tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-58612656222164901742024-03-13T16:02:04.960-04:003 EatsAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04141576244954664918noreply@blogger.comBlogger249125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5861265622216490174.post-60644407583160920702013-11-22T22:45:00.001-05:002013-11-22T22:45:08.170-05:00For the Love of MacaronsHello
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Yes, for those of you who don't know. I love macarons, well kinda. I like making them and the process of making them. I was going through this whole phase of trying to perfect them. While my sister was yelling at me from the sidelines (because she said I was wasting resources). In my opinion it was worth every penny that I've spent. I learned not only how to bake macarons properly but the secrets behind them<br />
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Some people often think that you need to air dry them for a bit of time before you can pop them in the oven and some even said you can leave them over night so that the skin forms a harder shell. All of which works BUT the <i>old man</i> would bicker at me all the time. He says that there are eggs in the batter and therefore it should not be left out in room temperature incase of any bacteria.<br />
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Thus, after pipping them out on my <i>silpat </i>mat, I throw them straight in the oven at 200C to dry them out. After 15 mins, I would raise the temperature to 350C and bake for another 9 minutes.<br />
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The results? Amazing. See below.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">London Fog</td></tr>
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As you can see, there were feet all the time and most importantly consistency. These were just a sample of the macarons that I have baked. Of course, there are more but that will have to wait until I discover another breakthrough.<br />
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Now, now I know you missed me and I missed you guys too. I should really get posting on some of the amazing things that I have been doing in my kitchen. Frankly, this isn't even the right time to post this post since you are probably out partying.<br />
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Oh well, I just wanted to say hi.<br />
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Until next time. =)Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04141576244954664918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5861265622216490174.post-90419773341806122562013-09-23T09:32:00.000-04:002013-09-23T09:34:30.508-04:00A Short Film About Me. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Just wanted to share this you guys!<br />
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Enjoy!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04141576244954664918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5861265622216490174.post-19275649744837180992013-08-23T17:26:00.003-04:002013-08-25T21:59:14.629-04:00Father Time. <br />
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I always wondered what I would be doing when I reach the age of twenty six. I realized that father time will always treat me right and most of the time, I won't know anything about anything if that makes any sense. I told my lovely grandma that I feel old but wise. She told me to get married soon and implied that I should start a family soon. She always had a hopeful mindset; I love her very much.<br />
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I ask myself, am I successful? The answer? Of course! Everything is happening perfectly and I wouldn't want to change anything about it. I am so happy about my twenty six birthday. Here are some highlights for your enjoyment.<br />
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I thank all my friends and family for this wonderful week. My birthday wouldn't be the same with all of them. Much love and respect.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04141576244954664918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5861265622216490174.post-84577427458687062962013-08-13T09:00:00.000-04:002013-08-13T09:32:31.770-04:00Hold On We're Going Home<h2>
<b>Hello!!! </b></h2>
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Holy moly, it's been too long. This was the longest break I have ever taken from blogging, actually thats a lie. I am pretty sure I took longer breaks. Through the time away from home (meaning here) I have been collecting a lot of memories with my new <i>Panasonic GX1, </i>equipped with a 20 mm "pancake" lens. Yes, getting very technical here. I don't even know what half the stuff means. I literally just got it two months ago or so and I love it!<br />
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It's has taken me quite some time to think about what to post because my summer has been filled with nothing but weddings. I know most of you must have been frustrated with the lack of posts from me. So here I am and what I want to post about is my latest macaron adventure.<br />
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I always get so many "likes" on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/three.eats" target="_blank">Facebook</a> and <a href="http://instagram.com/hellodanielchoi" target="_blank">Instagram</a> (if you haven't subscribed or followed, please do so by clicking on the link above) for the macarons that I bake. No matter who you are or where you are from, I find that these little baked goods are always enticing.<br />
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After baking over a thousand of these babies, I noticed some important kitchen essentials you need to bake the perfect macaon.<br />
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You will need:<br />
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<li>A silpat baking mat</li>
<li>Industrial cookie sheet </li>
<li>Patience</li>
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The Silpat and industrial cookie sheet really does make a huge difference. It allowed me to bake the cookies for fifteen minutes!<br />
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The end result is what you see above and here is what is in the <i>Pistachio Macaron with Pistachio Ganache</i>:<br />
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Shell:<br />
115 g icing sugar<br />
75 g grounded pistachio<br />
2 large egg whites<br />
50 g caster sugar<br />
a pinch of cream of tar tar<br />
a pinch of salt<br />
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Basically, you just replace the ground almonds with ground pistachio.<br />
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Ganache<br />
150 g 35% whipped cream<br />
150 g white chocolate<br />
25 g pistachio paste<br />
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Use the double boiler technique to melt the white chocolate. Set a side once done.<br />
Bring the cream to a boil and mix in the paste.<br />
Pour the chocolate over the whip cream mix. Use a hand blender and blend for 10 minutes.<br />
Set in the fridge until the ganache thickens, roughly around 1.5 hours.<br />
When ready, pipe the shells and you are done!<br />
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There you have it, short and sweet. Until next time!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04141576244954664918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5861265622216490174.post-67404687814743959362013-06-03T10:03:00.004-04:002013-06-03T10:05:29.800-04:00Five Hundred Seventy Macaron Wedding Favours<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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Alright, I'll admit it. I disappeared for quite a bit and you have every right to be mad at me right now for not posting anything. The <i>Amy's Baking Company</i> was a good filler though, you have to admit it. Most of you probably deleted my blog from your bookmark tabs but let's just be friends again, slowly.<br />
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So the reason for my disappearing act was because I had a huge macaron order to do. My sister and I baked over 570 macarons, yes, five hundred seventy macaroons for my friends wedding.The whole process took about 3 months. It started off with just an idea but turned into reality when I convinced them that it was well worth it and it was!<br />
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I am still pinching myself while carrying a big smile on my face, remembering the look on the groom's family's faces when they saw the final platters of macarons delivered. They were in disbelief that it came from my kitchen and frankly, I was in dismay myself too. I am going to try my best to just pack all these months of brainstorming and taste sampling into a short post, since we all had ADD here, well, at least I do.<br />
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The recipe, I am not going to post so just refer to my previous posts. First and foremost, I want to give credit to my good friend <a href="http://calvinleephotography.zenfolio.com/" target="_blank">Calvin Lee</a> for helping me take some pictures during the process. He is an awesome photographer and friend, please check him out. My sister deserves a shout too for helping me out in the biggest possible way, I couldn't have done it without her.<br />
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<b>Challenges</b><br />
I guess I'll first talk about the challenges during this whole process. One thing that I cannot defeat is my inner voice, it keeps telling me that I am going to fail and let the newly weds down. I felt very down and was stressing myself out. I couldn't do anything, all I thought about was macarons and the feeling was insane. I woke up, went to work and was looking forward to going home just to bake. So, number 1 rule from now on, drown out your inner voice that tells you, you are going to fail. <br />
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Second was the timing of all these baked goods. My trusty old man kept on telling me to stop making small batches and just devote a couple of days to bake the whole day. Having this mentally made it worst and it just freaked me out knowing that if I failed, the wedding would be ruined. But the old man was right in the end and it actually had a lot of beneficial factors to it. Colour's were consistent, saved energy and production was more effective.<br />
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Third was a lack of sleep. I went through a week of poor hours of sleep. My day would start off with work, gym, dinner and then macarons. I had to share the kitchen with my sister and we took turns, I always seem to get the grave yard shift but it didn't matter, I was driven and would do anything to be successful.<br />
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<b>Pros</b><br />
Ah fine, Ill admit it. This macaron journey has really been a special bonding experience. My sister and I spoke the same language for once and it was for the love of perfect macarons. We discussed many tips and even compared notes. It was beautiful and for sure, we will do it again. I asked.<br />
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Seeing the happy faces of friends and family was just priceless or maybe they were shocked for the fact that the macarons were made by me and my sister. Overall, the image of guests happy faces were amazing and of course how can I forget about the bride and groom. They were more then grateful. I was so happy that they loved it and for the fact that they believed in me.<br />
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After all the countless failed batches, I finally mastered the macaron and I can now make the macarons work all the time! Now I just got to figure out what am I going to do with the rest of the extra macarons I have. Do you guys want some?<br />
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<b>Backup Plan</b><br />
There was no back up plan.<br />
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I think that's all I have to share for now. Let's try to keep things short and simple for the both of us. Here's a mix of my journey. Take a look!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Waiting for the skin to form is the best part because you do nothing.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Quality control</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wasted and burnt macarons. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Feet</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I love the smell of a fresh batch</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Two A.M. and still finishing up on a work day. </td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7HL0slrzXUs/UawMz-Q8w3I/AAAAAAAADFg/3wt-AY--o9k/s1600/IMG_0540.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7HL0slrzXUs/UawMz-Q8w3I/AAAAAAAADFg/3wt-AY--o9k/s640/IMG_0540.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So Pink. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--nKMUKU2DsU/UawNAhXkN4I/AAAAAAAADFw/209t8SKGrbc/s1600/IMG_0544.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--nKMUKU2DsU/UawNAhXkN4I/AAAAAAAADFw/209t8SKGrbc/s640/IMG_0544.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was only 234 macarons. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-imx2nJF5wzw/UawLCbcbZlI/AAAAAAAADEA/zayDFpdr57A/s1600/0H1A4400.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-imx2nJF5wzw/UawLCbcbZlI/AAAAAAAADEA/zayDFpdr57A/s640/0H1A4400.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Calvin took a break from the assembly line.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Overall it was a crazy experience, filled with ups and downs. But in the end, it was well worth it. Macarons just give a big smile to everyone's faces, no matter what age group you are in, they are a dessert for anyone with a sweet tooth.<br />
<div>
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<div>
If you like what you see, leave a comment below and of course, feel free to place an order. See you soon! </div>
<div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5H0IoEWv4a4/UawLwDdnsyI/AAAAAAAADEg/dHff6czMnIU/s1600/0H1A4423.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5H0IoEWv4a4/UawLwDdnsyI/AAAAAAAADEg/dHff6czMnIU/s640/0H1A4423.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One last shot. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04141576244954664918noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5861265622216490174.post-79388937381207063312013-05-15T09:49:00.002-04:002013-05-15T09:51:40.579-04:00Hell's Kitchen Gone Bad<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://img.lostsig.net/amy/amy1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="324" src="https://img.lostsig.net/amy/amy1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<br />
Hello!<br />
<br />
The comments that you just read, was by a restaurant owner named <i>Amy</i>. She and her husband; <i>Samy</i>, has been operating <i>Amy's Baking Company</i> for quite some time now but they have been struggling due to some negative reviews on <i>Yelp</i>. So, who do they turn to? <i>Gordon Ramsay</i> of course. On last week's episode of <i>Kitchen Nightmare</i>, their restaurant was the main attraction. It was all fun and games till Amy's food hit rock bottom with <i>Ramsay</i>. Apparently, she can't criticism from anyone. Not even her Husband. Eventaully, <i>Ramsay</i> had to call it quits on the couple and things started to take to an unfortunate turn.
