dancing in the clouds. { cream filled berry pavlova }

Named after russian ballerina Anna Pavlova, this beautiful dessert is a sure crowd stunner. The ideal pavlova meringue has a crispy shell and a fluffy marshmallow-like interior. Don't panic if your meringue cracks - there really is something perfect about such imperfection. Sublimity can be easily achieved with a thick layer of lemon twisted whipped cream and an overload of fresh berries. I finished mine by pouring over a little port wine reduction and, inspired by the happenstance of the first snowfall of the season, I dusted it all with confectioner's sugar.

ouro negro. { black rice risotto with codfish, dried tomato and red pesto }

there is this line from a song that came to explain how i sense this world.

'she moves with shameless wonder.'

well, i wonder about the actual meaning of this verse.

maybe Hozier wrote it purely to romanticize a woman's assured and graceful gestures...

yet, i take it differently.

to me, it describes someone who senses this world with constant and unhibited curiosity and - consequently - fascination, a characteristic that keeps them wandering decisively, looking for answers.

maybe i've read too much into it, but i guess that's what poems are made for.

i wish i could discuss that with him one day.

this characteristic allows me to find inspiration in the most odd circunstances, particularly during the time i'm on my own. it also keeps me excited about discovering new things, either in my thoughts - i do think a lot - or palpable stuff.

a bit due to it, i love finding products that i would not even imagine could exist.

that was the case of this black rice.

cherry booze will make you smile ;) { sparkling cherry sangria }

I confess... I'm on a cherry inebrity these days.

Champanhada de Cereja

750ml de espumante, frio

300ml de sumo de cerejas ácidas, frio

1/2 a 2/3 de chávena de açúcar

1 colher de sopa de sumo de limão

meia dúzia de cubos de gelo

uma dúzia de cerejas doces descaroçadas e cortadas em metades e mirtilhos para decorar

Num jarro, misturar as cerejas, os mirtilhos, o açúcar e o sumo de limão,

Juntar o sumo de cereja, misturar tudo bem,

Por fim, juntar o espumante e o gelo e servir.

Cherry Champanhada

750ml sparkling wine, cold

300ml sour cherry juice, cold

1/2 to 2/3 cup sugar

1 tbsp lemon juice

half a dozen ice cubes

a dozen sweet cherries, pitted and cut into halves, and blueberries to garnish

In a jar, mix cherries, blueberries, sugar and lemon juice,

Add cherry juice and stir until dissolved,

Finally, add sparkling wine and ice and serve.

the italian job { mushroom, dried tomato and mozzarella risotto }

I guess I was blessed with some great friends over here.
Thank you guys for making me feel so lucky :)

I don't know if the owners are aware of this yet - well... they should, considering the amount of times I've been sticking around, over pots and pans - but I really like this kitchen! It is really cozy and it's quite nice to cook there. Who knows, maybe it's the Italian aura - yes, the owners are quite nice too!
So yesterday I decided to make a surprise dinner there and I ended up choosing all Italian food. This meant whipping up risotto and pannacotta for three Italian - plus one canadian ;) - and very demanding judges. Quite demanding. Call me wary, but didn't you know how italian guys are harsh on "pseudo-italian food" made by non-italians? Worth hearing. Anyway... somehow, maybe because I was being nice and well-intentioned, I was told it was good...

Risotto de Cogumelos, Tomate Seco e Mozzarella
- 500g de arroz arbóreo

- 3 dentes de alho, picados

- 300g de cogumelos frescos, finamente laminados

- 8 tomates secos de frasco, cortados em tiras

- 1 embalagem de bolinhas de mozzarella fresco

- 70g de queijo maasdammer, em pequenos pedaços

- 1 cubo de caldo de galinha

- 200ml de vinho branco

- 2 colheres de sopa de polpa de tomate

- água fervente

- azeite

- orégãos e manjericão

- mistura de pimentas, moída na hora

- sal

Refogar os cogumelos e o alho em azeite com os temperos e o caldo de galinha até estarem tenros; escorrer e reservar o caldo resultante e os cogumelos separadamente,

Levar um tacho anti-aderente a lume brando com o arroz e o caldo dos cogumelos, mexendo até este ter sido completamente absorvido,

Juntar aos poucos o vinho, mexendo e deixando absorver,

Juntar aos poucos a água quente e a polpa de tomate e ir mexendo, até o arroz estar praticamente cozinhado e ainda ter um pouco de água,

Incorporar os cogumelos e o tomate seco,

Juntar o maasdammer e misturar bem,

Por fim, juntar o mozzarella fresco e misturar novamente,

Servir imediatamente.

Mushroom, Sun-dried Tomato and Mozzarella Risotto

- 500g arborio rice

- 3 garlic cloves, chopped

- 300g mushrooms, thinly sliced

- 8 sun-dried tomatoes, jar kind, sliced

- 1 pckg small mozzarella balls

- 70g maasdammer cheese, chopped

- 1 cube dried chicken stock

- 200ml white wine

- 2 tbsp tomato paste

- boiling water

- olive oil

- oregano and basil

- mix of peppers, freshly ground

- salt

Sautée the mushrooms with the garlic in olive oil with the seasonings and the chicken stock until tender, drain and set aside the resulting stock and the mushrooms, separately,

Heat a non-sticking pan over medium heat and mix the rice with the stock until absorved,

Pour the wine bit by bit, mixing and letting the rice absorb it,

Follow with the hot water and the tomato paste, until the rice is practically cooked and there is still some water left,

Mix in the mushrooms and the tomato,

Add the maasdammer and mix well,

At last, mix in the fresh mozzarella,

Serve imediately.

This I Call... Comfort Food { french onion soup }

French onion soup is a kitchen classic which probably gained popularity in other countries by the hands of writters like Julia Child. Its cheesy bread topping makes it delightful to dig into it from the first spoonful. Outstanding winter comfort food, you can't help but fall in love with it.

A Matter of Taste { best lasagna recipe }

Lasagna is a dish that will please mostly anyone and that you can constantly change and improve - it is so versatile! There are some killer filling combinations, and you can always adapt it to your own liking, or your guests'. One may think it is not a quick meal to prepare, but it freezes really well, so you can make it in advance and even enjoy it on a weekday dinner. This is one of my favourite versions, with beef meat, vegetables - and the trick - cinnamon and nutmeg.

There's something spicy about mangoes... { sweet and spicy curry-mango shrimp pasta }

The sweetness of the mango brings a refreshing twist to this slightly spicy curry pasta dish. The freshly chopped cilantro on top is a definitive must.