Workshop Weekend: Ceviche Nights and a Sugar Paste Afternoon

Hey Guys!!!

Welcome back! It's a beautiful sunny April day here in Honduras and even though its well after lunch time, my cups of coffee haven't worked yet. I've been struggling with getting out of bed early, despite my alarm blasting my ears out. Truth is, I've been staying up late reading and no matter how sleepy or tired I may be, I can't seem to put the book down. Good thing though...I'm a book worm. 

Sunny view of the garden

So, I recapped much of what happened before, during and after Easter week in my last post. These past few days, I haven't spent much of my time in the kitchen. Instead, I have "tried" to enrich my kitchen knowledge. I say "tried" because I've become a lazy gal. And I've picked up on my reading hobby. I've gobbled down 5 books in the past week, and I couldn't be prouder. I don't think I read that much last year in total. True, I've read the books before, but I still get excited about them. 

I do believe I wrote in my previous post about my cake orders for the month of April. I've taken very few, mainly to focus on writing more. It has more or less paid out, but without me concocting something in the kitchen, I seem to be lacking material to write about. So this past weekend, I took two different courses. 

Preparing the first dish. We
were surprised the sauce had cheese.

Friday evening, I joined my aunt and my sister for a night of Culinary Therapy. In short words, a group of at least 7 people, who not necessarily know each other, get together and cook a meal of sorts. In our case, we were of group of 9, some who knew each other, but most of us were seeing new faces. The cooking lesson of the night was Ceviches and the art of preparing them. Most of you might know what a ceviche is (raw fish or seafood cured in citrus juice) and Friday, we would be preparing six different types. Once the entire group had arrived and received a welcoming drink, the head chef, a Peruvian one in fact, told us a folklore story of how it is said that ceviches were invented in Peru. He set straight some misconceptions we all had about preparing the dishes, like leaving the fish in lemon juice for a couple of hours or even overnight, when in fact, the lemon juice is the last ingredient to be added. 

The finished result

He quickly prepared the first Ceviche on the menu as a demo: A sea bass, jalapeño, and canchita mix. While doing so, he emphasized the importance the freshness of the fish or  seafood to be used is. Because there is no heat involved, there is no "cooking" of any kind. Therefore, fresh fish is vital to avoid food poisoning. He was done in a little less than 15 minutes, all while explaining the steps. And it was delicious. We then got assigned numbers and divided into three groups. We would all be preparing a different ceviche. 

Only ceviche on the menu tonight

As you can see, the ceviches we prepared were a Red Snapper with Tamarind and Nori, Octopus and "Curil"* in a Curry sauce, Conch (snail) and Coconut with Thai basil, Squid with tropical fruit and avocado and Shrimp in a Passion Fruit and Mint melee plus the one the chef made for us. My group was assigned the Conch and Coconut Ceviche and our first step was to chop up the snail. If you've never seen or touched raw conch, it might be weird. It is common here in Honduras, especially in the coast. It is soft meat, although if overcooked, it becomes rubbery. With the meat in cubes, we then chopped scallions and some red onions and grated fresh ginger for its juice. 

While almost everyone was chopping onions in each group, we were laughing. The chef had informed us that in Peru, crying while chopping onions was a sign the person was prone to jealousy and almost all of us had reddening eyes. It was impossible not to cry and laugh. There were too many onions. Of course, that is not why we cry. We cry because once you chop up an onion, you're breaking cells. The onion releases a sulphur compound that reacts with water in your eyes, which then becomes sulphuric acid and it burns. This causes you to water it down, hence tears. You can find many articles online on the subject. I'm guessing the first person to ever chop up the root got scared. 

When we finished with the chopping, the chef then toasted in a frying pan the coconut, added it to the bowl with the conch, onions and ginger juice, mixed it up, chopped some basil, added it, seasoned with salt only and finally added the lemon juice which group number 2 had gladly squeezed. While he tasted, we were handed coconut shell and jicaro bowls and we all tried the second ceviche. It was good, but I was beginning to think ceviche just might not be for me. Too much acidity was giving me heartburn. Thankfully, I lasted the night and had fun continuing the class. I refrained from eating much, which was a bummer, because I was hungry. 

The ginger came through and developed new flavours.

The next one in line was Octopus and Curil. Curiles are bivalved mollusks, which are consumed raw in their own juice. Some people are really put off by them, but they're quite tasty. They're slightly bigger than clams and are found near mangroves here in Honduras. Up till that night, I had never seen one still in its shell. We were shown how to crack them open, and I did feel a pang of guilt and sadness knowing the little creature would be eaten alive. The octopus was cut up, the onion was chopped and a little salt and lemon juice later, we were tasting the third one. 

One of the few that has fresh tomatoes.

So far, it was last on my list. The fourth one was one of my favourites: Squid with a tropical twist and avocado. We cleaned and chopped the squid (first and last time...too slimy), peeled and cut the mango, added some fresh pineapple chopped some more onion and into a big bowl it all went. The avocado, salt and lemon juice were added last and we all tried. I think I liked it for its sweet and sour taste and for the fact that the avocado brought the acidity down to a tolerable level for me. 

Sweet and Sour...I do
believe it was my favourite.

The fifth one was done in a jiffy. The shrimp had already been cleaned and placed into a bowl with the passion fruit juice and seeds and chopped mint. It was seasoned the same as the others, with salt only and lemon juice. It was a nice combination, although most of us agreed it was not appealing, since the shrimp was not the nice pink color we usually see in shrimp cocktails, for example. This of course due to the type of shrimp and the fact that it was uncooked. And lastly was the Red Snapper and Tamarind mix. This one was yummy. The chef had the task of slicing and cubing put the fish. The kitchen had already prepared the tamarind paste: (Boil the tamarinds in water, once soft, press again a double sieve to obtain a thick paste) and with some chopped onions we had, it was all mixed together. The nori was added, the salt was added and finally came the lemon juice. 