<br />
<br />
The couple decided to lash out on <i>Facebook</i>, it was one of the worst meltdown I have ever seen. They weren't only firing at the show; <i>Kitchen Nightmares </i>but also targeting the "online bullies." I do not understand how someone can be so stubborn and not take criticism, not even a little bit. When you fight fire with fire, things will only get worst.<br />
<br />
They claim that all the foods are home made and even lied to <i>Ramsay</i> that their baked goods was home made. At first, I believed her but then I came across this from their <i>Twitter</i> account:<br />
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<a href="http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/ejOpThiMDi9FXggWpTxCKQ--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7cT04NTt3PTQ2Mg--/http://l.yimg.com/os/publish-images/lifestyles/2013-05-14/fd87210e-e8d9-47ff-b15c-44879d5e3063_twitter-amys.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="264" src="http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/ejOpThiMDi9FXggWpTxCKQ--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7cT04NTt3PTQ2Mg--/http://l.yimg.com/os/publish-images/lifestyles/2013-05-14/fd87210e-e8d9-47ff-b15c-44879d5e3063_twitter-amys.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
And then they claimed that all their social media accounts has been hacked and that they were going to take legal action. This has been just one big mess and there seems to be no way out. The only solution I can think of is a rebranding of the whole entire name. Change the name, attitude and treatment of your customers. I have never seen someone yelling back at the customer for not knowing what "good food" is.<br />
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That is my two cents about the whole ordeal. What do you think?<br />
<br />
In case you missed the episode, here it is:<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/G6LY7TJ16pg?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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P.S. I have been working on a big project and is due very soon. I promise its not store bought and will blog about it.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04141576244954664918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5861265622216490174.post-19213465192213624372013-04-15T09:14:00.000-04:002013-04-15T09:14:22.132-04:00Hidden Spring <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
Where is Spring 2013?<br />
<br />
How would I know? Everyone seems to be asking this question but no matter how hard we look, spring is always hiding. It's almost like he's still in vacation mode or maybe theres just a flight delay. No one knows exactly but since spring is still missing. I decided to make good use of this time to spend it in the kitchen and also because I'm on a "broke diet."<br />
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Recently, some friends of mine asked me to bake some macarons for a special occasion and ordered a mountain of them. I was very excited and wanted to get right into it. The only thing holding me back is the fact that we still did not %100 figured out the sizing of the treats just yet.<br />
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It was still very good practice and if you want to learn how to get "feet" everytime you bake macarons, simply refer to my "Macarons Journey" post.<br />
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Something a little different this time. I want to post about the books I have read so far and introduce to you my top 5 bucket list so far. Looking at the picture below, you will notice that they are mostly self help books. I don't know why but I have been obsessed with them ever since my first one.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-i0mwN9oeWac/UWtxB4Io0mI/AAAAAAAACp0/DU8MGO9MO5s/s1600/Books.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="484" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-i0mwN9oeWac/UWtxB4Io0mI/AAAAAAAACp0/DU8MGO9MO5s/s640/Books.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Lets get started:<br />
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<span style="text-align: left;">
<i><u>7 habits of highly effective - Stephen R. Covey</u></i></span><br />
<ul>
<li style="text-align: left;">I don't have it in my library at the moment but it was the first book that I have ever read in the self help section. My cousin lent it to me during a period of time where I was a bit confused on what I wanted to be. The book touches base on how to be the best you can be and introduces the idea of paradigm shifts and prepares you as the reader for a change in mindset.</li>
</ul>
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<i><u>The Power of Now - Eckhart Tolle</u></i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<ul>
<li>This book was mind blowing. I know that is not the most helpful and convincing way of reviewing a book but Tolle's ideas about human transformation of human consciousness is very unique and engaging. I have never been so challenged by a book. Every chapter was refreshing in its own way and lifted me spiritually. </li>
</ul>
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<i><u>The Happiness Project - Gretchen Rubin</u></i></div>
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<ul>
<li>When I first picked up this book, I was quite skeptical. I had the impression that it was written by someone who was battling depression and has found a way out. To my surprise, it was the opposite. It's about a married woman who has two kids and almost everything she ever dreamed of but something was missing in her life. This book was very inspirational and has made me a happier person. For example, one of the very things in the book teaches you to take things lightly so that you could be happier and it has worked wonders. </li>
</ul>
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<i><u>How to Win Friends and Influence People - Dale Carnegie</u></i></div>
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<ul>
<li>Definitely a weird book to be holding during your subway rides but this book has it's own richness to it. The teaches of influencing people to "like" you is as easy as pie. I can't say that I reached it's full potential yet but it has improved my social skills greatly. </li>
</ul>
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<i><u>Things I've Learned from Women Who've Dumped Me - Ben Karlin</u></i></div>
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<ul>
<li>Honestly, I have been dumped by women and I bet we all have. I thought it was a book that would give you the solution of how not to get dumped next time. When I first saw this cover and the title of the book, I had to buy it. It was one of those "I got to have this because it's so beautiful" kind of things. This book is filled with hilarious short stories about men who have been dumped by women. Some of them were kind of sad but others were very humorous. </li>
</ul>
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There you have it, my so called bucket list so far. I am still reading and hunting for new reads. If you have some in mind, please do share with me in the comment section. </div>
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See ya! =D </div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04141576244954664918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5861265622216490174.post-6454016985169887092013-04-08T09:36:00.000-04:002013-04-08T09:36:16.955-04:00Fine China<br />
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Hello hello!<br />
<br />
Finally, a chance to share some news about food and my Saturday. It feels so good to just unwind on a Sunday afternoon and blog about the amazing time I had with my friends. This Saturday I had some friends over for dinner. I call it <i>The Daniel Oliver Experience</i>, I even hashtag it on <i>Instagram</i> and <i>Twitter.</i> Feel free to follow me on <a href="https://twitter.com/hellodanielchoi" target="_blank">Twitter</a> for the latest updates on my journey in life.<br />
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I always love company and especially having friends over for dinner. I tried to spice things up with fancy table decor and simple center pieces. I will be on the hunt this summer for awesome table ware for sure. I think what I look forward to the most is their reaction. I guess I don't really come off as a guy who knows how to cook and bake but it is what it is.<br />
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Here we go, three course meal.<br />
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This was the <i>Apple and Swiss Cheese Salad </i>and was inspired by a book that I have called <i>Everyday Kitchen</i>. Definitely one of my favourites, I can never get enough of Arugula lettuce. I always tell people that it's an acquired taste but to my surprise, the first timers always get hooked on it.<br />
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Heres what you need:<br />
2 tsp honey<br />
1 tsp dijon mustard<br />
3 tbsp olive oil<br />
3 tbsp lemon juice<br />
2 pink lady apples<br />
2 endive leaves<br />
1 small bunch arugula with stalks removed<br />
85 g cheese of your choice<br />
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Combine the honey, mustard and olive oil in a bowl (this is going to be your dressing).<br />
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Slice the apple in thin slices and drench them in lemon juice so that they won't brown. Pour the remaining juices in the dressing. Place the endive leaves on the plate, stack it up with apple slices and garnish with the arugula leaves. Drizzle some dressing on top, add a splash of olive oil and garnish with lemon zest (optional).<br />
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This was a very nice spring salad, filled with colours and flavour. The all natural dressing is one of my favourites out of all the dressings I have made.<br />
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This was the <i>Pan Roasted Salmon with Rosemary Anchovy Sauce Paired with Asparagus. </i>I blogged about this before during the initial stages of this blog. Search it up in the search bar above for full details!<br />
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Dessert, my must looked forward to part of the meal. This was the <i>Black Berry Yogurt Cheesecake.</i> Honestly, it was one of the creamiest I have ever baked. I was a little taken back on how creamy it was. Instead of using sour cream, I substituted it with strawberry yogurt. It was one of the most impulsive but rewarding things I have ever done. It was bang on. A post was dedicated to this before, please do a search.<br />
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Last but not least, <i>Settlers of Catan</i>. A game that involves trading, yelling, laughing and begging. Not so the begging part but it does involve a lot of convincing.<br />
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So there we have it, my Saturday night in a post. I hope you all enjoyed it and stay tuned for further baking and cooking.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04141576244954664918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5861265622216490174.post-71565104388145820812013-03-29T14:05:00.000-04:002013-03-29T14:05:43.069-04:00Happy Easter<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hello Friends<br />
<br />
