Angel Hair Pasta with Shrimp & Lemon Cream Sauce

Angel Hair Pasta with Shrimp and Lemon Cream Sauce Recipe

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• Prep time: 15 minutes
• Cook time: 15 minutes

We used medium shrimp (41-50 per pound) for this recipe, but little cocktail shrimp would also work. Use heavy whipping cream to avoid curdling when mixed and heated with the lemon juice.

INGREDIENTS

• 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/4 cup chicken stock
• 3 Tbsp lemon juice
• 3/4 pound angel hair pasta (also called capellini)
• Salt and black pepper
• 1 pound raw medium shrimp, peeled and deveined*
• 1/2 cup (loosely packed) chopped parsley
• 1/4 cup (loosely packed) chopped chives
• Zest of a lemon
• 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

*To defrost frozen shrimp, place them in a bowl of ice water.

METHOD

1 Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

2 In a smaller pot, heat the cream, chicken stock and lemon juice to a low simmer. Simmer gently for 5 minutes.

3 Add the angel hair pasta to the boiling water.

4 Add the shrimp to the simmering lemon cream sauce. Stir well and add a pinch of salt and black pepper. The shrimp should cook in about the same time as the angel hair pasta, about 4 to 5 minutes.

5 When the pasta is done, drain and put it in a large bowl. Add the herbs to the simmering lemon cream sauce and let them cook for about 1 minute. Pour the shrimp and lemon sauce into the pasta bowl and mix well. Add the lemon zest and most of the parmesan and mix again. Divide into servings, and top with the remaining parmesan.

Note, if the resulting mixture seems too dry, just add a little water or cream. If it seems too wet, don't worry, the pasta will absorb the sauce.

Yield: Serves 4.

French Crullers

yield: Makes 10 to 14 crullers

active time: 30 minutes

total time: 30 minutes

• 1 cup water
• 6 tablespoons (3 ounces) unsalted butter
• 2 teaspoons (10 grams) superfine sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (135 grams) all-purpose flour, sifted
• 3 large eggs, divided
• 1 to 2 egg whites, slightly beaten
• Vegetable oil for frying
• Basic Sugar Glaze

1. Place the water, butter, sugar, and salt in a heavy-bottomed pot and bring to a brisk boil over medium high heat. Add the flour and stir with a wooden spoon until the flour is completely incorporated. Continue to cook and stir for 3 to 4 minutes to steam away as much water as possible. The more moisture you can remove, the more eggs you can add later and the lighter your pastry will be. The mixture is ready when a thin film coats the bottom of the pan.

2. Move the mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Although you can mix the pâte à choux by hand, this can be rather arduous, so use a mixer if you have one. Stir the mixture for about 1 minute to allow it to cool. Then mix on medium speed and add the first egg. Let it mix in completely and then scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the remaining eggs, one at a time, and mix in completely. Add the egg whites, a little at a time, until the paste becomes smooth and glossy and will hold a slight peak when pinched with your fingers. Be careful not to add too much egg white or your crullers will become heavy. Transfer the batter to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch star piping tip.

3. To fry the crullers, heat at least 2 inches of oil in a heavy-bottomed pot until a deep-fat thermometer registers 370°F. While the oil is heating, cut out twelve 3-by-3-inch squares of parchment paper and lightly grease them. Pipe a ring onto each square. When the oil is hot, place one cruller at a time in the oil, paper side up. Remove the paper with tongs. Fry on each side until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel for at least 1 minute. Once cool to the touch, the crullers can be glazed.

Crullers also bake very well, although they will have slightly firmer crusts than the fried versions. Preheat the oven to 450°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and pipe the crullers onto it, at least 2 inches apart. Bake for 5 minutes, then reduce heat to 350°F and bake for another 15 minutes. Turn off the heat, open the oven door slightly and let the crullers sit in the cooling oven for 5 to 10 minutes. Remove, dip in glaze, and cool on a rack until the glaze has set.

Beignets, the classic New Orleans fried dough treats, use this same batter and are even easier to prepare. Simply drop rounded teaspoonfuls of the batter into the oil. As the dough puffs, the beignets will turn themselves over—but keep an eye on them and flip any that need a little help.

Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/French-Crullers-51157200#ixzz2RzIFZD6f

Basic Sugar Glaze

• 1 1/2 cups (150 grams) confectioners' sugar, sifted to remove any lumps
• 3 to 4 tablespoons milk or water
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract (optional)

1. Place the sugar in a medium bowl and slowly stir in the milk and vanilla, a little at a time, to make a smooth, pourable glaze.

