Have a great week!

Paz

Cupcakes/Fairy Cakes - Nigella Bites

"If you train a man, you train an indiviual but if you train a woman, you train a whole nation."

Kwegha Aggrey, African educator

March 8 is International Women’s Day.  It is an event, which recognizes the achievements of women worldwide.  You can read more about it here and here

Earlier this year, Mari attended the Sundance Film Festival when "Half Life", a movie her cinematographer husband filmed, premiered there.  During that time, she had a chance to see other films, which she shared with her readers.  The story of one documentary, "Puujee", stayed with me for quiet some time.  Japanese photographer Yoshiharu Sekino followed and filmed the lives of a nomadic Mongolian family.  There are three inspiring women in this documentary: Puujee, as Mari describes, a "fiesty and independent-spirited" 7-year old, her "amazing" mother and "sweet" grandmother.  All were accomplished women in their own way despite surviving a series of tradegies.  International Women’s Day reminds me of them.

Zorra (Kochtopf)  and Fiordisale put together an event, where food bloggers were asked to cook/bake something yellow for International Women’s day.  I decided to make these simple cupcakes, which I found on Cook (almost) Anything at Least Once.  The recipe comes from Nigella Bites.

Please excuse me while I go eat another cupcake. 

Later!

Paz

I found this wonderful Pistachio  Cardamom Cupcake with Rice Pudding recipe on Vanilla Garlic.  The name alone conjured all kinds of delicious thoughts.  Pistachio.  I love pistachio!  Cardamom.  I love Cardamom!  Rice Pudding.   I love rice! 

I never tasted these ingredients together.   Who heard of rice pudding in a cupcake?  Not me.  But it sounded like something I wanted to try, for sure.

I started out with the rice pudding, which took much longer to make.  I loved how it turned out nice, sweet and creamy.  Then I prepared the cupcakes.  The aroma of the cardamom and vanilla filled the kitchen transporting me  to a magical place.  Made me do my happy dance. 

The cupcakes tasted delicious.  While some family members and I liked the combination of rice pudding in a cupcake, others didn’t.  So, they ate the plain cupcakes.  I have to say that the cupcake with the rice pudding tastes best when eaten a short time after it comes out of the oven.  Delicious!  I know I’m repeating myself but the cupcake really was delicious.  I took a bite, closed my eyes and savored all the flavors dancing on my tongue.

I made these Pistachio Cardamom Cupcakes with Rice Pudding in honor for my friend who just celebrated a birthday.  Happy birthday month, Nancy!   Besos desde New York! 

Paz

Pistachio  Cardamom Cupcakes

Vanilla Garlic

Makes 12 cupcakes/ 350 degree oven

What you’ll need:

1 ½ sticks of unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup of sugar

3 eggs

¼ teaspoon of vanilla extract (optional)

½ cup of whole milk

¾ cup of unsalted, unroasted pistachios

1 cup of flour

2 teaspoons of ground cardamom

2 teaspoons of baking powder

½ teaspoon of salt

What you’ll do:

1-  Cream the butter and sugar until soft and fluffy.  Add the eggs one at a time until well incorporated.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure complete mixture.

2-  Place pistachios in a food processor and chop until finely ground.  All the flour, cardamom, salt, and baking powder until pulse once or twice to mix.

3-  Add the mild and vanilla extract if using it to the butter mixture.  Mix wll.  Add the pflour-pistachio mixture and mix until blended.

4-  Place into cupcake papers, and bake for 16-20 minutes, unitl a cake tester comes out cloean (no crumbs) in a 350 degree oven.  Let cool on a wire rack.

5-  Cut out small cone shapd pieces of the cupcake and scoop the rice pudding into the little cupcake potholes you’ve made.  Cover with chopped pistachios.

Rice Pudding

Mastering Simplicity

Serves 4-6 (enough for cupcakes, plus a lot more for snacking!)

What you’ll need:

¾ cup of long grain rice

1 bay leaf

5-6 cups of whole milk

1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise

1 cup of sugar

large inch of salt

What you’ll do:

1-  Place rice in a small sauce pan with the bay leaf and two cups of water. Bring to a boil over high heat and then drain.  Transfer rice and bay leaf to a heavy 3 quart pot.

2-  Add 4 cups of milk, the sugar, vanilla bean, and the salt.  Place over very low heat, stirring occasionally until milk has been absorbed by rice, about an hour.   Rice should be tender and rice should be creamy.  Add another 1 or 2 cups of milk and continue cooking for another 20-30 minutes.  Stir often to prevent the bottom from burning.  Revove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature.

Pistachio Cardamom cupcakes without the rice pudding.  Some preferred that.

Yikes!  I had to shell A LOT of pistachio nuts but it was worth it.  I love pistachio nuts. 

Most New Yorkers call pigeons ‘Rats with Wings’.  But I’ve developed a new admiration for these birds.  I’ve  found that they are intelligent and true survivors in the city.  A little cautious, the pigeon above posed for me to take its photo.  Have a great week, everyone!

Paz

Hot chocolate with whipped cream

I mentioned in an earlier post that Elizabeth (The House in Marrakesh) and I stopped at the Viennese inspired café at Neue Galerie.  It reminded us of Merisi’s Vienna for Beginners.  The café serves authentic Viennese specialities, traditional Austrian dishes, and patisserie like strudel and Linzertorte.  An extremely cold day, we both ordered hot chocolate with whipped cream.  Mmmm!  That certainly hit the spot.   Elizabeth ordered ham on country bread with crispy crusts with mustard spread.  Very delicious. 

We arrived at the café early and it was a good idea because a short time later, it became crowded.  Hours later, a line formed to dine at there.  Next time, I’ll make sure to go there with a big appetite.

Paz 
 

Open ham sandwich on country bread

 … on a cold day.

Have a great week, everyone.

Paz

Outside the Neue Galerie

(A stately Louis XIII-style Beaux-Arts styled building)

Okay:  So, it is not Monday.  I know.  ;-)  I’m sorry I’m very behind with my New York Monday post.  Life got in the way of my blogging, unfortunately, but here I am.  Better late than never, right?

This week I got to meet fellow blogger Elizabeth of The House in Marrakesh.  By the way, her blog and that of Maryam’s, My Marrakesh, have been mentioned in the March 2008 issue of National Geographic Traveler — Marrakech Destination Guide.  Very exciting!  Congratulations, ladies!

So, we went to the Neue Galerie on Fifth Avenue, a museum that showcases early twentieth-century German and Austrian art and design.    At the moment, paintings and drawings by Gustav Klimt are on display.  The museum includes a bookstore, design shop and two Viennese cafés.  Of course, we stopped at the cafe, as we wanted the experience, like the ones we always see on Merisi’s Vienna for Beginners.  I’ll tell you what we ordered in another post.

Continue to have a good week, everyone.  It’s almost Friday!  Yay!

Paz

Inside

Stairway leading up to the Galerie