Happy Easter! I am so excited for this weekend, it's going to be so nice with the weather and events coming up. When the days get cold, people tend to hide and just slip away from the earth but when the sun comes up, everyone comes out to play; I love company.<br />
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I don't know if you know this but I am a <i>Starbucks</i> kind of person. If I could choose between coffee shops to just sit with a book and a coffee; I would choose <i>Starbucks</i>. Every time I go, I always order a banana loaf with pike roast. But then, it started to get expensive and what better way to save money than to make it yourself?<br />
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So here we are, Banana loaf by <i><a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/banana-bread-recipe/index.html" target="_blank">M.S. Milliken & S. Feniger</a>. </i>I had no idea how to bake banana bread and frankly it was my first time. But with my head held up high and my confidence going way off the roof. I headed into this adventure head first not knowing what the outcome may be.<br />
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<div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">
Here's what you need:</div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">
1 cup granulated sugar</div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature</div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">
2 large eggs</div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">
3 ripe bananas</div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">
1 tablespoon milk</div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon</div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">
2 cups all-purpose flour</div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">
1 teaspoon baking powder</div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">
1 teaspoon baking soda</div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">
1 teaspoon salt </div>
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Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. </div>
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<div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">
Butter a 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf pan. </div>
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<div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">
Cream the sugar and butter in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. </div>
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<div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">
In a small bowl, mash the bananas with a fork. Mix in the milk and cinnamon. </div>
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<div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">
In another bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. </div>
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<div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">
Add the banana mixture to the creamed mixture and stir until combined. Add dry ingredients, mixing just until flour disappears. </div>
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<div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">
Pour batter into prepared pan and bake 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Set aside to cool on a rack for 15 minutes. Remove bread from pan, invert onto rack and cool completely before slicing.</div>
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Pretty easy to follow and now I am itching to create my own version. I gave some to the old man and he said that I should try to introduce some poppy seeds, nutmeg and more baking soda to it. Of course, there are always room for improvement and I am open to whatever suggestions people give me.<br />
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The bread itself was soft but maybe I should add another egg and a bit more baking powder to make it more fluffy. But definitely I will try this again.<br />
<br />
Overall I am super happy with the result, I can't wait till I share this with friends and family! Till next time.<br />
<br />
Cheers!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04141576244954664918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5861265622216490174.post-45399957423723514942013-03-20T09:17:00.000-04:002013-03-20T09:17:13.844-04:00Strawberries for Calvin's Birthday <a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-KMxdy1lwQ3U/UUi6v8ge-BI/AAAAAAAACYQ/V-OPGB6E9aQ/s640/blogger-image--1475703433.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-KMxdy1lwQ3U/UUi6v8ge-BI/AAAAAAAACYQ/V-OPGB6E9aQ/s640/blogger-image--1475703433.jpg" /></a><br />
<br />
Hello!<br />
<br />
Did you miss me? I have been living life up to the fullest during my little break away from the blogging community. Don't get me wrong, I still have been baking and cooking but I just haven't been able to post as much as I want to. You know what they say, "You have to live life first, everything else is secondary."<br />
<br />
Anyways, here is the "welcome back" post for you guys. It was my cousin's 20th birthday and I wanted to show some love by giving him a birthday cake of his choice. He wanted strawberry shortcake. The only problem was that I never baked strawberry shortcake before.<br />
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Not knowing what to expect, I dove into this recipe I found online. It was by <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/chic-easy/strawberry-shortcake-recipe/index.html" target="_blank">Mary Nolan</a> and it was super simple. The only thing I had trouble understanding was the cake part. There were no eggs or oil involved and I was wondering how the cake part is going to be soft.<br />
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And to no surprise the cake was pretty hard but everything else made up for it very nicely. I actually didn't mind the cake, it reminded me of chinese egg tarts. The ones I oh so loved when I was a kid. Next time when I do strawberry shortcake, I am going to use my own sponge cake recipe and let you know how it goes.<br />
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Cheers. =DAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04141576244954664918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5861265622216490174.post-36079155471744903402013-02-27T10:12:00.000-05:002013-02-27T10:12:03.248-05:00It's a Beautiful Day!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Happy Snow Day??<br />
<br />
Yes!!! Let it snow, let it snow! Outside is looking pretty ugly right now with all the snow and freezing rain. I do not know if I will be at work but by the time I post this, it wouldn't matter. Which ever it is, it's going to be a beautiful day and no matter what happens I am glad.<br />
<br />
I had such a wonderful weekend, I need to share this joy and positive energy with you. I had a little retreat with some buddies of mine and we ventured to <i>Blue Mountain Ski Resort</i>. We had such a blast boarding down the great hills and spending some quality time over fast food. Yuck, I know.<br />
<br />
We did manage to share some favourite desserts we like and that inspired me to bake a batch of these babies. The original recipe is from the one and only <i>Jamie Oliver</i>. And of course, these are safe and I tweaked them a bit.<br />
<br />
Here's how it goes:<br />
<i>1 cup unsalted butter </i><br />
<i>7 oz Cadbury's Dark Chocolate (broken up)</i><br />
<i>1/2 cup nuts of your choice </i><br />
<i>3/4 up cocoa powder</i><br />
<i>1/2 cup all purpose flour</i><br />
<i>1 tsp baking powder</i><br />
<i>4 large eggs</i><br />
<i>1/4 Baileys Irish Cream</i><br />
<i>1 3/4 cup sugar</i><br />
<br />
Pre heat at 350F<br />
<br />
Using the double boiler technique, melt the chocolate and butter together until smooth. Add the nuts. Set a side to cool and add the <i>Bailey's.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
In a separate bowl, mix together the cocoa powder, flour, baking powder and sugar.<br />
<br />
Then add the dry mixture to the chocolate. Using the paddle attachment, stir together well. Beat in eggs one at a time and mix until you have a silky consistency.<br />
<br />
Pour your batter onto a 12 inch lined baking pan and bake for 30 minutes. You want to aim for a bit of a hard crust but still gooey on the inside.<br />
<br />
Allow it to cool in the pan and transfer for it to a chopping board. Cut into chunky squares and enjoy.<br />
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<br />
<br />
<br />
I shared these goods with my coworkers and they all loved it except one. She said she wanted to puke. Probably because of the alcohol or maybe she hates me or hates brownies. The possibilities are endless but the most important thing is, I got my chocolate craving satisfied.<br />
<br />
For the rest of this post, enjoy some pictures from my trip to <i>Blue Mountain.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
Cheers!<br />
<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04141576244954664918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5861265622216490174.post-84800634761342589762013-02-19T09:07:00.000-05:002013-02-19T09:07:11.406-05:00Short and Sweet<br />
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Hello, hello!<br />
<br />
Finally the long weekend is over and that only means one thing. Work. That sucks! But the good news is, we have a shorter week! Haha. Anyways, Happy Belated Valentines Day! I made these hard to resist cupcakes for the holiday. Is it a holiday? I am not sure. I don't think so.<br />
<br />
I thought about celebrating but then again who celebrates that day anyways. It always seem to be like a contest of who gets the most flowers or attention on that day. Not a big fan. But I was feeling extra happy and nice, so I decided to bake these babies for my love ones.<br />
<br />
This recipe was inspired by <i>Food Network's Cupcake Wars 2010. </i>I love how this recipe never ceases to fail me in any way. It is so straight forward and easy. Give it a try! =D<br />
<br />
<b>Ingredients</b><br />
3 cups plus 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour<br />
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda<br />
1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt<br />
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (recommended: Valrhona)<br />
1 cup vegetable oil<br />
1 cup milk<br />
1 7/8 cups sugar<br />
3 eggs<br />
60 ml Bailey's Irish Cream<br />
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce<br />
1 1/4 teaspoons apple cider vinegar<br />
1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract<br />
<br />
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 muffin pans with 24 cupcake liners.<br />
<br />
Sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder in a medium bowl.<br />
In the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, mix the vegetable oil, milk, Bailey's Irish Cream, sugar, eggs, food coloring, applesauce, vinegar, and vanilla on medium speed until incorporated, about 2 minutes.<br />
<br />
Turn the mixer to medium-low speed, and add the dry ingredients a little bit at a time, making sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl if necessary.<br />
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Mix until just combined.<br />
<br />
Fill the cupcake liners 3/4 of the way full, and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 20 minutes. Cool the cupcakes completely.<br />
<br />
