Icelandic Torte - Vinarterta

This dessert is an Icelandic dessert - in honor of the Ice Palace in Iceland in Die Another Day!

Icelandic Torte (Vinarterta)

Ingredients
2 pkt (12-Oz) prunes -- Pitted, Dried
2 cup water
3/4 cup Sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 tsp Caramom Seed -- Crushed
1/4 tsp salt

TORTE LAYER
4 cup all-purpose flour -- Sifted
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup butter -- Softened
1 cup Sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 x eggs
1/4 cup milk

TO SERVE
confectioner's sugar
whipped cream

Directions

Make Filling: In a 3 quart saucepan, place prunes and 2 cups water; heat to boiling. Reduce heat, and simmer, covered, 30 minutes, or until prunes are very tender.
Drain prunes, reserving liquid. Chop prunes finely. Add 3/4 cup granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla; the cardamom, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 cup reserved cooking liquid; mix until ingredients are well blended. Set aside to cool.

Make torte layers: Sift flour with baking powder and salt. In a large bowl, with electric mixer at high speed, beat butter with granulated sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. At low speed, add flour mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Refrigerate dough until chilled and easy to handle-about 20 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Divide dough into 7 equal pieces. For each layer, invert an 8-inch round layer cake pan. Flatten a piece of dough with hands; place on pan; pat to fit. Then gently roll to make layer even; trim edge if necessary. Keep pieces of dough refrigerated until ready to use. Bake 15 to 20 minutes, or until edge is golden brown. Carefully remove to wire rack; let cool.

To assemble: Place one layer on serving plate; spread with about 1/2 cup filling. Repeat with 5 more layers and remaining filling. Set last layer on top. Cover completely with plastic film or foil. Refrigerate at least 24 hours, to mellow. To serve: Sprinkle top with confectioners Sugar. Cut in thin slices. Pass whipped cream. Return unused portion to refrigerator.

Vanilla Slice - Krempita

In honor of Casino Royale, this is a dessert popular in Southeastern Europe -- where the Casino Royale itself took place, in Montenegro.

Vanilla Slice - Krempita

2 sheets of puff pastry

1.5 l / 6 1/3 cups milk
150 g / 5 ¼ oz corn starch
3 packets (9g each) vanilla sugar

To make Vanilla Sugar without having to use Vanilla Beans (Which are rare and expensive in Grocery Stores) just use Vanilla Extract and Sugar in a ratio of one teaspoon of Vanilla Extract to every two cups of regular granulated sugar. Then spread the well mixed vanilla sugar on a baking pan lined with wax paper to dry.

8 egg yolks
200 g / 7 oz sugar
8 oz whipping cream + 1 stabilizer (gelatin)

Let the puff pastry sheets thaw, the roll them out on a lightly floured surface, and bake according to directions on a jelly roll pan. Let them cool, and then cut out the shape according to the size of the square pan you will use. I used 9 inch x 13 inch. Once you cut them to the shape of the pan, cut one sheet into squares (I made 12); that will be the top of the cake.

Cream: Mix egg yolks with sugar, until frothy. Add a cup of milk (out of the 6 1/3 cups), and corn starch, and mix well. Set the reminder of milk with vanilla sugar added, to boil, and when it comes to a boil, slowly mix in the yolk mixture, and stir constantly for a minute. Transfer to a large mixing bowl, and let cool completely. When cooled, add the whipped whipping cream, whipped with a stabilizer.

Now put the whole sheet on the bottom of the pan, and spread the filling over it. Arrange the cut out sheet on top. Refrigerate for few hours before serving. Dust with powdered sugar.
Instead of the top sheet of puff pastry, you can put whipped cream, and so on. Suit yourself, and enjoy : )

Sushi

Below are the basic ingredients for sushi.  You can then buy fillings of your choice to make various delicious rolls. 

I highly suggest Sushi Day for inspiration and recipes...there's even some rolls with BACON! (Bacon Crunchy Shrimp Roll and Kristen Maki). 

Pioneer Woman has an awesome tutorial with really good pictures (very helpful if you're a visual person like I am!) on how to create your rolls.  There's also a few good recipes on there as well.

Mmmm...good thing Emily took pictures of my rolls because I forgot to!

As I wasn't sure how adventures our group of Dinner Clubbers would be, I opted for all cooked (and inside out so you can't see the nori (seaweed) - out of sight, out of mind right?) maki rolls.  For my rolls, I made the standard California Roll and then did some Spicy Crab Rolls and just a few Shrimp Rolls.

Sushi Rice
(Source: Cody the Sushi Chef as seen on Pioneer Woman)

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Yields: 8 cups cooked rice or about 16 rolls

Ingredients

• 4 cups Short Grain/sushi Rice, uncooked
• 1 cup Rice Wine Vinegar
• ½ cups Sugar
• ¼ cups Sake Or Mirin (a Japanese Rice Wine)

Note: Used seasoned rice wine vinegar instead of sushi su (vinegar + sugar + sake).

