Red Velvet Sponge Cake

Ingredients:

Cake:
6 tablespoons softened unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups superfine sugar
2 beaten eggs
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
Pinch of salt
1 tablespoon red food coloring
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon white vinegar

Frosting:
6 tablespoons softened unsalted butter
8 ounces cream cheese
1 pound powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped pecans

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 Fahrenheit Degree. Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans. For the cake, cream the butter and sugar together in a bowl then beat the eggs and vanilla extract. Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt into a separate bowl. Stir the food coloring into the buttermilk.
2. Alternatively add the flour and buttermilk mixtures to the creamed mixture. Stir in the vinegar, mixing well. Pour the mixture into the prepare pans, dividing it evenly. Bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes or until firm to the touch. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes then turn out onto a wire rack and leave to cool completely.
3. Frosting: Beat the butter and cream cheese together in a bowl. Beat in the powdered sugar and vanilla extract, mixing well then stir in the pecans. Sandwich the two cakes together with some frosting then spread the remaining frosting over the top of the cake.

New York Cheesecake

Ingredients:
7 ounces graham crackers, crushed
1/4 cup/ 1/2 stick unsalted butter, melted
4 x 8-ounce packages cream cheese
Pinch of salt
1 1/2 cups superfine sugar
1 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon lemon juice
4 eggs, beaten
2 egg yolks

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 300 Fahrenheit degree. Grease a 9-inch springform pan fitted with a flat base.
2. In a bowl, mix together the graham cracker crumbs and melted butter, then press this mixture evenly into the base of the prepared pan. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes, or until lightly browned, then remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
3. In a separate bowl, beat the cream cheese until soft and smooth. Add the salt and sugar and beat for 1 minute. Add the sour cream, vanilla extract, lemon zest and lemon juice and beat for a further 1 minute. Add the eggs and egg yolks and beat until well combined. Pour the mixture evenly over the graham cracker crust in the pan.
4. Bake in the oven for 45-50 minutes, or until the edges ar set but the center is still lightly soft. Turn off the oven, leave the cheesecake inside and leave the door ajar. Leave to cool in the oven for 45 minutes.
5. Remove the cheesecake from the oven and cool to room temprature. Remove from the pan, place on a serving plate, cover with foil, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or preferably overnight, before serving.

Chicken Cordon Bleu

Ingredients:
2 whole chicken breast marinated in calamansi and salt
2 thin slices ham, halved lenghtwise
4 slices cheese
1/4 cup fine corn flakes
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. paprika

Directions:
1. Halve chicken breasts then cut meat in one piece from bones.
2. Pull each half breast open in the middle to make a deep pocket.
3. Tuck a slice of ham and cheese into each pocket.
4. Melt butter or margarine in pie plate.
5. Mix corn flakes, salt and paprika in another plate.
6. Roll stuffed chicken fist in buteer then in crumb mixture to coat well.
7. Place in a single layer in buttered baking dish.
8. Bake in hot oven 400 degrees F. until chicken is golden brown.

More recipes at Taste My Cooking website.

California Maki

Ingredients:
3 half-sized seaweed sheets
1 portion Sushi rice
1 cucumber
1 avocado
150 g crab meat
(or Surimi)
Wasabi
sesame, fish roe
possibly mayonnaise
(or crème fraîche)
salt

Directions:
1. Roast the seaweed sheets briefly on one side.
2. Peel and core the cucumber, cut it in strips. Cover it with salt and leave alone some minutes. Then rinse off to get rid of the surplus liquidity.
3. Cut the avocado in half, loosen the fruit flesh around the stone and then remove the stone. Scoop out the flesh as completely as possible from the halves with a spoon. Cut it into strips.
4. Mix the crab meat possibly with some mayonnaise to thicken it.
5. Now make an Inside-Out-roll with the cucumber strips, avocado strips and crab meat.
6. Roast the sesame briefly in a dry pan and garnish the finished roll with it and the fish roe.

Lasagna

Ingredients

Meat Filling:
1/2 kg ground beef
1 small can tomato sauce
2 tbsp oregano
2 cubes chicken bouillon cubes
2 cups onions
1 tbsp flour diluted in 1/4 cup water
1 cup olive oil
2 tbsp butter
salt & pepper

White Sauce:
2 tbsp butter/margarine
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp fine salt
2 cups evaporated milk

Other ingredients:
Lasagna noodles (12 to 15 strips)

Procedure

Meat Filling:
1. Heat olive oil. Add ground beef until well cooked.
2. On a separate skillet, saute onions on butter.
3. Add flour diluted in 1/4 cup water.
4. Add tomato sauce, oregano, bouillon cubes.
5. Add beef (braised in olive oil).
6. Simmer for 5 minutes and let cool.

White Sauce:
1. Melt butter over low heat.
2. Add flour & salt and mix until well-blended.
3. Add milk and water mixture and cook over low heat until desired thickness.

Other Directions:
1. Boil noodles and let cool.
2. Line noodles on pan.
3. Spread meat filling.
4. Top with white sauce.
5. Repeat.. ending with white sauce.
6. Bake in 250 degrees Celcius until mixture simmers.