chocoholic and I know many other people are as well. I have just come across an article which says scientists expect chocolate to extinct by 2050.  What a dreadful thought. Apparently the company, Mars, are working with scientists to avert the crisis. My first thought was, I won't be around by 2050 my second was that the price of chocolate will start skyrocketing between then and now. This is all going to be caused by global warming which certain presidents say isn't happening!! Can you imagine a world without chocolate? All those delightful desserts and wonderful candies just disappearing. I have met people who don't like chocolate, but they are few and far between in my experience.

Of course being Monday, we bowl today. I don't know if Matt is going to bowl or not. We shall see. Fingers crossed please.

Forgot to mention Matt's cold/cough is getting better and mine has not been getting worse.

Here's a nice little breakfast dish, I am always looking for different things to do for breakfast. I think I would be eating the scooped out flesh of the avocado alongside the main dish. Think I might try it in the air fryer. It's just occurred to me that I would have to go into the store myself to ensure that I got big enough avocados. Mind you I would only get one at a time. Matt would never eat anything but his cereal for breakfast.

Eggs Baked in Avocado

2 avocados (extra-large)
salt
black pepper
4 eggs

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.

2. Slice the avocados in half and discard the pits. Use a spoon to scoop out a portion of the flesh from the center of each half, leaving a 1/2-inch border of flesh in the skin. Reserve the scooped-out avocado flesh for another use. (Pro Tip: Use the largest avocados possible to ensure that a full egg can fit inside!)

3. Arrange the avocado halves cut side up in a square baking dish. Sprinkle the cavities with salt and black pepper. Carefully crack an egg into the center of each half and season with additional salt and black pepper to taste.

4. Bake the eggs on the middle rack of the oven until the whites are set, 15-20 minutes.

5. Check to see that eggs are done. Remove from oven or add time as needed.

6. Serve immediately.

Servings: 4

Source: Yummly

Have a great day
 

Coooold, Chocolate.

I am grandmother to dragons!!

I have never known it so cold. We cannot get our apartment above about 69°F. We went out to lunch and getting into the restaurant was bad, but we survived it and had an enjoyable lunch. Matt got his birthday celebration (although his birthday isn't until the 4th) and everything was good. Cold getting back to the car but it didn't take long to warm up again. We then went to get the shopping, underground parking and you don't have to get out of the car, then we went to the liquor store. Bad getting in there, but coming out the wind decided to blow extra hard and it was a totally arctic blast. Unloaded in the underground garage and I didn't realise just how cold Matt had got. He was shaking with cold. I heated him up some warming pads and covered him with a blanket and eventually he warmed up. I was cold, but not that bad. I therefore decided we would not venture out again until this cold passed. Supposedly after Friday. I must admit, right now, I am shivering as I am typing. We have had the stove on all evening and it still didn't get more than 69°F. The wind chill has been giving temps of -31°C  that is about -23.8°F.

If you are dieting, here is something to stop you eating chocolate According to ABC News, the average chocolate bar contains eight insect parts. Anything less than 60 insect pieces per 100 grams of chocolate (two chocolate bars' worth) is deemed safe for consumption by the Food and Drug Administration. If you are wondering why I looked this up, I found live bugs crawling around my Hershey's Kisses which had been there since before I went into hospital in October. I am not too sure I am going to be eating chocolate any more although I guess it hasn't killed  me in 80 years. Mind you I threw out the old Hershey's and replaced with new before I read this. Funny, I didn't have any chocolate all evening. And here I have posted a chocolate recipe.

Feeling decadent? If you can resist these, you are "a better man than I am Gunga Din."

Triple Chocolate Coffee Brownies

Ever wonder how to get all your vices in one bite? We’ve got the answer, these fudgy and fantastic

Triple Chocolate Coffee Brownies. Yes, it’s mocha madness with these moist brownies chock full of brewed coffee, the trinity of chocolate (milk, semi-sweet and white chocolate) and chunks of chopped Oreo cookies. If that doesn’t sell you on these blissful brownies, consider that they’re topped with a creamy coffee frosting!

1 ½ cups butter, melted
1 ½ cups sugar
1 ½ cups brown sugar
4 eggs
¼ cup coffee, cooled
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 ½ cups flour
1 cup cocoa powder, sifted
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp kosher salt
1 cup chopped Oreo cookies
1 cup chopped milk chocolate
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
1 cup white chocolate chips
Coffee Frosting
¼ cup butter, softened
2 cups icing sugar
2 Tbs strong brewed coffee, cooled
1 tsp vanilla extract

1. For the brownies, preheat oven to 325ºF. Coat a 13×9-inch baking pan with non-stick cooking spray. Line the pan with parchment paper.

2. In a large bowl, whisk melted butter, sugar and brown sugar until combined. Add eggs, coffee and vanilla extract and continue to whisk until smooth. Add flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt, Oreo cookies, milk chocolate, semi-sweet chocolate and white chocolate, stirring just until flour has disappeared. Spread into prepared pan and bake for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool completely. Once cool, refrigerate for 2 hours before frosting.

3. For the coffee frosting, using an electric mixer, cream butter and icing sugar on low to combine. Add coffee and vanilla extract and continue to mix on medium speed until reaches a smooth and desired spreading consistency.

4. Spread frosting on cooled brownies.

Servings: 25

Source: Zoomer Magazine


Have a great day
 

Chocolate, Shopping, Seafood, Doctor's,

Today, whilst shopping, I bought some Lindt chocolate with sea salt - plain chocolate that is. I was very disappointed, couldn't really taste any salt at all. I really don't  much like plain chocolate anyway so Matt has inherited it. He didn't even know chocolate was ever salted but doesn't mind it, wouldn't choose it though. I have had milk chocolate with salt and enjoyed it very much.

