Ah…how I dearly miss updating my blog.

Since the new year began, shit got real…I actually had things to do, plans to plan and debts I was going to put myself in. Long story short, I go to George Brown College for their one year pastry program, I am paying for school without OSAP this year, school is everyday, and work is right after school. So this kinda leaves me in an endless cycle of shit I gotta maintain, but hey this isn’t out of the ordinary kind of story right?  (oh adulthood).

Mama’s birthday was this past Sunday, so why not whip up an easy cake for her…funny (not really) story, as I was informing her of me making her a cake, she said “Are you making cheesecake? I love cheesecake, I want cheesecake”.

/face palm.

This was my fault, I was thinking only of myself when I decided to bake her something.

Essentially, I told her too bad.

The end.

Ok ok, no I didn’t say that, Ma would slap me one…so I assured her I was going to make her a cake she was going to like (hopefully)

I wanted to try to make Pavlova for the first time, I read up on a few recipes and it is extremely easy and barely time consuming, it is full of whipped cream and fresh fruits so I figured it’d be a nice light dessert for after the heavy Italian influenced dinner I partially cooked for the night.

Since it was my first time testing the waters with this cake, I underestimated the amount of pavlova the recipe would yield so I ended up with two huge disks of meringue…my cake ended up being enormous. (NTS don’t double recipe)

I added a layer of vanilla custard to the middle layer and had only whipped cream and fruit on top. Since the pavlova layers were so huge, my cake fell under the weight of the toppings and so it doesn’t look super pretty or anything, but from what I understand this is a typical look for this style of cake so it’s all good if it isn’t perfect.

Recipe: Yields roughly a two layered cake depending how large you make it
Approximate baking time: prep time, 10 minutes. baking time roughly 50-60 minutes

4 egg whites (have at room temperature)
200 grams sugar
2 teaspoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions
1. Preheat the oven at 375
2. With a hand/stand mixer, mix the egg whites till it gets foamy
3. Gradually add sugar to the egg whites to incorporate into the whites
4. Once all the sugar has been put in, increase the speed to medium/high and whisk until you have stiff and glossy peaks.
5. Sift cornstarch over the egg whites and add in the vinegar.
6. Take rubber spatula and gently fold mixture
7. Once the mixture is done, pour on tray lined with parchment paper and shape and smooth our your pavlova.
8. Pop it in the oven and then reduce the heat to 325 degrees and bake for about 50-60 minutes.
9. Once baking time is done, prop open the oven door slightly to allow the pavlova to gradually cool down.
10. Whip up some whipping cream and dice up whatever fruits to your liking and start to decorate.

I added a layer of custard, but you can add any kind of filling you prefer.

Overall, it’s a great and easy dessert to serve after dinner, it was chewy and crusty at the same time as the outer layer was nutty in flavour and in the middle it was soft and marshmallow like. I forgot to take a picture of the cake sliced up…and the next day it was pretty much all gone *__* meaning i’ll just have to remake this ;)

Every year Scott’s family, mostly his mother, decks out their tree…they have one of the most beautifully decorated trees I have seen in a family home. She uses over 1000 little bulbs to light up every inch of the tree and has a vast collection of ornaments and trinkets that she has collected over the many Christmases.

The thrill of Christmas itself is to decorate her freshly cut trees she tells. The process of the tree takes several hours and we filmed it over a 2 day period.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all, even though Toronto seems to be lacking heavily in the Christmas spirit (no snow) I really hope we get a white Christmas…come on snow gods, do your stuff!!

My buddy David has been dying to check out this new place since it opened…reviews have been good and apparently line ups are pretty intense if you don’t arrive before 7pm, otherwise it can potentially be a very long 2hr waiting list.

Bff and I decided to meet up around 4ish to grab some Nadege and then make our way over to Grand Electric to grab seats. Just as we were beginning our journey it was side tracked via shitty TTC as one street cart broke down,  meaning we weren’t going to be able to ride the cart to where we needed to go. So we decided to walk as far as we could…our starting point was from Osgoode subway station to far Queen West.

With wind chills hitting our faces at -12, we never looked more Chinese in our lives, with our mouths cringing and eyes squinting at the bitter cold…the walk seemed pretty damn impossible, but my encouraging words (not really) gave Jackie hope and so our frozen toes trekked onward.