Instructions

“Rice Prep”

1. Use short or medium-grain rice. It’s more starchy and round than the long-grain variety, which just won’t hold together well enough to support ingredients in sushi. Many stores now sell specifically-labeled “sushi rice”.
2. Before you cook it, wash/rinse the rice until the water runs totally clear—about five or six times. If you don’t thoroughly rinse the rice, it’ll end up in a big, sticky ball. There’s enough internal starch in the rice for it to sufficiently hold together for sushi, so get all the stuff on the outside off by rinsing well.
3. Use a rice cooker/steamer. Rice made on the stovetop will not work for sushi; it won’t be the right consistency. Rice cookers are widely available for as low as $12.
4. Add the rinsed rice to the rice cooker with equal parts water, and follow the directions for the rice cooker. After it’s done, transfer the cooked rice to a large mixing bowl.

You’ll need 1 part sushi su for every 4 parts rice.

Sushi Su/Sushi Rice:

1. Heat vinegar, sugar, and sake or mirin in a saucepan just to dissolve and combine. Allow to cool to room temperature. (Note: skipped this step as I just subbed pre-made seasoned rice wine vinegar)
2. Cook rice according to rice cooker directions. Transfer to large mixing bowl.
3. Pour su (vinegar mixture) over the rice, gently folding to incorporate.
4. Let rice stand for 10 minutes, then fold again.

Rice should be shiny, not mushy and have a slightly tart/sweet taste. Cover with a warm, wet towel and keep warm.

Spicy Mayonnaise
(Source: Group Recipes)

Ingredients

• ½ cup (low-fat) mayonnaise
• 2 Tbsp Sriracha hot sauce
• ¼ tsp roasted sesame oil

Directions

1. Whisk the ingredients together until well blended.
2. Store in fridge until ready to use.  Use in rolls or as a dipping/drizzled sauce.

California Rolls
(Source: Pioneer Woman)

Ingredients and Supplies

• 1 piece Makisu (bamboo Rolling Mat)
• Dark Green Nori (dried Seaweed)
• Sushi Rice (recipe above)
• Imitation Crab (round leg style)
• Avocado, Thinly Sliced
• Cucumber (Japanese, If Available), Thinly Sliced
• Toasted Sesame Seeds
• Soy sauce, for dipping
• Wasabi, if desired (used prepared Wasabi in a tube that I bought at Kroger)
• Ginger, if desired

Instructions

1. First, in order to keep your rice from sticking to the Makisu and making a terrible mess, carefully wrap the Makisu in plastic cling wrap.
2. To begin, fold the pieces of nori in half to split them. Nori is very delicate, so as soon as you press along the seam, it easily breaks in two. Next, lay the half-sheets of nori on the work surface and grab a handful (about a ½ cup) of sushi rice and cover one side of a half-sheet of nori with it. To do so, first set the rice on the end of the nori sheet closest to you. Then, working with your fingertips and/or knuckles, gently spread the rice over the surface of the nori.
3. On California Rolls, the rice is typically on the outside – not the inside – so to begin, quickly flip the rice-coated sheet of nori so that the rice side is down. Carefully position it horizontally so it will roll lengthwise. Next, place a single row of the crab across the middle of the nori. Next, place slices of avocado end to end right against the crab. It’s best to use an avocado that’s ripe but still quite firm. Lastly, lay the very thin (slightly thicker than a matchstick) cucumber slices end-to-end right alongside the crab and avocado.
4. To roll the sushi, carefully lift the edge of the mat closest to you, begin rolling the mat away from you, pressing it lightly to keep it firm. At this point, the end of the roll has been rolled upward, and your very light pressure is ensuring that they roll will remain nice and tight. Next, lift up the end of the rolling mat and pull it away from you, allowing the roll to roll the rest of the mat. Then carefully remove the roll from the mat and place it on a cutting board. Lay the mat over the top of the roll and exert gentle pressure once more to make sure it’s all secure.
5. Next, hold the roll on the mat and sprinkle the top with toasted sesame seeds. Slice using a very sharp knife, first running the knife through a damp dishtowel with the blade facing away from you. Begin by slicing the roll exactly in half. Then set the two halves side-by-side to slice into individual pieces. This ensures that each piece will be a uniform size.
6. Wrap in plastic cling and store in refrigerator until ready to serve.  Serve with soy sauce, wasabi, and pickled ginger, if desired.

For the Spicy Crab Rolls I just shredded some imitation crab and then mixed with the spicy mayonnaise.  Added some avocado and cucumber.  For the Shrimp Rolls I used cocktail shrimp (cut in half lengthwise), a dab of spicy mayo, carrots, and avocado.

