29 August 2012

Italia...

♥ Ceri makes...  has just returned from a perfect family holiday in Italia to celebrate my Granny's 85th birthday!  A week full of sightseeing,  basking in the sun and most importantly LOTS of amazing food!

For the main event  -  Granny's birthday we had a very special evening at La Corte del Lupo just a hop and a skip from my Aunty and Uncle's house.  We started with a delicious antipasti of organic salami and proscuitto farmed and cured at La Lupo.  Primi was egg free pasta with fresh tomatoes and aubergines;  Secondi was veal with a mushroom sauce cooked gently in milk;  Desert was a homemade biscuit base with chantilly style yoghurt and a raspberry compote.  Perfection!  All washed down of course with lots of birthday prosecco,  wine,  espresso and grappa!


Another foodie highlight was an evening spent at Agriturismo Sole Nascenti.  A typical Italian set up where you just turn up and are served course upon course of delicious food.  To name but a few we ate bruschetta,  salami,  melon and parma ham,  fritatta,  spinach pancakes,  tempura zucchini,  gnocchi,  truffle tagliatelle,  ravioli,  wood pigeon,  tripe,  veal,  tiramisu...!


Another delicious supper at La Corte del Lupo...  Liver with cresha and spinach,  pasta with a creamy zucchini and pancetta sauce,  salsicce all'uva and chocolate fondant.


Heavenly!

♥ Ceri makes... xx

Freni e Frizioni...

♥ Ceri makes...  found  (...helped by my city guidepal app!)  a perfect spot in Rome for a cocktail and some aperitivo after a hard day of sightseeing!  Freni e Frizioni is well placed bar in the heart of Travestere.  There are heaps of delicious cocktails to be drunk from the menu,  I had a lovely Russian spring punch...

 

Aperitivo is served here from 7pm and you can just help yourselves!  There was a delicious selection of salads, pastas and breads being topped up as the evening went on...


A must do stop off  'when in Rome'!

♥ Ceri makes...  xx

21 August 2012

Flourless Chocolate Cake...

♥ Ceri makes...  as promised here is the recipe for my first Balham Cake Off  challenge - a gluten free bake...

Flourless Chocolate Cake with Kirsch Soaked Morello Cherries.


How to make at home...

♥ 225g caster sugar                    
♥ 300g plain chocolate
♥ 225g unsalted butter             
♥ 6 eggs, seperated 
♥ 1 tsp vanilla extract                
♥ 180ml strong cafetiere coffee, or to taste

♥ Plus a 23cm round springform cake tin

♥ Preheat an oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas Mark 4
♥ Grease and line your cake tin
In a food processor pulse the chocolate and sugar until fine
Mix in the egg yolks, butter, vanilla extract and coffee
In a seperate bowl whisk the egg whites until they form stiff white peaks
♥ Gently fold the egg whites into the chocolate mix
♥ Pour into the cake tin and bake for 45-55 minutes or until a crack forms on the top of the cake
Once cooled the cake will sink a little bit, but do not worry this is normal!  If you aren't serving until later pop it in the fridge to keep fresh

♥ To make the cake a bit more special
          Soak half a carton of morello cherries in a few generous splashes of kirsch or to taste
            When ready to serve spoon the kirsch cherries onto the centre of the cake

Enjoy! x

♥ Ceri makes... 

19 August 2012

Balham Cake Off, Round ONE...

♥ Ceri makes...  so Sunday marked the beginning of the five part Balham Cake Off hosted by Trinity Stores Cafe and Deli.  The challenge for this week was to bake a gluten free cake.  Not your average bake!  After some deliberation I decided chocolate was the way forwards and whipped up a Flourless Chocolate Cake with Kirsch Soaked Morello Cherries.  Yummy!  Recipe to follow so keep checking the blog!

Here are some of the delicious looking entries...


Pop into Trinity Stores for one of the upcoming challenges,  dates below.  If you mention my blog I will even give you a taster of my entry!


See you there x

♥ Ceri makes xx

A Country Pub...

♥ Ceri makes...  had a lovely weekend at home to celebrate one of my oldest friend's Rachel's birthday.  All six of my girls from school and I strolled along the country lane from Rachel's mum's house to The Salutation Inn.  The pub has recently been taken over by the very welcoming new team headed up by Dave and Eva.  It is cosy but still super spacious inside with a beautiful high beamed barn ceiling.  The large restaurant area indicates this pub is very much focused on good food,  a quick browse of the locally sourced menu is enough to confirm this.


The girls and I eagerly awaiting our supper...


Some of the delicious food at our table...


My personal choice,  the duck,  most definitely scores ten out of ten from me.  Other popular choices included the hake and the pork belly,  yummy!

A must visit spot if you are exploring the beautiful Cotswolds village of Castle Combe and surrounding areas!

♥ Ceri makes xx