CookingDiva

This flan is my variation of a classic Latin American dessert that is usually made with milk.

4 servings

Ingredients:

Custard

• 1/3 cup sugar
• 3 eggs, whole
• 3 egg yolks
• 2-1/2 cups champagne
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, ground

Caramel

• 1 cup white sugar

Preparation

Pre-heat the oven to 325F (170C). Butter 6 small custard cups 6 oz or one large and place in a shallow baking pan. Heat one cup sugar in a small pan until syrupy and golden brown in color. Pour syrup evenly into prepared custard cups. Beat eggs, egg yolks and 1/3 cup sugar in a large bowl until thick and pale. Gradually add champagne, lemon peel and cinnamon; beat until combined.

Pour custard mixture into prepared cups. Make a water bath by pouring enough hot water into baking pan to come half way up sides of the custard cups. Bake 60 minutes or until a knife inserted in center of custards comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool completely. Carefully remove from the water bath. Refrigerate overnight or until ready to serve.

[Chef’s Note: This little custards benefit from a night in the refrigerator so that the hard caramel base can slowly melt into a syrup. They are the perfect dessert for dinner parties because you can prepare them in advance. After removing them from the water bath, let cool to room temperature, and then refrigerate until completely chilled before serving.]

Service Invert flan onto individual serving dishes, letting the syrup run down sides of the
custard.

Have a delicious Tuesday!

Melissa

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Tags: flan, food blogs, cookingdiva, cooking, panama, recipe, food & drink, food, chef melissa

This morning while checking out my friends' new photos at Flickr, I found THIS and could not help myself...I had to learn more about this masterpiece. It couldn't get more sticky, what a catchy tittle "Getting in touch with your inner bitch." Read the following excerpt of the book; you will love it!

When we live with Toxic Niceness, we live on the giving end of a one-way street. Even when offers of reciprocation are made, those of us who suffer from  Toxic Niceness feel honor-bound to refuse them.

The fact that you are reading this is proof that you are willing to consider letting go of Toxic Niceness. Are you a long time sufferer of the syndrome? Ask yourself these questions:

1. Have you ever wanted to give someone a piece of your mind and eaten a piece of cake instead?
2. How about the whole cake?
3. Have the words, "I don't know what came over me!" ever sprung from your lips?
4. , 5. , 6. , 7. , 8.

If you answered yes to any of these questions, it's a sure thing that you are using too much sugar. But all is not lost - take heart. Toxic Niceness need not be a problem any longer. Read on. Your Inner Bitch awaits you!

You see what I mean? After reading the first question I identified myself as a sufferer of the syndrome. OMG, how about the second question---I am heading over to the on-line bookstore to purchase the book. In the worst scenario, if the inner bitch doesn't come out...it is probably because she is out already and just LOVES to eat CAKE, right? If that is the case, I'll have a good time reading this humorous book.

Un abrazo!
M

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Tags: book, food blogs, cookingdiva, cooking, panama, cooking blogs, food & drink, food, recipes

THANK YOU TimesOnline.co.uk for featuring The Cooking Diva!!!

If you wonder where I have been, why I have not posted so much---head over to my DiabloRojo blog in Spanish, and read THIS post.

I am teaching the Asian cooking classes for Chef Elena's program at the Academia de Artes Culinarias.

Today was Thai Cooking Day! YES!!! Loved every second of it

This is the schedule:

• Tomorrow Tuesday: Hindu cooking
• Wednesday: Chinese cooking
• Thursday: Japanese Cooking

I always try to tease my students creativity. I told them today that we will prepare "dessert sushi" on Thursday and everyone but one rolled up their eyes (a sign of incredulity).

Then she replied:  how about milk-and-rice (rice pudding) rolls? Then I smiled and said, yes...that is exactly what we will do: "Dulce de Leche Sushi for dessert."  I promise I'll post the photos. Stay tuned

We hope you liked the photos.

If you are planning to visit Panama, please send me an e-mail....we will be happy to share our secret culinary info. with you!

Un abrazo!

M

Visit Tasty Recipes - Chef Melissa's recipe and post index.

Tags: thai cooking, food blogs, cookingdiva, cooking, panama, cooking blogs, food & drink, food, recipes

The “mole” is one of the most enigmatic and interesting foods from the whole world. It´s preparation and final result depends upon the diversity of ingredients used from city to city in México, and the personal preferences of the cooks. It is a very personal, unique dish which with the help of your imagination and personal touch will reach new dimensions in your kitchen.