Pajeon - Korean Pancake!

Pajeon- Korean Pancake

Adapted from whats4eats and DavidLebovitz

Another Actual pic! Order this up at most Korean places as an app! Or just eat it as a snack-meal! You can put anything you want in it- we picked seafood, but you can put kim chi, meat, anything! (i was just thinking about it, don't try fruit or chocolate or candy pieces)

Ingredients: (Makes one 9-inch (23cm) pancake)

1/2 cup (70g) all-purpose flour

1/2 cup (125ml) ice-cold water

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 large or extra-large egg, lightly beaten

1 bunch of scallions

a spoonful of soy sauce

optional: dried red pepper slices

additional: prawns, squid, crab, chicken, corn, bits of seaweed, tofu, mushroom slices, kimchi, asparagus slices, or some other cooked or shredded vegetables

Procedure

Tip - I find a non-stick skillet yields best results, but if you use a cast iron, be sure to add enough oil to prevent the pancake from sticking. I use relatively high heat since I want a nice, browned crust.

1. Stir together the flour, water and salt until just mixed.

2. Chop the green parts of the scallions into 3-inch (10cm) lengths. Reserve the white parts for another use

3. Heat a thin layer of vegetable oil in a 9 or 10-inch (23-26cm) skillet, preferably non-stick, until hot. Fry the scallions until they're completely cooked through and soft. Add a touch of soy sauce to the pan when they're almost done, to season the scallions.

4. If using other ingredients, any vegetables, kimchi, or prawns—what have you‐add them now, then toss a few times to heat them through.

5. Pour the pancake batter over the scallions (and other stuff in the pan), spreading the batter, and cook a few minutes until the bottom is nice and brown underneath. Lift the edge to peek.

6. Pour the beaten egg on top then swirl the pan to even out the egg a bit, still keeping it pretty uneven. Distribute the dried pepper strands over the egg, if using, and cook until the egg is just beginning to firm near the edges.

7. Using a wide spatula, flip the pancake and cook for another minute or two until the egg is set and preferably crispy at the edges. (I tend it cook it pretty well, although I like hard-cooked fried eggs, which I know ain't "gourmet", so use your judgment.)

5. Slide pancake onto a cutting board, then cool to room temperature. Cut into six or eight wedges, and serve with dipping sauce made by mixing 3 parts soy sauce with 1-2 parts rice vinegar and a few drops of sesame oil. A bit of chile oil can also be added.

Pao de queijo - Brazillian Cheese Bread

"Pao de queijo"- Brazillian Cheese Bread

Adapted from comments from whats4eats

If you've ever been to Brazillian steakhouse/meat buffet, you've had these awesome cheese balls before eating and know they are addictive. Here they are in your own kitchen!

Actual picture!!

Ingredients:

1 lb (450 - 500 g) Polvilho azedo (Sour or fermented Tapioca/Cassava flour)

[We found this in Jungle Jim's as Manoic flour in the Brazil/Hispanic section, whatever that is]

1 cup (240 mL) whole milk

1 cup (240 mL) filtered water

3 medium eggs beaten

1 tsp (5 mL) common salt

1/2-cup (120 mL) cooking oil

6-8 oz Parmesan cheese (grated)

Procedure:

1. Mix milk, water, oil, and salt well in a large metallic container.

2. Bring it to boil. Turn off heat.

3. Mix polvilho well with a wooden spoon/spatula. Let it cool so you can knead. [At least 10-15 minutes, if you can let it cool longer, it will be easier to handle and the puffs turn puffier]

4. Add beaten eggs and knead until smooth. It'll be too sticky. Have patience.

5. Gradually mix cheese until the dough stops sticking in your hand. Knead well.

6. Make 1-inch balls and place them on a baking pan with some space between them for expansion.

7. Pre-heat oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit and put the pan on the bottom rack.

8. Let it cook for 20 to 30 minutes depending on the size of the ball until slightly brown.

[Made about 40 puffs]

Golden Cheddar and Broccoli Soup

Source: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Broccoli-Cheese-Soup-VII/Detail.aspx

Ingredients
1-2/3 (10 ounce) packages frozen broccoli
4 cups and 2 tablespoons milk
4 cups and 2 tablespoons cubed processed cheese
1/2 cup and 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1-2/3 cups heavy cream
1-2/3 cubes chicken bouillon
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions:
1. Place broccoli in a medium saucepan with just enough water to cover. Cook until tender, about

8 minutes. Set aside and do not drain water.
2. In a large saucepan, heat milk. Blend in the flour and cheese until smooth. Stir in the cream

and bouillon cube. Add the broccoli and it's water to the mixture and season with salt and

pepper. Heat soup to warm and serve immediately.