Ricette di cucina: meringhe perlate all'amarena or Sour Black Cherry Pearly Meringues

These meringues are pearly, with a delicate rose tone and an intense sour black cherry fragrance!

Se avete già realizzato le meringhe con la ricetta del pasticcere Giovanni Pina che vi ho proposto in passato, provate ora a fare queste, perlate e di un delicato rosa, dall'intenso profumo di amarena!

Sour Black Cherry Pearly Meringues
Ingredients: 158 gr. (3/4 cup) of granulated sugar,  confectioners' sugar, 58 gr. (egg whites from 2 large eggs) of egg whites, at room temperature, a few drops of lemon juice, 3 tbsp. of sour black cherry syrup

Directions: Whip the egg whites. When the mixture becomes white, add the granulated sugar in three stages, increasing the mixer's speed; continue whipping the egg whites, adding a few drops of lemon juice as a final step. Bressanini suggests 1/2 tsp. of lemon juice for each 100 gr. of egg whites, (just less than 4 eggs). Once the egg whites have been beaten, add three tablespoons of sour black cherry syrup, stirring it slightly. This will give the mixture a slightly variegated effect. Using a piping bag with an 8 mm. or 12 mm. (5/16 or 1/2 inch) plain or star tip, pipe out drops of meringue onto a wax paper lined baking sheet; sprinkle with confectioners' sugar and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Sprinkle again with confectioners' sugar and bake for 2 hours at 90°C (190°F).



Thanks to all of you who follow me and to your blogs (which I follow), because I always learn something new about cooking. I hope that I too can be an inspiration for you, so, if you liked this post, share it with your friends! 

Zucchero semolato 158g, zucchero a velo, albume 58g, alcune gocce di succo di limone, tre cucchiai di sciroppo di amarena.

Montare l’albume tenuto a temperatura ambiente; quando l'albume "sbianca" aggiungere lo zucchero semolato in tre volte, aumentando la velocità delle fruste; continuare a montare e aggiungere alcune gocce di succo di limone, a finitura (Bressanini suggerisce l'uso di ½ cucchiaino di succo di limone ogni 100g di albume). A fine montatura, acciungete tre cucchiai di sciroppo di amarena, mescolando pochissimo, per lasciare in evidenza una lieve variegatura.

Formare grandi gocce con un sacchetto da pasticceria con bocchetta liscia o spizzata del diametro di 8 millimetri (oppure 12mm, per quelle delle foto), spolverarle con zucchero a velo, lasciarle riposare dieci minuti, spolverarle nuovamente di zucchero a velo e cuocerle per circa 2h a 90°-95°C, su di una placca coperta da carta forno.
Grazie a voi che mi seguite ed ai vostri blog (che seguo) imparo sempre cose nuove sulla cucina. Spero di esservi d'ispirazione anche io, quindi, se vi è piaciuto l'articolo, condividetelo con i vostri amici!

Nella mia cucina

Tovagliolo Villa d'Este Home

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Gadget ON: Torque Driodz Force - Android Gingerbread Smartphone Review

Torque, a mobile company that proudly offers Pinoy branded phones, their products are very affordable Android devices.

The Torque Driodz Force is one of their affordable Android smartphone's,  priced only at Php 2,999 its already a 4-inch WVGA display and 1GHz single core for computing power. This review will focus on the design and performance on what the Driodz Force can offer. 

So let's get started...

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Dell Offers PowerEdge VRTX with Enterprise-Class Capabilities for Small to Medium Business (SMB) Customers

Dell today announced further differentiation to its converged infrastructure portfolio to help customers of all sizes address a common set of challenges related to the complexity, inefficiency and rigidity in current IT infrastructure.

The new solution can be tailored for specific application and workload use cases, and today, Dell is bringing enterprise-class converged technology to a whole new set of customers: branch office companies and the small and medium business (SMB) market.
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Cru Kitchen & Bar {Restaurant Review}

We dine out fairly often - at least once a week. Usually for our weekly Friday date nights, we'll hit up a local independent restaurant in the suburbs or occasionally go into the city for the plethora of dining options. But after a long day teaching back to back culinary classes in our downtown Chicago kitchen, the Baron and I spent our evening relaxing in another kitchen... CRU Kitchen & Bar. Hands down, this was probably one of the most memorable dining experiences we've had recently. 

But let's back up a bit. Earlier in the day I was teaching 3 classes back to back so I was pretty beat. It was so great to pick up the Baron from the train station and spend the evening out together. We headed towards the restaurant, which was in the heart of the Gold Coast neighborhood of Chicago, just a few blocks off of Michigan Ave. Parking was a breeze on a Saturday night {oddly enough} and the restaurant was classy with a welcoming hostess to greet us. We were seated and shortly after, we met our server Anthony and bar manager, Ben. Between the two of them, they really made our visit wonderful.

Ben started us off with drinks. The Baron went with a oatmeal stout beer and I took Ben's recommendation of a seasonal Pimm's Cup. The Pimm's Cup is a popular British and American drink, especially at tennis matches. Mine included fresh berries and a touch of citrus, which was delicious! The Baron also enjoyed his beer and was impressed with the selection they had available.

Pimm's Cup

As we settled in with our drinks, Anthony started us on a few of the restaurant's small plates. The first one we had was their Duck Liver Mousse. I was a fan of this because I love duck liver. The combination of the creamy and rich duck liver with the fresh strawberries and celery leaves was great. I really liked how the freshness of the berries cut through the richness. There was also a touch of soy and truffle glaze, a rhubarb mustard and some crumbled granola for texture. All together, it was a pretty great mix of flavors and textures. Who knew these random ingredients really work well together?!