It was pretty hilarious, the adventure took forever, roughly every 5-7 minutes we couldn’t stand the cold and ran into whatever store was in sight…to absorb as much heat as we could and went back outside to continue. We did check out some stores we never been to before so the walk wasn’t too too bad, though when the street carts were finally running back up, temptation to catch the cart struck our cold brains pretty often.

We finally made it to Nadege, like 1.5 hours later…we grabbed a pepito croissant (delicious) and some mini madelines  and walked onward to find the next Starbucks to get a latte.

Finally, it was time to head out to the restaurant and yes we took the street cart our toes couldn’t take it anymore, we had enough…we saw the street cart and waved that driver down like it we were on the sinking Titanic and he was our savior.

The place is very small, I don’t think it can even hold any more than 30 patrons…it has a very thrown together design but it seemed to work, very hipstery but alas I am in their territory, at least me and Jackie mesh in with everyone else me thinks.

Luckily for us, we did get the last big table situated right by the window. It was a nice spot until people start opening doors…

While we were waiting for the boys to arrive, we ordered Guacamole & chips, delicious and simple a good app to start.

Dave ordered some beer and a weird egg white bourbon sour cocktail, it was really strong otherwise tasty.

Let us move onto the main event…tacos!!! Grand electric sells fancy tacos for a very reasonable and good price. $3.50 each or 3 for $10. We ordered 3 of each off the menu :)

Fish taco

Pork and pineapple

Beef cheek

Spicy chicken

I’m not going to review each taco on their own because well…they are all fantastic..!!! I have no complaints what so ever with any of the tacos, all the meats were nicely flavoured, juicy and tender. These 3-4 bite (for a girl) tacos are sooooo delicious, I will definitely return for just the tacos.

The tacos are a bit small, but it will add up if you have one of each 4 tacos can definitely fill my tummy and easy on my wallet.

Shrimp Tostada, a citrus and creamy the shrimp is raw-ish and fresh so it leaves you without a fishy aftertaste.

Tuna Cheviche a tuna tartar dish where the raw fish is soaked in a vinegary lime juice that cooks it slightly. While we were having those spicy chicken tacos, we cooled down our palettes with this refreshing dish.

Pozole Rojo $12
So far everything is fantastic, no complaints…except this dish. The soup was bland and had no interesting kick to it, kinda reminded me of a watered down korean kamjatang, which while I was having this soup…really made me craved for some pork bone soup. I would not order this dish again.

This little pie in a jar was the finisher to our meal, of course it was a lime themed dessert, very refreshing and sweet, we were way too full to have our own individual desserts and having one spoonful each was perfect.

The bill for the night was very reasonable, we had our fill and the staff were all very friendly. The food came quickly and music was all over the place but it suited the place anyway.

Oh a funny of the night, since we were right by the window, we were graced with watching the many patrons struggle and be baffled by the door entrance. The door is a PUSH in, but trickery lies in the design as it has a long vertical bar that people will naturally assume it would be a pull to open. So after a few frustrated pulls, people think the restaurant might even be closed…but eventually their brain starts working and they decide to try another option and push their way through. haha.

Anyways, I want to go back already…I really wish they had lunch hours :(

I thought maybe I should start a yearly tradition of photographing Scott every year on his birthday, so everyone can see the ugly aging progression of him ;)

I rented a portrait lens for the weekend for fun, it was an interesting lens…kinda hard to use since I didn’t have too much time to play around with it, the photos turned out…well you can be the judge of that. Scott likes the lens I used because he says “it makes his face look slimmer” hm…hahaha, oh Scott.

The first and the last photos are my favorite shots of the day, happy birthday dearest!

How old does Scott look to you anyways? Feel free to take a guess, and for those who randomly visit this blog post, you can try to guess his mixed ethnicity via comment below ;)

Walking around Queen street west sunday afternoon, this was my favorite photo of the day…actually I think this is the first image I shot while we were outside…the flare gave the photo a grainy and retro kind of feel to it.

My test subject only likes to be photographed when in the mood apparently (was not in the mood). I took them anyways hehe.

Have you been looking for that practical wedding favour? Look no further clicky click your way to http://sashandsatin.com/post/lush-handmade-bath-soaps-as-winter-wedding-favours/

This is my first blog entry for Sash and Satin! Please do check it out and if you enjoy the post please leave a comment or like the post :)

Scott wanted to be something different for this 2011 Halloween…something that could be re-worn or held more value than your typical badly made costume that would get tossed in the dark corners of your closet and never to be worn again.

