tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10583054905360928002011-07-07T16:13:08.234-07:00synchronicityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10883003342368562654noreply@blogger.comBlogger611100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1058305490536092800.post-66349523212531232762010-10-03T11:10:00.000-07:002010-10-03T11:10:37.696-07:00

It's the end of summer, and fruits are in season and to be found cheaply in supermarkets. First, prepare the strawberries by slicing them up thinly. I tend to cut these with their ends facing downwards. I made cranberry jam and custard the night before. Custard has strawberry extract instead of vanilla in it! But I can't really taste it. Both have copious amounts of sugar (by my

synchronicityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10883003342368562654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1058305490536092800.post-90416695182280279352010-09-05T06:31:00.000-07:002010-09-05T06:31:54.152-07:00

My first attempt at striped icebox cookies! I like the concept of having cookies ready for baking, straight from the freezer. And when I saw Dalfour's strawberry jam on sale, I just knew what I had to do! Make strawberry jam stripe cookies, of course. For cookies, the formula's simple. Just make a batter, and then work on making it look pretty through various other methods. And here's the

synchronicityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10883003342368562654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1058305490536092800.post-5554382163704101822010-09-05T06:24:00.000-07:002010-09-05T06:24:08.022-07:00

I made these during the first few weeks of summer this year, but didn't find time to post them up. Half-moon cookies, based on a Martha Stewart recipe. They're meant to have a cake-like base with a yin-yang theme of chocolate and vanilla icing. Not only visually pleasing, they're nice to snack on too.  For the full recipe and pics-in-progress, please read after the cut!1 cup all-purpose flour2/

synchronicityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10883003342368562654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1058305490536092800.post-75923515618290193132010-05-19T14:15:00.000-07:002010-05-19T14:40:37.093-07:00

young zucchini, so lovely and crisp. the only way to do them justice was to toast them very simply! quartered, and then roasted with garlic. it's a completely calming process. chopping vegetables into even and equally-sized pieces. and then garlic, which is such a dream to chop., cloved, peeled, minced and scattered. roasted to slightly brown, with that nuttiness from garlic.i love garlic.

sonyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00474568378223210478noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1058305490536092800.post-51516898113076406032010-05-19T09:42:00.000-07:002010-05-19T09:44:25.984-07:00

After neglecting this blog for far too long, it's back to business! Starting off, this post of thank-you tiramisu cups, with custom stencilled names :) I've never made tiramisu before, so this was rather intimidating. Something you can't bake or steam or boil or fry? Ahh. What makes it good is entirely down to the amount of $$$ you put into the ingredients. So, the full list: cream cheese,

synchronicityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10883003342368562654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1058305490536092800.post-5408057531730791382010-02-04T14:28:00.000-08:002010-05-19T08:53:22.653-07:00

did i mention my ambivalence towards showy, frosted-to-death, decorated and tall-filled-with-cream cakes? they're so often filled with the fluffy nonsense that is whipped cream that don't live up to the way they look. no, the way i like my cakes is a little rustic, a little imperfect and yet oh-so-showy like the jane-next-door who stepped out in heels and knocked every boy in her neighborhood

sonyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00474568378223210478noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1058305490536092800.post-56944210738907199632010-01-18T15:20:00.000-08:002010-05-19T08:53:34.768-07:00

today, a brownie ate a blondie. surely a most controversial and wrong-sounding sentence, and yet it happened. just not the way you think it did, you dirty fella. the white version of a brownie, with no chocolate melted in the batter, nor cocoa sprinkled over for chocolate heaven. just butter, sugar, an egg and flour, filled with pantry staples.it was pecans, dark and white chocolate today.

sonyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00474568378223210478noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1058305490536092800.post-7929891146648577722010-01-18T14:39:00.000-08:002010-05-19T08:53:49.121-07:00

the simplest of cakes requires the least of explanations. the first cake we made, and now baked again at a different point. they mean so much, and yet with such different nuances.the simple crumb of a pound cake, jazzed up with the tangiest of lemon syrups. holes so full of air, so light with hope. a cut, two slices. and a gleaming surface, lifted with light.

sonyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00474568378223210478noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1058305490536092800.post-43970771017844603572009-12-09T14:52:00.000-08:002010-05-19T08:54:30.102-07:00

pork: the second of three ways to cook it! in a bid to to recreate that quintessential taste of home, he decided to whip up a batch of sweet and sour pork, even if we were missing some things, like pineapple and peppers. and due to my incessant nagging for a healthier dish that didn't include deep fried nubblets of pork, he came up with this one.it sounds far more enticing to me, anyway.

sonyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00474568378223210478noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1058305490536092800.post-75476758273265497632009-12-07T14:16:00.001-08:002010-05-19T08:54:41.217-07:00

as tiffy goes on her veggie adventure, i shall show you a bit of the porky adventures i've been having. because my dinner companion enjoys meat and is keen to try making some of his favorites ourselves, we've tried to make charsiu and siewyoke and gulu yoke, or roast pork done three ways for you anglophiles. (i say it like im not one, heh heh.) these are the pictures from our recent crispy roast

sonyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00474568378223210478noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1058305490536092800.post-82673321867012586792009-11-27T05:53:00.000-08:002010-05-19T08:54:54.733-07:00

first time making pancakes, with quite some help cooking them. i very nicely made the batter, which was SUPER easy, just dont over-mix them. and also took photographs of the followinglovely poppy seed pancakes (yes, i do love them): we had lovely honey we bought from a small shop in a park somewhere in eastern europe. the shopkeeper was selling quite a few types of honey, and as you can see the

sonyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00474568378223210478noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1058305490536092800.post-21504686885486158482009-11-17T16:04:00.000-08:002009-11-17T16:04:30.836-08:00

I had some leftover cornmeal (from my attempt at corn pudding, some Mauritian traditional dessert) and I had a craving for the kind of Kenny Roger corn muffins I used to eat. I didn't have any corn on me, but I decided to bake cornbread. It turned out rather dry so I made a moist honey pecan syrup to drizzle all over the bread. I'm kind of lazy to post the recipe, but it's basically just a

synchronicityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10883003342368562654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1058305490536092800.post-39388402020002043582009-11-17T16:00:00.000-08:002009-11-17T16:04:42.554-08:00

It's getting to be subzero temperatures and what I crave is a hot pie. Since I've gone back to my supermarket shopping lifestyle, I've discovered a whole range of "vegetarian" substitutes, like this vegetarian brown sauce. The first thing to try with it: Shepherd's Pie! Delicious. Recipe Ingredients 1 cup vegetarian brown sauce (or you could simply use vegetable stock with cornstarch) 2

synchronicityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10883003342368562654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1058305490536092800.post-58928040285385767502009-11-17T15:54:00.000-08:002009-11-17T15:54:23.715-08:00

One of the houses on the way to the farmer's market. This is the official end of the CSA season, and I miss their vegetables already. I'm not quite sure I can distinguish non-organic from organic produce, but I found the CSA veggies to be extremely flavorful and fresh. One of the last things I did with my supply of winter squash was to bake a quiche with squash and onions in it. Although the

synchronicityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10883003342368562654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1058305490536092800.post-42309239298486657922009-11-14T05:13:00.000-08:002009-11-14T05:32:22.720-08:00

made two cakes this year, both different style and in texture, but both equally pretty, or so i think.here's them2 white chocolate cake layers sandwiched with dark chocolate ganache, frosted with white chocolate frosting and sprinkled with pistachios. the layer cake was a cupcake batter that i baked in a cake pan, and it was only enough to cut into two layers. just as a note, the white chocolate

sonyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00474568378223210478noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1058305490536092800.post-49273464013569434652009-10-21T16:46:00.000-07:002009-10-21T16:46:42.874-07:00

This recipe is from a friend It makes a chocolatey puff of air It's what dreams are made of Makes 7 cupcake sized souffles: 8 eggs 1/2 cup sugar 200g chocolate pinch of salt preheat: oven to 450F 1. grease tins liberally, or use waxed paper to line the muffin tins 2. separate perfectly the 8 yolks from the whites 3. set up a double boiler and melt the chocolate 4. using an electric

synchronicityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10883003342368562654noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1058305490536092800.post-39597751616682606782009-10-21T16:21:00.000-07:002009-10-21T16:21:18.113-07:00