Must admit shopping really did a number on me today, my legs were really aching. The cashier said why didn't I use their electric carts, trouble is, their baskets wouldn't hold a week's shopping for us. I bought some Salmon for the weekend and whilst doing so, saw some Arctic Char which I love but as it was nearly 3 times the price of the salmon, I didn't buy it. Ahhhh. A restaurateur who used to have a place locally, used to smoke his own Salmon and also Arctic Char and it was absolutely delicious. I actually preferred it to the Salmon but sadly have never seen it smoked since.

I have been putting off going to the doctor's because it is impossible to park very close and it kills me to walk to her office. Today I phoned the office we used to go to and they agree to take us back. Bit of a trek but worth it, I can park right outside the door. I spoke to their Office Manager before going there and it turned out she was a woman I knew very well from before. She assured me they wouldn't take us back - kidding - and booked me in for 5:30. As it is in the same town as the Scottish bakery where I buy Cornish Pasties, I called them. They only had two left but they did have some scones so on the way to the doctor I picked those up. When I got to the doctor's I chatted to the Office Manger as well as us both re-registering - then I got to see the doctor who basically owns the place I believe. They have a bunch of doctors there plus two PAs so there is always a doctor around. Had a long chat with her and she is concerned about all the things our current doctor didn't seem to have time to worry about so I am to go for blood work and X-rays. She made me feel a lot happier about my health concerns, at least she is taking an interest.

It being latish when we got home, I grabbed a couple of subs and we had those for supper. I had said earlier I would watch Peter Rabbit again before I returned it and Matt said he would do so too. He hated it!!! He really doesn't enjoy stuff like that at all.

This sounded a good recipe. The author used organic products to make this, but I wouldn't do so because it tends to make groceries somewhat expensive. It is, of course, a choice. I actually found this recipe through Yummly.

Spinach and Gruyère Cheese Quiche with a Hash Brown Crust

For the Hash Brown Crust:
1 pkg frozen hash browns, thawed and squeezed dry
2 Tbs butter, melted
1 egg
A sprinkle of onion powder, garlic powder, Italian seasonings, salt & pepper
For the Quiche:
1/4 cup red pepper, diced
1/4 cup green pepper, diced
1/4 cup onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 egg whites and 3 eggs
1/2 cup whole milk
1 1/2 cups Gruyère cheese
1 pkg baby spinach
3-4 slices Canadian bacon (or regular bacon)

1. For the Hash Brown Crust:

2. Add a little olive oil to the bottom of a spring form pan and line with parchment paper, including the sides. Brush with more oil on top of the parchment paper. Set aside

3. Combine the hash browns, melted butter, egg and spices in a bowl and put them in the pan pushing them up the sides

4. Cook in a preheated oven at 400°F for 20-25 minutes or until the hash browns start to crisp up

5. For the Quiche:

6. In a small pan, over low/medium heat, add a Tablespoon of oil and sauté the onions, pepper and garlic for 8-10 minutes or until soft and translucent. Add the spinach and cook another few minutes over low heat until wilted. Set aside to cool

7. In a bowl, combine the eggs, egg whites, milk, cheese and bacon. Add the cooled onions and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper and pour into the hash brown crust pan

8. Reduce the heat to 350°F and bake for 45 minutes

Author: Debi
Source: Happily Unprocessed



Have a great day
 

Bugs Again, Chocolate,

I know you are all agog to know how my battle with bed bugs is going. I am sure there is nothing else on your minds. I wish there was something else on my mind. Anyway, it appears that this diatomaceous earth (DE) is doing the trick. I appear to be avoiding any more bites, so we decided to do the same with Matt's bed. When I started a found a nest of bed bugs on one of the creases of his mattress cover, as I mentioned the other day. Got rid of them and then surrounded the bed with diatomaceous earth. Two days later I checked again and found a smaller nest in the same place, but this time the bugs were dead in place or certainly almost dead which proves to me the stuff works. They had to cross it to get to his mattress cover. There has been nothing since on his bed or mine. Hoorah. I think I was beginning to go mentally bonkers with this business of being a feeding station every night. Of course I don't know about the rest of the rooms - I am assuming they must still be around so I need to do more spreading of the DE. The pest control people are supposed to be coming on the 31st (Thursday) and I will be able to tell them at least the beds are OK, no thanks to them. They will also now find what uncooperative really means. There is no way I am going to strip my home the way I have done twice before in order for them to work on the place. I will deal with it, thank you very much. At the moment I cannot use my bedspread as it dangles on the ground and that is an invitation to the little pests to climb up.

I regret to say that at least two of our chocolate bunnies are somewhat the worse for wear. In fact Matt and I both seem to go for the ears first. Being Lindt chocolate it is absolutely delicious. We have a Lindt store locally but I wouldn't dare go there very often. They give you a Lindor Ball when you walk in the store and you can try before you buy with many of their products. There is no doubt in my mind, that Swiss Chocolate is the very best. I am not alone in this opinion of course. Dutch and Belgian chocolate is pretty good too, but the Swiss have them all beat. Er, update, our first two bunnies have gone the way of all things.

This, to me, is a very unusual tart.

Swiss Easter Rice Tart

8 to 10 servings

Francesco Tonelli for The New York Times

This is a custard tart, with rice, lemon and almonds in the filling, which is served only at Easter in Switzerland. “It was called gâteau de Pâques and I remember it very well,” said Gray Kunz, the chef who was born in Singapore but grew up in Geneva and Bern. “There would be a bunny in icing sugar stenciled on top.” Nick Malgieri, the baking teacher and author, based this somewhat lighter recipe on several he found in Switzerland.