I’m not exactly sure where he got the inspiration to recreate a vintage aviator look, but he he managed to put it together with modern pieces and still created an old school look.

It was a beautiful Sunday afternoon, I needed to take advantage of the light and wanted to become more familiar with my Canon 60D so I asked Scott if he would like to do a mini photo shoot with his costume. This was taken in TooGood Pond in Unionville, Markham. Its a forest right across main street, we had to hike deep into the forest, cross about 7 wooden bridges to get to a spot Scott thought that would make great photos.

This is how Scott pieced together his look. Initially he was planning to purchase goggles off of Etsy since he stumbled onto it first but he couldn’t find a reliable seller…a few google searches later he realized they were actually available locally. He purchased his goggles from a store in Burlington, Ontario called Air Craft Spruce Canada. They sell authentic piloting gear and even vintage goggles if in stock. These goggles are by Halcyon and manufactured in England, the cost of the goggles were roughly $120 with shipping.

http://www.aircraftspruce.ca/ if you would like to check out their inventory, they have some pretty cool stuff.

Scott kinda lost track with everything and of course was running out of time just before the weekend. He could not find a helmet that suited the look he was going for, so it was up to me to hunt down a helmet and the rest of his accessories.

Aviator style leather jacket: Purchased recently from Zara $110

White dress shirt: H&M $20

Knitted grandpa vest: Diesel $$? This was purchased a few years ago

Green Cargo pants: was purchased on sale at Holt Renfrew, i’ll get back to you on the designer.

Boots: Combat inspired boots by Steve Madden: These were purchased from several years back in Atlantic City. $130

Canvas Helmet, gold pin, and fingerless leather gloves: On my day off, I went to Kensington Market, Toronto. I wasn’t 100% sure if they would even have what I was looking for, but there it was…a very cluttered but neat and tidy store called AAA ARMY SURPLUS. I’m pretty sure you can guess what they sell. They sell a plethora of army gear, new and old…gas masks, BB guns and yes! Pilot gear along with other stuff.

The canvas helmet originates from Russia, it was their last one…smelled kind of funky…I made Scott febreeze the #$%@ out of it when I got home. I also had to go through a bin of mismatched leather gloves to find those finger-less gloves.

With the pin, helmet and gloves my total came up to $70 (I hustled a bit)

The staff was very helpful, and all playfully dressed up in heavy army or police gear. My help was via SWAT, he looked pretty legit.

A steam punk vintage inspired pocket watch was added to his outfit to complete the look. This was purchased in the summer time during my first time at FanExpo: they had a small but good selection of steam punk accessories. $70

Okay well, this costume isn’t the most wallet friendly mind you, but at the end of the day he looked fantastic…pretty things come with a price ya know?

Food Networks new television program called Recipe to Riches is an interesting concept for a food show…it is a combination of an idol show, instead of singing you are cooking, and Dragon’s Den, selling the potential of your product.

Competitors bring our their recipe that goes through a vigorous taste test, large batch test and marketability test.

In the end, an adorable older lady named Glo won the judges over, and lets be real…i’m sure everyone was rooting for her..she’s so sweet…just like her pudding haha.

Anyways, after watching the episode I felt the urge to give the recipe a go and see if the judges were right in making her the winner.

Typically the dessert should be made in a large baking dish and served out accordingly, but I thought it would be much cuter to put them in small ramekins.

I’m not gonna lie, I made this last night and I #$%@ed up badly, silly me forgot to add in sugar for some reason, I rushed the dessert and wasted an entire batch.

Obviously I needed to redeem myself from that horrid episode, so I made a successful batch and the end result seemed good in all its glory, I was so eager to test this dessert, the winning recipe that Loblaws would place on their shelves for a weekend…

It tasted, drum roll please….

Like a lemon tart with a dinky amount of sponge cake…?

Ok wait wait, you are telling me…the dessert that blew everyone away and was put up against so many competing recipes was this overly simplistic lemony dessert? Don’t get me wrong now, it tastes good…but I was hoping for something more special. Glo had a back story with her mother’s mother handed down the recipe, been in the family for years, and it was something they enjoyed during the wars etc…but seriously?!

