This banana & cappuccino cheese cake is very different, the base layer is a banana cake and the top, coffee cheese cake. Let’s start…

1 1/2 cups bananas, mashed, ripe
1 teaspoons lemon juice
3 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup softened butter
2 1/8 cups sugar
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups sour cream

Preheat oven to 275°F. Grease and flour a half sheet pan, In a small bowl, mix mashed banana with the lemon juice; set aside.  In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking soda and salt; set aside. In a large bowl, mix the cream, butter and sugar until it becomes light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time.  Beat in the flour mix alternately with the sour cream. Stir in the banana mixture. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes or until toothpicks come out clean when inserted.  Set aside until it cools down.

4 packages cream cheese
2 cups sour cream
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup of espresso Coffee

Preheat oven to 325°F. Mix the cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, and coffee in a large bowl until well blended. Add eggs and mix well.  Pour the mix on top of the banana cake
Bake for 40 minutes, or until center is almost set. Cool, then refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Decorate with cocoa powder and fresh or dry bananas. Remember you can freeze this cheese cake.
If you want to pre-cut it, cut it frozen…

Rick Simmer- Araceli Simmer- Kopillof and Natalia Penchaszadeh

Local duo stars in new HGTV show

BY Aisha Sultan

ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
05/09/2009

When a local fashion designer and executive chef showed up in matching Vera Wang coats to start renovating a building for a reality TV show, the film crew rolled their eyes.

The coats stayed on for 43 seconds.

Araceli Kopiloff-Zimmer, 41, admits she stalked the producers of “Renovation Realities,” a show that appears on DIY network and HGTV, for a chance to be featured on it. She also readily admits that she’s a far cry from a handy, crafty DIYer.

“I haven’t even changed a knob on a drawer,” she said.
Unsurprisingly, mayhem ensued.

Two years ago, Araceli was laid off as a fashion designer for May Co. She had worked all over the world in fashion and immediately began freelancing. In the meantime, she met chef Natalia Penchaszadeh, 35, who was searching for a restaurant location in the city. Both originally from Argentina, the pair hit it off instantly and are St. Louis’ version of Lucy and Ethel - quirky, full of energy and with ideas that are a little over-the-top.

They spotted a former mortgage company building across the street from Lafayette Park, but Natalia ruled it out because it lacked the zoning needed for a restaurant. Natalia left to visit Argentina, and when she returned Araceli informed her that she had purchased the property anyway.

With her husband’s extensive antique and art collection, Araceli figured they could transform the space into a cafe, with an antique and gift shop on the side. She convinced Natalia to come on board as the chef for the project, which they dubbed “Rue Lafayette.”

They had a vision of bringing a slice of Paris street life to St. Louis, complete with toy sailboat rentals that kids could play with in the lake. But the entire building would have to be gutted and rehabbed, and the original architect estimates came in around $180,000.

That’s when Araceli got the idea that they could save some money and get some publicity by appearing on the reality show, which was scouting locations throughout the country. She filled out an application and sent in a video.

“They definitely don’t look like the typical builder,” co-executive producer Lori Golden-Stryer said when she saw their tape. She asked them: “Are you guys serious about this?”

They had originally suggested that they would stain some windows but the producers vetoed that project as too lame. Time for Plan B: The women figured they could easily rip out old flooring and replace it with new tile. They also proposed tearing down a wall in the entrance. But, the show insisted they add a project in which they actually construct something. So they proposed a counter built out of the extra original doors.

Keep in mind, they had never held a power tool in their lives.

Natalia figured the entire thing was a joke. She had no desire to make a fool of herself on national TV.

When Araceli showed up at her door bearing gifts, she became suspicious.

“I have something to tell you…,” Araceli said and pulled out a contract.

They had been picked. Once Natalia was convinced that the show would not ruin her reputation as a chef, the two immediately began plotting what they would wear.

The premise of “Renovation Realities” is a bit different than the other picture-perfect home makeover shows on television.