INGREDIENTS
1 ½ cups plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour and more for dusting
1 tablespoon plus 1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
11 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, in 11 slices
½ cup long-grain rice
3 cups milk
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
½ cup blanched almonds, finely ground in food processor
3 large eggs
Confectioners' sugar


PREPARATION
Combine 1 1/2 cups flour, 1 tablespoon sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt and the baking powder in food processor. Pulse to blend. Add 10 tablespoons butter and pulse 3 to 4 times, until butter is in pea-size pieces. Sprinkle in 3 tablespoons cold water. Pulse 4 times. Dough will not come together. Turn dough out on lightly floured work surface and knead gently a few times to form a disk. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate at least 1 hour.
Meanwhile, half fill a 3-quart saucepan with water, bring to a boil, stir in rice, lower heat to medium and cook until rice is soft, about 15 minutes. Drain rice and return it to saucepan. Add milk, remaining butter, 1/2 cup sugar and remaining salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer until mixture has thickened almost to a risotto consistency, about 25 minutes.
Place saucepan in a large bowl of ice and water 10 minutes, to cool mixture to tepid. Purée in food processor. Pour into a bowl and add lemon zest. Mix ground almonds with 1 tablespoon flour and add to bowl. Stir in eggs one at a time.
Place oven rack in lowest position and preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove pastry from refrigerator and place on lightly floured surface. Lightly dust top with flour. Use a rolling pin to press down on dough to soften it. Roll out disk to 12 inches in diameter. Transfer to a 10-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Press dough evenly into pan. Trim edges flush with pan. Pour filling into pastry.
Bake about 35 minutes, until filling is set and golden. Cool on a rack. Dust with sifted confectioners’ sugar before serving.

Have a great day
 

Cake, Candles, Chocolate, Paddington.

We have lots of cake left over from the birthday party. So Saturday night we had some for dessert. The piece had a picture of Matt and I. Still not sure I like the idea of eating my own face. Of course the cake itself is delicious. I mentioned on Friday that we had completely forgotten to light the candles so when I served Matt his slice of cake, I put the candles in and lit them up. They are very attractive candles with a glitter finish. I’ve never seen any like it before.  See what a great photographer I am. The top is too dark the second too light. Ah well. Today, Monday, back in the bowling alley with situation normal. Matt has removed all his cards now. He got 14 which he was pretty pleased with not to mention the dozens of good wishes on the internet.

Tomorrow I am finally hoping to get to see the Paddington Bear Movie. I am also planning to visit the Lindt chocolate store which is close to the theatre in order to pick up some good dark chocolate (they make some of the best in the world) for Matt as a Valentine’s Day gift.  He buys store brand chocolate for himself because he says the Lindt is too expensive. Hence the idea for Valentine’s. Guess I will have to think of something special for dinner that night too. No, we don’t go out, never at weekends and certainly never on special days like that. The restaurants are crowded, the service is frequently poor and the food often isn’t as good as usual.

The following recipe was in my Panna email this weekend and I am very fond of this kind of spring rolls. I love the translucent rice paper.


SPRING ROLLS
by Charles Phan

Twenty years ago, I decided to open a restaurant and this spring roll recipe is something my mom developed. It's a classic dish from Vietnam but also very unique to my restaurant, Slanted Door.


PORTIONS
10 servings


SPRING ROLLS

15 Shrimp, medium (peeled and deveined)

1/2 lb Pork shoulder, boneless

5  c Cooked rice vermicelli

3  Egg yolk

1/2 c Shallot oil or canola oil

1/4 tsp Kosher salt

10  Rice paper, 12-inch round sheets

1 1/4 c Peanut sauce for dipping

PEANUT SAUCE

1  Cooked sweet glutinous rice

1/2 c Roasted peanuts

3  tbsp Red miso

3  tbsp Ketchup

3  tbsp Sugar

Juice of half a lemon

1  Thai chili, stemmed, chopped

1/2 c Water

2  tbsp Vegetarian stir-fry sauce or oyster sauce

1/2 tsp roasted sesame oil

RECIPE


STEP 1
For the spring rolls: Fill a pot with water and bring to a boil. Add the shrimp and blanch until the shrimp have turned bright pink, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon or a spider, transfer the shrimp to a colander and rinse under cold running water. Drain the shrimp on paper towels and cut each shrimp in half lengthwise. Set aside. Return the water to a boil and add the pork. Turn the heat down to low and simmer until the pork is cooked through, about 20 minutes. Check for doneness by removing the pork from the water and poking it with a chopstick; the juices should run clear. Let cool completely, then thinly slice. Cook rice noodles in boiling water for 3-4 minutes, then drain in a colander and rinse under cold water, then hot water, then cold water to prevent noodles from sticking together. For the mayonnaise: Put the egg yolk in a large mixing bowl and whisk well. Pour the shallot oil into a measuring cup with a spout and begin adding the oil to the egg yolk a few drops at a time, whisking constantly until the mixture thickens and emulsifies. Continue to add the oil in a slow and steady stream, whisking constantly, until all the oil is incorporated. The mixture will be very thick. Whisk in the salt and set aside.

STEP 2
For the spring rolls: Fill a large bowl with very hot water. Dip one sheet of rice paper halfway into the water and quickly rotate to moisten the entire sheet. Lay the wet rice paper on a flat work surface. Arrange one lettuce leaf over the bottom third of the rice paper, flattening the lettuce to crack the rib. Spread a generous teaspoon of the mayo over the lettuce, then top with three mint leaves placed end to end and a few slices of pork. Top with about ½ cup of the noodles. Fold in the left and right sides of the rice paper, then fold the bottom edge up and over the filling tightly and roll toward the tip end one full turn, enclosing the filling completely. Place three pieces of shrimp, cut side up end to end, in a row on the rice paper, then roll another turn to enclose the shrimp. Continue rolling as tightly as possible toward the top edge, tucking in the sides, until you have a tight cylinder. Repeat with the remaining rice paper and ingredients. The rolls can be made up to two hours in advance. Cover with a damp towel until serving.

