Showing posts with label Elegance. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Elegance. Show all posts

Thursday, May 27, 2010

The Elegance of European Desserts

There is just something elegant about European desserts. Flavors of rich chocolate, decadent cream and fresh fruit are just some of the key elements you may find in these delicious treats. From the simple, yet elegant chocolate mousse to the richly layered tiramisu, European desserts tempt you like no other.

Desserts can be served as an ending to a wonderful dinner party or you can have an entire party centered around the desserts themselves. This is definitely the way to go if you are having trouble deciding which dessert to serve. Desserts go well with wine, so it is simple to plan an evening of culinary decadence.

A fun way to serve mousse or other creamy desserts is to put them in a wine or champagne glass. This novel way of serving dessert adds instant elegance to your European desserts (as if they needed any help).

Tortes, chocolate souffles, eclairs, cannoli, or creme brulee are perfect examples of simple, elegant desserts you can serve at a dessert party. Use fresh, seasonal fruit to highlight your desserts. The fruit adds color, it freshens the palate between rich desserts, and it makes everyone feel they are still eating healthy.

Think about your presentation. Use candles and lace tablecloths to add that vintage touch of class. European desserts deserve all the hype they get, so play it up. Add a bouquet of fresh flowers on the table and use elegant china and silverware. Enjoy the rich theme.

Recipe for Creme Brulee

This simple yet decadent custard is known for its hard candy top.

What You Need


1 quart heavy cream
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
1 cup vanilla sugar, divided
6 large egg yolks
2 quarts hot water

How to Make It

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.

Put the cream, vanilla bean and the pulp into a medium sized saucepan. Turn the heat on medium-high and bring to a careful boil. Remove the pan from the heat, cover it, and let it sit for 15 minutes. Remove the vanilla bean. You may be able to save it for another use.

Put 1/2 cup sugar and the egg yolks in a medium bowl and blend them well until they begin to lighten in color. Add the cream slowly, stirring continually. Pour the mixture into 6 ramekins. Place the ramekins in a large deep cake pan or roaster. Pour hot water in the pan until it reaches halfway up the ramekin sides. Bake until the creme brulee is just set, but trembles in the center. This will take about 40 to 45 minutes. When done, remove the ramekins and refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours. They will keep up to 3 days.

Take the creme brulee from the refrigerator at least half an hour before browning the top. Divide the remaining 1/2 cup vanilla sugar between the ramekins, spreading it evenly across the top. Use a torch to melt the sugar until it forms a crisp candy top. Allow the dessert to rest for around 5 minutes before serving.

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Saturday, May 8, 2010

Add Elegance to Your Garden With Tiki Torches

Does your heart ever crave for dazzling lights in traditional forms? Yes, the same lamps mentioned innumerable times in Roman plays? These lamps are present today, in the best of their forms called the Tiki Torches.

You can keep them on the tabletop or even the garden too. As these Tiki Torches can easily suit your indoor as well as outdoor requirements, it gives you a golden chance to decorate your house and make it pleasing to all. The outdoors, too, get an extra advantage. Once you get a Tiki Torch placed in the garden, you can enjoy the evenings with all the friends in the flickering light of the torch. The warmth and light of the Tiki Torch blend together with the joy of company thus making every moment delightful.

If you have a beautiful garden, equipped with wooden chairs, then the bamboo Tiki Torch is the perfect ornament for your garden. These bamboo torches deck your garden with their somber presence, thus not only adding to the lighting but also providing warmth. The fuel used in these torches are low cost fuels, thus making them easily affordable.

For all those who love the strength and elegance of metals, they have a chance to spread metallic aura in the entire garden now. There are diverse varieties of Metal Tiki Torches present today. The most popular are copper, steel and brass. These torches present a majestic aura, on a dark night, when the flames pass through them. Their durability and ability to be cleaned easily add to their charming features. Not only on festive occasions but on any special day, you can use them in your garden and view their mesmerizing effect.

Glass and ceramic Tiki torches are preferable to those who have a flair for the most classy things. These torches are present in a number of forms, each one unique in its own way. It serves the best purpose for places that get frequent rains, as the flames are covered with glass and are not affected by rain. So in rainy season too you can add to the charisma of your garden with these extraordinary Tiki torches.

Now the important question to ponder over is, how does this Tiki torch work? And what all fuels can be used?

There are a number of fuels which can be used to light these dangling Tiki Torches. Propane, electricity and citronella oil are extremely popular fuels. Gas Tiki Torches and Oil Tiki Torches are very popular today.

Citronella oil is the fuel especially used at those places where there are a number of insects, as it is a natural insect repellent. At the same time it serves a dual purpose. It reduces the insects and produces a good scent thus making your garden a worthwhile place to spend the evening. Propane gas is also one of the most popular fuels. It is preferable at those places where the wind speed is very high as its flames burn for long time and doesn't blow out due to wind. Along with this, electricity also serves as one of the major fuels. It also has its unique importance. Being one of the most clean and safe fuels, it is used in those places where there is the danger of children putting their hand in fire. In most of the indoor Tiki Torches it is used as a fuel. The flame that is produced appears similar to the real flame. Thereby adding to its advantages.

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