Duck Liver Mousse

strawberry, rhubarb mustard, soy, celery, truffle

Next up was their Seared Scallop. The Baron loved this small plate. First off, the scallop was huge... enough to share. But beneath the scallop was slow braised pork cheek, some roasted fingerling potatoes, a small pile of creamed spinach and a drizzle of this amazing beer caramel. As if this wasn't enough, the dish was garnished with a toasted piece of nori for added texture and flavor.

Seared Scallop

pork cheek, beer caramel, creamed spring spinach, fingerling, nori

So far, it's two for two with the small plates and we're just getting started lol. One thing about the Baron that I've gotten accustomed to is his dislike of fish dishes. He's a fan of shellfish but fish in general is not something he's a fan of. When Anthony brought the Sable Fish, he gave it a try and thought it was good. But for me, I really enjoyed it. The fish was perfectly cooked and the bed of bamboo rice it rested on was the perfect accompaniment. It was paired with carrot and bok choy with a sake syrup to tie it all together.

Sable Fish

bamboo rice, baby bok choy, baby carrot, sake syrup

The next dish blew my mind. I'm still thinking about it. Imagine quinoa cooked and formed into baking pan like a solid pan of polenta... then cut into 'fries' before deep frying. The result? Crunchy quinoa french fries. I immediately thought, 'Why didn't I think of that?!' I know some folks think anything fried has got to be good but it especially is true about quinoa. I loved this dish. When Anthony came back to check on us, I told him how awesome it was because the texture was so unexpected. But that's not all - I didn't even mention that on top of the quinoa fries were some smoky pulled pork and mushroom. To put the dish over the top {as if the quinoa fries weren't enough} it was topped with a fried egg and a touch of truffle oil. Wow...

Quinoa Fry

pulled pork, fried egg, mushroom, truffle oil

With the small plates done, it was time for our main entrees. I took Anthony's recommendation and had the Berkshire Pork Chop. I'm so glad I did because it was fantastic. It was juicy, succulent and so flavorful. Served with the pork was a bacon bread pudding. Yes - you read that right. Bacon. In the bread pudding. Drool. I'm definitely taking notes and plan on making something like that for Thanksgiving this year! To cut the richness, a mildly spicy kim chi made with swiss chard was also on the plate. As a finishing touch, some sweet raisin jam gastrique was drizzled around the edge which added a nice flavor.

Berkshire Pork Chop

bread pudding, swiss chard kim chi, raisin jam, gastrique

For the Baron, he had the Waygu Burger. This was a very, very good burger. In fact, he enjoyed it so much, he was reluctant to even share it with me. I did get a taste and it was awesome. He ordered his burger medium and it was perfectly done. The burger itself was so flavorful... then again, that's due to it being Waygu beef. The cambazola cheese is a cross between a creamy French brie and an Italian gorgonzola, so you know that made the burger extra special.The crispy fried shallots and the buttery brioche bun just put the burger in a whole new level. Overall, it was one of the best burgers both the Baron and I had in awhile. We enjoyed the burger so much, we tried to replicate it at home a week later {which I didn't take a picture of because we'll be making it again and again and again lol}.

Waygu Burger

cambazola, tomato jam, arugula, fried shallot, butter bun, hand cut fry

When we finished our meal, Chef Alex came out to meet us. It was great to talk to him about where he gets his inspiration for the dishes he prepares, the seasonal menu he creates and the various cultures he draws from whether it's his own or the previous cuisines he's cook throughout his career. 

Alex Shalev
executive Chef, CRU Kitchen & Bar

Both the Baron and I came to the restaurant for a nice dinner out but we left with our expectations met and more. In fact, the whole experience at CRU Kitchen & Bar was great and they definitely went above and beyond with their attentive service, delicious menu and genuine sincerity to make our visit memorable. Thank you to the entire staff at CRU Kitchen & Bar for the wonderful evening. And if you're in the area and in need of a great place where you can find innovative dishes, amazing drinks and a place where you can come with friends or just or a special date, checkout CRU Kitchen & Bar... you'll definitely leave full and far from disappointed!

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Starmobile Diamond V3 - 5.3" Quad Core Android Smartphone Php 8,990!

Here's another 5-inch Android smartphone that hit the market recently, the Starmobile Diamond V3 is powered by 1.2Ghz Quad-core Qualcomm’s Snapdragon MSM8225Q Processor.

 

 The 5.3-inch make the V3 in the category of Phablet (Phone+Tablet), one significant specs. is it's 12MP Back-facing and 2.0MP Front-facing BSI camera with autofocus, LED Flash.

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Cherry Mobile Razor - 7.7mm thin, Quad-core Android Smartphone for Php6,499!

Cherry Mobile is getting a lot if hype on their upcoming smartphone the Razor, this smartphone will be in stores in July.

From the look of the image, the design looks like a similar to the Nokia Lumia with a non-removeable battery. The Cherry Mobile Razor will retail for Php 6,499, it's the cheapest Quad-core smartphone in the market now.
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Raspberry Lemonade Cupcakes

School’s out for summer and that can only mean one thing: it’s officially lemonade stand season! As temperatures rise, America’s number one lemonade brand, Country Time Lemonade is inviting families nationwide to join in the fun and help launch the "Great American Lemonade Stand-tacular" while supporting a very worthy cause. I've partnered up with Country Time Lemonade to help them spread the word of their family friendly lemonade stand event and we had so much fun in the process! I mean, who could resist a tall, cold glass of refreshing lemonade on a hot summer day? If that isn't enough, we've even paired it  with some tempting Raspberry Lemonade Cupcakes to get a sweet bite of summer. Lemony cake is topped with a fresh raspberry buttercream and garnished with fresh berries. Sweet. Tart. Delicious...

