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It is said the we eat with our eyes and nose first. If something looks or smells good, we are tempted to indulge our third sense- that of taste. Food can truly be a form of art and a piece of art can be food. Sounds twisted? Not if you believe the above photo. This was a dark chocolate brownie. The art work was 'dyed' into the batter and baked with the dish creating the historic 'batik' or 'tie and dye' look. Moist and gooey fudge like consistency of the brownie was balanced with the crunch of crushed pecans to make a simple treat truly gourmet.
I am back after a short hiatus from the baking world. My time away was spent at two conferences. The presentations are probably very similar year after year, but what changes is how our brain processes the information with time. From the naive listener to the more confident presenter, it has been quite a remarkable journey for me.
The first was a technical conference and the second more of a networking event. Of all the presentations, the most amazing one was a talk by an Olympic gold medalist. She is the only woman in the history of the Olympics to have qualified for and competed in 3 distinct sporting events, winning gold in one of them. Her story outlining her failures and successes have created a lasting impression in my mind. Her key takeaway message was "ganbare" (a Japanese word) meaning 'don't give up'.
What has the above cupcakes got to do with all this? They were for the volunteers at the event that brought together the wonderful event and the inspirational speakers. Lemon and red velvet with vanilla and cream cheese frosting and decorations to celebrate women and their invincible spirit!
I was starting to think that the heat of the summer was drying up my creative ebb. Until this order came through. A birthday cake for a young lady. A school teacher by profession the cake was to be small enough for a personal feel but special enough to make her see red (her favorite color, I was told). I figured you couldn't go wrong with either shoes or a handbag when dealing with ladies. So here it was: a simple lemon cake draped in strawberry fondant with all edible decorations (inclusive of the handle). Think of cake and "Starburst" candy in one go! Birthday or not, I hope this made her feel special.
Happy Fourth of July! Sometimes the best treats on earth are the simplest ones. This was an individual serving of caramelized yogurt topped with fresh handpicked raspberries and blueberries. It is sometimes referred to as Indian cheesecake and is made out of yogurt, milk, sugar and caramel (yes, no eggs in this one). But don't let the name fool you. The sweet, smooth and velvety texture will transport you to your grandma's kitchen in one bite. In my mind, a perfect way to end a summer barbecue and enjoy the fireworks!