Mirando entre las tantas recetas que a diario recibo encontre esta que me parecio fenomenal sobre todo que en unos dias es el cumpleaños de mi Sophia. El merengue esta echo con frutas naturales asi que lo tratare para ver como queda  aunque estoy segura que estara espectacular

Thiebaud Pink Cake

yield: Makes one 8-inch cake, serving 8 to 10

active time: 1 hour

total time: 1 day

Strawberry Concentrate

• 1/2 pound (227 g) fresh strawberries
• 1/2 cup (4.3 oz / 120 g) water
• 1/4 cup (1.8 oz / 50 g) sugar

• Rose's Downy Yellow Butter Cake

• 3/4 cup (6.4 oz / 180 g) Lemon Curd
• Vanilla Buttercream
• Simple Syrup
• 1 fresh raspberry

To make the strawberry concentrate, wash, dry, and hull the strawberries. Cut the berries in half or quarter them if they are especially big.

Combine the strawberries, water, and sugar in a medium nonreactive saucepan and bring the mixture to a simmer over medium-low heat, stirring to help the sugar dissolve. Turn down the heat to the low, cover, and simmer until the berries are soft, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and let the berries rest, covered, for 5 minutes.

Transfer the berry mixture to a fine-mesh sieve set over a medium nonreactive saucepan. Once all of the juice has drained, set the berries aside to use in another project. Bring the juice to a simmer over medium-low heat until it has reduced down to 1/4 cup (2.1 oz / 60 g), about 10 minutes, and set aside to cool.

To assemble the pink cake, place the cooled cake on a flat, stable work surface. Using a long, serrated knife, slice off the rounded top of the cake so that it is perfectly level. An even, flat top is key to the look of this dessert.

Using the serrated knife, split the cake horizontally into 2 even layers. Split each half in half again so that you have a total of 4 layers. Place the bottom layer on an 8-inch cardboard cake round or directly on the serving platter and set on top of a cake turntable, if you have one. Generously brush the surface of the cake with simple syrup.

Prepare the buttercream by warming and whipping it to achieve a mayonnaise-like consistency (see Working with Buttercream ). Measure out 1/2 cup (2.6 oz / 73 g) of buttercream and, using an offset spatula, spread it evenly on the bottom cake layer, being careful not to let it blop over the sides. As you spread the buttercream, let a small wall (about 1/4 inch high) form around the outer edge, creating a well for the lemon curd.

Evenly distribute 1/4 cup (2.1 oz / 60 g) of the lemon curd in the well. Set another cake layer on top and brush with simple syrup; spread with buttercream, creating a well, and fill with lemon curd just as you did with the first layer. Repeat with the third layer. Top with the final cake layer.

If necessary, warm the buttercream once again. Measure out 1 cup (5.2 oz / 146 g) of buttercream and use the offset spatula to apply it as a crumb coat, a thin coating covering all surfaces of the cake; a crumb coat will seal the exterior of the cake to help prevent crumbs from marring the final frosting. (It's important to measure out buttercream specifically for the crumb coat so that the unused buttercream remains crumb free.) Refrigerate the cake for 10 to 15 minutes to set the crumb coat.

Reserve about 1/2 cup (2.6 oz / 73 g) of buttercream for the top of the cake. Using an offset spatula, apply a thick layer of the remaining buttercream to the sides of the chilled crumb-coated cake. At this point, it's not important that the cake look pretty—it's most important that the buttercream be evenly distributed around the sides. With the cake sitting squarely in the middle of the turntable and with the offset spatula held vertically against the frosting, begin spinning the turntable. Keep the cake moving steadily in one direction and apply light pressure with the spatula; the buttercream will begin to even out. I like to imagine the spatula as the needle that stays steady while the record (or cake) spins round and round on the turntable. My goal is to make the sides perfect before adding any Thiebaud personality. Make sure to watch the vertical line of the cake; I find it helpful to look at the right side of the cake at eye level while spinning the turntable. You can add more buttercream to any spots that seem thin and whittle down any thick spots with the spatula.

Once the sides are perfectly vertical and smooth, create as much or as little texture as you want in the buttercream. I constantly refer back to Display Cakes as I try to capture the casual, slightly imperfect look of Thiebaud's cakes onto my neatly frosted sides. It's not easy! While spinning the cake on the turntable, I often hold my offset spatula vertically and gently wobble it back and forth, or I take a quick swipe at the cake with the spatula blade as the turntable spins.

When the sides are to your liking, you'll find a ring of buttercream standing up above the surface of the cake. Lightly "grab" the excess buttercream in one area with the offset spatula and pull it toward the center of the cake, spreading it toward the center. Repeat until you have a nice, clean edge all around.

If necessary, warm the reserved buttercream, and then mound it up on top of the cake in the center. Using a small offset spatula, start from the center and begin smoothing out the buttercream, inching it closer and closer to the edge of the cake. I work fairly slowly when doing this in order to get a nice, voluminous lip of buttercream where the sides and the top of the cake meet, re-creating the ring that appears around the top edge of Thiebaud's pink cake.

Place the raspberry in the center of the cake.

The cake is best served immediately.