It's the absolute height of fall at the moment, and in fact it's a little past-we've already had first snow a week ago. Thankfully, it's warmed up again, so I hope to get some last bit of CSA-goodness before the cold season starts in full swing. It's hard to find time to bake random stuff, but it's good that my weekly visits to the farmer's market yields lots of pictures. In a previous post, I

synchronicityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10883003342368562654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1058305490536092800.post-6043976119573908112009-10-19T09:18:00.000-07:002009-10-19T09:27:51.111-07:00

because a friend loves cheesecake, i decided to make some.AND plus cream cheese was so cheap i had to buy some. digestive cookie crust,one cheesecake batter divided into 2 and flavored with baileys and coffee, layered into mini muffin silicon moulds,and baked up into a gorgeous piece. note to self: next time, if one batter is obviously denser than the other, just follow instinct and put the

sonyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00474568378223210478noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1058305490536092800.post-81931043953934850292009-10-19T02:31:00.000-07:002009-10-19T09:17:36.836-07:00

i still have no internet available at home (tilll wednesday!) which would explain the long hiatus in blogging. devoid of pretty things and eventful days i have picked up baking with a vengeance once again, and this time using my favorite poppy seeds. i bring you poppy seed sandwich cookies.these are very simple in conception: a nice plain-ish cookie, sandwiched with filling of your choice. this

sonyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00474568378223210478noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1058305490536092800.post-56159448896256190622009-10-14T00:27:00.000-07:002009-10-14T00:27:43.965-07:00

Behold- the encyclopedia which I borrowed and have not read. Another unaccomplished fall break assignment... well, to some extent. Seeing as I have been unable these past few days to wake up at an early enough hour to start my dough, I tried a recipe from this book. It turned out pretty good! I guess because focaccia is basically all about the quality of olive oil used... But, even if you don't

synchronicityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10883003342368562654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1058305490536092800.post-53845579885182207482009-10-13T07:15:00.000-07:002009-10-13T07:15:30.507-07:00

I learnt this from a cooking class organized at my school. It's typical Mauritian cooking, and the recipe is really simple. I don't think its too unfair to post it online, because there are similar ones available and it's no family secret or anything. Try making it, it takes about 20 minutes on the stove and 5h in the fridge before you tuck in. First, you have to buy corn meal though. It's such

synchronicityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10883003342368562654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1058305490536092800.post-41831411277894294422009-10-13T07:03:00.000-07:002009-10-13T07:03:28.942-07:00

 Tastes somewhat like the real thing, but isn't. So no recipe is provided until I tweak out the problems. Trouble is, I don't understand the recipe, it's in Japanese. So I went online to the first google search result and the recipe was a poor one (I'm not going to slander it, though).  An attempt at mizuyokan, which was a failure appearances-wise. It's meant to look like a pure jelly with

synchronicityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10883003342368562654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1058305490536092800.post-68869475036905496282009-10-13T06:41:00.000-07:002009-10-13T06:41:21.659-07:00

Finally, back from hiatus! Here's a slice of milky, airy cheesecake- the way I grew up eating it. I just can't understand the love for American-style cheezy cake.  I just watched Julie and Julia, and it's hard to believe that blogs can ever achieve such fairytale-like fame and glory. I'm having a hard time finding time to post, let alone everyday... but I guess that's why her dedication

synchronicityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10883003342368562654noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1058305490536092800.post-56440762692839903312009-09-23T15:36:00.000-07:002009-09-24T01:25:29.612-07:00

i made biscotti! again, i know. i love the sheer crispness of it, and the fact that so little fat is necessary for baking (makes it easier when im just not bothered enough to warm butter, or even buy butter).the original recipe was meant to make an immensely chunky, nut-speckled cracker with the dough serving more like gravel does to hold bricks in place, but i chose a less chunky version with

sonyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00474568378223210478noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1058305490536092800.post-50491328260718453452009-09-15T12:51:00.000-07:002009-09-15T14:02:15.045-07:00

here's trying out a pie crust that i saw online and was intrigued by. david lebovitz's melted and browned butter crust, together with his recipe for a lime meringue tart tweaked to a lemon-orange one.it's really fun! you mix oil, butter, water, sugar in a bowl, and place it in the preheating oven that you're preparing to bake the crust. after that, dump the flour in its entirety and watch it

sonyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00474568378223210478noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1058305490536092800.post-63904224749828876732009-09-15T12:29:00.000-07:002009-09-15T12:51:03.661-07:00

start with a hunk of bread dough. smash down and cut into strips with a pizza cutter (which you would have in your possession), brush one side with butter and dip into cinnamon sugar and bake.make curly-wurly twists (only because the pan doesnt allow for full length twists).or make elegant long sticks. that you could probably serve in a tall vase as an elegant starter.ideas of savory versions

sonyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00474568378223210478noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1058305490536092800.post-39952870597887676432009-09-11T15:23:00.000-07:002009-09-12T02:52:43.658-07:00

how does that not sound nice to you? the formula is simple, and what's better: this cake is fat-free. which means less-guilt, since it's almost non-fat but for the chocolate, but not guilt-less, since there's quite a bit of sugar in there.mash up three bananas to a pulpy mix. i dont usually have the patience to wait for them to ripen, so i always end up using just-ripe bananas for the bread.

sonyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00474568378223210478noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1058305490536092800.post-36069501420523916602009-09-10T14:06:00.000-07:002009-09-10T14:06:01.747-07:00

 What I packed for lunch this week: using leftover quiche and more yummy veggies from the farm. There's more kale in the bento, and it's paired with sauteed eggplant in black bean sauce and baked pumpkin. The pumpkin is really sweet and good! I love the color too, it really brightens up the lunchbox.The good news: there's enough for two more lunches! Yay.

synchronicityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10883003342368562654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1058305490536092800.post-39747161347653184422009-09-10T13:58:00.000-07:002009-09-10T13:58:58.981-07:00

I bought a beautiful lame from a quaint little cookery shop in Toronto, and obviously the first thing I had to try was basic pain a l'ancienne with it. Unfortunately, my inexperience with hearth breads shows. Ok, for a more honest and less stylish picture: Yuck!! The ears are all deformed and sad. I slashed the loaves as cleanly and deeply as I thought I should, but it looks like I was again

synchronicityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10883003342368562654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1058305490536092800.post-79235985966962002012009-09-10T13:47:00.000-07:002009-09-10T13:47:11.832-07:00

This is a basic quiche recipe, following the recipe for basic pie dough and quiche. What's in it? A tablespoon of marmite, 3 eggs, local veggies including tomato and kale, plus onions from the supermarket. Things that could have gone better: Prebaking took forever and I impatiently proceeded with the filling, only to produce a half-cooked base. The flakiness turned out just right though, at

synchronicityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10883003342368562654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1058305490536092800.post-48865220170548485452009-09-09T21:39:00.001-07:002009-09-09T22:24:25.813-07:00

Fresh, local vegetables that are organic and in season. In short, precisely the base ingredients you need to develop skill in melding tastes and natural flavors together. I haven't posted in a while, for good reason. So this is a mega summary of how I feel my relationship to food has changed.To start off this post, I must begin by saying that I read Pollan's books. Then, after researching on

synchronicityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10883003342368562654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1058305490536092800.post-88251914646559162512009-09-09T07:11:00.000-07:002009-09-10T03:15:53.218-07:00

an auntie's favorite coconut macaroons.nothing but egg white as binder, a bit of sweetener and coconut, these are easy and wonderfully coco-nutty.

sonyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00474568378223210478noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1058305490536092800.post-40163329853983077352009-09-02T22:20:00.000-07:002009-09-10T03:15:35.316-07:00

guest-starring weiliang liew, who roped me in on his effort to build a multi-million-dollar pineapple-tart enterprise. soon to take london by storm, look out for it.so the entire idea of pineapple tarts is simple. barely sweet pineapple jam baked in, or on, a crumbly buttery crust. they appear as covered up cookies, or thumbprint ones and can be as elaborate as you would suppose. only 2 parts to

sonyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00474568378223210478noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1058305490536092800.post-68109605775415289062009-08-13T12:45:00.000-07:002009-09-09T22:25:12.637-07:00

after a long hiatus, due the fact that blogger hates me and i can't upload pictures, i've finally got tiffy to help me upload them! so yayy thank you.here's a strawberry-toblerone cake that I made for my sister's birthday. it's basically a basic yellow cake cut into layers and sandwiched with ganache made from toblerone, and topped with a white chocolate icing and sliced strawberries. this was

synchronicityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10883003342368562654noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1058305490536092800.post-61928879092371044652009-08-04T16:49:00.000-07:002009-09-09T22:25:21.266-07:00

An attempt at pizza, this time with NYC-style thick crust. Perhaps a little TOO thick. Recipe taken from Reinhart's American Pie, where he obsessively lists all the pizza doughs you could ever conceivably make and gives the best way to flip, top and bake them. While my baking stone makes the dough blister spectacularly, I have to work on getting the timings right- evidently I put them in too

synchronicityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10883003342368562654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1058305490536092800.post-36868231056150777412009-08-04T16:40:00.000-07:002009-09-09T22:27:05.589-07:00

