Dionisolia

I have moved

2006-04-17T16:04:00.000+02:00

I have moved. I am now living in http://cachimonia.blogspot.com
Drop by and visit me.

Bento or the boxed lunch

2006-03-29T20:39:00.000+02:00

I have been away from Dionisolia for such a long time that I felt I needed a really good reason to come back and write. I have tried so many new and cool restaurants lately that maybe I could write about that... or about trying my hand (and failing miserably) at puddings. But no... Instead I will let you know about the boxed lunch.
The boxed lunch is a famous cultural trait in both the US and Japan, where its normal for people to prepare their lunch at home and take it to work in a... lunch box. The portuguese 'marmita' which is looked down on.
Today I came acrosse this site: Mizuku Ito's photoblog on bento lunches and was immediately drawn to it.
Even if the pictures are not that good, you can see the way things are arranged and the kind of foods that are packed. I'm in love.
Now that I am starting the DASH diet and fruits + all kinds of vegetables (and grains!) are allowed I'm already thinking about all the combinations that I can try.
Hummm....

Credibility

2006-02-06T21:27:00.000+01:00

I've heard so much about gaining credibility and yet life and close ones don't cease to amaze me. No matter how much I know, it will always be Emily Post's etiquette book that will prevail with the right gift to bring to a friend in mourning. It always be my brother that will ascertain that Quid pro quod can be correctly used as misundersatnding in the Portuguese language. Even if they say the exact same thing I had already said. Maybe my role is just to be the last one to be served the wine.
Cialdini knows best and has said it over and over in here.

Necklaces II

2006-02-03T16:43:00.000+01:00

I just realized that having necklaces in my heart is like Paul Simon's Diamonds on the soles of her shoes.
Which then brings me to the look-alikes that we used to do in high-school, only two of which I remember:
Danielle Klotzkin looks like a cabbage patch doll
Mike Oldfield looks like Chris de Burgh who looks like Jimmy Connors.

Necklaces

2006-02-02T19:36:00.000+01:00

Today's post is not directly related with food, but with the sweet feeling that invaded me as we were driving outside Lisbon this morning. We got it in our minds that we should go to Sintra but then somehow we missed the entrance (or could it be the exit?) and eventually found ourselves driving through Colares. You know Colares has that air around it that you can never really describe as someone who is unattainable and to whom you can never find the nerve to speak to... It's like Carmen Dolores who, some years ago, in a radio interview said that she had never got any parts to play a peasant and that made her really sad, but everyone said she seemed to have such an air about her that it would never really work; she could never be credible in such a role. Colares is like that, only it is a place. And then, as if to fight that feeling, there's a saying at the very exit 'Leve Colares no coração' which is something like 'Take Colares in your heart', which I find really sweet. Then we translated it wholy and got 'Take necklaces in your heart' which I thought was even better. And then R. surpassed himself with 'Light necklaces in your heart' which of course is really poetic even if not the best of translations. We then progressed to discuss the virtues of the word 'leve' which is exactly as it should be. A word which is what it describes. I remembered having read this which I thought was a post that really put a smile on my lips, for hours after I read it.
All this conversations about lightness made my day. Of course I could speak of the wonderful lunch, the smell of wet earth when it suddenly started raining or the feeling from just holding his hand in silence... but more than anything, its the feeling of having so many necklaces in my heart that fills it with joy.

Delicately gooey

2006-01-19T17:41:00.000+01:00

I first read about this in my favourite 'Martha Stewart Weddings' in which it was suggested that a butter cookie be placed over a cup of coffee while the bride and groom danced away after the main meal. We, in turn, decided to try it with the wonderful big cookies that my brother kindly had brought us from Holland placed over a cup of simmering indian tea while we talked the night away after a dinner with good friends. These big cookies have a cinnamon twist and a wonderful caramel filling. They are good, however they go from good to great if you leave them for a few minutes over a cup of simmering tea because they get infused with the aroma and the filling becomes gooey in a way that is hard to stop us from eating one after the other.
So simple and yet so good!