STEP 3
For the peanut sauce: Cook the rice in a rice cooker based on the manufacturer’s instruction. In a food processor, combine the peanuts, miso, ketchup, sugar, lemon juice, chile, and cooked rice. Process until the mixture becomes a fine paste. Thin the sauce with a little water and continue processing until the sauce is smooth and creamy. Check the flavour, then add the stir fry sauce and sesame oil and continue processing. Transfer into a bowl and serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

STEP 4
Just before serving, cut each roll crosswise into thirds. Serve with peanut sauce.

Have a great day

U is for Utan Binisaya and Ukranian Stew, Chocolate, Superstition, Prison?

Apart from a couple of doctor’s visits today we are going to visit Reid Candy and Nut Store in Cambridge. I am really looking forward to it. Telling a friend about it they said they had been to Hershey’s in the States, Pennsylvania. I think that would be an interesting visit. Of course if I had my druthers I would love to go to a Swiss chocolatier, like Lindt for instance. The Swiss are reckoned to be the best chocolatiers in the world although one process they use was actually invented by a Dutchman and then another by an Englishman: conching was invented by Rodolphe Lindt. Wikipedia on Chocolate is interesting to read. I don’t think I will be seeing anything as beautiful as this rose today though. Just as well, I would be scared to eat it, I am often reluctant to eat my Easter bunnies. I wonder why they didn’t remove the drips?

As I said, Matt has a doctor’s appointment early this morning in order to get a prescription for foot nursing. It really is ridiculous, I have been going to the same foot nurse for years (diabetes) and they have all her information on my file. But they can’t use that, it has to be re-supplied along with a doctor’s scrip before they will give us anything towards the payment for his treatment. Insurance companies can be a pain in the you know what can’t they?

On Sunday I was thinking about superstitions, many of which were passed on to me by my mother and I still cling to, such as not cutting one’s nails on a Sunday (Matt’s mother said Friday) and not walking under ladders. One of the oddest, to me, was in the North of England where the fisherman will not use the word pig, it has to be gissy. I have no idea why, just tried to find out but Google didn’t have the answer. There is an island called Pig Island which they renamed Gissy Island. If you break a mirror, that’s 7 year’s bad luck and so on and so on. Matt’s grandfather would not proceed to work if a black cat crossed his path and walking between two nuns was really bad luck. And what is it about Friday the 13th? I was also thinking there are not many things that can be said to bring you good luck, OK if you find a four leaf clover, who ever does, or carry a rabbit’s foot, poor rabbit. Do you have any particular superstitions which you cling to despite everything?

A friend sent me a series of pictures in an email. Here are a couple from the series. The email carried a question, did one know what these pictures were? Eventually we were shown gymnasiums, sports rooms, leisure rooms and then bedrooms. Once Matt saw the bedroom, which to me looked like a dorm room, he said “that’s a cell”, he was right. Does that look like a cell to you, I can see university students living in similar types of accommodation This is the most luxurious looking new prison which was recently built outside Toronto. Not only that, the prisoners get a choice of menu. The final comment in the email asks how one can get in there, shoot a politician maybe!!! I can believe recidivism would climb rapidly, many of the people who end up as prisoners don’t live so well outside on the street.

I have never heard of most of the ingredients in this Filipino soup recipe but as it fits the category I thought I would include it for a bit of fun. Of course if you have access to these ingredients, well and good. It looks as thought it would be very tasty..

Utan Binisaya - Vegetable Soup

1 bundle malunggay leaves, removed from stem
2 c. kalabasa, cut into wedges
1 bundle sitaw, cut around 2” length
3 medium size gabi, cut into wedges
1 bundle okra, cut into wedges
3 small size talong, cut into wedges
1 bundle alugbati (if available)
1 small bundle spring onions, chopped
salt

Instructions

1. Wash thoroughly all vegetables.
2. In a large pot, boil water and add gabi, and kalabasa, cook until firm tender.
3. Add sitaw, okra and talong.
4. Add salt to taste.
5. Add malunggay, spring onion and alugbati, cook until leafy vegetables are just cooked.
6. Serve immediately.

On the other hand we have this Ukranian dish which is a somewhat unusual combination of meat and fish in one dish but the ingredients are much more familiar. Couldn’t find a picture anywhere.

Ukrainian Meat & Fish Stew

Ingredients

Directions

1/2 lb Ground beef

1/2 lb Ground lamb

1/2 lb Herring, fresh, cubed, skinned & boned

1/2 c Plain Yogurt

4 T Butter

4 Eggs, separated

1 Garlic clove minced

1 Onion lg. chopped

4 Potatoes peeled and boiled

1/2 t Salt

1/2 t Black pepper

2 T Goat cheese crumbled

3 T Bread crumbs

4 T Carrots shredded

Put 1 qt of milk into a bowl and soak the herring in it 8-12 hours. Pat dry being sure to remove any and all bones. Fry the onions and garlic in 2 T of butter until golden. Pan fry the ground meats and place into a food processor. Add the onion, garlic herring, and potatoes. Chop until a smooth mixture is achieved. Stir in the yogurt and the egg yolks. Add the spices. Preheat the oven to 400° F. and butter a large baking dish. Add the shredded carrots at this point. Beat the egg whites until they are fairly stiff but not dry and then add to the mixture. Turn the mixture into the buttered baking dish. Sprinkle with the bread crumbs and goat cheese, dot with remaining butter, and then bake for 45 minutes. Serve hot.