Generously frost the top of each cupcake with the Almond Cream Cheese Frosting.<br />
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<br />
<b>Almond Cream Cheese Frosting: </b><br />
11 1/2 tablespoons butter, at room temperature<br />
24 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature<br />
4 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted<br />
3 teaspoons vanilla extract<br />
1 1/2 teaspoon almond extract<br />
<br />
In the bowl of a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, whip the butter and cream cheese on high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.<br />
<br />
Turn the mixer on medium-low, and slowly add the powdered sugar, vanilla, and almond extract. Once the ingredients are all incorporated, turn the mixer to high, and beat for 1 additional minute.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04141576244954664918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5861265622216490174.post-91448097469660979552013-02-12T09:30:00.000-05:002013-02-12T09:42:19.418-05:00Happy Chinese New Year!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Happy Chinese New Year friends!<br />
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I wish you all happiness, continual success in your career and may all your wishes come true! That's the best I can do in terms of translating from chinese to english.<br />
<br />
It's been such a chaotic week here in Toronto. Besides all the Chinese New Year festive stuff, there was a huge snowstorm that lasted for two days. We were snowed in and traffic was such a pain. But that didn't stop me from preparing for the new year with food.<br />
<br />
Today I am going to share with you some symbolic dishes that a Chinese New Year dinner must have.<br />
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Some common dishes served:<br />
<br />
<b>Chicken</b><br />
Serving a whole chicken during dinner time symbolizes togetherness and good marriage.<br />
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<b>Lobster</b><br />
Steamed lobster is one of my favourite dishes Chinese New Year. This popular dish symbolizes happiness. In Cantonese it is pronounced "Long Ha." The "Ha" translates to "ha, ha" which is expressed when one is happy.<br />
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<b>Noodles</b><br />
Noodles are served as long as possible and should not be cut. Why? Because noodles symbolize longevity.<br />
<br />
<b>Duck</b><br />
Duck symbolizes fidelity in Chinese culture, so don't be surprised when you see a delicious duck at a wedding.<br />
<br />
<b>Fruits</b><br />
A common fruit that Chinese families give to one another is tangerine and orange. How you pronounce orange and tangerine in Chinese sounds like luck and wealth.<br />
<br />
<b>Red</b><br />
Red, red and more red. The colour red plays a big part during Chinese New Year. It symbolizes luck and happiness.<br />
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<br />
Of course, I am going to share my favourite dish with you guys. I'm always a big fan of lobster and whenever we have big dinners, I always suggest lobster as a dish.<br />
<br />
To prepare the "Funny Longevity" Lobster dish,<br />
<br />
Heres what you need:<br />
5lb lobster (roughly chopped)<br />
pepper for seasoning<br />
garlic finely diced<br />
A gulp of olive oil<br />
green onions for garnish<br />
Vermicelli soaked in water until soft<br />
<br />
Arrange the vermicelli on a plate in a nest like fashion.<br />
<br />
Place the roughly chopped lobster on top of the vermicelli.<br />
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Season the lobster with pepper, garlic pieces and olive oil.<br />
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Steam the lobster on high for 15 minutes until it turns red. The lobster should have natural juices overflowing. This will cook the vermicelli and add flavour to it.<br />
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Serve right away!<br />
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Of course, Chinese New Year doesn't stop there. I still need to visit my other relives and wish them a good year. This is just a small taste of what Chinese New Year feels like but I will try my best to update as much as possible and educate you. </div>
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Keep in touch! </div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04141576244954664918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5861265622216490174.post-38219133371405425382013-02-04T09:45:00.000-05:002013-02-18T23:37:36.637-05:00I'm Blue da bo dee da bo da<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ioz-4pmkRRw/UQ8uMiK5cqI/AAAAAAAACTw/mYsORI1PLGM/s1600/Cell+Group+2013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="377" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ioz-4pmkRRw/UQ8uMiK5cqI/AAAAAAAACTw/mYsORI1PLGM/s640/Cell+Group+2013.jpg" width="640" /></a>Hello Friends!<br />
<br />
Its been a while since I have posted but a great food blogger once told me that "you should always live life first, then blog second." So, that is exactly what I have been doing. I spent some time recovery from a nasty fall that happened during a basketball game. Banged up my shoulder pretty good and I ended up not going to the gym or playing basketball. I was pretty down. =(<br />
<br />
But as Chinese New Year draws near, it is a good reminder that we all have a second reset in life. I have been constantly running errands for my grandma. It is always such a big thing in my home to have big feasts and family over. Are you guys going celebrating Chinese New Year?<br />
<br />
Anyways, finally I found some time to invite some friends over to experience my cooking side. It always makes me feel happy to see them look forward or talk about the dinner parties that I host. I hope one day I can open up a restaurant with my sister or something and have my parents do the accounting part while I cook.<br />
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Now for the exciting part. I decided to try something new and do a blueberry soup. Crazy huh? I wanted something light and sweet but also stunning. Everyone thought it was a beets soup that was hot and spicy but when they tried it, everyone fell in love. Except my friend John, he doesn't like anything sour. This recipe was inspired by <i>Soup. </i><br />
<br />
Here is how you make it:<br />
<br />
2lb of blueberries<br />
1.25 L of water<br />
70 mL sugar<br />
1 mL salt<br />
7 ml fresh rosemary chopped.<br />
<br />
Dumped all the ingredients in a pot. Throw in the berries, chopped rosemary, water and sugar. Bring it to a boil and then turn down the temperature. Simmer for 4-5 minutes.<br />
<br />
Transfer the soup to a blender and puree the contents. Strain the soup, making sure you catch the rosemary and blueberry skins.<br />
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Chill the soup for at least 4 hours. Upon serving, spoon in 5mL of sour cream or yogurt to top it off. <br />
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The soup itself was very mint like but no mint leaves were used at all. At first sip, it seemed very weird and no one really like the taste but they got use to it and started to taste the flavours. As I topped off their bowls with seconds, they asked how it was made and if it was possible to drink it hot.<br />
<br />
Definitely, you guy would see me talking about this soup again. Since I got so many positive comments about it. I will also share with you later on this week the other dishes that I made. They were all winners in my opinion.<br />
<br />
After dinner we just finished the evening with boards games. Can't wait till I host more of these parties. Let me know if you have any questions. =)<br />
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Thanks for reading!<br />
<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04141576244954664918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5861265622216490174.post-79586518742441342492013-01-21T09:19:00.000-05:002013-01-21T09:19:11.341-05:00Sweet talk<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
Hello<br />
<br />
Before you ask me where I have been and why I haven't been posting. I just want to come clean and say I have been busy with life. I know, I know, I always open with I'm so busy with this and that but it's true. =( But I am happy to be back with a new post.<br />
<br />
Since I have been baking so many meringues for parties and birthdays I wanted to extend the idea of meringue and fish for some fresh techniques on how to be a bit more creative with it. I was looking through my cookbooks and came across a recipe by the guys at <i>Oliver & Bonacini</i>. They always have a good sense of taste and lifestyle of food that I love.<br />
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<br />
I came across this meringue with ice cream and marinated strawberries recipe that I really wanted to try.<br />
<br />
Here how it goes:<br />
<b>Meringue</b><br />
4 egg whites<br />
3 drops of lemon juice<br />
2 ml vanilla extract<br />
300 ml sugar<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Strawberries</b><br />
4 cups of strawberries cut in half<br />
125 ml sugar<br />
5 ml lemon zest<br />
50 ml vodka of choice<br />
<br />
Served with ice cream or yogurt.<br />
Pre heat at 220F<br />
<br />
Place the egg whites, lemon juice, and vanilla in a mixing bowl. Whip until stiff and gradually add sugar. Continue beating until it forms peaks.<br />
<br />
Then use a pastry bag and pipe the meringue into 2 inch squares on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.<br />
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Bake until it is dry and set aside. (Around 20mins)<br />
<br />
Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and let the strawberries sit for 10 minutes.<br />
<br />
After when the strawberries are marinated, place a meringue square on each plate and top it with a scoop of ice cream or yogurt. Press gently to create a cup and fill it with strawberries. Cover with another square and then repeat the process.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aD0hbKSGEQc/UPwqzdn5RyI/AAAAAAAACS8/DtOznAX1LcY/s1600/tiger.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="410" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aD0hbKSGEQc/UPwqzdn5RyI/AAAAAAAACS8/DtOznAX1LcY/s640/tiger.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The beast within. *gasp</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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I hope you enjoyed my last post on macarons, I am still trying to adapt to a new book that I got. The macarons are tough, I still need to practice more and get use to the macaronage stage. I will continute to update you guys when I get the chance but for now, thanks for stopping by. =)<br />
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CheersAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04141576244954664918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5861265622216490174.post-47673727213335759162013-01-09T09:32:00.001-05:002013-01-09T09:32:33.667-05:00Macaron Journey<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hello Hello
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It brings me great joy to share with you my findings for the week. But I need to come clean and tell you guys that I have been very busy and frustrated for several reasons. First, I was trying to come up with a system to bake macarons and second after trying several times and failing, I was very embarrassed and was about to run a marathon to relieve my stress level. I'm kidding but in all honesty, I was very mad at myself for not getting this down right the first time.<br />