Zeno Gourmet

2006-01-10T15:06:00.000+01:00

I know how many of you must be thinking already 'Here she goes again with yet another post about a restaurant she went to, didn't like and is going to complain about...'. If you are one of those you are, in a word, wrong!
Yesterday I went to Zeno Gourmet and I liked it. Liked, liked, liked! I liked the cool ambiance, I liked the good looking staff, elegantly dressed in black and I liked the food!
I don't know how many of you have gone through the experience of being on a diet and still wanting to go out your average of 4 times a week, but take it from me, it is HARD! You just don't get enough options, are generally embarassed of asking waiters if instead it can come with vegetables (whatever the it is) and after the third time you are generally tired of eating tomato and lettuce! That's why I thought this Zeno Gourmet was such a great find. Grilled salmon with herbs, grilled vegetables (zuchinni, eggplant, cherry tomato, bell peper, onion) and pureed Spinach. How's that for a delicious and healthy meal? I was so entangled and happy with my dish that I can't really talk about any other dishes, but everyone else seemed happy as well!
To end it off, I succumbed to gluttony. I shared (let me stress that) a trio of mousses: Chocolate, passion fruit and mango. They were by far the best mousses I've had in a very long time. Rich and sweet just to the right point, with a delightfully creamy texture.
There were some things that I didn't like (of course, how could I not?!) such as the smoke and the service taking a little more than it should have. But really... who cares? In the end, I know I don't!

Tamarind

2006-01-09T19:58:00.000+01:00

As R. keeps saying there's a huge difference between a wanna-be and a whatever that assumes what he/she/it is, even if we may disagree with it.

Tamarind is the new Indian restaurant hit in Lisbon. I had read so much about it in so many different magazines that I was really curious to try it and see just how good it was. It has a contemporary look with pink and blue walls, clean and straight lines furniture, cutlery and dishware. I really liked the ambiance, but then again, I'm a real sucker for this kind of decor!
We were welcomed by a woman who was trying so hard to do everything right that it's even impressive that she managed to get it all wrong. Let me start at the beginning:
- The wine list: 'We don't keep a wine list because we are always trying to improve it'. Right oh. But then again, they only had 4 wines, none of which extraordinary, surprising or unexpected.
- She kept asking everyone who came in if they had a reservation and that it would be hard to have them seated because they were so full, even though more that 40% of the places were available. Humm.
- She spoke so loud that everyone could hear her. She actually said that the chef (Indian / English) was completely wrong when he took a reservation from a Portuguese girl. 'David, there's no such name as 'Crastina'. You got it wrong; let me call her and I'll show you' - Yes, all this could be heard by all the customers.
- She explained everything in detail to everyone, even to those who said that they knew what she was talking about. Not only did she explain but she explained in a condescending way.
- Of course, in a condescending way, she suggested we have rice with a dish that is not supposed to go with rice, and which clearly stated so on the menu.

Now... I really liked the food. I wouldn't go as far as calling it exceptional but I liked it. R., the expert in all things Indian, says there's no such thing as haute indian cuisine and certainly the chef didn't know anything to claim this was ayurveda cuisine, as he did when he came to talk to us. Apparently R.asked some tricky questions which the chef failed miserably but my hindi is still not that good that I understood it!

In terms of price, it was expensive. Not just when we compare it to other Indian restaurants but also in absolute terms. Still, I liked it... but I have no intentions of running back there.
With inflated prices, this kind of service and someone who talks about ayurveda food and cannot maintain a conversation in the field I would not recommend this wanna-be Tamarind. Instead, try out the Tamarind Seed.

Paixanito

2006-01-03T11:10:00.001+01:00

So many things I read and watched were my faithful companions during my formative years; one was Jose Quiterio's gastronomy column in Portugal's most famous weekly newspaper Expresso. With a very particular style he would bring together poetry, tourism, cinema and culinary musings and often one would end the article with the well fed feeling of 'Wow, that was a good meal'. Specifically I remember his line 'Manducantes do meu país, todos ao Paixanito' which is something along the lines of 'Anyone from my country who eats should go to Paixanito'. That's why I was so excited when, in our trip to the Algarve, we got to go there for dinner.