“On home renovation shows, everything is rosy,” Lori, the producer said. “No one makes mistakes, no one mismeasures, but the reality is, people do.”

The idea is for viewers to learn from DIYers’ mistakes and be inspired by their successes.

With little to no outside help, the novice rehabbers were set to be filmed for a week as they attempted their planned projects. At one point, they spent 30 minutes trying to screw a nut with a drill but could not figure out why it wouldn’t work. Finally, one of the crew members suggested they check the direction of the drill.

It was in reverse.

There was a steep learning curve.

“It was my first time using a wet saw,” Araceli said. “Actually, it was my first time seeing it.”

At one point, she tried to cut through electrical wire with scissors. “How was I supposed to know?” The crew, which tries to stay as detached as possible, was forced to intervene when Araceli started to use a power saw to cut through the middle of an unsecured door.

“I can’t let you do this,” the cameraman said, as he set his camera down. The saw could have gone flying out of her hands.

“My son said we looked like monkeys with loaded guns,” Araceli said.

During this interview, she tried to describe a tool they used while redoing the tile floors.

“We called it microdermabrasion,” she said. “But that’s not what it was called. We used it to clean up underneath the old tiles.”

“Oh for God’s sake,” the producer said, when we called her trying to track down the proper name of the tool.

“It was a buffer.”

But, somehow, at the end of a very long week, the women accomplished their tasks.

Araceli said she felt a little funny when she looked at the new entry way or the counter they built.

“I don’t know what this feeling is that I have,” she said. “It’s either a sense of accomplishment or hatred or gas.”

The remainder of their vision - a darling cafe with copper tiles, mahogany wainscotting, a concrete stained floor - will be carried out by a skilled team of carpenters and contractors.

“Never again,” Araceli said. “It was just too much work.”

The sweat equity has given the project a “labor of love” attachment, though. Araceli looked up the property’s original owner and was delighted to discover that owner David Nicholson had stipulated back in the early 1900s that his property “should be occupied only by dwellings of elegant design and substantial character.”

“I like that guy,” she said. “He had style.”

The Rue St. Louis cafe and antique shop is set to open by the end of May at 2026 Lafayette Ave. The “Rue St. Louis” episode of “Renovations Realities” will appear on DIY and HGTV through the month of May. Check local listings for times.

6 lb (3 Kg) Oranges
1 Gallon(3.8 Lt) Water
8 lb ( 4 Kg) White Sugar

If you like sweet, you will love this Orangettes recipe! Mostly since you can make them with the orange peels that you would otherwise trash. They are so delicate and delicious that you will soon be eating oranges just as an excuse to get enough orange zest to fulfill your Orangettes needs.
Cut the orange in four pieces and with your hands peel it taking the peel from one of the points making sure to take it together with the white part.
Soak the peels in water at room temperature for at least 3 days (in a big container) exchanging the water daily. Cut the orange peel pieces lengthwise, of about a quarter of an inch wide.
Dip the peels in boiling water for 2 minutes (use a drainer or similar tool) and move into cold water. Repeat this process three times.
Make a syrup using 1 Gallon water and 4 lb of sugar
Place in a thick simmering syrup for 4 hours, let them cool down and place in a cardboard box alternating layers of sugar with layers of peels. Keep them in the box for a week (if you can refrain the temptation of eating them earlier), remove the sugar and they are ready to go!

MacaRue

Opening Soon, May 2009!

 Watch us on KSDK  "Show Me St. Louis"
Monday, May 4, 2009
at 3.00pm




 

This recipe is for a Brownie mixture for a layer cake, click here if you want the recipe for brownie bars.

I love Brownies, they are so easy to prepare, secret…. mix by hand.