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I swear I attempted this 7 times before I learned the main reasons why it wouldn't work. Sometimes, I over folded it and other times, I over whipped it. The thing is I baked it way back before I made a design flip to this blog and never had any troubles until now. My sister blames the temperature and current state of this nasty dry weather we are having in Toronto but I blame the techniques but she could be right.<br />
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Thanks to numerous food bloggers such as <i><a href="http://www.eatlivetravelwrite.com/2011/04/how-to-make-macarons-whats-working-for-me-right-now/" target="_blank">eatlivetravelwrite</a>, <a href="http://food52.com/blog/3599_how_to_make_french_macarons" target="_blank">food52</a> </i>and <i><a href="http://blog.jordanwinery.com/2011/12/holiday-cookie-recipe-ideas-and-tips-french-macaroons/" target="_blank">Lisa</a> </i>from <i>jordanwinery. </i>They have really helped me a lot during this journey of mine by providing tips on what to do and what not to do. Anyways enough with the introduction, I have much to say but I will try to keep it short and simple.<br />
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First let's start off with a basic recipe that I have been using. It's from a macaron book my friend got from the U.K.<br />
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<b>Meringue Shell:</b><br />
2 egg whites at room temperture<br />
50 ml sugar<br />
75 ml ground almonds<br />
115 ml icing sugar<br />
a pinch of cream of tartar<br />
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Put the ground almonds and icing sugar in a food processor and process it for about 4 seconds 4 times. This will ensure that the ground almonds and icing sugar is at its finest state. This will help your cookie looking smooth and shiny.<br />
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Sift the dry ingredients twice and set aside.<br />
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Whip the egg whites on high until it starts to foam a bit. Add the cream of tartar and whip it for about 2 minutes. Gradually add the sugar and continue whipping until it forms a soft but stiff peak. You can tell by taking out the whisk and checking the tip of it.<br />
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Fold in your desired food colour of choice.<br />
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<b>Macaronage Stage:</b><br />
Take your dry ingredients and add half to the egg whites. Folding ever so gently because you want the egg whites to hold in a bit of air. Fold the rest in and what you want to aim for is a shiny, smooth but not runny texture.<br />
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To test if your batter is ready for pipping, spoon some batter on a plate, a peak will form and if it falls back down and melts in with the batter then it is ready.<br />
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<b>Piping:</b><br />
Pipe the macarons on a prepared baking tray with parchment paper already set and cut. This recipe should make 15-16 whole macarons depending on how big you pipe your shells.<br />
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<b>Waiting stage:</b><br />
Let it sit at room temperture for 30-40 minutes. What happens here is it will form a skin on the top of the shell. This will help you form feet at the bottom of your macarons.<br />
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At the mean time, set your oven to 325F.<br />
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<b>Bake:</b><br />
Pop it in the oven for 5-8 minutes and watch carefully. For me, it only took 5 minutes and the feet was already formed with no browning at the bottom.<br />
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<b>Filling:</b><br />
50 ml butter<br />
115 ml icing sugar<br />
a splash of vanilla extract<br />
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This is one of the most basic fillings there is for the macarons. I just wanted to whip up something quick and end the night.<br />
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You can pipe it on the cookie or use a knife and spread a generous amount.<br />
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The macarons should be kept in a freezer if not being served. It can be kept in there for up to 3 months. Just take a out and let it sit at room temperture for 20 minutes before serving.<br />
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Any questions don't hesitate to message me. =)Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04141576244954664918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5861265622216490174.post-34699670771376658052012-12-30T15:38:00.001-05:002012-12-30T15:39:30.622-05:00Winterlicious Starts!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hello!<br />
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Happy holidays guys! Oh my, I am so sorry, I have been falling behind on my posts and left you in the dark for so long. No worries, I have been very busy in the kitchen baking and cooking up a storm. I always try to live life first, then blog so bare with me. =) Let's see...where to start.<br />
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If you live in Toronto, chances are you heard of Winterlicious. It's basically a way for local restaurants in Toronto to promote themselves by giving a set price for a set menu. I decided to use that idea and start a winterlicious event at my place. My friends obviously loved the idea and wanted in on the action. I looked through some of my favourite cookbooks to gain inspiration and kind of put my own twist to it.<br />
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So here we go.<br />
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This is the <i>Carrot and Pear Puree Soup. </i>At first glance, it may look like your typically squash soup with toast but looks can be deceiving. In this soup there are:<br />
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5 carrots (peeled and chopped)<br />
5 pears (peeled and cubed)<br />
1 L of veggy stock<br />
1 sweet onion<br />
10 ml cinnamon<br />
1 generous gulp of olive oil<br />
30 ml ginger<br />
salt and pepper<br />
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With a generous amount of fresh ingredients you want to start off by sauteing the onions with olive oil. Add the cinnamon and ginger. Making sure the onions don't brown. Then add the carrots, pears and veggy stock. Season with salt and pepper. Bring it to a boil then simmer until the pears and carrots are soft. When you reach to that point let it cool down a bit and then transfer the soup to a blender and puree the ingredients.<br />
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Then serve with a toasted french bread of your choice. If it tastes a bit bland, add salt and pepper to adjust the flavours.<br />
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This soup is perfect for a cold winter's night, especially when you are in Toronto where the harsh winds can really take you off your feet.<br />
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Next we have the <i>Roasted Chicken with Cherry tomatoes and Asparagus.</i> I always loved working with chicken, I find that chicken is almost like the default meat for any restaurant because you can get so creative with it in so many ways. My dad gave me some good pointers on how you prep the chicken and I felt bad if I didn't listen to him since he was more excited then I was about the party. And trust me, I was pretty stoked. =)<br />
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6 chicken breasts<br />
36 halved cherry tomatoes<br />
11 asparagus<br />
salt<br />
pepper<br />
olive oil<br />
thyme leaves<br />
rosemary leaves<br />
topped with balsamic vinegar<br />
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Season the chicken breast with olive oil, salt, pepper, thyme leaves and rosemary leaves. Add the cherry tomatoes, asparagus and spread it evenly. Making sure it covers the top and bottom of the breasts. Let it season for at least half an hour.<br />
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Heat up a iron cast pan and sear the chicken skin making sure you get that nice golden brown tone but not to the point where its going to burn.<br />
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Preheat the oven at 400F, place the chicken breast along with all the seasonings in the middle of the oven and let it bake for 30 minutes. When it is done, top it off with balsamic vinegar. Serve with choice of veggies or G<i>arlic Mash Potatoes</i>.<br />
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Dessert was a no brainier, with the cold weather not going away and old man winter knocking on the door. I wanted to leave my friends with a warm feeling. The <i>Fruit Crumble</i> was an excellent way to end the evening.<br />
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2 lbs of fruits of your choice<br />
250 ml all purpose flour<br />
125 ml melted butter<br />
10 ml cinnamon<br />
10 ml nutmeg<br />
125 ml brown sugar<br />
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Preheat the oven at 350F.<br />
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On a oven safe bowl, scatter your fruits and season them with nutmeg and cinnamon.<br />
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Combine the flour, brown sugar and mix in the melted butter. Use your hands to make sure all the ingredients are incorporated properly.<br />
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Spread the combined dry ingredients on top of your fruits, making sure it covers all the fruits. Toss it in the oven and bake for an hour until the juices of the fruits start to bubble on the side of your bowl. Serve with whipped cream or choice of ice cream.<br />
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Ah, 2012 is coming to an end fast. What are your plans? I can't wait for 2013 to come. It is going to be such a fun and amazing year. I will definately have more dinner parties and share with you more recipes!<br />
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Cheers and thanks for stopping by!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04141576244954664918noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5861265622216490174.post-46750999404156086322012-12-17T10:09:00.002-05:002012-12-17T10:10:22.414-05:00The Holidays! <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hello Hello</div>
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Holidays are coming and I am already in holiday mode! Hooray for holidays! What do you guys have planned for the holidays? It has been a crazy weekend with all the partying and family gatherings, thankfully the weather is still a bit mild and not crazy cold yet. Although some snow would really bring out the Christmas cheer. </div>
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Even though Christmas is just around the corner, this blog has always been in my mind. I am constantly trying to come up with new content to share and hopefully some dinner party experiences soon. This weekend my cousin was over and he loves cookies. He is such a cookie monster. I took this chance to really bond with him by making these beautiful, packer with flavour cookies.<br />