A little outside Loulé you find Paixanito in a secondary, barely lit road, behind an unassuming door. The place is small, as small can be, with only 5 tables, elegantly decorated with old wine, pasta and chocolate signs, and indirect yellowish light. Although they have one meat and one fish dish, this is a tapas restaurant and that's what you should select. They recommend two to three tapas dishes per person but I would recommend two, rather than three (we ordered 8 for the three of us and could have done with, at least, two less); here's our order:
- Fried shrimp
- Roastbeef
- Pork sausage with apple
- Garbanzo beans and codfish salad
- Codfish fried cakes
- Roasted goat cheese with honey
- Green and red pepper bell salad with garlic and olive oil
- Stuffed mushrooms with bacon

The food was well cooked but one notch down what it should be in terms of taste, probably catered to international tastebuds, which makes sense considering I was the only portuguese in the room, aside from the staff . However, the really big blunder came with the wine, when we selected a wine of which they only had one bottle and still went ahead and served us. When we asked for a second one, it took them 10 minutes to come and tell us they didn't have it and another 15 minutes to decant our second choice and put it to breathe. We got it when our meal was practically over. We were not impressed!
We ended up paying 50€ a person, which is clearly above market price for the type of meal (not to mention service!) we got.
Most definetely catered to both foreign taste and wallet.

Sunday walks bring home...

2005-12-19T22:23:00.000+01:00

Delicious egg candy from Portalegre: perfect with coffee or by itself at any time of the day. Straight from 'Coisas do Arco do Vinho' where so many other sweet and savoury things can be found.

Mrs P. knows best

2005-11-15T06:37:00.000+01:00

Mrs P was kind enough to send me the recipe for Gram dal Burfee at which I, unfortunately, failed miserably.
I, master at stating the obvious have the recurring sentence "Everything is easy as long as you know how to do it". In this case, I didn't know how to do it and the result is not as good as expected - excellent in taste but feable in appearance. Next time, I will grind the chickpeas better and possibly even consider removing the skin; I will not let it cook for such a long time; I will cut it in diamonds shape and not in squares.
Next time, I am sure it will be better. Shukria, Mrs P.!

You saw it here first...

2005-11-03T06:36:00.000+01:00

In this month's issue of Atmosphères the food section is dedicated to 'desserts bijoux', but you, discerning reader, saw it here first.

PG does NOT stand for Purificacion Garcia

2005-10-31T17:49:00.000+01:00

PG is a debonaire young man. Aware of the things that life has to offer, you'll be sure to find him at farmer's markets buying organic fruits or in high-end stores having his suits stitched; he will crawl to visit the city's ruins or hold a conversation regarding the latest Vermeer show that recently opened in Spain.

To match his stand in life, Dionisolia has made a sophisticated milk and honey dessert, refined in its combination of flavours. The delicate honey cake contains a poached pear filling and a poire Williams liqueur syrup that completely soaks the lower half of the cake.

PG was the one who came up with Dionisolia's slogan 'Tailor-made desserts' and we hope we got his measures right.
Happy birthday!

What on earth are you talking about?

2005-10-26T04:39:00.000+02:00

Sponge - An accessory that you use when you shower or take a bath; also, a cake with many eggs and little or no fat

Angel - A winged being that is said to live in the sky; also, a cake that is airy and has a lot of volume resulting from the egg whites more than doubling their size in the oven

Merengue - The easiest of the latin dances; also, a cake based on egg whites being beaten with sugar

Joconde - The most famous of Leonardo da Vinci's paintings; also, an almond based light cake, usually the base for stand alone mousses

What's hot?

2005-10-24T17:04:00.000+02:00

Last week, upon mentioning the Dionisolia concept to a colleague, she asked the simplest of questions: 'If things are changing in the Desserterie Business, tell me what are the main trends these days?'
Desserts, like fashion, change over time and one should never be stuck in a particular era, if one is truly hedonist.
Surely, there are the classics; like a Kelly Bag, the chocolate mousse never goes out of style and you should always have a reliable caterer to it. But then, there are the desserts that were once classics and that are now completely out of style, like the Tiramisu. Maybe it will come back again, but for now, stay away from it!
The four main trends I would mention are the following:
- Individual portion desserts; catering to each person's taste is essential. There's less and less of a big dessert that serves a lot.
- Jewelry; people want elegance and exquisiteness on their plate. Less is more and small is beautiful.
- Sets of desserts that come together and have a common element keeping them togethre; playing with the same flavour, color or ingredient in a succession of desserts is encouraged.
- It's back to basics with all natural ingredients. Like linen, people are more into organic ingredients than ever before.

