Thai Peanut Butter and Coconut Milk Spicy Noodles Recipe.

Hello again!

Today's recipe is for those who love Thai food. I love to discover food from different cultures and here I made this noodle dish with a peanut butter and coconut milk sauce and spiced it up with some chili and ginger.

Here are the ingredients. 

Ingredients

Half cup peanut butter (crunchy or smooth)

One cup coconut milk

 2 chopped garlic scapes (or garlic cloves)

2 tablespoons Soy Sauce

One small chopped red onion 

Hazelnut oil for the pan

Half teaspoon fresh ginger (or how much desired)

Half teaspoon Fresh chili (or how much desired)

Pinch of fresh pepper

One small lime

Water (depending on how thick you like the sauce)

Sesame seeds

Rice noodles

Method

1. Boil some water for the noodles.

2. In a pan heat some hazelnut oil on medium heat and fry the onion and garlic and add the soy sauce.

 3. Add the peanut butter and stir and slowly add the coconut milk while stirring until the peanut butter is dissolved.

4. Add chili, ginger, fresh pepper and the juice of the lime. 

5. If you want to the sauce less thick, you can add water slowly while stirring until you get the desired consistency. 

6. Put the noodles in the boiling water for about 3 minutes and when ready, transfer them in the sauce. 

7. Serve with some sesame seeds. 

Serving Suggestion :) 

I hope you will try this!

Enjoy! 

Ciklemfusa

xx 

No Bake Cheesecake Recipe.

Good Morning! 

Today's recipe is for those who don't like to use the oven for making desert. This is an easy recipe in which you will need a fridge. Cheesecake! Who doesn't love cheesecake?! =) 
This recipe is divided into two parts. First we start with the crust and than the batter. Prepare the ingredients listed below.

Utensils

Measuring cups and spoons.

Springform pan.

Fridge.

2 large mixing bowls.

Hand held electric blender.

Spatula.

Ingredients

For the crust

One and a half cups of biscuit crumbs in a bowl.

70 grams of brown sugar.

Half a teaspoon of ground Cinnamon.

One cup of melted unsalted butter.

For the batter

2 teaspoons of lemon juice.

400 grams cream cheese.

1 pint of whipping cream.

1/3 cup of white sugar.

Your favorite fruit to top the cheese cake. I used strawberries and mixed forest fruit.

Method

For the crust

1. In a mixing bowl, combine the biscuit crumbs, cinnamon, brown sugar and melted butter. Stir together.

2. Transfer the mixture into the springform pan and press the crust.

3. Put in the fridge until firm. 

Crust ready for refrigeration.

For the batter

1. In a large mixing bowl combine the lemon juice and cream cheese using the electric blender. Blend until soft.

2. Pour in the pint of whipping cream and continue to the beat the batter until thick. 

3. Add the 1/3 cup of white sugar and beat again.

4. Pour the batter onto the crust in the springform pan and top with your favorite fruit. 

5. Put again in the fridge and leave overnight.

Batter in mixing bowl ready!

Crust topped with batter in springform pan.

6. When it's done, gently remove the sides of the springform pan.

7. Serve cool.

Enjoy! 

Ciklemfusa

xx

Monochrome.

Good morning! 

Today is all about monochrome, which I love. For those who don't know what exactly is monochrome, I Googled for its definition and it gave me this.. ''A photograph or picture developed or executed in black and white or in varying tones of only one colour.''

I am posting a collage of some monochromatic photographs. 

I am really inspired by photographers like Francesca Woodman, Jan Saudek. 

These are microscopic photographs of things I find interesting and also of trees trunks captured in black and white. For example one of my favorite is shed reptile skin. It's incredibly beautiful and you explore another world under the lens. The others are for you to explore =)

Monochrome Collage.

Tree Trunks Collage.

That's it for today. Hope you enjoy these pictures =)

Love,

Ciklemfusa. 

xx

Brigadeiro! - A Brazilian Sweet Treat Recipe.

Olá!  (the Brazilian way),

Today I will show you how to make Brigadeiros to add more culture in the kitchen! This is a soft, sweet traditional desert from Brazilian that you will love, which can be eaten in a single bite.

It is easy to prepare and does not involve any ovens. All you need is a hob, a saucepan and four ingredients. So, below are the ingredients! 

Ingredients

200 grams sweetened condensed milk

1/3 Chocolate chips or chopped chocolate of your preference

Half tablespoon unsalted butter

Some pecans cut in half for decorations (or your favorite nuts)

Small cupcake papers

Method

1. In a saucepan on low heat put in the condensed milk and the chocolate chips and swirl constantly until all the chocolate melts and the mixture will be creamy, viscous and well incorporated. 