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The fun part about making these cookies is getting your hands on them. Forming snowball like cookie dough is always a good way to get into baking but I still don't like how the dough sticks on your hands though. Haha.<br />
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I have a great Christmas break coming up and for sure I am going to host a Winterlicious party. This time, I will bring to the table recipes that I have never blogged about before. Hopefully, I can manage. On top of that New Year's Eve is coming up and you know what it is, more treats!<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;"><span class="fn">Coconut Bailey's Irish Cream Chocolate Chip Cookies</span> </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 20px;">1/2 cup butter</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 20px;">1/2 cup granulated sugar</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 20px;">1/2 cup brown sugar</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 20px;">1 egg</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 20px;">1 tsp. vanilla</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 20px;">1/2 cup Bailey's original Irish cream</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 20px;">30 ml Kahlua Coffee liqour</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">60 ml dry </span></span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 20px;">shredded</span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 20px;"> </span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 20px;">coconut meat</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 20px;">2 1/4 cup cake flour</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 20px;">1/2 tsp. baking soda</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 20px;">1/2 tsp. salt</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 20px;">1 (6 oz.) pkg. semi-sweet chocolate chips</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 20px;">Preheat oven 375</span></span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 20px;">Beat the butter with the sugars until fluffy and add egg.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">Gradually add vanilla, bailey's, kahlua until smooth. Make sure you scrape the sides to get everything in the batter. </span></span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 20px;">Mix in the dry ingredients with the paddle mixer, adding a considerable amount at a time. Add the flour, baking soda and salt. </span></span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 20px;">Fold in </span><span style="line-height: 20px;">dry </span><span style="line-height: 20px;">shredded</span><span style="line-height: 20px;"> </span><span style="line-height: 20px;">coconut meat and chocolate chips. Snowball the cookie dough on a prepared baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes until it turns brown. </span></span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 20px;">Cool in room temperature and enjoy! </span></span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 20px;"><b>Looking forward to the holiday dinners! =D </b></span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04141576244954664918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5861265622216490174.post-59830475311101609852012-12-10T11:15:00.002-05:002012-12-10T11:15:53.559-05:00Meringue Craze<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hello Hello<br />
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Good morning to you, I hope you had a wonderful weekend. It's been such a hectic weekend with all the Christmas fiascos. So many bright lights and so many people at the mall. Fortunately or unfortunately, there is no snow yet and I am a bit sad since Christmas day is just around the corner. Oh well, it will come.<br />
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For those of you who don't know me quite well yet, I am a huge fan of baking meringue. When ever I bring this baby out to the dining room table, I get all these stunned looks and questions about "what is that?!" Haha.<br />
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It was a recipe that I found off of <i>Jamie Oliver</i> that got me started. His way of baking meringue is so simple and leaves a lot of room for you to play with. He was the only person that I ever got around to believing that meringues don't have to be crunchy and can be a little bit gooey chewy on the inside.<br />
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Although no one really likes him, he was the first person that I ever bought a cookbook from. Probably because it was on sale or something. Haha. If you want to check out his book I would suggest <i>"<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Cook-Jamie-Guide-Making-Better/dp/1401322336/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1355155229&sr=8-1&keywords=cooking+with+jamie" target="_blank">Cook with Jamie</a>." </i><br />
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I get a lot of questions regarding when to know when you meringue is ready for baking. The answer lies in the stiffness of your meringue. Turn your batter upside down, if it falls off then it is no good.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1ZQMYzkgjxg/UMVSTL5SBhI/AAAAAAAACNw/0BEcFrW2AaU/s1600/IMG_8658.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1ZQMYzkgjxg/UMVSTL5SBhI/AAAAAAAACNw/0BEcFrW2AaU/s640/IMG_8658.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Happy Birthday Drew!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
Here we go <i>Ultimate Fruit Meringue:</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
Meringue:<br />
6 egg whites<br />
1 cup plus 5 tablespoons of sugar<br />
<br />
Toppings:<br />
500 ml 35% cream<br />
2 tablespoons of icing sugar<br />
10 ml vanilla extract<br />
Handfuls of strawberries, blueberries and fruit of your choice.<br />
<br />
Preheat 300F<br />
Whip the egg whites till it starts to foam. Gradually add in the sugar until it starts to turn glossy white. Whip it for about 7-8 minutes until it is stiff enough for your to hold it upside down above your head and won't fall down (It never fell on me ever haha).<br />
<br />
<i>Optional:</i><br />
<i>You can add in any flavours you want to enhance the meringue taste by adding lemon or orange zest.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
Pour the meringue batter on a prepared baking pan either as one big round blob or several blobs on the pan.<br />
Bake in the center for about an hour until the outside is crispy and the inside is still a bit gooy and chewy.<br />
<br />
Take it out and set aside to cool.<br />
<br />
Whip the 35% cream, add vanilla extract and sugar until it starts to come together. Do not over whip or the cream would turn chunky and you do not want it to be like that.<br />
<br />
Assemble your cake by putting the whipping cream on top, shower the cream with a handful of fruits of your choice. You can additionally garnish your cake by add crushed walnuts, small mint leaves and if you are feeling very fancy, caramelized sugar would be a great choice.<br />
<br />
Eat immediately!<br />
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<i><br /></i>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04141576244954664918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5861265622216490174.post-41530078452441735062012-12-04T09:19:00.002-05:002012-12-04T09:19:49.411-05:00Short and Sweet<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AfBUmK4Otng/UL10bAiFKYI/AAAAAAAACME/LXL7NY0lM8Q/s1600/pic1.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AfBUmK4Otng/UL10bAiFKYI/AAAAAAAACME/LXL7NY0lM8Q/s640/pic1.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
Hello hello!<br />
<br />
Finally a post of some sort, sorry for being absent today. I had a crazy fun filled weekend and this dessert actually took longer than expected. Boy, am I glad to be back blogging and talking to you guys. Where to start, where to start. Ah, chocolate was on sale at No Frills these past few days. Boy, was it hectic or what. No Frills is having a massive one dollar item sale and it was jammed packed. I hate finding parking but I usually have one rule when finding a spot. Park as far as you can from other cars. You do not want to come back to find a missing door handle. Yes, that's right you heard me, a missing door handle.<br />
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<a href="http://distilleryimage11.s3.amazonaws.com/1c0e767a3d9b11e2b74e22000a9e07d7_7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://distilleryimage11.s3.amazonaws.com/1c0e767a3d9b11e2b74e22000a9e07d7_7.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<br />
So anyways, today I had a conversation with a stranger. He started to ask me about this book I was reading. The book is called <i>The Power of Now</i> and its one fantastic book. I couldn't put it down, I found myself drowning in the information and insightful thinking of the author. We talked mostly about the book and how it affects our lives and such. It was a cool experience.<br />
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<br />
Back home I finally got a chance to put together the dessert called <i>Banoffee. </i>This was adapted from the book chocolate by whitecap. Basically this is made out of graham crackers, sliced bananas, caramelized condensed milk and melted chocolate. Here's how it goes.<br />
<br />
Banoffee<br />
Ingredients:<br />
14 oz canned condensed milk<br />
1 tablespoon unsalted butter<br />
1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs<br />
3 bananas sliced<br />
juice of 1 lemon<br />
7 oz milk chocolate<br />
10 ml baileys<br />
whipping cream to serve<br />
<br />
Make a small hole in the condensed milk can and simmering in low heat for 2 hours until brown. Remove from the pot and cool.<br />
<br />
Mix the melted butter and graham cracker crumbs together. Pack it in a 3 inch diameter stainless steel circle.<br />
<br />
Place sliced bananas on top and poor in the caramelized milk.<br />
<br />
Melt the chocolate with the double boiler technique. Once melted, add the Baileys. Mix well and pack the chocolate mixture on top of the chocolate. Add whipping cream on top and Serve right away.<br />
<br />
As I sat back and enjoyed the sweet joyous taste of chocolate with my Christmas tree, I realized that I didn't do any shopping yet. Eeekkkk! =( Oh well eat now, worry later.<br />
<br />
Enjoy. =)<br />
<br />
<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04141576244954664918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5861265622216490174.post-91298109280883878032012-11-28T09:50:00.002-05:002012-11-28T09:50:55.616-05:00Diners, drive-ins and dives Toronto Edition! <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.kiss925.com/files/ddd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.kiss925.com/files/ddd.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<br />
Hello hello!<br />
<br />
Crazy changes here in Toronto, first the weather and now a well known food network star is coming to town! This is exciting news, I might want to try and catch this man, haha. He will be filming this week in Toronto's cold weather at the down town core. Some places that he will be checking out is:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.caplanskys.com/" target="_blank">Caplansky's Delicatessen</a><br />