This one was one of the tastiest.
Tamarind paste is an excellent addition.

I think most of us were astonished at how quickly the procedure actually is. We all had our reservations when it came to seasoning. Most of us have different tastes. In my case, I'd reduce the lemon juice a tiny bit and would attempt to use sour oranges for a sweeter taste. All in all, we were happy and content and the chef was glad we had been a fun group. I think he might have a date later on. One of the girls was keen on him and he simply blushed and laughed. It, of course, added the breaking-the-ice moment and we became a tight-knit group throughout the night, despite being strangers. 

The Ceviche Masters!

I did leave with a  queasy feeling in my stomach, so I drank lots of water. I managed to sleep in for a bit, but I woke up before 10 the next morning. With not much to do, I read some more. A little after lunch, I got ready and left for a Gumpaste Workshop at a local store. It focused on sugar paste flowers. I had already taken classes with the chef in charge, so we chatted a bit, while we waited. We started soon after, making for the first time, sugar paste. It is a similar procedure to making fondant, with the added ingredient being tylose. It is what gives the paste elasticity. Similar to gelatine being used when making fondant. As soon as we finished, we began making the first flower: a rose. It was a slow procedure, which required patience. In the end, mine fell apart...I used to much "glue". It had looked beautiful, but hey, a little more practice and I'll get the hang of it. This flower did cost us much of the allocated time. So much, in fact, that we rushed through the others. We managed to complete 2 out of 3.  We got to the last one but it time was almost up. It was done halfway through. We did learn to make 2 more others. I guess what I'm trying to say is, that if you're getting in the business of sugar paste, make time, lots of it, and make extra whatever it is you're making. In our case, sugar petals and flowers. 

So much work for a small flower.
Patience is the key.

I got home a little after seven in the evening and almost immediately sank into my book. I fell asleep close to 2 in the morning. The following day I made an Espresso Pound cake to take over to my grandmother's house. I hadn't been in almost a month, and I needed to butter her up. It worked. In the afternoon, I got ready for a ballet recital I was supposed to attend. My younger cousin would be playing the piano, and we were all invited. I wasn't keen on the idea. I was sleepy, I wanted to read and mostly, I cursed the day people thought meetings of that sort were appropriate for a Sunday evening. I wasn't Social Sally you can say. Which is why I bit my tongue later. I was taken aback by how much I was into the performance. A Christian-American Ballet company graced our stage with two acts delivering different morals. The music played a big part in the entertainment, as the acts featured many of Danny Elfman's scores, he being known for his contributions to Tim Burton's films. And I love Tim Burton. Actually, most of my entire family does. It brought us a little closer. 

I was actually disappointed when the recital finished. I would have gladly stayed for a third act. But it was done and it was late. That didn't stop us from finding someplace to eat before heading home. I was still tired and still sleepy, but I gobbled some more chapters from my book and I was out like a light. Monday was a bank holiday, which I took to be my new Sunday. So I did what I usually do on Sundays and that is nothing. I did nothing more than read, have coffee, have some more coffee and read some more again. I decided to bake for the sake of it (I felt guilty not having baked during the week) and in no time, I had a delicious chocolate shortbread in the oven. It's delicious. It looks like a brownie, it tastes like a brownie, but it's shortbread, yummers! 

Bite sized equals perfect sized...
I've eaten more than half.

I have been trying to catch up on my shows, and I have succeeded in most of it, but my books are too engaging and before I know it, 2 hours have passed and I'm nearing the end chapters. I began this post yesterday, and because I realised I had nothing productive to do in the city once I got there, I came back home and read some more. I felt guilty for not writing, but not guilty enough to type away. But here we are. Its well into the afternoon and I'm contemplating my 3rd cup of coffee. I just finished my fifth book and I'm onto my 6th. I also have a cake in the oven which will require my attention later. 

Despite my stress this morning, thinking of the several wedding cakes I have coming up in the second half of the year (months away and I'm jittery already...), life is good. I still have no idea what I'll be doing later on in life, but today I smile, horse teeth and all and I can't wait to see what the week brings on. Also, congrats to my younger sister on her new job!

Until next time. 

xx

Baking Cakes with Sunkissed Cheeks

Hey Guys!!!

Welcome back. It already mid-April and its back to the hustle and bustle after a busy Easter week. I took a short vacation during it, but I ate and slept pretty much the entire time. Oh, there's nothing better than a hammock and a beer with a blazing sun and the ocean breeze. But its back to reality.

Beach bum on sunny days

So in my last post, I related my weekend adventures in making a 3-tiered cake, covered and decorated in fondant.  This past weekend I also reached a milestone. I made my first wedding cake EVER!!! While not entirely true (I did make a small one last year. Check it out, I did outdo myself. The theme of the wedding was rustic in a way, having taken place lakeside on a sunny spring and summery day. I have lost track of the seasons in my beautiful country and when the sun is out, it feels like spring and summer. Green all around and very hot weather. The color scheme was mainly orange, so I prepared myself accordingly. The bride was looking for a naked cake, inspired by a previous cake I had made. The cake was vanilla flavoured, filled with great amounts of dulce de leche and barely covered in a white chocolate buttercream. I heard it was delicious, which settled down my nerves immensely.

A beautiful, rustic wedding cake. Perfect for spring.

