Three Easy French Desserts You Can Make For Dinner Tonight

Many people think of French cooking as being fussy and time consuming, and while it is true that French haute cuisine takes food preparation to dizzying heights, most of the cooking going on in French kitchens on a daily basis is simple and to the point. After all, French people are just as busy as you are, and they too are looking for shortcuts and easy ways to get dinner on the table.

Here are three fine examples of what you might find for dessert if you were to eat at a French friend's house. Each of these is

Made with five or less ingredients, all of which you are likely to have on hand.

Require less than 20 minutes preparation time.

Will satisfy both with their elegant presentation and with their good taste

Creme caramel

1 1/3 cup sugar, divided
3 cups milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 large eggs

To make the caramel, place 2/3 cup of sugar in a small saucepan and wet with just enough water to dissolve it (about 1 tablespoon). Heat on medium heat, shaking the pan occasionally. The sugar will boil for a while until it starts to turn brown. As soon as it starts to turn brown remove it from the heat and pour the caramel into 6 ramekins.

In another saucepan, heat the milk with the other 2/3 cup sugar until it reaches a boil. Stir in vanilla. In a sturdy bowl, beat the eggs until light. Whisk in the hot milk, slowly at first to avoid coagulating the eggs. Whisk to completely mix.

Pour (or ladle if that works better for you) the milk mixture into the ramekins on top of the caramel. Place all 6 ramekins in a large oven proof dish. Fill the dish with water to about 2/3 the height of the ramekins.

Carefully place in 300° oven. Bake for 40 minutes to an hour (baking time can depend on the dishes used). The water should not boil during baking. The creme is done when it has set, which you can verify by inserting a knife.

Allow the cremes to cool completely, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate in their ramekins until serving time. To serve, run a knife along the outside of each creme, than turn over onto a dessert plate.

Makes 6 servings.

Petits pots de creme au chocolat

1 cup half and half
7 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
3 tablespoons strong coffee (you can use decaf of course)
3 eggs
2 tablespoons cognac (or replace this with two more tablespoons coffee

Bring the half and half to a boil on low heat. Remove from heat immediately and stir in the chocolate. Let rest for one minute to melt the chocolate, then blend until smooth. Stir in the coffee and mix until smooth again.

Beat the eggs until thick and lemon colored - about two minutes with a hand mixer. Add them to the chocolate and mix well, using the hand mixer if you wish. Add the cognac and once again mix until completely combined.

While it is still hot, pour the liquid into small dessert cups.

Refrigerate for at least two hours and even overnight if you wish. Serve cold and within 24 hours.

Makes 6 petits pots

Pommes Bonne Femme -- French Baked Apples

6 cooking apples (Pink Lady give delicious results)
3 tablespoons softened butter
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup heavy cream
toasted slivered almonds and red currant jelly (optional)

Remove the core from each apple leaving it whole (an apple corer is of course handy for this, but a paring knife will work if you cut carefully). Place the apples side by side in a baking dish.

Mix the butter, sugar, and cinnamon and spoon the mixture into the cored apples. Add two tablespoons of water to the baking dish and place in a 400°F oven for one hour. Bake until soft (may take longer if the apples are large).

Serve warm and drizzled with cream and any sauce on the bottom of the baking dish. For an authentic French touch, sprinkle with slivered almonds and add a dollop of red currant jelly.

Makes 6 servings

Gather The Family For a "Bootiful" Halloween Family Dinner!

They say that by eating at least one meal a day together is critical to a family's success! By doing this, children are less likely to get into serious trouble that beset a lot of families today. Here is a way to make a meal time a lot of fun and one that your kids will be talking about long after Halloween is done!

Here is a recipe for "Dinner in a Pumpkin" that was given to me by one of my favorite aunt's. It has become a family tradition in our home. I have suggested a whole menu and you can adapt it to fit your family's needs. This is our main meal before we start on our house to house adventure for the evening on Halloween!

Back to planning the menu:

Dinner in a Pumpkin, Monster Mash Veggie Dip, Eyeball Appetizers, Pumpkin Sh sped Gelatin Fruit Salad, Scarecrow Cornbread, and Pumpkin Nut Bars.

Dinner in A Pumpkin

1 small pumpkin about 10" across and clean out the seeds

Combine the following on the stove: 2lbs. hamburger, 1 cup chopped onion and 1 chopped green pepper. Drain the grease once it's done Add 1-2 cups cooked rice, 1 1/2 t. salt, 2t. ground oregano, 1t. pepper, 2 cloves garlic, minced, 1/3 cup green stuffed olives, 1 can tomato soup, 3 eggs, beaten, and more salt and pepper. Clean out the pumpkin and put the ingredients inside the pumpkin. Put the pumpkin lid back on the pumpkin. Place pumpkin on a cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Serve dinner from the pumpkin; and serve cooked pumpkin too! "Frightfully good!"