Chunky red bean paste with sponge layers! I am frustrated that even after doing this several times (check history), I still can't get the roll cake to be picture perfect! I swear, one day I will bake a whole day's worth of roll cakes until I get the right balance of fluffiness, thickness and flexibility. The red bean paste doesn't look very flattering, but it tastes nice :)

synchronicityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10883003342368562654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1058305490536092800.post-8957960982524429932009-07-17T18:20:00.000-07:002009-09-09T22:27:38.590-07:00

tried to make the swiss roll again, but even with 2 hours of whipping the eggs hardly inflated. decided to give up, and make some chocolate chip cookies. these are amazing. the pictures should say it all.the batter mixes up really easy, although i started with room temperature butter instead of cold, as instructed. but that was alright, it made for easy creaming with sugar. just in case you cant

sonyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00474568378223210478noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1058305490536092800.post-65638458493865882362009-07-15T07:39:00.000-07:002009-09-09T22:27:48.239-07:00

i made swiss rolls today! the second thing i've baked now that im back home. although i fancy some things about it could be improved, so im going to try it again tmr. because i didnt have an electric whisk, i had to do the manual whisking. dear lord, that was tough. i shall try NOT to ever have to do that again. (kudos to you tiffy for making meringues by hand!) but since im baking this tmr i

sonyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00474568378223210478noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1058305490536092800.post-31416208467941909812009-07-14T05:54:00.000-07:002009-09-09T22:27:56.928-07:00

A spongy roll with custard spread and soft strawberries dipped in sugar syrup as filling, covered with chocolate ganache and a mild whipped cream flavoured with vanilla. The strawberries were very soft, from the frozen batch leftover from the day we went strawberry picking (sooo... many... strawberries...). When defrosted (by leaving it at RTP) you get bags of pulpy, watery strawberries which are

synchronicityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10883003342368562654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1058305490536092800.post-90657187409557229052009-07-11T19:17:00.000-07:002009-09-09T22:28:06.574-07:00

It's a sandwich of really white bread with really fatty pork. Another excuse to make quickbread :)AKA Another use for the bun recipe. Kou rou recipe adapted from here. Because I don't believe in spending too much for a one-time dish, I replaced all the spices and herbs listed with 五香粉. I might have added too much though, it really smelt like the meat in 肉骨茶. I simmered the meat for at least 3

synchronicityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10883003342368562654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1058305490536092800.post-4771987707912516862009-07-11T18:36:00.000-07:002009-09-09T22:28:13.546-07:00

How to make your own red bean buns, aka why I made red bean paste earlier. We followed a recipe from the internet for the buns but the paste from my recipe book. It's good that I have tons of experience making bread, because unlike what the recipe suggests, you will require a LOT more water than 1/2 cup. I always knead my dough for anything that I expect to turn out breadlike, making sure that

synchronicityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10883003342368562654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1058305490536092800.post-18671326440213322362009-07-11T15:41:00.000-07:002009-09-09T22:28:21.398-07:00

Just a little something from what I'm eating for my lunches/dinners since I've moved into my apartment...My family used to eat these! But I'm not sure if it turned out exactly the same, because I just used cornstarch and water as the batter. There's some tuna mashed in with the potato. These made excellent additions to my daily packed lunches, and kept well in the freezer. To reheat, just hit the

synchronicityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10883003342368562654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1058305490536092800.post-55080923881201814662009-07-11T15:39:00.001-07:002009-09-09T22:28:29.480-07:00

From my recipe book, which has lots of pictures so I can understand what to do...粒あん225g red beans280g sugar7g sugar syrup/honey/omit if desperatesome salt1. wash beans in some water, don't throw it away!! bring it to a boil.2. once boiling, add 1 cup water and let it be heated for 10 minutes3. drain azuki beans, let it run under water for 5 minutes4. put back in a pot and boil for 60 minutes,

synchronicityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10883003342368562654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1058305490536092800.post-25440063595165015212009-06-14T01:07:00.000-07:002009-09-10T03:21:56.961-07:00

guest post by steffi, my fiancee. her trip to japan yielded a lot more than japanese delicacies!Macarons seem like one of the most extravagant purchases ever. One piece that’s roughly the size of 2 stacked Oreo cookies can cost something like 3.9 euros, which is quite an insane price to pay for something that small.According to those in the know, the best places to get your macarons from are

sonyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00474568378223210478noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1058305490536092800.post-10307655194496920582009-06-04T14:00:00.000-07:002009-09-09T22:30:13.089-07:00

ivan always complains that i dont ever upload enough pictures, so here are pretty processes just for you!due to sheer carelessness i have misplaced my thumbdrive with pictures of the choux puffs when they came out of the oven but there above are the choux puffs when i was preparing them. that's the cream after it's been whipped - i personally dont like whipped cream, but there's something

sonyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00474568378223210478noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1058305490536092800.post-73684076688940757042009-05-23T17:36:00.000-07:002009-09-09T22:30:04.673-07:00

