Cappuccino Ricotta Dessert

I came across this delightful recipe as I was flicking through the TV last night. A cappuccino ricotta dessert and I just have one word (well 3!) to describe it - La Dolce Vita!!! Yummy! Now I am not a coffee fan at all but I thought I could modify the recipe slightly to adjust it to my taste. The chef said she stumbled across this dessert in a trattoria right outside of Rome in a place called Marino. Trattorias are known for their diverse menus and family-centric recipes, she said. This one sounded and looked delightful. It was also very easy to make. Here is all you need:

Espresso coffee
A tub of ricotta cheese
Vanilla pod (or essence)
Sugar
A couple of biscotti
Sprinkling of cinnamon & cocoa

She put the sugar and vanilla in a blender and mixed them well and then she added the ricotta cheese and a tablespoon of coffee. She then spooned the mixture into coffee cups. Crumble several pieces of biscotti then sprinkle cinnamon and cocoa. Use a spoon and dive right in!

Since I am a non-coffee person I decided to replace it with my one true love - chocolate! To be more precise a good quality dark cocoa. I even thought about getting a good quality chocolate and grating it until it was granulated. That would be absolutely divine. Imagine Lindt's dark chocolate orange in this. Mmmm.

Another thought - fruit! Ricotta cheese and fruit go hand in hand after all. If it were berry season then I would choose raspberries and blackberries for this. Blending them in with the cheese would create an amazing texture of roughly cut up fruit pieces. Top that with the biscotti, cinammon and chocolate and I think I would be on my way to dessert heaven!

..and I Give you Chocolate Muffins

There seems to be something therapeutic about baking. The process of bringing totally different items together, into one, and making something wholesome and new. It is not only that though. The actual physical effort involved in mixing and churning into a smooth batter. Is it consistent enough yet? Stealing a sniff or two to check the result of what is to come. Filling the house with the smell of domesticity. There is something uniquely gratifying in watching, through the oven door, the beginning of the dome - an indication that all is well. An eager watch on the clock to make sure it does not overstay its welcome in the oven. A skip and a cheer when it finally does come out. Most of all, however, it is in the sharing and the inviting of others to taste and enjoy. 

There seems to be something therapeutic about giving. Not asking for anything in return. It is in the seeing of an expression of appreciation; a pleasant surprise. It is a token of humanity in small forms, that shows that we are all living on the same planet; breathing the same air. We are all the same, even though we are all different. It is making someone's life a little better or helping someone see the light in a dark tunnel. It is definitely all about putting aside notions of self-righteousness, being a little less bourgeois - petit bourgeois perhaps - and coming down to earth. Being open and receiving to be able to be giving is such a satisfying experience. Nothing compares.

When baking, one is really giving and, when giving, one is really coming full circle in maintaining the bond of humanity.

The Right Mix

I came across a new flavour today; salted caramel. 
Caramel tends to conjure sensations of flowing and sweet pleasures. Sugar is the name of the game when it comes to caramel but not as an imposition but rather as an accompaniment to another one of those rich substances - butter. That is what caramel brings to me. An autocratic richness that one cannot but acknowledge and appreciate. So when I came across salted caramel today, my first inclination was to flinch in horror. I flicked the box and started reading the components, diligently. Salt, caramel and all the other usual ingredients and then I halted in thought - dark chocolate. That was when my mind suddenly became aware of the true weight behind this. I relaxed into an inquisitive smile.

Dark chocolate is one of those fluid materials where experimentation is the only way to bring its full flavours to furore. It is raw and pristine enough to invite you to enjoy it on its own accord, if you are adventurous enough of course. It opens up a whole new avenue of exploration within your taste buds. No two people tasting the same piece of dark chocolate arrive at the same description or effect for that matter. Guaranteed. It is one of those foods that is open to free interpretation. I took the little box to the counter as if in trance, trying to imagine what the intense buttery sweetness of caramel contrasted with the sharpness of salt would bring out in the dark chocolate. It must have taken quite a bit of fun and games in the chocolate laboratory to come up with the right mix. Should the caramel be more on the buttery side? How much salt should one add? What about the type of dark chocolate or its cocoa percentage. I was excited by the thought of trying this daring flavour.

The balance was just right. Each of the core ingredients were distinct enough to make their awaited appearance before your taste buds but they were also working as a team. At the right moment, they each played their parts and blended in to what one can only describe as a perfect piece of art. Salty, buttery sweetness with a rich, bold sharpness combined in every bite. At the same time a unique smoothness that washed over and brought them all together. It was to die for. The taste lingered in your mouth even after the last morsels melted. I relished the moment and wondered how the idea came about.

It made me realise how, given the most extraordinary idea in the world, when applied using the right tools and attitude, one has the capacity to arrive at something almost amazing, if not ground breaking. Is this how innovators work then? Is this how successful endeavours are brought about? I would like to think so. It seems that the sky truly is the limit and at the end of the day, it really is all about the right mix, the right attitude and a strong belief coupled with determination. Above all, it would not be possible without daring to dream.