St Patrick's Day!!!!

Hello! Today is St Patrick's day! Let's learn more about it?

Saint Patrick, the Apostle of Ireland

THE STAINED GLASS IMAGE OF ST PATRICK HAILS FROM CABINTEELY CHURCH, DUBLIN

Saint Patrick is the patron saint and national apostle of Ireland. St Patrick is credited with bringing christianity to Ireland. Most of what is known about him comes from his two works; the Confessio, a spiritual autobiography, and his Epistola, a denunciation of British mistreatment of Irish christians. Saint Patrick described himself as a “most humble-minded man, pouring forth a continuous paean of thanks to his Maker for having chosen him as the instrument whereby multitudes who had worshipped idols and unclean things had become the people of God.”

Many folk ask the question ‘Why is the Shamrock the National Flower of Ireland ?’ The reason is that St. Patrick used it to explain the Holy Trinity to the pagans. Saint Patrick is believed to have been born in the late fourth century, and is often confused with Palladius, a bishop who was sent by Pope Celestine in 431 to be the first bishop to the Irish believers in Christ.

Saint Patrick is most known for driving the snakes from Ireland. It is true there are no snakes in Ireland, but there probably never have been – the island was separated from the rest of the continent at the end of the Ice Age. As in many old pagan religions, serpent symbols were common and often worshipped. Driving the snakes from Ireland was probably symbolic of putting an end to that pagan practice. While not the first to bring christianity to Ireland, it is Patrick who is said to have encountered the Druids at Tara and abolished their pagan rites. The story holds that he converted the warrior chiefs and princes, baptizing them and thousands of their subjects in the “Holy Wells” that still bear this name.

There are several accounts of Saint Patrick’s death. One says that Patrick died at Saul, Downpatrick, Ireland, on March 17, 460 A.D. His jawbone was preserved in a silver shrine and was often requested in times of childbirth, epileptic fits, and as a preservative against the “evil eye.” Another account says that St. Patrick ended his days at Glastonbury, England and was buried there. The Chapel of St. Patrick still exists as part of Glastonbury Abbey. Today, many Catholic places of worship all around the world are named after St. Patrick, including cathedrals in New York and Dublin.

Saint Patrick’s Day?

Saint Patrick’s Day has come to be associated with everything Irish: anything green and gold, shamrocks and luck. Most importantly, to those who celebrate its intended meaning, St. Patrick’s Day is a traditional day for spiritual renewal and offering prayers for missionaries worldwide.

So, why is it celebrated on March 17th? One theory is that this is the day that St. Patrick died. Since the holiday began in Ireland, it is believed that as the Irish spread out around the world, they took with them their history and celebrations. The biggest observance of all is, of course, in Ireland. With the exception of restaurants and pubs, almost all businesses close on March 17th. Being a religious holiday as well, many Irish attend mass, where March 17th is the traditional day for offering prayers for missionaries worldwide before the serious celebrating begins.

In American cities with a large Irish population, St. Patrick’s Day is a very big deal. Big cities and small towns alike celebrate with parades, “wearing of the green,” music and songs, Irish food and drink, and activities for kids such as crafts, coloring and games. Some communities even go so far as to dye rivers or streams green!

May the Irish hills caress you;
may her lakes and rivers bless you;
may the luck of the Irish enfold you;
may the blessings of Saint Patrick, behold you.

Go muirní cnoic na hÉireann thú.
Go mbeannaí a lochanna agus a haibhneacha thú.
Go dtimpeallaí an ádh Eireannach thú.
Go bhféacha tú beannachtaí Lá Fhéile Phádraig

Fonte: http://www.st-patricks-day.com/

 

 

La fondue savoyarde!!!

Bonjour! Qu'est-ce que vous pensez d'apprendre comment faire une fondue savoyarde?
Ça vaut la peine!!

Fondue savoyarde 

Les 3 fromages d'alpage sont prêts à nous réchauffer avec un petit verre de vin blanc. La fondue savoyarde est le plat convivial par excellence, choisissez votre pain un peu rassis, ça vous évitera un gage ! 

Si vous n'avez pas des fromages savoyarde, vous pouvez changer pour le camembert, le brie et le gruyère.

Pour 6 personnes
Temps de préparation : 10 mn
Temps de cuisson : 30 mn   

 

  Ingrédients:

400 g de beaufort

400 g de comté

400 g d'emmental

3 dl de vin blanc sec (apremont savoyard)

1 cuillère à soupe fécule de maïs

2 verres à liqueur de kirsch

1 gousse d'ail

2 baguettes ( plutot sèches)

noix de muscade

 

 Matériel - un appareil à fondue

 

Préparation:

  1 Frotter le caquelon avec une gousse d'ail, cela donnera un excellent parfum à la fondue et en plus, ça tue les germes !
 