Recipe:1 2/3 cup self-rising flour1 pinch baking powder1 egg, slightly beaten2/3 cup sugar1 stick butter1 tsp vanilla essence1 cup choc chips/broken choc bar1 cup crushed nuts (of any kind!)1. Mix dry ingredients, and rub in butter2. Put in the egg and vanilla essence3. Fold in the chips and nuts.4. Bake for 8-10mins in a preheated oven at 350F until just set. Let it cool before eating.Packaging:

synchronicityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10883003342368562654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1058305490536092800.post-82877929606991070232009-05-07T12:31:00.000-07:002009-09-10T03:26:11.605-07:00

school is making me right pissy. studying is driving me crazy, and just about the only thing that i constantly crave to do is baking. which isn't unusual since it's something i enjoy, but it's a little terrifying how intense the feeling is some times.here's a simple blueberry crumble i made because i loved how it looked on smittenkitchen. as you all well know, this is my favorite website. i go on

sonyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00474568378223210478noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1058305490536092800.post-72170572645908926012009-05-02T14:29:00.000-07:002009-09-09T22:29:41.823-07:00

Thanks to wonderful, wonderful friends out there, I had the opportunity to test out naan bread using my new baking stone! Blasting the oven at 550F for over an hour allowed the stone to really heat up things, and the flat dough blistered beautifully within minutes.I love naan! Or rather, it seems like I ended up with pita bread, having used rice milk rather than yogurt. I used virgin olive oil to

synchronicityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10883003342368562654noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1058305490536092800.post-50615484433959451612009-04-20T20:00:00.000-07:002009-09-09T22:29:34.840-07:00

sonya's been baking lots of cakes, but I've been doing breads. This is my first serious cake, that involves decoration and some kind of design! In the past, I've done butter cakes, sponge cakes and Japanese-style cheesecakes, but I have never tried decorating them before.This should be familiar, because it's what sonya made a few posts back, for another birthday across the ocean. It was really

synchronicityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10883003342368562654noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1058305490536092800.post-20474870584469627222009-04-16T08:07:00.000-07:002009-09-09T22:29:26.450-07:00

two things, just because im anal and extremely uptight about some things.i made a danish braid just to see how it would be, and because it really didnt sound all that difficult. despite the repeated foldings and restings. BUT THEN i didnt forsee the butter tearing out of the dough while i was rolling. presumably because i dont have a rolling pin (!! something sonya doesnt have) and was using the

sonyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00474568378223210478noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1058305490536092800.post-69358433724318275372009-04-11T08:31:00.000-07:002009-09-09T22:29:17.687-07:00

AFTER a very long absence, it's finally time for me to post again! Behold, choux pastry!Here's some hard facts:3 batches2 trays3 rows each7 columns= 126 puffs(which feeds 10 people watching Monty Python and all the random passers-by)The full recipe is here, but here's some tips to make them better:I used (each batch):4 eggs (lightly beaten)1/2 cup salted butter (ie, one helpful stick)4 ounces

synchronicityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10883003342368562654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1058305490536092800.post-51657538120883131282009-03-26T09:51:00.000-07:002009-09-10T03:28:52.471-07:00

one more for the archives!last week of school and somebody's birthday so i guess i've been roped in to do my part. what better way to try out recipes that are too extravagant for day-to-day usage?this time, i made a brownie mosaic cheesecake that i saw on smitten kitchen. that's one amazing blog and i can't get pictures of htat clarity, im afraid. what i can do is attempt to replicate what she

sonyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00474568378223210478noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1058305490536092800.post-25272142243657614552009-03-13T02:13:00.000-07:002009-09-09T22:28:59.373-07:00

ok LOONG absence but school's been putting me down SERIOUSLY.i baked alex a chocolate cake for his birthday just 2 days ago, hence donating about 3.5hours of my life devoting myself to mixing, baking and washing up just so he could get this chocolate cake.its not too much, just a layered cake with chocolate pastry cream but i was really pleased with it. i fancy it's because the chocolate cake's

sonyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00474568378223210478noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1058305490536092800.post-38653251748977508842009-03-12T20:24:00.000-07:002009-09-09T22:28:50.306-07:00