Have a great day

Easter Bunny, Wedding Fever, Dyngus Day, Chocolate and Bowling

I hope you all had a great Easter and are enjoying a day off today. My Lindt Bunny didn’t survive Saturday night untouched although Matt’s wasn’t chomped into until Easter Sunday. We both went for the ears which is apparently what the majority do. This morning I still have some left, Matt, however, finished his. Looking for a picture, I see Lindt have their own version of the bunny joke. Those are both dark chocolate bunnies. You can tell by the colour of the ribbon.

Watching TV yesterday they were talking about the choirs which will be singing at the Royal Wedding on Friday, there are two of them, both composed  of boy singers, don’t think there were any adults. One thing that surprised us, they are not allowed to eat chocolate which is bad for the voice. Matt used to be a chorister and had never heard that before, nor had I. I wonder why its bad for the voice, I shall have to try and find out.

Needless to say Good Morning America is full of the Royal Wedding. Half their presenters are in London together with several ABC people from other programmes. Elton John has been invited and Barbara Walters was talking to him about his contacts with the Royal Family. Whilst talking, Sir Elton was extremely critical of the British Press and the way they hound royalty. He used to be a friend of Princess Diana which is why he has been invited. The royal guest list includes other royalty and heads of state. The Middleton guest list includes their postman, their butcher and the owner of the local pub. Poor Matt, he has just turned off GMA in disgust because it is all about the wedding. Typical male, not really interested and will be glad when its over.

Today is Dyngus Day, what’s that you ask? I’m not totally sure myself. It is a post Lenten bash. It seems to be originally a Polish celebration held on Easter Monday and one of the biggest celebrations is in Buffalo, NY. Apparently there is a lot of Polka dancing involved. Go to http://tinyurl.com/d3zyq8 for more information – I like the comment, for those about to Polka we salute you.

Today is also the last day we will be bowling with our winter league. The banquet is next Monday but that is Election Day so we will be working. The following Monday we start the summer league which doesn’t last many weeks. I am sorry we won’t make the banquet, its always a fun time.

I have mentioned Recipe du Jour in the past. They just came up with a new asparagus recipe which I asked permission to share. If you have really fresh asparagus, picked that day, you will not need to snap off the ends. For some reason the longer they are picked the woodier the stems become. Takes a few days though, so if you buy stuff with stems which need snapping you know they are probably more than a week old.

Cheesy Asparagus Pie

Serves 8

1 1/2 pounds fresh asparagus
1 (15-ounce) package refrigerated piecrusts
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
1 large sweet onion, diced
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 (8-ounce) package shredded Colby-Monterey Jack cheese blend
1 1/2 cups half-and-half
2 large eggs
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Snap off tough ends of asparagus (trimmed to about 5 inches). Cook in boiling water to cover 30 seconds; drain. Plunge asparagus into ice water to stop the cooking process; drain.

Reserve 9 spears; set aside. Coarsely chop remaining asparagus; set aside. Unfold piecrusts; stack on a lightly floured surface, and roll into a
14-inch circle. Fit piecrust into an 11-inch tart pan, trimming excess dough. Line piecrust with foil, and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Place tart pan on a baking sheet. Bake at 425F for 12 minutes; remove weights and foil. Bake 2 more minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Melt butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, and sauté 5 minutes or until tender. Set aside. Brush bottom and sides of crust with mustard. Sprinkle with half of cheese, chopped asparagus, onion, and remaining cheese. Arrange reserved asparagus spears over cheese. Whisk together half-and-half and remaining ingredients. Pour mixture evenly over asparagus.

Bake at 375F for 25 minutes or until set and golden brown. Let stand 15 minutes. 

Have a great day

Nostalgia, Chocolate

Sunday evening we hauled out our projector and boxes of slides and spent a couple of hours of looking at old pix taken in the 70’s. This included when we first arrived in Canada so there was a preponderance of Niagara Falls photos, haven’t been there in years, and The African Lion Safari in Rockton, Ontario. In recent years Matt did some security work there for a while so we did go there once in the last 10 years when we got in for free. What really teed me off with these photos, how slim I was at that time. I had joined Weight Watchers in England before we came to Canada and lost 56 lbs so I was really looking good for a while there. Not only that, we looked so young. There were also lots of snow pictures, we don’t seem to see snow like that these days.

http://tinyurl.com/2ue4cxy read this article and it tells you all the benefits of eating just a small portion of dark chocolate every day. Not very much, about the size of a Hershey’s Kiss, and not sweetened or, again, not very much. But its so good for so many things. I wonder if anyone has ever suggested to Hershey’s that they make a Kiss with dark chocolate. I could eat 365 of them a year!!!

I have had a slow cooker for quite a number of years now and have always found it very useful. However, my one bugaboo was that I could not remove the inside for washing so had to be extremely careful not to get the electrical connections wet and which made it always a pain to wash. Yesterday, we had to go into a local hardware store and I started looking at some slow cookers; we ended up buying one, somewhat bigger, with a stone interior which can be removed and if wanted, can be used as a serving dish. Mind you this stone dish is extremely heavy. It is also programmable if one wants, not that I think I will, more for people going to work than me. So, now I need more recipes to take advantage of my new small appliance.

Here is, obviously, a slow cooker recipe. My only problem is the use of canned soups and I would be very much inclined to make my own sauces/soups but it does make it an easy recipe. I would certainly use fresh mushrooms.

Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff

Source: Betty Crocker

Stroganoff, once only weekend special can now be served weeknights thanks to slow cooking.

