RAIMBOW CAKE

Sometimes kids ask for unusual stuff, but now and then their requests can be really inspiring.
My three years old daughter Isabella asked for a supercoloured cake with loads of pink in it; well, few days ago I baked something similar to her description and despite the genetically-modified look it was delicious!
It can be a great idea for children birthday parties or even for halloween if you just pick the right colours...lots of orange and extra dark cocoa powder.
Here's trhe recipe.

200 g plain flour
100 g caster sugar
60 g icing sugar
100 ml sunflower oil
100 ml fresh full fat milk
2 and a half teaspoons of baking powder, about 14 g
food colours

Turn the oven to 180 degrees then butter and flour your tin.
Beat the egg whites with the icing sugar until stiff, apart beat the yolks with the caster sugar and add to the whites very gently. Pour the other ingredients one by one, mix carefully and add the sieved flour at last. Mix again until smooth.
Divide the mixture into 4 or 5 parts (or more if you really want a raimbow effect!) and colour them with food colours.
Pour the coloured mixtures in the tin one by one, put in the oven and cook for about 30 minutes.

CHILI CON CARNE

Great for informal dinners with friends you feel totally confortable with, because your fingers are going to get dirty and so are the corners of your mouth.
In winter chili is the panacea for surviving the coldest days because it really warms your body and in summertime, by raising your body temperature, it makes you sweat and sweating is the most natural remedy to desperse heat. Try to believe!

for 6 people

500 g mixed mince meat (pork and beaf)
3 red peppers
1 medium size white onion
250 canned black beans
250 g peeled chopped tomatoes
half a glass of white wine
1 tablespoon of ketchup
2 teaspoons of tabasco
2 teaspoons of chopped fresh parsley
4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon of ground chilli pepper
1 teaspoon of sweet paprika
salt

Wash the peppers, cut them in halves and take all the seeds off. Rinse and drain them. Peel and chop the onion, fry it in a large saucepan with the olive oil till soft, add the mince meat and cook at high flame. Add salt. When the meat has got a nice golden shade add the white wine and let boil off. Add the peppers, beans, the chopped tomatoes, parsley, ketchup, chilli pepper, paprika, and tabasco. Cover with lid and turn the heat down to a simmer fiamma. Cook for an hour and a half.
Serve hot with tortillas and nachos chips.