Chez Ma Cuisine

The End, but a New Beginning

02/06/2010 by Nisia

January 27^th was supposed to be just a normal day on Nisia’s life. Wake up early, breakfast, drink coffee, go to the university, work, get home, do homework, talk to my boyfriend and go to bed.

However, that day I decided to watch Oprah’s show, I had no idea that from that day on I would never look at food the same way again.

Her show was about food and health. Michael Pollan was there talking about his book, The Food Rules, and they showed a little bit of Food, INC., a documentary about food in the United States. Alicia Silverstone also talked to Oprah over skype about her life being vegan, and her book, The Kind Diet. I was so impressed with so much information they shared that on that very same day I bought both the DVD and Alicia’s book.

Since then, I stopped eating meat, and I am also trying to become a vegan. I’ve stopped drinking coffee, and I am not eating sugar anymore. I know it is going to be a tough beginning, but I know that I am going to enjoy this new journey. I am sad to say good bye to Chez Ma Cuisine, but I am not the same person I was when I started this blog. I will always love Julia Child, because if wasn’t for her I don’t think I would have ever developed my love for food and cooking. I also love blogging, but it is too soon for me to start blogging about vegan food or diet since I know so little right now. But maybe I’ll try a new vegan blog a year from now, when I am more familiar with the subject.

I guess that’s it, and if I could give you one advice is: Watch Food, INC. It is a must see and that might change your life for the better! And also check Alicia’s website out.

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Double Coriander Eggplant Tagine

01/26/2010 by Nisia

I also got this recipe from the Vegetarian Times from October 2008. But for this one I made a few changes from the original recipe. Love it!

Eggplant Tagine

2 Tbs. olive oil

1 ½ Tbs. butter

1 yellow onion peeled, and thinly sliced

4 cloves of garlic, minced

1 large eggplant diced

2 tsp. ground coriander

2 tsp. ground cumin

2 tsp. honey

3 shakes cayenne pepper

1 28-oz can chopped tomatoes

¼ cup chopped cilantro

Salt and pepper to taste

Cilantro Yogurt Sauce

1 cup plain yogurt

1/3 cup chopped cilantro

1 Tbs. olive oil

1 tsp. sugar

Heat the oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic; sauté for 5 minutes or until softened. Add eggplant, coriander, cumin, honey, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper to taste. Sauté for 5 more minutes. Add tomatoes, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes; the eggplant should be tender and the sauce thicker. Stir in cilantro, and correct seasoning.
To make the cilantro yogurt sauce: purée all ingredients in a food processor.

It took me 30 minutes to prepare, plus cooking time, which is maybe 30 more minutes. Serves 3.

Posted in Eggplant, Tagine, Vegetarian | Leave a Comment »

Chickpea Tagine with Cinnamon, Cumin, and Carrots

01/21/2010 by Nisia

I don’t know about you but sometimes I read a recipe and keep it until who knows when. This recipe I took it from Vegetarian Times in October 2008, only to make this delicious tagine 15 months later. How delicious and hearty this North African dish is.

2 Tbs. olive oil

1 small onion, thinly sliced

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 14.5-oz cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained

3 medium carrots, peeled and thinly sliced

¼ cup raisins

1 tsp. ground turmeric

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 tsp. ground cumin

¼ tsp. cayenne pepper

2 tsp. honey

2 cups water

½ cup plain yogurt

3 Tbs. finely chopped cilantro (the original recipe had parsley instead)

Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, sauté 2 to 3 minutes, or until onion slices are soft. Stir in chickpeas, carrots, raisins, spices, honey, and water. Cover and simmer 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper.
Serve tagine in bowls garnished with dollops of yogurt and sprinkle with cilantro.

It took me 30 minutes to prepare plus the cooking time. Serves 4.

Posted in Grains, Tagine, Vegetarian | 1 Comment »

A Break…

01/10/2010 by Nisia

I am still cooking whenever I get a chance, but my last semester of school is really tough. I’m not having as much time as I would like to blog about my passion. I don’t know when I’ll be back, so I’ll see you when I’ll see you!

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Biscuits au Sucre – Christmas Cookies – Part I

12/24/2009 by Nisia

Believe it or not this was my first time baking Christmas cookies. We don’t have this tradition in Brazil; actually, the way we celebrate Christmas in Brazil is quite different from the way it is celebrated here.

In Brazil we have a big dinner on Christmas Eve, and at midnight we exchange gifts. The variety of food we eat is very broad. We have turkey, rice, potato salad, stuffing, a lot of fruits, cakes, puddings and the list goes on and on…

Anyways, I was very excited about baking cookies this Christmas. I baked for my boyfriend’s parents, and Andy helped me to decorate the cookies, which he did perfectly.

I got this recipe from Bouchon by Thomas Keller, page 306:

8 tablespoons (4 ounces) unsalted butter, softened

¼ cup plus 1 teaspoon confectioners’ sugar

1 vanilla bean, split

About 1 cup all-purpose flour

¼ cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

To make these cookies I used a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Combine the butter and confectioner’s sugar and beat until blended. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean with a paring knife, add the seeds to the bowl, and mix until well combined. Add about ¾ cup flour and mix until combined. Continue to add flour until the dough comes together in a smooth mass and no longer sticks to the sides of the bowl. Wrap the dough in a plastic wrap and refrigerate for about an hour to firm up slightly. (The dough can be frozen for up to a month.)

Dust a pastry board with flour. Halve the dough and roll each piece into a log 6 ½ to 7 inches long and about 1 inch in diameter. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate until firm enough to slice. (The dough can be frozen for up to a month.)

Put a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 325 F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. If the logs have been frozen, let them stand at room temperature until soft enough to cut without crumbling.

Mix the granulated sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Cut each log into 16 to 18 slices about 3/8 inch thick. Coat each slice with the cinnamon sugar and lace on the baking sheets.

Bake, in two batches, for about 20 minutes, or until light golden. Transfer to racks to cool. Store in an airtight container.