2 Découper le fromage en tranches assez fines. Mélanger les tranches des 3 fromages (Comté, Emmental et Beaufort). Faire chauffer le vin blanc à feu moyen.
 
3 Découper le pain en petits morceaux. Lorsque le vin est chaud, ajouter les 3 fromages à fondue. Mélanger avec une cuillère en bois en faisant des 8. Cela évitera que le fromage prenne au fond mais facilitera également le mélange des fromages.
 
4 Après moins de 10 minutes, mélanger la fécule de maïs avec le kirsch. Lorsque les fromages sont fondus, ajouter le mélange.
 
5 Laisser encore cuire 20 minutes, tourner selon la même méthode de temps en temps et baisser progressivement le feu, ajouter quelques râpes de muscade. Lorsque vous avez atteint la consistance souhaitée, maintenir à feu doux et déguster la fondue savoyarde avec vos morceaux de pain au bout d'un pique.
 

Conseils et astuces: Choisir un pain presque sec pour une fondue savoyarde. Prévoir une baguette pour 3 et pour le fromage, c'est en moyenne 200 g par personne. 

Vin conseillé: Vin blanc sec Apremont 


Fonte: http://www.cahierdecuisine.com

 

 

Today is Shrove Tuesday (Pancake Day)!!!!

Shrove Tuesday (also known as Shrovetide Tuesday, Pancake Tuesday and Pancake Day) is the day preceding Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent. 
Shrove Tuesday, a moveable feast, is determined by Easter.

The expression "Shrove Tuesday" comes from the word shrive, meaning "confess".
Shrove Tuesday is observed by many Christians, including Anglicans, Lutherans, Methodists and Roman Catholics, who "make a special point of self-examination, of considering what "wrongs" they need to repent, and what amendments of life or areas of spiritual growth they especially need to ask God's help in dealing with."


Being the last day before the penitential season of Lent, related popular practices, such as indulging in food that one sacrifices for the upcoming forty days, are associated with Shrove Tuesday celebrations, before commencing the fasting and religious obligations associated with Lent. 

The term Mardi Gras is French for Fat Tuesday, referring to the practice of the last night of eating richer, fatty foods before the ritual fasting of the Lenten season, which begins on Ash Wednesday.

Traditions

Pancakes are associated with the day preceding Lent because they were a way to use up rich foods such as eggs, milk, and sugar, before the fasting season of the 40 days of Lent. The liturgical fasting emphasized eating plainer food and refraining from food that would give pleasure: in many cultures, this means no meat, dairy products, or eggs.

In Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, Ireland and New Zealand the day is also known as "Pancake Day" as it is a common custom to eat pancakes as a meal.

In the United Kingdom, Pancake Day is also an annual feature on the children's television show Blue Peter.

Festivities

In England, as part of community celebration, many towns held traditional Shrove Tuesday "mob football" games, some dating as far back as the 12th century. The practice mostly died out in the 19th century after the passing of the Highway Act 1835 which banned playing football on public highways. A number of towns have maintained the tradition, including Alnwick in Northumberland, Ashbourne in Derbyshire (called the Royal Shrovetide Football Match), Atherstone (called the Ball Game) in Warwickshire, Sedgefield (called the Ball Game) in County Durham and St Columb Major (called Hurling the Silver Ball) in Cornwall.

Shrove Tuesday was once known as a "half-holiday" in Britain. It started at 11:00am with the ringing of a church bell. 

On Pancake Day, "pancake races" are held in villages and towns across the United Kingdom. The tradition is said to have originated when a housewife from Olney, Buckinghamshire, was so busy making pancakes that she forgot the time until she heard the church bells ringing for the service. She raced out of the house to church while still carrying her frying pan and pancake.

The pancake race remains a relatively common festive tradition in the UK, especially England, even today. Participants with frying pans race through the streets tossing pancakes into the air and catching them in the pan whilst running.

A pancake race in England

 

 

Since 1950 the people of Liberal, Kansas, and Olney have held the "International Pancake Day" race between the two towns. The two towns' competitors race along an agreed-upon measured course. The times of the two towns' competitors are compared to determine a winner overall. After the 2009 race, Liberal was leading with 34 wins to Olney's 25. A similar race is held in North Somercotes in Lincolnshire, England.
Scarborough celebrates by closing the foreshore to all traffic, closing schools early, and inviting all to skip. Traditionally, long ropes were used from the nearby harbour. The town crier rings the pancake bell, situated on the corner of Westborough (main street) and Huntress Row.