This is a very time consuming dish to make, but the results are definitely worth the effort… until the last bite. Start three days ahead. Although traditionally in Mexico the mole is served with turkey, it is really not that important because the star is the mole itself. Serve it with any kind of meat: chicken, turkey, beef, pork, shrimp, or just plain with steamed white rice. This mole keep well refrigerated for up to 5 days, or frozen for up to a month. If you choose to freeze the left over mole, thaw it in the refrigerator and then heat in a saucepan or microwave oven, adding some chicken broth if needed.

Yesterday was a special day at the grocery store. There were two people from Chile just behind me at the check out line. They didn't know each other, but I guess my favorite supermarket is a small world.)

They noticed that I had two cans of Guinness dark ale in my cart and they asked me: "In what manner do you drink your Guinness in Panama?" They were shocked at my reply: "Well, it's a little strong for me so I dilute it with water." They were not pleased with that sacrilege but they were pleased to discover that Guinness is produced in Panama with the traditional formula - and costs less than a dollar each.

They explained the best way to serve Guinness: pour the Guinness into the blender, add a shot glass of rum (or your favorite poison), a teaspoon of sugar, and a raw egg. Mix it with maximum vigor and serve.

Disclaimer: do not attempt to juggle knives, ride a bicycle, or do anything important after imbibition of this beverage. It is for nutritional use only. The management is not responsible for your obscene and irrational behavior.

Have a tasty weekend!
M

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Tags: guinness, food blogs, cookingdiva, cooking, panama, cooking blogs, food & drink, food, recipes

I decided to capture this screen from my FLICKR account -just in case- GP girl comes back to curse me again or to DELETE her comment.

This is where everything started...My brined guinea pig recipe.

Next time I cook another of her furry friends I will be thinking of her and ...I would not shed a tear...

"revenge of the guinea pigs" that would make a good movie! anyhow, what difference is it what animal you choose to eat? the world is big & diverse. hugs to mel

Thank you Bindifry for your support!

From Wikipedia, Guinea Pigs as Food:

Guinea pigs, or cuy, cuye, curí, were originally domesticated for their meat in the Andes.

As food, the guinea pig is described as a combination of rabbit and the dark meat on chicken, though in colour, taste, and the fineness of bones the gourmet will be reminded of quail. It is high in protein (21%) and low in fat (8%). Due to the fact that they require much less room than traditional livestock and reproduce extremely quickly when compared to traditional stock animals, they can be raised as a source of food in an urban environment—unlike most western livestock animals.

To this day, cuyes continue to be a major part of the diet in Peru and Bolivia, particularly in the Andes Mountains highlands, where they are an important source of protein and a mainstay of Andean folk medicine. Peruvians consume an estimated 65 million Guinea pigs each year, and the animal is so entrenched in the culture that one famous painting of the Last Supper in the main cathedral in Cusco, Peru shows Christ and the twelve disciples dining on guinea pig.

Guinea pigs are also consumed in Ecuador, mainly in the Sierra region of the country, but are not depended upon as a staple source of protein.

Un abrazo,
M

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Tags: guinea pigs, food blogs, cookingdiva, cooking, panama, cooking blogs, food & drink, food, recipes

There is a point in our lives when we can not hide any longer our obsessions. So I actually feel relieved now that I am confessing this publicly.

My name is Melissa and I am a BLOGOHOLIC.

Now that the truth is out, it's the perfect occasion to reveal a secret. Meet my two new babies:

Paladares Unidos: a really tasty blog in Spanish. After the Bloggie 2006 winner for "Best Latin American Weblog" was announced, I "perceived" some uneasiness regarding the fact that I didn't have a blog in Spanish. So, there you go: You ASKED for it!

Blogs that Cook!  Ohhh---I specially love this one. If you are a food blogger, you are welcome in this directory. Doesn't matter if your blog is in Spanish, Italian, Mandarin, English, etc. We do not discriminate! We just LOVE to talk about food

The other good news are that I have been gifted with the opportunity to write the weekly food column at "Revista ELLAS," the magazine published every Friday by La Prensa newspaper in Panama.
So, now you know WHY I have not been posting so much: I've been cooking UP a storm at the ELLAS magazine

We invite you to drop off a line or two and let Us know what do you think of the new blog and directory.

Un abrazo!
M

P.S....If you still have some room for another new blog, head over to my other new blog "Diablo Rojo," a blog in Spanish about Panama and how we Panamanians think about what happens here. Politics, humor, sarcasm, AND lots of photos!!!

One more P.S.: Thank you Mike for the great design and all those sleepless nights working on these projects! Mike is also the mastermind behind the internationally famous TECNOCHICA!

Visit Tasty Recipes - Chef Melissa's recipe and post index.

Tags: panama blogs, food blogs, cookingdiva, cooking, panama, cooking blogs, food & drink, food, recipes