Prep Time 15 Minutes

Total Time 8:15 Hrs:Mins

8 servings

2 pounds beef stew meat

1 cup chopped onion

1 can (10 3/4 ounces) condensed cream of golden mushroom soup

1 can (10 3/4 ounces) condensed cream of onion soup

1 jar (6 ounces) Green Giant® sliced mushrooms, drained

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, cubed

1 container (8 ounces) sour cream

6 cups hot cooked noodles or rice

 

In 3 1/2- to 4 1/2-quart slow cooker, mix beef, onion, soups, mushrooms and pepper.

Cover and cook on low heat setting 8 to 10 hours or until beef is very tender.

Stir cream cheese into beef mixture until melted. Stir sour cream into beef mixture. Serve over noodles.

Time Saver

Save time and tears. Use pre-chopped onions found in the freezer case of your supermarket. Thaw before adding.

Have a great day

Medical, Necklace, Dr. Oz.

At long last I have heard from the vascular surgeon. I am going for a CT scan on Thursday at Guelph General and then seeing the surgeon a month later. Gawd knows when I will get any surgery done though.

I have been having some correspondence with the young man who made my birthday earrings which I wear all the. I asked him what else he had made and he sent me a picture of a necklace which I love, it is made of Smokey Quartz, Garnet and Citrine, it has a sterling silver box clasp with a citrine set in it.

If you enlarge this picture you will see it more clearly, a delightful piece. It has not been sold yet and I am saying he should try selling it on eBay – I am sure he would do well especially as he is only asking $250.00 for it. Maybe he could also get a contract with a jeweller to display and sell his pieces. My mother would have loved this piece.

Watching Dr. Oz again last night, he was talking with experts about the chicken we buy in supermarkets. It seems most of the chicken we get is loaded with anti-biotics which are given to the birds to increase their growth – the upshot of the segment was to buy organic chicken, properly labelled as such, as it has not been brought up on all kinds of chemicals. I must say it made me think twice about eating chicken at all.

I receive a BBC email each week and this dessert by Nigella Lawson looked good and chocolaty to me (is that a word?) plus being pretty simple to make. A lot of the recipes given by the newsletter are more advanced than I normally publish although they sound pretty good.

Rocky Road Crunch Bars

Source: Nigella Lawson

No one is ever going to complain about having one of these in their lunchbox, and they're pretty handy to have around in a kitchen for a quick, snatched burst of energy at any time.

Ingredients

125g/4½oz soft unsalted butter

300g/10½oz best-quality dark chocolate, broken into pieces

3 tbsp golden syrup

200g/7¼oz rich tea biscuits

100g/3½oz mini marshmallows

2 tsp icing sugar, to dust

Preparation method

1. Heat the butter, chocolate and golden syrup in a heavy-based saucepan over a gentle heat. Remove from the heat, scoop out about 125ml/4½fl oz of the melted mixture and set aside in a bowl.

2. Place the biscuits into a plastic freezer bag and crush them with a rolling pin until some have turned to crumbs but there are still pieces of biscuit remaining.

3. Fold the biscuit pieces and crumbs into the melted chocolate mixture in the saucepan, then add the marshmallows.

4. Tip the mixture into a 24cm/9in square baking tin and smooth the top with a wet spatula.

5. Pour over the reserved 125ml/4½fl oz of the melted chocolate mixture and smooth the top with a wet spatula.

6. Refrigerate for about two hours or overnight.

7. To serve, cut into 24 fingers and dust with icing sugar.

Have a great day

Chocolate Paradise, Snow,

Chocolate Lovers Paradise, a friend sent a link to the BBC in England where there is a video of a chocolate exhibition in China. Apparently China are taking to chocolate like a duck to water and the exhibition features all kinds of things made of Belgian chocolate, including The Great Wall of China, clothing, cars, everything, all edible. I particularly liked the chocolate dragon one model was wearing. I am not sure I could ever get to wear anything like that, I would be too busy sampling it. If you want to see this fascinating exhibition, the link is here http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8486259.stm - watch and drool. The girl in this picture is dressed in chocolate.

We had yet more snow last night, yesterday, it snowed on and off all day. In fact at one point we couldn't see the trees outside our window. We didn't go bowling in the end, partly because of the weather and partly because I had a stomach upset and just didn't feel like it. I spoke to one friend who went and she told me she had missed the turn off into New Hamburg because she couldn't see. She also saw a speeding truck almost jack knife as he slid for quite a distance sideways. She hoped he was carrying spare underwear! The problem with weather like that, it isn't just driving, its what other drivers do and there are some real idiots out there who don't consider what a difference the conditions make. There were lots of accidents all over the place yesterday, as reported by the news broadcasts. Safer to stay home.

Having talked about chocolate I had to give you a chocolate recipe. This one is from Hershey's kitchens and really appealed to me. I even included the high altitude directions, just in case! Deep Dark Chocolate Cake Ingredients:

2 cups sugar 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour 3/4 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa or HERSHEY'S SPECIAL DARK Cocoa 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda 1 teaspoon salt 2 eggs 1 cup milk 1/2 cup vegetable oil 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 cup boiling water ONE-BOWL BUTTERCREAM FROSTING(recipe follows) Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round pans or one 13x9x2-inch baking pan. 2. Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of electric mixer 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared pans. 3. Bake 30 to 35 minutes for round pans, 35 to 40 minutes for rectangular pan or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. (Cake may be left in rectangular pan, if desired.) Frost with ONE-BOWL BUTTERCREAM FROSTING. 8 to 10 servings. ONE-BOWL BUTTERCREAM FROSTING 6 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened 2-2/3 cups powdered sugar 1/2 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa or HERSHEY'S SPECIAL DARK Cocoa 1/3 cup milk 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Beat butter in medium bowl. Add powdered sugar and cocoa alternately with milk, beating to spreading consistency (additional milk may be needed). Stir in vanilla. About 2 cups frosting. HIGH ALTITUDE DIRECTIONS (Cake): -- Decrease sugar to 1-3/4 cups -- Increase flour to 1-3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons -- Decrease baking powder to 1-1/4 teaspoons -- Decrease baking soda to 1-1/4 teaspoons -- Increase milk to 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons -- Bake at 375°F, 30 to 35 minutes for both pan sizes