When's the last time you stopped at a lemonade stand to buy a cup of lemonade from a hopeful child? Or better yet, did you ever put up a lemonade stand as a kid growing up? If it's been awhile, here's a chance to relive those childhood moments or create them as an adult with the children in your lives...

As quick background, the Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation {ALSF} emerged from the front yard lemonade stand of cancer patient Alexandra “Alex” Scott {1996-2004}. In 2000, 4-year-old Alex announced that she wanted to hold a lemonade stand to raise money to help find a cure for all children with cancer. Since Alex held that first stand, the Foundation bearing her name has evolved into a national fundraising movement, complete with thousands of supporters across the country carrying on her legacy of hope. To date, ALSF has raised more than $60 million toward fulfilling Alex’s dream of finding a cure, funding over 300 pediatric cancer research projects nationally.

Country Time is reaching out to families nationwide to help spread the word about the “Great American Lemonade Stand-tacular” charitable program by helping families host their own stellar lemonade stand in support of this very worthy cause. For every lemonade stand photo uploaded to Country Time’s Great American Stand-tacular Facebook application, Country Time will donate $5 {up to $50,000} to Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation. 

So how do you get started and have your kids participate in the fun?

Visit the Country time's Great American Stand-tacular Facebook page! The Country Time Lemonade “Great American Lemonade Stand-tacular” online offers a free downloadable “Stand Plan," which is a creative and user-friendly guide that gives parents all the information they need to help their kids build the best stand, while teaching them a little bit about business basics.

Host your own lemonade stand with your kids and take pictures to upload on Facebook! Country Time will donate $5 (up to $50,000) to Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation to help fight childhood cancer for every family lemonade stand photo uploaded to the Great American Standtacular’s Facebook page this summer.

Through the Great American Lemonade Stand-Tacular, Country Time will be supporting other key fundraising events including Midwest Lemonade Days in Kansas City, MO, and Alex’s Original Lemonade Stand event in Philadelphia, PA, the charity’s marquee annual event.

We've been getting a lot of rain this week but that didn't stop me and Joel from hosting an indoor lemonade stand on our balcony where we invited our neighbors to come by. Here are pictures of Joel excited to welcome neighbors with a glass of lemonade! We're uploading our pics of the fun we had to the Great American Standtacular’s Facebook Page as a way to help the Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation to help fight childhood cancer. Will you join us? In the meantime, perhaps try this recipe for some cupcakes incorporating lemonade!

Raspberry Lemonade Cupcakes 

recipe adapted from Your Cup of Cake

Lemonade Cake:

1 box white or GF vanilla cake mix

1/4 cup canola oil

3 eggs

3/4 cup buttermilk 

1/2 cup sour cream

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

zest of 2 lemons

1 teaspoon raspberry extract

Raspberry Buttercream:

1 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup fresh raspberries, mashed

1 tsp. lemon juice

4 - 5 cups powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line pans with cupcake liners.

Sift {gluten free} cake mix into a small bowl and set aside.

In a large bowl combine eggs, buttermilk, yogurt, lemon juice, lemon zest and vanilla extract until smooth. Stir in cake mix until smooth.

Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full and bake for 10-14 minutes or until an inserted knife comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool on a cooling rack.

For the buttercream frosting: Place butter in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat with paddle attachment for 2 minutes. Add the raspberries and lemon juice and slowly add powdered sugar until you reach your desired consistency.

Transfer frosting into a piping bag and pipe onto cooled cupcakes and top with fresh berries.

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AOC Join the Tablet Market Launched Breeze MW0731+ and Breeze MW0831 Tablets in the Philippines

AOC is a world leader in the display technology for monitors and televisions, backed by over six decades of design and manufacturing experience. Currently they are one of the major player when it comes to LCD display manufacturers. 

AOC has recently entered the tablet market and introduced their first offerings OC Breeze MW0731+ and the AOC Breeze MW0831. AOC is targeting the 7-inch and 8-inch tablet market. 

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Spicy Lamb & Feta Gözleme with a North African Twist

INTERLUDE IN THE KITCHEN

Have I even cooked yet since my return from Florida? I cannot remember. Time is flitting by on wings…. No, more like time is rushing by on wheels as it is pushed down a steep mountain. Where does it go? I have a bucketful of projects that seem to be standing around my desk, hands on hips, feet tapping earnestly as each waits…demands.. its turn and my attention.

The funny thing is, I brought back a stack of cooking magazines from the US and from Ireland, magazines stuffed from cover to cover with tempting recipes. I sit and flip through each and every one and ogle this photo and that, peruse the recipes and concoct plans to make so many of them. And then I sit back down at my laptop and start writing again. When I finally look up at the clock it is lunchtime or dinnertime, too late to cook. And when I mention baking, my men balk and begin ranting and begging for me to stay away from the sweet treats for just a bit. It is no wonder that I haven’t cooked in ages.

