Tarte à la Tomate

That means tomato tart in French. :) This recipe is courtesy of the Eynaud family! I always had the notion that the best breads and pastries came from "authentic" French bakeries, but I was proved wrong when I had the chance to try this homemade tomato tart hot and fresh from the oven. There's nothing like taking the first bite of cookie, cake, or tart as soon as it is removed from the oven!

For this tomato tart....
The ingredients:

THE PIE CRUST

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup unsalted butter, cold, cubed
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 4 to 6 Tbsp cold water

FILLING

• 2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
  
• one pack grated gruyere cheese
  
• 2-4 tomatoes (depending on size)
  
• salt and pepper for seasoning
  
• herbs of Provence, for seasoning
  

We begin with washing the tomatoes.

And then slicing them into thin slices as shown.
After preparing the pie crust by mixing all the above ingredients and rolling it out, we can carefully place it into our pie pan.
Cut off the excess pie crust from the edges and pat down evenly. Pierce the bottom of the crust a few times with a fork.
The fun part! Now, we can start adding the ingredients - beginning with two spoonfuls of Dijon mustard, evenly spread out.

Then, sprinkle on a generous amount of shredded gruyere cheese.Layer the sliced tomatoes over the cheese.

Then season with salt, pepper, and herbs of Provence. Not too much will be required since the Dijon mustard already provides a strong flavor.
Bake in the oven at about 350 degrees for approximately 40 minutes.

Slice to serve and enjoy!

- Candice

Bandai's Releasing a Toy Pot Sticker Maker

More info here.

They've also released a somen noodle bamboo slide last April-



I can't wait to see what they'll come up with next

-Angela

ChowMama & ChowBaby

How does 'organic baby food' sound?

Whether you're beyond your toddler years or easing into your golden ones, after browsing through ChowMama and ChowBaby, by Michelle Chrisman and Stacie Billis, it will start to sound pretty good.





-Angela

Tawainese Egg Pancake

Something to crave from the Taiwanese night markets! In Chinese, 蛋餅! A very thin pancake filled with egg and anything else you can desire, such as pork fu, cheese, green onion, and ham. This goes for 30-35NT in Taiwan!




I didn't have the opportunity to eat this again until I discovered that the Asian supermarket sold these Taiwanese pancakes! (For less than $2, in all varieties!)

It's so easy to make! Simply crack an egg onto your skilletAdd the pancake by placing it directly onto the egg.
Flip when slightly browned. Garnish with whatever you wish! I used cheese.
Let it heat for another thirty seconds, and it's done. Fold it in half and serve with oyster sauce.
I like making this for a quick snack or meal because it always takes less than five minutes. :P

- Candice

Why Certain Foods Are/Aren't On the Shelves

I've been meaning to go see "FOOD INC.", a documentary on the food industry, by Robert Kenner.

Here's a trailer:







Unfortunately I''ve been fairly busy, so I will give my spcheel about it hopefully sometime soon. Until then, here's a vastly interesting video hosted by Peter Jennings pertaining to the consequences and controversies over the food industry.

FYI
I am not trying to nudge people and advocate anything reactionary, like, oh say, the swine flu scare. We've always known the industrialized diet has its consequences; here's just some more insight that will hopefully inspire some positive change, big or small.







-Angela

Couscous!

Couscous, known as "kuskus" in Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, and Egypt, can be described as a cross between rice and pasta. It is eaten as a staple food in Africa and the Middle East, as rice is in other Asian countries. Preparation varies depending on preference or country. Couscous can be served alone, in broth, cold or warm, as a side dish, main dish, or dessert. I like it best when served alone (mixed with some butter), and when it's light and fluffy. It can be served like a salad in a dish called taboule, mixed with various vegetables.

It is fairly simple to prepare, just as pasta is. I had the opportunity to try out this recipe during a camping trip, which proved that with limited ingredients and just a stove, you can prepare a delicious couscous dish.





I also prepared a side dish of bruschetta.



You just add the couscous to boiling water, and wait for it to expand. After 8-10 minutes, I added a massive amount of vegetables, including zuccini, tomatoes, and carrots, as well as some proscuitto.

Mix well and wait for the veggies and meat to cook! I decided to be creative and added curry powder to the second pot.

The finished result! As you can see, I made way too much, but that just meant more leftovers...:P


- Candice