Azoresgal~Life on an Island

 This hot chocolate is not an everyday mug of cocoa. It's a thick, dark, decadent, rich mug of chocolate.  A mug of love, almost like a big huge warm hug, to share with your friends and family, now that the weather has gotten much colder, and Christmas is around the corner. Grate 50g of dark chocolate into a saucepan containing 250ml of milk approaching the boil. Stir until the chocolate has dissolved and the drink has slightly thickened. Stir in sugar to taste, depending on how sweet your chocolate was. Spoon in a tablespoon of double cream if you wish, and serve. Enough for one. I chopped my chocolate, then whisked it in, I used skim milk & I did not add in any extra sugar........... then went ahead and topped it with, whipped cream, and candy canes. xo,Diana 

Quince looks a bit like it's cousins the apple and the pear. It´s oval and irregular, with a fuzzy coating on its yellow skin which is sometimes mistaken for mold. It is hard textured and  if eaten raw it will make you squirm, it’s inedible. Quince releases into the air, a perfume, a floral,tropical scent that is incredible. Almost makes you want to eat the scent from the air. While my quinces sat in the kitchen, for a couple of days, I could not help and take a whiff of them  my children stared at me like I was crazy  everytime I walked past the fruit bowl. Ancient Romans used the flowers and fruit of the quince tree for everything from perfume to honey. It was also considered a symbol of love and given to one's intended as a sign of commitment, and it has also been  suggested, that in the garden of Eden, Eve's fruit of temptation might have been a quince, and not an apple.  When I bought my quince, our young Quince tr...

I am over the moon, about the opening of a gourmet shop in the city. This morning after getting my kiddos to school, I headed into Praia da Vitoria, to visit  Sabores do Chef Gourmet. I felt like a kid in a candy store. The shop is  lovely, with so many wonderful products, mind you they just opened, and are still awaiting the arrival of more goodies. The shelves are stocked with  sauces,  patés, various types of sea salt, packages of pasta, bags of different mixes and many teas. There is a huge selection of crackers, jams and cheese.  If chocolate is your weakness, there are various kinds to choose from, and of course bottles of bubbly and wine to wash it down with. When you finish your shopping, there is a wonderful sandwich menu to choose from, and of course some delicous baked goods, from cupcakes, to tartlettes, or you could always just sit and enjoy a cup of hot chocolate or coffee in this charming new shop. The only thing I can do now is wis...

This is a simple and quick easy meatloaf recipe you can put together, and get into the oven, in about ten minutes. This is real comfort food, served with some mashed potatoes . 2 eggs, 1 cup water, 1 kilo ground beef, 2 bags of modelo croutons ( if you don't live on an island use stuffing mix ) for the topping, equal parts brown sugar & ketchup ( 1/4 cup each is good) add meat, eggs water, and croutons into a bowl ( CRUSH THE CROUTONS FIRST ....I will next time ) give it a good mix, taste for salt and pepper take equal parts brown sugar and ketchup mix them up glaze top of meatloaf bake @ 190º for about 60 minutes Quick Meatloaf Ingredients 1 kilo/2 lb. lean ground beef 1 pkg. (6 oz.) Stuffing Mix for Chicken ( I use 2 bags of croutons, because we don't have this here) 1 cup water 2 eggs beaten salt and pepper to taste equal parts brown sugar and ketchup Instructions Heat oven to  190º/375* Place meat, stuffin...

xo,Diana

This is so easy to put together, it might not even be considered a recipe. Made some yesterday, so that we could nibble on some crackers and paté, after we had some soup for dinner. It was a hit, everyone loved it, the kids and my hubby argued over the last little bit.......hubby won! Ingredients: 8 oz smoked salmon 8 oz cream cheese at room temp. Fresh lemon juice to taste ( I did not add any) Freshly milled black pepper In a processor, blend smoked salmon and cream cheese. Add lemon juice and black pepper to taste. Scrape into a serving dish (or individual ramekins ) and  decorate with a thin slice of lemon or some black or red caviar-style roe.  ( I used red peppercorns ) xo,Diana

I have mentioned before, that in the countryside, it is very common to have someone drop in, and give you produce from their garden. Our wonderful neighbor Antonio, stopped in the other day, and gifted me with these beautiful Tamarillo's. So what the heck is a Tamarillo, the fruit grows in clusters on trees like cherries. It's also known as the tomato tree. The flesh of the tamarillo is tangy and mildly sweet, and may be compared to kiwifruit, tomato, or passion fruit. I of course, made some jam with these lovely little fruits. Once again using this method. xo,Diana

These are so delicious, it's a  dish originating from Austria/Germany. Thin escalopes of pork are crumbed and fried to perfection. My kids just love   I think kids will eat anything with breadcrumbs on it  them. I served them up with some white rice, and a greek salad, and just at the very end, decided to add some fried eggs on top. It was a fantastic meal. Feel free to substitute the pork with  chicken breast, if desired. Ingredients pound pork with a mallet season with salt place flour, and bread crumbs on some wax paper, and beat eggs in a shallow dish dip pork loin in flour, then the eggs, then the bread crumbs repeat till all are done fry in batches in some olive oil serve with some rice and salad and I had to add a fried egg, I am after all portuguese ;) Pork Schnitzel Ingredients 6 boneless boneless pork loin chops (1/2 inch thick, 1 1/2 pounds), trimmed 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/3 cup flour 1/4 cup dried...

In Flanders Fields In Flanders fields the poppies blow Between the crosses, row on row, That mark our place; and in the sky The larks, still bravely singing, fly Scarce heard amid the guns below. We are the Dead. Short days ago We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow, Loved and were loved, and now we lie In Flanders fields. Take up our quarrel with the foe: To you from failing hands we throw The torch; be yours to hold it high. If ye break faith with us who die We shall not sleep, though poppies grow In Flanders fields. by Lieutenant Colonel  John McCrae, May 1915 O Menino da Sua Mãe No plaino abandonado Que a morna brisa aquece, De balas trespassado- Duas, de lado a lado-, Jaz morto, e arrefece. Raia-lhe a farda o sangue. De braços estendidos, Alvo, louro, exangue, Fita com olhar langue E cego os céus perdidos. Tão jovem! Que jovem era! (agora que idade tem?) Filho unico, a mãe lhe dera Um nome e o mantivera: «O menino de sua mãe.» Caiu-lh...

I baked this Chocolate Pear tart this afternoon. I had some pears that were sitting in the fruit basket, begging to be used up. My first thought was to bake a pear crumble , but I figured you might be sick of my crumbles already. This came together really quickly, and tasted wonderful. So go and buy some pears, and give it a try. ingredients pulse the almonds and sugar together, till fine add eggs, cocoa, butter , salt, and vanilla peel and slice the pears spread chocolate mixture, into a butter tart pan layers pear slices on top bake @180/350 for 45-50 minutes Chocolate Pear Tart      ( from Martha Stewart.com) Ingredients 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan 1 cup whole blanched almonds 3/4 cup sugar 3 large eggs 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon almond extract (optional) 3 firm, ripe Bartlett pea...