On the other hand, when it comes to my projects and work, I am…cooking! All of those magazines were purchased as resources rather than for the recipes, truth be told. They infuse me with creative energy and get the business juices flowing. I finished turning my Florida interview into a story and sent it off. My interviews of local chefs and food gurus are going swimmingly as I prepare three separate pieces from them. I am now in contact with another editor interested in our work. My head is flooded with story ideas just waiting for the chance to flow out onto the page. And my own personal editor/mentor/friend has now put me on a schedule for my book chapters. Can it get any better, any more productive than this?

Husband and I have the house to ourselves for the week; one son is away sailing as the other sleeps off the effects of a birthday weekend before slogging through two tough project presentations. The sun – finally the sun – splatters through the windows and onto tabletops and carpets, adding a hint of warmth to the June chill. Summer’s stone fruits are now heaped in bowls on the kitchen counter, the sheets crumpled and twisted on unmade beds, the television droning in the background competing with the city’s ordinary, everyday noises bursting joyfully, aggressively through the windows. The hum of the printer, the ringing of the telephone, the clatter of fingers on keyboard come from his office at the back of the apartment as we both work from home. There really is nothing to keep us from cooking.

Yet… one photograph from the BBC Good Food magazine – brought to me from London by my charming and thoughtful writing instructor buddy Jeanne – of Spiced Lamb & Feta Gözleme kept coming back to me, haunting me with the scents and flavors of something exotic, warming, delicious. I so wanted to taste the Gözleme that I finally gathered the courage to go out and pick up the ingredients needed and make them.

What is a Gözleme, you ask? Gözleme is a Turkish savory, filled pastry, the dough hand rolled then wrapped around a filling and sealed. The filled pocket is brushed with butter or oil and then cooked in a skillet or on a griddle. A woman at our market actually makes them, hers filled with feta or herbs or meat. I glanced over the list of ingredients in the magazine, which had a rather Greek spin to it, and decided to change it and give it a more North Africa twist, similar to my Lamb Triangles. I changed out the spices, added in caramelized onions and flavored the browned lamb with tomato purée and pomegranate molasses. Raisins heightened the touch of sweetness, pine nuts added a wonderfully toothsome crunch.

The resulting Gözleme were divine! The dough – just slightly adjusted from the magazine’s recipe – was a snap to make and, once cooked, was light and fluffy with just the right denseness to add a bit of chew. The filling was flavorful, the perfect balance between sweet and savory, meat and feta. One must only be extremely careful in rolling out, filling, folding, brushing and flipping the dough and the pastry to avoid any ripping – the dough is very delicate and any holes in the dough and the filling will escape!

I served this with a spicy and sweet chutney, but it would also be delicious served with an herbed yogurt dipping sauce. But personally, I loved them served as is; they needed nothing at all to be perfect.

I am sharing this with Susan of Wild Yeast for her weekly Yeastspotting!

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SPICY LAMB & FETA GÖZLEME PASTRIES
Makes and serves 4

For the dough:

1 packet (7 g) dry active yeast
1Tbs golden granulated sugar
2/3 cup (175 ml) warm water
9 oz (250 g) flour + more for kneading
½ tsp salt
2 Tbs olive oil + more for brushing the pastry

For the filling:

1 – 2 Tbs olive oil
1 lb (500 g) ground/minced lamb – or a combination of lamb and beef, if preferred
1 small – medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 slightly rounded tsp ground cumin
1 slightly rounded tsp ground coriander
¾ tsp ground cinnamon
¾ tsp ground chili or chipotle chili powder, or more or less to taste
Salt and pepper
2 Tbs tomato purée, more to taste if desired
2 Tbs pomegranate molasses, more or less to taste as desired
2 oz (50 g) raisins
2 oz (50 g) good quality pine nuts
4 oz (100 g) drained feta cheese, crumbled

Prepare the dough:

Place the golden granulated sugar and the dry yeast in a small mixing bowl. Add the warm/tepid (not hot) water to the yeast and sugar and allow to stand for about 15 minutes until the yeast is activated and the mixture foamy.

Put the flour in a medium to large mixing bowl and stir in the salt. Make a well in the center of the flour and add the yeast mixture and the olive oil. Using a wooden spoon, stir until blended and all of the dry ingredients have been moistened. Scrape the dough out onto a floured board or work surface and knead for 8 – 10 minutes, flouring the work surface and the dough only as needed. After 8 to 10 minutes, the kneaded dough should be smooth, soft and elastic, not dry but not sticky.

Lightly oil the inside of a medium to large bowl and place the round ball of dough into the bowl, turning the dough to oil evenly. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and then a clean kitchen towel and set aside to rise, at least doubled in size, about an hour.

Meanwhile, prepare the lamb filling:

Have everything prepared – the onion and garlic chopped, the spices, raisins and pine nuts measured out, etc.

Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add the pine nuts and cook very quickly, stirring constantly so they do not burn, just until toasted (they will begin to turn a golden brown). Remove quickly from the heat, scraping the pine nuts into a waiting bowl.

Return the skillet to the heat and add a tablespoon of olive oil. Add the chopped onion and cook over medium heat, stirring often, until the onion is tender and golden brown around the edges. Add the chopped or minced garlic and cook, stirring, for another couple of minutes until the garlic is tender (but not colored). Add another tablespoon of olive oil and then the minced/ground lamb and cook, stirring and chopping the meat to break up any lumps, until cooked through and browning, no longer pink.