I am disappointed, it tasted like the lemon tarts I made occasionally, the filling was that of a custard and the cake was fluffy but not enough to really notice it when you eat the two together.

I’m sure I didn’t mess up a second time, the recipe and ingredients are very basic and easy to follow…why was I expecting so much? Was it because it was televised…and I automatically assumed it was going to be something special.

Overall, still very tasty, an easy dessert to make for any occasion. Would I make it again? Nah…I rather substitute the cakey part for a buttery tart!

If you would like to give this recipe a try, food network has posted the recipe here http://www.foodnetwork.ca/recipes/luscious-lemon-pudding/recipe.html?dishID=12109

Milano cookies are a classic European style cookie, usually sandwiched with a chocolate filling…but I like my cookies simple and plain so I opted out filling them.

Chewy, sweet and crispy all at once, these cookies are super easy to make and not time consuming at all. They are small and petite cookies, so if you just wanted to nibble on something sweet, these cookies won’t leave you with that guilty aftermath.

These make yummy tea cookies, you can dip them as you like.

They would make as great little favours too, pack them in a cellophane bag and tie a bow on it and ta-da, a cute take away gift for any occasion.

Milano Lemon Zest Cookie Recipe: Set oven at 350, preparation time: roughly 15 minutes, baking 12-16 minutes

150 grams butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
6 egg whites
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon lemon zest (add more/less as you like)
3/4 cup all purpose flour

1. cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy
2. gradually add in egg whites, and mix well
3. add lemon juice, zest and vanilla
4. add the flour in two parts, and mix till there are no clumps
5. grab a piping bag, using the tip is optional, you can just cut a hole in the bag
6. fill the bag and start piping strips of the batter onto parchment paper, roughly 1.5 inch in length
7. pop into oven and bake for 12-16 minutes, edges should be a golden brown

Well, there you have it, super easy simple cookies to make!

By the way, i’m sure if you decide to make this recipe, you’ll notice that you have those unused egg yolks…well don’t worry they can be put to good use. Next post will be creme brulee, deliciousness awaits :)

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone! I hope everyone has full bellies of delicious dinners and desserts.

I made a Japanese style cheesecake for the first time and it was a great success, I was worried that my cake would wrinkle and flop but it held it’s shape and looks great.

If you enjoy cheesecake but think it’s just too dense and heavy to eat, wait till you try the Japaneses take on cheesecake. It’s pretty much a cake, but with a nice hint of cream cheese, it’s light and fluffy… spongy in texture and not too sweet.

Japanese Cheesecake Recipe: Used two loaf pans, 25 minutes to prepare, roughly 1hr 30minutes cooking time.

Set oven temperature at 320 degrees

Ingredients:

250 grams cream cheese (1 block)
50 grams butter
100 ml milk
6 eggs separated
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon lemon juice
20 grams cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
60 grams all purpose flour
130 grams sugar

1. Using the double boiler technique, melt cream cheese, butter and milk into the bowl until smooth. Use a whisk to break down the clumps.
2. Once the wet mixture has melted, set aside and allow to cool
3. Mix in egg yolks and lime juice until incorporated
4. Sift in cornstarch and flour mix with whisk, leave no clumps.
5. Bust out your hand mixer and start whipping up the egg whites with sugar and cream of tartar, mix until you get soft peaks.
6. Divide mixing the egg whites into 1/3 at a time. FOLD gently into the batter, leaving no streaks but do not over fold/mix. This is where the cake gets it fluffy lightness.
7. Take a larger pan and put the cakes in a bath water, fill it up halfway where the batter sits
8. Bake for roughly 1hr 30minutes, the top should brown lightly
9. When the cake is done, do not take it out of the oven right away, crack the oven door open and let it gradually cool down
10. Serve right away while the top crust is nice and crispy, or pop it in the fridge to chill.

Tips:
- When the cake is done, allow it cool down slightly, and if you plan to decorate, I would recommend slicing it right away, the cuts will be cleaner and neater, where as if you waited till tomorrow and chilled the cake, it becomes denser and cutting the cake won’t look as clean.

- Since everyone’s oven is different, I did add an extra 15 minutes baking time, I eyeballed when to take the cake out…so do keep and eye on your baking time.

- Whipped cream and fruits go very nicely with this cake.

- Got any questions? Or want me to bake something in particular? Feel free to ask in the comment box!