5oz (150gr) of unsalted butter
4oz (125gr) of chocolate
4 eggs
1 cup of sugar
1cup of brown sugar
1 cup of all purpose flour
1 teaspoon of vanilla essence

~Do not preheat the oven, prepare a sheet (28 x 18 cm) (11 x 7 inch) cover with baking paper.
Chop the chocolate and the butter, use a heat proof bowl and put the bowl in a pan of steaming water, stir until the chocolate melts; do not cook the chocolate. (Alternatively you can use the microwave; chop the chocolate in tiny pieces add the butter and put it in the microwave at high power for 1 min, stir and if it’s not melted try 10 more seconds seconds, stir and repeat until it melts).

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, add the sugar and the vanilla essence. Add the chocolate and whisk by hand. Add the sifted flour and fold until the flour disappears. Do not over beat. Pour the mix in the previously prepared baking sheet and place in the oven.
Turn the oven on (400F) (200C). cook for 15′, then drop the temperature down to 350 F (180 C) and cook for other 15 min.
How to know when it is done? Easy, the edges should be detached from the pan wall.

Lemon Pie

Dough.
10.5 oz (300gr) of flour
5.2 oz (150gr) of butter
1.7 oz (50gr) of sugar
1 egg
1 yolk
Lemon custard:
6 yolks
2 eggs
7.70 oz (220gr) of sugar
4 lemons, squeeze juice and peel
1 tablespoon of corn starch
7.7 oz (200gr.) of butter
Meringue
4 egg whites
9.17 oz (260 gr) of Sugar.

~Place the flour and Butter in a bowl and make little crumbs with your fingers. Add the egg and the yolk until the dough forms. DO NOT OVER WORK. Cover with plastic and let it rest for 20 min. The secret of this is to work quickly with cold ingredients, and cold room temperature. A cold marble is an ideal surface to work on. Put the eggs, the yolks, the lemon juice, the lemon peels and the corn starch in a pan. Ensemble, whisk in cold, then in medium heat still whisking until it gets thicker. Remove the pan from the fire, cut the cold butter in cubes and add it to the mixture. Cover the surface with plastic (it has to touch the mixture). Beat the egg whites in a small dry bowl, use electric beater, until soft, add the sugar gradually.

~Roll out the dough on a baking paper ( it will be easier to transport to the baking pan). Place it in to the pie pan, press the sides. Refrigerate again for 15 minutes, I know, we all hate to wait! But you want a nice shell don’t you? The dough has to chill out you know…
Preheat the oven 350F (180C ).
To prevent the sides folding down and also to prevent rising you can cover the shell with baking paper and then fill with baking beads or uncooked beans or rice (I prefer rice).
Bake for 15 minutes, take out the beads and the baking paper and cook for 15 more minutes. When cooked it should look dry with no greasy patches. Let cool down.
Add the filling (lemon custard) into the shell and cover with the meringue.
If you like, turn the oven in broil mode and burn the meringue (or use a torch if you are brave enough).

Ladue News Feb, 2009

• Owners Araceli Kopiloff-Zimmer and Richard Zimmer are transforming the 1920’s residence at 2026 Lafayette Ave. into Rue La Fayette, a combination antique store and gallery. Next door has been reserved for Le Café, where Natalia Penchaszadeh will cook and bake. Many know and love Natalia’s creations from classes at Kitchen Conservatory and the Fountain on Locust*. ‘Child friendly by day/romantic at night’ is the description Araceli and Natalia use for the cafe, which is projected to open in April

This coconut cookies are  delicious and Easy!!! Just two ingredients:
1 can Condensed Milk
3 cups ground coconut

~Pour the condensed milk in a bowl, add the coconut and fold until everything comes together.
Preheat the oven at 300 F (150C) .

In a baking sheet cover with baking paper.
With a wet tablespoon take small amounts of the mixture and place little bowls on a baking sheet covered with baking paper, make sure to leave space in between. Wet the palm of your hands and flat the cookies. The cookies will grow a little bit, cook them for 15 minutes or until golden. Very important, take out the cookies immediately with a spatula or they will be impossible to remove later. This recipe makes around 26 Cookies.

Bienmesabe decorate with coconut cookies deep in chocolate
see bienmesabe