What I've been up to: It's the holy grail of bread! SOURDOUGH... I was so excited and happy to receive this batch of starter, because to me sourdough is a bread that all true bakers tackle at some point or other. My personal goal is to start my own starter from a batch of flour, but I'll only have time to do that over summer. For now, I'll practise feeding and maintaining this batch of starter!

synchronicityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10883003342368562654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1058305490536092800.post-46357269986985882882009-03-01T07:38:00.000-08:002009-09-09T22:30:26.557-07:00

I baked them again! They are so fun to make and pretty easy. I have some left over dough, need to use it up somehow. Wonder what I can make with them. Hm. If I get some chocolate spread... maybe I can make some wassants.I used KAF and butter this time round, and the bread turned out to be the extremely fluffy and tissue-y Hokkaido Milk loaf kind of bread. Delicious! And I didn't burn the tips of

synchronicityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10883003342368562654noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1058305490536092800.post-40249108256548677212009-02-21T14:17:00.000-08:002009-09-10T03:30:15.213-07:00

my turn.tiffy's gone on with bread and i've tried my hand at making a cake with olive oil. not just because i want to see how olive oil turns out in cake, but because i was just too darn lazy to bring butter to room temperature. ok, but that turned out to not be a problem this time because i didnt even have butter in my fridge.over and beyond all that.the extra-virgin olive oil smelled VERY green

sonyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00474568378223210478noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1058305490536092800.post-3458974295838882052009-02-21T09:10:00.000-08:002009-09-09T22:30:57.600-07:00

QN. What's this?ANS. My attempt at Struan AKA breakfast loaf for the next two weeks.Meh, there's bits of parchment paper stuck to it. I put in rice, some multigrain mix consisting of bran, oats and other nonsense stuff so it's pretty nice to eat (rice is still a little crunchy. note to self, cook longer next time). It was hellish to mix the dough because the recipe didn't ask for enough flour....

synchronicityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10883003342368562654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1058305490536092800.post-7830625904240941442009-02-13T06:09:00.000-08:002009-09-09T22:31:06.237-07:00

This is a test recipe, so I can't share it. Sorry...There wasn't any class this morning so I baked stuff. Pretzel-stuff. Ok, I wasn't that impulsive, I started it the night before, knowing I didn't have any class until 10am. Behold, the magic of dough:...It's just a mixture of flour and water. Yeesh, and instant yeast. And then you mix it, and mix it, and get a dough. If you knead it well enough,

synchronicityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10883003342368562654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1058305490536092800.post-26771794437964109332009-02-11T17:15:00.000-08:002009-09-09T22:31:16.505-07:00

IT's winter, and no sign of spring. Yeast doesn't grow well in the cold, but it's 80F inside, plenty warm for them. And, what better to chase away wintry blues than freshly baked cinnamon rolls?The solution is simple. Freshly baked raisin-filled cinnamon rolls. Be careful to pop any raisins that rise out of the rolls into the dough again, else they will burn and be sourish-bitter rather than

synchronicityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10883003342368562654noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1058305490536092800.post-59947115716847248562009-02-11T17:03:00.000-08:002009-09-09T22:31:26.088-07:00

i have a fear of yeast actually. well not a phobia in the sense that i might not exactly shudder and die a slow swollen-mouth-red-rashed death with using it, but i've had far more failures with yeast than i've had with other leaveners such as b-s or b-p.my first few tries with anything yeasty just ended in painful gloops of sticky dough and insufficient inflation which were darn annoying, just

sonyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00474568378223210478noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1058305490536092800.post-69504306106468371712009-02-11T16:52:00.000-08:002009-02-11T17:26:58.849-08:00

This blog is dedicated to the friends and family who have endured our initial attempts at the craft of baking, and who have remained our (un?)willing testers since.As a log of our progress in the craft of baking, we promise to post lots of pictures, and recipes if possible.Here's to delicious desserts and beautiful breads!syn&sonya

synchronicityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10883003342368562654noreply@blogger.com1