Do Ahead: This cake has many different components that require preparation before the cake can be assembled. The cake needs to be baked and thoroughly chilled before assembly, so consider making it the day before. It will keep for up to 5 days in the refrigerator or for up 2 months in the freezer. The lemon curd takes 3 to 4 hours to set, so consider preparing it while the cake is baking. It can be kept for up to 1 week in the refrigerator or for 4 months in the freezer. The strawberry concentrate can be made ahead and stored for up to 1 week in an airtight container in the refrigerator or 4 months in the freezer, but should be at room temperature before using. The buttercream is easiest to use when it's freshly made, but it can also be made ahead and easily rewarmed before frosting the cake (seeWorking with Buttercream ). It will keep for up to 1 week in the refrigerator or for up to 4 months in the freezer. The simple syrup can be made shortly before assembling the cake but, if made ahead of time, will keep for up to 3 weeks in the refrigerator. To store leftover cake, press plastic wrap against the cut sides and refrigerate for up to 1 week. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Above and Beyond: In the painting Display Cakes, the pink cake is the smallest of the three. But since 6-inch cake pans aren't common in home kitchens, I've made this cake the same size as the other two. To make a more faithful replica of the painting, bake the cake batter in two 6 by 2-inch cake pans; see Variations in Rose's Downy Yellow Butter Cake for details. Split each baked cake into 2 even layers so that you have a total of 4 layers. Build the cake on a 6-inch cardboard cake round or directly on a serving platter, using slightly less simple syrup, buttercream, and lemon curd on each layer.

Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Thiebaud-Pink-Cake-51159640#ixzz2RzEFTVSv

Homemade Laundry Stain Stick

Homemade Laundry Stain Stick

I call the following soap recipe my Laundry Stain Stick — and it is crazy amazing at cleaning all sorts of stains – but I also use it when making laundry detergent and my liquid dish soap. The reduced percentage of excess fat and the inclusion of eucalyptus and lemon essential oils give this soap serious grease/stain cutting ability.

Ingredients

-2 pounds lard
-4.39 ounces lye
-10 ounces water
-1 ounce eucalyptus essential oils, optional
-1/2 ounce lemon essential oils, optional

Hot Processed Method

1. Measure the lye and water — each in separate bowls. Note: Run your recipe through a lye calculator to be sure that you are using the proper amount of lard, lye, and liquid.

2. Carefully combine the lye and water by pouring the lye into the water (never pour the water into the lye) and stir liquid until lye is completely dissolved. The liquid is caustic and not to be touched in anyway. The outside of the bowl will be extremely hot as well. Note: Be careful when working with lye and follow all of the recommended precautions. What I’m trying to say is, I can not be held responsible for any craziness, mishaps, explosions, etc. that may happen when making this recipe.

3. Allow the lye mixture to stay under a vent and cool down while you prepare the lard.

4. Measure the lard by weight and then place in a crock pot to melt on low heat.

5. Once melted, add the lye/liquid mixture to the lard in the crock pot and stir. Note: Any equipment the lye touches needs to be neutralized in a mixture of white vinegar, soap, and water.

6. After a brief stir, grab your stick blender and get to work! Blend the lard and liquid in the crock pot for at least 3-5 minutes. We are working toward ”trace.”

7. Blend until the mixture becomes a thick, pudding like consistency.

8. Once the mixture is pudding-like, cover the crock pot and “cook” the soap for approximately 1 hour.

9. Prepare your molds. I just use a standard loaf pan lined with parchment paper and it’s always worked perfectly.

10. Just before pouring “cooked” soap into molds stir in the essential oils (if using).

11. Spoon soap mixture into molds.

12. Allow soap to cool and harden for 24 hours.

13. Remove from mold on to cutting board and cut into bars.

14. Place bars on a tray with good airflow so that they can harden further. But go ahead and use your first bar!!!

To Use

To use the laundry stain stick simply wet the stained clothing and soap then rub the soap directly on to the stain. Wash as you normally would.

Notes

-I do not recommend using this soap recipe on your skin. It will have too much of a drying effect.

-Eucalyptus and lemon essential oils are known for their grease cutting ability and are excellent additions to the recipe.

-Many of the vintage recipes that I have read for stain sticks used turpentine instead of the essential oils. Turpentine is a natural substance that comes from the resin of pine trees and it is biodegradable. If it’s available to you, it may be a viable option.

-If you are new to soap making I strongly suggest you read through these super informative posts and find what will work for you:




Crock Pot Soap



Beginner’s Guide To Soap Making



4 Steps To Making Homemade Soap

-I would also recommend borrowing a few of these books from the library if you really find yourself wanting to know more:




Handcrafted Soapby Dolores Boone



The Soapmaker’s Companionby Susan Miller Cavitch



The Natural Soap Book by Susan Miller Cavitch

-Looking for the raw materials mentioned in this post? The Soap Dish has some of the best prices on soap making materials you can find — not to mention it’ s a small family owned business. Mountain Rose Herbs is my go-to for all my essential oil needs!