On the 21st day of October, my true love...

2005-10-21T20:12:00.000+02:00

Two years ago, on the 21st day of October, my true love and I spent the day exchanging one line emails. Statistics at the end of the day were as follows:

- Seven 1-line emails
- Three quotations
- Two questions
- One answer

As he put it 'Someone, mathematically speaking, had too much time on her hands', which is not the most elegant or friendliest way to put things and made me remain in my state of anger.
C., an innocent bystander on my side, was having the laugh of a lifetime.

Fast rewind - On the 17th day of October, my true love...

2005-10-20T05:35:00.000+02:00

Two years ago, on the 17th day of October my true love sent me his first just because email. I think.
And then again, maybe it was just that he really wanted the CD.

Fast rewind - On the 15th day of October, my true love…

2005-10-20T04:50:00.000+02:00

Two years ago, on the 15th of October I called my friend JJ in Denver and asked him what 'La did ah..' meant and what movie featured that expression. He said 'Lost in Yonkers' and that it certainly wasn't a compliment. I continued to be quite mad.
My true love then asked me for a Salsa CD which really shows that some people DO HAVE some nerve.
I, in turn, wrote a rhyming email thanking for the translation, which shows that once well mannered, always well mannered.
We agreed that we might have passed each other in the dance sphere some time before. Neither of us remembered the other which is just as well.

Fast rewind - On the 14th day of October, my true love...

2005-10-20T04:33:00.000+02:00

I just realized that I should have posted this 5 days ago :-(

Two years ago, on the 14th day of October my true love and I had a semi-professional meeting for the first time.
He helped me in the translation of the executive summary of a friend's masters thesis from Portuguese to English. He claims I made it up. I assure you I didn't.
I remember him wearing a burgundy vest and a scarf and wondering how it could be that at 6 in the evening after a day's work he still smelled like he had just taken a shower.
On my mention of having lived in Westchester, NY, he said 'La did ah..' with a scornful eye and tone.
We did not start off on the right foot!

The correct way to a business meeting (II)

2005-10-19T17:50:00.000+02:00

Sometimes even I surprise myself with the things I say. As it turns out, not only was my last post right from a 'Miss Manners' point of view, it was also right from a human psychology point of view!
Indeed, after having supplied both cookies and a big loaf cake to be sliced and served at the coffee break, people clearly went for the cookies, leaving the loaf cake for a later stage. And, mind you, it was not the taste that put them off. It was a lemony weekend cake and it was g-r-e-a-t!
The fact is that people prefer to take a couple of cookies and walk the room, rather than have a piece of cake that they bite into, piece by piece. It's uncomfortable because one never knows what it looks like and whether one's making a mess of the whole thing. People would rather play it safe, which is understandable...
When I started dating R. and the whole indian thing became a part of my life, I would repeat in a parrot like fashion throughout the days 'Teach me how to eat with my hands', 'Teach me how to eat with my hands', 'Teach me how to eat with my hands'... You get the point! And he would tell me that he doesnt know, that you just take a piece of the food and put it in your mouth, how difficult can it be? But still, it's not what I am used to do and so I would rather do it in a more controllable fashion (for me). Its the same with cookies, I would rather put one in my mouth than carry a slice of cake around the room.
Today, mostly for experimental reasons, a loaf cake will still be served, but it will be pre-sliced. Will it make people more comfortable?

