My Beginner's Writing Exercises

My class today on Food Writing is basically describing food using similes and metaphors instead of adjectives. Sounds easy? But actually it's a little complicated. I need more practice:)

Here it goes..

Writing Exercise #1

Subject: To write about a particular/favorite fruit.

My chosen fruit is the Lanzones.

One of the tropical gems of my country is the Lanzones. The beige colored, tiny round fruit that comes on vines, resembles the Malaysian Longan only with softer skin with dark brown to black irregular spots. The skin is very thin,soft like a grape and velvety like a purple suede. As the skin is easily torn by hands.. a sweet-tangy mist of Lanzones squeezes towards the air, the scent of ripeness is like a panorama of a vintage summer afternoon, it invites you, convinces you that its humble transparent flesh is cherry-picked.

Writing Exercise # 2

Subject: To write about the last dish you had

The thought of old fashioned Apple Pie is classic as ballet. Every spoonful is graceful as If listening to Sinatra. The bed of soggy, buttery pastry crust and the additional notes of cinnamon and oven caramelised  granny smith creates a symphony of textures. The generous amount of burnt sugar, toasted pecan and crumbs are sediments of a beautiful finale.. It felt as if I was in Serendipity.

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Sugar, Spice and Everything Nice! Something Perplexed To Try!

I love the Powerpuff girls, I'm Buttercup (My sisters Cowe is Blossom and Bebeng is Bubbles) . Now, back on the dessert-given blog. :) I have learned to play with few spices, which are all commonly used for savories..into desserts. Some people call it "Perplexed Desserts" which means the fusion of savory ingredient into desserts, may it be the main flavor or main component. 

So something Perplexed but not so scary to eat? I have a handful. :)
My first Perplexed dessert creation is a Chocolate Chili Creme Brulee Tartlet.However, since it was one of my "firsts" recipes, I have to find time to look for that in my recipe trunk.:) will post it as soon as I find it. Basically, the tiny red Labuyo chilis was infused into the cream and tempered into the egg yolks. I prefer it bite size than serving it as an individual dessert.

Chocolate Chili Creme Brulee Tartlet (Left)

To create something Perplexed, one must be adventurous and experimental. Spices are best incorporated after roasting; the process somehow makes the oil present in the powdered/grounded spice active producing a nice aroma and flavor.

You may try Herbs that are store bought or home grown. Some herbs are better incorporated when dried as per Rosemary, Tarragon and Thyme. Some are better for infusions while fresh like Spear Mint, Pepper Mint, Lemongrass, Basil and Dill.

There are now more pantry ingredients that had become my dessert staples; Bacon, Salted Egg,Bleu Cheese, Black Olives, Sun Dried Tomato,Olive Oil,Parmesan Cheese, Balsamic Vinegar, Black Sessame, Polenta, Soft Tofu, Zucchini, and much much more.

As you read on, you will be entitled to my handful Perplexed desserts inspirations. I will post the recipes on my next features..

Chocolate Truffles and Pralines

Milk Chocolate & Peppercorn Or the "Poivre"

My favorites are Cayenne with Salt on Milk Chocolate.. I also like freshly cracked Black Peppercorn on Milk Chocolate. Then Black Olives on White Chocolate. I don't like it so much but some people appreciate Curry and Dark Chocolate. 

Milk Chocolate Bacon

Milk Chocolate Grand Marnier & Thyme

Breads and Quick Breads

I love the combination of Cinnamon and Nutmeg in Croissant Bread Pudding. I also like Cinnamon and All Spice together in the traditional Hot Cross Buns and for making Streusel to finish my Blueberry Muffin and Baked Apple Betty.

Cakes & Cold Desserts

I like Chili Bacon Creamcheese Frosting on Chocolate Cupcakes. Freshly shaved Ginger and Milk Chocolate for Ice Cream and also for frozen Mousse.And recently I have this infatuation with Danish Bleu Cheese and fresh Pear slices. I also like Bleu Cheese on Ice Cream and the only one I personally love was by a very good friend RJ Bernabe.  I'm not a fan of Green Tea but I kind of appreciated it together with Lemongrass for Mousse. 

Green Tea & Lemon Grass Mousse (Right)

Olive Oil & Rosemary Cake

I also tried Olive Oil on Cake with Rosemary. Then Tarragon instead of Rosemary in my Lemon Curd Meringue Tart.

Macaron

Black Peppercorn Macaron

For Macaron shells, I tried finishing the top with Black Peppercorn, also with Pink Peppercorn. Dried Black Olives,Then the Salted Caramel whom everybody love. I also have the Salted Coffee which surprisingly became the best seller at Cheri. 

Salted Coffee Macaron

Chocolate & Black Olive Macaron

New dessert ideas kept on coming. Gastronomically and  Scientifically, Desserts now are modern, sexy but still palatable, as per the diners who are now more adventurous., Home bakers who are more experimental and Pastry Chefs who are up to more challenge. What's your something Perplexed?:)

Happy Baking!

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The Delight Of Baking is On Creating: Souffle Cake v.1

It has been a crazy weekend with all the heavy rain pouring! And before everything else, I just want to share something I value and learned from today's worship service. The minister said something like this "It has been raining really hard, and if you also have the heavy rain in your heart and mind right now, you got to make your faith as heavy".

Something to sit down with having all those thoughts? Of course! Something sweet :) My recipe for today is my own version of "Souffle" on a cake. I would like to remind you that this dessert is on progress and I'm still developing it, so I'm naming it "Souffle" cake v.1.

We wanted to create something unique at Le Petit Cheri, something like Souffle but on a cake.My boss loved the idea, we however preferred the "Souffle" cake v.2 with more dense and cake-r structure. And given the permission, I'm sharing the "Souffle" cake v.1 recipe on my blog:)

My "Souffle" cake v.1  is somehow relative and inspired of the Filipino favorite Brazo de Mercedes (which I'm also featuring soon), and the Canonigo of Hispanic originin, Both are meringue based cake.The soft, white and fluffy baked meringue  is really on my list of anything I can eat everyday and die  for overeating! 

The recipe is very simple:

"Souffle" cake v.1

240 g Egg whites
100g Caster Sugar
1 tsp Baking Powder

20g Sugar
10 g Melted butter

1. Preheat oven at 180C
2. Whip egg whites up to soft peaks
3. Add in sugar and baking powder
4. Continue whipping until stiff peaks
5. Brush mold with melted butter and dust with sugar
6. Pour the meringue into the mold
7. Steam bake  for 15 to 18 mins 

You have to pre heat the oven before making your meringue, and make sure you separate the egg whites and egg yolks carefully as traces of fat in the egg whites will prevent it from whipping. Make sure your bowl and attachment is also very dry.

When I say "Steam bake" I actually mean to bake it over bain-marie or hot water. This will distribute the oven heat around the meringue and make it rise as of a Souffle without cooking the eggs like an omelette.

This one is very versatile and pairs with whatever! Kidding aside, as a Souffle is paired with Creme Anglaise, I paired it with a Rhum Anglaise.. Which you may substitute with Bailey's, Grand Marnier or Coffee :) Oh my gosh!

Rhum Anglaise

160 g Egg yolks
50 g Sugar
360 g Fresh Milk
60ml Rhum

1. Scald together the milk, sugar and rhum
2. Slowly pour the milk into the egg yolks while stirring it.
3. Strain the mixing and bring back to low heat
4. Cook until nappe consistency 
5. Strain to remove any curdled egg yolk
6. Chill

Everytime Nani and I have this, we can eat the whole cake in one sitting, it's so light like eating air! Hahaha.

Happy Sunday to you!

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