The children of the hamlet of Whitechapel, Lancashire keep alive a local tradition by visiting local households and asking "please a pancake", to be rewarded with oranges or sweets. It is thought the tradition arose when farm workers visited the wealthier farm and manor owners to ask for pancakes or pancake fillings.


In Finland and Sweden the day is associated with the almond paste-filled semla pastry.
Pancakes are traditional in Christian festivals in Ukraine and Russia also at this time of year (Maslenitsa).

In London, the Rehab Parliamentary Pancake Race takes place every Shrove Tuesday, with teams from the British lower house (the House of Commons), the upper house (the House of Lords), and the Fourth Estate, contending for the title of Parliamentary Pancake Race Champions. The fun relay race is to raise awareness of Rehab, which provides a range of health and social care, training, education, and employment services in the UK for disabled people and others who are marginalised. 
In 2009 the Upper House won. The race was then won by the Lower House in 2010 with the Upper House reclaiming their winning title in 2011. In 2012, the Lower House were crowned the pancake flipping champions and they reclaimed their title for the second year running in 2013.


Now......what about some pancake day recipes????

One-cup brunch pancakes 
With corn, feta, avocado & bacon
(serves 4, 40 minutes, super easy)

 

       Ingredients

• 1 cup self-raising flour
• 1 cup milk
• sea salt
• 1 large free-range egg
• 1 corn on the cob
• 20 g feta cheese
• 8 rashers higher-welfare smoked streaky bacon
• 1 ripe avocado
• freshly ground black pepper
• 2 limes
• 6 tablespoons fat-free natural yoghurt
• hot chilli sauce
• a few sprigs of fresh coriander
  
  
   
  Method
  Place the flour, milk and a pinch of salt into a large bowl. Crack in the egg and whisk well to a smooth batter. Carefully slice the corn kernels off the cob, then stir into the batter. Crumble in the feta and give it a final stir.
  Heat a large frying pan over a medium heat, then add the bacon and fry for 2 to 3 minutes, or until crisp, turning halfway. Meanwhile, halve and destone the avocado. Slice each half into four wedges and peel away the skin. Season with salt and pepper, grate over a little lime zest and squeeze some lime juice on top.
  Transfer the bacon to a plate, then return the pan to a medium heat. Once hot, use a ladle to spoon the batter into the pan – each ladleful will make 1 pancake, so you can make about 2 at a time. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, or until little bubbles start to show on the top, then use a fish slice to flip them over and cook for a further 1 to 2 minutes, or until golden.
  Divide the pancakes between 4 plates, top each with 2 pieces of avocado and 2 rashers of bacon. Drizzle over a little yoghurt and chilli sauce, grate over a little more lime zest and pick a few coriander leaves on top, then tuck in.

  Nutritional Information Amount per serving: (Of an adult woman's guideline daily amount)

  • Calories 393 20%
  • Carbs 46g 20%
  • Sugar 7.9g 9%
  • Fat 16.9g 24%
  • Saturates 5.5g 28%
  • Protein 17.2g 38%

  
  

Breakfast pancakes 

( serves 4, 10 minutes, super easy)

         Ingredients

• 1 cup self-raising flour
• 1 cup semi-skimmed milk
• 1 free-range egg
• 1 pinch sea salt
• 1 pear
• a few knobs butter
• fat-free natural yoghurt, to serve
• runny honey, to serve
   
   
  Method
  These are the fluffiest, loveliest American-style pancakes ever. You can have fun with it by switching up the fruit; strawberries, apples, blackberries, blueberries and bananas are all delicious in these pancakes so feel free to swap out the pears for any of those. The batter will keep as good as gold in the fridge for a day or two if you have any left over.
  
  Put the flour, milk, egg and salt in a mixing bowl and whisk until smooth. Once combined, grate in the pear, core and all then stir it through with a spoon.
  
  Put a large pan on a medium heat and add a knob of butter. Once that melts, add the batter, a spoonful at a time to the hot pan. You'll need to cook them in batches, cooking them for a few minutes until golden on the bottom, then flipping over and cooking for a few minutes more until they're done.
  
  When they are golden and fluffy, serve them right away with a dollop of natural yoghurt and some runny honey drizzled all over the top.
  