Have a great day

Chocolate

The power of advertising. Lately there have been lots and lots of ads on TV for a new Lindt chocolate which is a chocolate mousse enrobed with a rich chocolate covering. Doesn't that make you drool? I found them in the store today so bought some and yes, they are meltingly delicious. Just checked to find out what exactly they are called - I bought Nestlé!! They are still excellent, but not what I intended to purchase, guess I just saw the mousse part and didn't register who made it. Nestlé Noir. Oh well I guess we will force ourselves to eat these and I will go search again next week. As I said, the hot water is going off at 9 this morning, so that's the end of my thoughts for this morning. See ya tomorrow. I came across this recipe yesterday in my email from Eating Well and thought it looked and sounded delicious. I think it might well be on my menu for the next dinner party I have. It was suggested for a Thanksgiving dish which might be a good idea especially if there are going to be a bunch of you. I notice its one of those 12 serving things again!!!!! Sweet Potato, Red Onion & Fontina Tart From EatingWell: November/December 2009 Try this roasted-vegetable free-form tart as an appetizer or side dish for a special dinner or as a vegetarian main dish. The pastry dough is very forgiving and quite easy to roll out on parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat. The walnut-studded crust is crisper served warm, but you can enjoy the tart at room temperature or cold too. 12 servings Ingredients Crust * 3/4 cup walnuts * 1 1/4 cups whole-wheat pastry flour (see Note) * 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting * 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme and/or rosemary * 3/4 teaspoon salt * 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper * 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil * 7 tablespoons ice-cold water Filling * 1 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch-thick slices * 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided * 1/2 teaspoon salt * 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper * 1 1/2 cups thinly sliced red onion * 1 cup shredded fontina or Cheddar cheese * 1 large egg white mixed with 1 teaspoon water * 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme and/or rosemary Preparation 1. Preheat oven to 425°F. 2. To prepare crust: Pulse walnuts in a food processor until finely ground. Combine in a large bowl with whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, 2 tablespoons thyme and/or rosemary, 3/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Make a well in the center and add 1/2 cup oil and water. Gradually stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients to form a soft dough (it will seem wetter than other types of pastry dough). Knead in the bowl just until the dough comes together. Pat it into a disk, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes or up to 3 days. 3. To prepare filling: Combine sweet potatoes, 1 tablespoon oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl. Spread on three-fourths of a large rimmed baking sheet. Toss onion in the bowl with 1 teaspoon oil. Spread evenly on the remaining one-fourth of the baking sheet. Roast for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven. Reduce temperature to 375°. 4. Line a work surface with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat, lightly dust with flour and dust the top of the dough with flour. Roll the dough into a rustic 15-inch circle, adding more flour, if necessary, to prevent sticking. Transfer the crust to a baking sheet with the parchment or baking mat in place. 5. Leaving a 2-inch border, sprinkle cheese evenly over the crust. Make an overlapping ring of the larger sweet potato slices over the cheese, leaving the 2-inch border. Spread the onion slices in another ring closer to the center. Using the rest of the sweet potato slices, make an overlapping circle in the center of the crust (the pattern will look like a bull’s-eye). Pick up the edges of the crust using a spatula and fold over the filling, making pleats in the dough as necessary; the filling will not be completely covered. Brush the crust with the egg-white wash. Drizzle the vegetables with the remaining 1 teaspoon oil and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon thyme and/or rosemary. 6. Bake the tart until lightly browned on the edges, about 50 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes before slicing. Tips & Notes * Make Ahead Tip: Prepare the crust (Step 2), wrap tightly and refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 6 months. Cool, cover and refrigerate the baked tart for up to 1 day. Reheat at 350 * Ingredient Note: Whole-wheat pastry flour has less gluten-forming potential than regular whole-wheat flour and helps ensure tender baked goods. Find it in the baking section of the supermarket or online at bobsredmill.com and kingarthurflour.com. Have a great day.

Paddington Bear, Balloons,

There are celebrations in the UK at the moment because Paddington Bear is 50 years old. Michael Bond, the author, has written a new book to mark the occasion and apparently was interviewed this morning on British TV. Quite an achievement to make a bear so famous. I knew Michael Bond had written a series of detective stories about Monsieur Pamplemousse, but recently learned he has written a number of other things too including a children's series which was on TV quite a few years ago. There was a big brouhaha when Paddington recently appeared on TV eating a Marmite sandwich instead of his usual marmalade. I thought it was a great ad, but I hadn't bought into the Paddington mystique I suppose. Lots of people were outraged to see him eating Marmite. Don't know what Marmite is? I know its not readily available in the States although it can certainly be bought in Canada. It is actually a yeast extract, but it tastes like a beef extract and is generally spread on bread. There are different versions, for instance in Australia there is a similar product called Vegemite which they swear is better. However, Paddington's choice is normally marmalade, I am not sure where he would have acquired a taste for that, coming from deepest, darkest Peru. When he first came to London I suppose. Anyway, Happy Birthday Paddington.

This morning I have to go and get my locks shorn, a haircut if you prefer. I hate having it done mainly because of all the hair that ends up down the back of my neck. I always used to cut my own hair, did it for years, but I got lazy and now I pay for it. Its a bit of a nuisance as our Superintendent's wife used to cut our hair, but now they have left, so I have to go back to the hairdresser we used to use. She is very good, but its not so convenient.