Stir in the spices as well as the salt and pepper until evenly coating the meat and cook, stirring, for a minute or two. Add the toasted pine nuts, the raisins as well as 2 tablespoons each of the tomato purée and the pomegranate molasses, stirring to blend. Cook, stirring, for a few minutes until the meat is done and the flavors are melded. Remove from the heat and allow to cool just for a few minutes until just cool enough to handle. If prepared ahead of time, gently heat the filling through until warm before preparing the Gözleme – adding just a bit of water while reheating will help to keep the mixture from burning as well as bring back moisture to the meat.

Prepare the Gözleme pastries:

Have both the warm (but not hot) filling and the crumbled feta ready. Also have ready a small bowl with several tablespoons of olive oil and a clean pastry brush as well as a good skillet or grill.

Scrape the risen dough onto a floured work surface and divide into four even pieces. Working one piece of dough at a time, pat the dough into a rectangle and place on the board in front of you lengthwise perpendicular to your body. Gently roll the dough into a 8 x 10 inch (20 x 25 cm) rectangle, being very careful to keep the dough an even thickness and not to tear, split or weaken the dough.

Place ¼ of the lamb filling on the bottom half of the dough rectangle, leaving a ¾-inch (2-cm) edge on the 3 sides of the dough of the bottom half of the rectangle (the space covered by filling). Pat the filling until it evenly covers the space.

Place ¼ of the crumbled feta cheese on top of the lamb filling, dispersing it evenly over the lamb. Do not forget the feta!

Very gently and lightly brush a very small amount of olive oil on the edge of the dough - the 3 sides around the filling - and then bring the top half of the rectangle of dough down over the filling to create a pocket or turnover. Match the edges, pressing the top dough to the bottom and sealing. Very gently brush the sealed edges with a bit more olive oil and gently roll the edge over onto itself to form a rim. Very gently brush/pat a bit of olive oil all over the top of the Gözleme pastry, including the rim.

(I keep repeating very gently because the dough is incredibly light and fragile and it must not rip!)

Heat the skillet or grill over medium heat. Very gently and carefully (the dough is soft and fragile and must not rip) lift the pastry off of the work surface (I used a pastry/cake lifter and my fingers) and, once the skillet is hot, flip the pastry into the pan olive oil side down and press all around with the back of a spatula for even cooking. As the pan-side of the pastry cooks, gently brush/dab the flip side (now facing up) with olive oil. Cook the pastry until the pan side of the dough is a deep golden brown – the dough will puff as it cooks – and then very carefully flip the Gözleme over to cook the other side until golden brown.

Serve immediately, eat joyfully.

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Toshiba Launches Qosmio X70 Ultimate Gaming and Entertainment Laptop PC

Toshiba set off to produce new laptops that utilize modern materials and that feature smart and stylish design elements such as frameless keyboards, enhanced speakers, and metallic surfaces and finishes.

This high-performing laptop is powered by a fourth-generation Intel Core processor and comes equipped with 16GB of RAM. Its dedicated GeForce GTX 770M graphics card comes with up to 3GB of GDDR5 video RAM, and is NVIDIA®’s second most powerful mobile GPU to date. Four integrated Harman Kardon® stereo speakers handle the X70’s sound, with a 6-watt output of DTS Studio Sound.
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Bacon & Swiss Quiche + Our Weekend Getaway in Oregon, IL

As we're headed into the last weekend of June {yay!} I wanted to share the wonderful experience I with The Baron last weekend. We've taken quite a few weekend trips the past few months with Joel and so The Baron thought it would be good for us to take time away just for the two of us... how thoughtful, right? Since The Baron loves to go walking and hiking, we ventured out west to Oregon, IL to relax and take in nature. Oregon, IL is located just 30 minutes or so south of Rockford, IL. While there, we enjoyed a picnic in the woods, a hike through some trails, walks along the Rock River and even some strolls through a Japanese Garden. It was such a lovely time!

I've never heard of Oregon, IL before this trip and this was the first time for The Baron to go as well. We didn't know what to expect but was pleasantly surprised with how quaint and hospitable it was. One of the first things we noticed about Oregon is that they have tee pees everywhere. I guess it was to pay homage to the Indian influence surrounding the town. Funny tidbit - The Baron called these igloos. Ha! I still give him a hard time in that he didn't know the difference between an igloo and a tee pee, even if it was for a split second lol.

Once we got to Oregon, we hit up the local grocery store. There, we grabbed some things for a little picnic to have in the woods. I think our eyes were bigger than our stomachs because we picked up more food than we needed for the weekend. [For our picnic, we had an Italian sub sandwich, fresh peaches, baby carrots, some chips and tea/water.] We love picnics - what do you generally pack when you go on one?

With our picnic packed, we headed off to Lowden State Park. Lowden State Park is made famous for the Black Hawk Statue, also known as The Eternal Indian, that overlooks the Rock River. Being that the Chicago Blackhawks hockey team was playing that night in the Stanley Cup Finals, we like to think our trip to the park to pay respects to the Black Hawk Statue helped in their win lol. After some obligatory picture taking by the statue, we enjoyed our picnic lunch in the woods. When lunch was finished, we drove a bit around Lowden State Park and decided to check out what else was nearby. Just a few miles from Oregon, IL was Castle Rock State Park. There, we hiked through one of the trails. It was really nice because it was a mixed terrain of grass, wood chips, dirt walkways and had varying inclines. It was also pretty hot and humid by the time we were done, which was perfect timing since it was about time for us to check into a local bed and breakfast.