After a calm baking week, which included mini cheesecakes, a Ferrero Rocher cake, a beautiful Rainbow cake and a mini cake, I prepared the layers needed for the wedding cake. It was a cake similar in size to the Book Lovers Cake made the previous weekend. Funnily though, I was not stressed, even though it was a WEDDING CAKE!!! Then again, the design was much simpler than the other cake, which required fondant cover and fondant decor. This cake, was simple and beautiful. Friday afternoon, I began the assembly. After freaking out for a good ten minutes because the wooden cake stand I ordered made had not been levelled properly. Too late to have it fixed and me wanting to start as soon as possible, I glued a popsicle stick to the base and the problem was quickly fixed. I then trimmed the layers to achieve a level surface, filled them up with creamy dulce de leche, and applied a crumb coat. With that done, I placed the straws that would maintain the cake in place and continued upward with the remaining tiers. Once they were al crumb coated and in their respective place, I began the detailed task of carefully spreading more frosting to the entire cake, making sure it achieved the rustic, naked look. Once finished, I popped it into the fridge until the following morning. 

I woke up pretty early, excited and nervous over how I would give it the finishing touches. I had procured the necessary flowers the day before and once I got the cake out of the fridge, I gave it a mental do over to visualize the design. Before I blanked out, I began trimming the flowers, fitting them in little plastic tubes and sticking them in the cake. I wasn't overly happy with the color scheme and the flowers chosen, but it was the bride's decision, so I swallowed down my opinions. But the job was done beautifully. The end result was a rustic spring themed naked wedding cake. Perfect for the lakeside, outdoors wedding of the day. Shortly after, the cake was picked up, settled and secured inside the car and my job was done. I hurried out the door. I had a baby shower to attend. 

Cookies in the making

In the evening, I basked in the comfort of my room, glad to have completed my task successfully. The following week continued steadily. I had several order to fill. 

Chewy chocolatey crinkle cookies...to die for

Among new goodies baked were a DELICIOUS batch of double chocolate crinkle cookies and mouth watering Apple Pie Bites. The latter I had made the week before, but they were so good, it was worth a repeat bake. 

Simple to make and packed with flavour!!!

Easter arrived in the following days, and while I had declined a previous invitation to the pristine white sand beaches of the Bay Islands in my beautiful country, I gladly accepted another invitation. Wednesday morning, we were heading to the north coast of Honduras, to the fantastic beaches of Cortes. In a small area called Tulian, we were welcomed with open arms to my friend's second family home. I had not stepped into sand in a LONG time and the smell of the ocean breeze melted the stress away. Pool days, lying in the sand, soaking up the sun. Seriously, no better way to live. We did cut the trip short though. Saturday in the early afternoon, we were heading back home. Good thing we did. The traffic was getting heavier as we approached the city and while we left with good time, we arrived much later than expected. Thank God for Sunday. I slept for the better part of the day. I had no I idea I was that tired. 

Waterfall at Rawacala Ecopark...among the hidden treasures this fantastic country holds. Freezing water you can dive into, there are hiking trails and Zip-lining for those more adventurous souls.

We paid Lps.100, which is a little less than 5 American Dollars. If you're ever near El Paraíso, Cortés, be sure to stop by.

Monday came and while most people groaned, I woke up much refreshed. Sadly, I seem to be coming down with a cold...Again. Weather changes don't do a single thing for me, but I do have a tan, I am very happy with it. 

Sunkissed cheeks

I decided back in March I would be very selective with my cake orders, barely taking any, as I want to genuinely focus on this baby. My blog has seem to fallen in the shadows ever since I began at the cafe in 2013. Even though I left it in February, it has been very hard to get back to writing regularly. Not to mention, I am currently seeking out someone to design a website. So, please accept my apologies for the absence of weekly posts. Anyhow, last week was very busy. 9 girls, myself included, planned and delivered a beautiful spring themed baby shower for a dear friend on Thursday. It was a bit stressful, but we managed a great job. It was 10:30 at night when I climbed my bed and was gone. 

Excited aunts waiting for our niece

I had been having later nights and I was beat. But my alarm rang much sooner than I wanted. I had three cakes to make for Friday afternoon/evening and I had to start ASAP. By 11:30, all the layers were baked and I took a small break. After lunch, I continued slowly and steady. When you're tired, its best to take it slow. Hurrying up only guarantees errors and mistakes. By 3:15 p.m, the first cake was delivered. One of the cakes was for Saturday morning, so truly, I only had 1 more to go: a gorgeous Chocolate Madness "Wedding" Birthday Cake. What does this entail?

Decadence in layers

Essentially, it is a chocolate cake. It was filled with creamy, dulce de leche (my favourite filling) and chocolate crumbs (more on this later) and covered in what is the most amazing creamy, glossy frosting ever. It tasted like bittersweet chocolate ganache but it was nothing of the sort. For decorative purposes only, I used ripe strawberries, blackberries and beautiful red carnations. It reminded me of Spain for some reason and it looked like a small wedding cake. While I knew the combination would be good, I did not expect it to be wow. I tend to take risks with my cakes, delivering them on the first try and thank God, I have yet to disappoint. The chocolate crumbs, a mixture of butter, flour, cocoa and sugar which is later baked, added a bitterness that meshed beautifully with the sweetness of the filling, enhancing the flavour, not making it sickly sweet. I was a guest at the dinner party of 40 people and I got terrific reviews on it. I thought my body would give up soon, but I left happily around 1:15 a.m. That said, my feet hurt like hell. Having been on them all day long and switching to high heels in a blink took a toll on them and what I got was almost blistering feet, pale white from swelling and short blood circulation. Nice...