The correct way to a business meeting

2005-10-19T01:25:00.000+02:00

The following are the simple rules to select what to serve during a business meeting's coffee break (just Donts no Dos):

1 - Do not serve anything with cream; it gets all over one's face and fingers and there's no elegant way to handle it while closing a deal or discussing a business strategy.
2 - Do not server anything too sweet; cookies or desserts thar are too sweet set a lazier mood and make people less sharp.
3 - Absolutely do not serve more than four (4) different cookies. People should not worry about what to chose next: focus is on work not on the food.
4 - Do not serve anything that is too elaborate. Would you wear ermine and pearls to your workplace?

As with everything, it is mostly common sense. My default tray includes: Shortbread (the little black dress of cookies), S. Bento (cinnamon), EggNog (with Hazelnut):

Weekend

2005-10-17T08:32:00.000+02:00

Quando saíu o primeiro livro da trilogia do Frederico Lourenço, disciplinei-me para não ler mais do que duas páginas por dia, porque me dava um prazer tão grande que o queria prolongar por tanto tempo quanto possivel. Ia para o trabalho de metro e lia da Alameda até Chelas; o resto do tempo, saboreava aquilo que já tinha lido e guardado para mim.
Este bolo (literalmente Weekend Cake) deve-se apreciar da mesma forma. Porque cada bocado vale por si e não deve tirar a vez ao seguinte; e sem disciplina, ia todo de uma vez.

PS. Desta vez em Português, especialmente para o A., que gosta pouco das traquitanas em inglês.

Sex and the City - buttercream

2005-10-12T06:49:00.000+02:00

Disclaimer: For those that expect this to be another 'Last Tango in Paris' + Butter blog, go back, you are in the wrong place. This is a blog about the power of placement marketing and my first attempt at buttercream.

Sex and the City was the show responsible for making Magnolia Bakery as big as it is. When Charlotte was seen stuffing an almost whole Magnolia cupcake in her mouth, while sitting on the street curb, a trend was started. Magnolia was an instant hit and is now an important stop in the SATC tours that are done daily in NYC.
As an independent offspring of Magnolia came Buttercup Bake Shop which then gave wings to Billy's Bakery and Sugar Sweet Sunshine Bakery. I could go on with offsprings, brothers, sisters and distant cousins.
New York City is no longer an apple, it is a cupcake.

So, not to be left behind any trends, I have attempted at any cupcake's most important part: the frosting! At a scary cake-frosting ratio, mastering the buttercream art is a must. Inspired by my mother's prized roses, here are some of my lemon buttercream still to be prized roses:

Qu'est-ce que c'est un macaron?

2005-10-07T08:02:00.000+02:00

Ever since I started being fascinated by cookies and desserts, I have aimed to bake a macaron. Actually, I have aimed to taste a macaron, a non-existent cookie in Lisbon (or so I thought). Like everything else, once you start thinking about it, you start seeing it everywhere. Every magazine, every food blog, they all, somehow, feature a macaron.
But I had it covered, we would be going to Paris soon, and there I would try THE macarons: Pierre Herme, Fauchon, Dollayaux...
Then, yesterday, we went out to dinner to the Carlton Palace where I indulged in a Chocolate Trilogy: chocolate cake/souffle, chocolate sorbet and a macaron!
And then... as with everything that you dream about everyday, once you have it you are bound to be disappointed. Nothing can live up to the expectations one creates.
Though R. thinks it was a perfect macaron I still think it was too hard, probably from the whites being beaten too much, with the skirt not melting in one's mouth. We had a pointless discussion around the macaron, which didn't get us anywhere (oh surprise!) because neither of us had had a macaron in the past and so we couldn't really tell whether it was good or not.
Fortunately, we'll always have Paris.

Aldeia Nova de S Bento

2005-10-03T15:30:00.000+02:00

In my father's town, the mostr traditional cookies are 'Ésses' and 'Pupias'. I've never especially liked 'Pupias' but have always loved 'Ésses'. For some time I've been experimenting until I got to something that is quite similar in taste and texture (though not in shape). Here is my tribute to the Aldeia Nova de S Bento cookies:

Intermezzo - Leite condensado

2005-10-01T04:50:00.000+02:00

Por um acaso qualquer descobri hoje a Patrícia, na Holanda. Com uma amizade mais intensa do que prolongada devo-lhe a ela a técnica que usei vezes sem conta para comer leite condensado em casa, sem ninguém dar por isso até ser tarde demais (As obsessões começam cedo).
Na época em que não havia código de barras, RFIDs ou qualquer outra coisa semelhante, e todos os produtos tinham uma etiqueta com o preço, podia-se fazer assim:
1. Fazer um furinho na lata com o abre-latas
2. Beber pelo buraquinho que assim se cria, até já não se aguentar mais por se estar completamente enjoado
3. Tapar com a etiqueta do preço
4. Repetir até terminar

Tenho a certeza de que esta pérola da sabedoria foi praticada por mais gente para além de nós as duas.
Obrigada e gulp!