After getting cleaned up from our sweaty hike at Castle Rock State Park, we relaxed a bit before dinner. And for dinner, we decided to treat ourselves to the best place in the area - Blackhawk Steak Pit. The restaurant is on the opposite side of the Rock River, just in front of where Black Hawk Statue stands out. This place is known for their great steaks and they certainly lived up to their reputation when we dined there. The Baron had their prime rib roast with onions and mushrooms with a baked potato. I ordered their black angus ribeye steak with brown sugared sweet potato mash. Both our dinners came with a trip to their salad bar. Overall, it was delicious and filling!

When we were done with dinner, we took a stroll along the Rock River to work off what we ate... so we could make room for dessert at the local Dairy Queen. The Baron has this thing for the DQ Peanut Butter Parfait so he enjoyed that for dessert while I nibbled on a cherry dipped Dilly Bar...

So... this bed & breakfast we stayed at... Neither of us had ever stayed at a bed and breakfast before. In researching a place to stay for our trip, I learned about The Patchwork Inn. It's located in the center of Oregon and is within walking distance to the grocery store, a little local antique mall, a beach, the Rock River, and is surrounded by quaint conveniences. The B&B owners, Steph and Bill, were so welcoming, laid back and definitely made us feel so at home. We stayed in a room that overlooked the garden and back patio space. It was perfect - so clean and comfortable too! Aside from our room, we were welcome to relax in the B&B front parlor which had lots of magazines and old albums documenting the history of Oregon and the B&B itself. It's been said that Abraham Lincoln stayed in one of the rooms during the mid 1850s. Back then, the B&B was known as the Moore's Hotel and Lincoln traveled and spent time here before becoming President. There's also the lower level where guests can help themselves to an array of beverages from their fridge. Feel like a movie? Steph and Bill has a well stocked DVD collection guests can pick from and as an added bonus, microwave popcorn is available to go with your movies!

But after all the wonderful things this B&B has to offer and the clean and comfy accommodations it provided, we were surprised the next morning with their homemade breakfast. Each morning, they have a special menu planned for breakfast. For us, Bill made his 'famous' bacon and swiss quiche, accompanied by sliced strawberries and bananas and their homemade oatmeal toast. We got to help ourselves to coffee, teas and a variety of fresh juices too! It was such a delicious breakfast that both The Baron and I are still thinking about. When we told Bill how much we enjoyed his quiche, he happily provided us with his recipe, which I've shared below.

Bill's Bacon & Swiss Quiche

from the Patchwork Inn

8 slices bacon, diced
1 onion, diced
8 oz shredded aged Swiss cheese
6 oz shredded sharp cheddar cheese
5 eggs, beaten
2 cups heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 uncooked pie crust

Preheat oven to 425 degees. Place prepared pie crust on a baking sheet.

In a skillet over medium high heat, add bacon and cook until fat is rendered and bacon is browned and crisp. Transfer bacon from the skillet to a large bowl and set aside.

In the same skillet, add the onions and sauté in the bacon renderings until softened. Transfer onions to the same bowl with the bacon.

Add the cheeses to the bowl and toss to combine with the bacon and onions. Place the mixture in the unbaked pie crust.

In another bowl, combine the eggs, salt and pepper. Pour egg mixture into the pie crust making sure everything is level.

Bake quiche in the preheated 425 degree oven for 25 minutes.

Decrease the oven temperature down to 375 degrees and bake quiche until is nicely browned, about  5-10 minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely before slicing.

* For a spinach mushroom quiche, substitute 1 (10oz) box of frozen spinach, thawed; and 1 (8oz) can of mushrooms, drained; for the bacon. Continue to use the recipe above to prepare as directed.

After a lovely stay at The Patchwork Inn, we loaded up our stuff and headed to Rockford. The Baron and I weren't familiar with Rockford so we had ourselves a little excursion to see what it had to offer. I learned that one of Rockford's popular attractions is the Anderson Japanese Gardens. There, we were surprised to see such a beautiful oasis of lush Japanese flora and waterfalls. Just being there hearing the calming sounds of the running water and smelling the fragrant flowers was enough to make you feel like you were in Japan.

We took a lot of pictures here because it was so beautiful. There were numerous foot bridges, park benches in the various shaded pockets of the garden... and we realized we need to work on taking 'selfies' pics with our smart phones...

There was even a cute tea house perched up on a little rock. We couldn't go inside the house since it was small to begin with, but I would imagine it being a perfect place to meditate...

We spent a good amount of time just relaxing at the Japanese Gardens and afterwards, we met up with some dear friends who live blocks away. I haven't seen them in over a year and a half so it was great to catch up, give some hugs and enjoy a late lunch together.

All in all, it was wonderful weekend away with The Baron. Being outdoors to appreciate nature, enjoy the company of a loved one and catch up with old friends was a great way to spend the free time I had. So if you're into hiking, check out Lowden and Castle Rock State Parks... and I hear Rock Cut State Park is also good, which is not far from Rockford, IL. Looking for a cute bed & breakfast in this part of Illinois? The Patchwork Inn is the place to stay! And if coming out to this part of the world isn't on your bucket list, no worries... give the Bacon & Swiss Quiche recipe a try for a taste of Oregon, Illinois.

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Cajun Chicken Pasta

Do you get excited when there's a sale? Whether it's at the grocery store, the mall or even online, I kind of get a surge of excitement especially when it's for something I've been coveting or items that I usually buy regularly. Well, last week I scored a huge deal on bell peppers. Huge! Needless to say, I came home with far more bell peppers that I have recipes for... well, at least, at that time lol. So in an effort to use them up, I've been on a search for recipes calling for bell peppers. One of the recipes I came across was this Cajun Chicken Pasta. Colorful strips of bell pepper, red onion and garlic is cooked with chicken in a spicy white wine pan sauce and tossed with pasta for a satisfying and colorful meal...