Actually, talking of Superintendents, we are awaiting a new one. The assistant was filling in, but now he has broken his hand, so the previous Super who is retired, is helping out. I assume the property management people are looking for someone, but you don't find good Superintendents over night.

We saw our first balloon of the year this morning, in fact, unusually, it went right overhead. Normally they fly past us some distance away, but depends on the wind, obviously. I would have thought it would have been pretty chilly up there this morning, summer came and went one day about a week ago. Funnily enough on GMA this morning they were inteviewing Kent Couch who has been floating around in a lawn chair held up with helium balloons. He is planning to try another trip this summer and wants to go further than last time, 193 miles it was.All it needs is some idiot to take pot shots at him. If you want to read all about him, click here. I gather his wife wasn't too happy with his experiments, not sure I blame her.

Here's another rhubarb recipe for you:


Chocolate Purses with Rhubarb Raspberry Mousse
Serves: 4

Source: RecitopiaUK

Rhubarb-Raspberry Mouse:
1 1/2 c Fresh or frozen rhubarb about 1/2 lb. finely diced
1/3 c Sugar
1 tsp. Unflavoured gelatine
1/4 c Sour cream
1/2 c Fresh raspberries
1/2 c Heavy cream, well chilled

Raspberry Sauce:
2 c Fresh raspberries
5 tbs. Confectioner's sugar

Moulding Chocolate:
7 oz Semisweet chocolate, grated
2 oz Unsweetened chocolate, grated
1/4 c Light corn syrup
1 1/2 tsp. Rum or cognac
Confectioner's sugar, for kneading and rolling

Place a medium mixing bowl and the beaters of your electric mixer in the refrigerator to chill for at least 30 minutes.

Make The Mousse: Combine the rhubarb and sugar in a medium saucepan. Cover and bring to a simmer over low heat. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the rhubarb is very soft. Transfer to the bowl of a food processor and puree. Transfer the puree to a medium non-reactive mixing bowl and set aside.

Put 2 tablespoons cold water in a small saucepan and sprinkle the gelatine over. Set aside and let soften for 5 minutes. Heat the mixture over low heat, swirling until the gelatine is completely dissolved and no grains remain. Stir the gelatine into the pureed rhubarb and allow to cool. Then fold the sour cream and berries into the puree.

In the chilled bowl, whip the cream with an electric mixer at high speed until it holds soft peaks. Do not over beat. Gently fold the whipped cream into the fruit mixture with a rubber spatula. Cover the mousse and refrigerate until it sets, about 4 hours, or overnight.

Make The Sauce: Combine the raspberries and confectioner's sugar in a small saucepan. Cook over low heat until the berries are soft, about 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a food processor blender and puree. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer into a small bowl and discard the seeds. Stir 2 tablespoons of cold water into the sauce to thin. Transfer to a jar and refrigerate.

Prepare The Moulding Chocolate: Put both chocolates in the top of a small double boiler over simmering water. Melt over low heat, stirring constantly with a spatula or wooden spoon until the chocolate is very smooth and shiny. Remove from the heat and add the corn syrup and liquor. Using a wooden spoon, mix the chocolate vigorously (the chocolate will start to "seize"; don't worry, be happy, you're doing just fine) until the chocolate gradually thickens and leaves the sides of the bowl to form a loose, soft mass. The stirring should take no longer than a minute; do not overwork the chocolate or its oils may separate.

Divide the chocolate into 2 equal portions. Place one portion in the centre of an 11 by 16 inch long sheet of plastic wrap on a cool flat surface. Level the chocolate with a spatula. Cover the chocolate with a second sheet of plastic wrap the same size as the first sheet. Using a rolling pin, gently roll the chocolate into a rectangle about 10 by 15 inches and 1/16 inch thick. Leaving the chocolate still covered, set aside at room temperature away from any heat source for 30 to 45 minutes to partially set. Repeat with remaining chocolate. When the chocolate is partially set, it should be no longer wet by still very pliable. If at first it's still too wet to handle, let it sit for about 5 minutes more but do not allow it to harden or it will become difficult to knead.

Remove the plastic wrap from one sheet of chocolate. Generously dust a work surface with confectioner's sugar. Gather the chocolate into a ball. If the chocolate has dried out and cracks or crumbles a little, don't be concerned, the chocolate will soften and come together again after kneading. Knead it briefly, pressing it into the confectioner's sugar as you knead, until soft and no longer sticky. If it feels sticky, knead in a little more confectioner's sugar. The moulding chocolate should feel very soft and smooth.

Divide the chocolate in half and shape each half into a ball. Cover the balls with plastic wrap and set aside. Knead and shape the remaining sheet of chocolate in the same manner, for a total of 4 chocolate balls.

Assemble The Purses: Brush off any chocolate crumbs left on the work surface; the surface should be dry, or the chocolate will stick. Lightly dust the work surface and a rolling pin with confectioner's sugar. Slightly flatten one chocolate ball and gently roll it out into a circle about 9 inches in diameter. As you roll the chocolate, be sure to lift it from time to time and dust the surface underneath with a little more confectioner's sugar to prevent the chocolate from sticking.

Place one quarter (about 1/3 cup) of the mousse in the centre of the chocolate circle. Gather the sides up to enclose the filling. Pinch the purse at the neck to seal in the mousse, allowing the top edges of the purse to fan out. Transfer the purse to a large platter, loosely cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate.

Repeat rolling and filling the remaining balls of chocolate to make 3 more purses. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

To Serve: Place a chocolate purse on each chilled dessert plate and spoon some raspberry sauce around it.

Have a great day.