2. Add the butter and melt it and keep stirring.

3. When done, prepare a flat dinner plate and spread the mixture thinly on it. Cover with plastic and let cool. Do not put in the fridge, you don't want it to solidify too much. 

4. After several hours cooling, the texture of the mixture would be paste-like and does not stick to your fingers too much. 

5. Now, the best part! Prepare some small pretty cupcakes papers and start rolling you brigadeiros using clean hands. They should be approximately 1 inch in diameter.

6. If you want to cover them with crushed nuts and/or some hundreds and thousands, you can just roll them through the nuts and place them in a cupcake paper. This time I cut pecans in half and placed one on each. If you want some extra decoration, you can also find edible gold leaf too for the special occasion.

7. Put them in the fridge to solidify more and serve. 

Enjoy! 

ps. Do not eat them all.. they are addictive and you can also listen to this brazilian music playlist while making them!

 

Boa Noite ! 

=)

xx

Cheese and Wine Pairing.

Today's post is for the cheesy ones who like the combination of wine with cheese over a conversation , like me. 

As you might know wine and cheese go hand in hand and this is a small guide for you to pair them in order to enhance the flavours of both.

Brie Cheese

This is a soft and creamy French cheese which has a buttery and slightly sweet texture. 

Eat with..

Champagne and sparkling wines such as Sottovoce Chardonnay and Sottovoce Gellewza.

Fresh Goat Cheese

This is also known as Chevre and it can be found in different shapes and also seasoned with black pepper and other herbs. 

Eat with..

Dry white wine such as La Torre Chardonnay and LaTorre Merlot.

Parmeggiano Reggiano

This is the famous italian cheese which has a hard, dry texture with a distinctive taste.

Eat with..

Red wine such as Cittadella Red and Sangre de Toro.

Pecorino

Made from sheep's milk which has a hard texture and is widely used as an alternative to parmesan cheese. Also, this is an excellent grating cheese. 

Blue Cheese

Typically has a strong flavour but you can also find those having more sweetness.

Eat with..

Sweet wine such as California Zinfandel and also Rose d'Anjou. 

I hope I gave you some ideas for your date night-in!

Love,

Ciklemfusa

xx

Filled Mushrooms.

Hello gourmet lovers!

Today I am posting a recipe that would be perfect to serve as an appetizer for your gathering. Mushrooms filled with a creamy filling prepared with honey. 

Set your chopping board and prepare these ingredients listed below! 

Ingredients

5 Large Mushrooms to be filled, with removed stems. Keep the stems. 

Mushroom stems - finely chopped.

One small onion - finely chopped.

Finely chopped bacon.

Three tablespoons of cream cheese (like Philadelphia) 

One tablespoon of gorgonzola cheese or as much as you like. 

Two tablespoons of honey.

Knob of unsalted butter.

Freshly ground pepper to taste.

Method

1. Prepare the Mushrooms without the stems on your working surface and preheat oven at 200 degrees Celsius. 

2. Sauté the onion and bacon in butter on a pan. When they are ready, add the two tablespoons of honey and let cook on low heat for about 2 minutes.  

3. Add the mushrooms stems and cook for two minutes on medium heat. 

4. Add  the cheeses - cream cheese and gorgonzola and stir occasionally on low heat. The mixture should be creamy. 

5. Add freshly ground pepper to taste at the end. 

6. When fully incorporated, start filling the mushrooms with the mixture. 

7. Bake the filled mushrooms in the oven for about 15 minutes at 200 degrees Celsius. 

Enjoy! 

Love,

Ciklemfusa.

xx

Abstract Painting.

Hi again!

Below is another painting I did which was one of the first experiments with gold leaf on canvas.

I love Gustav Klimt and this is another painting which was inspired (in a way), by him.

This painting, had to undergo several changes too but today I am posting only the finished product. I am so looking forward to see this in our living room! :) 

I used acrylic paint and gold leaf on canvas.

Acrylic and Gold Leaf on Canvas. 2013.

That's it for now!

Love,

Ciklemfusa

xx

From My Book Shelf - Eat Pray Love.

Hello!

For the bookworms out there, this is a post about the latest book I just finished reading -

Eat, Pray, Love, which in my opinion, was one of the best, most rich stories I have ever read. 

This book is a memoir of Elizabeth Gilbert (author), who travels around the world after her divorce. She spent a year travelling, by first going to Italy where the word ''pleasure'' is the right word to describe the experience. She learned the language and had relationships with pizza. In other words, 'Dolce Far Niente' - The Sweetness of Doing Nothing.

She traveled to India to meditate and find her spirituality while living in an ashram. 

And finally, she ended the year in Bali, Indonesia to find balance between devotion and pleasure and to meet with her spiritual healer, Ketut. She also finds new love in the end. 

