OUR CHRISTMAS TREE

Where do I start?

To describe our beautiful tree is to understand our deep love for Disney and the great memories we have brought back from our many vacations to Disneyworld.  Our first trip was in January 2000 as boyfriend and girlfriend and we returned at least 10 more times, as husband and wife with our two beautiful kids.  I can say without a doubt that the magic of Disney really exists and our family is definately under it's spell.  So every year at this time, it is with great excitement that we unwrap delicately and look in amazement at the beauty, the colours and the details of each ornament.  Our tree is very special to us as it is more than just a christmas decoration but rather a testament and reminder of all the great times we have spent together on our Disney vacations.  We cherrish these moments as we know they are now part of our family's collective memory.

CHOCOLATE AND RASPBERRIES

I Have been wishing, hoping, waiting and procrastinating that I, like Martha Stewart and Ina Garten, was going to share all the great recipes collected and inherited throughout the years in a beautiful cookbook.  I started that project a few years ago but was never able to finish and publish. I will use this blog to do just that!

Chocolate pie with fresh raspberries

This pie recipe is very easy and the result is simply delicious!

To make the crust:

Preheat the oven to 350F

In a bowl, combine 1 1/4 cup of cookie crumbs (you can use any kind of cookies - oreo, graham, ginger snaps, nila, etc) with 1/4 cup of brown sugar and 1/4 cup of melted semi-salted butter. Press lightly into an 8 inch pie plate.  Bake for 10 minutes. Let cool completely.

To make the chocolate ganache:

Preheat the oven to 400F.

In a saucepan, using a whisk, heat 1 cup of heavy cream with 2 tablespoons of seedless raspberry jam. Turn off the heat and stir in 1 cup of dark chocolate chips and gently stir until all the chocolate is melted and incorporated. Whisk in 2 beaten eggs and stir in 1/4 cup of butter until the preparation is smooth. Pour the chocolate mixture on the cooled pie crust.  Bake in the oven for 15 minutes. Allow to cool. Dust the top of the pie with cocoa powder and cover with fresh raspberries. Serve with whipped cream or ice cream if desired.

Voilà the best chocolate pie in the world, according to my family! Enjoy...

MY CUBAN TREASURE

I love Cuba.  I love the people of Cuba, their story, their smile through adversity.  They are the friendliest and the most humble people I have ever met.  To live with so little contact with the rest of the world, specially in today's world where the Internet connects us all, amazes me.  On my most recent trip to Cuba last month, I had the good luck to enter this art gallery, with no air conditioning, no temperature control, no humidity control but wonderful and beautiful paintings made by local artists.  I was tempted by many but my eyes caught one specific piece that I just had to have.  It was painted by Mr. Lorenzo Veloz Acea.  So, after a safe trip home and having it properly stretched and framed,  here is my beautiful cuban treasure for your eyes only...