Dionisolia's signature

2005-09-28T16:46:00.000+02:00

Our Velvet Chocolate Cake is to us, what Molten Chocolate is to Finale - a signature cake. We are requested(and delighted) to bake it over and over again. This is a rich chocolate cake that no beginner should venture into due to its possible side effects. Of a similar opus, the great french patissier Pierre Hermé had remarked (and I paraphrase) "...just press a piece of it against the top of your mouth and feel it melt, no need to even bite..."
If you want to go completely overboard, ask for the light ganache either tea or tarragon infused.
An adult cake that is always a crowd pleaser.

Red marks the spot

2005-09-27T23:02:00.000+02:00

LB who is an athletic and fashionable business man liked the idea of letting us bake his birthday cake with no restrictions whatsoever. Well, almost no restrictions. He abhores almond paste, which is just as well, because so do we. In fact, what we really like and find to be appropriate is playing with flavours that one doesnt usually find together and bringing them to unexpected compositions that surprise the recipient of the cake.
To match LB's view of life, we baked a lemon and berry cake, fully covered in lemon curd - a tangy note that explodes in your mouth!
For this September 27th, red marks the spot. Happy birthday!

Dionisólia FAQ

2005-09-22T10:42:00.000+02:00

Q - Can I order in advance?
A - Yes, we'll gladly take your order for your next event, even if it is a longtime away

Q - Can I order and get the cake in the same day?
A - We advise at least 24h notice, but if you totally forget to order, let us know and we'll see what we can do.

Q - How many desserts can I order at once?
A - We have no maximum on the number of cakes/desserts you can get, but for large orders we strongly advise ordering ahead of time to ensure that you get exactly what you want

Q - Is the dessert I order fresh?
A - Absolutely! We bake from scratch especially for you, once we receive your order. This way we ensure that you have the freshest cake possible

Q - Is the dessert I order ready to be eaten?
A - Yes. Look for the Care Instructions inside the box, once you get your cake; we sometimes advise additional steps such as heating it up a bit or offer serving suggestions

Q - Can I order something outside the portfolio?
A - Yes. Let us know the occasion for which you are looking for a dessert (and the ingredients you absolutely cannot stand) and we'll bake you something that fits your purpose and whim

Q - In the case of event cakes will you make special decorations, such as flowers or other themes?
A - Sorry but no. Dionisolia is a back-to-basics desserterie providing cakes that are flavourful, elegant and yet with a simple style; freshly made by real people.

Q - Do you try all your desserts?
A - Oh yes!

Dessert to keep friends but not overpower people

2005-09-21T18:01:00.000+02:00

P., who has an important friends+business dinner, has asked Dionisólia to bake dessert for the occasion. You can see how delicate these kind of dinners usually are: One must maintain friendship at all costs but still firmly set one's sphere of influence, without pushing any weight around.
So, we played with the concept in our heads for some time without really knowing what to do. We were looking for something umpretentious, that one would hardly give it any credit to, but that once tasted would have an unexpected and pleasant flavour (and texture) that made one think about it... over and over again.
O Amor das Três Laranjas came up when we decided that we wanted to bake a cake with three oranges and three separate ingredients that 'they would love'.
Looks so unassuming and yet look at how moist it actually is...

The Love of the three oranges - now available at Dionisólia.

PS. For those of you who think this looks like a Sooz Woodward title, you are, in a word, right. I am unashamedly a great fan of hers and my only regret is not having written down her 'Recipes I didn't get from my mother' when I could and should have...

