Lula com coco - Coconut Squid

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Do you remember when I talked about Julie Schwob's "Breakfast du Monde" book yesterday?  What I failed to mention then, was that she also published another book which found its way into my library : "Apéros du Monde" (Aperitifs of the World), a collection of drinks and tapas/appetizers from every continent.

I already made several recipes from this book but never took the time to take a picture, let alone write a post about it.  Because these coconut squid slices were such a hit last time I made them, I gave them another try this weekend and it confirmed what I already knew : I love those Brasilian lula com coco.

Creamy crab dip

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The first time I wandered into the delicious world of Tide and Thyme, I was following the scent of beer candied bacon. Yes, I know, the things one finds on Pinterest, right? There, I discovered that this candied bacon could be incorporated into a chocolate cake with stout and this recipe has been on my to do list ever since.  I have nearly all the ingredients in the house, I just have to summon up the energy to actually try it. One of these days for sure ...

But that isn't the theme of the day which is ... Crab, and another of one the fabulous recipes featured on Tide an Thyme, the most delicious creamy crab dip you will ever sink your teeth into. Fingerlickingly good doesn't even come close to describing it.  Did that pique your curiosity? Have a look after the jump.

Savoury mini cakes

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And my baking spree continues ...

As I am going to pack bentos again this week, I baked a few savoury mini cakes. These are just the right size to pack in a lunchbox or a picknick but you could as well savour them as an appetizer with a drink.

These two recipes come from the book Mini Cakes from Ilona Chovancova.

The first one are Mini Cakes in Breton Gallette style.  The original recipe asked for smoked bacon and gruyère but as I didn't have any, I substituted them with cooked ham and comté cheese.

Ingredients for 4 to 6 cakes :

* 80g buckwheat flour

* 40g all purpose flour

* 2 eggs

* 80g grated comté cheese

* 7cl milk

* 7cl olive oil

* 1/2 sachel of dry yeast

* seasoning (salt, pepper)

* 80g diced cooked ham

* 1/2 leek

Cut the leek in small rings and then in smaller pieces.  In a bowl, lightly whisk the eggs with the oil and milk. Add the 2 flours, the leek, the diced ham and the cheese.  Season to taste.  Add the yeast.

As soon as the yeast has been integrated into the mixture, pour it into your previously greased cake moulds and put it in the preheated oven at 180C.

Bake for 30 minutes.  Proof the baking by inserting a wooden stick into the cake at the end of the baking. If it comes out clean, the cakes are ready.

The second cakes are Pattypan Parmesan cakes. The original recipe used potimarron, (a type of squash I was unable to find the English name of), but as I had still a pattypan squash laying around since Halloween, I decided to use that one instead.

Ingredients for 4 to 6 cakes :

* 1200g all purpose flour

* 2 eggs

* 70g grated comté cheese (originally gruyère)

* 7cl milk

* 7cl olive oil

* 1/2 sachel of dry yeast

* seasoning (salt, pepper)

* 100g pattypan squash

* 100g grated parmesan

* 3 sage leaves

Grate the flesh of the pattypan squash.  Press it in your hand in order to get rid of the excess liquid. Chop up the sage leaves. In a bowl, lightly whisk the eggs with the oil and milk. Add the flour, the cheese and the sage.  Season to taste.  Add the yeast.

As soon as the yeast has been integrated into the mixture, pour it into your previously greased cake moulds and put it in the preheated oven at 180C.

Bake for 30 minutes.  Proof the baking by inserting a wooden stick into the cake at the end of the baking. If it comes out clean, the cakes are ready.