This book is rich in motivational words written with realistic and honest thinking. Gilbert does not feel shy to express her feelings and in fact she expresses her sadness and deep feelings with no trouble. This woman knows how to pay attention to things that really matter.

Also, this book is in a movie but I recommend, you read the book first. There is so much lost detail in the movie. To give a hint of what to expect, here are some of my favorite quotes from the book. 

"Happiness is the consequence of personal effort. You fight for it, strive for it, insist upon it, and sometimes even travel around the world looking for it. You have to participate relentlessly in the manifestations of your own blessings. And once you have achieved a state of happiness, you must never become lax about maintaining it. You must make a mighty effort to keep swimming upward into that happiness forever, to stay afloat on top of it.''

“You need to learn how to select your thoughts just the same way you select your clothes every day. This is a power you can cultivate. If you want to control things in your life so bad, work on the mind. That's the only thing you should be trying to control.” 

“To lose balance sometimes for love is part of living a balanced life.” 

“I'm choosing happiness over suffering, I know I am. I'm making space for the unknown future to fill up my life with yet-to-come surprises.” 

“You are, after all, what you think. Your emotions are the slaves to your thoughts, and you are the slave to your emotions.” 

“To find the balance you want, this is what you must become. You must keep your feet grounded so firmly on the earth that it's like you have 4 legs instead of 2. That way, you can stay in the world. But you must stop looking at the world through your head. You must look through your heart, instead. That way, you will know God.” 

“Ruin is a gift. Ruin is the road to transformation.” 

“To travel is worth any cost or sacrifice.''

Eat, Pray, Love Book Cover

Scene from the movie

Movie Poster

This story continues with its sequel titled ''Committed -  A Skeptic Makes Peace with Marriage'', a love story. 

Find Your Passion!

Love,

Ciklemfusa

xx

Wood Texture Drawings

Art Post!

Below are some of my indian ink works which are inspired by wood - a beautiful, complex, organic and natural texture created by mother nature. 

I used black indian ink on canvas paper of this drawing. 

Details from the procedure.

Wood logs done with indian ink in 2010

Latest one. Done late 2013.

Detail

One of the first experiments done in 2010

More art posts soon! 

Love

Ciklemfusa

xx

Homemade Catalan Cheese - Mató!

Hola!

For the cheese lovers today, I am posting this recipe for homemade Catalan Cheese aka Mató. 

This is a sweet, unsalted Spanish cheese coming from Catalonia, Barcelona. This cheese is eaten as a desert with honey known as Mel y Mató. 

So if you want to make your own Catalan cheese, this is method.

Equipment needed

Digital kitchen thermometer

Cheese cloth

Stove and pot

Strainer

Whisk

Measuring spoons

A large bowl for water bath

A medium bowl for straining

Ingredients

1 Liter of whole milk

2 tablespoons of white vinegar (30mL)

Honey

Method

1. First, prepare the cheese cloth into the strainer for later.

2. Put the one liter of milk in the pot on medium heat. 

3. Heat the milk while stirring. When the milk reaches 92˚C, turn off the heat and quickly add the 30mL of white vinegar.

4. Now, the best part. After you added the white vinegar DO NOT stir milk. If you continue to mix the milk, you will prevent the coegulation from happening and you will end up with no cheese. You will now see the cheese curds forming and floating. 

5. Place the pot in a large bowl filled with cool water to help it cool down. 

6. When the temperature reaches 36˚C, pour the contents of the pot into the strainer with the cheese cloth. The cheese curds will remain in the strainer. 

7. Allow some time so that the cheese is strained well with an occasional gentle stir to help the whey drain. 

8. Fold the edges of the cheesecloth and put everything (strainer + bowl) in the fridge to chill for 20 minutes or more. 

9. Serve with drizzled honey and crackers.

Enjoy!

Ciklemfusa

xx

Home Decor Finds.

Hello again!

I was browsing through Pinterest this evening for some inspiration. I know what I like and what shades and texture I want in a living room, so here are some ideas I collected for you to see.

For the minimalist. Less is more and here are some ideas, I picked which I think will go very well together.
Colors are based on a natural tone and some extra touches to give some oomph to the room.

I love these colors. 

                            More...

And for the hippies at heart, below you can find patterns and different textures. 

This is my favorite kind of decor. I love different cultures and this will give the space life. 

You can decorate with your own collection from places you have visited. In that way, every piece will have a story behind it. An adventure. Your guests will always have something to look at and take interest in! 

I hope this will inspire you to give your rooms some color! 

Love

Ciklemfusa

xx

Panna Cotta with Mango.

Hola!

I hope you had a lovely Valentine's day yesterday with all the plans you might have thought about to impress your other half :)

I prepared desert for the evening which consisted of an exotic fruit - mango ! Very simple recipe which I wrote below, here for you to try. Panna cotta when translated means 'cooked cream', and that's what are you going to do! Cooking cream to make a very soft and flavourful desert with a smooth mouthfeel.