Restaurants and Desserts

2005-09-19T17:28:00.000+02:00

Ever since I decided to start a Desserterie I am so much more critical and have such higher expectations regarding desserts in restaurants. I carefully consider taste, presentation, serving portions and even originality... who knows where the next standard is coming from?

On Saturday at lunch, time for Burfi in Tentações de Goa. This dessert is dangerously about to start being a favourite of mine. A thick paste, cut in small diamond shapes that you would think is egg yolks and sugar; actually, it is (was in that case) chickpeas, cocunut, milk and sugar. I am now anxiously awaiting an original recipe from Mrs P., directly from Goa!
On Saturday at dinner, time for Panna Cotta in 'Valentino'. This dessert which has always been a favourite of mine was somewhat of a let down. The dessert in itself was, perhaps, too sweet but decidedly good. So, why, one would ask, would they top it with artificial caramel straight out of a bottle and confectioners sugar? Why, wouldn't they use the usual red fruits coulis that gives the stingy taste to cut the sweetness?
And, while we're at it, why would they serve it as a rectangle as opposed to a little cheese shape (as Sao described it)?
Still, all in all, an excellent desserty weekend..

SHF - Dionisólia cooks the standards

2005-09-17T04:30:00.000+02:00

For my first participation in Sugar High Friday, kindly hosted by Elise of Simply Recipes, with Custard as a theme I thought I would go with the standards. Coming from a musical family I often heard the line 'There's no need for originality as long as one is authentic'.
So, here it is. One of Portugal's most famous and traditional desserts - Leite Creme - an opportunity to use some gifts from my great grand aunt and actually post a really easy recipe

1. Warm 0.5lt milk with lemon peel and cinnamon stick
2. Let it cool for a little bit and remove the lemon and cinnamon.
3. Ligthly beat 8 egg yolks with 180g sugar
4. Slowly mix in some milk into the yolks (do not do it the other way round or it will be ruined) until completely mixed
5. In a pan, slowly heat up the mixture until it has gained consistency. Remove from the heat and let it cool, prefereably over ice.
6. Sprinke with sugar and caramelize (I used the heart shaped iron in the picture)

Voilá!

Take a look at the round up here.

Dionisólia celebrates...

2005-09-15T10:54:00.000+02:00

To celebrate the opening of the newest and craftiest store in Lisbon,we have baked and shared our famous velvety chocolate cake.
Someone is happy he got a piece...

Size does matter

2005-09-13T09:40:00.000+02:00

No casamento dos meus tios, quando a minha tia começou a cortar o bolo de noiva, um amigo do meu tio comentou 'Manel, fizeste uma óptima escolha porque a tua mulher é muito económica, já viste como as fatias são tão finas?'.
Na verdade, há standards estabelecidos quanto ao número de pessoas que um bolo de determinado tamanho deve servir. Para todos os que acreditam que, de facto, o tamanho é importante, aqui ficam os dados e respectivas conversões:

Bolo de 6" (~15 cm) serve entre 4 e 8 pessoas
Bolo de 9" (~22 cm) serve entre 12 e 20 pessoas
Bolo de 12" (~30.5 cm) serve entre 30 e 40 pessoas

Ansiedade

2005-09-12T22:35:00.000+02:00

De forma recorrente regresso ao livro 'The anxiety of influence' de Harold Bloom. Também eu tenho dificuldade em reconhecer e acreditar que as minhas ideias são inéditas e não resultado das múltiplas influências a que me encontro constantemente exposta.
Pelo contrário, não tenho dúvidas em identificar a origem das cores da Dionisólia: os amarelos e os cor-de-rosa, direitinhos da capa de um dos meus discos preferidos, que acaba por ser também um modo de vida que se deseja - boa e simples.