Isn't it gorgeous?!

Saturday was a quiet day. I finished the small cake due in the morning and spent the afternoon catching up on my shows and baking a batch of Red Velvet Brownies. The evening involved a funny Wine "Night" and many gin and tonics. After a restful sleep, I was ready by noon, heading out for the day. It was relaxing, filled with laughter, good food, wine and beer. I got home a little after 8. My pjs hugged me and I dozed off with my shows. Monday marked the return of gym time, which left me sore in that way you know you worked out. A small cake out the way later and I dozed off again. And here we are. Its just past lunch time and I'm only hoping the coffee kicks in. With sleepy eyes, I wish you all a fantastic week and I hope to see you here again next week.

Until next time!!!
xx

Chapter 4: Chocolate, Strawberries and Books, Oh My!!!

Hey Guys!!!

This post comes a little late for good reasons. I was stuck in the kitchen for the better part of the week, baking away my orders. 

Three layers "wrapped" in silky
chocolate buttercream...YUM!

I woke up last Saturday, feeling rested and fresh. With no immediate plans of any kind, I headed to the city alongside my sister who had scheduled herself gym time. In retrospect, I should have joined her. I felt a little guilty, but not enough to change into gym clothes and sweat my troubles away. Instead, I pampered myself a bit by going to the hairdresser. I went back home for a quick lunch and in the afternoon, I had coffee with a couple of friends. I helped my mother with grocery shopping a while later and before I knew it, I has heading out again for dinner. By midnight I was in my cozy bed, fast asleep. Perhaps some consider it a boring Saturday, but meh to you who do. I woke up early on Sunday, despite my reservations. I had a birthday cake to bake and deliver by the early afternoon and no time to dawdle. I baked three lovely, different flavoured layers: moist chocolate, decadent caramel and always pleasing vanilla. All stacked and filled with dulce de leche AND chocolate buttercream and covered in the latter. Plus a lil banner I made and some pastel sprinkles!!! It was beautiful & delicious!!!

A wonky picture to appreciate the layers!

I also had decided to bake some strawberry cake layers from the same recipe as last time, increasing the food coloring to make the red pop and arranging them in a different manner for a newer, more elegant finish. What I achieved was a real looker, however, the cake did not gain any points. My grandmother even said: just don't make it again...hahahahahahaha.

I looked so pretty...it was almost a shame to cut it...almost

Truly, it's a very dense cake and in reality, the flavour gets lost in the texture. But I will not give up on it. Strawberry isn't the easiest ingredient to work with. They mold and ripen quickly and the taste of the fresh berry is basically impossible to replicate in a cooked or baked creation. I will try the damn recipe again, but I will modify it to my taste and we'll see if it works then. After all, third time's the charm, right?

Too bad it didn't taste as well as it looked...
better luck next time...

Sunday ended with full bellies after an afternoon of BBQ food, coffee and cake. Monday morning came and left and by the end of the afternoon, I had baked vanilla cupcakes and a lovely sponge cake to make Victoria Sponge Cake. The cupcakes were well received and so was the cake, despite the disaster that happened: I had run out of cream to fill the cake and I asked my mom to get me a tub of Cool Whip whipped topping. However, she misunderstood and instead, brought home a can of whipped cream. What's the difference you may ask...well. I'll tell you. Heavy whipping cream is just what the name says it is: heavy cream. When whipped, the cream holds stiff peaks and its dense enough to fill a cake, a pastry puff and will hold for a couple of days. Whipping cream, as in the canned type, looks dense, but give it a couple of minutes and the dang thing begins to break down. So you can guess what my cake looked like...The raspberry jam was amazing and because I had no choice, I topped it with the canned cream and applied the second sponge to finish the cake *face palm*! The cream began to ooze out and liquefied. It looked like melting ice cream. My cousin, for whom the cake was for, laughed, but ate it anyway. To be honest, it was yummy. So prepare to see it sometime soon, because I need to redeem myself.

Tuesday was chocolatey. I had a German Chocolate Cake to make, followed by a Chocolate Carrot Cake. A Ferrero Rocher Cake that was also for Wednesday was changed for this week, so I took my time assembling the other two. I also baked a Blackberry Swirled Cheesecake for my niece's birthday the following day. By Wednesday afternoon, my cakes were all delivered and I baked a traditional Carrot Cake for the following day. I assembled it late in the night, after returning from eating some cheesecake from my niece's birthday reunion. 

Friday the 13th was my father's birthday. He always complains I don't bake him what he wants for his birthday, so I decided to honor his will and baked him a traditional Apple Pie. It came out just in time for dinner, so it was still warm for dessert time. I spent most of my Friday afternoon baking layers after layers after layers of Orange Cake for my weekend's masterpiece. I was commissioned in January to make a fondant "book lovers" birthday cake for 80 people. Now, it must seem ironic after my last post, that I'd be making yet another fondant cake. Well, to be fair, I did say I need to practice making them. I still don't find it appetizing, but the end result of this one might restore my faith in my skills and push me to new challenges. I woke up early on Saturday to being the assembling process. The layers had been baked the afternoon before and I was ready to tackle it all. So I began. I whipped up some Orange buttercream frosting, leveled the cakes, filled them and crumb coated them. Because it was for 80 people, I had several tiers. The largest was supposed to be a 12" x 3" which was what I had when I baked the layer. However, I did not anticipate the leveling and halving would reduce my cake to a shorter (so much shorter...) tier. 

"#$?+*#!!!" is what went through my mind.