This meal was really good and I loved how easy it was to put together all in one skillet [with the exception of the pasta that was cooked in a separate pot]. It's like the flavors were built on top of each other as the vegetables and chicken were cooked through in the pan... and then the white wine used to deglaze the pan captured every bit of flavor to tie it all in. To make this richer, the original recipe called for heavy cream but I ended up omitting that since I didn't have cream on hand. Since Joel doesn't care to spicy foods, I also omitted the cayenne pepper on his portion and he loved it... so you can omit the cayenne all together if you don't care for the kick of spice.

Cajun Chicken Pasta

recipe adapted from Pioneer Woman

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
3 teaspoons cajun spice mix
1 pound rotini pasta or any GF pasta
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 whole green bell pepper, seeded & sliced
1/2 whole red bell pepper, seeded & sliced
1/2 whole orange bell pepper, seeded & sliced
1/2 whole yellow bell pepper, seeded & sliced
1/2 large red onion, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups low sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup white wine
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon cayenne powder
freshly grated parmesan cheese {optional, for garnish}

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain when pasta is still al dente; do not overcook!

Season the chicken with cajun spice along with salt and pepper to taste. 

Heat 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a skillet over medium high heat. Add half of the chicken and brown on both sides. Transfer cooked chicken to a plate and keep warm. Cook the remaining chicken and transfer to the plate when browned.

Add remaining olive oil and butter to the now empty pan over medium high heat. Add peppers, onions, and garlic. Season with Cajun spices, salt and pepper to taste. Cook  vegetables until softened. 

Return the chicken to the pan and add the wine and chicken broth, scraping up the bottom of the pan to deglaze. 

Season dish with cayenne pepper and toss to combine.

To serve, garnish with freshly grated parmesan cheese if using.

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Canada Loses an Autism Champion: Andy Scott Passed This Morning

Andy Scott With A Megaphone Supporting Autism Cause with Andrew Kavchak

Canada has lost an autism champion with the passing this morning of former Fredericton MP Andy Scott.  In a telephone conversation with a friend and fellow autism advocate elsewhere in Canada I once suggested the person contact their federal Member of Parliament.  I was informed that had already been done but there would be a wait before the MP could be seen.  There was some apparent disbelief when I mentioned that I could literally walk across the street to the office of our then MP Andy Scott and if he was in he  would probably see me or any other visitor.  

Andy met with representatives of the Autism Society NB on several occasions and actively pushed for a National Autism Strategy which he ultimately realized with the passage of Motion M-172.  The motion was essentially a commitment in principle with no obligations being undertaken by our federal government but it did help put autism on our national agenda and it was Andy Scott being Andy ... getting done what could get done ... with a view to moving forward further in future.  He continued to advocate for autism as demonstrated in his June 5, 2007 statement in House of Commons:

Autism 

[Table of Contents]

Hon. Andy Scott (Fredericton, Lib.):

Mr. Speaker, it is regrettable that we have seen little action by the government toward implementing a national autism strategy.

It has been more than a year since I introduced Motion No. 172. My private member's motion called for evidence based standards, innovative funding arrangements for diagnosis, treatment and research, and a national surveillance program.

The motion was adopted in good faith and supported by the government. However, it was very disappointing to see no reference to a national autism strategy in the recent budget or any discussion this spring.

Recently, I joined my colleagues from Charlottetown and Sackville—Eastern Shore and Senator Munson at a rally in Halifax that reinforced that there are families with autistic children across Canada who need the government's help.

The Conservatives should move off their default position of jurisdictional excuses, show creativity and compassion and start helping these Canadians.

On a previous blog commentary about Andy I had referenced the National Autism Strategy and quoted from Tali Folkins 2003 Telegraph Journal article:

"Fredericton MP Andy Scott said Saturday he has been lobbying prime- minister-to-be Paul Martin for a federal program to help young children with autism. "I desperately want a national autism strategy - and let me just assure you that Paul Martin knows it," Mr. Scott told supporters at a party celebrating his 10th anniversary as an MP in Fredericton Saturday evening.

Early work by therapists with young autistic children, Mr. Scott said, can make a big difference in their capacity to lead fulfilling lives as adults - and can save money in the long run. But the costs of starting such early intervention programs are high and should be borne directly by Ottawa rather than each individual province, he said. "We have responses and therapies and so on that I genuinely believe can work," he said. "You're going to save millions of dollars over the lifetime of an autistic adult. If you can get in at the front end, you can make enormous progress.

"But it's very expensive, and there's not a lot of stuff being added to Medicare, generally - that's why we have catastrophic drug problems and other things," he said. "In the province of New Brunswick, P.E.I., or even Quebec or Ontario it's very, very expensive. The feds are going to have to step up to the plate." "

Andy Scott fought on behalf of autistic persons in Canada.  He did not achieve all the goals he wanted by any means but he did what was possible in the time he had. Autistic Canadians have lost a champion today.  

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Buffalo Chicken Cobb Salad

It's the season of salads! I've been stashing away salad recipes throughout the fall and winter just so I can be armed with salad ideas for the spring and summer. One recipe that The Baron requested recently was a Cobb Salad. Since I've previously highlighted this Chicken Cobb Salad on the site, I wanted to see about twisting it up a bit for something different. That's when I came across another salad recipe and tweaked it a bit to create this Buffalo Chicken Cobb Salad. A mix of lettuce greens, tomato, red onion, hard boiled eggs, avocado, bacon, and blue cheese get a welcome addition of spicy buffalo chicken in this super salad...