Pumpkin Shaped Orange Gelatin Fruit Salad

Dissolve a 6 oz. package of orange gelatin dessert, mix in 2 c. boiling water. Add 2 cups of Ginger Ale. You can add a variety of fruit such as mandarin oranges, grated carrots, bananas, fruit cocktail, marshmallows, etc...or just chill it without fruit. Put it in a 1 quart deep bowl and chill it until very firm. Unmold on a plate and decorate with whipped cream eyes, nose, mouth, collar, and hat. Get creative and can use other edible fruit or candies to decorate with. Add long green gumdrop stem. "Bootiful"!

Eyeball Appetizers

Put eggs in a pan of water and boil until done. Once they are cooled, peel and prepare like deviled eggs. Take a small container of red icing and pipe lines through it like veins in an eye. Add a slice of black olive in the middle to give the effect of an eyeball. "Devilish"!

Witches Brew

Apple juice, 1 liter of lemon/lime carbonated drink. Mix the two together and then add some dry ice right before serving time. Watch the fog appear! "Bewitching"!

Monster Mash Veggie Dip

1 8 oz cream cheese 1 T. beef bouillon dissolved in milk 1 green onion, chopped

Mix these ingredients together and add milk to desired consistency and add a little orange food coloring. You can also throw in some chopped olive and chopped celery. Serve with a variety of veggies! "Scary good"!

Scarecrow Cornbread

3 eggs 1 1/2 t. milk 1 1/2 cube butter, melted 3 cups Biscuit Mix 4 heaping T. Cornmeal 1 t. baking powder 1 1/2 cup sugar Orange Food coloring

Beat eggs. Add all other ingredients and mix well. Put into a well greased 11 x 14" pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Let it cool and cut into squares. Serve with honey butter (tinted green)! It's a scream!

Pumpkin Nut Bars (another family favorite)

1/2 c. shortening 1t. cinnamon 1/2 c. brown sugar

1/4 t. nutmeg & ginger 1 cup flour

2/3 cup pumpkin 1/2 t. soda 2 eggs 1/2 t. baking powder 1 t. vanilla 1/2 c. chopped nuts

Mix all ingredients well together. Bake in a 9 x 13" pan at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes. Frost with powdered sugar, margarine, and orange juice. Sprinkle black and orange sprinkles on top! "Mummy Yummy"!

So try your hand at this fun Halloween family dinner. Surprise your family with a new tradition and see if they don't request this dinner again next year. Plan some fun games at the dinner table or come up with some Halloween jokes to share. Prepare your kiddos for the night's festivities by first filling their tummies with lots of these yummies!

Don't forget to make your table look appetizing with some Halloween decor along with your festive food. Your family will be glad you took the time to celebrate a Happy Halloween with them!

Dinner at Pho Thanh!

My friend, Qi, eating at a Vietnamese noodle house! It is delicious! But my food may have been a little too hott!



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPUwUlAEKwA&hl=en

100 Degrees, For a Romantic Dinner - Restaurants in Hyderabad

What you see - 100 Degrees comes across as another winner from Ohri's. What works in its favor is its location on Necklace road with a magnificent view of Tank Bund. The restaurant's interiors are done with muted lights, water fountains in the center and a dome-like-structure that gives positive energy and appeal to the ambiance.

You can decide to dine inside or alfresco. The terrace area overlooking the Hussainsagar Lake with beach umbrellas is nothing short of a seaside experience especially during the evenings. The area is open for dinner and offers perfect setting for a romantic time out. But make your reservations if you want to enjoy the open roof as the seats there are limited and seldom available. The other side of the restaurant has a very secluded feel to it and is modeled like a lounge with soft pop music playing in the background.

What you get - 100 Degrees is a complete treat of global cuisines - Continental, Mediterranean, Tex-Mex and Indian.

The sizzlers are varied - Japanese Yakitori, Indian Kadai Paneer, Moroccan Chicken, Olive crusted Pomfret and more. Indian and Chinese noodle sizzlers are the unique selling points. You can also make your own sizzler choosing the bread, sauces and accompaniments, wash it down with some wine and end with Baklava (Greek and Middle eastern dessert made of thin pastry and nuts) served with ice cream.

The restaurant also offers finest coffees from all over the world. Be it coffee from Coorg, Hawaii, Jamaica, Yemen, Columbia or special teas like Earl Grey and Lemon Tea, the choice is wide.

The 100 Degrees Sizzler and the scrumptious Chicken Sizzler are must-tries. There is nothing like sipping your favorite drink, taking in the cool breeze blowing past and biting into a piping hot sizzler.

Our verdict - The Yakitori is not as authentic as promised but the Middle Eastern fare is par excellence. This is not a restaurant which is modestly priced but the ambiance makes it worth every penny. The kebabs are to die for as well. A glass of fine wine would go really well with the ambiance and is the recommended drink of choice.

The service is satisfactory though the knowledge of the staff on the dishes being served is at best limited but nonetheless satisfactory. We would have liked more tables for two outside as well. There is valet parking facility available. All in all, one of the best places for a romantic dinner in Hyderabad.