I had no choice but to make and bake another layer. 2 hours and 30 minutes. That what it took to bake and chill. I took advantage of the time in between to cover in fondant the smaller tiers. Which surprised me immensely. What I usually dread is the actual covering of the cake, not the details. It took me less than 15 minutes to do both. I had to mix in swiftness with delicateness. Not usually a good combo, but it worked. I didn't want them to begin drying just yet, so I loosely covered them in plastic film. Once the large tier was ready to be covered, I began to do so. My fear overall is the fondant stretching to far to rip at the edges of the cake, but luck was on my side and they didn't tear or rip. I got a slight one at the bottom, but no worries there. It would be covered by "books". I wrapped it in plastic film as well and did a quick kitchen cleanup. The next step was layering the tiers. With the help of some bubble tea straws and some extra frosting, I carefully "glued" the tiers together. 

Trying out the "look"

And then began the longest hours of the day. Accompanied by my friends Facetiming from merry ol' London, I managed to work nicely and carefully, rolling out and cutting my books, glueing them to the tiers. It was well into the night (10:40ish) when the cake was fully covered in the books. All that was left was to pipe away the details. It took me around 30 minutes to finish them. But I was done. The cake was DONE!!! Except for the beautiful coffee cup that would adorn the top. 

11:29 P.M. ...DONE! Finally DONE!!!

During the week, I had researched how to make a sugar/gum paste coffee cup. I found a neat tutorial on how to make a gum paste teacup, which essentially, is the same thing. So Friday afternoon, I molded out the sugar paste coffee cup, platter, handle and bottom. I left them out to dry out. If you are ever attempting to mold something similar, be sure to allow two or more days for the paste to dry. By midnight, I was glueing the handle, bottom and cup together and palcing it on the platter. Before I placed it on top of the cake, I took a wooden rod (dowel) and CAREFULLY, forced it through the three tiers. Why? Like the bubble tea straws, the rod is used to reinforce the cake. The straws prevent the layers to cave into the layers underneath. They help the cake keep its form. The rod, in turn, helps the tiers stay in place and prevents shifting. I had a friend tell me she had no idea the work that goes into making such a cake, to which I laughed. Before making such cakes, I had no idea either. It comes with research and practice. My first ever fondant cake, I made in 2011, way before I got my Diploma in Pastry Arts. I actually made the fondant and it was a two tiered cake. The upper tier sunk into the bottom one. It wasn't a disaster, but you learn eventually. It's great to know I've come a LONG way from then. 

A quick picture before the delivery...
just to make sure I made it

Going back, I used the same icing as the piped details to glue in place the platter and cup. I then painted on the "coffee" and mug and plate details with a luster. I almost cried when I saw the finished piece, complete with wire "steaming" from the cup.

I carefully placed it in the empty oven, on the lowest rack possible and it fit like a glove. I cleaned the entire kitchen and dining table, which served as my work space for the day and dropped dead. I woke up with an alarm on Sunday. I had a hot cup of coffee, checked to see if my cake was still alive (sighed in relief when I saw it was), showered and got ready to deliver the cake and drop my mom at the airport (she's away on a trip). Finally fully awake, I realized how heavy the cake was. I decided to weigh it out just to feed my curiosity. I placed it on my scale and all I know is it weighed over 11 pounds, because the scale read ERR. Thankfully it was a car to car cake delivery and when I handed it over, I finally relaxed!

My pièce de résistance!

A trip to the airport, late lunch, short nap, tacos for dinner and a beer later, I was ready to fall asleep, before remembering I had laundry to do. An hour later, clothes safely in the dryer I passed out like a light. 

I've had hard weeks, I've had long weeks, but this week I have no idea what happened. I think I ran on autopilot for most of it. All I know is that my cakes were well received and I can relax for a bit now. I have some cake orders to tackle later on, but for the time being, coffee and my bed will keep me happy.

Until next time!!!

xx

March-ing In on a Baking Frenzy

Hey Guys!!!

It's MARCH!!! I'm amazed at how quickly the days are passing, but I am also very happy!!! Mango season is quickly approaching and we're experiencing beautiful, sunny days. That being said, I feel drained. I've been on a baking frenzy, non-stop. That said, sleep has come easier lately, although my dreams keep getting weirder and weirder. 

Mini Guava Cheesecakes in the making!!!

I hope you tried last week's Chocolate Carrot Cake recipe! It seriously is amazing!!! In the last few days, I've also baked couple of "oldies, but goodies" in the form of Blueberry Cheesecake Bites, Mini Fruit Tartlets and a variation of the English Tea Cakes. However, much of this involved waking up at 5:30 in the morning on both Saturday AND Sunday to finish up or add the finishing touches. I also made another Cars Fondant Cake. To be honest, I wasn't at all happy with the result. I have mentioned in the past my uneasiness at working with that type of sugar paste. Many say I ought to use it more to practice and perfect it, but I see myself more of a home-baker, with messy cakes and not so perfect finishes. I find those cakes prettier and more delicious. Of course, you can make spectacular creations with fondant, but most people disregard the sugar paste layer and simply eat the cake innards. I see that as time gone down the drain. So much of it invested in making a beautiful looking cake and you're not gonna eat it...not my kind of thing. 

Anyhow, here's a picture of it.

I don't know what I don't like...the simplicity,
the colours, or just fondant in general...oops.

I also baked some Chocolate Carrot Cakes. It really has become popular! 

Monday in the evening, I baked the layers for a first time ever cake: Strawberries and Cream cake. You might recall the one I made for my grandmother's birthday in November which has the same name. Well, this one is completely different. The layers are actually Strawberry flavoured with real strawberry puree in them. The other (which is equally scrumptious) featured vanilla layers filled with strawberries and cream. I baked six layers for two cakes,. Tuesday morning I whipped up the cream, filled them up and topped it with strawberry quarters. The actual inspiration for the cake looks a thousand times better, but the result had the same deliciousness degree. In the evening I baked a tart shell, made some pastry cream and dropped dead. 