This recipe is divided into two parts where you are going to prepare the panna cotta and the mango puree seperately.

Ingredients

100 mL milk.
300mL whipping cream.
6 tablespoons gelatine powder.
2 table spoons of sugar (depending how much of a sweet tooth are you)
1 teaspoon Vanilla extract.
2 teaspoons of cold water.

1 ripe mango.
2 teaspoons of gelatine.
optional : 2 teaspoons of sugar.


Method for panna cotta

1. In a saucepan on medium to low heat, put the milk and sugar and mix until the sugar is dissolved in the milk.

2. In a small bowl mix the 6 tablespoons of gelatine with 2 teaspoons of cold water to soften the gelatine.

3. When the mixture of milk and sugar is well dissolved, put the whipping cream, the vanilla extract and the 6 tablespoons of gelatine powder (with the cold water) and whisk well until well incorporated and until the gelatine dissolves completely. The gelatine's role in this mixture is to solidify a bit the cream and you can get a creamy and milky jelly.

4. When the geltine is well dissolved, put off the heat and prepare cups for your desert presentation. Pour the mixture into glass cups and refrigirate for 4 hours or overnight to let solidification to occur.


Method for mango puree

1. Pick a ripe mango. In order to know whether a mango is ripe enough to be eaten , its texture should be soft and also it smells fruity, it indicates that it is ripe enough.

2. Peel and core the mango using a potato peeler and cut as much meat as possible from the pit.

3. Put the pieces of mango in a bowl and blend them. I used my hendheld blender but you can also use a food precessor. Blend until a puree texture is achieved.

4. Put the puree in a suacepan on medium to low heat and add the 2 teaspoons of gelatine and whisk until the gealtine is dissolved. If you want more sweetness, you can add 2 teaspoons of sugar, but I did not use any sugar in the puree and it had the perfect amount of sweetness. Whisk until the sugar is dissolved.

5. When dissolved, switch off the fire and put in a seperate bowl to cool.

6. After 4 hours in the fridge, get the panna cotta and top it with the mango puree. Put again  in the fridge for the puree to solidify. 

7. Serve cool.

Enjoy! 

Ciklemfusa

xx

Last Minute DIYs For This Valentine's Day

Hello Lovers!

Below are some last minute DIY projects for tomorrow!

Make your loved one a handmade gift or as a decor for the evening together to set the mood :)

Heart Garlands Ideas. Can be done with paper and also textile. 

Wire Heart Ring. 

Gift Wrapping Idea.

For the embroiderer at heart. Literally! :) 

The coolest one of them all. Personalized mug using a plain white mug and a sharpie. Bake at 350 degrees C for 30 minutes! 

Hearts Hearts Hearts !

   Happy Valentine's Day !

                                                                               Love.

            Ciklemfusa.
                  xx

Transformation of a Painting.

A painting I started last year and finished this new year .. How long is that to finish a painting ! :) 

It actually transformed ... I changed my mind and here are some photos. You decide which one's better. I prefer the new version of this painting. It has more emotional movement and for it I used acrylics and gold leaf on canvas.

Gold Leaf! Inspired by The Never-Ending-Inspirational Klimt ! 

                                                                        Version One. 

Than... 

All covered! 

Drum Roll

.....

.....

Version Two! 

Keep updated on new paintings and drawings! 

That's it for today.

Love.

Ciklemfusa! 

xx 

Recipe for Peach Chicken.

Hello again! 

This is a FOOD post ! 

Bored of the same old chicken recipes ? This is your new favorite chicken dish :)

Ready to dig in ? 

Recipe for Chicken Breast with Peach.

.Ingredients.

1. One chicken breast cut in strips.

2. One small onion finely chopped.

3. 2 tablespoons of Soy Sauce

4. 2 tablespoons of Olive Oil and some extra for the pan. 

5. Half tablespoon of Paprika.

6. Some freshly ground black pepper.

7. Fresh or tinned peaches (depending on the season).

.Method.

1. Prepare the marinade for the chicken by mixing in a bowl the 2 tablespoons of Soy Sauce and 2 tablespoons of olive oil accompanied by half table spoon of Paprika and a pinch of fresh black pepper. 

2. Put in the bowl the chicken strips. Cover and let to marinade for at least 20 minutes. 

3. With some hot olive oil in the pan, sweat the finely chopped onion.

4. Add the marinated chicken strips and let cook from one side first on low to medium heat in order to prevent excess loss of moisture from the chicken. 

5. Flip the chicken strips and let cook. 

6. Add peaches and let cook until brown. 

7. Serve with couscous or your favorite side such as roasted potatoes and vegetables.

 Enjoy !

Ciklemfusa.

xx