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<a href="http://whatsonmyplate.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/caplanskys.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://whatsonmyplate.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/caplanskys.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://thelakeviewrestaurant.ca/" target="_blank">The Lakeview</a><br />
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<a href="http://thelakeviewrestaurant.ca/images/IMG_logo_splash.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="54" src="http://thelakeviewrestaurant.ca/images/IMG_logo_splash.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.thestockyards.ca/" target="_blank">The Stockyards</a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.thestockyards.ca/uploads/1/4/9/2/14920042/1353090657.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="198" src="http://www.thestockyards.ca/uploads/1/4/9/2/14920042/1353090657.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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Not going to lie but after all this madness has ended, I am going to be checking out each and every one of these places and see if they are worth checking out. Or maybe they over hyper their food, there's only one way to find out! This is so exciting! I can't wait till they view this on T.V. Haha.<br />
<br />
Do you check out places that T.V. shows recommend?<br />
<br />
P.S. If you are going to go during this week, please call ahead because their store hours are weird this week since they have to film.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04141576244954664918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5861265622216490174.post-77460010942522927592012-11-26T09:30:00.004-05:002012-11-26T09:30:31.651-05:00Red velvet cheesecake for the holidays!Haro Haro!
<br />
<br />
Sorry, I got a bunch of cheesecake crammed inside my mouth.<br />
<br />
Ah, there we go. All gone, hello again and happy black Friday weekend! Shopping this weekend was so chaotic. Everywhere was so crowded and filled with people wanting to get the latest deals on what-so-ever. Anyways, cutting to the chase. It took me two days to make this <i>Cheesecake Factory </i>replica red velvet cheesecake.<br />
<br />
Yes, I fell deeply in love after the day of my cousin's birthday party when her mom took out a box of red velvet cheesecake from <i>The Cheesecake Factory. </i>I had to try and bake it myself but I needed some help from people who did this before. Turns out, it's just a very long process that took an extra day to do. No biggie.<br />
<br />
I adapted this recipe from cakecentral.com. It was very easy to follow and he tells me that people always ask for seconds once they are done with the first one, so I had to give it a shot.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The smell of fresh moist red velvet cake in the morning is something you simply can't resist. The hint of vanilla and cocoa powder really gives this cake a boost in it's value.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ySn2fE03g9U/ULKgmlECIVI/AAAAAAAACJc/S8ynqjzjB8Y/s1600/IMG_8624.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ySn2fE03g9U/ULKgmlECIVI/AAAAAAAACJc/S8ynqjzjB8Y/s640/IMG_8624.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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It was such a hassle cutting the cakes in half, especially when the cream cheese part tends to bunch up together. Here's a tip, heat up a sharp knife and run through it quickly but carefully. You don't want to cut yourself and end up adding extra food colour. Haha.<br />
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Cake for breakfast anyone? I swear that line came from somewhere, maybe <i>Breakfast at Tiffany's? </i> Or not Haha.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iJjrlKMtCAs/ULKgoq0IZjI/AAAAAAAACJk/hVCT6h5tU_M/s1600/IMG_8631.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iJjrlKMtCAs/ULKgoq0IZjI/AAAAAAAACJk/hVCT6h5tU_M/s640/IMG_8631.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Sinking my teeth into this soft and flavourful cake was exciting. First I love moist cakes, I am such a sucker for them and with the combination of cheesecake is just to die for. The sweet rich aroma of cream cheese blended with cocoa powder and cream. So smooth!<br />
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Here is the recipe<br />
<br />
<h4 style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; mso-line-height-alt: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12.5pt;"><br /></span></h4>
<span style="font-size: 12.5pt;">Ingredients</span><br /><span style="font-size: 12.5pt;"> </span><br /><span style="font-size: 12.5pt;">Instructions</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-left: 13.8pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">Cheesecake: <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-left: 13.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">3 8-oz pkgs cream
cheese - room temperature <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-left: 13.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">1-1/3 cups sugar <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-left: 13.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">3 Tbs cornstarch <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-left: 13.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">1 Tbs vanilla <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-left: 13.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">3 eggs <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-left: 13.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">2/3 cup heavy cream <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-left: 13.8pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-left: 13.8pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">Red Velvet Cake <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-left: 13.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">2 Tbs butter -
softened <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-left: 13.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">2 Tbs shortening <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-left: 13.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">3/4 cup sugar <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-left: 13.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">1 egg <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-left: 13.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">1 Tbs unsweetened
cocoa powder <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-left: 13.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">1 oz red food coloring
(a small bottle) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-left: 13.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">1 cup + 2 Tbs flour <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-left: 13.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">1/2 tsp salt <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-left: 13.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">1/2 cup buttermilk <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-left: 13.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">1/2 tsp baking soda <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-left: 13.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">1-1/2 tsp white
vinegar <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-left: 13.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">1/2 tsp vanilla <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-left: 13.8pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-left: 13.8pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">Cream Cheese Icing <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-left: 13.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">8 oz pkg cream cheese
- softened <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-left: 13.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">3-1/2 to 4 cups
powdered sugar <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-left: 13.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">1/2 cup butter <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-left: 13.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">1/4 cup heavy cream <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-left: 13.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">1 tsp vanilla <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-left: 13.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">1/4 tsp salt<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">Spray two 9 round cake pans generously with
PAM. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">Trace bottoms of pans onto parchment paper,
cut out, and place in bottom of pans. Set aside. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">For the
cheesecake: <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">Cream together cream cheese, sugar, and
cornstarch with mixer. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">Add eggs and vanilla - beating until smooth. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">Add cream & beat in just until combined -
dont overmix. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">Pour into one of prepared pans. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">Bake at 350 degrees for about 1 hour and 15
minutes - watching closely near end of baking time. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">Cool at room temperature, then place in
refrigerator for about 2 hours. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">Run knife around outer edge, tapping pan to
remove cheesecake onto the palm of your hand. Set in refrigerator until cold. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">For the
cake</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">Cream butter, shortening, and sugar. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">Add egg, then mix in cocoa and food coloring. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">Scrape bowl with a COLORED spatula (red would
be best to keep from staining a light colored one). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">Add flour and salt, then buttermilk - beating
well. Sprinkle baking soda over batter, then pour vinegar and vanilla over the
top. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">Youll see it foam slightly. Fold into batter
until well mixed. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">Pour batter into the other prepared pan. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">Bake at 350 degrees for about 25-30 minutes,
or until it tests done. Cool, then remove cake from pan. Using large serrated
knife, cut this layer in half when cold. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">For the
frosting</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">:
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">Beat cream cheese and butter together until
fluffy. Add sugar and salt, then cream & vanilla. Continue to beat until
smooth and it forms peaks. Set aside. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">To
assemble cake</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">Place first half of cake layer onto serving
plate (be sure to remove parchment paper from the bottom!) Protect outer edges
with waxed paper if desired. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">Spread generously with a layer of frosting.