So, the picture doesn't do it justice...
take my word for it that it was good :D

With sleepiness still clinging in my eyes, I woke up Wednesday, got ready and prepared the Fruit Tart. Filled with pastry cream and topped with strawberries, blueberries, some blackberries and a couple of cherries, it looked delightful. My mother was sorely tempted to slice through it. I might be making another one soon. 

It looked so beautiful...and yummy.
Mainly yummy.

With that delivered, I was free! After a week non-stop, I finally had some time to relax. Thursday morning, I was up and ready to tackle my kitchen duties again, only to find the entire kitchen a mess as it was being cleaned. I had changed all my plans to bake in the morning, and now I had to change them again. So I hitched a ride with my sister and headed out to run some errands and head home after lunch. By that time, the kitchen looked spotless, I felt guilty treading over the shiny floor. But my orders needed to be done, so I began. I baked a Mojito Cheesecake and mini guava cheesecake bites. It wasn't long before I finished. We had plans to head to they gym since we didn't go in the morning, but without a car, it was kind of hard, so those plans were cancelled. I don't really know what I did yesterday evening, but I was asleep soon enough. 

These are so good!!! I had enough batter
left for a cupcake sized cheesecake,
so I baked it and prepared it and almost
died of the amazingness in my hand hahahahaha.

I had weird dreams again and woke up at ungodly hours (2:11 and 4:16...why?) By 5:30 in the morning, I was already awake. I got ready and headed to the kitchen to finish my cheesecakes. However, the morning plans were changed as well and here I am now. 

I am so happy it's Friday, and with no immediate baking orders, I have time to enjoy myself, relax a bit, and even bake for the sake of baking, which should be the purpose of it all. 

I wish you all a fantastic weekend!!!

Until next time.
xx

February is for Chocolate Lovers

Hey Guys!!!

Welcome back. I apologize for my late post. Last Monday it was going up, but sadly, my phone got stolen  last Sunday morning and thus, all my pictures from the two weeks since my last backup were lost. So I basically had no material to write about. Awesome, right? Hahahaha. Anyhow, I have to admit, not having a phone for a couple of days was blissful. I did have cake orders to tackle, but thankfully all those were in my notebook agenda and the phone numbers saved on my computer. So no disasters there. 

My last post hinted at what would be a busy baking week with Valentine's Day orders. Well, Thursday and Friday were busy. I decided I wouldn't be delivering anything on the actual day and so Friday was spent sorting and handing out boxes filled with either Double Chocolate Mocha Brownies, Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownies, the ever popular Red Velvet Cupcakes, Carrot Cakes, Banana Breads and a special Red Velvet Cake (seriously...the frosting on this last one was AMAZING!) I managed to come up with a fabulous chocolate cream cheese frosting to give the famous red cake a different look. By the end of the day, I was seriously exhausted and watched TV until I fell asleep. Saturday I woke up rather early to run a bunch of errands but was back home for lunch. I then proceeded to be a couch potato for the remainder of the daylight. Still tired and sleepy, I managed to garner up some energy for a girl's night out. The fun evening came to a conclusion at around 3 in the morning at a Chinese Restaurant (I seriously need to stop that...I think I won't be having Chinese food any time soon). It was the last time I saw my phone. 

Sunday was quiet. With no phone to call, text or even feed my gaming addictions, I resorted to the ultimate entertainer: the TV. However, it was soothing. It was a good break from the little tool that makes us look like idiots all day long. Monday came along and with no material from previously taken photos to write about, I decided to postpone it. I delayed getting a new phone until Thursday. I don't know why. I guess I was avoiding the stress it provoked. I only charged it that evening and eventually, I restored it on Friday morning. A multitude if messages then poured in and I proceeded, for the next hour, to respond and reply to the cake orders, greetings, well-wishers who had contacted me during the 5 days without a phone. I hated it immediately.

I wanted to cut it as soon as I finished assembling it.

Friday I spent the day planning out a Ferrero-Rocher Cake that had been ordered for Saturday. I researched recipes but they all seemed to have "it didn't work out too well" reviews. My decision was to make my own variations to a never failing chocolate cake recipe I have. The result was fantastic and it received a remarkable appraisal. In the evening, I indulged in my appreciation for theatrics, and attended a comedic play called Taxi. It is the Spanish adaptation of the British 1983 adult comedy play called Run for Your Wife. I hadn't laughed that hard in a theatre in so long. To my fellow Hondurans, I strongly recommend you catch it while it's running. The theatre is in Novacentro. Sadly, I don't have the details on the running times, but I do know it will be available to watch all March. 

A deep conversation dinner and round of drinks later, I was back in my comfortable bed. Sunday morning, I woke up to help around the kitchen. The afternoon was a blur and in the early evening, I experimented in the kitchen with an idea I had been brewing around in my head for a while. Inspired by a Brazilian carrot cake, I combined the flavors of the traditional American Carrot Cake with the amazingness that is Chocolate. Because you know, why not? 

What I got was a moist, decadent, DIFFERENT, chocolate cake. Honestly, it is soooo good. I have no idea why I hadn't done it before. And after it, I don't think I will ever have a regular carrot cake...because, who would?! So I urge you to try my version or any of your crazy ideas for it ASAP. 

