Cooking with Herbamare by A. Vogel

"The Art of Cooking Depends upon Proper Seasoning... Simply adding plenty of salt will not achieve the desire result and cannot produce the flavor that the food lacks in the first place...What helps to make our food healthy and tasty are the herbal or vegetable seasoning that are added to it, certainly not just the use of salt"- Alfred Vogel, the Swiss naturopath, (1902-96)

 According to Doctor Alfred Vogel. healthy seasoning has to provide a good taste, to stimulate digestion and to enhance the food with vitamins, minerals and trace elements. All of these he achieved in Herbamare and Herbamare Spicy(or Zesty) herbal seasoning salt preparations.

 Herbamare (Original) is made with rough natural sea salt and 12 organically grown and certified, freshly harvested herbs, vegetables. It is enriched with Kelp - the iodine-containing seaweed.
Ingredients of Herbamare (Original) -> Sea salt, Celery, Leek, Watercress, Onion,, Chives, Parsley, Lovage, Garlic, Basil, Marjoram, Rosemary, Thyme, Kelp. All herbs and vegetables are prepared in Colmar, Alsace region in north-eastern France.
Ingredients of Herbamare Spicy (or Zesty) are the same as in Herbamare with addition of Chili, Pepper and Horseradish.

 Doctor Alfred Vogel used maceration process to preserve all goodness of fresh vegetables and herbs. This method is still used today. In preparation of Herbamare, vegetables and herbs have never been heated.
This herbal salt seasoning does not have any artificial flavors, preservatives, MSG. I think not every seasoning can share the same qualities of Herbamare.
       From the time I have discovered this herbal seasoning for myself I always use it in my savory dishes. Even though I use fresh or dry herbs in preparing food I salt with Herbamare to have an additional flavor, minerals and trace elements.
       Just do some tasting. Take two slices of fresh cucumber. Season one slice with table salt and season the other slice with Herbamare. Taste them. You will find the difference.Cucumber slice with Herbamare has a very pleasant, mildly salty, flavored taste compare to a sharp saltiness of cucumber slice with table salt.
       And if you like Herbamare seasoning taste, your health benefit greatly, as you will use more fresh vegetables, herbs and less salt per se.
      Health and Happiness to you:)

Almond-Hazelnut Layer Cake w/Buttercream and Raspberries-Gluten Free

Tea time is the time to show off your baking creation. Almond-Hazelnut Layer Cake with Buttercream and fresh Raspberries is the one.

                         You need:
== For Cake Layer                      
 = 1 cup of Ground Almonds (Take 1 cup of Whole almonds. Grind them, it will give you more than one cup. Measure and save the rest for sprinkling)                             
= 2/3 cup of Ground Hazelnuts ( The same as with Almonds)                             
= 2/3 cup of Demerara organic sugar     
= 7 Eggs Whites
= 1 teaspoon of Cinnamon
= 1 teaspoon of Vanilla powder                      
 = Pinch of salt
Preheat the oven to 350 F (180C)
     ~ 1. Finely grind Almonds and Hazelnuts in a blender.

     ~ 2. Measure 1 cup of ground Almonds and 2/3 cup of ground Hazelnuts.

     ~ 3. Place nuts into the bowl, add Vanilla powder and Cinnamon and mix all together.

     ~ 4. Grind to the powder 2/3 cup of Demerara sugar in the blender.

     ~ 5. Separate Egg Whites from egg yolks. Save Egg Yolks for a Buttercream.

     ~ 6. Add a pinch of salt into the Egg Whites. Whip them.

     ~ 7. Add gradually ground Demerara sugar powder to the egg Whites and whip until glossy and hold soft peaks.

     ~ 8. Gently fold (portion by portion) with a spatula the ground nuts into the whipped egg Whites.
Be careful not to flatten the mixture.

     ~ 9. Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the cake mixture into the plastic bag.

      ~ 10. Spread cake mixture evenly with a thin metal spatula.

   Bake for 25-30 minutes till lightly browned. When the cake layer is ready, chill at least 1 hour.

              == For Filling
= 340-400g fresh Raspberries and handful of ground Almonds/Hazelnuts mixture.

                          == For Buttercream
= 7 Egg Yolks
=  420 g of Organic Unsalted Butter
= 10 and 1/2 of Table spoon of Water
= 3/4 cup of Coconut sugar
= 1/2 teaspoon of Vanilla extract
= 1/2 teaspoon of Almond extract

 ~ 1. Place Coconut sugar into  a small saucepan.

 ~ 2. Add 10 and a half of Table spoons of cold Water and mix all together.

 ~ 3. Put the saucepan on the stove (Medium Heat) and bring sugar/water to boil. Stir the mixture.If the syrup boils rapidly, reduce the heat. When the sugar has dissolved completely, you can increase the heat again. While it is boiling, the consistency of the syrup becomes more dense.

  Boil till the syrup reaches the soft ball stage. How to check the soft ball stage? =>Prepare a cup with cold water and drop coconut sugar syrup into the cup.

 When you touch the syrup drop, it will form a soft ball. The syrup is ready.

 ~ 4. While the syrup is boiling, mix the egg Yolks.

 ~ 5. Gradually, pour the syrup down the side of the mixing bowl INTO the egg Yolks.

~ 6. Beat constantly at high speed of mixer till the mixture becomes thick.

 ~ 7. Then gradually add the soften butter into the cool egg Yolks/syrup mixture.

 ~ 8. Beat till smooth and creamy.

 ~ 9. Add Vanilla and Almond extracts and beat again. Done. Light and fluffy Buttercream. One good thing about Buttercream is that it can be stored in a refrigerator for 1 week or in a freezer for up to 3 months.

 == Putting the Cake all together.
~ 1. Cut in half the cake layer. One half is for the bottom and the other half is for the top of the cake.

 ~ 2. Cover the bottom of the cake with the Buttercream and sprinkle with ground Almonds/hazelnuts mixture.

 ~ 3.Arrange the raspberries over the Buttercream in parallel rows.

 ~ 4. Place Butercream into a plastic bag, cut a little hole at the end of the plastic bag and squeeze the Buttercream between the raspberries.

 ~ 5. Spread the Buttercream neatly and evenly between the raspberries. Spread the cream over the raspberries as well. Use small knife or spatula. Do not smash the raspberries.

~ 6. Top with the other half to cover the cake and lightly press the cake layer so that it sticks to the Buttercream.

 ~ 7. For the top spread I used 1 Table spoon of butter and 1 teaspoon of "Red Beet crystals" from "Salus" ( Absolutely wonderful product.  You will get not only a great tasting and great magenta color but the goodness of beets as well)

 ~ 8.  So, just mix well butter and  the Red Beet crystals and spread over the top of the cake.

~ 9. Sprinkle ground Almonds/Hazelnuts on the top.If you have some chocolate. Shred the chocolate through  the small holes of a box grater. Sprinkle on the top of the cake too.

 And that is it. This cake should be chilled 1 hour till the Buttercream sets. After that cut the cake on slices.

 It is better to bake the cake on the day before serving.

Enjoy:)