Carefully slice cheesecake in half in the same way as the red velvet layer,
placing one half on top of red velvet cake & frosting. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">Add another layer of frosting. Repeat layers.
Spread frosting carefully around outer edge of cake - being careful not to drag
red velvet crumbs with the knife. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">Now frost top of cake. Using remaining
frosting, place in pastry bag with decorative tip. Pipe edge on top and bottom.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">*Note: This frosting contains butter, which
can soften and melt in your warm hand. Work quickly, or it can make the
frosting start to droop. Store in refrigerator & serve with a dollop of
whipped cream if desired.<span style="color: #666666;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-G6zWCS-W0gk/ULN8ylFUIQI/AAAAAAAACKs/hZkPfMkJtvo/s1600/401207_3593744175888_2109634646_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-G6zWCS-W0gk/ULN8ylFUIQI/AAAAAAAACKs/hZkPfMkJtvo/s640/401207_3593744175888_2109634646_n.jpg" width="476" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Love the holidays!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">Good luck! Have fun with it and try not to break anything in the kitchen. =)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">Cheers</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04141576244954664918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5861265622216490174.post-65347458059562434502012-11-19T09:30:00.000-05:002012-11-19T09:51:04.780-05:00Baileys Chocolate Chiffon Birthday Cake! <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
Hello!
<br />
<br />
It has been such a busy week with all the final finishing touches to this blog. I have to say, its always an one going process but so far I am happy with what I see. Improvements to come!<br />
<br />
It was my little cousins birthday and she has asked me to bake her a chocolate cake since chocolate is her favourite. She has always been such the energy in the family, with all her smiles and laughter. Sometimes its good to have someone to remind you of such positivity.<br />
<br />
Back on topic now. The only thing I had to keep in mind was, it had to be "grandma" friendly. That's right, what does "grandma" friendly mean you ask? Basically, from all the cakes that I have made, she likes cakes that are soft, moist and not that sweet. The chiffon cake that I had in mind was <i>Anna Olson's</i> and this was inspired/adapted from her. Time to show off my moist cake baking skills! Let's get it! =)<br />
<br />
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Putting this together was simple and easy. Here we have all the dry ingredient together all in one bowl. Remember to leave the egg and coffee at room temperature. You do not want to cook your egg yolks just yet. </div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YFkHzPS6Zzg/UKc8lXpJMgI/AAAAAAAACIM/Xv1SLXbDOEE/s1600/IMG_8572.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YFkHzPS6Zzg/UKc8lXpJMgI/AAAAAAAACIM/Xv1SLXbDOEE/s640/IMG_8572.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
When the dry ingredients meet the liquids, it should come off like a chocolate mousse. I love working with chocolate, it just makes me so happy.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NFVbHoOTF1Q/UKc88wq6MdI/AAAAAAAACIk/q4XVHcZ9E-4/s1600/IMG_8573.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NFVbHoOTF1Q/UKc88wq6MdI/AAAAAAAACIk/q4XVHcZ9E-4/s640/IMG_8573.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<br />
Heres how it goes:<br />
<i>Bailey's Chocolate Chiffon Cake</i><br />
<br />
435 ml cake and pastry flour<br />
250 ml icing sugar<br />
75 ml cocoa powder<br />
7.5 ml baking powder<br />
1 ml salt<br />
200 ml coffee<br />
100 ml <i>Bailey's Irish Cream</i><br />
125 ml veg oil<br />
5 eggs at room temp<br />
2 ml cream of tar tar<br />
60 ml sugar<br />
<br />
Preheat the oven to 325F<br />
<ul>
<li>In a large mixer bowl with the whip attachment.</li>
<li>Sift the flour, icing sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. </li>
<li>Add the coffee, <i>Bailey's Irish Cream</i>, oil and egg yolks, and whip on high speed until the mixture is thick and glossy. </li>
<li>In a separate bowl, whip the egg whites and cream of tar tar until they are foamy, then slowly add the sugar. Whip until the egg whites hold a stiff peak. Then fold a third of the whites into the chocolate batter, then fold in the remaining two-thirds. </li>
<li>Pour the batter into an ungreased angel food cake or tube pan. </li>
<li>Bake for 45-50 minutes. Cool upside down. Run a palette knife around the inside and outside edge to get the cake to slide out. </li>
</ul>
Yes, yes, Christmas is just around the corner and I promise I will hunt for a better camera. I am looking for a good SLR to satisfy my photography needs. So bare with me and stop yelling at me through the computer screen. Haha, I am kidding. I hope you enjoyed it!<br />
<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04141576244954664918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5861265622216490174.post-66822397278817478792012-11-14T00:33:00.001-05:002012-11-14T00:42:29.592-05:00Birthday Cheesecake!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4r02is63hyM/UKMrjuGJ7LI/AAAAAAAACHM/426klnqO440/s1600/IMG_8550.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4r02is63hyM/UKMrjuGJ7LI/AAAAAAAACHM/426klnqO440/s640/IMG_8550.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Hello!<br />
<br />
Like the new look? I'd figure that after a year and a bit of the old stuff, its time for a change. If you don't like it please comment and I will make sure I make this as user friendly as possible. I have been holding back on the posts for a bit ever since but today was my favourite woman or all time's birthday!<br />
<br />
That means that I had to shake off the dust and work my butt off in the kitchen. The recipe that I came up with was inspired by <i>Anna Olson</i> and <i>Jamie Oliver</i>.<br />
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<br />
The filling was from Anna's side, her list of ingredient was just so perfect. With a little tweaking and modifications, I made a perfect adult dessert that will leave your hungry hungry hippos wanting more.<br />
<br />
The crust was from Jamie. Every time I bake the crust, I always get punched in the face with "Oh my God, the crust is what makes me want a second piece."<br />
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<br />
<b><i>Bailey's Chocolate Cheesecake</i></b><br />
<br />
<b>Filling:</b><br />
6 oz bitter sweet chocolate<br />
3 oz dark chocolate<br />
3 pkg cream cheese<br />
1 cup of sugar<br />
125 ml sour cream<br />
5 ml vanilla extract<br />
4 eggs at room temperature<br />
125 ml <i>Bailey's Irish cream</i><br />
<br />
<b>Crust:</b><br />
9 oz digestive biscuits<br />
10 tablespoons of melted butter<br />
<br />
Pre-heat oven to 350F<br />
<ul>
<li>Crush the biscuits and mix the melted butter in. </li>
<li>Pack it in a round 9 inch spring form pan, making sure you get the side walls too. Grease the sides and bake it for 10 mins. Set a side to cool. </li>
<li>Melt the chocolate with the double boiler technique and set aside to cool. Beat the cream cheese until fluffy and add the sugar, scrape the sides every so often. Beat in sour cream, vanilla, <i>Bailey's Irish Cream</i>. Beat in the melted chocolate, then add the eggs one at a time. Remember to scrape the sides. </li>
<li>Pour the mixture into the cooled crust. </li>
<li>Bake the cheesecake for 60 minutes, until the outside is set but the centre still has a little jiggle to it. Allow the cake to cool down fully before putting it in the fridge over night. </li>
<li>Garnish the cake with chocolate shavings. </li>
</ul>
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The balance between chocolate and cream cheese was just perfect. Everyone loves chocolate and I wanted the cake to be more chocolate dominant. The hint of <i>Bailey's</i> was sensational and having seconds was mandatory.<br />
<br />
I still feel that there could be some more improvements because as cheesey as it made sound, design is always a process. So give me a shout. =) Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04141576244954664918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5861265622216490174.post-54174079799464065262012-11-13T14:32:00.000-05:002012-11-13T14:32:32.467-05:00Under Construction<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Currently, things are a mess here as you can see. Please be patient with me and I will get things in working order once again. =)Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04141576244954664918noreply@blogger.com0