Moist, chocolatey, filled with carrots and nuts...
YUUUUUMMMM

Now, while this bad boy baked, I relished in watching the Red Carpet and then the Ceremony of Hollywood's most important night: The Oscars!!! I already had my predictions for it (they were all spot on) due to the previous winners in other shows, like the Golden Globes and the SAG awards, but it was still exciting to watch the winner's reactions!!! Sadly, I have to admit, I expected WAAAAAYYY more from Neil Patrick Harris's job as a host. It just didn't click and half the time, his "jokes" fell flat. He started out with a great musical number and then it was downhill. However, the musical performances by Jennifer Hudson, John Legend and Common and my all-time favorite, Lady Gaga, made up for it BIG TIME. All in all, it could have been great, but there have been worse shows. Bring back Billy Crystal, please! 

Monday came and an early workout helped out with sleepiness. The rest of the day was blah. I managed to start this post but my inspiration was lost soon after. I ended up curling in bed quite early, which resulted in me waking up at random hours (12:51 and 5:42). And here we are now. It's 3 in the afternoon, but coffee is still needed. Thankfully, I have a slice of Chocolate Carrot Cake waiting for me. YUM!!! 

Be sure to check back next week, to see what I've been up to in the kitchen!!!

Until next time.

xx

Chocolate Carrot Cake

You're gonna love it!

Ingredients:

Cake.

2 C. sugar

1 C. canola oil

4 eggs

2 C. all-purpose flour

1/2 C. unsweetened cocoa powder

2 t. baking soda

1 t. ground cinnamon

1 C. walnuts, finely chopped

4 C. grated, peeled carrots

Frosting

3/4 C. butter, softened (1 1/2 sticks)

12 oz. cream cheese, softened

1/3 C. Nutella

1/4 C. cocoa powder

1 1/2 C. confectioner's sugar

Preparation:

Cake:
Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 1 1/2-inch-high sides. Using electric mixer, beat sugar, oil and eggs in large bowl until well blended. Add flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and cinnamon; beat until blended. Stir in carrots and walnuts. Divide batter between pans. 

Bake for 42 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into layer comes out clean. Cool completely on wire racks.

Frosting:
In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and butter using and electric mixer at medium-high speed until fluffy. Add the Nutella and beat until blended and smooth. Sift cocoa powder and confectioner's sugar together and gradually beat into the mixture. It should be glossy and smooth.

Assemble cake as desired!!!

2015: My Golden Year!!!

Hey Guys!!!

Happy 2015 and welcome back!!! It’s almost mid February on a new year and here I am starting out the year. Talk about late starts…Anyhow, in the light of the new year and a rather embarrassing 5 month hiatus, I am happy to announce I’m back in the game for good. So much has happened in these past months so please bare with me on this long and bumpy ride.

When last we met, I had baked batch after batch after batch of cookies. They were to be part of a special promo at the Café. Sadly, cookies don’t hold that much appeal to our market, so in short words it was a major failure. The fact that the flyers announcing the promo weren’t handed out didn’t really help out either. I would have stressed out in any other occasion, but a major vacation was on the step of my door and I was too excited to worry. Although, please make sure to check out the recipes!!!! Click here:

We bid August a farewell and greeted September with the enthusiasm of a child awaiting dessert. More or less set to depart, I left everything ready. My mother and my kitchen assistant were ready to take over. September 10^th knocked on the door and I was flying out on a month long break. Two flights and a train ride later, I was entering my sister’s flat in New York City. It was close to three in the morning when I finally got some shuteye. We woke up a little before twelve and with no immediate plans, we of course, ordered a breakfast delivery and binged watched Netflix until after 5 in the afternoon. At first I was restless. I had not had a “nothing to do period” in a long time, but soon enough, I accepted I was on a well-deserved vacation. I spent a week and a half in one of the most fabulous cities in the world and I regret not having explored it more. I’ll be back again sometime and I’ll give it the attention it deserved. However, there were memorable places and moments that I’d love to recount.

First off and in no particular order, I had already visited the Empire State and gone up to ogle at the breathtaking view in my previous trip last year. But I have to say that the most amazing building in the New York City Skyline, in my opinion, is by far, the Chrysler building, or as people kept calling it: “the Batman building”. Its iconic to the city and really, whenever there is an NYC air view scene in TV or movies, it is always in it. Secondly, visiting the New York City Public Library. I was inside for a short time, but it is so beautiful!!! I did get kind of lost. I had no idea where I was going. Just walked and walked and suddenly I was back in the entrance. It was a pity though, that many of the rooms were off limits for different reasons. Thirdly, walking through the Highline Park.  

Beautiful colours captured
in the late afternoon at Highline Park

We went a short time before sunset, before they were closing up, and it’s a long but very nice and entertaining walk. We stopped for an ice-lolly, or “paleta” as we call them in Spanish at a “La NewYorkina” stand inside the park. Fourthly, eating the famous Ramen Burger at the Smorgasburg Festival. It was soo good! The festival itself should be number four. 

It was small, round and DELICIOUS...
would have gone back for a second one...
line was insane

We tried a little bit of this and that and ended up slightly full. Fifthly, walking the Brooklyn Bridge (after the festival of course!), taking random photos, enjoying the views and sun. It was beginning to get chilly. Sixthly, eating pizza at three in the morning from a random pizza place (I’d love to remember the name…it was AMAZEBALLS!) and walking though Times Square afterwards. I’d also put in the same number the following words: CHICKEN OVER RICE!!! Wow… seriously, if you’ve never had it, you should definitely add it to your to do list. 

My beautiful sister and I enjoying
a walk through the bridge.
Chilly, but that sun gets to you!!!