C-h-o-c-o-l-a-t-e

2005-09-12T07:49:00.000+02:00

Com os chocolates alemães na cabeça e na barriga, pus-me a pensar nas perguntas que normalmente fazem nos concursos de televisão de cultura geral. Algumas respostas sei, outras nem por isso; mas principalmente sei muitas coisas que eles nunca perguntam.
- Qual a temperatura certa para derreter chocolate?
- O que é que se deve acrescentar aos bolos de chocolate de forma a que o sabor se torne mais intenso?
- O que é que faz com que a cobertura de chocolate fique brilhante?
Ou ainda
- Qual a melhor marca de chocolate para culinária?
Para a última diz-se que não há respostas certas. Mas há duas marcas que são mencionadas recorrentemente: Valrhona e Scharffen Berger.
Eu prefiro a primeira, mas para já do que gosto mesmo é da minha prenda...

Torrado e canelado

2005-09-11T04:48:00.000+02:00

Com o problema de não ter caixas de espécie nenhuma a tomar proporções ridículas, resolvi criar eu mesma um modelo base e depois levá-lo às tipografias/gráficas. Parece fácil, mas não é.
Em pequena, eu e o meu pai resolvemos montar um cabide para tampas da tupperware. Era um artefacto simples; três parafusos na parede de um armário e já está. Perdemos um, partimos outro e, felizmente, um foi suficiente para manter o cabide seguro.
Criar uma caixa de cartão é, para mim, uma tarefa hérculea, como qualquer trabalho manual.

Não tem nada de especial a não ser a cor. Com sorte e trabalho, daqui a uns tempos este amarelo (+ rosa) terá associações tão fortes como as caixas cor de rosa (+ preto) à Fauchon, as verdes à Kate Spade ou as azul mar à Tiffanys.
Amarelo torrado Dionisólia.

Barbearia Campos Revisited

2005-09-09T08:38:00.000+02:00

No Esquire Handbook for Hosts, na secção 'How attractive are you to women?', a oitava pergunta é:

'How many times a week do you shave?'
Cuja resposta é, naturalmente, 'Once a day is minimum if you care what women think of you'.

E assim se conclui que independentemente da qualidade do trabalho da Barbearia, todos os dias se lá deve voltar.
Barbados do meu país, todos à Barbearia Campos!

Pérolas

2005-09-08T02:18:00.000+02:00

A LouisVuitton fá-lo nos seus City Guides, a Zagat faz isso e muito mais e o Clive James tinha um programa que eu não perdia por nada e que sempre recomendei com grande entusiasmo.
Por isso fiquei tão surpreendida com o comentário de que há pequenos segredos em qualquer cidade que é melhor não serem partilhados nem conhecidos. Eu, pelo contrário, quero sempre saber onde comprar as melhores conservas e encontrar estupeta de atum, qual é o alfaiate tradicional mais exclusivo, onde é que se pode mandar fazer sapatos por medida e até onde é que há Tarte Tatin que se derrete na boca. Pequenas pérolas de sabedoria que melhoram a vida.
A Barbearia Campos é um desses sítios (dizem-me, que eu nunca lá fui...). Onde a barba é feita tão rente e o resultado tão suave que se fica sem preocupações para os próximos três dias. No Largo do Chiado, um clássico para os hedonistas da cidade.
No que toca à Tarte Tatin, não há que ter dúvidas, é na Dionisólia...

Tarte Tatin - a manhã na Dionisólia

2005-09-06T23:29:00.000+02:00

Os meses de Setembro de 2004 a Agosto de 2005 passei-os quase todos a dizer que queria ter uma sobremesaria, um local de eleição para comer tartes, bolos, bolinhos, doces de colher, docinhos, cupcakes e tudo o mais... O M. com a sua paciência não infinita a partir de certa altura começou a perguntar em tom já mais ou menos farto quando é que aparecia efectivamente a Dionisólia. Bem, virtualmente já cá está. E no mundo real, está mesmo a rebentar não tarda nada.
A Tarte Tatin foi o tema da conversa desta manhã, com o P. a contar-nos que tinha sido a mulher a ensinar-lhe o que era, o que, para um francês não é particularmente abonatório. Para mim, que fui definitivamente conquistada no quarto ou quinto 'date' com uma fatia de bebinka, ainda morna e que se derretia na boca, isto dos bolos característicos de cada país tem muito que se lhe diga...
Tarte Tatin... deliciosa apesar de ser ao contrário de tudo o que é norma no mundo culinário. Ou se calhar por isso mesmo...