  Tip: If you sweeten the batter, thicken it with just a little more flour then pour them into a Yorkshire pudding or muffin tin as they also make the most delicious muffins. 
  
  

  Nutritional Information Amount per serving (Of an adult woman's guideline daily amount):

  • Calories 405 20%
  • Carbs 53.6g 23%
  • Sugar 8.0g 9%
  • Fat 15.8g 23%
  • Saturates 9.0g 45%
  • Protein 10.7g 24%

  
  

   

fonte: wikipedia

http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/category/occasion/pancake-day

La carte des exceptions alimentaires françaises

Bonjour mes amies!!!

Aujourd'hui vous pouvez regarder la carte des aliments surconsommés dans chaque département par rapport au reste de la France!

Début février, nos confrères du Journal du net publiaient une intéressante étude, réalisée grâce aux chiffres fournis par l'institut Nielsen, sur les aliments les plus surconsommés ou sous-consommés dans chaque département français (Corse et Dom-Tom exceptés).
Il s'agit, pour chacun d'entre eux, d'identifier l'aliment dont la consommation s'écarte le plus de la moyenne nationale: par exemple, à Paris, la consommation de caviar est supérieure de 224% à la moyenne nationale; la consommation de sauces surgelées, en revanche, est inférieure de 87%.
Sur la carte ci-dessus, nous avons identifié clairement, pour chaque département, l'aliment le plus surconsommé, en répartissant les différentes réponses en cinq catégories (boissons alcoolisées, viandes et charcuteries, sucreries et desserts, caviar –cet aliment de luxe est le plus surconsommé dans sept départements– et divers). Et si vous vous posez des questions sur l'«amer brun» apparemment si apprécié dans le Grand Est, sachez qu'il s'agit de la liqueur apéritive notamment commercialisée sous la marque Picon...

 

La cuisine française - mon rêve!

Est-ce que vous aimez la cuisine française? Est-ce que vous avez déjà mangé un plat typique français?
Racontez-moi votre expérience!!

Aujourd'hui, je vais partager avec vous une délicieuse recette française!

Le Coq au vin!! 

Moi, j'ai déjà fait et c'est super! Voyons la recette!!

Quantité	6 Personne(s)
Préparation	10 min
Cuisson	2 h
Coût de la recette	Abordable
Niveau de difficulté	Intermédiaire

Ingrédients pour Coq au vin

• 1 coq
   
• 40 g de beurre 
• 3 cl d'huile d'arachide 
• 100 g d'oignons
• 100 g de carotte
• 250 g de champignons de Paris
• 40 g d'échalote
• 3 gousses d'ail
• 40 g de farine
• 1 verre à liqueur de cognac
• 30 g de concentré de tomate
• 75 cl de vin rouge
• 2 bouquets garnis (persil, thym, laurier)
• 1 bouquet de persil
• sel, poivre

Préparation pour Coq au vin

1 La veille : (nuit - matin)

2 Préparez la marinade avec le vin et un bouquet garni. Y plonger les morceaux de coq. Couvrez et gardez au frais.

3 Le lendemain :

4 Égouttez les morceaux de coq et épongez dans du papier absorbant.

5 Réservez la marinade. Faites chauffer l'huile dans une cocotte, ajoutez le beurre, y faire revenir les morceaux de coq. Retirez et réservez.

6 Épluchez et coupez les carottes en rondelles, épluchez et émincez oignons, ail et échalotes.

7 Faites-les fondre doucement 10 min dans la cocotte.

8 Saupoudrez de farine, mélangez, ajoutez le cognac et le concentré de tomates.

9 Remettez les morceaux de coq, arrosez avec le vin de la marinade.

10 Ajoutez le bouquet garni restant, salez, poivrez, faites mijoter doucement à couvert 1 h 30 à 2 h.

11 Pendant ce temps, retirez le pied sableux des champignons, lavez-les et coupez-les en 4 ou en 6, selon leur grosseur.

12 Séchez-les dans du papier absorbant. Faites-les sauter dans une poêle avec un peu d'huile ou de beurre.

13 Vérifiez la cuisson du coq.

14 Disposez les morceaux dans un plat de service, nappez avec une partie de la sauce, garnissez avec les champignons et saupoudrez de persil ciselé.

15 Servez aussitôt, accompagné de riz créole ou de tagliatelles, et du reste de sauce en saucière.

Astuces pour Coq au vin

Vous pouvez accompagner votre plat de riz blanc.

Accord vin pour Coq au vin

- Un Lalande de pomerol un auxey duresses (rouge, Bougogne)

Et.....bon appétit!!!!