Seventhly, BRUNCH. We had brunch several times, because, when you’re on vacation, early rises are out of the question! However, you kind of have to get to the places early, because they are ALWAYS full. The first one we went to was close to my sister’s flat, called Le Parisien. It is this tiny hole in the wall, but well worth the wait!!! Quick service and great food! Definitely check it out. My second favorite was the Clinton St. Baking Company!!! Said to have the best pancakes, I took one of the specials and devoured the Maryland Crab Cake Benedict…mouthwatering good. There was also Penelope, claimed to be the Best Brunch in NYC. Sadly, we never made it for brunch but we did make it in for a late lunch and it was still nice. Don't know where to brunch? Check out Brunch-Upon-A-Time for options!

The Maryland Crab Cake Benedict only at
the Clinton St Baking Company.

Eighthly, riding the ferry to Brooklyn just before sunset. Out of question, the most amazing sunset I have ever had the pleasure of taking in. Blue, orange and yellow hues beyond the black skyline. Seemingly unreal and like a painting, the colors blended to paint the sky into the perfect sundown. 

Just before sunset. Perfection!

And having ice cream and wine afterwards of course. Ninethly, strolling through Central Park, on a chilly and sunny day. It’s a long walk and we took a break on the side of one of the many ponds. Lastly and certainly not the least, visiting Yankee Stadium for the very first time. Of course, we couldn’t show up without any Yankees’ support, so my very own Yankee’s cap adorned my messy hair. To make the visit even more memorable than it was, I had the absolute privilege of watching Derek Jeter during one of his last games. So there you have it.  A lot of more memorable things happened (my sister turned a year older, dropping pizza in Times Square, visiting a newly opened Brazilian restaurant, having dollar beers, karaoke, getting drenched in rain, the busy metro, late movie nights, Disney Cranium, but most importantly, new friends made!)

Behold the awesomeness of the Yankee Stadium

It was way too early in the morning and I was on a shuttle headed to JFK airport. My flight heading to merry ol’ London was at 10. I was over-the-moon excited to be back in one of my favorite cities in the world. It had been over a year and half since I had last been there. Moronically, I chose the worst flight schedule because I departed in the morning and landed in the evening. Still, I already knew my way around. I finally arrived at my bestie’s place and was happily greeted. To make the trip even better, my brother joined me the following morning. I picked him up at the airport, but as fate would have it, he fell asleep as soon as we got to the flat. We then spent the following days reuniting with friends, eating, walking, doing the typical tourist things (too many photo shoots). 

My handsome brother and I about to
take a cruise through the Thames

We even made time to travel to Amsterdam and visit my friends’ brother. The time was running short, but I extended my trip for nine days and it was well worth is. I got to spend time with friends I had not seen in over two years, drinking beer and catching up.

The before picture...

But it was time to face reality. Duty called before I knew it, I was back home.  A wedding later, November flew in. We were hit with sad news, as a dear Aunt passed away and left us with her laughter and smiling memories. She watches over us now.

The remainder of the month proved to be a very busy. After a jolly Thanksgiving at my grandmother’s filled with friends and family, we then got together again to celebrate her birthday. She’s 85 years young and counting!!!

Grandma's Gorgeous Vanilla Strawberry Cream Cake

The baking continued non-stop and being the busy bee I was, I declined order for the holidays. For once, I wanted to enjoy baking for home. It was decided about 5 Christmases ago, that we would have two Christmas Eve dinners (you know…because one isn’t enough), to keep my dad’s stomach in check. The tradition is having Christmas dinner at my grandmother’s house at midnight on the 25^th.  However, by 5:30, dad is usually complaining about how hungry he is. So we added an earlier dinner at home and the traditional one hours later.

This year, I chose to bake an Apple Glazed Crown Pork Roast. With the help of my mother, we finished the entire dinner just a little after 7 p.m. The menu included the roast, cranberry and pistachio rice, a caramelized walnut, avocado and apple over greens salad and buttered peas. It was a mouthful and worth the wait. Or so my father said. I admit though, I was half scared to death while baking the crown. I had never made one and I my culinary skills in the cuisine area are on the negative scale. So when this baby came out…I was almost in tears.

Seriously?! Not bad for my first time...just saying...

I had also baked the previous day two Bûche de Noël for dessert and Amaretto “SnowBalls”. I hardly remember how the evening fared. I was beyond tired and soon after dinner, we headed home. Christmas Day greeted us and the original plans for Christmas lunch were postponed for the following day. My uncles flew in from Florida on the 26 and we celebrated Christmas then. More or less was the schedule for New Year’s Eve, except I never made it to the party. I passed out at three. Not from a drunken blackout. My body simply said NO! Hahahaha. I resumed my orders a couple of days later with energy. The month was quickly ending and on the 26, I turned 26!!! Some people call it the Golden Year, when your birth date matches your number of years. Here’s hoping!!! I baked one of the most delicious cakes ever and celebrated with the family. It was Monday after all. 

Admit it...it looks AMAZING

The following Saturday, I had dinner with friends,  blew out those candles and ate another delicious cake made by yours truly. After a night out of laughing and drinking, we found ourselves leaving a Chinese restaurant at 3 in the morning. All I can say is that it was an amazing week.

"Make a wish!!!"

And then here we are! Valentine’s Day is quickly approaching and my VDAY menu is out. So far, it looks like I’ll be very busy baking a little love for my customers. I do appreciate you sticking this far with me. Like I said, I’m back for good and keep on reading, because many yummy recipes are on their way. After all, it IS my golden year.

Until next time!!!

P.S. it has never been a resolution of mine, but guess what?! I joined a gym after years!!! YAY!