I think I professed my love of buffalo chicken here before so this salad comes to no surprise. My only question is why did it take so long for me to make this?! I saw Rachel Ray's recipe for a buffalo chicken salad but to give it another spin, I added the classic components of a cobb salad. Did you know? A good way to remember what goes into this salad is the acronym EAT COBB - Egg, Avocado, Tomato, Chicken, Onion, Bacon, Blue cheese. Okay, enough talking... now start making & enjoying!

Buffalo Chicken Cobb Salad

recipe adapted from Rachel Ray

2 hearts romaine lettuce, chopped
1 tomato, seeded and diced
1/4 cup sliced red onion
2 hard boiled eggs, sliced
1 avocado, diced
4 slices cooked bacon, chopped
3/4 cup blue cheese crumbles
1/2 cup blue cheese or ranch dressing
1 pound chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup Franks hot sauce


Preheat a skillet over medium-high heat.

Combine lettuce, tomato, red onion, eggs, avocado, bacon and 1/4 cup blue cheese crumbles in a salad bowl. 

Combine dressing and remaining 1/2 cup blue cheese crumbles in a small bowl.

Add oil and butter to hot pan with the chicken. Season with salt and pepper and sear for 2 or 3 minutes, then add hot sauce. Reduce heat a little and cook 5 minutes more.

Divide salad into individual portions. Top with chicken and serve with dressing on the side.

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Huawei’s Ascend W1, Windows Phone 8 Smartphone now Free on Globe Best-Ever MySuperPlan 499

The new Ascend W1, Huawei’s first Windows Phone 8 Smartphone, has landed Globe Telecom’s device portfolio, making it the first Windows 8 handset offering under the telco’s revolutionary Best-Ever MySuperPlan.

Available for free at Plan 499, Huawei Ascend W1 is a stunning and stylish alternative for consumers looking for great Windows Phone OS technology at a price that’s easy on the pocket.

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Honey Lime Chicken Fajitas

Happy Monday! I hope you had a fantastic weekend doing something fun and/or enjoying something delicious. This past weekend our kitchen was closed since The Baron and I took a weekend trip away to enjoy nature and explore some state parks out west. It was a lovely time and I'll be sharing more later this week. But as for kitchen news, earlier last week I scored a great deal on colored bell pepper. I probably way too many bell peppers to use up so don't be surprised if you see a few upcoming recipes using them up lol. The first dish I made to highlight them were these Honey Lime Chicken Fajitas. Chicken marinates in a lime, cumin, honey and cilantro dressing before grilling, then stuffed into a warm tortilla with grilled bell peppers and onions...

Fajitas is a dish that The Baron suggested awhile back and I'm so glad that he's full of delicious meal ideas. These turned out wonderfully and the marinade was flavorful, pairing nicely with the bell peppers and onions. Feel free to top your fajitas with more of your preferred garnishes. We liked ours with shredded cheese, sour cream, pico de gallo and avocado slices or guacamole...

Honey Lime Chicken Fajitas
recipe adapted from Rachel Ray

1lime, juiced
2 tablespoons honey
1 rounded teaspoon cumin
a handful fresh cilantro, finely chopped
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, canola or corn oil
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
salt and pepper to taste
2 bell peppers {red, orange, green, yellow or a mix}, thinly sliced
1 red onion, thinly sliced
12 flour or corn tortillas, warm


Suggested garnishes:
lime wedges
shredded cheese
pico de gallo or salsa
guacamole
sour cream


Combine the first 5 ingredients in a small bowl. Season chicken with garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper, then place chicken in the bowl with marinade. Toss chicken to coat and set aside for 10 minutes before slicing.

Grill chicken on a grill pan for 6-7 minutes on each side or pan fry over medium high heat in a nonstick skillet uncovered. Remove from pan and allow to rest for 5 minutes. 

In the now empty pan, add the bell peppers and onions. Cook until barely softened.

Meanwhile, heat the tortillas Turn any free burners on a medium low flame. Place a tortilla on each flame and let it char about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Flip the tortilla and repeat on the second side. Once heated and charred, remove the tortilla to a clean tea towel and wrap to keep warm. Repeat until you have warmed all of your tortillas.

Alternatively, you can also heat your tortillas in a microwave, lightly dampen a tea towel with some water and wrap the tortillas in the damp towel. Place the wrapped tortillas in the microwave for 1 minute, checking to see if they are warm. If not, repeat the heating at 1 minute intervals until they are warm and pliable.

To serve, place the sliced chicken and a mixture of the bell peppers and onions into a warmed tortilla. Top with your preferred garnishes.

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Lenovo Thinkpad Tablet 2 with Intel Atom Processor dual-core CPU

The ThinkPad Tablet 2 is the first tablet specifically designed for Windows 8. The multi-use tablet boasts of differentiators that matter, including an optional digitizer and pen for precision input, along with security features like a Fingerprint Reader, IT manageability technologies, and corporate-level service and support.

Based on the upcoming Intel Atom Processor-based mobile platform and Windows 8, it has an exceptionally thin and light design measuring 9.8 millimeters (mm) thin and weighing less than 600 grams (1.3 pounds), all in a 10.1-inch screen.

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